Various reports suggest rising instances of ‘Salad bar extremism’ in some western countries.

About Salad Bar Extremism

• It is a new kind of extremism where the primary motivation behind violent attacks is a combination of beliefs and views rather than a coherent ideology.
• It is also called composite extremism or mixed, unstable, or unclear (MUU) extremism.
• It incorporates multiple extremist agendas and may also reach across ideological lines to forge alliances based on shared interests. e.g., misogynistic, anti-minorities, anti-Semitic ideologies.
• Recent examples: Edmonton city hall shooting in Canada (2024), Texas Mall attack (2021), etc.

Recently, the 3rd edition of joint military Exercise AUSTRAHIND commenced in Pune.

About Exercise AUSTRAHIND

• It is an annual military exercise conducted alternatively in India and Australia. 
• Aims to enhance interoperability between Indian and Australian military in conduct of joint sub conventional operations in semi-urban environment in semi-desert terrain under Chapter VII of the UN mandate. 
• It will be conducted in 2 phases – combat conditioning and tactical training phase and validation phase.

Recently, the Union Minister of Power, Housing & Urban Affairs unveiled 'EV as a Service' Programme of Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL), a subsidiary of Energy Efficiency Services Limited. 

• It follows the launch of the PM E-DRIVE Scheme to fast-tracking India's shift to electric mobility. 
• EV-as-a-Service model offers subscription-based access to electric vehicles, eliminating the high upfront costs of purchasing an EV.

About EV-as-a-Service Programme

• Aims to deploy 5,000 E-Cars in government departments over the next two years.
• Aligns with India’s ambitious goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2070.

Recently, the QS World University Rankings: Asia (2025) was released.

• It assesses 984 institutions covering 25 countries in Eastern, Southern, South-Eastern, and Central Asia.
• Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) offers data, expertise and solutions for the global higher education sector.
• Indicators: Academic and Employer Reputation, Faculty Student Ratio, International research Network etc.

India’s Performance

• India has 2 institutions in the top 50 and 7 in the top 100.
• Inclusion of 46 institutions (2025) from India, a 318% increase compared to 2015. 
• IIT-Delhi is the highest ranked institution at 44th followed by IIT-Bombay (48th).

World Urban Forum (WUF) concluded its twelfth edition, held in Cairo (Egypt), with the adoption of 10-point Cairo Call to Action.

• WUF established in 2001 by UN, is the premier global conference on sustainable urbanization.

Cairo Call to Action

It calls for:

• Urgent action to address the global housing crisis, Sharing urban spaces inclusively, and Urban planning to deliver better local outcomes.
• Achieving global goals through local action, Representation of local actors at all levels, and Building alliances to scale local impact.
• Unlocking finance for cities and communities, and Ensuring equity and justice.
• Leveraging local and grassroots data for decision-making.
• Harnessing culture and heritage as an asset for sustainability.

Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council (BRIC) has completed one year of its formation.

• It was established by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology, by subsuming 14 Autonomous Institutions (AIs).
• Objectives:
  • Promoting cutting-edge research in biotechnology aligned with national priorities,
  • Fostering innovation and translation across institutional boundaries,
  • Developing indigenous technologies and capabilities.
• BRIC aims to establish a centralized and unified governance mechanism for its research institutions through intra-mural core grants.
• BRIC plays a crucial role in bringing together scientists and researchers from various institutions

A Eurasian Otter was sited in Pune, Maharashtra, for the first time.

About Eurasian Otter (Lutra Lutra) 

• It is one of the three otter species found in India, alongside Smooth-coated Otter and Small-clawed Otter. 
• Distribution: Europe, Asia and Africa. 
  • In India, it is mainly confined to Himalayan foothills, parts of Northeast India, and Western Ghats.
• Characteristics: 
  • Solitary and nocturnal creatures.
  • As apex predators in river ecosystems, they help regulate fish populations and maintain ecological balance.
• IUCN Status: Near Threatened.
• Threats: Habitat pollution through pesticides and oil spills and river bank destruction. 

A recent study found an association between the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine CoronaVac and Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP). 

About TTP

• A rare blood disorder in which thrombi (blood clots) are formed in small blood vessels throughout the body.
  • Clots can limit or restrict the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the organs including brain, kidneys and heart.
• It can be inherited or acquired and occurs due to lack of an enzyme, ADAMTS13, that controls blood clotting.
• Major symptoms may include thrombocytopenia (lower than normal platelet count), purpura (purple bruises under the skin); hemolytic anemia (abnormal destruction of red blood cells), etc.