US removed three Indian entities from its restrictive list Entity List.
- These entities are Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Indira Gandhi Atomic Research Centre (IGCAR) and Indian Rare Earths Limited (IREL).
- This step could potentially revitalize the Indo-US Nuclear Cooperation Agreement of 2008.
About US Entity list
- Includes names of certain foreign persons (including businesses, research institutions, government organizations, etc.).
- Such persons are subject to specific license requirements for trade in specified items that could support terrorism, weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs, etc.
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1 source4G and 5G Services deployed to Siachen Glacier.
About Siachen Glacier
- It is a Piedmont glacier
- Located in Karakoram Range (between Saltoro Ridge to the west and the main Karakoram Range to the east).
- Originates near Indira Col West and demarcates Central Asia from the Indian subcontinent.
- World's second-longest non-polar glacier (after Fedchenko Glacier in Tajikistan).
- Source for the Nubra River, a tributary of the Shyok (part of the Indus River system).
- Known as the highest and coldest battlefield.
- In 1984, India took its control under Operation Meghdoot.
Endocrinologists from the Diabetes Foundation India updated India's obesity guidelines after 15 years, replacing "overweight" with Obesity Grades I and II.
- The 2009 guidelines were based solely on BMI criteria.
About BMI
- It is a statistical index used to determine a person’s healthy weight range for their height.
- It is calculated by taking a person's weight (in kilograms) divided by their height (in m2)
- Limitations:
- Does not differentiate between lean body mass and fat mass, based on gender despite physiological differences,
- Does not measure the distribution of body fat.
A Melanistic Royal Bengal Tiger was poached in the Simlipal Tiger Reserve (STR), Odisha.
- STR harbours the only population of melanistic tigers in the world.
About Melanistic Royal Bengal Tiger
- Also known as Black tigers, however, they are not a separate subspecies.
- They have more black pigmentation or thick stripes on their body due to a single mutation in the gene Transmembrane Aminopeptidase Q (Taqpep).
- They are also described as being pseudo-melanistic, as they are not entirely black
- Melanism causes an increased production of melanin (produced by melanocytes, and gives colour to hair, skin, and iris).
African Union (AU) Extraordinary Summit on the Post-Malabo Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP)
adopted the 10-year CAADP Strategy and Action Plan, and the Kampala CAADP Declaration on Building Resilient and Sustainable Agrifood Systems in Africa.
About Kampala Declaration
- Kampala declaration is the successor to the Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods, adopted in 2014.
- Implementation period will be 2026-2035.
- It set forth six commitments that should transform and strengthen the agri-food system on the continent.
Government of India has designated areas around Shikari Devi Wildlife Sanctuary as Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs).
About Shikari Devi Wildlife Sanctuary
- Location: Middle altitudinal range of the Himalayas in Mandi District, Himachal Pradesh.
- Named after the goddess Shikari Devi, to whom a temple is dedicated in the sanctuary.
- Streams: Juni Khud, a tributary of Beas River.
- It is recognised as an Important Bird Area by Birdlife International.
- Vegetation: Alpine pastures and Temperate Deciduous Forest.
- Fauna: Asiatic Black Bear, Leopard, Barking Deer, Giant Flying Squirrel etc.
SpaceX Falcon9 launched U.S.-based Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 and Japan-based ispace’s RESILIENCE lunar lander.
About Blue Ghost Mission
- It will deliver 10 S&T instruments to the lunar surface as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative.
- It will conduct several first-of-its-kind demonstrations, including testing regolith sample collection, Global Navigation Satellite System abilities, radiation tolerant computing, and lunar dust mitigation.
About RESILIENCE
- It is part of ispace’s Hakuto-R Moon Mission 2 which also includes TENACIOUS micro rover.
- Its commercial customer payload includes Water electrolyzer equipment, Deep space radiation probe etc.
Ministry of Defence launches Bharat Ranbhoomi Darshan website and app as part of its 'Battlefield Tourism' plan.
- It will be a one-stop destination for information and clearances for battlefield visits, featuring virtual tours and historical narratives.
- Indian Army, in conjunction with Ministry of Tourism, has shortlisted some other border sites that have witnessed military action in the past
- These include Kibithoo and Bum La Pass (Arunachal Pradesh), Rezang La and Pangong Tso (Ladakh), and Doklam (site of 2017 conflict).
