Some experts argue that policies adopted by the present USA President signals a new era of isolationism.

Isolationism

• It is a political principle or practice of showing interest only in one’s own country and avoiding political or economic entanglements with other countries.
• This feature has periodically shaped U.S. foreign policy, often emerging in response to actual or perceived failures in allocating resources to costly or risky international engagements.
• Benefits: Domestic control, Conflict avoidance
• Disadvantages: Less effective for global issues, often stifles economic growth

12th Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the Pacific concluded with the unanimous adoption of the ‘Jaipur Declaration’ by the member countries.

Key Highlights of the  Jaipur Declaration (2025–2035)

• Nature: Voluntary declaration.
• It speaks about resource efficiency and sustainable material consumption and covers informal sectors, gender issues, and labour issues.
• A collaborative knowledge platform as a global alliance C-3 (Cities Coalition for Circularity) has also been agreed upon.
• It provides for means of implementation, partnerships, technology transfer, funding mechanism and research and development.
• The declaration calls for integration of 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) and circular economy principles.

Supreme Court directed Forest Research Institute (FRI) to carry out a tree census in the Taj Trapezium Zone.

About Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ)

• TTZ is a defined area of 10,400 sq km around the Taj Mahal to protect the monument from pollution.
• It comprises monuments including three World Heritage Sites: Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri.
• 1996 Supreme Court ruling banned use of coal/ coke in industries located in TTZ with a mandate for switching over from coal/ coke to natural gas, and relocating them outside TTZ or shutting down. 
• Centre constituted Taj Trapezium Zone Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority under the Environment Protection Act, 1986.
• It has four zone named as Red, Green, Orange, and White.

Recently, DRDO conducted high-altitude trials of Indigenous Integrated Life Support System (ILSS) for Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas.

• ILSS is cutting-edge system generating and regulating breathable oxygen for pilots in flight, eliminating dependence on traditional liquid oxygen cylinders.

About LCA Tejas

• It is an Indian single-engine 4.5-generation multirole combat aircraft.
• Designed and developed by the DRDO’sAeronautical Development Agency.
• Three production variants: Tejas Mark 1, Mark 1A, and the Tejas trainer/light attack aircraft.

Rising human-wildlife conflicts on Assam’s Majuli River Island are threatening the livelihoods of the region’s agrarian population.

About Majuli Island 

• Location: River Bramhaputra, in Assam.
• It is the world's largest river island.
• It became the first island to be made a district in India.
• Formation: The island is formed by the Brahmaputra River in the south and the Kherkutia Xuti, a branch of the Brahmaputra, joined by the Subansiri River in the north.
• It was formed due to course changes by the river Brahmaputra and its tributaries, mainly the Lohit. 
• It is an important site for Assamese neo-Vaishnavite culture as Vaishnava Satras were founded here by Sankardeva.

Recently, India imposed import restrictions on platinum alloys to curb misuse of trade agreements.

About Platinum (Pt)

• It is a shiny, silvery metal and is much rarer than both gold and silver.
• It is one of the most stable metals and is resistant to corrosion, even at high temperatures.
• It is found uncombined in alluvial deposits. 
• Most commercially produced platinum comes from South Africa, from the mineral cooperite (platinum sulfide). 
• Some is prepared as a by-product of copper and nickel refining.
• Applications: In chemical industry as a catalyst for the production of nitric acid, silicone and benzene; in Electronics industry for computer hard disks and thermocouples; as a Chemotherapy drug used to treat cancers, etc.

The activated carbon industry is struggling to keep itself afloat, faced with challenges.

• These challenges include rising manufacturing costs, shrinking coconut shell availability, increasing global gold carbon demand, etc.

About Activated Carbon

• It is also called activated charcoal/coal or active carbon.
• Production: from environmental wastes with high carbon content
• Features: 
  • High surface area, pore structure (micro, meso and macro) and High degree of surface reactivity
• Uses:-
  • purification, dechlorination and deodorization of water.
  • as an economical adsorbents in food grade products, cosmetology, automotive applications,
  • precious metal recovery mainly for gold

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs  has approved construction of ropeway project in Uttarakhand under Parvatmala Pariyojana.

Parvatmala Pariyojana (2023)

• Aim:To improve connectivity in hilly areas.
• Nodal Ministry:Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH).
• Implementation Agency: National Highway Logistics Management Limited (NHLML), a special purpose vehicle of the NHAI.
• The  projects are being implemented through Public-Private Partnership with around 60% contribution support by Government of India.
• Benefits of Ropeways: Last mile connectivity, Environment-friendly, Ideal for difficult terrain