A study has recorded the presence of gully landforms in 19 states and the National Capital Region of Delhi. 

• States occupying 38% of Indian territory (viz. Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Gujarat, and Chhattisgarh) are affected by 92% of the total gullied area. 

About Gully Erosion

• Gully erosion is the formation and subsequent expansion of erosional channels in the soil as a result of concentrated water flow. 
• Impact includes direct loss of land, trees, and crops, changes in catchment hydrology, land degradation, and desertification.

A recent study highlights that Climate-driven food shortage and undernourishment could affect the composition of the human gut microbiota.

Key Findings

• Yield Reductions: Decreased food availability leads to poor diets, which in turn impact gut microbial diversity.
• Nutritional Quality Declines: Rising atmospheric CO₂ reduces nutrients like iron, zinc, potassium, and proteins in key crops like rice and wheat.

Gut Microbiota

• The human gut hosts ~100 trillion microbes. 
• Dysbiosis & Disease: Imbalances are linked to diabetes, IBD, eczema, and neurological disorders.
• Non-Linear Impacts: Gut disturbances don’t follow a simple path; food shortages, heat, pollution, and infections may all interact simultaneously.

A recent study found that the atmospheric memory, not just sunlight, drives the onset and retreat of monsoons. 

Key Findings

• Atmosphere stores physical information in the form of water vapor, thereby controlling the onset and withdrawal of the monsoon.
  • The earlier assumption was that this seasonal pattern of monsoon was primarily an immediate response to changes in solar radiation.
• The state of the atmosphere depends on its seasonal history: if it’s already raining, the rain persists. But if it has been dry, it is hard to initiate rainfall. This behaviour is called bistability. 
• At the same level of solar radiation, the atmosphere can either be dry or rainy, depending on the preceding state.

The Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, invited public comments on the “Draft framework of India’s Climate Finance Taxonomy”.

About India’s Climate Finance Taxonomy

• The climate finance taxonomy is a tool to identify activities consistent with India’s climate action goals and transition pathway for industry and economy.
• Objectives: Mitigation, Adaptation, and Support transition to promote climate-friendly technologies and activities by facilitating greater resource flow; Prevent Greenwashing, etc.
• Principles (Based on 8 principles): Consistency with stated position on Climate Action and development priorities, Support Transition Activities, Promoting the use of Indigenous technologies, etc.

Copper deposits at Filo del Sol and Josemaría in Argentina place it among the top ten largest copper-producing mines in the world.

About Copper 

• Copper is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. 
• Major Copper Producers in the World: Chile is the world's largest producer of copper, followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo, Peru, and China in 2024.
• Top 3 States in India (Reserves): Rajasthan (52%), Madhya Pradesh (23%), and Jharkhand (15%)
  • Major mines in India: Singhbhum Copper Belt (Bihar), Khetri Copper Belt (Rajasthan), Balaghat District (MP), etc.

Indian Naval Ship INS Kiltan arrived in Singapore to participate in 14^th edition of International Maritime Defence Exhibition (IMDEX) Asia 2025.

About IMDEX Asia

• Asia’s leading naval and maritime defence event.
• Genesis: 1997.
• Organizers: Republic of Singapore Navy.
• Participation:  More than 70 countries.

Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences revives two rare Ayurvedic manuscripts: Dravyaratnākara Nighaṇṭu and Dravyanamākara Nighaṇṭu.

• The word Nighantu in Ayurveda implies the group of drugs, synonyms, properties and their description of part used.

About Dravyaratnākara Nighaṇṭu

• Author: Mudgala Paṇḍita, composed in 1480 AD.
• Consists of 18 chapters offering in-depth knowledge on drug synonyms, therapeutic actions, and medicinal properties. 
• It draws from classical Nighaṇṭus like Dhanvantari and Raja Nighaṇṭu while documenting novel medicinal substances from plant, mineral and animal origins. 

About Dravyanamākara Nighaṇṭu

• Author: Attributed to Bhisma Vaidya.
• It focuses exclusively on homonyms of drug and plant names—a complex area of study vital to Ayurveda. 
• It serves as a standalone appendix to the Dhanvantari Nighaṇṭu.

The New York Times won four Pulitzer Prizes and The New Yorker three for journalism in 2024.

About Pulitzer Prize

• The Annual Pulitzer Prize is an esteemed set of awards presented annually by Columbia University in New York City.
• Pulitzer Prizes were established by Joseph Pulitzer, a Hungarian-American journalist and newspaper publisher, who left money to Columbia University upon his death in 1911.
• It recognizes outstanding achievements in journalism, letters, and music.
• It was first awarded in 1917.

Quad partners – Australia, India, Japan and USA – concludes Indo-Pacific Logistics Network simulation in Honolulu, Hawaii.

About Indo-Pacific Logistics Network

• It is an initiative that enables Quad partners to leverage shared logistics capabilities in the Indo-Pacific to support civilian response to natural disasters more rapidly and efficiently across the region.
• IPLN, along with the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness, reflects the Quad’s commitment to ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific and highlights the value of strengthening practical cooperation to address regional challenges.