Researchers have coined a new term to describe extended periods of atmospheric thirst called Thirswaves.

About Thirstwave

• A thirst wave has at least three consecutive days when daily evaporative demand is greater than its historical 90th percentile value for that period.
  • Evaporative demand is a measure of how thirsty the atmosphere is.
• A combination of factors drives evaporative demand, including temperature, wind speed, humidity, and sunshine.
• Studying these ‘thirstwaves’ can help farmers better manage their water resources and improve crop yields.

World Meteorological Organization releases State of the Climate in Asia 2024 Report

• WMO is a specialized agency of the United Nations. 

Key Findings 

• Hottest Year: 2024 was Asia’s warmest or second warmest year on record, with temperatures 1.04°C above the 1991–2020 average.
• Rapid Warming: Asia is warming twice as fast as the global average.
• Glacial Loss: Reduced snowfall and extreme heat drove glacier melt in the Central Himalayas and Tian Shan.
• Record Sea Temperatures: Highest sea-surface temperatures recorded. Decadal warming rate is almost double the global average.

The National Institute of Immunohaematology (NIIH), under the India Council of Medical Research (ICMR), has created India’s first National Rare Blood Donor Registry.

About National Rare Blood Donor Registry

• Objective: To help patients with rare blood types who require frequent transfusions.
• Rare blood donors are generally defined as being negative for a high prevalence antigen with a frequency of less than 1 in 1,000 or can be rare by being negative for multiple common antigens that are rarely found together in a donor. 
• Examples of rare blood types that are negative for antigens of high prevalence include Rhnull, Bombay (Oh),  Jr(a-) among others. 

A new study has raised serious concerns about the the health risks posed by recycled plastic.

About the study

• A single recycled plastic pellet contains over 80 different chemicals.
  • These chemicals can leach into water and disrupt hormone systems and metabolism.

Recycled plastic

• It involves collecting used plastic materials, breaking them down through various mechanical or chemical processes, and converting them into raw materials that can be used to manufacture new plastic products.
• This reduces the need for virgin plastic production, conserves energy, and decreases pollution.

ONGC deploys global experts to contain the natural gas leak due to blowout in an oil well in Assam.

About Blowout

• A blowout is an oil/gas well accident where underground pressure forces gas or oil to the surface uncontrollably.
  • On its way out, the gas becomes mixed with drilling fluid, sand, and sometimes even oil and shoots out at the surface in an uncontrolled jet.
• Caused by valve failure or underestimating pressure, leading to a sudden release of flammable materials.
• Impact:  Massive Fires, Explosions, air pollution, casualties etc. 

Thousands of devotees have arrived in Assam for the Kamakhya Temple’s annual Ambubachi Mela.

About Ambubachi Mela

• It is an annual Hindu fair held during Monsoon at the Kamakhya Temple in Assam.
  • Kamakhya Temple is situated on the Nilachal Hills near Guwahati.
  • Temple is one of the major centers for Tantric worship and is one of the biggest Shakti shrines. 
• The festival symbolizes fertility, the arrival of the monsoon, and the traditional belief of the Earth as a fertile woman across cultures.

India rejected references to India at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting as unwarranted and factually incorrect.

About OIC

• Genesis: Established in 1969 in a summit held at Rabat, Morocco.
• Headquarters: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 
• Membership: Second largest intergovernmental organization after the UN with a membership of 57 states spread over four continents. 
• Role: The Organization is the collective voice of the Muslim world.

Tripura becomes third fully literate state after Mizoram and Goa, under ULLAS.

• For a state to become fully literate, state must achieve a benchmark of 95% literacy among individuals aged 15 years and above.

About ULLAS (Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram/ New India Literacy Programme)

• Ministry:  Ministry of Education.
• Type: Centrally sponsored scheme.
• Tenure:  FYs 2022-2027.
• Objective: To cover non-literates of the age group of 15 years and above in all States/UTs.
  • Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Target: 5 crore learners. 
• Implementation: Hybrid (both in online and offline) mode.