Ramsar COP15 concludes with a side event of IBRRI for wetland conservation and restoration.

About Indo-Burma Ramsar Regional Initiative (IBRRI)

• Aim: To support implementation of objectives of Strategic Plan of Ramsar Convention with IUCN serving as the Secretariat.
• Supported by IUCN’s BRIDGE (Building River Dialogue and Governance) project.
• Member States: Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam. 
• Strategic Plan 2025–2030 launched at COP15 : To halt and reverse the loss of wetlands across its Member States:

About BRIDGE

• Aim: To catalyse sustainable management and development of shared water resources, safeguard water security, conserve biodiversity, and promote peaceful cooperation across borders. 

Recently, Indian Navy received advanced guided-missile frigate Himgiri which is the third ship of Nilgiri Class (Project 17A).

• Frigates are to protect other ships of the fleet from threats emanating from the sea, specially from submarines.

About Project 17A

• Follow-on of Shivalik-class (Project 17)
• Seven Frigates being indigenously built: by Mazagon Dock (Mumbai) and GRSE (Kolkata).
• Stealth & Modern Warfare Ready: Designed for blue-water operations to counter conventional and non-conventional threats.
• Equipped with: BrahMos supersonic, Barak 8 missile system, etc.

The Lok Sabha Speaker has nominated a Member of Parliament (MP) as an empanelled member to preside over House proceedings.

About Nomination of Panel of Chairpersons

• Section 9 in Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha states that:
  • At the start of a session or as needed, the Speaker nominates up to 10 MPs as a panel of Chairpersons. 
  • Any of them may preside over the House in the absence of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
    • They can only do so when requested by the Speaker or, in the absence of the Speaker, by the Deputy Speaker.
  • The nominated Chairpersons remain in office until a new panel is appointed.
  • When a member of the Panel of Chairpersons is also not present, any other person as determined by the House acts as the Speaker of Lok Sabha.
  • They cannot preside over the House, when the office of the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker is vacant then President appoints any member as a Speaker for the purpose.

National Medical Commission directs medical colleges and institutes to record Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) ID along with patient registration for all patients.

About ABHA ID

• It is a 14 digit number that will uniquely identify patients as a participant in India’s digital healthcare ecosystem. 
• It will be accepted by healthcare providers across the country.
• Voluntary opt-out: Patients can participate at their own free will and, at any time, they can request for permanent deletion or temporary deactivation of their ABHA number. 

About Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM)

• Objective: To develop the backbone necessary to support the integrated digital health infrastructure of the country. 

A  new rare blood group, previously unidentified anywhere in the world, has been discovered.

About CR Blood Group

• It is a collection of red blood cell antigens carried on the decay-accelerating factor (DAF), also known as CD55.
  • Blood group antigens are molecules on the surface of Red Blood Cells.
• The blood group system consists of 12 high-prevalence and three low-prevalence antigens.
• In recognition of its origin, the new group has been officially named ‘CRIB’, with CR representing Cromer and IB standing for India, Bengaluru.
• Rare blood type is when a person’s blood type is present in only 0.1% of the population.

The first phase of DTOL is almost complete.

About DTOL

• The project aims to sequence the genomes of 70,000 species of eukaryotic organisms in Britain and Ireland. 
• The Project is one of several initiatives of Earth BioGenome Project (EBP).
  • EBP is being implemented by a global network of researchers, institutions, and affiliated projects.
  • EBP aims to sequence, catalog and characterize the genomes of all of Earth’s eukaryotic species over a period of ten years. 
    • A eukaryotic cell is a cell that contains a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles.

President of India appoints Additional Judges in the High Courts in exercise of the power conferred by the Constitution of India.

About Additional Judges

• An Additional Judge is appointed under Article 224 of the Constitution for such period not exceeding two years and shall hold office till the age of 62 years. 
• Reason: If by reason of any temporary increase in the business of a High Court or by reason of arrears of work.
• In consultation with the Chief Justice of India, the sanctioned strength of High Courts Judges is distributed into Permanent and Additional Judges in the ratio of 75:25.

A Duke University study suggests a new “sense” in the gut, rooted in the microbiome—a community of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and archaea that influence immunity, digestion, and mental health.

About Flagellin

• Within this microbiome, bacterial flagella (tail-like structures for movement) release an ancient protein called flagellin.
• Mechanism: Special gut cells called neuropods detect flagellin using the TLR5 receptor and send signals to the brain through the vagus nerve (body’s longest autonomic nerve), helping regulate appetite.
• Implications: Could pave way for new treatments for obesity, depression, and anxiety.