Rajasthan government banned distribution of cough syrups containing Dextromethorphan.

• Dextromethorphan is an opioid cough suppressant but is not recommended for children below 5 years. 
• There are also concerns with presence of Diethylene Glycol (DEG) and Ethylene Glycol (EG) in cough syrups. 
  • Both are colourless industrial chemicals commonly used in making products like brake fluids, antifreeze, paints, plastics, and some household items.
  • These are often used as substitute for safer substance called propylene glycol (a solvent that helps dissolve drugs into liquid form).
  • DEG and EG are highly toxic for humans and can cause poisoning and kidney failure. 

Finance Minister stated that innovations like stablecoins are transforming the landscape of money and capital flows and nations must either adapt to new monetary architectures or risk exclusion. 

About Stablecoins

• Definition: Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies pegged to stable assets, e.g. fiat currencies like US dollar, a basket of currencies, or precious metals.
• Significance:
  • They are designed to minimise volatility, unlike regular cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.
  • They are easy to transact and are fast, particularly for cross-border money movement. 
• Potential Risks: These could pose a threat to financial stability and could have significant run risks, in which large group of investors redeem their holdings simultaneously. 

India’s only Mud Volcano in Baratang Island in Andamans and Nicobar Islands erupts after 20 years.

About Mud Volcano

• It is a geological formation where a mixture of mud, water, and gases (mainly methane, sometimes carbon dioxide or nitrogen) erupts to the surface, creating cone-like structures that resemble true volcanoes without molten lava.
• Mud volcanoes are generally encountered in areas where natural gas is present. 
• Eruptions are caused by the pressure from Earth’s tectonic forces or by accumulation of hydrocarbon gases. 

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has provided fresh evidence that Saturn’s moon Enceladus could potentially host life, after detecting additional complex organic molecules in the icy plumes ejected from its subsurface ocean into space.

About Cassini Spacecraft

• Planetary exploration mission jointly by NASA (USA), ESA (Europe), ASI (Italy).
• Goal: Study Saturn, its rings, moons, and magnetosphere in detail.
• It carried a probe called Huygens to Saturn System. 

About Enceladus (Saturn’s Icy Moon)

• Rotation: Tidally locked with Saturn.
• It is brightest and most reflective body in the solar system.

The Union Cabinet announced nationwide celebration of 150th anniversary of the national song ‘Vande Mataram’.

About Vande Mataram

• Origin: Composed in Sanskrit by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and first published in Anandamath (1882).
• On 24th January 1950, it was declared that Vande Mataram would have equal status with the National Anthem (Jana-gana-mana).
• Jana Gana Mana, originally composed in Bengali by Rabindranath Tagore, was adopted in Hindi version by the Constituent Assembly on January 24, 1950.
• Theme: Pays tribute to Mother India, inspiring devotion, courage, and unity.
• It was recited by Rabindranath Tagore in 1896 at the annual session of the Indian National Congress.

The IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) releases a report on integrating climate mitigation into protected area management.

Major Findings

• Protecting 30% of strategically selected land could secure 500 billion tonnes of carbon stored in vegetation and soils.
• Protecting 30% of oceans could achieve 20% of the carbon emission reductions aligned with the Paris Agreement.

Poland will join the NATO Pipeline System (NPS). 

About NATO Pipeline System (NPS)

• Established during the Cold War to supply NATO forces with fuel.
• Purpose: Continues to ensure petroleum product supply & distribution for NATO operations. 
• Scale: Across 12 NATO countries, linking storage depots, military air bases, civil airports, refineries, pumping stations, truck/rail loading stations. 

The Net-Zero Banking Alliance has been dissolved after several member banks withdrew.

About Net Zero Banking Alliance

• Established in 2021 under UN Environment Programme's Finance Initiative 
• Aimed at encouraging banks to reduce the carbon footprint of their loans and investments and support transition to a net-zero economy by 2050.

Special Gram Sabhas held across 1 lakh tribal-dominated villages and Tolas adopted the Tribal Village Vision 2030 Declaration. 

• Declaration was adopted as part of Adi Karmayogi Abhiyan, launched by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
• Declaration empowers villages to become active co-creators of their development, fosters accountability, and ensures that every citizen’s voice shapes the future of their community.
• It emphasizes on community led development, actionable goals on education, health, livelihood, social and financial inclusion, and infrastructure.
• Declaration also envisages establishment of Adi Sewa Kendras in every village as single-window citizen service centres.