The State of Global Air (SoGA) 2025 report released by the Health Effects Institute (HEI) and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), United States.

Key findings about air pollution in India

• Mortality: Around 2 million deaths in 2023 linked to air pollution, a 43% rise since 2000, and 52% of the global share.
• Ozone Pollution: India has third highest exposure to ozone pollution. 
• Exposure: 75% population exposed to PM2.5 above WHO limits.
• Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY): Modelling studies suggest that transitioning all PMUY households to exclusive LPG use would avert more than 150,000 deaths annually.

UN Environment Programme’s (UNEP) releases fifth edition of its International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO) publication - An Eye on Methane: From measurement to momentum.

Key Highlights

• Atmospheric methane continues to be the second biggest driver of climate change  after carbon dioxide, responsible for about one-third of the planet’s warming.
• High Impact Gas: Methane is over 80 times more potent than CO₂ over 20 years but persists for a shorter period (7-12 years).
• Major Sources: About 60% of today’s methane emissions result from human activities with agriculture, fossil fuels, and landfill waste being the largest contributors.
• Natural Sources: Natural processes contribute ~40% of emissions, with wetlands as the largest source.

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has amended the Vegetable Oil Products, Production and Availability (Regulation) Order, 2011 (VOPPA Order).

About Amendment

• It mandates registration of all stakeholders involved in the processing chain of edible oil. 
• Mandates submission of monthly production and stock returns through the designated online portal.

Edible oil sector in India

• India ranks fourth in the world after the United States, China, and Brazil in the edible vegetable oil market.
• India contributes about 5-6% of the world's oilseeds production.
• However, India imports 57% of its edible oil demand.

Sacred ‘Jore Sahib’, are being carried through the Guru Charan Yatra, from New Delhi to Bihar’s Patna Sahib Gurudwara.

• Revered Jore Sahib are the sandals of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, and his wife Mata Sahib Kaur Ji. 

About Patna Sahib Gurudwara

• Location: Patna, Bihar; one of the five Takhts (seats of Sikh authority).
• Historical Significance: The construction of the Takht was commissioned by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the 18^th century to mark the birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh.
• Architecture: Blend of Mughal and Sikh styles with golden dome and intricate artwork.

Google’s Willow quantum chip demonstrated the first-ever algorithm, called ‘Quantum Echoes algorithm,’ to achieve verifiable quantum advantage on hardware.

About Quantum Echoes algorithm

• It is an algorithm that successfully runs 13,000 times faster than one of the world’s most powerful supercomputers and is verifiable.
  • Quantum verifiability means the result can be repeated to get the same answer, confirming the result.
• Technique works like a highly advanced echo, sending a quantum signals forward, perturbing one of the qubits, and then precisely reverse the signal’s evolution to listen for the "echo" that comes back.
• Potential Applications: Study of molecular structures, drug discovery etc.

INS Sahyadri, an indigenously built Shivalik-class Guided Missile Stealth Frigate, participated in the Sea phase of Japan-India Maritime Exercise (JAIMEX)-25.

About JAIME X

• It is a biennial naval exercise.
• It is organised to enhance maritime cooperation between the Indian Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
• Conducted in 2 Phases: Sea Phase and Harbour Phase

Iran ratifies International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism

About International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism 

• Adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1999 and entered in 2002.
• Purpose: Criminalizes the financing of terrorism and holds funders of terrorist acts accountable.
• India has also ratified it 

A study highlights the successful use of wasps for pest control in tapioca plantations.

• A tiny parasitic wasp, Anagyrus lopezi, was used to target the cassava mealybug, an invasive pest. 

About Tapioca

• Also called cassava, it is a tropical tuber crop mainly cultivated in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
  • Kerala and Tamil Nadu account for about 80% of the total acreage of the crop in India.
• Climate and Soil Requirement:
  • Tropical, warm humid climate with well distributed rainfall of over 100 cm per annum.
  • Well drained soil preferably red lateritic loam
• Applications: As raw material for starch extraction in yarn textile and paper industry, manufacturing sago, etc.