World Nuclear Association released the World Nuclear Outlook Report.

Key Highlights 

• Global nuclear power capacity could surge to 1,446 gigawatt electric (GWe) by 2050, surpassing 1,200 GWe target, established under the Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy.
  • The Declaration was launched at the COP28 meeting in Dubai in 2023.
• Five countries — China, France, India, Russia and the United States — could account for 980 GWe of global capacity in 2050.
• It recommended integrating nuclear energy into long-term decarbonization and energy security planning and reform electricity markets to ensure equitable treatment of nuclear energy.

India submits nomination dossier for Meghalaya’s living root bridges, titled “Jingkieng Jri / Lyu Chrai Cultural Landscape” to UNESCO for World Heritage status.

About Meghalaya LRBs

• Locally known as Jingkieng Jri, LRB are India rubber tree - based rural connectivity and livelihood solutions within dense subtropical moist broadleaf forest eco-region of Meghalaya.
• Grown by: Indigenous Khasi tribal communities.
• Use:  These living structures include bridges, ladders and steps, which providing reliable mode of transport; platforms and towers (for recreation and security); erosion and landslide prevention structures etc. 
• Construction Technique: 
  • Trees planted on both riverbanks.
  • Roots are manually guided, twisted, and interwoven.
  • Areca palm trunks, bamboo, and stones used as scaffolding.
  • Takes about 10–15 years to become fully functional.

A study reveals that powerful dust storms from Western India can travel hundreds of kilometers, finally settling over Himalayan hilltops, carrying airborne bacteria, including pathogens that can affect human health.

• Winds carry pathogen-laden dust across the Indo-Gangetic Plain, mixing with locally uplifted pollution to alter the high-altitude microbial ecosystem.
• Health Risks: These airborne invaders are linked to respiratory, skin, and gastrointestinal infections.

About Dust Storms

• These are meteorological phenomena where strong winds lift loose sand and dirt from arid or semi-arid surfaces, transporting them over vast distances.
• Typically seasonal, often peaking during pre-monsoon months.

Recently a Bomb Cyclone hit the northern US triggering severe winter weather.

About Bomb Cyclone 

• These are formed when a mass of low-pressure air meets a high-pressure mass, the process  known as bombogenesis. 
• It is characterised by rapid pressure drop in the low-pressure mass, by at least 24 millibars in 24 hours.
  • This increases the pressure gradient and makes the winds stronger (up to 80 kmph).
• Occurrences: Most commonly originate in Western North Atlantic because cold air from North America clashes with warm air over the Atlantic Ocean.

Based on observations from James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers unveil a detailed map of dark matter.

Dark Matter

• It is a hypothesised form of matter that is invisible but is inferred to exist based on its gravitational effects on ordinary matter like stars, planets, moons, etc. 
• It does not emit, absorb, or reflect light and barely interacts with normal matter.
• Composition of Universe: normal or visible matter (5%), dark matter (27%), and dark energy (68%).

James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)

• It aims to study every major phase in the history of the Universe from the first luminous objects after the Big Bang to the formation of galaxies, stars, and planetary systems, and the evolution of our own Solar System.
• Launched Year: 2021.
• Location: Orbits the Sun at the second Lagrange point (L2).

Rare blood-red auroral activity was captured by the Indian Astronomical Observatory in Ladakh's Hanle.

Hanle Dark Sky Reserve (HDSR)

• It is the first dark sky reserve in the country.
• Location: Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Benefits: Its high elevation and minimal light pollution provide crystal-clear atmospheric conditions for deep-space observation.
• It houses the Indian Astronomical Observatory, featuring the Himalayan Chandra Telescope.

Note: Red Aurora occurs above 200 km where the atmosphere is very thin.

Recently European Union added IRGC to its terrorist list in response to Iran’s deadly crackdown on protesters 

About IRGC 

• It is considered Iran's most powerful armed force.
• Origin - set up shortly after the 1979 islamic revolution to defend the country's Islamic system.
• Capabilities - it has capabilities across land, air and sea, as well as overseeing Iran's strategic weapons.
  • It also controls the paramilitary Basij Resistance Force inside Iran
• It operates independently of Iran’s regular military and is accountable directly to Supreme Leader of Iran 

Recently a new web-based portal named  PAIMANA has been operationalised.

About PAIMANA (Project Assessment, Infrastructure Monitoring & Analytics for Nation-building)

• PAIMANA is a web-based portal operationalised by the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
• It replaces OCMS-2006 (Online Computerized Monitoring system) for monitoring Central Sector Infrastructure Projects worth ₹150 crore and above.
• Based on the principle of “one data, one entry”.
  • Integrated with DPIIT’s Integrated Project Monitoring Portal (IPMP/IIG-PMG) through APIs, enabling automatic data flow.
• Functions as a centralised national repository with advanced analytics, dashboards, role-based access, reporting & query modules, and data gap identification.

NHRC issues notice to Rajasthan government over burial rights demanded by Kalbelia community.

About Kalbelia community

• Nomadic tribe from Thar desert, Rajasthan (mainly Pali, Ajmer, and Udaipur), traditionally known as snake charmers.
  • Following the ban on snake catching, they transitioned to performing arts.
• The Kalbelia Dance was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010.
  • The females are dancers while the men accompany them on a variety of musical instruments like, Pungi (been), Dufli, and Khanjari.