Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has released TV Ratings Policy 2026, replacing 2014 TV Rating Guidelines.

AboutTelevision Rating Point

• Definition: Television Rating Point measures viewership of a TV programme.
  • It indicates the percentage of target audience watching a programme at a given time.
• Calculated over a specific target group (age, region, etc.). Example: TRP = % of viewers within that defined audience.
• Purpose:
  • Helps broadcasters & advertisers assess popularity of shows.
  • Used to determine advertising rates and media planning.

Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for proposals worth ₹2.38 lakh crore which included five additional S-400 Missile System.

About Defence acquisition council (DAC)

• It serves as the apex body for strategic defence acquisition planning and oversight, ensuring coordinated decision-making across India's defence establishment.
• Chairman: Union Minister of Defense.
• Functions: Give ‘in principle’ approval to capital acquisitions, monitor the progress of major projects and grants acceptance of necessity for acquisition proposals.

About S-400 Air Defence System

• Long Range Surface-to-Air Missile System.
• Target Capability: Engages aircraft, cruise missiles, drones and ballistic missiles at ranges up to 400 km.
  • Can engage up to 36 targets simultaneously.

A communique on the war in the Middle East from the G7 has called for "an immediate cessation of attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure". 

About Group of Seven (G7)

• Genesis: 1975 in response to economic and financial cooperation due to energy crisis. 
• Nature: Informal bloc of industrialized democracies 
• Members: France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Japan, the United States, and Canada.
  • Russia was a member from 1998 to 2014, during which the forum was called the G8.
  • Russia's annexation of Crimea in March 2014 led to its suspension from the group.
• Purpose: Meets annually to deliberate on key global issues such as Global economic governance, International security, Energy policy, etc.

War in the middle eastern region and resultant disruptions of supplies through Strait of Hormuz threatens Global Agriculture.

Impact of War on Agriculture

• Disruption of Fertilizer Supply Chains: Middle East is critical hub for the production and export of essential agricultural chemicals, including ammonia, urea, phosphate, and sulphur.
• Surge in Agricultural Input Costs: Increase in prices of key fertilizer products.
• Global Food Price Inflation: The combined surge in energy and fertilizer prices directly drives up the cost of food production, which ultimately leads to higher consumer food prices and raises serious concerns regarding global affordability.

A massive avalanche has hit Ladakh's Zojila Pass.

About Zojila Pass

• Elevation: Around 3528 m (11, 649 ft) above sea level.
• Nature: Longest bi-directional pass in Asia.
• Location: Important link between Ladakh and Kashmir, separating Kashmir Valley from Drass Valley.
  • Nestled on National Highway 1 between Srinagar and Leh, this pass is considered to be the second-highest pass after Fotu La.
  • In 2018, the Zojila tunnel project was launched. 

Conflict in the Middle East region triggers Helium shortage, disrupting Global Tech Supply Chains.

About Helium (He)

• Odorless, nontoxic, colorless, tasteless, inert gas.  
• It is second most abundant element in the universe but is scarce on Earth. 
  • On Earth, most helium is a radioactive decay product of uranium and thorium and is found under the Earth’s crust with other natural gases.
  • Commercial helium is extracted from natural gas.
  • U.S., Qatar and Algeria have the world’s major helium reserves. 
• Uses: Space exploration, national defense, scientific research, medical technology (MRI machines), high-tech manufacturing (semiconductors, arc-welding), deep sea-diving and energy programs (cooling nuclear reactors, leak-detection agent).

Defence Ministry has signed contracts for procurement of Tunguska Air Defence Missile System

About Tunguska Air Defence Missile System

• Also Known by its NATO designation SA-19 “Grison” 
• Origin: It is a Soviet-origin, tracked, self-propelled air defence system designed to protect ground forces from low-flying aerial threats. 
• Feature: It integrates surface-to-air missiles with twin 30 mm autocannons, allowing it to engage targets across varying ranges and altitudes. 
• Range: 
  • Detection: up to 18 km away 
  • Target: Can engage targets at ranges of up to 8–10 km and altitudes of up to 3,500 metres. 
• Significance: Hybrid design makes it effective against helicopters, drones and cruise missiles. 

Researchers from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) have made a significant breakthrough in understanding a long-standing solar mystery regarding solar radio bursts.

About Solar Radio Burst

• It is an intense, short-lived emission of radio waves from the Sun, released during solar eruptions like flares and coronal mass ejections.
• Origin: Energetic electrons produced during solar events interact with the surrounding plasma, converting particle energy into electromagnetic radiation (radio waves).
• Impact on Earth: These bursts can interfere with GNSS/GPS navigation and radio communications on Earth.
• Significance: Used to track shock waves in the corona and predict space weather, providing insights into the Sun’s activity.

An outbreak of shigellosis, or shigella infection has been reported in Kerala.

About Shigellosis 

• Nature: highly contagious bacterial infection caused by Shigella
• Transmission: Faecal-oral route via contaminated food, water, or close contact
• Symptoms: Acute diarrhoea (often bloody), fever, cramps
• Vulnerable Groups: Children under five, immunocompromised
• Burden: ~188 million cases annually worldwide
• Concern: Rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR), no approved vaccine
• Prevention: Hygiene, sanitation, safe food and water

Saudi Arabia has restored one million hectares of degraded land under Saudi Green Initiative, demonstrating that large-scale land restoration is achievable even in some of the world’s most water-scarce environments. 

• Measures for restoration included cloud seeding, early warning systems for sand and dust storms, and the expansion of protected areas.

Cloud Seeding

• Cloud seeding is a weather modification technique that enhances precipitation by introducing artificial nuclei (which forms base for raindrops or snowflakes to form) into clouds.
• Process: Nuclei are dispersed into clouds via aircraft or ground generators, enabling ice crystal formation that grows into precipitation and falls as rain or snow.
• Agents: Silver iodide (AgI), dry ice, potassium iodide.