Cabinet approves Price Stabilisation Fund for Scheduled Indian Airlines towards ATF pricing.

About the Fund

• Corpus: Up to ₹10,000 crore.
• Purpose: Stabilise Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) prices amid global fuel price volatility.
• Support Mechanism: Interest-free advance to Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to compensate from losses from elevated global prices.
• Other:Fixed ATF Price Arrangement for domestic and international operations, Exclusive rights of ATF supply to OMCs.
• Duration: 36 months (subject to annual review).
• ATF Significance: Accounts for nearly 40% of airline operating costs.

Hero MotoCorp launched its first flex-fuel motorcycle and Maruti Suzuki launched first flex fuel passenger vehicle.

About Flex Fuel Vehicles (FFV)

• FFVs feature upgraded internal combustion engines running on petrol-ethanol blends ranging from E20 to E85 (85% ethanol).
• Flex-fuel technology can reduce carbon monoxide emissions by 77% and save ₹1.44 lakh crore in forex.
• Since 2014-15, India's ethanol blending programme has saved ₹1.84 lakh crore in forex, substituted 302 lakh metric tonnes of crude oil, and reduced CO₂ emissions by 909 lakh metric tonnes.

On World Peatlands Day (2 June), the Food and Agriculture Organization highlighted the critical role of peatlands.

About Peatlands

• Peatlands are waterlogged wetland ecosystems formed from partially decomposed organic matter (peat).
  • Include bogs, fens, mires and swamps.
• Functions:
  • Cover only 3–4% of the Earth's land surface but store nearly 30% of global soil carbon.
  • Carbon sinks: Hold twice the carbon stock of the world’s entire forest biomass.
  • Regulate climate, water flow, reduce floods and droughts, and support biodiversity.
• Degradation of peatlands releases significant greenhouse gas emissions and undermines ecosystem services. 

A rare Blue Micromoon was observed globally on May 31, 2026, including in India.

About Blue Micromoon

• Blue Moon: It refers to the second full moon within a single calendar month, which typically happens every 2-3 years.
• Micromoon: This phenomenon occurs when a full moon coincides with its 'apogee' (the farthest orbital distance from Earth) making it appear smaller and dimmer.
• Blue Micromoon: The simultaneous convergence of a Blue Moon and a Micromoon, it is an exceptionally rare celestial event.
  • Despite its name, the Moon does not appear blue unless unusual atmospheric conditions exist.

Physicists achieve 'perfect randomness' for the first time ever using quantum bits.

• Perfect randomness means a sequence of outcomes is completely unpredictable, lacks any pattern, and every possibility has an exactly equal chance of occurring. 

About the Development

• It uses quantum entanglement between superconducting qubits to produce completely unpredictable random numbers.
• Unlike conventional random number generators, it eliminates hidden biases and patterns.
• Applications: Secure encryption, cybersecurity, digital identity systems and blockchain technology.

National Statistics Office (NSO) released Guideline for Compilation of Estimates of District Domestic Product (DDP) with Base Year 2022-23.

About District Domestic Product (DDP)

• District Domestic Product (DDP) measures the total value of goods and services produced within a district during a given period. 
  • It is the district-level counterpart of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) and Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
• Significance: Useful for comparing economic performance between districts, identifying backward regions, planning local development programs, and assessing regional human development for computing Human Development Index.
• Components: Includes estimates of Gross District Domestic Product (GDDP), Net District Domestic Product (NDDP) and Per Capita Income.
• Approaches: Income originating and Income accruing.

Researchers have developed a targeted gene-silencing nanomedicine that can effectively inhibit breast cancer tumours.

About Gene silencing Technique

• It is a biological process where a cell specifically reduces or prevents the expression of a particular gene. 
• This mechanism functions by intercepting the genetic instructions encoded in DNA, thereby stopping the production of the corresponding protein.
  • It is a natural form of cellular regulation used by organisms to manage their internal functions.

About Nanomedicine

• It is the application of nanotechnology in medicine, where nanoparticles (typically 1–100 nanometres in size).
• Use: Diagnose, monitor, prevent, and treat diseases with improved precision, reducing side effects.

Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming programme (APCNF) wins 2026 Food Planet Prize.

• Launched in 2016 by Rythu Sadhikara Samstha, under Andhra Pradesh’s agriculture department, the programme was designed to help farmers shift to natural farming. 

About Food Planet Prize 2026

• Food Planet Prize is the world's largest environmental award focused on transforming global food systems. 
• Given by: Curt Bergfors Foundation (Sweden).
• Objective: Support innovative solutions for food security, climate resilience and biodiversity conservation.
• Open to individuals, institutions, startups and civil society organisations globally.