OPEC plus countries has agreed to increase oil production from September 2026.
About OPEC (HQ: Vienna, Austria)
- A permanent intergovernmental organization of 11 oil-exporting developing nations.
- Members: Algeria, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela.
- India is not a member.
- Earlier members: Ecuador, Indonesia, Qatar, Angola, UAE.
- Genesis: Baghdad Conference in 1960, by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.
- Objective: To co-ordinate and unify petroleum policies among Member Countries, in order to secure fair and stable prices for petroleum producers.
About OPEC+
- Origin: In response to falling oil prices driven by significant increase in U.S. shale oil output, OPEC signed an agreement with 10 other oil-producing countries in 2016 to create OPEC+.
- Members: OPEC members andRussia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Bahrain, Brunei, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, South Sudan, and Sudan.
Agrivoltaics is increasingly seen as a solution to balance rising energy demand with food security needs.
About Agrivoltaics
- Origin: Coined in 1981 by German scientists Adolf Goetzberger and Armin Zastrow.
- It is the simultaneous use of areas of land for both solar photovoltaic power generation and agriculture.
- Mechanism: Instead of clearing agricultural land, solar panels are mounted on elevated structures.
- This allows farming machinery to operate beneath them, and crops to grow in the partial shade.
Benefits: Improved efficiency due to dual land use; Increased farmer income; favourable microclimatic conditions reducing water loss and heat stress.
Cross-border trade between India and China has resumed through Shipki La, Lipulekh Pas, Nathu La after six years.
About Shipki La Pass
- Location: Kinnaur district, Himachal Pradesh.
- It is a mountain pass and a border post.
- Sutlej River enters India through Shipki La gorge, making it an important Himalayan river pass.
About Lipulekh pass
- Location: Close to tri-junction of India, China (Tibet) and Nepal and is situated in Uttarakhand (Pithorgarh district).
- It is a major pass of Kumaun region situated in Kali River Valley and is an important route for the Kailash–Mansarovar Yatra.
About Nathu La
- Location: Dongkya Range of Himalayas (East Sikkim).
- Connects Sikkim with Tibet Autonomous Region at an elevation of 4,310 m.
Heavy rainfall (up to 339 mm) in the Sabarimala forest catchment triggered severe flooding and Pamba River overflowed its banks.
About Pamba River
- Epithet: Known as 'Dakshina Ganga' (Ganges of South) or Dakshina Bhageerathi.
- Length: third longest west flowing Perennial River in Kerala.
- Origin: Rises from Pulachimalai Hill in Peermedu Plateau of Western Ghats (1,650 m).
- Course: Flows into Vembanad Lake before draining into Arabian Sea.
- Cultural Significance: Sacred to Sabarimala pilgrimage, hosts Maramon and Cherukolpuzha Conventions, and is renowned for Aranmula Vallamkali (snake boat race) and Aranmula Kannadi craft.
The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SC-NBWL) recommended adding the pygmy hog to the list of critically endangered species under a Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
About Pygmy Hog
- Status: World's smallest and rarest wild pig; only species in genus Porcula.
- Conservation Status: IUCN (Endangered); Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (Schedule I) and CITES (Appendix I).
- Habitat: Tall alluvial grasslands of the sub-Himalayan Terai–Duar region.
- Distribution: Now largely restricted to Assam; wild population in Manas National Park with reintroduced populations in Orang NP, Barnadi WLS, and Sonai-Rupai WLS.
- Behaviour: Lives in small family groups and builds grass-lined ground nests.
Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) published first authoritative Catalogue of Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths) of India, documents 13,703 species (8.25% of global diversity), including 1,417 butterflies and 12,286 moths.
About Order Lepidoptera
- Meaning: Scaly-winged; Lepido (scale) and Ptera (wing).
- Status: Second-largest insect order (>180,000 species; ~135 families).
- Groups: Butterflies (diurnal, colourful, clubbed antennae), Moths (mostly nocturnal, drab, thread/comb-like antennae; more diverse) and Skippers (intermediate group with hooked antennae).
- Ecological Importance: Vital pollinators, herbivores, detritivores, and prey species, with adaptations like camouflage, mimicry, toxicity, and bat-evading echolocation detection.
- Peppered Moth exemplifies natural selection (industrial melanism).
The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for South India's first semiconductor manufacturing facility in Visakhapatnam, approved under the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM 1.0).
About India Semiconductor Mission (ISM)
- Launched: In 2021 with an aim to build a strong semiconductor and display ecosystem, positioning India as a global hub for electronics manufacturing and design.
- Ministry: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
- Four Sub-Schemes: Semiconductor Fab Scheme, display Fab Scheme, compound semiconductor and ATMP scheme and design Linked Incentive Scheme.
28th meeting of Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice under Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) discussed key issues related to synthetic biology.
About Synthetic Biology
- It involves using genetic engineering and biotechnology to design or modify organisms for applications in agriculture, medicine, industry, and environmental restoration.
- Potential Benefits: Ecosystem restoration, Control of invasive species, Sustainable production of chemicals and medicines.
Key Concerns
- Ecological risks from accidental release of engineered organisms.
- Regulatory challenges due to rapidly evolving technology.
- Unequal access and benefit-sharing as patents are concentrated in developed countries.
Over 13,000 tribal women and girl students performed the largest Dhimsa dance at Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport in Bhogapuram (Visakhapatnam), earning a Guinness World Records recognition.
About Dhimsa Dance
- Origin: Traditional folk dance of the Araku Valley hill tribes in North Andhra.
- Performers: Usually performed by 15–20 tribal women in traditional attire and ornaments.
- Dance Style: Circular group dance synchronized to the rhythm of native instruments.
- Instruments: Accompanied by Mori (wind instrument), Thudum (drum), and Dappu (percussion).
- Occasions: Performed during weddings, harvest festivals, and community gatherings.
