A new study has revealed that soil pollution from toxic heavy metals and metalloids is significantly reducing crop yields and contaminating food supplies across the globe.
Key highlights
The research found that between 14 percent and 17 percent of the world’s agricultural soils (About 242 million hectares) exceed safe thresholds for at least one hazardous metal.
This contamination affects an estimated 900 million to 1.4 billion people living in high-risk regions.
Minister of State for Ayush said that India has now emerged as one of the most sought-after destinations for treatment and medical tourism.
About
Medical tourism refers to the practice of traveling to another country or region for medical treatment, procedures, or health-related services.
The medical tourism industry in India is valued at approximately $9 billion, the country attracts patients from across the globe for advanced treatments in cardiology, orthopedics, oncology, and organ transplants.
Overseas remittances by Indian residents under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) fell by 29% to $1,964.21 million in February 2025 from $2,768.89 million in January.
The Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS)
LRS is part of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) 1999 which lays down the guidelines for outward remittance from India.
Under the Scheme, resident individuals, including minors, can freely remit up to $2,50,000 per financial year for permissible current or capital account transactions.
According to the World Bank’s Poverty and Equity Briefs (PEBs), India’s extreme poverty dropped significantly from 16% in 2011–12 to 2.3% in 2022–23, marking major progress in poverty reduction.
About the Poverty and Equity Briefs (PEBs)
They are biannual reports by the World Bank and provide a quick overview of poverty, inequality, and shared prosperity trends in over 100 developing countries.
It is released during the Spring and Annual Meetings of the World Bank and IMF, they aim to keep poverty reduction central on the global agenda.
Around 162 people were killed by lightning strikes across 12 Indian states between March 2025 and mid-April 2025.
What is Lightning?
Lightning is an electrical discharge between charged particles in a cloud and the ground.
Although air normally acts as an electrical insulator, when the voltage reaches about 3 million volts per meter (V/m), the air’s insulating properties break down, allowing a powerful electric current to pass through.
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