Remembering Batukeshwar Dutt
Syllabus: GS1/History
In News
- Recently, the birth anniversary of Batukeshwar Dutt was observed.
Batukeshwar Dutt
- He was an Indian revolutionary and a freedom fighter in the early 1900s.
- He was born in 1910 in Bengal.
- He was Bhagat Singh’s comrade in the 1929 Central Assembly bombing, an act meant to “make the deaf hear” against colonial rule.
Role in Freedom Struggle
- He was a member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association.
- He was convicted in the Delhi Assembly Bomb Case.
- He spent nine years in prisons across India, enduring long hunger strikes for humane treatment of political prisoners.
- He was arrested during Quit India in 1942 and he spent another four years in jail.
- He maintained close ties with Bhagat Singh’s family and comrades, and disapproved of commercialized films on Singh, endorsing only Manoj Kumar’s Shaheed (1965).
Source :TH
Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF)
Syllabus: GS2/ International Organisation
In News
- The Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF) provides grants for the collection of weather and climate data.
About
- The Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF) is a specialised UN climate fund established by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
- SOFF works with nations who have the most severe observation gaps, with a focus on Least Developed nations and Small Island Developing States. SOFF contributes to the worldwide public good by offering long-term financial and technical help.
- SOFF intends to promote and accelerate the ongoing collection and international exchange of the most important surface-based weather and climate observations in accordance with the globally agreed-upon Global Observing Basic Network.
Source: IE
National Gopal Ratna Awards (NGRA) 2025
Syllabus: GS3/Dairy Sector
Context
- The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying has announced the winners of the National Gopal Ratna Awards (NGRA) 2025.
About
- The NGRA is one of the highest national honours in the livestock and dairy sector.
- These awards will be presented on 26th November 2025 as part of the National Milk Day celebrations.
- Launched in 2014, the Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM) focuses on the scientific conservation and development of indigenous bovine breeds.
- Since 2021, the Department has been conferring the National Gopal Ratna Awards (NGRA) annually to encourage milk-producing farmers, dairy cooperative societies/MPCs/FPOs, and Artificial Insemination Technicians (AITs).
- The awardees will get a certificate of merit and a memento and cash price of ₹5,00,000, ₹3,00,000 and ₹2,00,000 for the first, second and third categories respectively.
Source: PIB
UNESCO’s New Guidelines for the Use of Neurotechnology
Syllabus: GS2/Health
Context
- UNESCO has issued the first global normative framework on the ethics of neurotechnology.
Neurotechnology:
- Neurotechnology refers to devices and procedures that access, assess, and act on neural systems, including the human brain.
- If the brain were a radio station, neurotechnology is the set of devices to help to tune in.
- It merges advances in neuroscience, engineering, and advanced computing to evolve solutions that improve brain function and enhance human capabilities.
- Concerns: Neurotechnology allows neurodata — a.k.a. neural or brain data — to be decoded, giving rise to concerns about user privacy, protection against misuse, and informed consent among users.
UNESCO Framework
- Aim: To uphold human dignity, rights, gender equality, social justice, and sustainable development.
- The recommendations are based on a three-pronged strategy:
- defining the nature and scope of neurotechnology and neurodata;
- identifying the values, principles and offering directions to nations to incorporate the recommendations with a focus on particular sectors (health and education, among others);
- and considerations for vulnerable populations such as children and older adults.
- It prohibits any use of neural or non-neural data for manipulative or deceptive purposes, including in political, medical and commercial contexts.
- They also heighten attention towards the principles of autonomy, free will, and informed consent in any valid uses of neurotechnology.
Significance
- The framework promotes a Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) model in neurotechnology across public and private sectors.
- It contributes to a long-standing need for an ethical framework to govern neurotechnology innovation.
Source: TH
Rhesus Monkeys
Syllabus: GS3/Species in News
In News
- The National Board for Wildlife has recommended reinstating Rhesus Macaques under Schedule II of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, restoring statutory protection to enable scientific management, prevent trafficking and cruelty, and empower forest departments in conflict resolution.
Rhesus Macaque(Macaca mulatta)
- Habitat: It is a diurnal, omnivorous species that lives both in trees and on the ground, occupying a wide range of habitats—from coniferous, deciduous, bamboo, and mixed forests to mangroves, scrublands, rainforests, and even areas near human settlements.
- Distribution : It is found throughout most of southern Asia, in eastern Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China and India.
- Ecological Roles : It is vital seed dispersers, aiding forest regeneration and biodiversity, making their protection essential for both ecological balance and sustainable coexistence.
- Threats : It is generally unthreatened, though its original habitat is increasingly being lost to development
- Protection status : It is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.
- It is listed on CITES Appendix II.
Source :IE
India to Source 10% LPG Imports from US in 2026
Syllabus: GS3/Economy
In News
- India has signed its first structured contract to import liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from the United States.
Background of the deal
- The deal comes amid India–US trade pact negotiations, with New Delhi seeking to reduce its trade surplus with Washington after US tariffs on Indian goods, and signals India’s willingness to step up American energy imports.
- The Trump administration imposed 50% tariffs on many Indian goods.
| LPG – It is a group of hydrocarbon gases—mainly propane, normal butane, and isobutane—produced from crude oil refining or natural gas processing. – It can be sold separately or blended, and is easily liquefied under pressure (without cryogenic cooling) for convenient transport and storage. Status In India – India, the world’s third‑largest consumer of crude oil, relies on imports for about 88% of its crude needs and meets nearly half of its natural gas demand through LNG imports. – The US has emerged as a key energy partner, ranking as the fifth‑largest supplier of crude oil and the second‑largest supplier of LNG to India. – LPG, largely used as cooking fuel in India, is heavily subsidised and over 60% of demand is met through imports, with the government expanding access to rural households to reduce reliance on polluting fuels. |
Key Highlights of recent deal
- Public sector refiners IOC, BPCL, and HPCL awarded a one‑year deal for 2.2 million tonnes per annum—about 10% of India’s annual LPG imports—for 2026 from the US Gulf Coast.
- The agreement hailed as a “historic first,” marking diversification away from traditional West Asian suppliers such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait.
- It marks a major step in deepening energy trade with the United States amid ongoing trade pact negotiations.
Source :IE
AJEYA WARRIOR-25
Syllabus: GS3/Defence
Context
- The 8th edition of the India–United Kingdom (UK) Joint Military Exercise “AJEYA WARRIOR-25” commenced in Rajasthan.
About the Exercise
- Conducted under a United Nations mandate, the exercise focuses on counter-terrorism operations in semi-urban environments.
- Held biennially since 2011, AJEYA WARRIOR has evolved into a flagship engagement between the Indian Army and the British Army.
Do you Know?
- KONKAN is a bilateral naval exercise conducted between the Indian Navy and the Royal Navy (UK).
- Indradhanush is a bilateral air exercise conducted between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Royal Air Force of UK.
Source: PIB
Sentinel-6B
Syllabus: GS3/Space
Context
- Sentinel-6B has been successfully launched from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA.
About Sentinel-6B
- It is an ocean-tracking satellite with six onboard science instruments that will measure the rising sea levels and its impacts on the planet.
- It will orbit Earth at a speed of 7.2 km per second, completing one revolution every 112 minutes.
- The mission is a joint collaboration between NASA, NOAA, and the European Space Agency (ESA).
- Along with its twin satellite, Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich (launched in 2020), it will provide high-precision sea-level data—accurate to around 1 inch—covering over 90% of global oceans.
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