News In Short 25-03-2026

Litani River

Syllabus: GS1/ Geography

In News

• The Israel–Hezbollah escalation has refocused attention on the Litani River region, as Israel pushes for a buffer zone up to the river amid threats to nearby Tyre, a UNESCO World Heritage city.

About Litani River

• The Litani River (longest river flowing entirely within Lebanon) is a major freshwater resource and a strategically important river in southern Lebanon.

• It originates in the Beqaa Valley (fertile intermontane basin in eastern Lebanon).
• It flows southward, roughly parallel to the Syrian border, and then turns west to drain into the Mediterranean Sea near Tyre.

Strategic Significance

• The river lies close to the Blue Line (UN-recognised boundary between Lebanon and Israel).
• Israel considers the area south of the Litani River as a vital buffer zone (protective security belt) against Hezbollah rocket attacks and cross-border infiltration.

Link with UNSC Resolution 1701

• After the 2006 Lebanon War, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1701.
• It required that the area between the Blue Line and the Litani River remain free of armed personnel & weapons and military assets.

Source: TH

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)

Syllabus: GS3/Economy

Context

• The Decade of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) was highlighted by the Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.

About Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)

• Established: The BIS was constituted under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016.
• Headquarters: New Delhi.
• Regional Offices: Five offices located in Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Chandigarh, and Delhi.
• Core Functions: Standards Formulation (e.g., Indian Standards codes) and Product Certification (e.g., ISI mark for quality assurance).

Source: AIR

Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar

Syllabus: Miscellaneous

Context

• The Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar is a prestigious National honour announced every year on 23rd January, the birth anniversary of Subhash Chandra Bose.

About

• Aim: To recognise and acknowledge the invaluable contributions of individuals and institutions in the field of disaster management. 
• Award Categories
  • Individual: Scroll and Medal.
  • Institution: Scroll and Plaque.
• Both Indian citizens and institutions are eligible.
• Nominations are open throughout the year.
• Applications must be submitted online through the National Awards Portal.
• Self-nomination and third-party nomination are permitted.

Source: PIB

National Dental Commission (NDC)

Syllabus: GS2/Governance

Context

• The Government of India has replaced the Dental Council of India (DCI) with a new regulator, the National Dental Commission (NDC).

About the National Dental Commission

• Established under the National Dental Commission Act, 2023.
• Aims to bring regulatory reforms in dental education and improve access to affordable oral healthcare.
• Key Functions
  • Frame regulations to implement the provisions of the Act;
  • Conduct assessment and rating of dental institutions;
  • Evaluate human resources and promote dental research;
  • Frame guidelines for fee regulation in private dental colleges;
  • Set standards for community dental care, education, research, and professional ethics.
• Institutional Structure: To support its functioning, three autonomous boards have been constituted:
  • Undergraduate and Postgraduate Dental Education Board – to oversee dental education;
  • Dental Assessment and Rating Board – to regulate accreditation and institutional assessment;
  • Ethics and Dental Registration Board – to govern professional conduct and registration of dentists.

Source: PIB

GlobE Network

Syllabus: GS2/ International Organizations

Context

• India recently hosted the 12th Steering Committee Meeting of the Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities in New Delhi.

About GlobE Network

• The Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities (the GlobE Network) was established in 2021.
  • Evolution: The initiative originated from the G20 Anti-Corruption Ministerial Meeting 2020, which endorsed the Riyadh Initiative.
• It is open to anti-corruption law enforcement authorities of all UN Member States and States parties to the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). 
• The Network is governed by its members and is supported by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) which provides the Network’s secretariat.
• India joined the Network in 2022, with the CBI and the ED as its two designated member agencies and was elected to the 15-member Steering Committee in 2024.

Source: AIR

Superconductivity

Syllabus: GS3/Science and Technology

Context

• Researchers have employed a technique known as pressure quenching to increase the superconducting transition temperature by 18 °C under ambient (room) pressure, enabling superconductivity at comparatively higher temperatures.

Superconductivity

• Superconductivity is a phenomenon where a material exhibits zero electrical resistance below a critical temperature.
  • In theory this allows electrical energy to be transferred between two points with perfect efficiency, losing nothing to heat.
  • Superconductivity was discovered in 1911 by Heike Kamerlingh-Onnes.
• In recent years, researchers have been pushing the temperature limits on how cold a superconducting material needs to be to function.

Application

• Power transmission: Enables lossless electricity flow, improving energy efficiency over long distances.
• Medical imaging: Used in MRI machines for strong, stable magnetic fields.
• Quantum computing: Used to build superconducting qubits for advanced computers.
• Maglev trains: Allows trains to levitate and move with very low friction, enabling high speeds.

Source: TH