- India’s pesticide market is undergoing a structural transformation, driven by shifting pest dynamics, labour shortages, and changing cropping practices.
- Pesticides, or crop protection chemicals, include substances used to kill or deter pests that harm crops. These include:Insecticides: For insect pests (e.g., white-backed plant hopper in paddy).
- Historically, pesticide use in India was low in the mid-20th century, but has grown with the Green Revolution. Read More
Home / Daily Current Affairs / 04-08-2025
Daily Current Affairs – 4 August, 2025
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- Bio-fortified potatoes, with added iron content, will soon be available in Indian markets, said the Director-General of the Peru-based International Potato Center (CIP).
- Bio-fortified sweet potatoes, with vitamin A added using technology developed by the CIP, are already available in Karnataka, Assam, West Bengal, and Odisha.
- The focus is on iron fortification in potatoes, the first variety has been released in Peru. Read More
Bio-fortified Potatoes
Context
About
- The Supreme Court allowed a petitioner to withdraw her plea challenging the exclusion of women political workers from the ambit of protection under the POSH Act.
- The plea mentioned that the definitions of ‘workplace’ and ‘employer’ under the 2013 Act must be expanded to include the political spectrum.
- It sought a declaration from the court that “political parties are bound to follow the procedure for protection of women in the workplace under the POSH Act”. Read More
POSH and Political Parties
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About
- Three decades ago, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) were rare in the villages; however, today, low- and middle-income countries confront an NCD burden that has spread from cities to villages.
- NCDs also known as chronic diseases, tend to be of long duration and are the result of a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental and behavioural factors.
- The main types of NCDs are cardiovascular diseases (such as heart attacks and stroke), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma) and diabetes. Read More
Non-communicable Diseases in India
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Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs)
- Recently, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) released a policy brief detailing the severe health impacts of land degradation and drought.
- Rise in Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases: The policy brief highlights the wide-ranging health consequences associated with environmental stress:
- Mental Health Consequences: Droughts often result in displacement, resource scarcity, and financial hardship, leading to increased mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression. Read More
Health Impacts of Land Degradation & Drought: UNCCD
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Health Risks of Land Degradation and Drought
- India’s economy is witnessing strong growth momentum, marked by easing inflation and record-high exports, offering relief to households and strengthening the nation’s global trade position.
- India's economy is the fastest growing major economy, with real GDP growth estimated at 6.5% in 2024-25 and expected to continue at the same rate in 2025-26.
- Despite global uncertainties, strong domestic demand, easing inflation, rising exports, and robust capital markets support this growth. Read More
India’s Economy Gains Momentum as Inflation Eases and Exports Surge
Context
Present status
- Recently, the OPEC+ alliance announced that it will increase oil production by 547,000 barrels per day (bpd) starting in September, 2025.
- OPEC+ is an extended alliance of OPEC, having 22 members, made up of 10 major, non-OPEC oil producing countries (Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Brunei, Bahrain, Mexico, Oman, South Sudan, Sudan and Malaysia), along with the 12 OPEC members.
- It was formed in 2016 after the adoption of the ‘Algiers Accord’ by OPEC countries and signing of the ‘Vienna Agreement’ between OPEC and other major oil exporting countries. Read More
