News In Short – 4 September, 2025

Seychelles

Syllabus :GS1/Places

In News

• Indian Navy ships INS Tir, INS Shardul, and Indian Coast Guard ship ICGS Sarathi, comprising the First Training Squadron (1TS), arrived  in Seychelles.

Seychelles 

• Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 islands.
• It is located east of Kenya and  northeast of Madagascar. 
• The capital, Victoria, is situated on the island of Mahé.
• It holds strategic importance for India due to its location along key maritime routes. 

Importance for India

• India and Seychelles share deep-rooted historical ties, with Indian settlers arriving as early as 1770.
  • Bilateral relations have grown steadily, encompassing defence, maritime security, climate resilience, and cultural exchange.
  • India has supported Seychelles through initiatives like gifting patrol vessels, conducting hydrographic surveys, and establishing a Coastal Surveillance Radar System.
  • Recent engagements include joint projects under grant assistance and collaboration in the International Solar Alliance.

Source  :TH

Acanthamoeba

Syllabus: GS2/Health

Context

• The Kerala Health Department fears that Acanthamoeba could be much more widely present in the State’s waterbodies than was thought before.

Acanthamoeba

• Acanthamoeba are free-living protozoan amoebae (single-celled organisms) found widely in the environment (soil, air, dust, freshwater, seawater, contact lens cases, swimming pools, hospital equipment).
• They are not true parasites, because they can complete their life cycle without infecting humans or animals.

Pathogenic Infections caused by Acanthamoeba: 

• Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK): 
  • Eye infection, usually in contact lens users.
  • Symptoms: severe pain, redness, blurred vision, photophobia, corneal ulceration.
  • Risk factors: improper contact lens hygiene, exposure to contaminated water while wearing lenses.
• Granulomatous Amoebic Encephalitis (GAE):
  • Rare but usually fatal brain infection.
  • Occurs mainly in immunocompromised persons (HIV/AIDS, transplant, cancer patients).
  • Symptoms: headache, fever, seizures, confusion, neurological deficits.
• Disseminated Acanthamoeba infection: 
  • Can spread to skin, lungs, sinuses in immunocompromised patients.
  • Causes chronic ulcers, abscesses, or nodules.
• Treatment remains difficult: Overall, therapeutic outcomes are mixed due to diagnostic delays and underlying patient vulnerabilities.

Source: TH

Excess Rainfall Threatens Karnataka’s Coffee Plantations

Syllabus: GS3/ Agriculture

Context

• India’s coffee heartland, Chikmagaluru, Coorg, and Hassan districts of Karnataka, has been hit by incessant rains, extreme cold, and lack of sunlight. 

Geographical Condition for Coffee production

• Climate: Coffee grows well in tropical climates. It requires a warm, humid climate with mild winters. Shade is essential for healthy growth, and coffee is often grown under tree cover.
• Soil: Requires well-drained, fertile soils, rich in humus and organic matter.
  • Soil should be slightly acidic, with a pH of 6.0–6.5.
• Temperature: Ideal annual temperature ranges between 15°C and 28°C.
  • Frost is harmful to coffee plants, and extreme hot or dry conditions also reduce yield.
• Precipitation: Coffee thrives in hilly regions with elevations of 600–1,600 metres above sea level.
  • Sloping terrain ensures proper drainage and prevents waterlogging.
• Major Coffee producing states are Karnataka (largest producer, contributes nearly 70% of India’s coffee), Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.
  • Other emerging states are: Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and the North-Eastern region (mainly Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Meghalaya).

Source: TH

99th Meeting of Network Planning Group under PM GatiShakti

Syllabus: GS3/ Infrastructure

Context

• The 99th meeting of the Network Planning Group (NPG) under the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan was held in New Delhi.

Projects Evaluated in the meeting

• Ministry of Railways(MoR):
  • New Broad Gauge (BG) line of 40.2 km from Baramulla to Uri in Jammu & Kashmir.
  • Doubling of the Qazigund–Badgam railway line in Jammu & Kashmir.
  • Proposed 3rd & 4th line between Ambala – Jalandhar (Punjab & Haryana).
• Road Project (Ministry of Road, Transport & Highways): Khagaria–Purnia Four-Lane Highway (Bihar).

Source: PIB

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)

Syllabus: GS3/Environment 

Context

• The Ministry of Civil Aviation, in partnership with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and with support from the European Union has officially released the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Feasibility Study for India.
  • The feasibility study assesses the potential for producing and utilizing drop-in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in India. 
  • India’s readiness to become self-sufficient in SAF production: India is targeting 1% blending by 2027, 2% by 2028 and 5% by 2030 in line with the CORSIA mandate.

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)

• SAF is an alternative fuel made from non-petroleum feedstocks that reduces emissions from air transportation. 
• SAF can be blended at different levels with limits between 10% and 50%, depending on the feedstock and how the fuel is produced. 
• Need for SAF: 
  • Worldwide, aviation accounts for 2% of all carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and 12% of all CO2 emissions from transportation. 
  • ICAO’s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) caps net CO2 aviation emissions at 2020 levels through 2035. 
  • The international aviation industry has set an aspirational goal to reach net zero carbon by 2050. 
  • SAF presents the best near-term opportunity to meet these goals. 

Benefits

• Engine and infrastructure compatibility: SAF blended with conventional Jet A can be used in existing aircraft and infrastructure.
• Fewer emissions: Compared with conventional jet fuel, 100% SAF has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 94% depending on feedstock and technology pathway.
• More flexibility: SAF is a replacement for conventional jet fuel, allowing for multiple products from various feedstocks and production technologies.

Source: PIB

Recommendations of the 56th Meeting of the GST Council

Syllabus :GS3/Economy

In News 

• The 56th GST Council meeting recommended changes in GST tax rates aimed at benefiting individuals, the common man, and the aspirational middle class. 

The GST Council

• It was established under Article 279A, is a constitutional body that acts as a joint forum of the Centre and States to make recommendations on key GST matters.
• It is chaired by the Union Finance Minister.
• Its functions include advising on GST tax rates, exemptions, threshold limits, model laws, and special provisions for specific states.

Recent recommendations

• The 56th GST Council meeting focused on next-generation GST reforms, including rate rationalisation and compliance simplification.
• A simplified three-tier rate structure was introduced: 5%, 18%, and a special 40% rate for sin/luxury goods. 
• Key outcomes include GST cuts on essentials like soaps, shampoos, toothpaste, and food items to 5%, exemption of GST on all life and health insurance policies, and zero GST on 33 life-saving drugs and 3 critical medicines.
• Medical and agricultural equipment now attract only 5% GST, while GST on appliances like ACs, large TVs, and small vehicles was reduced from 28% to 18%.

Source :PIB

India’s First Vulture Conservation Portal

Syllabus :GS3/Environment 

In News

• We Foundation India, in collaboration with Gauhati University’s Department of Zoology, has launched India’s first vulture conservation portal to build a network for protecting these vital scavenger birds.

Vultures 

• They are large, social raptors that live on every continent except Antarctica and Australia.
• The 23 species are divided into New World vultures from the Americas and Old World vultures from Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Status in india 

• India has nine species of vultures in the wild and their IUCN Red list status are mentioned below  :
  • The Oriental White-backed Vulture (Gyps bengalensis) : Critically Endangered 
  • Slender billed Vulture (Gyps tenuirostris)  : Critically Endangered
  • Indian Vulture or Long billed Vulture (Gyps indicus) : Critically Endangered
  • Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus) : Endangered
  • Red Headed Vulture (Sarcogyps calvus) : Critically Endangered
  • Indian Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus): Least Concern.
  • Himalayan Griffon (Gyps himalayensis):  Near Threatened
  • Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus) : Near Threatened
  • Bearded Vulture or Lammergeier (Gypaetus barbatus): Near Threatened

Threats 

• Vultures are crucial for ecosystem health, but face severe decline due to diclofenac poisoning, habitat loss, and human disturbances.

Recent Conservation efforts 

• India’s first vulture conservation portal aims to create a nationwide network to support vulture protection. 
• It focuses on spreading awareness in local languages like Assamese to engage grassroots communities. 

Source :TH

Exercise Yudh Abhyas

Syllabus: GS3/Defence

Context

• The 21st edition of the India–US Joint Military Exercise Yudh Abhyas commenced in Alaska, USA.

About the exercise

• Yudh Abhyas, meaning “Preparing for War” in Hindi, began in 2004 as a counterinsurgency training exchange. Since then, it has been held annually, alternating between India and the USA.
• The exercise will culminate in jointly planned tactical manoeuvres, ranging from live-fire exercises to high-altitude warfare scenarios, with a focus on UN peacekeeping operations and enhancing readiness for multi-domain challenges.

Source: PIB