- Recent studies indicate that Earth's magnetic field is weakening and shifting, raising concerns over possible magnetic excursions or even a full-scale polarity reversal.
- Short-term variations (milliseconds to days) are caused by solar activity and interaction with charged particles in space.
- Long-term changes, such as reversals and excursions, result from turbulent flows in the outer core, driven by heat released from the inner core and modulated by planetary rotation.
- A reversal happens when the flow of molten material in the core changes direction—for instance, from clockwise to anticlockwise—altering the magnetic field’s orientation. Read More
Home / Daily Current Affairs / 12-05-2025
Daily Current Affairs – 12 May, 2025
- The Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report 2021, released by the Registrar General of India (RGI), highlights that India's Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has remained constant at 2.0 in 2021, the same as in 2020.
- The Sample Registration System (SRS) is a large-scale demographic survey in India used to collect data on births and deaths, providing annual estimates of vital rates like birth rate, death rate, and infant mortality rate.
- Key features of SRS:
- Dual Record System: The system uses two sources of information: continuous enumeration by part-time enumerators and six-monthly retrospective surveys by supervisors.
- Sample-Based: SRS operates on a sample of villages and urban blocks, making it cost-effective and efficient. Read More
Total Fertility Rate Remains Constant at 2.0 in 2021
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Sample Registration System (SRS)
- The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) decided to allow for “an immediate disbursement” of $1 billion (around Rs 8,500 crore) to Pakistan.
- The Extended Fund Facility is a loan-based support mechanism provided by the IMF to countries that suffer from medium-term balance of payments problems, particularly due to structural deficiencies in their economies.
- Unlike short-term bailouts, the EFF is designed to assist countries in implementing structural reforms that take time to yield results.
- According to the IMF, EFF loans:
- Offer longer repayment periods
- Support reforms in fiscal governance, banking, taxation, etc.
- Target countries with long-standing issues such as poor infrastructure, financial instability, or chronic budget deficits Read More
IMF Loan to Pakistan
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What is the Extended Fund Facility (EFF)?
- Indian farmers continue to choose rice and wheat as their primary crops despite growing discourse around crop diversification, and complex interplay of historical legacy, economic security, policy incentives, and agro-ecological conditions.
- Wheat Production: It is estimated at 122.724 million tonnes, covering 330.8 lakh hectares.
- Major wheat-growing states include Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.
- Rice Production: India produces over 120 million tonnes of rice annually, with Kharif and Rabi seasons contributing to total output.
- Rice cultivation is concentrated in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. Read More
Why Farmers Prefer Growing Rice and Wheat
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Rice and Wheat Production in India (2024-25)
- The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in the National Capital Region and adjoining areas announced a 19-step directive for state governments to eliminate stubble burning.
- The comprehensive plan outlined here represents one of the most robust multi-tiered efforts to curb stubble burning and its associated air pollution across Punjab, Haryana, and NCR Uttar Pradesh.
- The approach integrates administrative accountability, technological innovation, farmer engagement, and legal enforcement. Read More
CAQM unveils 19-point plan to stamp out stubble burning in Delhi-NCR
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About
- May 11 marked the 27th National Technological Day of India.
- Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee designated May 11 as National Technology Day in India to commemorate the Pokhran nuclear tests conducted by the Indian Army in 1998.
- On May 11, 1998, two other special technological advances were showcased by India’s scientists and engineers.
- The successful test firing of Trishul missile; and the first test flight of the indigenously developed aircraft Hansa.
- This observance aims to cultivate a scientific mindset and inspire the younger generation to pursue careers in technology, engineering, and mathematics. Read More
National Technological Day
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About
- The International Energy Agency (IEA) released Global Methane Tracker 2025.
- It is a vital tool for reducing methane emissions in the energy sector.
- It offers updated estimates of emissions using the latest satellite and ground-based data, alongside information on the costs and opportunities for reduction.
- The 2025 update will include new features such as country-level data on historical emissions, projections for 2030 and 2035, an interactive tool for exploring global methane initiatives, and estimates for emissions from abandoned fossil fuel facilities.
- Additionally, it provides an open-access model for exploring methane reduction options in oil and gas operations. Read More
IEA’s Global Methane Tracker
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The IEA's Global Methane Tracker
- This year the Vaishakh Buddha Purnima is being celebrated on 12th May.
- Buddha Purnima is the most sacred festival for Buddhists, observed on the full moon day of Vaishakh (April-May).
- The festival acts as a reminder to live a life of kindness, non-violence and wisdom.
- In India and other South and Southeast Asian nations, Buddha Purnima is celebrated as the "thrice-blessed day." It marks the three major life events events in the life of Gautama Buddha:
- Birth at Lumbini
- Enlightenment (Nirvana) at Bodh Gaya
- Mahaparinirvana (Death) at Kushinagar Read More
