India-China Explore Joint UNESCO Nomination for Xuanzang’s Records
Syllabus: GS1/ History and Culture
Context
- India and China are in advanced discussions regarding a joint UNESCO nomination for Xuanzang’s work, ‘The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions’.
Who Was Xuanzang?
- Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang) was a Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, and traveler who journeyed across India during the 7th century CE.
- He spent nearly 19 years travelling through India and studying Buddhist philosophy.
- He studied at the ancient university of Nalanda University. His work, The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions, provides detailed information about:
- Political conditions under Harshavardhana and other rulers.
- Social and economic life in early medieval India.
- Religious traditions and Buddhist institutions.
- Economic and geographical conditions of early medieval India.
Other Joint Nominations Under Consideration
- Panchatantra with Iran: India is exploring a joint UNESCO nomination of Panchatantra with Iran. The Panchatantra has influenced Persian literature and folklore for centuries and represents a shared literary heritage.
- Satyagraha with South Africa: The idea reflects the historical association of Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violent movement with South Africa.
- Shared Civilizational Traditions:
- Ramayana traditions shared between India and Indonesia.
- Buddhist scriptures and heritage common to India and China.
Source: IE
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal (AM) Fungi
Syllabus: GS3/Science & Technology
Context
- A new study published in Science has reported the first global map of the earth’s vast underground network of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi.
About
- These fungi have sustained plant life for millions of years but their scale and distribution has been largely invisible until now.
- By forming symbiotic relationships with 70% of plant species, trading nutrients for carbon, the AM networks sequester an estimated 4 billion tonnes of CO2-equivalent a year.
- Grassland ecosystems like those in South Sudan, the Tibetan plateau, and India’s Banni grasslands house 40% of the world’s AM fungal networks.
- Grasslands are being converted to farms four-times faster than forests, these ecosystems are at extreme risk.
- The work hopes to move fungi from the periphery of environmental policy to the centre of climate action.
AM fungi
- These are soil fungi that form a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship with the roots of about 70% of terrestrial plant species.
- They belong mainly to the phylum Glomeromycota and form specialized structures called arbuscules inside root cells for nutrient exchange.
- AM fungi enhance the uptake of essential nutrients such as phosphorus, nitrogen, zinc, and copper, as well as water from the soil.
- In return, plants provide the fungi with carbohydrates and lipids produced through photosynthesis.
Fungi
- Fungi are eukaryotic organisms that include yeasts, molds, and mushrooms and belong to the kingdom Fungi.
- They lack chlorophyll and cannot perform photosynthesis; instead, they obtain nutrients by absorbing organic matter from their surroundings.
- Fungi reproduce through spores and can be either unicellular (e.g., yeast) or multicellular (e.g., mushrooms).
- They play an important role as decomposers, breaking down dead plants and animals and recycling nutrients in ecosystems
Source: TH
Queen Pineapple
Syllabus: GS3/Agriculture
Context
- Ahead of the pineapple festival in Delhi, Tripura eyes global status for queen pineapple.
About
- The queen pineapple was declared the state fruit of Tripura in 2018, four years after it attained the GI tag in 2014 for its golden-yellow hue and a distinct aroma.
- Cultivation: An area with 30–40% slope is generally selected for cultivation and plants require sandy soil and good drainage to prevent water logging and temperature range of 180°C to 32°C is most favorable for its cultivation.
- Tripura’s unique agro climatic condition makes it one of India’s leading pineapple-producing regions where Queen and Kew varieties are mostly cultivated by tribal growers.
- Mission Queen Pineapple: It is a three year long centrally-funded farm-to-plate programme worth Rs 236 crore launched in 2026.
- India contributes roughly 6-8% of total global pineapple production. On a regional scale, West Bengal and Assam are the top-producing states.
Do you Know?
- Cultivation of pineapple originated in South America and gradually spread to other tropical parts of the world.
- Pineapple cultivation was introduced to India by the Portuguese in 1548 AD.
- Costa Rica is the leading global producer and exporter of pineapple.
Source: IE
Army Uniforms-2026 Manual
Syllabus: GS3/Defence
Context
- The Indian Army, the world’s second-largest standing army, has introduced the Army Uniforms-2026 manual.
About
- The new manual replaces the 2015 uniform regulations and reflects the Army’s efforts to modernise military attire while preserving operational effectiveness and regimental traditions.
- Key changes include:
- Introduction of the traditional Bandi (Nehru) jacket in formal military attire.
- Removal of colonial-era terminology such as “Royal”.
- Making sword carriage by the Reviewing Officer optional.
- The move reflects India’s broader push towards decolonisation and indigenisation, a trend also seen in the replacement of colonial-era criminal laws by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam.
Source: TH
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