India, China showed us great goodwill,says Sri Lankan PM

In News

Lok Sabha paid floral tribute to freedom fighter Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das, on his birth anniversary.

About Chittaranjan Das (1870 – 1925)

Overview: He was popularly known as "Deshbandhu (Friend of the Nation)," and was a key nationalist leader, lawyer, freedom fighter, and social reformer of the Indian independence movement.

He defended Aurobindo Ghosh in the Alipore Bomb Case (1908) and later joined the freedom movement full-time.

Key Contributions: He was a participant of the Non-Cooperation Movement (1919–22) led by Mahatma Gandhi​.

He founded the Swaraj Party in 1923 with Motilal Nehru to enter legislative councils and resist colonial rule from within​. 

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Context

The World Economic Forum, in collaboration with stakeholders from both industry and academia, has launched a new insights report ‘Shaping the Deep-Tech Revolution in Agriculture’.

Government of India Initiatives

India Digital Ecosystem of Agriculture (IDEA): It is a framework designed to lay down the architecture for a federated farmers' database, facilitating innovative agri-focused solutions using emerging technologies to enhance the agricultural ecosystem.

National e-Governance Plan in Agriculture (NeGP-A): Funds are allocated to states/UTs for projects involving modern technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Robotics, Drones, Data Analytics, and Blockchain in agriculture.

Mobile Apps by ICAR: More than 100 mobile apps developed by ICAR, State Agricultural Universities, and Krishi Vigyan Kendras are offering valuable information to farmers on crops, horticulture, veterinary, dairy, poultry, fisheries, and natural resources management.

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In News

The Government of India has notified new Deep-Sea Fishing Rules, 2025, aimed at realizing the vision of a prosperous and inclusive Blue Economy and unlocking the vast potential of India’s 11,099 km coastline and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Key Highlight of the Rules

Empowering Fishermen and Cooperatives: Exclusive priority is given to Fishermen Cooperative Societies and Fish Farmer Producer Organisations (FFPOs) for deep-sea fishing licenses using advanced vessels. 

Ban on Foreign Vessels: Foreign fishing vessels are completely prohibited from operating within India’s EEZ to protect resource sovereignty and small-scale fishers.

Mother-and-Child Vessel Model: Introduced to enable mid-sea transshipment under Reserve Bank of India regulations, this model uses large “mother” vessels supporting smaller “child” boats to reduce shore congestion, extend fishing operations, and improve efficiency.

Prohibition of Harmful Fishing Practices: Fishing methods such as LED light fishing, pair trawling, and bull trawling are banned to protect marine ecosystems.

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Context

Recently, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has revealed alarming evidence that unscientific fertilizer use and climate change are causing significant degradation of organic carbon in India’s arable soils.

Key Findings

Unbalanced Fertiliser Use: The study found that imbalanced and excessive fertiliser use—particularly of urea and phosphorus—has degraded soil carbon levels.

Haryana, Punjab, and Western Uttar Pradesh showed the most severe declines due to intensive, unscientific fertilisation.

Bihar, with more balanced fertiliser application, exhibited better soil carbon health.

Correlation Between Organic Carbon and Elevation: Soils in hilly regions contain higher organic carbon, whereas lowland soils exhibit depletion.

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In News

Scientists from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics and NASA have made the first-ever spectroscopic observations of a coronal mass ejection (CME) in the visible wavelength range, close to the Sun’s surface  using the VELC payload on Aditya-L1.

Aditya-L1 

It is  India’s first space-based solar observatory, designed to study the Sun from Lagrange Point 1, located about 1.5 million km from Earth

This position allows uninterrupted observation of solar phenomena without eclipses or occultation.

It launched in September  2023 to enhance understanding of solar dynamics, including coronal mass ejections (CMEs), solar flares, and their impact on space weather — crucial for satellite operations, communications, and power grids on Earth.

The mission carries seven indigenously developed payloads, five by ISRO and two in collaboration with Indian academic institutions. 

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Context

Currency with the public has more than doubled since the demonetisation in 2016 was announced by the government. 

Demonetisation

The Prime Minister announced demonetisation on November 8, 2016.

It declared that all existing Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes which together accounted for about 86% of the currency in circulation would cease to be legal tender. 

Demonetisation in 2016 was apparently intended to eliminate black money, curb counterfeit currency, promote digital payments and formalise the economy.

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In News

Society’s approach to food is changing, with the next major shift focusing on functional foods and smart proteins that promote better health and sustainability.

Functional Foods

They are enriched foods that promote health or prevent disease, such as vitamin-enriched rice or omega-3-fortified milk. 

They leverage several technologies such as nutrigenomics (the study of how nutrition interacts with genes), bio-fortification, 3D food printing, and bioprocessing.

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In News

India has shut down its operations at the Ayni airbase in Tajikistan, a key overseas facility that had provided its strategic influence in Central Asia. 

Ayni Airbase

The airbase, originally built during the Soviet era, was in poor condition following the split of the Soviet Union.

India invested around $80 million since 2002 to upgrade it with a 3,200-metre runway, hangars, fuel depots, and air traffic control, largely executed by the Border Roads Organisation

It is situated in Tajikistan around 20 km from Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor, which shares a boundary with the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and with China’s Xinjiang province.

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As the 30th Conference of Parties (COP30) to the UNFCCC begins in Belém, Brazil, absence of the United States and China, along with lower-level delegation sent by India casts a long shadow over proceedings.