{"id":75851,"date":"2026-06-04T18:22:50","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T12:52:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=75851"},"modified":"2026-06-04T18:29:06","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T12:59:06","slug":"news-in-short-04-06-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/04-06-2026\/news-in-short-04-06-2026","title":{"rendered":"News In Short 04-06-2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>National Panchayat Awards 2025<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/ Polity and Governance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has announced the winners of the National Panchayat Awards (NPA) 2025, with 42 Panchayats from across India.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>National Panchayat Awards<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>About<\/strong>: The National Panchayat Awards are administered by the <strong>Ministry of Panchayati Raj<\/strong> to recognize and incentivize high-performing Panchayats.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Objective: <\/strong>The National Panchayat Awards drive <strong>competitive federalism<\/strong> by incentivizing local self-government institutions to compete in achieving the good governance &amp; Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Implementation Framework: <\/strong>The awards are conferred under the <strong>Incentivization of Panchayats (IoP) scheme<\/strong>, a component of the <strong>Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA).<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Financial Incentives:<\/strong> Winning Panchayats receive financial incentives ranging from <strong>\u20b950 lakh to \u20b95 crore<\/strong>, depending on the category and tier.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Karnataka <\/strong>secured the highest number of awards (6 awards), followed by Andhra Pradesh and Odisha with 5 awards each for 2025.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Categories of Awards<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar (DDUPSVP):<\/strong> Recognizes outstanding Gram Panchayats based on performance across the nine themes of Localization of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Nanaji Deshmukh Sarvottam Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar (NDSPSVP): <\/strong>Conferred on the best-performing Panchayats on an overall basis. Awards are given at;\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>District Panchayat level<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Block Panchayat level<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Gram Panchayat level.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pib.gov.in\/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2259360&amp;reg=3&amp;lang=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>PIB<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Blue Helmet<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/IR<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A total of 565 Indian Blue Helmets, serving with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) have been honoured with the UN Medal of Honour.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Blue Helmets are military personnel, police officers, and civilian experts serving under United Nations peacekeeping operations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The peacekeepers were recognised for their efforts in:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Protecting civilians through patrols,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Community engagement,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Veterinary camps,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Women&#8217;s self-defence training,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Combating gender-based violence, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Improving humanitarian access.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India is the <strong>second-largest contributor of uniformed personnel<\/strong> to UN peacekeeping operations after <strong>Nepal<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It currently contributes more than <strong>4,200 military and police personnel<\/strong>, including <strong>155 women<\/strong>, across missions in Abyei, the Central African Republic, Cyprus, Congo, Lebanon, the Middle East, Somalia, South Sudan and Western Sahara.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nearly <strong>180 Indian peacekeepers<\/strong> have lost their lives in the line of duty, the highest among all troop-contributing countries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/india\/over-550-indian-peacekeepers-in-south-sudan-awarded-un-medal-of-honour\/articleshow\/131473815.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TOI<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Navachar Mantra Initiative<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/ Economy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In News<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Navachar Mantra is a national initiative launched by the Union Minister at IIT Delhi.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>Navachar Mantra Initiative<\/strong> is a flagship national program launched by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and implemented through the National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD).\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is strategically designed to i<strong>dentify, mentor, and scale grassroots innovations originating from Tier-2, Tier-3, and rural India<\/strong>, bridging the gap between local creators and the national entrepreneurial ecosystem.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Features<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Target Demographic: <\/strong>Open to Indian citizens aged 18 to 55 residing in aspirational districts and underserved rural or semi-urban geographies.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Eligibility: <\/strong>Flexible criteria allow individuals with ideas in the validation or early prototype stages to apply; a registered corporate entity or finished market product is not required.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Focus Sectors: <\/strong>Prioritizes high-impact verticals including Agritech, HealthTech &amp; Wellness, EdTech, Climate Action, Rural Commerce, and MSME Enablement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Support Ecosystem: <\/strong>Selected participants enter a structured 1-year incubation cycle providing mentorship, regulatory compliance support, IP structuring, and fundraising roadmaps.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/ddnews.gov.in\/en\/centre-launches-navachar-mantra-to-support-grassroots-innovators-applications-open-till-july-5\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DD News<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>\u20b910,000 Crore ATF Price Stabilisation Fund\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/ Economy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Union Cabinet has approved a one-time budgetary support of up to <strong>\u20b910,000 crore <\/strong>for Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to provide <strong>Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) <\/strong>price stabilisation support to Scheduled Indian Airlines.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The ongoing <strong>West Asia crisis <\/strong>has led to a sharp increase in global crude oil and jet fuel prices.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>ATF constitutes around <strong>35\u201340% <\/strong>of airline operating costs, making airlines highly vulnerable to fuel price shocks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The objective is to ensure <strong>greater predictability and stability in aviation fuel prices <\/strong>during periods of exceptional global fuel market volatility.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The scheme covers <strong>both domestic and international operations<\/strong> of Indian airlines.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/newsonair.gov.in\/indian-airlines-welcome-%E2%82%B910000-crore-atf-price-stabilisation-fund\/#:~:text=The%20Union%20Cabinet%20had%20yesterday,their%20domes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>AIR<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>E85 Fuel Adoption in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus:&nbsp; GS3\/ Energy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Union Government is considering a policy framework to support the affordable adoption of E85 fuel in India.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is E85 Fuel?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>E85 is a fuel blend containing <strong>85% ethanol and 15% petrol.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It can be used in specially <strong>designed flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs)<\/strong> that can operate on varying ethanol-petrol blends.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>These vehicles are equipped with <strong>modified engines and fuel systems<\/strong> that can automatically adjust to different fuel compositions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why is India Promoting E85?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Enhancing Energy Security:<\/strong> Greater ethanol use can reduce India&#8217;s dependence on imported crude oil.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Reducing Import Bill: <\/strong>If just <strong>1%<\/strong> of annual petrol vehicle sales shift to E85 during the 2026\u201327 ethanol supply year, India could save around <strong>\u20b9195 crore<\/strong> in foreign exchange.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The shift could reduce crude oil imports by approximately<strong> 0.28 lakh metric tonnes (LMT).<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Supporting Farmers and Rural Economy:<\/strong> Increased adoption of E85 could generate demand for more than <strong>4 crore litres of ethanol.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Around <strong>\u20b9266 crore<\/strong> is estimated to be paid to ethanol distillers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Nearly \u20b9160 crore <\/strong>could flow directly to farmers through increased demand for ethanol feedstocks such as sugarcane and maize.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Environmental Benefits:<\/strong> E85 adoption at the projected level could result in a net reduction of nearly <strong>0.86 LMT of CO\u2082 emissions.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p><strong>What is Ethanol?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ethanol is <strong>99.9%<\/strong> pure alcohol that can be blended with petrol. It can be produced from <strong>sugarcane, maize, wheat, etc <\/strong>which are having high starch content.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Alcohol production involves<strong> fermentation of sugar<\/strong> using yeast. In cane juice or molasses, sugar is present in the form of <strong>sucrose <\/strong>that is <strong>broken down into glucose and fructose.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Also grains contain starch, a carbohydrate that has to <strong>first be extracted and converted<\/strong> into sucrose and simpler sugars, before their further fermentation, distillation and dehydration to ethanol.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ethanol Blending<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ethanol blending refers to the <strong>practice of mixing ethanol with gasoline <\/strong>to create a fuel mixture that can be used in internal combustion engines.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>There are a few common blends:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>E10: <\/strong>This is a mixture of 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline. It is the most common blend and is used widely in many countries.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>E15:<\/strong> This blend contains 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>E85:<\/strong> This is a high-ethanol blend, consisting of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. It&#8217;s used in flex-fuel vehicles designed to run on higher ethanol content.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/business\/Industry\/if-1-of-annual-petrol-vehicles-sales-move-to-e85-195-crore-forex-would-be-saved-petroleum-minister\/article710\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>S-400 Air Defence System<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Defence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In News<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India has received the fourth squadron of the Russia-made S-400 air defence system, further strengthening its long-range air defence capabilities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>More about the News<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The delivery is part of the <strong>$5.43 billion agreement<\/strong> signed between India and Russia in 2018 for the procurement of <strong>five S-400 regimental systems<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The fifth and final squadron under the original contract is expected to be delivered in <strong>2027<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About S-400<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Known in Indian service as the <strong>&#8220;Sudarshan Chakra&#8221;<\/strong>, the S-400 is among the world&#8217;s most advanced air defence systems.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is capable of tracking and engaging multiple targets simultaneously, including fighter aircraft, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, drones, and airborne surveillance platforms at <strong>ranges of up to 400 km <\/strong>and <strong>altitudes of up to 30 km<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The system forms a key component of India&#8217;s <strong>layered air defence architecture<\/strong> along both the western and northern fronts.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It operates alongside systems such as<strong> Akash <\/strong>and <strong>MRSAM<\/strong>, providing a multi-tiered shield against a wide range of aerial threats.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Do you know<\/strong><strong>?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>S-400<\/strong> drew significant attention during <strong>Operation Sindoor (2025)<\/strong>, where it played a key role in intercepting hostile aerial threats.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Following its performance, the government approved the acquisition of <strong>five additional S-400 squadrons<\/strong>, which would increase India&#8217;s planned inventory from five to ten squadrons.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/russia-delivers-fourth-squadron-of-ai-enabled-s-400-air-defence-system\/article71058282.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Newly recorded Lakshadweep \u2018Potato Patch\u2019 Coral<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Environment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Giant potato coral patch<\/strong>, coral colony found on southeastern side of <strong>Kadmat Island in Lakshadweep.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What are Corals?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Corals are <strong>invertebrates <\/strong>that belong to a large group of animals called <strong>Cnidaria<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Corals are formed by <strong>multiple small, soft organisms known as polyps.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They secrete a<strong> rocky chalk-like (calcium carbonate) exoskeleton<\/strong> around themselves for protection.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Coral reefs<\/strong> are therefore created by <strong>millions of tiny polyps forming large carbonate structures.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Appearance: <\/strong>Corals range in colour from <strong>red to purple and even blue,<\/strong> but are most commonly shades of<strong> brown and green.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Coral are bright and colorful because of microscopic algae called <strong>zooxanthellae<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>There are three types of coral reefs \u2013<\/strong> fringing reefs, barrier reefs and atolls.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Fringing reefs <strong>form along shorelines, barrier reefs form in open water <\/strong>and <strong>atolls are circular reefs <\/strong>that have formed around <strong>sunken volcanoes.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Coral reefs in India: <\/strong>Gulf of Kutch, Gulf of Mannar, Andaman &amp; Nicobar, Lakshadweep Island and Malvan.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Significance:<\/strong> They provide food, shelter, resting and breeding grounds to a quarter of all marine life, acting as nurseries and refuges to protect critical biodiversity.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>They also support more than 1 billion people living in coastal regions around the world by providing food, livelihoods and recreation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Coral Bleaching<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Coral bleaching occurs when<strong> corals expel the colourful algae<\/strong> living in their tissues.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Without these helpful algae, the<strong> corals become pale<\/strong> and are vulnerable to <strong>starvation and disease.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A bleached coral is not dead, but<strong> ocean temperatures need to cool off for any hope of recovery.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.downtoearth.org.in\/wildlife-biodiversity\/newly-recorded-lakshadweep-potato-patch-coral-could-be-one-of-the-worlds-largest-living-colonies\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>DTE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Kaziranga Records First Yellow-throated Marten<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Species in News<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Kaziranga National Park<\/strong> has confirmed the presence of a <strong>yellow-throated marten for the first time.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About Yellow-throated Marten<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Scientific name:<\/strong> Martes flavigula.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It belongs to the <strong>weasel family (Mustelidae), <\/strong>which also<strong> includes otters, badgers, and wolverines.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is a<strong> smaller carnivore<\/strong> that sits below apex predators, such as tigers and bears, in food chains.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is a<strong> diurnal (active during the day), tree\u2011climbing mustelid that assists seed dispersal, <\/strong>a role that supports healthy forest regeneration and ecosystem balance.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"34312e\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"676\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-23-1024x676.png\" alt=\"yellow-throated marten\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-75852\" style=\"--dominant-color: #34312e; width:297px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-23-1024x676.png 1024w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-23-300x198.png 300w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-23-768x507.png 768w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-23.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is found across the <strong>Himalayas, South Asia, Southeast Asia, China, Korea, and parts of Russia.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>In India,<\/strong> the yellow-throated marten is found across the Himalayan region and in other parts of the northeastern region, including Assam.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>IUCN Status:<\/strong> Least Concern.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is protected as a Schedule II animal under India\u2019s Wildlife Protection Act.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p><strong>About Kaziranga National Park<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is located in the northeastern state of Assam.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It was established in <strong>1908 <\/strong>as a reserve forest and became a<strong> national park in 1974.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It was declared a UNESCO world <strong>heritage site in 1985.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is the largest habitat of the<strong>Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis).<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/sci-tech\/energy-and-environment\/kaziranga-records-first-yellow-throated-marten\/article71053318.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Padma Barrage<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS1\/Geography<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Bangladesh has approved a large river engineering project called the<strong> Padma barrage, <\/strong>on the <strong>Padma river,<\/strong> which is Bangladesh\u2019s stretch of the Ganga, in Rajbari district.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is Bangladesh\u2019s attempt to <strong>partially re-engineer the hydrology of its southwest region,<\/strong> which has become prone to drought after decades of reduced seasonal flows.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The barrage will be <strong>2.1-km-long and have 78 spillway gates, <\/strong>undersluices, navigation locks, fish passages, and associated embankments.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>According to Bangladesh, the project will affect roughly <strong>37% of the country\u2019s land area and irrigate around 2.88 million ha of farmland.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About Padma River<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Padma River is one of the<strong> largest and most important rivers in Bangladesh.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is the<strong> main distributary of the Ganges River<\/strong> after the Ganges enters Bangladesh from India.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Padma flow<strong>s southeast, <\/strong>joins the Jamuna River (the lower Brahmaputra), and later merges with the <strong>Meghna River before emptying into the Bay of Bengal.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is a major part of the world&#8217;s largest delta system, the <strong>Ganges\u2013Brahmaputra\u2013Meghna Delta.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/sci-tech\/energy-and-environment\/what-is-bangladeshs-padma-barrage\/article71041259.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong> Context <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has announced the winners of the National Panchayat Awards (NPA) 2025, with 42 Panchayats from across India. <\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong> National Panchayat Awards <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> About: The National Panchayat Awards are administered by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj to recognize and incentivize high-performing Panchayats. <\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Objective: The National Panchayat Awards drive competitive federalism by incentivizing local self-government institutions to compete in achieving the good governance &#038; Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). <\/li>\n<p><a href=\" https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/04-06-2026\/news-in-short-04-06-2026 \" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-75851","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75851","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=75851"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75851\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":75857,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75851\/revisions\/75857"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75851"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75851"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=75851"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}