1. Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI)

Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI): Recently, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) launched the Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI), a data-driven tool to help financial institutions identify mobile numbers potentially linked to fraud.

• About FRI : A risk-based classification system that categorizes mobile numbers as Medium, High, or Very High risk based on their association with fraudulent activities.

၀ The tool draws intelligence from multiple sources:

- Reports filed on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) by the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C)

- DoT’s Chakshu platform

- Alerts and reports from banks, NBFCs, and UPI platforms.

• How FRI Works: When a stakeholder flags a mobile number, it undergoes multi-dimensional analysis to determine its fraud risk level.

၀ This intelligence is then shared with banks, UPI providers, and other financial institutions via the Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP).

၀ FRI helps institutions implement additional customer protection measures or block high-risk transactions linked to flagged numbers.

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2. Asiatic Lion

Asiatic Lion : Recently, Gujarat achieved a major conservation milestone as its latest Asiatic lion census reported a 32% increase in the population over the past five years.

၀ As of May 2025, India’s Asiatic lion population has risen to 891, up from 674 in 2020. The census was conducted across 58 talukas in 11 districts, including Junagadh, Amreli, and Bhavnagar.

• About Asiatic Lions: The Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica), also known as the Persian or Indian lion, is a distinct subspecies of lion found exclusively in India.

၀ Its last remaining natural habitat is the Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat.

• Conservation Status: Due to successful conservation efforts, the IUCN has upgraded the Asiatic lion's status from Endangered (2008) to Vulnerable (2025).

၀ CITES: Appendix I and Wildlife Protection Act (India): Schedule I

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3. Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2025

Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2025: Recently, the Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2025 highlighted that despite rising demand, critical mineral prices fell in 2024 due to a supply surge from China, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

• Price Trends: Rapid supply growth, especially in battery metals—has driven prices down.

၀ Production of lithium, cobalt, nickel, and graphite has doubled compared to late 2010s levels.

၀ Prices have returned to pre-pandemic levels, reversing 2021–22 spikes.

၀ Lithium: Down 80% since 2023 (after 8x rise in 2021–22).

၀ Graphite, cobalt, nickel: Prices fell by 10–20% in 2024.

• Strong Demand from Clean Energy: Demand continues to surge despite falling prices.

၀ Lithium: Demand up 30% in 2024 (vs. 10% average in 2010s).

၀ Nickel, cobalt, graphite, rare earths: 6–8% growth.

၀ Driven by:

-  EVs and battery storage

- Renewable energy and grid infrastructure

- In China, grid expansion is now the largest driver of copper demand.

၀ 85% of battery metal demand growth is energy-related.

• The report warns that even short-term disruptions could have serious global consequences. A sustained supply shock may increase battery pack prices by 40–50%, which could:

၀ Raise consumer prices and reduce industrial competitiveness

၀ Widen manufacturing cost gaps between regions, especially disadvantaging producers outside China

၀ Undermine global efforts to diversify battery supply chains if cost disparities persist.

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4. International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture : Recently, civil society organisations in Asia opposed proposed changes to the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), warning they could undermine benefit-sharing and exploit agricultural biodiversity.

• About ITPGRFA: A legally binding international agreement adopted in November 2001 at the 31st session of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome.

  ၀ It came into force on June 29, 2004, and currently has 154 Contracting Parties, including India.

  ၀ The treaty aims to support food and nutritional security and promote climate-resilient agriculture globally.

  ၀ Recognizing the interdependence of countries on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (PGRFA), it establishes a global framework for access and benefit sharing.

  ၀ It also acknowledges indigenous peoples and small-holder farmers as vital custodians of the world’s food crops.

  ၀ Key objectives include: Recognizing farmers’ contributions to crop diversity worldwide.

  - Creating a global system for farmers, plant breeders, and scientists to access plant genetic materials.

  - Ensuring fair sharing of benefits derived from the use of genetic materials with the countries of origin.

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5. Amrit Railway Stations

Amrit Railway Stations : Recently, Prime Minister is set to inaugurate 103 newly redeveloped Amrit railway stations via video conference.

• About ABSS: Launched in February 2023 by the Ministry of Railways, ABSS is an ongoing mission to redevelop railway stations across India.

၀ Focuses on the long-term, phased development of stations through detailed master plans.

၀ Adopts a holistic approach, considering the unique needs of each station.

၀ Aims to transform stations into modern, well-equipped hubs and eventually into vibrant city centres.

• Key Features: Modern Passenger Amenities: Clean waiting areas, upgraded restrooms, amenities for differently-abled passengers, and food outlets.

၀ Traffic Circulation: Separate entry/exit points, widened roads, footpaths, and improved parking.

၀ Inter-modal Integration: Seamless connectivity with buses, taxis, and auto-rickshaws.

၀ Upgraded Signage: Clear, multilingual signs to assist passengers.

၀ Sustainability Measures: Energy-efficient lighting and appliances.

Eco-friendly Infrastructure: Rainwater harvesting systems, Green spaces ,Ballastless tracks to reduce noise and vibration and Roof plazas for commercial and passenger use.

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6. International Booker Prize 2025:

International Booker Prize 2025: Recently, Heart Lamp, a collection of 12 short stories by Kannada writer, lawyer, and activist Banu Mushtaq, won the International Booker Prize 2025.

၀ This marks a historic first for both Kannada literature and for a short story collection in the prize’s history.

၀ Translated into English by Deepa Bhasthi, the collection spans stories written between 1990 and 2023, offering poignant insights into the lives of Muslim women facing patriarchy, poverty, and spiritual longing.

• About the International Booker Prize: Awarded annually for a single fiction book translated into English and published in the UK or Ireland.

၀ Prize Money: £50,000, shared equally between the author and the translator.

၀ Launched in 2005 as the Man Booker International Prize, initially held biennially.

၀ Became an annual prize in 2016, open to living authors of any nationality.

၀ Renamed the International Booker Prize in 2019.

၀ Eligible Works: Both novels and short story collections.

၀ First Indian Winner: Geetanjali Shree for her Hindi novel Tomb of Sand in 2022.

၀ In 2024, Alhierd Bacharevič won the International Booker Prize for his novel Alindarka’s Children, translated into English by Jim Dingley and Petra Reid.

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7. Golden Dome Missile Defense System

Golden Dome Missile Defense System: Recently, U.S. President unveiled the finalized design of the Golden Dome missile defense system—a multi-domain shield inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome, spanning land, sea, and space.

• About Golden Dome Missile Defense System:A next-generation missile defense initiative unveiled by Donald Trump in January 2025, aimed at creating a comprehensive shield using space-based and terrestrial technologies.

၀ Purpose and Objectives: Defend the U.S. mainland against long-range missile threats, including ICBMs from nations like Russia and China.

- Realize space warfare capabilities by enabling early interception of ballistic and hypersonic missiles.

• Strategic Importance: Poised to make the U.S. the first nation to operationalize a fully space-based missile shield.

၀ Reinforces U.S. supremacy in missile defense amid intensifying global tensions and arms races in space militarization.

၀ Inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome,the Golden Dome extends protection to long-range and space threats, offering full defense for the entire U.S. mainland rather than just a limited region.

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8. Kurma Mela

Kurma Mela: Recently, over seven lakh Olive Ridley turtles arrived for mass nesting (arribada) at Odisha’s Rushikulya beach, a remarkable event celebrated as a sign of ecological recovery.

• Olive Ridley Turtles : Scientific Name: Lepidochelys olivacea {Vulnerable (IUCN Red List)}
• Nesting Patterns & Ecological BehaviorsArribada Phenomenon: A rare mass nesting behavior where thousands of females nest synchronously, often over just a few nights.

၀ Philopatry: Turtles exhibit strong site fidelity, returning to the exact beach of their birth, guided by the Earth’s geomagnetic imprint.

၀ Site Selection Cues: Factors like nutrient-rich cold-core eddies, beach gradient, salinity, rainfall, and predation risks influence where they choose to nest.

၀ Temperature-Linked Sex Ratio: Warmer sand temperatures lead to a higher number of female hatchlings, making climate a key determinant of population dynamics.

• Habitat Range: Tropical and subtropical oceans, primarily nesting along Mexico and Central America’s Pacific coastlines
• Indian Significance: Odisha is a key global nesting region, supporting some of the largest turtle congregations worldwide. Locations :

၀ Gahirmatha Beach

၀ Devi River Mouth

၀ Rushikulya River Mouth

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