22^th September 2025

1. Iridogorgia Chewbacca: Recently, scientists discovered a unique deep-sea coral and named it Iridogorgia Chewbacca, inspired by the Star Wars character Chewbacca because of its hairy appearance.

• About Iridogorgia Chewbacca: A newly discovered deep-sea coral species from the genus Iridogorgia

• Found in the tropical western Pacific Ocean
• First sighted near Molokaʻi in 2006 and later close to the Mariana Trench in 2016
• Features: Part of the Iridogorgia group, which has long, spiral-shaped structures
  - Distinguished by its flexible, shiny branches
  - Each colony is built by thousands of polyps working together
  - Typically seen alone, scattered on rocky seabeds in deep waters

2. Prehistoric Insects: Recently, scientists discovered prehistoric insects preserved in amber in South America, offering a rare glimpse into Earth’s ancient ecosystems.

• Key Findings: Amber specimens date back about 112 million years (Cretaceous period).

• Significance: Offers a glimpse into life when flowering plants were starting to diversify.
• Insects Found: Ancient beetles, flies, ants, and wasps identified in the amber.
• Global Context: Most amber deposits from the last 130 million years were found in the Northern Hemisphere; few were known from Gondwana (southern regions).
• Site: Genoveva quarry in Ecuador, on the edge of the Amazon basin.
• Types of Amber: Root-formed amber (did not preserve specimens).
  - Air-exposed amber (contained insects, pollen, and leaves).
• Ecosystem Evidence: Indicates the area was once a humid, resinous forest with ferns, conifers, and Monkey Puzzle Trees — very different from today’s Amazon rainforest.
• Scientific Importance: Helps study the early interactions between flowering plants and insects during the dinosaur era.

3. Sawalkote Dam: Recently, the long-delayed Sawalkote dam in Jammu & Kashmir came back into focus as the Environment Ministry’s panel gets ready to review NHPC’s 1,865 MW project.

• About Sawalkote Hydropower Project: Proposed 2,185 MW run-of-the-river hydroelectric plant on the Chenab River in Ramban District, Jammu and Kashmir

• Will be the largest hydropower project in J&K and among the biggest in North India
• To be executed by NHPC Ltd in collaboration with JKSPDC
• Estimated cost: ₹22,704 crore
• Project includes a 5-metre roller-compacted concrete gravity dam
• Expected annual generation: over 7,000 million units of electricity
• Will improve power availability in J&K, especially during winter shortages
• Potential to make J&K a power-surplus region with scope for exporting energy to the national grid
• Will regulate Chenab River flow, contributing to flood mitigation downstream
• Supports better water management for agriculture and domestic use

4. Night Light Density and Industrial Contribution: Recently, a study titled The Night Light Density and Industrial Contribution to Bihar’s Economic Growth, conducted by the state’s industry department with the Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI), was submitted to the government.

• Key Highlights: Using satellite images (2017–2023) to map night-time light (NTL) as an indicator of economic growth.

• Top 5 fastest-growing districts (economic growth): Patna, Vaishali, Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Begusarai.
• Top 5 emerging districts (economic growth): Arwal, Jehanabad, Jamui, Banka, Madhubani (many previously Maoist-affected).
• Overall growth: Bihar recorded a 351% rise in NTL between 2017 and 2023.
• Sectors linked with high luminosity: Construction, retail, agriculture, animal husbandry (mostly unorganised/SME sector).
• Employment insights: Patna: 51% employment from startups in IT/ITES, e-commerce, healthcare
  • Secondary hubs: Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Bhagalpur
  • Smaller hubs: Gaya, Arwal, Banka

5. Maiden Bilateral Maritime Exercise: Recently, the first-ever bilateral maritime exercise between the Indian Navy and the Hellenic Navy concluded in the Mediterranean Sea, marking a key milestone in strengthening defence ties between India and Greece.

• About Maiden Bilateral Maritime Exercise: Conducted 13–18 Sept 2025 in the Mediterranean Sea.

• Phases: Harbour phase (13–17 Sept): Held at Salamis Naval Base; included cross-deck visits, professional exchanges, pre-sail conference on HS Themistokles (Elli-class frigate), and cultural events showcasing Indian traditions.
  - Sea phase (17–18 Sept): Featured complex naval drills — night VBSS (Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure) operations, replenishment-at-sea, joint Anti-Submarine Warfare, coordinated gun firing, and cross-deck helicopter operations.
• Indian Representation: INS Trikand (guided missile stealth frigate).
• Cultural Diplomacy: Hosted Indian Ambassador to Greece, Commodore Spyridon Mantis, senior Hellenic Navy officers, and families; crew also visited the Sacred Rock of Acropolis.
• Significance: Strengthened India-Greece defence cooperation.
  • Enhanced operational interoperability and professional synergy.
  • Reflected shared commitment to maritime security, stability, and freedom of navigation in global commons.
• Next Phase: INS Trikand continued her deployment in the Mediterranean after the exercise.

6. Extreme Nuclear Transients: Recently, scientists identified Extreme Nuclear Transients (ENTs) as the most powerful transient events, releasing up to ten times more energy than gamma-ray bursts.

• About ENTs: Occur when supermassive black holes tear apart very massive stars (≥ 3 times the Sun’s mass).

• Cause: Triggered by the violent accretion of stellar debris after the star is destroyed.
• Process: As the star nears the event horizon, tidal forces stretch it into a spaghetti-like stream (spaghettification). This generates an immense burst of electromagnetic energy, which stays luminous for years, especially in radio wavelengths.
• Difference from Other Events:
  • TDEs (Tidal Disruption Events): ENTs are rarer, occur in larger galaxies with more massive black holes.
  • FXTs (Fast X-ray Transients): Short-lived, low-energy X-ray bursts caused by particle jets trapped in supernovae; unlike long-lasting, powerful ENTs.
• Significance: Provide insights into massive black holes in the early universe.
  - Enable study of black holes not actively accreting.

7. Smog-Eating Coatings: Recently, the government announced a technology-backed study on “smog-eating” photocatalytic coatings, a titanium oxide-based treatment that breaks down harmful air pollutants.

• About Smog-Eating Technology: Titanium oxide-based coatings applied on roads and public surfaces reduce nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and hydrocarbons in the air.

• Global use: Tested in some international cities, but not yet introduced in India.
• Study focus: Safety of the coating in real-world conditions.
   - Sustainability across different urban environments.
   - Cost-effectiveness for large-scale application.
   - Mapping credible suppliers for potential rollout.
• Objective: Assess the effectiveness, safety, sustainability, and affordability before considering a city-wide deployment in Delhi.

8. Aflatoxin: Recently, Indonesia suspended groundnut imports from India over aflatoxin contamination concerns, as exporters raised objections to delayed notification and non-WTO-compliant testing procedures.

• About Aflatoxins: Toxic secondary metabolites produced by fungi Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus.

• Belong to the class of mycotoxins (toxic fungal chemicals).
• Thrive in hot, humid climates, contaminating groundnuts, maize, rice, spices, tree nuts, and crude oils both pre- and post-harvest.
• Key Features: Heat stable, not destroyed by cooking or processing.
   - Genotoxic & carcinogenic, can damage DNA and cause cancer.
   - Invisible contamination, cannot be detected by sight, smell, or taste; needs lab testing.
   - Global concern, regulated by Codex Alimentarius and WTO SPS standards.
• Impacts on Food & Health: Liver cancer, immune suppression, growth retardation in children, and acute aflatoxicosis in severe cases.
   - Causes trade rejections, farmer income loss, and wastage of consignments.

9. Amogh Fury Exercise: Recently, the Indian Army carried out a large-scale integrated firepower exercise named 'AMOGH FURY' at the Mahajan Field Firing Ranges in Rajasthan’s Thar desert.

• About Exercise Amogh Fury: Integrated Fire Power Exercise by the Sapta Shakti Command of the Indian Army.

• Aim: Test combat power, coordination, and operational readiness in real-time battle scenarios; reflect preparedness for multi-domain operations.
• Features: Involved battle tanks, infantry combat vehicles, attack helicopters, long-range artillery, and drones. Showcased synchronisation of ground and air assets for offensive and defensive missions.

• Technological Integration: Network-centric communication systems.

• Command-and-control architecture.
• Real-time surveillance and targeting systems.
• Enabled a unified operational picture for better decision-making and coordination.

10. Red-necked Phalarope: Recently, the Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus), a rare bird species, was sighted for the first time at Nanjarayan.

• About Red-necked Phalarope: A small shorebird known for its unique habit of spinning rapidly on water to stir up tiny invertebrates.

• Distribution: Circumpolar presence in boreal and tundra zones between 60°–70° latitude.
  • Found in coastal regions of the Arctic Ocean, extending south to the Aleutians and northwest to Britain.
  • Wintering grounds: Spends most of its time at sea; seen off central-west South America, the Arabian Sea, and from central Indonesia to western Melanesia.
• Feeding Behavior: Diet includes small aquatic invertebrates and plankton.
• Characteristic spinning motion on water helps bring prey within reach.
• Breeding Season: Exhibits chestnut-red plumage from behind the ear down to the sides of the neck.
  - Females are polyandrous, mating with multiple males.
  - Males brood and feed chicks.
• Conservation Status: Listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.