theIASHub | 03 Jul, 2025 | 22
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Kariyachalli Island: Recently, the Tamil Nadu government has launched an ambitious initiative under the Tamil Nadu Sustainably Harnessing Ocean Resources (TNSHORE) project. This move comes in response to the existential threat faced by Kariyachalli Island.
o Location: Situated in the Gulf of Mannar, off the coast of Tamil Nadu.
o Protection Status: Comes under the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park, a designated protected area.
o Historical Size: In 1969, the island covered an area of 20.85 hectares.
o Current Size: As of 2025, it has reduced drastically to just 3.14 hectares during high tide (as per an IIT Madras report).
o Rate of Erosion: The island has been steadily shrinking due to coastal erosion and other environmental pressures.
o Future Projection: Scientists warn that if the current erosion continues, the island may vanish entirely by 2036.
o Geographic Location: Located along the southeastern coast of India, facing Sri Lanka across the Palk Strait.
o Key Objectives: Deployment of 8,500 artificial reef modules along vulnerable coastal areas.
ü Restoration of coral reefs and seagrass meadows to revive marine ecosystems.
ü Conservation of marine biodiversity, especially habitats for endangered species like dugongs.
Supercapacitors : Recently, scientists from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bengaluru, along with Aligarh Muslim University, have made an important discovery to improve supercapacitors, which are used for fast and efficient energy storage.
o Used in EVs, renewable energy grids, portable electronics, and smart energy systems
o The recent innovation improves energy density, helping supercapacitors become more competitive with batteries while retaining their speed and efficiency advantages.
o Particle size reduced, leading to greater surface area, which enhances energy storage efficiency.
o Improved electrical conductivity, allowing faster charge-discharge cycles and better overall performance.
o Recorded 100% coulombic efficiency, meaning almost no energy loss during charging and discharging.
o Demonstrated practical use by powering an LCD display with the prototype supercapacitor.
SPREE 2025 : Recently, the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) launched SPREE 2025 (Scheme for Promotion of Registration of Employers and Employees), a focused initiative aimed at bringing unregistered establishments and workers under the social security net.
o Renewed SPREE 2025 will be active from 1st July to 31st December 2025, offering a one-time window for unregistered employers and workers—including contractual and temporary staff—to enroll under the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Act.
o Key Features : Employers who register during the scheme period will be considered covered from either the date of registration or the date they declare.
ü Employees will be covered from their respective registration dates.
ü The scheme promotes voluntary compliance over penal action to reduce litigation, promote formalization, and build better engagement and trust among stakeholders.
C-FLOOD: Recently, in a significant move to enhance India’s disaster resilience, the Union Minister of Jal Shakti inaugurated C-FLOOD, a Unified Inundation Forecasting System designed to improve flood forecasting and management across the country.
o It was jointly developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune, and the Central Water Commission (CWC).
o The system aims to revolutionize flood prediction and strengthen early warning and disaster response mechanisms.
o Core Features : Flood Inundation Maps: Visual representation of potential flood-affected areas.
ü Water Level Predictions: Timely updates for better preparedness.
ü User-Friendly Interface: Designed as a decision-support tool for disaster management authorities.
ü Integration with National & Regional Models: Enhances coordination and accuracy in planning and response.
Moon Dust: Recently, a study published in the journal Life Sciences in Space Research by researchers at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) revealed that urban air pollution may pose greater health risks than moon dust.
o This finding challenges long-standing assumptions about the dangers associated with lunar exploration.
o Lunar dust, though a physical irritant, did not cause significant inflammation or cellular damage in human lung cells.
o Urban air pollution particles, which are chemically complex and often carry toxic compounds, led to greater oxidative stress and stronger inflammatory responses.
o No major oxidative stress (a key indicator of long-term toxicity) was observed in cells exposed to moon dust simulants.
Sinhalese and Adivasi Populations : Recently, a groundbreaking genome study published in Current Biology has offered new insights into the ancestral origins and genetic evolution of the Sinhalese and Adivasi populations in Sri Lanka.
o Contrary to long-standing beliefs that the Sinhalese migrated from northern India, the study reveals strong genetic connections with South Indian Dravidian-speaking populations.
o Also included genome data of 35 Sri Lankan Tamils from the 1,000 Genomes Project.
o Both Sinhalese and Adivasi populations are genetically closest to Dravidian-speaking South Indian groups, not North Indians—contradicting earlier theories of a northern origin for the Sinhalese.
o Sinhalese carry a high proportion of Ancestral South Indian (ASI) ancestry and low Steppe-related Indo-European ancestry, despite speaking an Indo-European language.
o The language of the Sinhalese (Indo-European) does not align with their genetic ancestry—suggesting cultural transmission of language rather than migration of a large genetically distinct population.
o Genetic and anthropological evidence confirms that Adivasi were present in Sri Lanka before the Sinhalese migrated, descending from early hunter-gatherers.
o This is the first high-resolution genome sequencing of Indigenous Adivasi and urban Sinhalese populations, offering new insights into South Asian population history.
DengiAll :Recently, India crossed the 50% enrolment mark in Phase III clinical trials of its indigenous dengue vaccine, ‘DengiAll’, with over 7,000 volunteers participating across 20 trial sites nationwide.
o Vaccine Type: It is a single-dose tetravalent live attenuated vaccine, meaning it targets all four strains of the dengue virus and aims to induce a balanced immune response.
o Origin : The TV003/TV005 vaccine strain was originally developed by the NIH, USA.
o Found: Tropical & sub-tropical climates worldwide, mostly in urban and semi-urban areas.
o Symptoms: Usually begin 4–10 days after infection and last for 2–7 days. Symptoms may include: high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, nausea, vomiting, swollen glands and rash. Severe Symptoms: severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, rapid breathing, bleeding gums or nose, fatigue and restlessness.
o Treatment: There is no specific treatment for dengue.
India-US Trade: Recently, U.S. President proposed a major trade deal with India to boost American agricultural exports, but India has firmly set red lines to protect its farmers and agri-economy.
ü India’s Position: Permitted only for ethanol production, not for food or animal feed.
o Ethanol: U.S. Demand: Access to India’s fuel ethanol market.
ü India’s Position: Imports allowed only for non-fuel industrial use..
o Soyabean: U.S. Demand: Import of GM soyabean beans and de-oiled cakes (DOC).
ü India’s Position: Only GM soyabean oil is allowed; beans and DOC are restricted.
o Dairy: U.S. Demand: Open access to India’s dairy market.
ü India’s Position: Maintains high tariffs and requires ethical sourcing (no bovine remains in feed).
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