21^st November 2025

1. Meerut Bugle: Recently, the Meerut Bugle received recognition with the granting of a Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

• About Meerut Bugle: It is a brass wind instrument traditionally used in armed forces drills, wars, ceremonies, and parades for signalling movements and important events.

• The bugle holds a strong historical association with India’s military traditions.

• Historical Origin: Meerut’s connection with bugle-making dates back to the late 19th century.

• Over decades, the city became a key centre for crafting bugles, closely tied to the evolution of India’s defence culture.

• How a Bugle Is Crafted: The process is entirely manual.

• A brass sheet is cut, hammered, and shaped using a specialised die.

• The instrument is then moulded, polished, and fitted with a mouthpiece to achieve its final form.

• Types of Bugles: Copper Bugle – Most widely used and the highest in demand across India.

• Gold-Finish Bugle – Features a polished, gold-like appearance.

• Silver-Finish Bugle – Made on request.

2. Kodaikanal Solar Observatory: Recently, researchers from the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), and international collaborators reconstructed over a century of the Sun’s polar magnetic field using archival observations from the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory.

• About the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory: One of India’s oldest and globally recognised solar observatories, with continuous solar observations for over 120 years.

• Location: Situated in the Palani Hills, Tamil Nadu.

• Operates as a field station of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru.

• History: Established in 1899.

• Began systematic Ca II K wavelength solar imaging in 1904, creating one of the longest solar data archives in the world.

• Key Features: Provides one of the world’s longest, uninterrupted solar observation records.

• Captures multi-wavelength chromospheric images, including plages, sunspot groups, and magnetic network structures.

• Hosts a digitised, publicly accessible database, enabling global research.

• Sun’s Magnetic Future: Refers to predictions about the Sun’s polar magnetic field behaviour, which governs the 11-year solar cycle, sunspot formation, solar flares, and disruptive geomagnetic storms.

3. India and Israel: Recently, India and Israel signed the Terms of Reference (ToR) to formally launch negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

• Key Highlights: The ToR sets the framework for the upcoming negotiations, covering:

• Market access for goods, including removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers

• Investment facilitation and promotion

• Simplified customs procedures

• Technology transfer and innovation partnerships

• Easing rules to boost trade in services

• Israel has floated a $50 billion metro project, with Indian companies eligible to participate.

• Past Negotiations: India and Israel had previously held 8 rounds of talks, but negotiations did not conclude. The newly signed ToR revives and formalises the negotiation process.

4. Regional Open Digital Health Summit (RODHS): Recently, India hosted the second Regional Open Digital Health Summit (RODHS) 2025 in New Delhi.

• Key Highlights: Organised by NeGD (MeitY), NHA, WHO-SEARO, UNICEF, with participation from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, Maldives, etc.

• Focus on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), open standards, interoperability, and Generative AI for advancing Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in South-East Asia.

• Major Themes & Messages: Strong emphasis on collaboration between ministries, especially MoHFW & MeitY, for secure and interoperable national digital systems (ABDM, CoWIN, Aadhaar, UPI).

• WHO SEARO stressed trust, consistency, and interoperability as foundations for scalable adoption.

• UNICEF highlighted community-, child-, and health-worker-centric digital health approaches.

• India showcased leadership through Aadhaar, UPI, CoWIN, Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission as successful DPI-based health solutions.

• Consensus on shifting from pilot projects to large-scale digital health ecosystems.

• UNICEF emphasised child rights, safety, and data protection in digital health.

5. 2035 Climate Ambition Gap: Recently, Greenpeace International released a report titled “2035 Climate Ambition Gap” at COP30.

• Key Findings: Report reveals insufficient climate ambition in the 2035 NDCs submitted by G20 countries.

• Greenpeace urges governments to adopt a Global Response Plan to keep the 5°C limit alive.

• G20’s Central Responsibility: G20 nations account for ~80% of current global GHG emissions and ~85% of global GDP → their actions heavily shape global climate outcomes.
• Greenpeace warns that G20 countries—especially developed nations—are failing to submit adequate 2035 targets.
• Status of 2035 NDC Submissions: Submitted 2035 targets: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, EU, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Africa, Turkiye, UK, US.

• Announced but not submitted: Mexico, South Korea.

• Not submitted/not announced: Argentina, India, and Saudi Arabia.

• Major Gaps Identified: None of the G20 NDCs contain credible fossil fuel phase-out plans.

• Lack of quantified targets for renewables or energy efficiency.

6. President & Governors Recently, a five-judge Constitution Bench held that courts cannot impose fixed timelines on the President or Governors for deciding on State Bills.

• Key Highlights: Courts also cannot assume “deemed consent” if a Bill remains pending after a court-mandated period; doing so would usurp executive functions and violate separation of powers.

• Why Timelines Cannot Be Imposed: Imposing uniform (“one-size-fits-all”) timelines ignores that some Bills require deeper scrutiny.

• Judicially-created deadlines would cast suspicion on Presidential/Gubernatorial actions after expiry of such timelines.

• No constitutional provision prescribes a specific timeline under Articles 200 or 201.

• But No “Evasive Inaction” Allowed: The President and Governors cannot sit indefinitely on Bills.

• Prolonged, unexplained, and indefinite delay can be addressed by a limited mandamus directing them to act within a reasonable time.

• However, they cannot be made personally answerable due to personal immunity under Article 361.

• Clarifications on Presidential Reference Process: President is not required to consult the Supreme Court every time a State Bill is reserved for her consideration.

• Consulting the Court under Article 143 remains entirely discretionary.

7. SARAL SIMS: Recently, the Ministry of Steel launched ‘SARAL SIMS’, a simplified version of the Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS).

• About SARAL SIMS: Aimed at MSMEs, small importers, and export-linked importers using Advance Authorization / SEZ / EOU

• Key Features: Importers just declare total intended quantity (not consignment-wise).

• A single SARAL SIMS number allows multiple consignments for the entire financial year.

• Who Can Use SARAL SIMS: Small imports: For consignments ≤ 10 MT and Annual cap: 1000 MT (500 MT for FY 2025–26 till April 2026)

• Export-linked imports (Advance Authorization / SEZ / EOU): No quantity limit.

8. Acanthosis Nigricans: Recently, experts noted that dark, velvety patches appearing on the folds of the skin called as Acanthosis Nigricans, may signal insulin resistance and can often be the first visible sign of prediabetes or diabetes.

• About Acanthosis Nigricans: A skin condition marked by dark, velvety, thickened patches on skin folds.

• It is strongly linked to insulin resistance, making it an early warning sign of prediabetes or diabetes.

• Commonly Appears: Back of the neck, underarms, groin, under the breasts, elbows and behind the knees
• Causes: Obesity, Insulin resistance, Metabolic syndrome, Diabetes mellitus and rarely due to malignancies (melanoma, stomach, liver cancers)
• Treatment: Depends on treating the underlying cause.

• For obesity/insulin resistance: Weight loss, diet changes, and lifestyle modifications. Medications for insulin resistance or obesity, if required

• Skin treatments may include: Prescription creams (lightening/softening), Antibacterial soaps, Topical antibiotics and Laser therapy (after addressing primary cause)

9. Mount Semeru: Recently, Mount Semeru in Indonesia, one of the country’s most active volcanoes, erupted, releasing hot ash and debris.

• About Mount Semeru: An active volcano located in East Java, Indonesia.

• It lies in a subduction zone where the Indo–Australian Plate subducts beneath the Eurasian Plate, creating intense volcanic activity.

• It is the highest mountain on the island of Java, making it a prominent geographical landmark.

• The name “Semeru” comes from Meru/Sumeru, the sacred cosmic mountain in Hindu mythology, considered the abode of gods.

• Indonesia lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area with frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to active tectonic plate boundaries.

10. Heat–Power Trap: Recently, a new study revealed that heatwaves pushed India’s electricity demand up by nearly 9% during the peak summer of 2024, sharply increasing reliance on fossil fuels and triggering a surge in emissions.

• Key Findings: New study Breaking the Cycle warns of a dangerous “heat–power trap” — rising heat → higher cooling demand → increased fossil fuel use → more emissions → further warming.

• 2024 was India’s hottest year on record, with temperatures 65°C above the 1991–2020 baseline; Delhi’s Mungeshpur hit 52.9°C.

• Northern & central India recorded 500+ cumulative heatwave days in the past decade; new hotspots emerged in Uttarakhand & Ladakh.

• Electricity Demand & Fossil Dependence: Peak power demand jumped from 154 GW (2015) to 246 GW (2024) — a 59% rise.

• Despite massive renewable expansion (solar ↑ 18x, wind nearly doubled), fossil fuels still meet peak heatwave-time demand.

• Heatwaves in 2024 triggered 327 MtCO₂ emissions in just three summer months.

• Over the decade, extra fossil-based summer power added 2.5 GtCO₂ to the atmosphere.