24^th October 2025

1. Chrysanthemum Garden: Recently, Kashmir opened its first Chrysanthemum Garden to tourists, adding a vibrant new attraction to the region’s floral and tourism landscape.

• About Chrysanthemum: Genus of about 30 species of perennial flowering plants belonging to the Asteraceae
• Native range: These plants are native to Asia and northeastern Europe.
• Plant type: A perennial herbaceous species that blooms in autumn, known for its vibrant and diverse floral display.
• Appearance: Grows 50–150 cm tall, featuring deeply lobed leaves and large flowerheads that are white, yellow, or pink in wild varieties.
• Climate: Thrives in tropical and subtropical regions; ideal growth occurs in temperate conditions.
• Temperature: Daytime: 20–28°C & Nighttime: 15–20°C
• Soil: Prefers well-drained red loamy soil with a pH of 6–7.
• Uses and Benefits: Traditionally used in herbal medicine for managing hypertension.
• Believed to help reduce fevers, ease headaches, and soothe inflammation.
• Widely valued for its ornamental beauty and cultural symbolism across Asia.

2. Intrusion Detection System (IDS): Recently, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) introduced an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) along key elephant corridors to prevent wildlife deaths caused by train collisions.

• About IDS: An AI- and sensor-enabled surveillance system that employs optical fibre cables to detect the movement of elephants and other large wildlife near railway tracks. It sends instant alerts to control rooms, allowing quick action to prevent potential collisions.
• Implemented by the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) under the Ministry of Railways.
• Aim: To minimise elephant deaths from train collisions in sensitive wildlife corridors.
• To promote safe train operations while fostering human–wildlife coexistence.
• To embed technology-driven conservation tools into railway infrastructure management.
• Key Features: Coverage: Operational in four pilot sections — Alipurduar, Lumding, Rangiya, and Tinsukia Divisions — covering 64.03 km of elephant corridors.
• Expansion Plan: To extend by an additional 4 km by April 2026, taking the total coverage to 210 km.
• Dual Functionality: Simultaneously ensures wildlife safety and train operation efficiency.
• Real-Time Alerts: Enables instant communication between field sensors and central control systems.

3. Fibromyalgia: Recently, fibromyalgia, a real but often misunderstood condition, has been recognized as affecting about 2 to 3% of the global population, highlighting the need for greater awareness and understanding of this chronic pain disorder.

• About Fibromyalgia: A chronic health disorder characterized by widespread pain and tenderness in muscles and soft tissues throughout the body. It is often accompanied by fatigue, sleep disturbances, memory difficulties, and mood-related issues such as stress, anxiety, and depression. The condition affects approximately 2–3% of the global population and is often misunderstood but very real.
• Causes: The exact cause of fibromyalgia remains unclear. However, research suggests that individuals with the condition have an increased sensitivity to pain signals, meaning they perceive pain more intensely than others. Symptoms typically occur in cycles or flare-ups, with periods of relief in between.
• Common Symptoms: The two hallmark symptoms are persistent pain and chronic fatigue. Additional symptoms may include: Headaches or migraines, Digestive issues like diarrhoea or constipation, Restless leg syndrome, Facial and jaw pain, including temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders

4. India and Bhutan: Recently, India and Bhutan reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in border management and security during the 14th India–Bhutan Secretary-Level Meeting on Border Management and Security, held in Thimphu.

• Key Highlights: Key issues discussed included: Mobile signal spillover across the border.
• The future roadmap for Integrated Check Posts (ICPs).
• Maintenance of boundary pillars.
• Cross-border movement
• Capacity building for Bhutan’s police.
• Both sides expressed satisfaction with the cordial and constructive discussions and reaffirmed their commitment to a safe, secure, and prosperous border region.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs highlighted that the India–Bhutan partnership, built on shared geography, culture, and people-to-people ties, remains a model for regional cooperation.

5. Gaganyaan: Recently, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) completed nearly 90% of the development work for the country’s maiden human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan.

• Key Highlights: The Gaganyaan mission aims to demonstrate India’s human spaceflight capability by launching three astronauts to a 400 km orbit for three days, followed by a safe sea landing in Indian waters.
• The crewed mission is scheduled for 2027, and three uncrewed missions will be conducted beforehand.
• The first uncrewed mission, featuring the humanoid Vyomitra, is expected to launch by the end of 2025.
• Key Technology: Human-Rated LVM3: A modified LVM3 rocket engineered to safely carry humans into space with enhanced reliability and crew safety features.
• Orbital Module (OM): The spacecraft housing both crew and service modules, designed to sustain astronauts in Earth’s orbit.
• Crew Module (CM): A pressurised, habitable capsule providing life support, control systems, and safe re-entry for astronauts.
• Service Module (SM): An unpressurised unit supplying propulsion, power, and thermal control to support the crew module in orbit.
• Crew Escape System (CES): A rapid-response safety system that ejects the crew module away from the rocket during in-flight emergencies.

6. Defence Acquisition Council (DAC): Recently, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved capital acquisition proposals worth around ₹79,000 crore, marking a major move toward bolstering and modernizing India’s armed forces.

• Key Highlights: Indian Army: Strengthening ground capabilities with the Nag Missile System (Tracked) Mk-II (NAMIS), Ground Based Mobile Electronic Intelligence System (GBMES), and High Mobility Vehicles (HMVs) for superior firepower, intelligence, and logistics.
  • Indian Navy: Enhancing maritime strength through Landing Platform Docks (LPDs), Advanced Light Weight Torpedoes (ALWTs), and Electro-Optical Infra-Red Search and Track Systems for amphibious and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR)
• Indian Air Force: Advancing aerial precision with the Collaborative Long Range Target Saturation/Destruction System (CLRTS/DS) for autonomous navigation, target detection, and long-range strike missions.

7. Online National Drugs Licensing System (ONDLS): Recently, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) mandated digital monitoring through the Online National Drugs Licensing System (ONDLS) to track the supply chain of high-risk solvents.

• Key highlights: The move follows the death of over 20 children in Madhya Pradesh due to Diethylene Glycol (DEG) contamination in cough syrups.
• DEG is a toxic, colourless, and odourless liquid used as an industrial solvent, sometimes contaminating pharmaceutical products.
• The ONDLS portal, developed by CDAC and CDSCO, serves as a single-window platform for drug and cosmetic licence applications across India.
• All manufacturers of pharma-grade solvents must now obtain manufacturing licences through the ONDLS portal.
• Manufacturers with existing licences must register and upload data under the Old Licence Management section on ONDLS.
• Solvent manufacturers must upload batch details, quantities, and vendor information regularly on the portal.
• The DCGI directed that no batch should be available in the market without complying with these new digital monitoring requirements.
• States and Union Territories have been urged to enforce drug quality norms, ensure testing before release, and promote rational use of cough syrups, particularly for children.

8. Declining Rural Populations: Recently, a study published in Nature Communications revealed that the world is witnessing widespread farmland consolidation, driven mainly by declining rural populations.

• Key Findings: The global average “Socio-Economic Farm Size (SFS)” — defined as agricultural land area divided by the number of farms — may triple by 2100 under the Shared Socioeconomic Pathway 2 (middle pathway)
• From 1970 to 2000, SFS declined by 15%, but it increased by 14% between 2000 and 2020, indicating the start of a consolidation trend.
• Regional Trends: Europe, North America, and Oceania have seen rapid farm consolidation, linked to urbanisation, mechanisation, and subsidy-driven efficiency policies.
• India and Sub-Saharan Africa have witnessed declines in SFS due to population pressures, weak land markets, and restrictive land ownership laws (e.g., India’s Land Ceiling Act).
• Implications: Farm consolidation can reduce rural employment opportunities and lead to loss of traditional ecological knowledge and biodiversity tied to smallholder farming.
• While larger farms may offer greater efficiency, small farms remain crucial for rural livelihoods, food sovereignty, and resilience during crises.
• The study urges targeted policies to balance economic efficiency with social equity and environmental sustainability.

9. Forest Rights Act (FRA): Recently, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs defended the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, before the Supreme Court, emphasizing it as a tool to restore dignity, livelihood, and cultural identity to forest-dwelling communities.

• Key Highlights: The government rejected claims that the FRA conflicts with wildlife protection or forest conservation laws, stating that indigenous communities like the Baiga and Santhal have historically coexisted harmoniously with nature through sustainable practices.
• The absence of a sunset clause in the FRA was defended as a design feature to ensure equity and fairness, avoiding arbitrary timelines for recognition of rights.
• The Centre backed the 2012 Rules that empower Gram Sabhas to protect customary rights and manage community forest resources, including the disposal of minor forest produce (MFP).
• Minor Forest Produce (MFP) includes items like bamboo, tendu leaves, honey, lac, wax, and cocoons, which support the livelihood of about 100 million tribal and forest dwellers.
  • The government cited the 2013 Niyamgiri judgment, which upheld the Gram Sabha’s authority to decide on community and cultural rights, affirming the FRA’s legal and constitutional foundation.
• Addressing constitutional concerns, the Centre maintained that Parliament was fully competent to enact the FRA, given its legislative authority over forest and tribal welfare matters