27^th November 2025

1. Asia-Pacific Disaster Report: Recently, the United Nation’s 2025 Asia-Pacific Disaster Report highlighted that Asia’s megacities face an increasing risk of deadly heatwaves.

• Key Highlights: Asian megacities like Delhi, Karachi, Shanghai, Dhaka, Manila, and Seoul may face 2–7°C extra local heating due to Urban Heat Island effect by 2100.
• Even if global warming is limited to 5–2°C, city temperatures will rise much higher.
• India, Pakistan, Bangladesh may experience 300+ days per year with heat index >35°C.
• Many regions will face 200+ days where the heat index exceeds 41°C (extreme danger).
• Southeast Asia: ~30% population projected to face extreme heat under business-as-usual.
• South & Southwest Asia: >40% population expected to face 35°C & 41°C+ levels in medium & long term.
• Extreme heat now the fastest-growing climate hazard in Asia-Pacific.
• 2024 was the hottest year ever; Asia saw severe, prolonged heat events.
• Extreme heat may double heat-related mortality by 2050.
• Urban poor are most exposed due to dense, heat-trapping neighbourhoods.
• High losses in agriculture, construction & industry due to outdoor labour exposure.

2. New Bush Frog Species: Recently, thirteen new bush frog species were identified in Northeast India, marking the region’s biggest amphibian discovery in over a decade.

• Key Findings: Species identified across Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Assam, Mizoram, Nagaland & Manipur.
• State-wise Distribution: Arunachal Pradesh: 6 species, Meghalaya: 3 species and Assam, Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur: 1 species each
• Survey & Methods: Discovered from 2016–2024 using 204 specimens from 81 locations across eight states.
• Used integrative taxonomy: mitochondrial DNA, nuclear gene, morphology and bioacoustics (call patterns)
• Biodiversity Significance: All 13 species are endemic to northeast India.
• Total Raorchestes species in the NE now: 21.
• Asia hosts 212 bush frog species, with 121 discovered in last 20 years.

3. Finn’s Weaver: Recently, the Finn’s Weaver, a small yellow bird, has been disappearing across the marshy lowlands of northern India and Nepal.

• About Finn’s Weaver (Ploceus megarhynchus): No male, female, nest, egg or chick found despite extensive surveys.
• Species & Habitat: Also called Finn’s Baya, Yellow Weaver, Himalayan Weaver, and Pahari Baya.
• Found in Terai grasslands of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh & Nepal.
• Prefers marshy soil, tall grasses, Semal & Shisham trees, near dams/reservoirs.
• Population Crash: Highest recent count: 17 males + 10 females (2021) → rapid fall to zero by 2025.
• Estimated population in Uttarakhand & UP: ~200 birds.
• Total India population (including subspecies): ~500 birds.
• Habitat Loss & Human Pressure: Terai grasslands converted to agriculture — wheat cropping when dam water recedes.
• Grass cutting, land clearing, construction, industrial growth destroying habitat.
• Species disappeared from Sitarganj, Kichcha, Bajpur, Nainital, Haridwar.
• IUCN Concern: Listed as Vulnerable (2016) → Endangered (2021).
• IUCN officials fear it may now meet criteria for Critically Endangered.

4. New Multitracking Projects: Recently, the Cabinet approved two new multitracking projects worth ₹2,781 crore, adding 224 km to the Indian Railways network.

• Key Highlights: Projects Approved: Devbhumi Dwarka (Okha) – Kanalus Doubling: 141 km and Badlapur – Karjat 3rd & 4th Line: 32 km (Mumbai suburban corridor)
• Economic & Operational Impact: Enhances line capacity, reduces congestion, and improves speed, punctuality & reliability of services. Strengthens both passenger and freight corridors.
• Gati Shakti Alignment: Part of PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan → integrated planning, multimodal connectivity, and improved logistics efficiency.
• Regional Development Boost: Benefits 4 districts across both states and improves access for 585 villages (32 lakh population).
• Expected to generate local jobs & self-employment opportunities.
• Special Connectivity Gains: Kanalus–Okha doubling improves access to Dwarkadhish Temple, boosting pilgrimage and Saurashtra’s economic growth.
• Badlapur–Karjat expansion strengthens the Mumbai suburban rail network and links to Southern India.

5. SIDDHI 2.0: Recently, the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) launched SIDDHI 2.0 to accelerate evidence-based innovation in India’s Ayurveda pharma sector.

• About SIDDHI 2.0: A national industry–research interface platform to accelerate evidence-based Ayurvedic product development.
• Purpose & Vision: Strengthens research-led innovation, translational pathways, and Ayurveda pharma modernisation.
• Accelerates indigenous technologies, IPR sharing, and industry partnerships.
• Supports India’s goal of a globally competitive, evidence-driven Ayurveda sector.
• New Releases & Digital Initiatives: Launch of medico-historical publication: “Evolution of Ayurveda, Siddha & Unani Drug Regulations in India”.
• Launch of Drug Inventory Management System (DIMS) portal to strengthen regulation & quality control.
• Key Focus Areas of SIDDHI 2.0: Evidence-based product development.
• Strengthening industry–academia–regulator ecosystem.
• Enhancing quality, safety, toxicity validation.
• Promoting AI-driven, tech-enabled Ayurvedic innovation.
• Wider industry adoption of CCRAS technologies.

6. OncoMark: Recently, scientists from the S N Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences (DST) and Ashoka University developed OncoMark, the first AI tool to decode cancer’s molecular behaviour.

• About OncoMark: Moves beyond traditional staging (like Tumor–Node–Metastasis (TNM)) by analyzing the molecular “personality” of tumors.
• Cancer driven by molecular programs called hallmarks: metastasis, immune evasion, genomic instability, treatment resistance, etc.
• OncoMark reads these hallmark activities, offering a far deeper understanding than size/spread alone.
• Visualizing Cancer Progression: For the first time, researchers can visualize hallmark activity increasing as cancer advances through stages.
• Shows why patients with identical TNM stages can have very different outcomes.
• Precision-Guided Treatment Decisions: OncoMark reveals which hallmarks are active in a patient’s tumor.
• Helps doctors select drugs targeting those specific biological processes.
• Identifies aggressive tumors that appear low-risk under traditional staging, enabling early intervention. 

7. Aravalli Hills: Recently, the Supreme Court approved a Union Environment Ministry proposal defining the Aravalli Hills as landforms rising 100 m or more above the local relief, along with their adjoining slopes.

• Key Highlights: Massive Area Now Left Out: This excludes over 90% of the Aravalli Hills, making many low-lying hills vulnerable to mining and construction. g.: Only 1,048 of 12,081 hills meet the 100-m height cut-off.
• What the FSI Assessment Revealed: Internal Forest Survey of India Analysis: FSI mapped Aravalli hills ≥20 m (functional wind barriers) across 15 Rajasthan districts. E.g.: Only 8.7% of these hills exceed 100 m above surrounding ground.
• Importance of Lower Hills Ignored: FSI cautioned that smaller hills (10–30 m) are critical for blocking sand and dust from the Thar Desert. g.: Losing these hills exposes Delhi-NCR to massive dust inflow.
• About Aravalli (A Critical Shield for NCR): Lower & Upper Hills Work Together Upper Aravalli blocks fine PM2.5; lower hills halt heavier sand. g.: Natural barrier from Rajasthan to Delhi that reduces dust storms.
• Vital Wildlife Corridors: Aravalli links habitats between Sariska, Ranthambhore and other protected areas. g.: Fragmentation threatens movement of tigers, leopards and ungulates.

• Key Highlights: International Astronomical Union approved multiple Kerala-based names for smaller features around the crater:
• Valiamala (crater)
• Thumba (crater)
• Bekal (crater)
• Varkala (crater)
• Periyar (vallis/valley)
• Why “Krishnan Crater”: M.S. Krishnan (born 1898, Thanjavur) → first Indian Director of the Geological Survey of India. Honoured for foundational contributions to geology and planetary sciences.
• IAU Naming Guidelines: Large craters → named after deceased scientists with major contributions to planetary science.
• Small craters → named after towns/villages with population <1,00,000; must be culturally significant & easy to pronounce.
• Findings and naming proposal published in Meteoritics & Planetary Science

9. Young Stellar Objects (YSOs): Recently, a decade of NASA WISE–NEOWISE observations produced the most detailed mid-infrared variability catalogue of Young Stellar Objects (YSOs) to date.

• Key Highlights: Study published in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series by researchers from ARIES (DST, India).
• About Young Stellar Object: These are very young stars still in their earliest developmental phases, before they begin stable hydrogen fusion in their cores.
• They appear before the main-sequence stage on the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram, which charts stellar evolution based on temperature and brightness.
• YSOs originate from the gravitational collapse of dense molecular clouds, which are vast, cold regions packed with gas and dust.
• The collapse can be initiated by several events that create local density increases and gravitational instability, such as:
  • Shockwaves from nearby supernova explosions
  • Intense stellar radiation from neighbouring massive stars
  • Turbulence within the interstellar medium