13^th August 2025

1. SHRESTH: Recently, the Union Health Secretary inaugurated the State Health Regulatory Excellence Index (SHRESTH) through a virtual launch.

·      About SHRESTH: Objective: To benchmark and enhance the efficiency, transparency, and accountability of state drug regulatory systems across India.

• Origin: Initiated by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) as the first national framework for measuring and improving regulatory performance.
• Approach: Uses a virtual gap assessment tool that allows states to evaluate their current regulatory capacity and work towards maturity certification.

o  Key Features: Themes and Indices: Manufacturing States: 27 indices across 5 themes:

• Human Resources
• Infrastructure
• Licensing Activities
• Surveillance Activities
• Responsiveness

• Primarily Distribution States: 23 indices across similar thematic areas.
• Data Submission Process: States and UTs must submit predefined metric data to CDSCO by the 25th of each month.
  • Scoring is done on the 1st of the next month and results are shared with all states and UTs.

2. Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics: India is proudly hosting the 18th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) in Mumbai, Maharashtra, welcoming over 300 bright high-school students from 64 countries.

·      About IOAA: A prestigious annual competition for high-school students, focusing on astronomy, astrophysics, and observational sciences.

• Scope of Testing: Participants are assessed through a mix of theoretical problem-solving, data analysis, and real-world observational tasks.
• Organisers: Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) and Union Ministry of Education

·      Objectives: Encourage Scientific Temper: Instil problem-solving skills and conceptual clarity in astronomy and astrophysics.

• Promote Cultural Exchange: Facilitate friendships and collaborations among young scientists from across the globe.
• Inspire Future Space Leaders: Motivate careers in space sciences, astrophysics, and allied research fields.
• Showcase India’s Space Journey: From ancient astronomical contributions to landmark missions like Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya-L1.

3. BHU-NEER Portal: Recently, the Minister of State for Jal Shakti informed the Lok Sabha about the BHU-NEER Portal, a modern digital platform launched in 2024 by the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti to enhance groundwater management and monitoring.

·      About BHU-NEER: A state-of-the-art online portal designed to streamline the application and processing of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for groundwater extraction by industries, infrastructure, and mining projects.

• Core Objective: To ensure regulated and sustainable groundwater development and management in India.
• Key Features: Centralized Database: Provides access to vital information on groundwater compliance, policies, and sustainable practices.
• User-Friendly Design: Simplified interface
• PAN-based single ID system: NOCs with integrated QR codes for verification
• Process Efficiency: Offers a streamlined application workflow for project proponents.
• Upgrade Over NOCAP: BHU-NEER replaces the older NOCAP system with better data integration, faster processing, and enhanced transparency.
• National Perspective: India is the world’s largest consumer of groundwater, accounting for nearly 25% of global extraction. Initiatives like BHU-NEER are part of the government’s strategy to address depletion hotspots in states such as Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu.

4. Rabies: Recently, the Supreme Court of India directed the immediate capture and permanent confinement of stray dogs in Delhi, following an alarming increase in rabies-related

·      About Rabies: A fatal zoonotic viral disease caused by the Rabies virus (RABV).

• WHO Classification: Listed as a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) due to its preventable nature and the disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations.

o  Vectors and Transmission: Primary Vector: Dogs — responsible for around 99% of human rabies cases globally.

• Other Carriers: Cats, bats, raccoons, foxes, skunks, and livestock.
• Mode of Spread: Virus transmitted through bites, scratches, or saliva contact with broken skin or mucous membranes.

·      Infection Process: Incubation Stage: Virus remains dormant for days to months (commonly 1–3 months).

• Nervous System Invasion: Travels via peripheral nerves to the brain.
• Fatal Outcome: Once symptoms appear, death is almost certain without urgent intervention.

·      Symptoms: Early Signs: Fever, headache, malaise, pain or tingling at the wound site.

• Advanced Stages: Furious Rabies: Hyperactivity, hallucinations, hydrophobia, aerophobia, excessive salivation.
• Paralytic Rabies: Gradual muscle paralysis, coma, and death.

·      Treatment and Prevention: Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP): 4-dose vaccine schedule

• Rabies Immunoglobulin (RIG) for unvaccinated individuals

• Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP): For high-risk occupational groups.
• WHO-Approved Vaccines: RABIVAX-S, VaxiRab N, VERORAB.

5. Talaq-e-Hasan : Recently, the Supreme Court of India agreed to hear a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of Talaq-e-Hasan, an Islamic form of divorce that permits men to dissolve a marriage in a phased, revocable manner.

·      About Talaq-e-Hasan: An extrajudicial, revocable form of divorce permitted under Muslim personal law, exclusively available to men.

• Religious Basis: Considered a traditional form approved by Prophet Muhammad and recognised as valid by all major schools of Muslim law.
• Process: Husband pronounces “talaq” once.
  • Waits for one month (iddat gap).
  • Repeats the pronouncement twice more at monthly intervals.
• Iddat Period: A total of 90 days between the first and final pronouncement, allowing time for reconciliation.
• Revocation: If the couple resumes cohabitation or intimacy during iddat, the divorce process is automatically halted.

6. Wallacean Hominids : Recently, archaeologists from Australia and Indonesia discovered small, chipped stone tools in South Sulawesi’s Soppeng region, potentially representing the earliest known evidence of Wallacean hominids. These artefacts could reshape our understanding of human migration in Southeast Asia and challenge long-held assumptions about early sea travel.

·      About Wallacean Hominids: Prehistoric humans of the genus Homo erectus — long before the evolution of Homo sapiens — who inhabited the islands of the Wallacea region.

• Earlier Understanding: Believed to have settled in Flores Island (Indonesia) and Luzon Island (Philippines) around 02 million years ago. Thought to lack the capacity for long-distance sea voyages.
• Significance of Sulawesi Findings: The discovery suggests these early humans may have crossed significant sea barriers much earlier than previously thought, reshaping theories of prehistoric migration in the Asia-Pacific.

·      Details of the Artefacts: Type: Small, chipped tools used for cutting small animals and carving rocks.

• Context: Found beneath layers of soil, indicating significant age — possibly predating the arrival of Homo sapiens in the region.
• Function: Reflects advanced tool-making abilities for hunting and resource processing.

·      Key Facts about Wallacea: Geographic Scope: A cluster of islands in Eastern Indonesia, including Sulawesi, Lombok, Flores, Timor, and Sumbawa.

• Biogeographical Significance: Lies between the Asian continental shelf (Borneo & Java) and the Australian continental shelf (Australia & New Guinea).
• Name Origin: Named after Alfred Russel Wallace, the British naturalist who co-developed the theory of evolution by natural selection and studied the region’s unique biodiversity.
• Ecological Uniqueness: Serves as a transition zone between Asian and Australasian species.

7. Chagas Disease: Recently, global health experts warned that despite Chagas disease causing severe human suffering and economic losses, investments in research and development for diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, and vaccines remain critically insufficient. This shortfall threatens to undermine control and elimination efforts, particularly in endemic regions of the Americas.

·      About Chagas Disease: Also Known As: American Trypanosomiasis

• Causative Agent: Trypanosoma cruzi — a protozoan parasite
• Mode of Transmission: Primary Vector: Triatomine bugs (also called reduviid bugs or “kissing bugs” for their tendency to bite faces)
• Other Routes: Mother-to-child during pregnancy or childbirth, Contaminated food and beverages, Blood transfusion, Organ transplant & Laboratory exposure
• Geographic Distribution: Endemic in South America, Central America, and Mexico, where the triatomine bug thrives. Increasingly detected in non-endemic countries due to migration, making it a global health concern.
• Treatment: Acute Phase: Anti-parasitic drugs (benznidazole or nifurtimox) can kill the parasite.
• Chronic Phase: Parasite eradication is no longer possible; treatment focuses on symptom management and preventing complications.

8. Cess: Recently, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) reported that, as of 2023–24, the Central Government had not transferred ₹3.69 lakh crore of cess collections to the designated funds for which these levies were create.

• About Cess: A specific-purpose tax levied on top of existing taxes, collected for a targeted objective until the required amount is raised. It is a tax on tax — charged in addition to existing duties or taxes like income tax, excise duty, or GST.
• Example: The Swachh Bharat Cess was levied to fund nationwide cleanliness and sanitation projects.

·      Working: Collection: Added to the taxpayer’s bill as part of their total tax liability.

• Earmarking: Meant to be credited into a dedicated fund (e.g., Clean Energy Fund, Education Cess Fund).
• Utilisation: Exclusively spent on the stated objective — unlike general tax revenue which can be used for any purpose.