25^th August 2025

1. IADT-1: Recently, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully carried out the first Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-1) for its Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme, marking a significant milestone in India’s journey to send astronauts into space.

• Key Highlights: The test validated the parachute-based deceleration system of the crew module under real-world conditions.
• Test Details: Dummy crew capsule (~5 tonnes) was lifted and dropped from a Chinook helicopter.
• Main parachutes deployed in sequence to slow the capsule for safe splashdown.
• High-Risk Phases: Ascent, descent, and post-splashdown phases are considered the riskiest for astronauts.
• Multi-Agency Coordination: The test involved ISRO, Indian Air Force, DRDO, Navy, and Coast Guard.
• Preparatory Work: Propulsion systems, environmental control, life support, and crew escape system (CES) motors developed and tested.
• Infrastructure established for launch, control, and crew training facilities.
• Precursor missions and test vehicle flights (TV-D2, G1) underway.
  
  

2. Jan Vishwas 2.0: Recently, the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025, also known as Jan Vishwas 2.0, was introduced in the Lok Sabha.

• About Jan Vishwas 2.0: It builds on the Jan Vishwas Act, 2023, which decriminalised 183 provisions in 42 Acts.
• The Bill seeks to amend 16 Central Acts across 10 ministries/departments, further decriminalising offences and rationalising penalties to enhance trust-based governance.
• Need for Jan Vishwas 2.0: Overcriminalisation: 370 of 882 central laws include criminal provisions for 7,305 offences. Over 75% of crimes are under laws beyond core criminal justice (e.g., shipping, taxation, municipal governance).
• Disproportionate punishments: Minor acts like milking a cow in public or not exercising a pet dog can attract arrest.
• Hindrance to business: Out of 1,536 business laws, over 50% have imprisonment clauses.
• Of 69,233 compliances, 37.8% entail jail terms, discouraging entrepreneurship and economic growth.
• Burden on judiciary: 6 crore pending criminal cases in district courts, 2.3 crore pending over 1 year. Minor procedural lapses clog courts, delaying justice for serious offences.
  
  

3. IADWS: Recently, in a significant move toward India’s self-reliant defence vision, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully carried out the maiden flight tests of the Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS) off the coast of Odisha.

• This achievement supports the government’s Mission Sudarshan Chakra, which aims to establish a multi-domain, nationwide defence shield by 2035.
• About IADWS: A multi-layered indigenous air defence system developed to counter aerial threats.
• Designed to detect, track, and neutralise multiple targets simultaneously with precision.
• Components: Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missiles (QRSAMs) – for rapid interception of incoming threats.
• Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) missiles – advanced missiles for close-range defence.
• Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) – a laser-based system capable of precise engagement of aerial threats.
  
  

4. Vaquita Porpoise: Recently, a report by the North American Environmental Commission (under the USMCA) held Mexico responsible for failing to protect the critically endangered vaquita porpoise, whose population has now dwindled to just 10 individuals in the wild.

• About Vaquita Porpoise: World’s smallest cetacean.
• Unique among porpoises as the only species found in warm waters.
• Dorsal fin adaptation helps dissipate extra body heat.
• Name “vaquita” means “little cow” in Spanish.
• Habitat: Smallest range of any whale, dolphin, or porpoise. Confined to 1,500 sq. miles in Mexico’s upper Gulf of California, near San Felipe.
• Appearance: Large dark ring around eyes and dark patches on lips forming a line to pectoral fins.
• Size: up to 5 feet in length.
• Threats: Population declining due to bycatch in gillnets set for shrimp and fish, including totoaba.
• Conservation Status: IUCN: Critically Endangered ; CITES: Appendix I
  
  

5. Kilauea Volcano: Recently, Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano erupted once more, with lava fountains soaring up to 30 metres, marking its 31st eruption since December 2024.

• About Kilauea Volcano: One of the world’s most active volcanoes.
• It is a shield-type volcano located in southeastern Hawaii, United States.
• Height: 4,090 feet (1,250 meters).
• Structure: A long dome formed by successive lava flows; its summit caldera houses the Halemaumau lava lake, believed to be the abode of the Hawaiian volcano goddess, Pele.
• The volcano’s slopes connect with Mauna Loa to the west and north.
• Eruption History: Kilauea has been erupting continuously since 1983.
• Its eruptions are typically nonexplosive, mostly confined within Halemaumau.
• Occasionally, lava overflows onto the caldera floor and flanks, shaping the surrounding landscape.
  
  

6. Younger Forests: Recently, a study published in Nature Ecology and Evolution revealed that younger forests are now outnumbering old-growth forests worldwide, which could disrupt the global carbon balance and hinder climate mitigation efforts.

• Key Findings: Forests worldwide are becoming younger due to deforestation, fires, and natural disturbances, leading to a decline in old, carbon-rich forests.
• Carbon Sequestration Dynamics: Young forests grow faster and absorb carbon rapidly, especially in tropical regions (<20 years old can absorb up to 20× more CO₂ than older forests).
• Despite fast growth, young forests store much less carbon than mature forests, resulting in a net global carbon loss of ~140 million tonnes per year from aboveground biomass.
• Regional Trends: South America & Tropical Asia: Decline in forest age due to slash-and-burn agriculture, fires, and mortality of older trees.
• China, Europe, & North America: Forests generally ageing, though disturbances like fire, drought, and insect outbreaks affect age dynamics.
• Portugal & Amazon edges: Younger forests increasing due to deforestation and large fires.
• Impact on Carbon Balance: Some regions are shifting from carbon sinks to carbon sources, e.g., eastern Amazon, due to fire emissions outpacing carbon uptake.
• Ecological Insight: Undisturbed, ageing forests sequester substantially higher carbon than recently disturbed or regrowing forests.
  
  

7. SMILE: Recently, the Government of India launched a 15-day Entrepreneurship Development Programme under SMILE to economically empower transgender persons and promote their self-reliance.

• About SMILE: Stands for Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise.
• Objective: Comprehensive welfare, rehabilitation, and economic empowerment of transgender persons and people engaged in begging.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
• Sub-schemes: Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Welfare of Transgender Persons and Comprehensive Rehabilitation of Persons Engaged in the Act of Begging
• Key Features: Education: Scholarships for transgender students from class IX to post-graduation.
• Skill Development & Livelihood: Opportunities under PM-DAKSH.
• Healthcare: Composite medical support, including gender reaffirmation surgeries via PM-JAY convergence.
• Housing & Support: ‘Garima Greh’ provides food, clothing, recreational facilities, skill development, and medical support.
  
  

8. Second Spaceport: Recently, the Minister of State in the Department of Space informed the Lok Sabha that the development of ISRO’s second spaceport is currently underway at Kulasekarapattinam, Tamil Nadu.

• Key Highlights: Location: Coastal village of Kulasekarapattinam, near Tiruchendur in Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu.
• Objectives: Enable efficient launches of Small Satellite Launch Vehicles (SSLVs) to Sun-Synchronous Polar Orbits (SSPOs) via a direct southward path.
• Eliminate the fuel-intensive dogleg manoeuvre required at Sriharikota.
• Increase payload capacity and reduce launch costs for small, micro, and nano satellites.
• Economic & Strategic Advantages: Encourages commercial launches by non-government entities, boosting India’s space economy.
• Proximity to ISRO’s Propulsion Research Complex in Mahendragiri facilitates easier transport of rocket components, reducing costs and turnaround time.
  
  

9. Melting Of Arctic Sea Ice: Recently, a study indicates that despite unprecedented global warming, the melting of Arctic sea ice has slowed over the past 20 years. However, climate scientists caution that this slowdown is temporary, and ice loss may intensify in the near future.

• Key Findings: Average Arctic sea ice melt over the past 20 years: 35 million sq km per decade.
• Much slower than the 1993–2012 peak rate of 1.3 million sq km per decade.
• Cause of Slowdown: Attributed to natural climate variability, not a reversal of climate change.
• Influenced by Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and Atlantic Multidecadal Variability (AMV), which can temporarily cool Arctic waters.
• Climate Change Status: Global greenhouse gas emissions remain high.
• Global temperatures continue to rise.
• Temporary slowdown does not reduce the urgency for climate action.
• Future Risks: 50% chance slowdown continues for 5 years; 25% chance for 10 years.
• Ice loss could accelerate afterward by ~0.6 million sq km per decade beyond the long-term trend.
  
  

10. INS Kadmatt: Recently, the Indian Naval Ship INS Kadmatt, a corvette, completed a three-day port visit to Surabaya, Indonesia, strengthening friendship, trust, and interoperability between the Indian Navy and the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL).

• About INS Kadmatt: Indigenous stealth anti-submarine warfare corvette, second of four built under Project 28 by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (Kolkata).
• Named after Kadmat Island in Lakshadweep.
• Primary Role: Protects ships in convoys and ports from enemy submarine attacks.
• Key Features: Equipped with advanced weapons, sensors, and machinery.
• Can operate Sea King anti-submarine helicopter.
• Onboard early warning, navigation, and fire control radars, underwater sensors, and integrated communication & electronic warfare systems.
• Low radiated underwater noise to reduce detection.
• Armed with anti-aircraft guns, torpedoes, and rocket launchers.