Current Affairs

Researchers from India and Sri Lanka reported three new rare jumping spider species under genus Onomastus: O. brahmagiri (Brahmagiri Hills, Western Ghats), O. silentvalley (shola forests, Silent Valley National Park, Kerala), and O. wijesinghei (montane forests, Sri Lanka). Onomastus, an old lineage restricted to the Oriental region, shows limited dispersal and isolated montane populations, supporting the “sky island” concept of long-term isolation, speciation and endemism.

A rare Australian (Eastern) grass owl (Tyto longimembris; family Tytonidae) was sighted at Maguri Motapung Beel, a 9.6 sq km freshwater wetland near Motapung village in Tinsukia, Assam. The owl ranges across eastern/southern/southeast Asia, New Guinea, Australia (mainly Queensland) and the western Pacific; prefers grasslands (savanna, floodplains, fields), nests on ground; IUCN: Least Concern. The Beel lies on Dibru River (Brahmaputra channel), linked by channels; IBA since 1996, with ~110 bird species and a key winter migratory stopover (Greater Adjutant, Spot-billed Pelican).

India is participating in the inaugural UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva, Switzerland. Established under UN General Assembly Resolution 79/325, it is the first universal, multi-stakeholder UN forum on AI governance. It addresses four clusters: AI’s social-economic implications, bridging the global AI divide, promoting safe and trustworthy AI, and safeguarding human rights. A second session is due in New York in May 2027. The Dialogue follows the Global Digital Compact (Pact of the Future, September 2024) and receives annual reports from the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI (IISPA), which provides independent scientific assessments of AI capabilities, opportunities and risks.

An ecological study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), using sampling from Area de Conservacion Guanacaste (ACG), estimates that over 90% of global insect biodiversity is unknown. Using 15 Malaise traps (core and peripheral zones) and caterpillar-breeding, 1.63 million insects yielded 53,945 species; Microgastrinae parasitoid wasps totalled 1,414 species. DNA barcoding (mitochondrial fragment) suggests 20.3 million insect species globally (14.2–20.3 million). Declines are linked to human activity, habitat fragmentation and climate change; the study flags taxonomist shortages and need for rapid molecular tools.

FAO–WMO joint report (2026) identifies extreme heat as a primary threat to global food security. Major crops suffer beyond 30°C; per 1°C warming yields fall (maize -7.5% baseline, up to -10%/°C; soybean -6.8%; wheat -6.0%). Global agricultural TFP has declined 21% since 1961. India is high-risk: rice heatwave impacts, limited adaptation; 2024 labour loss 648 hours; Ganga–Indus wet-bulb risks. Livestock stress rises >24–25°C; cattle losses may reach $40 bn/yr by 2100; marine heatwaves and orchard heat raise mortality, migration, fruit drop and wildfires.

Scientists used AI to decode sperm whale communication, identifying phonetic building blocks in click bursts (“codas”) and linking vocal patterns with observed physical behaviours under Project CETI (Cetacean Translation Initiative). Models show structural adjustments: “rubato” (tempo/rhythm manipulation) and “ornamentation” (extra end click). A 3+1 coda differs regionally: western Mediterranean (near Spain’s Balearic Islands) keeps the pattern; eastern Mediterranean (Hellenic Trench off Crete) uses a sped-up dialect. Meaning of 156 Caribbean codas and dialect purpose remain unknown; threats include hunting, ship strikes, entanglement, ocean noise and climate-change impacts.

The Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Human–Wildlife Conflict was inaugurated on 10 July 2026 at Coimbatore, established by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON). It will serve as the national nodal institution for research, policy, capacity building and best practices. A National Human–Wildlife Conflict Portal was launched for real-time data, coordination and decision support, prioritising elephant, tiger and leopard conflicts using AI, GIS, remote sensing, drones and telemetry.

Italy now has the highest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites: 61 (55 cultural and 6 natural). UNESCO confers World Heritage status on sites of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) for their cultural or natural importance, ensuring preservation for future generations. Listed Italian examples include Rome, Florence, Venice, Pisa, Pompeii, the Dolomites and Mount Etna. Latest addition: “Funerary Tradition in the Prehistory of Sardinia (Domus de Janas)”.

Union Ministry of Education released Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0 for 2025-26, a data-driven assessment of school education systems across States/UTs and districts. It uses 70 indicators in six domains: learning outcomes, access, infrastructure, equity, governance processes, and teacher education/training, to place units in performance bands (Utkarsh to Akanshi). Chandigarh topped (Uttam-3: 761-820); Delhi placed Prachesta-1 (701-760). Meghalaya improved 448 to 525.7; inter-state gap reduced from 51% (2017-18) to 31.4%.

Scientists at IIT Guwahati developed a cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) biomaterial using exopolysaccharides (EPS) to remove lead from contaminated water. Cyanobacteria occur in ponds, lakes, reservoirs, paddy fields and slow-moving freshwater bodies. Sticky, sugar-rich EPS naturally binds lead; algae adjust EPS composition to trap particles, achieving 66.2% lead removal. Conventional methods (precipitation, membrane filtration, ion exchange) are costly, energy-intensive and polluting. Cyanobacteria also form cyanolichens, enrich soil and fix nitrogen as biofertiliser.

Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra agreed to resolve pending Narmada Project issues, including cost-sharing for Sardar Sarovar construction, displacement from flood-affected areas, and land compensation. Sardar Sarovar, largest of 25 planned Narmada dams, is in Gujarat’s Narmada district on the Gujarat–Maharashtra border. Spillway capacity is 30 lakh cusecs (85,000 cumecs), third globally. At 163 m, it is India’s third-highest concrete dam; 6.82 million cu m concrete makes it second-largest gravity dam. Statue of Unity overlooks its reservoir.

At the 3rd India-Australia Annual Summit (Melbourne, 9 July 2026), Australia hosted talks yielding PACTS on cyber/critical tech/supply chains; Australia-Canada-India Tech and Innovation MoU; stronger ISRO–Australian Space Agency links; Gaganyaan support via temporary tracking on Cocos (Keeling) Islands; Administrative Arrangement under 2015 Nuclear Cooperation Agreement for peaceful, IAEA-safeguarded uranium exports; NSG support; renewable energy partnership (Rooftop Solar Academy); semiconductor/critical-mineral supply-chain alignment; Joint Defence-Security Declaration, Annual Defence Ministers’ Dialogue, expanded exercises, interoperability and Mutual Logistics Support; Maritime Security Roadmap and Maritime Border Command–Indian Coast Guard MoU; ECTA gains, CECA commitment, Make in India–Future Made in Australia alignment; university expansion, diaspora noted as largest overseas-born; AUD 10 million Maitri grants; mining skilling centre in Odisha; Sports Roadmap ahead of 2030 Ahmedabad CWG and 2032 Brisbane Olympics/Paralympics.

India’s ACME Green Molecules Business signed a long-term supply agreement with Japan’s Mitsubishi Gas Chemical (MGC) to supply 100,000 tonnes of green methanol annually. Green methanol is a renewable, net-zero carbon liquid fuel and chemical feedstock made either from biomass (bio-methanol) or from green hydrogen (via wind/solar-powered electrolysis) reacted with captured CO₂ under heat and pressure (e-methanol). It supports decarbonisation in shipping, aviation (e-SAF), and chemical manufacturing.

Prime Minister inaugurated India’s first greenfield integrated refinery-cum-petrochemical complex at Pachpadra, Rajasthan, developed by HPCL with the Government of Rajasthan. Built from scratch on an undeveloped site, it integrates crude oil refining and petrochemical manufacturing. Capacity: 9 MMTPA crude processing and 2.4 MMTPA petrochemicals. Nelson Complexity Index (refinery sophistication) is 17.0; petrochemical yield >26%. It anchors plastic parks, textiles, automotive components, packaging and agriculture films.

Ministry of Tribal Affairs launched TribeX at a national workshop on strengthening Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs) in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. India’s first digital learning platform for tribal arts, culture, languages and traditional knowledge, it offers courses, certificates and UGC-recognised PG diplomas. Five UGC-approved 1-year hybrid diplomas include Santali (Ol Chiki), livelihoods, museology, arts-crafts and textiles, via MoU with Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Varanasi, using LMS and RMS. TRIs serve as policy think tanks; outcomes include National TRI Roadmap and Bhubaneswar Declaration, with AI/GIS integration.

International Gas Union released World LNG Report 2026, reviewing global LNG markets with 2025 data. Global LNG trade reached 437 million tonnes (+6.3%, strongest since 2022), driven by supplies from US, Qatar, Australia, Russia, etc. New exporters: Canada and Mauritania/Senegal. Europe’s imports rose as Russian pipeline transit via Ukraine expires early 2025. Asia led regas additions: China 24%, India 11.3%; India added 52.5 mtpa across 8 terminals, became 4th-largest (overtook Spain); Dahej (Gujarat) ranked 6th globally. IEA cited India gas use rising ~60% by 2030. Regas utilisation fell to ~47% (2024: 58%).

Conservationists report the Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus; family Accipitridae) as near-disappeared/functionally extinct in Tamil Nadu; BNHS has proposed an Egyptian Vulture Conservation Breeding Programme to the State. Smallest Old-World vulture (55–65 cm; 1.5–1.7 m wingspan), it inhabits open arid/semi-arid landscapes across Europe–Africa–West Asia–Indian subcontinent; Indian subspecies N. p. ginginianus is resident, with winter migrants. It scavenges carcasses; Kota leather-working supports food availability. Threats include diclofenac/NSAIDs in carcasses, electrocution, poisoning, cliff disturbance, and reduced food. Status: IUCN Endangered; CITES Appendix II; WPA 1972 Schedule I.

Prime Minister launched Viksit UDAN, the next phase of the UDAN Regional Connectivity Scheme, and inaugurated the new terminal building at Jodhpur Airport. UDAN (“Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik”) is a Central Sector Scheme (October 2016), under the Ministry of Civil Aviation and implemented by AAI, to enable affordable air connectivity to Tier-2/3 cities. Viksit UDAN (2026–2036) targets 100 aerodromes from unserved airstrips, 200 modern helipads, regional airport O&M support, and extends VGF support to 5 years (tapering from year 3).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred Indonesia’s highest honour, the Bintang Republik Indonesia (Star of the Republic), instituted in 1959, awarded for exceptional service to Indonesia’s unity, continuity and prosperity. During the visit, India–Indonesia MoUs covered minerals and steel supply chains (mining investment, extraction tech, critical minerals), extended maritime safety (Coast Guards, MDA, SAR), rare earth magnets (NFTDC–Midwest–PT PERMINAS), defence (BrahMos, air-to-air missiles), SAIL–PT Krakatau Steel JV in Indonesia, outer space R&D, Prambanan Temple conservation (Yogyakarta), agriculture cooperation, and an IIM Bangalore campus at Singhasari SEZ.

Union Education Ministry released UDISE+ 2025-26 (official database on school infrastructure, enrolment, teachers), based on voluntary uploads by schools with active UDISE+ codes; reference date: March 31, 2026. Secondary GER: 71.7% (68.5%); girls: 48.4% (48.3%). Zero-enrolment institutions: 5,663; West Bengal 4,133 (also Chandigarh, Goa, Delhi, Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, Puducherry, Haryana). Ramps/handrails: 58.2% (54.9%); internet: 67.4% (63.5%); electricity 95%, girls’ toilets 98.5%, boys’ 97.2%, safe water 99.5%. Dropouts: Classes 3-5 1.8% (2.3%), Classes 9-10 7% (8.2%). Teachers: 1.02 crore; +8.3% since 2022-23. PTR: 10/12/17/21, within NEP 2020 30:1 benchmark; Chandigarh/Delhi high students per school with RTE norms; low in Ladakh, Mizoram, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Meghalaya. Single-teacher schools: 1,00,843; Andhra Pradesh 16,357, Jharkhand 9,827, Punjab 1,749.

MoSPI will launch the Index of Services Production (ISP) in July 2026 as India’s first monthly indicator tracking changes in service-sector output volume, with base year 2024-25, as a counterpart to IIP. A Technical Advisory Committee was constituted in May 2025. Coverage includes key formal services (trade, transport, banking/insurance, telecom, hospitality, real estate, professional services, arts/entertainment). Sources: GST returns, Railways, DGCA, RBI, IRDAI and ASISSE. Method: fixed-weight Laspeyres volume index using GVA-based weights; health and education to be added later. Services contribute over 50% of GVA since 2013-14.

Mission Drishti, an Earth observation satellite developed by Indian space start-up GalaxEye, lost communication following a geomagnetic solar storm. Described as the world’s first OptoSAR satellite, it is India’s largest privately built satellite. It is the first commercial platform combining Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Multi-Spectral Imaging (MSI) sensors, enabling simultaneous single-pass, aligned data capture, yielding three times more information, with all-weather, day-night imaging.

An international team using the European Space Agency’s Euclid telescope (launched 2023) discovered 31 quasars, including the two oldest known, seen when the universe was 670 million years old (about 5% of current age). Quasars are extremely luminous galactic cores powered by supermassive black holes, shining like a trillion suns. Findings inform early galaxy formation, black hole growth and the epoch of reionisation, while raising questions on rapid mass buildup; researchers aim to chronicle the first billion years.

OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2026–2035, a joint 10-year forecast of agriculture, biofuels and seafood markets, projects first-generation (food-crop) biofuels made via fermentation/transesterification to dominate through 2035, with second-generation (non-edible, lignocellulosic residues/forestry waste) not gaining much share. By 2035, global ethanol is projected at 162.5 billion litres (maize 61%, sugarcane 22%, molasses 5%, wheat 2%) and biodiesel at 99 billion litres (vegetable oils 69%, used cooking oils/tallow 23%). Biofuel demand may grow 1.4% annually; India, Brazil and Indonesia account for 80% of demand growth.