1. Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958
The Assam government recently extended the AFSPA, 1958, in three districts for another six months.

Overview:
AFSPA is a law enacted by Parliament in 1958 granting the armed forces special powers and legal immunity to maintain public order in “disturbed areas.”

Application:
The Act applies only after an area is officially declared “disturbed” under Section 2. Such areas may face conflicts among religious, racial, linguistic, regional, or caste-based communities. The declaration can be made by the central government, state Governor, or UT administrator, and a disturbed area remains so for at least three months under The Disturbed Areas (Special Courts) Act, 1976.

Special Powers:

• Prohibit gatherings of five or more people.

• Use force, including lethal force, after due warning.

• Arrest without a warrant, search premises, and ban firearms if there is reasonable suspicion.

• Transfer arrested individuals to local police with a report of circumstances.

Legal Immunity:
Armed forces personnel cannot be prosecuted without Union Government sanction.

Current Enforcement:
AFSPA is in force in Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and the UT of Jammu & Kashmir.

2. Syphilis
Recent U.S. data show sexually transmitted disease rates fell last year, but syphilis in newborns continues to rise.

Overview:
Syphilis is a preventable and curable bacterial STI caused by Treponema pallidum. If untreated, it can cause serious health issues and even become life-threatening.

Transmission:

• Sexual contact with an infected person.

• Contact with sores or rashes.

• From mother to baby during pregnancy, childbirth, or rarely via breastfeeding.

Symptoms:

• Develops in stages, starting with a painless sore on genitals, rectum, or mouth.

• May cause swollen lymph nodes and later, a non-itchy skin rash on hands and feet.

• Symptoms can disappear and reappear over years.

• Untreated infection can damage the heart, brain, and other organs.

• In pregnancy, untreated syphilis can cause adverse birth outcomes in 50–80% of cases.

Treatment:

• Curable with antibiotics, primarily penicillin, especially in early stages.

3. Oju Hydel Project
The Union Environment Ministry’s expert panel has recommended environmental clearance for the 2,220 MW Oju hydroelectric project, planned on the Subansiri River in Taksing near the China border.

• • Developer: Oju Subansiri Hydro Power Corporation Pvt. Ltd.

  • Capacity: 2,220 MW via a run-of-the-river scheme with daily peaking capability.

  • Infrastructure: Features a 100-metre-high concrete gravity dam, a 14.12 km headrace tunnel, and an underground powerhouse complex.

  • Estimated Cost: Over Rs 24,942 crore.

  • Expected Output: Around 8,402 million units of electricity annually.

  The project is the largest among a series of dams planned on the Subansiri River, often called the lifeline of Assam, and is expected to significantly bolster regional power generation.

  Source : Expert committee nod for 2,200-MW Oju hydel project near China border

  4. Amrabad Tiger Reserve
  A 54-km elevated road bridge over the Nallamala forests in the Amrabad Tiger Reserve, Telangana, aims to balance traffic needs with wildlife and forest protection, potentially becoming a model for other regions.

  Overview:

  • Location: Nallamala Hills, Eastern Ghats, Telangana

  • Area: 2,611.39 sq.km (core: 2,166.37 sq.km), second-largest core among India’s tiger reserves

  • History: Previously part of Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve before Andhra Pradesh-Telangana bifurcation (2014)

  • Terrain: Rugged valleys, dense forests; home to Nagalapuram Fort

  Water Resources:
  Krishna River and its streams feed major reservoirs, including Srisailam Dam and Nagarjunsagar Dam

  Flora:
  Dry deciduous forests with sal, teak, bamboo, acacia, plus medicinal plants used by local tribes

  Fauna:
  Tigers, leopards, wild cats; herbivores like sambar, chital, nilgai, wild boar, gaur; over 303 bird species, including eagles, pigeons, cuckoos, woodpeckers, drongos

Source : Elevated Corridor Over Amrabad Tiger Reserve

5. Ethambutol Hydrochloride
India has initiated an anti-dumping investigation on Ethambutol Hydrochloride imports from China and Thailand.

Overview:

• Type: Antibacterial prescription drug for tuberculosis (TB)

• Properties: Synthetic, water-soluble, heat-stable

• Effective against actively growing Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains

Mechanism:

• Inhibits cell wall synthesis by blocking arabinogalactan polymerization

• Disrupts bacterial structure, leading to bacterial death

• Used in combination therapy to prevent resistance

Key Point: Rapid resistance develops if used alone; always administered with other anti-TB drugs

6. Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) Norms
India proposes revisions to CAFE norms, which regulate vehicle emissions and fuel efficiency.

Overview:

• Purpose: Ensure fleet-wide average fuel economy for passenger vehicles (<3,500 kg)

• Introduced: By Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) in 2017, revised in 2022–23

• Scope: Petrol, diesel, LPG, CNG, hybrid, and electric vehicles

Objectives:

• Reduce oil imports

• Cut air pollution

• Promote cleaner vehicles (EVs, CNG cars, hybrids)

About BEE:

• Established: 2002 under Energy Conservation Act, 2001

• Role: Reduce energy intensity, coordinate with agencies, implement regulatory and promotional functions

7. Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari Initiative
Bidar district, Karnataka, received the Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari Award for top performance under Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain.

Overview:

• Launched: 2024

• Goal: Enhance water recharge via rainwater harvesting, aquifer/borewell recharge, recharge shafts

• Approach: Whole-of-society and whole-of-government, involving communities, NGOs, industries, and agencies

Benefits:

• Boost groundwater levels

• Promote water conservation culture

• Improve climate resilience

• Enhance water quality naturally via soil filtration

Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Jal Shakti

8. New Ramsar Sites in Bihar
Two wetlands in Bihar — Gokul Jalashaya (Buxar) and Udaipur Jheel (West Champaran) — received the Ramsar tag.

Gokul Jalashaya:

• Location: Southern Ganga edge, Buxar

• Type: Oxbow lake influenced by Ganges’ flood pulses

• Importance: Acts as a flood buffer; supports 50+ bird species; local communities use it for fishing, farming, irrigation

Udaipur Jheel:

• Location: West Champaran, near Udaipur Wildlife Sanctuary

• Type: Oxbow lake

• Flora: 280+ plant species, including Alysicarpus roxburghianus

• Fauna: Wintering ground for 35 migratory birds, including vulnerable common pochard

• Threats: Illegal fishing, intensive agriculture, chemical use

9. Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve (CDBR)
The Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve in Himachal Pradesh is now part of UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

Overview:

• Location: Trans-Himalayan region, Lahaul-Spiti, 7,770 sq.km

• Declared: Biosphere Reserve in 2009

• Features: High-altitude deserts, alpine lakes, glacial valleys, windswept plateaus

• India’s first high-altitude cold desert biosphere, one of the coldest, driest ecosystems in UNESCO WNBR

Flora:
732 vascular plant species, 30 endemics, 157 near-endemics; includes alpine grasses, medicinal herbs, Willow-leaved sea-buckthorn, Himalayan birch, Persian juniper

Fauna:
Leopard, Himalayan ibex, blue sheep, Himalayan wolf, birds like Himalayan snowcock and golden eagle

10. Key Facts about Ecuador
Ecuador’s Indigenous groups oppose President Noboa’s plans to expand oil drilling in the Amazon.

Overview:

• Location: Northwestern South America; includes Galapagos Islands

• Geography: Coastal lowlands, Andes Mountains (Cordillera Occidental & Oriental), Amazon basin

• Borders: Colombia (N), Peru (S & E), Pacific Ocean (W)

• Highest Point: Mount Chimborazo, 6,268 m

• Volcano: Cotopaxi, one of the highest active volcanoes in the Andes

• Climate: Tropical on coast, cooler inland; Amazonian lowlands tropical

• Natural Resources: Petroleum, fish, timber, hydropower

• Rivers: Babahoyo, Chira, Coca, Curaray

• Capital: Quito