India's PRATUSH telescope and the small satellite CosmoCube are set to explore the cosmic dawn by searching for the elusive 21-cm radio signal emitted by neutral hydrogen. Scheduled for launch before the end of the decade, CosmoCube will orbit the lunar far side to benefit from natural shielding against radio interference from Earth. This mission aims to provide unprecedented insights into the universe's Dark Ages, the Epoch of Reionization, and the expansion of the universe by bridging gaps in the cosmic microwave background.
CosmoCube will orbit the Moon's far side to avoid Earth-based radio interference and search for the 21-cm radio signal of neutral hydrogen.
The mission aims to study the universe's Dark Ages and the Epoch of Reionization, providing insights into the formation of the first stars and galaxies.
India's PRATUSH is a complementary proposed telescope to study radio emission and cosmological signals from space.
Exam Points
CosmoCube is expected to be launched before the end of the decade.
The satellite will orbit approximately 40 minutes on the lunar far side during its orbit every two hours.
The 21-cm radio signal corresponds to a wavelength of 21 cm or 1,420 MHz frequency.
Soft corals off the coast of Jeju Island in South Korea are facing an unprecedented threat known as 'slumping', driven by rising ocean temperatures and harsher weather linked to climate change. Unlike hard corals with rigid skeletons, soft corals rely on internal fluid pressure to stay upright. Environmental changes disrupt this pressure, causing them to collapse, deteriorate, and eventually die. Researchers warn that recurring slumping events, compounded by high water temperatures and regional weather patterns, are drastically reducing the recovery capacity of these vital marine ecosystems.
Soft corals rely on internal fluid pressure for structural support, making them vulnerable to environmental changes that disrupt this pressure.
Rising temperatures and climate change are causing soft corals around Jeju Island to slump, collapse, and deteriorate over successive events.
Researchers documented Jeju's first major soft coral slumping event in a May article published in Scientific Reports.
Exam Points
The slumping phenomenon was monitored by the Paran Ocean Citizen Science Group around uninhabited islets south of Jeju.
Researchers Kim Taihun and Anna Beate Jöst documented the event in Scientific Reports.
The Houthi rebel group in Yemen launched a wave of drone and ballistic missile attacks on Saudi Arabia, targeting oil facilities, utilities, and economic infrastructure, including a major refinery in Jazan and an oil depot in Abha. The strikes resulted in multiple injuries, sparked massive fires, and temporarily suspended operations at several critical energy sites. The escalation has added pressure to global oil supplies and prompted strong retaliatory vows from the Saudi-led coalition, further intensifying the regional conflict involving Yemen, the Houthis, and broader geopolitical tensions.
Houthi rebels launched coordinated missile and drone attacks targeting major Saudi oil facilities, utilities, and economic targets.
The attacks caused fires at key infrastructure sites like the Aramco oil depot in Abha Bulk and a major oil refinery in Jazan.
The strikes threaten global oil supplies by disrupting routes near the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb waterway.
Exam Points
The targeted Jazan refinery is one of Saudi Arabia's largest, with a processing capacity of 400,000 barrels per day.
Over 70 people were wounded in the Tuesday attacks across Saudi cities.
Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has invited British Prime Minister Andrew Burnham for formal talks on the disputed Chagos Islands, expressing strong opposition to the UK's previous agreement to transfer sovereignty to Mauritius. The Maldives maintains that it holds the most legitimate claim to the archipelago based on proximity and historical maritime boundaries. While the UK had previously moved to cede sovereignty and lease the strategic U.S.-U.K. military base on Diego Garcia, domestic political shifts and international criticism have complicated the legislative process required to finalize the transfer.
Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu invited British PM Andrew Burnham to discuss the disputed Chagos Islands.
The Maldives opposes the UK's agreement to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius, asserting its own legitimate claim.
The Chagos Islands host the critical U.S.-U.K. military base on Diego Garcia, vital for regional security.
Exam Points
The Maldives voiced formal opposition to the U.K.'s decision to transfer sovereignty to Mauritius starting earlier this year.
The Chagos Archipelago includes the strategically vital military base on Diego Garcia.
Recent findings by Chinese experts on the Tibetan Plateau and Himalayan region reveal that rapid glacial retreat and the expansion of glacial lakes are accelerating due to global warming. Over recent decades, numerous glaciers have experienced significant area loss, leading to the rapid growth of thousands of glacial lakes across the plateau. Scientists warn that this dramatic environmental shift heightens the risks of catastrophic glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), landslides, and downstream disasters, posing severe threats to ecological security and communities in neighboring countries like India and Nepal.
Chinese researchers report a dramatic shrinkage and retreat of glaciers across the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas due to global warming.
More than 14,000 glacial lakes have been mapped on the plateau, with a vast majority showing rapid expansion.
The melting of glaciers and growth of glacial lakes significantly increase the risk of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) and landslides.
Exam Points
Glaciers in areas like the Gangdise Mountains and the Himalayas have shrunk by about 40% over the past 60 years.
The glacier area on the Tibetan Plateau fell to 39,000 sq. km, down from 44,000 sq. km and 51,000 sq. km in previous study decades.
The proposed questionnaire for the 2027 Census of India includes 40 questions covering extensive personal details such as bank account numbers, Aadhaar, voter IDs, and COVID-19 vaccination history, sparking concerns regarding privacy and data collection mandates. Critics and experts argue that collecting data beyond demographic necessities could blur the line between census operations and population registers like the NPR. Concerns have also been raised about the increased workload on enumerators, the ambiguity of terms like 'available', and potential violations of statutory confidentiality principles.
The 2027 Census questionnaire includes 40 questions covering new parameters like bank accounts, Aadhaar, voter IDs, and health history.
Critics warn that mixing census enumeration with population register updates like the NPR risks compromising statutory confidentiality guarantees.
Legal experts highlight that the Census Act does not mandate collecting data for establishing population registers, raising administrative and privacy concerns.
Exam Points
The 2027 Census questionnaire contains 40 distinct questions.
Principle 6 of the UN Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics emphasizes the strict confidentiality of individual information.
Recent suggestions to dilute the Forest Rights Act (FRA) by requiring consent from only a majority of affected gram sabhas rather than all of them pose a severe threat to tribal survival and constitutional rights. The editorial argues that bypassing unanimous consent allows developers to manipulate demographic compositions and divide communities to push through infrastructure projects like the Teesta-IV reservoir. To protect forest-dependent communities, the Centre and States must uphold statutory consent requirements and strengthen laws like the Land Acquisition and PESA Acts in Scheduled Areas.
Proposals to require consent from only a majority of gram sabhas instead of all affected bodies threaten tribal land rights under the Forest Rights Act.
Weakening consent mechanisms allows project developers to bypass local opposition and divide village assemblies for infrastructure projects.
The refusal of ministries to uphold strict regulatory safeguards creates a dangerous vacuum that undermines forest-dependent livelihoods.
Exam Points
The editorial highlights the Teesta-IV energy infrastructure project as an example of rapid scaling affecting local ecosystems.
The Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA) governs local self-governance in Scheduled Areas.
The tragic collapse of a multi-storey building operating as an illegal private hostel in Delhi's South Campus underscores the capital's severe housing shortage and lax safety enforcement for students. With thousands of students arriving annually on limited budgets, unregulated paying guest accommodations routinely flout building bylaws and fire safety norms. While the government has taken reactive steps like suspending officials and sealing hazardous basements, experts emphasize that systemic reforms, structural audits, and affordable student housing are vital to prevent future tragedies.
The collapse of an illegal student hostel in Delhi killed seven people, exposing widespread safety violations in residential student accommodations.
Haphazard urban development and a lack of affordable housing force students into matchbox-sized, unventilated, and hazardous rooms.
While authorities have initiated punitive measures and suspended local officials, experts demand comprehensive structural audits and strict enforcement.
Exam Points
Over 70,000 students enter Delhi University every year.
A previous coaching centre basement flooding incident in 2024 claimed the lives of three civil service aspirants.
Academic institutions in India are facing severe governance crises, marked by erosion of institutional autonomy, administrative overreach, and declining public funding. The erosion of student freedom, partisan appointments of vice-chancellors, and the shrinking of spaces for critical dialogue threaten the foundational ethos of higher education. To restore academic excellence, universities must embrace a 'liberty model' of governance that fosters trust, protects dissent, ensures transparent faculty appointments, and safeguards institutional integrity from political interference.
Indian universities are grappling with declining autonomy, administrative overreach, and a lack of trust between students and authorities.
Frequent interference in the appointment of vice-chancellors and administrators undermines institutional credibility and academic freedom.
Public investment in higher education has stagnated, leading to deteriorating campus infrastructure and strained academic resources.
Exam Points
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 envisioned public investment in education to reach 6% of GDP.
Public investment in education has hovered around 4%-4.1%.
The recent visit of Japan's Defense Minister to India marks a significant milestone in elevating bilateral ties from a transactional relationship to a deeper operational partnership. Key agreements focus on joint defense manufacturing under the 'Make in India' framework, maritime domain awareness in the Indo-Pacific, and complex military exercises. By integrating technological capabilities and enhancing interoperability, both nations seek to build a resilient security architecture to counter regional challenges and maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific.
India and Japan are advancing their defense partnership from basic dialogues to operational capabilities and joint technology development.
Agreements include co-development of uncrewed systems, missile components, and exploring joint naval shipbuilding initiatives.
Maritime domain awareness and information-sharing are critical pillars of cooperation in the Indo-Pacific to ensure freedom of navigation.
Exam Points
Japan's UNICORN integrated communications antenna system is a prominent example of ongoing bilateral defense technology transfer.
The Veer Guardian joint air exercise scheduled for September 2026 highlights growing tactical cooperation.
In the wake of a fatal building collapse in South Delhi, the Supreme Court indicated it may expand its oversight to enforce strict safety and zoning regulations for student hostels and paying guest (PG) facilities nationwide. Prompted by an amicus curiae report highlighting widespread building bylaw violations and dangerous structures near educational hubs, the Bench emphasized the need for comprehensive safety audits. The Court is reviewing whether to take up the matter on a pan-India basis to prevent recurrence of tragic accidents and ensure student safety.
The Supreme Court is considering expanding its jurisdiction to mandate pan-India safety regulations for student hostels and PG accommodations.
The intervention follows a fatal building collapse in Delhi that killed seven people and highlighted widespread illegal construction.
An amicus curiae report raised serious concerns about lax inspection mechanisms by civic bodies and unauthorized land-use conversions.
Exam Points
The court proceedings reference the Satya Niketan building collapse in April 2022 which killed two people.
The Bench dealing with the matter includes Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and R. Mahadevan.
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