Garuda Shakti

• It is a Joint Special Forces Exercise between India and Indonesia.
• Objective: Enhance capabilities of forces from both sides to conduct joint military operations to Counter Terrorism.

Poorvi Prahar

• It is a high-intensity tri-services exercise being conducted by the Indian Army. 
• Objective: Improve the combat effectiveness of the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force in executing Integrated Joint Operations in the challenging mountainous terrain. 

Recently, Mealworm larvae have been discovered in Kenya. 

About Mealworm Larvae

• It is a plastic (Polystyrene) eating insect and hosts bacteria in their guts that help break down the material.
• It is mostly found in poultry rearing houses which are warm and can offer a constant food supply.
• It is the first African-native insect species identified with this ability but can be found outside Africa as well.

Polystyrene (styrofoam) 

• It is commonly used plastic material used in packaging for food, electronics, industrial products etc.
• Known for durability, it is difficult and costly to recycle it through traditional methods of chemical and thermal processing which can create pollutants.

Recently, farmers in Haryana and Punjab have been hit by shortage of fertilizer Diammonium Phosphate

About Diammonium Phosphate (DAP)

• It is made from high concentration of two common macronutrients - phosphate and nitrogen, essential for plant growth.
• It is world’s most commonly used fertilizer as it is highly soluble and gets quickly dissolved into the soil

Distribution of DAP

• It has been decontrolled since 1992. The availability of DAP fertilizers is decided by the market forces of demand and supply. 
• The Union Government monitors availability of fertilizers at State level and State Governments are responsible for its tie-up with the manufacturers & importers and further distribution within the State.

Central Consumer Protection Authority(CCPA) has issued guidelines for prevention of misleading advertisements in the coaching sector.

Key Guidelines:-

• It explicitly prohibits coaching centers from making false claims, misleading representations of quality and creation of false urgency (such as limited seats or exaggerated demand)
• Violation of guidelines will be treated as contravention of  Consumer Protection Act, 2019. 

CCPA

• It has been established under Consumer Protection Act, 2019 to regulate matters relating to violation of rights of consumers, unfair trade practices and false or misleading advertisements.

Union Environment Ministry notified Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) (Manner of Holding Inquiry and Imposition of Penalty) rules, 2024

Water Rules 2024

• The rules comes in backdrop of amendments wherein offenses and violations of the Act were decriminalized, replacing them with penalties 
• It had also allowed the Centre to appoint ‘Authorised Officers’ to adjudicate offenses, violations and determine penalties.
• Significance : Reduce the burden on the judicial system; encourage compliance through financial disincentives.

Recently, some experts have suggested that 'Boring billion' wasn’t really the dullest period in Earth’s history.

About Boring Billion

• Period : 1.8 billion and 800 million years ago in Earth’s history.
• Features: 
  • Represent a period of geobiological stasis marked a delay in the evolution of complex life, primarily due to low levels of oxygen in the atmosphere.
  • Most of the living species were simple, unicellular organisms that had minimal requirements for life.
• Significance : Reflects energy-centric challenges, prolonged nutrient, climatic, atmospheric and tectonic stability in  the past

During International Conference on Communication and Dissemination of Traditional Knowledge, significance of SVASTIK initiative was highlighted. 

About SVASTIK (Scientifically Validated Societal Traditional Knowledge)

• It is coordinated by CSIR-NIScPR (National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research).
• Objective: To preserve traditional practices, promote scientific validation of traditions, and instil confidence in their scientific value.
• Significance:
  • Disseminates scientifically validated traditional knowledge through social media in 17 languages.
  • Facilitates interdisciplinary research and the immediate validation of traditional knowledge through modern science

UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance) marks its 7th anniversary, with 70 million users benefiting from its services.

About UMANG

• Developed by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and National e-Governance Division (NeGD) to drive Mobile Governance in India.
• Provides a single platform for all Indian Citizens to access pan India e-Gov services ranging from Central to Local Government bodies. E.g. Passport Seva, Pension services, Weather Forecast, etc.