Exercise Desert Hunt 2025 was conducted by Indian Air Force at Air Force Station Jodhpur.

About Exercise Desert Hunt 2025

• It is an integrated Tri-Service Special Forces exercise. 
• It involved elite units from all three services, Para (Special Forces) of Indian Army, Marine Commandos (MARCOS) of Indian Navy and Garud Special Forces of Indian Air Force.
• It focused on interoperability, synergy, and rapid response in simulated combat scenarios.

UN Environment Programme led initiative focuses on biodiversity conservation, sustainable land management and enhanced water security in Lake Tanganyika Basin.

• Funded by: Global Environment Facility.
• Aim: Enhance transboundary cooperation among the four countries bordering Lake Tanganyika. 

Lake Tanganyika Basin: 

• Shared by four countries: Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Zambia.
• One of Africa's Great Lakes and the world's second-largest freshwater lake by volume.
• Internationally recognised as a Global biodiversity hotspot.

Kurdish group PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) declares ceasefire with Turkey

About Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)

• The group launched an armed insurgency against the Turkish state in the early 1980s, originally seeking independence for the Kurds.
• It is banned as a terrorist group in Turkey, the EU, the UK and the US.

About Kurds

• Kurds are an ethnic group of roughly 40 million people.
• Mainly concentrated in Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey.
• They speak multiple dialects of Kurdish, a language not directly related to Turkish or Arabic. 
• Most are Sunni Muslims.

A new study reveals that Martian red colour is due to ferrihydrite than previously thought, hematite, present in the planet’s dust.

• Unlike Hematite, Ferrihydrite forms quickly in presence of cool water, meaning its presence on Mars is direct evidence of the planet’s wetter past.

About Ferrihydrite

• It is a widespread hydrous ferric oxyhydroxide mineral at Earth's surface.
• It is a precursor to other minerals, e.g. hematite, goethite. 
• It occurs in soils undergoing rapid weathering, and in soils containing soluble silicate or organic anions which inhibit the formation of more crystalline iron oxides.
• It is a widespread hydrous ferric oxyhydroxide mineral at Earth's surface.
• It is a precursor to other minerals, e.g. hematite, goethite. 
• Properties: Nano-particulate size and poor crystallinity.
• It is used in sequestration of heavy element contaminants.

Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in collaboration with NITI Aayog have launched Swavalambini— Women Entrepreneurship Programme.

About Swavalambini– Women Entrepreneurship Programme

• It is a movement towards gender inclusive entrepreneurship. 
• Objective: Empower female students in Higher Education Institutions with entrepreneurial skills, resources, and mentorship.
• Structure: Includes Entrepreneurship Awareness Programme, Women Entrepreneurship Development Programme, mentorship, and faculty training.
• Implementation: By National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development.
• Impact: Aims for 10% of trained participants to establish enterprises, fostering women-led economic growth in India.

Archaeological Survey of India has discovered ancient rock art and inscriptions within Sri Lankamalleswara sanctuary.

About Sri Lankamalleswara Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is located in Andhra Pradesh.
• It forms the catchment for river Pennar.
• Sanctuary is the only home for critically endangered bird Jerdon courser (nocturnal bird).
• Flora: Red sanders and Sandalwood are important species.
• Fauna: Panther, Jackal, Chinkara, Chowsingha, Sloth bear, etc.
• Forest Type: Southern tropical dry deciduous forest in hills, scrub forest in plains, Southern dry mixed deciduous forest, Tropical thorn forests and Tropical dry evergreen forest.

Election Commission has clarified that duplication in EPIC number does not imply duplicate/fake voters.

• Clarification was in response to issue of presence of identical EPIC numbers in 2 different states due to manual decentralized process, used before shifting all State/UT electoral roll databases to ERONET platform.

About EPIC Number           

• 10-digit voter ID card number issued by ECI to electors registered in electoral roll.

About ERONET (Electoral Roll Management) Platform

• Web-based platform developed for election officials to handle all processes pertaining to registration, migration, and deletion of names from electoral roll.
• Features: Unified database for all states/UTs; Reporting system to monitor performance of electoral officials etc.

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) report links high levels of selenium in wheat to hair loss.

About Selenium

• Selenium is a natural element needed in small amounts for health.
• Harmful: If consumed in amounts just double what the body needs.
• Selenium occurs naturally in soil, affecting the selenium content in plant-based foods.

Selenium Pollution

• Selenium is a naturally occurring trace element that is nutritionally required in small amounts but it can become toxic at concentrations only twice those required. 
• Causes: Human activities like fossil fuel waste disposal and irrigation of selenium-rich soils.