Pilot Projects on Hydrogen Fuelled Buses and Trucks have been launched under National Green Hydrogen Mission

• Objective: development of commercially viable technologies for the utilization of hydrogen in the transport sector.
  • Other objectives include validating technical feasibility and economic viability, assess effectiveness of hydrogen refuelling station etc.

National Green Hydrogen Mission

• Objective: Make India a Global Hub for production, usage and export of Green Hydrogen and its derivatives.
• Target:  production of 5 MMT per annum of Green Hydrogen by 2030. 
• Ministry: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy

Two new species of jumping spiders have been discovered from Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary

Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary

• Location: Western Ghat, Kerala.
• It is part of Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve, owes its name to the endemic species, Gluta travancorica, locally known as "Chenkurinj.
  • It shares boundary with Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve and Nellai Wildlife Sanctuary of Tamil Nadu.
• Major rivers - Shendurney, Kazhuthurutty and Kulathupuzha.
• Forest Types:  Myristica swamp forest.
• Fauna: Elephant, Gaur, Sambar, Wild bear, Malabar giant squirrel, Nilgiri langur, Lion-Tailed  macaque

Recently Narwhal’s have been studied for the first time for their tusking behaviour.

About Narwhals

• Narwhals are known for their long tusk, which is actually a tooth.
• Males have a tusk while females do not, but there are variations. Some females may have a small tusk, some males may lack one, and some narwhals can even have two tusks.
  • Uses of Tusks: sensing salinity and water temperatures, hunting, adaptation to environmental changes
• Scientific Name: Monodon monoceros  (Meaning: whale with one tooth and one horn)
• Location: Arctic waters of Canada, Greenland, Norway and Russia. 
• IUCN Status: Least Concern
• Lifespan: Females(~100 years), Males(~84 years)
• Reproduction: Gestation Period (~13 to 16 months)

Some analysts suggest that Bengaluru’s tunnel road and double-decker road plans exemplifies Braesse's Paradox

About Braesse’s Paradox

• It states that adding extra capacity to a network when the moving entities selfishly choose their route, can in some cases reduce overall performance by drawing more traffic, ultimately undermining their intended benefits.
• It becomes important as various cities such a Kolkata and Bengaluru are facing critical problems of traffic congestion as per Tom Tom Traffic Index.
• Solution: 
  • Rethinking urban mobility strategy and Improving public transportation system
  • Promoting sustainable modes of transport like walking, cycling and public transit.

Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI) showcases a mobile PEMFC-based backup power solution for telecom towers 

About Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC)

• Working Principle: It Involves electrochemical reaction where hydrogen gas is fed into the anode, oxidized to release protons, which then travel through a polymer membrane to the cathode, where they react with oxygen to produce electricity and water.
• Significance 
  • Can act as an alternative to diesel generator (backup during grid outages)
  • Promote clean energy and reducing carbon footprints 
  • Eco-friendly: generates electricity with water vapor as the only by-product

US President announced creation of a Crypto Strategic Reserve.

About Crypto Strategic Reserve

• The crypto strategic reserve would be a national stockpile of digital assets created under a federal regulatory framework.
• Cryptocurrencies to be used as digital assets: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Solana, and Cardano.
• Significance: Similar to Strategic Petroleum Reserve, it would help diversify government holdings and hedge against financial risks.
• Concerns: Volatility of cryptocurrencies, Political misuse etc.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers prayers at Somnath temple.

About Somnath Temple

• Location: Prabhas Patan near Veraval in Saurashtra, Gujarat
• History: The temple, destroyed multiple times by invaders, first in 1297 by Mahmud of Ghazni.  
• Architecture: Present temple is in Chalukya style of Hindu temple architecture, last rebuilt in 1951.
• Religious Significance: 
  • First among the twelve jyotirlinga shrines of Lord Shiva.
  • Location: Triveni sangam (the confluence of three rivers — Kapila, Hiran and Sarasvati).

Recently, the trial incineration of 10 tonnes of waste linked to the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy commenced in Pithampur area of Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district.

• Bhopal Gas Tragedy involved a catastrophic leak of Methyl Isocyanate (MIC) gas from Union Carbide Facility. 
  • MIC is used as a chemical intermediate for production of carbamate pesticides and is extremely toxic to humans. 
• The waste includes contaminated soil from the defunct facility, reactor residues, Sevin (pesticide) residues, naphthol residues, and “semi-processed” waste.