India Reaffirms Commitment to Buddha’s Teachings at UN Vesak Day-2025 in Vietnam.
About Vesak Day

• Vesak, also known as Buddha Purnima, is observed on the full moon day in the month of May. 
• It is the most sacred day for millions of Buddhists around the world.
• Significance: It marks three major events in the life of Gautama Buddha, all of which occurred on the same day:
  • Birth of the Buddha – 563 B.C.
  • Enlightenment (Nirvana)
  • Passing away (Mahaparinirvana) at the age of 80 (483 B.C.).
• In 1999, the UN General Assembly recognized Vesak as an international day to honor Buddhism.

Researchers developed a cost-effective, metal-free porous organic catalyst for efficient H₂ production.

• The catalyst harnesses mechanical energy through piezocatalysis, using piezoelectric materials to generate charge carriers for water splitting.

About Piezoelectric Effect

• Piezoelectric Effect is the ability of certain materials to generate an electric charge in response to applied mechanical stress.
• The word Piezoelectric is derived from “piezo”, which is Greek for “push”.
• The piezoelectric effect is reversible: Materials generating electricity under stress also generate stress when exposed to an electric field.
• Piezoelectric Materials: Berlinite, cane sugar, quartz, Rochelle salt, topaz, and bone 

Kozhikode city has been honoured with a membership in the WHO’s GNAFCC.

About GNAFCC

• Established: 2010 
• Members: 1300 members from 51 countries.
• Aim: To connect cities, communities and organizations worldwide with the common vision of making their communities great places to grow older in.
• Objectives:
  • Inspire change by showing what can be done and how.
  • Connect cities and communities worldwide to facilitate the exchange of information, knowledge and experience.
  • Support cities and communities to find appropriate innovative and evidence-based solutions.

Thrissur Pooram festival began at Vadakkumnathan temple in Kerala .

• Vadakumnathan, a Shiva temple, ishonoured with the UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Award for Cultural heritage Conservation in 2015.

About Thrissur Pooram Festival

• Celebrated in the Malayalam month of Medom (April-May).
• Considered to be the ‘Mother of all Poorams’. 
• It is a  grand assembly of Gods and Goddesses who make their visit to Vadakumnathan Temple premises on caparisoned elephants accompanied by grand ensembles of Chenda Melam and Pancha Vadyam (musical instruments and orchestra). 

NAI has digitised more than 10 crore pages of historic documents.

About NAI

• Genesis: 1891 at Calcutta (Kolkata) as the Imperial Records Department.
• Ministry: Attached office of Ministry of Culture.
• Present Location: New Delhi (One Regional office: Bhopal; Three Records Centres: Bhubaneswar, Jaipur and Puducherry). 
• Purpose: Custodian of the records of enduring value including public records, private papers, oriental records, cartographic records and microfilms, etc. 
• Headed by: Director General of Archives for the implementation of Public Records Act, 1993 and Public Records Rules, 1997. 

Recently, a team of International scientists mapped the genome of the Saola, often called the "Asian unicorn.”

About Saola

• Habitat and Distribution: Mist-covered evergreen forests of the Annamite Mountains along the Vietnam–Laos border.
• Features: Two parallel horns with sharp ends (20 inches long on both male and female), cousin of cattle, resemble an antelope.
  • White markings on face and large glands on the muzzle probably to mark their territory or attract mates. 
• Conservation Status: IUCN (Critically Endangered). 

The Indian Navy and DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) successfully tested the indigenously developed MIGM.

About MIGM

• Advanced underwater naval mine designed to enhance the Indian Navy’s capabilities against modern stealth ships and submarines.
• Designed and Developed by: Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL) under DRDO. 
• Features:
  • It uses multiple sensors to detect acoustic, magnetic, and pressure signals from marine vessels.
  • It has built-in electronics with processors to process data and trigger appropriate actions.
  • It is deployable from ships, submarines etc.

Recently, the USA President instructed the rebuilding and reopening of the infamous Alcatraz prison, on Alcatraz Island to house ruthless and violent offenders. 

About Alcatraz Island

• Location: San Francisco Bay, California, USA.
• Features: Small barren island (also called as “the rock”) once used as a fort, a military prison, and later, a high-security federal prison.
  • Sanctuary for seabirds including cormorants, western gulls, and faunal species like deer mice and slender salamanders, etc. 
  • Currently, a popular tourist destination, recognised as a National Historic Landmark.