World Meteorological Organisation and the U.K. Meteorological Office released WMO Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update 2025-2029.

Key highlights of the report

• Precipitation patterns show wetter than usual conditions across Asia, India and sub-Saharan Africa.
• 86% chance that at least one of the next five years will be more than 1.5°C above the 1850-1900 average.
• Large inter-annual variability of monsoon: South Asian region has been anomalously wet and the forecast suggests this will continue for the 2025-2029 period. 

Recently, Battery Aadhaar Initiative was launched under the Department of Science and Technology (DST) at the Battery Summit 2025.

• Tata Elxsi presented a technology demonstrator of battery aadhaar built on its MOBIUS+ platform which serves as a Digital Product Passport enabling real-time documentation of battery attributes.

About Battery Aadhaar Initiative

• Under this, each battery pack would be assigned a unique digital identity.
• Benefits: 
  • Tracking of manufacturing origin, battery chemistry, safety certifications, and lifecycle performance. 
  • Monitoring critical parameters (e.g., charge-discharge cycles) facilitating predictive maintenance and efficient recycling. 
  • Act as a regulatory tool to curb the spread of counterfeit products, boost consumer confidence, and support circular economy initiatives. 

India and Germany celebrate 25 years of strategic partnership.

About India and Germany Relations

• Diplomatic Ties: India was among the first to establish relations with post-WWI Germany.
• Strategic Partnership: Since 2000.
• Economic Relations: Germany is India’s largest trading partner in Europe.
  • Green Development: Germany pledged €10 billion in loans and grants to support India’s green transition through the Indo-German Green and Sustainable Development Partnership (GSDP)
• Global Cooperation: Joint support for UN Security Council reform under G4 framework

The Kumbakonam vetrilai or betel leaf or paan leaf was recently granted a Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the Government of India, recognising its regional uniqueness and cultural significance.

• Uttar Pradesh is the leading state with the highest number of GI-tagged products followed by Tamil Nadu. (as of April 2025)

About Kumbakonam vetrilai

• Grown in: Predominantly grown in Kumbakonam area in Thanjavur’s fertile Cauvery river basin, giving it a unique taste and aroma. 
• Characteristics: The dark to light green, oblong heart-shaped leaves with a pungent taste.
• Betel leaves aid digestion and are rich in antioxidants. 
• High in chavicol, an anti-inflammatory compound that fights oxidative stress, common in conditions like diabetes.

Recently, the TCS Chairman highlighted the future prospects of rise of ‘dark factories’ in IT and business services.

About Dark Factories

• Also known as lights-out factories, fully automated facilities where robots, AI-driven systems, and IoT (Internet of Things) devices handle all production processes.
• They are designed to operate 24/7 without human intervention. E.g. Fanuc (Japan), Siemens (Germany)
• Advantages: Increased efficiency, cost reduction, improved scalability, tackles issues related to labour like shortages, workplace safety.
• Challenges: High initial and maintenance costs, lack of flexibility, job losses, potential technical failures disrupting production processes, cybersecurity risks. 

The intense storm that hit Delhi recently took an unusual shape resembling a crescent or an archer’s bow, called “bow echoes”.

About Bow echo

• It is a radar signature of a high wind-driven storm front which forms due to strong winds pushing the centre of the storm line forward, indicating intense straight-line winds.
• It is essentially a line of storms, also called a squall line, on the radar that looks like a bow. 
• It usually arises from a cluster of storms, but may also begin from just a single supercell thunderstorm.
• A bow echo can extend from 20 km to 100 km, and last between three and six hours.
• Meteorologists track bow echoes because they are often a precursor to more destructive windstorm

The Uttar Pradesh government plans to export Kalanamak rice; also known as ‘Buddha rice’ to countries with majority Buddhist populations.

About Kalanamak rice (GI Tag, 2013)

• Traditional non-basmati aromatic variety: It is known for its nutritional richness.
• Grown in eastern Uttar Pradesh, particularly in Siddharthnagar, as an ODOP (one district one product) item.
• Featured in specialty rice of the world by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. 
• Kalanamak Rice has been in cultivation since the Buddhist period (600 BC) and grains were found from excavation of Aligarhwa.  

A total of 139 distinguished persons (71 during 1st civil investiture ceremony in April and 68 in 2nd ceremony in May) were honored with the Padma Awards by the President.

About Padma Awards

• They are one of the highest civilian honors of India.
• It does not amount to a title and cannot be used as a suffix or prefix to the awardees’ name.
• Instituted in 1954, announced every year on the eve of Republic Day except for interruption(s) during years 1978, 1979, and 1993-1997.
• Includes 3 categories:
  • Padma Vibhushan: For exceptional and distinguished service;
  • Padma Bhushan: For distinguished service of a high order; 
  • Padma Shri: For distinguished service.
• Eligibility: All persons (not eligible: Government servants including those working with PSUs, except doctors and scientists.)
• Awards recommended by Padma Awards Committee, constituted by the PM every year. 
• Total number of awards: not more than 120 (excluding posthumous awards and to NRI/foreigners/OCIs).