Himalayan hill stations remain snowless due to feeble Western Disturbances.

About Western Disturbances

• Extra-tropical cyclones originating over east Mediterranean Sea and travelling eastwards across West Asia, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan reaching northwestern India. 
• They are embedded within subtropical westerly jet stream lying over Himalayan and Tibetan highlands.
• On their way, moisture content gets augmented from Caspian Sea in north and Persian Gulf in south.
• Amount of precipitation decreases from west to east in plains and from north to south in mountains.
• Causes rainfall in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh, highly beneficial for rabi crops. 

The Kerala government has officially renamed the Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary as the Aralam Butterfly Sanctuary.

About the Aralam Butterfly Sanctuary 

• Geography: Nestled on the western slopes of the Western Ghats.
• Boundaries: It is contiguous with the Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary (Karnataka) to the north and the forests of Wayanad to the south.
• River System: Drained by the Cheenkannipuzha, a major tributary of the Valapattanam River.
• Biodiversity: Critical habitat for over 250 species of butterflies, including the endemic Malabar Rose and the Southern Birdwing (India's largest butterfly).
• Fauna:  Elephant, Gaur, Panther, Tiger, Sambar, Wild Boar etc.

Recently, a joint Military Civil Fusion (MCF) exercise, Sanjha Shakti was successfully conducted in Pune.

About Sanjha Shakti

• The exercise highlighted seamless coordination and joint preparedness among civil and military agencies to address complex security challenges and emergency situations.
• Indian Army and 16 key civilian agencies including Maharashtra Police, Force One and Fire Fighting Departments participated in the exercise. 

ISRO's Aditya-L1 decoded the Impact of Powerful Solar Storm on Earth’s Invisible Magnetic Shield. 

• Aditya L-1 is the first space based Indian mission to study Sun, launched by PSLV-C57 in 2023, placed in halo orbit around Lagrange point 1 (L1). 

Key Findings

• Storm was caused by massive eruption of solar plasma material from Sun with most severe effects occurring during turbulent region of storm. 
• These region strongly compressed Earth’s magnetic field, and exposed some satellites in geostationary orbit to harsh space conditions. 
• Significance: Shows the importance of understanding space weather. 
  • Space weather is a conditions caused by transient activity on Sun, like solar plasma eruptions, which can affect satellites, communication, etc. 

The NFCSF has sought urgent government intervention to address financial stress in the sugar industry caused by declining sugar prices.

About National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Limited (NFCSF)

• Established: 1960.
• Role: The apex body for the cooperative sugar sector in India.
• Reach: It represents over 260 cooperative sugar factories and 9 state federations, directly impacting the livelihoods of nearly 5 crore farmers.
• Federation participates in sugar policy formulation at national and state level and helps set agenda for the development and growth of the sector in India.

ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) issued an Expression of Interest for manufacturing two sets of Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS-1) structure.

About BAS

• India's planned space station for scientific research and orbiting Indian human spaceflight platform in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). 
• Timeline: Development and launch of first module i.e. Base module (BAS-01) by 2028 and fully operational BAS with five modules by 2035.
  • BAS-1 is included in the revised scope of Gaganyaan Programme. 
• Significance: Microgravity based scientific research & technology development, encourage innovations, industrial participation and economic activity in human space programme. 

IIT Madras research reveals that elevated aerosol concentrations are associated with thicker fog and larger droplets near the fog top.

• Research is based on 15 years of CALIPSO satellite data.

Key Findings: Aerosols and Winter Fog

• Vertical Mechanism: Aerosols induce vertical mixing through latent heat release, lifting fog tops to heights of 400-600m and significantly delaying dissipation.
• Feedback Loop: Aerosol thickening mechanism traps pollutants closer to the surface, creating a vicious cycle that severely worsens air quality.
• Significance: The study highlights that reducing aerosol emissions is critical to mitigating the socio-economic disruptions caused by persistent winter fog.

The Bhadrakali inscription serves as a vital 12th-century epigraphic record that authenticates the historical and architectural evolution of the Somnath Temple under the patronage of the Solanki dynasty.

About the Bhadrakali Inscription

• Location:  Situated at Prabhas Patan, Gujarat, this 1169 CE inscription is embedded  in the wall of the ancient Bhadrakali Temple.
• Context: It serves as a prashasti (eulogy) for Acharya Bhavabrihaspati, the spiritual preceptor of the Solanki (Chaulukya) King Kumarapala.
• Chronology: The record provides a legendary history of the Somnath Temple across the four Yugas, mentioning its construction in gold, silver, wood, and finally stone by Bhimdev Solanki.
• Patronage:  It highlights the role of the Solanki dynasty in the temple’s revival, specifically Kumarapala’s efforts in the 12th century.