A study found that the Himalayan monal is changing its calls because tourism and traffic are making its surroundings noisier.

About Himalayan monal (Lophophorus impejanus)

• It is a bird in the pheasant family, Phasianidae.

• Geographical distribution: In India they are found in Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
  • It is the state bird of Uttarakhand.
• Habitat: Temperate and subalpine oak, deodar, coniferous and rhododendron forests with montane bamboo and grassy glades.
• It plays an important role as bio-indicators because of their vulnerability to human exploitation, sensitivity to habitat degradation.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Status: Least Concern
  • Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I

The environment ministry has proposed framing new rules to curb stubble burning.

• Once finalised it will be applicable in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and National Capital Region (NCR) of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

Key highlight

• A farmland where stubble burning takes place would be placed under a "red category" for 15 months from the date of the incident. 
  • Land carrying a “red entry” may potentially become ineligible for certain government schemes.
• A fine of ₹5,000 for agricultural land below two acres, ₹10,000 for land measuring between two and five acres, and ₹30,000 for land exceeding five acres.

National Statistical Office (NSO) released district-level labour market indicators for the first time.

Key-findings

• In the age group 15 years and above, among the 100 most populous districts-
  • Surat (Gujarat) recorded the highest Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) and Worker Population Ratio (WPR), while Darbhanga (Bihar) recorded the lowest.
    • LFPR is defined as the percentage of persons in the labour force in the population.
    • WPR is defined as the percentage of employed persons in the population.
• More than 75% of districts have Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET) rates under 30%.
  • NEET is defined as the percentage of persons who are not in employment, education or training during the reference period in the population. 

Karnataka cabinet approved Tulu as second official language for administrative use in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.

• Under Article 345 the legislature of a State may by law adopt any one or more of the languages in use to be used for official purposes of that State.

About Tulu 

• It is the mother tongue of the Tuluva people, an ethnolinguistic group that also forms a large part of the Mangalorean community.
• It is also spoken in parts of Kasaragod district in Kerala.
• It is considered a member of the South Dravidian group, along with languages like Kodava.
• The Tulu vocabulary is rich and has absorbed elements from languages like Sanskrit, Arabic, Portuguese, and Kannada due to trade, religious practices, and cultural exchanges over the centuries.

MG Hector Tomahawk is recognized as the first mainstream plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) launched in India.

About PHEV

• It uses batteries to power an electric motor, as well as another fuel, such as gasoline or diesel, to power an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) or other propulsion source.
• The batteries can be charged using a wall outlet or charging equipment, by the ICE, or through regenerative braking
• They generally run on electric power first and automatically switch to the ICE when the battery is depleted.
• How are PHEVs different from conventional HEVs?
  • PHEVs offer external battery charging, unlike HEVs.
  • They have a larger battery and longer electric-only range.
  • They are generally more expensive than conventional HEVs.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has found a massive, recently formed crater named McGetchin Crater on the Moon.

About McGetchin crater

• It is named McGetchin in honor of the pioneering lunar scientist Tom McGetchin.
• It is believed to have been created in the spring of 2024 from a comet or asteroid colliding with the Moon.
• It is the largest newly formed crater ever observed anywhere in the solar system during modern observation, representing a rare "once-in-a-century" event.

India has relaxed the sugar stockholding limit for bulk consumers.

• It has been from 15 days to 30 days, provided the stock beyond 15 days is sourced exclusively from imports under the Advance Authorisation Scheme (AAS) and Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ).
  • TRQ is a mechanism that allows a set quantity of specific products to be imported.

About Advance Authorisation Scheme (AAS)

• It allows duty free import of inputs, which are physically incorporated in an export product.
• Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) implements Advance Authorisation Scheme under the Foreign Trade Policy.
• Advance Authorization is valid for 12 months from the date of issue of such Authorization.

Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) has climbed to 37th place in the latest Global Financial Centres Index.

• GIFT City was established as a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in 2015. 
• It is designated as a non-resident zone under Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

About the Global Financial Centres Index.

• It provides rankings and evaluations of the future competitiveness of financial centres worldwide.
  • The index provides rankings for 117 financial centres.
• It is published by Z/Yen Partners in collaboration with the China Development Institute (CDI).

Other Indian centres: Mumbai (49) and Delhi (56)