Dhansiri River Latest News

Environmentalists recently raised concerns with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) over alleged hazardous effluent discharge from Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) into the Dhansiri River, warning of severe ecological damage.

About Dhansiri River

• Dhansiri is the main river of Golaghat District of Assam and the Dimapur District of Nagaland. 
• It forms an important tributary to the Brahmaputra River. 
• Course:
  • It originates from Laisang Peak of Nagaland. 
  • For the first 40 km from its source, the river flows in a northwesterly direction, and thereafter it flows northeast for about 76 km up to Dimapur. 
  • Beyond Dimapur, the direction of flow is generally northerly up to Golaghat, where the river takes an abrupt turn towards the northwest and ultimately joins the Brahmaputra at Dhansirimukh, Assam.
• The total lengthof the river from its source to outfall is approximately 352 km.
• Its total catchment area is 1,220 sq.km.
• It flows through the Nagaland -Assam border harbouring rich flora and fauna. On one side is the Dhansiri Reserved Forest, and on the other is Intanki National Park.

Dhansiri River FAQs

Q1. Where does the Dhansiri River originate from?

Ans. Laisang peak of Nagaland 

Q2. Is dhansiri a left or right bank tributary of brahmaputra river?

Ans. Dhansiri is the left-bank tributary of the Brahmaputra river. 

Q3. What is the total length of the Dhansiri River?

Ans. 352 km

Source: NIE

Heard & Mcdonald Islands Latest News

The US President imposed a 10% tariff on imports from the Heard and McDonald Islands, despite the islands having no known exports to the US.

About Heard and McDonald Islands

• The Heard and McDonald Islands are a remote sub-Antarctic volcanic island group located in the southern Indian Ocean, about 4,100 km southwest of Perth (Australia) and 1,600 km north of Antarctica.
• They are one of Australia’s seven external territories and are governed directly by the Australian government.
• The islands are volcanic in origin, with the Big Ben volcano on Heard Island reaching 2,745 meters (Mawson Peak), making it Australia's highest mountain outside mainland and Tasmania.
• McDonald Island is much smaller but has shown recent volcanic activity, with eruptions in the late 1990s and 2000s doubling its size.
• They are the only volcanically active sub-Antarctic islands, making them a natural laboratory for studying earth's crustal processes, oceanic and atmospheric warming, and glacial dynamics.
• The islands are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site (since 1997) due to their pristine sub-Antarctic ecosystem, managed as a strict nature reserve (IUCN Category Ia).
• They support large populations of marine birds and mammals, including penguins, elephant seals, and seabirds.
• Importantly, the islands are free of invasive species, making them ideal for biodiversity and evolutionary studies.

Heard & Mcdonald Islands FAQs

Q1. Where are the Heard and McDonald Islands located?
Ans. These islands are located in the southern Indian Ocean, around 4,000 km southwest of Australia and are Australian external territories.

Q2. Why are Heard and McDonald Islands significant?
Ans. They are among the most remote and uninhabited volcanic islands in the world, with active volcanic activity on Big Ben (Heard Island’s volcano).

Q3. Are the Heard and McDonald Islands inhabited?
Ans. No, these islands are completely uninhabited, except for occasional research missions.

Q4. What is the environmental significance of these islands?
Ans. They are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to rare wildlife like penguins, seals, and seabirds, and have pristine ecosystems.

Source: IE

Thailand Latest News

The recent visit of the Indian Prime Minister to Thailand has strengthened bilateral ties through multiple agreements and partnerships.

Thailand's Geographical and Political Significance

• Location: Centrally positioned in Mainland Southeast Asia, serving as a land and maritime bridge between India and ASEAN countries.
• Land Borders: Shares boundaries with Myanmar (NW), Laos (NE), Cambodia (E), and Malaysia (S).
• Water Bodies: Bordered by Andaman Sea (SW) and Gulf of Thailand (S) critical for Blue Economy and Maritime Security in Indo-Pacific.
• Capital: Bangkok
• Currency: Thai Baht (THB)
• Official Language: Thai
• Religion: Theravada Buddhism is practiced by 95% of the population.
• Thailand is a key pillar in India’s Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific Vision.

Geography of Thailand

• Mountains:
  • Highest Peak: Doi Inthanon (Approx. 2,565 m)
  • Other notable peaks: Doi Chiang Dao, Doi Luang Chiang Dao
• Major Rivers:
  • Chao Phraya River: Flows through Bangkok, crucial for transportation and irrigation.
  • Mekong River: Forms a natural border with Laos; one of the longest rivers in Southeast Asia.
  • Other Rivers: Mae Klong, Nan, Ping
• Climate: Influenced by Southwest and Northeast Monsoons
  • The Tropical Wet and Dry (Savanna) Climate (Köppen’s classification) dominates most areas.
  • Tropical Monsoon Climate in the south and east; some areas also have a Tropical Rainforest Climate.
• Natural Resources of Thailand:
  • Major Resources: Rubber, Rice, Tin, Natural Gas, Timber, Tungsten, Tantalum
  • Thailand is a leading global exporter of rubber, fruits, vegetables, and rice.
  • Other resources include lead, fish, gypsum, fluorite, and lignite.
• World Heritage Sites in Thailand;
  • Historic City of Ayutthaya
  • Sukhothai Historical Park
  • Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha) – iconic Buddhist temple in Bangkok

Thailand FAQs

Q1. Where is Thailand located?
Ans. Thailand is a Southeast Asian country, sharing borders with Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Malaysia, and has a coastline along the Andaman Sea and Gulf of Thailand.

Q2. What type of government does Thailand have?
Ans. Thailand is a constitutional monarchy with a king as the head of state and a democratically elected government.

Q3. What are Thailand’s major exports?
Ans. Thailand exports electronics, automobiles, rice, rubber, seafood, and textiles, making it one of Asia’s largest economies.

Q4. What is India’s relationship with Thailand?
Ans. India and Thailand have strong ties through ASEAN, BIMSTEC, Act East Policy, and maritime cooperation, with trade agreements and tourism partnerships.

Source: PIB

Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite Latest News

Using the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), an international team of astronomers recently detected a new warm Jupiter exoplanet located more than 1,000 light years away.

About Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite

• TESS is a NASA mission that was launched in March 2018.
• It is a small space telescope designed to discover thousands of exoplanets in orbit around the brightest dwarf stars in the sky.
• It is a follow-up to NASA's highly successful Kepler space telescope, which found thousands of exoplanets during a decade of work after its launch in 2009.
• In its prime mission, a two-year survey of the solar neighborhood, TESS monitored the brightness of stars for periodic drops caused by planet transits. 
  • This method reveals the diameter of the planet and the size of its orbit. 
  • Orbits within a certain range lie in the “habitable zone”, where liquid water can exist on the surface of an Earth-like world. 
• The prime mission ended on July 4, 2020, and TESS is now in an extended mission. 
• TESS is finding planets ranging from small, rocky worlds to giant planets, showcasing the diversity of planets in the galaxy.
• TESS finished its primary mission by imaging about 75% of the starry sky as part of a two-year-long survey. In capturing this giant mosaic, TESS found 66 new exoplanets.

Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite FAQs

Q1. What is the purpose of the transiting exoplanet survey satellite?

Ans. To discover exoplanets around the brightest stars.

Q2. Which earlier NASA mission did TESS succeed?

Ans. Kepler

Q3. What does TESS measure to identify the presence of an exoplanet?

Ans. Periodic dips in a star’s brightness.

Source: PHYS

Seaweed Latest News

Seaweed farming is gaining global recognition as a sustainable and profitable industry.

Why in the News?

• The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) aims to boost India's seaweed production to 1.12 million tonnes over five years.
• The $5.6 billion global seaweed industry is expanding rapidly, with India's contribution increasing steadily.

What is Seaweed?

• Seaweed is a marine plant that grows in oceans and seas.
• It is nutrient-dense, containing 54 trace elements, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
• It helps combat cancer, diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, and high blood pressure while also boosting immunity.
• Unlike traditional crops, seaweed does not require land, freshwater, fertilizers, or pesticides, making it an eco-friendly and sustainable agricultural resource.
• Microscopic seaweeds, such as phytoplankton, form the foundation of marine food chains and play a key role in oceanic primary productivity.
• Large seaweeds, like giant kelp, create dense underwater forests that serve as biodiversity hotspots, offering shelter and food to a variety of species.
• Seaweeds contribute to oxygen generation and carbon sequestration, playing a significant role in climate regulation.

Seaweed FAQs

Q1. What is seaweed?
Ans. Seaweed is a marine algae found in oceans, classified into three types: red, green, and brown algae, and is used in food, medicine, and biofuel.

Q2. Why is seaweed cultivation important?
Ans. Seaweed absorbs carbon dioxide, improves marine biodiversity, and is a sustainable resource for industries like food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.

Q3. What are the economic benefits of seaweed farming?
Ans. It provides livelihood opportunities, is used in fertilizers, animal feed, and biofuels, and boosts marine-based economies.

Q4. How does seaweed help in climate change mitigation?
Ans. Seaweed captures CO₂, reduces ocean acidification, and can be used in carbon sequestration projects to combat global warming.

Source: PIB

Mount Marapi Latest News

Indonesia's Mount Marapi erupted recently, sending a column of ash 1.5km (4,900ft) above its peak.

About Mount Marapi

• It is an active volcano located in the Padang Highlands of western Sumatra, Indonesia. 
• It is a stratovolcano composed of layers of hardened lava, ash, and rocks from previous eruptions. 
• It is part of the Ring of Fire—a long, horseshoe-shaped, seismically active belt that rings the Pacific Ocean. 
• The highest peak among several volcanoes in the highlands, Mount Marapi rises to 9,485 feet (2,891 meters) above sea level. 
• Its summit contains the Bancah caldera—which has a diameter of 0.9 mile (1.4 km)—and is characterized by a series of overlapping craters. 
• Thevolcano’s deadliest single event, which resulted in the deaths of 60 people, came in 1979 after heavy rains saturated a region of loose ash (called a lahar) on the slopes that was left over from an earlier eruption.
• It is often confused with a similar active volcano called Mount Merapi, which is located near the center of the island of Java, Indonesia.

Mount Marapi FAQs

Q1. Where is Mount Marapi located?

Ans. Mount Marapi is located in West Sumatra, Indonesia. 

Q2. What type of volcano is Mount Marapi?

Ans. Stratovolcano

Q3. What is the name of the caldera at Mount Marapi’s summit?

Ans. Bancah Caldera

Source: BBC

Artificial Rains Latest News

Delhi’s Environment Minister recently chaired a meeting with key government agencies to explore the feasibility of artificial rain through cloud seeding.

About Artificial Rains

• Artificial rain refers to the process of inducing precipitation through cloud seeding, a weather modification technique.
• It is primarily used to enhance rainfall, combat drought conditions, and reduce air pollution.

How Does It Work?

• The method involves dispersing chemicals like silver iodide, potassium iodide, and dry ice into clouds to encourage the formation of raindrops using aircraft or helicopters.
• These chemicals act as nuclei around which water vapour condenses to form larger droplets, eventually leading to rainfall.
• The success of cloud seeding depends on the presence of sufficient moisture and appropriate atmospheric conditions.

Types of Cloud Seeding

• Hygroscopic Cloud Seeding: Accelerates the merging of droplets in liquid clouds, making them large enough to fall as rain.
• Glaciogenic Cloud Seeding: Introduces ice-forming agents into supercooled clouds, converting water vapour into ice crystals, which then melt into rain.

Alternative Technologies

• Static artificial rain-inducing system: Uses natural ionisation technology to stimulate precipitation.
• Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI): A form of solar geoengineering, inspired by volcanic eruptions, where aerosols like sulphur dioxide or other reflective particles are injected into the atmosphere to cool the planet and reduce smog.
• Diamond dust experiment: Scientists have explored using diamond dust as a non-toxic, long-lasting alternative to sulphur-based aerosols for climate cooling. However, the high cost ($175 trillion) makes it unfeasible.

Artificial Rains FAQs

Q1. What is artificial rain?
Ans. Artificial rain is man-made precipitation induced using cloud seeding techniques, involving chemicals like silver iodide, potassium chloride, or dry ice.

Q2. How does cloud seeding work?
Ans. Small particles are dispersed into moist clouds, acting as nuclei for water droplets to form and trigger rainfall.

Q3. What are the uses of artificial rain?
Ans. It is used for drought relief, improving water availability, controlling pollution, and reducing heat waves in urban areas.

Source: IE

Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary Latest News

Delhi’s forest and wildlife department is set to install 45 motion-based camera traps across the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary in the coming weeks, in order to collect data on wildlife at the park.

About Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is located in the South Delhi Ridge of the Aravalli hill range on the Delhi-Haryana border, located in southern Delhi. 
• The sanctuary is part of the Southern Ridge and has biodiversity significance as it merges with the Indo-Gangetic Plain.
• It is an important part of the North Aravalli Leopard Wildlife Corridor,which starts from Sariska National Park in Rajasthan, passes through various districts of Haryana, and finally meets the Delhi Ridge. 
• Vegetation:
  • As per Champion & Seth (1968), the vegetation falls under the Northern Tropical Thorn Forests type.
  • The native plants exhibit xerophytic adaptations such as thorny appendages, wax-coated, succulent, and tomentose leaves. 
• Flora: The sanctuary’s flora includes trees like the Neem, Peepal, and Jamun. 
• Fauna:
  • The sanctuary is also home to mammals like the Nilgai, Indian Porcupine, Indian Hare, and Indian Grey Mongoose.
  • The sanctuary has over 200 species of birds, including the Indian Peafowl, Red Junglefowl, and the Indian Grey Hornbill. 

Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary FAQs

Q1. Where is Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary located?

Ans. South Delhi Ridge, Delhi-Haryana Border

Q2. Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary plays a crucial role in which wildlife corridor?

Ans. North Aravalli Leopard Wildlife Corridor

Q3. What type of vegetation is found in Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary as per Champion & Seth (1968) classification?

Ans. Northern Tropical Thorn Forests

Source: HT

Kannadippaya Latest News

Kannadippaya, a traditional tribal handicraft from Kerala, has been awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

What is Kannadippaya?

• "Kannadippaya" (meaning ‘mirror mat’) originates from its distinct reflective design.
• It is woven using reed bamboo’s soft inner layers, which give it remarkable thermal properties—it provides warmth in winter and a cooling effect in summer.
• It is primarily crafted by tribal communities such as the Oorali, Mannan, Muthuva, Malayan, and Kadar tribes, along with Ulladan, Malayarayan, and Hill Pulaya artisans in the Idukki, Thrissur, Ernakulam, and Palakkad districts.
• The finest Kannadippaya is made from Teinostachyum wightii, locally known by various names such as Njoonjileetta, Njoojoora, Ponneetta, Meieeta, and Neytheetta.
• Other bamboo species, like Ochlandra sp. (locally called Kareetta, Pereetta, Velleeta, Chitoora, and Kanjoora), are also used.
• Kannadippaya is the first tribal handicraft from Kerala to receive a GI tag.

Kannadippaya FAQs

Q1. What is Kannadippaya?
Ans. Kannadippaya is a traditional handwoven mat made from screw pine leaves in Kerala, India. It is a significant part of Kerala’s handicrafts and cultural heritage.

Q2. Where is Kannadippaya primarily made?
Ans. Kannadippaya is mainly produced in Kerala, particularly in coastal regions where screw pine plants grow abundantly.

Q3. What are the uses of Kannadippaya?
Ans. It is used as a sleeping mat, floor covering, and decorative piece, and is also woven into eco-friendly bags and household items.

Q4. Why is Kannadippaya considered an eco-friendly product?
Ans. It is made from natural materials, involves zero synthetic components, and is biodegradable, making it environmentally friendly.

Source: TH

Exercise INDRA Latest News

India and Russia have commenced a six-day naval exercise, 'Indra', off the coast of Chennai, involving sophisticated maritime drills and live weapon firings.

About Exercise INDRA

• It is an India - Russia bilateral naval exercise.
• Since its inception in 2003, Exercise Indra has epitomised the long-term strategic relationship between the Indian and Russian navies.
• The exercise has evolved into a symbol of maritime cooperation, showcasing the two nations' commitment to enhancing naval interoperability and operational synergy. 

INDRA 2025

• It is the 14th edition of the exercise.
• The exercise is being conducted in two phases: Harbour phase at Chennai and Sea phase in the Bay of Bengal.
• The Harbour Phase included an opening ceremony, Subject Matter Expert Exchanges (SMEEs), reciprocal visits, sports fixtures, and pre-sail briefings between personnel from both navies.
• The sea phase of the exercise will witness advanced naval drills, including tactical manoeuvres, live weapon firings, anti-air operations, underway replenishment, helicopter cross-deck landings, and exchange of sea riders.
• It is witnessing participation of Russian naval ships -- Pechanga, Rezkiy, and Aldar Tsydenzhapov. 
• The Indian Navy has deployed its warships Rana, Kuthar, and maritime patrol aircraft P8l.

Exercise INDRA FAQs

Q1. What is Exercise INDRA?

Ans. A bilateral naval exercise between India and Russia

Q2. When was Exercise INDRA first conducted?

Ans. 2003

Q3. What is the main objective of Exercise INDRA?

Ans. To enhance naval interoperability and operational synergy between India and Russia.

Source: ET