Current Context : Himachal Pradesh urged the Union Ministry of Railways to consider running the historic Kalka-Shimla heritage rail line on green hydrogen.

Objective: Aligns with the state’s vision to become a “Green Energy State” by March 31, 2026, aiming to reduce carbon emissions and support India’s climate commitments.

Green Energy Initiatives:

• Six-Pronged Strategy: Himachal Pradesh is implementing a six-point plan to transition to certified green energy.
• Green Panchayat Scheme:500 KW solar plants are being installed at the panchayat level, with income directed toward sustainable development.
• Green Hydrogen Production: The first facility in partnership with Oil India Limited (OIL) is under development, with ongoing discussions with private investors for more projects.

About Toy Train

• Historical Significance: Built in 1903 during British rule to connect Kalka with Shimla, the summer capital of British India.
• UNESCO World Heritage: Designated as a World Heritage Site in 2008 for its historical and cultural importance.
• Route and Distance: Covers 96.6 km from Kalka to Shimla; famous for scenic views through mountains and valleys.

Current Context : The Durgesh Aranya Zoological Park, located in Bankhandi in Kangra district, is set to become a key development in India’s wildlife conservation. It will be the first zoo in India to receive certification from the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC).

About Durgesh Aranya Zoological Park

• Location: Bankhandi, Dehra constituency, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh.
• Significance: India’s first zoo to get Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) certification, highlighting its eco-friendly design and sustainability focus.
• Features: Includes 34 enclosures for 73 species (e.g., Asiatic lions, hog deer, crocodiles). Plans include specialized attractions like a nocturnal house and aviary.
• Budget : ₹619 crore, part of Himachal Pradesh’s push for eco-tourism and local employment​

Indian Green Building Council (IGBC)

• Established : in 2001, under the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
• Role: Premier certification body for green buildings in India; promotes green rating systems, certification services, and training.
• Global Involvement: IGBC is on the World Green Building Council board, representing India in international sustainability forums like COP.

Certification Areas: Ratings consider energy and water efficiency, sanitation, health, innovation, and sustainability measures.

Current Context : Recently, Scientists discovered an ancient Mayan city hidden in the dense Mexican jungle using LiDAR technology, which helped reveal buried structures beneath the thick vegetation.

What is LiDAR?: A remote sensing method using laser pulses to measure distances, typically from an aircraft to Earth’s surface.

Data Precision: Creates 3D ground models with up to 10 cm accuracy in elevation.

How LiDAR Works

• Components : Includes a laser, scanner, and GPS receiver.
• Process : Emits laser pulses that reflect off surfaces. Return time helps calculate distance, creating elevation maps.
• Point Cloud : Initial data is a “point cloud” with all reflections; refined to “bare earth” models to exclude vegetation and structures.

Applications

• Geography & Conservation: Used to study Earth’s surface details for environmental and engineering projects.
• Archaeology: Useful in discovering ancient sites hidden under dense landscapes, as with the Mayan city.

Current Context : Recently, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu launched the Deepam 2.0 scheme in Edupuram, Srikakulam.

• Aim : it provides clean cooking energy by offering three free LPG cylinders per year to economically weaker households.
• Objective : Reduces pollution and health risks by shifting from traditional cooking methods to LPG, supporting better living conditions for low-income families.
• Implementation : Beneficiaries pay upfront, and the state government reimburses the cost (₹876 per cylinder) within 48 hours. The central government also contributes a small subsidy.

Current Context : Bibek Debroy, a leading economist and Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council (EAC-PM) recently passed away.

About the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM)

• It is an Independent advisory body providing insights on economic and policy issues directly to the Prime Minister.
• Analyzes economic issues of national importance and suggests solutions.

Functions:

• Offers advice on economic topics referred by the Prime Minister.
• Discusses and provides recommendations on broader macroeconomic matters, either on request or proactively.
• Its recommendations are non-binding but aim to guide government policies.

Structure:

• Led by a Chairperson with prominent economists as members.
• Supported by officials and administrative staff, with no fixed number of members.
• Frequently reconstituted based on expertise needs, often led by economists of high international standing.

NITI Aayog acts as the nodal agency for its operations, including logistics and budgeting.

Current Context : Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched India’s first analogue space mission in Leh, marking a major step in preparing for future human space exploration.

What is an Analogue Space Mission?

• Analogue space missions are Earth-based simulations of space conditions, allowing researchers to recreate the environment and challenges of real space missions.
• These missions are essential for testing technologies, studying human responses, and preparing for long-duration space missions.

Purpose:

• Tests technology and studies human behavior in isolated environments.
• Prepares for long-duration space missions by replicating interplanetary conditions, addressing psychological and physiological challenges.

Collaborators:

• Joint effort by ISRO’s Human Spaceflight Centre, AAKA Space Studio, University of Ladakh, IIT Bombay, and Ladakh Hill Development Council.

Significance:

• Advances India’s space exploration goals, supporting the Gaganyaan mission.
• Evaluates habitat design, life support systems, and crew health in extreme conditions.

Similar Global Missions:

• NASA’s NEEMO: Underwater mission simulating microgravity.
• UAE’s SIRIUS Program: Studies isolation impacts in space conditions.
• AMASE (Norway): Tests Mars exploration equipment in Arctic settings.

Current Context : Recently, Elephant deaths in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve are suspected to be linked to “mycotoxins associated with Kodo millet.”

About Kodo millet: 

• Scientific Name : Paspalum scrobiculatum.
• Known as : Kodra, Varagu in India.
• Properties : Hardy, drought-tolerant, high-yield crop with good storage qualities, rich in essential vitamins and minerals.

Significance:

• Staple food for many tribal and economically weaker communities in India.
• Madhya Pradesh is a major producer, along with states like Gujarat, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, and Tamil Nadu.

Geographic Spread : Primarily cultivated in India but also found in Pakistan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and West Africa.

Mycotoxins and Risks:

• Mycotoxins: Cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) is a major toxin found in Kodo millet seeds.
• Kodo Poisoning: Occurs when grains affected by fungal infection (from rain exposure during maturing/harvesting) are consumed, causing “poisoned kodo,” also called “Matawna Kodoo” or “Matona Kodo” in northern India.
• Symptoms: Affects the nervous and cardiovascular systems, causing vomiting, dizziness, tremors, cold limbs, and rapid pulse.

Current Context : Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) released its Global TB Report.

• It is an annual report published by the World Health Organization (WHO).
• It provides a comprehensive and up-to-date assessment of the TB epidemic and of progress in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease at global, regional, and country levels.

Highlights of the 2024 Report :

• Rise in TB Cases: In 2023, 8.2 million new TB cases were recorded, the highest since WHO began tracking in 1995, up from 7.5 million cases in 2022.
• TB Deaths: An estimated 1.25 million people died from TB in 2023, slightly lower than 1.32 million in 2022 but still significantly more than the 320,000 COVID-19 deaths reported last year.
• Global TB Burden: 30 low- and middle-income countries hold 87% of the world’s TB cases. Five countries—India (26%), Indonesia (10%), China (6.8%), the Philippines (6.8%), and Pakistan (6.3%)—together represent 56% of all cases.
• Demographics: Among those with TB, 55% were men, 33% women, and 12% children or young adolescents.
• Risk Factors: Five key factors driving new TB cases are undernutrition, HIV, alcohol use disorders, smoking, and diabetes.
• India’s TB Situation: In 2023, India saw 2.7 million TB cases, with 2.51 million diagnosed and treated, increasing treatment coverage from 72% in 2015 to 89% in 2023, reducing missed cases.
• Decline in Incidence: India’s TB incidence dropped from 237 cases per 100,000 people in 2015 to 195 per 100,000 in 2023, marking a 17.7% decrease.

Recently, the 2024 Paragliding World Cup launched in Kangra district.

• Location: Bir-Billing, Kangra, Himachal Pradesh
• Dates: November 2–9, 2024
• Participants: 94 paragliders from 26 countries, including 32 Indians and 7 women.
• Event Category: Classified as Category 2 by Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI).

Significance: Second World Cup at Bir-Billing, previously hosted in 2015.

Current Context : Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the U-WIN portal, an online system designed to improve vaccination tracking across the country.

Key Features:

• Records all vaccinations for pregnant women and children under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP).
• Part of the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) Program under the National Health Mission (NHM).
• Ensures timely vaccination against 12 vaccine-preventable diseases for pregnant women and children aged 0-16 years.