Current Context : On 10 September 2025, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison became the world’s richest person, overtaking Elon Musk, after Oracle’s stock price surged 41% in New York trading—the steepest jump since 1992.

ABOUT LARRY ELLISON’S RISE

• Position: Co-founder and Chairman of Oracle
• Net Worth:7 billion US dollars
• Reason: Surge in Oracle’s shares added 101 billion US dollars in a single day
• Previous Richest: Elon Musk (Tesla CEO)

Current Context : Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Education Minister, inaugurated India’s first overseas Atal Innovation Centre (AIC) at IIT Delhi–Abu Dhabi on 10 September 2025.

Significance

• Expands the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)
• Aims to boost research, entrepreneurship, and knowledge exchange between India and UAE.

Academic Initiatives Launched

• D. in Energy and Sustainability
• Tech in Chemical Engineering

About AIM (Atal Innovation Mission)

• A Government of India initiative to promote innovation, research, and entrepreneurship.
• Supports Atal Tinkering Labs, Atal Incubation Centres, and sectoral innovation hubs.
• Now extends India’s innovation ecosystem internationally via the new Abu Dhabi centre.

Current Context : Scientists in Siberia discovered a 44,000-year-old preserved wolf in permafrost.

About Permafrost

• Definition: Ground that remains frozen (≤0°C) for at least 2 years
• Locations: Polar regions (Arctic, Antarctic), high mountains, and ocean floors.
• Extent: Covers ~25% of Northern Hemisphere land area.
• Age: Some permafrost has been frozen for 650,000 years.

Structure

• Composition: Soil, rocks, sand, and ice.
• Layers:
  • Active Layer: Top layer thaws in summer and refreezes in winter.
  • Lower Layers: Permanently frozen.

Environmental Impact

• Thawing releases methane and carbon dioxide, intensifying climate change.
• Causes ground instability, damaging roads, pipelines, buildings.
• Exposes long-preserved organic matter and ancient species.

Current Context : Recently, Langkhun festival was celebrated by the Tiwa tribe in Umsowai village, Karbi Anglong district, Assam.

About Langkhun

• Type: Socio-religious agricultural festival
• Purpose: To pray for a good Rabi crop harvest and seek divine blessings.
• Celebrations: Offerings to deities, traditional music, dance, and cultural performances.

About Tiwa Tribe

• Also called Lalung; found in Assam and Meghalaya.
• Hill Tiwas: Karbi Anglong (Assam), Meghalaya; speak a Tibeto-Burman
• Plains Tiwas: Southern Brahmaputra valley; speak Assamese.
• Society: Matrilineal system — groom goes to bride’s home (called Kobea Liwa).
• Main Festivals: Tiwa Bihu, Jon Beel Mela, Sagramisawa, Langkhun Puja.

Current Context : The Ministry of Tribal Affairs launched the Beta Version of Adi Sanskriti Platform at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, during the National Conference on Adi Karmayogi Abhiyan.

About Adi Sanskriti

• Purpose: To preserve tribal heritage, enable livelihoods, and connect tribal communities with the world.
• Vision: World’s first Digital University to preserve and promote tribal culture and traditional knowledge.
• Marketplace Role: Offers access to tribal-made products globally, empowering artisans.

Three Integrated Components

• Adi Vishwavidyalaya (Digital Tribal Art Academy) : Offers 45 immersive courses on tribal dance, painting, crafts, music, and folklore.
• Adi Sampada (Socio-Cultural Repository) : A collection of 5,000+ curated documents across 5 themes: paintings, dance, textiles, artefacts, livelihoods.
• Adi Haat (Online Marketplace) : Linked with TRIFED, will become a dedicated tribal marketplace ensuring direct consumer access and sustainable livelihoods.

Current Context: UNICEF has released the Child Nutrition Report 2025, warning of a sharp global rise in unhealthy diets and childhood obesity, largely due to ultra-processed foods (UPF) and aggressive marketing.

Relevant data :

• Overweight & Obesity:
  • 5% children under 5 years overweight.
  • 20% children and adolescents (5–19 years) overweight (double since 2000).
  • In 2025 → Obesity prevalence: 9.4%, Underweight: 9.2% (school-age children & adolescents).
• Regional Concentration:
  • More than half of affected children are in East Asia & Pacific, Latin America & Caribbean, South Asia.
  • In South Asia, overweight among 5–19 years increased fivefold since 2000.
• Key Drivers:
  • Availability & Affordability: UPFs cheaper than nutritious foods due to subsidies & long shelf-life.
  • Aggressive Marketing: Digital promotions, influencer ads, surrogate advertising.
  • Policy Gaps:
    • Only 7% countries have mandatory front-of-pack labelling.
    • Only 8% countries provide subsidies for healthy food.

Current Context: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has announced the Swachh Vayu Sarveshan Award 2025, recognizing the best-performing cities under the Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan 2025, conducted across 130 cities under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).

ABOUT SWACHH VAYU SARVESHHAN AWARD 2025

• Population Categories:
  • Category 1: Cities with Population > 10 lakh
  • Category 2: Cities with Population 3–10 lakh
  • Category 3: Cities with Population < 3 lakh
• Awarded Cities (Total: 11 out of 130 NCAP cities)
  • Category 1 (>10 lakh): 1st: Indore, 2nd: Jabalpur, 3rd: Agra & Surat
  • Category 2 (3–10 lakh): 1st: Amravati, 2nd: Jhansi & Moradabad, 3rd: Alwar
  • Category 3 (<3 lakh): 1st: Dewas, 2nd: Parwanoo, 3rd: Angul
• Ranking Criteria: Biomass & Municipal Solid Waste Burning, Road Dust, Construction & Demolition Waste, Vehicular Emissions, Industrial Emissions, IEC Activities, and improvement in PM10 concentration.

ABOUT NCAP (NATIONAL CLEAN AIR PROGRAMME)

• Launched: 2019 by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
• Objective: Improve air quality in 131 cities (non-attainment + million-plus cities).
• Target: Achieve 40% reduction in PM10 or bring down to 60 µg/m³ (NAAQS standard) by 2025–26, compared to 2019–20 levels.
• Implementing Body: Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
• Monitoring Tool: PRANA Portal (Portal for Regulation of Air-pollution in Non-Attainment cities).

Current Context: An Indian Armed Forces contingent has departed for the Mulino Training Ground, Nizhniy, Russia to participate in Exercise ZAPAD 2025.

ABOUT EXERCISE ZAPAD

• Type: Multilateral joint military exercise
• Indian Participation: 65 personnel (57 Army, 7 Air Force, 1 Navy)
• Significance:
  • Strengthens defence cooperation between India and Russia
  • Builds camaraderie among multinational forces
  • Enhances India’s operational readiness in a multinational combat environment

Current Context: Irfaan Ali has secured a second term as the President of Guyana, following the general election held on 1 September 2025.

ABOUT IRFAAN ALI’S RE-ELECTION

• Party: People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C)
• Outcome: Won 36 of 65 parliamentary seats

About GUYANA

• Official Name: Co-operative Republic of Guyana
• Location: Northeastern edge of South America, bordered by Venezuela (west), Brazil (south), Suriname (east), and the Atlantic Ocean (north)
• Ethnic Composition: Predominantly South Asian and African descent, with mixed and indigenous groups.
• Language & Currency: English (official); Guyanese Dollar (GYD)

Current Context: CP Radhakrishnan has been elected as the 15th Vice President of India after defeating opposition candidate B Sudershan Reddy in the 2025 elections. The election witnessed 98.3% turnout, with NDA’s majority ensuring a decisive victory.

ABOUT CP RADHAKRISHNAN

• Full Name: Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan
• Born: 20 October 1957, Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu
• Political Career:
  • Two-time Lok Sabha MP from Coimbatore (1998, 1999)
  • Former Tamil Nadu BJP president
  • Served on various Parliamentary Committees
  • Chaired Coir Board (2016–2020) – coir exports hit record highs
  • BJP’s Kerala in-charge (2020–2022)
  • Served as Governor of Jharkhand

ABOUT THE OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT

• Constitutional Position: Second-highest constitutional office in India
• Articles:
  • Article 63 – India shall have a Vice-President
  • Article 64 – Vice-President is Chairman of the Rajya Sabha
  • Article 65 – Acts as President in case of vacancy
• Election Process:
  • Electoral College: Members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha (both elected and nominated)
  • Voting: Proportional Representation via Single Transferable Vote; secret ballot
  • Equal Vote Value: Every MP’s vote carries equal weight
  • No Whip: Anti-Defection Law not applicable
• Eligibility (Article 66):
  • Citizen of India, at least 35 years of age
  • Eligible to be a Rajya Sabha member
  • Must not hold an office of profit