Current Context: Ethiopia inaugurated the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) — Africa’s largest hydroelectric dam, despite Egypt protesting at the UN citing water security threats.

ABOUT GERD

• Location: Blue Nile River, near Guba in Ethiopia (~30 km from Sudan)
• Started: 2011 by Ethiopia
• Purpose: Power generation, national development, regional energy trade
• Height: ~170 m
• Length: ~2 km
• Reservoir Capacity: 74 billion cubic metres
• Flooded Area: ~1,874 km²
• Power Capacity: 5,150–6,450 MW (largest in Africa)
• Designed to trap ~100 years’ worth of sediment inflow

 ABOUT BLUE NILE RIVER

• Known as Abay River in Ethiopia
• Length: ~1,460 km
• Origin: Lake Tana (Ethiopian Highlands, ~1,800 m elevation)
• Flows through Ethiopia → Sudan → joins White Nile at Khartoum
• Provides ~70–85% of Nile’s total flow
• Major tributaries: Dinder River, Rahad River

Current Context: The Union government has licensed five Indian firms to manufacture and commercialise AdFalciVax, India’s first indigenous multi-stage malaria vaccine, developed by ICMR.

ABOUT ADFALCIVAX

• Type: Recombinant chimeric multi-stage vaccine
• Target: Blocks infection and transmission of Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest malaria parasite
• Developed by: ICMR–RMRC Bhubaneswar with support from ICMR–NIMR (Delhi) and NII (Delhi)

SIGNIFICANCE

• India bears 4% of global malaria cases and 66% of Southeast Asia’s burden
• Supports Atmanirbhar Bharat in health R&D
• Reduces dependence on imported vaccines
• Supports India’s Malaria Elimination Goal 2030

Current Context: Kerala’s maternal mortality ratio has risen from 18 to 30 per 100,000 live births as per the Sample Registration System (SRS) 2021–2023 bulletin.

• This rise is linked to COVID-19-related maternal deaths and demographic shifts, though Kerala still shares the lowest MMR in India (along with Andhra Pradesh).

ABOUT MMR TRENDS IN KERALA

• Earlier stable at 30–32 per 100,000 live births from 2014 to 2019.
• Spike to 51 in 2021-22 due to 220 maternal deaths linked to COVID-19.
• Now stabilised at 30, though higher than 18 reported previously.

DECLINING LIVE BIRTHS & ITS IMPACT

• Annual live births declined from 5–5.5 lakh earlier to below 4 lakh now.
• 3,93,231 live births in 2023, expected to drop to ~3.54 lakh in 2024-25.
• MMR = (Maternal Deaths ÷ Live Births) × 100,000 → fewer births make the ratio more sensitive to each death.

DEFINITION & CLASSIFICATION OF MATERNAL MORTALITY

• MMR = Maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.
• Maternal death = Death during pregnancy or within 42 days after termination, from causes related to pregnancy or its management (not accidents).
• ICD codes: O00–O96, O98, O99, A34.
• ICD-11 (2022) updated terminology but statistics remain comparable.

RELATED TERMS

• Live birth: Any baby showing signs of life at birth, regardless of gestation.
• Late maternal death: Death after 42 days but within 1 year post-pregnancy.
• ICD-11 combines early and late maternal deaths as comprehensive maternal deaths.

Celebrated every year on 13 September.

• Aim : To commemorate the birth of Milton S. Hershey — American chocolatier, businessman, and philanthropist who founded the Hershey Chocolate Company.
• Celebrated to honour the cultural and economic impact of chocolate worldwide.
• Established by the S. National Confectioners Association.

Current Context: : Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) signed an agreement to resume cooperation including relaunching inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities.

BACKGROUND

• Iran had earlier suspended cooperation with the IAEA due to conflicts with the United States and Israel.
• The new agreement aims to restore transparency and monitoring.

ABOUT IAEA

• Full Form: International Atomic Energy Agency
• Established: 1957
• Headquarters: Vienna, Austria
• Main Roles:
  • Administers international safeguards to verify nuclear non-proliferation commitments under the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty)
  • Promotes peaceful use of nuclear energy
• JCPOA (Iran Nuclear Deal):
  • Iran agreed to reduce its nuclear activities
  • Allowed greater access to IAEA inspectors in return for sanctions relief

Current Context: The International Cricket Council (ICC) launched its flagship ‘Will to Win’ campaign to promote the upcoming Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 in India.

ABOUT ICC ‘WILL TO WIN’ CAMPAIGN

• Purpose: Celebrates perseverance, resilience, and sacrifices of women cricket icons
• Launch: Alongside the opening of the general ticket window
• Theme: Inspiring new generation of women cricketers worldwide

ABOUT WOMEN’S WORLD CUP 2025

• Edition: 13th
• Host Country: India
• Opening Match: India vs Sri Lanka
• Venue: Guwahati
• Opening Date: 30 September 2025
• Final Match: 2 November 2025

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.