Celebrated annually on 28 July, which marks the birthday of Nobel Laureate Dr. Baruch Blumberg, who discovered Hepatitis B virus.

 ABOUT WORLD HEPATITIS DAY:

• A global campaign led by the World Health Organization (WHO).
• Aims to raise awareness about viral hepatitis types A, B, C, D, and E and their impact.
• Focuses on testing, prevention, treatment, and elimination of hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.

Observed globally every year on 28 July.

ABOUT WORLD NATURE CONSERVATION DAY:

• Recognises the importance of a healthy environment as the foundation of a stable and productive society.
• Promotes the need to protect, conserve, and sustainably manage natural resources for current and future generations.
• Emphasizes individual and collective responsibility in maintaining ecological balance.

Observed on 26 July each year since 2016, following UNESCO’s 2015 declaration to protect mangrove ecosystems.

 ABOUT WORLD MANGROVE DAY

• Purpose: Recognizes the environmental and social importance of mangrove forests — including coastal protection, biodiversity support, carbon storage, and fisheries sustainability.
• Conservation Concern: Highlights the rapid global loss of mangroves — with some countries losing over 40%between 1980 and 2005; the overall decline rate is 3–5 times faster than other forests.
• 2025 Theme: “Protecting Wetlands for Our Future”, focusing on nature-based solutions for environmental sustainability.

Current Context: NASA has launched the TRACERS mission to study how Earth’s magnetic field protects the planet from solar storms and space weather.

ABOUT TRACERS MISSION

• TRACERS stands for Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites.
• It is designed to study magnetic reconnection, a process where the Sun’s magnetic field interacts with Earth’s magnetic field.
• These interactions can cause energy bursts that affect satellites, power grids, and communication systems on Earth.
• The mission will focus on the polar cusp—a region near the North Pole where Earth’s magnetic shield is most exposed.

 OBJECTIVES OF THE MISSION

• To measure magnetic reconnection and energy transfer in Earth’s polar cusp region.
• To study how solar energy and particles enter Earth’s upper atmosphere.
• To help improve understanding of space weather effects on Earth’s infrastructure.

CURRENT CONTEXT: Over 900 cattle have been infected with Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) in Pune district of Maharashtra.

 ABOUT LUMPY SKIN DISEASE:

• Cause: LSD is a viral disease affecting cattle and buffaloes. It is not transmissible to humans.
• Transmission: Spread through mosquitoes, ticks, flies, and partly through contaminated feed or water.
• Symptoms: Infected animals show fever, enlarged lymph nodes, and multiple skin nodules. It leads to reduced milk production and can be fatal.

CONTROL MEASURES & SIGNIFICANCE:

Vaccination: The indigenous Lumpi‑ProVacInd vaccine, developed in 2022, is safe and effective.

• Strategy: Involves ring vaccination within a 5 km radius, vector control, public awareness, and restriction of animal movement.

CURRENT CONTEXT: The Indian Air Force (IAF) will retire all MiG-21 fighter jets by September 2025, marking the end of over 62 years of service. The final ceremonial flight will take place on 19 September 2025 at Chandigarh, flown by No. 23 Squadron “Panthers”.

 ABOUT MIG-21 FIGHTER JETS:

• First Inducted:
• Over 600 units built under license by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
• Nickname: “Flying Coffin” due to frequent accidents.
• Combat Role: India’s first supersonic jet fighter; served in wars of 1965, 1971, 1999 (Kargil), and Balakot 2019.

 SIGNIFICANCE OF RETIREMENT:

• Strategic Shift: Being replaced by Tejas LCA Mk 1A, part of India’s indigenous defence drive.
• Squadron Challenge: IAF now has only 31 operational squadrons, below the required 42 squadrons.
• Future Outlook: Opens opportunities for private players and expansion in UAVs and next-gen aircraft.

CURRENT CONTEXT: The state of Goa is preparing to file a contempt petition in the Supreme Court against Karnataka for allegedly diverting water from the Mhadei River through the Kalasa-Banduri project.

 ABOUT MHADEI RIVER & DISPUTE:

• Origin: Jamboti Ghat, Karnataka.
• Flows through Goa and Maharashtra into the Arabian Sea.
• Kalasa-Banduri Project:
  • Diverts water from Mhadei’s tributaries to the Malaprabha River basin.
• Water Allocation (2018 Tribunal Award):
  • Goa: 24 tmcft
  • Karnataka: 5.4 tmcft
  • Maharashtra: 1.33 tmcft
• Dispute Highlights:
  • Goa alleges illegal water diversion, affecting Western Ghats ecology.
  • Karnataka defends the move citing tribunal approval and central clearance.
• The issue raises questions on federal rights, water sharing, and ecological balance.

CURRENT CONTEXT: The Great Ruaha River in Tanzania is drying up, severely affecting ecosystems and local communities dependent on it.

 ABOUT THE GREAT RUAHA RIVER:

• Flows approximately 475 km through the Iringa, Dodoma, and Morogoro regions before joining the Rufiji River basin.
• Supports the USangu wetlands and Ruaha National Park, which are rich in biodiversity.
• Environmental Impact:
  • Dry-season water flow has drastically reduced since the 1990s.
  • Harmful effects on agriculture, tourism, and wildlife habitats.
• Key Causes:
  • Climate change (reduced rainfall and altered flow patterns).
  • Over-abstraction of water for irrigation and farming.

Commemorated every year on 26 July

Aim : to mark India’s victory in the 1999 Kargil War and the success of Operation Vijayin evicting Pakistani intruders from Indian territory.

 ABOUT KARGIL WAR & ITS SIGNIFICANCE:

• Background: The conflict began in May 1999 when Pakistani soldiers and militants occupied high-altitude Indian posts in the Kargil sector of Jammu & Kashmir.
• Response: Indian Army launched Operation Vijay, reclaiming the positions after intense combat that lasted nearly two months.
• Celebration: Includes tribute ceremonies at Kargil War Memorial (Drass), Amar Jawan Jyoti, and other defence establishments across India.
• Notable Observances: Army honours families of martyrs; events are held in schools and institutions to educate the youth.
• Legacy: Symbol of courage, patriotism, and the supreme sacrifice of Indian soldiers.

CURRENT CONTEXT: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced that its Financial Inclusion Index (FI-Index) increased from 64.2 in FY2024 to 67.0 in FY2025, reflecting an improvement of 4.3%.

ABOUT THE FI-INDEX:

• Launched: 2021 by the RBI.
• Purpose: Measures financial inclusion across sectors like Banking, Investments, Insurance, Postal, and Pensions.
• Scoring Range: 0 (complete exclusion) to 100 (full inclusion).
• Index Components:
• Access: 35%
• Usage: 45%
• Quality: 20%

The growth in FY2025 was mainly due to improved usage of services and quality of financial delivery