About Land Subsidence:

• Land subsidence is a gradual settling or sudden sinking of the Earth’s surface.
• This geotechnical phenomenon occurs when the ground loses its ability to support the weight above it, leading to a downward shift.
• It can occur as a result of natural factors (e.g., volcanic or seismic activity, collapse of subsurface cavities, compaction of loose fine-grained deposits) or anthropogenic activities (e.g., excessive groundwater (GW) abstraction, mining, subsurface energy extraction).
• Although it is a gradual process, taking years to decades to develop, land subsidence presents serious socioeconomic, environmental, and security challenges globally.
• Impacts:
  • Land subsidence can cause damage to infrastructure and lead to increased flood risks and permanent reduction in aquifers' storage capacity.
  • It can also cause disturbance to water management and possible repercussions such as increased saltwater intrusion as a result of reduction in land elevation and changes in the gradient of streams and drains.
  • High maintenance costs for roads, railways, pipelines, and buildings are only a few examples of stresses brought upon by land subsidence.
• Although land subsidence has been historically observed in low deltaic areas or coastal regions, it is being increasingly observed in large inland areas near densely urban, agricultural, and industrial areas with high groundwater demand.
• Excess groundwater extraction is believed to be one of the main causes of large-scale and high-magnitude land subsidence.
  • Groundwater overexploitation compacts the underground reservoirs because water is the element partly responsible for holding up the ground.
  • The excess water withdrawal leads to compaction of the underlying depleted porous formation, thus inducing land subsidence.
• The total global extent of land surface susceptible to subsidence has been estimated to be 12 million sq.km.
• Land subsidence has been observed all around the world, with major sites in the USA, China, Iran, Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Egypt, Japan, Mexico, and Italy.

About Global Peace Index (GPI):

• Produced by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), the GPI is the world’s leading measure of global peacefulness.
• It ranks 163 independent states and territories according to their level of peacefulness, covering 99.7 percent of the world’s population.
• It uses 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators to measure the state of peace across three domains: the level of Societal Safety and Security; the extent of Ongoing Domestic and International Conflict; and the degree of Militarisation.
• Highlights of GPI 2025:
  • It is the 19th edition of the GPI.
  • It finds that global peacefulness continues to decline and that many of the leading factors that precede major conflicts are higher than they have been since the end of WWII.
  • More countries are increasing their levels of militarisation.
  • There are currently 59 active state-based conflicts, the most since the end of WWII and three more than the prior year.
  • Last year, 17 countries recorded over 1,000 conflict deaths.
  • Additionally, the successful resolution of conflicts is lower than at any point in the last 50 years.
  • Conflicts that ended in a decisive victory fell from 49 percent in the 1970s to nine percent in the 2010s, while conflicts that ended through peace agreements fell from 23 percent to four percent over the same period.
  • This year’s results found that the average level of global peacefulness deteriorated by 0.36 percent.
  • Iceland remains the most peaceful country in the world, a position it has held since 2008. It is joined at the top of the index by Ireland, Austria, New Zealand, and Switzerland.
  • Russia, for the first time, is the least peaceful country in the world on the 2025 GPI, followed by Ukraine, Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Yemen.
  • Western and Central Europe is the most peaceful region in the world, home to eight of the ten most peaceful countries, although its peacefulness has been falling over the last four years.
  • South America was the only region in the world to record an improvement in peacefulness last year.
  • The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region remains the world’s least peaceful region.
  • South Asia, the second least peaceful region globally, experienced the largest regional decline in peacefulness.
  • India was ranked 115 on the GPI 2025, up one position from its 2024 spot.
  • The most peaceful Asian countries were Singapore (6th), Japan (12th), Malaysia (13th), Bhutan (21st), and Mongolia (37th).

About Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT):

• The SAT is a statutory body established under the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992.
• As a quasi-judicial body, SAT’s primary objective is to hear and dispose of appeals against orders passed by SEBI or by an adjudicating officer under the Act.
• It has jurisdiction over the whole of India and operates from Mumbai.
• The SAT also hears appeals against the following orders:
  • Orders issued by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) in relation to cases filed before it.
  • Orders issued by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) in relation to cases filed before it.
• Composition:
  • The SAT consists of one Presiding Officer and such a number of judicial and technical members as the Central Government may determine.
  • The person so appointed as the presiding Officer should meet the following requirements:
    • The retired or sitting judge of the Supreme Court
    • Chief Justice of the High Court
    • Judge of the High Court, who has completed at least seven years of service as a judge in a high court.
  • Judicial Member: Judge of the High Court for at least five years of service.
  • Technical Member:
    • Secretary or an Additional Secretary in the Ministry or Department of the Central Government or any equivalent post in the Central Government or a State Government; or
    • Person of proven ability, integrity, and standing, having special knowledge and professional experience of not less than 15 years in the financial sector, including the securities market, pension funds, commodity derivatives, or insurance.
  • The Presiding Officer and Judicial Members shall be appointed by the Central Government in consultation with the Chief Justice of India or its nominee.
• Tenure:
  • The tenure for the Presiding Officer and other members will be five years from the date of appointment, and they shall be eligible for re-appointment for another term of maximum five years.
  • However, no presiding officer or member shall hold office after he/she has attained the age of 70.
• Powers:
  • SAT exercises the powers of a civil court and has the authority to summon and enforce the attendance of witnesses, receive evidence, and examine witnesses under oath.
  • It also has the power to require the discovery and production of documents.
• Who can make an appeal? These appeals may be filed by any person aggrieved by SEBI's decisions, including market participants, listed companies, intermediaries, or investors.
• Appeal against the orders of the SAT:
  • Every person aggrieved by any order or decision of SAT can file an appeal to the supreme court.
  • An appeal can only be made on any question of law.

About Unique Disability ID (UDID) Card:

• A UDID card is a single document of identification for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).
• It is the universal ID that is accepted all across the country.
• As per the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, UDID cards can be issued by home district hospitals as well as the hospital where the PwD is taking medical treatment.
• The UDID card has a total of 18 digits/characters.
  • The first 2 characters represent State Code, the next 2 digits for the district code, the next 1 digit for the CMO code, the next 2 digits for disability type, the next 4 digits for year of birth of PwD, the following 6 digits for running number, and the last digit for check sum which is involved for security reasons.
• Three types of colour-based UDID Cards are issued based on the severity of the disability:
  • White Card: When the disability percentage of a PwD is below 40%.
  • Yellow Card: When the disability percentage of a PwD is above 40% but on or below 80%
  • Blue Card: When the disability percentage of a PwD is above 80%.

Unique ID for Persons with Disabilities Project (UDID Project):

• The UDID Project is initiated by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.
• It is being implemented to create a national database of PwDs and issue a Unique Disability Identity Card (UDID) to each individual.
• It also aids in tracking the physical and financial progress of beneficiaries across various administrative levels — village, block, district, state, and national.
• It aims to build a comprehensive end-to-end system for issuing Universal IDs and Disability Certificates. This system includes:
  • Nationwide availability of PwD data through a centralized web application.
  • Online application submission for Disability Certificate/UDID card (offline submissions are also allowed and digitized later).
  • Efficient assessment process by hospitals or Medical Boards to calculate disability percentage.
  • Elimination of duplicate PwD records.
  • Online renewal and update of information by or on behalf of PwDs.
  • Management Information System (MIS) reporting
  • Integrated management of various government benefits/schemes for PwDs.
  • Support for additional disabilities in the future (currently 21 disabilities, subject to updates).

About Incentive Scheme to Promote Critical Mineral Recycling:

• It is part of the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM), which is aimed at building the domestic capacity of and supply chain resilience in critical minerals.
• The Scheme will have a tenure of six years from Financial Year 2025-26 to Financial Year 2030-31.
• Total Outlay: Rs.1,500 crore
• Features:
  • Eligible feedstock is e-waste, Lithium Ion Battery (LIB) scrap, and scrap other than e-waste and LIB scraps.
  • Expected beneficiaries will be both large, established recyclers, as well as small, new recyclers (including start-ups), for whom one-third of the scheme outlay has been earmarked.
  • The Scheme will be applicable to investments in new units as well as expansion of capacity and modernization and diversification of existing units.
  • The Scheme will provide incentive for the recycling value chain, which is involved in the actual extraction of critical minerals, and not the value chain involved in only black mass production.
  • The incentives include a 20% capital subsidy on plant and machinery for projects that commence production within the stipulated timeframe and an operational subsidy tied to incremental sales.
  • The operational support will be provided in tranches—40% in the second year and 60% in the fifth year—on meeting specific sales thresholds.
  • To ensure wider participation, the total incentive has been capped at ₹50 crore per large entity and ₹25 crore per small entity, with limits on operating subsidies of ₹10 crore and ₹5 crore, respectively.
• The Scheme incentives are expected to develop at least 270 kilotons of annual recycling capacity, resulting in around 40 kilotons annual critical mineral production, bringing in about Rs.8,000 crore of investment, and creating close to 70,000 direct and indirect jobs.

About Graphite Spyware:

• Graphite is designed to gain remote access to a mobile phone and essentially take control of it.
• Working: The user of the spyware can access the mobile user’s photos, read their messages, and track their whereabouts and also monitor encrypted messages sent on platforms such as WhatsApp and Signal.
  • The spyware also enables the phone to be used as a listening device by manipulating its recorder.
• What are Spywares?
  • It is malicious software that enters a user’s computer, gathers data from the device and user, and sends it to third parties without their consent.
  • It collects personal and sensitive information that it sends to advertisers, data collection firms, or malicious actors for a profit.

About Solar Orbiter Mission:

• It is a joint project of the European Space Agency and NASA which was launched in 2020.
• Objective: It explores the Sun and heliosphere from close up and out of the ecliptic plane.
• Payload: It carries six remote-sensing instruments to observe the Sun and the solar corona, and four in-situ instruments to measure the solar wind, energetic particles, and electromagnetic fields.

What are Solar Energetic Electrons (SEE)?

• These are high-energy particles produced by the Sun.
• These particles play a key role in shaping the cosmic environment.
• Sources: They can be emitted during solar flares or coronal mass ejections
• Recent findings: It is observed that one type of SEE is tied to intense solar flares, explosive bursts from smaller patches of the Sun’s surface, while another stems from coronal mass ejections (CMEs).
• Between November 2020 and December 2022, the Solar Orbiter observed more than 300 bursts of SEEs.
• Significance: it will deepen understanding of space weather.

About Niveshak Didi Initiative:

• Aim: The initiative is aimed at deepening financial awareness and empowering rural communities, particularly women.
• It is based on the ideology of women for women as rural area women feel more comfortable to share their queries with a female itself.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Corporate Affairs
• Launched by: Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority
• Significance: It serves as a catalyst for bridging knowledge gaps and building confidence in communities.

Key Facts about Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority

• It was established in 2016 under the Companies Act, 2013.
• Functions of Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority
• It empowers individuals to make informed financial choices and fosters a financially aware citizenry.
• It manages the Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF) and promotes investor awareness and financial protection.
• Make refunds of shares, unclaimed dividends, matured deposits/debentures etc. to investors and promote awareness among investors.
• It is dedicated to safeguarding investor interests by facilitating the return of unclaimed shares and dividends and advancing financial literacy nationwide.
• Initiatives: Niveshak Didi, Niveshak Panchayat, and Niveshak Shivir.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

About Karma Puja:

• It is also called Karam and Karam Parab — is one of the most important tribal festivals in India.
• It is related to the harvest and a tribute to the Karam tree.(Karam tree symbolises fertility, prosperity and everything that is auspicious). 
• It is celebrated primarily in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, and Assam.
• It is popular especially among the Munda, Ho, Oraon, Baiga, Kharia, and Santhal peoples.
• It is traditionally celebrated on the Ekadashi tithi (eleventh day) which corresponds to August-September in the Gregorian calendar.
• How is it celebrated?
  • About a week prior to the festival, young women bring clear sand from the river and sow seven types of grains.
  • A Karam tree branch is planted in the courtyard or 'akhra' on the festival day.
  • Devotees come with jawa (hibiscus) flowers, and the pahan (priest) worships the Karam Raja. Dancing and singing of traditional Karam songs follow.
  • The festival concludes with the immersion of the Karam branch in a river or pond, and the jawa is distributed among the devotees.
  • At the end of the Karam festival, branches from sal or bhelua trees are often planted in the fields with the hope that the Karam Raja/ Devta will protect their crops.

About Senna spectabilis:

• It is an invasive species native to tropical America.
• Common names: Popcorn Bush Cedar, Archibald's Cassia, Calceolaria Cassia, Golden Shower, Scented Shower, Fetid Cassia.
• It forms dense, sterile thickets, choking out native plants, altering soil chemistry and depriving herbivores of food.
• It is a tree with a very dense, spreading crown; it can grow 7 - 18 metres tall.
• It is often planted for fuelwood, as an ornamental, and as a shade tree in agroforestry situations.
• It resembles Kerala’s state flower Cassia fistula, known locally as 
• It is classified as Least Concern under the IUCN Red List.
• Challenges: It has very aggressive growth rate and degrade lands in forest ecosystems which make it challenging to control its spread. 

What are Invasive Species?

• An invasive species is an organism that causes ecological or economic harm in a new environment where it is not native.
• These can be introduced to a new area via the ballast water of oceangoing ships, releases of aquaculture species, aquarium specimens, and other means.
• Impacts: These are capable of causing extinctions of native plants and animals, reducing biodiversity.