Read Current Affairs
- Why in News?
- The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has released its Ozone Bulletin highlighting encouraging signs of ozone layer recovery. Issued on the occasion of World Ozone Day (16th September) and the 40th anniversary of the Vienna Convention, the bulletin notes that the ozone layer may return to 1980 levels by 2066 over Antarctica, 2045 over the Arctic, and 2040 globally.
- Key Provisions:-
- The ozone layer, located 15–30 km above Earth in the stratosphere, shields life from harmful ultraviolet radiation. Its depletion has largely been caused by ozone-depleting substances (ODS) like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), HCFCs, carbon tetrachloride, halons, and methyl bromide. Damage is more severe in the Southern Hemisphere.
- The 1985 Vienna Convention laid the groundwork for the Montreal Protocol (1987), which eliminated over 99% of ODS production and use. The 2016 Kigali Amendment extended action to HFCs. India has shown leadership by phasing out major ODS early, reducing HCFC use, and enacting strong regulatory frameworks.
- Why in News?
- At Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh, a cheetah recently died following a conflict with a leopard, marking the first such incident since cheetahs were relocated from Namibia in 2022 under the Cheetah Reintroduction Project. The episode highlights challenges in managing predator interactions within the park.
- About Kuno National Park:
- The park is named after the Kuno River, a tributary of the Chambal, which ultimately joins the Yamuna. Located in Sheopur district in the Vindhyan Hills, KNP was initially developed as a site for the reintroduction of Asiatic lions and later chosen for the ambitious cheetah project.
- It was first declared a Wildlife Sanctuary and later upgraded to a National Park. The park’s flora includes tree species such as Kardhai, Salai, and Khair, while its fauna is rich, hosting species like the Indian leopard, sambar, barking deer, chousingha, nilgai, and blackbuck alongside the recently introduced cheetahs.
- Why in News?
- The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has published the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2025, which evaluates the innovation capacity of 139 economies based on investment, technology, adoption, and socioeconomic outcomes. First launched in 2007, the GII is recognized by the UN General Assembly as a key benchmark for global Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) policy.
- Key Highlights of GII 2025:
- India has advanced to the 38th rank, a significant improvement from 81st in 2015. Alongside Vietnam, India remains a long-term “innovation overperformer” for the 15th consecutive year. Switzerland tops the rankings, followed by Sweden, the USA, South Korea, and Singapore. Among innovation clusters, Shenzhen–Hong Kong–Guangzhou leads, with Tokyo-Yokohama and San Jose–San Francisco next. India features four clusters in the top 100: Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai.
- India’s innovation progress has been supported by initiatives like Startup India, Atal Innovation Mission, NIDHI, AGNIi Mission, and the PM’s Research Fellowship Scheme.