Short News

Short News

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

• Context (Deutsche Welle): NASA launched the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope to investigate dark energy, exoplanets, and cosmic evolution.
• Propelled by a Falcon Heavy rocket, the observatory operates around the Sun–Earth Lagrange Point 2 (L 2) halo orbit.
• Formerly designated WFIRST, it carries a Wide-Field Instrument and a specialized Coronagraph Instrument for direct exoplanet imaging.
• Named after NASA's first Chief of Astronomy—the "Mother of Hubble"—she established the American civilian space astronomy program.

Barrier Lake

• Context (Indian Express): A fragile barrier lake formed near the Nepal–Tibet border, threatening downstream valleys with catastrophic breach hazards.
• Generated by landslide debris obstructing river flow, abrupt dam failure unleashes high-velocity Landslide Lake Outburst Floods (LLOF).
• In Himalayan geomorphology, notable historical analogues include Uttarakhand’s Gohna Lake (Birahi Ganga) and Himachal Pradesh's Pareechu River crisis.
• Aligned with the Sendai Framework, the National Disaster Management Authority issues specialized protocols for monitoring impounded transboundary water bodies.

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)

• Context (Press Information Bureau): Marking a decade of implementation, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) disbursed over ₹2.06 lakh crore in claims.
• It charges low, uniform farmer premiums—2% for Kharif, 1.5% for Rabi, and 5% for commercial/horticultural crops.
• Administered by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, it replaced the previous National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS).
• Functioning on an "Area Approach" insurance unit, the scheme was restructured as 100% voluntary for all farmers.

PARIVARTAN Scheme

• Context (Press Information Bureau): The Union Government accelerated the PARIVARTAN mobility program across Delhi-NCR, onboarding multiple financial institutions and automobile manufacturers.
• Executed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, it finances replacing legacy commercial fleets with cleaner BS-VI or electric vehicles.
• Formulated under the National Capital Region Planning Board Act, 1985, the NCRPB manages balanced regional infrastructure planning.
• Emission benchmarks are statutorily regulated under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 by the CPCB.

PM Modi’s Visit to Uzbekistan

• Context (Indian Express): The Prime Minister visited Tashkent, elevating bilateral relations into an official Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
• Both nations signed crucial pacts securing long-term uranium supplies, critical mineral exploration, and cross-border UPI–UZQR digital payments.
• Geographically, Uzbekistan is one of only two doubly landlocked countries globally, bordered completely by landlocked nations.
• India conducts the annual bilateral joint army combat exercise DUSTLIK alongside the Uzbek Armed Forces.