Daily Current Affairs 2025  

12/08/2025

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The Aarambh Library is a newly established 24x7 public library initiative developed by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), aimed primarily at supporting students and aspirants, especially those preparing for competitive exams in Delhi. Here are the key details:
 
First Aarambh Library: Inaugurated in Old Rajendra Nagar, Delhi, in January 2025. It operates around the clock and provides a peaceful, student-friendly atmosphere, making it popular among UPSC and other exam aspirants.
 
Key Features:

• Modern amenities: Wi-Fi, air conditioning, individual power outlets, personal lockers, a cafeteria, and spacious and hygienic facilities.
• Accessibility: Outdoor seating and safe, inclusive environments, specifically highlighted as beneficial for female students.
• Student-Centered: Designed for affordable or free access, seeking to reduce exploitation from high library fees and to create better opportunities for students from across the country.
• Expansion: The second Aarambh Library was recently opened in Malviya Nagar, and the DDA has announced plans to open more such libraries in Adhchini, Vikaspuri, Sector 16B Dwarka, and Rohini, targeting a total of six such facilities across Delhi.
• Background: The initiative followed a tragic incident in July 2023, where three UPSC aspirants lost their lives due to flooding in a basement library. This prompted a safety-driven rethinking of study spaces in Delhi, leading DDA to convert underused community centers into modern libraries.

 
Impact on UPSC aspirants' study environment
The Aarambh Library has significantly improved the study environment for UPSC aspirants in several ways:
 

• Safer and More Reliable Spaces: After fatal incidents in traditional basement libraries due to flooding, the Aarambh Library provides secure, government-backed, and thoughtfully designed study spaces, reducing risks and anxieties tied to unsafe, overcrowded alternatives.
• 24x7 Accessibility: The round-the-clock operation allows aspirants to study according to their own schedules—crucial for those balancing studies with jobs or needing late-night quiet time.
• Student-Friendly Amenities: Modern facilities like Wi-Fi, air conditioning, individual power outlets, lockers, and a cafeteria create a comfortable and distraction-free environment. These upgrades directly address issues UPSC aspirants previously faced, such as inadequate infrastructure and high noise levels in private libraries.
• Affordability and Inclusion: Aarambh Libraries are either free or very affordable, helping students from diverse backgrounds avoid the high costs often charged by private study centers. This helps level the playing field, making sustained, quality preparation more accessible for all.
• Supportive for Women: Enhanced security and inclusive policies have made female aspirants feel safer and more welcome, encouraging greater participation and longer study hours.
• Community and Motivation: The libraries have cultivated a sense of community among aspirants, providing moral support and peer motivation—a key aspect of effective exam preparation.

 
 
   
The Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission, conducted aboard the International Space Station (ISS) in mid-2025, featured a high-profile Indian-led agricultural experiment focused on crop seeds.
This initiative was a collaboration between Kerala Agricultural University (KAU), Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), ISRO, and international partners, including NASA and ESA.
 
Six Crop Varieties Sent to Space
Six locally developed, high-yield crop seed varieties from Kerala were selected for the Ax-4 mission:

• Jyothi (Rice)
• Uma (Rice)
• Kanakamani (Cowpea)
• Thilakathara (Sesame)
• Soorya (Brinjal/Eggplant)
• Vellayani Vijay (Tomato)

About 4,000 seeds representing these six varieties were sent to the ISS.
 
Purpose and Research Goals

• Main Aim: To study the effects of space conditions, particularly microgravity, on the germination, growth, and viability of food crop seeds.
• Research Process: The seeds are exposed to microgravity and returned to Earth for rigorous growth and productivity studies. Scientists are looking for variations in resilience and productivity that may emerge due to the unique conditions of space travel.
• Long-term Goals: The findings may inform the development of climate-resilient crops capable of thriving in resource-limited or extreme environments, including future space farming on the Moon or Mars.

 
Astronaut Involvement and Procedures

• Indian Astronaut Role: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, an astronaut designated by ISRO, was responsible for conducting and monitoring the seed experiment on board the ISS.
• Experiment Execution: Seeds were kept in specially designed containers to monitor their status; Shukla performed visual inspections and captured scientific imagery but did not need to open the seed chambers during the mission.

Broader Impact and Significance

• International Collaboration: The seed experiment was part of a portfolio of over 60 scientific studies carried out by the Axiom-4 crew, representing a major effort in international science diplomacy and collaboration.
• Future Applications: Insights from this research could be valuable for improving global food security and for planning sustained human presence in space, by developing crops that can grow in extreme or restricted conditions.
• Educational Outreach: The project also included STEM outreach activities for students in India, boosting interest in space science and technology.

The Ax-4 crop seed experiment highlights how combining traditional agricultural knowledge with advanced space technology can help address future challenges both on Earth and beyond.

Influence of Ax-4 Crop Seed Experiments on Future Space Farming
The findings from the Ax-4 crop seed experiments are expected to have a significant impact on the future of space farming in several key ways:

• Enhanced Crop Resilience: By analyzing how microgravity affects seed germination, growth, and viability, scientists can identify genetic or physiological traits that enable certain crop varieties to withstand extreme or resource-limited conditions. This knowledge enables the cultivation of more resilient crops, not just for space but also for challenging environments on Earth.
• Space Seeds for Extra-Terrestrial Agriculture: Discovering how space exposure modifies seed behavior will help in developing crop varieties that are specifically tailored for space agriculture, paving the way for sustainable food production on future Moon or Mars bases.
• Guidelines for Space-Based Germplasm: The research will inform how plant genetic material should be stored, transported, and managed during long-term space missions to ensure maximum viability and productivity.
• Advanced Agricultural Techniques: Results may inspire innovations in controlled environment agriculture (CEA) technologies, such as vertical farming or hydroponics, by incorporating lessons on how plants adapt or respond in unique, low-gravity conditions.
• Food Security on Earth: Insights from the experiment could translate into breeding or engineering climate-resilient crops that help tackle food security issues due to changing climate conditions or degraded soils.
• Boost for International Collaboration: The collaborative nature of the Ax-4 mission demonstrates how shared scientific experiments can lead to more rapid innovation and problem-solving for both space and terrestrial-based food systems.

 
 
   
World Elephant Day 2025 is celebrated on August 12, as it is every year. The day is dedicated to raising global awareness about the conservation, protection, and welfare of elephants. 
 
Here are the key points for World Elephant Day 2025:
 
Date: August 12, 2025
Theme: "Bringing the world together to help elephants,"
Main Goal: Raise global awareness about the threats to elephants such as habitat loss, poaching, human-elephant conflict, and railway collisions.
Fundraising Target: $300,000 to be used for a global awareness campaign and grants for community-led conservation initiatives across Africa and Asia.
 
Conservation Focus:

• Innovative coexistence solutions for human-elephant conflict such as beehive fences, chili barriers, early warning systems, and rapid response teams.
• Protecting key migratory corridors and negotiating conservation easements.
• Implementing compensation and insurance schemes for communities affected by elephant damage.
• Promoting community-based conservation and eco-tourism to build local stewardship.
• Strict anti-poaching measures and strengthening law enforcement to combat illegal ivory trade.
• Use of advanced tools like habitat mapping, real-time tracking systems for monitoring elephant movement.

Conservationists in Africa and Asia are finding innovative solutions to the human-elephant conflict:

• Beehive Fences: Given that elephants have a natural fear of bees, farmers are installing hives along field perimeters. Beehive fences are widely used to protect crops in India, Sri Lanka, SWChina,  Kenya and Tanzania. And its application doubles as a source of honey income for communities.
• Early Warning Systems: Real-time elephant tracking via GPS collars, SMS alerts and sirens that notify communities of nearby elephants are being deployed by organizations like Mara Elephant Project and Save the Elephants in Kenya. And AI-powered sensors, SMS alerts, and drones are being used in parts of India and Nepal to warn villages of approaching elephants.
• Rapid Response Teams: The Kenya Wildlife Service regularly dispatches trained personnel to safely drive elephants away using spotlights, drums, or noise deterrents. And community “elephant scouts” help coordinate responses.
• Wildlife Corridors & Land Use Planning: Efforts are underway to legally protect key migratory corridors like the Kitenden Corridor near Amboseli. Conservation easements are also being negotiated with landowners.
• Compensation & Insurance: NGOs and governments have introduced fast-track compensation schemes for crop damage. Meantime community-led conservation and eco-tourism programs are building tolerance and pride in elephants. Some NGOs are piloting programs that provide community-based insurance funds.
• Community-Based Conservation: Community conservancies are combining wildlife protection with revenue-sharing through eco-tourism. Involvement builds tolerance and local stewardship.

India's Role:

• Home to over 60% of Asia's elephant population.
• Initiatives like Project Elephant and Plan Bee to reduce human-elephant conflict including preventing railway accidents.
• Advanced habitat mapping, real-time tracking systems, and community participation programs.
• Global Activities: Public awareness drives, educational programs, habitat clean-ups, and artistic performances to involve people of all ages.

Overall Message: The day calls for collective responsibility to safeguard elephants and their heritage, celebrating both elephant matriarchs' wisdom and human dedication to conservation.
 
 
 

• Income up to ?4,00,000: No tax
• ?4,00,001 to ?8,00,000: 5%
• ?8,00,001 to ?12,00,000: 10%
• ?12,00,001 to ?16,00,000: 15%
• ?16,00,001 to ?20,00,000: 20%
• ?20,00,001 to ?24,00,000: 25%\
• Above ?24,00,000: 30%

Tax rebate provisions under Section 87A, offering:

• 100% tax rebate or ?12,500 (whichever is less) for total income up to ?5,00,000.

• Under the new regime, a rebate of up to ?60,000 is available depending on income.

• Retains basic tax provisions from the 1961 Act but aims to increase clarity and legal certainty.

• Empowers the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to frame rules that suit a digitally-driven economy, improving responsiveness and compliance.
• The bill introduces the term "Tax Year" instead of the older "Previous Year" and "Assessment Year" terminology.
• It includes provisions for faceless tax assessments and information collection aiming for transparency and efficiency.

• Simplification and modernization of tax laws by removing redundant provisions and using clearer, more straightforward language.
• Introduction of a new tax regime for individuals and Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs) with updated income tax slabs and rates as announced in Budget 2025, featuring more gradations and a different rebate structure.
• New tax rebate provisions under Section 87A, including a rebate up to ?60,000 depending on income under the new regime, compared to the previous rebate of ?12,500 for income up to ?5,00,000.
• The terminology is updated by replacing "Previous Year" and "Assessment Year" with a single term "Tax Year."
• Empowerment of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to frame rules that support a digitally-driven economy, enhancing responsiveness and taxpayer compliance.
• Provisions for faceless tax assessments and information collection are introduced, aiming to increase transparency, efficiency, and reduce human interface in tax administration.
• While retaining the basic tax provisions and rates from the 1961 Act, the 2025 Bill focuses on clarity, legal certainty, and aligning the tax framework with current economic and technological realities.

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