CA-22/10/2025
International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV)
Why in news?
The International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) held its 2025 sessions from October 20-24, focusing on how new technologies are transforming plant variety protection and driving innovation in agriculture.
About UPOV
- The UPOV is an intergovernmental organization established in 1961 by the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants, based in Geneva, Switzerland.
- The mission is to provide and promote an effective system of plant variety protection to encourage the development of new plant varieties for the benefit of society.
- UPOV grants intellectual property rights known as "breeders' rights" to the creators of new plant varieties, incentivizing innovation in plant breeding.
- The UPOV system incentivizes innovation while supporting food security and sustainable development globally.
As of 2025, it has 80 member states covering 99 countries, with continued expansion and adoption.
JAIMEX 2025
Why in news?
JAIMEX 2025, the Japan-India Maritime Exercise, was conducted from October 16 to 18, 2025, involving the Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri and Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) ships including Asahi, Oumi, and the submarine Jinryu.
Main Objectives
- Strengthen the Special Strategic and Global Partnership between India and Japan established in 2014, advancing peace, stability, and security in the Indo-Pacific region.?
- Enhance interoperability and tactical capabilities through joint naval operations and exercises.
Strategic Significance
- Reinforces commitment to a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific maritime order.?
- Highlights growing defense self-reliance through the participation of the domestically-built INS Sahyadri, aligning with India's 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' vision.?
- Builds stronger Navy-to-Navy ties and promotes mutual preparedness for maritime security challenges, especially Anti-Submarine Warfare and missile threats.?
Other Related Exercises
- JAIMEX complements other major bilateral exercises: Malabar (Naval), Veer Guardian (Air Force), and Dharma Guardian (Army)
India’s Forest Cover
Why in news?
- India has recently moved up to the 9th position globally in terms of total forest area, as per the Global Forest Resources Assessment (GFRA) 2025 released by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Key Forest Cover Statistics (2025)
- India’s current forest area stands at approximately 72.74 million hectares, which constitutes about 2% of the world's forests.?
- India maintained its third position globally for net annual forest gain, adding nearly 191,000 hectares per year between 2015 and 2025.?
- India is now the fifth largest carbon sink in the world, with its forests removing 150 million tonnes of CO? annually (2021–2025).?
Policy and Initiatives
- Significant achievements are attributed to Central and State government policies, including large-scale afforestation drives and participation incentives for citizens (such as the 'Ek Ped Ma Ke Naam' initiative).?
- The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change increased its budget allocation by 9% for 2025-26 to further enhance forest cover.?
- Prominent schemes include: the National Mission for a Green India (GIM), the National Afforestation Programme, the Forest (Conservation) Act, the Wildlife (Protection) Act, and the Forest Rights Act.?
International Context
- Globally, forests cover about 4.14 billion hectares (32% of land area), with Russia, Brazil, Canada, and the US holding the largest shares.?
- Despite global net forest loss (about 4.12 million hectares per year from 2015-2025), India has shown a consistent positive trend in increasing its forest resources.?
Challenges
- Forest ecosystems worldwide face persistent challenges, with threats from fires, pests, diseases, and extreme weather.?
- India is promoting sustainable forestry practices to balance conservation with necessary development.?
India's recent progress signifies a strong national commitment to expanding forest cover, climate action, and biodiversity conservation.
Sinapic acid
Why in news?
Researchers at Nagaland University, in collaboration with Lovely Professional University, have identified sinapic acid—a naturally occurring plant compound—as a powerful therapeutic agent that promotes faster wound healing in diabetic conditions.
Research Highlights
- Sinapic acid is a natural phenolic acid found in spices, citrus and berry fruits, vegetables, cereals, and oilseed crops.?
- It possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antitumor, and neuroprotective properties.?
- The compound enhances tissue repair, angiogenesis, and inflammation control by activating the SIRT1 pathway.?
- Current efforts are underway to develop patented, oral formulations using sinapic acid to provide low-cost, scalable wound therapy for diabetic patients.?
Therapeutic Significance
- Sinapic acid's wound healing properties make it a promising candidate for natural, safe, and effective diabetic wound management.?
- Its neuroprotective effects are also being explored for treating neurological disorders.?
- A recent Nature publication and other studies highlight its ability to improve blood glucose levels and reduce oxidative stress markers in diabetic wound models.
Beyond wound healing, sinapic acid is being investigated for anti-inflammatory applications, including advanced MRI diagnostics and targeted therapy using gadolinium complexes.
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