Daily Current Affairs 2025  

21/03/2026

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CA-21/03/2026

• WWD 2026 Theme: The global focus is on the role of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) in health and livelihoods.
• Government Expansion: The Ministry of Ayush announced new projects covering approximately 2,000 hectares for medicinal plant cultivation, specifically targeting desert and semi-arid states.
• Conservation Initiatives: Establishment of Medicinal Plants Conservation and Development Areas (MPCDAs) in states like Haryana, Punjab, and Madhya Pradesh to protect species in their natural habitats.
• Market Digitalisation: Recent updates on the e-CHARAK platform, which now provides fortnightly market prices for over 100 medicinal plants to help farmers avoid middlemen.

• Guggul (Commiphora wightii): High-value resin used for cholesterol and anti-inflammatory treatments.
• Aloe vera: Widely cultivated for its gel used in cosmetics and digestive health.
• Senna (Cassia angustifolia): A major desert export known for its laxative properties.
• Ashwagandha: Though broad-ranging, it is a staple in dry-land cultivation for stress management.

• Under the National Ayush Mission (NAM), farmers can receive subsidies of 30%, 50%, or 75% of cultivation costs depending on the plant species.
• Project-based support is provided for Quality Planting Material (QPM) and infrastructure like rural collection centres.

• Climate Resilience: These plants are naturally adapted to low rainfall (100–450 mm) and high temperatures.
• Economic Diversification: Provides a higher Return on Investment (25-35%) compared to traditional cereal crops.
• Biodiversity: Helps in "desert greening" by restoring soil health and preventing further land degradation.

• Over-exploitation: Nearly 20% of medicinal plant species are threatened with extinction due to wild over-harvesting.
• Market Access: Farmers often face exploitation by middlemen and lack of standardized storage facilities.
• Agro-techniques: Developing scientific cultivation methods for plants traditionally collected from the wild remains a technical hurdle.

• National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB): Primary body for funding and guidelines.
• e-CHARAK App/Portal: For real-time market prices and buyer-seller interactions. 

• New Strategic Framework: The MoU establishes a structured framework for long-term collaboration between India Post and Bhutan Post across operations, technology, and logistics.
• Remittance Corridor: A major highlight is the upcoming launch of a UPU-UPI cross-border remittance initiative, integrating the Universal Postal Union’s platform with India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
• Digital Transformation: The partnership focuses on modernising postal systems to support evolving needs like cross-border e-commerce and digital logistics.

• UPU-UPI Integration: Aims to provide faster, more secure, and affordable digital remittances through the extensive postal networks of both nations.
• Knowledge Sharing: India will share its expertise in leveraging post offices for channelising public savings and providing financial services to remote areas.

• Digital Postal Systems: Collaboration on modernising IT infrastructure and digital delivery mechanisms.
• Digital Address Code: Both sides will explore the adoption of India’s Digital Address Code (and solutions like DIGIPIN) to improve logistics accuracy and service delivery.

• Professional Training: Bhutanese postal officials will undergo training in India at institutions like the Rafi Ahmed Kidwai National Postal Academy.
• Skill Development: Focused on operational expertise, management, and emerging technologies.

• Stamp Collections: Joint efforts to promote philately, including inviting Bhutan Post to participate in Indian philatelic exhibitions.
• Cultural Exchange: Using stamps and postal heritage to foster people-to-people connections.

• Cross-Border Shopping: The MoU aims to facilitate smoother movement of goods and easier online shopping across borders.
• Institutional Collaboration: Deepening ties between the Department of Posts (India) and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (Bhutan). 

• Full Name & Vision: PRARAMBH stands for Policy Reform and Responsible Action for Mission Viksit Bharat. It follows the principle of "Nagrik Devo Bhava" (Citizen is God) to foster a trust-based tax ecosystem.
• M.A.N.A.V. Framework: The initiative is guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for a human-centric digital era, focusing on Moral systems, Accountable governance, National sovereignty, Accessible AI, and Valid systems.
• Language Inclusivity: Guidance notes and brochures have been released in English, Hindi, and 10 regional languages to ensure the information reaches all parts of the country. 

• Tax rules have been streamlined from 510 to 333.
• The number of official forms has been reduced by nearly 52%, from 399 to 190.

• Kar Saathi AI Chatbot: Provides instant guidance on the new Act, rules, and filing procedures in multiple languages.
• Website 2.0: An upgraded portal featuring simplified navigation, faster service delivery, and a more user-friendly interface.

• The campaign uses a multimedia approach across print, TV, radio, digital platforms, and social media.
• Over 300 workshops and interactive sessions are planned nationwide to gather stakeholder feedback and educate different segments of society.

• Route Patrol Vehicles (RPVs): Specialised high-resolution dashboard cameras are mounted on RPVs that regularly patrol the highway network.
• Regular Surveys: These vehicles conduct weekly comprehensive surveys of highway stretches to capture continuous video and image data.
• Nighttime Evaluation: The program mandates at least one nighttime inspection per month specifically to assess the performance of road signages, markings, reflectors, and lighting.

• Pavement Issues: AI models automatically identify potholes, cracks, rutting, and severe pavement damage.
• Road Furniture: Real-time detection of damaged or faded lane markings, crash barriers, and non-functional streetlights.
• Maintenance Concerns: The system tracks water stagnation, missing drainage covers, and excessive vegetation growth.

• Identifies illegal median openings and unauthorized signboards.
• Flags safety risks such as illegal parking and highway encroachments.

• Zonal Structure: The country is divided into five zones for systematic data monitoring and report management.
• Central Data Lake: Results are integrated into the central NHAI Data Lake platform to ensure seamless tracking and timely rectification of detected defects.
• Interactive Dashboard: A dedicated IT platform with visualization dashboards allows NHAI officials to perform side-by-side comparisons of road conditions over time.

• Reduces the need for manual inspection, leading to faster repairs and improved road user experience.
• Supports the government's Gati Shakti and Digital India missions by integrating smart technology into core infrastructure.

• Hypercapnic hypoxia combines hypercapnia (elevated CO₂) and hypoxia (low oxygen), creating chemically hostile water conditions.
• It peaks during low tide when water circulation slows, especially in low-salinity, tropical estuaries.

• Rising atmospheric CO₂ from climate change dissolves into waters, while warmer temperatures reduce oxygen solubility.
• Low tides trap respired CO₂ and deplete oxygen via microbial activity and limited mixing.
• Tropical mangroves experience it twice as often as subtropical ones due to higher heat.​

• Reduces habitat quality in mangrove fish nurseries, shifting species toward smaller, tolerant ones and declining large reef-associated fish.
• Threatens biodiversity, fisheries, and livelihoods for millions in developing coastal nations.
• By 2100, 78% of sites may see stressful conditions lasting 12-24 hours consecutively under extreme scenarios.​

• Salt-tolerant trees/shrubs in tropical/subtropical intertidal zones, acting as buffers against erosion and nurseries for marine life.​
• Highly productive but vulnerable ecosystems now facing compounded climate stressors.

• AHA Scientific Sessions (March 17–20, 2026): New research presented in Boston linked central obesity (belly fat) more strongly to heart failure risk than overall BMI, even in individuals with a "normal" weight.
• Endocrine Breakthroughs: Scientists have officially highlighted that fat is a "factory" for pro- and anti-inflammatory chemicals, acting as an endocrine organ that influences everything from appetite to insulin sensitivity.
• Epigenetic "Memory": Recent studies suggest fat cells retain a "memory" of obesity through epigenetic markers, explaining why maintaining weight loss is biologically challenging. 

• White Adipose Tissue (WAT): The most abundant type; stores energy as triglycerides and provides insulation and cushioning.
• Brown Adipose Tissue (BAT): Specialized for thermogenesis (burning energy to generate heat); rich in mitochondria and mainly found in newborns and specific areas in adults.
• Beige Fat: "Brown-like" fat that emerges within white fat depots in response to cold or hormonal signals, a process known as "browning".

• Leptin: A hormone that signals satiety to the brain to reduce appetite.
• Adiponectin: An anti-inflammatory hormone that enhances insulin sensitivity and regulates blood sugar.
• Cytokines: Dysfunctional fat secretes pro-inflammatory chemicals that can drive heart failure and metabolic syndrome.

• Subcutaneous Fat: Stored just under the skin; generally considered more metabolically "neutral".
• Visceral Fat: Stored deep in the abdominal cavity around organs; highly active and dangerous, as it drains directly into the portal vein and triggers systemic inflammation.

• Metabolic Syndrome: Excess or dysfunctional fat leads to insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.
• Regenerative Potential: Modern research views adipose tissue as a source of mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) with significant potential for tissue repair and regenerative medicine.

• Remote Archipelago: Situated roughly 120 km north of the Antarctic Peninsula in the Drake Passage.
• "Jewel of Antarctica": Often given this nickname for its dramatic landscape of glaciers, towering peaks, and ice formations.
• Icy Coverage: Over 80% of the land area is covered by permanent ice.

• Penguin Haven: Home to major breeding colonies of Chinstrap, Gentoo, and Adélie penguins.
• Marine Mammals: Waters and beaches support Weddell, Elephant, and Leopard seals, as well as Humpback and Fin whales.

• Research Hub: The islands host more than 19 research stations operated by 12 different countries, including Argentina's Cámara Base.
• Active Volcanism: Deception Island is a famous flooded volcanic caldera where ships can sail directly into the center of an active volcano.

• Discovery: Officially discovered in 1819 by British mariner William Smith.
• Exploration Legends: Elephant Island served as a survival camp for Ernest Shackleton's Endurance crew for 137 days after their ship was crushed by ice. 

• Masi Magam Festival: Celebrated on the full moon day of the Tamil month 'Masi', this is the most significant event in the Irula calendar.
• Spiritual Reconnection: The tribe gathers to seek the forgiveness of their deity, Goddess Kanniamma, who they believe resides in the sea.
• Rites of Passage: The gathering serves as a mass communal event for weddings, naming ceremonies for children, ear piercing, and tonsuring.
• Employment Initiatives: In late February 2026, the government provided official jobs (gardener and night watchman) to the sons of Padma Shri awardee Irula snake catchers to support their livelihood transition.

• PVTG Status: Recognized as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in Tamil Nadu.
• Population: One of India's oldest indigenous communities and the second-largest Adivasi group in Tamil Nadu.
• Geographic Distribution: Primarily reside in the Nilgiri Mountains and coastal districts of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka.

• Snake & Rat Catching: Renowned globally for their intimate knowledge of snakes. They provide 80% of the venom used to manufacture life-saving anti-snake venom (ASV) in India.
• Healing & Herbalism: Traditional practitioners of herbal medicine and forest-based resource collection (honey, firewood).

• Language: They speak Irula, a South Dravidian language closely related to Tamil and Kannada.
• Religious Beliefs: They are pantheists who believe spirits reside in nature. Their primary deity is Kanniamma, who is deeply associated with the cobra.
• Social Structure: They live in small hill-edge settlements called mottas.

• Systemic Discrimination: Often face historical stigma related to colonial-era "criminal tribe" laws and struggle with police profiling and custodial violence.
• Lack of Documentation: Many families live without identity papers, community certificates, or ration cards, which bars them from accessing government welfare and voting.
• Land Rights: Despite the Forest Rights Act, many are still struggling for formal land titles and face threats of eviction.

• PM-JANMAN: A central scheme launched to provide safe housing, clean water, and education specifically for PVTGs like the Irula.
• Irula Snake Catchers’ Industrial Cooperative Society: A key organization that formalises their traditional skills for the medical industry. 

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