Alstonia scholaris

• Alstonia scholaris, commonly called blackboard tree, scholar tree, milkwood, or devil''s tree in English, is an evergreen tropical tree in the dogbane family (Apocynaceae).
• It is called ''Saptaparna'' in India. It has been cited in the Charaka and Sushrutha Samhithas. 
• Distribution: This tree is widespread across the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and southern China, thriving in tropical and subtropical climates.
• Features:
• It grows to a height of10–20 meters, sometimes reaching up to 40 meters.
• It has dark grey bark and a crown of simple, whorled leaves arranged in clusters of seven, giving rise to the name "saptaparni" (meaning "seven-leaves").
• Flowers: Small, fragrant, and greenish-white flowers bloom in clusters during late autumn and early winter.
• Uses:
• The bark, leaves, and other parts of Alstonia scholaris have been used in traditional medicine for treating respiratory conditions, fever, skin disorders, and digestive issues.
• The soft, lightweight wood of the blackboard tree was historically used for making writing slates and blackboards, which is how it got the common name "blackboard tree."
• IUCN status: Least Concern

Balfour Declaration

• The Balfour Declaration was made 107 years ago on November 2, 1917.

• It was a letter that Balfour, then British foreign secretary, wrote to Lionel Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild of Tring, a prominent member of the Anglo-Jewish community. 
• It expressed support for the establishment of a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine. 
• The declaration is seen as a significant moment in the lead-up to the 1948 creation of Israel.

• Factors Leading to Balfour Declaration

• Zionist Movement: The Zionists believed that the Jewish community, facing increasing persecution in Europe, would not be safe till they had a country, a homeland, to call their own.
• Thus, Zionists began approaching various leaders to secure support for this goal.
• Strategic Interest of the Allies: It reflected British strategic interests during World War I, including garnering support from Jews in the United States and Russia.
• The implications of the Balfour Declaration contributed to tensions in the region and played a crucial role in the subsequent history of Israel and Palestine.

Bibek Debroy

• Economist and chairman of Prime Minister’’s economic advisory council Bibek Debroy has passed away.

• He was a full-time Member of NITI Aayog from its constitution in 2015 until June 2019. 
• He was also a Sanskrit scholar who had translated the Bhagavad Gita, the Vedas, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata into English.
• Bibek Debroy Committee: Chaired by Debroy from 2014 to 2015, this committee was tasked with restructuring the Railway Ministry and Railway Board, and mobilizing resources for major railway projects.
• He was the Chairman of the Finance Ministry’s ‘Expert Committee for Infrastructure Classification and Financing Framework for Amrit Kaal.
• Debroy was awarded a Padma Shri in 2015 and the Lifetime Achievement Award by the US-India Business Summit in 2016.

Black hole Triple’ System

• A new study says scientists have discovered a “black hole triple” in space for the first time.
• The system comprises a black hole at its centre, currently in the process of consuming a small star spiralling very close to it.
• There is also a second star, which appears to be circling the black hole but is actually far away.
• The discovery of the system, located about 8,000 light years away from Earth has raised questions about how black holes are formed.
• Many black holes discovered until now have been part of binary systems, consisting of a black hole and a secondary object (such as a star or another black hole).
• But the black hole triple not only has one star which orbits the black hole about every 6.5 days, but also a more far-off star which orbits it every 70,000 years.
• It is situated in the constellation of Cygnus, the system features one of the oldest known black holes, the V404 Cygni, which is nine times as big as the Sun in our solar system.
• V404 Cygni has two stars around it as the black hole did not arise from a supernova, which typically kicks away outer stars in the explosion.
• Instead, it was formed through another process called “direct collapse”, where the star caves in after expending all its fuel, but does not explode.

Botswana 

• Mr. Duma Boko elected as the new President of Botswana.
• It is a land-locked country dominated in geographical terms by the Kalahari Desert. 
• It is situated in the Southern African region and about two-thirds of Botswana lies within the Tropics; it is bisected by the Tropic of Capricorn.
• It is bordered by Zambia and Zimbabwe to the northeast, Namibia to the north and west, and South Africa to the south and southeast.
• Capital City: Gaborone
• Botswana’s climate is semi-arid though it is hot and dry for much of the year. 
• Botswana’s highest point is Tsodilo Hills
• Major Rivers : Significant rivers  include the Limpopo, Okavango, and Shashe with the Molopo River creating a geographical border between South Africa and Botswana.
• It is home of the world’s largest elephant population.

Digital India Common Service Centre (DICSC) Project

• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has announced the launch of the Digital India Common Service Centre (DICSC) project.
• Project aims to bridge the digital divide in rural India by providing citizens with accessible e-governance, financial, and commercial services. 
• Each centre will serve as a one-stop solution for essential services, including Aadhaar registration, banking, and tele-law, equipped with high-speed broadband connectivity and modern infrastructure. 
• The implementation is managed by Common Services Centres e-Governance Services India Limited.

Hydrogel

• A new way discovered by a team of researchers at the Department of Chemical Sciences in Bose Institute to create hydrogels using tiny protein fragments of just five amino acids from the SARS-CoV-1 virus, could help improve targeted drug delivery & reduce side effects.

Hydrogels:

• It is a three-dimensional network composed of hydrophobic polymers synthesized by crosslinking water-soluble polymers.
• Hydrogels can retain a large quantity of water within their network without disturbing their original structure. This imparts flexibility and swelling properties to the hydrogel structures. 
• It is a “smart” material that can change its structure in response to its environment, such as the local temperature, pH, salt or water concentration.

SARS

• Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a viral respiratory disease caused by the virus SARS-CoV-1.
• It is an airborne virus and can spread through small droplets of saliva in a similar way to the cold and influenza.
• It can also be spread indirectly via surfaces that have been touched by someone who is infected with the virus.
• Symptoms of SARS include: Persistent, high fever, Chills, Headache, Body aches.
• Treatment: There’s no established treatment specifically for SARS.

India’s Progress in the Fight Against Tuberculosis

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi highlighted the nation’s achievements in reducing TB incidence. 

• The World Health Organization (WHO) has recognised India’s progress, with a 17.7% decline in TB incidence from 2015 to 2023, a rate more than double the global decline of 8.3%.
• The government has expanded and strengthened the National TB Elimination Programme by taking key initiatives such as:
• The Ni-Kshay Poshan Yojana to provide essential nutritional support to TB patients and the introduction of the BPALM regimen, a novel treatment for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.
• India’s goal is to eliminate tuberculosis (TB) by 2025, five years ahead of the global target of 2030.

India’s updated National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP)

• India launched the updated National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) 2024-2030, at the COP 16 to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). 

Major Highlights of NBSAP

• India has updated the NBSAP to align with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF) establishing the National Biodiversity Targets (NBTs). 
• It outlines 23 National Biodiversity Targets focused on reducing threats to biodiversity, ensuring sustainable use of resources, and enhancing tools for implementation.
• Each target is linked to specific strategies aimed at promoting ecosystem resilience, species recovery, and sustainable management practices.
• Implementation: The MoEFCC serves as the central agency responsible for coordinating biodiversity conservation efforts across India. 

• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

• The CBD is a part of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), came into being in 1993.
• It has three major objectives—conservation of biological diversity, sustainable use of the components of biological diversity, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits.

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF)

• GBF was adopted by the COP15 to the Convention on Biological Diversity in 2022.
• It has been promoted as a “Paris Agreement for Nature”.
• The GBF contains 4 global goals and 23 targets.
• Among the twenty-three targets to be achieved by 2030 include halving the introduction of invasive species, and $500 billion/year reduction in harmful subsidies.
• “Target 3” is especially referred to as the “30X30” target.
• ’30X30′ target
• Under it, delegates committed to protecting 30% of land and 30% of coastal and marine areas by 2030, fulfilling the deal’s highest-profile goal, known as 30-by-30.
• The deal also aspires to restore 30% of degraded lands and waters throughout the decade, up from an earlier aim of 20%.
• Also, the world will strive to prevent destroying intact landscapes and areas with a lot of species, bringing those losses “close to zero by 2030”.

Major Outcomes of Cop 16

• Cali Fund: It is a multilateral mechanism, including a global fund, to share the benefits from uses of digital sequence information (DSI) on genetic resources more fairly and equitably.
• It will be non-binding (voluntary) where firms are expected to contribute 1% of their profit or 0.1% of their revenue.
• Indigenous People and Local Communities: A new Programme that sets out specific tasks to ensure the meaningful contribution of indigenous peoples and local communities towards the three objectives of the Convention was adopted.
• Synthetic biology: An expert group will guide identification of synthetic biology’s potential benefits and review the potential impacts of recent technological developments. 
• Invasive Alien Species: It proposes guidelines for managing invasive alien species, touching on issues such as e-commerce, multicriteria analysis methodologies and others. 
• Biodiversity and Health: A Global Action Plan on Biodiversity and Health designed to help curb the emergence of zoonotic diseases, and prevent non-communicable diseases, it embraces a holistic “One Health” approach.
• Risk Assessment: Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety welcomed new, voluntary guidance on assessing the risks posed by living modified organisms (LMOs) containing engineered gene drives.
• They are voluntary in nature, individual countries can tailor them to national contexts, considering ecological variables unique to their environments. 

Indian Green Building Council

Recently, the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister announced that the upcoming Durgesh Aranya Zoological Park will become India’s first zoo to earn certification from the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) for sustainable and eco-friendly infrastructure.

Indian Green Building Council:

• It is part of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) which was formed in the year 2001.
• It is India''s Premier certification body.
• The council offers a wide array of services which include developing new green building rating programmes, certification services and green building training programmes.
• The council also organises Green Building Congress, its annual flagship event on green buildings.
• It is also among the 5 countries that are in the board of World Green Building Council discussing global issues at COP and similar global platforms.
• The rating is based on six environmental categories which include sustainable station facility, health, hygiene and sanitation, energy efficiency, water efficiency, smart and green initiatives and innovation and development.
• Headquarter: Hyderabad. 

Key facts about Durgesh Aranya Zoological Park

• It is located inthe Bankhandi area of Kangra’s Dehra assembly constituency of Himachal Pradesh.
• The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) has approved 34 enclosures within the park’s Van Vaibhav Path and Biodiversity Court, which will house 73 animal species, including the Asiatic lion, hog deer, crocodile, monitor lizard, gharial, and various birds. 
• The project aligns with the state government’s focus on promoting eco-tourism and sustainable development, reinforcing Kangra’s status as the “Tourism Capital” of Himachal Pradesh.

Iron Beam

• Israel’s Ministry of Defense has announced that the “Iron Beam,” a high-powered laser interception system, is expected to become operational within a year. 
• Purpose: Designed to neutralize projectiles, including drones and rockets, using high-powered lasers.
• Functionality: The Iron Beam can intercept a range of threats from hundreds of meters to several kilometers away, engaging at the speed of light. It operates with minimal cost per interception and low collateral damage.
• Development: Created by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, it will complement Israel’s existing Iron Dome system and will be integrated into a broader, multilayer defense strategy.
• Capabilities and Limitations: The Iron Beam is especially effective against small, fast-moving drones, although its efficiency decreases in poor weather conditions like fog or rain.

Laika: First Living Creature to Orbit the Earth

• November 3 marks 67 years since the Soviet Union sent Laika to orbit the Earth on its Sputnik 2 mission.

• Laika (Barker) was a Soviet space dog who became the first living creature to orbit the earth.
• The dog was promoted to cosmonaut (a term referring to an astronaut in the Soviet or Russian space program) based on her ‘small’ size and ‘calm’ demeanour. 
• As the technology to re-enter the atmosphere had not yet been developed, Laika’s survival was never expected. It is likely that she died of hyperthermia a few hours after reaching orbit. 
• Laika ended up providing scientists with the first data on the behaviour of a living organism orbiting in the space environment. Four years later, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to orbit earth.

Markhor

• Markhor, the largest wild goat in the world, is battling for survival in Jammu and Kashmir and measures must be taken to protect its habitat to increase its population.

Markhor:

• The markhor is a wild goat species indigenous to the mountainous regions of Central and South Asia.
• It is known for its thick fur, flowing beard and corkscrew horns.
• It is considered to be an apt flagship species for catalysing conservation in these mountain tracks. 
• It is adapted to mountainous terrain, between 600 and 3,600 m elevation, with open woodlands, scrublands and light forests.
• It is a diurnal animal and is mainly active in the early morning and late afternoon. 
• Geographical distribution:
• It is found in the moist to semi-arid mountain tracts of Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan.
• In J&K, Markhor’s population is found in Shopian, Banihal pass to Shamsbari area of the Kazinag Uri and Pir Panjal range in Poonch.
• Conservation status
• IUCN : ‘Near Threatened’
• Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 : Schedule I
• CITES: Appendix I 
• Threats: Its population has been affected mostly by unabated human intervention and biotic factors.

Ningol Chakkouba

• Ningol Chakkouba, one of Manipur’s most significant festivals, was celebrated with great enthusiasm.

• The festival is traditionally held on the second lunar day of the Manipuri calendar’s Hiyangei month and its history dates back to the time when King Nongda Lairen Pakhangba ruled in Manipur. 
• Ningol means ‘married woman’ and Chakouba means ‘invitation for feast’; so the festival is the one where the married women are invited to their parents’ home for a feast. 
• The invitation comes from the son(s) of the parental family of the ningols, generally a week in advance; it strengthens the bond of affections among the brothers and sisters, daughters and parents of a family.
• Earlier, the festival was mainly celebrated by the Meiteis but nowadays many other communities also have started to celebrate it. 

Papua New Guinea

• At the just-concluded 16th Conference of Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity, local environmental groups from Papua New Guinea raised these urgent issues and called for international action to stop illegal logging that is damaging one of the most biodiverse areas on the planet.
• About Papua New Guinea:
• It is an island country that lies in the south-western Pacific.
• It includes the eastern half of New Guinea (the world’s second largest island) and many small offshore islands.
• Neighbours: Indonesia to the west, Australia to the south, and the Solomon Islands to the south-east.
• Terrain: It is mainly mountainous but has low-lying plains in southern New Guinea.
• The islands that constitute Papua New Guinea were settled over a period of 40,000 years by a mixture of peoples who are generally referred to as Melanesians.
• Language: English is the main language of government and commerce. In most everyday contexts, the most widely spoken language is Tok Pisin.
• Government:
• The country is a constitutional monarchy and a member of the Commonwealth.
• The British monarch, represented by a governor-general, is head of state, and the Prime Minister is head of government.
• Papua New Guinea’s rainforests are rich in biodiversity, housing rare species such as birds of paradise, tree kangaroos, and the Queen Alexandra’s birdwing butterfly.
• These forests represent only one per cent of Earth’s land but play a vital role in absorbing carbon and supporting the lives and traditions of Papua New Guinea’s indigenous peoples. 
• Capital: Port Moresby

Turtle Wildlife Sanctuary

 The National Green Tribunal has castigated three district magistrates of Uttar Pradesh and the member secretary of the state''s pollution control board for granting permission "in a mechanical manner" for mining works in the state''s turtle wildlife sanctuary.

• Turtle (Kachhua) Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Varanasi District of Uttar Pradesh.
• It was touted as the first freshwater turtle wildlife sanctuary in the country.
• The protected area is a 7 km stretch of the Ganga River flowing through Varanasi city from Ramnagar Fort to Malviya Rail/Road Bridge.
• The sanctuary was declared to ensure the survival of turtles released into the Ganga River in Varanasi. 
• The turtles were released to promote organic removal of half-burnt human corpses, which are dumped into the river after final rites under Hindu tradition. 
• To get rid of these without hurting the sentiments of the people, the Ganga Action Plan supported the breeding and release of turtles into the river. 
• The idea behind the action was that this will in turn nurture a good population of the already dwindling population of Indian softshell turtles.
• Turtle hatchlings are reared at the breeding center in Sarnath and subsequently released into the Ganges River once they become mature enough to survive in their natural habitat.
• According to the local officials, about 2,000 turtle eggs are brought to the centre from the Chambal and Yamuna rivers every year. 
• The sanctuary is also home to the Gangetic Dolphin, other species of turtles, and several species of fish, including Rohu, Tengra, and Bhakur.

What are the major challenges faced by Indian cities due to Urbanisation?

• October 31 is observed every year as World Cities Day. 

• The world’s urban population has reached an estimated 4.7 billion, or 57.5% of the world’s total population, with projections to double by 2050. 
• The theme for this year’s World Cities Day is ‘Youth Climate Changemakers: Catalysing Local Action for Urban Sustainability’.

Urbanisation in India

• In Western countries, urbanisation followed industrialisation, which created jobs that absorbed rural labour.
• Their urbanisation was sustained also because of massive economic transfers from colonies. 
• In contrast, India’s urbanisation is largely driven by economic distress, resulting in poverty-driven urbanisation, with both rural-to-urban and urban-to-urban migration.
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, the strain on urban planning became apparent, as reverse migration trends highlighted gaps in infrastructure.
• According to the 2011 Census, India’s urban population increased from 27.7% in 2001 to 31.1% in 2011, at a rate of 2.76% per year.
• World Bank estimates suggest around 40% of India’s population live in urban areas, in around 9,000 statutory and census towns.
• How well India manages this urban transformation will play a critical role in realizing its ambition of becoming a developed country by 2047, the 100th year of independence.

Urban challenges in India: 

• Outdated Plans: Spatial and temporal plans are often outdated and fail to accommodate population growth. 
• Overcrowded Unplanned Areas: Since the 1980s, deindustrialisation has led to job losses in cities like Ahmedabad, Delhi, Surat, and Mumbai.
• Many workers displaced by this trend moved to peri-urban areas, where they live in overcrowded conditions. 
• Currently, 40% of India’s urban population resides in slums. 
• Climate Change: Climate change severely impacts Indian cities.
• Cities face severe pollution and are increasingly subject to urban flooding and heat island effects. 
• Inequality in Development: Inequality is widening, with exclusive developments catering to the wealthy while millions lack basic housing.
• Waste Management: Rapid urbanization has led to increased waste generation, and many cities struggle with effective waste collection and disposal, resulting in environmental degradation.
• Transportation and Traffic Congestion: Inadequate public transport systems, coupled with a rise in private vehicle ownership, contribute to severe traffic congestion and pollution.

Steps Taken by Government of India to Tackle Urbanisation Challenges

• As per the 12th Schedule of the Constitution of India, urban planning is a State subject. 
• Government of India provides financial and technical support to the States. 
• State Town Planning Departments and Urban Development Authorities act as city and state level urban anchors. 
• Smart Cities Mission: Launched in 2015, this initiative aims to promote sustainable and inclusive cities by using smart technology for better infrastructure, transportation, and services. 
• Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT): This mission focuses on ensuring basic services like water supply, sewerage, and urban transport to improve the quality of life in cities, particularly for the urban poor.
• Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY): This housing scheme aims to provide affordable housing to the urban poor. 
• Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban): Launched in 2014, this initiative focuses on promoting cleanliness and sanitation in urban areas.
• NITI Ayog: The Managing Urbanisation (MU) Division provides data-based policy inputs for making India’s urbanisation manageable, economically productive, environmentally appropriate, and equitable.
• It offers advice and policy guidance to key stakeholders involved in urban planning, development, and management.
• PM SVANidhi scheme is a special micro-credit facility launched by ministry for providing affordable loans to street vendors.