Indian researchers’ new drug delivery system to revolutionise arthritis treatment

• Researchers from the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST) Mohali, an autonomous institution of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), have developed an innovative “self-actuating” drug delivery system that could revolutionise the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
• Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) affects millions of people worldwide, causing chronic inflammation, debilitating pain, and irreversible joint damage.
• While traditional treatments often rely on systemic drug administration, which carries the risk of side effects and also requires frequent dosing, the novel treatment targets inflammation directly within the joints so that therapeutic agents are released only when needed, the researchers said.
• The new system responds directly to the biochemical signals in the inflamed synovial environment. It uses specially designed microspheres loaded with methotrexate — a commonly used anti-rheumatic drug.
• “These microspheres are engineered to sense inflammation in joints and release the drug only when needed, minimising side effects and improving therapeutic outcomes,” said the team led by Dr. Rahul Kumar Verma fromthe Institute.
• The formulation consists of polymer-lipid hybrid micro-composites, where the lipid component (soya lecithin) ensures high drug encapsulation efficiency, and the polymer component (gelatin) provides responsiveness to Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP).
• In animal studies, it significantly reduced joint swelling, inflammation, and cartilage damage while promoting joint repair, the team said.
• “The system leverages the unique biochemical signals present in the inflamed synovial microenvironment to release therapeutic agents precisely when needed. When exposed to these enzymes, the gelatin substrate is cleaved, triggering the release of the encapsulated drug in a controlled, pulsatile manner,” said the researchers in the paper published in the journal Biomaterial Advances.
• The findings could offer a safer, more effective alternative to current RA treatments by eliminating the need for frequent drug injections and reducing systemic toxicity.
• The system enhances drug effectiveness by improving bioavailability and retention in the affected joints, leading to longer-lasting relief with fewer doses. This means less pain, improved joint function, and slower progression of joint damage for patients.
• Beyond arthritis, the technology holds promise for managing other inflammatory diseases, such as synovitis and inflammatory bowel disease. It could also pave the way for smart biomaterials in regenerative medicine and personalized treatments, said the researchers.

A surge of dead sea turtles in the sand

• Hundreds of Olive Ridley sea turtle carcasses have been found since the first week of January in the Chennai and Chengalpattu districts. Conservationists say the number of deaths is three times the usual number during the mating season and have sounded alarm bells about bottom trawling, the widespread use of fishing gear, and plastic pollution
• Olive Ridley turtles, which are found in warmer waters, such as the southern Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, haul themselves up on to India’s eastern shore every year by the tens of thousands and lay eggs in an event known as arribada (arrival by sea in Spanish).
• While Odisha is a mass nesting site for Olive Ridley turtles in India, thousands of these small wild animals also come sporadically to nest between December and April along the Tamil Nadu coastline, a lifeline for millions who depend on fishing for their livelihood.
• The biodiverse and eco-sensitive Gulf of Mannar, located off the districts of Thoothukudi and Ramanathapuram in the south, is an essential feeding site for these turtles. The creatures then migrate to Odisha, West Bengal, and beyond.
• Along the 34-km coast from the Marina Beach in Chennai to Kovalam in Chengalpattu, seeing dead sea turtles on the shore during mating season is not unusual — every year, an average of 350 dead turtles can be found, says Shravan Krishnan, a volunteer with the Students Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN).
• However, this year, until January 31, conservationists had counted 1,200 dead sea turtles, more than three times the normal figure.
• In the Chennai and Chengalpattu districts, located along the 1,076 kilometre-long coastline of Tamil Nadu, many people recall seeing dead Olive Ridley sea turtles washed ashore this year.
• Olive Ridley turtles, which are found in warmer waters, such as the southern Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, haul themselves up on to India’s eastern shore every year by the tens of thousands and lay eggs in an event known as arribada (arrival by sea in Spanish).
• While Odisha is a mass nesting site for Olive Ridley turtles in India, thousands of these small wild animals also come sporadically to nest between December and April along the Tamil Nadu coastline, a lifeline for millions who depend on fishing for their livelihood.
•  The biodiverse and eco-sensitive Gulf of Mannar, located off the districts of Thoothukudi and Ramanathapuram in the south, is an essential feeding site for these turtles. The creatures then migrate to Odisha, West Bengal, and beyond.
• Along the 34-km coast from the Marina Beach in Chennai to Kovalam in Chengalpattu, seeing dead sea turtles on the shore during mating season is not unusual — every year, an average of 350 dead turtles can be found, says Shravan Krishnan, a volunteer with the Students Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN).

Guests from the sea

• Olive Ridleys are the smallest of the seven sea turtle species. They weigh up to 45 kilogrammes and reach only about 2 feet in shell length. Their name comes from their olive-coloured carapaces (hard upper shells). Though their numbers have remained stable in recent years, Olive Ridleys remain a key species in global conservation efforts and are classified ‘vulnerable’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List.
• Sea turtles play a crucial role in the marine ecosystem. By feeding on crustaceans that live on the seabed, they help release the oxygen that is trapped there. They maintain healthy seagrass levels by nibbling on seagrass and algae. They provide shelter for commercially important fish species and control jellyfish populations that could otherwise harm fish larvae.
•  On January 27, the task force decided to strengthen regulations on trawl fishing, enforce the use of Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs), and restrict the horsepower of boat engines.
• TEDs are metal grids designed to allow turtles to escape from trawl nets. But fisherfolk have expressed concerns that these devices could reduce their catch.
•  A fisherman working on a mechanised boat in Kasimedu explains that with dwindling resources in the ocean, even a small fall in catch can have a significant impact on his profits.
•  “There have been no efforts from the Fisheries Department to introduce improved TED models or compensate fishermen for the months they are required to use them
• The government has also increased joint patrols involving the Fisheries Department, Forest Department, Indian Coast Guard, and Marine Police. According to long-term studies and monitoring, including telemetry research, will also begin soon. Plans have also been put in place to involve police authorities in monitoring and addressing trawler violations.

Supreme Court slams Tamil Nadu Governor: Can''t sit on bills without communicating

• The Supreme Court on Friday flagged the creation of an "impasse" if the Governor withheld his assent on the bills passed by legislative assembly without any communication to the state government and wondered how the deadlock would be resolved.
• A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan said Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi couldn''t simply sit over the bills based on perception of repugnancy with the Central law, without communicating his opinion.
• The top court was hearing two petitions filed by the Tamil Nadu government highlighting the prolonged confrontation between the state assembly and the Governor over his refusal to assent to bills passed by the legislature.
• Article 200 of the Constitution gives the Governor the power to approve or withhold approval of bills passed by the state legislature. The Governor can also send a bill back to the legislature for reconsideration or suggest changes.
• The bench said the issue related to Article 200 and if the arguments of the attorney general were to be accepted then the Governor did not require to communicate any message to withhold his assent.
• Venkataramani said everything depended on facts of each case and the Governor in the present case did not act in a malafide manner.
• Justice Pardiwala said if there was repugnancy then the Governor could straight away decline assent but the question was why did he withhold the assent.

What is the process of granting assent?

• Assent of the Governor or the President is necessary for a Bill passed by the legislature to become law. After a Bill is passed by both Houses of the State Legislature, it is presented to the Governor for assent.
• Governor’s Options (Article 200): The Governor has the power to:
• Grant Assent: The Bill becomes law.
• Withhold Assent: The Governor can withhold assent, but it must be returned to the Legislative Assembly for reconsideration.
• Return for Reconsideration (except Money Bills): If the Governor returns the Bill, the Legislature can amend it. If re-passed, the Governor must assent.
• Money Bills are automatically deemed assented to by the Governor.

• Reserve for President’s Consideration (Article 201): If the Governor believes the Bill affects the Constitution or has national importance, it can be reserved for the President’s consideration.
• Discretionary Powers: The Governor can withhold assent if the Bill is against national interests, violates the Constitution, or conflicts with Union laws, though this power is not absolute.
• Article 167: The Governor may require the Chief Minister to communicate decisions of the Council of Ministers, including Bills pending for assent.
• No Timeline for Decision: There is no specified timeline within which the Governor must act, often leading to delays or a "pocket veto."
• The Sarkaria Commission (1988) and the National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution (2000) recommended time limits for granting assent (e.g., 6 months for assent, 3 months for President’s decision). There are ongoing debates on enforcing such timelines.
• Judicial Review: The Supreme Court has held that if the Governor’s decision to withhold assent is found to be mala fide (in bad faith), it can be subject to judicial scrutiny and struck down. Courts can review such actions for constitutionality (Rameshwar Prasad, 2006).

What is the International Criminal Court and how will Trump''s sanctions impact it?

• U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court could jeopardize trials and investigations at the world’s only permanent global tribunal for war crimes and genocide.
• The order Trump signed Thursday accuses the ICC of “illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel.” It cites the arrest warrant the ICC issued last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
• The Hague-based court condemned the move. “The Court stands firmly by its personnel and pledges to continue providing justice and hope to millions of innocent victims of atrocities across the world,” the court said in a statement.

What is the International Criminal Court?

• The court was created in 2002 to be a last stop for the most serious international crimes: war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and aggression.
• The United States and Israel are not members, but 125 other countries have signed the court''s foundational treaty, the Rome Statute.
• The ICC becomes involved when nations are unable or unwilling to prosecute crimes on their territory.
• The court’s newest member, Ukraine, formally joined in January.

What will these sanctions do?

• The exact impact is unclear. Trump’s executive order invokes emergency powers from several different laws to allow the U.S. Treasury Department and the U.S. State Department to issue specific sanctions.
• The court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, is a likely target, as is anyone involved in the Netanyahu investigation, including the three judges who issued the arrest warrants. The sanctions could also target the court itself, grinding its operations to a halt

 Do these sanctions jeopardize current trials?

• The court is currently without a single trial ahead for the first time since it arrested its first suspect in 2006.
• It has issued 33 unsealed arrest warrants. Those named range from Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin to Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony and Gamlet Guchmazov, a former government member of the breakaway region of South Ossetia in Georgia. Kony is accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Guchmazov is accused of torture.
• Three verdicts are pending. Former CAR football federation president Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona and Alfred Yekatom, alleged leaders of a predominantly Christian rebel group in the Central African Republic, are accused of multiple counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
• The trial of Ali Mohammed Ali Abdul Rahman Ali, who is accused of committing atrocities as the leader of the Janjaweed militia in Sudan, wrapped up last year.
• For a few hours last month, the court appeared poised to take a Libyan warlord into custody. Instead, member state Italy sent Ossama Anjiem home. Also known as Ossama al-Masri, Anjiem heads the Tripoli branch of the Reform and Rehabilitation Institution, a notorious network of detention centers run by the government-backed Special Defense Force

 International Criminal Court (ICC)

• The International Criminal Court (ICC) is an independent judicial body with jurisdiction over persons charged with genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
• Situated in The Hague, Netherlands, the ICC is governed by the Rome Statute adopted by the UN in 1998. It entered into force in 2002 upon ratification by 60 States. 
• In addition, the Rome Statute also sets new standards for victims’ representation in the courtroom, and ensures fair trials and the rights of the defence. The court seeks global cooperation to protect all people from the crimes codified in the Rome Statute. 
• Currently, 125 countries are State Parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC.
• India has not signed the Rome Statute as it is not a member of the ICC. 
• The court’s founding treaty, called the Rome Statute, grants the ICC jurisdiction over four main crimes. 
• i) Crime of genocide: It is characterised by the specific intent to destroy in whole or in part a national, ethnic, racial or religious group by killing its members or by other means: causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group.
• ii) Crimes against humanity: Serious violations committed as part of a large-scale attack against any civilian population. The 15 forms of crimes against humanity listed in the Rome Statute include offences such as murder, rape, imprisonment, enforced disappearances, enslavement - particularly of women and children — sexual slavery, torture, apartheid and deportation.
• iii) War crimes: They are grave breaches of the Geneva conventions in the context of armed conflict and include, for instance, the use of child soldiers, the killing or torture of persons such as civilians or prisoners of war, intentionally directing attacks against hospitals, historic monuments, or buildings dedicated to religion, education, art, science or charitable purposes.
• iv) The crime of aggression: It is the use of armed force by a state against the sovereignty, integrity or independence of another state.
• Functioning of the ICC
• The ICC is composed of 18 judges, who are elected for terms of office of nine years by the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute.
• As a judicial institution, the ICC does not have its own police force or enforcement body. Thus, it relies on cooperation with countries worldwide for support, particularly for making arrests, transferring arrested persons to the ICC detention centre in The Hague, freezing suspects’ assets and enforcing sentences.
• While not a UN organisation, the ICC has a cooperation agreement with the UN. When a situation is not within the court’s jurisdiction, the UN Security Council can refer the situation to the ICC granting it jurisdiction. 
• The ICC actively works to build understanding and cooperation in all regions, for example, through seminars and conferences worldwide. The court cooperates with both states parties and non-states parties. The Court does not replace national courts. It is a court of last resort. States have the primary responsibility to investigate, try and punish the perpetrators of the most serious crimes. 
• The Court will only step in if the State in which serious crimes under the Court’s jurisdiction have been committed is unwilling or unable to genuinely address those. The Court’s resources remain limited and it can only deal with a small number of cases at the same time. The Court works hand in hand with national and international tribunals.

How is ICC different from ICJ?

• The International Criminal Court (ICC) is established to investigate, prosecute and try individuals accused of committing the most serious crimes of concern to the international community. 
• ICC is not part of the United Nations but they have a cooperative and complementary relationship.
• International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations for the settlement of disputes between States. 
• The International Court of Justice and the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals also have their seats in The Hague.

OPEC+ Sticks to Supply Plan Even as Trump Seeks Oil Price Cut

• The Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC), the OPEC+ panel reviewing policy and markets and potentially recommending actions to the group’s ministers.
• The JMMC, the panel that takes stock of oil market developments and proposes courses of action to the ministers of the OPEC+ group, doesn’t take decisions on production levels—these are taken by the OPEC+ ministerial meetings.
• At the previous ministerial gathering in December, the alliance decided to delay the start of the easing of the 2.2 million bpd cuts to April 2025, from January 2025. The group also extended the period in which it would unwind all these cuts into the following year, until September 2026.
• OPEC+ reiterated the importance of compliance with the cuts and the timely compensation for those producers who haven’t adhered to their assigned quotas.
• OPEC+ has agreed to stick to its policy of gradually raising oil output from April.
• The meeting coincided with a rise in oil prices after US President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China — America’s top trading partners — raising concern about supply disruption.
• OPEC+ is cutting output by 5.85 million barrels per day (bpd), equal to about 5.7 per cent of global supply, agreed in a series of steps since 2022. In December, OPEC+ extended its latest layer of cuts through the first quarter of 2025, pushing back a plan to begin raising output to April. 

What is OPEC?

• Crude oil production by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is an important factor that affects oil prices.
• This organisation seeks to actively manage oil production in its member countries by setting production targets. Historically, crude oil prices have seen increases in times when OPEC production targets are reduced.
• OPEC member countries produce about 40 per cent of the world’s crude oil. Equally important to global prices, OPEC’s oil exports represent about 60 per cent of the total petroleum traded internationally. 
• Because of this market share, OPEC’s actions can, and do, influence international oil prices. In particular, indications of changes in crude oil production from Saudi Arabia, OPEC’s largest producer, frequently affect oil prices.

Origin of OPEC

• The OPEC is a permanent, inter-governmental organisation, created at the Baghdad Conference in September 1960 by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. 
• OPEC’s formation occurred at a time of transition in the international economic and political landscape, with extensive decolonisation and the birth of many new independent countries in the developing world. 
• The international oil market was dominated by the “Seven Sisters” multinational companies and was largely separate from that of the former Soviet Union and other centrally planned economies. 
• OPEC developed its collective vision, set up its objectives and established its Secretariat.
• It adopted a ‘Declaratory Statement of Petroleum Policy in Member Countries’ in 1968, which emphasised the inalienable right of all countries to exercise permanent sovereignty over their natural resources in the interest of their national development. 
• The statute stipulates that “any country with a substantial net export of crude petroleum, which has fundamentally similar interests to those of the member countries, may become a full member, if accepted by a majority of three-fourths of full members, including the concurring votes of all founder members”.
• Currently, the organisation has a total of 12 member countries. They are: Algeria, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Venezuela.
• OPEC had its headquarters in Geneva in the first five years of its existence. This was moved to Vienna in Austria on September 1, 1965.
• OPEC regularly meets to set oil production targets and coordinate output to help manage global oil prices for the entire group.
• OPEC’s objectives are to coordinate and unify petroleum policies among member countries, in order to: 
• i) Secure fair and stable prices for petroleum producers.
• ii) Ensure an efficient, economic and regular supply of petroleum to consuming nations. 
• iii) Secure a fair return on capital to those investing in the industry.

What is OPEC+?

• OPEC+ is a group of oil-producing nations, made up of the members of the OPEC, and 10 other non-OPEC members. 
• The non-OPEC members are: Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Russia, Sudan, South Sudan.
• The OPEC bloc is nominally led by Saudi Arabia, the group’s largest oil producer, while Russia is the biggest player among the non-OPEC countries.
• The format was born in 2017 with a deal to coordinate oil production among the countries in a bid to stabilise prices. Since then, the group has reached deals for members to voluntarily cut and ramp-up production in response to changes in global oil prices.
• The OPEC and OPEC+ countries combined produce about 60 per cent of global oil production.

What is La Nina? The ocean cooling phenomenon that shapes India''s climate

• January 2025 was the warmest January on record, with an average surface air temperature of 13.2°C, 0.79°C above January''s 1991-2020 average, according to Copernicus Climate Change Service, the European Union’s Earth Observation Programme.
• The surface air temperature was 1.5°C above the pre-industrial level.
• It also reported that Sea Surface Temperatures (SSTs) were below average over the central equatorial Pacific, but close to or above average over the eastern equatorial Pacific, suggesting a slowing or stalling of the move towards La Niña conditions. SSTs remained unusually high in many other ocean basins and seas

WHAT IS LA NINA?

• La Nina means “Little girl” in Spanish. It is also called El Viejo, anti-El Nino, or a cold event. It is a part of El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) which is characterised by cooler-than-normal temperatures along the Equatorial Pacific Ocean.
• According to Noaa, La Nina is characterised by unusually cold ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific, compared to El Nino, which is characterised by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific
• In the neutral phase, the Eastern side of the Pacific Ocean (the coastal regions of South America) is cooler than the western side (Indonesia, Australia). This occurs due to the movement of hot surface winds from east to west and the upwelling of cooler winds from west to east making the east side cooler and nutrient-rich.
• This cycle is disrupted during the El Nino phase where the hot surface winds move from west to east and cooler winds from east to west, leading to drought conditions in India and Africa.
• The strengthening of the neutral phase due to the stronger trade winds makes the Equatorial Pacific Ocean cooler than usual. This makes the South American coast cooler than normal, bringing more rainfall in summer to Western Australia and more monsoon rainfall to India.

HOW DOES IT AFFECT THE CLIMATE OF INDIA?

• In a written reply to the question, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr. Jitendra Singh mentioned the effect of La Nina on the Indian monsoon during its last occurrence.
• The last time La Nina occurred was from 2020-23, causing normal to above-normal rainfall across most parts of the country during the southwest monsoon season. This was not true to the regions in extreme North and north-east India, which received below-normal rainfall.
•  In some regions, there were floods and damage to crops, but in the larger context, it helped in the growth and development of certain Kharif crops.”

HOW WILL THE DELAYED LA NINA AFFECT INDIA?

• The La Nina was expected to occur in July last year. Now the meteorologists suggest the chances of developing La Nina are about 57-60%.
• This could lead to weaker monsoons, impacting the intensity and timing of rainfall in India, and more heat during summer. This could even lead to decreased tropical cyclone activity in the Bay of Bengal region

 Nano-urea led to decrease in yield, protein content of rice and wheat: Study

• One of the largest and most sustained trials analysing the impact of nano-urea on crop yields has concluded that its continued use could reduce yields of rice and wheat, which together constitute about 70% of India’s annual foodgrains output.
• Promoted by the fertiliser company IFFCO, and extensively promoted by the government’s Department of Fertilisers, the application of nano-urea, in the manner prescribed by the company, led to a decrease in the protein content in rice and wheat grains by 35% and 24%, respectively, the study found.
• “Premature and long-term adoption of such nitrogen-management practice may lead to yield losses besides reduction in grain and straw-nitrogen content,”.
• Urea, a solidified nitrogen fertiliser, is critical to India’s agricultural economy. India needs about 350 lakh tonnes of urea annually, for which 40 lakh tonnes have to be imported.
• However, urea in India is heavily subsidised, with a 45-kg bag actually costing around ₹3,000 but sold at ₹242 to farmers. In 2023-24, the government spent ₹1.3 lakh crore on urea. A bag of urea provides about 20 kg of nitrogen in a form usable by plants.
• Into this sector came a technological innovation called “nano-urea”. A half-litre solution of nano urea contains 4% (w/v) N equivalent to 20g N, or about one-thousandth of the nitrogen in a bag.
• IFFCO, however, claims that one spray of a 500 ml solution of nano-urea can substitute more than 52 kg of N ha−1 as commercial urea in a number of crops, irrespective of soil and climatic conditions.
• This is because nano-urea is converted to nanoparticles, and therefore made more bio-available, and if applied in a prescribed manner at appropriate stages of rice and wheat plant development, can substitute the conventional bag. Moreover, unlike conventional urea that is applied to the roots, nano urea is sprayed on the leaves at two critical flowering stages of the plants.
• Thus, rather than farmers deploying two bags of urea for a hectare of rice to provide the nitrogen required for a hectare, they could instead use one bag, and substitute the other bag with liquid nano-urea with no loss of yield.
• A bottle of urea costs a little more than a 45 kg bag or around ₹260. The claim was that this would eventually reduce aggregate urea consumption and lead to savings on the import bill.
• However, since its commercial release in 2022, evidence for nano-urea as a reliable substitute has been thin. “Despite previous positive results in trials conducted by IFFCO, there has been mixed evidence, and so we felt it was necessary to conduct a careful trial.
• Study was funded by the IFFCO, which has also funded several other trials in other institutions. Yield gains, plant physiology suggested, were correlated with uptake of nitrogen in the soil from the roots.
• However, in their studies, they showed a “reduction” in root attributes (length and dry weight), and nutrient content. “What’s happening is that in the two years (2021 and 2022) we conducted our studies, the plants were unable to use the urea sprayed as nano-urea. Whatever was available was from the soil, so naturally this will reduce yields,” Professor Sikka told The Hindu.
• “Newer formulations of nano-urea, which had 8% N and 20% N were being brought out by the company and these too had failed to increase yields, according to tests conducted at his institute,” Prof. Sikka said.

The way forward

• In order to address the multiple goals of fertilizer policy, we need to simultaneously work on four key policy areas. One, we need to be self-reliant and not depend on import of fertilizers. In this way, we can escape the vagaries of high volatility in international prices. In this direction, five urea plants at Gorakhpur, Sindri, Barauni, Talcher and Ramagundam are being revived in the public sector.
• Two, we need to extend the NBS model to urea and allow for price rationalisation of urea compared to non-nitrogenous fertilizers and prices of crops.
• The present system of keeping the price of urea fixed and absorbing all the price increases in subsidy needs to be replaced by distribution of price change over both price as well as subsidy based on some rational formula.
• Three, we need to develop alternative sources of nutrition for plants. Discussions with farmers and consumers reveal a strong desire to shift towards the use of non-chemical fertilizers as well as a demand for bringing parity in prices and subsidy given to chemical fertilizers with organic and biofertilizers.
• This also provides the scope to use a large biomass of crop that goes waste and enhance the value of livestock byproducts. We need to scale up and improve innovations to develop alternative fertilizers. Though compost contains low amounts of nitrogen, technologies are now available to enrich this.
• Finally, India should pay attention to improving fertilizer efficiency through need-based use rather than broadcasting fertilizer in the field.
• These changes will go a long way in enhancing the productivity of agriculture, mitigating climate change, providing an alternative to chemical fertilizers and balancing the fiscal impact of fertilizer subsidy on the Union Budgets in the years to come.

Chandrayaan-3''s Shiv Shakti landing point on the Moon is as old as life on Earth

• Dead for over a year, Vikram Lander, part of the Chandrayaan-3 mission is still making new discoveries. Indian scientists have discovered that Vikram''s landing site also known as the Shiv Shakti Point, is as old as the dawn of life on Earth.
• The team from India''s Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) has created the first geological map of the site, which sits close to the Moon''s south pole.
• The geological map reveals the spatial distribution of three distinct terrain types within the landing area that includes high-relief rugged terrain and smooth plains, and low-relief smooth plains.
•  In a study published , the team said that geological mapping is a fundamental process of organizing different datasets into geological units that eventually helps in understanding the spatial and temporal sequences of the underlying processes that have shaped the surface of a planetary body.
• The team also noticed that debris from the nearby Schomberger crater blankets the area. The landing site is blanketed with boulders, some exceeding five metres in size, and mostly originating from a fresh, 540-metre crater located 14 kilometres south of the landing site.
• Additionally, the rover''s exploration revealed smaller rock fragments (centimeter-sized) near a 10-meter-wide crater west of the landing site.
• The high-relief rugged terrain has areas with hills and rough surfaces, smooth plains comprise of flat areas with fewer surface features, and low-relief smooth plains have relatively flat regions with slight variations in elevation. Vikram landed in the low-relief smooth plains.
• This region is estimated to be about 3.7 billion years old — the same age as some of the earliest life forms on Earth.
• India''s Chandrayaan-3 mission achieved a historic milestone on August 23, 2023, as it landed on the Moon''s south polar region, making India the fourth country to achieve a soft landing on the lunar surface and the first to reach the Moon''s South Pole.
• India is now readying the Chandrayaan-4 mission slated for launch in 2027. This mission aims to collect samples from the Moon''s surface and bring them back to Earth for scientific analysis.
• The mission will involve a complex two-phase launch strategy, utilising multiple spacecraft modules.

Fort William, Army’s Eastern HQ, renamed Vijay Durg

• In the latest step toward eliminating colonial practices and mindsets within the armed forces, Fort William in Kolkata, the headquarters of the Eastern Army Command, has been renamed Vijay Durg.
• Additionally, Kitchener House inside Fort William has been renamed Manekshaw House, and South gate, formerly known as St. George’s Gate, is now Shivaji Gate.
• According to Wg Cdr Himanshu Tiwari, the Defence Public Relations Officer in Kolkata, the decision was made in mid-December and all communications have since ceased using “Fort William,” adopting the new name instead. However, the official announcement is still pending.
• Fort William, named after King William III of England, was constructed by the British in 1781. The new name, Vijay Durg, is derived from the oldest fort along the Sindhudurg coast in Maharashtra and served as a naval base for the Marathas under Chhatrapati Shivaji.
• In recent years, there have been a series of measures aimed at removing “vestiges of the colonial era” and “Indianising” military traditions and customs — an initiative Prime Minister Narendra Modi has termed as “gulami ki mansikta se mukti (freedom from the mentality of slavery)“.
• In March 2022, while addressing top military leadership at Kevadia in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the importance of engancing indigenisation in national defence — not just in terms of sourcing of equipment and weapons but also in the doctrines, procedures and customs practised by the armed forces. He urged the three services to “rid themselves of legacy systems and practices that have outlived utility and relevance”.
• In September 2022, the Navy adopted a new naval ensign that moves away from its colonial past, featuring a new octagonal design inspired by the seal of Chhatrapati Shivaji.
• Measures taken include replacing musical tunes played during the Beating Retreat ceremony with Indian compositions and reviewing various ceremonial practices and attire
• Kolkata''s historic Fort William have been renamed as Vijay Durg to remove colonial influence from the Indian Army.
• The new name Vijay Durg serve as a naval base for the Marathas under Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
• Vijay Durg is an ancient fort which is located on the Sindhudurg coast of Maharashtra.The name change shows the pride in India''s indigenous military history, under the Maratha Empire.

Background of Fort William

• Fort William was originally built by the British in Kolkata in 1781
• And it was named after King William III of England.
• It was served as the headquarter of the Eastern Army Command during British rule and remains a major military site.
• The Beating Retreat ceremony, traditionally play with British military music, now features Indian compositions replacing colonial-era tunes.
• The Indian Army has reviewed its ceremonial practices and dresses as well, to bring them in line with Indian culture and heritage.

What is India''s VSHORADS missile system, capable of destroying areal threats with extreme accuracy

• Three successive flight trials of Very Short-Range Air Defence System ( VSHORADS) were successfully conducted by the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) recently, showcasing the ability of the missiles to neutralise threats like drones and high-speed targets flying at very low altitudes. The tests were conducted in Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.
• VSHORADS is a man-portable air defence system designed and developed indigenously by Research Center Imarat in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories and development cum production partners. The missile system is capable of meeting the needs of all three branches of India''s armed forces—Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force.
• The missiles intercepted and completely destroyed the targets having reduced thermal signature mimicking low flying drones at different flying conditions.
•  The flight-tests were carried out in the final deployment configuration wherein two field operators carried out weapon readiness, target acquisition and missile firing.
• The flight data captured by various range instruments like Telemetry, Electro-Optical Tracking System and Radar deployed by Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, confirmed the high accuracy and established the unique capability of VSHORADS missile system in neutralising drones and other aerial threats.
• The flight tests were conducted in the presence of senior officials of DRDO, armed forces and development and production partners.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO, the armed forces and the industries for the successful flight tests, calling it a great success.

Significance of the VSHORADS System