Renewed U.S. Interest in Acquiring Greenland

• Following recent U.S. military operations in Venezuela, President Donald Trump reiterated his interest in bringing Greenland under U.S. control.

Greenland

• It is the world’s largest non-continental island, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans.
• Nearly 80% of Greenland is covered by the world’s second-largest ice sheet, after Antarctica.
• It is home to Kaffeklubben Island, the northernmost point of land in the world.
• Geographically part of North America but geopolitically linked to Europe, it’s an autonomous territory of Denmark.
• Greenland manages internal affairs, while Denmark controls foreign policy, defence, and currency.
• It falls under NATO Article 5 protection but is not part of the European Union.

Significance of Greenland for the United States

• Arctic Rivalry: Global warming is opening Arctic shipping routes, positioning Greenland at the centre of U.S.–Russia–China rivalry for access to the Arctic region.
• GIUK Gap: Greenland is part of the Greenland–Iceland–UK Gap, a strategic chokepoint for monitoring naval movements in the North Atlantic.
• Military infrastructure: The U.S. operates the Pituffik Space Base in northern Greenland, supporting missile warning systems against Russia, China, and North Korea
• Critical Minerals: Greenland hosts some of the world’s largest untapped deposits of Rare Earth Elements (REE), vital for EVs, electronics, and defence supply chains.

Government Creates Three-Year PPP Project Pipeline

• The Ministry of Finance has created a three-year Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project pipeline (FY26–FY28), in line with the Union Budget 2025-26 announcement.
• It is a roadmap prepared by the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) listing 852 infrastructure projects across the Centre and the States.
• Objective: Provide early visibility into potential projects for global and domestic investors, enabling long-term planning and bridging infrastructure financing gaps.
• Sectoral Focus: Includes transport, energy, railways, water, and sanitation; state projects also cover social and commercial infrastructure.
• Integration: Project planning is integrated with the PM Gati Shakti portal for data-driven execution; states can seek financial assistance from the India Infrastructure Project Development Fund (IIPDF).

Significance of the PPP Project Pipeline

• Growth Engine: As public spending nears fiscal limits, the pipeline mobilises private capital to sustain India’s goal of a $5 trillion to $7 trillion economy.
• Investor Confidence: Early visibility into bankable projects reduces perceived risks, enabling long-term allocations by global and domestic investors.
• Asset Recycling: Working with the National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP), it channels brownfield proceeds into new greenfield projects identified in this 3-year PPP pipeline.
• Balanced Risks: It promotes the adoption of modern PPP models such as HAM and DBFOT, which equitably share construction and revenue risks.
• Contract Standardisation: Bulk project planning promotes the adoption of Model Concession Agreements (MCAs), lowering disputes and transaction costs.
• Global Competitiveness: It helps reduce logistics costs through over 200 transport projects, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of Indian exports.
• Multiplier Effect: According to RBI estimates, every ₹1 invested in infrastructure yields ₹2.5–₹3 in GDP, implying strong medium-term real GDP growth from the pipeline.

Somnath Swabhiman Parv

• Somnath Swabhiman Parv has been launched to honour civilisational resilience, marking 1,000 years since Mahmud of Ghazni’s attack on the Somnath Temple.

About Somnath Temple

• The Somnath Temple is revered as the first among the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva.
• It is located at Prabhas Patan, Gujarat, at the confluence of the Kapila, Hiran, and Saraswati rivers, where they meet the Arabian Sea.
• Mythic Origins: Tradition attributes phased construction — first in gold by the Moon God, Somraj; then in silver by Ravana; and later in wood by Lord Krishna.
• Reconstruction: Bhimdev I rebuilt it in stone after Mahmud of Ghazni’s attack in 1026 CE. It was renovated by Kumarapala (Chalukya) and later by Mahipala I after Alauddin Khalji’s attack in 1299.
• Maratha queen Ahilyabai Holkar built a small temple (“Old Somnath”) next to the ruins in 1783 CE.
• Architectural Style: The structure follows the Māru-Gurjara (Chaulukya) style featuring a Garbhagriha, Sabha Mandapa, and Nritya Mandapa.
• Baan Stambh: The arrow pillar on the sea wall marks an unobstructed sea route to the South Pole.
• Shrine Eternal: The temple was destroyed and rebuilt several times due to repeated attacks by Muslim invaders and the Portuguese; the present structure was completed in 1951.

Māru-Gurjara Architecture

• It is a form of West Indian architecture that originated during the 11th and 13th centuries.
• It synthesises the Maha-Maru tradition of Rajasthan and the Maha-Gurjara tradition of Gujarat.
• The style flourished under Solanki patronage and is a sub-style of the Nagara tradition.
• It is characterised by extreme ornamentation and complex geometric designs.
• Key Feature: It uses intricate carvings across interiors, exteriors, pillars, and ceilings; exterior walls show multiple projections and recesses.
• Components: Include Garbhagriha (inner sanctum), a Gudha-mandapa (closed hall), and a Sabha-mandapa (assembly hall), often fronted by a Kirti-torana (ceremonial arch).
• The main Shikhara is often surrounded by smaller subsidiary spires, called Urushringas, creating a “mountain-like” appearance.
• Major Examples: Sun Temple at Modhera, Dilwara Temples at Mount Abu, and Rani-ki-Vav at Patan.

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)

• The 79th Foundation Day of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) was celebrated, where Union Minister highlighted BIS’s shift from a regulatory to a facilitative approach, aligned with ease of doing business and quality culture.

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS):

• BIS is India’s National Standards Body, responsible for standardisation, certification, hallmarking, and quality assurance of goods and services to protect consumers and enhance global competitiveness.

Established in:

• 1987 (came into force on 1 April 1987)
• Currently governed under the BIS Act, 2016

Headquarters: New Delhi

History:

• 1947: Indian Standards Institution (ISI) established (origin traced to a 1946 memorandum).
• 1952–56: ISI Certification Marks Scheme launched (ISI mark).
• 1987: ISI transformed into BIS with wider powers.
• 2016: BIS Act, 2016 strengthened mandate, consumer participation, and global alignment.

Core functions:

• Standards formulation (over 23,300 Indian Standards across traditional & emerging sectors).
• Product certification (including fast-track licensing).
• Compulsory Registration Scheme & Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme.
• Hallmarking of precious metals.
• Laboratory services & recognition; testing infrastructure.
• Consumer awareness & training; sale of Indian Standards; information services.

New initiatives launched:

• Beta launch of BIS Standardisation Portal: End-to-end digital lifecycle for standards (proposal → publication), with dashboards, role-based access, faster timelines, and transparency.
• SHINE – Standards Help Inform & Nurture Empowered Women: Women-centric capacity building via SHGs/NGOs, positioning women as quality ambassadors in communities.
• BIS–SAKSHAM (Annual Excellence Recognition Scheme): Institutional recognition of knowledge, skills, and high-impact merit.

Constitutional duty of the Election Commission of India

• The Election Commission of India (ECI) told the Supreme Court of India that Article 324 grants it constitutional control over the preparation of electoral rolls, including the power to conduct Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

Constitutional duty of the Election Commission of India:

• The ECI is a constitutional authority entrusted with ensuring free, fair, and credible elections in India.
• A core constitutional obligation of the ECI is to maintain the purity of the electoral process, which includes ensuring that only eligible Indian citizens are enrolled as voters.

Constitutional articles associated with the Election Commission:

Article 324 – Superintendence, direction and control of elections

• Vests the ECI with complete control over the preparation of electoral rolls and conduct of elections to Parliament, State Legislatures, and the offices of President and Vice-President.
• Forms the constitutional basis for exercises like Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

Article 325 – One general electoral roll

• Mandates a single electoral roll for each constituency.
• Prohibits discrimination in voter inclusion on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, etc.

Article 326 – Adult suffrage

• Restricts the right to vote to Indian citizens aged 18 years and above, subject to lawful disqualifications.
• Makes citizenship a foundational requirement of voter registration.

Article 327 – Parliamentary power over elections

• Empowers Parliament to make laws on elections, including preparation of electoral rolls, but subject to Article 324, preserving ECI’s operational control.

Article 328 – State legislature powers

• Allows States to legislate on elections where Parliament has not acted, again within the constitutional framework.

Significance of ECI’s constitutional duty:

• Safeguards electoral integrity by preventing inclusion of ineligible persons.
• Ensures citizenship-based franchise, a core feature of Indian democracy.
• Balances autonomy of the ECI with legislative oversight, preventing executive overreach.

Mpemba Effect

• Indian scientists have developed the first supercomputer-powered simulation that successfully captures the Mpemba effect, resolving a long-standing scientific paradox of hot water freezing faster than cold.

Mpemba Effect:

• The Mpemba effect refers to the counterintuitive phenomenon where hot water freezes faster than cold water under specific experimental conditions.
• Named after Erasto Mpemba, a Tanzanian student who reported it scientifically in 1969, though it was noted earlier by Aristotle, Bacon, and Descartes.

How it works?

• The Mpemba effect occurs because water’s behaviour is shaped by more than just its temperature. When water is heated, its physical and molecular state changes, which can influence how it freezes later.
• Evaporation: Hot water loses some mass as vapour, so less water remains to freeze, speeding up the process.
• Dissolved gases: Heating drives out dissolved gases, subtly changing the water’s freezing characteristics.
• Convection currents: Temperature gradients in hot water create internal circulation that enhances heat loss.
• Supercooling: Hot water may begin freezing at a higher temperature than cold water, allowing it to solidify sooner.
• Environmental effects: Hot containers can alter their surroundings, improving overall cooling efficiency.
• Since these factors vary with conditions, no single mechanism explains the effect universally; different processes dominate in different situations.

Applications:

• Advances understanding of non-equilibrium physics and phase transitions.
• Improves climate and cryosphere modelling, including ice formation processes.
• Relevant to industrial freezing, food processing, and materials science.
• Demonstrates the power of supercomputing in resolving classical scientific paradoxes.

Indian Railways becomes the biggest electrified rail system globally

• Indian Railways has become the largest electrified rail network in the world, with about 99.2% of its broad-gauge network electrified by November 2025.

What it is?

• Indian Railways is India’s national transporter, operating one of the world’s largest rail networks.
• It has now achieved near-complete electrification of its broad-gauge routes, surpassing other major global railway systems.
• Initiative under: Mission 100% Railway Electrification

Launched in:

• The electrification drive began historically in 1925, but Mission-mode acceleration was undertaken post-2014.

Aim:

• Eliminate diesel traction and shift to cleaner electric traction.
• Reduce carbon emissions, fuel import dependence, and operating costs.
• Improve speed, reliability, and efficiency of train operations.

Key features:

• 99.2% electrification of ~70,000 route km broad-gauge network (as of Nov 2025).
• Electrification pace increased from 1.42 km/day (2004–14) to 15+ km/day (2019–25).
• 25 States/UTs fully electrified; only ~0.8% network pending.
• Massive renewable integration: Solar capacity expanded from 3.68 MW (2014) to 898 MW (2025).
• Adoption of modern technologies like Automatic Wiring Trains and mechanised OHE foundations.

Significance:

• Major reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.
• Electric traction is ~70% cheaper than diesel, lowering operating costs.
• Reduced dependence on imported fossil fuels; increased use of renewables.

Remarkable New Species Discovered in India in 2025

• In December 2025, scientists in India announced several significant new species discoveries, spanning from the high-altitude Eastern Himalayas to the rainforests of the Western Ghats.

New Species Discovered in India in 2025:

1. Bridgeoporus kanadii (A “Colossal” Fungi)

• A “colossal” new species of macro fungi characterized by thick, leathery, and massive fruiting bodies.
• Found in: The West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh, specifically growing on old-growth Abies (fir) trees.
• Features: It is remarkably sturdy and large; the lead researcher noted it was strong enough for a person to sit on while remaining firmly attached to the tree.

2. Rhinophis siruvaniensis (Siruvani Shieldtail Snake)

• A new species of non-venomous, burrowing shieldtail snake belonging to the Uropeltidae family.
• Found in: The Siruvani Hills of the Western Ghats in the Palakkad district of Kerala.
• Features: It is a fossorial (burrowing) snake with a specialized tail shield used for digging and defense in high-rainfall rainforest habitats.

3. Neelus sikkimensis (High-Altitude Springtail)

• A tiny, wingless arthropod known as a “springtail” (Collembola), marking the first record of the genus Neelus in India.
• Found in: The high-altitude, cold-desert soils of Sikkim in the Eastern Himalayas.
• Features: Like other springtails, it possesses a “furcula,” a tail-like jumping organ that allows it to spring away from predators.
• Significance: Identified by ZSI scientists, this discovery expands the global count of known Neelus species to just eight.

4. Parasynnemellisia khasiana (Bamboo Forest Fungus)

• A completely new genus and species of fungus that did not fit into any existing biological classification.
• Found in: The dense, humid bamboo forests around Mawsynram in the Khasi Hills, Meghalaya.
• Features: It is uniquely adapted to one of the wettest environments on Earth and grows specifically in association with bamboo ecosystems.

5. Dolomedes indicus (The Indian Fishing Spider)

• The first confirmed instance of a “fishing spider” discovered in India.
• Found in: Streams and rainforests of Wayanad and Lakkidi in Kerala’s Western Ghats.
• Features: These spiders are semi-aquatic and capable of “skating” on water surfaces to hunt small fish and aquatic insects.

6. Ophiorrhiza mizoramensis (Mizoram Coffee-Family Plant)

• A new species of flowering shrub belonging to the Rubiaceae (coffee) family.
• Found in: Murlen National Park, Mizoram, near the Indo-Myanmar border.
• Features: It grows up to one meter high and produces striking dark purplish-pink tubular flowers with uniquely structured stigma lobes.
• Significance: Provisionally assessed as “Critically Endangered,” with fewer than 200 mature individuals found in the wild.