News in Shorts: 01 September 2025

1 Sep 2025

News in Shorts: 01 September 2025

Orcas

Context: A new study has found that killer whales may be exploring human behaviour by offering them whole prey and waiting for them to respond.

About Killer Whales (Orcas)

  • Description: Killer Whales, commonly known as Orcas, are found worldwide. They are the largest members of the dolphin family (Delphinidae).
  • Distribution: Orcas are distributed across all oceans. They are most abundant in cold waters such as Antarctica, Norway, and Alaska, but are also found in tropical and subtropical regions.
  • Family: Belong to the Delphinidae family, which includes all dolphin species.
    •  The family also comprises larger species such as the long-finned pilot whale and short-finned pilot whale, though their common names include “whale” rather than “dolphin”.
  • Behaviour: Orcas are highly social animals, typically living in groups called pods made up of maternally related individuals seen together frequently.
    • Their curiosity and social nature often lead them to approach fishing vessels, either to check for fish in the nets or to observe human activity.
    • They depend heavily on underwater sound for feeding, communication, and navigation.
  • Physical Characteristics: Adult orcas can grow up to 8 metres in length. They can weigh as much as 6 tonnes.
  • Conservation Status: Listed as Data Deficient on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, meaning their global population status is uncertain.

 

Climate Finance

Context: A recent study estimates that India needs $467 billion by 2030 for significant decarbonization. The focus is on four hard-to-abate sectors — power, steel, cement, and road transport.

Sector-wise Climate Finance Needs

  • Steel Sector
    • Investment Required (till 2030): $251 billion
    • One of the most difficult sectors to decarbonize.
    • Needs large-scale adoption of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and other technologies.
  • Cement Sector
    • Investment Required (till 2030): $141 billion
    • Another hard-to-abate sector.
    • Investment needed to offset both current and future emissions as the industry grows.
  • Power Sector
    • Investment Required: $47 billion
    • Already transitioning with renewables deployment.
    • Finance will strengthen grid integration, storage, and efficiency improvements.
  • Road Transport
    • Investment Required: $18 billion
    • Focus on electrification and low-carbon mobility solutions.
  • Comparative Insights
    • The $467 billion estimate is lower than earlier projections (which exceeded $1 trillion till 2030).
    • Despite covering only four sectors (≈50% of India’s annual CO₂ emissions), the study’s methodology makes it a first-of-its-kind granular estimate.

 

National e-Governance Division (NeGD)

Context: The National e-Governance Division (NeGD) has successfully achieved Pan-India integration across digital platforms.

About NeGD

  • Establishment: Established in 2009 by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
  • Functioning: Functions as an independent business division within the Digital India Corporation (DIC).
    • Provides strategic support, project development, and implementation assistance for e-Governance initiatives.

Projects under NeGD

  • UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance)
    Provides single-point access to government services through mobile apps, enabling citizens to avail services anytime, anywhere.
  • DigiLocker: Empowers citizens digitally by offering a secure Digital Document Wallet to access and store authentic electronic documents.
  • BISAG-N (Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics):  Focuses on technology development, research & innovation, capacity building, and facilitates national and international cooperation in the field of Geo-Spatial Technology.
  • Rapid Assessment System (RAS):  Enables instant online feedback for e-governance services to improve service delivery and accountability.
  • OpenForge Platform: Promotes sharing and reuse of open-source e-governance application code, encouraging collaborative development.
  • Learning Management System (LMS):  An application that automates training administration, including the tracking, delivery, and reporting of learning events for capacity building.

 

Papua New Guinea (Port Moresby)

Context: Indian navy warship visits Port Moresby to join Papua New Guinea’s 50th independence day celebrations.

Political Features of Papua New Guinea

  • Location: An island nation situated in the Southwestern Pacific Ocean.
  • Territorial Composition:
    • Eastern half of the island of New Guinea (the world’s 2nd largest island).
    • Bismarck Archipelago – includes New Britain, New Ireland, and the Admiralty Islands.
    • Bougainville and Buka Islands – part of the Solomon Islands chain.
  • Land Boundary: Shares its western border with Indonesia.

Geographical Features

  • Highest Peak: Mount Wilhelm (4,509 m), located in the Bismarck Range.
  • Geological History: Landscape shaped by the collision of the Australian Plate and Pacific Plate, resulting in rugged mountains and volcanic activity.

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Quick Revise Now !
AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD SOON
UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
Integration of PYQ within the booklet
Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध
Quick Revise Now !
UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
Integration of PYQ within the booklet
Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध

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