Doomscrolling

Context: Amid rising anxiety among young professionals, endless exposure to negative news, or doomscrolling, has emerged as a major contributor to stress and reduced productivity.

What is Doomscrolling?

• Doomscrolling is the compulsive habit of continuously consuming negative news online.
• It triggers the brain’s reward system, overstimulates the amygdala, and weakens the prefrontal cortex, leading to heightened anxiety, impaired focus, and poor decision-making.
• The behaviour is reinforced by humans’ evolutionary negativity bias and the unpredictable nature of news headlines.

Ways to Avoid Doomscrolling

• Set Digital Boundaries: Limit app usage with timers, disable push notifications, and schedule intentional news breaks to reduce compulsive scrolling.
• Adopt Mindful Habits: Practice meditation, deep breathing, or yoga, and consciously balance negative news with positive or neutral content to rewire the brain towards healthier focus and emotional regulation.

BRO Builds World’s Highest Motorable Road

Context: Project Himank of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) created history by constructing the world’s highest motorable road at Mig La Pass, eastern Ladakh, 19,400 ft above sea level.

About the Project

• It surpasses the previous world record held by the Umling La Pass road (19,024 ft), which BRO built in 2021.
• Engineering Achievement: Advanced construction materials and cold-resistant technologies were used to ensure road stability and all-weather connectivity.
• Connectivity: Mig La Pass is in Ladakh, India, near the Indo-China border, connecting the Hanle region with the border village of Fukche.
  • It enhances defense preparedness and supports local tourism by providing strategic access to the border

About Project Himank (BRO)

• Introduction: Project Himank was raised on 4 December 1985 at Leh by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to develop road communication in the Ladakh region, often in extreme weather and challenging terrain.

About Cold Resistant Technology: REJUPAVE

• Developed by the Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI), this bio-oil-based asphalt modifier is used in bituminous road construction to allow work at low and sub-zero temperatures.
• It significantly reduces the heating required for the bituminous mix and retains heat during transport, enabling construction even in snowfall.
• Roads built with REJUPAVE also have greater durability and resistance to thermal cracking.

NOSDCP and NATPOLREX

Context: Recently, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) conducted the 10th National Level Pollution Response Exercise (NATPOLREX-X) and the 27th National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan (NOSDCP) meeting off the Chennai coast, Tamil Nadu.

About NOSDCP

• National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan (NOSDCP) was drafted by the Indian Coast Guard and approved in 1993, it forms India’s core framework for national oil spill preparedness and response.
• Objective: To ensure a coordinated, swift, and effective response to marine oil spills through inter-agency collaboration among central ministries, coastal state governments, major ports, and oil-handling industries.
• Participants: The meeting saw participation from 105 national delegates and 40 foreign observers from 32 countries, enabling knowledge exchange and policy dialogue on pollution control and response mechanisms.

About NATPOLREX

• Introduction: NATPOLREX  is a biennial flagship exercise of the ICG designed to operationalize the NOSDCP.
• Objective:  To test national preparedness, operational readiness, and enhance inter-agency coordination for effective marine oil spill response through live sea and shore-based simulations.
• Participants at NATPOLREX- X:  The ICG deployed Pollution Control Vessels, Offshore Patrol Vessels, Fast Patrol Vessels, Chetak and Dornier aircraft, and worked with Tamil Nadu authorities, central agencies, and major ports.

With over 75% of India’s energy needs met through seaborne oil imports, maintaining a robust and coordinated oil spill response system is of strategic importance.

Wildlife Week 2025

Context: Union Environment Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav presided over Wildlife Week 2025 celebrations in Dehradun.

• During the event, the Minister launched 5 national level projects for species conservation and conflict management.

About Wildlife Week 2025

• Introduction: Organized by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change along with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA), and Forest Research Institute (FRI).
• Objective: To promote synergy among institutions, raise awareness about wildlife conservation, and foster community-centric approaches to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts.
• Annual Celebration: Every year from 2nd to 8th October, India celebrates Wildlife Week.
  • It started in 1952 and continues to inspire generations to stand up for nature.
• 2025 Theme: ‘Human-Wildlife coexistence’

About the Projects and Initiatives

• National Level Projects for Species Conservation and Conflict Management:
  • Project Dolphin (Phase-II): Strengthen conservation of river and marine cetaceans across India.
  • Project Sloth Bear: Implement national framework for Sloth Bear conservation.
  • Project Gharial: Action plan for Gharial conservation and population management.
  • Centre of Excellence for Human-Wildlife Conflict (CoE-HWC) at Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON): Support policy, research, and field-based conflict mitigation.
  • Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves: Address conflicts outside protected areas using technology, community engagement, and landscape approaches.
• Other Initiatives: 
  • Launch of four national-level action plans
    • Second Cycle of Population Estimation of River Dolphins and Other Cetaceans, including release of the brochure and field guide.
    • All India Tiger Estimation Cycle–6: release of the field guide in eight regional languages.
    • Action Plan for the Second Cycle of Snow Leopard Population Estimation.
    • Progress report on the Population Estimation of Great Indian Bustard and Lesser Florican.
  • National Hackathon on Human-Wildlife Conflict Co-existence, involving 120 teams and 420 youths, promoting AI and spatial analytics solutions.

New Initiatives for Bihar Assembly Elections

Context: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has unveiled 17 new initiatives ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, aimed at improving transparency, voter convenience, and technological integration in the electoral process.

Key Initiatives Introduced by the Election Commission

• 100% Webcasting at Polling Stations: For the first time, live webcasting will cover all polling stations across Bihar, allowing real-time monitoring and enhancing transparency.
• Enhanced Voter Accessibility:
• • Photographs on EVM Ballot: Colored photographs of candidates will appear alongside names on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to reduce confusion among voters.
  • Larger Font on Voter Slips: Names will be printed in larger, legible fonts to help voters locate their booths more easily.
• Introduction of ECI Net Application: The ECI Net app will act as a one-stop digital platform connecting all stakeholders — voters, officials, and political parties — for streamlined coordination, monitoring, and reporting.

Coral Larvae Cryobank

Context: The Philippines has established Southeast Asia’s first coral larvae cryobank to preserve and restore coral reefs threatened by climate change, pollution, and habitat degradation across the Coral Triangle.

About Coral Larvae

• Coral larvae are tiny, free-swimming “seeds” produced during coral spawning; they settle on seabeds to form new coral colonies.
  • They are vital for reef regeneration and maintaining marine biodiversity.
• Coral reefs support over 120 million people in the Coral Triangle through fisheries, tourism, and coastal protection.
• Coral Triangle is a marine area in the western Pacific Ocean and eastern Indian Ocean, encompassing Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste.
  • It is the global center of marine biodiversity, hosting the highest diversity of coral reef species

About the Coral Larvae Cryobank

• A Coral Larvae Cryobank is a facility that preserves coral larvae at ultra-low temperatures to safeguard genetic diversity and enable future reef restoration and research.
• The process uses vitrification, exposing larvae to protective solutions before freezing them in liquid nitrogen at –196°C.
  • Laser warming rapidly thaws the samples, preventing ice damage and ensuring survival.
• The facility freezes and preserves coral larvae at ultra-low temperatures to prevent genetic loss.
• Preserved larvae can later be revived to restore damaged reefs or used for scientific research and breeding.
• It acts as a “genetic insurance policy”, ensuring future coral regeneration even if species decline.

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