News in Shorts: 12 April 2025

Sunbird

Context: Sunbird is a nuclear fusion-powered rocket being developed by Pulsar Fusion, a UK-based startup.

About Sunbird

• It aims to revolutionize space travel by significantly reducing interplanetary travel time.
• Key Features:
  • Power source: Nuclear fusion – the same energy process that powers stars like our Sun.
  • Projected speed: Up to 805,000 km/h. Faster than NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, the fastest object ever built. (peaks at 692,000 km/h).
  • Planned orbital test: 2027.
• Technology Used: 
  • Duel Direct Fusion Drive (DDFD): It is an advanced propulsion system that uses helium-3 and deuterium fusion to generate thrust directly from charged particles.
• Mechanism: 
  • Sunbirds and similar fusion-powered rockets are not designed for launch from Earth due to their immense power.
  • Their primary function is in space, where they can intercept spacecraft and assist with interplanetary travel.
  • The Sunbird can capture spacecraft in low-Earth orbit and transport them to destinations like the Moon, Mars, or beyond.
  • They will first be employed on cargo transport satellites in space.
• Challenges: Fusion reactors are large and heavy, making them light weight and miniaturising them for spaceflight is a major hurdle.

First Global Carbon Tax On Shipping Industry

Context: India and 62 other countries voted in favour of the world’s first-ever global carbon tax imposed on the shipping industry by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

About Global Carbon Tax On Shipping

• The Global Carbon Tax on Shipping is the first international carbon tax imposed on an entire industry. 
• Aim: To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote cleaner maritime technologies.
• Requirement: Starting in 2028, ships will be required to either: Switch to lower-emission fuels, or Pay a fee based on the pollution they generate.
• Countries Supporting and Opposing: The deal was supported by 63 countries, including India, China and Brazil, but opposed by oil-rich nations like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Russia and Venezuela.

Key Features of the Tax

• Implementation Timeline: Starts from 2028.
• Progressive Penalties:
  • Fossil fuel use, including (Liquefied Natural Gas)LNG, will be gradually penalised.
  • Ships will be taxed based on emission intensity.
• Revenue Expectations:
  • Estimated to generate up to $40 billion by 2030.
  • All funds will be used within the shipping industry for emission reduction.

Long-Range Glide Bomb (LRGB) ‘Gaurav’

Context: The DRDO has successfully tested the long-range glide bomb “Gaurav” by releasing it from a Sukhoi fighter aircraft.

What is “Gaurav”?

• Gaurav is an air-launched glide bomb weighing 1,000 kg.
• Nodal ministry: Ministry of Defence
• It can hit targets over long distances with high precision at a range of around 100 km.
• Uses a hybrid navigation system, combining:
  • Inertial Navigation System (INS)
  • Global Positioning System (GPS) data
• It has been designed and developed indigenously by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

Indian Giant Flying Squirrel

Context: A rare sighting of the Indian giant flying squirrel has been reported for the first time in Ranikhet, Uttarakhand. 

About the Indian Giant Flying Squirrel

• Size: It is one of the largest flying squirrels, with a body length of 30–45 cm and a tail reaching up to 60 cm.
• Features: It has a reddish-brown coat, grey underparts, and large, round eyes adapted for night vision.
  • A special gliding membrane (patagium) stretches from its wrists to ankles, enabling it to glide between trees.
• Habitat: Inhabits tropical and subtropical forests across central and southern India.
  • Found in evergreen, semi-evergreen, and deciduous forests, especially along forest edges.
• Diet: Feeds on a variety of fruits, nuts, leaves, and bark.
• Behaviour: Nocturnal and arboreal, active mostly at night and spending its life in trees.
  • Despite its name, the Indian giant flying squirrel doesn’t actually fly, but rather glides between trees. 
  • Known to give alarm calls when sensing danger, particularly in response to owl calls, a known predator.
  • Considered a keystone species, crucial for maintaining the health and balance of forest ecosystems.
  • It reproduces only once a year, giving birth to 1-3 young ones at a time.
  • Plays an important role in seed dispersal, aiding in forest regeneration.
• Conservation Status: Listed in Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
  • IUCN Red List: Classified as “Least Concern”.

Slowed Factory Output Growth

Context: Factory output growth, as measured by the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), slowed sharply to a six-month low of 2.9% in February 2025, reflecting sector-wide deceleration.

Key Highlights of IIP Trend

• Slower Growth: Manufacturing output  slowed to 2.9% in February from 5.8% in January.
  • Mining growth also fell to 1.6% compared to 4.4% in the previous month, while electricity output saw a modest pickup to 3.6% from 2.4%.
• Capital good Output: Despite the overall slowdown, capital goods output grew by 8.2% in February, indicating sustained investment demand.
  • Infrastructure goods output also maintained strong growth at 6.6%.
• Weak Consumption Trends: Consumer durables output slowed sharply to 3.8% in February from 7.2% in January, while consumer non-durables output contracted by 2.1%, reflecting continued weakness in consumption demand.
• Impact of High Base Effect and Sectoral Volatility: The slowdown is attributed partly to a high base from the previous year and volatile sectoral performances. Experts noted a muted industrial output trend after five consecutive months of growth.

About Index of Industrial Production (IIP)

• The IIP measures the change in the volume of production of industrial products over a given period. 
• It acts as a key economic indicator to gauge the country’s industrial sector performance.
• Components : The IIP consists of three broad sectors, Manufacturing (77.6% weight), Mining (14.4%), and Electricity (8%).
• Published By: The IIP is compiled and released monthly by the National Statistical Office (NSO), under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
• Key Indicator for Economic Health
  • IIP trends help policymakers, analysts, and businesses assess the current state of industrial activity, investment demand, and consumption trends.
  • IIP trends influence policy decisions and economic forecasts.