Sweida, Syria
Context: Over 30 people were killed in sectarian clashes between Druze militias and Bedouin tribes in Sweida city, Syria, in July 2025.
About Syria
- Location: Syria is located in Western Asia with the capital at Damascus.
- It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, Israel and Lebanon to the southwest, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west.
- Rivers: The Euphrates is the longest and most significant river in Syria, flowing southeast across the country into Iraq.
- Other rivers include the Orontes and the Khabur.
- Mountains: Key mountain ranges include the Anti-Lebanon Mountains (along the Lebanese border) and the coastal Al-Ansariyah Mountains.
About Sweida
- Location: Sweida (also spelled Suwayda) is a city in southwestern Syria and the capital of the Sweida Governorate.
- It lies near the border with Jordan and southeast of Damascus.
- Demographics: It is predominantly inhabited by the Druze minority, a distinct ethnoreligious group which is part of Shiite Islam.
- Bedouins are Sunni Islamist clans in Syria.
- Geography: Sweida is situated on the volcanic plateau of Jabal al-Druze, a mountainous region in southern Syria known for its rugged terrain and elevation.
- The city is part of the Jabal al-Arab. (Mountain of the Arabs)
WTTC’s 2024 Economic Impact Trends Report
Context: India has ranked 8th in the ‘WTTC’s 2024 Economic Impact Trends Report’, marking a significant rise in its global tourism economy.
Key Highlights of WTTC’s 2024 Economic Impact Trends Report
- India Among Top 10 Tourism Economies: India contributed $231.6 billion to the global travel and tourism economy in 2024, rising from 10th to 8th position, indicating strong post-pandemic recovery and economic resilience.
- Global Tourism Surge Post-COVID: The global travel and tourism sector added $10.9 trillion to the world economy in 2023.
- The WTTC projects this to grow to $16 trillion by 2034, or over 11% of global GDP.
- Top Global Economies in Tourism: The United States remains the largest contributor with $2.36 trillion, followed by China with $1.3 trillion, while Japan, UK, and Germany also hold strong positions.
- Fast-Growing Asian Economies: Countries like Malaysia, Philippines, and Hong Kong SAR are emerging as regional powerhouses.
- India’s upward trajectory reflects its growing role as a tourism hub in Asia.
About World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC)
- The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is a global forum for the travel and tourism industry, representing the private sector and working to raise awareness about the sector’s economic impact.
- Establishment: WTTC was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in London, United Kingdom.
- It aims to promote sustainable growth and development in global tourism.
- Membership: The council comprises over 200 CEOs, chairpersons, and presidents from the world’s top travel and tourism companies.
- Reports Published: Annual reports such as the Economic Impact Trends Report and Country-specific outlooks.
Jarawa Tribe
Context: Experts believe the 16th Census of India will face no major hurdles in reaching the indigenous Jarawa tribe, citing ongoing contact and established welfare measures.
About Jarawa Tribe
- The Jarawas are one of the world’s oldest surviving tribes, living as nomadic hunter-gatherers in groups of 40–50 individuals called as chaddhas.
- In the 2011 Census, 380 Jarawas were recorded out of the 28,530 Scheduled Tribe individuals in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
- They inhabit the western coasts of South and Middle Andaman Islands, a region rich in biodiversity that supports their traditional way of life.
- They hunt pig and turtle and fish with bows and arrows in the coral-fringed reefs for crabs and fish, including striped catfish-eel and the toothed pony fish.
- They also gather fruits, wild roots, tubers and honey.
- Molluscus constitutes a major part of their food.
- Their population has risen from 260 (1998) to around 647 (2025) due to better healthcare and low external interference.
- A study of their nutrition and health found their ‘nutritional status’ was ‘optimal’. They have detailed knowledge of more than 150 plant and 350 animal species.
- Entry into the Jarawa Reserve is restricted under the Andaman and Nicobar Protection of Aboriginal Tribes Regulation (ANPATR), 1956.
India’s Clean Energy Milestone
Context: India has achieved 50% of its installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by June 2025, five years ahead of its 2030 target.
India’s Clean Energy Targets
- 2030 Goal: Install 500 GW of electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources under its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
- Non-Fossil Dominance: To achieve about 50 percent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030.
- Net-Zero Goal: Achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2070.
India’s Electrical Energy Mix
Source |
Capacity (GW) |
Percentage |
Thermal (Fossil) |
242.04 |
49.92% |
Non-Fossil Fuel (RE + Large Hydro + Nuclear) |
242.78 |
50.08% |
Total Installed Capacity |
484.82 |
100% |
Flagship Initiatives Enabling the Transformation
PM-KUSUM Scheme
- Solarises agriculture pumps and rural feeders.
- Empowers farmers and promotes agrovoltaics.
- PM-KUSUM 2.0 to be launched, following success in states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh.
PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (2024)
- Targeted 1 crore rooftop solar homes.
- Promotes decentralised solar generation and citizen ownership.
Solar Parks and Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy
- Utility-scale solar parks developed at record-low tariffs.
- Hybrid systems ensure round-the-clock renewable supply
North Eastern Region SDG Index
Context: The North Eastern Region has made significant progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, as highlighted in the NER SDG Index.
About SDG India Index
- The SDG India Index is a tool developed by NITI Aayog to measure and track India’s progress towards the SDGs set by the United Nations.
District SDG Index 2023–24.
- Released by NITI Aayog and Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MoDoNER), with UNDP support, the index assesses 121 districts across eight states on 15 of the 17 SDGs.
- The Index aids SDG localization by guiding states to align development plans with SDGs, serving as a benchmark to identify gaps and prioritize actions for achieving targets by 2030.
Overall Performance
- All districts in Mizoram, Sikkim, and Tripura have achieved Front Runner status.
- Hnahthial in Mizoram emerged as the top-performing district in the region.
- The share of Front Runner districts increased from 62% (2021–22) to 85% (2023–24).
- Significant gains were observed in goals such as no poverty, zero hunger, good health & well-being, quality education, gender equality, and clean water & sanitation.
- National flagship schemes like the Jal Jeevan Mission, Swachh Bharat Mission, and aspirational districts programme contributed significantly to these improvements.
State-Level Trends
- Among the top 10 districts, Mizoram had three entries, while Tripura and Nagaland contributed three districts each, and Sikkim had one.
- Sikkim demonstrated the smallest gap between its top and bottom-ranked districts, indicating uniform development.
- Assam: 89% of districts achieved Front Runner status.
- Arunachal Pradesh showed mixed performance, lagged in infrastructure and climate action.
Persistent Challenges
- Climate action
- Reducing inequalities
- Responsible consumption and production
Super-Earth Exoplanet
Context: Astronomers have discovered a new super-Earth, TOI-1846 b, orbiting a red dwarf star 154 light-years away from Earth using data from NASA’s TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite).
What are Super-Earths ?
- Super-Earths are exoplanets larger than Earth but smaller and less massive than ice giants like Uranus and Neptune.
- Typically range from twice Earth’s size to up to 10 times its mass.
- The term “Super-Earth” refers only to size and mass, not to habitability or similarity to Earth.
- Can be made of rock, gas, or a combination of both.
- Larger Super-Earths near the upper mass limit are sometimes called sub-Neptunes or mini-Neptunes.
About the Super-Earth TOI-1846 b
- Radius: Approximately 1.792 times that of Earth.
- Mass: About 4.4 times Earth’s mass.
- Orbit: Completes one orbit every 3.93 days — extremely close to its star.
- Temperature: Equilibrium temperature of 568.1 Kelvin (295°C) — too hot for habitability.
- Composition: Likely water-rich — possibly beneath a rocky crust or thick atmosphere.
Host Star Characteristics?
- The host star is a red dwarf, with about 42% of the Sun’s mass, 0.4 times its radius, and an estimated age of 7.2 billion years.
- With a temperature around 3,568 K, it emits stable and long-lived radiation, making it well-suited for exoplanet detection.
About the Super Earth HD 20794 d
- 20 light-years away.
- ~6 times the mass of the earth.
- Located in habitable zone (but has elliptical orbit)
World Youth Skills Day 2025
Context: World Youth Skills Day 2025, observed on July 15, focuses on empowering youth through Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital skills to meet future workforce demands.
About World Youth Skills Day
- Objective: To recognize the importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work, and entrepreneurship.
- UNGA Declaration: The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed World Youth Skills Day in 2014.
- Theme for 2025: Youth Empowerment through Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Digital Skills.
- As per UNO the Fourth Industrial Revolution is reshaping economies with AI, calling for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) systems to evolve accordingly
Status of World Youth Skills
- Global Disengagement: Nearly 450 million young people globally (7 in 10 ) are economically disengaged due to lack of employable skills.
- In 2022, more than 40 per cent of youth were not engaged in employment, education, or training.
- Gender and Digital Divide: Only 27.4% of young women are employed globally, and in low-income countries, 90% of adolescent girls and young women remain offline.
- Preparedness for AI World: 86% of students feel unprepared for workplaces influenced by AI and automation.
Indian Government Initiatives for Youth Skilling
- The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has empowered over 6 crore Indians through its various schemes since 2014.
- Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY): Over 1.6 crore youth trained nationwide since 2015 under PMKVY.
- Courses expanded to emerging fields like AI, Robotics, and IoT.
- Digital India Programme: Promotes digital literacy and aims to bridge the digital divide, especially among rural youth and students.
Tanimbar Islands
Context: Recently, a 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck near Indonesia’s Tanimbar Islands.
About Tanimbar Islands
- Location: The Tanimbar Islands are part of Indonesia and is one of the Nine Major Lesser Sunda Islands group, located in southeastern Maluku Province.
- The Lesser Sunda Islands, also known as Nusa Tenggara Islands, are an archipelago in the Indonesian archipelago.
- Most of the Lesser Sunda Islands are located within the Wallacea region, except for the Bali province which is west of the Wallace Line and is within the Sunda Shelf.
- Geography and Composition: This archipelago comprises about 65 islands, covering a total area of 5,440 sq km.
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- Yamdena is the largest island in the group.
- Seismic Zone : Indonesia lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a tectonically active region where multiple crustal plates meet, causing frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
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