News in Shorts: 15 March 2025

Plastic Ice VII

Context: A fourth form of ice beyond the three (solid, liquid and gaseous) existing state called Plastic Ice VII has recently been confirmed.

Above Plastic Ice VII

• This rare phase allows water molecules to rotate freely while staying in a solid structure. 
• Scientists first predicted its existence in 2008.
• Method: Scientists used advanced quasi-elastic neutron-scattering (QENS) diamond-anvil cells to study tiny ice samples to observe molecular movement at an atomic scale.
• Subject: The discovery helps scientists understand how water behaves in extreme planetary environments.
• Features:
• • Plastic Ice VII has a rigid structure unlike regular ice, but allows molecular rotation in specific directions.
  • Pressure: The ice forms under pressures above three gigapascals (GPa), about 30,000 times Earth’s atmospheric pressure. 
  • Temperatures: It also needs temperatures above 450 Kelvin (177°C).

Significance

• This discovery changes our understanding of water in space.
  • Ice VII, another extreme phase, exists on Jupiter’s and Saturn’s icy moons, such as Ganymede and Titan. 
• The existence of Plastic Ice VII suggests that water behaves even more unpredictably in space.
• It could improve planetary exploration and also help develop new materials and technologies that function under extreme conditions.

About Quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS)

• It is a technique that investigates the dynamics of materials particularly those involving hydrogen including diffusion, rotational motion, and other stochastic processes, at the nanoscale.
• It analyzes the broadening of the elastic neutron scattering line which arises from small energy transfers due to stochastic motions of particles.

BONGOSAGAR 25

Context: The India-Bangladesh Naval Exercise Bongosagar 2025 and Coordinated Patrol took place in the Bay of Bengal this week (13 March 2025).

About BONGOSAGAR 25

• It is a joint naval operation exercise. 
  • Key Participants
    • Indian Navy: INS Ranvir
    • Bangladesh Navy: BNS Abu Ubaidah
• This collaboration aligns with India‘s SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision, emphasizing regional stability and maritime security
• Objectives of the Exercise
  • Strengthen interoperability between the two navies.
  • Enhance collaborative responses to common maritime security challenges.
  • Improve coordination in tactical planning and information sharing.

Assisted Suicide

Context: Israeli-American psychologist Daniel Kahneman, a Nobel Prize winner and author of Thinking, Fast and Slow, passed away on March 27, 2024, at an assisted suicide facility in Switzerland. 

What is Assisted Suicide?

• Assisted suicide, also called physician-assisted suicide (PAS), is a process where a person takes medication to end their life with assistance from others.
• Types:
  • Active: it comprises direct action to cause death.
  • Passive: It comprises withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatments ventilators or feeding tubes. 
• Purpose of Assisted Suicide
  • It is used as an end-of-life option for individuals suffering from a painful, terminal illness.
  • After legal approval, a doctor usually provides a prescription for a lethal dose of medication.
  • It is based on the medical right to die, allowing individuals to:
    • Choose when and how they will die.
    • Receive medical aid in dying or refuse life-saving treatment.

legal status Assisted Suicide or Euthanasia in India

• The legal framework of India differentiates between active Euthanasia and passive Euthanasia
  • Active  Euthanasia is prohibited in India in which lethal injection is administered.
  • Passive Euthanasia is legalised in India under strict conditions. 
    • Court allows such death in a permanent vegetative state where there is approval from the medical board.

Mark Carney sworn in as Canadian PM

Context: Mark Carney was officially sworn in as Canada’s 24th prime minister.

• He is the first Canadian prime minister with no major political experience.
• He is a member of Liberal Party of Canada.

About Mark Carney

• Mark Joseph Carney is a Canadian politician and economist. 
• Key roles
  • Goldman Sachs (1990s – 2003)
    • Worked for 13 years at Goldman Sachs. 
  • Bank of Canada and Department of Finance (2003 – 2007)
    • 2003: Became Deputy Governor of the Bank of Canada.
    • 2004: Appointed as Senior Associate Deputy Minister of Finance.
  • Governor of the Bank of Canada (2008 – 2013)
    • Became Governor of the Bank of Canada in 2008 at the start of the global financial crisis.
  • Governor of the Bank of England (2013 – 2020)
    • Appointed as the 120th Governor of the Bank of England in 2013.

Process of Electing the Prime Minister in Canada

• This nation is a representative democracy.
• They don’t directly elect the prime minister.
  • In the federal election, voters elect MPs to represent their riding in the house of commons.
  • Canada uses a plurality system so the candidate with the highest number of votes wins the riding seat. 
  • The party that wins the greatest number of seats in the house of commons forms the federal government.
    • Their party leader becomes leader.

PM-YUVA 3.0

Context: The PM-YUVA 3.0 (Prime Minister’s Scheme for Mentoring Young Authors), an Author Mentorship programme has been launched recently.

About PM-YUVA 3.0

• PM-YUVA was first launched in 2021 and is now in its third edition
• Nodal Ministry: The Ministry of Education, Department of Higher Education
• Objective: It was launched to train young and budding authors (below 30 years of age) in order to promote reading, writing and book culture in the country, and project India and Indian writings globally.
• Eligibility: Young and budding authors (below 30 years of age) can participate in 22 different Indian languages and English.
  • A total of 50 authors will be selected through an All India Contest
• Aim: To encourage the youth to understand and appreciate India’s rich culture, heritage and contribution of visionaries in the development and growth of the country.
• Implementing Agency: The National Book Trust, India, under the Ministry of Education will be the Implementing Agency and publisher of the books.
• Themes: 
  • Contribution of Indian Diaspora in Nation Building- 10 authors
  • Indian Knowledge System– 20 authors
  • Makers of Modern India (1950-2025) in an innovative and creative manner- 20 authors
• Mentorship: Under the mentorship, a National Camp will be held for the PM-YUVA 3.0 Authors during the New Delhi World Book Fair 2026.

Byrnihat- The Most Polluted City in the World

Context: The recently released World Air Quality Report for 2024 has termed Byrnihat on the Meghalaya-Assam border as the “most polluted city in the world”.

About Byrnihat- The Most Polluted City in The World

• Location: Byrnihat is located in Meghalaya’s Ri-Bhoi district and is situated around 20 km from Guwahati and 65 km from Shillong.
• PM2.5 Concentration: The annual average PM2.5 concentration in Byrnihat was 128.2 micrograms per cubic m (µg/m3)
  • It is 25 times higher than the World Health Organization’s annual air quality guideline of 5 µg/m3.
• Reason:
  • Topography: The area has a “bowl-like” topography with the surrounding hills inhibiting the dispersal of pollutants in the air.
    • It experiences a valley-and-basin effect, because of which wind speed is reduced.
  • Regional Industrial Hub: The proximity to coal reserves in Meghalaya and the large urban centre of Guwahati, and water supply from the Umtru river has made it a regional industrial hub.
  • Red Category Industries: The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests has identified 20 units in Assam and 5 in Meghalaya as “heavily polluting” industries. 
    • Orange Category: 15 units in Assam and 22 in Meghalaya are in the orange category.
  • Presence of Polluting Industries: It includes industries like the  production of coke (fuel), cement, ferro alloys, and steel, and in distillation and brickmaking. 
  • Non Compliance: There is heavy emissions from chimneys due to non-operation of pollution control devices, ineffective pollution control devices, and non-transmission of online emission data.
  • Vehicular Emissions: Byrnihat is an important transit point for heavy diesel vehicles many of which do not comply with tailpipe emission norms leading to high sulphur dioxide levels.