Discovery of Nothopegia Plant Fossil in Assam

Context: Fossilized leaves of the Nothopegia plant genus were recently discovered in the coal beds of Assam’s Makum Coalfield shedding new light on South Asia’s ancient biodiversity. 

About the Study

• Subject: The study aims to trace the journey of the Nothopegia plant from Northeast India to its current refuge in the Western Ghats.
• Published in: The study was published in the journal ‘Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology’.
• Discovered by: The fossilised leaves were discovered by researchers from the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP) Lucknow (autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology).
• Dating: The fossilized leaves date back to the late Oligocene epoch (24–23 million years ago) and is the  world’s oldest known record of the Nothopegia plant genus.
• Technique: Advanced techniques like the herbarium comparison, cluster analysis, and the Climate Leaf Analysis Multivariate Program (CLAMP) were used to reconstruct the ancient environment of Northeast India
• Findings: 
  • The study revealed a warm, humid climate in the Northeast region similar to the present day Western Ghats during the late Oligocene period.
  • Climate Change: Geological upheavals due to tectonic movements, triggered significant climate changes in the Northeast, altering temperature, rainfall, and wind patterns. 
    • These shifts made the region inhospitable for tropical species like Nothopegia, leading to its disappearance from Assam
• Significance:
• • The research offers insights into how ecosystems adapt to environmental pressures and how some species endure dramatic shifts.
  • Understanding Nothopegia’s ancient migration underscores the need to preserve hotspots ecosystem like Western Ghats, which serve as sanctuaries for ancient plant lineages.

About Nothopegia

• Family: Nothopegia is a genus of flowering plants in the Anacardiaceae family.
• Native: The plant is native to India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.
  • Except Nothopegia heyneana Gamble, all other species are restricted to the Western Ghats and SW India
• Feature: This genus is characterised by small deciduous trees with simple leaves, racemose inflorescence, unisexual tetramerous flowers and drupaceous fruits.

Energy Transition Index 2025

Context: India is ranked 71st out of 118 countries in the Energy Transition Index 2025 (Titled: Fostering Effective Energy Transition 2025) by the World Economic Forum (WEF) .

What is the Energy Transition Index?

• The Energy Transition Index (ETI) is a global ranking system that measures how well countries are moving towards a cleaner, more secure, and fair energy system.
• The WEF report measured countries based on:
  • Security – How reliable their energy systems are.
  • Sustainability – How green and eco-friendly their energy sources are.
  • Equity – How fairly energy is shared across different groups.
  • Readiness – Political will, money, innovation, infrastructure, and skilled people.

Key Findings of the Energy Transition Index 2025

• India’s Rank and Performance
  • India ranked 71st among 118 countries.
  • Although the rank dropped from 63rd in 2024, India showed strong improvements in energy efficiency and investment capacity.
• Top and Bottom Countries
  • Top 5 performers: Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland.
  • China ranked 12th, USA 17th, Pakistan 101st.
  • Congo ranked the lowest.

World Crocodile Day

Context: Odisha Government celebrated World Crocodile Day on June 17 for its 50 Years of Crocodile Conservation.

About World Crocodile Day

• It was first observed in 2017 to promote conservation efforts and responsible coexistence with crocodiles.
• Started by the Crocodile Research Coalition (Belize-based nonprofit, established in January 2016) in partnership with the Belize Zoo.
• Purpose: Raising awareness about crocodile species and promoting their conservation. 
• 2025 Theme:  “Connecting crocodiles and communities”

About India’s Crocodile Conservation

• India started its Crocodile Conservation Project in 1975.
• Odisha led the efforts to save three crocodile species and it the only state with all three species 
• • Gharial (fish-eating crocodile) – Mahanadi River
  • Saltwater crocodile- Bhitarkanika Mangroves
  • Mugger crocodile- Forested rivers near Ramatirtha
• Breeding centres in Odisha: Tikarpada for gharials and Dangamal for saltwater crocodiles.

Crocodile Species in India

• Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) –  
  • Conservation status- IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
  • CITES: Appendix I
  • Wildlife Protection Act (India): Schedule I
• Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) 
  • Conservation status – IUCN Status: Least Concern
  • CITES: Appendix I (except some populations in Australia and Southeast Asia)
  • Wildlife Protection Act: Schedule I
• Marsh Crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) – 
  • Conservation status – IUCN Status: Vulnerable
  • CITES: Appendix I
  • Wildlife Protection Act: Schedule I

Discovery of Baryonic Matter

Context: A recent study published in Nature Astronomy reports the successful detection of the previously “missing” half of the universe’s ordinary/Baryonic matter using signals from Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) originating.

Types of Matter in the Universe

• Ordinary matter (15%): Made of baryons (protons and neutrons), forms stars, gas, planets, people, etc.
• Dark matter (85%): Invisible, mysterious matter only known through its gravitational effects.

What is Baryonic matter ?

• Composed of protons and neutrons (baryons) that form atoms.
• Includes all visible structures: stars, gas, dust, planets, and living beings.
• Differs from dark matter, which does not interact with electromagnetic forces and is only known via its gravitational effects.

Significance

• This resolves a long-standing cosmological puzzle—while the total amount of ordinary matter was known theoretically from Big Bang calculations, roughly 50% of it remained undetected until now.

Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs)

• Extremely brief but powerful pulses of radio waves from deep space.
• Last only milliseconds, but can release as much energy as the Sun does in a year.
• Their exact origin is uncertain; likely candidates include magnetars (highly magnetized neutron stars).
• Serve as tools to probe matter distribution in the universe by analyzing how their signals disperse across space.

Operation Sindhu

Context: The Indian Government has launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate Indian nationals from Iran.

About Operation Sindhu

• Aim: To ensure the safe relocation and repatriation of Indian citizens amid escalating geopolitical tensions in the Iran-Israel region.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of External Affairs.
  • Supported by Indian Embassies in Iran and Armenia
• Named after the Sindhu (Indus) River, symbolic of India’s historical ties with Iran and the broader West Asian region.

Builds upon India’s past successful missions such as

• Operation Kaveri (Sudan, 2023)
• Operation Dost (Turkey Syria Earthquake, 2023)
• Operation Ganga (Ukraine conflict, 2022)
• Operation Devi Shakti (Afghanistan, 2021)
• Vande Bharat Mission (COVID-19 repatriation, 2020)

New Golden Trump Card

Context: Around 70,000 people had already signed up for the new golden Trump Card launched this year, as per the United States Secretary of Commerce.

About The Trump Card

• The Trump Card is a new visa scheme which would offer permanent residence in the USA for $5 million.
• The card is said to replace the EB-5 immigrant investor visa programme.
  • The EB-5 Visa grants permanent residency to immigrants who invest around $1 million in a business that creates jobs, or $800,000 in a rural or economically depressed area.
• The Trump Card would grant wealthy immigrants residency and work rights as well as a path to citizenship without going through the usual red tape. 
• Objective: The Card has been launched to tackle the country’s budget deficit and its $36.2 trillion national debt.
  • As per estimates  issuing 200,000 visas would help raise $1 trillion for the Treasury.

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