International Day of Yoga

Context: The International Day of Yoga (IDY) is celebrated annually on June 21st to promote the physical, mental, and spiritual benefits of yoga.

About International Day of Yoga

International Recognition

• Adopted by UNGA: December 11, 2014, via a resolution proposed by India.
• First Celebration: June 21, 2015 – set two Guinness World Records:  Largest yoga session and Most nationalities participating.

Why was June 21 Chosen ? 

• Marks the summer solstice (longest day in the Northern Hemisphere).
• Symbolizes light, energy, and equilibrium, aligning with yoga’s aim of mind-body-spirit harmony.

Objective

• Raise awareness of the holistic benefits of yoga.
• Promote a sustainable and harmonious lifestyle.

Theme for 2025

• “Yoga for One Earth, One Health”.

U.K. MPs approve Assisted Dying bill

Context: UK House of Commons has passed a bill legalizing assisted dying for terminally ill adults, marking a major shift in end-of-life legislation.

What is Assisted Dying ? 

Assisted Dying refers to ending a life deliberately to relieve suffering, typically involving two forms:

• Assisted Suicide: Intentionally helping another person to end their life 
• Euthanasia: A third party (usually a medical professional) actively ends the patient’s life.
  • Active Euthanasia: Direct intervention (e.g., lethal injection).
  • Passive Euthanasia: Withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment to allow natural death
• Ethunasia is of two types : 
  • Voluntary euthanasia where consent is given by a patient.
  • Non-voluntary where a patient cannot consent. (E.g., they are in a coma).

Key Provisions of the UK Assisted Dying Bill

Eligibility

• Must be 18 years or older, mentally competent.
• Must reside in England or Wales for at least 12 months.
• Must have a terminal illness likely to cause death within 6 months.
• Excludes persons with only mental illness or disabilities.

Status in India

• Passive euthanasia legal since Common Cause v. Union of India (2018) under Article 21 – Right to Die with Dignity.
• Active euthanasia and assisted suicide remain illegal.

Global Status

• Legal (with conditions): Canada, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, New Zealand, and parts of Australia & USA.
• Switzerland also allows foreign nationals, leading to medical tourism for assisted dying.

Lenacapavir

Context: Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Lenacapavir (LEN) as a long-acting injectable drug for HIV prevention under Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP).

• This will pave the way for WHO prequalification, which can accelerate national regulatory approvals. 
• This will ensure equitable, affordable access to LEN globally, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
• India is a global leader in generic ARV manufacturing, meeting 92% of global ART needs via Indian companies.

About Lenacapavir (LEN)

• Type: It is a Long-acting antiretroviral drug (ARV) and  a HIV-1 capsid inhibitor.
• Use: Approved for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV in HIV-negative individuals at risk of contracting virus.
• Dosage: Biannual (twice-yearly) injectable, offering a major advantage over daily oral PrEP.
• Efficacy: Studies show 99.9% prevention rate in clinical trials.
• Other Drugs: Dapivirine vaginal ring and long-acting injectable cabotegravir (CAB-LA).

King Cobra

Context: Madhya Pradesh plans to reintroduce King Cobras in the state to curb rising snakebite deaths and conduct a snake census in order to assess numbers of the venomous ones.

Reasons For The Infeasibility of Madhya Pradesh Plans

• No historical or confirmed records of king cobras in Madhya Pradesh, due to its hot, dry forests and lack of water sources.
• There is no protocol for counting snakes in the wild because nobody ever considered it feasible or necessary.
• Translocating King Cobras can lead to hybridisation, endangering their genetic integrity.

About King Cobra

• New Taxonomic Insights (2021 Study): King cobra was once considered a single species (Ophiophagus hannah). Now there are four geographically separate lineages identified:
  • Western Ghats lineage (Ophiophagus Kaalinga)
  • Asian mainland lineage:  found across North and East India to Southeast Asia
  • Malay Peninsula lineage and Sunda Islands and Philippines lineage.
• Physical Characteristics
  • Size: World’s longest venomous snake that can grow up to 15 feet
  • Unique Trait: Only snake that builds nests for its eggs
  • Captivity Challenges: Does not breed well in captivity.
• Preferred Habitat: Humid, shaded, and cool environments, Dense evergreen/semi-evergreen forests, Cool swamps and bamboo thickets, Mangrove ecosystems
• Geographical Range in India: Western Ghats (Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra), Eastern Ghats, Northeast India, North Indian Terai belt, Mangrove coasts of Odisha & West Bengal, Andaman & Nicobar Islands
• Trophic Role: Apex predator
• Diet: Primarily preys on other snakes (hence the name Ophiophagus, meaning “snake-eater”)
• Reproduction: It is capable of facultative parthenogenesis.
  • Parthenogenesis is a natural form of asexual reproduction in which the embryo develops directly from an egg without need for fertilization.
• Conservation Status:
  • International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Category: Vulnerable.
  • CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora): Appendix II.
  • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: It is placed under Schedule II of WPA, 1972.

India’s Electric Car Manufacturing Capacity

Context: India is projected to become the world’s fourth-largest electric car manufacturer by 2030 behind China, EU and US

What is an Electric Vehicle (EV)?

• Electric Vehicles (EVs) are powered by electricity through an electric motor, instead of a traditional internal combustion engine running on petrol or diesel.
• Electric vehicles (EVs) have a battery instead of a gasoline tank and an electric motor instead of an ICE.

Key Highlights from the Study

• India’s EV production capacity is expected to reach 2.5 million units by 2030, up from 0.2 million in 2024. 
• Domestic EV demand is estimated to reach 0.4–1.4 million units by 2030, resulting in  production surplus of around 1.1–2.1 million units, creating potential for exports
• EVs are expected to account for 7–23% of total car sales in India by 2030.
• India maintains high import tariffs (70–100%) on fully built EVs to protect local manufacturers.
• Almost 100% of India’s EV production currently serves the domestic market.
• India’s battery cell production capacity will exceed that of South Korea, Japan, and Malaysia by 2030.
• EV penetration in India reached only 2% in 2024 while Vietnam’s EV penetration rose from 3% (2022) to 17% in 2024.

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