India’s First-Ever Potash Mining

Context: India successfully auctioned 10 of 15 critical mineral blocks in Tranche V, including graphite, phosphorite, Rare Earth Elements (REE), vanadium, and for the first time, potash and halite.

• Mining will begin in Rajasthan, after due process, at Jhandawali–Satipura & Jorkian–Satipura–Khunja Amalgamated Potash & Halite Blocks.

About Potash

• Potash refers to various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water-soluble form, mainly potassium chloride (KCl).
  • Potash is a vital source of Potassium (K), essential for plant growth
• Ores of Potash: The principal ore is Sylvinite.
• Uses:
  • Agriculture:. It is used as a Fertilizer to improve crop yield, enhance drought resistance, and strengthen plant growth.
  • Industrial: Used in manufacturing glass, soaps, and chemicals.
• Form Of Usage: Directly as Muriate of Potash (MOP)
  • In combination with Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorus (P) in NPK fertilizers. 
    • The ideal nutrient ratio for optimal plant growth is 4:2:1 (N:P: K).
• Potash reserves in India: Rajasthan (contributes 89% to the total resources), Punjab Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh.
• Potash reserves across the world: Canada, Belarus, Russia, China, USA , Germany and Chile.
• Import Dependency: India imports 100% of its Potash needs, totaling around 40 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of MOP annually.
• Other Government Initiatives: Department of Fertiliser has included PDM (Potash derived from Molasses) in the Nutrient Based Subsidy Scheme (NBS) scheme to support indigenous sources of Potash.

About Halite 

• Halite is the natural form of sodium chloride (NaCl), commonly known as rock salt.
• Uses: Table salt production, Water softening, de-icing, and chemical manufacturing, Meat and food preservation etc.

Industrial Growth Slows to 8-Month Low

Context: According to the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) for April 2025 released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, the growth in industrial activity slowed to an eight-month low of 2.7% in April 2025.

Key Points

• Reasons: The slowdown was attributed to weak performance across mining and quarrying, electricity, primary goods, infrastructure and construction, and consumer non-durables.
• Sectors Witnessed Growth: The manufacturing sector, Consumer durables and Capital goods sector surged.

About Index of Industrial Production (IIP)

• The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) measures the volume of production in various industrial sectors of the Indian economy.
• Current Base Year: 2011-12
• Weightage of Different Sectors: 
• Manufacturing (809 items): 77.63% weight
• Mining (29 items): 14.37% weight
• Electricity (1 item): 7.99% weight

About Eight Core Sectors

• These are key infrastructure sectors and collectively hold a 40.27% weight in the IIP.
• The eight core sector industries in decreasing order of their weightage: Refinery Products > Electricity > Steel > Coal > Crude Oil > Natural Gas > Cement > Fertilizers.

Significance Of IIP

• Economic Barometer: Reflects short-term changes in industrial activity and overall economic health.
• Policy Tool: Aids government and Reserve Bank Of India (RBI) in framing fiscal and monetary policies.
• Sectoral Performance: Highlights growth patterns across industry segments.

Nurdles

Context: Nurdles (Tiny plastic pellets) were found on beaches in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala after the sinking of the container vessel MSC ELSA3.

About Nurdles

• Nurdles are small plastic resin pellets (1–5 mm) used as raw material for making plastic products. 
  • They are primary microplastics, typically round or oval in shape, and usually white or translucent.
• Composition: Made from plastics like LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene), HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene), Polypropylene (PP), and Polystyrene (PS).
• Industrial Uses: Used in making plastic bags, films, containers, pipes, household items, automotive parts, electronics, medical equipment, etc.
• Transportation Risk: Shipped globally in bulk, often lost during handling, transport, or accidents.
•  Environmental Hazards: Not biodegradable, breaks down into micro/nanoplastics, mistaken for food by sea creatures, absorbs toxins, enters the food chain, pollutes beaches and marine ecosystems
• Cleanup Challenges: Hard to remove once washed ashore, require manual collection, nets, booms, and sifting equipment. 
  • Often not classified as hazardous under existing laws.

The Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950

Context: A petition was filed to protect Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar’s name under the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950.

The plea aimed to prevent misunderstandings about Savarkar’s legacy.

Supreme Court’s Verdict

• The Bench refused to entertain the petition, stating that no legal ground was found to intervene.

What is the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950?

• It is a legislation enacted by the Parliament of India. 
• Objective: Prohibit misuse of certain emblems and names for commercial and professional purposes. 
• It applies to citizens of India outside India.
• Restricted symbols: National Flag of India, Government seals, Buildings like Rashtrapati Bhavan, Names of national figures, such as Mahatma Gandhi, international organisations like: United Nations (UN) and World Health Organization (WHO). 
• Fine for Misuse: If someone misuses any protected symbol or name, they can be fined up to ₹500.
• Role of the Government
  • The Central Government has the authority to add or remove names/symbols from the protected list.
  • Official Notifications: Any changes or rules under the Act are published in the Official Gazette.
    • Everyone—individuals and businesses—must follow these rules.
  • No legal action for any offense punishable under this Act can be initiated without prior approval from the Central Government or an authorised officer designated by the Central Government through a general or specific order.

Zangezur Corridor

Context: Armenia and Azerbaijan are currently negotiating a peace treaty which also includes establishing the Zangezur Corridor between the two neighbours.

About the Zangezur Corridor

• The Zangezur Corridor refers to a proposed transport route that would connect Azerbaijan to its exclave Nakhchivan through southern Armenia.
• It lies in the Zangezur region of Armenia, which borders Iran to the south and Azerbaijan to the east.
• Historical Background: The idea of a corridor gained traction after the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war and was mentioned in the trilateral ceasefire agreement (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia).
• Strategic Significance: The corridor would allow direct land access from Azerbaijan to Nakhchivan without passing through Iran.
• The corridor could increase Turkey and Azerbaijan’s influence in the South Caucasus.
• India’s Concerns: The Zangezur Corridor could weaken Armenia’s sovereignty, an important strategic partner for India.

• India also views the corridor as a threat to the North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which involves India, Iran, Russia, and Armenia.

Iran’s Position: Iran opposes the corridor as it would cut off its border with Armenia, undermining its influence and trade routes in the Caucasus and further Europe.

Bow Echo

Context: Recently, a powerful storm hit Delhi, showing a strange crescent or bow shape on the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) radar.

This shape is technically called a “bow echo”, which looks like an archer’s bow.

What is a Bow Echo?

• • A bow echo is a line of thunderstorms, also known as a squall line, that looks like a bow or arch on weather radar.
  • It can be part of a larger storm system.
  • It often produces damaging winds, known as derechos.
  • The term “bow echo” was introduced in the 1970s by Ted Fujita, a Japanese-American meteorologist.
    • He also developed the Fujita Scale to measure tornado strength.

• Characteristics

• Bow echoes can be 20 to 100 km long.
• They usually last for 3 to 6 hours.
• marked by intense convective activity.
• Winds associated with bow echoes can reach up to 100 kmph or more, capable of causing damage to structures and trees.

How Does a Bow Echo Form?

• Rain-cooled air falls to the ground and spreads out.
• This creates a gust front, which separates cool air from warm-moist air.
• The warm-moist air rises, leading to new thunderstorms.
  • These storms create more rain-cooled air, strengthening the gust front.

As the process repeats, winds on the backside of the storm bend it into a bow shape.

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