Art and Culture 

Did the iron age on Indian soil start from Tamil Nadu? - The Hindu 

Releasing a report on the antiquity of iron, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister proclaimed that the iron age began on “Tamil soil”, placing the date 5,300-odd years ago (4th millennium BCE), and that the “history of Indian subcontinent could no longer overlook Tamil Nadu”.

Early Research on Iron in India

• Iron usage: Initial studies suggested its introduction in India around 700-600 BCE. Radiocarbon dating pushed this back to 16th cent. BCE.
• Evidence: Excavations in UP (Raja Nala-ka-tila, Malhar, Dadupur) revealed iron smelting evidence from 1800-1000 BCE.
• Findings: Iron artefacts, furnaces, tuyeres, and slags, indicating large-scale iron manufacturing in the Central Ganga Plain and Eastern Vindhyas.
• Iron Age in Tamil Nadu:

• Mayiladumparai (Krishnagiri district) excavation (2022): An Iron Age around 4,200 years ago (third millennium BCE).
  • Findings: Placed Tamil Nadu’s Iron Age concurrent with the Copper/Bronze Age in northern regions due to limited copper ore availability.
• Sivagalai, Adichanallur, Kilnamandi, and Mayiladumparai Excavations: Findings date iron usage to 3,345 BCE - 2,953 BCE, suggesting the Iron Age began in the first quarter of the 4th millennium BCE.

Iron Age

• Overview: Prehistoric period after Bronze Age, marked by widespread iron tool and weapon use.
• Iron metallurgy: Involved ore procurement and tool manufacturing.
• Iron in India:
  • Rigvedic Period: No mention of iron.
  • Early Historic Period: References in Buddhist literature and Kautilya’s Arthashastra.
• Significant Excavation Sites:
  • Raja Nal Ka Tila (1400–800 BCE): Pre-NBP deposits with iron tools and slag.
  • Malhar (Uttar Pradesh): Iron tools, furnaces, and slag indicate a metallurgy hub.
• Cultural Associations:
  • Black-and-Red Ware (BRW): Found in Harappan (Gujarat), Pre-PGW (northern India), and Megalithic (southern India) contexts.
  • Painted Grey Ware (PGW) Culture: Grey pottery with black geometric patterns; iron found in Ganga Valley & South Indian Megaliths.
  • Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW) Culture (700–100 BCE): Fine, black, polished pottery; linked to (6th century BCE & rise of Buddhism.

World Affairs 

India's Qatar opportunity - Indian Express 

The State Visit of the Amir of Qatar to India coincided with a meeting of the India-Qatar Joint Business Forum featuring the Ministers of Commerce of both countries and senior stakeholders in the fields of Qatari finance, energy, infrastructure, and technology.

India-Qatar Bilateral Ties 

• 2015: Visit of Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani led to a joint statement aligning with Qatar’s Vision 2030.
• 2015 & 2016: PM’s visits focused on Indian diaspora and labour rights.
• Qatar’s efforts: Qatar waived a $1 billion penalty on Petronet and reduced gas prices by 50%.
• 2023 COP28 meeting: Led to mitigation of death sentences of Indian Navy veterans.
• February 2024: Seven out of eight veterans released before PM’s Doha visit.
• June 2024: Jaishankar’s visit underscored commitment to bilateral review and cooperation.

Qatar’s Regional Relations

• 2017-21 Gulf Diplomatic Crisis:
  • Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, and Bahrain imposed a blockade on Qatar.
  • Impacted India’s engagement as 800,000 Indians lived in Qatar and it supplied 50% of India’s LNG.
  • India maintained a neutral stance, calling for dialogue.
• Post-Blockade Diplomacy:
  • Qatar leveraged crisis to mediate regional conflicts.
  • Hosted Taliban office, facilitating the 2020 US-Taliban agreement and India’s 2021 outreach.
  • Played a key role in Gaza ceasefire (2025) alongside Egypt.
  • Led financing for Syria’s transition post-Assad.
• Economic Adaptations:
  • Developed direct shipping lines to India (2017) amid Gulf blockade.
  • Liberalized policies: Education, healthcare, and permanent residency for expatriates (2018).
  • Visa-free entry for 80+ countries, including India.

Current India-Qatar Relations

• Trade & Investment:
  • India is Qatar’s 2nd largest trading partner, with $14 billion trade (2024).
  • $78 billion LNG deal between QatarEnergy and India’s Petronet saved $6 billion.
  • Qatar committed $10 billion investment in India.
  • Aim to double trade to $28 billion in five years.
• Strategic Partnership:
  • Upgraded ties to ‘Strategic Partnership’—a first for India-Qatar relations.
  • Expanding cooperation in trade, energy, investment, and security.
  • New Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) under negotiation to accommodate Qatari interests.
• Business & Institutional Engagement:
  • MoUs between Qatari Businessmen Association & CII, and Invest Qatar & Invest India.
  • Greater business ties act as a stabilizing factor for future challenges.

Ukraine attack on Russian pipeline to hit Kazakh oil exports - The Hindu 

A Ukrainian drone attack on a major oil export pipeline that crosses southern Russia could reduce export volumes by almost a third over the next two months. Seven explosive-packed drones hit a pumping station of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium.

Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC)

• Overview: $2.6 billion project; 935-mile pipeline from Tengiz (Kazakhstan) to Novorossiysk (Russia).
• Timeline: Construction began in 1999, commissioned in 2001, expanded in 2018 ($5.1 billion).
• Significance: Major East-West route for Caspian oil exports.
• Stakeholders: Russian and Kazakh governments, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell.
• Export share: Carries two-thirds of Kazakhstan’s oil exports.
• Capacity: 1.4 million barrels/day (3% of global seaborne oil trade).

Economy 

On building resilient telecom infrastructure - The Hindu

The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), a multilateral organisation launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019, put out a report earlier this month studying Indian telecom networks’ preparedness in the event of disasters. 

Impact of Disasters on Telecom Networks

• High-speed winds damage towers.
• Overland cables snap, unlike underground ones.
• Coastal areas face higher risks due to undersea cable disruptions.
• Landing station failures cause massive network outages.
• Power outages remain a major issue affecting network operations.

Importance of Telecom Networks in Disasters

• Enable quick communication between disaster management authorities and governments.
• Essential for saving lives and property.
• Vulnerable due to above-ground cabling, weak tower structures, and dependence on electricity.

Restoration Challenges 

• Undersea cable repairs require time and special vessels.
• Restoring power supply to telecom towers is key.
• Operators rely on battery and fuel backups due to inconsistent power supply.

Measures to Protect Telecom Networks

• Government interventions, like fuel provision during disasters.
• Real-time damage monitoring software aids quick restoration.
• Improved data collection and coordination among officials.
• Strengthening power infrastructure, especially in cyclone-prone regions.
• Designing towers to withstand higher wind speeds.
• Implementing a "dig-once" policy for underground infrastructure.
• Updating disaster damage data formats and integrating risk modeling.
• Encouraging parametric insurance for telecom operators to aid faster recovery.
• Small but effective measures, like raising generator placement, enhance network resilience.

MPID Act - Indian Express 

Investors who were defrauded in the Torres Ponzi scam may receive about Rs 40 crore over the next six months. The Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has begun the procedure to commence auctioning the seized properties of the accused parties, under the MPID Act.

Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors (MPID) Act, 1999

• About: Enacted to curb fraudulent financial establishments defrauding investors, mainly middle-class and poor individuals.
• Aim: To address public resentment and law-and-order issues, especially in Mumbai.

Key Provisions:

• Holds promoters, partners, directors, and employees accountable for fraudulent defaults.
• Punishment: Up to 6 years imprisonment and ₹1 lakh fine.
• Government empowered to attach money or property acquired fraudulently.
• Courts can order the sale of assets and distribute proceeds among depositors.
• Provides a speedy mechanism for attachment and distribution of assets, unlike general criminal laws.

Environment 

Myrmecia pyriformis ant - The Hindu

• About: A nocturnal forager whose activity outside the nest is largely restricted to night.
• Navigation:
  • Uses polarized moonlight for navigation, as its pattern remains stable.
  • Relies on celestial cues for orientation.
  • Reduced efficiency at low light levels.
  • Paths become less straight, with longer pauses in dim light.
  • Lower success rate in finding the nest under poor lighting conditions.
• Venom: Recognized for its distinctive appearance and extremely painful sting.

Why global sea ice cover has dipped to record low-what this means - Indian Express 

Over the five-days leading up to February 13, the combined extent of Arctic and Antarctic sea ice dropped to 15.76 million sq km, down from the previous five-day record low of 15.93 million sq km in January-February 2023, according to BBC analysis of data from the US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC).

Sea Ice

• Description: Free-floating ice in polar regions, distinct from icebergs, glaciers, ice sheets, and ice shelves (which form on land).
• Role: Regulates climate by trapping ocean heat and preventing atmospheric warming.

Declining Global Sea Ice Cover

• Arctic:
  • Lowest recorded extent for this time of year.
  • Lost 77,800 sq km annually since the late 1970s (NSIDC).
  • September minimum extent shrank 12.2% per decade (1981-2010, NASA).
• Antarctic:
  • Increased slightly until 2015, then lost 2 million sq km (2014-2017, Copernicus Marine Service).
  • 2023: Historic low, 2 million sq km below normal levels.
  • 2024: Slight recovery but still 1.55 million sq km below 1981-2010 average.

Causes of Decline

• Global warming: Warming air and oceans accelerate melting.
• Antarctic:
  • Vulnerable due to thin, mobile ice and strong winds breaking ice apart.
  • Warmer waters and air, especially in late summer, intensified melting.
• Arctic:
  • Delayed freezing in Hudson Bay due to warmer ocean temperatures.
  • Storms broke ice in Barents and Bering Seas, thinning Arctic ice further.
  • Higher air temperatures in regions like Svalbard worsened ice loss.

Impact of Sea Ice Loss

• Increases ocean heat absorption, further raising temperatures.
• Polar regions warm faster than the rest of the world.
• Disrupts ocean circulation as freshwater from melting ice reduces salinity and density.
• A slowdown in ocean currents affects global climate, marine life, and ice shelf stability.

Sci and Tech 

Bacteria-made Band-Aid for plants? - Indian Express 

Bacterial cellulose can be used as a bandage to significantly improve healing and regeneration in plants, researchers reported in a study published last week in the journal Science Advances.

Bacterial Cellulose

• About: A natural polymer produced by certain bacteria.
• Usage: Used for plant wound care, aiding healing and regeneration.
• Advantages:
  • Sustainable alternative to chemical treatments.
  • Promotes healthier plant growth and eco-friendly agriculture.
  • Enhances natural healing, improving crop yield and resilience.
  • Contributes to food security and environmental conservation.
• Cellulose:
  • Molecular structure: Composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms.
  • Function in plants: Provides structural support to cell walls, ensuring rigidity.
  • Role in human diet: Indigestible but essential as dietary fiber.