Art and Culture 

Malawi festival unites refugees and locals - The Hindu 

Billed as the world's only music festival at a refugee camp, Tumaini, which is running recently. 

Malawi

• Location: Landlocked in Southeastern Africa, bordered by Tanzania, Mozambique, and Zambia.

• Capital: Lilongwe

• Languages: English and Chichewa (official)

• Currency: Malawi kwacha (MWK)

• Geography: Known for highlands and lakes; Lake Malawi covers over one-fifth of the country's area.

• Economy: Primarily agrarian, with over 80% of the population employed in agriculture; among the world's poorest countries.

Three runaway Yanadi tribe children traced, restored to family - The Hindu 

Three children of Yanadi tribe who went missing from their homes at Kalekhanpeta in Machilipatnam were traced recently.

Kalka-Shimla heritage rail track - The Hindu 

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister recently urged the Central government to explore the possibility of running trains on the Kalka-Shimla narrow-guage railway, a UNESCO world heritage site, on green hydrogen – a clean energy source.

Bob Khathing Museum of Valour inaugurated - Indian Express 

Defence Minister recently inaugurated the Major Ralengnao ‘Bob’ Khathing Museum of Valour at Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh. 

Ningol Chakkouba Festival - PIB

One of the biggest festivals of Manipur- Ningol Chakkouba was held across the State with religious fervour and gaiety. 

Ningol Chakkouba Festival

• Timing: Celebrated annually on the second day of the lunar month Hiyangei in the Meitei calendar.
• Significance: Primarily a Meitei festival, now celebrated by other communities, emphasizing family reunion, peace, and harmony.
• Traditions: Married women (Ningol) are invited to their parental homes for a feast (Chakouba), symbolizing a joyful reunion.
• Customs: Sons invite their married sisters a week in advance; the celebration includes a grand feast and the exchange of gifts.
• Spread: Celebrated by Manipuris even outside Manipur.

Meitei Community

• Ethnicity: Predominant ethnic group in Manipur.
• Language: Speak Meitei (Manipuri), one of India’s 22 official languages and the sole official language of Manipur.
• Distribution: Primarily in Manipur’s Imphal Valley, with populations in Assam, Tripura, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Myanmar, and Bangladesh.
• Social Structure: Divided into clans with a rule against intermarriage within clans.
• Economy: Primarily based on rice cultivation in irrigated fields.

Geography 

Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki - The Hindu 

At least nine people have lost their lives and many more are trapped within the debris of their houses in Indonesia’s Flores Island as an active volcano erupted recently. 

Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki

• Location: Situated on Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia.
• Description: Part of a twin-volcano system, locally perceived as male (Lewotobi Laki-Laki) and female (Lewotobi Perempuan) mountains.
• Type: Stratovolcano, formed by repeated lava layers.
• Current Eruption: Ongoing eruption at the male mountain, Lewotobi Laki-Laki.

• Geological Context: Located on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," known for active tectonic plates, frequent volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and tsunamis.

Polity 

Why the Supreme Court upheld constitutional validity of UP Madarsa Act, 2004 - Indian Express

A three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court, presided over by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud recently upheld the Constitutional validity of the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madarsa Education Act, 2004 (Madarsa Act).

Environment 

Himalayan glacial lakes saw 10.81% area expansion from 2011 to 2024: Report - The Hindu 

Glacial lakes and other water bodies across the Himalayan region saw a 10.81% increase in area from 2011 to 2024 due to climate change, signalling a heightened risk of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), according to a government report.

Gobind Sagar Lake - The Hindu 

Chief minister recently inaugurated water sports activities at Gobind Sagar Lake located in Mandi Bharari, Bilaspur.

Sci and Tech 

World's first wooden satellite - The Hindu 

The world's first wooden satellite, built by Japanese researchers, was launched into space recently, in an early test of using timber in lunar and Mars exploration.

LignoSat

• About: A wood-based satellite - a joint project of Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry Co.
• Objective: To explore wood's eco-friendly potential in space applications, emphasizing renewable materials.
• Material: Made from magnolia wood for its durability, sent to the ISS for testing.
• Mission:
  • Launched via a SpaceX rocket from Kennedy Space Center, released from the Japanese module on the ISS.
  • Researchers monitor durability and resistance to extreme temperatures.
• Environmental Advantage: Wooden satellites reduce pollution risk on reentry, as they do not produce harmful metal particles.

 Understanding orphan drugs - The Hindu 

Orphan drugs, critical in treating rare diseases, have increasingly gained attention in India following the implementation of the National Policy for Rare Diseases (NPRD) in 2021.