14th November 2025

Explanation - Vitamin D is synthesised in the skin when it is exposed to sunlight. The ultraviolet B (UVB) rays from the sun react with a form of cholesterol present in the skin, leading to the production of Vitamin D. This vitamin is vital for calcium absorption in the intestines, ensuring that an adequate amount of calcium is absorbed into the bloodstream. Calcium is crucial for maintaining strong and healthy bones, and Vitamin D helps regulate calcium levels in the body, thus contributing to bone health. Deficiency of Vitamin D can lead to weakened bones and conditions like rickets in children and osteoporosis in adults. 

Explanation - Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Authority is a statutory body established on 11 November, 2005 under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Act, 2001. It works under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, Government of India. Objectives — Grant intellectual property rights to plant breeders for their innovations in developing new plant varieties Recognise and reward farmers and communities who conserve traditional varieties and biodiversity Promote the protection of farmers' rights to save, use, sow, resow, exchange, share, and sell farm-saved seed of registered varieties Encourage research and innovation in plant breeding and agriculture Maintain the National Register of Plant Varieties (NRPV) and ensure the documentation and conservation of valuable germplasm resources Structure of the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Authority The Chairperson is the Chief Executive of the Authority. Members: It has 15 members, as notified by the Government of India (GOI). Eight of them are ex-officio members representing various Departments/ Ministries, Three from SAUs and the State Governments One representative each for farmers, tribal organisations, seed industry and women organisations associated with agricultural activities are nominated by the Central Government. The Registrar General is the ex-officio Member Secretary of the Authority. Functions of the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Authority — Registration of new plant varieties, essentially derived varieties (EDV), extant varieties; Compulsory cataloging facilities for all variety of plants; Preservation of plant genetic resources of economic plants and their wild relatives; Maintenance of the National Register of Plant Varieties and National Gene Bank Headquarter: New Delhi. 

Explanation - DRISHTI System is an AI-Based Freight Wagon Locking Monitoring System. The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) joined hands with the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati Technology Innovation and Development Foundation (IITG TIDF) to develop the system. The DRISHTI system aims to tackle operational challenges in identifying unlocked or tampered doors on moving freight wagons, a persistent safety and security issue in rail logistics. The new AI based solution is designed to provide real-time monitoring, detect anomalies in door locking mechanisms, and automatically generate alerts without disrupting train movement. It uses AI powered cameras and sensors strategically installed to capture and analyse door positions and locking conditions. It uses advanced computer vision and machine learning technology for the detection purposes. DRISHTI is expected to improve freight security, enhance wagon sealing integrity, and reduce dependency on manual inspection processes. Plans are underway to further refine and scale the system for wider adoption across NFR's freight corridors after successful completion of ongoing trials. 

Explanation - How Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil (ANFO) Triggers Powerful Explosions? Ammonium nitrate (NH₄NO₃) is a widely used fertiliser but also a strong oxidiser capable of causing intense, high-temperature explosions when combined with the right substances. On its own, ammonium nitrate cannot explode — it must be mixed with a volatile secondary material, such as fuel oil, and then triggered by an external detonation that generates extremely high heat. However, if exposed to high temperatures or a strong shock, it can violently decompose and sometimes explode even without added fuel, as seen in several past industrial accidents. The mixture, known as ANFO (Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil), is easy and inexpensive to produce and is commonly used in mining and construction because it is stable, safe to store, and extremely powerful when properly detonated. A typical ANFO charge is roughly 94% ammonium nitrate and 6% fuel oil; industrial grade ammonium nitrate can be used to make such a mixture. On its own it usually will not detonate unless exposed to very high heat or a detonator. The stronger the initiating blast, the more intense the resulting explosion.  

Explanation - Amid rising global trade uncertainties and the imposition of steep 50% tariffs by the US on Indian goods, the Union Cabinet has approved a comprehensive Export Promotion Mission (EPM) worth ₹25,060 crore. The initiative seeks to strengthen India's export competitiveness, especially in labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, leather, gems & jewellery, engineering goods, and marine products. Background - Tariff Pressure and Export Slowdown - The US, India's largest export destination, imposed 50% tariffs (effective August 27, 2025), making Indian goods among the most heavily taxed globally after China. India's exports to the US declined 12% (in September 2025), with engineering goods down 9.4%. Textile and apparel exports—28% of which go to the US—fell 10.34% year-on-year in September 2025. The government's move (EPM) is a strategic response to safeguard employment, maintain export momentum, and diversify into new markets.