tidbits times

#global27 SMRs enable scalable, decentralised baseload power for remote areas, industries and data centres. SMR denotes size/modularity, not a specific reactor technology such as PWR, PHWR or gas-cooled reactors.

#global27 Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are compact nuclear-fission systems generally producing up to 300 MWe per module, using factory-fabricated, transportable components and modular deployment. Fission generates heat, transferred through a coolant to produce steam and drive turbines. Designs may use light/heavy water, helium, molten salts or liquid metals. Many incorporate passive safety systems using natural circulation and gravity.

#global27 During the November meeting, the two sides reviewed the progress of the Kudankulam nuclear power project (KKNPP) in Tamil Nadu — the largest nuclear power station in India and the flagship project of Russian-Indian energy cooperation. KKNPP Units 1 and 2, where Russia’s earlier generation ‘VVER-1000’ light water reactor units have been deployed, were connected to the national power grid in 2013 and 2016 respectively and currently supply electricity to India’s southern region. Source: The Indian Express

#global27 Prime Minister Modi outlined what he called “Saptadhara”, or seven streams of development, as a framework that will bring together several of the government’s existing policy priorities over the next five to seven years. These are manufacturing; farming and food processing; technology and innovation; infrastructure; defence; the green and blue economy; and soft power. Source: The Indian Express

#environment27 Hara mangroves lie in the Khuran Strait, between Qeshm Island and mainland Iran, near the Strait of Hormuz. Dominated by Avicennia marina, they form the Persian Gulf’s largest mangrove ecosystem. Hara is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (1976), while Khuran Strait is a Ramsar Site (1975), supporting turtles, sea snakes, fish and migratory birds. Source: The Hindu

#global27 Lebanon abolished the death penalty in August 2026, becoming the first Arab country to do so. Parliament replaced capital punishment with life imprisonment with aggravated hard labour. Lebanon had maintained a de facto moratorium since 2004, despite retaining death sentences in law. Moratorium ≠ abolition India → retains → rarest of rare Japan + Singapore + USA → retain China → executions secret ICCPR Art. 6 → right to life 2nd Optional Protocol → Source: The Hindu

#global27 The Kuril Islands form a volcanic chain in the North Pacific between Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula and Japan’s Hokkaido. Russia administers them, while Japan claims the southern four—Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and Habomai—as the Northern Territories. The dispute dates to Soviet occupation in 1945 and remains unresolved, preventing a formal Russia–Japan peace treaty. Kurils → Sea of Okhotsk ↔ Pacific Ocean Source: The Hindu

#environment27 Lar Gibbon (Hylobates lar) is an arboreal ape native to mainland Southeast Asia and parts of Indonesia, inhabiting tropical evergreen forests. It is an important frugivore and seed disperser. Classified as Endangered (IUCN) and listed in CITES Appendix I, it faces habitat loss, hunting and illegal trade. It is not naturally found in India; India’s native gibbon is the Hoolock gibbon. Source: The Indian Express

#initiatives27 NITI Aayog has released the report titled “Key Sectors to Position India as a Global Manufacturing Hub”, which through a structured and data-driven framework identifies major sectors that can fuel India’s ambition to become global manufacturing powerhouse. This report has extensively analyzed four sectors viz. Chemicals, Telecom & Networking Equipments, Textiles and Solar Photo Voltaic manufacturing. Source: PiB

#environment27 Most of which occur on the Tibetan Plateau. They are distributed across four range countries—India, Nepal, Bhutan, and China.According to BNHS authorities, 110–130 individuals are recorded annually, including 20–25 breeding pairs, depending on the year. The main breeding sites include the Changthang Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary, the wetlands of Hanle, Tso Kar, Nyoma, and nearby marshes, with an extended population in the Suru Valley. Source: The Hindu

#initiatives27 Bharat Taxi, run by Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited (STCL) is registered under the provisions of the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002. The Society functions in accordance with the provisions of the Act and its registered Bye-laws. No financial support has been provided by the Government for expansion of  Bharat Taxi platform. Source: PiB

#initiatives27 In June 2024, the state assembly unanimously passed a resolution urging the Union government to take steps under Article 3 of the Constitution to change the state’s name to Keralam. One of the earliest known mentions of the word occurs in Emperor Ashoka’s Rock Edict II, dated to 257 BCE. The edict reads: “Everywhere in the dominions of King Priyadarsin, Beloved of the gods, as well as those of his frontier sovereigns, such as the Chodas [Cholas], Pandyas, Satiyaputra, Ketalaputra [Keralaputra]…” (translated by epigraphist D R Bhandarkar). Source: The Indian Express

#environment27 Sulawesi babirusa (Babyrousa celebensis) is an endemic Indonesian suid, restricted mainly to Sulawesi and absent from India. It occupies tropical lowland forests, wetlands and riverine habitats, acting as a seed disperser and influencing forest regeneration. IUCN status: Vulnerable (VU). Major threats include hunting, snaring, logging, agricultural conversion and habitat degradation. It is protected under Indonesian law and CITES Appendix I. Source: DTE

#initiatives27 The UNEP supported In-Tex India Project for Accelerating the Transition of the Indian Textile Sector towards Circularity using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Product Environmental Footprint (PEF); Support for environmentally sustainable research and development under the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM); Development of a sustainability framework for PM MITRA Parks. Source: PiB

#initiatives27 Samarth (Scheme for Capacity Building in Textiles Sector) of Ministry of Textiles provides demand driven, placement-oriented skilling programmes in the organized textile and related sectors, covering the entire value chain of textiles, excluding Spinning and Weaving on pan India basis. Under the Samarth scheme, a total of 6.17 lakh beneficiaries have successfully trained (certified), of which 5.17 lakh beneficiaries have been provided placement since the inception of the Scheme up to March 2026. Source: PiB

#science27 A Bengaluru-based space company, Astrobase Space Technologies, unveiled India’s first privately built 800 kN Full-Flow Staged Combustion (FFSC) LOX-Methane rocket engine named EVEREST. This makes India the fourth nation to have FFSC engine technology after Russia, USA and China. Full-Flow Staged Combustion (FFSC) is a rocket-engine cycle where both fuel and oxidiser are first partially burned in separate pre-burners to power the engine’s turbopumps. The resulting gases then enter the main combustion chamber, so almost all propellant is ultimately used for thrust. This provides high efficiency, high thrust and better suitability for reusable rockets, especially with LOX–methane fuel. Source: The Hindu