Recent Context

Bangladesh recently announced the export of hilsa fish to India ahead of the Durga Puja festival season, marking a gesture of enduring friendship between the two neighbouring nations. The move holds not only economic but also deep cultural and emotional significance, especially for West Bengal, where hilsa is an integral part of festive cuisine and Bengali identity.

About Hilsa Fish

• Scientific Name: Tenualosa ilisha

• Family: Clupeidae (the herring family)

• Common Names: Hilsa, Ilish, Pulasa (in Telugu), Palva (in Oriya)

• Cultural Significance:

  • Revered as a delicacy in Bengal, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh.

  • Plays a central role in Bengali cuisine, especially during festivals like Durga Puja.

  • Symbolizes love and prosperity in Bengali culture — often gifted during weddings or religious rituals.

  • It is the national fish of Bangladesh and a culinary heritage symbol of the Bay of Bengal region.

Habitat and Distribution

• Habitat Type: Anadromous fish — lives mostly in saltwater (sea) but migrates to freshwater (rivers) to spawn (lay eggs).

• Geographical Range:

  • Found in rivers, estuaries, and coastal waters of Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Pakistan, and parts of the Persian Gulf.

  • Key Rivers:

    • Bangladesh: Padma, Meghna, Jamuna

    • India: Ganga, Hooghly, Godavari, and Mahanadi

• Major Producers:

  • Bangladesh produces about 70% of the world’s hilsa, making it the largest producer globally.

  • India also contributes significantly, especially from the Hooghly estuary and Godavari delta.

Biological and Physical Characteristics

• Body: Silvery and laterally compressed with a pointed snout.

• Size: Can grow up to 50 cm and weigh over 3 kg.

• Distinctive Feature: Known for having many small bones, which contribute to its delicate texture and flavour.

• Diet: Plankton-feeding fish — consumes microscopic plants and animals in water.

Economic Importance

• In Bangladesh, hilsa contributes about:

  • 12% of the total fish catch

  • 1% of the national GDP

• Provides livelihoods to millions of fishermen, traders, and processors across Bangladesh and eastern India.

• It is a high-value export commodity, particularly in the Gulf countries and India.

Hilsa Migration and Breeding

• Lifecycle Pattern:

  1. Adult hilsa live in the sea.

  2. During breeding season (mainly June–October), they migrate upriver to spawn in freshwater.

  3. Juvenile hilsa return to the sea after maturing.

• Spawning Grounds:

  1. Major breeding areas include Meghna, Padma, and Hooghly rivers.

  2. Successful reproduction depends on river flow, monsoon timing, and water quality.

Conservation and Management

• IUCN Status: Least Concern

• Despite this, overfishing and habitat degradation are major concerns.

Conservation Efforts:

• Bangladesh’s Hilsa Conservation Programme:

  • Imposes fishing bans during breeding seasons.

  • Provides compensation schemes (rice rations) to affected fishermen.

  • Enforces restrictions on catching juvenile hilsa (locally called jatka).

• India’s Efforts:

  • Similar seasonal bans in West Bengal and Odisha.

  • Promotion of cross-border conservation coordination with Bangladesh.

Challenges to Hilsa Sustainability

1. Overfishing and juvenile catch (jatka fishing).

2. River pollution and industrial effluents reducing breeding success.

3. Dams and barrages disrupting migratory routes (e.g., Farakka Barrage).

4. Climate change, altering river flows and breeding patterns.

5. Unregulated cross-border trade and smuggling affecting conservation efforts.

India-Bangladesh Cooperation on Hilsa

• Symbolic Diplomacy: Exporting hilsa to India, especially during Durga Puja, has become a diplomatic goodwill gesture from Bangladesh.

• Trade Context: Bangladesh temporarily allows limited exports despite a general ban on hilsa exports to preserve domestic stocks.

• Cultural Link: The shared culinary tradition strengthens people-to-people ties between the two nations.

Conclusion

The hilsa fish is not merely a culinary delicacy but also a symbol of shared heritage, economic livelihood, and cross-border friendship between India and Bangladesh. Ensuring its sustainable management through joint conservation programs, ecological protection, and regulated fishing can help preserve this iconic species — securing both biodiversity and cultural legacy for future generations

The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India, observes World Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) Day every year on 7th September to raise awareness about this rare and serious genetic disorder. The day emphasizes the importance of early detection, research, and support systems for individuals and families affected by DMD.

What is Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD)?

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a genetic disorder that causes progressive muscle degeneration and weakness due to the absence or malfunction of dystrophin, a protein necessary for maintaining the structural integrity of muscle cells. The absence of this protein leads to muscle breakdown over time, resulting in the gradual loss of muscle function.

Causes of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

• Genetic Mutation: DMD is caused by a mutation in the dystrophin gene located on the X-chromosome.

• Inheritance Pattern: Since the gene is on the X-chromosome, the disorder primarily affects males, while females are usually carriers.

  • Males inherit one X-chromosome from their mother and a Y-chromosome from their father. Since they have only one X-chromosome, if it carries the mutation, they are at a high risk of developing the condition.

  • Females have two X-chromosomes. If one carries the mutation, they usually remain asymptomatic but can pass the mutated gene to their offspring.

Symptoms and Early Signs of DMD

• Age of Onset: Symptoms typically appear between 2 to 3 years of age.

• Initial Symptoms:

  • Proximal muscle weakness: Muscle weakness starts near the body’s core (in the hips, thighs, and shoulders) before spreading to the limbs.

  • Difficulty with motor skills: Children with DMD may have difficulty with activities like jumping, running, and walking.

  • Gait Issues: A waddling gait, often accompanied by difficulty standing up (e.g., using hands to push against the legs) is common.

  • Enlarged calves: This is due to muscle hypertrophy (enlargement of muscle fibers) that eventually leads to the replacement of muscle tissue with fatty tissue.

  • Scoliosis: The curvature of the spine (lumbar lordosis) may develop as the muscles that support the spine weaken.

• Progressive Nature: As the disease advances, muscle degeneration spreads to distal muscles (those closer to the extremities). This leads to further loss of movement and ultimately the need for a wheelchair by the early teenage years.

Impact on the Body Systems

• Musculoskeletal System: Progressive loss of muscle strength and mobility, eventually leading to immobility and muscle contractures.

• Cardiac and Respiratory Involvement:

  • As DMD progresses, it affects the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy) and respiratory muscles, which leads to difficulties in breathing and heart problems, often requiring interventions such as ventilators or heart support devices.

• Multi-systemic Condition: Besides the muscles, the heart, lungs, and skeletal muscles all deteriorate over time.

Current Treatments and Approaches for DMD

While there is no permanent cure for DMD, treatments aim to slow down disease progression, improve quality of life, and manage symptoms:

1. Gene Therapy:

   • Attempts to correct the dystrophin gene by introducing a functional copy or modifying the defective gene through genetic editing technologies.

2. Exon Skipping:

   • A gene therapy technique that uses drugs to bypass specific parts of the gene that are mutated, allowing the production of a partially functional dystrophin protein.

3. Stop Codon Read-Through:

   • Drugs that help bypass premature stop signals in the mutated gene, enabling the production of a full-length dystrophin protein.

4. Gene Repair:

   • This involves using newer technologies like CRISPR-Cas9 to directly repair the mutated gene at the DNA level, restoring proper protein function.

5. Corticosteroids:

   • These are used to slow the loss of muscle strength and improve function, though they may have significant side effects over long-term use.

6. Cardiac and Respiratory Care:

   • Monitoring heart health for early signs of cardiomyopathy and managing respiratory function as the disease progresses.

7. Physical Therapy and Supportive Care:

   • Physical therapy helps maintain muscle strength and joint mobility, and regular monitoring of lung and heart function is necessary to provide early intervention if issues arise.

Challenges

• Lack of Early Diagnosis: Early diagnosis and intervention are critical, but DMD can be difficult to diagnose, and many children are misdiagnosed with other disorders in their early years.

• High Treatment Costs: Many of the latest therapies, such as gene therapies, are expensive and often out of reach for families in low-resource settings.

• Research Advancements: While gene therapy and exon skipping have shown promise, these treatments are still in the experimental stages or have limited availability.

• Improving Awareness: Events like World Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Day help raise awareness, drive funding for research, and support the DMD community.

Conclusion

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy remains a challenging and life-altering condition, but with continued advances in genetic research, therapy options, and early intervention strategies, there is hope for better management and eventual breakthroughs in treatment. The observance of World Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Day on 7th September is a vital part of ensuring greater awareness, advocacy, and support for those affected by this condition

The Siachen Glacier in Ladakh has once again witnessed a tragic incident as three Army personnel, including two Agniveers, lost their lives in a major avalanche. The Siachen base camp is one of the highest and most challenging military posts in the world, located at an altitude of around 22,000 feet.

About Avalanches

An avalanche is a mass of snow, ice, and debris that suddenly slides down a mountain slope. Avalanches can be extremely dangerous, often burying people, structures, and vehicles in their path. In the context of the Siachen Glacier, such events are especially hazardous due to the high-altitude conditions and extreme weather.

Key Characteristics of Avalanches:

• Definition: An avalanche is a large amount of snow or ice moving down a slope quickly.

• Types of Avalanches:

  1. Sluff Avalanches: These occur when the weak snow layer is at the top of the snowpack. Sluffs are small and less dangerous, typically consisting of dry, powdery snow moving as a formless mass.

  2. Slab Avalanches: More dangerous than sluffs, slab avalanches occur when the weak layer is located deeper in the snowpack. The top layers of snow break off in a slab and slide down, potentially causing massive destruction.

Conditions for Avalanches:

Several factors contribute to the likelihood of an avalanche:

1. Slope: Avalanches are more likely to happen on steep slopes without trees or large rocks to anchor the snow.

2. Weather: Heavy snowfall, strong winds, and rising temperatures weaken the snow and make it more likely to slide.

3. Triggering Events: Avalanches can be triggered by external forces such as falling rocks, ice, or even human activity (e.g., skiing, snowboarding, or snowmobiles).

Impact of Avalanches:

• Destruction: Avalanches can range from being harmless to large enough to destroy entire forests or even flatten villages.

• Dangers to Life: When snow settles after an avalanche, it often solidifies into a mass as hard as concrete, making it almost impossible to dig out survivors. Victims can perish due to:

  • Suffocation

  • Trauma caused by the force of the snow

  • Hypothermia from prolonged exposure to cold

Mitigation Measures for Avalanches:

To protect people in avalanche-prone regions, various strategies are employed:

1. Snow Fences and Barriers: These structures are designed to hold snow in place and prevent it from sliding down slopes.

2. Avalanche Control with Explosives: Controlled detonations are used to clear snow from areas deemed likely to experience avalanches.

3. Avalanche Forecasting: Modern technology and forecasting methods help predict avalanches, allowing for timely evacuations and other safety measures.

4. Personal Safety Equipment: For people who must live or work in avalanche-prone areas, special avalanche beacons and safety backpacks equipped with airbags are used.

Conclusion:

The recent avalanche in Siachen underscores the harsh realities of living and working in such extreme environments. As climate change continues to affect weather patterns, regions like Siachen will likely experience increased avalanche risk. Ongoing vigilance, combined with advanced safety measures, will be crucial in mitigating the risk to personnel stationed in these high-altitude areas

A recent wildlife survey in Arunachal Pradesh has yielded the first-ever photographic evidence of the elusive Pallas’s cat (Otocolobus manul) in the state

About Pallas’s Cat

• Scientific Name: Otocolobus manul

• Common Names: Pallas’s cat, Manul

• Described by: German naturalist Peter Simon Pallas in 1776, based on specimens from near Lake Baikal, Russia.

• Family: Felidae (cat family)

It is a small wild cat species, known for its dense fur, stocky build, and remarkable adaptations to cold continental climates. Despite its size (similar to a domestic cat), it appears larger and fluffier due to its thick coat.

Distribution of Pallas’s Cat

• Geographical Range:
  Native to Central Asia, its range extends across:

  • Mongolia, China, and Russia (border regions)

  • Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and western Iran

• Recent Indian Occurrence:

  • The Arunachal Pradesh finding marks a rare eastern extension of its known range.

  • It had previously been recorded in Ladakh and parts of the Trans-Himalayas.

Habitat and Ecology

• Habitat Type:
  Prefers rocky montane grasslands and shrublands—areas that provide natural cover and minimal snow accumulation (less than 15–20 cm).

• Altitude Range:
  Generally found in high-altitude steppe and alpine regions (3,000–5,000 m).

• Diet:

  • Primarily preys on lagomorphs (pikas and hares) and rodents.

  • Occasionally feeds on small birds and insects.

Distinctive Features

These adaptations make the Pallas’s cat extremely well-suited to its cold, arid habitat.

Conservation Status

Despite its “Least Concern” status, the species faces localized threats due to:

• Habitat fragmentation

• Hunting for fur

• Decrease in prey populations

The Iskander-K missile, a Russian-made mobile cruise missile system, was recently used in a strike on Ukraine's Cabinet building, highlighting its capabilities in modern warfare.

About Iskander-K

• Designation: Iskander-K (also referred to as SSC-8)

• Type: Mobile short-range cruise missile launcher

• Base: Built on an 8x8 military truck chassis, allowing for high mobility on roads

• Service Entry: February 2017 with the Russian Armed Forces

• Function: Designed for tactical-operational strikes, typically at land-based targets

Design Features of the Iskander-K

• Mobility:
  The launcher vehicle is mobile, mounted on an 8x8 truck, offering high strategic mobility. It can travel at speeds of up to 70 km/h and has a maximum cruising range of 1,000 km.

• Missile Launching Capacity:
  It can be fitted with two to six container launchers, giving it flexibility in launching multiple missiles.

Missiles Used by Iskander-K

The Iskander-K can launch two types of cruise missiles:

1. 9M728 (R-500/SSC-X-7):

   • Range: Up to 500 km

   • Purpose: Primarily used for medium-range tactical strikes.

   • Characteristics: Capable of delivering high-precision strikes at land-based targets.

2. 9M729 (SSC-X-8):

   • Range: Designed to operate at greater distances.

   • Low-altitude Flight: Flies at low altitudes to avoid detection by radar and make interception more difficult, complicating countermeasures.

   • Target: Specifically designed for land-target destruction.

Strategic Importance and Usage

• Role in Warfare:
  The Iskander-K is primarily used for tactical strikes, offering a precise and mobile strike option for military forces. Its long-range missiles are capable of targeting strategic facilities, military installations, and key infrastructure.

• Recent Use in Ukraine:
  Its use against Ukraine’s Cabinet building signifies the missile's potential in precision-targeted attacks in modern conflicts, especially in urban warfare or asymmetrical warfare scenarios.

Kerala has become India’s first state to establish an Urban Policy Commission (KUPC) — a landmark step to reimagine urbanisation as climate-resilient, inclusive, and data-driven.
The KUPC Report, with a 25-year roadmap, provides a framework for balancing economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability — offering a replicable model for other Indian states.

About the Kerala Urban Policy Commission (KUPC)

• Objective: To design a long-term urban policy integrating climate resilience, fiscal empowerment, and community participation.

• Approach: Views cities not merely as infrastructure clusters, but as living ecosystems interconnected with nature, culture, and livelihoods.

• Context: With Kerala’s urbanisation projected to exceed 80% by 2050, and increasing climate risks (floods, landslides, coastal erosion), KUPC calls for adaptive, place-based urban planning.

Key Recommendations of the KUPC Report

1. Climate-Sensitive Urban Planning

• Integrate hazard maps (floods, landslides, sea-level rise) into zoning and land-use regulations.

• Prevent urban expansion into disaster-prone areas and restore wetlands and urban waterways.

• Develop Urban Climate Resilience Plans for every city.

2. Data-Driven Decision Making

• Establish a Real-Time Urban Data System with LiDAR, IoT, and satellite-based monitoring for environmental and urban metrics.

• Build a Digital Urban Observatory for municipalities to track urban growth, resource use, and climate risks.

• Encourage community-driven data collection, incorporating local knowledge from fisherfolk, vendors, and women’s groups.

3. Financial Innovation for Urban Resilience

• Introduce Green Fees for eco-sensitive development projects.

• Implement parametric climate insurance to support disaster recovery.

• Enable municipal bonds for major cities and pooled bond models for smaller towns to finance urban infrastructure.

• Strengthen municipal fiscal autonomy and reduce dependence on state or central transfers.

4. Governance and Institutional Reforms

• Create Elected City Cabinets, led by directly elected mayors with fixed terms.

• Form specialised municipal teams for waste management, climate action, and urban transport.

• Launch the “Jnanashree” initiative to recruit skilled youth and technocrats into urban local governance.

• Enhance inter-departmental coordination for integrated urban policy execution.

5. Place-Based Urban Growth & Cultural Identity

• Promote cities as regional hubs based on their distinct strengths:

  • Kochi: FinTech & port economy

  • Thiruvananthapuram–Kollam: Knowledge & innovation corridor

  • Kozhikode: Literary and cultural city

  • Palakkad & Kasaragod: Smart-industrial hubs

• Protect heritage sites, cultural landscapes, and local ecosystems as anchors of sustainable identity.

6. Inclusive Urban Welfare

• Establish City Health Councils to ensure welfare access for migrants, gig workers, and students.

• Improve urban public health, housing, and livelihood security.

• Embed gender-sensitive and youth-inclusive approaches in city governance.

Urbanisation in India: The Larger Context

• World Bank Projection: India’s urban population to reach 600 million (40%) by 2036, driving 70% of GDP.

• Drivers of Urban Growth:

  • Migration & Demographics — rural-urban migration due to jobs and amenities.

  • Economic Transition — shift from agriculture to manufacturing and services.

  • Policy Missions — Smart Cities, AMRUT, PMAY-U, and NIP.

  • Technological Integration — AI, IoT, and digital public infrastructure.

  • Globalisation & Aspirations — demand for modern, connected cities.

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Conclusion

Kerala’s Urban Policy Commission marks a paradigm shift — from reactive city management to anticipatory urban governance.
By combining climate resilience, data innovation, and grassroots inclusion, the Kerala Model provides a scalable framework for sustainable urbanisation across India.

Indore’s achievement in topping the Swachh Vayu Survekshan 2025 (SVS) is indeed a significant milestone in India’s ongoing efforts to improve urban air quality. The SVS is an important tool in evaluating and driving action against air pollution in cities, with a particular focus on reducing particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) and improving other environmental factors like waste management and road dust mitigation.

Key Takeaways from Swachh Vayu Survekshan 2025:

1. Indore’s Top Ranking:
   Indore, which has been consistently recognized as India’s cleanest city, has now taken the lead in air pollution mitigation as well. Despite a slight increase in PM10 levels, Indore managed to secure the top spot in the million-plus-population category, a testament to its effective air quality management strategies. The city's performance is a reflection of comprehensive measures to reduce road dust, manage industrial emissions, and encourage public awareness about air pollution.

2. Cities in Focus:

   • Jabalpur and Agra/Surat followed Indore, marking a significant shift in the air quality rankings for Indian cities.

   • Navi Mumbai (4th), Kanpur (5th), and Bhopal (6th) are also among the top performers in air pollution mitigation.

   • Delhi, traditionally known for its air quality issues, ranks 32nd, highlighting the persistent challenge it faces with air pollution despite efforts under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).

3. PM10 Levels and Declines:

   • Mumbai achieved the highest decline in PM10 levels at 44% from 2017-18 to 2024-25, followed by Kolkata (37%), Hyderabad and Bengaluru (26% each), and Delhi (15%).

   • The survey found that 103 out of 130 cities saw a reduction in PM10 levels, a positive trend, though several large metros like Delhi and Chennai are still grappling with air quality issues.

4. National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS):

   • A total of 22 cities met the NAAQS by keeping annual average PM10 concentrations below 60 μg/m³, with Chennai being the only big metro city to meet the standard at 58 μg/m³.

   • The fact that only 22 cities met the standards points to the scale of the challenge ahead for India's air quality management systems.

What’s Working and What Needs Improvement?

• Strong Policy Framework: The SVS operates under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), which has encouraged healthy competition among cities. The key focus on actionable parameters like dust mitigation, vehicular emissions control, and solid waste management has pushed cities to adopt targeted measures.

• Challenges with PM10: Despite cities taking significant steps to reduce emissions, some, like Indore, are facing challenges with controlling PM10 levels—a key pollutant that contributes to respiratory diseases. This shows that while policy and infrastructure have been improving, more focused efforts are needed on the ground.

• Public Awareness and Engagement: Cities that performed well on the SVS also showed active engagement from local authorities and citizens in improving air quality. Public education on air pollution, including reducing vehicular emissions and waste burning, is key to further progress.

Conclusion

Indore’s success is a model for other cities in India, particularly in how policy frameworks, public awareness, and local government action can improve air quality. However, there is still work to be done, especially in reducing PM10 levels across the board. The competition fostered by the Swachh Vayu Survekshan is an effective tool to keep cities on track, but collaboration at all levels, including the private sector, is necessary for sustainable improvements in air quality.

The Cross River gorilla is indeed one of the most critically endangered species on the planet, with fewer than 300 individuals estimated to remain in the wild.

About the Cross River Gorilla

• Scientific Name: Gorilla gorilla diehli

• Location: The Cross River gorilla is found in the rugged mountain forests along the border of Nigeria and Cameroon, primarily in the Cross-Sanaga-Bioko Coast Forest ecoregion. These forests, which include lowland, submontane, and montane forests, provide critical habitat for the species, but the terrain is challenging, making both human access and gorilla movement difficult.

Key Features

• Physical Appearance:

  • Fur: These gorillas have brownish-grey or black fur, but their faces, hands, and feet are devoid of fur.

  • Head Shape: They feature cone-shaped heads with a distinctive reddish crest on top.

  • Silverback: Like other adult male gorillas, they sport a silvery patch of hair down the center of their back, a feature that gives them the nickname "silverback."

• Social Structure:

  • The Cross River gorillas are social animals, typically living in groups of 2 to 20 individuals. The group is led by a dominant male (the silverback), who is the leader of the group. The groups often consist of 6-7 females and their offspring.

• Diet: These gorillas are herbivores, feeding primarily on leaves, branches, nuts, and berries. They forage for food from a wide range of plants in their habitat.

Conservation Status

• The Cross River gorilla is classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This classification highlights the extremely low population numbers and the significant threat of extinction they face.

Key Threats

• Habitat Loss: The main driver of their endangerment is habitat destruction, driven by activities like logging, agriculture, and human settlement.

• Poaching: Although there have been conservation efforts, illegal hunting and poaching continue to threaten the population of these gorillas.

• Human-Wildlife Conflict: As human populations encroach on their habitat, there is a growing conflict between the gorillas and local communities, especially as the animals sometimes raid crops.

• Limited Genetic Diversity: The small number of individuals and their fragmented populations across the mountain range make it harder for the species to maintain a healthy genetic pool.

Why It Matters

The Cross River gorilla is the most endangered primate in Africa and plays a significant role in the biodiversity of its habitat. Protecting the species also contributes to preserving the rich ecosystem of the Cross-Sanaga-Bioko Coast.