| THE ARMS TRADE TREATY (ATT) | INTERNATIONAL BODIES | PRELIMS |
| THE LAMPYRIDAE | ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY | PRELIMS |
| GREEN BIOFUEL ROUTE FROM SUGARCANE WASTE | TECHNOLOGY | PRELIMS |
| THE IRAQI–SYRIAN BORDER | GEOGRAPHY | PRELIMS |
| THE ANNUAL STATUS OF EDUCATION REPORT (ASER) | REPORT | PRELIMS |
| INFRARED (IR) WAVES | TECHNOLOGY | PRELIMS |
| THE UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC (ESCAP) | INTERNATIONAL BODIES | PRELIMS |
| UNITED NATIONS’ MIGRATION AGENCY | INTERNATIONAL BODIES | PRELIMS |
| METASTASIS | BIOLOGY | PRELIMS |
THE ARMS TRADE TREATY (ATT)
The Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) is a legally binding international agreement that regulates the international trade in conventional arms—from small arms to battle tanks, combat aircraft, and warships. It entered into force on December 24, 2014, with the goal of fostering peace, reducing human suffering, and promoting accountability and transparency in the global weapons trade.
THE LAMPYRIDAE
- The Lampyridae are a family of elateroid beetles
- Fireflies are found in temperate and tropical climates.
- Light production in fireflies is due to the chemical process of bioluminescence. This occurs in specialized light-emitting organs (known as photophores).
GREEN BIOFUEL ROUTE FROM SUGARCANE WASTE
the Hyderabad-based CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) have unveiled a promising advance: transforming sugarcane residue into high-quality biofuel using a greener, more efficient process that could aid India’s transition towards cleaner energy and better utilisation of agricultural waste.
demonstrated an improved Catalytic Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL) process to convert sugarcane bagasse — the residue left after crushing sugarcane — into biofuel.
Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL) is a thermochemical conversion technology that mimics natural geological processes to convert wet biomass and organic waste into energy-dense, crude-like oil (biocrude) in minutes rather than millions of years. It operates at moderate temperatures (200-400c) and high pressures (5-20 MPa), using water as a reaction medium to break down complex organic materials
THE IRAQI–SYRIAN BORDER
- The Iraqi–Syrian border is the border between Syria and Iraq and runs for a total length of 599 km (372 mi) across Upper Mesopotamia and the Syrian desert, from the tripoint with Jordan in the south-west to the tripoint with Turkey in the north-east
· Iraq-Syria border crossing reopens for first time in over a decade
- Syria touted the crossing as a safe overland route for oil exports and an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz at the focus of the Iran war.
THE ANNUAL STATUS OF EDUCATION REPORT (ASER)
The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) is a prestigious, citizen-led household survey conducted annually (and now biennially) in rural India, designed to evaluate the status of children’s enrollment and foundational learning outcomes. Facilitated by the NGO Pratham since 2005, the report provides a snapshot of education quality, offering insights into children’s reading and arithmetic abilities at the district, state, and national levels.
INFRARED (IR) WAVES
- Infrared (IR) waves are a type of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths longer than visible light, ranging from approximately 780 nm to 1 mm. Because their wavelengths are too long for human eyes to detect, they are invisible. While we cannot see them, we commonly feel them as heat, as they are emitted by all objects near room temperature.
- applications ranging from daily household use to advanced industrial, medical, and military technology.
THE UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC (ESCAP)
- The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) said in the report released Monday that economies in South and South-West Asia grew by 5.4% in 2025, compared to 5.2% in 2024, driven largely by strong growth in India.
- The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific is the main legislative organ of ESCAP and reports to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). It provides a forum for all governments of the region to review and discuss economic and social issues and to strengthen regional cooperation. The Commission meets annually at the ministerial level to discuss and decide on important issues pertaining to inclusive and sustainable economic and social development in the region, to decide on the recommendations of its subsidiary bodies and of the Executive Secretary, to review and endorse the proposed strategic framework and programme of work, and to make any other decisions required, in conformity with its terms of reference. The Commission session comprises a senior officials segment and a ministerial segment. The Special Body on Least Developed, Landlocked Developing and Pacific Island Developing Countries, is held during the ministerial segment.
UNITED NATIONS’ MIGRATION AGENCY
Around 7,900 people died or disappeared on migration routes in 2025, taking the total dead and missing since 2014 beyond 80,000, the United Nations’ migration agency
METASTASIS
Metastasis is the spread of cancer cells from the primary tumor to new, distant areas of the body, often through the blood or lymph system