News research shows that Tmesipteris oblanceolata, a species of fork fern, has largest genome.

• Genome is the complete set of genetic information in an organism.

About Tmesipteris Oblanceolata

• Contains 160 billion base pairs (the units that make up a strand of DNA) outstripping the human genome by more than 50 times.
• It belongs to a primordial group of plants that evolved long before dinosaurs set foot on the earth.
• Found only in New Caledonia and a few nearby islands in the Pacific Ocean and thrives on the trunks and branches of trees in rainforests.

FSSAI and APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) have jointly developed Unified India Organic logo to replace the India Organic and Jaivik Bharat logos.

• Currently, India Organic logo is used on organic products complying with National Programme for Organic Products (NPOP), while Jaivik Bharat was used on organic products certified by FSSAI.

About Unified India Organic Logo

• It is aimed to bring uniformity and convergence in implementation of Indian regulations on organic products.
• It will distinguish organic products from non-organic communicating adherence to the National Standards for Organic Production.

A recent study has proposed a sustainable approach of microbial methane oxidation system (called as biocover) to control fugitive methane emissions from old dumpsites. 

About Biocover

• Biocovers are porous material layer laid directly on top of a landfill which is then covered by an oxidizing layer of mature compost.
• It provides optimal conditions for methanotrophic (methane utilizing) bacteria to thrive and act as biofilters, hence control methane emissions by converting methane to CO2.
• Potential applications: Road construction, land reclamation, etc.
• Concerns: As they are found in old and deep dumpsites, they may be contaminated with heavy metals and microplastics.

A study found that agriculture and urbanization are accelerating the decomposition of plant litter in rivers and streams. 

• Plant litter are primarily cellulose. 

Cellulose

• Cellulose is a polymeric polysaccharide made of glucose and is the primary structural component of plant cell walls. 
• It is the most abundant 
  • extracellular structural polysaccharide 
  • biomolecule in the biosphere.

Cellulose decomposition

• Cellulase enzymes hydrolyze cellulose into glucose, a sugar that can be fermented to ethanol or could also undergo cellular respiration to yield CO2 and water.
• Thus, cattle and termites can digest cellulose as their gut harbours Cellulase-producing bacteria.
• However, Cellulose cannot be digested by humans as their gut lacks cellulase enzyme.  

In FY24, RBI moved 100 metric tonnes of gold from the U.K. to domestic vaults (at Mumbai and Nagpur). 

• India's total gold holdings in FY24 reached 822 metric tonnes of which around 50% is stored locally. 
  • All banknotes issued by RBI are backed by assets such as gold, Government Securities and Foreign Currency Assets, as defined in Section 33 of the RBI Act, 1934. 

• Storing gold abroad poses risks, especially during geopolitical tensions, as highlighted by the freezing of Russian assets by Western nations.

Chang'e-6 landing marks China's second descent on the far side of the moon. 

• So far no other country has landed on that half of the moon. 
• India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission landed on the South Pole of the Near Side of the Moon. 

Far side of the Moon

• It refers to the hemisphere of the Moon that always faces away from Earth (hence also referred to as the dark side of the Moon).  
  • This happens as the Moon is tidally locked with Earth due to gravitational pull.
• Soviet Union's Luna 3 spacecraft took the first photo of this side of the Moon
• It has a thicker crust, more craters, and fewer lava plains than near side.

Some experts have highlighted that agricultural biodiversity plays a crucial role in the conservation of Sarus Crane.

• Agrobiodiversity refers to the variety and variability of living organisms that are associated with cultivating crops and rearing animals within ecological complexes.

About Sarus Crane

• It is the tallest flying bird in the world.
• Distribution: Found in northern India, Southeast Asia, and northern Australia.
• Habitat: Small seasonal marshes, floodplains, high-altitude wetlands, human-altered ponds, fallow and cultivated lands, and paddy fields.
• Behavior: Social creature (found in pairs or small groups), mate for life with a single partner.
  • Its breeding season coincides with heavy rainfall in monsoon.
• Conservation Status: 
  • IUCN:   Vulnerable
  • CITES:   Appendix II
  • Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I

SIPRI published a topical backgrounder titled ‘Multilateral peace operations in 2023: Developments and trends’ on important developments related to multilateral peace operations during 2023.

Key Findings on Multilateral Peace Operations

• The United Nations conducted the largest number of multilateral peace operations (20).
• India was the highest contributor of military personnel for UN peacekeeping forces in 2023.
• In 2023, 63 multilateral peace operations were active in 37 countries.
• The largest deployment of peacekeeping forces was in Sub-Saharan Africa.