Uncontrolled proliferation of the South American introduced tree Senna spectabilis has become a critical ecological problem in South India. Its overgrowth outmuscles indigenous vegetation, changes the composition of the soil, and interferes with the habitat of wildlife, especially in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

A new nitro-substituted organoselenium compound developed by Indian scientists is very active against triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) which is one of the aggressive and most difficult to treat types of cancer.

Shinkansen Japan

How old is the Shinkansen high-speed rail system?
a) 1954
b) 1964
c) 1974
d) 1984
Answer: b) 1964

Which is the bird that influenced the redesign of the nose of the Shinkansen to lower sonic booms in the tunnels?
a) Owl
b) Kingfisher Falcon
d) Swan
Answer: b) Kingfisher

In September 2025, the leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) made a vigorous joint statement denouncing all types of terrorism in their summit in Tianjin. It was also the first time that the statement directly mentioned the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir that resulted in the loss of 26 lives. The latter marks the continuation of the Indian diplomatic offensive and indicates a certain shift in the Chinese attitude to terrorism-related matters concerning India and Pakistan.

The Matanomadh village of Gujarat’s Kutch district has been designated as an important terrestrial analogue site to Mars following a study, that recorded detection of jarosite, a mineral indicative of water-soaked past, in the region. This is 55 million years old, which is not only increasing our understanding of the Earth and its geology, but also boosting planetary science research in India with a direct impact on our Mars mission Mangalyaan-2 by ISRO in the future.”