2025: International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation

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Recently, the United Nations declared 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation.

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• In December 2022, the UN General Assembly adopted the resolution to declare 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation.
• This international year declaration is accompanied by the proclamation of the 21st March of each year as the World Day for Glaciers starting in 2025.
• This declaration aims to raise global awareness about the critical role of glaciers, snow and ice in the hydrological cycle and in the climate system.
• The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), in collaboration with UNESCO, is leading efforts for the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation 2025 (IYGP 2025).
• The International Year of Glaciers' Preservation is aligned with the priorities of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Strategic Plan 2024-2027. 

2025 World Monuments Watch Announcement

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Recently, World Monuments Watch (WMW) announced that Musi River Historic Buildings (Hyderabad) and Bhuj Historic Water Systems (Gujrat) have been put on the 2025 World Monument Watch. 

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• WMW selected 25 sites from 29 countries facing urgent challenges and timely opportunities for preservation.
• Of these 25 sites two sites are from India:

1. Musi River Historic Buildings

• The Musi river corridor in Hyderabad, which is rich in history is currently facing significant challenges due to pollution.
• The Musi River originates in the Anantagiri hills and flows into the Osmansagar and Himayatsagar reservoirs,
• This 240 km long river is a major tributary of the Krishna River.

2. Bhuj Historic Water Systems

• Ingenious rainwater collection systems have fallen out of use in favour of modern infrastructure.
• Hamirsar artificial Lake (Bhuj), built in the sixteenth century during the reign of Rao Khengarji (Jadeja clan of Rajputs) is one of the best examples of this historic water system.
• Ingeniously designed to collect rainwater and recharge groundwater, Bhuj’s interconnected hydraulic infrastructure sustained the city’s prosperity for generations. 

World Monuments Watch (WMW)

• It was established in 1996 under the World Monuments Fund (WMF) to biennially announce sites facing urgent challenges and timely opportunities for preservation.
• World Monuments Fund (WMF), the then-called International Fund for Monuments (IFM), was founded by Colonel James A. Gray in 1965.
• Headquartered in New York, USA.

Kho Kho World Cup 2025

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India emerged as the inaugural champion in both the men's and women's events at the Kho Kho World Cup 2025.   

About Kho Kho World Cup 2025:

• Hosted in: Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi, India. (First-ever Kho Kho World Cup)   
• Organized by: Kho Kho Federation of India (KKFI) & International Kho Kho Federation (IKKF) and backed by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

Mascots: 

• Tejas (Men's Team): Blue gazelle (symbolizing brilliance and energy)
• Tara (Women's Team): Orange gazelle (representing guidance and aspiration)   

Winners and Runners-Up: 

• Men's: Winner India (54-36); Runner-Up Nepal   
• Women's: Winner India (78-40); Runner-Up Nepal   

Nigeria joins BRICS as a partner country

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Recently, Brazil (the present BRICS group chair) announced Nigeria as the ninth “partner country” of the BRICS bloc.

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• BRICS's other partner countries include Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan.
• Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and the sixth-largest in the world. It is also one of Africa's biggest economies.

BRICS

• The term "BRIC" (Brazil, Russia, India, China) was first coined by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O’Neill in 2001.
• The BRIC was formally established in 2009.
• The first official BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) summit was held in Russia’s Yekaterinburg in 2009 and South Africa joined the group in 2010.
• At the 2023 BRICS summit in South Africa, BRICS announced the admission of 6 countries namely Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Argentina (later announced not to join the organization) as new member states. 
• Saudi Arabia has yet to convey its decision to BRICS about formal acceptance of the joining.  

20th Raising Day of NDRF

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The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is celebrating its 20th Raising Day ceremony on January 19th.

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• Union Home Minister launched various projects which include the National South Campus of the Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), the 10th Battalion of the NDRF, and the Regional Response Centre at Supaul Campus.
• The Home Minister also laid the foundation stone of the new 'Integrated Shooting Range' at the National Police Academy in Hyderabad and inaugurated the Regional Forensic Science Laboratory building in Tirupati.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) 

• NDRF was established in 2006 with 8 Battalions (now 16) under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
• Presently, the NDRF comprises 16 Battalions drawn from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), viz Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Assam Rifles.
• All 16 units are proficiently equipped and trained to handle any type of natural and manmade disaster.

World-First Robotic Cardiac Telesurgeries

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Recently, India successfully performed its first robotic telesurgeries over a distance of 286 km. 

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• India’s Indigenous surgical robotic system, SSI Mantra, successfully conducted two robotic cardiac surgeries via telesurgery.
• The surgical-robotic system, called the SSI Mantra was developed by a medical technology company, SSI Limited, and is the first-of-its-kind system in India.
• The surgeries were performed in Jaipur, operating from Gurugram, using the advanced SSI Mantra 3 Surgical Robotic System with an equally low latency of just 40 milliseconds.

Telesurgery or remote surgery

• It is an emerging surgical tool that utilizes both robotic technology and wireless networking to connect patients and surgeons who are geographically distant.

• The technology has been approved by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) in India under Class B and Class C surgical devices.

• Class B: Moderate individual risk and/or low risk to public health. Requires conformity assessment by a notified body. 
• Class C: High individual risk and/or moderate risk to public health. Requires conformity assessment by a notified body.