Regional Open Digital Health Summit (RODHS) 2025
Context: Recently, India hosted the second Regional Open Digital Health Summit (RODHS) in New Delhi.
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- RODHS 2025 is organised by the National e-Governance Division (NeGD) under the Ministry of Electronics & IT, the National Health Authority (NHA), the World Health Organisation South-East Asia Regional Office, and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
- This three-day summit was attended by leaders from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, the Maldives, and others.
• It explores how Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), open standards, and technologies like Generative AI can boost Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and regional health systems.
- Universal health coverage (UHC) means that all people have access to the full range of quality health services they need, when and where they need them, without financial hardship.
Regional Open Digital Health Summit (RODHS)
- RODHS aims to accelerate the adoption of open, interoperable, and people-centred digital health ecosystems across the WHO South-East Asia Region (SEAR).
- The inaugural summit was held in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2024.
Dark Patterns Norms
Context: Recently, the government announced that 26 major e-commerce companies have voluntarily submitted self-declaration letters confirming compliance with the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023.
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- These companies completed internal audits or third-party audits to detect and remove any misleading or manipulative design elements.
- The companies have stated that their interfaces do not deploy tactics such as false urgency, basket sneaking, confirm shaming, forced action or disguised advertisements.
- The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) issued an advisory in June 2025 which directed all e-commerce platforms to conduct a self-audit within three months to detect and eliminate dark patterns.
- The advisory stressed the need for explicit user consent, clear disclosures and non-manipulative design practices across all digital interfaces.
- The guidelines define and prohibit 13 types of dark patterns such as subscription traps, interface interference, bait and switch, drip pricing, rogue malware and trick wording.
Bharat NCAP 2.0
Context: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has released a revised draft of the Bharat New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) for the assessment of the crash safety performance of cars.
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- The Bharat New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) 2.0 is a revised vehicle safety rating programme that evaluates the crashworthiness and safety technologies of cars sold in India.
- The new framework aimed to push manufacturers to introduce higher standard safety features, particularly in entry-level and mass-market vehicles.
- Draft Bharat NCAP rules adopted elements of Euro NCAP norms and assigned 20% weightage to vulnerable road user protection.
- Vehicle models were proposed to be evaluated under five verticals with their respective weightage: Safe Driving (10%), Crash Avoidance (10%), Crash Protection (55%), Vulnerable Road User Protection (20%) and Post-Crash Safety (5%).
- The inclusion of vulnerable road user protection reflected India’s need to address high fatalities among pedestrians, cyclists and two-wheeler riders.
- The draft rules required cars seeking star ratings to include Electronic Stability Control and side or curtain airbags as standard features, while Autonomous Emergency Braking could be added voluntarily.
- The draft proposed that a five-star rating would require at least 70 points for 2027–29 and 80 points for 2029–31.
Bharat New Car Assessment Program
- BHARAT NCAP was first implemented in October 2023 to provide a fair, meaningful and objective assessment of the crash safety performance of cars on the basis of standard laboratory tests as per AIS-197.
- The program provides guidelines and mechanisms to inform consumers about the assessment.
- BHARAT NCAP is a voluntary program monitored by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), Government of India.
1st Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup for the Blind
Context: Recently, India and Sri-lanka co-hosted the 1st Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup for the Blind 2025.
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- The T20 Cricket for the Blind Women’s World Cup is a pioneering initiative that champions inclusivity, empowerment, and sporting excellence.
- India has won the first-ever Blind Women’s T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka, defeating Nepal by seven wickets in the finals.
- The tournament featured six teams: India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, and the USA.
- The Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) is the apex body that organises and conducts cricket for the blind across India and is affiliated to World Blind Cricket (WBC).
- CABI is the cricketing arm of Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled, which governs cricket for the blind in India.
Women’s Kabaddi World Cup 2025
Context: Recently, the Indian women’s kabaddi team won their second consecutive World Cup title.
Women’s Kabaddi World Cup 2025
- India defeated Chinese Taipei with a final score of 35–28 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
- The 2025 tournament took place in Dhaka at the Shaheed Suhrawardi Indoor Stadium, Mirpur, from November 17 to 24.
- Eleven countries participated in the tournament, including India, Bangladesh, Chinese Taipei, Germany, Iran, Kenya, Nepal, Poland, Thailand, Uganda, and Zanzibar.
- The Women’s Kabaddi World Cup returned after 13 years, with the previous edition also the inaugural edition held in Patna in 2012, where India defeated Iran in the final.
Lachit Diwas
Context: The Prime Minister of India pays tribute to Lachit Borphukan on Lachit Diwas on 24th November.
Lachit Diwas
- Lachit Diwas is observed annually in Assam on November 24 to honour Lachit Borphukan, the legendary military commander of the Ahom Kingdom.
- The day honours his heroism, leadership, and significant role in safeguarding the region from Mughal expansion.
Lachit Borphukan
- He was born on November 24, 1622.
- He served as the military general (Borphukan) of the Chakradhawaj Singha.
- He played a pivotal role in recapturing Guwahati from the Mughals in 1667.
- His most famous achievement was leading the Ahom army to a decisive victory over a larger Mughal force in the naval Battle of Saraighat in 1671, thwarting Mughal expansion into the region.
- He died in 1672 at Holongapar in Jorhat, Assam.
India’s first Liquid Helium Cryogenic Facility
Context: Recently, the Minister of Science and Technology inaugurated India’s first “Liquid Helium” cryogenic facility to expand India’s quantum research and cryogenic technology.
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- The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) has opened a new liquid helium facility to advance quantum science and computing research in India.
- The new Liquid Helium Facility was opened for nationwide academic and industrial use and is expected to significantly reduce the cost of cryogenic experiments.
- The Facility will significantly boost India’s capabilities in cryogenic engineering, superconductivity, quantum computing, quantum sensing, photonics, healthcare technologies, and green energy devices.
- The plant can produce approximately 56 litres of liquid helium per hour and features a recovery system to reduce both consumption and operating costs.
About Liquid Helium
- Liquid helium is helium in its liquid state, which remains liquid even at absolute zero and exhibits quantum properties like superfluidity.
- Liquid helium can be hazardous, with risks including extreme cold burns, asphyxiation, and over-pressurisation if not handled properly.
6th International Agronomy Congress (IAC-2025)
Context: Recently, the Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister inaugurated the 6th International Agronomy Congress (IAC-2025).
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• The theme for IAC-2025 is ‘Re-envisioning Agronomy for Smart Agro-Food Systems and Environmental Protection’, highlighting the urgent need to create future-ready agricultural systems that are more productive, climate-resilient, environmentally sustainable and nutrition-secure.
• This three-day global event (24–26 November 2025) has been organised by the Indian Society of Agronomy (ISA) in collaboration with
- The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)
- The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI)
- The National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS)
- The Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences (TAAS).
• During the inaugural session, the Minister also released the International Agronomy Congress (IAC)–2025 Declaration to reshape the direction of Indian and global agriculture towards smarter, more sustainable, and profitable practices.
International Agronomy Congress
- The International Agronomy Congress (IAC) is a major global event for agricultural scientists, policymakers, and industry experts.
- The first International Agronomy Congress was conducted in New Delhi, India, in 1998.