On June 26th, 2025, India witnessed important developments across various sectors. The nation has recently achieved a significant milestone by breaking into the top 100 in the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index, showcasing its continuous progress in vital development areas. This comes alongside exciting advancements in climate solutions, with India experimenting with Enhanced Rock Weathering for carbon capture, and breakthroughs in medical science, as a new technique for In Vivo CAR T-cells promises to make advanced cancer therapy more accessible and affordable.

Awareness regarding daily UPSC current affairs is crucial for cracking the UPSC Prelims, excelling in UPSC Mains. It helps perform well in the UPSC personality test, thus becoming an informed and effective UPSC civil servant.

Below are the current affairs and headlines of the day taken from The Hindu, Indian Express, Press Information Bureau & All India Radio as required for UPSC preparation:

India Enters Top 100 in Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index

Source: The Hindu

Syllabus: GS Paper III (Economy)

IN NEWS 

India has for the first time entered the top 100 countries in the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index. This is a major achievement that shows India's hard work in meeting global development goals.

What is the Sustainable Development Report (SDR)? 

The Sustainable Development Report (SDR) is an important yearly report that checks how well countries are doing on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• Publisher: It is published by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). This network is led by a famous economist named Jeffrey Sachs.
• Purpose: The main goal of this report is to track how each country is performing on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These goals were agreed upon by all countries in the United Nations (UN) in 2015.
• Scoring System: The report uses a special scoring system. If a country gets a score of 100, it means it has fully achieved all the SDGs.
• Index Basis: The index uses information from two main sources: official data from the UN and independent research. This helps them to see how much progress is being made in countries and around the world.

Key Details from the 2025 Report

The 2025 report shows good news for India:

India’s Performance

• Rank: India has reached a rank of 99 out of 167 countries.
• Score: India's score is 67.
• Continuous Improvement: India has been steadily getting better over the years:
  • 2021 – Rank 120
  • 2022 – Rank 121
  • 2023 – Rank 112
  • 2024 – Rank 109
  • 2025 – Rank 99
• Positive Trajectory: This improvement shows that India is doing better in providing basic services, like clean energy and water. It also shows progress in healthcare and education for its people.
• Global Recognition: Breaking into the top 100 helps to improve India’s image around the world. It shows that India is a country that cares about development and is working hard for a better future.
• Need for Focus: Even with good progress, India still needs to work harder on some goals. These include:
  • Climate action (SDG 13): Protecting the planet from climate change.
  • Gender equality (SDG 5): Making sure men and women have equal rights and opportunities.
  • Life below water (SDG 14) and Life on land (SDG 15): Protecting oceans, rivers, and land ecosystems.
  • Sustainable cities (SDG 11): Making cities safe, green, and inclusive.

Regional Comparison

Here's how India compares to some other countries in its region and beyond:

Top Performing Countries

• The countries at the top of the list are mainly from Europe:
  • Finland
  • Sweden
  • Denmark
• In fact, 19 out of the top 20 countries in the index are from Europe.
• However, even these top countries face their own problems, such as climate change and loss of nature (biodiversity loss) because of how much they consume and use resources.

Global Status

The report shows that overall, the world is not doing very well in achieving the SDGs by the target year of 2030:

• Only 17% of SDG targets are currently on track globally.
• Progress is slowing down or completely stuck due to several reasons:
  • Geopolitical conflicts: Wars and disagreements between countries.
  • Structural vulnerabilities: Weaknesses in how countries are built and run.
  • Limited fiscal space in developing nations: Poorer countries do not have enough money to spend on development due to economic challenges.

Enhanced Rock Weathering Technique: A New Approach to Carbon Capture

Source: The Hindu

Syllabus: GS Paper I (Geography)

IN NEWS 

• Farmers in countries like India, Brazil, Malaysia, and Australia are trying out a new method to fight climate change. They are spreading very finely crushed rock on their farms to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air.

• This process is part of a new strategy called Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW), which helps to remove carbon dioxide (CDR). It has gained a lot of attention as a natural way to solve climate problems. 

• This is happening because many tech companies, airlines, and fashion firms want to reduce the CO2 they put into the air and are looking for ways to balance their emissions. In India, trials are being conducted in places like tea plantations and nearby areas in Haryana’s Mahendragarh district.

What is Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW)? 

ERW is a climate change solution that tries to make the natural breakdown of rocks happen much faster. The goal is for these rocks to absorb more CO2 from the atmosphere.

• It works by copying and speeding up a natural process called "weathering." In this process, rocks naturally break down over a very long time and absorb CO2.
• To speed it up, very finely ground rocks are used. These are usually volcanic rocks that break down quickly, like basalt or olivine.
• When the rock reacts with CO2 and water, it forms something called bicarbonate. This bicarbonate eventually turns into stable forms of carbon, like limestone. This locks away the carbon for thousands of years, preventing it from going back into the atmosphere.

How is it done? 

The process of Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) involves a few simple steps:

1. Selection of Rock Type:
   • Scientists choose special types of rocks that break down quickly and are good at absorbing CO2. These are usually silicate rocks like basalt or olivine.
2. Grinding:
   • The chosen rocks are then crushed into very fine powder using machines. This step is important because grinding the rocks into small particles increases their surface area. A larger surface area means the rocks can react with more CO2 and water, making the process faster.
3. Application to Farmland:
   • These fine rock particles are then spread evenly over agricultural lands. This includes farms where crops like tea or sugarcane are grown.
4. Interaction with Rainwater/Soil Moisture:
   • When it rains, or when there is moisture in the soil, the CO2 from the air or soil dissolves in this water.
   • This creates a weak acid called carbonic acid.
   • This carbonic acid then reacts with the finely ground rock particles.
   • This reaction forms bicarbonate ions (small charged particles).
   • These bicarbonate ions are then washed into rivers and eventually flow into the oceans.
   • Over a very long time, these bicarbonate ions form stable carbonate minerals, like limestone, which safely store the carbon for thousands of years.

Know what Carbon Sequestration is!

What are the Benefits of ERW? 

Enhanced Rock Weathering offers several important benefits for fighting climate change and improving agriculture:

• Carbon Removal:
  • It has the potential to remove a lot of CO2 from the atmosphere. In some places, it can remove up to 10.5 tonnes of CO2 per hectare per year. However, this amount can change a lot depending on the location and conditions.
  • It works by locking CO2 into long-lasting mineral forms (bicarbonate and carbonate), which are very stable.
• Soil Health Improvement:
  • Spreading these rocks on farmland actually makes the soil healthier. It helps to balance the soil’s acidity (pH balance) and adds important nutrients like calcium and magnesium.
  • Healthier soil can lead to better crop yields (more food production) by improving the soil structure and increasing the activity of helpful microbes.
• Reduced Ocean Acidification:
  • When CO2 is absorbed by rocks and turns into bicarbonate, it prevents acidic water from flowing into the oceans. Acidic runoff can otherwise make oceans more acidic, which harms marine life.
  • By reducing ocean acidification, it helps protect marine ecosystems, including coral reefs, from damage and coral bleaching.
• Compatibility with Agriculture:
  • ERW can be easily used with existing farming methods. Farmers can spread the rock particles using their current equipment.
  • It acts in a similar way to lime treatment, which farmers already use to manage soil acidity. This makes it easier for farmers to adopt this new method.
• Permanent Carbon Storage:
  • Compared to just planting more trees (afforestation), which can sometimes release CO2 back into the air if trees burn or rot, the mineral carbonation process in ERW offers a much more durable and permanent way to store CO2. The carbon is locked into solid minerals for very long periods.

In Vivo CAR T-cells: A Breakthrough in Cancer Therapy

Source: The Hindu

Syllabus: GS Paper III (Science & Technology)

IN NEWS 

A new study published in June 2025 in the scientific journal 'Science' has introduced a major breakthrough in cancer treatment. Researchers from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), Capstan Therapeutics, and the University of Pennsylvania have found a new way to create special cancer-fighting cells directly inside the body. This new method is called In Vivo CAR T-cell engineering. This discovery could greatly reduce the cost, make the treatment less complex, and lead to fewer side effects compared to the traditional CAR T-cell therapy. The current therapy is very expensive and needs special labs, which limits its use, especially in countries like India.

What is In Vivo CAR T-cell Engineering? 

The traditional way of making CAR T-cells (called ex vivo) involves taking T-cells out of the patient's body, changing them in a lab, growing many of them, and then putting them back. This is a complex, long, and costly process.

The new In Vivo CAR T-cell Engineering method changes this significantly:

• Direct Engineering Inside Body: Instead of doing all the work in a lab, this new method creates CAR T-cells directly inside the patient's body (in vivo).
• Key Components: It uses two main things to do this:
  • mRNA instructions: These are like genetic messages that tell the body's cells how to make the CAR protein.
  • Lipid Nanoparticles (LNPs) with CD8-targeting antibodies (CD8-tLNPs): These are tiny fat bubbles that carry the mRNA instructions. They have special "keys" (CD8-targeting antibodies) that make sure they deliver the mRNA specifically to the right T-cells (CD8+ T-cells) in the body.
• Demonstrated Success: This new method has been successfully tested in animals, including mice and non-human primates (monkeys).
  • In these tests, CD8+ T-cells were successfully reprogrammed (changed) inside the body to attack cancerous B-cells.
  • This led to tumors shrinking and the immune system being "reset," showing promising results.

Key Benefits of the New Platform

The new In Vivo CAR T-cell engineering platform offers significant advantages over the conventional CAR T-cell therapy:

🎯Question 1:

With reference to the Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index, consider the following statements:

1. India has broken into the top 100 countries in the index for the first time in its latest edition.
2. The index is published by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).
3. A score of 100 in the SDG Index implies complete achievement of all 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 1 and 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

✅Correct Answer: (d)

ℹ️Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: The article explicitly states, "India has broken into the top 100 countries for the first time in the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index."
• Statement 2 is correct: The article identifies the publisher as "UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), led by economist Jeffrey Sachs."
• Statement 3 is correct: The article explains the scoring system: "A score of 100 implies complete achievement of all SDGs."

🎯Question 2:

Regarding Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) as a carbon dioxide removal (CDR) strategy, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. ERW aims to accelerate the natural breakdown of rocks to absorb atmospheric CO2.
2. Basalt and olivine are preferred rock types for ERW due to their high weathering potential.
3. The end product of ERW, bicarbonate, eventually forms stable carbonates, locking carbon for thousands of years.
4. ERW is considered a Nature-Based Solution (NbS) for carbon dioxide removal.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1, 2 and 3 only

(b) 2, 3 and 4 only

(c) 1 and 4 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

✅Correct Answer: (d)

ℹ️Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: The article states, "ERW is a climate mitigation strategy that aims to accelerate the natural breakdown (weathering) of rocks to absorb CO2."
• Statement 2 is correct: The article mentions, "Preference for basalt, olivine, or other silicate rocks with high weathering potential."
• Statement 3 is correct: The article explains, "The end product, bicarbonate, eventually forms carbonates like limestone, locking carbon for thousands of years."
• Statement 4 is correct: The article notes, "Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) is considered part of Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) for carbon dioxide removal (CDR)."

🎯Question 3:

With reference to In Vivo CAR T-cell engineering, which of the following statements correctly describes a key aspect of this new technique?

(a) It involves extracting T-cells from the patient, modifying them in a lab, and then reinfusing them.

(b) It uses traditional viral vectors for genetic modification to ensure higher safety and integration.

(c) It generates CAR T-cells directly inside the body using mRNA instructions delivered by lipid nanoparticles.

(d) Its primary benefit is a significant increase in the overall cost of CAR T-cell therapy.

✅Correct Answer: (c)

ℹ️Explanation:

• Option (a) describes the conventional (ex vivo) CAR T-cell therapy, not the new in vivo method.
• Option (b) is incorrect; the new method uses mRNA, which is non-integrating and has lower genetic risks than viral vectors.
• Option (c) is correct: The article explicitly states, "this new method generates CAR T-cells directly inside the body using: mRNA instructions, Lipid Nanoparticles (LNPs) with CD8-targeting antibodies (CD8-tLNPs)."
• Option (d) is incorrect: A key benefit of the new platform is its significantly lower cost compared to conventional therapy.

🎯Question 4:

According to the 2025 Sustainable Development Report, India needs to intensify its focus on which of the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

1. Climate action (SDG 13)
2. Gender equality (SDG 5)
3. Life on land (SDG 15)
4. Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12)

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 1, 2 and 3 only

(c) 3 and 4 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

✅Correct Answer: (b)

ℹ️Explanation:

The article specifically lists "Climate action (SDG 13), Gender equality (SDG 5), Life below water (SDG 14) and Life on land (SDG 15), Sustainable cities (SDG 11)" as areas where India needs to intensify focus. Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12) is not explicitly mentioned in this list within the provided text. Therefore, statements 1, 2, and 3 are correct.

🎯Question 5:

Which of the following are mentioned as benefits of Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW)?

1. Potential for permanent carbon storage.
2. Improvement of soil health and nutrient content.
3. Reduction in ocean acidification.
4. Compatibility with existing agricultural systems.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 3 and 4 only

(c) 1, 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

✅Correct Answer: (d)

ℹ️Explanation:

All four points are benefits of ERW:

• "Permanent Carbon Storage: Compared to afforestation, mineral carbonation through ERW offers more durable storage of CO2."
• "Soil Health Improvement: Enhances soil alkalinity, pH balance, and nutrient content (e.g., calcium, magnesium)."
• "Reduced Ocean Acidification: Prevents acidic runoff from reaching oceans... Reduces risk of marine ecosystem degradation and coral bleaching."
• "Compatibility with Agriculture: It can be integrated with existing farming systems. Acts like lime treatment, already used to manage soil acidity."