28 June 2025
(Current Affairs Notes - Prelims)

Jagannath Rath Yatra

• A major Hindu festival celebrated in Puri, Odisha.

• Grand decorated chariots (Raths) are taken from the Jagannath Temple to Gundicha Temple.

• It carries Lord Jagannath, along with his siblings Balabhadra and Subhadra.

• The devotees pull the massive chariots through the streets, symbolizing the deities' annual visit to their aunt’s temple.

• Participating in the Rath Yatra, especially pulling the chariots, is considered highly auspicious and a path to spiritual merit and liberation (moksha) by devotees.

Jellyfish Blooms

• Jellyfish is gelatinous zooplankton of the phylum Cnidaria. These are highly adaptable marine organisms with stinging tentacles and efficient jet propulsion.

• While jellyfish play essential roles in marine food webs as both predators and prey, their populations can explode into dense “blooms” under favourable conditions.

• Key drivers

  • • Rising sea surface temperatures that accelerate reproduction

    • Eutrophication from nutrient-rich runoff that fuels plankton blooms

    • Hypoxia that jellyfish tolerate better than fish

    • Overfishing that removes natural predators

    • Artificial structures that offer surfaces for jellyfish polyps to settle

• In recent times, along the Kerala coast, blooms have intensified post monsoon, driven by warming seas, pollution, habitat modification and depleted fish stocks.

• These blooms disrupt marine ecosystems by reducing biodiversity, outcompeting native species and collapsing fish and invertebrate populations.

Goldilocks Economy

• It describes an ideal state for an economy where it's not expanding or contracting by too much.

• An economic state that is “just right” – not too hot (causing inflation) and not too cold (leading to recession), allowing stable growth.

• Features:

  • • Moderate GDP growth that sustains employment and investment without overheating the economy.

    • Low but stable inflation, which supports consumer purchasing power and central bank policy stability.

    • Balanced interest rates, encouraging borrowing and spending without triggering asset bubbles.

• Recently, Finance Ministry called Indian economy’s health to be in a relative Goldilocks situation.

Current Account Balance

• A key component of a country’s balance of payments.

• Measures the difference between a country’s total exports and imports of goods, services, income, and current transfers.

• Surplus vs. Deficit

  • • Current account surplus indicates a country is exporting more than it imports

    • Current account deficit means it is importing more than it exports, often financed by borrowing or foreign investment.

• The current account balance reflects a country’s economic competitiveness and external stability, influencing currency strength, investor confidence, and policy decisions.

• As per latest reports, India’s current account balance recorded a surplus of $ 13.5 billion (1.3% of GDP) in Q4 FY25.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)

• A group of synthetic chemicals used in industrial and consumer products for their resistance to water, grease, and heat.

• Common in items like non-stick cookware, waterproof clothing, and firefighting foams.

• Often called “forever chemicals”, as PFAS do not break down easily in the environment or human body, leading to long-term contamination of water, soil, and living organisms.

• Recently, researchers discovered nearly 20 species of bacteria capable of breaking down PFAS.

Adi Karmyogi Programme

• Launched by Ministry of Tribal Affairs

• Seeks to build a cadre of highly motivated officers and change makers dedicated to grassroots transformation.