Daily Current Affairs- 10th August 2025

Daily Current Affairs- 10th August 2025

First Auction for Green Ammonia by SECI

In the News: In a breakthrough under India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission, the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) conducted the first-ever auction for green ammonia procurement on August 6, 2025, under the SIGHT Scheme (Mode-2A). This auction secured a record-low price discovery of ₹55.75 per kg. The contract — 75,000 tonnes per annum of green ammonia — was awarded for supply to Paradeep Phosphates Limited in Odisha. It marks the first of 13 auctions planned under a tender for a total capacity of 7.24 lakh MT per year.

Key Points:

• Record-Low Pricing: The ₹55.75/kg (~USD 641/MT) rate is significantly lower than the ₹100.28/kg (~USD 1,153/MT) discovered in the H2Global auction in 2024, and competitive relative to grey ammonia at USD 515/MT (March 2025).
• Strategic Volume & Scope: The auction covers 75,000 metric tonnes per annum, with 12 more auctions to follow, collectively targeting 7.24 lakh MT/year.
• Auction Mechanism & Institutional Roles: SECI acted as the procuring intermediary, under the guidance of the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE), with support from the Department of Fertilizers and the offtakers. The competitive bidding showcased investor confidence, and robust payment security provisions were deployed to enable scaling.

Ancient Buddhist Site, Sarnath — India Nominates for UNESCO World Heritage Status

In the News: India has officially submitted Sarnath, the ancient Buddhist pilgrimage site near Varanasi, as its exclusive nomination for the 2025–26 UNESCO World Heritage cycle, moving the site from India's Tentative List (since 1998) toward potential inscription. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), along with the Ministry of Culture, spearheaded the nomination process.

Key Points:

• Nomination Highlights: The dossier, titled "Ancient Buddhist Site, Sarnath", has now been formally submitted to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. The full evaluation process—spanning technical review, expert advice, and Committee approval—takes around 1.5 years.
• Heritage Significance: Sarnath is globally revered as the place where Gautama Buddha delivered his first sermon, making it one of Buddhism’s four most sacred pilgrimage destinations. The site boasts monuments spanning the 3rd century BCE to the 12th century CE, including the Dhamek Stupa, Chaukhandi Stupa, Ashokan Pillar, Mulagandha Kuti Vihara, and the Sarnath Museum (housing the original Lion Capital of Ashoka).
• Strategic Preparations: The Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department and ASI convened a high-level meeting in Lucknow to finalize the nomination dossier. Key focuses include robust site management, stakeholder engagement, sustainable tourism development, and ecological conservation. A stakeholder consultation involving local communities and Buddhist circuit development is planned ahead of the UNESCO review in September. 
• Prospective Impact: If inscribed, Sarnath will become Uttar Pradesh’s fourth UNESCO World Heritage Site, and notably the first Buddhist site in the state to receive such recognition—joining the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, and Fatehpur Sikri in Agra.

WHO Classifies Hepatitis D as Cancer-Causing

In the News: On July 28, 2025, coinciding with World Hepatitis Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has officially classified hepatitis D virus (HDV) as carcinogenic to humans, placing it alongside hepatitis B and C.

Key Points:

• Carcinogenic Classification: HDV is now designated a Group I carcinogen by IARC, officially recognized as cancer‑causing.
• Elevated Cancer Risk: Co-infection with HDV and HBV results in a 2–6× higher risk of liver cancer compared to hepatitis B alone.
• Global Impact: Over 300 million people worldwide live with chronic hepatitis (B, C, or D), leading to ~1.3 million deaths annually—mostly due to cirrhosis and liver cancer.
• Prevalence of HDV: Approximately 5% of chronic HBV patients—around 12 million individuals—are co-infected with HDV. These populations include high-risk groups such as people who inject drugs, haemodialysis recipients, and indigenous communities.
• Disease Severity: HDV superinfection (on existing HBV) accelerates progression toward cirrhosis, liver failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma more rapidly than HBV alone.
• Prevention Measures: Hepatitis B vaccination offers protection against HDV, underscoring the importance of expanding HBV immunization.
• Treatment Landscape: Treatment options for HDV remain limited, though bulevirtide (sometimes with pegylated interferon) is emerging as an approved option in Europe.

llinois Enacts Law Banning AI from Providing Therapy

In the News: On August 4, 2025, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed into law the Wellness and Oversight for Psychological Resources Act (WOPR Act), prohibiting the use of artificial intelligence systems—like ChatGPT—to deliver therapeutic or mental health treatment. AI may still be used for administrative and auxiliary support, but not in direct clinical roles. The law is enforced by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), and violations may result in fines up to $10,000 per offense.

Key Points:

• Therapeutic AI Ban: AI systems are barred from making clinical decisions, diagnosing, interacting in therapeutic ways, or directing treatment plans. Only licensed professionals can provide therapy.
• Permitted Uses of AI: AI tools may still assist with scheduling, billing, insurance processing, appointment reminders, and other administrative tasks. When used for supplementary support, the licensed professional must remain fully responsible, obtain informed consent, and notify patients.
• Enforcement Mechanism: IDFPR oversees enforcement and can levy fines up to $10,000 per violation.
• Motivating Concerns: The law responds to incidents of AI chatbots giving harmful advice—such as suggesting drug use—and to warnings from mental health professionals about AI’s lack of empathy, oversight, or accountability.
• Groundbreaking Move: Illinois is the first U.S. state to enact such a law, carving out clear boundaries between AI’s role and human therapists in mental health care.

Russia Withdraws from 1987 INF Treaty

In the News: On August 4, 2025, Russia formally announced it would no longer consider itself bound by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty of 1987. The decision follows the treaty’s effective collapse after the U.S. withdrew in 2019. The Russian Foreign Ministry cited recent Western missile deployments—such as U.S. systems in Australia and the Philippines—as creating a “direct threat” to Russia’s national security.

Key Points:

• Formal Exit After U.S. Withdrawal: Russia confirmed its withdrawal nearly six years after the U.S. exited the treaty in 2019, a move that had already left the INF Treaty effectively inoperative.
• Abolishing the Moratorium: Moscow ended its self-imposed moratorium on deploying intermediate-range missiles, no longer observing the restrictions it had maintained despite the U.S. exit.
• Security Concerns Cited: The Russian Foreign Ministry blamed Western military exercises and new missile systems—especially U.S. deployments in the Asia-Pacific—for undermining the treaty’s relevance and justifying its end.
• Reemergence of Geopolitics: Russia views U.S. and allied missile deployments near its borders—such as the Typhon system in Australia—as escalatory moves that invalidate the INF framework.
• Missile Development Announced: President Putin has confirmed full production and deployment of the new "Oreshnik" hypersonic intermediate-range missile system, to be placed near NATO borders.
• Global Arms Control in Jeopardy: With only the New START treaty still in force—and its future uncertain—Russia’s INF withdrawal raises alarms about a spiraling arms race and diminishing safeguards.

ISRO Space Analog Mission ‘HOPE’

In the News: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the HOPE (Himalayan Outpost for Planetary Exploration) analog mission in Tso Kar Valley, Ladakh. This ground-based simulation environment replicates Mars- and Moon-like conditions to advance India’s human spaceflight preparedness.

Key Points:

• Mission Goal & Scope: HOPE is part of ISRO’s Indian Human Spaceflight Programme, designed to simulate extraterrestrial environments and evaluate human health, operational protocols, and space technologies in a terrestrial analog setting.
• Location & Timings: The mission runs from August 1 to 10, 2025, in Tso Kar Valley—a high-altitude, Mars-like terrain featuring low air pressure, intense UV radiation, saline permafrost, and extreme cold (ambient temperatures ranging roughly from -10 °C to 15 °C).
• Habitat Configuration: The analog habitat includes:
  • An 8‑metre‑diameter crew living module
  • A 5‑metre‑diameter utility module, both interconnected for seamless workflow and designed to mimic constraints of planetary habitats.
• Experiment Focus Areas:
  • Physical & Mental Health: Monitoring epigenetic, genomic, physiological, and psychological responses of two analog crew members during isolation.
  • Systems & Protocols: Validating health-monitoring systems, planetary operations, microbial collection, emergency responses, and communication efficacy under simulated extraterrestrial conditions.
• Institutional Collaboration: Led by ISRO’s Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC), the mission involves partnerships with:
  • Research Institutions: IIST & RGCB (Thiruvananthapuram), IIT Hyderabad, IIT Bombay, Institute of Aerospace Medicine (Bengaluru)
  • Industry Partner: A Bengaluru-based space-tech company (Protoplanet) developed the habitat modules.
• Strategic Significance:
  • Rehearsal for Human Missions: HOPE acts as a critical rehearsal for ISRO's upcoming Gaganyaan mission and long-term plans for lunar and interplanetary crewed exploration.
  • Boosts Readiness & Indigenous Capability: The mission generates valuable data on human adaptability, supports development of life-support systems, and underscores public-private-academic collaboration in planetary analogue research.