Daily Current Affairs Quiz: August 12, 2025

Notes:
Scientists have recently discovered a new plant species, Heptapleurum assamicum, in Assam’s Dima Hasao and West Karbi Anglong districts. It is a lush evergreen shrub from the family Araliaceae, which includes the ornamental umbrella plant. It has narrow lance-shaped leaflets under 1.2 cm wide and purple flowers instead of greenish-yellow. Its population is very small and localised, and it is listed as “Data Deficient” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Notes:
Recently, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs informed the Rajya Sabha about the success of the Madak-Padarth Nished Asoochna Kendra (MANAS) Helpline-1933. It was launched on 18 July 2024 by Ministry of Home Affairs. It aims to fight drug menace and enable anonymous reporting of drug trafficking, illicit cultivation, and related crimes. It is a secure, bilingual digital platform offering a confidential multi-channel interface. Citizens can report drug crimes, seek counselling via Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (MoSJE) Helpline 14446, and access awareness resources. It also engages citizens in Drug-Free Bharat activities via quizzes, posters, and contests on MyGov.

Notes:
Recently, the Sea of Galilee in Israel turned red due to the bloom of Botryococcus braunii algae. The Sea of Galilee is a large freshwater lake located in northeastern Israel. It lies in the Jordan Rift Valley, mainly fed by the Jordan River and some underground springs. Known by names like Sea of Kinneret, Lake of Gennesaret, and Lake of Tiberias, it is bordered by plains in the north and hills of Lower Galilee in the west and southwest. Botryococcus braunii is a single-celled green algae found in freshwater or brackish lakes, known for producing hydrocarbons and forming protective biofilm structures.

Notes:
Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) certified Kenya as having eliminated human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as sleeping sickness. It is a parasitic disease spread by infected tsetse fly bites, endemic in sub-Saharan Africa. It has two forms: Trypanosoma brucei gambiense (92% cases, chronic, found in West and Central Africa) and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense (8% cases, acute, found in East and Southern Africa). Rural communities relying on farming, fishing, herding, or hunting face higher risk. WHO has validated the gambiense form’s elimination in Togo, Benin, Ivory Coast, Uganda, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Chad, Guinea, and now Kenya.

Notes:
Recently, under the three-day “Parthenium Free Pobitora” campaign, 5.2 hectares of Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam’s Morigaon district were cleared of the invasive weed Parthenium grass. Parthenium hysterophorus L., also called carrot weed, white top, or congress grass, is an annual plant of the Asteraceae family. This invasive weed is poisonous, aggressive, and harmful to humans and livestock, causing dermatitis, asthma, and respiratory issues. It reduces park aesthetics, blocks pathways, and invades agricultural, forest, and wasteland areas.