25 May2026 - "Daily Current Affairs" Updates

GS 1 Geography

Bismarck Sea

📰 Why in News

• A submarine volcanic eruption in the Bismarck Sea, located north of Papua

New Guinea, has renewed global attention towards the limited mapping of Earth’s deep ocean floor.

🌊 Location

📍 Geographical Position

• The Bismarck Sea forms part of the southwestern Pacific Ocean.

🧭 Boundaries

🌐 Surrounding Regions

• The sea is bordered by:

• The northeastern coast of Papua New Guinea to the southwest.

• The Bismarck Archipelago extending from the northwest to the southeast.

🏝 Bismarck Archipelago Components

📌 Major Islands

• Admiralty Islands in the north.

• New Ireland in the east.

• New Britain in the southeast.

GS 2 International Organisations & Economic Cooperation

Asian Productivity Organization (APO)

📰 Why in News

• The Government of India is hosting the 68th Session of the Governing Body

of the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) in New Delhi.

🌏 About the Asian Productivity Organization (APO)

📘 Establishment

• The Asian Productivity Organization (APO) is an intergovernmental organisation

established in 1961.

🎯 Objective of APO

📈 Main Aim

• The organisation works to improve productivity for sustainable socioeconomic

development.

• It promotes mutual cooperation, policy learning, and knowledge sharing among

member economies.

🤝 Membership Criteria

🌐 Eligibility

• Membership is open to countries in the Asia-Pacific region that are members of

the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

(UNESCAP).

GS 3 Agriculture & Chemical Fertilisers

Ammonium Sulphate

📰 Why in News

• The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) recently recommended the

use of ammonium sulphate in paddy cultivation as a cost-effective alternative

fertiliser.

📘 About Ammonium Sulphate

🔬 Definition

• Ammonium sulphate is an inorganic sulphate salt formed through the reaction

of sulphuric acid with ammonia.

⚗ Key Properties

🧪 Physical and Chemical Features

• It is a white, odourless crystalline compound with a relatively high melting

point.

• The compound dissolves easily in water.

• It is widely used as a fertiliser, particularly for alkaline soils.

🌱 Nutrient Composition

• Contains nearly 21% nitrogen.

• Contains around 24% sulphur.

• Acts as an important source of essential nutrients required for plant growth.