June 2'ndt Week
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UMEED Portal
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Context (PIB):
The Ministry for Minority Affairs launched the UMEED Central Portal.
About : -
• UMEED stands for Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency & Development. It is a centralized digital platform for real-time uploading, verification, & monitoring of Waqf properties.
• Launched under the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, with legal mandate for digitization.
• State Waqf Boards will oversee the registration drive.
• Features: Creation of a digital inventory with geo-tagging of all Waqf properties, online grievance redressal system, GIS Mapping.
Extreme Poverty in India
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Context (PIB):
- India’s extreme poverty rate fell sharply from 27.1% in 2011-12 to 5.3% in 2022-23, under the World Bank’s updated global poverty line to $3/day (2021 PPP).
Revised Global Poverty Thresholds: –
- In 2022, the World Bank raised the global extreme poverty line from $2.15 to $3 per day (2021 PPP) to reflect rising living costs and changing consumption patterns.
- For Lower Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), the poverty line increased from $3.65 to $4.20 per day. For Upper-Middle-Income Countries, it is $8.30.
- Rural Monthly Per Capita Expenditure (MPCE) rose from ₹1,430 (2011–12) to ₹2,079 (2023–24); urban MPCE from ₹2,630 to ₹3,632.
Kerala’s demand for Amendment in Wildlife Act
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- Kerala’s Assembly passed a resolution seeking amendments to the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, citing rising human-animal conflicts.
Vermin: –
- Vermin are animals considered harmful or nuisance-causing due to damage to crops, threats to livestock, or risks to human life and property.
- Common Examples: Rats, mice, common crows, fruit bats.
- Legal Impact: Classified vermin lose legal protection and are exempt from wildlife conservation laws
Process of Declaring Vermin:
- The respective state government submits a formal request to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
- Central Declaration: Upon verification, the Centre issues a notification declaring the species as vermin for a specified region and duration.
- The vermin status is temporary and limited to the stated area and time period.
- Current Provision: Section 11(1)(A) allows th Chief Wildlife Warden (CWLW) to permit the hunting/killing of wild animals that pose a threat to human life or are diseased/disabled.
- Kerala’s Proposal: Transfer these powers to the Chief Conservators of Forests (CCFs) to ensure faster, region specific decision making. Kerala has five CCFs, each responsible for a different region.
EnviStats India 2025
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Context (PIB | DTE):
- Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the 8th edition of “EnviStats India 2025: Environment Statistics”.
- EnviStats is published by the National Statistics Office (NSO) annually since 2018.
- Aligns with the UN’s Framework for the Development of Environment Statistics (FDES) 2013, ensuring global comparability and structured reporting.
Arnala
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Context (PIB):
- Indian Navy is all set to commission the 1st Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water
About: –
• Arnala’s commissioning will mark the formal induction of 1st of 16 ASW-SWC ships into the Indian Navy.
Key Features: –
- Arnala is the largest Indian naval warship to be propelled by a diesel-engine–waterjet combination. Its length is about 77.6 m.
- Named after the historic Arnala Fort in Vasai, Maharashtra, it is equipped for a range of antisubmarine warfare operations like underwater surveillance, search & rescue operations. It is capable of undertaking ASW operations in coastal waters, along with advanced minelaying capabilities.
- Designed and Constructed: By Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, under a Public–Private Partnership with L&T
Shipbuilders. - Indigenous Content: It incorporates more than 80% indigenous content and integrates advanced systems from leading Indian defence firms, including Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), L&T, etc.
- INS Tamal
- It is the 2nd Talwar-class stealth frigate set to be commissioned by the end of June 2025.
- It is one of four frigates acquired in a $2.5 billion deal with Russia: two were constructed in Russia, and two at Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) with Russian technology transfer.
- Its sister ship, INS Tushil, was commissioned in December 2024 and reached India in February 2025.
Ayush Nivesh Saarthi Portal
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Context:
- Ayush Nivesh Saarthi Portal was launched to nboost investments in traditional medicine.
About:
- It is a one-stop, investor-centric digital portal for the Ayush sector (Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathy).
- Developed by: Ministry of Ayush in collaboration with Invest India.
Objective:
To promote FDI and private participation in Ayush-based ventures.
Key Features:
- Combines policy frameworks, incentives, investment-ready projects, and approvals in one place.
- Enables direct coordination with government departments to resolve queries efficiently.
• Targets - international investors and promotes India’s Ayush systems globally.
Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan
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Context (PIB):
- The Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) completes 9 years.
About:
- Launched: 2016
- Nodal Ministry: Flagship initiative of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW).
- Aligned Strategy: Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health plus Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) under the National
Health Mission (NHM). - Objective: To provide assured, comprehensive, and quality antenatal care (ANC) free of cost, especially during the 2nd & 3rd trimesters, to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality.
- Eligibility: All pregnant women, especially unregistered, adolescent, early, and high-risk pregnancies.
Heeng
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The 1st flowering and seed set of heengat Palampur was reported by CSIR, showing heeng can indeed be successfully cultivated in India.
About Heeng
- Also known as asafoetida, Heeng is a pungent spice used in Indian cuisine and traditional medicine for its digestive and other health benefits.
- There are mentions of heeng in ancient Indian texts such as Mahabharata, Ayurveda, Charaka Samhita, Pippalada Samhita and the works of Panini.
- Heeng is a perennial plant that typically takes 5 years to mature and start flowering. It’s extracted from the resin of the Ferula plant.
- Climate: Thrive in cold, arid environments suited to native regions in Iran, Afghanistan, & Central Asia.
- Known for its therapeutic properties, carminative, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, antiinflammatory, sedative and diuretic
properties. Apart from healing digestive disorders, Heeng also helps in lowering blood pressure, heals menstrual pain, reduces headaches, relieves asthma, and can also cure insect bites.
Heeng Production in India
- India is the world’s largest importer, consumer and exporter (reexports imported Heeng) of asafoetida. India imports heeng from Afghanistan, Iran, and Uzbekistan,
among others. - During 2022-23, heeng imports constituted 15.6% of the total spice imports in value terms.
- Recent efforts have focused on domestic cultivation in India, particularly in the cold desert regions of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir.
- Organizations like CSIR-IHBT (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – Institute of Himalayan Bio-Technology) are involved in
Shangri-La Dialogue
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• 22nd edition of the Shangri-La Dialogue 2025
was held recently.
About: –
- Shangri-La Dialogue is Asia’s premier annualsummit on defence and security. Establishedin 2002.
- Held every June at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore.
- Organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), London, in collaboration with Singapore’s Ministry of Defence.
- Functions as a Track 1.5 dialogue — blending official diplomacy (Track 1) with informal, strategic discussions involving think tanks and defence experts (Track 2).
- Attended by defence ministers, military chiefs, policymakers, and strategic analysts from around 40 countries, including the U.S., China, India, Japan, Australia, and ASEAN nations.
- Provides a high-level platform for both bilateral and multilateral engagements on traditional (territorial disputes, regional conflicts) & nontraditional (terrorism, cybersecurity, climate change) challenges.
- Discussions are held in two formats: open
plenary sessions for public speeches and broader dialogue and closed-door meetings for in-depth, focused, and confidential exchanges.
Himalayan Long-Tailed Myotis
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• Himalayan long-tailed Myotis, belonging to the genus Myotis (mouse-eared bats), has been discovered from Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, raising India’s bat species count to 135.
About:
- Myotis frater species complex is known for morphologically similar species across East and Central Asia. 4 | P a g e Telegram- PRAYAAS_2.0 Contact-7378743031 / 7767073031
- Habitat: Found in southern Himalayan coniferous forests (pine, deodar, cedar).
- Distribution likely restricted to southern Himalayan slopes, with sightings in India and Pakistan.
- Features: Characterised by a distinctively long tail, distinguishing it from closely related species.
- Shows subtle anatomical variations that set it apart within its genus.
- Coverage: 63 countries + European Union, accounting for over 90% of global GHG emissions.
- Objective: Enhance transparency and evaluate progress toward Paris Agreement goals.
- Assessment Criteria: Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions (40% of overall ranking), Renewable Energy (20%), Energy Use (20%), and Climate Policy (20%).
Key Highlights of CCPI 2025
- No country ranks in the top 3, showing that none is on track to meet 1.5°C targets.
- Top Performers: Denmark tops the list at 4th place, followed by the Netherlands, UK (a notable climber due to coal phase-out and halting fossil fuel licenses), Philippines, Morocco, and Norway.
- G20 countries emit ~75% of global GHGs; only India & UK are high performers.
- Bottom Performers (Rank 58–67): Japan, Argentina, Taiwan, Kazakhstan, Canada, South Korea, Russia, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran.
- India’s Performance: India ranks 10th with a score of 67.99, slipping two spots but remaining in the top 10 performers.
- Rated high in GHG emissions & energy use, medium in climate policy, & low in renewable energy.
Women in agriculture for food security
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- 2026, declared the International Year of the Woman Farmer, highlights women’s crucial role in food security and calls for gender-equal, climate-resilient agricultural development.
Feminisation of Agriculture: Trends
- Rising Female Participation: As per Periodic labour force survey (PLFS) 2023-24, 76.95% of rural women are engaged in agriculture.
- 33% of agricultural workers and ~50% of selfemployed farmers are women.
- Agriculture Census 2015-16: 73% of rural women are involved in farming and allied sectors.
- Low Land Ownership: Only 12.8% of operational land holdings are owned by women, which constitutes 10.34% of the area holdings.
- Rural Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLPR): FLPR rose from 41.5% in 2022-23 to 47.6% in 2023-24, largely due to male outmigration.
- Shift in Women’s Roles: In Andhra Pradesh, women-led Self-Help Groups (SHGs) are engaging in organic farming and direct marketing, indicating a move from labourers to farm managers.
Climate Change Performance Index 2025
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• Published by: Germanwatch, Climate Action Network (CAN) International, and New Climate Institute (since 2005). Published annually since 2005.
- agency. Also carries first astronauts from Poland & Hungary to stay aboard the ISS.
- Marks India’s return to crewed space missions after Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 flight.
Do you know?
- International Space Station (ISS): Orbiting around 400 km above Earth is a joint venture between NASA, Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA, and CSA.
- Bhartiya Antariksh Station: India plans to establish its own indigenous space station by 2035 to enhance long duration human spaceflight capabilities andscientific research in low-Earth orbit.
- Space Vision 2047: A long-term roadmap aiming to make India a global leader in space technology by 2047, focusing on space exploration, commercialisation, private participation & global partnerships.
Axiom-4 Mission
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Context (PIB):
- India returns to human spaceflight with Axiom Mission 4, its first since 1984.
About:
- 4th private astronaut mission to the ISS, is being operated by private US space company Axiom Space, in partnership with NASA and SpaceX.
- It will be launched aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft from Kennedy Space Centre, Florida.
- Mission Duration: Crew will stay 14 days ISS, conducting 60 scientific experiments across 31 nations.
- The mission will send the first Indian astronaut to the station as part of a joint effort between NASA and the Indian space
- agency. Also carries first astronauts from Poland & Hungary to stay aboard the ISS.
- Marks India’s return to crewed space missions after Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 flight.
- Geology: Part of a complex with Acatenango volcano to the north. Built over the collapsed Meseta volcano (~8,500 years ago), which produced the Escuintla debris-avalanche deposit.
- Eruption History: Recorded 60+ eruptions since 1524.
Raja Bhabhut Singh
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Context: –
- Madhya Pradesh government renamed the Pachmarhi Wildlife Sanctuary after 19th century tribal leader Raja Bhabhut Singh.
About: –
- Raja Bhabhut belonged to Gond tribal community in present-day Narmadapuram (formerly Hoshangabad), Madhya Pradesh.
- He was born into the Jagirdar family of the Harrakot Raikheri branch, descended from Thakur Ajit Singh of the Pachmarhi Jagir.
- His father, Thakur Mohan Singh, fought against the British alongside Peshwa Appa Saheb Bhonsle in 1819–20.
Fuego Volcano
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Context: –
- Guatemala’s Fuego volcano erupted, spewing ash high into the atmosphere before subsiding after approximately 30 hours of intense volcanic activity.
About:
- Location: Southern Guatemala, about 18 km from Antigua city.
- Type: Stratovolcano; one of Central America’s most active volcanoes.
- Elevation: Around 3,763 meters above sea level.
- Tectonic Setting: Part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically active zone.
- Formed by the subduction of the Cocos Plate beneath the Caribbean Plate.
- Part of the Central American Volcanic Arc.
- Geology: Part of a complex with Acatenango volcano to the north. Built over the collapsed Meseta volcano (~8,500 years ago), which produced the Escuintla debris-avalanche deposit.
- Eruption History: Recorded 60+ eruptions since 1524.
Raja Bhabhut Singh
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Context :
- Madhya Pradesh government renamed the Pachmarhi Wildlife Sanctuary after 19th century tribal leader Raja Bhabhut Singh.
About :
- Raja Bhabhut belonged to Gond tribal community in present-day Narmadapuram (formerly Hoshangabad), Madhya Pradesh.
- He was born into the Jagirdar family of the Harrakot Raikheri branch, descended from Thakur Ajit Singh of the Pachmarhi Jagir.
- His father, Thakur Mohan Singh, fought against the British alongside Peshwa Appa Saheb Bhonsle in 1819–20.
Emperor Penguin
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Context :
- A new study has found a 22% population decline in Emperor Penguin colonies.
About :
- Largest and heaviest of all penguin species and the world’s deepest-diving bird.
- Distribution: Found exclusively in Antarctica.
- Habitat: Lives on pack ice and surrounding Southern Ocean waters.
- Highly ice dependent, entire lifecycle tied to stable sea ice platforms for nesting & chick rearing.
- Physical Features: Black-and-white body with orange-yellow markings on the head, neck, and chest. Two layers of feathers, thick fat reserves, small beak and flippers to retain heat.
- Lifespan: 15–20 years.
- Diet: Feeds mainly on fish, krill, and squid beneath sea ice.
- Conservation Status: IUCN: Near Threatened
- Significance: A vital indicator species for climate change, showing the direct impact of
global warming on polar ecosystems. Survival depends on the preservation of Antarctic Sea ice.
DIGIPIN
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Context (PIB): –
- Department of Posts unveiled a new digital addressing system called DIGIPIN, India’s new geo-coded digital addressing system.
What is DIGIPIN?
- A geo-coded digital addressing system is a method of assigning unique digital addresses to locations based on their latitude and longitude coordinates. Instead of relying on traditional postal addresses, this system uses precise geographic data to identify locations.
- DIGIPIN is an open-source nationwide geocoded addressing system developed by the Department of Posts in collaboration with IIT Hyderabad and National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), ISRO.
- It divides India into approx. 4m x 4m grids and assigns each grid a unique 10-character alphanumeric code based on latitude and
longitude coordinates. It can be used offline. - Objective: It seeks to provide standardised, geo-coded addresses for seamless delivery of public and private services and to enable “Address as a Service” (AaaS).
- It is part of DHRUVA (Digital Hub for Reference & Unique Virtual Address), which aims to create a standardised, interoperable,
and geocoded digital addressing system. - It applies to all geographical areas, including rural regions, forests, and maritime zones, also helps in areas where no clear address
exists, making it universally applicable.
CROPIC Initiative
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Context (PIB):
- Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017: Provides for paid maternity leave to all women (incl. adoptive & commissioning mothers) for 26 weeks for 1st and 2nd child and 12 weeks for 3rd child.
- Creche Facility: Mandatory for establishments with 50+ employees, allowing 4 daily visits by mother.
- Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
plans to launch Collection of Real-Time Observations & Photo of Crops (CROPIC), a
digital initiative under Pradhan Mantri Fasal
Bima Yojana.
What is DIGIPIN?
- A geo-coded digital addressing system is a method of assigning unique digital addresses to locations based on their latitude and longitude coordinates. Instead of relying on traditional postal addresses, this system uses precise geographic data to identify locations.
- DIGIPIN is an open-source nationwide geocoded addressing system developed by the Department of Posts in collaboration with IIT Hyderabad and National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), ISRO.
- It divides India into approx. 4m x 4m grids and assigns each grid a unique 10-character alphanumeric code based on latitude and
longitude coordinates. It can be used offline. - Objective: It seeks to provide standardised, geo-coded addresses for seamless delivery of public and private services and to enable “Address as a Service” (AaaS).
- It is part of DHRUVA (Digital Hub for Reference & Unique Virtual Address), which aims to create a standardised, interoperable,
and geocoded digital addressing system. - It applies to all geographical areas, including rural regions, forests, and maritime zones, also helps in areas where no clear address
exists, making it universally applicable.
About: –
- Objective: Monitoring crop health, automated estimation of crop losses using AI-driven computer vision models and facilitating faster, transparent, and evidence-based insurance compensation.
- Data Collection: Farmers and officials upload geo-tagged, time-stamped photographs four to five times during the crop cycle using the CROPIC mobile app.
- AI-based Cloud Platform: Analyses images for crop type, growth stage, stress symptoms, and damage extent using computer vision.
- Web Dashboard: Offers real-time visualisation for monitoring and decision-making b authorities at various levels.
- Pilot Phase (2025–26): Conducted during Kharif 2025 and Rabi 2025–26.
- Initially, in 50 districts per season, covering three major notified crops per district.
- Funding: Financed under the Fund for Innovation and Technology (FIAT), with an overall allocation of ₹825 crore for tech innovations.
Maternity Benefits
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Context: –
- Recent Supreme Court ruling (K. Umadevi v. Government of Tamil Nadu) affirming maternity leave as a constitutional right has reignited debate on reproductive justice and social inclusion.
SC Judgment: –
- Upheld maternity leave as a reproductive right protected under Article 21.
- Held that state rules cannot override central laws (Maternity Benefit Act, 1961) under Art 254 of IC.
Maternity Leave Policy in India: –
- Maternity Benefit Act, 1961: Provides paid maternity leave for 12 weeks.
- Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017: Provides for paid maternity leave to all women (incl. adoptive & commissioning mothers) for 26 weeks for 1st and 2nd child and 12 weeks for 3rd child.
- Creche Facility: Mandatory for establishments with 50+ employees, allowing 4 daily visits by mother.
FDI Inflows in India
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Context (PIB): –
- Net foreign direct investment inflow in India has sharply declined, as per RBI data.
RBI Data on FDI Inflows
- Increase in Gross FDI: India attracted $75.1 billion in gross FDI inflows during April– February 2024–25, an increase from $65.2 billion the previous year.
- Fall in Net FDI: Crashed by more than 96% to just $353 million in 2024-25 as co previous year.
- India’s Net Outward FDI (OFDI): Reached 29.2 billion in 2024–25, marking a growth of more than 75 % over the previous year.
Net FDI: –
- Net FDI is basically gross FDI, which is the total money coming in, minus the money being repatriated out by foreign companies doing business in India and the outward FDI by Indian companies.
- Net FDI = Gross FDI Inflows – (Repatriation by Foreign Companies + Outward FDI by Indian Companies).
Do you know?
- Total FDI Inflows: Stood at $81 billion in FY 2024–25 ($36.05 billion in FY 2013–14), a 14% increase from FY 2023–24.
- Sector share in total FDI: Services sector (19% of total inflows), followed by computer software and hardware (16%) & trading (8%).
- Maharashtra accounted for the highest share (39%) of total FDI equity inflows, followed by Karnataka (13%) and Delhi (12%).
- Maximum FDI from Singapore (30% share), followed by Mauritius (17%) & United States (11%).
Project Vishnu
- Project Vishnu, initiated by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), is a program focused on developing
hypersonic cruise missiles. - The project aims to revolutionize India’s strike capabilities with high-speed, maneuverable weapons.
Global Economic Prospects Report 2025
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World Bank has released its mid-year Global Economic Prospects (GEP) Report, 2025.
Key Highlights: –
- Global GDP is projected to slow to 2.3% in 2025, the lowest since 2008 (excluding global recessions).
- Emerging markets and developing economies are expected to grow by 3.8% in 2025.
- Global trade would grow by 1.8% in 2025 (down from 3.4% in 2024) due to tariff effects. US-China trade frictions continue to disrupt
supply chains and dampen global demand. - India’s GDP is expected to grow at 6.3% in FY26 (is 0.4 percentage points lower than the January 2025 forecast), maintaining its status as the world’s fastest-growing large economy.
Extended Trajectory-Long Duration Hypersonic Cruise Missile (ETLDHCM)
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Context: –
- India is set to test the Extended TrajectoryLong Duration Hypersonic Cruise Missile.
Key Features: –
- Developed indigenously under the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) classified initiative Project Vishnu.
- The missile is powered by an advanced scramjet engine. Unlike traditional jet engines, a scramjet uses atmospheric oxygen for combustion, enabling sustained high speeds for extended durations.
- Hypersonic Speed: Maximum speed of Mach 8, which is about 11,000 km/h, or eight times the speed of sound.
- With the ET-LDHCM, India joins a select group of nations, including the United States, Russia, and China, that have mastered hypersonic weapon systems.
- Range: About 1,500 kilometres.
- Payload: It can target & destroy enemy sites using conventional or nuclear warheads weighing 1,000–2,000 kg.
- It can be launched from land, air, or sea.
Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary
- Situated in Godavari estuary, where Coringa River meets Bay of Bengal, in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh.
- Spread over 235 sq km, with ~40% by backwaters, & remaining crisscrossed by tidal creeks.
- Vegetation: Mangrove forests (India’s 2nd largest after Sundarbans) & dry deciduous tropical forests.
- Important nesting site for Olive Ridley Turtles along the sanctuary’s coast.
Exercise Khaan Quest
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Context: –
- 22nd edition of Exercise Khaan Quest took place in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
- It is an UN-mandated multinational peacekeeping exercise with participation from several countries.
- Began in 2003 as a U.S.-Mongolia bilateral drill and evolved into a multinational exercise in 2006.
- Objectives: Enhance interoperability in multinational settings & strengthen military for UN peace support operations.
Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary
- Situated in Godavari estuary, where Coringa River meets Bay of Bengal, in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh.
- Spread over 235 sq km, with ~40% by backwaters, & remaining crisscrossed by tidal creeks.
- Vegetation: Mangrove forests (India’s 2nd largest after Sundarbans) & dry deciduous tropical forests.
- Important nesting site for Olive Ridley Turtles along the sanctuary’s coast.
Fishing Cat
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Context: –
• Wildlife Institute of India has successfully radio-collared three fishing cats in the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary under the Fishing Cat Collaring Project.
About: –
- Medium-sized wild cat, commonly known as Kla Trey or Tiger Fish.
- Solitary, nocturnal, and an excellent swimmer; primarily active at night.
- Habitat: Wetlands, swamps, marshes, riverbanks, reed beds, and mangrove forests.
- Distribution: Found in Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, China, Java, Sumatra.
- India: Sundarbans, Ganga-Brahmaputra plains, Western Ghats, AP mangroves.
- Diet: Primarily fishes, frogs, crustaceans, and small rodents.
- Threats: Wetland degradation, pollution, habitat loss, poaching, and human-wildlife conflict.
- Conservation Status: IUCN Red List: Vulnerable | CITES: Appendix II | WPA, 1972: Schedule I.
- 68% of all International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) States.
- India became a signatory in 2009.
- MC99 Liability Limits: Expressed in Special Drawing Rights (SDR). The value of the SDR is determined by the value of a basket of currencies important to the world’s trading and financial systems.
- Under MC99 Carrier Liability is Limited to: SDR for death or injury of passengers.
- To defend claims in excess of that amount, the carrier must show that the damage was not due
to the negligence/wrongful act of the carrier or solely due to the negligence/wrongful act of another person.
Montreal Convention 1999 (MC99)
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Context: –
- The insurance payout for passengers of Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner (Air India’s crashed plane) should be governed by the Montreal Convention, 1999 (MC99).
About: –
- The MC99 establishes a modern compensatory regime in respect of passengers who suffer death or injury caused by an accident during international carriage by air.
- It was designed to replace the Warsaw Convention system that had developed haphazardly since 1929 with a single, modern and universal liability regime.
- MC99 also establishes the legal framework that allows airlines to make use of electronic documentation for shipments, thereby reducing costs and increasing efficiency.
- Signatories: MC99 entered in to force in 2003 and now has 132 Parties. This is equivalent to
- Features: Constructed using titanium or steel and insulated to withstand extreme heat, fire, high-speed impact, and deep-sea pressure.
- Located near the tail section of the aircraft, where the chance of survival during crashes is higher.
- Equipped with an ultrasonic beacon that emits signals for up to 30 days to aid underwater recovery.
Do you know?
- Black boxes were invented in the early 1950s by Dr. David Warren, inspired by early jetliner crashes, such as the de Havilland Comet. Australia was the first country to make black boxes mandatory in 1963; today, they are required on all commercial aircraft worldwide.
Black Box
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Context: –
Air India flight crashed in Ahmedabad shortly after takeoff; the retrieval of black boxes is crucial to determine the cause of the crash.
About: –
- A black box is an electronic flight recording device installed in aircraft to help investigators determine the cause of a crash or technical failure. Painted bright orange or yellow.
- It reconstructs the sequence of events leading to an accident, enhancing safety and accountability.
- Mandatory in all commercial aircraft since 1967 to improve air safety standards.
Do you know?
- Black boxes were invented in the early 1950s by Dr. David Warren, inspired by early jetliner crashes, such as the de Havilland Comet. Australia was the first country to make black boxes mandatory in 1963; today, they are required on all commercial aircraft worldwide.
Components of Black Boxes:
- Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR): Recordscockpit audio, including pilot conversations,engine sounds, alarms, and radiotransmissions.
- Flight Data Recorder (FDR): Captures over 80parameters such as altitude, airspeed, flightheading, vertical acceleration, pitch, roll,autopilot settings, and engine performance.
- Act of 1989 and headed by the Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety.
- It inspects and approves new railway lines, investigates serious train accidents, and conducts safety audits.
- Final clearance from the CRS is mandatory before opening any new railway section to the public.
Hortoki-Sairang line
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- The Commission of Railway Safety (CRS) has cleared the final Hortoki–Sairang section, enabling rail connectivity to Aizawl, Mizoram’s capital, for the first time.
- Mizoram indeed becomes the fourth northeastern state after Assam (Guwahati), Tripura (Agartala), and Arunachal Pradesh (Itanagar/Naharlagun)—to have its capital directly connected to the national railway network.
The Commission of Railway Safety (CRS)
- It is a statutory body under the Ministry of Civil Aviation. It is governed by the Railways Act of 1989 and headed by the Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety.
- It inspects and approves new railway lines, investigates serious train accidents, and conducts safety audits.
- Final clearance from the CRS is mandatory before opening any new railway section to the public.
Global Gender Gap Index 2025
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Context (TH):
- World Economic Forum (WEF) released the 19th edition of the Global Gender Gap Index 2025 covering 148 economies.
About: –
- It is an annual report (since 2016) produced by the WEF that measures gender-based gaps in access to resources and opportunities in countries around the world.
- It measures gender parity across four key dimensions:
1) Economic participation and opportunity
2) Educational attainment
3) Health and survival
4) Political empowerment - It ranks countries on a scale from 0 to 1, with a score of 1 indicating that a country has achieved complete gender equality, while a score of 0 indicates a complete lack of equality.
Key Findings
- The global gender gap has closed to 68.8%, marking the strongest annual advancement since the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet full parity remains 123 years away at current rates.
- Ranking: Iceland leads the rankings for the 16th year running, followed by Finland, Norway, the United Kingdom and New Zealand.
- South Asia: Bangladesh emerged as the best performer in South Asia, jumping 75 ranks to rank 24 globally. Nepal ranked 125, Sri Lanka 130, Bhutan 119, Maldives 138 and Pakistan 148.
- India has ranked 131 out of 148 countries, slipping two places from its position last year.
- With a parity score of just 64.1%, India is among the lowest-ranked countries in South Asia.
ReArm Europe (Readiness 2030)
Tags :
- The EU’s “ReArm Europe” plan, rebranded as “Readiness 2030”, proposes investment in defence to reduce US dependency, deter Russia & build strategic autonomy.
- Initiated in March 2025 by the European Union, the was initially named “ReArm Europe” & later rebranded as “Readiness 2030” to reflect a broader strategic focus on long-term defence preparedness.
- Objectives: Aims to mobilize €800 billion by 2030 to build a self-reliant European defence industry and enhance EU defence
preparedness for swift response to external threats like Russia’s aggression.
The Commission of Railway Safety (CRS)
- It is a statutory body under the Ministry of Civil Aviation. It is governed by the Railways Act of 1989 and headed by the Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety.
- It inspects and approves new railway lines, investigates serious train accidents, and conducts safety audits.
- Final clearance from the CRS is mandatory before opening any new railway section to the public.
UN Ocean Conference 2025
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Context (DTE):
• As the 3rd UN Ocean Conference concluded, a look at the growing threat to oceans.
About: –
- Held in Nice, France. Host Countries: France and Costa Rica.
- Theme: “Accelerating action and mobilising all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean.”
• Objectives: Address governance, financing,
scientific knowledge, and climate adaptation. - Reinforce SDG 14: Life Below Water—focus on sustainable fisheries, pollution control, and marine conservation.
Outcomes of UNOC3
Blue NDC Challenge: –
- Launched by: Brazil and France
- It urges countries to incorporate oceanfocused climate measures into their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) ahead of the COP30 to the UNFCCC in Belem, Brazil.
Nice Wake-up Call for an Ambitious Plastics Treaty:
- The “Nice Wake-Up Call” comes ahead of the next round of UN plastics treaty negotiations, INC-5.2, scheduled for August 5- 14, 2025, in Geneva, Switzerland.
- It is a powerful push for a strong, legally binding global plastics treaty, especially as 11 | P a g e Telegram- PRAYAAS_2.0 Contact-7378743031 / 7767073031 negotiations have been challenging and have missed previous deadlines.
- India is not among the signatories of the ‘Nice Wake-Up Call