Appointments
Naresh Pal Gangwar Appointed Higher Education Secretary
Naresh Pal Gangwar (a 1994-batch Rajasthan-cadre IAS officer) has been appointed as the Secretary of the Department of Higher Education (under the Ministry of Education) by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. He succeeds K. Sanjay Murthy in this top bureaucratic role to lead the central administration of India’s higher education sector and oversee the continued implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
International Relations
Pickaxe Mountain Nuclear Facility
Why in News: US President threatened to strike Iran’s heavily fortified underground nuclear facility known as Pickaxe Mountain (Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La).
Salient Features & Key Exam Facts:
- Geographical Location: Situated deep within the Zagros Mountain range in central Iran, located 220 km south of Tehran.
- Proximity to Natanz: Located just 2 km from the main Natanz nuclear complex.
- Strategic Significance: Dug deep into a mountain peak to serve as a highly fortified, bomb-resistant nuclear enrichment and centrifuge assembly facility.
Initiatives
Mission Senehjori
Why in News: The Assam Government has announced the launch of Mission Senehjori, a strategic initiative designed to strengthen and revitalize the state’s iconic Muga silk ecosystem.
Salient Features & Key Exam Facts:
- Core Objective: The primary aim of the mission is to systematically convert silk waste into high-value spun yarn.
- Target Material: Focuses specifically on the ecosystem of Muga silk (the renowned golden-yellow silk that holds a Geographical Indication (GI) tag and is endemic to Assam).
- Socio-Economic Impact: Designed to create new, sustainable employment opportunities at the grassroots level and boost the rural sericulture economy.
Environment
Puga Valley Geothermal Power Project
Why in News: The ONGC Energy Centre has successfully drilled India’s first and deepest geothermal twin wells (reaching a depth of 1,000 metres) at Puga Valley in Eastern Ladakh.
Salient Features & Key Exam Facts:
- Project Scope: These twin wells are critical for establishing India’s inaugural 1 MW pilot geothermal power project at Puga.
- Geothermal Potential in India: The Geological Survey of India (GSI) has identified approximately 340 geothermal sites nationwide.
- Major Geothermal Regions: The primary hotspots are concentrated in the Himalayan belt (specifically Puga and Chumathang), the Son-Narmada-Tapti (SONATA) lineament, and along India’s western coast.
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