Author: Ramvilas

Dahi Handi Festival

History & Culture

Context

• The Maharashtra government is seeking UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage recognition for the Dahi Handi festival.
• It also plans to send ‘Govindas’, who form human pyramids during the festival, to Spain to showcase this traditional practice. 

Dahi Handi Festival

• Dahi Handi, held a day after Janmashtami to mark the birth of Lord Krishna.
• It combines religious devotion with community participation and sport.
• Participants, or Govindas, form tall human pyramids to reach and break an earthen pot filled with curd, butter, and milk.

India-Spain Connection

• • The traditional practice of building human pyramids and towers is the common link between the Dahi Handi festival and Spain, where communities practice building human towers called castells.

• Spain’s Catalan Castells (human towers)— is already recognized by UNESCO. 

• Spanish teams regularly visit Mumbai and Thane to participate in the Dahi Handi festival. 

Connect with the basics – Intangible Cultural Heritage

UNESCO defines “intangible” as “expressions that have:

1. Passed from one generation to another.
2. Evolved in response to their environments.
3. Contributed to giving us a sense of identity and continuity.

• • According to an official document by UNESCO, ‘intangible cultural heritage’ includes “oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts.”

• To date, 16 Indian elements have been inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List (including Deepavali)
• 1. Garba of Gujarat (2023)
  2. Durga Puja in Kolkata (2021)
  3. Kumbh Mela (2017)
  4. Navroz (2016)
  5. Yoga (2016)
  6. Traditional brass and copper craft of utensil making among the Thatheras of Jandiala Guru, Punjab (2014)
  7. Sankirtana, ritual singing, drumming and dancing of Manipur (2013)
  8. Buddhist chanting of Ladakh: recitation of sacred Buddhist texts in the trans-Himalayan Ladakh region, Jammu and Kashmir (2012)
  9. Chhau dance (2010)
  10. Kalbelia folk songs and dances of Rajasthan (2010)
  11. Mudiyettu, ritual theatre and dance drama of Kerala (2010)
  12. Ramman, religious festival and ritual theatre of the Garhwal Himalayas (2009)
  13. Kutiyattam, Sanskrit theatre (2008)
  14. Tradition of Vedic chanting (2008)
  15. Ramlila, the traditional performance of the Ramayana (2008)
  16. Deepavali (2025) – Recently added

Communal Award

History & Culture

In News 

• Recently, the anniversary of the Communal Award announcements was observed.

Communal Award

• Announced by – Ramsay MacDonald in August 1932.

• Objective – It Granted separate electorates to the Depressed Classes and 71 reserved seats.
• Also provided separate electorates for Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Anglo-Indians and Europeans.
• Aim: political representation and protection of minorities.

Gandhi’s Response

• Gandhi opposed separate electorates for the Depressed Classes, arguing they would divide Hindu society.
• He began a fast unto death at Poona on 20 September 1932.
• M.C. Rajah and B.G. Horniman also opposed separate electorates.

Ambedkar’s Views

• Ambedkar strongly supported separate electorates for the Depressed Classes.
• He believed they needed independent political representation.
• Initially, he refused to compromise, prioritising their interests.

Poona Pact

• Signed on 24 September 1932 after negotiations between Gandhi and Ambedkar.
• Separate electorates were replaced by joint electorates.
• Reserved seats increased from 71 to 148 in provincial legislatures.
• The Pact became a modification of the Communal Award.
• Political reservation for SCs continued after independence.

Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS)

Economy

Context

• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) approved projects collectively worth ₹7,877 crore for incentives under the Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS).

Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS)

• Launched: 2025 by the Government of India.
• Objective: To develop a strong domestic ecosystem for electronic components and reduce import dependence.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY).
• Outlay: ₹22,919 crore over 6 years.
• Focus: Manufacturing of components such as PCBs, camera modules, display modules, connectors, and other electronic sub-assemblies.
• Benefits: Attracts investment, creates jobs, strengthens supply chains and promotes Make in India.
• Significance: Supports India’s goal of becoming a global electronics manufacturing hub.

MQ-9B Sea Guardian Unmanned Aircraft

Science & technology

Context

• The Ministry of Defence signed a contract with the U.S. General Atomics Aeronautical to lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardian High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) for the Indian Navy.

MQ-9B SeaGuardian Unmanned Aircraft

• Type: High-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) remotely piloted aircraft.
• Manufacturer: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, USA.
• Role: Maritime surveillance, reconnaissance and intelligence gathering.
• Key feature: Can operate for 40+ hours and cover vast maritime areas.
• India: The Indian Navy is acquiring MQ-9B SeaGuardians to strengthen maritime domain awareness and surveillance in the Indian Ocean Region.
• Significance: Enhances India’s ability to monitor ships, submarines and suspicious maritime activity over long distances.
• Note: It is an unmanned aircraft, but is remotely controlled by operators rather than being fully autonomous.

Draft SHANTI Rules 2026

Polity

Context

• Recently, the government has released the draft SHANTI Rules, 2026, 

Draft SHANTI Rules, 2026

• Full form – Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India
• Purpose: Operationalise the SHANTI Act, 2025 and expand India’s nuclear energy sector.

• Private participation: Framework for greater private-sector involvement in nuclear activities.
• Licensing: Provides for a composite licence covering the nuclear installation lifecycle.
• Safety: Strengthens requirements for nuclear safety, radiation protection and emergency preparedness.
• Liability: Operators must maintain insurance/financial security against nuclear damage.
• Nuclear Liability Fund: Proposed fund supported through operator levies for compensation.
• Technology: Facilitates use of foreign nuclear technologies, subject to Indian regulatory requirements.
• Goal: Supports India’s target of 100 GW nuclear capacity by 2047 and net-zero by 2070.

Surrogate Advertisements

Polity

Context

• Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued show-cause notices to actors alleging that their advertisement for Vimal Elaichi amounts to surrogate advertising for Vimal Pan Masala.

Surrogate advertising 

• • It is a form of marketing used to promote products banned or limited from advertising under government regulations, such as alcohol, tobacco, and pan masala. 

• Maharashtra has prohibited gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine since 2012 under Section 30(2)(a) of the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006. 

Misleading Advertisement Under the Consumer Protection Act 2019

• Legal Definition (Section 2(28)) –  Any advertisement that falsely describes products, gives deceptive guarantees, or deliberately conceals material information.
• Enforcing Body: The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) regulates violations and enforces the 2022 Guidelines to protect consumer rights.Surrogate 
• Advertising: Strictly banned to stop restricted items (alcohol/tobacco) from using permitted shadow products (soda/cardamom) for branding.
• Coaching Institute Crackdown: Penalises institutes that hide course details when using toppers’ photos (e.g., claiming a mock-interview student as a full-time student).
• Greenwashing & Labels: Targets unverified, misleading eco-friendly or health claims like “100% natural” to ensure scientific accuracy.
• Financial Penalties: Fines up to ₹10 Lakh for a first offence and up to ₹50 Lakh for subsequent violations.
• Targeted Liability: Punishes manufacturers, publishers, and celebrity endorsers, with endorsers facing a product endorsement ban of up to 3 years.

Saptadhara

Economy

News

• Prime Minister launched a seven-point ‘Saptadhara’ reform framework to fast-track India’s goal of attaining a Viksit Bharat by 2047, 

Saptadhara 

1. Manufacturing Power: Scaling up quality and global integration.
2. Agricultural Power: Boosting processing, storage, and food exports.
3. Technology & Innovation: Advancing AI, semiconductors, and R&D.
4. Connectivity: Enhancing multimodal logistics and infrastructure.
5. Defence Power: Achieving self-reliance in high-tech armaments.
6. Green & Blue Economy: Expanding renewables and ocean resources.
7. Soft Power: Promoting culture, tourism, and heritage globally.

Friedreich’s ataxia (FRDA)

Health & Society

Context

• Many Indian communities practice consanguinity.
• It greatly increases the risk of genetic diseases that are otherwise rare, Friedreich’s ataxia is one such disease.

Friedreich’s ataxia, or FRDA

• It is a genetic disorder that progressively damages the nerves and the heart.
• The affected individuals typically begin to show symptoms between the ages of 5 and 15. 

Symptoms: 

• • Unsteady and impaired coordination.
  • Speech slows down and slurs, swallowing becomes difficult, Hearing and vision deteriorates. 
  • Fatigued, lost sensation, eventually, most patients die relatively young, of heart disease. 

• There is no cure.

• • FRDA is more likely when both parents carry the defective gene. 

• FRDA is caused by mutations in the FXN gene.
• Consanguineous marriages (marriages between relatives, such as cousins) increase the chance that both parents carry the same rare genetic mutation.

Hara Mangrove Forests

Environment

Context

• A major oil spill off the southern coast of Iran has emerged as a serious ecological threat to the Hara mangrove forests.

Hara Mangrove Forests

• It also known as the Qeshm–Hara mangrove forests
• Location – It is located around Qeshm Island and the Strait of Hormuz in southern Iran.
• They are dominated by the grey mangrove (Avicennia marina), a species highly adapted to saline coastal environments.
• The area has been recognised as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Mangroves  

• Definition: A mangrove is a woody plant which lives between the sea and the land, in areas which are flooded by tides for part of the time. 

• Halophytes – Mangroves are salt-tolerant plants, also called halophytes.
• Climatic conditions – receiving rainfall between 1,000 to 3,000 mm and temperature ranging between 26-35°C. 
• Ecotone – Since mangroves are located between the land and sea they represent the best example of ecotone.

Sundarbans Location: 

• Location – The Sundarbans Forest located on the delta of Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna in South Asia (India & Bangladesh).
• Global Significance: It is the largest mangrove forest in the world. 
• It is Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Ramsar Site.

Vaishya Tekri Stupa in Ujjain

History & Culture

Context

• The Madhya Pradesh government is considering fresh excavation at Vaishya Tekri in Ujjain, where a massive Buddhist stupa probably larger than Sanchi Stupa, was partially excavated in 1938–39.

Vaishya Tekri

• Vaishya Tekri is a large archaeological mound located near Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh.
• It is believed to contain the remains of a large Buddhist stupa, popularly associated with the ancient Kanipura/Kanakgiri Buddhist establishment.
• The site has been tentatively dated to the Mauryan period, around the 3rd century BCE. The monument has traditionally been associated with Emperor Ashoka and his period of governance at Ujjain.
• The stupa is estimated to have an approximate diameter of 350 ft and a height of 100 ft or more.

Additional Information – The Great Stupa of Sanchi

• • A stupa is a Buddhist commemorative monument usually containing sacred relics of the Buddha or other saints.
  • Established: The stupa was commissioned in the third century BCE by Emperor Ashoka of the Maurya dynasty.
  • The stupa was subsequently enlarged and embellished during the Shunga and Satavahana periods.
  • Structure: The Great Stupa is a hemispherical dome made of stone and brick, with a central structure that is a large, raised platform containing the relics of the Buddha.
  • It is topped by a ‘harmika’ that holds the triple umbrella, or ‘chhatraveli’, which represents the three jewels of Buddhism – the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. 
  • Above the dome, there is a pillar-like structure called the chatra, which is a symbol of the Buddha’s presence and enlightenment.
• The Stupa is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a pilgrimage destination for Buddhists from around the world.

India’s Campaign For a UN Security Council (UNSC) Seat in 2028-29

International Relation

Context

• India has launched its campaign for a non-permanent United Nations Security Council (UNSC) seat for 2028–29, with the election scheduled for June 2027.

United Nations Security Council (UNSC)

• • It is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations

• Objective – to maintain international peace and security. 

• • It is the only UN body empowered to issue legally binding resolutions that all UN member states are obligated to comply with under international law.
  • Structure and Composition: The Council has 15 members divided into two categories:

• Permanent Members (P5)  with Veto Power: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. 

• • A single veto from any P5 member is sufficient to block any substantive resolution, regardless of how many other members support it.
  • Non-Permanent Members (10 seats): Elected by the UN General Assembly for two-year terms, distributed geographically.
• Headquarters: New York, USA

Sri Aurobindo

History & Culture

Context

• PM Modi paid tribute to Sri Aurobindo (15 August 1872–5 December 1950) on his birth anniversary.

About – 

• He received his primary education in England at St. Paul’s School, London, and King’s College, Cambridge. 
• He returned to India in 1893 and worked for the next thirteen years in the Princely State of Baroda and as a professor in Baroda College. 

Role in freedom struggle

• He helped establish a series of youth clubs, including the Anushilan Samiti of Calcutta in 1902.
• In 1906, Aurobindo was appointed the first principal of the National College in Calcutta (Bengal National College), and started to impart national education to Indian youth.
• He was the first political leader in India to openly put forward the idea of complete independence for the country in his newspaper Bande Mataram.
• In 1907 at the Surat session of Congress, he led along with extremists. 
• He was arrested in 1908 in connection with the Alipore Bomb Case. 

Yogic Life

• • Sri Aurobindo had begun the practice of Yoga in 1905 in Baroda. 
  • In 1910 he withdrew from politics and went to Pondicherry in order to devote himself entirely to his inner spiritual life and work. 
  • During his forty years in Pondicherry he evolved a new method of spiritual practice, which he called the Integral Yoga. 

• In 1926, he founded the Sri Aurobindo Ashram.

Literary works

• • The Life Divine, which deals with the philosophical aspect of Integral Yoga.
  • Synthesis of Yoga, which deals with the principles and methods of Integral Yoga.

• Savitri: A Legend and a Symbol, an epic poem.
• He also started two weeklies: the Karmayogin in English and the Dharma in Bengali.

Rajasthan Trees (Protection) Bill-2026

Polity

Context

• The Rajasthan Cabinet has approved the Rajasthan Trees (Protection) Bill-2026. 

About

• The Bill will regulate the felling of 29 specified tree species on non-forest land. 
• The list includes the state tree Khejri, Rohida, Banyan, Peepal, Lasoda, Tendu, Mahua, Kair and Chironji.
• Felling or causing the felling of a specified tree on land owned or occupied by a person will require prior permission from the authorised authority.
• Offences under the proposed law will be cognisable and bailable. A person convicted of illegal felling may face imprisonment of up to one year, a fine of up to ₹1 lakh, or both.
• Where a tree is removed with permission, the person will be required to plant a prescribed number of trees in the same area for each tree removed.

Moon Base Programme

Science & Technology

In News

• US space agency NASA has invited ISRO to join its Moon Base programme building on partnership under the Artemis Accords.

Moon Base 

• It is humanity’s first lunar outpost, a place where astronauts will live, work, and explore near the Moon’s South Pole. 
• NASA and its partners will build the infrastructure needed to support an enduring human presence on the lunar surface while advancing science, technology, and exploration for the benefit of all.

Additional Information – Artemis Accord

• Objective – These are a set of principles and guidelines for international cooperation in space exploration.
• Status – They are not a legally binding instrument.
• Launched by – They were announced by NASA in 2020 and named after NASA’s Artemis program which is aimed at returning humans to the Moon by the mid-2020s.
• Members: Artemis Accords has 39 members including Australia, France, Germany, India, Japan, United Kingdom, United States of America etc.
• India’s membership – India joined the Artemis Accords in 2023.
• Note – Russia and China are not part of the Artemis Accords.

Total Solar Eclipse

Science & Technology

Context

• Recently, a total solar eclipse occurred, providing an important opportunity to understand celestial mechanics, the Earth–Moon system and solar phenomena.

Solar Eclipse

• It occurs when the Moon is between the Sun and Earth and the shadow of the Moon is cast on Earth, blocking the Sun’s light from reaching certain parts of the world.

Solar eclipse

• Solar eclipses are classified mainly into three types:
• Total Solar Eclipse (Umbra): The Moon fully blocks the visible disc of the Sun. Those in the line of totality will get to experience a brief darkness in the daylight.
• Partial Solar Eclipse (Penumbra): The Moon obscures part of the Sun, causing a ‘bite’ to be taken out of the solar disc.
• Annular Solar Eclipse (Antumbra): When the Moon is approaching the point of its orbit farthest from Earth, its apparent size is smaller than the Sun. It therefore leaves a dazzling outer ring, commonly known as the ‘Ring of Fire’.

Black-necked Cranes (BNC)

Environment

Context

• The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has sterilised over 2,950 Free Ranging Dogs (FRD) to save Black-necked Cranes (BNC) and wildlife in Ladakh.

Black-necked Crane (Grus nigricollis)

• It is one of the 15 crane species found worldwide
• It is considered the only high-altitude/alpine crane species. 
• Habitat & Distribution: In India, it is found in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh, particularly in high-altitude wetlands and marshes.
• Its global range extends across the Tibetan Plateau and adjoining Himalayan regions, including China, India, Bhutan and Nepal. 
• Population: Fewer than 100 Black-necked Cranes are estimated to remain in India, out of a global population of around 15,000. 
• Major Threats: Predation by free-ranging dogs, changing agricultural practices, rapid and unregulated development around high-altitude wetlands.

Conservation Status: 

• • The species receives the highest legal protection under Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 – Schedule I

• IUCN Red List – Near Threatened

• It is also protected under CITES and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species

• Near Threatened under IUCN Red List. 

• State Bird: It is the State bird of Ladakh and holds special significance in Ladakh’s Buddhist culture. 

Additional Information – Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS)

• BNHS is one of the largest and oldest non-governmental organizations in India dedicated to nature conservation and biodiversity research. 
• Founded on September 15, 1883, in Mumbai, its mission is to conserve nature through action based on research, education, and public awareness.

Container Manufacturing Assistance Scheme (CMAS)

Government Schemes

Context

• The Union Government has proposed a ₹10,000 crore Container Manufacturing Assistance Scheme (CMAS) 

About – 

• Launch: Announced in Union Budget 2026–27.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
• Financial Outlay: ₹10,000 crore over 5 years.
• Primary Objective: Build a self-reliant domestic shipping container ecosystem.

Key Targets

• Production: Scale capacity to 7.5 lakh TEUs annually.
• Economic Value: Unlock ₹80,000 crore market opportunity.
• Employment: 3,000 direct and 50,000 indirect jobs.
• Scope: Supports both Greenfield and Brownfield units.

Significance

• Import Substitution: Reduces reliance on 2 million imported containers annually.
• Supply Chain Resilience: insulates Indian exports from global logistics shocks.
• Policy Synergy: Aligns with Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, PM Gati Shakti, and Make in India.

Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY)

Government Schemes

Context

• The Standing Committee on Rural Development has highlighted the gap between skill training and actual employment outcomes under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY).

About

• Implementation – Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD)

• Launched in – 2014. 

• It is a placement-linked skill development programme under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
• Age Limit: Rural youth between 15 and 35 years of age (age limit is up to 45 years for women, SC/ST, persons with disabilities and minorities).
• Objective – It aims to skill rural youth and promote sustainable livelihoods for rural youth through placement-linked skilling programs.

PM-POSHAN

Government Schemes

In News

• Delhi government schools will have a new menu for PM-POSHAN with additions such as idli-sambar.

Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN)

• Earlier known as Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDMS) and renamed as PM POSHAN (Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman) in 2021.
• It operates under the Ministry of Education and is approved for the period 2021-22 to 2025-26.
• It is a centrally sponsored scheme (jointly funded by Centre and States) providing one hot cooked meal to students in government and aided schools up to Class 8.
• It aims to address hunger (lack of adequate food intake) and educational outcomes (attendance, retention, learning) simultaneously.

10 Years of Government e-Marketplace

Polity

Context

• The Government e Marketplace (GeM) completed ten years of operations on 9 August 2026.

Government e-Marketplace

• It is India’s online public procurement portal launched in 2016 under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. 
• It is a 100% government-owned, not-for-profit company.

Core Pillars

• Inclusivity: Onboards MSMEs, startups, and women artisans.
• Efficiency: Reduces time via paperless and cashless processes.
• Transparency: Uses open electronic bidding to eliminate corruption.

Key Features

• Flexible Purchasing: Supports direct buying, e-bidding, and reverse auctions.
• Seamless Integration: Verified via Aadhaar, PAN, GSTIN, and corporate banking.

Major Sub-Initiatives

• SWAYATT: Promotes startups, women, and youth-led businesses.
• Womaniya: Showcases handicrafts made by women Self-Help Groups.
• Startup Runway: Helps tech startups pitch products to state buyers.
• SARAS Collection: Markets utility goods produced by rural artisans.

National Youth Parliament Scheme Web Portal

Polity

Context

• The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs has launched an upgraded version of the National Youth Parliament Scheme web portal, known as NYPS 2.0.

National Youth Parliament Scheme (NYPS) 

• It is an initiative of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.
• Objective- It is aimed at promoting democratic values, parliamentary practices, and constitutional awareness among young people. 
• Uniqueness – Unlike the previous version, which was limited to students of recognized institutions only, NYPS 2.0 is open to all educational institutions, groups and citizens across the country.

Web Portal: 

• The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs launched the web portal of the NYPS in 2019.
• Aim: To expand the outreach of the Youth Parliament Programme of the Ministry to all the recognized educational institutions of the country.

Mahanadi River Water Dispute

Polity

News – 

• The long-standing Mahanadi River water dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh has once again come into focus.

Constitutional and Legal Framework 

Inter-State River Waters

• • Article 262: Empowers Parliament to adjudicate disputes relating to inter-state river waters.
  • Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956: Provides for the establishment of water dispute tribunals.
  • River Boards Act, 1956: Provides for river basin planning (though no River Board has been established under the Act).

• Entry 17 (State List): Water is primarily a state subject.

• Entry 56 (Union List): Parliament can regulate and develop inter-state rivers in the public interest.

Other Inter-State River Water Disputes

• Cauvery: Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry.
• Krishna: Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh.
• Godavari: Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha.
• Ravi-Beas: Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan.
• Mahadayi (Mandovi): Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra.
• Vamsadhara: Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.

Additional information – Mahanadi River

• Origin: Sihawa Hills, Dhamtari district, Chhattisgarh. Length: Approximately 851 km.
• States Covered: Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and a small part of Jharkhand.
• Mouth: Empties into the Bay of Bengal near Paradip, forming a fertile delta.
• Major Tributaries: Left Bank: Seonath, Hasdeo, Mand. Right Bank: Ong, Tel, Jonk, Ib.

Chandrayaan-5

Science & technology

News – 

• Scientists from ISRO and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) recently reviewed the progress of the Chandrayaan-5.

• Also known as LUPEX (Lunar Polar Exploration),

About – 

• It is a joint project between ISRO and JAXA.
• Targeted for launch around 2028.
• Objective – The mission focuses on exploring the Moon’s South Pole to study surface and subsurface water-ice deposits.
• The mission will take off on a Japanese rocket, H3, and is planned to carry seven scientific instruments for carrying out different kinds of experiments.

Additional information – Chandrayaan-3

• It is India’s third moon mission. 

• It was made by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). 
• On August 23, 2023, it landed near the Moon’s South Pole. This made India the first country to reach the south polar region and the fourth country to land on the Moon. August 23 is now celebrated as National Space Day in India.

Key Quick Facts

• Launch Rocket: LVM3-M4 rocket.
• Landing Site: Named Shiv Shakti Point.
• Mission Life: 1 Lunar Day (about 14 Earth days).

The Three Spacecraft Parts

Propulsion Module: Carried the lander close to the Moon. It has 1 payload

• SHAPE (Spectro-polarimetry of Habitable Planet Earth):  Studies Earth from orbit.

Vikram Lander: The main box that made the soft landing.It has 4 payloads

1. ChaSTE (Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment) : Measures surface temperature.
2. ILSA (Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity): Records moonquakes.
3. RAMBHA-LP (Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive Ionosphere and Atmosphere – Langmuir Probe) :Measures plasma density.
4. LRA (Laser Retroreflector Array) : Measures Moon distance (NASA)

Pragyan Rover: A small 6-wheeled robot. It has 2 payloads.

1. LIBS (Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope): Finds elements (found Sulphur).
2. APXS (Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer):  Studies soil minerals.

Why the South Pole Matters

• Water Ice: Deep craters have ice that never melts.
• Resources: This ice can make drinking water, oxygen, and fuel for future astronauts.
• History: The cold preserves old solar system clues.

Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana

Government Schemes

News- 

• The Union Government announced that post-harvest losses in Karnataka’s marine fisheries range between 6.21% and 10.13%.

Fisheries Sector of India

• Producer – India is the 3rd largest fish producing and 2nd largest aquaculture producing nation in the world. 
• India is the 4th largest exporter of fish and fisheries. 
• In terms of employment, the sunrise sector supports the livelihood of over 30 Mn people in India. 
• Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY)– to bring about the Blue Revolution through sustainable and responsible development of the fisheries sector in India.

Government Initiatives for the Growth of the Sector

• National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB): Established in 2006, NFDB serves as the apex body for the planning and promotion of fisheries development in India.
• Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY): Launched in 2020, PMMSY is a flagship scheme aimed at boosting fish production and doubling farmers’ income.
• Blue Revolution: Launched in 2015, the Blue Revolution aims to promote sustainable development and management of the fisheries sector.

Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan

Polity

News – 

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan to build a drug-free India through awareness and community engagement.

About – 

• • It is a 100-week youth campaign launched on August 2, 2026. 
  • Mandate – It aims to eradicate substance abuse to achieve Viksit Bharat @2047.

• Ministry: Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

• • Platform: Conducted through Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat).
  • Timeline: 100 weeks (active every Sunday).

• Origin: Inspired by a pilot in Varanasi (Kashi Declaration).

• Synergy: Complements the Ministry of Social Justice’s Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan.

Key Pillars

• Mass Mobilisation: Uses 1 crore+ youth, NSS units, and spiritual bodies.
• Sunday Activities: Promotes sports, yoga, and arts as positive alternatives.
• Destigmatization: Treats recovering addicts as “warriors” for social reintegration.

Revamped Khelo India Scheme

Government Schemes

News – 

• The Union Cabinet approved the revamped Khelo India Scheme and enhanced Assistance to National Sports Federations with an increased budget of ₹36,441 crore for 2026-27 to 2030-31.

Core Changes

• 10x Athlete Pool: Adds “Emerging Khelo India Athletes” (E-KIAs) to scale up talent enrollment
• School Integration: Creates Khelo India Feeder Schools and Utkrishta Vidyalayas for academics-sports balance.
• Coaching Standards: Establishes the National Coach Accreditation Board (NCAB) to unify certifications.
• Tech-Driven Tracking: Deploys an AI-enabled digital platform for performance monitoring and scouting.