Blog

Methane Gas Explosion in Sikkim

Environment

News – 

• A suspected methane gas explosion inside an under-construction tunnel of the Teesta Hydroelectric Project in Sikkim, resulted in the death of at least 20 people.

Methane

• Methane (CH₄) is a colorless, odorless, and highly flammable gas, and it is the primary component of natural gas.
• It has a relatively short atmospheric lifetime of about 12 years, compared to carbon dioxide.
• Methane as a Greenhouse Gas: Methane is a highly potent greenhouse gas with a strong short-term warming impact.
• It is over 80 times more effective than carbon dioxide at trapping heat over a 20-year period.
• It is responsible for around 30% of the current global warming since the pre-industrial era.
• Major Sources: Human-driven emissions arise mainly from oil and gas production, coal mining, livestock enteric fermentation (burps), and decomposing waste in landfills.
• Natural sources include Wetlands, marine sediments and hydrates and geological Sources like volcanoes.

Mission Golden Spice

Economy

Context – 

• The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region launched Mission Golden Spice to develop Meghalaya’s GI-tagged Lakadong turmeric as a global premium spice.
• Significance – It advances the ‘Ashtalakshmi initiative’, which identifies a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) for each of the northeastern states.

Lakadong Turmeric

• It is a premium variety of turmeric cultivated in Meghalaya’s Jaintia Hills and is renowned for its high curcumin content of 7–12%, compared with 2–3% in conventional varieties.
• Traditionally cultivated by indigenous farmers without synthetic fertilisers or pesticides, using heirloom seed rhizomes (100% organic). 
• It was formally granted a GI tag in 2024.
• India is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of turmeric, accounting for over 70% of global production.
• Major producing states – Telangana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

Gems of India Challenge

Polity

News-  

• The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) launched the pilot phase of Gems of India Challenge.

About

• Objective – It is a nationwide initiative to identify, nurture and promote grassroots digital creators.
• The challenge, built on MyWAVES platform under WAVES OTT, invites citizens to create short videos showcasing unique stories and cultural heritage of their districts.
• The pilot phase will cover Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Goa, and Ladakh.
• It offers district-level awards of ₹50,000 each for up to 20 creators per district, state-level awards of two lakh rupees, and national awards of five lakh rupees during the nationwide rollout.
• WAVES – It is an Over-The-Top (OTT) platform by Prasar Bharati, was launched at 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), held in Panaji, Goa, on 20th November 2024. 
• MyWAVES is a new feature within WAVES OTT platform that enables citizens to create, upload and share content aimed at promoting the ‘Orange Economy’.

Connect with basics – Orange Economy

• • It is also known as the Creative Economy
  • It refers to knowledge-based economic activities where individual creativity, skill, talent, and cultural heritage are transformed into economic value through Intellectual Property (IP). 
  • Origin: Coined by Colombian economists Felipe Buitrago and Iván Duque (former President of Colombia) in their 2013 book, The Orange Economy: An Infinite Opportunity.
  • Symbolism: The color orange was chosen as it has historically been associated with culture, creativity, and identity.

• Core Sectors: Includes film, music, gaming, animation, visual effects (AVGC), fashion, publishing, software development, and cultural tourism.
• Recent developments – Karnataka’s AVGC-XR Policy 3.0 (2024–2029) is a strategic framework designed to establish the state as a global leader in Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality

Naying Hydro Electric Project

Economy

News-  

• The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) launched the pilot phase of Gems of India Challenge.

About

• Objective – It is a nationwide initiative to identify, nurture and promote grassroots digital creators.
• The challenge, built on MyWAVES platform under WAVES OTT, invites citizens to create short videos showcasing unique stories and cultural heritage of their districts.
• The pilot phase will cover Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Goa, and Ladakh.
• It offers district-level awards of ₹50,000 each for up to 20 creators per district, state-level awards of two lakh rupees, and national awards of five lakh rupees during the nationwide rollout.
• WAVES – It is an Over-The-Top (OTT) platform by Prasar Bharati, was launched at 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), held in Panaji, Goa, on 20th November 2024. 
• MyWAVES is a new feature within WAVES OTT platform that enables citizens to create, upload and share content aimed at promoting the ‘Orange Economy’.

Connect with basics – Orange Economy

• • It is also known as the Creative Economy
  • It refers to knowledge-based economic activities where individual creativity, skill, talent, and cultural heritage are transformed into economic value through Intellectual Property (IP). 
  • Origin: Coined by Colombian economists Felipe Buitrago and Iván Duque (former President of Colombia) in their 2013 book, The Orange Economy: An Infinite Opportunity.
  • Symbolism: The color orange was chosen as it has historically been associated with culture, creativity, and identity.

• Core Sectors: Includes film, music, gaming, animation, visual effects (AVGC), fashion, publishing, software development, and cultural tourism.
• Recent developments – Karnataka’s AVGC-XR Policy 3.0 (2024–2029) is a strategic framework designed to establish the state as a global leader in Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality

Odesa Port

International

News – 

• India condemned the attack on the vessel MV GOLDEN LEO, a commercial cargo vessel, claiming lives of four Indian Nationals while departing the port of Odesa in Ukraine.

Odesa Port

• Odesa port is one of the largest ports of Black Sea-Azov basin, located in the northwestern part of Black Sea.

Black Sea

• Located in – The Black Sea is located between Eastern Europe and Western Asia.
• Surrounded by – It is surrounded by the Pontic, Caucasus, and Crimean Mountains in the south, east and north respectively.
• Uniqueness – There is a significant absence of oxygen in the water (anoxic waters).
• Connectivity – The Black Sea is also connected to the Sea of Azov by the Strait of Kerch.
• Turkish straits system – Dardanelles, Bosporus and Marmara Sea forms a transitional zone between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.
• Bordering countries of Black Sea are – Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania.

Patent Mitra Initiative

Economy

News

• Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) licensed three indigenous biomedical technologies to domestic manufacturers under its Medical Innovations Patent Mitra initiative.

Patent Mitra Initiative

• It is a centralized digital platform acting as an Intellectual Property (IP) incubator for India’s healthcare sector. 

• The National Medical Commission (NMC) has mandated all Indian medical colleges to adopt it.

Institutional Structure

• Lead Agency: Developed and managed by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
• Key Partners: Guided by NITI Aayog alongside the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) and DPIIT.

Core Objectives

• Lowering Barriers: Eliminates high costs and bureaucratic hurdles of filing domestic and international patents.
• Commercialization: Translates lab research into real-world diagnostics, therapeutics, and medical devices.
• Self-Reliance: Boosts local biomedical manufacturing under the “Make in India” vision.

Connect with the basics – Intellectual Property rights

• Definition – It means providing property rights through patents, copyrights and trademarks. 
• Holders of intellectual property rights have monopoly on the usage of property or items for a specified time period. 

Types of intellectual property 

• Patents – It is used for protecting new inventions, ideas or processes. Patent holders need to pay periodic government renewal fees. An approved patent is for a limited time period.
• Copyrights – It protects the ideas, examples would be written works, music, art etc.
• Trademarks – It is something that protects the symbols, colors, phrases, sounds, design etc. 
• Trade Secrets – It may be strategies, systems, formulas or other confidential information of an organization that provides them competitive advantage in the market.

National IPR Policy

• Adopted in  – May 2016
• Objective –  To guide future development of IPRs in the country.
• Motto – Creative India; Innovative India
• Cell for IPR Promotion & Management (CIPAM) – It is set up under the aegis of DIPP; is to be the single point of reference for implementation of the objectives of the National IPR Policy.
• TRIPS – India’s IPR regime is in compliance with the WTO’s agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).

KAPILA 

• Abbreviation – Kalam Program for Intellectual Property Literacy and Awareness campaign.
• Nodal Ministry – Ministry of Education

Objectives of the campaign include

• To create awareness regarding Intellectual Property Rights(IPR) in Higher Education Institutions(HEIs).
• To develop a training program on IPR for faculty and students of Higher Education Institutions.

Additional Information – World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

• • It is a self-funding agency of the United Nations, that serves the world’s innovators and creators, ensuring that their ideas travel safely to the market and improve lives everywhere.
  • History: WIPO was established in 1967 by the WIPO Convention. 
  • Members: The organization has 193 member states including both developing and developed nations like India, Italy, Israel, Austria, Bhutan, Brazil, China, Cuba, Egypt, Pakistan, the U.S. and the U.K.

• India joined WIPO in 1975. 

• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.

M.P. Cabinet Approves Draft UCC Bill

Polity

Context

• The Madhya Pradesh Cabinet has approved the draft Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill.

Major Highlights of the Bill

• • Objective: The Bill seeks to prohibit polygamy and simultaneously multiple marriages across all communities.
  • It proposes a prohibition on practices like polygamy and nikah halala, while introducing strict provisions for live-in relationships. 
  • Exemptions: The law will not apply to Scheduled Tribes (such as Bhil, Gond, Korku, Baiga, Sahariya, and Bharia) covered under Articles 342 and 366 of the Constitution.
  • Furthermore, communities whose traditional rights are protected under Part XXI of the Constitution have also been specifically exempted.
  • Registration: It will be mandatory to register marriages and divorces across all communities through government portals.
  • Children of married or unmarried parents—whether biological, adopted, or born through surrogacy or Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)—will enjoy equal legal status.
  • Live-in Relations: It is mandatory for live-in couples to submit an affidavit to the local registrar within a month of entering in a relationship, failing which could attract legal action.

• Children born out of live-in relationships will be considered legitimate and entitled to full inheritance rights. 

Uniform Civil Code

• Article 44 of the Directive Principles of the State Policy (DPSP) states that it is the duty of the State to secure Uniform Civil Code (UCC) for the citizens throughout the country. 
• It mainly aims to replace Personal Laws based on the scriptures and customs of each major religious community in India with a common set of rules governing every citizen. 
• “Uniform” in UCC signifies
  • Uniformity of laws between communities. 
  • Uniformity of laws within communities ensuring equalities between the rights of men and women. 

Efforts Towards UCC in India

• Special Marriage Act, 1954: The Special Marriage Act of 1954 provides for civil marriage for any citizen irrespective of religion, thus, permitting any Indian to have their marriage outside the boundaries of any religious personal law. 
•  Shah Bano Case 1985: In this case, Shah Bano was refused her claim for maintenance. The Supreme Court ruled in her favour under Section 125 of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), which applied to all citizens the order for maintenance of wives, children and parents. 
  • The Supreme Court further recommended that the long pending Uniform Civil Code should be finally enacted. 
• The Supreme Court also called on the government to implement the UCC in the 1995 Sarla Mudgal judgement as well as in the Paulo Coutinho vs Maria Luiza Valentina Pereira case (2019). 

Arguments in Favour of UCC

• Accommodating the Aspirations of the Youth: As the world transitions into the digital age, the social attitude and aspiration of the young population is shaping by universal and global principles of equality, humanity and modernity.
  • Thus, the enactment of Uniform Civil Code will help in utilising their full potential towards nation building. 
• Support National Integration: The Constitution guarantees all citizens equal treatment in courts of law whether it is criminal laws or other civil laws (except Personal Laws). 
  • Thus, the implementation of Uniform Civil Code will grant an equal set of personal laws to all, resulting in the end of politicization of issues of the discrimination or concessions or on the other hand exceptional benefits appreciated by a specific community on the basis of their specific religious personal laws. 
• The Rise Above the Patriarchal Mindset: The existing personal laws of most religions are based upon the upper-class patriarchal notions of the society. Thus, the codification and implementation of the Uniform Civil Code will destroy the sanctity of the patriarchal orthodox. 
  • Thus, the Uniform Civil Code will promote gender equality and will bring both men and women at par. 
• Convenient for Judicial Process: There exist many personal laws, including Hindu Code, Sharia Law, etc. The presence of so many laws leads to confusion, complexity, and inconsistencies in the adjudication of personal matters, sometimes resulting in delayed or incomplete justice. 
  • UCC will help the judiciary deliver justice efficiently and within a reasonable timeframe. 

Arguments Against UCC

• 21st Law Commission Report : The Law Commission of India has opined that a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is neither necessary nor desirable to reconcile conflicts in personal/family laws. 
  • It stated that many countries are now moving towards recognition of difference, and the mere existence of difference does not imply discrimination, but is indicative of a robust democracy. 
  • Therefore, the Commission has suggested amendments to existing family laws to tackle discrimination and inequality in personal laws, rather than do away with differences between them altogether. 
• Against Cultural Diversity India: Practical difficulties due to diversity in India, it is difficult to come up with a uniform set of rules for personal issues like marriage due to the tremendous diverse culture in India across the religions, sects, castes, states, etc.
• Encroachment on Religious Freedom: Articles 25 to 28 of Indian Constitution provide the Right to Freedom of Religion. The Uniform Civil Code is viewed as a threat to religious freedom (Article 25) by many communities, especially the minority communities. 
  • According to them, the Uniform Civil Code will neglect their traditions and impose rules which will be mainly influenced by the majority religious communities.
• Against the Indigenous Rights of Tribes: The Naga Community has claimed that the implementation of UCC would bring about clear trouble for their culture and dignity. 
  • It can potentially cause social disorder, as the personal and social life of the tribes are quite distinct from the rest of the people in the country. 

Conclusion 

• The goal of a UCC should ideally be reached in a piecemeal manner through a brick-by-brick approach rather than an omnibus approach. A just code is far more important than a uniform code.

Operation Vajra

Polity

Context

• The Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) prevented illegal trafficking of high-strength Tramadol Hydrochloride (250 mg) tablets under the Operation Vajra.

Tramadol 

• It is a synthetic opioid painkiller, popularly known as the ‘Fighter Drug’. 
• It has reportedly been misused by fighters, including ISIS militants, to suppress pain and fatigue. 
• In 2018, India brought Tramadol under the ambit of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, making its production and sale without approval from the Central Bureau of Narcotics illegal. 

Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985

• Objective – It is India’s primary law regulating narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. It balances strict prohibition with medical use.

Constitutional & Global Pillars

• Article 47: Aligns with the Directive Principle to prohibit health-injurious drinks and drugs.
• UN Treaties: Fulfills India’s obligations under the 1961, 1971, and 1988 UN drug conventions.
• Jurisdiction: Covers all of India, its citizens abroad, and India-registered ships/aircraft.

Key Provisions & Definitions

• Blanket Ban: Prohibits cultivation, production, possession, and sale of narcotics except for medical/scientific use.
• Bhang Exception: Explicitly bans Charas and Ganja, but excludes Bhang (leaves), leaving it to state laws.
• Property Forfeiture: Empowers the state to freeze and seize assets derived from illicit drug trafficking.

Enforcement Nodal Body

• Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB): Formed in 1986 under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) as the apex coordinating enforcement agency.

Taj Mahal

History and Culture

Context

• The Allahabad High Court has issued notices to the Union Government and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on a petition seeking a survey of the Taj Mahal, claiming it is a Hindu temple called “Tejo Mahalaya.”

Taj Mahal

• • The Taj Mahal is a 17th-century Mughal mausoleum located on the right bank of the Yamuna River  in Agra and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.
  • It was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal  (Arjumand Bano Begum) with construction starting in 1632 AD and completed in 1648 AD.
  • In Mughal records, it was referred to as “Rauza-i-Munavvara” (Illuminated Tomb).

• Chief architect: Ustad Ahmad Lahori.

• The land for the monument was acquired from Mirza Raja Jai Singh of Amber, who was compensated by Shah Jahan.
• Architectural Features: The Taj Mahal represents the zenith of Mughal architecture, combining Persian, Timurid, and Indian architectural traditions.

Key features include:

• White Makrana marble
• Perfect bilateral symmetry
• Charbagh garden layout
• Quranic calligraphy
• Islamic funerary design elements
• Extensive Pietra dura, a decorative technique in which semi-precious stones are inlaid into marble to create intricate floral and geometric patterns.

Birth Anniversary of Mangal Pandey

History

Context

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has paid tribute to the great revolutionary and freedom fighter Mangal Pandey on his birth anniversary.

Mangal Pandey

• Born on 19 July 1827 in Nagwa village, Ballia (present-day UP), into a Bhumihar Brahmin family. 
• He joined the East India Company’s army at 22, serving in the 34th Bengal Native Infantry.
• The spark of Revolt: The British had just introduced the Enfield rifle, whose cartridges had to be bitten open to load  and word spread that they were greased with beef and pork fat.
• For Hindu and Muslim sepoys alike, this was deeply offensive. Mangal Pandey refused to use it, and on 29 March 1857 at Barrackpore, he fired the first shot of rebellion at his Sergeant Major.
• That one act set off the Revolt of 1857  variously called the Sepoy Mutiny or India’s First War of Independence. 
• Pandey was court-martialled and hanged on 8 April 1857. His regiment was disbanded later.
• Aftermath: On 10 May 1857, sepoys in Meerut rose up, and things escalated quickly into a full-blown national revolt. They marched to Delhi and convinced the elderly Bahadur Shah II, the last Mughal emperor to become their symbolic leader.
• The British recaptured the Red Fort by September 1857, and Bahadur Shah was exiled to Rangoon, where he died in 1862.
• As a Result: The revolt ended East India Company rule for good. The British Crown took direct charge through Queen Victoria’s Proclamation of 1858 and the Government of India Act, 1858 replacing the Governor-General with a Viceroy. Lord Canning became India’s first Viceroy.

Museum of Word

Polity

Context

• The Union Home Minister inaugurated the first phase of the ‘Museum of Word’ in Kolkata.

About

• It is developed by the National Library under the aegis of the Union Culture Ministry.
• It is the first immersive language museum in the country, also known as Shabdalok.
• It celebrates India’s 22 official languages and traces their journey from oral traditions and ancient manuscripts to printed works and modern electronic texts.
• The museum features nine galleries exploring different facets of the history of languages and their influence on India’s civilisation and culture. 
• Significance – It seeks to present language as a living entity that has continuously shaped society while also being shaped by it.

Eighth Schedule

• The Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India lists the official languages of the Republic of India.
• Part XVII of the Indian Constitution deals with the official languages in Articles 343 to 351.

The Eighth Schedule includes the recognition of the following 22 languages:

• Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Bodo, Santhali, Maithili and Dogri are the 22 languages presently in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution.
• Of these languages, 14 were initially included in the Constitution. 
• Subsequently, Sindhi was added in 1967; Konkani, Manipuri and Nepali were added in 1992; and Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santali were added by the 92nd Amendment Act of 2003.

Right to Protest

Polity

In News

• Recently, Delhi Police stated that the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has no permission to continue the protest at Jantar Mantar or to hold the proposed march to Parliament.

Laws governing the right to protest

• • In India, the right to protest is protected under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution that guarantees freedom of speech and expression and

• Article 19(1)(b) that guarantees the right to assemble peacefully without arms. 

• But it is subject to such reasonable restrictions as are necessary for maintaining public order, security and other constitutional interests.
• Conditions : Law and order is a State subject and each state has its own rules for granting permission for protests and public gatherings.
• Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) too allows authorities to issue prohibitory orders and bar any continuing protests.
• But there must be reasons for any refusal or withdrawal of permission, stating the risks or threats involved.

72nd National Film Awards for the year 2024

Miscellaneous

Context

• The 72nd National Film Awards, which honoured films that received certification from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) during the 2024 calendar year, were announced.

About

• National Film Awards are the most prestigious awards, which are announced annually to honor the best filmmaking talent across the country. 
• It aims at encouraging the production of films of aesthetic and technical excellence and social relevance.
• The awards are given in three sections – Features, Non-Features and Best Writing on Cinema.

History 

• The awards were first presented in 1954 and were known as the ‘State Awards’.
• At the time, only best films in different regional languages were recognised and awarded. 
• Separate awards for artists and technicians were instituted in 1968 for the films of 1967. 
• Nargis Dutt and Uttam Kumar being the first actress and actor to get the Best Actress and Best Actor Awards respectively.

Key Recipient of the Awards

• Best Feature Film: Article 370 (Hindi)

• Best Non-feature film: Bhangaar (Marathi & English)

• Best Documentary: Ram-Nami (Hindi)

• Best Actor: Mammootty (Bramayugam) and Kartik Aaryan (Chandu Champion).
• Best Actress: Yami Gautam (Article 370)