Blog

GI Recognition for Jharkhand’s Traditional Heritage

Economy

Context

• Eleven traditional products of Jharkhand have recently been granted the Geographical Indication (GI) Tag.

GI-Tagged Products of Jharkhand

• Bhagaiya Silk: Bhagaiya Silk is produced in the Bhagaiya region of Godda district. It is known for its traditional handloom weaving techniques and high-quality silk fabric.
• Kuchai Silk: It is cultivated naturally on Asan and Arjun trees in the village of Seraikela-Kharsawan (historically known as Kuchai).
• Kesaria Kalakand: It is a traditional sweet that forms an important part of the region’s culinary heritage.
• Dokra Craft: It  is one of the oldest surviving metal-casting traditions in India. It employs the traditional lost-wax casting technique to produce decorative and utility items.
• Tumka Chadar: It is a uniquely crafted shawl or bedspread sheet (chadar) woven by local tribal and artisan communities in Jharkhand.
• Baroni Paintings: It is traditional folk paintings of Jharkhand depicting local customs, nature, and tribal cultural traditions.
• Pancho Saree and Fabric: The traditional handwoven textiles of Jharkhand known for their distinctive patterns and cultural significance among local communities.
• Jadopatia Painting: It is a traditional scroll-painting art practiced by the Santhal community, depicting folklore, mythology, social customs, and cultural narratives.
• Bhoya Saree and Fabric: It is a traditional handwoven textiles of Jharkhand.
• Munda Jewellery: It is a traditional ornament crafted by the Munda tribal community. It reflects the artistic traditions and social customs of Jharkhand’s tribal population.
• Jharkhand Bamboo Craft: Bamboo Craft utilizes locally available bamboo to create utility and decorative products.

Connect with the basics – Geographical Indication or GI Tag

• It is a name or a sign given to certain products related to a specific geographical location or origins like a region, town, or country.
• A certification for unique products – GI Tag may be regarded as a certification for a particular product with certain specific qualities or has a specific reputation because of its geographical origin.
• GI Tags can be issued for wine and spirit drinks, foodstuffs, agricultural products, handicrafts, and industrial products.
• Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) – At the International level, GI is governed by the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO’s) Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). 
• Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act – In India, Geographical Indications registration is administered by the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, which came into force in September 2003. 
• Darjeeling tea  – The first product in India to be accorded with the GI tag was Darjeeling tea in 2004-05.

India and Slovakia Elevate Ties to Comprehensive Partnership

International

Context

• India and Slovakia elevated their ties to a comprehensive partnership and inked 11 agreements to expand bilateral cooperation. 

About

• The visit was the first by an Indian Prime Minister to Slovakia since its independence in 1993.
• The two leaders also agreed to work towards the earliest implementation of the India-European Union free trade agreement.
• The Slovak President presented The Order of the White Double Cross (1st Class), the highest state honour of Slovakia, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Slovakia

• • Slovakia is a landlocked country in Central Europe. 
  • It became an independent state on January 1, 1993, after the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia.
  • Neighbouring countries – Slovakia is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the southwest and the Czech Republic, lies to the west.
  • Capital city – Bratislava is the only national capital in the world that directly borders two separate countries i.e. Austria and Hungary.

• Official Language: Slovak.

• Currency: Euro (€).
• It is a member of both the European Union and NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization).

BRICS Indore Declaration

International

Context

• The BRICS Agriculture Ministers and officials-level meetings were held in Indore in which the ‘BRICS Indore Declaration’ was unanimously adopted.

BRICS Indore Declaration – Main Focus Areas

• Helping Small Farmers: Focuses on helping small farmers, women, and youth.
• Food Security: Working together to feed the world.
• New Technology: Using smart tools like AI and digital maps in farming.
• Safe Farming: Protecting nature with organic and natural farming.

Key Initiatives

• Digital Agriculture Network: Led by IIT Delhi to bring digital tools to farms.
• Natural Farming Centres: Led by ICAR-IIFSR to study safe farming methods.
• Farmers’ Seed Rights: A forum to protect traditional seeds and farmers’ rights.

BRICS 

• • Founded in – 2009
  • HeadQuarters – Shanghai
  • It is an acronym for the grouping of the world’s leading emerging economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (included in 2010)
  • Origin – The term “BRIC” was coined by the British Economist Jim O’Neill in 2001 to describe the four emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China.

• Recent Expansion (BRICS+): In 2024–2025, the bloc expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, and Indonesia. Saudi Arabia has received an invitation but has not yet formalized its membership.

• Share of BRICS – BRICS brings together five of the largest developing countries, representing 41% of the global population, 24% of the global GDP, and 16% of the global trade (By 2028, BRICS is expected to make up 35 percent of the global economy)
• Chairmanship – The chairmanship of the forum is rotated annually among the members. 

Initiatives of BRICS 

1. New Development Bank (NDB) 
2. Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) 
3. BRICS Payment System 
4. Customs Agreements 
5. Constellation of Remote Sensing Satellites

New Initiative

• BRICS is planning to launch its own “new currency” system, a major step towards de-dollarization (reducing dependence on the US dollar for trade).

U.S. and Iran reach Agreement to end war, re-open Hormuz Strait

International

Context

• The U.S. and Iran have reached a preliminary agreement to end the war.

About

• The pact includes an immediate halt to military action, including in Lebanon, and a 60-day negotiation period.
• The US has announced the removal of the US naval blockade, authorizing the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz for global shipping.
• The move would allow international maritime traffic to resume.

Strait of Hormuz

• Location – The Strait of Hormuz lies between Iran to the north and Oman and the United Arab Emirates to the south, linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. 
• At its narrowest point it is about 33 kilometres wide, with shipping lanes just a few kilometres across in either direction.
• Significance- Nearly half of India’s crude oil and around 60 per cent of its natural gas imports pass through the strait.

Adding Cervavac to National Immunisation Programme After 2027

GS2/ Health

In News

• The HPV vaccine developed by the Serum Institute of India (SII), with support from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), is likely to be included in the national vaccination programme after 2027.

More about the news

• Cervavac, India’s first indigenously developed HPV vaccine, is currently administered in a two-dose schedule, which limited its inclusion in the national HPV vaccination programme. 
• Earlier this year, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched a nationwide HPV vaccination campaign targeting 14-year-old girls using MSD’s Gardasil vaccine. 

Human papillomavirus (HPV)

• • HPV is a common sexually transmitted infection. 

• Most infections are asymptomatic and self-limiting.

• Nature: HPV is a DNA virus from the Papillomaviridae family.

Additional Information – Cervical Cancer

• Cervical cancer develops in a woman’s cervix (the entrance to the uterus from the vagina).  
• Spread: Almost all cervical cancer cases (99%) are linked to infection with high-risk human papillomaviruses (HPV), an extremely common virus transmitted through sexual contact.
• Prevalence: Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women.
• It is the second most common type of cancer in India for women.
• Treatment: When diagnosed, cervical cancer is one of the most successfully treatable forms of cancer, as long as it is detected early and managed effectively.
• Vaccination: There are, at present, two vaccines available in the country against the human papillomavirus (HPV) which causes cervical cancer, namely Merck’s Gardasil and Serum Institute of India’s Cervavac.

Prime Minister Held Official Talks with President of France

International

Context

• PM Modi held bilateral talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in France.

• This marked the first meeting between the two leaders since India-France ties were elevated to a “Special Global Strategic Partnership” earlier this year.

Major Highlights

• Adoption of the “Innovation Roadmap 2030”, aimed at providing long-term direction to bilateral cooperation in technology and innovation. 
• The two leaders also agreed to establish a Joint India-France AI Working Group to deepen collaboration in artificial intelligence.

Additional Information – India-France Relations

• • India–France Strategic Partnership: It was launched on 26 January 1998 and is India’s first-ever Strategic Partnership.
  • Rafale Fighter Jets: India procured 36 Rafales from Dassault Aviation.
  • Scorpene Submarines (Project P-75): Collaboration with France’s Naval Group, 6 submarines built in India; latest is INS Vaghsheer.
  • Recently both nations formally concluded an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) to procure 26 Rafale-M fighter jets for the Indian Navy. 

• Joint Exercises: Shakti, Varuna, FRINJEX-23.

• • Economic Cooperation:  Within the European Union, France remains India’s fifth-largest trading partner, following the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, and Germany.
  • The process of enabling Unified Payment Interface (UPI) has been successful in France.
  • Joint missions: TRISHNA (satellite mission), MDA systems, ground station support.
• International Solar Alliance (ISA): Co-founded by India and France in 2015 to promote solar energy worldwide.

Joint UNESCO Nomination for Xuanzang’s Records

Art and Culture

Context

• India and China are in advanced discussions regarding a joint UNESCO nomination for Xuanzang’s work, ‘The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions’.

Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang) 

• He was a Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, and traveler who journeyed across India during the 7th century CE.
• He spent nearly 19 years travelling through India and studying Buddhist philosophy.
• He studied at the ancient university of Nalanda University. 
• His work, The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions, provides detailed information about:

1. Political conditions under Harshavardhana and other rulers.
2. Social and economic life in early medieval India.
3. Religious traditions and Buddhist institutions.
4. Economic and geographical conditions of early medieval India.

Other Joint Nominations Under Consideration

• Panchatantra with Iran: India is exploring a joint UNESCO nomination of Panchatantra with Iran. The Panchatantra has influenced Persian literature and folklore for centuries and represents a shared literary heritage.
• Satyagraha with South Africa: The idea reflects the historical association of Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violent movement with South Africa.

Shared Civilizational Traditions:

1. Ramayana traditions shared between India and Indonesia.
2. Buddhist scriptures and heritage common to India and China.

Queen Pineapple

Economy

Context

• Ahead of the pineapple festival in Delhi, Tripura eyes global status for queen pineapple.

About

• The queen pineapple was declared the state fruit of Tripura in 2018, four years after it attained the GI tag in 2014 for its golden-yellow hue and a distinct aroma.
• Cultivation: An area with 30–40% slope is generally selected for cultivation and plants require sandy soil and good drainage to prevent water logging and temperature range of 180°C to 32°C is most favorable for its cultivation.
• Tripura’s unique agro climatic condition makes it one of India’s leading pineapple-producing regions where Queen and Kew varieties are mostly cultivated by tribal growers.
• Mission Queen Pineapple: It is a three year long centrally-funded farm-to-plate programme worth Rs 236 crore launched in 2026.
• India contributes roughly 6-8% of total global pineapple production. On a regional scale, West Bengal and Assam are the top-producing states.

Do you Know? 

• Cultivation of pineapple originated in South America and gradually spread to other tropical parts of the world. 
• Pineapple cultivation was introduced to India by the Portuguese in 1548 AD.
• Costa Rica is the leading global producer and exporter of pineapple.

NCERT Dancing Girl Row

Art and Culture

Context

• After facing backlash, NCERT has decided to restore the original image of the Indus Valley Civilization’s iconic Dancing Girl in its Class 9 textbook, reversing its earlier decision to depict the figurine with a covered torso.

Dancing Girl

• The “Dancing Girl” is a 4,500-year-old bronze statuette unearthed in 1926 by archaeologist Ernest Mackay at Mohenjo-daro (present-day Pakistan), a major urban centre of the Indus Valley Civilization. 
• The statue is around 10.5 centimetres tall and  is adorned with a necklace and a large number of bangles stacked on her arms.
• Material and Technique: The bronze sculpture was created using the lost-wax technique, a metal-casting method that continues to be practiced in parts of India, including West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh.
• Today, the original artefact is housed in the National Museum, New Delhi.

Additional Information – Harappan Civilization

• The Harappan civilization is believed to be one of the oldest world civilizations together with Egypt and Mesopotamia. 
• It was developed along the river Indus and for that reason it is also known as the Indus Valley Civilization. 
• The Harappan civilization is identified as a Bronze-age civilization because many objects have been found that are made up of copper based alloys.

Major Features of Civilization

• • Urban Planning: Their towns were well planned and they had brick houses which were situated along the roads.

• Every house was equipped with a staircase, a kitchen and several rooms. 

• • Their courtyards had wells, bathrooms and they had proper drainage systems. 
• Ornaments: The Harappans wore ornaments made of gold, silver, ivory,shell, clay, semi-precious stones and others. 
• Trade and Commerce: The civilization had extensive trade networks, reaching as far as Mesopotamia, Afghanistan, and the Arabian Peninsula. 
• Religion and Iconography: Harappan artifacts depict various symbols and motifs believed to be related to religious beliefs.
  • These include figures such as the “Priest King” and images of animals like bulls, suggesting possible reverence for certain animals.
• Craftsmanship and Artistry: The Harappans produced intricate pottery, including the famous red pottery with black painted motifs.
  • They also created  jewelry, sculptures, and seals made of steatite, terracotta, and other materials.
• Agriculture: They cultivated crops such as wheat, barley, peas, and cotton.
• Social Organization: The society was likely stratified, with evidence suggesting a hierarchical structure. This is indicated by variations in housing sizes and the presence of public buildings.
• Decline and Disappearance: The reasons for the decline of the Harappan Civilization are still debated among historians and archaeologists.
  • Possible factors include ecological changes, such as shifts in river courses, as well as invasions and internal conflicts.

Major Harappan Sites

Dengue Vaccine Safety Concerns

Science & technology

Context

• Brazil recently suspended the administration of its dengue vaccine, Butantan-DV, after reports of severe adverse events, including two deaths, during a large-scale vaccination campaign. 

Additional Information – Dengue

• • Pathogen – Dengue is a viral infection caused by the dengue virus (DENV).
  • DENV is an RNA virus of the Flaviviridae family with four serotypes (DENV-1 to 4). 

• Symptoms: High fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pains, nausea, vomiting, swollen glands, rash. 

• Transmission: The virus is transmitted to humans through the bites of infected female mosquitoes, primarily the Aedes Aegypti mosquito.
• There is a possibility of maternal transmission of Dengue (from a pregnant mother to her baby), transmission via blood products, organ donation and transfusions.
• Prevention: There is no specific antiviral treatment for dengue, so prevention relies on controlling mosquito populations and raising public awareness. 
• The mosquitoes that spread dengue are active during the day. The best way of protection is to protect yourself from mosquito bites.

India’s first indigenous dengue vaccine

• DengiAll is an indigenous, tetravalent, single-dose dengue vaccine candidate being developed by Panacea Biotec in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

PM Modi to Participate in 52nd G7 Summit in France

International

Context

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to participate in the 52nd G7 Summit in France. 

About – 

• Group of Seven (G7): An informal organization of seven of the world’s largest advanced economies, representing about 10% of the population and nearly 30% of global GDP.
• Members: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, and the United States.
• Presidency: Rotates annually among member states.

Why is the G7 Summit Important?

• Economic Influence: Decisions impact global trade, financial stability, and climate policy.
• Crisis Coordination: Forum for addressing global challenges like pandemics, wars, and geopolitical tensions.
• Multilateralism: Reinforces a rules-based international order through consensus-building.

New Phase in India-Nepal Relations

International

Context

• Recent high-level exchanges between India and Nepal signal efforts by both sides to strengthen bilateral ties despite differences over boundary issues. 

India- Nepal Border Disputes

• India and Nepal argue over a few specific pieces of land. The main areas are Kalapani, Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh, and Susta.

India – Nepal Relations

• India and Nepal share an approximately 1,751 km border.
• Shared Border: The country shares a border with five Indian states – Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
• India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship – Signed in 1950, it forms the special relations that exist between India and Nepal. 
• Defence Cooperation: Both countries conduct Joint Military Exercise SURYA KIRAN alternately in India and in Nepal.  
• The Gorkha regiments of the Indian Army are raised partly by recruitment from hill districts of Nepal. 
• Trade and Economic: India remains Nepal’s largest trade partner and Investment where Indian firms account for 33.5 % of total FDI stock in Nepal.
• Operation Maitri & post-earthquake reconstruction assistance: In the wake of the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, GoI was the first responder and carried out its largest disaster relief operation abroad (Operation Maitri). 
• Cultural Ties: The leaders of the two countries have often noted the age-old ‘roti beti’ relationship, which refers to cross-border marriages between people of the two countries.

Project Kusha

GS3/Defence

Context

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has described the indigenous Project Kusha air defence system as a potential game changer for India’s security architecture. 

Project Kusha

• It is an ambitious, indigenous long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) defence system.
• It is designed to act as a powerful, multi-layered air defence shield that can detect and destroy advanced enemy targets at long distances.
• Developed by – Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). 
• Multi-Tier Interception: The system features three types of interceptor missiles to stop threats at different distances:

1. M1 interceptor with a range of around 150 km
2. M2 interceptor with a range of around 250 km
3. M3 interceptor with a range of 350-400 km

Significance – 

• Countering the S-400 and Global Comparisons – Project Kusha is often called India’s homegrown answer to Russia’s famous S-400 Triumf air defence system.
• The project is also linked to the broader “Mission Sudarshan Chakra”, an initiative aimed at building a multi-layered air and missile defence shield for India by 2035.

Indigenous AI Model Varya

Science and Technology

Context

• The IndiaAI Mission has supported the launch of Varya, an indigenous AI-powered video generation model developed by Avataar.

Varya

• Varya is a distilled video generation model that converts text prompts and images into videos.
• It is designed to generate culturally relevant visual content reflecting India’s regions, festivals, traditions, clothing, food, and everyday life.
• The platform follows the workflow, from Idea to Video to Story, allowing users to create and extend visual narratives through simple prompts.

Four Sites on Nicobar West Coast Identified for Coral Translocation

GS3/Environment

Context

• Coral colonies and giant clams that will be impacted due to the work on the transhipment port proposed at Galathea Bay as part of the Great Nicobar Island (GNI) mega project will be translocated to four sites on the west coast.

The Great Nicobar Island (GNI) Project 

• It is conceived by NITI Aayog and launched in 2021.
• It is a ₹72,000–₹81,000 crore mega-infrastructure initiative. 
• It is aimed at transforming India’s southernmost island into a major strategic  and economic hub. 
• Significance – The project is a centerpiece of India’s Maritime Vision 2030 and Amrit Kaal Vision 2047. 

Core Components

• International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT): At Galathea Bay, aiming to handle 14.2 million TEUs to capture regional cargo.
• Greenfield International Airport: A dual-use facility for tourism and defense.
• Integrated Township: Planned development to accommodate a projected population of 6.5 lakh by 2050.
• Power Plant: A 450 MVA gas and solar-based facility. 

Connect with the basics – CORAL REEFS 

• Coral reefs are the most biologically diverse ecosystems of the planet.

Formation & Symbiotic relationship – (Coral polyps + zooxanthellae)

• They are formed when Coral polyps, the animals primarily responsible for building reefs, develop a symbiotic relationship with photosynthetic algae called zooxanthellae, which live in its tissues. 
• Formation – Coral reefs begin to form when free-swimming coral larvae attach to submerged rocks or other hard surfaces along the edges of islands or continents. 
• The coral provides a protected environment and the compounds zooxanthellae need for photosynthesis. 
• In return, the algae produce carbohydrates that the coral uses for food, as well as oxygen. The algae also helps the coral remove waste. 

FAVOURABLE CONDITIONS FOR FORMATION

• Warm tropical oceans with minimum temperature of 20 degree (30 degree north and 25 degree south latitudes)
• Oceanic water free of sedimentation
• Transparent parts of ocean bodies 
• Relatively low salinity ocean bodies

TYPES OF REEF FORMATIONS

• Fringing reefs – They are the most common, projecting seaward directly from the shore, forming borders along the shoreline and surrounding islands. 
• Barrier reefs – Grow at border shorelines, but at a greater distance. They are separated from their adjacent land mass by a lagoon of open, often deep water. 
• Atoll – If a fringing reef forms around a volcanic island that subsides completely below sea level while the coral continues to grow upward, an atoll forms. Atolls are usually circular or oval, with a central lagoon. 

DISTRIBUTION IN INDIA 

• The Gulf of Kutch  

1. The West Coast of India 
2. The Lakshadweep Islands 
3. The Gulf of Mannar 
4. Palk Bay
5. Andaman and Nicobar Group of Islands 

THREATS 

• Destructive fishing practices, Overfishing, Careless tourism, Pollution, Sedimentation, Coral mining, Climate change. 

CORAL BLEACHING

• When corals face stress by changes in conditions such as temperature, light, or nutrients, they expel the symbiotic algae zooxanthellae living in their tissues, causing them to turn completely white. This phenomenon is called coral bleaching.

Causes of Coral Bleaching

CORAL REEFS 

• Coral reefs are the most biologically diverse ecosystems of the planet.

Formation & Symbiotic relationship – (Coral polyps + zooxanthellae)

• They are formed when Coral polyps, the animals primarily responsible for building reefs, develop a symbiotic relationship with photosynthetic algae called zooxanthellae, which live in its tissues. 
• Formation – Coral reefs begin to form when free-swimming coral larvae attach to submerged rocks or other hard surfaces along the edges of islands or continents. 
• The coral provides a protected environment and the compounds zooxanthellae need for photosynthesis. 
• In return, the algae produce carbohydrates that the coral uses for food, as well as oxygen. The algae also helps the coral remove waste. 

FAVOURABLE CONDITIONS FOR FORMATION

• Warm tropical oceans with minimum temperature of 20 degree (30 degree north and 25 degree south latitudes)
• Oceanic water free of sedimentation
• Transparent parts of ocean bodies 
• Relatively low salinity ocean bodies

TYPES OF REEF FORMATIONS

• Fringing reefs – They are the most common, projecting seaward directly from the shore, forming borders along the shoreline and surrounding islands. 
• Barrier reefs – Grow at border shorelines, but at a greater distance. They are separated from their adjacent land mass by a lagoon of open, often deep water. 
• Atoll – If a fringing reef forms around a volcanic island that subsides completely below sea level while the coral continues to grow upward, an atoll forms. Atolls are usually circular or oval, with a central lagoon. 

DISTRIBUTION IN INDIA 

• The Gulf of Kutch  

1. The West Coast of India 
2. The Lakshadweep Islands 
3. The Gulf of Mannar 
4. Palk Bay
5. Andaman and Nicobar Group of Islands 

THREATS 

• Destructive fishing practices, Overfishing, Careless tourism, Pollution, Sedimentation, Coral mining, Climate change. 

CORAL BLEACHING

• When corals face stress by changes in conditions such as temperature, light, or nutrients, they expel the symbiotic algae zooxanthellae living in their tissues, causing them to turn completely white. This phenomenon is called coral bleaching.

Causes of Coral Bleaching