Hyderabad Liberation Day

Polity

News

The Union government notified 17 September as Hyderabad Liberation Day in 2024 to commemorate Hyderabad’s liberation from the Nizam’s rule in 1948.

About

Date: 17 September; the Union Government officially notified it as Hyderabad Liberation Day in 2024.
Context: After Independence, Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan sought an independent Hyderabad and signed a Standstill Agreement with India on 29 November 1947.
Razakars: A volunteer force of Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen, led by Qasim Razvi, which opposed Hyderabad’s accession to India.
Trigger: Failed negotiations, Razakar violence and incursions into Indian territory contributed to India’s decision to intervene.
Operation Polo: India launched the military operation on 13 September 1948, officially described as a “Police Action.”
Liberation: The Nizam announced a ceasefire on 17 September; Hyderabad State Forces formally surrendered on 18 September 1948.

Environment

Context

Recently found 5 orangutans in Odisha’s Balasore’s forest, has raised questions regarding illegal wildlife trade and CITES regulations.

CITES

Abbreviation – Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora & Fauna
CITES was conceptualized in 1963 at a meeting of the (IUCN) International Union For Conservation of Nature.
Establishment – It came into force in 1975 and consists of 183 member-countries
Headquarter – Geneva, Switzerland,
Administered by – United Nations under its UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) Wing.
CITES is legally binding on the Parties; it does not take the place of national laws.

Appendices

Appendix 1 – It lists species that are threatened with extinction nd are or may be affected by trade.
Appendix 2 – This list includes species not necessarily threatened with extinction, but in which trade must be controlled in order to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival.
Appendix 3 – It contains species that are protected in at least one country, which has asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling the trade.

News

The Prime Minister has paid homage to Saratchandra Chattopadhyay on his 150th birth anniversary.

Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay (1876–1938) – UPSC

Born: Devanandapur, Bengal (1876); later lived in Rangoon (Myanmar).
Associated with the Indian freedom movement; President of Howrah Congress unit (1921–36).
Major Bengali novelist known for portraying women, social oppression and orthodox social norms.
Major works: Devdas, Srikanta, Pather Dabi, Parinita, Biraj Bau, Palli Samaj, Charitraheen and Swami.
Pather Dabi: Depicts revolutionary nationalism and anti-colonial resistance.
Srikanta: Narrates the life and experiences of a wandering protagonist.
His works gained pan-Indian and international popularity.

Government Schemes

Context (PIB):

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) and PMAY-U 2.0 have delivered over 1 crore pucca houses to beneficiaries.

About –

Ministry: Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
Launched: 2015 under the National Mission for Urban Housing.
Objective: Provide pucca houses with basic amenities to eligible urban households.
Target beneficiaries: Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), Low-Income Groups (LIG) and other eligible urban households.
PMAY-U 2.0: Approved in 2024 to support construction, purchase or rental of houses for 1 crore additional urban families over 5 years.
Key components under PMAY-U 2.0:
1. Beneficiary-Led Construction (BLC)
2. Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP)
3. Affordable Rental Housing (ARH)
4. Interest Subsidy Scheme (ISS)
Funding: Implemented through Central and State/UT governments, with beneficiary participation depending on the component.
Focus: Affordable housing, improved living conditions and reduction of the urban housing deficit

Science & technology

Context (DD):

The CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (CSIR-NIScPR) is leveraging SARAL AI to convert research published in its journals into engaging and accessible videos.

About –

Full form: Simplified and Automated Research Amplification and Learning (SARAL).
Nature: AI-enabled platform for converting research papers into accessible video summaries.
Initiative of: Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF).
Implementation/Use: CSIR-NIScPR is leveraging SARAL AI for research published in its journals.
Key feature: Converts complex research papers into easy-to-understand video presentations.
Languages: Videos can be made available in multiple Indian languages.
Objective: Democratise research by making scientific knowledge more accessible and engaging.
Significance: Uses AI to make research communication smoother, faster and more accessible.

International

Context (AIR):

India is hosting the 10th World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) 2026 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

About –

Host: India; Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
Edition: 10th WCEF.
First in South Asia: 2026 marks the first time the forum is being held in South Asia.
Organisers: Finnish Innovation Fund (Sitra) and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Launched: 2017 by Sitra.
Nature: Annual global platform bringing together governments, businesses, policymakers, international organisations, experts and innovators.
2026 Theme: “Circular Economy: Transition for People and Prosperity.”
Circular Economy: Moves away from the “take–make–dispose” model by promoting reduce, reuse, repair, refurbishment, remanufacturing and recycling.
Objective: Keep resources in use for longer, reduce resource consumption and minimise waste.

Defense

Context (DDN)

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) organised an industry synergy meet, VIMARSH 2026, with the theme ‘Varta se Vikas’ to strengthen collaboration with industry.

About

Organiser: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
Theme: “Varta se Vikas”.
Objective: Strengthen DRDO–industry collaboration and promote participation of MSMEs and deep-tech start-ups in defence technology.
Support measures: Direct funding, incubation, access to testing facilities and opportunities across the defence technology value chain.
Source-code sharing: A secure framework was introduced to share DRDO-developed software source code with licensed industries.
Purpose: Support software-defined defence and address technology obsolescence.
SAMAR 2.0: DRDO signed an agreement with the Quality Council of India (QCI) for the System for Advance Manufacturing Assessment and Rating (SAMAR) 2.0.
Purpose of SAMAR 2.0: Assess and benchmark the manufacturing maturity of domestic defence enterprises.