In the News: The Environment Ministry has ordered a census due to a population surge in the Ganga-Yamuna, Brahmaputra, and Mahanadi river basins.
Exam Relevance:GS-III (Environment), specifically for invasive species. For Prelims, the key fact is its Least Concern IUCN status, yet it is considered an invasive species in India.
Key Points:
Origin: Native to the USA, it enters India through the pet trade.
Ecological Impact: It’s an omnivore and a fast breeder, aggressively competing with native species like the Indian Roofed Turtle for food.
Health Risk: It is a carrier of Salmonella, posing a risk to both humans and aquaculture.
Regulatory Gap: It’s not listed under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, making import control challenging.
Formal Ban on the Term “Harijan” in Odisha
In the News: Odisha has banned the use of “Harijan” in official documents, opting for “Scheduled Caste” or specific caste names.
Exam Relevance:GS-II (Polity & Society), highlighting linguistic sensitivity and constitutional morality.
Key Points:
Constitutional Basis: The ban is aligned with Articles 17 and 46, which promote dignity and protect weaker sections.
Legal Precedent: This follows a Supreme Court directive from 2018.
Historical Context: The term, first used by Mahatma Gandhi, is now often seen as patronizing by many Dalit groups.
Administrative Benefit: It helps ensure uniform data collection and enhances self-esteem.
Port-specific Restriction on Jute Imports
In the News: The DGFT has restricted jute imports from Bangladesh to only the Nhava Sheva port.
Exam Relevance:GS-III (Economy), focusing on trade policy and agro-based industries.
Key Points:
Purpose: To protect over 4 million jute farmers in Bengal and Assam from cheap imports.
WTO Compatibility: This is a route restriction, not a ban, intended to curb under-invoicing and quality issues.
Economic Impact: The jute sector supports over 250,000 direct jobs.
Other Options: Suggestions include duty relief, subsidies for modern looms, and GST relief for jute goods.
SHRESTH: Drug-Regulatory Excellence Index
In the News: The Health Ministry has launched the first index to rank state drug regulators.
Exam Relevance:GS-II (Governance), showcasing cooperative federalism, and GS-III (S&T) for pharma regulation.
Key Points:
Pillars: It evaluates five areas: licensing speed, GMP inspection quality, e-governance, pharmacovigilance, and transparency.
Methodology: Data is automatically fed from NIC dashboards to ensure objectivity.
Support: Low-scoring states will receive technical support, similar to the Aspirational Districts Programme.
Goal: To build global confidence in India’s USD 65 billion pharmaceutical industry.
INS Udaygiri & INS Himgiri (Project 17A Frigates)
In the News: These two new frigates, with over 75% indigenous content, are scheduled for commissioning on August 26.
Exam Relevance:GS-III (Defence & Security); an excellent example of “Atmanirbhar Bharat“.
Key Points:
Specifications: 149 m in length with a top speed of 28 knots.
Armament: Armed with BrahMos Block-II, Barak-8 SAM, and other indigenous systems.
Construction: Built by Mazagon Dock and GRSE using an “integrated construction” method to reduce costs.
Strategic Importance: These frigates will enhance India’s blue-water capability in the Indian Ocean.
Uttar Pradesh MSME Industrial Estate Policy 2025
In the News: A draft policy has been released for public feedback.
Exam Relevance:GS-III (Economy), focusing on employment and small-scale industries.
Key Points:
Provisions: Includes land allotment via e-auction and a 10% reservation for SC/ST entrepreneurs.
Model: It features a “spoke-and-hub” model with shared labs every 50 km.
Incentives: Provides a 50% power-tariff rebate for five years and up to 80% GST reimbursement.
Target: Aims to create 20 million jobs by 2030 and contribute 35% to the state’s GSDP.
Uttar Pradesh: Second-Fastest Growing State Economy
In the News:MoSPI data shows U.P.’s GSDP growth at 8.9% in FY-24, second only to Tamil Nadu.
Exam Relevance:GS-III (Regional Economics); useful for data-backed answers.
Key Points:
Growth Drivers: Major infrastructure projects like the Purvanchal, Bundelkhand, and Ganga Expressways are expected to cut logistics costs.
Challenge: The state’s per-capita GSDP of ₹1.27 lakh is still below the national average of ₹1.97 lakh.
Vikram Sarabhai’s 106th Birth Anniversary
In the News:ISRO released a commemorative postal stamp on his 106th birth anniversary.
Exam Relevance:GS-III (S&T History); important for personality-based questions.
Key Points:
Foundations: He founded INCOSPAR (1962) and ISRO (1969).
Contributions: Conceived of the SITE experiment and was the brain behind India’s first satellite, Aryabhata (1975).
Famous Quote: His vision of “Science for Society” is a key quote to remember.
Drone-based Cloud Seeding in Rajasthan
In the News: A 60-day pilot project has been launched near Jaipur to revive the Ramgarh Lake.
Exam Relevance:GS-III (S&T & Environment) and Ethics, specifically regarding geo-engineering.
Key Points:
Objective: To revive the lake and raise the groundwater level by 6 meters using drone-released silver-iodide flares.
Global Precedents: Unmanned cloud seeding has been tested in the UAE and Texas.
Concerns: Potential for shifting monsoon patterns and the ecological toxicity of silver iodide.
Lesser Florican Conservation Crisis
In the News: A recent field survey found only one breeding male left in the Rajasthan grasslands, indicating a 97% decline in the population.
Exam Relevance:GS-III (Biodiversity).
Key Points:
Conservation Status: The Lesser Florican is Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List and is listed in CMS Appendix I. It breeds exclusively in India.
Threats: Habitat loss due to grassland conversion, predation by stray dogs, and drowning in pesticide drums.
Suggested Measures: Proposed actions include integrating it into ‘Project Bustard’ and establishing secure breeding enclosures.
India Semiconductor Mission: Four New Plants
In the News: The CCEA has approved four new chip-manufacturing and ATMP (Assembly, Testing, Marking, Packaging) plants.
Exam Relevance:GS-III (Economy & Technology), focusing on global supply-chain geopolitics.
Key Points:
Investment: The total outlay is ₹76,000 crore.
Incentives: Includes a 50% capital subsidy and up to 6% PLI cash-back.
Strategy: This aims to diversify India’s supply chain away from China and position it alongside the “Chip-4” bloc.
BHU-NEER Portal: Integrated NOC for Groundwater Extraction
In the News: The CGWA has launched an online system for groundwater extraction NOCs.
Exam Relevance:GS-III (Environment & Governance); a case study for Digital India.
Key Points:
Efficiency: The average approval time has been reduced from 60 days to 15 days.
Mandatory: It is compulsory for tube wells over 20 HP and all Category-III industries.
Usage: India draws approximately 251 BCM of groundwater annually, about 25% of the global total.