Prelims Nuggets

Rani Durgavati

Context: The martyrdom of Rana Durgavati was celebrated in Madhya Pradesh as part of an initiative to honour the contributions made by individuals from marginalized social and caste groups who may not have received widespread recognition.

Rani Durgawati's Early Life:

Rani Durgavati
  • Rani Durgavati, ruled over the Gondwana kingdom from 1550 until 1564.
  • Born in the fortress of Kalinjar, located in the present-day Banda district of Uttar Pradesh.
  • Her father, Raja Salbahan of Ratha and Mahoba, was a descendant of the famous Chandelas. 
  • She was married to Dalpat Shah, the son of King Sangram Shah of the Garha Kingdom, sealing an alliance between the Chandela Rajputs and the Rajgonds of the Garha-Mandala dynasties.
  • After the untimely death of her husband in 1550, Rani Durgavati took the reins of the Gondwana kingdom.

Rani Durgavati’s rule:

  • With the support of her trusted advisors, Diwan Adhar Kayastha and Man Thakur, she skillfully managed the administration, promoting peace, trade, and goodwill throughout her realm.
  • To strengthen her kingdom's defenses, Rani Durgavati decided to move her capital from the Singorgarh Fort to the strategically important Chauragarh Fort, nestled in the Satpura hill range. This relocation further fortified her position and prepared her kingdom for potential conflicts. 
  • Rani Durgavati also undertook various developmental projects, including the construction of reservoirs like Ranital, Cherital, and Adhartal, for the benefit of her subjects.
  • She was a patron of learning and allowed Acharya Bitthalnath to establish a seat of the Pushtimarg Cult at Garha.
  • Under Rani Durgavati's rule, the boundaries of her kingdom were consolidated, and she led her army to quell rebellions. The majority of the population consisted of Gond tribesmen living in villages.
  • The kingdom's strength lay in its well-equipped army, comprising cavalry, war elephants, and a large infantry. During the period between 1555 and 1560, Durgavati repulsed the attacks of Baz Bahadur.

War with the Mughals (Battle of Damoh/Narrai):

  • In 1562, the Mughal Empire, under the leadership of Emperor Akbar, conquered Malwa, bringing the Mughal dominion closer to the borders of Rani Durgavati's realm.
  • As tensions escalated, Mughal general, Abdul Majid Asaf Khan, who had recently vanquished the ruler of Rewa, set his sights on Rani Durgavati's prosperous kingdom.
  • When news of the impending attack reached Rani Durgavati, she made a courageous decision to defend her kingdom, despite being outnumbered and outgunned by the Mughal forces.
  • Although her advisor, Diwan Beohar Adhar Simha (Adhar Kayastha), warned her about the strength of the enemy, she believed that it was better to die honorably than to live a life of disgrace.
  • Rani Durgavati positioned her forces in Narrai, a valley situated between a hilly range on one side and the Gaur and Narmada rivers on the other. In a valiant display of bravery, Rani Durgavati's son, Vir Narayan, joined the battle and pushed the Mughal army back thrice.
  • However, he was wounded and forced to retreat to safety. As the battle raged on, Rani Durgavati sustained severe injuries. Faced with the inevitability of defeat, Rani Durgavati took her own life on June 24, 1564.
  • Her act of self-sacrifice and unwavering determination in the face of overwhelming odds earned her the status of a martyr, and her martyrdom day is commemorated as ‘Balidan Diwas’ to this day.

Garha-Mandala Kingdom

  • The Garha Mandala or Garha Katanga, held the distinction of being the first major kingdom established by the Gond tribe and exerted significant control over Central India during its zenith.
  • It was founded by Jadurai, a Gond leader who ascended to the throne after overthrowing the Kalchuri Rajputs of Garha-Mandala, where he had previously served in the court.
  • Initially, the Garha-Mandala kingdom was a relatively small territory, and its early rulers focused on consolidating their authority.
  • Kharji (1440-1460) expanded the kingdom's army, and his grandson Sukhandas (1480-1500) incorporated Rajputs into both the military and administration.

Reign of Sangram Shah: 

  • The kingdom experienced rapid expansion under the reign of Sangram Shah, who conquered territories such as the Narmada Valley, Bhopal, Sagar, Damoh, and most of the Satpura hills. 
  • Sangram Shah captured 52 forts, leading to the construction of the Chouragrh Fort in Narsinghpur as a testament to his conquests.
  • He was also renowned as a patron of arts and literature and possessed extensive knowledge of Sanskrit, with one of his notable works being the Rasratnamala.
  • During his reign, the capital of the Garha kingdom was Singhorgarh. 

Chandelas of Jejakabhukti

Chandelas of Jejakabhukti
  • The Chandelas ruled in Central India during the 9th to 13th centuries. 
  • Initially subordinate to the Gurjara-Pratiharas, the Chandelas emerged under Nannuka's leadership, ruling a small kingdom centered around Khajuraho.
  • Vakpati, Nannuka's successor, achieved victories against various adversaries, while his sons Jayashakti and Vijayashakti further consolidated Chandela’s power.
  • The Chandela territory was named ‘Jejakabhukti’ after Jayashakti, as per a Mahoba inscription.

Art and Architecture of Chandelas:

  • The Chandelas left a lasting legacy through their cultural accomplishments, including the construction of temples, water bodies, palaces, and forts. 
  • The most renowned examples of their artistic and architectural prowess are the Hindu and Jain temples at Khajuraho.
  • Other important strongholds of the Chandelas were Jayapura-Durga (now Ajaigarh), Kalanjara (now Kalinjar), and Mahotsava-Nagara (now Mahoba). 
  • Under the reigns of Yashovarman, Dhanga, and Vidyadhara, the Lakshmana Temple (c. 930-950 CE), the Vishvanatha Temple (c. 999-1002 CE), and the Kandariya Mahadeva Temple (c. 1030 CE) were built, respectively. 
  • These temples, following the Nagara architectural style, are considered prime examples of the highly developed style present in Khajuraho.
  • The Chandelas engaged in battles with neighboring dynasties, such as the Paramars and Kalachuris, and faced invasions from northern Muslim dynasties like the Ghaznavids and Ghurids.
  • The Chandela rule declined by the early 13th century due to invasions by the Chahamanas and Ghurids.

PM Gati Shakti

About PM Gati Shakti

About PM Gati Shakti
  • Prime Minister launched PM Gati Shakti - National Master Plan for Multi-modal Connectivity, essentially a digital platform to bring 16 Ministries including Railways and Roadways together for integrated planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects.
  • The Multi-modal connectivity will provide integrated and seamless connectivity for the movement of people, goods and services from one mode of transport to another.
  • It will facilitate the last-mile connectivity of infrastructure and also reduce travel time for people.

The vision of PM Gati Shakti

  • PM Gati Shakti will incorporate the infrastructure schemes of various Ministries and State Governments like Bharatmala, Sagarmala, inland waterways, dry/land ports, UDAN etc.
  • Economic Zones like textile clusters, pharmaceutical clusters, defence corridors, electronic parks, industrial corridors, fishing clusters, and agri zones will be covered to improve connectivity & make Indian businesses more competitive.
  • It will also leverage technology extensively including spatial planning tools with ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) imagery developed by BiSAG-N (Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geoinformatics).

Six Pillars of PM Gati Shakti

  1. Comprehensiveness: It will include all the existing and planned initiatives of various Ministries and Departments with one centralized portal. Each and every Department will now have visibility of each other's activities providing critical data while planning & executing projects in a comprehensive manner.
  2. Prioritization: Through this, different Departments will be able to prioritize their projects through cross-sectoral interactions.
  3. Optimization: The National Master Plan will assist different ministries in planning for projects after the identification of critical gaps. For the transportation of goods from one place to another, the plan will help in selecting the most optimum route in terms of time and cost.
  4. Synchronization: Individual Ministries and Departments often work in silos. There is a lack of coordination in the project's planning and implementation, resulting in delays. PM Gati Shakti will help in synchronizing the activities of each department, as well as of different layers of governance, in a holistic manner by ensuring coordination of work between them.
  5. Analytical: The plan will provide the entire data in one place with GIS-based spatial planning and analytical tools having 200+ layers, enabling better visibility to the executing agency.
  6. Dynamic: All Ministries and Departments will now be able to visualize, review and monitor the progress of cross-sectoral projects, through the GIS platform, as the satellite imagery will give on-ground progress periodically and the progress of the projects will be updated on a regular basis on the portal. It will help in identifying the vital interventions for enhancing and updating the master plan.

The Progress of PM GatiShakti

  • In terms of improving the data quality of the NMP, standardizing data layers and establishing Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) mechanism for better planning.
  • To encourage the usage of NMP for social sector planning, five new Ministries are proposed to be on-boarded by PM GatiShakti, in addition to fourteen social sector Departments/Ministries already on board, to augment the socioeconomic development in the country. 
  • In addition to improving the domestic logistics ecosystem, DPIIT is progressively working towards improving EXIM logistics.
  • An EXIM Logistics Group has been formed with other concerned Departments/Ministries.
  •  An action plan for improving the country's performance on each of the Logistics Performance Index (LPI) parameters of the World Bank report will be formulated and executed soon.
  • Efforts are also being made to ensure end-to-end multi-modal tracking of cargo by integrating the Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP) with GSTN data.
  • In order to impart wider understanding and adoption, capacity building of officials at States level is also planned through training modules on PM GatiShakti at Central Training Institutes.

The increasing scope of  PM Gatishakti Beyond the infrastructure sector

  • PM GatiShakti can be effectively leveraged with Area Development Approach to extend benefits to the nation beyond the infrastructure sector in the following manner:
  • The agriculture sector can be supported by setting up common facilities on agricultural lands by cooperatives and start-ups using the integrated framework of PM GatiShakti and data from the National Master Plan (NMP)
  • Area Development Approach under PM GatiShakti can be used for engaging with aspirational districts of NITI Aayog.

The Vaishvik Bhartiya Vaigyanik (VAIBHAV) fellowships programme

Context: Recently the Government of India has launched a new fellowship programme to connect the Indian STEMM diaspora with Indian academic and R&D institutions for collaborative research work leading to sharing of knowledge, wisdom, and best practices in the frontier areas of science & technology.

About The Vaishvik Bhartiya Vaigyanik (VAIBHAV)

About The Vaishvik Bhartiya Vaigyanik (VAIBHAV)
  • The Vaishvik Bhartiya Vaigyanik (VAIBHAV) fellowships programme is to be implemented by the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
  • Ministry of Science and Technology would be award to outstanding scientists/technologists of Indian origin (NRI/OCI/PIO) who are engaged in research activities in their respective countries.
  • The fellowship programme launched as a step to further those efforts by shaping and implementing the VAIBHAV programme, envisages collaboration between scientists of the Indian Diaspora with Indian Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs), Universities, and/ or public funded Scientific Institutions.
  • The VAIBHAV Fellow would identify an Indian Institution for collaboration and may spend up to two months in a year for a maximum of 3 years.
  • The fellowship would include a fellowship grant (INR 4,00,000 per month), international and domestic travel, accommodation and contingencies.
  • The VAIBHAV fellows are expected to collaborate with their Indian counterparts and help initiate research activities in the host institution in the cutting-edge areas of Science and Technology.
  • The 75 selected fellows would be invited to work in 18 identified knowledge verticals including
    • Health
    • Pharma
    • Electronics
    • Agriculture
    • Quantum technology
    • Energy
    • Computer sciences and
    • Material sciences amongst others.

Integrated Child Development Scheme(ICDS)

About ICDS

  • Launched in 1975, Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) is a unique early childhood development programme.
  • It aims to address malnutrition, health and development needs of children (0 to 6 years), and pregnant and lactating mothers.
  • The Centrally Sponsored Scheme is anchored by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD).
  • ICDS consists of 4 different components as shown in the following figure
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  • The Anganwadi Services (under ICDS) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme and the Government of India releases grants-in-aid to the States / UTs s presently on the following cost-sharing ratio between Centre and States/UTs:
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Objectives of the Scheme

  • Institutionalise essential services and strengthen structures at all levels:
    • Implementing ICDS in Mission mode to prevent undernutrition
    • Strengthen ICDS- AWC as the first village post for health, nutrition and early learning
    • Focusing on children under 3 years
    • Focusing on early child care and learning environment
    • Moving from outlays to child-related outcomes
    • Fostering decentralisation and community based locally responsive childcare approaches –
  • Enhance capacities at all levels:
    • Vertical integration of training of all functionaries to strengthen field-based joint action and teamwork to achieve desired results and objectives
    • Establish national training resources centres at Central & State levels
  • Ensure appropriate inter-sectoral response at all levels:
    • Ensure convergence at the grassroots level by strengthening partnerships with PRIs, Communities, and Civil Societies to improve Child development services
    • Coordinate and network with all Government & Non- Government Organisations providing services for children
  • Raise public awareness and participation:
    • Strengthen maternal and child care, nutrition and health education
    • Raise public awareness at all levels about the vulnerabilities of children
    • Inform beneficiary groups and the public about the availability of core services
    • Promote social mobilisation and voluntary action
  • Create a database and knowledge base for Child development services:
    • Strengthen ICDS Management Information System (MIS)
    • Use Information, Communication Technology (ICT) to strengthen the information base and share & disseminate information
    • Undertake Research and Documentation

Convergence of Different Ministries & Schemes

The Ministries involved in convergence with ICDS are given in the figure below

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Issues associated with ICDS

  • Poor Utilisation of Services: as per NFHS 3, only 32.9% of children used any AWC services. Only 26.5% of children had received Supplementary Nutrition and only 12% regularly received it.
  • Inadequate Anganwadi workers: most of the Anganwadi centres are being handled by only one Anganwadi worker
  • Pooer infrastructure: A disconcerting 2.5 lakh centres operate without functional sanitation facilities and 1.5 lakh centres lack access to potable water. Approximately 4.15 lakh Anganwadi centres do not possess their own pucca building.

Way forward

  • Two worker norm for each Anganwadi centre
  • Improve reporting mechanism
  •  Abn packaged food for the 3-6 year group
  • Increase the involvement of Panchayats/mothers’ group
  • Grading AWCs 
  • Learn from the international experience of Thailand which succeeded in improving child nutrition between 1980 and 1988 and reduced child malnutrition (underweight) from 50 per cent to 25per cent.

Pradhan Mantri Primitive Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PM-PVTG) Development Mission and HDI for PVTG

Context: The Union government is now looking to design a survey that can gauge the Human Development Index (HDI) specifically for about 28 lakh people of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) living in over 22,000 villages across the country.

image 98

About Pradhan Mantri Primitive Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PM-PVTG) Development Mission

  • In the Budget of 2023-24, a ₹15,000-crore expenditure outlay (to be spent in three years) for the Pradhan Mantri Primitive Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PM-PVTG) Development Mission was announced for the development of PVTG.
  • The programme envisions connecting all 22,544 PVTG villages to basic government services like communications, electricity, public education, healthcare, water supply, and connectivity.
  • HDI for PVTG is a part of the Pradhan Mantri Primitive Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PM-PVTG) Development Mission
  • HDI for PVTG  aimed at:

o   To see how their purchasing capacity is increasing

o   How their economic activities are changing and

o   Whether and what government services and facilities are reaching them.

o   To collect information about the changes in the lives of PVTG and document it simply, make a database from it at the village level.

o   To quantify how government policies are changing their lives.

UNESCO

Context: UN cultural and scientific agency UNESCO announced that the United States is planning to re-join and pay more than $600mn in back dues after a decade long dispute sparked by the organisations move to include Palestine as a member. The decision was motivated by the concern that China is filling the gap left by US in UNESCO policy making. The US and Israel have stopped funding UNESCO after it voted to include Palestine as a member state in 2011 and Trump administration in 2017 decided to withdraw citing Anti-Israel bias and management issues . Before leaving the US contributed 22% of the total funding to UNESCO.

History of UNESCO

image 94

As early as 1942, in wartime, the governments of the European countries, which were confronting Nazi Germany and its allies, met in the United Kingdom for the Conference of Allied Ministers of Education (CAME). World War II was far from over, yet those countries were looking for ways and means to rebuild their education systems once peace was restored.

Upon the proposal of CAME, a United Nations Conference for the establishment of an educational and cultural organization (ECO/CONF) was convened in London in November 1945.

Purpose of UNESCO

  • UNESCO was originally founded to focus on rebuilding schools, libraries, and museums that had been destroyed in Europe during World War 2. Since then its activities have been mainly facilitative, aimed at assisting, supporting, and complementing the national efforts of member states to eliminate illiteracy and to extend free education.
  • In 1972 UNESCO sponsored an international agreement to establish a World Heritage List of cultural sites and natural areas that would enjoy government protection. The sites are designated as having “outstanding universal value” under the Convention concerning the protection of the World Cultural and Natural heritage  Sites include hundreds of historic buildings and town sites, important archaeological sites, and works of monumental sculpture or painting.

UNESCO's Areas of Specialization

  1. EDUCATION 
  2. NATURAL SCIENCES
  3. OCEAN SCIENCES
  4. SOCIAL AND HUMAN SCIENCES
  5. CULTURE
  6. COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION
  7. AFRICA
  8. GENDER EQUALITY 

Membership of UNESCO

  • Membership of UNESCO is governed by Articles II and XV of the Constitution and by rules 98 to 101 of the Rules of Procedure of the General Conference
  •  Membership of the United Nations carries with it the right to membership of UNESCO. 
  • States that are not members of United Nations may be admitted to UNESCO, upon recommendation of the Executive Board, by a two-thirds majority vote of the General Conference. 
  • All Member States have established a National Commission for UNESCO. The UNESCO National Commissions are national cooperating bodies set up by the Member States for the purpose of associating their governmental and non-governmental bodies with the work of the Organization.
  • UNESCO gets its funding from contributions by member states, voluntary contributions, fundraising, and other, smaller sources of funding. 
  • Top three contributors being China, Japan and Germany presently.
  • UNESCO is funded by two principal means.  The first is a core budget based upon assessed contributions. This core budget is allocated to the biennial programme as agreed at the General Conference.  Each member state pays a percentage of the overall agreed budget, based upon their overall burden share set for the United Nations family of organisations as a whole.  This project covers the payment of the UK share, which is a legal obligation for members. 
  • Funding specifically for the conservation of World Heritage Sites includes the World Heritage Fund, composed of obligatory contributions from member countries and voluntary contributions, as well as publications and funds-in-trust donated by countries that have particular goals in mind.

World Heritage Fund

The fund  provides about US$4 million annually to support activities requested by States Parties in need of International assistance. It includes compulsory and voluntary contributions from the States Parties, as well as from private donations.

Rapid Response Facility

The Rapid Response Facility is a small grants programme jointly operated by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, the United Nations Foundation and Fauna & Flora International. It aims to protect natural World Heritage sites in times of crisis - and to do so quickly, flexibly and in real time.

IMPORTANT REPORTS 

  • Global Education Monitoring Report
  • Global Ocean Science Report
  • UNESCO State of Education Report for India: Children with Disabilities
  • World Trend in freedom of expression and media development

India and UNESCO

  • India joined the organisation in 1946 and currently participates in 19 of its conventions.
  • There are 40 UNESCO World Heritage Sites In India which belongs to cultural, natural and mixed slides.

United Nations Peacekeeping

Context: The United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial 2025 concluded in Berlin, Germany in May 2025. More than 130 member states and international partners came together to reaffirm their support for UN Peacekeeping and pledged military and police units. 

Relevance of the Topic:Prelims: Key facts about the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission

image 93

United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial 2025: 

  • The Berlin Ministerial is the latest in a series of high-level meetings aimed at galvanising political support and generating tangible commitments to improve UN Peacekeeping. 
  • The 2025 Ministerial coincides with the 80th anniversary of the United Nations and the 10-year anniversary of the Leaders’ Summit on Peacekeeping.
  • Presently, there are over 61,000 military and police peacekeepers from 119 countries and more than 7,000 civilian personnel serve across 11 Peacekeeping Missions. 

India and UN Peacekeeping Mission: 

  • India is currently the fourth largest troop-contributing nation to the UN Peace Keeping missions with 5,375 personnel, after Nepal, Rwanda and Bangladesh.
  • In the latest ministerial, India has pledged one Quick Reaction Force Company, one male armed police (Central Reserve Police Force or mixed armed police), one women-led Police Unit, one Counter-Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit IED/EOD Unit, one K9 Unit, and a SWAT Police Unit. 

About UN Peacekeeping

  • United Nations Peacekeeping is an essential part of the United Nation’s efforts to maintain international peace and security. It is a unique instrument developed by the UN to help countries torn by conflict create the conditions for lasting peace.
  • The primary purpose of missions is to facilitate the implementation of peace agreements, protect civilians, promote human rights, and support the political and peacebuilding processes in post-conflict societies. 
  • Peacekeeping operations are deployed to areas where armed conflict has recently ceased or where the threat of renewed conflict exists.
  • Peacekeeping missions can include tasks such as monitoring ceasefires, facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid, promoting human rights, supporting the disarmament and demobilization of former combatants, and helping to rebuild institutions and governance structures.
  • It is guided by three basic principles:
  • Consent of the parties;
  • Impartiality;
  • Non-use of force except in self-defence and defence of the mandate.

Structure of UN Peacekeeping

  • United Nations Security Council has the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. It authorizes the establishment of peacekeeping missions, determines their mandates, and decides on the deployment of peacekeepers.
  • Department of Peace Operations (DPO) is responsible for the overall planning, management, and coordination of UN peacekeeping missions. It is headed by the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations.
  • Peacekeeping missions typically consist of military, police, and civilian personnel from contributing countries.
  • Special Representatives of the Secretary-General (SRSGs) are appointed by the Secretary-General to lead peacekeeping missions and serve as his/her representatives on the ground. SRSGs have overall authority and responsibility for the mission's implementation and coordination.

Financing of UN Peacekeeping

  • The financing of United Nations Peacekeeping operations is a collective responsibility shared by all member states of the United Nations. The expenses of peacekeeping missions are funded through the UN's regular budget and assessed contributions from member states.
  • The peacekeeping budget is separate from the UN's regular budget and is based on the estimated costs of individual missions.
  • The UN also relies on voluntary contributions from member states and regional organisations to support peacekeeping activities.

Deployment of UN Peacekeeping

  • Peacekeeping is flexible and over the past two decades has been deployed in many configurations. There are currently 12 UN peacekeeping operations deployed on continents: Africa, Asia, and Europe.
  • For Example: 
  • United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) – Africa
  • UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) – Africa
  • UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) – Africa
  • UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) – Africa
  • UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) – Africa
  • UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) – Asia
  • UN Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS) – Africa
  • UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) – Europe
  • UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) – Europe
  • UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) - Middle East
  • UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) - Middle East
  • UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) – Africa

India and UN Peacekeeping

  • India has a rich legacy of contribution to UN Peacekeeping operations and is one of the largest contributors of troops. Indian peacekeepers have served in various missions worldwide, including in countries such as Congo, South Sudan, Lebanon, Cyprus, Haiti, and many others.
  • It has contributed approximately 2.75 lakh troops to peacekeeping missions so far and making us the largest contributor to UN peacekeeping efforts, both in terms of personnel and resources
  • The first commitment was in Korea in 1950. 
  • India has actively supported the inclusion and deployment of female peacekeepers for example female engagement teams in the UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in Congo (MONUSCO) and UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), besides women staff officers and military observers.

Unsolicited Commercial Communication (UCC) 

Context: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has directed all Access Providers to deploy Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning based Unsolicited Commercial Communication (UCC) Detect systems to detect, identify and act against senders of Commercial Communication who are not registered in accordance with the provisions of Telecom Commercial Communication Customer Preference Regulations, 2018 (TCCCPR-2018).

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About UCC

  • It means any commercial communication that is neither as per the consent nor as per registered preference(s) of the recipient.
  • It shall not include:
  • Any transactional message or transactional voice call; 
  • Any service message or service voice call; 
  • Any message or voice calls transmitted on the directions of the Central Government or the State Government or bodies established under the Constitution when such communication is in the Public Interest; 
  • Any message or voice calls transmitted by or on the direction of the Authority or by an agency expressly authorized for the purpose of the Authority.

Direction of TRAI to detect UCC

  • TRAI has directed all Access Providers to deploy Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning based UCC Detect systems capable of constantly evolving to deal with new signatures, new patterns, and new techniques used by unregistered telemarketers (UTMs). 
  • Access Providers have also been directed to share intelligence with other Access Providers using the Distributed ledger technology (DLT) platform. 
  • Access Providers have further been directed to ensure that such UCC Detect System shall detect senders who are sending Unsolicited Commercial Communications in bulk and not complying with the provisions of the regulations. 

Neolithic-era celt found in Tamil Nadu

Context: In Poothinatham village, Tamil Nadu, the Department of Archaeology made a noteworthy discovery from the Neolithic period. This find is an ancient celt, crafted from Doloraid stone, which had a dual purpose as both a plough and an axe. This discovery holds great significance in shedding light on the practices and tools used during that time.

Neolithic-era celt found in Tamil Nadu

What is a Neolithic celt?

  • A celt, composed of stone, is an age-old instrument utilized for cutting and shaping. This adaptable tool served as an axe, chisel, or adze, 
  • Application: Widespread uses throughout the Neolithic era in different fields such as woodworking, agriculture, and building.
  • A specific variation of the celt, referred to as a shoe-last celt, was a polished stone tool extensively employed during the early European Neolithic period. Its primary purpose revolved around the felling of trees and engaging in woodworking tasks.
neolithic cultures

Early Neolithic Cultures and the Beginning of Agriculture

  • The advent of agriculture and animal domestication during the Neolithic period marked a significant phase in Indian history. 
  • The crucial era witnessed the emergence of Neolithic culture in various regions such as the Fertile Crescent in Egypt and Mesopotamia, the Indus region, the Ganges Valley in India, and China.
  • Surplus food production: 
    • Between 10,000 BCE and 5000 BCE, agriculture sprouted in these areas, leading to numerous cultural advancements.
    • The domestication of animals and plants introduced a plentiful supply of grains and animal food.
    • The fertile soil deposited by rivers contributed to agricultural growth, resulting in surplus grain production.
    • The surplus food production played a pivotal role in the rise of early civilizations, as large villages were established, pottery developed, and permanent residences were constructed.
    • Consequently, the cultural advancements of this era are commonly referred to as the Neolithic revolution. 

The Neolithic Culture of North-Western India 

  • The earliest evidence of plant and animal domestication in India can be traced back to the Neolithic culture in northwestern India.
  • Important Sites: Mehrgarh and Sarai Kala, which are presently located in Pakistan. 
  • Mehrgarh:
    • It has provided evidence of early Neolithic practices dating back to around 7000 BCE. 
    • During this time, the cultivation of wheat and barley was practiced, and sheep, goats, and cattle were domesticated. Mehrgar culture predates the Indus Civilization.
    • Phase I: The first cultural period of the Neolithic age at Mehrgarh spans from approximately 7000 to 5500 BCE. The people of this period did not employ pottery, but they cultivated six-row barley, wheat, and dates. These were semi-nomadic pastoral groups who constructed houses using mud and practiced the burial of the deceased.
    • Phase II and III: The second period at Mehrgarh covers the time from about 5500 to 4800 BCE followed by the third period from 4800 to 3500 BCE. Pottery evidence is present during these periods, and terracotta figurines and glazed faience beads have been discovered. Long-distance trade was practiced, as indicated by the presence of Lapis Lazuli, a stone that is exclusively found in Badakshan. The abandonment of the town occurred after the rise of the mature phase of the Indus Civilization.
Excavation at Mehrgarh
Excavation at Mehrgarh

Significance of Mehrgarh

  • Mehrgarh stands out as an important site due to its provision of the earliest and most extensive evidence of cattle, sheep, goat, wheat, and barley domestication, a comprehensive combination of evidence unmatched elsewhere in the world.
  • Dentistry:
    • In addition to agricultural and domestication practices, the inhabitants of Mehrgarh demonstrated knowledge of medicinal herbs and their use for health maintenance, an essential survival skill since prehistoric times.
    • During the Neolithic period, people began consuming ground grain and cooked food, which gave rise to dental and other health issues.
    • Notably, the earliest evidence of drilling a human tooth (belonging to a living person) has been discovered at Mehrgarh, offering a glimpse into early dental practices, which can be considered a precursor to dentistry.

Neolithic Culture of South India 

  • The Neolithic cultures of South India primarily existed in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, as well as the north-western part of Tamil Nadu. These sites exhibit a distinct feature of having ash mounds at their centers, surrounded by settlements.
  • Locations: Often situated near granite hills with access to water sources. They can be found in the river valleys of Godavari, Krishna, Pennaru, Tungabhadra, and Kaveri. 
  • Some of the prominent Neolithic sites in South India include Brahmagiri, Maski, Piklihal, and Hallur in Karnataka; Nagarjunakonda in Andhra Pradesh and Paiyyampalli in Tamil Nadu. 
  • Certain early Neolithic sites also exhibit the presence of ash mounds, such as Utnur and Palvoy in Andhra Pradesh. These sites showcase layers of soft ash and decomposed cow dung. 

Social Organisation 

  • Due to limited evidence, understanding the social organization of Neolithic people poses challenges. However, they transitioned to living in settled or semi-sedentary communities.
  • It is possible that they organized themselves into tribes or similar social units.
  • The presence of small houses suggests the presence of nuclear families within these settlements.
  • The development of ceramics and beads indicates advancements in material cultural production.
  • Burials within houses were practiced, and in some cases, animal burials have also been discovered, suggesting the adoption of rituals and reverence for the deceased.
  • It is possible that they worshipped natural forces.
  • The evidence for art objects is limited, but the existence of terracotta images depicting cattle implies the presence of a fertility cult or similar beliefs.
Neolithic artifact from North-east India
Neolithic artifact from North-east India

Pottery of the Neolithic period

  • The early phases of the Neolithic era are referred to as A-ceramic or Pre-Pottery Neolithic due to the absence of pottery vessels.
  • Containers were crafted using unfired clay, leather, wood, stone, straw, and other materials. Traces of these unfired vases are challenging to find.
  • The earliest instances of hand-made pottery, which are considered visually appealing, can be traced back to the Early Neolithic period. These pottery pieces were typically burnished or monochromatic, featuring painted, incised, or impressed decorations.
  • The most elaborate examples of painted ornamentation are observed in the Middle Neolithic period.
  • Archaeologists speculate that the emergence of agriculture also gave rise to the need for durable and sturdy objects for water transport in irrigation systems, although the development of farming and pottery did not always occur simultaneously.
  • Moreover, the accumulation of grain surpluses such as sorghum, rice, and wheat would have been essential for the sustenance of larger civilizations, with pottery playing a crucial role in storing these surplus crops.

Demands for Legalisation of MSP Regime

Context: Ineffective implementation of MSP and ‘non-procurement’ of all the crops at the MSP is one of the main concerns of farmers. Such a scenario builds a strong rationale for giving ‘legal status’ to MSP as it is the floor or reference price.

Present Status of MSP

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  • Presently, MSP does not enjoy statutory recognition. This means that there is no onus on the private sector to buy at MSP. 
  • Legalisation of MSP would ensure that the private sector would buy commodities at MSP.  Failure to do so would attract a penalty.

Need For Legalisation of MSP

  • Enhancement in Income Levels: Even though the Government declares MSP; procurement is quite limited to certain crops and certain regions. Most of the farmers sell commodities below MSP in the open market to the traders and middlemen.
  • Promote Crop Diversification: Only three to four crops (mainly wheat, paddy and cotton and at times some pulses), were being procured at MSP while the remaining crops were being procured at much below the MSP. Hence, absence of any dependable or assured market mechanism of procurement-purchase for crops on the MSP in most parts of the country discourages efforts towards crop diversification. 

Challenges and Concerns

  • Goes against Interest of Farmers: Legalisation of MSP will encourage over-production of Rice and Wheat. This may have severe environmental costs such as decline in soil fertility, depletion of ground water etc. In the long term, this would negatively affect income levels of farmers.
  • Adverse Impact on Economy: Higher costs of procurement due to a statutory MSP will increase the food prices, leading to inflation in the economy. Higher prices of commodities would adversely affect exports of agricultural commodities.
  • Financing needs: According to some estimates, if the Government were to procure all the 23 crops at MSP, it would amount to half of the Government's Budget.
  • Unsustainable Food grain Management Policy: The Food subsidy bill has already become quite unsustainable at around Rs 2 lakh crores. The excess procurement of food grains by the FCI has led to surplus buffer stocks leading to higher storage costs and wastages. Legalisation of MSP would further worsen the scenario.
  • Administrative Challenge: Lack of government machinery to procure all crops that are under the MSP system.
  • Violation of WTO Agreement on Agriculture (AoA): Legalisation of MSP would further violate the limit on the subsidies under AoA and it can be challenged by other countries. India's quest for Permanent solution on public stockholding could be in jeopardy.
  • Promote Inequality: Only 6 percent of farmers are able to benefit from the MSP. Similarly, most of the Rice and Wheat are sourced from states such as Punjab, Haryana, MP etc. Hence, legalisation of MSP could worsen socio-economic inequality and promote regional disparity.
  • Environmental cost: Encourage farmers to grow more rice and wheat leading to further environmental problems.
  • Adverse Impact of Government's Intervention: In any free-market economy, the price of any goods and services produced in the country must be decided by market forces and not by the state. As highlighted by Eco Survey 2019-20, Government's intervention, sometimes though well intended, often ends up adversely affecting the market. For example, the regulation of prices of drugs through the DPCO 2013, has led to an increase in the price of a regulated pharmaceutical drug vis-à-vis that of a similar drug whose price is not regulated.

Conclusion

  • The MSP attempts to strike a balance between the interests of growers and consumers. The government’s price support policy attempts to provide a fair return to farmers while keeping in view the interest of consumers in a way that prices of food and other agricultural commodities are kept at a reasonable level. 
  • Farming over the years, for the majority, especially small and marginal farmers, has not turned out to be remunerative. A rise in their income could be the long-term answer to farmers’ financial distress. 
  • To ensure this rise in income, the government should focus on setting up an effective system to provide assured purchase and returns to farmers for all major crops at the MSP, as is done in the case of wheat and rice or extend subsidies on input costs.

Warmer Arabian Sea behind more severe and frequent cyclones

Context: Behind extremely severe cyclone Biparjoy’s evolution is a gradual but undesirable change in the nature of the Arabian Sea: it was always relatively cooler compared to the Bay of Bengal in the north Indian Ocean.

Why traditionally West Indian Ocean experienced less number of tropical cyclones?

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The ratio between Arabian Sea (A.S) and Bay of Bengal (B.O.B) has been 1:4 in terms of yearly cyclones because of the following factors:

  • Average temperature of B.O.B is higher than A.S. B.O.B is a warm pool region. On the other hand A.S has higher salinity and lower temperature which is disadvantageous for cyclone formation.
  • B.O.B has abundant water availability due to continuous influx of water from large rivers like Ganga, Brahmaputra etc. This freshwater influx makes it further impossible to mix with the cooler water below 
  • Shape of the land around B.O.B weakens the wind speed thus allowing the winds to spin faster.
  • B.O.B also experiences the offshoots of tropical cyclones from Pacific-ocean.

On the other hand, Arabian Sea is calmer as stronger winds hand Arabian Sea is calmer as stronger winds help dissipate the heat and lack of constant fresh water helps the warm water to mix with the cool water underneath, reducing the surface temperature.


Changing nature of Arabian Sea:

  • Sea surface temperatures over the Arabian Sea have increased by 1.2 to 1.4 degrees C in recent decades compared to four decades ago.
  • According to a 2021 paper published in Nature, there is a significant increasing trend in the intensity, frequency, and duration of cyclonic storms (CS) and very severe cyclonic storms (VSCS) observed over the Arabian Sea during the study period, 1982 to 2019. 
  • There is a 52% increase in the frequency of CS during the recent epoch (2001–2019) in the Arabian Sea, while there is a decrease of 8% in the Bay of Bengal, the paper highlighted.
  • Further, there has been an 80% increase in the total duration of cyclones in the Arabian Sea over two decades to 2021. The duration of very severe cyclones increased by 260% in the same period, the paper added.
  • The change in the Arabian Sea’s character has also led to more severe cyclones forming and sustaining over it which also means India’s west coast is now more vulnerable.


Climate change affecting frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones:

According to Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) India, in the last 50 years, has recorded a 12-fold surge in the number of associated cyclonic events such as extreme rainfall, floods, sea-level rise, and thunderstorms. 

  • Increased sea surface temperature: Over the past 50 years, the global ocean has absorbed 90% of the excess heat generated due to man-made climate change leading to higher convection and rapid intensification of cyclones.
  • Rising sea level: on account of Antarctic melting has increased the moisture availability for cyclones.
  • Micro-climatic changes on land: Local heating of coastal land is pulled by adjacent ocean further heating it up.
  • Changing weather events: El-Nino and rising marine heat waves lead to prolonged warm periods over oceans by reducing the ocean upwelling. 
  • Higher Atmospheric moisture: due to anthropogenic global warming increase cyclonic precipitation rates thereby increasing the frequency.
  • Changes in wind systems: Occasionally intense winds drive the low-pressure regions to other areas rising the frequency in those areas. Ex. Gulab cyclone shifted to Arabian sea from B.O.B.

Poshan Abhiyaan

Context: Over 57,000 migrant workers have enrolled in the One Nation, One Anganwadi program, allowing them to access government benefits for children under six and pregnant/lactating women even if they relocate.

About Poshan Abhiyan:

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  • Launched in 2018 with the objective of improving the nutritional status of Children under 6 years, Adolescent Girls, Pregnant Women, and Lactating Mothers through a time-bound approach. 
  • Implemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme by States/UTs.
  • Addresses malnutrition issues nationwide through various components such as ICT Application, Convergence, Community Mobilization, Behavioural Change & Jan Andolan, Capacity Building, Incentives and Awards, and Innovations. 
  • Poshan Vatikas or Nutri-gardens are being established across the country to facilitate affordable and convenient access to fruits, vegetables, medicinal plants, and herbs, promoting the right kind of nourishment.