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15/02/2026

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CA-15/02/2026

• Spans 1,600 meters (with 1,240-meter multi-span extra-dosed section), six-lane design, total length around 2.86 km; built at over Rs 3,000 crore cost.
• Connects Guwahati's south bank to North Guwahati, slashing travel time from 60 minutes to 10 minutes.​​
• Funded partly via BRICS New Development Bank (NDB); described as an engineering marvel.

• Named after Kumar Bhaskar Varma, last king of Kamarupa's Varman dynasty (ruled ~594-650 CE), a visionary ruler allied with Emperor Harshavardhana.​
• Known for military prowess (20,000 elephants, 30,000-boat navy), cultural gifts like textiles and manuscripts, and introducing ancient Assam globally via Hiuen Tsang's accounts.​
• Symbolizes Assam's progressive past amid modern development.​

• Geographical Profile:
  • Origin: It originates from a perennial tank in Ayodhya district (specifically Lakhnipur village).
  • Course: Flows through Ambedkar Nagar, Ayodhya, Azamgarh, and Mau districts.
  • Mouth: It eventually merges with the Ganga River.
  • Total Length: Approximately 264 km (with 89 km in Azamgarh).
• Cultural & Religious Significance:
  • Ramayana Connection: Believed to be the site where Lord Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana spent their first night of exile after leaving Ayodhya.
  • Spiritual Heritage: Associated with ancient sages like Valmiki, who is said to have offered refuge to Sita on its banks.
  • Sacred Confluences: Hosts major ashrams like the Durvasa Rishi Ashram and Chandrama Rishi Ashram at its confluences, attracting lakhs of devotees annually.
• Rejuvenation Project Details:
  • Action Plan: Focused on desilting shallow stretches, removing garbage/polythene, and clearing illegal encroachments.
  • Funding: Executed through the convergence of MGNREGA funds, State Finance Commission, and the 14th Finance Commission.
  • Green Initiatives: Massive plantation of fruit-bearing trees along the banks to prevent erosion and provide income for local Gram Panchayats.
  • Ecological Impact: Has led to improved water quality, groundwater recharge, and the return of aquatic life like fish.
• Key Figures: The revival was spearheaded by the District Magistrate of Azamgarh, Ravindra Kumar, whose leadership coordinated various departments and local communities. 

• Location: Situated on the Moran Bypass (part of National Highway-37/New NH-02) in Assam’s Dibrugarh district.
• Technical Specifications:
  • Length: A 4.2-km reinforced concrete stretch specially engineered for aviation standards.
  • Capacity: Designed to handle fighter aircraft up to 40 tonnes (Sukhoi-30MKI, Rafale) and transport aircraft up to 74 tonnes.
  • Cost: Constructed at an approximate cost of ₹100 crore by NHIDCL in coordination with the IAF.
• Design Features:
  • The stretch lacks a central road divider to ensure smooth aircraft movement.
  • Equipped with fencing on both sides and a real-time Bridge Health Monitoring System (BHMS) to maintain operational readiness.
• Dual-Use Purpose:
  • Defense: Facilitates rapid deployment of troops, refuelling, and rearming of fighter jets in sensitive border areas.
  • Disaster Relief: Acts as a lifeline for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations, crucial for flood-prone regions. 

• Rajasthan: NH-925A near Barmer (India's first, inaugurated in 2021).
• Uttar Pradesh: Agra-Lucknow Expressway, Purvanchal Expressway, and Ganga Expressway.
• Andhra Pradesh: Recently activated on NH-16 (Prakasham district). 

• Total Corpus: ₹10,000 crore (sanctioned in the Union Budget 2025–26).
• Operating Model: It does not invest directly in startups. Instead, it contributes capital to SEBI-registered Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs), which then invest at least twice the government's contribution into eligible startups.
• Implementing Agency: Managed by the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) under the oversight of the DPIIT.
• Priority Sectors:
  • Deep Tech: AI, quantum computing, robotics, and biotechnology.
  • Strategic Manufacturing: Semiconductors, space technology, and defence-linked innovation.
  • Clean Energy: Climate tech and green transition solutions.
• Targeted Founders: Aims to provide a "safety net" for first-time founders and early-growth stage ventures to prevent failures due to lack of follow-on funding.
• Geographical Expansion: Explicitly encourages AIFs to fund startups beyond major metro hubs (Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai) to promote innovation in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.
• Legacy (FFS 1.0) Performance:
  • Committed the entire ₹10,000 crore to 145 AIFs.
  • Catalysed investments of over ₹25,500 crore in more than 1,370 startups.
  • Aided in growing India's startup base from fewer than 500 in 2016 to over 2 lakh recognised entities by 2026. 

• Commemorative Stamp Release: The Department of Posts released a set of eight commemorative stamps titled "Puppets of India". The stamps honour diverse forms including Kathputli, Pavakathakali, and Tolu Bommalatta.

• String Puppets (Marionettes):
  • Kathputli (Rajasthan): Carved from wood, these puppets have no legs and are dressed in vibrant medieval Rajasthani attire.
  • Gombeyatta (Karnataka): Highly stylized puppets based on Yakshagana theatre.
  • Bommalattam (Tamil Nadu): The largest and heaviest puppets in India, manipulated by strings tied to an iron ring worn on the puppeteer's head.
• Shadow Puppets:
  • Tholu Bommalata (Andhra Pradesh): Large, translucent leather puppets that cast colourful shadows on a lit screen.
  • Ravanachhaya (Odisha): Uses jointless puppets made of deer skin to create bold black-and-white shadows.
• Glove Puppets:
  • Pavakathakali (Kerala): Deeply influenced by Kathakali dance, these puppets mimic its costumes and dramatic expressions.
  • Gulabo-Sitabo (Uttar Pradesh): A rare tradition focused on social satire and folk stories.
• Rod Puppets:
  • Putul Nach (West Bengal): Large puppets (up to 1.2 metres) manipulated by rods from below.
  • Yampuri (Bihar): Jointless wooden puppets that traditionally depict stories of Yama, the god of death. 

• Threats: The art faces a decline due to competition from digital media (OTT/social media), lack of financial patronage, and the migration of younger generations to other professions.
• Modern Adaptations: Modern puppeteers now use the medium to address contemporary social issues like health, education, and climate change. 

• Legal Basis: Governed by the Dam Safety Act, 2021, which provides a legal mandate for the surveillance, inspection, and maintenance of all specified dams in India.
• Institutional Structure:
  • National Committee on Dam Safety (NCDS): Formulates safety policies and recommends regulations.
  • National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA): A regulatory body that implements policies and resolves interstate disputes.
  • State-Level Bodies: Each state must maintain a State Committee on Dam Safety (SCDS) and a State Dam Safety Organisation (SDSO) for direct oversight.
• Mandatory Obligations for Dam Owners:
  • Emergency Action Plans (EAPs): Must be updated within five years of the Act's commencement.
  • Safety Evaluations: Regular pre-monsoon and post-monsoon inspections are required, along with checks after earthquakes or floods.
  • Comprehensive Evaluation: An independent expert panel must evaluate each dam every 10 years.
• Rehabilitation Programme (DRIP): The Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) Phase II & III is currently modernising 736 dams across 19 states with a total outlay of ₹10,211 crore.
• Strategic Priority: With over 25% of India's dams being older than 50 years, the framework treats dam safety as a "national security imperative" to prevent disasters caused by ageing or climate-driven hydrological extremes. 

• Geographical Location: An ancient Semitic civilization centered in the Levant (modern-day Lebanon, coastal Syria, and northern Israel).
• Political Structure: Organized as a collection of independent city-states rather than a unified empire. Key cities included Byblos, Sidon, Tyre, and Beirut.
• Maritime Prowess: Renowned as the greatest sailors of antiquity, they established a vast trade network from the British Isles to the Atlantic coast of Africa.
• Major Contributions:
  • The Alphabet: Developed a 22-letter phonetic script that became the ancestor of Greek, Latin, and modern Western alphabets.
  • Tyrian Purple: Famous for a rare, expensive purple dye extracted from Murex sea snails, which became a symbol of royalty.
  • Industrial Innovation: Credited with the invention or mastery of glassblowing and advanced shipbuilding techniques like the use of keels and caulking.
• Famous Colony: Founded Carthage in North Africa around 814 BC, which later became a superpower and rival to Rome.
• Decline: Successively controlled by the Assyrians, Persians, and Macedonians (Alexander the Great) before being annexed by the Roman Empire in 64 BC. 

• Location: Situated in the Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh, on a rocky bluff of the Vindhya Range overlooking a strategic bend in the Ganges River.
• Strategic Importance: Historically known as the "Gateway to the East," controlling the fort meant controlling the major land and river routes to Bihar and Bengal.
• Legendary Origins:
  • Linked to King Bali and Lord Vishnu’s Vamana avatar.
  • Said to be built by Maharaja Vikramaditya of Ujjain for his hermit brother, Bharthari.
• Historical Timeline:
  • 1532: Captured by Sher Shah Suri, who used it as a primary base to challenge the Mughals.
  • 1538: Besieged by Mughal Emperor Humayun for four months.
  • 1575: Annexed by Emperor Akbar, who built the West Gate in 1586.
  • 1772–1947: Controlled by the British Raj; served as a garrison, artillery depot, and a high-security prison.
• Major Attractions:
  • Sonwa Mandap: A 28-pillar open pavilion dating to 1538, used by Princess Sonwa.
  • Bhartrihari Samadhi: A revered shrine and spiritual retreat for practitioners of the Nath tradition.
  • Warren Hastings’ Bungalow: A British-era mansion used by the first Governor-General of India.
  • Chunar Stone: The fort is made of the same buff-coloured sandstone used to carve the Ashokan Pillars at Sarnath.
• Literary & Cinematic Connection:
  • The setting for the famous 19th-century fantasy novel Chandrakanta by Devaki Nandan Khatri.
  • Featured in modern productions like Gangs of Wasseypur and the series Mirzapur. 

• Recent Discovery: A research team from St. Joseph’s College (Autonomous), Devagiri (Kozhikode) identified and described the species in early February 2026.
• Scientific Recognition: The discovery was formally documented in the Nordic Journal of Botany, a peer-reviewed international scientific journal based in Sweden.
• Second Major Find: This is the second discovery from the carrot family by the same research team in this park within four months, following Tetrataenium manilalianum in October 2025. 

• Taxonomy: Belongs to the Apiaceae (carrot/umbel) family, which includes common plants like carrots, coriander, and fennel.
• Physical Characteristics:
  • Habit: A perennial herb growing to a height of 30 to 80 cm.
  • Stems & Leaves: Features densely stiff-haired (hirsute) stems and broadly ovate or rounded leaflets.
  • Flowers: Produces clusters of small white flowers arranged in symmetric umbels.
• Distinctive Features: Distinguished from closely related species (like T. ceylanicum) by the number and structural arrangement of oil tubes (vittae) in its fruits (mericarps).
• Habitat & Distribution:
  • Endemic: Found exclusively in the Western Ghats.
  • Environment: Thrives in moist, marshy grasslands at elevations between 1,000 and 2,500 metres above sea level.
• Phenology: Typically, flowers from July to September and bears fruit from October to November.
• Named After: Dedicated to the late Rev. Father Joseph Paikada CMI, a former Principal of St. Joseph’s College, Devagiri, in honour of his contributions to education.
• Research Team: Led by research scholar C. Rekha under the guidance of Dr. K. M. Manudev, along with researchers M. K. Prasanth and T. P. Aswindas. 

• The CMF is the largest multinational naval partnership, focused on upholding the International Rules-Based Order.
• It includes 47 member nations, operates from Bahrain, and is led by a U.S. Navy Vice Admiral, with a UK Royal Navy Commodore typically serving as Deputy.
• Its mandate is voluntary, addressing counter-narcotics, counter-smuggling, piracy, and regional cooperation across roughly 3.2 million square miles of international waters. 

Task Force  Focus Area Recent Updates CTF 150 Maritime Security outside the Arabian Gulf Pakistan Navy assumed command on Jan 28, 2026. CTF 151 Counter-Piracy operations Suppresses piracy and protects global commerce. CTF 152 Arabian Gulf Security Qatar-led task force conducted "Joint Patrol-01" in late 2025. CTF 153 Red Sea Security Focuses on the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. CTF 154 Maritime Training Currently commanded by India (Cmde Milind M. Mokashi) since Feb 2026.

• This marks the first time the Indian Navy has led a CMF task force. Under India's leadership, the task force prioritises five areas: Maritime Domain Awareness, Law of the Sea, Maritime Interdiction, Maritime Rescue, and Leadership Development. This reflects international confidence in India’s expertise and its role in maintaining stability. 

• Draft Revamp (2026): The RBI released a draft circular to streamline the scheme's operations, inviting stakeholder feedback until March 6, 2026.
• Abolishing 'No Dues' Certificates: A major proposed reform is the discontinuation of mandatory 'no dues' certificates for rural borrowers, replacing them with alternative checks like credit bureau reports to ease credit access.
• Rural Branch Mandate: The new norms mandate that banks open at least 25% of their new outlets in unbanked tier-5 and tier-6 centres.
• Digital Integration: The overhaul seeks to incorporate modern tools like the Account Aggregator model and UPI data to assess creditworthiness in rural areas. 

• Origin: Introduced by the RBI in December 1969 following the recommendations of the Gadgil Study Group and the Nariman Committee.
• Core Concept: Uses an "Area Approach" where one commercial bank is designated as the "Lead Bank" for a specific district.
• Primary Objective: To coordinate the efforts of all financial institutions and government agencies to increase credit flow to priority sectors (agriculture, MSMEs, etc.) and deepen financial inclusion.
• Institutional Framework:
  • Lead District Manager (LDM): The key official in each district responsible for preparing and monitoring the District Credit Plan (DCP).
  • State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC): The highest state-level forum for bank-government coordination, convened by a major public sector bank.
  • District Consultative Committee (DCC): A forum at the district level for reviewing bank performance and credit flow.
• Credit-Deposit (CD) Ratio: Banks are required to maintain a benchmark CD ratio of 60% in rural and semi-urban branches to ensure that local deposits are reinvested back into the local economy.
• Scope: Initially excluded metropolitan areas, but all districts (including major metros like Delhi and Mumbai) were brought under the LBS by 2013-14. 

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