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10/03/2026

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CA-10/03/2026

• Formal Launch: The mission was formally launched through the first-ever Gyan Bharatam International Conference held from September 11–13, 2025, in New Delhi.
• Gyan Bharatam Portal: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Gyan Bharatam Portal on September 12, 2025, to provide global access to India's digital manuscript repository.
• Delhi Declaration: The conference concluded with the adoption of the Gyan Bharatam Sankalp Patra (Delhi Declaration), pledging a national commitment to revitalise India's manuscript traditions.
• Expansion (2026): 45 Cluster and Independent Centres and 20 States/UTs have been onboarded to implement the mission nationwide.

• Primary Objective: To survey, document, and conserve over one crore (10 million) manuscripts located in academic institutions, museums, and private collections.
• Nodal Authority: Implemented by the Ministry of Culture under the National Mission for Manuscripts, which has been restructured as a Central Sector Scheme for 2024–2031.
• Budget Allocation: The government sanctioned ₹491.66 crore for the period 2025–2031.

1. Survey and Cataloguing: Creating a nationwide register of manuscripts.
2. Conservation: Using scientific methods to restore fragile birch bark, palm leaf, and paper texts.
3. Technology & Digitisation: Large-scale digitisation using AI and OCR tools to create a National Digital Repository.
4. Linguistics & Translation: Translating rare manuscripts into contemporary languages.
5. Research & Outreach: Promoting scholarly research and public awareness through "Pandulipi Mitras" (volunteer networks).

• Current Progress: More than 7.5 lakh manuscripts have already been digitised, with 1.29 lakh currently available on the Gyan Bharatam portal.

• Operational Streamlining: The government recently highlighted that procedural aspects have been streamlined to encourage more organizations to apply, with physical inspections now mandatory before the release of final installments to ensure accountability.
• State Performance: Recent reports identified the top-performing states receiving maximum grants, including Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Nagaland.
• Digital Milestone: The Ministry recently announced that over 1.2 lakh museum artifacts have been digitized and made available online via the Museums of India Portal under the scheme's digitization component. 

• To provide financial support for setting up new museums and strengthening existing ones at the regional, state, and district levels.

• Establishment & Development: Funding for new district and regional museums.
• Digitization: Financial aid to create digital catalogues and high-resolution images of artifacts.
• Capacity Building: Training and professional development for museum personnel.
• Virtual Museums: Creation of Virtual Experiential Museums (VEM) and projects of national importance.

• Standard Projects: The Central Government typically provides up to 80% of the total project cost.
• North-Eastern Region & Sikkim: Enhanced support is provided, covering up to 90% of the total project cost.
• Funding Caps: Assistance is capped at ₹15 crore for Category-I (State-level) museums and ₹10 crore for new museums in other categories.

• Eligible Entities: The scheme covers museums managed by the Central/State Governments, autonomous bodies, local bodies, public sector undertakings, and registered NGOs/Trusts.
• Technology Integration: Encourages the use of JATAN software (developed by C-DAC) for standardized digital archiving of museum collections. 

• Establishment: Formed on November 28, 1996, as a Trust under the Charitable Endowment Act, 1890.
• Primary Objective: To mobilize extra-budgetary resources through PPP for protecting both tangible (monuments) and intangible (oral traditions, arts) heritage.
• Donor Flexibility: Unlike general government funds, NCF allows donors to choose a specific project, location, or implementing agency for their contribution.
• Management Structure:
  • Governing Council: Chaired by the Union Minister of Culture; it decides the overall policy with up to 25 members.
  • Executive Committee: Chaired by the Secretary (Culture); it executes the policies with a maximum of 11 members.
• Tax Benefits: All donations to the NCF are eligible for 100% tax deduction under Section 80G (2) (iii hh) of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
• Monitoring Mechanism: Progress is tracked by a Project Implementing Committee (PIC), usually chaired by the Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for monument-related projects.
• Audit: The annual accounts are strictly audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) to ensure transparency.

• Meaning: The word ‘LAMITIYE’ translates to ‘Friendship’ in Creole, the local language of Seychelles.
• History: It is a biennial event that has been conducted in Seychelles since 2001.

• Indian Army: Represented by personnel from the ASSAM Regiment.
• Indian Navy: Deployed the stealth frigate INS Trikand.
• Indian Air Force: Utilising a C-130 aircraft for support and operations.

• To enhance synergy and interoperability in sub-conventional operations within a semi-urban environment.

• Jointly training and planning tactical drills for neutralizing threats.
• Cooperation during Peace Keeping Operations.
• Showcasing and exploiting New Generation Equipment and technology.

• The 12-day program includes field training (FTX), combat discussions, case studies, and demonstrations, culminating in a two-day Validation Exercise.

• The exercise aligns with India's SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) initiative and the MAHASAGAR vision, strengthening maritime security in the Western Indian Ocean. 

• Location: Situated on the Chenab River in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir.
• Project Stages:
  • Stage-I (Operational): A 390 MW (3 x 130 MW) run-of-the-river plant commissioned in 2007.
  • Stage-II (Upcoming): An extension adding 260 MW (2 x 130 MW) of capacity, bringing the total complex to 650 MW.
• Developer: Owned and operated by NHPC Limited on a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) basis.
• Innovative Design: Stage-II will not require a new dam; it will utilize the existing dam, reservoir, and intake infrastructure of Stage-I.
• Water Sourcing: It will draw additional water from the Marusudar River (a major tributary of the Chenab) through the Pakal Dul Hydroelectric Project linkage.
• Infrastructure: Includes a new 3.7 km long headrace tunnel (8.5m diameter) and an underground powerhouse.
• Beneficiaries: Generated power is supplied to the Northern Grid, benefiting Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Delhi.
• Geopolitical Context: As a run-of-the-river project, it is designed to comply with international water-sharing norms while asserting India's rights to utilize western river waters for energy. 

• Technology Partner: Developed in partnership with the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC)-ISRO, using satellite imagery to analyze vegetation.
• Assessment Method: Utilizes Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to calculate green cover within the Right of Way (RoW) at one-km intervals.
• Categorization: Results are ranked into four levels, ranging from 'Poor' (0–25%) to 'Very Good' (75–100%).
• Key Findings: While Assam, Gujarat, and Telangana show high coverage, lowest performers include Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, and Chhattisgarh.
• Objective: Enables objective, digital monitoring to identify gaps for afforestation and track sapling growth.
• Platform: Data is accessible for tracking via the Bhuvan GIS portal.

• Ensure steady supply of skilled workers for domestic industries.
• Improve industrial production quality through systematic training.
• Reduce youth unemployment by providing employable skills.
• Foster technical attitudes among the younger generation.

• Managed by Directorate General of Training (DGT) under MSDE via 14,688 ITIs (3,345 government, 11,343 private) and 32 National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs). Day-to-day operations transferred to state/UT governments since 1956.
• Offers training in 169 NSQF-aligned trades, with durations from 6 months to 2 years and total capacity of 26.58 lakh seats.

• Curriculum updated periodically with industry, academia, and state/UT consultations to include new-age trades like AI, IoT, renewable energy, and 3D printing.
• Strengthened pedagogy and assessment for wage/self-employment readiness.
• PM SETU initiative to upgrade 1,000 ITIs with ₹60,000 crore support.
• Compulsory 150-hour industry exposure (or projects for dual training mode) under revised norms.​

• Craft Instructor Training Scheme (CITS): Trains instructors in hands-on skills and methodology across 33 NSTIs, 5 extension centers, and 120 ITOTs; 27,677 candidates trained from 2022-23 to 2024-25.
• Special provisions for especially abled under CTS in 169 trades.

• Small coral island in the northern Persian Gulf, about 25 km (15 miles) off Iran's Bushehr Province coast.
• Highest point: Mount Didehban at 87 meters above sea level; experiences hot, humid summers.​

• Handles ~90% of Iran's crude oil exports (up to 7 million barrels/day capacity), vital for funding via shipments through Strait of Hormuz to markets like China.
• Developed in 1960s after offshore oil discovery, with US firm Amoco's help; repeatedly bombed during 1980s Iran-Iraq War.
• Features major petroleum/petrochemical installations, including large tanker terminals on a multi-berth pier.​

• Control would sever Iran's "oil lifeline," providing US leverage without full invasion, though it risks ground troops and energy market chaos.​​
• Houses Iran's largest oil export terminal; remains operational amid conflict, with shipping nearly halted in Strait of Hormuz.

• The name translates to "Breaker of Khayber" (or "Fortress Buster"), a symbolic reference to a historical 7th-century battle.

• Range: Approximately 1,450 kilometres, allowing it to reach Israel from deep within western Iran.
• Propulsion: Powered by the 'Arond' solid-fuel engine, which is integrated into the fuel tank to reduce overall length.
• Weight & Size: Roughly 11.4 metres long with a launch weight of about 6.3 tonnes, making it lighter and more agile than older models.

• MaRV Technology: Features a Maneuverable Reentry Vehicle (MaRV) that allows it to zigzag and change direction during the terminal phase to evade air defences.
• High Speed: Capable of reaching atmospheric speeds of Mach 8 to Mach 12 (approx. 19,500 km/h outside the atmosphere).
• Rapid Deployment: Its solid-fuel design allows it to be launch-ready in under 15 minutes from mobile platforms.

• The aerodynamic body lacks traditional ailerons, which reduces air drag and its radar cross-section, making it harder for early-warning systems to track.

• Typically carries a 550–600 kg high-explosive warhead, though newer versions are reported to support cluster munitions.

• hMPV, discovered in 2001, belongs to the Pneumoviridae family (related to RSV) and causes infections worldwide, with most people exposed by age 5.
• It circulates seasonally, often in winter-spring, and is not new or pandemic-threatening despite past alarms (China surges in late 2024/early 2025).

• Common: Cough, fever, runny/stuffy nose, sore throat, wheezing; mild cases resolve in 2-5 days.
• Severe (in vulnerable groups): Shortness of breath, bronchiolitis, pneumonia, high fever, muscle pain, vomiting.

• Young children (under 5), elderly (over 65), and immunocompromised individuals face higher risks of hospitalization or mechanical ventilation.

• Spreads person-to-person via respiratory droplets or contaminated surfaces; thrives in cold weather.

• Tested via PCR in healthcare settings, but often not specifically due to similarity with other viruses.
• No antiviral, vaccine, or cure; supportive care includes rest, fluids, fever reducers; severe cases need hospitalization.

• Handwashing, covering coughs, avoiding sick contacts; no targeted measures beyond general respiratory hygiene.​

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