Govt prepares to inform Western Ghats eco delicate areas in a minimum of three states
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Normal points on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Local weather Change – that don’t require topic specialization.
Mains Examination: Normal Research III: Conservation, environmental air pollution and degradation, environmental impression evaluation.
What’s the continuing story: Twelve years after it issued the primary draft notification, the Centre is lastly able to finalise and notify the demarcation of Ecologically Delicate Areas (ESA) within the Western Ghats area, a minimum of within the three states wherein contentious points have roughly been resolved, The Indian Categorical has learnt.
Key Factors to Ponder:
• What’s an ecologically delicate space?
• Which state has the very best variety of ecologically delicate zones in India?
• That are the states the place the areas to be demarcated as ESA?
• Who declares ecologically delicate areas?
• Map Work-Western Ghats (Place to begin and ending level), Nilgiri Hills, Doddabetta, Anaimalai Hills, Palani Hills, Cardamom Hills, Agasthyamalai Hills.
• The place do the Western Ghats stretch from?
• Title the place the place the Western and Japanese Ghats meet.
• What are the committees constituted on Western Ghats conservation?
• Why are native communities vital within the conservation and sustainable improvement of the Western Ghats?
• Evaluate the suggestions of the Gadgil and Kasturirangan Committees within the context of the Western Ghats.
• What are the challenges posed by developmental actions corresponding to mining, tourism, and infrastructure within the Western Ghats?
Key Takeaways:
• Over 56,000 sq. km of land in six states are proposed to be demarcated as ESA, based mostly on the 2013 suggestions of a high-level working group led by former ISRO chairman Okay Kasturirangan.
• Actions like new mining and quarrying tasks, organising of thermal energy crops, operation of most-polluting red-category of industries, new and enlargement tasks of buildings and building with a built-up space of 20,000 sq. metres or above, are proposed to be utterly banned or closely restricted.
• The Centre’s unique draft notification had are available 2014, and has undergone 5 revisions since then, however disagreements with the state governments on the areas earmarked for declaration as ESAs inside their jurisdictions haven’t been totally resolved. Even now, the states of Kerala and Karnataka have been holding out. Kerala needs its personal space to be additional lowered, whereas Karnataka has been persevering with to query the complete train.
• Gujarat, Goa and Maharashtra are the states the place the areas to be demarcated are virtually agreed upon, prime officers from the Atmosphere Ministry stated. Tamil Nadu, the sixth affected state, doesn’t have any main divergences on this situation. The 6,914 sq. km of ESA proposed within the state is smaller than the areas recognized in neighbouring Kerala and Karnataka. However the extent is but to be finalized.
• Although the negotiations with Kerala and Karnataka are persevering with, the Centre is learnt to be getting ready to inform the ESA within the states the place an settlement on this situation has both been achieved, or is near being finalised. That is totally different from the earlier makes an attempt wherein the Centre had issued draft notifications for ESAs in all of the states collectively.
Do You Know:
• Forest Survey of India (FSI), is a premier nationwide group beneath the union Ministry of Atmosphere and Forests, answerable for evaluation and monitoring of the forest assets of the nation usually. As well as, it is usually engaged in offering the companies of coaching, analysis and extension. Established on June 1,1981, the Forest Survey of India succeeded the “Preinvestment Survey of Forest Sources” (PISFR), a challenge initiated in 1965 by Authorities of India with the sponsorship of FAO and UNDP.
• In November 2013, the Centre had already issued instructions beneath the Atmosphere Safety Act, 1986 based mostly on the Kasturirangan report, prohibiting new or enlargement tasks beneath mining, quarrying, sand mining, thermal energy, giant constructions and townships classes, in addition to red-category extremely polluting industries. Remaining ESA notifications present additional authorized safeguards for the delicate area.
Different Essential Articles Overlaying the identical matter:
📍Data Nugget: Why are the Western Ghats again in headlines?
Earlier yr UPSC Primary Query Overlaying comparable theme:
1) From the ecological viewpoint, which one of many following assumes significance in being a superb hyperlink between the Japanese Ghats and the Western Ghats? (UPSC CSE, 2017)
(a) Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve
(b) Nallamala Forest
(c) Nagarhole Nationwide Park
(d) Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve
2) Wherein of the next areas of India are you almost certainly to return throughout the ‘Nice Indian Hornbill’ in its pure habitat? (UPSC CSE, 2016)
(a) Sand deserts of northwest India
(b) Greater Himalayas of Jammu and Kashmir
(c) Salt marshes of western Gujarat
(d) Western Ghats
3) ‘Gadgil Committee Report’ and ‘Kasturirangam Committee Report’, generally seen within the information, are associated to (UPSC CSE, 2016)
(a) constitutional reforms
(b) Ganga Motion Plan
(c) linking of rivers
(d) safety of Western Ghats
NATION
Rakhigarhi skeletons to endure DNA exams, facial reconstruction
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Historical past of India
Mains Examination: Normal Research I: Indian tradition will cowl the salient features of Artwork Types, literature and Structure from historical to trendy occasions.
What’s the continuing story: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has despatched almost 5,000-year-old skeletons unearthed at Haryana’s Rakhigarhi, the biggest recognized web site of the Harappan civilisation, for scientific examination and facial reconstruction.
Key Factors to Ponder:
• Map Work-Rakhigarhi, Khatiya, Dholavira, Lothal, Desalpar and Khirsara, Kotda Bhadli, Nadapa and different Harrapan Websites
• What you recognize about Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI)?
• Wherein river is Rakhigarhi located?
• What’s Rakhigarhi Harappan web site well-known for?
• Why Rakhigarhi is vital?
• ‘Pre-urban’ part of the Harappan civilisation-What’s that?
• What new finds at Harappan web site might imply?
• Pre-urban’ Harappan part, City Harappan part and the Publish-urban Harappan phase-Evaluate and Distinction
• Indus Valley Civilization or Origin of Harappan Civilization-Know the date and Space and Areas of extension
• Harappan-Know the City infrastructure and structure
• Harappan- Learn about Harappan society and faith
• Know in detail-Harappan artwork, craft and pottery
• Know in detail-Harappan Language and Scripts
• Causes for Decline-Varied Debates (Perspective-Left, Marxists and Conservatives and so forth)
Key Takeaways:
• 4 skeletons recovered in the course of the newest excavation have been despatched to the Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI) in Kolkata on Friday, whereas DNA samples from one of many skeletons have been forwarded to the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP), Lucknow.
• Chatting with The Indian Categorical, Manoj Saxena, Superintending Archaeologist, ASI, stated three skeletons, together with soil samples, had been despatched to Kolkata, whereas solely skeletal stays have been despatched within the fourth case. A fifth skeleton has been retained by the ASI. Of the 5 skeletons recovered, three are believed to be feminine and two male. Preliminary assessments counsel all 5 people have been between 30 and 40 years previous, although their precise ages will likely be decided via detailed scientific evaluation.
• Saxena described the invention as vital as a result of the stays date again almost 5,000 years to the Harappan interval. He stated the research would assist decide whether or not the people died of pure causes or illness and, if illness was concerned, determine the character of the illnesses. The analysis can also be anticipated to disclose particulars about their ancestry, peak, bodily options and social standing.
• One of many key targets of the examine is facial reconstruction, which might present a visible illustration of what inhabitants of the Harappan civilisation could have seemed like. In keeping with Saxena, anthropological and DNA research will likely be mixed to supply a complete report.
• Researchers are additionally anticipated to reconstruct the palaeo-environment of the interval to higher perceive the human populations that inhabited the area and determine areas requiring additional examine.
Do You Know:
• Rakhigarhi includes seven mounds. Excavations have beforehand been carried out at Mound No. 7 in 2005-06, 2015 and 2023, whereas restricted excavations have been carried out at Mound No. 6 in 2005-06 and 2015.
• Earlier excavations revealed residential buildings, streets, drainage methods and what’s believed to have been a jewellery-manufacturing unit. Archaeologists additionally recovered copper and gold ornaments, terracotta toys, seals and hundreds of earthen pots.
• Courting again to roughly 4200 BCE, Rakhigarhi is taken into account one of many two largest Harappan websites in India, alongside Dholavira in Gujarat. The location is amongst 15 archaeological areas recognized by the Centre for improvement as cultural heritage locations.
• Saying the initiative within the Union Finances earlier this yr, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated excavated landscapes can be opened to the general public via curated walkways and supported by interpretation centres, conservation amenities and immersive storytelling applied sciences to reinforce guests’ understanding of India’s historical civilisations.
• The Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI) is a premier analysis group beneath the Ministry of Tradition, Authorities of India. Established in 1945, it’s the main establishment for anthropological analysis in India. Headquartered in Kolkata with regional centres throughout India, AnSI conducts intensive subject research and analysis in numerous domains of anthropology, together with bio-cultural, social-cultural, and linguistic features of the various communities of India.
Different Essential Articles Overlaying the identical matter:
📍ASI’s excavation at Harappan web site of Rakhigarhi reveals drainage system, copper and gold jewelry
Earlier yr UPSC Primary Query Overlaying comparable theme:
4) Which one of many following historical cities is well-known for its elaborate system of water harvesting and administration by constructing a collection of dams and channelising water into linked reservoirs? (UPSC CSE, 2021)
(a) Dholavira
(b) Kalibangan
(c) Rakhigarhi
(d) Ropar
5) Close to the distinction between the tradition of Rigvedic Aryans and Indus Valley individuals, which of the next statements is/are appropriate? (UPSC CSE, 2017)
1. Rigvedic Aryans used the coat of mail and helmet in warfare whereas the individuals of Indus Valley Civilization didn’t go away any proof of utilizing them.
2. Rigvedic Aryans knew gold, silver and copper whereas Indus Valley individuals knew solely copper
and iron.
3. Rigvedic Aryans had domesticated the horse whereas there isn’t any proof of Indus Valley individuals having been conscious of this animal.
Choose the proper reply utilizing the code given under:
(a) 1 solely
(b) 2 and three solely
(c) 1 and three solely
(d) 1, 2 and three
EXPLAINED
Guardrails in AI progress to guard creating nations
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Present occasions of nationwide and worldwide significance.
Mains Examination: Normal Research III: Consciousness within the fields of IT, House, Computer systems, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and points regarding mental property rights.
What’s the continuing story: Professor B Ravindran, head of the Centre for Accountable AI at IIT Madras, is the lone Indian among the many 40 individuals appointed to the Unbiased Worldwide Scientific Panel on AI.
Key Factors to Ponder:
• What’s the Worldwide Scientific Panel on AI speculated to do?
• Why is a worldwide governance construction on AI wanted? Are we transferring in that course?
• The place AI regulation stand?
• Would worldwide regulation additionally management the dangers from AI?
• Will different nations comply with swimsuit with AI regulation?
• Why AI regulation is required?
• If Regulated then what ought to be the restrict?
• If regulated, then what are the dangers related to regulating AI?
• What has been India’s Response to calls for for AI Regulation?
Key Takeaways:
• The transformative potential of synthetic intelligence (AI) is changing into more and more evident, and its impacts are already being felt, touching every little thing from the every day lives of people to broader industries. Consequently, efforts have begun to create international establishments and frameworks to control the event and deployment of AI methods.
• Some preliminary institutional buildings have already been arrange. Final yr, the United Nations Normal Meeting established a World Dialogue on AI wherein each nation has been invited to take part. An Unbiased Worldwide Scientific Panel on AI is tasked with making periodic scientific assessments to counterpoint the World Dialogue discussions.
• Professor B Ravindran, head of the Centre for Accountable AI at IIT Madras, is the lone Indian among the many 40 individuals appointed to the Unbiased Worldwide Scientific Panel on AI for a three-year time period. He explains the necessity for a system of world AI governance, why it issues for creating nations like India and what a commons system for AI instruments and assets might seem like.
Do You Know:
Professor B Ravindran, head of the Centre for Accountable AI at IIT Madras says-
• Talking in my private capability, I really feel that having some form of worldwide settlement on how AI is to be deployed or what sorts of purposes we need to use is perhaps helpful. As of now, nations are creating their very own frameworks to take care of this know-how, however which may not be the simplest manner ahead.
• There are two methods of it. One is from the angle of the event of AI methods. If the regulation is simply too fragmented, that means each nation has its personal set of differing laws, then the event of AI would additionally turn out to be fragmented. Firms should be sure that their methods can adhere to differing units of necessities in numerous geographies.
AI regulation
Different Essential Articles Overlaying the identical matter:
📍What govt’s AI tips imply for tech regulation in India
Earlier yr UPSC Primary Query Overlaying comparable theme:
6) With the current state of improvement, Synthetic Intelligence can successfully do which of the next? (UPSC CSE, 2020)
1. Deliver down electrical energy consumption in industrial items
2. Create significant brief tales and songs
3. Illness analysis
4. Textual content-to-Speech Conversion
5. Wi-fi transmission {of electrical} vitality
Choose the proper reply utilizing the code given under:
(a) 1, 2, 3 and 5 solely
(b) 1, 3 and 4 solely
(c) 2, 4 and 5 solely
(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
Three distinct strategic roles of the three ships inducted into Navy
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Present occasions of nationwide and worldwide significance.
Mains Examination: Normal Research III: Achievements of Indians in science & know-how; indigenization of know-how and creating new know-how.
What’s the continuing story: The Indian Navy inducted three ships right this moment (June 21) — one that may battle far out at sea, one that may map the ocean, and one that may hunt submarines near the coast. Prime Minister Narendra Modi presided over the commissioning of INS Dunagiri, INS Sanshodhak, and INS Agray in Kolkata, including to the regular inducting of latest vessels into the Indian Navy since January 2025.
Key Factors to Ponder:
• Evaluate destroyer, a frigate and a submarine.
• INS Dunagiri, INS Sanshodhak and INS Agray-know their significance
• What is supposed by a blue-water navy?
• How does indigenous naval shipbuilding contribute to nationwide safety?
• What’s Venture 17A?
• What’s the strategic significance of inducting these ships within the Indian Navy?
• What are the efforts taken by the federal government for indigenisation of the Indian Navy?
Key Takeaways:
• The three vessels — the Brahmos-armed stealth frigate INS Dunagiri, the deep-water survey vessel INS Sanshodhak, and the Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC) INS Agray — have been constructed by Backyard Attain Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata. In keeping with the Ministry of Defence, the three collectively have greater than 75 per cent indigenous content material, and contain over 200 MSMEs.
Do You Know:
• INS Dunagiri: The biggest and most closely armed of the three is INS Dunagiri. It’s a frigate, which, in easy phrases, is smaller than a destroyer however giant sufficient to function removed from the coast. It’s a part of the Navy’s Venture 17A, beneath which a brand new technology of stealth guided-missile frigates are being inbuilt India. The ‘stealth’ right here doesn’t imply full invisibility, however implies that it’s tougher to detect on radar and different sensors. Dunagiri carries weapons corresponding to BrahMos surface-to-surface missiles and a medium-range surface-to-air missile (MRSAM) system, together with sensors together with Multi-Perform Surveillance, Monitor And Steerage Radar (MFSTAR), sonar, digital warfare methods and anti-submarine weapons.
• INS Sanshodhak: This can be a Survey Vessel — Giant (SVL). Its job is to measure and map the ocean: the depth of waters, seabed options, method channels to ports, navigational routes, and oceanographic information. It’s geared up with methods corresponding to autonomous underwater automobiles, remotely operated automobiles and multi-beam echo sounders. These assist the ship acquire information from the floor and underwater.
—Sanshodhak is the final ship of the Sandhayak-class of SVLs. The contract for 4 SVLs was signed in October 2018. The opposite ships of this class are INS Sandhayak, INS Nirdeshak and INS Ikshak, commissioned in February 2024, December 2024 and November 2025.
• INS Agray: The third vessel, INS Agray, is the smallest of the three however has a extremely specialised position. Put merely, it’s a submarine-hunter designed for coastal waters. Agray belongs to the Arnala-class, a category of smaller warships constructed particularly to detect and assault submarines in shallow waters close to the coast, ports, naval bases and vital sea approaches. Agray carries light-weight torpedoes, indigenous anti-submarine rocket launchers and sonar methods.
—The phrase typically used for coastal waters is littoral, which merely means waters near the shore. “Coastal waters are troublesome locations to seek out submarines. They’re noisy, busy and cluttered. Fishing boats, service provider ships, seabed options and coastal exercise could make submarine detection tougher than within the open ocean. That’s the place ASW-SWCc corresponding to Agray are available,” stated an officer.
Different Essential Articles Overlaying the identical matter:
📍Defence Minister Rajnath Singh commissions INS Taragiri, calls robust Navy a necessity
ECONOMY
Why India’s largest energy dealer can’t commerce on the trade it helped create
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Present occasions of nationwide and worldwide significance
Mains Examination: Normal Research III:Infrastructure: Vitality, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways and so forth.
What’s the continuing story: India’s largest energy dealer, PTC India, finds itself in a Catch-22 state of affairs. The nation’s prime electrical energy regulator on Wednesday (June 17) rejected a plea by an influence trade — a platform for turbines, distribution corporations, merchants and enormous customers to purchase and promote electrical energy — that sought an exemption for PTC India.
Key Factors to Ponder:
• What’s an influence trade?
• What are the key energy exchanges in India?
• Why energy markets are wanted?
• Why is PTC India barred from buying and selling on HPX?
• What you recognize about Energy Buying and selling Company of India Restricted (PTC)?
Key Takeaways:
• Hindustan Energy Change Ltd (HPX) requested for a three-year transitional exemption for the corporate to commerce on the trade whereas it steadily dilutes its stake to satisfy the regulatory threshold. Below the Central Electrical energy Regulatory Fee (CERC) (Energy Market) Rules, 2021, a trader-member can not maintain greater than 5% fairness within the energy trade on which it trades. PTC India at the moment owns 22.62% of HPX.
• This comes because the CERC plans to overtake India’s energy market structure via market coupling. Below this mechanism, energy costs throughout exchanges can be found via a centralised mechanism operated by Grid Controller of India, changing the present system the place every trade independently determines costs based mostly by itself demand-supply dynamics.
• The regulatory framework has left PTC in a troublesome place. The corporate can not commerce on the HPX, which it helped create, except it first dilutes its stake. But, promoting that stake could show troublesome as a result of HPX has struggled to achieve market share and appeal to ample buying and selling volumes.
• India at the moment has three energy exchanges regulated by the CERC. The Indian Vitality Change (IEX) dominates the market with over 80% share, whereas Energy Change India Ltd (PXIL) and HPX account for the rest.
Do You Know:
• Established in 1999, PTC India is India’s pioneering energy dealer and accounted for almost 31.8% of the entire bilateral electrical energy quantity transacted via licensed merchants in FY25, making the regulatory deadlock vital for each the corporate and HPX.
Different Essential Articles Overlaying the identical matter:
📍Why electrical energy costs on India’s energy exchanges are crashing by day and spiking at evening
Earlier yr UPSC Prelims Query Overlaying comparable theme:
7) Which one of many following is a objective of ‘UDAY’, a scheme of the Authorities? (UPSC CSE, 2016)
(a) Offering technical and monetary help to start-up entrepreneurs within the subject of renewable sources of vitality
(b) Offering electrical energy to each family within the nation by 2018
(c) Changing the coal-based energy crops with pure gasoline, nuclear, photo voltaic, wind and tidal energy crops over a time period
(d) Offering for monetary turnaround and revival of energy distribution corporations
PRELIMS ANSWER KEY |
1.(a) 2.(d) 3.(d) 4.(a) 5.(c) 6.(b) 7.(d) |
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