Why in the news?
The 26th edition of Nagaland’s iconic Hornbill Festival has begun with great enthusiasm, reaffirming its status as one of India’s most vibrant cultural events. The festival has grown into a major platform for showcasing the cultural diversity of Nagaland’s tribes and promoting tourism in the Northeast.
What is the Hornbill Festival?
- First organised: 2000
- Also called: “Festival of Festivals”
- Purpose:
- Promote inter-tribal interaction
- Preserve indigenous Naga heritage
- Blend traditional and contemporary art forms
- Organised by:
- Department of Tourism, Government of Nagaland
- Department of Art & Culture, Government of Nagaland
- Venue: Naga Heritage Village, Kisama, ~12 km from Kohima, Nagaland
- Named after: The Hornbill bird, which is deeply associated with the socio-cultural identity of the Nagas
| Consider the following pairs: Tradition State (2018)
1. Chapchar Kut festival — Mizoram
2. Khongjom Parba ballad — Manipur
3. Thang-Ta dance — Sikkim
Which of the pairs given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2
(c) 3 only
(d) 2 and 3 |
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Why in the news?
The Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) notice to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and senior officials in the KIIFB masala bond case has revived debates on FEMA compliance, off-budget borrowings, and Centre–State fiscal relations. As local body polls approach, the issue has also acquired political significance.
What is KIIFB?
Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB)
- Statutory body established under KIIF Act, 1999
- Revived in 2016 as Kerala’s key infrastructure financing arm
- Raises funds outside the State budget, mainly through long-term borrowing
- Functions as an off-budget financing mechanism
What is Off-Budget Borrowing?
- Debt raised by state entities (SPVs, boards) instead of the government directly
- Not reflected in the official fiscal deficit
- CAG has criticised such borrowings for reducing transparency
What Are Masala Bonds?
Masala Bonds =
- Rupee-denominated bonds issued in overseas markets
- Borrowing risk is borne by the investor, not the issuer
- Governed by RBI’s External Commercial Borrowing (ECB) Framework
|
KIIFB Masala Bond:
- Issued in 2019 on the London Stock Exchange
- Total amount: ₹2,150 crore
- First sub-national entity in India to issue such a bond
Why Did ED Issue Notices?
ED’s probe relates to alleged violations under:FEMA, 1999 – Foreign Exchange Management Act
ED claims: Part of the masala bond funds was used for land purchase. RBI prohibits land purchase using ECB/masala bond proceeds
Kerala’s defence:
- Land was acquired, not purchased
- Public land acquisition does not violate FEMA or RBI norms
Enforcement Directorate (ED)
- Established under DOF Notification (1956)
- Investigates:
- PMLA, 2002
- FEMA, 1999
- Economic offences referred by other agencies
- Works under Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance
CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General of India)
- Constitutional body under Article 148
- Criticised KIIFB borrowings as off-budget liabilities
|
| With reference to ‘IFC Masala Bonds’, sometimes seen in the news, which of the statements given below is/are correct? (2016)
1. The International Finance Corporation, which offers these bonds, is an arm of the World Bank.
2. They are the rupee-denominated bonds and are a source of debt financing for the public and private sector.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 |
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Why in the news?
At the Conference on 50 Years of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) held in New Delhi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar warned that global biological threats—natural, accidental, or deliberate are growing due to rapid scientific advances. He emphasised the rising risks of bioterrorism and highlighted structural weaknesses in the BWC.
About the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC)
- Came into force: 1975
- Objective: Prohibits development, production, acquisition, stockpiling & use of biological and toxin weapons.
- Depositaries: Russia, UK, USA
- India: Founding State Party
Structural Gaps Jaishankar Highlighted
- No verification/compliance mechanism
- No permanent technical secretariat
- No system to monitor new scientific developments
- Reliance on voluntary confidence-building measures (CBMs)
Rising Biological Threat Landscape
- Misuse of biological agents by non-state actors is a serious concern.
- Emerging technologies increasing risks:
- Synthetic biology
- Genome editing (CRISPR)
- AI-driven biological design
India’s Strengths in Biosecurity
- Produces 60% of global vaccines
- Supplies 20% of world’s generic medicines (including 60% for Africa)
- 11,000 biotech startups (3rd largest globally; 50 in 2014 → 11,000 now)
- Advanced BSL-3 and BSL-4 labs under ICMR & DBT
India’s Global Health Contributions
- Vaccine Maitri: ~300 million vaccine doses, aid to 100+ countries
- Stressed that biological crisis assistance must be “fast, practical and humanitarian”
| Which one of the following is associated with the issue of control and phasing out of the use of ozone-depleting substances? (2015)
(a) Bretton Woods Conference
(b) Montreal Protocol
(c) Kyoto Protocol
(d) Nagoya Protocol |
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Why in the news?
In the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, the Indian Army, Air Force, and Navy have initiated emergency procurement of satellite-linked Heron Mk II Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) from Israel. This marks the first induction of Heron Mk II by the Indian Navy.
What is Emergency Procurement?
- Covered under Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP).
- Allows armed forces to procure weapons/systems worth up to ₹300 crore per case.
- Meant for urgent operational requirements.
- Fast-tracked contracting and delivery timelines.
About Heron Mk II (MALE UAV)
Category: MALE – Medium Altitude Long Endurance.
Manufacturer: Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).
Key Features (Prelims Points):
- Endurance: > 24 hours continuous flight.
- Payload Capacity: ~ half a tonne.
- Sensors:
- Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)
- Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR)
- SIGINT (Signals Intelligence)
- SATCOM-enabled:
- Encrypted satellite communication
- Enables Beyond Line-of-Sight (BLOS) operations.
- Fully automated Take-off & Landing (ATOL).
- All-weather ISR platform (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance).
Current Indian Operators:
- Indian Army (deployed in northern sector).
- Indian Air Force.
- Indian Navy (first time induction now).
| With reference to Agni-IV Missile, which of the following statements is/are correct? (2014)
1. It is surface-to surface missile.
2. It is fuelled by liquid propellant only.
3. It can deliver one-tonne nuclear warheads about 7500km away.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3 only |
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Why in the news?
Guinea-Bissau, one of the world’s most coup-prone nations, witnessed yet another military takeover on 26 November 2025, overthrowing President Umaro Sissoco Embaló. The coup was led by members of the Presidential Guard, marking the latest in a long line of disruptions to democratic governance in West Africa.
Geography & Country Profile
- Location: West Africa, bordered by
- Senegal (North)
- Guinea (East & South)
- Atlantic Ocean (West)
- Language: Portuguese (Lusophone Africa).
- Population: Approx. 2.25 million.
- HDI Rank: 174 / 193 (UNDP).
- Economy: Dominated by agriculture, especially cashew nuts
- Cashew = 80%+ of export earnings (World Bank).
- Known as a hub for drug trafficking (Latin America → Europe).
Political Background
- Independence from Portugal in 1974.
- One of the most unstable countries globally:
- Has had more successful coups than peaceful transfers of power.
- Termed the “Coup Trap” country – chronic cycle where military becomes the dominant political actor.
| In the recent years Chad, Guinea, Mali and Sudan caught the international attention for which one of the following reasons common to all of them? (2023)
(a) Discovery of rich deposits of rare earth elements
(b) Establishement of Chinese military bases
(c) Southward expansion of Sahara Desert
(d) Successful coups |
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
