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  • India–U.A.E. Joint Military Exercise Desert Cyclone II

    Why in the news?

    • An Indian Army contingent departed for the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) to participate in the 2nd edition of the joint military exercise “Desert Cyclone II”.
    • The exercise is being conducted at Abu Dhabi from December 18–30, 2025.

    Key Facts for Prelims

    • Name of Exercise: Desert Cyclone II
    • Edition: Second
    • Participating Countries:
      • India
      • United Arab Emirates
    • Location: Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.
    • Duration: December 18–30, 2025

    Objectives of the Exercise

    • Enhance interoperability between Indian Army and U.A.E. Land Forces
    • Strengthen bilateral defence cooperation
    • Improve joint operational capabilities under a United Nations mandate
    Which of the following statements about ‘Exercise Mitra Shakti-2023’ are correct? (2024)

    1. This was a joint military exercise between India and Bangladesh. 

    2. It commenced in Aundh (Pune). 

    3. Joint response during counter-terrorism operations was a goal of this operation. 

    4. Indian Air Force was a part of this exercise. 

    Select the answer using the code given below: 

    (a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 1 and 4 (c) 1 and 4 (d) 2, 3 and 4

  • Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF)

    Why in the News?

    • In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, the Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying informed that ₹10,320 crore worth of loans have been sanctioned under AHIDF.

    About AHIDF

    • The Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) is a Central Sector Scheme.
    • Total outlay: ₹15,000 crore
    • Announced under the Prime Minister’s Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan stimulus package.
    • Objective: Boost investment in animal husbandry infrastructure.

    Implementing Agency

    • Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying
    • Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying

    Eligible Beneficiaries

    • Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs)
    • Private companies
    • Individual entrepreneurs
    • Section 8 companies
    • Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)

    Financial Assistance & Benefits

    • Margin money: Minimum 10% by beneficiary
    • Loan component: Up to 90% through scheduled banks
    • Interest subvention: 3% by Government of India
    • Repayment period: Maximum 8 years
      • Includes 2-year moratorium
    Consider the following statements about the Rashtriya Gokul Mission: (2025)

    I. It is important for the upliftment of rural poor as majority of low producing indigenous animals are with small and marginal farmers and landless labourers. 

    II. It was initiated to promote indigenous cattle and buffalo rearing and conservation in a scientific and holistic manner. 

    Which of the statements given above is/ are correct? 

    (a) I only (b) II only (c) Both I and II (d) Neither I nor II

  • Kavach System – Automatic Train Protection (ATP)

    Why in the News?

    • The Union Railway Minister informed the Lok Sabha during the Winter Session of Parliament that the indigenously developed Kavach system has been fully commissioned on over 2,000 km of the Indian Rail network.
    • The rollout is progressing at a very fast pace across multiple railway zones.

    What is Kavach?

    • Kavach is an indigenous Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system.
    • It is designed to prevent train collisions, over-speeding, and signal passing at danger (SPAD).
    • It enhances operational safety through real-time monitoring and automatic intervention.

    Development and Agencies Involved

    • Developed by:
      • Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) under Indian Railways
    • Industry partners:
      • Medha Servo Drives Pvt. Ltd.
      • HBL Power Systems Ltd.
      • Kernex Microsystems

    Current Status (as of December 2025)

    • 7,129 km of Optical Fibre Cable laid
    • 860 telecom towers installed
    • 767 railway stations connected to data centres
    • Trackside equipment deployed along 3,413 km
    • 4,154 locomotives equipped with Kavach
    • Around 40,000 technicians and operators trained

    Impact

    • Consequential railway accidents reduced by nearly 90%
    • Accidents declined from 135 (2014) to about 11 currently
    • Demonstrates tangible improvement in railway safety outcomes
    Consider the following statements: (2025)

    I. Indian Railways have prepared a National Rail Plan (NRP) to create a future ready railway system by 2028.

    II. ‘Kavach’ is an Automatic Train Protection system developed in collaboration with Germany.

    III. ‘Kavach’ system consists of RFID tags fitted on track in station section.

    Which of the statements given above are not correct?

    (a) I and II only 

    (b) II and III only 

    (c) I and III only 

    (d) I, II and III

  • [18th December 2025] The Hindu OpED: Overseas Bill betrays migrant workers

    PYQ Relevance

    [UPSC 2015] Discuss the changes in the trends of labour migration within and outside India in the last four decades.

    Linkage: This GS-I question focuses on evolving labour migration patterns driven by globalisation and regional inequalities. The article is relevant as it shows how rapid growth in overseas migration has not been matched by stronger state protection, a gap further widened by the Overseas Mobility Bill, 2025.

    Introduction

    India’s labour migrants, predominantly from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Kerala, and other economically stressed regions, occupy high-risk, low-protection jobs abroad, especially in Gulf countries and Southeast Asia. While they contribute significantly through remittances, the Overseas Mobility (Facilitation and Welfare) Bill, 2025 departs from a protection-centric approach and prioritises administrative facilitation. The legislation marks a shift from rights-based regulation to deregulated mobility, with implications for exploitation, trafficking, and migrant welfare.

    Why in the News

    The Overseas Mobility (Facilitation and Welfare) Bill, 2025 is under parliamentary consideration as a replacement for the Emigration Act, 1983. Unlike the 2021 draft, which envisaged migrants as rights-bearing agents, the 2025 Bill removes key safeguards such as transparent recruitment fee disclosure, strong anti-predation tools, and decentralised grievance redressal. The proposed framework centralises authority, dilutes protections for women and children, and reduces accountability of recruitment agencies, raising concerns of institutionalised exploitation rather than reform.

    From Protection to Facilitation: The Legislative Shift

    1. Regulatory Dilution: Replaces rights-based oversight with procedural facilitation, prioritising bureaucratic efficiency over worker protection.
    2. Rollback of 2021 Safeguards: Removes mandatory transparent fee disclosure for recruitment agencies, reopening pathways for debt bondage.
    3. Weakened Enforcement: Shifts enforceable rights to discretionary administrative functions, limiting judicial recourse.

    Vulnerable Groups and Gendered Risks

    1. Diluted Definition: Replaces explicit protection for women and children with a broad “vulnerable classes” category, reducing legal clarity.
    2. Judicial Ambiguity: Encourages procedural delays and weak enforcement due to undefined vulnerability thresholds.
    3. Trafficking Exposure: Undermines safeguards against sexual violence and trafficking in high-risk migration corridors.

    Recruitment Ecosystem and Predatory Practices

    1. Accreditation Gaps: Introduces agency accreditation without strong oversight, enabling fraudulent intermediaries.
    2. Digital Deregulation: Removes Emigration Check Posts in favour of digital nodes, disadvantaging low-literacy migrants.
    3. Debt Bondage: Allows unchecked recruitment fees, forcing migrants into exploitative financial arrangements before departure.
    4. Illustrative Case: Workers paying lakhs for “guaranteed jobs” abroad face substituted contracts and wage reductions on arrival.

    Governance Architecture and Centralisation

    1. Overseas Mobility Council: Centralised body dominated by Delhi-based officials, marginalising migrant-sending states.
    2. Federal Exclusion: States like Kerala and Uttar Pradesh lack representation despite high migration outflows.
    3. Erosion of State Role: State Nodal Committees envisaged in 2021 draft removed or subordinated.

    Post-Arrival Abandonment and Surveillance

    1. Dissolution of Duties: Removes agency responsibilities for reception, mediation, and document renewal abroad.
    2. Administrative Overload: Transfers migrant welfare to under-resourced government bodies.
    3. Surveillance Bias: Integrated Information System prioritises data logging over consent-based protection.
    4. Illicit Recruitment Blind Spot: Fails to address WhatsApp-based fake job scams and online trafficking networks.

    Reintegration and Return Deficit

    1. Symbolic Repatriation: Mentions “safe return” without budgetary or institutional backing.
    2. Funding Exclusions: Denies reintegration support to deportees returning after 182 days.
    3. Skill and Trauma Neglect: Omits vocational training and trauma counselling for returnees.

    Accountability Deficit and Enforcement Gaps

    1. Weak Penalties: Imposes nominal fines on recruitment rackets while shielding traffickers and foreign employers.
    2. Rights Vacuum: Removes compensation-linked penalties for abuse and trafficking.
    3. Justice Gap: Migrants reduced to administrative subjects rather than rights-holders.

    Conclusion:

    The Overseas Mobility (Facilitation and Welfare) Bill, 2025 represents a shift from rights-based migrant protection to administrative facilitation, weakening safeguards for India’s overseas workers. Without restoring accountability, state participation, and enforceable welfare mechanisms, the Bill risks institutionalising vulnerability rather than ensuring safe and dignified labour migration.

  • The changing patterns of India’s student migration

    Introduction

    India’s latest wave of student migration marks a decisive departure from earlier patterns of elite academic mobility. What was once limited to fully funded university programmes is now dominated by self-financed migration through commercialised education channels. With over 13.35 lakh Indian students enrolled abroad in 2024, student mobility has emerged as a major demographic, economic, and policy issue with implications for employment, remittances, and human capital formation.

    Why in the News

    Student migration from India has expanded rapidly in scale and altered sharply in composition. The Ministry of External Affairs reported over 13.2 lakh Indian students abroad in 2023, rising further in 2024 and projected to reach 13.8 lakh in 2025. Unlike earlier trends, Canada, the U.S., and the U.K. together host nearly 70% of Indian students, with a growing share enrolled in lower-tier institutions and vocational programmes. 

    Changing Geography and Scale of Student Migration

    1. Rapid expansion: Overseas enrolment increased from 12.29 lakh (2018) to 13.35 lakh (2024), indicating sustained outflows.
    2. Destination concentration: Canada and the U.S. (40%), followed by the U.K., Australia, and Germany, dominate student inflows.
    3. Diaspora reclassification: Students are now formally recognised as a major category within India’s diaspora framework.

    Commercialisation of Overseas Education Pathways

    1. Private recruitment dominance: Migration channels increasingly operate through education agents and recruitment firms, often in regulatory grey zones.
    2. Institutional downgrading: Students are channelled into lower-tier universities and vocational colleges, particularly in the U.K. and Canada.
    3. Profit orientation: Expansion reflects the foreign education industry’s revenue model, not academic demand alignment.

    Labour Market Outcomes and Skill Mismatch

    1. Limited skilled absorption: Only 1 in 4 Indian postgraduates in the U.K. secures sponsored skilled employment.
    2. Unskilled employment drift: Many graduates work in low-wage, unskilled jobs, often juggling multiple part-time roles.
    3. Visa tightening effects: Recent restrictions in the U.K. and Canada have reduced post-study work options, worsening job insecurity.

    Reverse Remittances and Household Financial Stress

    1. Debt-financed migration: Education loans, property mortgages, and family savings underpin overseas education.
    2. Reverse remittances: Indian households increasingly subsidise students abroad, reversing traditional remittance flows.
    3. Cost escalation: Annual expenses range between ₹47-87 billion for tuition, housing, and living costs for Indian students in the U.S. alone.

    Domestic Push Factors Driving Migration

    1. Employment saturation: Weak domestic job creation intensifies reliance on foreign labour markets.
    2. Institutional capacity gaps: Limited access to quality higher education within India.
    3. Aspirational mobility: Overseas degrees function as symbols of social mobility, even when economic returns decline.

    OECD Labour Market Dependence and Policy Contradictions

    1. Labour supply substitution: Student migration acts as a cheap labour pipeline for OECD economies.
    2. Policy inconsistency: Destination countries encourage enrolment while restricting long-term settlement pathways.
    3. Brain waste risk: Skill underutilisation replaces earlier concerns of brain drain.

    Conclusion

    India’s evolving student migration pattern reflects a deeper structural contradiction between expanding educational aspirations and limited domestic employment absorption. What is increasingly presented as academic mobility is, in practice, functioning as a market-driven labour pipeline marked by debt, skill underutilisation, and reverse remittances. Without stronger regulation of education agents, better alignment between higher education and labour markets, and credible domestic opportunities, student migration risks shifting from a pathway of human capital advancement to a mechanism of economic vulnerability and brain waste.

    Brain Waste

    Brain waste refers to the systematic underutilisation of formally educated and skilled individuals in low-productivity, low-wage, or informal employment, resulting in loss of individual capability, household resources, and national human capital efficiency.

    Key Dimensions

    1. Skill-Job Mismatch: Graduates employed in sectors unrelated to their qualifications, such as retail, caregiving, or gig services.
    2. Credential Devaluation: Overseas degrees from lower-tier institutions failing to translate into skilled job access.
    3. Labour Market Segmentation: Migrants concentrated in secondary labour markets with limited mobility.
    4. Economic Inefficiency: High private investment in education yields low productivity returns.
    5. Psychosocial Costs: Prolonged underemployment leading to debt stress, mental health strain, and social disillusionment.

    Policy Significance for India

    1. Reduces returns on domestic human capital formation.
    2. Weakens long-term productivity gains from migration.
    3. Shifts the migration debate from brain drain to brain wastage.

    Education-Migration Complex

    The education-migration complex denotes an interlinked system where domestic deficits in quality education and employment interact with foreign demand for fee-paying students and flexible labour, producing large-scale, market-driven student mobility.

    Structural Components

    1. Domestic Push Factors: Limited quality higher education seats, graduate unemployment, and credential inflation.
    2. Foreign Pull Factors: Revenue dependence of OECD universities and labour demand in low-wage service sectors.
    3. Intermediary Ecosystem: Education agents, recruiters, and private colleges operating in weakly regulated spaces.
    4. Policy Asymmetry: Liberal student visas combined with restrictive post-study work and settlement regimes.
    5. Financialisation of Education: Education loans and household savings financing migration rather than productive investment.

    Systemic Outcomes

    1. Massification of student migration beyond elite academic mobility.
    2. Growth of reverse remittances and household indebtedness.
    3. Normalisation of migration as an employment substitute.

    PYQ relevance

    [UPSC 2024] Why do large cities tend to attract more migrants than smaller towns? Discuss in the light of conditions in developing countries.

    Linkage: Student migration reflects aspirational migration driven by opportunity concentration, now extending from domestic cities to global education hubs.

  • How is the Aravalli range to be protected

    Introduction

    The Aravalli range, among the world’s oldest mountain systems, functions as a critical ecological barrier preventing desertification of the Indo-Gangetic plains. Stretching over 650 km from Gujarat to Delhi, the range plays a central role in climate moderation, groundwater recharge, and biodiversity conservation. However, decades of inconsistent definitions, regulatory violations, and mining pressures have degraded large tracts, necessitating renewed judicial intervention.

    Why in the News

    The Supreme Court, in a recent order, settled on a uniform definition of the Aravalli hills and ranges, paused the grant of fresh mining leases, and directed preparation of a Sustainable Mining Management Plan (SMMP). This marks a decisive shift from fragmented state-level interpretations that previously enabled unregulated mining. The intervention is significant as it directly addresses regulatory dilution, illegal extraction, and ecological degradation across Delhi-NCR, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.

    Ecological and Strategic Significance of the Aravalli Range

    1. Ecological Barrier: Prevents eastward expansion of the Thar Desert into Haryana, Rajasthan, and western Uttar Pradesh.
    2. Climate Regulation: Supports regional climate stability and moderates extreme temperatures.
    3. Groundwater Recharge: Functions as a major recharge system for aquifers supplying urban and rural settlements.
    4. River Systems Support: Acts as a source region for rivers such as Chambal, Sabarmati, and Luni.
    5. Biodiversity Reservoir: Hosts diverse flora and fauna across forested and semi-arid ecosystems.
    6. Mineral Endowment: Contains limestone, marble, granite, zinc, copper, gold, and tungsten-driving extraction pressures.

    Historical Mining Pressure and Regulatory Failure

    1. Mining Legacy: Stone and sand mining persisted for decades due to mineral richness.
    2. Environmental Degradation: Caused air pollution, groundwater depletion, and ecosystem fragmentation.
    3. Legal Non-Compliance: Mining frequently operated without valid environmental clearances.
    4. International Commitments: Violates India’s obligations under the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.
    5. Judicial Trigger: Supreme Court intervention followed systemic regulatory failure at state levels.

    Early Executive and Judicial Interventions

    1. MoEF Restrictions (1990s): Issued mining restrictions across the Aravallis.
    2. Persistent Violations: State-level enforcement failures undermined restrictions.
    3. Supreme Court Ban (2009): Imposed a blanket ban on mining in Faridabad, Gurgaon, and Mewat.
    4. Fresh Mining Leases: Prohibited new leases and renewals pending comprehensive assessment.
    5. CEC Mandate: Central Empowered Committee tasked with examining mining impacts.

    Central Empowered Committee Findings and Recommendations

    1. Landscape-Level Assessment: Recommended macro-level environmental impact assessment.
    2. Mining Prohibition Zones: Advised bans in ecologically sensitive areas.
    3. Water Protection: Highlighted risks to recharge zones and water bodies.
    4. Strict Regulation: Suggested prohibition of mining until proper mapping and impact studies.
    5. Implementation Timeline: Recommendations placed before the Court after delayed compliance.

    Need for a Uniform Definition of the Aravallis

    1. State Inconsistencies: Different criteria used by states to identify Aravalli land.
    2. FSI Criteria (2010):
      1. Slope ≥ 3°
      2. Hill Height ≥ 100 m
      3. Valley Width ≥ 500 m
      4. Enclosed Area Criteria
    3. Regulatory Loopholes: Narrow definitions enabled mining below 100 m height.
    4. Scientific Objections: CEC flagged exclusion of slopes and foothills as ecologically flawed.
    5. Judicial Resolution: Supreme Court approved a nationally consistent definition.

    Supreme Court Directions on Mining Governance

    1. Sustainable Mining Management Plan: Directed preparation of SMMP for Aravalli-NCR.
    2. Absolute Prohibition: Banned mining in highly sensitive zones.
    3. Conditional Permissions: Allowed limited mining under strict regulatory oversight.
    4. Carrying Capacity Assessment: Mandated ecological thresholds before approvals.
    5. Restoration Measures: Required rehabilitation and restoration planning.

    Green Wall Project and Landscape Restoration

    1. Project Launch (June 2025): Centre initiated the Aravalli “Green Wall”.
    2. Geographic Scope: 5-km buffer across 29 districts in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi.
    3. Restoration Target: 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030.
    4. Climate Co-Benefits: Enhances carbon sequestration and desertification control.
    5. Policy Integration: Aligns with land degradation neutrality goals.

    Why Mining Has Not Been Completely Banned

    1. Past Experience: Total bans encouraged illegal syndicates and violent extraction.
    2. Regulatory Vacuum: Blanket prohibitions weakened oversight mechanisms.
    3. Calibrated Approach:
      1. Existing legal mines regulated stringently.
      2. Ecologically sensitive zones declared no-go areas.
    4. Governance Focus: Emphasis on enforceable regulation rather than prohibition.

    Conclusion:

    Protecting the Aravalli range is essential not only for conserving an ancient geomorphic system but also for safeguarding north India from accelerating desertification, groundwater decline, and ecological instability. The Supreme Court’s insistence on a uniform definition, regulated mining, and landscape restoration marks a shift from fragmented governance to science-based environmental stewardship.

    PYQ Relevance

    [UPSC 2020] The process of desertification does not have climatic boundaries. Justify with examples.

    Linkage: The question examines the role of physiographic features and human interventions in driving desertification beyond climatic boundaries under GS-1. The Aravalli range functions as a natural barrier against desert spread, and its degradation demonstrates how desertification can advance into non-arid regions.

  • Param Vir Dirgha at Rashtrapati Bhavan

    Why in the News?

    On the occasion of Vijay Diwas 2025, the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, inaugurated Param Vir Dirgha at Rashtrapati Bhavan, where portraits of all 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees are now displayed.

    Key Development

    • Portraits of 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees displayed
     • Replaced portraits of 96 British Aide de Camps (ADCs)
     • Initiative symbolises removal of colonial legacy and celebration of Indian national heroes

    About Param Vir Chakra (PVC)

    • Highest military decoration of India
     • Awarded for exceptional valour, courage and self sacrifice during war
     • Instituted on 26 January 1950
     • Awarded to personnel of Army, Navy and Air Force
     • Total awardees till date: 21

    Param Vir Dirgha

    • A dedicated gallery at Rashtrapati Bhavan
     • Showcases portraits and legacy of Param Vir Chakra awardees
     • Aims to educate visitors about India’s bravest soldiers
     • Reinforces national pride and military heritage

    Broader Context of De Colonialisation Initiatives

    • Rajpath renamed Kartavya Path
     • Indian Navy ensign redesigned, removing Saint George’s Cross and adopting symbols linked to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
     • Mughal Garden renamed Amrit Udyan
     • Race Course Road renamed Lok Kalyan Marg
     • Ross Island renamed Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Dweep
     • Neil Island renamed Shaheed Dweep
     • Havelock Island renamed Swaraj Dweep
     • Port Blair renamed Sri Vijaya Puram
     • 21 islands named after Param Vir Chakra awardees
     • Republic Day Beating Retreat ceremony now features Indian musical instruments

    Significance for UPSC Prelims

    • Links Vijay Diwas with national military honours
     • Highlights Param Vir Chakra facts and symbolism
     • Reflects policy of removing colonial symbols
     • Important for culture, defence and modern Indian history

    What are the duties of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) as Head of the Department of Military Affairs? (2024)

    1. Permanent Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee. 

    2. Exercise military command over the three Service Chiefs. 

    3. Principal Military Advisor to Defence Minister on all tri-service matters. 

    Select the correct answer using the code given below: 

    (a) 1, 2, 3 (b) 1 and 2 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1 and 3 only

  • Natyashastra

    Why in the News?

    The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) organised an academic programme titled Natyashastra Synthesis of Theory and Praxis during the 20th Session of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage at the Red Fort, Delhi.

    About Natyashastra

    • Ancient Sanskrit treatise on performing arts
     • Title derived from Natya meaning dance and drama and Shastra meaning science
     • Composed by sage Bharata Muni
     • Dated between 2nd century BCE and 2nd century CE
     • Considered the earliest known treatise on performative arts in South Asia

    Core Themes of Natyashastra

    • Covers drama (natya), performance (abhinaya), music (sangita), emotion (bhava) and aesthetic experience (rasa)
     • Comprises around 36,000 verses
     • Justifies Indian drama as a medium of religious and moral enlightenment

    Global Recognition

    • Included in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register
     • Recognised for its outstanding global cultural value

    About Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA)
     • An autonomous institution under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India

    Mandate of IGNCA

    • Documentation, preservation and dissemination of Indian arts and cultural heritage
     • Training of professionals in cultural studies

    Which one of the following is a work attributed to playwright Bhāsa? (2024)

    (a) Kavyaalankara 

    (b) Natyashasta 

    (c) Madhyama-vyoga 

    (d) Mahabhashya

  • DHRUV64 Microprocessor

    Why in the News?

    India has unveiled DHRUV64, its first fully indigenously developed microprocessor, marking a major milestone in semiconductor self reliance and Atmanirbhar Bharat.

    About DHRUV64

    • Fully indigenous microprocessor developed in India
     • Developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C DAC)
     • Part of the Microprocessor Development Programme (MDP)

    Key Technical Features

    • 64 bit dual core processor
     • Clock speed of 1.0 GHz ( Very low compared to recent chips like Snapdragan clock speed more 4.0 GHz)
    • Uses superscalar execution allowing multiple instructions simultaneously
     • Supports out of order execution for improved performance
     • Integrated communication and control functions
     • Uses FCBGA packaging, enabling compact and system ready design

    Potential Applications

    • Strategic applications and commercial computing
     • 5G infrastructure
     • Automotive electronics
     • Consumer electronics
     • Industrial automation
     • Internet of Things (IoT) systems

    Significance for India

    • Reduces dependence on foreign microprocessors
     • Strengthens domestic semiconductor ecosystem
     • Enables startups, academia and industry to design and test indigenous systems
     • Supports low cost prototype development for new system architectures
     • Enhances technological sovereignty and national security

    When the alarm of your smart-phone rings… which one of the following terms best applies to the above scenario? (2018)

    (a) Border Gateway Protocol 

    (b) Internet of Things 

    (c) Internet Protocol 

    (d) Virtual Private Network

  • Channa bhoi

    Why in the News?

    Scientists have discovered a new species of snakehead fish named Channa bhoi from the state of Meghalaya, adding to India’s freshwater biodiversity.

    About Channa Bhoi

    • Newly identified species of snakehead fish
     • Discovered from a small mountain stream near Iewmawlong village
     • Location: Ri Bhoi district, Meghalaya
     • Named after the Bhoi people, an indigenous group of the Khasi tribe inhabiting the region

    Taxonomic and Ecological Details

    • Belongs to the Gachua group of snakehead fishes
     • The Gachua group is known for high species diversity in the Eastern Himalayan region
     • Phylogenetic analysis shows it is a sister species to Channa bipuli, found in Northeast India

    Distinctive Physical Features

    • Bluish grey body colour
     • Each scale has minute black spots
     • Spots form eight to nine horizontal rows of broken lines along the body
     • Distinctive banding patterns on the pectoral fins
     • Unique colour pattern differentiates it from closely related species

    Significance of the Discovery

    • Highlights the rich freshwater biodiversity of Northeast India
     • Emphasises the importance of mountain stream ecosystems
     • Reflects ongoing discoveries in the Eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspot

    Key Prelims Fact

    • With this discovery, the total number of Channa species recorded in India has increased to 26

    In a particular region in India, the local people train the roots of living trees into robust bridges across the streams. As the time passes, these bridges become stronger. These unique ‘living root bridges’ are found in (2015)

    (a) Meghalaya 

    (b) Himachal Pradesh 

    (c) Jharkhand 

    (d) Tamil Nadu

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