Teak
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Tissue-cultured teak promotion: Tissue-cultured teak is being promoted as a high-yield, fast-return solution for India’s timber cultivation. This is aimed at boosting timber production and trade.
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Debate on productivity: Claims of higher yields and faster returns from tissue-cultured teak are under debate, requiring further long-term field studies for verification.
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Teak’s Value: Teak (Tectona grandis) is highly valued globally for its durability, strength, and resistance to pests and water, earning it the title “king of timbers.” It is used in shipbuilding, construction, furniture, and musical instruments.
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India’s role: India holds a significant portion (35%) of the world’s planted teak forests, with Asia accounting for over 95% of global teak resources. Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have the largest native teak forests.
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Regulatory hurdles: Green felling in government forests is restricted by the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, and National Forest Policy, 1988, making private plantations crucial for meeting timber demand.
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Traditional propagation issues: Natural teak regeneration faces challenges like low seed viability, while conventional vegetative methods have low success rates.
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Inconsistent tissue culture results: Success of tissue-cultured teak varies greatly, depending on factors like genetic quality and plantation management.
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Importance of management: Intensively managed teak plantations yield higher economic returns compared to unmanaged ones, highlighting the importance of proper spacing, irrigation, and fertilization.
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Need for research: More research is needed to validate claims of accelerated growth and higher productivity from tissue-cultured teak under diverse field conditions.
Bhakra Dam
- Political Consensus: All Punjab political parties have unanimously decided against sharing any additional water from the Bhakra Dam with Haryana.
- BBMB Order: The decision comes in response to an order from the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) regarding water sharing with Haryana.
- All-Party Meeting: A two-hour meeting was held, chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, with representatives from seven Punjab political parties, all supporting the state government’s stance.
- PM Meeting Possible: An all-party delegation is likely to seek a meeting with Prime Minister Modi to discuss the water dispute.
- Safeguarding Punjab’s Water Rights: The CM asserted that the order to release water to Haryana was being forced upon Punjab and all parties are together on the issue of safeguarding the state’s waters. He said after hearing the views of all parties, the government will now prepare a plan of action.
- BJP Support: The Punjab BJP unit supports the state government’s position that Punjab has no water to spare for Haryana.
- Bhakra Dam Overview: The Bhakra Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Sutlej River, one of India’s earliest river valley projects after independence, completed in 1963. Its reservoir is called “Gobind Sagar”, which stores up to 9.34 billion cubic meters of water.
- Importance: The news highlights a united front among Punjab’s political parties to protect the state’s water resources amid ongoing disputes with neighboring Haryana. The Bhakra Dam is a crucial water source, and the decision reflects concerns about water availability within Punjab.
Digha’s Jagannath Temple
- New Temple Inauguration: The Jagannath Dham temple in Digha, West Bengal, opened in April 2024.
- Architectural Inspiration: It’s modeled after Odisha’s Puri Jagannath Temple, using Kalinga-style architecture.
- Structure and Features: The Digha temple includes Vimana, Jagamohan, Nat Mandir, and Bhog Mandap.
- Material Difference: Unlike Puri’s neem wood idols, Digha’s idols are made of stone.
- Cost and Location: Built on a 24-acre plot in Digha at a cost of ₹250 crore, about 350 km from Puri.
- Servitor Concerns: Puri servitors express worries about diluted religious significance due to potential ritual replication and a possible decrease in visitors.
- Controversial Practices: Digha temple plans to allow non-Hindus and foreigners, a contrast to Puri’s tradition.
- Use of “Dham” and Nilachakra: Concerns raised about the use of “Dham” and the Nilachakra image in Digha temple advertisements, as it may undermine the status of Puri.
- Economic Impact: Puri servitors fear competition for Bengali tourists.
- Tourist Dynamics: Bengalis make up a large portion of Odisha’s tourist numbers, with the potential for Digha to impact Puri’s tourism in the long term.
Depot Darpan
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The government is launching the “Depot Darpan” portal and mobile app to enhance quality and performance standards in food storage depots.
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It is an initiative of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.
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Depot Darpan will digitize operations in 2,278 grain depots managed by FCI, CWC, and state agencies.
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The portal allows depot managers to evaluate infrastructure, operations, and finances in near real-time. Geo-tagged data uploads generate automated ratings and action points.
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Warehouses are assessed on infrastructure (safety, storage, environment, technology, statutory compliance) and operational efficiency (stock turnover, losses, space utilization, manpower, profitability).
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A star rating is awarded based on composite scoring from both infrastructure and operational aspects.
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Depot Darpan integrates smart warehousing technologies like CCTV, IoT sensors (temperature, humidity, CO2, phosphine gas, gate shutter, fire/smoke), AI for bag counting, ANPR for vehicle tracking, and face recognition.
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The mobile app provides real-time warehouse performance tracking for supervisors, facilitating informed decisions and continuous improvement.
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The portal’s purpose is to ensure food storage depots meet the highest quality and performance standards.
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Supervisory officials will be able to track warehouse performance in real-time through the mobile app, aiding informed decision-making and continuous improvements.
SECI: India’s Solar Power
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Asia’s Largest Integrated Solar & BESS Project: Reliance, NU Suntech signed a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with SECI for Asia’s largest single-location integrated solar and battery energy storage system (BESS) project.
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SECI’s Role: Solar Energy Corporation of India Ltd. (SECI) is the leading Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) for Renewable Energy (RE) development in India and is crucial for expanding RE capacity.
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Sole RE CPSU: SECI is the only CPSU specifically dedicated to the renewable energy sector in India.
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Establishment & Purpose: Incorporated in 2011, SECI was initially a non-profit and later converted to a commercial entity. Its establishment was to facilitate the National Solar Mission.
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Ministry Control: SECI operates under the administrative control of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
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Miniratna Status: SECI has been granted the status of Miniratna Category-I CPSU.
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NDC Implementation: SECI helps India achieve its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by developing solar, wind, and hybrid projects.
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Tariff-Based Bidding: SECI uses a tariff-based competitive e-bidding process to select RE developers.
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Power Purchase & Sale Agreements: SECI signs 25-year PPAs with developers and 25-year Power Sale Agreements (PSAs) with DISCOMs for power procurement and sale.
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Power Trading Licensee: SECI holds the highest-category power trading license, enabling it to trade power pan-India.
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Consultancy Services: SECI offers Project Management Consultancy in the RE sector to government entities.
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Significant Generation Capacity: SECI oversees 65.3 GW of awarded generation capacity, with over 40 GW being solar energy.
Activism on the Bench
- Judicial Activism Debate: India is seeing a growing debate over the judiciary’s expanding role, raising concerns about “judicial despotism” versus the need for court interventions to uphold constitutional values.
- Judicial Despotism: It refers to excessive, unchecked judicial power exceeding constitutional limits, undermining the roles of the legislature and executive.
- Examples of Judicial Activism: Broad use of Article 142, directing liquor shop distances from highways, and issuing guidelines on sexual harassment at the workplace.
- Judicial Restraint: The SC generally upholds public policies, like demonetization, Rafale deal, NRC in Assam, and UAPA bail restrictions.
- Judicial Review: The power of constitutional courts to examine the constitutionality of legislative and executive actions, implied in Articles 13, 32, 226, 131-136, and 137.
- SC’s Stand on Judicial Review: Held as a basic feature of the Constitution in Kesavananda Bharati and Minerva Mills cases.
- Way Forward: Exercise judicial restraint, promote judicial accountability through internal reforms, encourage institutional balance and dialogue, and ensure checks and balances to prevent overreach.
- Criticism of Judicial Review: Some argue that unelected judges should not quash laws passed by democratically elected governments, but most scholars reject this objection in cases pertaining to federal provisions, legislative procedure, or fundamental rights.
- Accountability: All three organs of the government must remain within their allotted spheres and adhere to their constitutional oaths, with fair criticism being welcome but attributing motives to judges or blaming them for violation of separation of powers being unacceptable.
DEHP
- DEHP & Cardiovascular Mortality: A recent study in The Lancet eBioMedicine links DEHP exposure to increased cardiovascular mortality, particularly in the 55-64 age group.
- Widespread Use: DEHP is a plasticiser used to make PVC plastics more flexible and durable, found in food packaging, medical devices, toys, personal care products, and building materials.
- Global Impact: In 2018, DEHP exposure was associated with approximately 356,238 deaths globally in the 55-64 age group, representing over 13% of global heart disease deaths in that age group.
- India’s High Burden: India had the highest number of DEHP-related cardiovascular deaths globally, with an estimated 103,587 deaths, accounting for nearly one-third of the global total in the mentioned age group.
- Mechanism: DEHP is known to cause inflammation in coronary arteries, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
- Other Health Effects: DEHP exposure is associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, hormonal disruptions, infertility, increased cancer risk, and developmental issues in infants.
- Disproportionate Impact: About 75% of global DEHP-related deaths occur in Asia, the Middle East, and the Pacific, highlighting a heavier burden on developing countries.
- Endocrine Disruptor: DEHP is classified as an endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) and can cause reproductive and developmental problems.
- Study Methodology: The Lancet study analysed urine samples and environmental data from over 200 countries to establish the link between DEHP exposure and heart disease deaths.
- China and Indonesia deaths: China recorded 33,858, Indonesia recorded 52,219 deaths.
Operation Kagar
- National Debate Call: Telangana Chief Minister advocates for a national discussion on “Operation Kagar”.
- Counterinsurgency Initiative: Operation Kagar is a large-scale effort launched in 2024 to dismantle the Maoist (Naxalite) insurgency in the “Red Corridor” (Chhattisgarh, Telangana, etc.).
- Massive Deployment: Approximately 1 lakh paramilitary troops, including CRPF, CoBRA, DRG, and state police, are involved.
- Technology Integration: Modern technology like drones, AI, and satellite imagery are being utilized for intelligence gathering.
- Goal & Deadline: The primary objective is to eradicate Maoist influence by March 2026.
- Four-Part Strategy:
- Establishing forward operating bases.
- Building fortified police stations in reclaimed areas.
- Gathering intelligence through high-tech monitoring.
- Implementing a “generous surrender policy”.
- Naxal Ideology: Naxals aim to overthrow the existing government, believing it favors the wealthy and exploits the poor. They advocate for armed struggle to redistribute land and power, ultimately seeking a classless, communist society.
- Operation Kagar Meaning: Roughly translates to ‘Final Mission’.
Scaly Anteater
- Decline in Pangolin Scale Trafficking: Global trafficking of pangolin scales has significantly decreased since 2020.
- Reasons for Decline: COVID-19 disruptions, sustained law enforcement efforts, and evolving smuggling tactics are attributed to the decline.
- Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC) Report: The WJC report, “Disruption and Disarray: An Analysis of Pangolin Scale and Ivory Trafficking, 2015–2024,” highlights the drop in large-scale seizures.
- Major Seizures in 2020: Singapore seized approximately 25 tonnes of pangolin scales in two operations in 2020, marking a turning point.
- Peak Trafficking in 2019: Global pangolin scale seizures reached a high of over 100 tonnes in 2019.
- Pangolin Species: There are 8 species (4 in Africa, 4 in Asia). The Indian pangolin is found in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
- Habitat & Role: Pangolins inhabit forests, grasslands, and agricultural areas, consuming ants and termites. They are important for pest control and soil aeration.
- Threats: They are targeted for illegal trade (scales for traditional medicine, meat as delicacy) and habitat loss.
- Conservation Status: Indian pangolin is Endangered, Chinese pangolin is Critically Endangered. Both are protected under Schedule I of India’s Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. All species are in CITES Appendix I (prohibiting international commercial trade).
- Traditional Medicine: Pangolin scales are considered valuable in traditional Chinese medicine.
Vizhinjam Port Opens
- Inauguration: Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the Vizhinjam International Seaport (VIS) in Kerala on May 2, 2025, marking a major advancement in India’s maritime infrastructure.
- First Deep-Water Transshipment Port: VIS is India’s first deep-water transshipment port, designed for handling container and multi-purpose cargo.
- Strategic Location: Located near major international shipping routes, enhancing accessibility for large vessels due to its 18-20 meter depth.
- Technological Advancement: It’s India’s first semi-automated port, with an AI-driven control room and indigenous Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS), improving efficiency and traffic flow.
- Economic Impact: Aims to reduce India’s reliance on foreign ports, potentially saving USD 200-220 million annually by handling transshipment domestically.
- Future Expansion: Phases 2 & 3 will increase capacity from 1 million to 3 million TEUs by 2028, attracting ₹9,560 crore investment from Adani Ports.
- Overcoming Challenges: The project overcame significant challenges, including protests against the breakwater construction.
- Engineering Marvel: The 2,960-meter-long breakwater is the deepest constructed in India, essential for berthing large vessels.
- Financial Details: The first phase cost ₹8,867 crore, with contributions from the State government and Adani Group.
Caspian Sea at Risk
- Rapid Shrinkage: The Caspian Sea is shrinking due to climate change-driven evaporation, threatening biodiversity, economies, and stability.
- Projected Water Level Decline: Even with limited warming (below 2°C), water levels could drop 5-10 meters. Higher warming scenarios project a drastic 21-meter drop by 2100.
- Biodiversity at Risk: Endemic species like the Caspian seal (Endangered) and Beluga sturgeon (Critically Endangered) face extinction. The Caspian Seal is the only true seal that live in interior salt or brackish waters
- Economic Impacts: Major ports (Baku, Anzali, Aktau, Turkmenbashi, Lagan) could become landlocked, disrupting trade and transportation.
- Volga River Threat: The Volga River, vital for connecting the Caspian to the global maritime network, may become unusable.
- Hydrocarbon Industry Affected: Oil and gas production sites (Kashagan, Filanovsky) could become landlocked, hindering operations.
- Public Health Hazard: Dried seabeds may release toxic dust contaminated with industrial pollutants and salt, mirroring the Aral Sea disaster and causing respiratory issues and other health problems.
- Largest Inland Water Body: The Caspian Sea is the world’s largest inland water body, fed by the Volga, Ural, and Terek rivers, and bordered by five countries.
- Regional Instability: Depleting resource base would cause resource wars, human migration and political tensions between bordering states.
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India’s Labour Shift
- International Labour Day Focus: Highlights the need for stronger labour law implementation to combat bonded and exploitative labour in India.
- Widespread Informality: A significant portion of India’s workforce (around 39 crore out of 47 crore) operates in the unorganised sector, lacking job security and social protection. Formalisation of labour market lags at 15%.
- Low-Quality Jobs & Skill Gap: Dominance of low-quality informal jobs. Only about half of India’s graduates are deemed employable, indicating a skills gap.
- Delayed Labour Law Implementation: Labour code implementation is delayed. Gig workers are excluded from key protections.
- Gender Disparities: Female labour force participation rate is declining. Underutilization of educated women.
- Low Labour Productivity: India has long working hours but low productivity, with high-pressure environments impacting mental health. Climate change also threatens productivity.
- Bonded Labour Crisis: Millions in India are trapped in bonded labour due to factors like poverty, discrimination, and lack of information. Many are being trafficked.
- Government’s Unmet Targets: The government’s target to rehabilitate bonded labourers by 2030 is far from being met.
- Exploitation in Industries: Forced labour persists in Indian industries, exploiting vulnerable migrant workers for profit.
- Need for Unionization: Unorganised workers lack collective bargaining power due to a lack of unionisation.
- Formalisation: Implement labour codes, expand EPFO/ESIC coverage, and strengthen schemes linked to infrastructure in Tier 2/3 cities.
- Skill Development: Improve vocational training relevance and strengthen industry-academia linkages.
- Social Dialogue: Re-establish the Indian Labour Conference (ILC) and ratify ILO conventions on freedom of association.
- Gender Equality: Implement policies to increase female participation, ensure safe workspaces and childcare support.
- Worker Health & Safety: Improve and enforce occupational health and safety standards.
