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ASI Study of Submerged Remains: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is conducting a scientific study to explore submerged archaeological remains at Dwarka and Beyt Dwarka in Gujarat.

Purpose of Study: To ascertain the antiquity of recovered objects through scientific analysis of sediments, archaeological, and marine deposits.

Historical Significance of Dwarka: Dwarka, where Lord Krishna settled, is considered one of the Char Dham pilgrimage sites and an important part of India’s cultural history. According to legend, Krishna reclaimed land from the sea to establish Dwarka.

Beyt Dwarka’s Importance: Beyt Dwarka (Shankhodhar) is believed to be the ancient home of Lord Krishna, identified as Antardvipa in the Mahabharata. Excavations trace habitation back to the Harappan and Mauryan periods.

Past ASI Findings: Previous ASI investigations (2005-2007) revealed submerged structures, stone jetties, anchors, ancient sculptures and fortified walls, indicating a prosperous ancient port. A deposit of about 10 metres having 26 layers was excavated in 2007 and antiquities recovered from this small excavation included iron objects, beads, copper objects, rings, etc.

Expanded Study Area: The current study aims to cover an expanded area in Okhamandal city to understand the history of the site.

Sudarshan Setu: The recent inauguration of the Sudarshan Setu, India’s longest cable-stayed bridge, improves access to Beyt Dwarka.

Gujarat Government Plans: The Gujarat government plans to introduce a submarine service in Dwarka to explore underwater relics.

Prime Minister Modi’s Visit: In February, Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered prayers at the Dwarkadhish temple by diving into deep water.

Recent Awards: Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan conferred the MacGregor Memorial Medal to five military personnel for outstanding contributions in military reconnaissance, exploration, and adventure for 2023 and 2024.

2023 Recipients: Wing Commander D. Panda (Air Force) and Electrical Artificer (Radio) Rahul Kumar Pandey (Navy).

2024 Recipients: Chief Electrical Aircraft Artificer (Radio) Ram Ratan Jat (Navy), Sergeant Jhumar Ram Poonia (Air Force), and Colonel Ranvir Singh Jamwal (Director of the National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports). Col Jamwal was absent due to an expedition to Mt. Kangchenjunga.

Ceremony: The medals were presented at a ceremony at the United Service Institution of India (USI).

Medal’s Origin: Instituted on July 3, 1888, in memory of Major General Sir Charles Metcalfe MacGregor, founder of the USI (1870).

Original Purpose: Initially for military reconnaissance and exploration journeys.

Expanded Scope: Post-Independence (specifically 1986), the scope broadened to include military expeditions and adventure activities.

Eligibility: Open to all ranks (serving and retired) of the Armed Forces, Territorial Army, Reserve Forces, Rashtriya Rifles, and Assam Rifles.

Notable Past Recipients: Capt F.E. Younghusband (1890), Maj. Gen. Orde Charles Wingate (1943), Maj. Z.C. Bakshi (1949), Col. Narinder Kumar (Siachen Glacier exploration), Cdr. Dilip Donde and Lt. Cdr. Abhilash Tomy (solo global circumnavigations).

Total Awards: 127 medals awarded to date, including 103 before Independence.

Book Launch: The event also featured the launch of “Bravest of the Brave,” a biography of Naib Subedar Chunni Lal by Lt. Gen. Satish Dua (retd.).

WAVES 2025 – Anti-Piracy Challenge: A key initiative under the “Create in India” program to promote indigenous innovation in digital content security.

Why in the news: The Anti-Piracy Challenge is part of WAVES (World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit) 2025, organized by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.

Event Details: WAVES 2025 will be held from May 1-4, 2025, in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Challenge Objective: To advance technologies like fingerprinting and watermarking to combat digital piracy.

Overwhelming Response: Received over 1,600 registrations and 132 idea submissions.

Finalists Announced: Top seven finalists selected for their innovative solutions in digital content security.

Finalist Solutions (Examples): StealthGuard (offline watermarking), Monk DB (AI-native fingerprinting database), NuroTrace (video protection suite), PirateX (DRM system), Tryambaka (blockchain-powered watermarking), SFSS (steganography fingerprinting), Shadow Stamp (marker-based tracking).

Digital Piracy Problem: Estimated 90 million users engaged in online video piracy in India in 2024, causing potential losses of USD 1.2 billion.

WAVES Purpose: A global event positioning India as a hub for media innovation, IP creation, and content development.

Sectors Covered: Broadcasting, Films, TV, Radio, Animation, Gaming, Comics, Advertising, Emerging tech (Generative AI, AR/VR/XR), and Digital Media Platforms.

Impact: Supports the Creative Economy and contributes to the growth of India’s Media and Entertainment (M&E) sector.

Supported By: CII, IPHouse, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), and Hack2Skill.

Project Overview: The Genome India Project (GIP) is mapping the genetic diversity of the Indian population, with the first phase completed, cataloging the complete gene sequences of 10,000 individuals from 83 population groups.

Significance for Healthcare: The project aims to enable early detection of disease susceptibility (diabetes, cancers, rare disorders) and facilitate personalized medicine tailored to an individual’s genetic makeup. It can also help develop population-specific drugs and improve diagnostics.

Public Health & Policy: GIP data will assist in epidemiological planning and targeted interventions for specific regions or communities, particularly for rare diseases unique to certain Indian sub-populations.

Population Genomics & Anthropology: The project aids in tracing ancestry, migrations, evolutionary history of various Indian communities, and understanding genetic adaptations to the local climate and environment.

Evolutionary Insights: The database will reveal information about the evolutionary history, how populations migrated, socialized, intermingled, and adapted to local conditions.

Scientific and Strategic Importance: The project positions India as a leader in genomic science, establishing self-reliance in genomic databases and opening opportunities in biotech, pharma, AI-based genomics, and medical research.

Germline Sequences and Personalized Medicine: The database will store germline sequences to analyze predisposition to diseases and treatment effectiveness. This information is vital in the evolution of personalized medicine where a patient gets a tailor-made solution for a specific disease.

Historical Context: Prime Minister Modi criticized the Congress for neglecting Chettur Sankaran Nair’s legacy.

Upcoming Film: A film, “Kesari Chapter 2”, based on the book “The Case That Shook the Empire,” is in production, highlighting Nair’s life.

Key Figure: Chettur Sankaran Nair was a prominent Indian jurist, statesman, and nationalist leader during British rule.

Early Life and Career: Born in 1857 in Kerala, he graduated in law and served as a judge, advocating for social reforms.

President of INC: He became the youngest president of the Indian National Congress in 1897.

Viceroy’s Executive Council: Served as the sole Indian member, advocating for constitutional reforms.

Jallianwala Bagh Protest: Resigned from the Viceroy’s Council in 1919 to protest the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. This was a bold move against the British.

Book and Defamation: Authored “Gandhi and Anarchy,” criticizing both Gandhi and British policies. Sued by Michael O’Dwyer for defamation.

O’Dwyer v. Nair Trial: Lost the defamation case in London but refused to apologize, highlighting his unwavering principles and the biases of the British system.

Legacy: Nair’s actions, especially his resignation and defiance in the trial, amplified nationalist sentiments against the British.

Relocation Approved: The Cheetah Project Steering Committee has approved relocating some cheetahs from Kuno National Park (KNP) to Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary (GSWS) in Madhya Pradesh.

Project Goal: The move aims to establish a cheetah meta-population of 60-70 individuals across the Kuno-Gandhi Sagar landscape spanning Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

GSWS Preparation: The Madhya Pradesh forest department has been preparing GSWS for over a year for cheetah introduction.

Initial Phase: The plan is to release 4-5 cheetahs into a fenced 64 sq km area in the western part of GSWS after removing leopards to prevent conflict.

Source of Cheetahs: It is yet to be decided whether the cheetahs relocated will be from the wild or enclosures within Kuno. As of now there are 26 cheetahs in Kuno, 17 are in wild and 9 in enclosures

Prey Augmentation: Concerns about prey availability at Gandhi Sagar are being addressed by introducing chital from other forests and maintaining herbivore enclosures for in-situ breeding. Current prey includes chinkara, chousingha, nilgai and chital.

Project Setbacks: Project Cheetah has faced setbacks, including the deaths of 8 adult cheetahs and 5 cubs at Kuno.

Committee Concerns: The committee expressed displeasure over a video of a forest department driver offering water to a cheetah and cubs, emphasizing the need for better training and adherence to SOPs. They also stressed adequate water supply during summer.

Cheetah Introduction Rationale: Cheetahs were reintroduced to India to restore ecological balance and re-establish their role as apex predators.

China Suspends Exports: China has reportedly halted exports of critical rare earth magnets and related technology at several ports. This directly impacts industries reliant on these components.

Rare Earth Magnet Composition: These high-performance magnets are primarily made from rare earth elements like Neodymium (Nd), Samarium (Sm), and Dysprosium (Dy).

Wide Range of Applications: Rare earth magnets are vital for EVs, wind turbines, military systems (missile guidance), consumer electronics (smartphones), drones, and robotics. Their absence will affect these industries.

China’s Dominance: China controls over 80% of global rare earth refining capacity. This gives them significant leverage and allows them to use exports of these materials as leverage.

Supply Chain Concerns: The strategic importance of rare earth magnets makes supply chain security a concern, especially for countries like the United States that rely on imports. Due to China’s dominance these concerns can potentially affect them.

Protest Against Border Fencing: The Yimkhiung Tribal Council (YTC) recently led a major protest in Pungro Town, Nagaland, opposing the Indian government’s plan to fence the Indo-Myanmar border.

Abolition of Free Movement Regime (FMR): The tribe is also protesting the recent abolition of the Free Movement Regime (FMR), which previously allowed visa-free travel for border residents.

Tribe Divided by Border: The Yimkhiung are a Naga tribe with members living on both sides of the Indo-Myanmar border, primarily in Nagaland’s Kiphire district and adjacent areas in Myanmar.

“Imaginary Line”: The tribe views the border as an “imaginary line” that separates families and ancestral lands.

FMR Significance: The FMR had allowed border residents to travel into each other’s territory without a visa for social, economic, and cultural reasons.

Government Action: In February 2024, the Indian government announced the end of the FMR and plans to fence the Indo-Myanmar border.

Memorandum Submitted: Yimkhiung has submitted a memorandum for the reversal of the fencing plan.

Name Change: The Government of Nagaland officially changed the tribe’s name from “Yimchunger” to “Yimkhiung” in 2021.

Why in News: The World Bank’s State of Social Protection Report 2025 reveals significant social protection gaps in low- and middle-income countries (LICs and MICs).

Massive Coverage Gaps: Nearly two billion people in LICs and MICs lack adequate social protection. 1.6 billion receive no social protection at all.

Regional Disparities: Sub-Saharan Africa is the most affected, with 70% lacking any social protection. In LICs, over 80% are uncovered or inadequately covered.

Inadequate Progress: Social protection coverage in LICs and MICs only rose from 41% to 51% between 2010 and 2022. The current pace is insufficient to meet SDG targets by 2030.

Funding Constraints: High-income countries spend significantly more on social protection than LICs (5.3 times more of GDP). Spending is often concentrated on formal workers, neglecting the poor.

External Shocks: Social protection systems are unprepared for climate change, conflict, and pandemics, potentially pushing millions into poverty.

India’s Coverage: India’s social protection coverage doubled from 24.4% in 2021 to 48.8% in 2024. Around 65% of the population is covered by at least one scheme.

Challenges in India: Ineffective welfare boards, limited fiscal capacity (spending 5% of GDP), technological/administrative hurdles (eShram registration), delayed ratification of ILO conventions, and demographic shifts (aging population).

Global Recommendations: Expand universal basic income, reform regressive subsidies, invest in climate-resilient systems, and address life-cycle risks.

Need for Reforms: The report underscores the urgent need for targeted reforms and investments to strengthen social protection systems and ensure inclusive development, poverty reduction efforts and reduce inequality.