Prelims Mantra (Day-21)

International Women’s Day 2025:

• • Theme – “Accelerate Action” and “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.”
  • It marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995), most progressive and widely endorsed blueprint for women’s and girls’ rights worldwide.
  • United Nations formally declared this day in 1975, which was subsequently adopted on March 8, 1977.

 

Women Peace and Security Index:

• • WPS Index is published by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security and the PRIO Centre on Gender, Peace and Security with support from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
  • The 2023 edition of the global Women Peace and Security Index (WPS Index) scores and ranks 177 countries in terms of women’s inclusion, justice, and security.
  • India was ranked 128 among 177 countries.

 

Matilda Effect:

• • Named after 19th-century feminist Matilda Joslyn Gage.
  • It describes tendency to downplay or overshadow women’s scientific contributions in favour of their male colleagues, highlighting historic struggle for proper recognition of women’s innovations.

 

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂):

• • Researchers have found an efficient, less energy-intensive, and environmentally friendly way of synthesizing hydrogen peroxide.
  • It is a versatile oxidizing agent
  • Applications: Used in environmental disinfection, chemical synthesis, paper bleaching, and fuel cells.
  • Currently, over 95% of H₂O₂is produced industrially using the anthraquinone oxidation process, which is very energy intensive, expensive and produces many hazardous chemicals as by-products.

 

Thadou community:

• • They are an indigenous people who live in hilly areas adjacent to Imphal Valley of Manipur.
  • They speak Chin and Thado which belong to Tibeto-Burman family of Sino-Tibetan languages.
  • Subsistence activities and Jhum (slash-and-burn) agriculture is predominant.
  • The god Pathen is believed by Thadou to have created everything.
  • Hun-Thadou cultural festival is an annual celebration celebrated at arrival of New Year.

 

Kanwar Lake, Bihar:

• • Locally known as ‘Kabartal’.
  • Asia’s largest freshwater oxbow lake formed due to meandering of Burhi Gandak River.
  • First wetland in Bihar to be listed as a Ramsar Site.

 

Vanuatu:

• • Fugitive former IPL chief Lalit Modi has applied to surrender his passport to Indian High Commission in London, and acquired citizenship of Vanuatu.
  • Country has an extremely popular citizenship by investment or “golden passport” program, which allows wealthy individuals to effectively purchase its passport.
  • Vanuatu comprises of 83 fairly small volcanic islands, of which only 65 are inhabited.
  • It lies to east of Australia and north of New Zealand.
  • Country’s capital Port Vila lies on the island of Efate.
  • Vanuatu has several active volcanoes, including ones that lie underwater.
  • These islands were first inhabited some 3,000 years ago by people belonging to Lapita culture of northern Philippines.
  • In 1906, France and the UK agreed to administer the islands jointly creating a unique Anglo-French Condominium, with two separate governmental, legal, judicial and financial systems, but a joint court.
  • Colonial era lasted till 1980, when New Hebrides became independent and was officially named Vanuatu.
  • Offshore financial services and sale of citizenship accounts for as much as 30% of Vanuatu’s revenue.

 

THEATRE LEVEL OPERATIONAL EXERCISE (TROPEX) – 2025:

• • 2025 Edition of Indian Navy’s capstone Theatre Level Operational Exercise (TROPEX) was conducted over a period of three months from Jan to Mar 25.
  • It included an Amphibious Exercise – AMPHEX, a Joint Work Up Phase focused on precise delivery of ordnance on target, Cyber and Electronic Warfare, and a Tactical Phase.

 

Namami Gange Programme:

• • Flagship Programme of Union Government launched in June 2014.
  • Twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution, conservation (Nirmal Dhara) and rejuvenation of National River Ganga (Aviral Dhara).
  • It has been further extended to March 2026.
  • Main pillars – Sewerage Treatment Infrastructure, River-Front Development, River-Surface Cleaning, Bio-Diversity, Afforestation, Public Awareness, Industrial Effluent Monitoring and Ganga Gram.
  • Ganga River basin is largest in India. Spanning over 11 states, basin covers nearly 27% of India’s total geographical area.
  • A comprehensive Ganga River Basin Management Plan (GRBMP) was developed by a consortium of seven IITs, emphasizing an Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) approach with multi-sectoral and multi-agency interventions.
  • Interventions – Pollution Abatement (Nirmal Ganga), Improving Ecology and Flow (Aviral Ganga), Strengthening People-River Connect (Jan Ganga) and Facilitating Research and Policy (Gyan Ganga).
  • Under Ganga Gram Yojana, villages will be developed as model villages by developing sustainable sanitation infrastructure and cleanliness practices.

 

‘Shaurya Vedanam Utsava’:

• • A vibrant display of military might of the Armed Forces, Shaurya Vedanam Utsav, is being showcased for the first time in Motihari, Bihar on March 07, 2025

PRACTICE MCQs

 

Q1. Consider the following statements about Namami Gange Programme:

1. It was launched in 2016 as a flagship programme of Central Government.

2. Ganga Gram Yojana initiated under this programme to develop model villages along Ganga River.

3. Comprehensive Ganga River Basin Management Plan (GRBMP) was developed by a consortium of seven IITs.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 1 only

b) 1 and 2 only

c) 2 only

d) 2 and 3 only

Answer: D

Q2. Consider the following statements about Kanwar Lake:

1. It is the Asia’s largest freshwater oxbow lake formed due to meandering of Burhi Gandak River.

2. It is the first wetland in Bihar to be listed as Wetland of International Importance under Ramsar Convention.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 1 only

b) 2 only

c) Both 1 and 2

d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C

Q3. Consider the following statements about Thadou Tribe:

1. They are an indigenous people who live in hilly areas of Nagaland.

2. They speak Chin and Thado which belong to Tibeto-Burman family of Sino-Tibetan languages.

3. Hun-Thadou cultural festival is an annual celebration celebrated at arrival of New Year.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 1 and 2 only

b) 2 and 3 only

c) 3 only

d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: B

Q4. Matilda effect, sometimes mentioned in news, refers to –

a) Hurdles in professional growth or women due to their family responsibilities.

b) Tendency to blame mothers for their children’s poor performance in school.

c) Tendency to blame women in for crimes happening in society against them.

d) Tendency to downplay or overshadow women’s scientific contributions in favour of their male colleagues.

Answer: D

Q5. Consider the following:

1. Environmental disinfection

2. Chemical synthesis

3. Paper bleaching

4. Fuel cells

Hydrogen peroxide is used in which of the activities mentioned above?

a) 1 and 3 only

b) 1, 2 and 3 only

c) 3 and 4 only

d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer: D

 

 

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