Indian Polity
Pro tem Speaker:
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- Context: In recent Lok Sabha sessions, Pro Tem Speaker has been used to quickly organize business and maintain continuity in parliamentary proceedings.
- It is a temporary speaker appointed to preside over the first sitting of a newly elected Lok Sabha until the regular Speaker is elected.
- Appointment: Appointed by the President of India under Article 93, usually the senior-most member of the House.
- Functions:
- Administers oaths to newly elected MPs.
- Presides over election of the new Speaker.
- Performs only routine and inaugural functions, no regular legislative powers.
- Tenure: Until a new Speaker is elected, usually for a few days.
- Importance: Ensures smooth transition of power after general elections.
- Constitutional Reference: Articles 93 and 95; governed by Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha.
(TH)
Hamara Samvidhan- Hamara Swabhiman Campaign:
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- Launched on 24 Jan 2024 as “Hamara Samvidhan – Hamara Samman”, later transitioned to “Hamara Samvidhan – Hamara Swabhiman” on 24 Jan 2025, by the Department of Justice under the DISHA scheme.
- To commemorate the 75thyear of India as a republic and the adoption of India’s constitution.
- Every year on 26 November, India celebrates Constitution Day or Samvidhan Diwas to mark the day when the Constitution of India was adopted in 1949.
- Mobilised over 1 crore citizens via 13,700+ events across India, reaching 2.5 lakh+ Gram Panchayats and remote communities.
- Three sub‑campaigns:
- “Sabko Nyay – Har Ghar Nyaya” (justice for all)
- “Nav Bharat Nav Sankalp” (pledge for new India)
- “Vidhi Jagriti Abhiyaan” (legal literacy & rights awareness)
- Key tools: Panch Pran pledge (via MyGov portal), Nyaya Seva Melas, Nyaya Sahayaks (legal messengers), Podcasts, Comic books devoted to constitutional awareness and legal aid services.
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- Objective: Move from simple awareness of the Constitution to a sense of pride (“Swabhiman”), instilling constitutional values (justice, liberty, equality, fraternity) and enable citizens to access legal services and laws.
(TH)
Geography, Mapping, Ecology & Environment
Anshi Dandeli Tiger Reserve (Kali Tiger Reserve):
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- Current Context (2025): Increasing tourism and infrastructure proposals in Western Ghats raise concerns over habitat fragmentation; climate change stress highlights need for stronger protection and connectivity-based conservation.
- Located in Uttara Kannada, Karnataka in the Western Ghats; formed by merging Anshi National Park & Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary and declared a Tiger Reserve in 2007.
- Area: ~1,345 km² (core + buffer); part of a larger tiger landscape connecting Maharashtra, Goa, and Karnataka corridors.
- Habitat: Moist deciduous, semi-evergreen, and evergreen forests; crucial watershed for Kali River.
- Species: Tigers, elephants, gaur, sloth bear, hornbills; known for frequent sightings of melanistic leopard (Black Panther).
- Threats: Road traffic, tourism pressure, hydro-projects, monoculture plantations, human-wildlife conflict.
(TH)
Hayli Gubbi volcano:
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- Context: Recently erupted.
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- Hayli Gubbi is a shield volcano in the Afar Region of north-eastern Ethiopia, within the Erta Ale Range (southernmost part).
- It lies in the tectonically active East African Rift system, where the African and Arabian plates are diverging (~0.4-0.6 inches/year).
- Elevation ~493 m above sea level.
- Rock types: basalt / picro-basalt and trachyte / rhyolite series.
- Eruptive history: Prior to November 2025, there were no known Holocene eruptions (last ~12,000 years) recorded for Hayli Gubbi.
- On 23 November 2025, the volcano erupted, producing a large ash plume (reaching ~9-14 km high) and causing regional atmospheric effects.
- The eruption was unusual for a shield volcano (which typically have effusive lava flows) to produce a strong explosive / ash-rich event.
- Significance & impact:
- Geo-hazard dimension: Ash cloud drifted across Yemen, Oman, and reached parts of India; disrupted aviation (flights cancelled / rerouted) especially in Indian air-space.
- Local effects: Villages in Afar region covered by ash; livestock grazing affected; risk to pastoral communities.
- Scientific importance: Eruption highlights that even long-dormant volcanoes in rift zones may become active; raises questions about monitoring in remote regions.
(TH+IE)
Defence & Security
INS Mahe:
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- Current Context (2025): Commissioning ceremony of INS Mahe, the first of Mahe-class anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft, in Mumbai took place.
- With over 80% indigenous components, the ship is another step in the Indian Navy’s efforts towards achieving self-reliance.
- Due to its stealth and unyielding readiness, INS Mahe’s motto is ‘Silent Hunters’.
- INS Mahe, the lead ship of eight vessels in its class, has been designed and built by Cochin Shipyard Limited.
- She is specially designed to undertake antisubmarine operations in coastal and shallow waters.
- Fitted with advanced weapons, sensors, and communication systems enabling it to detect, track, and neutralise sub-surface threats with precision, the ship can sustain prolonged operations in shallow waters and features technologically advanced machinery and control systems.”
- Named after Mahe, a coastal region of Puducherry, reflecting the Indian Navy’s tradition of naming vessels after Indian coastal cities.
- Will strengthen India’s coastal and shallow-water maritime capabilities, especially in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
(TH)
Miscellaneous
Kabaddi World Cup:
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- The Indian women’s kabaddi team secured its second consecutive World Cup title with a 35-28 win over Taiwan in Dhaka.
- India emerged on top in a tournament involving 11 countries.
- India had beaten Iran 33-21 to enter the summit clash.
(TH)
T20 Blind Women’s World Cup:
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- The Indian cricket team won the T20 Blind Women’s World Cup.
- PM Modi congratulated the team and posted “Congratulations to the Indian Blind women’s team for creating history! This is a shining example of hard work and determination. This feat will inspire generations to come.”
(TH)
PRACTICE MCQ’S
Q1. Consider the following statements regarding the Hayli Gubbi volcano:
1. Hayli Gubbi is located in the Afar region of Ethiopia within the tectonically active East African Rift system.
2. The volcano is a stratovolcano known for frequent explosive eruptions in the Holocene period.
3. The 2025 eruption resulted in aviation disruptions in India due to volcanic ash drifting across the Arabian Sea.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 only
b) 1 and 3 only
c) 2 and 3 only
d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: B
Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct: Hayli Gubbi lies in northeastern Ethiopia in the Afar Depression, part of the East African Rift, where the African and Arabian plates are diverging. This tectonic setting makes the region volcanically active.
Statement 2 is incorrect: Hayli Gubbi is a shield volcano, not a stratovolcano.
Before the 2025 event, there were no known Holocene eruptions, meaning it was dormant for nearly 12,000 years, not frequently active.
Statement 3 is correct: The November 2025 eruption released a high ash plume that traveled across Yemen, Oman, and the Arabian Sea, leading the DGCA in India to issue advisories, causing flight rerouting and cancellations.
Q2. With reference to the Pro Tem Speaker of the Lok Sabha, consider the following statements:
1. The Pro Tem Speaker is appointed by the President of India and is usually the senior-most member of the House.
2. The Pro Tem Speaker can exercise all powers of the regular Speaker, including referring bills to committees and deciding motions of no-confidence.
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: A
Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct: The President appoints the Pro Tem Speaker, who is generally the oldest or senior-most MP to preside over the first sitting of a newly elected Lok Sabha.
Statement 2 is incorrect: The Pro Tem Speaker has only limited powers, mainly to administer oaths to MPs and conduct the election of the new Speaker. They cannot exercise full powers like regular legislative business, referring bills, or motions.
Q3. With reference to INS Mahe, consider the following statements:
1. INS Mahe is part of India’s Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) programme and is being built indigenously under the Make in India initiative.
2. The vessel is primarily designed for deep-ocean blue-water operations and long-range ballistic missile deployment.
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: A
Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct: INS Mahe is an indigenously built ASW shallow-water vessel, focused on coastal and littoral anti-submarine operations, part of India’s Make in India defence push.
Statement 2 is incorrect: INS Mahe is not a deep-ocean blue-water or missile platform; it is designed for shallow-water operations, anti-submarine warfare, surveillance, and coastal defense, not ballistic missile deployment.
Q4. Consider the following statements regarding the Anshi–Dandeli (Kali) Tiger Reserve:
1. It forms part of the Western Ghats and serves as an important ecological corridor linking tiger habitats across Karnataka, Goa, and Maharashtra.
2. It is the only protected area in India where melanistic leopards have been documented in the wild.
3. The Kali River originates within the core zone of the tiger reserve.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 only
b) 1 and 2 only
c) 1 and 3 only
d) 2 and 3 only
Answer: A
Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct: The reserve lies in the Western Ghats and plays a key role in landscape-level tiger movement across three states.
Statement 2 is incorrect: Melanistic leopards have been recorded in other areas too (e.g., Odisha’s Similipal Tiger Reserve), so it is not the only protected area with such sightings.
Statement 3 is incorrect: The Kali River does not originate inside the reserve; it originates near Diggi village in Supa Taluk, and flows through the reserve—not from it.
Q5. Hamara Samvidhan – Hamara Swabhiman campaign aims primarily to:
a) Launch a new electoral reform to change voting procedures
b) Provide subsidies for legal education across India
c) Replace the existing Panchayati Raj system with a new governance model
d) Promote constitutional awareness and instill pride in citizens regarding the Constitution of India
Answer: D
Explanation:
The campaign, under the Department of Justice, focuses on constitutional literacy, legal awareness, and promoting pride in the Constitution.
Tools include pledges, legal literacy drives, Nyaya Seva Melas, podcasts, and comic books.
Options A,B, and C are unrelated to the objectives of the campaign.
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