Polity
ECI revises guidelines on EVM Ballot Papers:
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- The Election Commission of India (ECI) has updated EVM Ballot Paper guidelines to improve clarity and readability, with changes effective from upcoming Bihar elections.
- EVM Ballot Papers will now feature colour photographs of candidates, with the face occupying three-fourths of the photo space.
- Candidates’ serial numbers/NOTA will be printed in international Indian numerals, font size 30, and bold for better visibility.
- Names of candidates/NOTA will be printed in uniform font type and large font size for easy readability.
- Ballot papers will use 70 GSM paper; assembly election ballots will be pink, with specified RGB values.
- These enhancements are part of recent ECI measures to streamline elections and improve voter convenience.
(PIB)
History
Malabar Revolt (also known as Moplah Rebellion) of 1921:
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- The rebellion was a peasant uprising by the Muslim Mappila community in the Malabar region of Kerala against British colonial rule and the Hindu landlords (janmis) who dominated land ownership.
- It was triggered by police repression during the Khilafat Movement in 1921 and was fuelled by anti-colonial sentiment and opposition to exploitative tenancy laws introduced by the British.
- The rebels attacked and seized police stations, courts, and government offices, established control over parts of Malabar, and declared a parallel government under leader Variamkunnath Kunjahammad Haji.
- Violence escalated, with some Hindu homes and temples destroyed, and forced conversions reported, leading to communal tensions; the British responded with military force and imposed martial law.
- The rebellion was suppressed by early 1922; many rebels were killed, imprisoned, or deported, including the tragic Wagon Tragedy where 67 prisoners died of suffocation in a closed railway wagon during transport.
(TH)
Economy
Bima Sugam portal:
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- It is a newly launched unified digital marketplace for all types of insurance in India, initiated by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI).
- It offers a single platform where users can buy, sell, renew, manage, and claim all insurance policies including life, health, motor, travel, property, and agricultural insurance.
- The platform aims to provide transparency, ease, and full end-to-end servicing, differentiating itself from private distributors by including claim settlements and policy management.
- Policy documents will be securely stored on the platform, making it accessible like UPI and NPCI do for digital payments, fostering a common digital infrastructure.
- All insurance companies are members, many with equity stakes in the Bima Sugam India Federation (BSIF), which operates the platform, ensuring low charges and wide coverage.
- Bima Sugam is envisioned as a critical step towards India’s Digital Public Infrastructure for insurance, aiming to deepen penetration, empower policyholders, and achieve ‘Insurance for All by 2047’ under the Viksit Bharat 2047 mission.
(IE)
Science & Technology
National Policy on Geothermal Energy (2025):
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- It was announced to promote exploration and use of geothermal energy, supporting the country’s 2070 Net Zero goal and energy security through renewable diversification.
- The policy aims to harness geothermal energy for power generation and direct uses like district heating, farming, aquaculture, and ground source heat pumps.
- Five projects have been sanctioned as pilot and resource assessment initiatives to evaluate India’s geothermal potential.
- Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) will supervise progress and foster a supportive environment for developers and research institutions involved in geothermal energy.
(PIB)
Geography & Environment
Messor ibericus:
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- Scientists have discovered that queens of the Mediterranean ant species Messor ibericus can give birth to males of another species, Messor structor, as well as hybrid workers are challenging traditional views of reproduction.
- Messor ibericus queens were found to produce offspring of a different species (Messor structor males), a phenomenon never before documented in animals.
- DNA studies showed that many Messor ibericus worker ants are hybrids, and about 10% of eggs laid by isolated queens contained only Messor structor DNA, apart from maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA.
- The process involves queens cloning the genetic material of stored Messor structor sperm in a specialised organ, allowing them to produce hybrid workers and males of both species.
- By giving birth to two species, queens ensure that future generations have access to mates of both kinds, maintaining colony survival and complexity.
- This unusual reproductive strategy reveals new complexities of social insect evolution, making Messor ibericus the first known animal to routinely produce a separate species via its life cycle.
(IE)
Government schemes
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- Several major welfare schemes and campaigns were launched nationwide on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 75th birthday, marking a push for public service and inclusion.
- The ‘Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar’ and 8th Rashtriya Poshan Maah campaigns will run nationwide from September 17 to October 2, 2025, with daily health camps focused on women and children, aiming to strengthen screening and early treatment for diseases and improve nutrition and maternal health.
- Specialist medical services, blood donation drives (with registration on e-Raktkosh), Yoga and Ayurveda, AYUSH consultations, and grievance redressal help desks are included to promote holistic wellness.
- Direct benefit schemes like Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) continue, providing maternity cash transfers; a new Suman Sakhi Chatbot was launched to spread maternal health information.
- Social schemes include the Adi Seva Parv, with activities in tribal regions for health, nutrition, education, water, sanitation, and livelihood, and the inauguration of a new PM MITRA textile park in Dhar to boost farmer income and employment.
(IE)
PM Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA):
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- PM inaugurated India’s first MITRA Park in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh.
- PM MITRA is a government initiative to develop seven mega integrated textile parks across India aimed at streamlining the entire textile value chain, from spinning, weaving, processing/dyeing, to garment manufacturing—at single locations.
- It is inspired by PM Modi’s 5F vision: Farm to Fibre, Fibre to Factory, Factory to Fashion, and Fashion to Foreign, focusing on making India a global textile manufacturing hub and promoting “Aatmanirbhar Bharat”.
- The scheme aims to create world-class industrial infrastructure, attract cutting-edge technology, boost exports, generate large-scale employment (about 1 lakh direct and 2 lakh indirect jobs per park), and reduce logistics cost for the textile industry.
- Seven parks will be set up in Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra, selected through an objective challenge method, supported by government incentives and PPP-based master developer models.
- The parks are expected to attract large investments (around Rs 70,000 crore), both foreign and domestic, and foster innovation, enhancing India’s competitiveness in the global textile sector.
(TH)
Places in the News
Sarnath:
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- Sarnath holds great historical and religious significance as the location where Gautama Buddha delivered his first sermon around 528 BCE, marking the beginning of his public teaching and the founding of the Buddhist community (sangha).
- Sarnath is about 10 km northeast of Varanasi and is traditionally identified as the place where Buddha set the “Wheel of Dharma” in motion by teaching the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path to his first five disciples.
- Emperor Ashoka patronized Sarnath, erecting the famous lion pillar that became the emblem of the Republic of India, and established significant monastic structures like the Dhamek Stupa marking the sermon site.
- The site witnessed subsequent patronage from Kushana and Gupta rulers but was sacked and largely destroyed in the 12th century, leading to a decline in Buddhism there for centuries.
- Rediscovery and archaeological exploration in the late 18th and 19th centuries by local rulers and British archaeologists, especially Alexander Cunningham, re-established Sarnath’s significance as a major Buddhist pilgrimage site.
- Today, Sarnath is one of the four holiest Buddhist pilgrimage sites, receiving hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, and is nominated for UNESCO World Heritage status.
(IE)
Terms in the News
Xenoparity:
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- It is a recently coined term for the unprecedented phenomenon where an Iberian harvester ant queen, after mating with a male of a different species, can lay eggs that develop into two distinct lineages of offspring: pure clones of the male father, and hybrid daughters that incorporate the queen’s DNA.
Miscellaneous
Prefabricated porta cabins:
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- Bihar’s new Purnea airport, like Darbhanga airport, uses prefabricated porta cabins for its interim terminal to enable rapid operational readiness and cost efficiency.
- A porta cabin is a prefabricated, modular structure designed for quick assembly and transport to various locations, serving as a flexible and cost-effective alternative to traditional buildings.
- Prefabricated is a type which is built off-site in sections or modules before being transported and assembled at the final location.
- Purnea airport aims to improve connectivity in eastern Bihar, parts of West Bengal, and neighbouring Nepal regions, significantly reducing travel times by air compared to road.
- The use of modular, factory-made porta cabins helped overcome delays caused by land acquisition issues and infrastructure challenges, allowing the terminal to become functional quickly.
- These are cost-effective, quick to install, and adaptable but serve as temporary solutions with limitations in space and premium facilities.
- The interim terminal at Purnea covers about 3,000 sq meters, handles around 300 passengers at peak, and features regional Manjusha art décor.
(IE)
PRACTICE MCQ’S
Q1. Consider the following statements about Sarnath:
1. Sarnath is an ancient city and important Buddhist pilgrimage site in Bihar.
2. Dhamek stupa is built on the site where the Buddha delivered his first sermon.
3. The Chaukhandi Stupa is a historic Buddhist monument in Sarnath, marking the site where Lord Buddha first met his disciples after traveling from Bodh Gaya.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1 and 3 only
d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: B
Explanation:
Statement 1 is incorrect: Sarnath is an ancient city and important Buddhist pilgrimage site in Uttar Pradesh.
Statement 2 is correct: Dhamek stupa is built on the site where the Buddha delivered his first sermon.
Statement 3 is correct: The Chaukhandi Stupa is a historic Buddhist monument in Sarnath, marking the site where Lord Buddha first met his disciples after traveling from Bodh Gaya.
Q2. Consider the following statements:
1. PM Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) aim to create world-class industrial infrastructure, boost exports, and reduce logistics cost for the textile industry.
2. It is inspired by PM Modi’s 5F vision, which is Farm to Fibre, Fibre to Factory, Factory to Fashion, and Fashion to Foreign.
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
Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct: PM Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) aim to create world-class industrial infrastructure, boost exports, and reduce logistics cost for the textile industry.
Statement 2 is correct: It is inspired by PM Modi’s 5F vision, which is Farm to Fibre, Fibre to Factory, Factory to Fashion, and Fashion to Foreign.
Q3. With reference to the Malabar Revolt, consider the following statements:
1. It was a peasant uprising by the Muslim Mappila community in the Malabar region of Kerala against British colonial rule and the Hindu landlords.
2. New British tenancy laws after 1799 greatly favoured landlords and dispossessed Mappila tenants, leading to a system of exploitation and landlessness.
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
Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct: It was a peasant uprising by the Muslim Mappila community in the Malabar region of Kerala against British colonial rule and the Hindu landlords.
Statement 2 is correct: New British tenancy laws after 1799 greatly favoured landlords and dispossessed Mappila tenants, leading to a system of exploitation and landlessness.
Q4. Consider the following statements in the recent context of Messor ibericus:
1. Messor structor queens were found to produce offspring of a different species.
2. The phenomenon is known as Xenoparity.
3. In xenoparity the harvester ant queen can lay eggs that develop into two distinct lineages of offspring.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1 and 3 only
d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: B
Explanation:
Statement 1 is incorrect: Messor ibericus queens were found to produce offspring of a different species.
Statement 2 is correct: The phenomenon is known as Xenoparity.
Statement 3 is correct: In xenoparity the harvester ant queen can lay eggs that develop into two distinct lineages of offspring.
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