Dokra Art
Syllabus: GS1/ Art & Culture
In News
- PM Modi gifted a Dokra Brass Peacock Boat with a Tribal Rider to the Thai Prime Minister.
About Dokra Art
- The art form is over 4,000 years old, dating back to the Indus Valley Civilization (e.g., the famous Dancing Girl sculpture from Mohenjo-daro).
- The name “Dhokra” or “Dokra” is believed to have originated from the Dhokra Damar tribes of West Bengal.
- The unique and defining feature of Dokra art is its reliance on the lost wax casting technique.
- Due to the lost wax technique where the mold is used only once and then broken, each Dokra artifact is inherently unique.
- Geographical Indication (GI) Tag was given for Dokra of Bankura in West Bengal (granted in 2008).
Source: DD News
Gaza Strip
Syllabus: GS1/ Places in News
Context
- Israel has established control over more than 50% of the territory within the Gaza Strip, Since resuming its military campaign against Hamas.
About
- Location: The Gaza Strip is a small territory located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
- It borders Israel to the north and east and Egypt to the southwest, covering about 365 square kilometers.
- Conflict zone: It has been the site of repeated conflicts between Israel and Hamas, including wars in 2008, 2012, 2014, and most recently in 2023–2024.
- Humanitarian crisis: Due to the blockade and ongoing conflicts, Gaza faces high unemployment, limited access to clean water, electricity, and healthcare, and widespread poverty.
Source: TH
Palna Scheme Under Mission Shakti
Syllabus: GS2/ Health
In Context
- The Palna Scheme addresses the childcare needs of working mothers by providing quality crèche facilities, enabling them to pursue employment without compromising their children’s care.
- It formalizes unpaid care work and supports Sustainable Development Goal 8 on decent work and economic growth.
Palna Scheme
- About:
- In 2022, erstwhile National Creche Scheme was reorganized and renamed as Palna Scheme under the sub scheme ‘Samarthya’ of ‘Mission Shakti’.
- Palna is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme ensuring the participation of State/ UT government to ensure better day-to-day monitoring and proper implementation of scheme, and is implemented with a funding ratio of 60:40 between Centre and State Governments and UTs with legislature except North East & Special Category States where ratio is 90:10. For UTs without a legislature, 100% funding is provided by the central government.
- Objectives:
- To provide quality crèche facilities in a safe and secure environment for children (from ages 6 months–6 years), nutritional support, health and cognitive development of children, growth monitoring & immunization.
- Crèche facilities under Palna are provided to all mothers, irrespective of their employment status.
Source: PIB
Judicial Cooperation Between India and Nepal
Syllabus :GS 2/IR/Governance
In News
- Supreme Court of Nepal and the Supreme Court of India Sign a Memorandum of Understanding in the field of Judicial Cooperation.
About the MoU
- It aims to promote information exchange, judicial interactions, and training programs for judges and officials.
- It emphasizes the use of technology to improve court procedures, reduce backlogs, and enhance services.
- A Joint Working Group will be established to develop plans for furthering the cooperation.
- It aims to foster judicial exchanges, joint research, training, seminars, and visits.
| Do you know? – Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna, described the MoU as a new milestone in the relationship between the two countries’ judiciaries. – Chief Justice Khanna has highlighted the reciprocal influence between Nepalese and Indian judicial decisions like decriminalization of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code and Nepal’s adoption of Indian constitutional principles like the Basic Structure Doctrine. |
Source :TH
New Rules to Get Equivalence Certificates for Foreign Degrees
Syllabus: GS2/ Education
Context
- The University Grants Commission (UGC) has notified a new regulation to streamline the recognition and grant of equivalence degrees to academic qualifications obtained from foreign educational institutions.
What is an Equivalence Certificate?
- An equivalence certificate is a document issued to validate that a foreign academic qualification (certificate, diploma, or degree) is comparable to an Indian qualification of similar level and purpose.
- This certificate is essential for pursuing higher education or employment in India.
What are the conditions for granting equivalence?
- The degree must be from a foreign institution recognised under the laws of its home country.
- The academic programme must have entry-level requirements similar to corresponding programmes in India. This includes credit systems, thesis work, or internships.
- The candidate must have pursued the programme according to the academic standards and norms laid down by the foreign institution.
- Qualifications obtained from off-shore campuses will also be considered, provided:
- The academic programme complies with the regulations of both the host country (where the campus is located) and the country of origin of the institution.
Source: IE
National Mission on Power Electronics Technology (NaMPET)
Syllabus: GS3/Science and Technology
Context
- The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), announced the signing of ToT/MoA/MoU among industries for the commercialization of NaMPET-developed technologies.
- Emphasized the need for indigenous technology in the Power Electronics sector.
About
- Wireless Charger for EVs: The charger can charge a 4.8kWh onboard battery in 3 hours with 89.4% efficiency.
- Indigenous Propulsion System for Electric Locomotives: MoA signed for the indigenization of a 3-phase electric locomotive propulsion system.
- Aims for full electrification of Indian Railways by 2030 with enhanced locomotive performance and reliability.
- LVDC Systems Collaboration: MoU signed between C-DAC and Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC).
- Expected to save 20-30% energy and contribute to Kerala’s Carbon Neutrality Roadmap 2050.
About NaMPET:
- National Mission on Power Electronics Technology (NaMPET): A mission-mode programme by MeitY focused on the development, deployment, and commercialization of Power Electronics technologies.
- Main Areas: Includes Microgrids, Green Energy, e-mobility ecosystem, Smart Power Quality Centre, High Voltage Power Electronics, and technology outreach for startups.
- Implemented by C-DAC: Led by C-DAC, Thiruvananthapuram with participation from academia, R&D organizations, and industries.
Source: PIB
Biomass Mission
Syllabus: GS 3/Environment
In News
- The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Biomass mission will be launched on April 29, 2025.
Need
- Forests store large amounts of carbon, absorbing 16 billion metric tonnes of CO2 annually and holding 861 gigatonnes of carbon.
- In 2023, tropical forests lost 3.7 million hectares, contributing 6% of global CO2 emissions.
- Understanding forest biomass and carbon storage is vital for measuring climate change impacts.
| Do you know? – Biomass is the seventh mission in the Earth Explorer programme, designed to provide data on various Earth systems (interior, cryosphere, atmosphere, etc.). 1. Previous missions include GOCE (2009-2013) and the recent EarthCARE (2024). |
Biomass mission
- It will be placed in a sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) at an altitude of 666 km.
- It will map the world’s forests to better understand their role in the carbon cycle.
- It will use a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) operating in the P-band frequency to penetrate forest canopies and assess carbon storage and forest biomass.
- It is the first satellite to use this technology.
- It is part of ESA’s Earth Explorer programme, designed to provide vital data on Earth’s systems.
- It aims to address gaps in forest biomass and height data, crucial for measuring forests’ impact on the environment.
- It will also observe ice sheet movement in Antarctica and create 3D models of terrains with dense vegetation.
Source: IE
Military Space Doctrine
Syllabus :GS 3/Defence
In News
- India is developing a “military space doctrine” and a national military space policy.
About the Military space doctrine
- It is part of the government’s strategy to address emerging challenges, particularly as China possesses advanced capabilities to disrupt satellite signals through jammers and anti-satellite technologies.
- There is a need for developing a “space culture” that includes original research, doctrine, strategy, and space laws.
- The Defence Space Agency (DSA) is working on the military space doctrine, which is expected to be released in two to three months, outlining how space will be utilized by the armed forces.
- The national military space policy will define the roles of various military sub-organizations in defense space operations.
| Do you know? – Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan announced plans to launch 52 spy satellites for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) in collaboration with ISRO and the industry, a project worth over ₹26,000 crore. – Additionally, the DSA is working on improving satellite communication and regional navigation systems like NavIC. – India’s space sector is at an inflection point, with aims to increase its share in global space commerce from 2% to 10% by 2032 and 25% by 2047 |
Source :TH
Breakthrough Prize 2025
Syllabus :Miscellaneous
In News
- The 2025 Breakthrough Prizes recognized top scientists in Life Sciences, Mathematics, and Fundamental Physics.
Breakthrough Prize
- The awards were established in 2013 by Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, former Google chief Sergey Brin, genomics company 23&Me founder Anne Wojcicki, and tech investor couple Yuri and Julia Milner.
- It is also known as the “Oscars of Science,” and recognizes top scientists annually in Life Sciences, Fundamental Physics, and Mathematics, with each prize valued at $3 million.
Latest Winners
- The Fundamental Physics prize went to 13,508 physicists across four CERN collaborations for their work on the Higgs boson and particle research.
- Life Sciences awards were given for breakthroughs in weight-loss drugs, Multiple Sclerosis treatment, and gene-editing technologies.
- Dennis Gaitsgory won the Mathematics prize for his work on the Langlands conjecture.
Source: IE
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