News In Short 12-2-2025

Sant Guru Ravidas

Syllabus: GS1/ History and Culture

Context

• PM Modi paid tributes to Sant Guru Ravidas on his birth anniversary. 

About

• Guru Ravidas, a revered saint of the Bhakti movement in the 15th and 16th centuries, is known for his powerful message of unity, devotion, and service to humanity.
• He was a disciple of Sant Kabir, and is considered the founder of the Ravidassia religion.

Life and Teachings

• He was a staunch advocate against caste-based discrimination and worked tirelessly for the upliftment of marginalized communities.
• He promoted the principles of human equality, love, and brotherhood, transcending religious and social barriers.
• He gave a very broad message of ‘karma’ to society by coining in the popular Hindi saying ‘Mann Changa to Kathauti Mein Ganga’ (If your mind is pure, the Ganges is in your tub).

Legacy

• Ravidas’s devotional verses were included in the Sikh scriptures known as Guru Granth Sahib.
• The Panch Vani text of the Dadu Panthi tradition within Hinduism also includes numerous poems of Ravidas.
• The Chief Architect of our Constitution, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar embodied the Constitutional principles around the values expressed by Guru Ravidasji.

Source: AIR

Thaipusam

Syllabus :GS1/Culture 

In News

• The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi greeted on the occasion of Thaipoosam.

About Thaipusam

• The name “Thaipusam” comes from “Thai” (the Tamil month) and “Poosam” (the star at its highest point during the festival).
• It is a Hindu festival celebrated to honour Lord Murugan (also known as Lord Kartikeya), the Hindu god of war, victory, and wisdom, while also being a symbol of courage, determination, and spiritual growth.
  • Thaipusam commemorates when Lord Murugan received the divine vel (spear) from Goddess Parvati to defeat the demon Surapadma.
• The festival is celebrated on the full moon day in the Tamil month of Thai.
• It is widely celebrated by the Tamil community in Tamil Nadu, India, and globally in places like Sri Lanka, Singapore, and Malaysia.

Source :IE

Foot and Mouth Disease

Syllabus: GS2/ Health

Context

• Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease of livestock with a significant economic impact. 

About

• FMD is a highly transmissible disease caused by infection with an Aphthovirus, a member of the family Picornaviridae.
• The disease affects cattle, swine, sheep, goats and other cloven-hoofed ruminants.
• Symptoms: Fever, Blisters on the tongue, lips, mouth, hooves, and mammary glands, Erosions, Excess saliva, Loss of appetite, Lameness and Abortions.
• Transmission: FMD is transmitted by;
  • Direct contact with infected animals,
  • Indirect contact with contaminated objects like vehicles, clothing, footwear, and bedding,
  • Consuming contaminated feed or milk,
• Treatment: There’s no specific treatment for FMD. Symptoms usually clear up in 7 to 10 days.
  • A topical oral anesthetic may help relieve the pain of mouth sores.

National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP) – The Programme was launched in 2019 with a provision of 100% central assistance to states and Union Territories for Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccination. – NADCP was included as a component under Livestock Health and Disease Control programme (LHDCP) scheme from 2021.

Source: PIB

UK-India Young Professionals Scheme

Syllabus :GS2/IR 

In News

• The ballot for the United Kingdom-India Young Professionals Scheme (YPS) will open soon .

About Scheme:

• It was launched in February 2023 and it  allows UK and Indian nationals, aged 18 to 30, to live, study, travel, and work in the other country for up to two years.
• It is part of a 2021 Migration and Mobility Agreement, with a cap of 3,000 participants per year for each country.
• It is not extendable, unlike regular work visas, and does not allow applicants to bring dependents.
• In 2023, over 2,100 Indian nationals received YPS visas for the UK.
• Eligibility: Candidates are required to have a qualification in the UK bachelor’s degree or above and proof of £2,530 in savings to support themselves in the UK.
  •  There is no requirement for a job offer or salary conditions, unlike other UK work visas, such as the skilled worker or health and care worker visas, which have stricter conditions including a certificate of sponsorship and minimum salary thresholds.

Source :IE

BIMSTEC Youth Summit

Syllabus :GS2/IR 

In News

• India hosted  the 1st BIMSTEC Youth Summit in Gandhinagar, Gujarat 

About the summit

• It is organized by India’s Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Ministry of External Affairs, and CII YI as the knowledge partner.
• It brings together over 70 young leaders from the seven BIMSTEC countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand) to discuss challenges and opportunities in areas such as entrepreneurship, technology, digital connectivity, and sustainable development.
•  The theme, “Youth as a bridge for intra-BIMSTEC exchange,” focuses on empowering youth to address regional issues and collaborate on solutions for a better future.
• Objectives  :It aims to foster youth engagement and development in the region, aligning with India’s “Neighborhood First” and “Act East” policies, and its vision for regional security and growth (SAGAR).

Do you know ? – The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) was established in  1997 with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration.  – Initially called BIST-EC (Bangladesh-India-Sri Lanka-Thailand Economic Cooperation), it later expanded to include Myanmar in December 1997 and Bhutan and Nepal in 2004, changing its name to BIMSTEC.  – Focus: Initially focused on six sectors (trade, technology, energy, transport, tourism, fisheries), cooperation expanded in 2008 to include agriculture, health, poverty alleviation, counter-terrorism, environment, culture, people-to-people contact, and climate change.

Source :BS

Gross Domestic Knowledge Product (GDKP) to Measure Knowledge Economy

Syllabus: GS3/ Economy

In Context

• The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) held a session on the “Conceptual Framework of GDKP Measurement.

About Gross Domestic Knowledge Product (GDKP)

• The concept of GDKP was first propounded by Prof. Umberto Sulpasso of the University of Southern California along with Prof. Jeff Cole. 
• It is a proposed metric designed to measure the knowledge generated and utilized within an economy and serve as a supplementary indicator to GDP.
• GDKP evaluates a nation’s growth and future using four fundamental pillars:
  • Knowledge Items (Ki): Identifying modern and traditional cultural knowledge that contributes to the country’s intellectual capital.
  • Country’s Knowledge Producing Matrix (CKPM): Analyzing knowledge produced by government institutions, private organizations, and households.
  • Country’s Knowledge User Matrix (CKUM): Measuring the value of knowledge purchased by individuals and private entities, reflecting its demand and practical application.
  • Cost of Learning: Similar to the cost of living, this metric is proposed as a political reference point for government budget allocations and policy decisions.

Significance

• The initiative aims to quantify the impact of knowledge, innovation, and intellectual assets on India’s economic and social landscape.
• GDKP could provide a more holistic picture of economic growth driven by research, innovation, and technology.

Source: IE

World’s 1st Hybrid Quantum Supercomputer

Syllabus: GS3/ S&T

In News

• Engineers in Japan have successfully activated Reimei, the world’s first hybrid quantum supercomputer.

About

• The 20-qubit quantum computer has been seamlessly integrated into Fugaku, the world’s sixth-fastest supercomputer, marking a significant milestone in high-performance computing.
• Unlike most quantum computers that rely on superconducting qubits, Reimei utilizes trapped-ion qubits—a technology that isolates charged atoms (ions) in an electromagnetic ion trap and uses lasers to precisely manipulate their quantum states.
• The integration of Reimei into Fugaku aims to tackle complex calculations that traditional supercomputers struggle with, particularly in physics and chemistry research.

Source: TH

IIT Madras Develops Indigenous Shakti Semiconductor Chip

Syllabus: GS3/Science and Technology

Context

• IIT Madras & ISRO has developed SHAKTI-based semiconductor chip.

About

• The chip, named IRIS (Indigenous RISC-V Controller for Space Applications), is based on the SHAKTI microprocessor.
• SHAKTI systems use RISC-V, an open-source processor technology, and are supported by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology under the ‘Digital India RISC-V’ (DIRV) initiative.
• This development marks a significant step toward self-reliance in space and semiconductor technology.
• It is designed for fault tolerance and reliability, making it suitable for space missions.

Source: IT

Asian Elephants

Syllabus: GS3/Species in News

Context

• African and Asian elephants are entirely different species with unique habits, habitats, and adaptations.

Asian Elephant

• The Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), is distributed throughout the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. 
• It is the largest living land animal in Asia. Three subspecies are currently recognised: the Sri Lankan, the Indian, and the Sumatran elephant.
• Appearance: Smaller than their African counterparts, Asian elephants are easily recognizable by their “small” rounded ears.
  • They often have a hump on their back, a double-domed head with two humps, and a single “finger” on their trunk for grasping. 

• Habitat: Habitat ranges from wet tropical evergreen forests to semi-arid thorn and scrub forests.
  • However, the highest densities of the elephant population are found in tropical deciduous forests. 
  • Elephants are ‘mega-herbivores’ that require vast tracts of forests and grasslands rich in food and water to survive.
• Distribution: Currently, they are found in four fragmented populations in the south, north, central and northeast India. 
• IUCN Status: Endangered
• Threats:
  • Habitat loss
  • Human-animal conflict
  • Illegal Wildlife trade

Population of Elephants in India

• India is home to 60% of the Global population of Asian Elephants. 
• The current population estimates indicate that there are about 50,000-60,000 Asian elephants in the world and there are nearly 30,000 elephants in India.

Source: TH