News In Short 16-1-2025

Kashi Tamil Sangamam

Syllabus: GS1/Culture

Context

• The Union Minister for Education launched the registration portal for the 3rd edition of Kashi Tamil Sangamam (KTS).

About

• It will commence on 15th February 2025 in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
• Organized by: Ministry of Education.
• Launched in: 2022.
• Universities: IIT Madras and Banaras Hindu University (BHU).
• Aim: To rediscover, reaffirm, and celebrate the age-old links between Tamil Nadu and Kashi.
  • It is in sync with NEP 2020’s emphasis on integrating the Indian Knowledge Systems with modern systems of knowledge.
  • It provides an opportunity for scholars, students, philosophers, and artists from the two regions to share their knowledge. 
  • It also aims to make the youth aware and experience cultural oneness.
• Both Kashi and Chennai have been recognised by UNESCO as ‘Creative Cities of Music’.

Source: PIB

Tharu Community & Maghi Festival

Syllabus: GS1/ Culture

Context

• The Tharu Cultural Museum in Morang district is organizing a weeklong Maghi Parva (Maghi Festival).

About

• Makar Sankranti, also popularly called Maghi, is observed by the people of the Tharu community  as the beginning of their new year. 
• It is observed on the first day of Nepali month Magh according to the lunar calendar.  
• Dance: The Tharu community performs traditional dances during festivals such as Jhumara, Mayur, Lathhawa, and Maghauta. 

Tharu community

• The Tharu community is an indigenous ethnic group primarily residing in the Terai region of Nepal and the adjoining areas of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Uttarakhand in India. 
• They speak a language called Tharu or Tharuhati, which is part of the Indo-Aryan language group.
• The Tharu tribe was recognized as a Scheduled Tribe by the Government of India in 1967.

Source: AIR

Siachen Glacier

Syllabus: GS1/ Geography

In News

• Siachen Glacier, the world’s highest and coldest battlefield, has now been equipped with high-speed 4G and 5G connectivity. 

About Siachen Glacier

• The Siachen Glacier is a Piedmont glacier, which spreads out on a plain at the base of mountains. It is the world’s second-longest non-polar glacier after the Fedchenko Glacier in Tajikistan.
• It is located in the Karakoram Range, between the Saltoro Ridge to the west and the main Karakoram Range to the east.
• The glacier originates near Indira Col West, marking the boundary between Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent.
• The glacier feeds the Nubra River, which is a tributary of the Shyok River. The Shyok River is part of the larger Indus River system.
• India took control of the glacier under Operation Meghdoot (1984), preempting Pakistan’s plans to occupy it.

Source: FE

Blood Money

Syllabus: GS2/Polity and Governance

Context

• The death sentence awarded by a Yemen court to an Indian-origin nurse has brought the focus back on ‘blood money’.

About

• Blood money’, or ‘diyya’, finds footing in the Islamic Sharia law, and is followed in countries that incorporate these laws. 
• Provision: A select quantity of a valuable asset, primarily monetary, has to be paid by the perpetrator of the crime to the victim, or the victim’s family if the latter has died.
  • It is practised in cases involving unintentional murder and culpable homicide.
  • It is done to avoid harsh punishments like death sentences and to provide monetary compensation to the victim’s family in exchange for mercy.
  • This system leaves the offender’s fate in the hands of the family of the victim. 
• India: Concept of Blood money is not found in India’s formal legal system.
  • However, the system does provide a way for the accused to negotiate with the prosecution through ‘plea bargaining’.

Source: TH

Global South

Syllabus :GS2/IR

In News

• India is recognized as the first responder to the Global South during humanitarian crises, as per Union Minister Piyush Goyal’s address at the WCDM-DRR Awards.

 Global South

• The Global South refers to developing or less-developed countries, mostly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
• Origin:  The term “Global South” was first used in 1969 by Carl Oglesby and gained prominence after the 1991 Soviet Union breakup, replacing the term “Third World” which had been used since 1952.
  • It reflects shared political, geopolitical, and economic conditions.
• Features  : It is  characterized by lower income, higher inequality, and poorer living conditions compared to the Global North (rich nations in North America, Europe, and Oceania).
  • Countries in the Global South were largely victims of imperialism and colonialism, which shaped their political and economic outlook, often leading to non-alignment with great powers.
• India’s Interventions : India is recognized as a reliable and responsible partner, particularly in the Global South, and promotes security and development in the Indo-Pacific region through the SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision.
  • The Indian government supports disaster relief efforts both domestically and internationally, demonstrating global leadership, including during the Covid-19 pandemic via the ‘Vaccine Maitri’ initiative.

Source :PIB

Pixxel, Digantara Launch Satellites to Monitor Earth

Syllabus: GS3/ Science and Technology

Context

• Pixxel and Digantara, Indian space start-ups, successfully launched satellites aboard a SpaceX rocket.

About

• The mission aims to enhance earth observation and space object tracking, addressing critical challenges in agriculture, defence, and space sustainability.
• Pixxel: It has become the first private company in India to establish its own constellation of satellites utilizing advanced hyper-spectral frequency technology.
  • It enables observation of the earth in more than 150 bands.
• Digantara Aerospace: It introduced the world’s inaugural commercial satellite, the Space Camera for Object Tracking (SCOT), tailored for tracking objects as small as 5 cm in earth’s orbit to enhance space operations safety.

India’s private space sector

• India constitutes 2-3% of the global space economy and is expected to enhance its share to more than 10% by 2030.
• Indian start-ups are taking active interest in the space market, from just 1 start-up in the space sector in 2012 to 189 start-ups in 2023. 
• The funding received by these start-ups reached a total of $124.7 Mn in 2023 from $67.2 Mn in 2021. 

Source: FE

Kampala Declaration 

Syllabus: GS3/ Agriculture

Context

• The Kampala Declaration for Africa’s agri-food systems from 2026 to 2035 was adopted in the Extraordinary African Union Summit on the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP).

About

• The new declaration is the successor to the Malabo Declaration. 
• During the summit, African leaders endorsed the ten-year CAADP action plan (2026–2035), outlining a detailed roadmap for transforming agriculture across Africa.

Objectives of Kampala Declaration

• Intensifying sustainable food production, agro-industrialization, and trade,
• Boosting Investment and Financing for Accelerated Agrifood Systems Transformation,
• Ensuring Food and Nutrition Security,
• Advancing Inclusivity and Equitable Livelihoods,
• Building Resilient Agrifood Systems,
• Strengthening Agrifood Systems Governance.

Malabo Declaration

• In 2003, during the Second Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly in Maputo, Mozambique, the Maputo Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security in Africa was adopted. 
• This Declaration marked the official launch of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (or CAADP).

Source: DTE

Frontline Naval Combatants — INS Surat, INS Nilgiri, and INS Vaghsheer

Syllabus: GS 3/Defence 

In News

• India achieved its first-ever tri-commissioning of naval platforms with the induction of INS Nilgiri, INS Vaghsheer, and INS Surat. 

About naval  platforms 

• INS Nilgiri is the lead ship of the Project 17A frigates and It  honors the maritime history of the Chola dynasty.
  • It is a next-generation stealth frigate designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau.
• INS Vaghsheer is the sixth and final submarine of the P75 Scorpene Project.
  • It  is dedicated to India’s naval legacy and It is constructed in collaboration with France’s Naval Group.
• INS Surat is the fourth and final ship of the Project and It reflects Gujarat’s historical maritime ties with West Asia.
  •  A state-of-the-art destroyer with 75% indigenous content.

Importance 

• The commissioning marks a significant step in India’s self-reliance in defense and strengthening its Navy.
  • India’s defense production exceeds ₹1.25 lakh crore, with over 100 countries importing Indian defense equipment. 
  • The Make in India initiative is driving economic growth and self-reliance in defense.

Source :TH

Melanistic Royal Bengal Tiger

Syllabus: GS3/ Species in News

In News

• A melanistic Royal Bengal Tiger (RBT) was hunted by poachers in the Similipal Tiger Reserve, Odisha, the world’s only habitat for these rare black-striped tigers.

Black Tigers

• About: Black tigers are not a distinct species or subspecies but a rare color variant of the Bengal tiger.
  • Their distinctive fur pattern arises from melanism, a genetic condition (mutation in the gene Transmembrane Aminopeptidase Q ). The white fur results from a lack of the pigment pheomelanin.
  • Melanistic tigers tend to grow faster and are often heavier than their non-melanistic counterparts.
• Genetic Drift: Geographic isolation has led to inbreeding within Similipal, where genetically related tigers have mated for generations, amplifying the mutation.
• Black Tigers Beyond Similipal: Found in captivity at Nandankanan Zoological Park, Bhubaneswar, Ranchi Zoo, Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Chennai

Similipal National Park

• Similipal is one of India’s largest biospheres, designated as a tiger reserve under Project Tiger (1973). Recognized as a Biosphere Reserve by the Indian government in June 1994.
• Named after the Simul tree (silk cotton), abundant in the region.
• Added to UNESCO’s Biosphere Reserve list in May 2009.
• Similipal has the world’s highest rate of black tiger sightings, making it a significant habitat for this rare variant.

Source: TOI

Bharat Ranbhoomi Darshan

Syllabus: GS3/ Defence

In News

• On the occasion of Army Day (15th January), Defense Minister Rajnath Singh launched a dedicated website — Bharat Ranbhoomi Darshan.

About Bharat Ranbhoomi Darshan

• The Bharat Ranbhoomi Darshan website will feature details on various battlefields like  Galwan (2020), Doklam (2017), and 75 other sites across India’s borders), offering virtual tours, historical narratives, and interactive content. 
• The sites will also be highlighted by the Tourism Ministry as part of the Incredible India campaign.

Source: IE