News In Short-18-04-2025

Guru Tegh Bahadur

Syllabus: GS1/History 

In News

• The Prime Minister paid tribute to Sri Guru Teg Bahadur on the auspicious Parkash Purab.

Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur 

• He was born on 1 April 1621 in Amritsar and he was the ninth Sikh Guru and the youngest son of Guru Hargobind Sahib. 
  • He was originally named Tyag Mal, he earned the title Tegh Bahadur after displaying bravery in battle.
• He married Mata Gujri and had a son, Guru Gobind Singh.
• He lived a life of meditation, selfless service, and sacrifice.
• He traveled widely, preaching Sikhism, promoting social reform, and establishing new preaching centers.

Sacrifice 

• In 1675, he was martyred in Delhi by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb for refusing to convert to Islam and defending religious freedom, especially for persecuted Kashmiri Pandits.
  • His sacrifice earned him the title “Hind di Chadar” (Shield of India).

Legacy 

• A great poet and philosopher, his hymns in Guru Granth Sahib emphasize courage, compassion, and devotion. 
• His martyrdom laid the foundation for the creation of the Khalsa and inspired generations to fight against oppression.

Source :PIB

Bhagavad Gita and Natyashastra Added to UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register

Syllabus: GS1/ Art & Culture

In News

• The manuscripts of the Bhagavad Gita and Bharat Muni’s Natyashastra have been inscribed in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register.

What is UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register?

• Establishment: 1992 by UNESCO.
• Purpose: To preserve rare manuscripts, archival holdings, and other documentary heritage of universal value against neglect, decay, and destruction.
• Criteria for Inclusion:
  • Outstanding universal value.
  • Historical, cultural, or social significance.
  • Authenticity, integrity, and rarity.
• As of 2025, the register includes 570 collections from 72 countries and 4 international organizations.

About the Inscriptions

• Bhagavad Gita:
  • Meaning: “The Song of the Lord.”
  • Attributed to: Sage Vyasa.
  • Content: A 700-verse dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna from the Mahabharata.
  • Themes: Dharma (duty), Karma (action), Bhakti (devotion), Jnana (knowledge).
  • Significance: Central to Indian philosophy, ethics, and spirituality; global influence on thinkers like Gandhi, Einstein, and Aldous Huxley.
• Natyashastra
  • Author: Bharat Muni.
  • Date: Circa 200 BCE – 200 CE.
  • Content: Foundational Sanskrit treatise on drama, dance, music, and performance.
  • Key Concepts:
    • Rasa theory:  Aesthetic experience (e.g., Shringara, Karuna, Veera, etc.).
      • Detailed analysis of stage design, acting, gestures (mudras), costumes, and musical instruments.
    • Impact: Basis for classical Indian dance forms (Bharatanatyam, Kathak, etc.) and traditional theatre.

India’s Inclusion to Memory of the World

• India now has 14 entries in the prestigious register. Recent additions to the 2024 MOWCAP (Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific) Regional Register include:
  • Ramcharitmanas
  • Panchatantra
  • Sahrdayāloka-Locana

Source: TH

K2-18b Discovery, Biosignatures on Exoplanet

Syllabus: GS3/Science and Technology

Context

• Researchers that have been studying data from the planet K2-18b, some 120 light years away from Earth, have reported strong signals of dimethyl sulphide (DMS) and dimethyl disulphide (DMDS).

About

• The gases detected include dimethyl sulphide (DMS) and dimethyl disulphide (DMDS) — detected for the first time outside our solar system.
  • These gases are associated with biological processes on Earth, especially from small ocean organisms.
  • On Earth, these are a product of metabolic processes and the decay of small plant-like organisms in the oceans. 
• This has led to scientists hypothesising on the possibility of a warm ocean on K2-18b, an environment similar to the one that gave rise to life on Earth about 3.5 to 4 billion years ago.

Significance of Discovery

• DMS is considered a biomarker, meaning it could indicate the presence of life.
• The detection has sparked renewed interest in extraterrestrial life.
• However, the researchers stress that this is not definitive evidence of life.

About K2-18b

• Discovered in 2015, K2-18 b is a super Earth exoplanet.
• It is 8.6 times as massive as Earth.
• It orbits in the “habitable zone” – a distance where liquid water, a key ingredient for life, can exist on a planetary surface.
• It orbits around a red dwarf star smaller than the Sun.

Hycean Worlds

• About 5,800 planets beyond our solar system, called exoplanets, have been discovered since the 1990s. 
• Scientists have hypothesized the existence of exoplanets called hycean worlds – covered by a liquid water ocean habitable by microorganisms and with a hydrogen-rich atmosphere.

Source: IE

India and International Big Cat Alliance Sign Agreement

Syllabus: GS3/Environment

Context

• The Government of India and the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) signed the Headquarters Agreement. 

About

• The Agreement provides for India to be the host for the IBCA Headquarters and Secretariat; and it entails necessary provisions to enable IBCA to meet its intended objectives. 
• The Government of India shall provide budgetary support of Rs 150 crore to IBCA for creating a corpus, building infrastructure, and meeting recurring expenditure for five years from 2023-24 to 2028-29.

The International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)

• It was launched by the PM in 2023, during an event “Commemorating 50 years of Project Tiger” at Mysuru. 
• The IBCA became a legal entity after five countries—Nicaragua, Eswatini, India, Somalia, and Liberia—had signed the Framework Agreement to formally become members of the IBCA.
  • 27 countries have agreed to join the IBCA.
• The IBCA primarily aims for conservation of seven big cats namely Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar and Puma.
• Objectives: 
  • Facilitation of collaboration and synergy amongst the concerned stakeholders, 
  • consolidation of successful conservation practices;
  • and expertise to achieve conservation of big cats around the globe.
• The initiative seeks to foster international collaboration for the sustainable future of big cats, as well as underscores India’s leadership and commitment to global wildlife conservation.

Source: MEA

Mission Amrit Sarovar

Syllabus :GS 3/Conservation 

In News

• Mission Amrit Sarovar is enhancing rural livelihoods by enabling various income-generating activities around completed Sarovars, such as irrigation, fisheries, duckery, water chestnut cultivation, and animal husbandry. 

Mission Amrit Sarovar 

• It was launched in 2022 under the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
• It  is a flagship initiative aimed at constructing and rejuvenating 75 water bodies in each district to promote water conservation, sustainability, and community participation.
• It addresses critical issues like groundwater depletion and rural water scarcity by blending traditional practices with modern approaches.
• It is implemented through convergence with existing schemes like Mahatma Gandhi NREGS, 15th Finance Commission Grants, PM Krishi Sinchai Yojana sub-schemes, and state-level programs. It also allows for public contributions via crowdfunding and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Progress 

• Originally targeting 50,000 Sarovars by August 15, 2023, the mission has evolved into a nationwide movement integrating rural development, ecological restoration, and grassroots governance.
• As of March 2025, over 68,000 Sarovars have been completed, significantly improving water availability. 
• Notably, over 46,000 were developed under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS, reflecting strong convergence with existing schemes and public engagement.

Source :PIB

Silkyara Tunnel

Syllabus:GS3/ Infrastructure

Context

• Silkyara Tunnel in Uttarakhand will now be named after Baba Baukhnag.

About

• The Silkyara Tunnel is a bi-directional, double-lane tunnel with a total length of 4.531 kilometres. 
• It is located on the Yamunotri National Highway in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. 
• The tunnel is being constructed at an estimated cost of ₹1,384 crore and is a key component of the Char Dham All-Weather Road Project.
• Once operational, the tunnel will reduce the distance between Gangotri and Yamunotri by approximately 25 kilometres.

Source: IE

Taurus missile

Syllabus: GS3/ Defence

Context

• Russia has said it will view any Ukrainian strike using German Taurus missiles as “direct participation” by Germany in the war.

What is Taurus Missile?

• The Taurus KEPD-350 is a long-range, cruise missile, known to be one of the most modern weapon systems used by the German military, the Bundeswehr. 
• Speed & Range: It is capable of travelling at a speed of up to 1,170 kilometres per hour, and can reach targets as far as 500 kilometres away.
  • It can travel at an altitude of just 35 metres, making it nearly impossible to be detected by radar systems. 
  • It has day and night, all-weather capabilities.
• The system is a Mobile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) Category II weapon, designed to penetrate thick, hardened air defences via a very low-level terrain following flight.
• Navigation systems: It uses four independent navigation systems to stay on track. It has a satellite-supported GPS system, which is protected against attempts to jam it.

Source: ET

Dawoodi Bohra community

Syllabus: Miscellaneous

Context

• A delegation from the Dawoodi Bohra community met Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Dawoodi Bohra Community

• The Dawoodi Bohras are a Muslim community primarily from West India, with members settled in over 40 countries worldwide.
• It traces its heritage to the Fatimid Imams, direct descendants of the Prophet Muhammad, in Egypt.
• The Dawoodi Bohras throughout the world are guided by their leader known as the al-dai al-mutlaq (unrestricted missionary), who first operated from Yemen and then, for the last 450 years, from India.

Source: IE