News In Short-22-03-2025

Kaliyattam Festival

Syllabus: GS1-Culture

Context

• The Kaliyattam festival takes place in the Malayalam month of Kumbham (February-March).

About

• Also known as Theyyam, this festival showcases ritual dance performances primarily held to honour and worship Goddess Kali.
• Recognized as an essential part of Kerala’s intangible heritage, it is celebrated in Kavus (sacred groves) and tharavadus (ancestral households).
• During the festival, performers are believed to become channels of deities, earning it the title “dance of gods” or “dance of the divine”.

Source: TH

Demands for Grants 

Syllabus :GS 2/Governance  

In News

The Lok Sabha passed the Demands for Grants for various Ministries for 2025-26, approving an expenditure of over ₹50 lakh crore. 

• The approval was made using the guillotine method, meaning funds for the affected Ministries were deemed approved without discussion.

Demand for Grants

• It is a proposal for expenditure from the Consolidated Fund, presented to the Lok Sabha as part of the annual financial statement, in accordance with Article 113 of the Constitution.
• It covers revenue & capital expenditure, grants to states/UTs, and loans & advances.
• Every ministry or department of the Government of India presents its own Demand for Grants. Large ministries (e.g., Defence, Railways) may present multiple Demands based on their functional divisions.
• The Lok Sabha has the power to approve, reject, or reduce the proposed amounts, Rajya Sabha does not vote on these demands.
• The demand can only be presented with prior approval from the President.

Source :TH

Madras High Court on the NIRF Ranking 

Syllabus :GS 2/Governance  

In News

• The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court restrained the Ministry of Education and the National Board of Accreditation (NBA) from publishing the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) for 2025.

 National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF)

• It was launched in 2015 by the National Board of Accreditation (NBA) under the Ministry of Education.
• It ranks higher education institutions annually in five categories:

• Institutions are required to upload data like student and staff strength, salaries, graduation index, placement, and research funds on the NIRF portal.

Significance Of NIRF

• Informed Decision-Making: Helps students choose universities based on their relative standing across various categories and subject domains.
• Quality Assessment: Provides a benchmark for evaluating the excellence of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in India.
• Multi-Dimensional Evaluation: Uses diverse parameters to comprehensively measure institutional performance.
• Encourages Competition: Motivates HEIs to improve their academic and research standards.
• Policy Planning: Assists policymakers in identifying areas for improvement in the education sector.

Criticism  

Source :TH

Raisina Dialogue 2025

Syllabus: GS2/ IR

In News

• The 10th edition of the Raisina Dialogue was recently held in New Delhi, bringing together leaders, thinkers, and policymakers from across the globe.

About 

• It was co-hosted by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.
• Christopher Luxon, Prime Minister of New Zealand was the Chief Guest.
• The central theme for 2025 was “Kālachakra – People, Peace, and Planet,” emphasizing the interconnectedness of humanity, global harmony, and environmental sustainability.
• The dialogue served as a platform to discuss pressing global challenges, including climate change, digital transformation, economic competition, and geopolitical conflicts, aiming to foster collaborative solutions and strengthen international partnerships.
• The dialogue witnessed participation from representatives of over 125 countries, including ministers, former heads of state and government, military commanders & industry leaders etc.

Source: TH

Eklavya Schools

Syllabus: GS2/Education/Governance

Context

• A parliamentary panel on social justice asked the Union government to “urgently” pursue the centralisation of Eklavya Schools.

About

• Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) are a network of government schools established with the aim of providing quality education to Scheduled Tribe (ST) students in remote and rural areas.
• Every block with more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons, will have an EMRS.
  • The Ministry has set the target to set up 728 EMRSs across the country by the year 2026.
• Establishment: Introduced by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs in 1997-98.
• Curriculum: Eklavya schools follow the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) and aim to provide education from the elementary level up to the senior secondary level (Class 12).
• Facilities:
  • Residential schooling (boarding facilities).
  • Free education, including uniforms, textbooks, and other learning materials.
  • Sports and cultural activities.
  • Vocational and skill development programs.
• Funding: Ministry of Tribal Affairs approves setting up of EMRSs in States/ UTs from allocated grants provided under “Grants under Article 275(1) of the Constitution of India”.

Source: TH

Rise in Tobacco Exports

Syllabus: GS2/ Health

In News

• India’s tobacco exports have doubled over the past four years in dollar terms on rising global demand and prices as production takes a hit in countries such as Brazil and Zimbabwe.

About the Tobacco Cultivation in India

• Tobacco is one of the important commercial crops growing under diverse agro-ecological conditions.
• It is a drought tolerant, hardy and short duration crop which can be grown on soils where other crops cannot be cultivated profitably.
• It occupies a meagre 0.24% to 0.3% of India’s total arable land.
  • Despite this small percentage, tobacco farming is highly labour-intensive and remunerative compared to food crops.
• The major tobacco-growing states in India are Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, and West Bengal.
• Types of Tobacco: Flue-cured Virginia (FCV), Bidi, Cigar Filler, and Hookah and Chewing.
• Production and Distribution: India is the 2nd largest producer and exporter after China and Brazil respectively. 

Source: BL

Byadgi chilli 

Syllabus :GS 3/Economy 

In News

• Byadgi chilli prices have dropped significantly, causing distress among farmers due to excess stock, stringent export tests, and high production costs. 

The Byadgi chilli 

• It is a well-known variety from Karnataka, named after Byadgi in the Haveri district.
• It is a bright red, 12-15 cm long chilli with wrinkled pods.
• The fragrance and deep red colour of Byadgi chillies are well-known.
• It is used in pickles, masalas, and chilli powder.
• It is also used in oleoresin extraction. 
• Byadgi chillies have been designated as a Karnataka Geographical Indication.

Source :TH

Farm Distress Index

Syllabus: GS3/Agriculture

Context

• A pilot study “Agrarian Distress and PM Fasal Bima Yojana: An Analysis of Rainfed Agriculture” was conducted to help farmers of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh during 2020-21 and 2021-22.
  • Systemic assessment of Farmers’ Distress Index (FDI) is not available for the whole country.

About

• FDI (Farmer Distress Index): Addresses causes of distress like climate variability, price volatility, and low risk-bearing ability of farmers.
• Objective: Develop a user-friendly tool to predict and warn stakeholders about the severity of farmer distress.
• Key Parameters:
  • Exposure to risk
  • Adaptive capacity
  • Sensitivity
  • Mitigation and adaptation strategies
  • Triggers
  • Psychological factors
  • Impacts
• Purpose: Enable timely preventive actions and identify areas needing intervention.
• Significance: 
  • Ensures efficient government support reaches the most affected regions.
  • Early Warning: Alerts on distress three months in advance for preventive measures.
  • Planning Tool: Helps tackle causes of distress and develop location-specific solutions.

Source: PIB