News In Short-28-03-2025

5 Years of National Technical Textiles Mission

Syllabus :GS 3/Economy 

In News

• Recently, the National Technical Textiles Mission completed 5 Years.

What are Technical Textiles? 

• Technical textiles are textile materials and products manufactured primarily for their technical performance and functional properties, rather than for aesthetic or decorative characteristics.
• They are engineered for durability, strength, flexibility, insulation, filtration, and protection. They often involve advanced fibers like aramids, carbon fiber, and nonwovens.
• They are used in products that help protect people, improve machinery, and solve practical problems, such as in car parts, building materials, medical equipment, and safety gear.

National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM)

• It was launched in 2020 by the Ministry of Textiles to boost technical textiles in India. Identified as a sunrise sector by the Government of India.
• Key Components:
  • Research, Innovation, and Development: It supports R&D in technical textiles, focusing on new materials and processes.
  • Promotion and Market Development: It aims to increase the adoption of technical textiles through market promotion and international collaborations.
  • Export Promotion: It focuses on boosting exports of technical textiles, with a dedicated export council.
  • Education, Training, and Skill Development: It promotes education, skill training, and internships in technical textiles at leading institutes and industries.

Challenges

• Low domestic awareness 
• High dependence on imported machinery and raw materials
• Need for specialized skill development

Do you know? – IIndia’s textile industry plays a vital role in the economy and is renowned for producing some of the most innovative fabrics globally. India is the 6th largest exporter of textiles globally, with a 3.9% share in world textile exports. – It contributes nearly 2% to the country’s GDP.  – The sector is set to grow to US$350 billion by 2030 further strengthening India’s position in the global market. This growth is expected to create 3.5 crore jobs.

Source :PIB

Digital Excellence for Growth and Enterprise (Dx-EDGE)

Syllabus: GS2/ Governance

In News

• The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), in collaboration with NITI Aayog and AICTE, has launched a national initiative—Digital Excellence for Growth and Enterprise (Dx-EDGE).

About Digital Excellence for Growth and Enterprise (Dx-EDGE)

• Objective: Help MSMEs become future-ready, competitive, and resilient through digital adoption.
• Vision Alignment: Supports Viksit Bharat 2047 and NITI Aayog’s Frontier Tech Hub by bridging digital divides in MSME ecosystems.

Source: PIB

District Mineral Foundation (DMF)

Syllabus: GS2/Governance

Context

• The Odisha government has reworked the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) norms to include new projects, improve fund usage, and expand coverage.

About

• Expansion of Affected Areas: The “directly-affected” area is now defined as within a 15 km radius from mines (up from 10 km). The “indirectly-affected” area is within 25 km.
• Saturation Mode for Development: Development within 5 km of mines will be implemented in “saturation mode.”

District Mineral Foundation

• The Government of India amended the Mines & Minerals (Development & Regulation) Act in 2015 to establish District Mineral Foundations (DMF) in mining-affected districts.
• DMFs are non-profit bodies with functions and composition defined by the State Government.
• Purpose of DMF: The foundation works for the interest and benefit of individuals and areas affected by mining operations, as prescribed by the State Government.
• DMF Establishment: DMFs have been set up in 645 districts across 23 states, with respective rules framed in each state.
• Legal Framework: The rules for DMF are guided by provisions related to Scheduled Areas, Tribal Areas, and relevant Acts like the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, and the Forest Rights Act, 2006.
• Funding for DMF: Mining leaseholders must contribute to the DMF fund, in addition to royalty payments.

Source: IE

Wage Hike  of MGNREGS

Syllabus :GS 2/Welfare Schemes 

In News

• The Union  government has increased wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) by 2-7% for FY 2025-26.

Details of Wage Increases – Wage increases range from ₹7 to ₹26 across different states. – States like Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, and Telangana saw a ₹7 increase. – Haryana recorded the highest increase of ₹26, bringing its wage rate to ₹400 per day, the first time any state will have such a rate.

MGNREGA 

• It is demand driven wage employment programme and resource transfer from Centre to States is based on the demand for employment in each State
• It aims to enhance livelihood security by providing 100 days of guaranteed wage employment per year to rural households whose adult members volunteer for unskilled manual work.
• Types of Work: MGNREGA covers 266 types of works, including agriculture, natural resource management, and rural infrastructure.
  • Key focus areas include water conservation and irrigation projects.
• Wage Calculation: The MGNREGA wage rates are determined based on the Consumer Price Index for Agricultural Labourers (CPI-AL) to reflect inflation in rural areas.
  • In FY 2024-25, Goa had the highest wage hike of 10.56%, while Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand had the lowest at 3.04%.
• Budgetary allocation :  The budget allocation for MGNREGA has steadily increased from ₹11,300 crore in 2006-07 to ₹86,000 crore in FY 2024-25, with a record ₹1,11,000 crore spent in 2020-21 to address COVID-19 challenges.
  • Women’s participation has risen from 48% in FY 2013-14 to over 58% in FY 2024-25.
• Digital Reforms: The Aadhaar Based Payment System (ABPS) has improved targeting, efficiency, and reduced payment delays.
  • 99.49% of active workers are now Aadhaar-seeded.
  • The National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS) has enhanced transparency and eliminated fake attendance.
  • The National Electronic Fund Management System (NeFMS) and DBT have made MGNREGA the largest Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme, with 100% wage disbursement done electronically.

Source  :IE

India becomes World’s 2nd-largest Exporter of Tea in 2024

Syllabus: GS3/Economy

Context

• As per the Indian Tea Board, India has become the second largest tea exporter in the world.

About

• India’s tea exports in 2024: 255 million kg, surpassing Sri Lanka and ranking second after Kenya.
• Export value: Increased by 15%, from Rs 6,161 crore in 2023 to Rs 7,111 crore in 2024.
• Types of tea exported: Primarily black tea (96%), with small quantities of regular, green, herbal, masala, and lemon tea.
• Key driver: Significant rise in shipments to West Asia, especially Iraq, now accounting for 20% of India’s tea exports.
• India’s Export destinations: Over 25 countries, including UAE, Iraq, Iran, Russia, US, and UK.
• Iraq’s forecast: Expected to import 40-50 million kg in the current financial year.
• Prominent tea regions: Assam (Assam Valley, Cachar) and West Bengal (Dooars, Terai, Darjeeling).
• Global reputation: Indian teas, especially Assam, Darjeeling, and Nilgiri, are renowned for their quality.
• Contributing factors: Promotion of tea production, branding efforts, and improvement in tea workers’ welfare.

Tea Board of India

• It was set up as a statutory body in 1954 under the Tea Act, 1953.
• It was established for the purposes of regulating the Indian tea industry and protecting the interests of tea producers in India.
  • All teas produced in the tea growing areas of India are administered by the Tea Board. 
• The Board consists of 32 Members, including Chairman and Deputy Chairman appointed by the Government of India representing different sections of the Tea industry. 
• The Board’s Head Office is situated in Kolkata. 

Source: AIR

Gaia Mission 

Syllabus :GS 3/Space 

Context 

• The European Space Agency (ESA) shut down its space observatory mission, Gaia.

Do you know? – Gaia was “passivated” on March 27, 2025, meaning it was drained of energy and won’t be rebooted. – It entered its “retirement orbit” around the Sun after using its thrusters for the final time

Gaia Mission 

• It was launched in December 2013, and was designed to create a precise 3D map of the Milky Way galaxy.
  • Originally named Global Astrometric Interferometer for Astrophysics (GAIA), the mission was renamed Gaia.
• It was designed for astrometry, the science of mapping the cosmos, through precise measurement of the location and movement of stars and other celestial bodies.
• It was positioned at the Lagrange point 2 (L2), 1.5 million km from Earth.
  • Lagrangian Points are specific locations in space where the gravitational forces of two large celestial bodies (like the Earth and the Sun) and the centrifugal force of a smaller object (like a satellite) balance each other.

Source :IE

Green Grabbing

Syllabus: GS3/ Environment

In News

• As India aggressively pursues its renewable energy goals, a troubling phenomenon known as “green grabbing” has emerged.

About 

• Green grabbing involves the coercive acquisition of land under the guise of environmental conservation or sustainable development.
• Like in Assam’s Karbi Anglong region, fertile lands are scarce due to hilly terrains. The government’s initiative to establish solar parks has led to the acquisition of these limited fertile lands, adversely affecting indigenous communities like the Karbi and Naga.

Source: DTE

Nag Missile System (NAMIS)

Syllabus: GS3/ Defence

In News

• In a major step toward strengthening India’s self-reliant defence capabilities, the Ministry of Defence has signed a contract under the Buy (Indian–Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured) category for the procurement of the Nag Missile System (NAMIS).

About NAMIS

• NAMIS is a third-generation, fire-and-forget Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). 
• It is specially designed for deployment by the Indian Army to neutralize heavily armoured enemy tanks.
• It targets tanks without needing further guidance post-launch.

Source: TH

Exercise Prachand Prahar

Syllabus: GS3/Defence

Context

• The Indian Armed Forces recently conducted a high-level tri-service integrated multi-domain exercise, Prachand Prahar, in the high-altitude terrain of Arunachal Pradesh.

About the Exercise

• The exercise showcased the seamless integration of advanced surveillance, strike capabilities, and multi-domain operational planning.
• Cutting-edge platforms such as long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft, armed helicopters, UAVs, loitering munitions, and space-based assets were employed to achieve total situational awareness and rapid target engagement.
• Prachand Prahar follows Exercise Poorvi Prahar, conducted in November 2024, which focused on the integrated application of aviation assets.

Source: TH