Home Minister calls for Common Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) Structure across India

• 5th edition of the annual Anti-Terrorism Conference organised by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), has concluded in New Delhi.

Anti-Terrorism Conference 2025- Key Outcomes

• The Union Home Minister called for the creation of an “impenetrable anti-terror grid” on the national level and a common anti-terror squad (ATS) structure across states.
• A “360-degree strike” plan against organized crime was announced and the shift from a “Need to Know” to a “Duty to Share” approach in intel-sharing among security agencies was emphasized.
• The mandatory use of platforms like National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) and National Integrated Database on Arrested Narco-offenders (NIDAAN) was encouraged.
• An updated NIA crime manual, an Organised Crime Network Database and a comprehensive database for lost and looted weapons were launched.
• A uniform ATS structure nationwide was emphasized at the ‘Anti-Terrorism Conference-2025’ organized by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
• NIA has developed a common ATS framework and shared it with state police forces.
• NIA’s Updated Crime Manual, Organised Crime Network Database and Lost and Recovered Weapon Database were also unveiled.

Significance of Common ATS Framework

• Evolving Nature of Terrorism: Terrorism is becoming more complex, trans‑regional, and technology‑driven, using tools such as AI, blockchain transactions.
• Uniformity and Standardisation Across States: Uniform Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) can ensure consistent preparedness and quick response across states (investigation to prosecution and counter-action).
• Improved Inter‑Agency Coordination: Between state police, central agencies like NIA, intelligence units such as Intelligence Bureau (IB), Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).
• Operational Efficiency: Standard training, databases, technology use and similar capabilities in all units.

India''s National Anti-terrorism Framework

• National Agencies: NIA, National Security Guard, IB, etc.
• National database: National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID), under Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for Real-time intelligence and data access for intelligence coordination; National Integrated Database on Arrested Narco Offenders (NIDAAN).
• Preventing Terror Financing: Terror Funding and Fake Currency Cell (TFFC) under NIA; Combating Financing of Terrorism (CFT) Cell under Ministry of Home Affairs, etc.

Flower Lady of Manipur - Chokhone Krichena

• Prime Minister of India praised Chokhone Krichena, popularly known as the ‘Flower Lady of Manipur’, in Mann Ki Baat for transforming floriculture into a driver of self-reliance and inclusive growth.

About Chokhone Krichena: Who she is?

• Chokhone Krichena is a woman entrepreneur from Senapati district, Manipur, who has successfully blended traditional agricultural knowledge with modern business practices to promote floriculture in the hill regions of the State.

Achievements:

• Founded Dianthe Private Limited (2021), a floriculture enterprise focused on decorative flower cultivation and marketing.
• Transitioned from traditional subsistence farming to commercial floriculture.
• Built a women-led farmer network in Senapati district.
• Enabled inter-State market access, with Manipur-grown flowers reaching multiple Indian States.
• Recognised nationally through Mann Ki Baat, bringing visibility to Northeast entrepreneurship.

Significance:

• Provides livelihood opportunities and leadership roles to rural women farmers.
• Promotes local production, value addition, and market linkage.
• Showcases the economic potential of hill agriculture and floriculture.

140th Foundation Day of Indian National Congress (INC)

• The Indian National Congress (INC) marked its 140th Foundation Day on December 28, 2025, prompting renewed reflection on its historical role in India’s freedom struggle and post-Independence politics.

140th Foundation Day of Indian National Congress (INC):

• The Indian National Congress is one of India’s oldest and most influential political parties, which spearheaded the national movement against British colonial rule and later dominated India’s post-Independence political landscape.
• Founded in: 28 December 1885
• First session: Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College, Bombay (Mumbai)
• First President: W. C. Bonnerjee

Origin:

• Founded by Allan Octavian Hume, a British civil servant, along with Indian leaders such as Dadabhai Naoroji, Surendranath Banerjee, Pherozeshah Mehta, and Gopal Krishna Gokhale
• Initially conceived as a platform to voice Indian grievances and influence British policy through petitions and constitutional methods
• Gradually evolved into a mass nationalist movement, especially under Mahatma Gandhi

Key features

• Broad-based nationalist platform: Brought together Indians across regions, religions, and linguistic groups
• Ideological evolution: From moderate constitutionalism → mass civil disobedience → democratic socialism
• Mass mobilisation: Led movements like Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience, Quit India, and Purna Swaraj (1929)
• Post-Independence role: Advocated secularism, parliamentary democracy, planned economy, and non-alignment
• Organisational depth: Longest-running nationwide political organisation in India

Significance:

• Central force in ending nearly 200 years of colonial rule.
• Provided leadership in framing the Constitution, establishing democratic institutions, and shaping early economic and foreign policy.

Passenger Assistance Control Room (PACR)

Source:  PIB

• The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has established a 24×7 Passenger Assistance Control Room (PACR) to fast-track aviation-related passenger grievance redressal.

Passenger Assistance Control Room (PACR):

• The Passenger Assistance Control Room (PACR) is a permanent, round-the-clock integrated control centre set up to monitor aviation operations and ensure real-time resolution of passenger grievances related to flights, airports and airlines.
• Ministry: Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA)

Aim:

• To place passengers at the centre of India’s civil aviation ecosystem.
• To ensure fast, transparent and accountable grievance redressal.
• To institutionalise a coordinated crisis-response mechanism during operational disruptions.

Key features

• 24×7 real-time operations: Continuous monitoring of aviation operations, passenger calls and disruptions to enable immediate intervention.
• Integrated stakeholder hub: Officials from MoCA, DGCA, AAI and airlines work under one roof, enabling on-the-spot coordination and resolution.
• AirSewa integration: Complete integration with the AirSewa grievance platform for seamless handling of online complaints.
• Omni-channel grievance intake: Passenger inputs via calls, digital platforms and AirSewa are converted into actionable cases.
• Data-driven dashboards: Live dashboards track grievance type, response time and stakeholder action for transparency and accountability.
• Passenger Charter compliance: Grievances on delays, cancellations, refunds and baggage are handled strictly as per the Passenger Charter.

Significance:

• Over 13,000 grievances resolved and 500+ call-based interventions since December 2025.
• Enhances confidence in India’s rapidly expanding aviation sector.

Industrial hemp

• Himachal Pradesh has legalised and initiated regulated cultivation of industrial hemp under the ‘Green to Gold’ initiative to promote a bio-economy-led growth model.

Industrial hemp:

• Industrial hemp is a non-intoxicating variety of Cannabis sativa cultivated for fibre, seed, and biomass, with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content below 0.3%, making it unsuitable for drug use.

Origin:

• Native to Central and South Asia, with millennia-old use in textiles, ropes, paper, and medicine
• Now legally cultivated across parts of Europe, North America, and Asia under regulated THC thresholds

Key characteristics

• Low THC (<0.3%) and high fibre/seed yield
• Climate-resilient: Requires ~50% less water than cotton and grows in marginal soils
• Fast-growing: Harvest cycle of 70–140 days
• Soil-friendly: Suppresses weeds and improves soil structure via deep roots
• High biomass yield: Suitable for fibre, oilseed, and dual-purpose use

Applications

• Construction: Hempcrete is a lightweight, insulating material that absorbs more carbon than it emits, offering a carbon-negative alternative for sustainable building.
• Paper & packaging: Hemp provides a low-impact pulp source, requiring fewer chemicals and enabling recyclable, biodegradable packaging solutions.
• Pharmaceuticals & wellness: Hemp-derived oils and extracts are used in nutraceuticals and medicines for pain relief and anti-inflammatory applications without psychoactive effects.
• Cosmetics & personal care: Hemp seed oil is rich in essential fatty acids, making it valuable for skin-friendly creams, lotions, and hair products.
• Bio-energy & bioplastics: Hemp biomass can be converted into renewable fuels and biodegradable plastics, supporting a circular and low-carbon economy.

Alaknanda Galaxy

• Indian astronomers have discovered Alaknanda, an implausibly old and well-formed spiral galaxy dating to just 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang, using JWST data.

Alaknanda Galaxy:

• Alaknanda is a distant, fully developed spiral galaxy with a rotating disk, two symmetric spiral arms, and a central bulge—features thought to take billions of years to assemble.
• Discovered in: James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) public data.
• Identified during the UNCOVER survey.

Origin:

• Formed when the universe was only ~1.5 billion years old.
• Observed at redshift z ≈ 4, placing it among the earliest known spiral galaxies.
• Name inspired by the Alaknanda river; paired symbolically with the Milky Way (Mandakini).

Key features

• Clear spiral morphology: Two well-defined arms persist after disk/bulge subtraction
• Active star formation: ~60 solar masses per year along the arms
• Stable rotating disk: Indicates early dynamical settling
• Photometrically robust: Multiple independent redshift estimates agree

Significance

• Current simulations rarely produce such structured spirals so early.
• Suggests accelerated disk formation via cold gas accretion or early interactions/mergers.

Gandikota Canyon

• Gandikota Canyon has drawn renewed attention as a spectacular yet underdeveloped natural–heritage site, despite recent state plans to boost tourism infrastructure.

Gandikota Canyon-What it is?

• Gandikota Canyon is a dramatic river gorge carved by the Penna (Pennar) River, often called the “Grand Canyon of India” for its sheer cliffs and striking geological formations.

Located in:

• Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh.
• About 77 km from Kadapa town and ~300–380 km from Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai.
• Lies within the Erramala Hills on the banks of the Penna River.

Historical origin:

• The canyon overlooks the Gandikota Fort, dating back to 1123 CE.
• The fort rose to prominence under the Pemmasani Nayaks, feudatories of the Kakatiya dynasty.
• Later ruled by the Vijayanagara Empire, Qutb Shahis of Golconda, Mughals, Nawabs of Kadapa, Kingdom of Mysore, and finally the British.
• Mentioned in historical records like the Mackenzie Kaifiyat and travelogues of Jean-Baptiste Tavernier.

Key features

• Spectacular geomorphology: Steep red sandstone and quartzite cliffs forming a ~200-metre-wide gorge.
• Riverine landscape: Penna River flowing sinuously through the canyon, offering dramatic sunrise and sunset views.
• Architectural heritage: Gandikota Fort complex with Madhavaraya Temple, Ranganatha Temple, Jama Masjid, granary, jail, step wells, and gun foundry.
• Cultural significance: Linked to Vijayanagara art, Indo-Islamic architecture, and local folklore; associated with poet Yogi Vemana.
• Tourism potential: Panoramic viewpoints, heritage trails, and proximity to Tirupati make it ideal for integrated cultural–eco tourism.

Kanger Valley National Park

• Kanger Valley National Park has come into focus as the Chhattisgarh government, with support from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), has initiated biodiversity surveys to seek its recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Kanger Valley National Park:

• Kanger Valley National Park is a biodiversity-rich protected area known for its dense forests, limestone caves, waterfalls, and diverse ecosystems, making it one of the most ecologically significant national parks in Central India.

Located in:

• Bastar district, Chhattisgarh
• About 24 km southeast of Jagdalpur on the Jagdalpur–Darbha Road
• Lies within the Deccan biogeographical zone
• Named after the Kanger River, which flows through the park

Key characteristics:

• Area: ~200 sq km
• Terrain: Highly heterogeneous, ranging from flat plains to steep slopes, plateaus, valleys, and stream courses
• Hydrology: Network of seasonal and perennial streams joining the Kanger River
• Geomorphology: Famous for subterranean limestone caves such as Kotumsar and Kailash caves, among the most biologically diverse cave systems in India and South Asia
• Flora & fauna: Dense sal and mixed forests; habitat of the Bastar Hill Myna (state bird of Chhattisgarh), along with rich mammalian, avian, reptilian, and insect diversity
• Scenic features: Tirathgarh waterfalls, valleys, and undulating forest landscapes

Current status:

• Declared a National Park in 1982 (then Madhya Pradesh Gazette).
• Managed under Jagdalpur Wildlife Circle, comprising Kotumsar and Koleng ranges.
• Included in UNESCO’s Tentative List of World Heritage Sites.

India’s Two Major Shipbuilding Initiatives

• Context (PIB): The Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways (MoPSW) notified operational guidelines for two major shipbuilding initiatives.
• The schemes—Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Scheme (SBFAS) and Shipbuilding Development Scheme (SbDS)—seek to strengthen India’s domestic shipbuilding capacity.
• Objective: to position India among the top five global shipbuilding nations by 2047, aligning with the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047.

Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Scheme (SBFAS)

• The scheme provides graded support for small, large, and specialised vessels, with stage-wise disbursement tied to defined milestones and backed by security instruments.
• The government will provide 15–25% financial assistance per vessel, depending on vessel category.
• The scheme establishes a National Shipbuilding Mission to ensure coordinated planning and execution of all shipbuilding initiatives.
• Key Feature: It introduces Shipbreaking Credit Notes, giving shipowners 40% of scrap value as credit for scrapping vessels at Indian yards; this credit can be used for new vessel construction in India.

Shipbuilding Development Scheme (SbDS)

• The scheme supports greenfield shipbuilding clusters, brownfield yard modernisation, and an India Ship Technology Centre under the Indian Maritime University.
• Greenfield Support: Greenfield shipbuilding clusters will receive 100% capital support through a 50:50 Centre–State special purpose vehicle.
• Brownfield Expansion: Existing shipyards are eligible for 25% capital assistance for dry docks, shiplifts, fabrication, and automation upgrades.
• Mechanism: Disbursements will be milestone-based and monitored by independent agencies.
• Key Feature: It includes a Credit Risk Coverage Framework that provides government-backed insurance against various risks, enhancing financial resilience.

Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS)

• Rajasthan is accelerating rooftop solar installations under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) to modernise power distribution infrastructure.

About Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS)

• It is a major flagship initiative launched in 2021 by the Ministry of Power to improve the quality and reliability of power supply in India.
• Objective: to improve operational efficiency and financial sustainability of state-owned DISCOMs, ensuring reliable 24×7 affordable power.
• Key Targets: to reduce Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses to 12–15% and eliminate the Average Cost of Supply (ACS) and Average Revenue Realized (ARR) gap by 2024–25.
• Key Feature: RDSS follows a reform-based, results-linked model in which funding depends on meeting pre-qualification criteria and performance benchmarks.
• Nodal agencies: Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) and Power Finance Corporation (PFC) coordinate the implementation.

Key Components

• Infrastructure & Metering: The scheme prioritises prepaid smart meters, system metering, and upgrades to distribution infrastructure.
• Smart metering is implemented through the TOTEX (Total Expenditure) model under Public–Private Partnership.
• Capacity Building: it supports training, process reforms, consumer awareness, and third-party evaluation to strengthen DISCOM capabilities.
• Feeder Segregation: Agricultural feeders are separated and later solarised under PM-KUSUM to provide reliable daytime power to farmers.

Dulhasti Stage-II Hydropower Project

• The Centre has approved the 260-MW Dulhasti Stage-II hydropower project on the Chenab River in Kishtwar district, Jammu and Kashmir.

Dulhasti Stage-II Project

• Type: Run-of-the-river hydropower project on the Chenab basin developed by National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Ltd (NHPC) under a BOOT framework.
• Capacity: 260 MW (2 × 130 MW), designed for large-scale grid supply with an annual Generation of approximately 803 million units.
• Extension Project: Builds upon the existing 390-MW Dulhasti Stage-I, operational since 2007.
• BOOT Model: A project framework where a private developer Builds, Owns, Operates, and later transfers the infrastructure to the host government after a fixed concession period.

About Chenab River

• Etymology: Name derives from Persian words Chan (Moon) and Aab (Water).
• Origin Point: Formed by the confluence of the Chandra & Bhaga rivers at Tandi, Himachal Pradesh; both rivers originate from opposite sides of Baralacha Pass.
• Tributaries: Includes Miyar Nalla, Sohal, Thirot, Bhut Nalla, Marusudar and Lidrar.
• Key Dams: Salal (rockfill dam), Aalal (concrete dam), Baglihar, Dul.

INS Vaghsheer

• President Droupadi Murmu undertook a submarine sortie onboard INS Vaghsheer from the Karwar naval base in Karnataka.
• President Murmu is the second Indian President to undertake a submarine sortie, the first one being President APJ Abdul Kalam in 2006.
• A submarine sortie is an operational deployment of a submarine, where it leaves its home base to perform a task at sea.

About INS Vaghsheer

• It is the sixth and final Kalvari (Scorpene)-class submarine inducted in 2025 under Project-75, built indigenously in India under technology transfer from France’s Naval Group.
• The other 5 Kalvari-class submarines are INS Kalvari, INS Khanderi, INS Karanj, INS Vela & INS Vagir.
• It is a diesel-electric powered attack submarine, designed for anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, surveillance, and special operations.
• It is armed with wire-guided torpedoes, anti-ship missiles, mine-laying capability, and has advanced stealth features such as low radiated noise and refined hydrodynamic design.
• It is among the quietest conventional submarines globally, and is planned for future integration of Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) to enhance submerged endurance.