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

• 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.