Madhvacharya

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a 77-feet bronze statue of Lord Rama at the Shree Samsthan Gokarn Partagali Jeevottam Math in Goa.
• He also visited Udupi evoked the legacy of Jagadguru Madhvacharya, linking Udupi’s spiritual heritage to India’s cultural unity.

Madhvacharya

• Madhvacharya (13th century CE) was a renowned Indian philosopher, theologian and founder of the Dvaita (dualism) school of Vedanta. He is revered as a major Vaishnava acharya and is traditionally regarded as an incarnation of Vayu, the Wind God.

Birth and Early Life:

• Born as Vāsudeva in Pajaka village near Udupi, Karnataka (1199–1278 CE or 1238–1317 CE, dates debated).
• Exceptional physical strength and intellect—nicknamed Bhima.
• Took Sannyasa as a teenager, initiated by Achyutapreksha, receiving the names Purna Prajna and later Ananda Tirtha.

His Philosophy (Dvaita Vedanta):

Madhvacharya’s school, Tattvavāda, is based on realist dualism.

Key principles-

Pancha-Bheda (Five Eternal Distinctions)

1. God – Soul
2. God – Matter
3. Soul – Matter
4. Soul – Soul
5. Matter – Matter

These differences are natural, eternal and real, rejecting monism.

God:

• Vishnu/Narayana is the supreme independent reality (Svatantra Tattva).
• All souls and matter are dependent realities.
• Liberation (moksha) is possible only through Vishnu’s grace.
• Pramānas (Sources of Knowledge)

Accepted three:

1. Pratyaksha (perception)
2. Anumāna (inference)
3. Śabda (scriptural testimony)

• Bhakti over Jnana

Liberation comes through devotion (bhakti), not mere intellectual knowledge.

Contribution to Bhakti Movement:

• Reinforced personal devotion to Vishnu and daily remembrance of God (Smarana).
• Rejected Advaita’s non-dualism; debated Shankara and Ramanuja traditions.
• Authored 37 Sanskrit works, including commentaries on:

1. Bhagavad Gita
2. Brahma Sutras (Madhva-bhashya & Anuvyakhyana)
3. Principal Upanishads
4. Bhagavata Purana (Tatparya-nirnaya)

• Founded the Udupi Krishna Mutt, establishing the famous Ashta Mathas tradition.
• Inspired later Dvaita scholars: Jayatirtha, Vyasatirtha, Raghavendra Tirtha.

S-500 Air Defence System

• PM of India and President of Russia are set to meet during the India–Russia Summit, where both defence ministers are expected to discuss India’s potential interest in Russia’s next-generation S-500 air defence system.

S-500 Air Defence System:

• The S-500 Prometey is Russia’s most advanced long-range surface-to-air and anti-space defence system, capable of intercepting aircraft, ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons, and even low-orbit satellites.
• Developed By: Developed by Almaz-Antey, Russia’s premier air-defence manufacturer.

Key Features-

• Ultra-long range: Can intercept targets up to 600 km away.
• Near-space interception: Works at altitudes up to 200 km, including low-Earth-orbit objects.
• Hypersonic interceptors: Missiles like 77N6-N / 77N6-N1 fly at Mach 5–7, using “hit-to-kill” accuracy.
• Multi-target engagement: Tracks and destroys stealth jets, ballistic missiles, hypersonic glide vehicles, and drones.
• Advanced radar suite: 91N6A(M) & 96L6-TsP radars can detect threats up to 800 km away, including stealth aircraft.
• Rapid response: Reaction time of 3–4 seconds, nearly twice as fast as S-400.
• Highly mobile: Mounted on all-terrain transporters for quick deployment.

Advancements Over S-400:

• Significance:
• Massive strategic upgrade to India’s layered air-defence shield.
• Enhances India’s capability against China’s hypersonic missiles and Pakistan’s ballistic arsenal.
• Gives India anti-space defence—a rare capability globally.

India Revised Earthquake Design Code, 2025

• India has released a radically updated seismic zonation map under the revised Earthquake Design Code (2025), placing the entire Himalayan arc in a newly created highest-risk Zone VI for the first time.

India Revised Earthquake Design Code, 2025:

Seismic Zonation Map:

• A seismic zonation map classifies different regions of India based on their earthquake hazard potential, helping determine how strong structures must be to withstand earthquakes.
• The updated map is issued by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) as part of the revised Earthquake Design Code, 2025 (IS 1893).
• It uses internationally accepted Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment (PSHA)

Key Features of the Revised Zonation Map

1. Introduction of Highest-Risk Zone VI:

• Entire Himalayan arc (J&K–Ladakh to Arunachal) placed in Zone VI, the most hazardous zone, for the first time.
• Recognises consistent, extreme tectonic stress along the Indian–Eurasian plate boundary.

2. 61% of India Now in Moderate to High Hazard Zones:

• A major jump from older estimates relying mainly on past epicentres.
• Reflects scientific modelling of fault segments, locked sections, and rupture potential.

3. Boundary Towns Auto-Upgraded to Higher-Risk Zone:

• If a city lies on the border of two zones, it defaults to the higher-risk one.
• Moves away from administrative lines to geological realities.

4. Inclusion of Rupture Propagation Southward:

• Acknowledges that Himalayan Frontal Thrust ruptures may extend south to populated foothill regions like Dehradun (near Mohand).

5. Mandatory Structural & Non-Structural Safety:

• New norms for anchoring parapets, ceilings, tanks, façades, HVAC units, etc., if their weight exceeds 1% of total load.
• Buildings near active faults must withstand pulse-like ground motions typical of near-fault quakes.

6. New Soil & Ground-Response Requirements:

• Detailed provisions for liquefaction, soil flexibility, site-specific shaking spectra.
• Encourages geotechnical investigations before major construction.

7. Exposure Mapping (PEMA Method):

• Incorporates population density, infrastructure concentration and socioeconomic vulnerability.
• Integrates impact-based assessment with geological hazard.

Significance

• Improved Earthquake Preparedness: Accurate hazard modelling ensures stronger building codes for at-risk regions, especially the Himalayas.
• Retrofitting Imperative: Old structures, especially in Himalayan towns, must be retrofitted, including schools, hospitals, and bridges.
• Uniformity Across the Himalayan Arc: Fixes decades of underestimation due to inconsistent older maps (Zones IV & V), despite identical tectonics.

Paradip Port

• Paradip Port Authority (PPA) has achieved the fastest-ever 100 MMT cargo throughput in its history, and for the 9th consecutive year, crossing the 100 MMT mark—this time 12 days earlier than last fiscal.

Paradip Port

• Paradip Port is one of India’s Major Ports, operated by the Paradip Port Authority under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways.
• It is a key deep-water port on the eastern coast of India, handling large volumes of coal, POL, iron ore, steel, containerised cargo and coastal shipments.
• Location: Located in Jagatsinghpur district, Odisha.
• Situated near the confluence of the Mahanadi River and the Bay of Bengal.

History:

• Foundation stone laid by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on 3 January 1962.
• Government of India took over management from the Odisha government on 1 June 1965.
• Declared the 8th Major Port of India on 18 April 1966—the first Major Port on the East Coast to be commissioned after Independence.
• Operates as an autonomous body under the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963, governed by a Board of Trustees.

Key Features:

• Handles a diverse cargo profile: coal (45% share), containers, steel, gypsum & flux, POL, and coastal cargo
• Consistent year-on-year cargo growth; achieved 100 MMT for 9 consecutive years
• Advanced mechanised cargo handling systems and improved operational efficiency
• Strong support from Indian Railways and coastal shipping networks

Significance:

• One of India’s top-performing Major Ports in cargo handling.
• Acts as a critical gateway for coal-based power plants, steel industries and mineral exports.
• Strengthens India’s coastal shipping ecosystem, reducing logistics costs.
• Enhances connectivity to the eastern industrial corridors.

50 Years of ICDS Programme

• The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme, a flagship initiative of the Government of India, marked its 50th anniversary in 2025.

About ICDS:

• Launched in 1975, it is the world’s most extensive community-based early childhood development programme. It has now been restructured into Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0.
• It functions as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
• Objective: to enhance the nutritional and health status of children aged 0-6, support their overall development, and decrease mortality and malnutrition.
• Integrated Services: The ICDS scheme provides six core services—supplementary nutrition, preschool non-formal education, nutrition and health education, and immunisation.
• Implementation: It is carried out through a nationwide network of Anganwadi Centres (AWC).

Key Achievements

• Coverage: ICDS has over 9 crore beneficiaries nationwide with a network of nearly 1.4 million AWCs.
• Nutrition Support: Approximately 95% of children registered under ICDS avail supplementary nutrition.
• Positive Outcomes: Studies show improvements in early literacy and numeracy among children.

Key Challenges

• Funding Strain: The revised 60:40 Centre–State funding pattern (from 90:10 earlier) has increased State-level financial pressure, resulting in implementation disparities.
• Infrastructure Gaps: Many AWCs lack permanent buildings, functional toilets, and potable water.
• Worker Shortage: Anganwadi workers continue to be underpaid, overburdened, and often assigned to non-ICDS duties.
• Technology Issues: Poshan Tracker and facial recognition systems (FRS) encounter issues, risking the exclusion of beneficiaries.
• Nutrition Concerns: Quality and adequacy issues persist in supplementary nutrition, as evidenced by high rates of stunting (35.5%) and wasting (18.7%).

Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) Programme

• India’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence Programme (EIR) was highlighted as a key driver of biotechnology innovation at the BRIC Annual General Meeting in New Delhi.
• BRIC: The Biotechnology Research & Innovation Council, formed in 2023, is apex autonomous society under Ministry of Science & Technology, overseeing India’s leading biotechnology research institutions.

EIR Programme

• The EIR Programme is an initiative under the National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI) to support entrepreneurship.
• Objective: Encouraging science and engineering graduates and young researchers to pursue entrepreneurship as a career through incubation and financial assistance.
• Implementing Agency: The Department of Science and Technology (DST) through a nationwide network of Technology Business Incubators under the Ministry of Science & Technology.
• Key Feature: The programme provides a monthly fellowship of up to ₹30,000 per month for 12 months, extendable to 18 months in deserving cases.
• Significance: It bridges the gap between academic research and enterprise to enhance India’s innovation-led start-up ecosystem.

Hawfinch Bird Sighted at Jim Corbett National Park

• A Hawfinch was recently sighted at Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand, marking the first confirmed record of the species in India.

Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes)

• The hawfinch is the largest finch species in Europe and Asia, known for its massive, conical beak.
• Appearance: It has a large round head, a thick neck, and a distinctive black patch on the throat. The bill changes colour with the seasons.
• Habitat Preference: It prefers mature deciduous and mixed forests with cherry, hornbeam, maple, and other hard-seed trees.
• Partial Migrants: European populations are mostly resident, while the Asian hawfinches migrate south during winter.
• Distribution: It is widely found across the Palearctic realm, including Europe, North Africa, and temperate Asia.
• Diet: The species is primarily granivorous (seed-eater). Strong bill and jaw muscles crack hard seeds and fruit pits, such as cherry, olive, and plum.
• Ecological Engineer: Its selective preference for particular tree species influences seed dynamics and forest regeneration.
• Conservation Status: IUCN- Least Concerned.