Udyam Sakhi Portal

Context: As of August 2025, 4,535 women entrepreneurs have registered on the Udyam Sakhi Portal.

About Udyam Sakhi Portal

• Udyam Sakhi Portal aims to empower women entrepreneurs by providing access to financial schemes, policies, training, and market linkages. 
  • It helps women to start, build, and expand businesses, thereby making them self-reliant and self-sufficient.
• Launch:  March 2018
• Initiative of: Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME).

Services Provided on the Portal

• Information: Shares information on policies and programmes of the MSME Ministry and other Central Ministries.
  • It also provides details of financial schemes such as the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP),Micro Units Development & Refinance Agency (MUDRA), etc.
• Entrepreneurship Development: Offers entrepreneurship learning tools and incubation facilities.
• Training and Mentorship: Conducts training programmes for fundraising and connects women to mentors and facilitates one-on-one investor meetings for funding opportunities.
• Market Support: Provides facilities for market surveys and connects entrepreneurs with buyers.
  • It also shares information on exhibitions, trade fairs, and international events organized by the MSME Ministry.
• Learning and Development: Offers education, technical assistance, and training for business sustainability.

Palmyra Palm

Context: Odisha has launched plantation drives across districts to reduce lightning deaths and protect ecosystems.

About Palmyra Palm

• Palmyra palm (Borassus flabellifer) belongs to the Arecaceae family, is dioecious, slow-growing, and can live up to 150 years.
  • Declared as the State Tree of Tamil Nadu.
  • It was called an “Antidote for poverty” by Mahatma Gandhi.
• Growing Conditions
  • Soil: Sandy, loamy, and well-drained soils.
  • Climate: Tropical and subtropical climates with high sunlight exposure.
  • Rainfall: 750–1500 mm annual rainfall.
  • Distribution: It is widely found in India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia.
    •  India has around 60 million trees.

Uses of Palmyra Palm

• Nutritional Value: Fruits are rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin A, sugars, calcium, and antioxidants, helping in hydration during summer.
  • Tuber powder provides fiber, iron, and phosphorus, aiding in RBC synthesis and bone health..
• Medicinal Uses: In Siddha medicine, palmyra roots are processed into Panai Karpam to cure jaundice, alopecia, and eye diseases.
• Ecological Balance: Serves as a food source for elephants during lean seasons, reducing human-elephant conflict.
  • Provides fodder, fiber, timber, and beverages, making it a “tree of livelihood” with over 800 uses.
• Lightning Arresters: Due to their tall and straight growth, palmyra palms absorb lightning strikes, protecting farmers and rural communities.
  • It is also planted as a windbreak on the plains.
• Daily use material: Its leaves are used for thatching, mats, baskets, fans, hats, umbrellas, and as writing material

NAVYA Initiative

Context: Recently, the Government highlighted progress under the Nurturing Aspirations through Vocational training for Young Adolescent Girls (NAVYA) initiative.

Coverage

• As of August 2025, the initiative has covered 19 States and 27 districts.
• A total of 3,850 adolescent girls will be trained under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 (PMKVY 4.0).

About NAVYA Initiative

• NAVYA is a joint initiative between the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and the Ministry of Women & Child Development (MWCD). 
• Launch : June 2025.
• Target Beneficiaries: Adolescent girls aged 16–18 years in aspirational districts to build socio-economic independence through skill development.

Objectives of NAVYA

• Provide demand-driven vocational training aligned with both traditional and non-traditional sectors.
• Facilitate holistic development through modules on health, nutrition, hygiene, financial literacy, life skills, and legal awareness.
• Promote employability, self-employment, and forward linkages such as internships, apprenticeships, and job opportunities.
• Strengthen gender-inclusive skilling and create a safe, supportive training environment.
• Bridge the gap between education and livelihood, especially for girls in underserved and remote areas.

About PMKVY

• The PMKVY scheme was launched on July 15, 2015 to encourage and promote skill development in the country by providing free short duration skill training and incentivizing this by providing monetary rewards to youth for skill certification.
• PMKVY 4.0: Under PMKVY 4.0, the focus is to empower trained candidates to choose their varied career path.
  • To enable the opportunities for employment, Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) platform has been launched to integrate skilling, education, employment, and entrepreneurship ecosystems.

NATO: Article 5

Context: Recently , NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that NATO membership for Ukraine is not under discussion, but “Article 5 type” security guarantees are being considered.

Ukraine–NATO Connection

• Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukraine  has sought deeper integration with NATO as a strategic objective enshrined in its Constitution.
• NATO membership for Ukraine has faced opposition from the U.S. and several allies, citing risks of direct escalation with Russia.
• As an alternative, discussions now focus on security guarantees comparable to NATO’s Article 5, without formal membership.

Article 5 of NATO

• Principle of Collective Defence: Article 5 of the NATO Washington Treaty declares that an armed attack against one member is considered an attack against all.
• Scope of Action: It authorizes member states to respond in collective self-defense, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain security.
• Geographical Application: Article 5 applies to attacks on the territory of NATO members north of the Tropic of Cancer, covering Europe, North America, and parts of Asia.

Significance

• Offering Ukraine Article 5-type guarantees signals NATO’s commitment to deter further Russian aggression while avoiding direct NATO membership.
• This could strengthen Ukraine’s defense and diplomacy while facilitating future negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine, and Western powers.

About North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

• NATO  is a transatlantic security alliance composed of thirty-one member countries.
• Establishment: It was established in 1949 with the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty, also called the Washington Treaty.
• Objectives:  
  • Cooperation: To provide a unique link between these transatlantic countries, enabling them to consult and cooperate on political and military issues.
  • Limiting threat: To counter the threat of erstwhile Soviet Union’s possible expansion attempts in Europe.
• Membership Criteria: Defined in Article 10 of the North Atlantic Treaty, is open to “any other European state” that can advance the treaty’s principles and enhance the security of the North Atlantic area.
• Recent Members: Most recent additions were North Macedonia in 2020 , Finland in 2023 and Sweden in 2024.
• Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium.

High levels of Selenium in Groundwater

Context: Minister of State for Jal Shakti informed the Rajya Sabha that high levels of selenium have been detected in groundwater samples in Haryana and Punjab.

• The data was based on a survey by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) conducted in 2019.
• Permissible limit of selenium: 10 ppb (parts per billion)

About Selenium

• Nature: A trace mineral required by the body in very small amounts.
• Importance: Essential for key functions such as metabolism, thyroid regulation, and immune system health.
• Food Sources: Found abundantly in Brazil nuts, seafood, meat, poultry, and organ meats.
• Toxicity Symptoms: Excess intake can cause nausea, vomiting, hair and nail brittleness or loss, discoloration, fatigue, irritability, and foul breath odor.

Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) 

• Establishment: Set up in 1954, CGWB functions under the Ministry of Water Resources.
• The CGWB is the apex national organization responsible for scientific surveys, exploration, monitoring, management, and regulation of India’s groundwater resources.

Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM)

Context: The Health Department in Kozhikode, Kerala, has issued an alert against primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM)after three cases and one death were reported recently.

About Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM)

• Cause: PAM is a rare brain infection caused by Naegleria fowleri.
• N. fowleri is a free-living ameba. An ameba is a single-celled living organism that is too small to be seen without a microscope.
• Naegleria fowleri, are found in warm freshwater bodies such as lakes, ponds, and rivers.
• Why “Brain-eating amoeba”? 
  • Once it enters the body through the nose, it travels to the brain, destroys tissues, and causes swelling.
• Spread: Most Naegleria infections occur after people swim or submerge their heads underwater.
• Fatality: Extremely rare but highly fatal — about 97% of patients do not survive.
• Not contagious: The infection does not spread from person to person and does not occur by swallowing water containing the amoeba.
• Vulnerable group: Children are more vulnerable due to porous openings in the cribriform plate (separates nasal cavity and skull).
• Diagnosis and Treatment:
  • Diagnosis: Confirmed through PCR testing of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
  • Challenges: Rare occurrence makes it difficult to detect; often misdiagnosed as bacterial meningitis.
  • Treatment: No standard cure. Current protocols rely on CDC guidelines.

One Freezone Passport

Context: Dubai has launched the “One Freezone Passport”, a single business licence system enabling companies to operate across all 30+ free zones seamlessly.

About the One Freezone Passport

• The initiative, introduced by the Dubai Free Zones Council (DFZC), eliminates the need for multiple permits by consolidating operations under one licence.
• Objective: It aims to simplify business expansion, cut administrative costs, and enhance investor confidence, in line with the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 that targets doubling GDP by 2033.

Benefits of the One Freezone Passport

• Faster Setup and Expansion: Businesses can expand across multiple zones in as little as five days, removing redundant licensing barriers.
• Operational Efficiency: The unified system prevents duplication of compliance checks, creating a streamlined business ecosystem.
• Cost Savings: By eliminating multiple legal and administrative fees, firms benefit from lower operational costs.
• Global Competitiveness: This initiative positions Dubai as an agile, investor-friendly economy, strengthening its role as a global business hub.

What Is a Free Zone?

• Free zones in the UAE are special economic areas designed to attract investment by providing autonomy and flexibility.
• They focus on industries such as technology, logistics, healthcare, fintech, and luxury retail.

Benefits of Free Zones

• 100% foreign ownership and full repatriation of capital and profits.
• Tax exemptions with no corporate or personal income tax.
• Customs benefits with duty-free import and export.
• Simplified regulations with fast-track business setup procedures.
• World-class infrastructure offering access to regional and global markets.

Mobilab

Context: The Technology Development Board (TDB) has partnered with Primary Healthtech Pvt. Ltd. to support the development of Next-generation Mobilab under a joint project.

About Mobilab

• Mobilab, is a portable AI-Powered Blood Testing Device.
• It is a battery-operated clinical chemistry analyzer, designed to provide low-cost, rapid, and accessible diagnostics at the primary healthcare level.
• Developed By: Primary Healthtech Pvt. Ltd founded by IIT Guwahati alumnus.
• Features of Mobilab Device
  • IoT-enabled and AI/ML-powered, ensuring accuracy and real-time data management.
  • Capable of testing 25+ parameters related to kidney, liver, heart, vitamins, and cancer markers.
  • Operates in resource-limited settings, being portable and battery-operated.
  • Successfully tested on 10,000 patients and secured a CDSCO ( Central Drugs Standard Control Organization)  manufacturing license.
• Patents and Innovations
  • Holds a patent for a “Transmittance-based system/kit for point-of-care quantification” transferred from IIT Guwahati.

Press Sewa Portal

Context: Recently, the Press Registrar General launched ‘Press Sewa’ Portal to simplify the registration process for newspapers and periodicals.

Objective of the Portal

• Single-Window Solution: To simplify and streamline the registration process for newspapers and periodicals.
• Key Goals:
• • Enhance transparency in the registration process.
  • Speed up approvals for publishers.
• Broader Impact: Improve the ease of doing business for the print media sector.

Salient Features & Process

• Fully Online: The entire registration process has been digitalized since March of the previous year.
• Deemed Approval: A crucial provision where applications will be automatically approved if no response is given within 60 days. 
• Direct Access: Publishers are advised to use the portal directly and avoid agents to ensure efficiency and transparency.

Associated Legislative Change

• The new Registration of Periodicals Act (RPP Act) has replaced the old Press and Registration of Books (PRB) Act, 1867.
• Significance: Moves away from a colonial-era law to a modern, simplified legal framework suited for the digital age.

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