News in Shorts: 06 March 2026

Riverine Lighthouses on the Brahmaputra River

Context: India has started developing riverine lighthouses along the Brahmaputra River, part of National Waterway 2.

About the Riverine Lighthouse on Brahmaputra

• First Lighthouse on Inland Waterways: The project marks the first-ever establishment of lighthouse infrastructure on an inland waterway in India.
• Objective: To improve navigation safety and waterway operational efficiency on the Brahmaputra River.
• Implementing Agencies: The project is being implemented jointly by the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL) and the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI)
  • Both organisations function under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
• Locations of the Lighthouses : Four riverine lighthouses will be constructed along the Brahmaputra under National Waterway 2 at:
  • Bogibeel
  • Pandu
  • Silghat
  • Biswanath Ghat
  • These locations are important river ports and navigation points along the Brahmaputra.
• Significance:
  • Enhances safe navigation and operational efficiency on the Brahmaputra.
  • Promotes sustainable and low-carbon transport through waterways.
  • Strengthens regional connectivity and economic development in Northeast India.

About the National Waterway-2 (NW-2)

• Location: National Waterway 2 is located on the Brahmaputra River in Assam.
  • It stretches about 891 km from Dhubri to Sadiya.
• Declared a National Waterway in 1988 under the National Waterways Act.
• Implementing Authority: Developed and maintained by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI).
• Cargo Movement: It recorded around 53% growth in cargo movement in FY 2024–25, indicating its rising importance for regional trade.

Project HANUMAN

Context: Andhra Pradesh Government launched Project HANUMAN on World Wildlife Day 2026 (03 March)  to mitigate rising human-wildlife conflict (HWC) cases.

About Project HANUMAN

• HANUMAN stands for ‘Healing and Nurturing Units for Monitoring, Aid and Nursing of Wildlife’.
• Objective: A comprehensive technical and scientific program for the rescue, treatment, rehabilitation, and monitoring of injured wildlife.
• Features: 
  • Infrastructure: Deployment of 100 vehicles (93 Rapid Response and 7 Ambulances) and establishment of four rescue centers in Visakhapatnam, Rajamahendravaram, Tirupati, and Birlut.
  • Technology: Use of Artificial Intelligence for real-time tracking and the development of the ‘Hanuman digital app’ for early warning systems.
  • Compensation: Ex-gratia for death increased from ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh; injury compensation raised to ₹2 lakh.
  • ‘Vajra’ (Wildlife Rakshak) Teams: Village-level local volunteers trained to handle snake rescues and minor incursions, reducing dependence on forest officials.
  • Kumki Elephants:  Elephants (sourced from Karnataka) to manage and address the issue of wild elephants in districts like Chittoor and Srikakulam.
• Legal Context:
  • Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), 1972: Provides the legal framework for the protection of wild animals and management of their habitats.
  • Seventh Schedule: “Prevention of cruelty to animals” and “Forests” are in the Concurrent List, allowing both Centre and States to legislate.
• Kumki Elephants:
  • ‘kumki’ or ‘koonkie’ is derived from the Persian word ‘kumak’ which literally means to “aid”.
  • Widely used as trained elephants to capture conflict elephants and rescue or treat injured wild animals.
  • Kheda Method is one such trapping method involving Kumkis.

India’s Push to Eliminate Cervical Cancer

Context: Union Health Minister reaffirmed India’s commitment to the WHO’s 90-70-90 targets to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030.

WHO 90-70-90 Target (by 2030)

• Vaccination: 90% of girls fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by the age of 15;
• Screening: 70% of women screened using a high-performance test by the age of 35, and again by the age of 45;
• Treatment: 90% of women with pre-cancer treated and 90% of women with invasive cancer managed.

About Cervical Cancer

• Cervical cancer is a growth of cells that starts in the cervix. 
  • The cervix is the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina.
• Causes: It is caused by persistent infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV).

Key Government Interventions

• Screening Infrastructure: Conducted under the NP-NCD (National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases).
  • Method: Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA).
  • Eligibility: Women aged 30–65 years.
  • Access: Available at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs and primary health facilities.
• HPV Vaccination Campaign (Launched Feb 28, 2026):
  • Target: 12 million girls (aged 14) annually.
  • Dose: Free-of-cost, single-dose Gardasil Quadrivalent vaccine.
• Digital Monitoring:
  • U-WIN Platform: Tracks immunization status.
  • eVIN: Manages cold-chain logistics for vaccine integrity.

National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD)

• Government of India initiative under the National Health Mission
• To combat rising NCDs like cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and stroke.
• Focuses on strengthening infrastructure, population-based screening (age 30+), early diagnosis, and management through district clinics and Primary Health Centres.

Megalithic Laterite Rock-Cut Burial Chamber

Context: Recently, a 2,000-year-old Megalithic laterite rock-cut burial chamber was unearthed during construction work at Panayal in Kasaragod district, Kerala.

Megalithic Rock-Cut Chambers

• Megalithic rock-cut chambers are subterranean burial structures carved into laterite rock and associated with Iron Age Megalithic funerary practices in South India.
• Location: These burial chambers are mainly found in the laterite-rich regions of Kerala and coastal Karnataka, particularly in the Western Ghats belt.
• Features
• • Subterranean Circular Chamber: The burial structure typically consists of a circular underground chamber carved into laterite rock, accessed through a narrow vertical shaft.
  • Sealed Entrance and Ritual Aperture: The chamber entrance is usually sealed with a heavy stone slab and often contains a small circular opening used for ritual offerings or symbolic passage of the spirit.
  • Associated Megalithic Monuments: These structures are frequently located near other Megalithic monuments such as umbrella stones (Kudakkallu) and cap stones (Toppikallu), indicating organised burial landscapes.

Significance

• Evidence of Megalithic Burial Practices: The chambers reveal complex funerary rituals where bones of the deceased were placed with pottery, iron tools, and beads as grave goods.
• Insight into Early Iron Age Culture: They provide archaeological evidence of the Megalithic culture and the transition from the Neolithic to the Iron Age in South India.
• Technological and Cultural Importance: The chambers demonstrate the early use of iron tools and the architectural ability of ancient communities to carve burial spaces into hard laterite rock.

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