Mahi Banswara Rajasthan Atomic Power Project

Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of development projects including the Mahi Banswara Rajasthan Atomic Power Project and multiple solar, highway, railway, and welfare projects.

About Mahi Banswara Rajasthan Atomic Power Project

• Location: On the right bank of Mahi River, near Mahi Bajaj Sagar Dam, Rajasthan.
• Capacity & Reactors: 
  • Four indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) of 700 MWe each.
  • Total capacity: 2,800 MWe.
• Developed by: Anushakti Vidhyut Nigam Limited (ASHVINI).
  • ASHVINI is a joint venture between Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and NTPC Limited.
• Timeline: Estimated completion in 6.5 years once construction begins.
• Significance for Rajasthan: Second nuclear plant in the state, after Rawatbhata (RAPP) (2,580 MWe).

India’s Nuclear Power Capacity

• Current Capacity: India operates 24 reactors (8,180 MW), managed by NPCIL.
• Targets: Expand to 22,480 MW by 2031-32 (10 new reactors under construction, pre-project work on 10 more).
  • Long-term vision: 100 GW nuclear power by 2047.

Megalithic Dolmens of Kodaikanal

Context: The megalithic dolmens of Kodaikanal, dating back over 5,000 years, are vanishing due to neglect, vegetation cover, and destruction. 

What are Dolmens?

• Dolmens are megalithic structures, typically burial monuments, made of four vertical slabs supporting a large capstone.
• Found in rocky ridges and slopes, often aligned with natural quarries.
• Functioned as tombs or memorials for important individuals/tribal chiefs.

Historical Records

• First survey conducted by Rev. A. Anglade and Rev. L.V. Newton (Jesuit priests, 1910s).
• Documented in The Dolmens of the Palani Hills (1928, Memoirs of ASI).
• Observed destruction of dolmens by road-makers, who used slabs for culverts and walls.

Key Features of Kodaikanal Dolmens

• Construction Technique: Stones show little to no dressing, suggesting they were erected with minimal shaping and simple tools.
• Constructed on rocky ridges/slopes using naturally available slabs.
• Capstone design: gently sloping to drain rainwater; chambers had openings to prevent waterlogging.
• Found mainly in sites like Thandikudi, Pethuparai, Machur, and Perumalmalai.

Archaeological Evidence

• Artefacts excavated: black & red ware pottery, carnelian beads.
• Suggests use from Iron Age into historic periods.
• Sites located along ancient trade routes (Musiri–Madurai via Pollachi, Palani, Dindigul).
• Altitude (4,000–5,000 ft) favoured settlement due to availability of pepper and cardamom forests.

Central American Integration System (SICA)

Context: At the India–SICA Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New York, the External Affairs Minister highlighted India’s deepening engagement with the Central American Integration System (SICA) countries, focusing on trade, investment, and digital payments cooperation.

About the Central American Integration System (SICA)

• Establishment: Created on 13 December 1991 through the Tegucigalpa Protocol, amending the 1962 ODECA Charter.
  • Came into operation on 1 February 1993.
• Headquarters: Secretariat located in El Salvador.
• Membership:
  • Founding members: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama.
  • Later joined: Belize and the Dominican Republic (full members).
  • Observers: Regional (e.g., Mexico, Chile, Brazil, USA) and Extra-regional (e.g., EU, Japan, India, UK).
• Objectives:
  • Promote peace, liberty, democracy, and development.
  • Form a Free Trade Area and later a Customs Union.
  • Advance infrastructure integration, common passport/visa policies, and unified positions on global issues.
• Structure & Operations:
  • The presidency rotates every six months.
  • Biannual summits and regular ministerial meetings.
  • Success: Establishment of a Customs Union (Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador as full members; Dominican Republic as observer).

India–SICA Cooperation

• Initial Engagement (2004): Visit of 18-member SICA delegation to India led by El Salvador’s FM and SICA Secretary General.
  • Declaration on Political Cooperation & Dialogue signed with India 
• 2008: 2nd India–SICA FMs’ Meeting in New Delhi – agreed on biennial meetings and annual consultations at UNGA sidelines. Established India–SICA Business Forum and Joint Technical Committee.
• 2015: 3rd Ministerial Meeting (Guatemala)

Dugong

Context: IUCN in its 2025 World Conservation Congress resolution recognised India’s first Dugong Conservation Reserve (448 km² in Palk Bay) Tamil Nadu declared in 2022.

About Dugongs

• Dugong (Dugong dugon), also called the “sea cow,” is a large marine herbivorous mammal related to manatees.
• Habitat: They inhabit shallow coastal waters, generally within 10-metre depth, preferring tropical and subtropical regions.
• Diet: Dugongs feed exclusively on seagrass meadows, particularly species like Cymodocea, which form their primary grazing grounds.
• Distribution
  • Global: They are distributed across 40 countries in the Indo-Pacific region, from East Africa and the Red Sea to Australia.
  • India: In India, dugongs are mainly found in the Gulf of Mannar, Palk Bay, Gulf of Kutch, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
• Conservation Status
  • Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: listed under Schedule I, 
  • IUCN Status: Vulnerable

IUCN World Conservation Congress

• The IUCN World Conservation Congress, held every four years, is a global forum dedicated to environmental conservation and sustainable development.
• Participants: It brings together leaders and decision-makers from governments, civil society, indigenous groups, businesses, and academia to promote collaborative action.
• Objective: The Congress aims to strengthen environmental governance, address global challenges through nature-based solutions, and ensure equitable sharing of conservation responsibilities and benefits.
• 2025 Congress: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

National Centre for Divyang Empowerment (NCDE)

Context: Injured Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel are being trained as para-athletes and IT professionals at the National Centre for Divyang Empowerment (NCDE), Hyderabad.

About Divyang Warriors

“Divyang warriors” refers to CAPF personnel who sustain grievous injuries such as amputations or vision loss during operations against Maoists, terrorists, or insurgents.

About the National Centre for Divyang Empowerment (NCDE)

• NCDE is designed as a single-window facility to rehabilitate and empower CAPF personnel disabled in the line of duty.
• Establishment: NCDE was conceived by former CRPF DG A.P. Maheshwari and inaugurated in December 2020.
• Location: CRPF Group Centre, Hakimpet, Hyderabad.
• Aim: To restore dignity, instill confidence, and provide new career paths through sports and skill training.
• Facilities at NCDE
  • Prosthetic limb fitment, physiotherapy, and trauma counselling for holistic rehabilitation.
  • Skill development tie-up with BITS Pilani for IT courses.
  • Sports infrastructure including gym, para-sports equipment, physiotherapy rooms, and meditation sessions.
• Government Support: Prosthetic fitments and financial assistance provided through CRPF welfare funds and Bharat Ke Veer platform.
• Rehabilitation and Achievements: Since 2020, 219 Divyang warriors have been trained at NCDE.
  • They have emerged as para-athletes winning medals at national and international events.
  • Many warriors are upskilled into IT and desk-based roles, contributing to intelligence and data management.

Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958

Context: Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs extended AFSPA in parts of Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh for another six months.

Current Area Under AFSPA

• Nagaland: In force across nine districts and select police station limits of five districts.
• Assam : AFSPA continues to be operational in certain districts.
• Manipur : Extended across the State, except in areas under 13 police stations of five valley districts.
• Arunachal Pradesh: Applicable in Tirap, Changlang, Longding districts and parts of Namsai district.
• AFSPA in Jammu & Kashmir: AFSPA is in effect in J&K under a separate law called Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act, 1990.
  • Provides similar powers to armed forces as the 1958 Act in the Northeast.

About AFSPA

• The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, grants special powers to the armed forces to maintain public order in “disturbed areas.”
  • It came into effect in 1958 to deal with the uprising in the Naga Hills, followed by the insurgency in Assam. 
• Criteria for AFSPA Implementation: AFSPA is applied only in areas declared as “disturbed areas”.
  • Both the state and central governments can issue notifications declaring areas as disturbed.
• Disturbed Area : Defined under Section 3 of the Act, a “disturbed area” is one where the armed forces are deemed necessary to assist civil authorities in maintaining law and order.
  • Areas can be declared disturbed due to conflicts or disputes based on religion, race, language, region, or caste.
  • Once declared, the status remains for at least three months under The Disturbed Areas (Special Courts) Act, 1976.
• Special Powers of the Armed Forces
  • Authority to prohibit gatherings of five or more people.
  • Power to use force or open fire after issuing a warning if a person violates the law.
  • Right to arrest individuals without a warrant based on reasonable suspicion.
  • Power to search premises without a warrant and ban the possession of firearms.
  • Any person arrested must be handed over to the nearest police station along with a report.
• Legal Immunity for Armed Forces: Armed forces personnel cannot be prosecuted for actions taken under AFSPA unless the Union Government grants sanction.

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