Rameswaram Temple

Context: Indian Prime Minister is set to visit Tamil Nadu to offer prayers at the Ramanathaswamy temple and inaugurate the newly constructed Pamban Bridge, which connects Rameswaram island to the mainland.

About New Pamban Bridge

• The New Pamban Bridge is India’s first vertical lift railway sea bridge.
• Objective:  Designed to enhance connectivity between Rameswaram and the mainland.
• Why Was the New Bridge Built?
  • The old Pamban Bridge was eroding due to harsh sea weather and could not handle modern transportation demands.
  • In 2019, the government approved the reconstruction of the bridge to improve safety and durability.

Rameswaram temple

• Ramanathaswamy Temple is a famous Hindu temple located on Rameswaram island, Tamil Nadu.
• known for:  Its stunning Dravidian architecture.
• Part of Sacred Jyotirlingas: It is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga temples, which are considered very holy by devotees of Lord Shiva.
• Important Pilgrimage Site: The temple is part of the Char Dham pilgrimage and is also one of the Paadal Petra Sthalams, sacred places praised by Shaivite saints Appar, Sundarar, and Sambandar.
• Historical Background
  • Connection to Lord Rama: According to legends, Lord Rama prayed to Lord Shiva at this temple before crossing the Rama Setu bridge to Lanka (Sri Lanka) to rescue Sita.
  • Temple Expansion:
    • The temple was expanded in the 12th century by the Pandya rulers.
    • The sanctum (main part of the temple) was later renovated by Jaffna kings Jeyaveera Cinkaiariyan and Gunaveera Cinkaiariyan.
  • Longest Corridor: The temple is known for having the longest corridor among all Hindu temples in India, built by King Muthuramalinga Sethupathy.
• Mentions in Ramayana
  • Valmiki Ramayana: The event of Rama worshipping Lord Shiva at Rameswaram is mentioned in the Yudha Kanda of the Ramayana.
  • Adhyatma Ramayana Version: Another version says that Rama installed the lingam before building the bridge to Lanka.
    Pushpaka Vimana Reference: After the war, when Rama and Sita were returning to Ayodhya, Rama pointed to this sacred place from the sky, saying that he received Lord Shiva’s blessings here.

Mata Karma

Context: The Department of Posts, Government of India, released a commemorative postage stamp on Mata Karma to mark her 1009th Birth Anniversary.

Symbol of Faith and Service

• The stamp features Mata Karma offering khichdi to Lord Krishna, with the Jagannath Temple in the background.
  • She exemplified unwavering devotion and selfless service to Lord Krishna.

About Mata Karma

• Mata Karma was a revered saint, social reformer, and devoted follower of Lord Krishna.
• Birth and Era: Born in Chhattisgarh during the 11th century.
• Social Reformer
• • Mata Karma fought against untouchability and conservatism.
  • She advocated for women’s empowerment and social harmony.

UNICEF YuWaah

Context: A Statement of Intent (SOI) to empower rural women and youth across India has been signed by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) YuWaah.

About the Initiative

• The Pilot Programme aligns with the Rural Prosperity and Resilience Programme announced in the Budget 2025-26.
• Focus: It is a three-year partnership to create livelihood opportunities and boost female labour force participation in rural areas by connecting women from Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to jobs, self-employment, entrepreneurship, and skill-building initiatives
• Scale: This pilot project has the potential to scale up and reach 35 lakh women across more than 7000 blocks after being successful.
• Strengthen Digital Infrastructure: Computer Didi Centers and Didi ki Dukan will be established in five blocks across five states, namely,
  • Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Rajasthan. 
• Other Initiatives: The partnership will also feature innovative initiatives, such as,
  • Youth Hub: A cutting-edge aggregator platform for jobs, skilling, and volunteering. 
  • Scalable models will be tested to create thousands of Lakhpati Didis, furthering the Government’s vision of empowering women entrepreneurs.

About UNICEF’s YuWaah (Generation Unlimited)

• It is a Public-Private-Youth Partnerships launched in 2019 to drive innovative solutions, creating pathways for learning to earning transition and encouraging active citizenship and youth-led climate action.
• YuWaah has reached over 90 million young people till now through opportunities for skills development and employment, social innovation and entrepreneurship, career guidance, civic action, volunteering avenues and more.
• Strategic Priorities in India:
• • Build pathways for 100 million young people to aspirational economic opportunities
  • Facilitate 200 million young people to gain relevant skills aligned with the future of work and lead productive lives
  • Partner with 300 million young people as change-makers and create spaces for developing their leadership
• YuWaah’s Young People’s Action Team (YPAT): They guide YuWaah’s governance and strategic priorities by actively participating in board meetings, task forces, and working groups.
• #ImpactWithYouth: It is a campaign aimed at promoting youth centrality in both public and private sectors through partnerships between leaders and young individuals

Provide more Funds to States to implement NEP

Context: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, led by Congress highlighted the need for enhanced support to State governments for implementing the NEP, 2020.

Key Recommendations and Observations

• Enhancing Government Support for NEP Implementation
  • Increased Financial Assistance:
    • States may face increased expenses for provisions like dual degrees, biannual admissions, four-year degree programs, and multidisciplinary universities.
    • The panel emphasized that the Union government should enhance financial support to State governments to implement the NEP.
• Decline in Placements and Employment Packages
  • Decline in Placements: The committee noted a drop in placements at IITs, IIITs, and NITs between 2021-22 and 2023-24, apart from a decrease in average financial packages offered in 2022-23 and 2023-24.
  • Possible Reasons: Students choosing further studies or entrepreneurial paths were cited as potential factors for this decline.
  • Recommendation: The government was advised to study these trends and explore measures to improve employability among graduates.
• Gross Enrolment Ratio in Higher Education
  • Stagnant Growth: The Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education showed minimal progress over the last five years.
  • Recommendation: The panel suggested an increase in budget allocation to achieve NEP’s goals for 2035.

Prachand Prahaar

Context: The Indian Army, along with the Navy and Air Force, conducted a large-scale integrated warfare exercise called ‘Prachand Prahaar’ in Arunachal Pradesh, focusing on enhancing combat readiness in high-altitude areas from March 25 to March 27, 2025.

About Exercise ‘Prachand Prahaar’

• Objective: To test and improve the integration of surveillance, command, control, and precision firepower across the three armed forces in preparation for future warfare.
• Key Features of ‘Prachand Prahaar’
• Integrated Approach:
  • The exercise emphasized a synergized combat strategy involving all three services – Army, Navy, and Air Force.
  • It demonstrated the use of advanced technologies for coordinated battlefield operations.
• Advanced Equipment Used:
  • Long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft
  • Armed helicopters
  • Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
  • Loitering munitions
  • Space-based assets

Sourcex India 2025

Context: The 3rd edition of Sourcex India 2025, organized by the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) was inaugurated at the Yashobhoomi Convention Centre, New Delhi.

Significance of Sourcex India 2025

• Boosting Exports: Provides a global platform for Indian exporters to expand market reach.
• Strengthening Trade Relations: Connects 150+ buyers from 45+ countries, enhancing bilateral trade.
• Government Backing: Supported by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, aligned with Make in India, Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme and Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) to improve ease of doing business.
• Diverse Sectors: Showcases Food, FMCG, Apparel, Textiles, E-Commerce, and Logistics industries.
• Promoting Handicrafts:  Features 10 National Award-winning artisans, boosting cultural exports.
• Global Trade Positioning: Reinforces India’s role as a reliable global supplier with advanced manufacturing.

Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO)

• Established: 1965 by the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India.
• Objective: Promote and facilitate India’s goods and services exports.
• Role: Acts as a bridge between Indian exporters and government agencies (DGFT, Customs, GST, RBI, ECGC, EIA), financial institutions, and trade bodies (WTO, ICC).
• Functions:
• • Supports exporters in regulatory and financial matters.
  • Coordinates with ports, railways, and shipping for trade facilitation.
  • Engages globally to enhance India’s trade presence.

National Council for Vocational Education and Training

Context: The National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), has officially recognized the National Institute of Social Defence (NISD) as an Awarding Body (Dual Category)

More About Recognition

• National Institute of Social Defence (NISD) can now award, assess and certify the learners where training is directly being imparted by it in campuses or training centers owned or fully managed by it, for its approved or adopted qualifications.
• Aim: The agreement is aimed at strengthening the vocational education and training landscape in the social sector (Geriatrics)

About National Institute of Social Defence (NISD)

• It is the nodal training and research institute in the field of social defence.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
• Focus: NISD focuses on human resource development in the areas of drug abuse prevention, welfare of senior citizens and transgenders, beggary prevention, and other social defence issues.

About National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET)

• NCVET serves as the national regulator for the vocational education, training, and skilling ecosystem.
• Nodal Ministry:  Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE).
• Functions: 
  • NCVET plays a vital role in setting standards, developing regulations, and improving the quality and outcomes of skilling initiatives across the country.
  • To  recognize and regulate awarding bodies and assessment agencies that are instrumental in developing a highly skilled workforce to meet industry demands.

DOWNLOAD PDF