PRELIMS
Tamil Nadu Coastal Restoration Mission (TN-SHORE)
Why in News: In Sept 2025, Tamil Nadu launched the Coastal Restoration Mission (TN-SHORE), a ₹1,675-crore World Bank–funded project to restore 30,000 ha of seascapes, expand mangroves, and boost coastal resilience with community participation.
Launched: 2025
Funding: ₹1,675 crore project (World Bank: ₹1,000 crore; Tamil Nadu Govt.: remainder).
Aim: Enhance coastal resilience, restore 30,000 ha of seascapes, protect biodiversity, and promote sustainable coastal economy.
Key Features
Mangrove Restoration:
- Restore 1,000 ha (300 ha new plantations + 700 ha degraded areas).
- Sites: abandoned aquaculture ponds, disused salt pans, degraded lands.
Community-Driven:
- Village Mangrove Councils manage funds directly.
- Small allocations (up to ₹8 lakh) without tenders for quicker utilisation.
- Legal Protection: Mangroves to be declared reserve forests → prevent encroachment, ensure long-term conservation.
- Current Mangrove Cover in Tamil Nadu: 41.9 sq km (dense + open patches).
- Partnerships: MoUs with UNEP and M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation.
- Scientific Mapping: Supported by National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management.
Significance
- Protects endangered species (e.g., turtles, dugongs).
- Acts as natural bioshield against coastal erosion and climate change.
- Promotes eco-friendly livelihoods: eco-tourism, plastic waste management.
DBNet Stations
Why in News: India, under Mission Mausam, is setting up two DBNet stations in Delhi/NCR and Chennai to enable real-time satellite data reception, boosting weather forecasts, cyclone tracking, and climate research.
Implementing Agencies: National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) + New Space India Limited (NSIL).
Project: Part of Mission Mausam initiative.
Infrastructure: Two Direct Broadcast Network (DBNet) stations → Delhi/NCR & Chennai.
DBNet System
- Global network for direct satellite data reception as satellites pass overhead.
- Enables near real-time data capture & processing → within 5 minutes of satellite overpass.
- Supports Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models.
Satellite Coverage
- Receives data from Indian & international LEO satellites: Oceansat, NOAA, MetOp.
- Scalable design for next-generation satellites.
Benefits
- Enhances short- to medium-range weather forecasts.
- Faster & more accurate cyclone and flood monitoring.
- Strengthens disaster risk reduction and public safety.
Global Collaboration
- Data shared via World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Information System – 2.0 (WIS 2.0).
- Expands global DBNet coverage and climate monitoring capacity.
Significance
- Positions India as a key player in global weather prediction.
- Aids early warning systems, climate research, and long-term environmental studies.
Rail-based Agni-P Missile Test
Why in News: On Sept 25, 2025, DRDO successfully test-fired the Agni-P missile from a rail-based mobile launcher, making India one of the few nations with this capability, boosting its second-strike nuclear deterrence.
Conducted by: DRDO & Strategic Forces Command.
Date: September 25, 2025.
Missile: Agni Prime (Agni-P) – successor to Agni-I.
Launcher: Rail-based mobile platform (first for India).
Significance
- Puts India among select nations (Russia, US, China, possibly North Korea) with rail-based ballistic missile launch capability.
- Enhances second-strike capability → survivability of nuclear arsenal.
- Mobile launchers are less vulnerable to satellite surveillance & pre-emptive strikes than fixed silos.
Why Rail-based?
- Utilises India’s 70,000 km railway grid → wider reach than road-based systems.
- Rail network tunnels/coverage → concealment from enemy satellites.
- Easier & cheaper to scale compared to ballistic missile submarines (SLBMs).
About Agni-P
- Class: Medium-Range Ballistic Missile (MRBM).
- Range: 1,000–2,000 km.
- Mass: ~11,000 kg.
- Propulsion: Two-stage solid-fuel.
- Warheads: High explosive, thermobaric, or nuclear.
- Tech: Draws from Agni-IV & Agni-V (propulsion & navigation).
Strategic Role
- Enhances India’s credible minimum deterrence.
- Provides flexible deployment & survivability in case of all-out conflict.
Apterichtus kanniyakumari (New Eel Species)
Why in News: A new species of finless snake eel, named Apterichtus kanniyakumari, was discovered off the Colachel coast in Tamil Nadu, highlighting the rich marine biodiversity of the Arabian Sea.
Species: Finless snake eel.
Scientific name: Apterichtus kanniyakumari.
Genus: Apterichtus.
Discovered by: National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR).
Discovery site: Colachel coast, Kanniyakumari district, Tamil Nadu.
Habitat: Deep-sea trawl landings (~100 m depth).
Significance of name: Named after Kanniyakumari to honour its cultural, historical, linguistic, and geographical value.
Morphology:
- Golden-yellow body, pale white underside of head.
- Three distinct black blotches → behind eye, at mouth corner (rictus), behind rictus origin.
- Size: <40 cm length.
- Distinct features: Differentiated by head length, tail length, body depth at gill openings.
- Genetics: Confirmed as a new species; closely related to Apterichtus nanjilnaduensis.
Significance:
- 16th new species discovered from Indian coast by NBFGR.
- Highlights unexplored biodiversity of the Arabian Sea and Kanniyakumari marine ecosystem.
Mohenjodaro ‘Dancing Girl’
Why in News: A replica of the Mohenjodaro Dancing Girl was reported stolen from the National Museum, Delhi.
About the Artifact
- Type: Bronze figurine of a young dancing girl.
- Height: 10.5 cm.
- Technique: Made using lost-wax casting method (advanced metallurgy of IVC).
Appearance:
- Nude female figure with necklace, numerous bangles on one arm, and confident pose (one hand on hip).
- Exudes grace, self-assurance, and poise.
Significance in Art History
- Among the earliest metal figurines in South Asia.
- A landmark in Indian art history, reflecting aesthetic sensibility, realism, and technical innovation of Harappan society.
- Regarded as a secular artistic creation.
About Mohenjodaro & IVC
- Major urban centre of the Indus Valley Civilization (c. 2500 BCE).
- Known for town planning, grid-pattern streets, drainage systems, Great Bath.
- Location: Present-day Sindh province, Pakistan, near the Indus River.
- IVC timeline: 3300–1300 BCE (India & Pakistan).
- Features: urban planning, standardized weights, seals, metallurgy, trade networks
