Tiger Translocation and Similipal Tiger Reserve
In News
- Tigress Zeenat, translocated from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra) to Similipal Tiger Reserve (Odisha) in 2024, gave birth to four cubs in May 2026.
- This is regarded as India’s first successful inter-State tiger translocation from a surplus reserve to a low-density one.
More in News: Pseudo-Melanistic Tigers and Genetic Decline
- Pseudo-melanistic (black) tigers are a rare variant of Bengal tigers caused by a genetic mutation that widens and merges black stripes.
- Similipal was heading towards genetic collapse due to inbreeding among its tiger population.
- Pseudo-melanistic tigers in Similipal increased from 20% (2014) to 37.5% (2018), 43.75% (2022), and 59.37% (2024 AITE).
- All India Tiger Estimation (AITE) is a four-yearly survey led by NTCA and WII (Wildlife Institute of India).
- AITE 2014 recorded just five tigers in Similipal, which recovered to 16 in 2022.
Similipal Tiger Reserve
- Located in Mayurbhanj district, Odisha, named after the Simul (silk cotton) tree.
- Situated in the Deccan Peninsular Biogeographic Zone, blending Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats, and Eastern Himalayan biodiversity.
- Notable waterfalls include Joranda and Barehipani.
- Highest peaks are Khairiburu and Meghashini (1,515 m above mean sea level).
- Dominant vegetation is moist mixed deciduous forest with Sal as the dominant tree.
- Houses 7% of India’s flowering plants and 8% of India’s orchids.
- Home to tribes including Kolha, Santhala, Bhumija, Bhatudi, Gondas, Khadia, Mankadia, and Sahara.
Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR)
- Located in Chandrapur district, Maharashtra, it is the largest and oldest tiger reserve in Maharashtra.
- Covers an area of 1,727 sq. km, established in 1955.
- Comprises Tadoba National Park and Andhari Wildlife Sanctuary.
- “Tadoba” derives from the local tribal god “Tadoba” or “Taru”; “Andhari” from the Andhari River.
- Has corridor linkages with Nagzira-Navegaon and Pench Tiger Reserves.
- Bamboo (Dendrocalamus strictus) covers 40% of the habitat.
- Home to Indian leopards, sloth bears, Indian gaur, dholes, marsh crocodiles, and over 250 bird species.
Source: The Hindu
Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY
In News
- J&K government suspended a doctor and ordered an inquiry into 103 alleged cardiac procedure misrepresentations under PMJAY-SEHAT scheme at GMC Anantnag.
About PM-JAY
- Launched in September 2018 as a flagship component of the Ayushman Bharat initiative.
- It is the world’s largest government-funded health assurance scheme.
- It aims to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and reduce catastrophic healthcare expenditure.
- Implemented by the National Health Authority (NHA) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
- State Health Agencies (SHAs) handle implementation at the state level.
Coverage: ₹5 Lakh Secondary and Tertiary Care
- Provides ₹5 lakh health cover per family per year.
- Covers secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation only, not outpatient primary care.
- Covers 3 days of pre-hospitalisation and 15 days of post-hospitalisation expenses.
- All pre-existing diseases are covered from Day 1 of the policy.
Funding: Centrally Sponsored Scheme
| Category | Centre : State Ratio |
| Normal States and UTs with Legislature | 60 : 40 |
| North-Eastern and Himalayan States | 90 : 10 |
| UTs without Legislature | 100% Central |
Beneficiaries: SECC 2011 and Vay Vandana Card
- Originally targeted the bottom 40% of India’s population, covering roughly 12 crore families or 55 crore individuals.
- Beneficiaries identified using Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 2011 for rural and urban areas.
- There is no cap on family size, age, or gender.
- In September 2024, PM-JAY was expanded to cover all citizens aged 70 and above, regardless of income, through the Ayushman Vay Vandana Card, benefiting nearly 6 crore elderly persons.
- Expanded to cover ASHA workers, Anganwadi Workers (AWWs), and Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs).
Key Operational Features
- Provides completely cashless and paperless access at empanelled hospitals.
- National portability allows treatment at any empanelled hospital across India.
- Treatment is available at both public and private empanelled hospitals.
- Health Benefit Packages (HBP) cover medicines, diagnostics, physician fees, room charges, and food.
Source: The Hindu
UPI, Wallets and NPCI
In News
- PhonePe clarified that inactivity fees on dormant PhonePe Wallets do not affect linked bank accounts or UPI transactions.
- The fee applies only to the PhonePe Wallet, a Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI), not to UPI.
About UPI
- Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is a real-time payment system developed by NPCI.
- It was launched in 2016 and enables instant money transfers between bank accounts.
- UPI operates 24×7 through mobile apps using a Virtual Payment Address (VPA).
- VPA eliminates the need to share sensitive bank details during transactions.
Body: National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)
- NPCI is the organisation that developed and manages UPI in India.
- It oversees digital payment infrastructure across the country.
Concept: PPI vs UPI vs Bank Account
- A Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI), like a digital wallet, holds preloaded money separate from a bank account.
- UPI directly debits money from the user’s linked bank account.
- A bank account holds money in a regulated bank, governed by RBI and banking regulations.
- All three are independent products operating under different rules.
Key UPI Features
- Enables instant fund transfers 24×7 to any bank account.
- Users can link multiple bank accounts through a single mobile app.
- Supports payment via mobile number, VPA, or bank account number.
- Allows QR code-based payments for quick and secure transactions.
- Enables AutoPay for recurring payments like utility bills and subscriptions.
- Supports peer-to-peer collect requests for hassle-free person-to-person payments.
- Transactions are secured through two-factor authentication.
Source: The Hindu
El Niño and Indian Monsoon
In News
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirmed formation of an El Niño in the equatorial Pacific Ocean.
- NOAA placed 63% odds that it will strengthen into a “very strong” or “super” El Niño by northern winter.
- India’s June rainfall until June 16 was approximately 35% below normal.
About El Niño
- El Niño is the periodic warming of the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean.
- It tends to weaken the South Asian monsoon and suppress rainfall.
- Its potency is measured by how far sea-surface temperatures in the Pacific rise above their long-term average.
- Normally, trade winds drive warm surface water westward towards Asia; El Niño weakens these winds, creating a feedback loop that amplifies warming.
Strength: Niño Categories
| Category | Temperature Departure |
| Weak | 0.5 to 1°C |
| Moderate | 1 to 1.5°C |
| Strong | 1.5 to 2°C |
| Very Strong | Beyond 2°C |
Only a handful of events have crossed the 2°C threshold: 1972-73, 1982-83, 1997-98, and 2015-16.- Current forecasts suggest the event could approach a record of around 2.5°C.
Monsoon Link: El Niño and Indian Ocean Dipole
- El Niño follows a consistent calendar: starts in spring, peaks in winter, and weakens in the next spring.
- Its suppressing effect on the monsoon is felt mainly in the middle and later part of the June to September season.
- June rainfall is governed largely by local and regional factors, not El Niño alone.
- The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) can counter the Pacific-induced drying by bringing warm water pools into the Indian Ocean.
- In 1997-98, the IOD brought 2% more rainfall than usual for India, despite a very strong El Niño.
- Of roughly two dozen El Niño years since 1950, about 15 produced below-normal monsoon and around 10 resulted in outright deficiency (rainfall below 90% of the long-period average).
- India’s worst droughts linked to El Niño include 1972, 1982, 2009, and 2015.
Impact: Droughts and Cyclone Redistribution
- El Niño redistributes tropical cyclones rather than simply adding to them.
- It suppresses Atlantic hurricane activity by strengthening vertical wind shear.
- It makes conditions more favourable for hurricanes in the central and eastern Pacific.
- During El Niño, Pacific storms intensifying into super typhoons become more likely, typically recurving towards East Asia and the Americas.
Source: The Hindu
India’s Heritage Crafts in PM Modi’s Gifts
In News
- PM Narendra Modi gifted Indian art, handicraft, and products to French President Emmanuel Macron and Slovak PM Robert Fico during his visits to France and Slovakia.
Painting: Kalamkari and Its Two Styles
- Kalamkari is a hand-painted or block-printed cotton textile tradition from Andhra Pradesh.
- The word “Kalam” means pen and “Kari” means craftsmanship.
- Kalamkari emerged during the reign of Qutb Shahis at Golconda in the 16th to 17th century.
- It originated in Tilang, the region between present-day Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
- There are two distinct styles: Srikalahasti and Pedana (Machilipatnam) style.
- Pedana style uses vegetable-dyed block-painting and is Persian in character due to Mughal and Golconda Sultanate influence.
- Pedana style has received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
- PM Modi gifted a Kalamkari Mahabharata painting to French President Emmanuel Macron.
Textiles: Ikat, Pochampally and Banarasi Silk
- Ikat originates from the Indonesian/Malay word “mengikat”, meaning “to bind.”
- It features a resist-dyeing process where threads are dyed before weaving.
- Ikat fabrics show unique “blurred” effects due to slight misalignments of threads.
- Single Ikat involves dyeing either warp or weft threads only.
- Double Ikat dyes both warp and weft threads with precise alignment.
- Ancient references to Ikat appear in the Buddhist Lalitavistara Sutra and Ajanta Caves murals as “Vichitra Patolaka.”
- Key GI-Tagged Ikat Products:
| Product | Region | GI Year |
| Patan Patola (double ikat) | Gujarat | 2013 |
| Rajkot Patola (single ikat) | Gujarat | 2013 |
| Sambalpuri Ikat | Odisha | 2010 |
| Bomkai | Odisha | 2009 |
| Telia Rumal | Telangana | 2020 |
| Pochampally Ikat | Telangana | 2005 |
PM Modi gifted a Pochampally silk stole to Macron’s spouse.- Banarasi Silk is an iconic handloom from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, known for Mughal-inspired motifs and gold and silver zari embroidery.
- It peaked during the Mughal Era under Emperor Akbar with Persian-inspired patterns.
- Master weavers migrated from Gujarat in the 17th century, introducing brocade techniques like Kinkhab (“cloth of gold”).
- Raw mulberry silk is primarily sourced from southern states like Karnataka.
Crafts: Dokra Lost-Wax Art and Kashmiri Carpet
- Dokra is a centuries-old metal-casting craft from Chhattisgarh using the lost-wax technique.
- It creates intricate brass and copper sculptures practised by tribal artisans in Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.
- PM Modi gifted a Brass Dokra Antelope set to Slovak President Peter Pellegrini.
- Kashmir’s Magic Carpet is made in Kashan Style, measuring 72 feet in length and 40 feet in width, weighing 1,685 kg with over three crore knots.
- It took eight years to weave and requires at least 30 people to unroll.
- PM Modi gifted the Kashmiri silk carpet to Slovak PM Robert Fico.
GI and Ayurveda: Lakadong Turmeric, Charaka and Sushruta Samhita
- Lakadong Turmeric is grown in the Lakadong area of Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya and has a curcumin content of 6.8 to 7.5%.
- It is grown organically without fertilisers and is considered one of the world’s best turmeric varieties.
- Other GI products from Meghalaya include Garo Dakmanda, Larnai pottery, and Garo Chubitchi.
- Charaka flourished around 1st to 2nd century CE and served as court physician to Kushan King Kanishka.
- He revised the Agnivesha Samhita into the Charaka Samhita, later expanded by Dridhabala.
- Charaka Samhita focuses on internal medicine, physiology, embryology, and medical ethics across 8 sections (Ashtanga Sthanas).
- Sushruta flourished around 7th to 6th century BCE in Kashi (Varanasi) and is revered as the “Father of Surgery” and “Father of Plastic Surgery.”
- He pioneered over 300 surgical procedures and documented over 100 surgical instruments.
Source: Indian Express
BharatNet Project
In News
- RTI data revealed that only 45% of BharatNet connections were actively being used as of March 2026.
- Out of 1.04 lakh public Wi-Fi hotspots installed, only 0.7% (766 hotspots) were operational as of September 2025.
- The target was 18 lakh connections, but only 13.23 lakh were commissioned and just 8.01 lakh were actively used as of March 2026.
About BharatNet
- Originally launched in 2011 as National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN), renamed BharatNet in 2015 under the Ministry of Communications.
- It aims to provide high-speed broadband connectivity to every Gram Panchayat (GP) across the country.
- It is one of the largest rural telecom projects in the world.
- It enables delivery of e-health, e-education, and e-governance services in rural India.
- The project initially aimed to connect approximately 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats.
Phases of Implementation
- Phase I: Connected 1 lakh GPs using optical fibre cables, completed in 2017.
- Phase II (ongoing): Expands coverage to 1.5 lakh GPs using optical fibre, radio, and satellite technologies.
- Phase III (ongoing): Focuses on integrating 5G technologies, increasing bandwidth, and enhancing last-mile connectivity.
- The Amended BharatNet Program (ABP), approved in 2023, is part of Phase III.
Amended BharatNet Program (ABP)
- ABP aims to provide optical fibre connectivity to 2.64 lakh GPs in ring topology.
- It also provides OF connectivity to non-GP villages on demand.
- Features include an IP-MPLS network with routers at Blocks and GPs and a Remote Fibre Monitoring System.
Funding: Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN)
- BharatNet is primarily funded through the Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN), which replaced the Universal Service Obligation Fund.
Source: Indian Express
