Prelims-Pinpointer-for-04-nov-2025 -

Prelims

Bharat Stage (BS) Emission Standards

Context: Over 500 vehicles non-compliant with BS-IV emission standards denied entry at Delhi borders since Saturday’s ban on BS-III or lower vehicles commenced.

About BS Standards

Laid down by the government to regulate output of air pollutants from internal combustion and spark-ignition engines.
India adopted BS Emission Standards in 2000, modelled on European Union norms for environmental protection.
Evolution
- ‘India 2000’ was introduced in 2000; BS2 (2005), BS3 (2010), and BS4 (2017) with stricter emission standards progressively.
- April 2020: India moved from BS-IV to BS-VI, skipping BS-V for a cleaner environment.
- Central government mandated: vehicle makers manufacture, sell, register only BS-VI vehicles from April 1, 2020.
Pollutants Regulated
- BS standards regulate tailpipe emissions of particulate matter, SOx, NOx, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and methane.
Authority
- The standards and timeline set by the Central Pollution Control Board under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
Applicability
- Applicable for cars, trucks, buses, three-wheelers, and two-wheelers (motorcycles, scooters, mopeds), ensuring comprehensive coverage.
- Does not apply to off-highway equipment (tractors, backhoe loaders, excavators), limiting scope to road vehicles.
BS-IV vs BS-VI
- Both are unit emission norms setting maximum permissible levels for pollutants that automotive/two-wheeler exhaust can emit.
- BS6 emission standards are stricter than BS4, requiring cleaner fuel, advanced emission control technologies comprehensively.

Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)

GRAP is a set of emergency measures to prevent the further deterioration of air quality when the AQI reaches a certain threshold.
It was approved by the Supreme Court in 2016 in the M. C. Mehta vs. Union of India case.
Implementation Timeline:
- First notified in 2017 by the MoEFCC, based on a plan submitted by CPCB.
- Initially implemented by the Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA), now dissolved, the responsibility for GRAP implementation has since 2021 been taken over by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in NCR & Adjoining Areas.
Stages of GRAP:
- Stage I (Poor): AQI 201-300 – Measures include enforcing orders on overaged vehicles.
- Stage II (Very Poor): AQI 301-400 – Targeted actions at pollution hotspots and regulated use of DG sets.
- Stage III (Severe): AQI 401-450 – Restrictions on BS-III and BS-IV vehicles, possible school closures for children up to Class V.
- Stage IV (Severe +): AQI > 450 – Strict vehicle entry restrictions, odd-even system for vehicles, and possible closure of schools and non-essential activities.
Revised GRAP (2023):
- Revised GRAP came into effect from October 1, 2023 in NCR.
- The revised plan includes more stringent measures to combat air pollution during the winter months and is aimed at reducing the impacts of smog and pollution.

Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM)

CAQM was established through the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021.
It replaced the EPCA and has jurisdiction over Delhi NCR and nearby states (Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan).
CAQM has the authority to issue directions and impose penalties, with fines up to ₹1 crore and imprisonment up to 5 years for non-compliance.
Key Responsibilities of CAQM:
- CAQM has exclusive authority in the NCR to manage air pollution and can supersede local pollution control boards.
- It has the power to enforce compliance and levy fines for non-compliance.

Bar Council of India (BCI)

About BCI

Statutory body created by Parliament to regulate and represent the Indian bar under legal framework.
Established under Advocates Act, 1961 based on recommendations of All India Bar Committee for regulation.
Main objective: safeguarding rights, interests, privileges of advocates throughout India ensuring professional standards.

Functions

Regulatory Role
- Performs regulatory function by prescribing standards of professional conduct and etiquette for advocates practicing law.
- Exercises disciplinary jurisdiction over the bar ensuring accountability and ethical conduct among legal professionals.
Legal Education
- Sets standards for legal education; grants recognition to Universities whose law degrees serve as qualification for enrollment.
- Conducts All India Bar Examination (AIBE) to grant ‘Certificate of Practice’ to advocates practicing in India.
Welfare and Recognition
- Funds welfare schemes for economically weaker and physically handicapped advocates ensuring social support.
- Recognizes on reciprocal basis foreign qualifications in law obtained outside India for admission as advocate.

Composition

Comprises members elected from each State Bar Council and Attorney General and Solicitor of India serve automatically as its member.
State Bar Council members elected for five years.
Council chooses own Chairman and Vice-Chairman serving two years.

Cloud Seeding in India

About Cloud Seeding

Involves spraying salt mixture into clouds using aircraft fitted with flares inducing ice/water vapor formation.
Science: seeding can induce ice/water vapor within clouds to form water droplets; coalescing droplets pour as rain.

India’s Experience

Early Experiments
- 1952: S.K. Banerji (first Indian IMD Director General) oversaw first experiments in Kolkata using salt/silver iodide.
  - Released in hydrogen balloons; most administered as rockets fired from ground showing initial attempts.
  - Experiments suggested more rain on seeding days; not verifiable if rain from natural sources or seeding.
CAIPEEX
- Initiated 2009 by Pune-based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology for systematic scientific investigation.
- Cloud Aerosol Interaction and Precipitation Enhancement Experiment (CAIPEEX) quantified benefits from cloud seeding scientifically.
- Studied cloud interior, physics, water droplet formation (nearly decade); 2017-2019 physically identified suitable clouds using radar.
- Aircraft fired calcium chloride flares (no silver iodide) into clouds.
- Finding: Seeded clouds gave average 46% more rain at seeded locations.
- Drawback: CAIPEEX demonstrated only monsoon clouds with certain moisture yield sufficient water.

Great Nicobar Project

Context: Andaman-Nicobar administration prepared denotification map for tribal reserve land for Great Nicobar project.

More in News:

Transit accommodation constructed to serve all Great Nicobar Island project staff initially; infrastructure development progressing despite ongoing legal challenges in courts and tribunals.
₹92,000-crore mega-infrastructure project includes transhipment port, airport, power plant, township; developed by ANIIDCO amid forest and environment clearance challenges in judiciary.

Great Nicobar Island (GNI) Project

Project Overview
- Conceived by NITI Aayog in 2021 to build International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT).
- Includes greenfield international airport, township, and gas-solar power plant on Great Nicobar Island.
- Implemented by Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO) under government oversight.
- Aligns with Maritime Vision 2030 and Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 for national development.
Strategic Significance
- ICTT reduces India’s dependence on Singapore and Colombo ports for transshipment operations.
- Location near Malacca, Sunda, Lombok Straits enables monitoring of vital global trade routes.
- Strengthens maritime security as India’s first line of defense in the Indo-Pacific region.
- Counters piracy, trafficking, terrorism, and manages great-power rivalries including China’s presence effectively.
- Supports Act East Policy (2014) and QUAD’s Indo-Pacific strategy for regional security.
Safeguards Implemented
- Tribal consultations mandatory with Ministry of Tribal Affairs and National Commission for Scheduled Tribes.
- Shompen Policy (2015) and Jarawa Policy (2004) protect Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups’ interests.
- Eight wildlife corridors planned for safe animal movement; compensatory afforestation in Haryana planned.

Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI)

Context: Manufacturing activity surged to 59.2 in October, a near 17-year high, driven by strong demand, GST rate reductions, and rising new orders.

Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI)

PMI indicates business activity levels in manufacturing and services sectors across the economy.
It is a survey-based measure assessing purchasing managers’ perceptions of key business variables monthly.
Separate indices are calculated for manufacturing and services, then combined into a composite index.
Helps determine if market conditions are expanding, contracting, or remaining stable as per managers’ views.
Types and Calculation
- Two main types exist: Manufacturing PMI and Services PMI for sectoral analysis.
- Derived by surveying numerous companies with fact-based questions about five key variables monthly.
- Variables include new orders, output, employment, suppliers’ delivery times, and purchased stock inventories.
Interpretation
- PMI above 50 indicates expansion; below 50 signals contraction in business activity.
- Expansion rate is determined by distance from the midpoint (50) and comparison with previous data.
- S&P Global releases India’s PMI data, providing crucial economic insights for policymakers.

Asian Youth Games 2025

Overview

Asian Youth Games (AYG) is a continental multi-sport event for athletes aged 14-17 years.
Organised by Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) to nurture young sporting talent across Asia.
First held in Singapore in 2009 as a feeder event for Asian Games.

Historical Timeline

1st edition held in Singapore (2009); 2nd edition in Nanjing, China (2013).
2017 and 2021 editions cancelled due to logistical issues and pandemic-related challenges.
Bahrain 2025 marked the third edition after a 12-year gap from 2013.

India’s Performance

India achieved record-breaking 48 medals: 13 gold, 18 silver, 17 bronze medals.
This surpassed India’s previous best performances from 2009 and 2013 editions significantly.
Success attributed to Khelo India and improved youth sports infrastructure development.

Future and Significance

4th edition scheduled in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in 2029 (postponed from 2025).
Reinforces India’s emergence as youth sports powerhouse and strengthens Olympic talent pipeline.

ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025

Overview

ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup is the premier ODI championship for women’s cricket globally.
Organized by International Cricket Council (ICC) every four years with 50-over matches.
Qualification is determined through ICC Women’s Championship and World Cup Qualifier tournaments annually.

Historical Background

First tournament was held in England in 1973, two years before men’s World Cup inception.
Initially organized by the International Women’s Cricket Council until 2005, then ICC took over.
Format includes round-robin and knockout stages featuring top women’s cricketing nations worldwide.
Australia leads with 7 titles, followed by England (4), New Zealand (1), India (1).
India previously hosted in 1978, 1997, 2013, and 2025 (with Sri Lanka).

2025 Tournament Highlights

Final held at Dr. DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai with India defeating South Africa.
India won by 52 runs, claiming its first-ever World Cup title in history.
Shafali Verma won Player of Match; Deepti Sharma won Player of Series award.
Harmanpreet Kaur captained India; Laura Wolvaardt led South Africa in the final.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)

About FSSAI

Autonomous body established under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India ensuring food safety.
Established under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006: consolidating statute related to food safety and regulation in India.

Vision and Mission

Vision: Build new India enabling citizens to have safe and nutritious food, prevent diseases, lead healthy and happy life.
Mission: Set globally benchmarked standards for food; ensure food businesses adhere to standards, adopt good manufacturing and hygiene practices.