Prelims-Pinpointer-for-28-oct-2025

Prelims

Cyclone Montha

Context: Cyclone Montha to cross Andhra Pradesh coast near Kakinada on Tuesday evening with 90-100 kmph winds; red alert issued for 16 districts.

Cyclones

• Types of Cyclones
  • Tropical Cyclones: Most common type forming over warm tropical oceans characterized by strong winds, heavy rainfall, storm surges.
  • Extratropical Cyclones: Form over cooler waters; less intense than tropical cyclones featuring strong winds, heavy rainfall, snow.
  • Midlatitude Cyclones: Develop in midlatitudes characterized by strong winds, heavy rainfall and snowfall.
• Causes of Cyclone Formation
  • Warm Ocean Waters: Form over tropical or subtropical oceans with sea surface temperature exceeding 26.5°C providing energy and moisture.
  • Coriolis Effect: Earth’s rotation deflects air from high to low pressure causing counterclockwise rotation (Northern Hemisphere), clockwise (Southern Hemisphere).
  • Low Vertical Wind Shear: Minimal change in wind speed and direction with height maintains storm structure; high shear disrupts development.
  • Moisture and Instability: Abundant moisture and atmospheric instability create convection currents; rising warm air releases latent heat fueling intensification.
  • Atmospheric Convergence: Air masses with different temperature and humidity converge causing upward air movement and low-pressure center development.
  • Tropical Disturbances: Originate from organized thunderstorms with weak pressure gradients evolving into tropical depressions, storms, then cyclones.
  • Seasonal Variations: Hurricane or cyclone season occurs in Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, eastern Pacific Ocean with favorable conditions.
• Formation Process
  • Initial Requirements: Warm waters above 26.5°C, pre-existing weather disturbance like tropical wave or low-pressure system triggers development.
  • Atmospheric Conditions: Low vertical wind shear crucial for formation; sufficient lower atmosphere moisture and unstable conditions develop thunderstorms.
  • Development Stages: Progresses through tropical depression, tropical storm, finally reaching hurricane/typhoon/cyclone intensity.
  • Energy Source: Warm ocean waters provide strengthening energy; Earth’s rotation causes system spinning and distinct eye formation.

India Meteorological Department (IMD)

About IMD

• Established in 1875 as National Meteorological Service handling all meteorology-related government matters.
• Director General of Meteorology serves as Head of India Meteorological Department.
• Headquarter located in New Delhi coordinating nationwide meteorological activities and operations.
• Currently functions under Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) administrative control and supervision.
• Organizational Structure
  • 6 Regional Meteorological Centres headed by Deputy Director Generals across India.
  • Regional headquarters at Mumbai, Chennai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Nagpur, Guwahati covering different zones.

IMD Mandate

• Weather Observation and Forecasting
  • Takes meteorological observations providing current and forecast information for weather-sensitive activities.
  • Supports agriculture, shipping, aviation, offshore oil explorations with accurate meteorological data regularly.
• Disaster Warning System
  • Warns against severe weather phenomena: tropical cyclones, norwesters, duststorms, heavy rains/snow.
  • Issues alerts for cold waves, heat waves protecting lives and property nationwide.
• Statistical Services
  • Provides meteorological statistics for agriculture, water resource management, industries, oil exploration activities.
  • Supports nation-building activities through data-driven meteorological insights and analysis.
• Research and Development
  • Conducts and promotes research in meteorology and allied disciplines advancing scientific knowledge.

MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005)

Context: Supreme Court dismissed Centre’s petition, upholding Calcutta High Court order for MGNREGS resumption in West Bengal from August 1, 2024.

More in News:

• 100-day employment scheme was suspended in West Bengal from 2022 over allegations of financial irregularities in implementation by state authorities.
• Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity called Supreme Court dismissal a decisive victory for Bengal’s rural workers, affirming Right to Work cannot be denied.

MGNREGA

• Law passed in 2005 guaranteeing “right to work” to rural Indian citizens.
• Assures minimum 100 days unskilled manual work to adult member of eligible rural household.
• Main objective: provide employment to rural citizens improving their economic conditions significantly.
• Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS), Jean Drèze championed right to work cause.
• Eligibility Criteria
  • Must be Indian citizen, 18+ years, rural household, willing to do unskilled work.
• Employment and Allowances
  • Guarantees 100 days employment at government-set minimum wage for willing rural citizens.
  • Unemployment allowance: 1/4th minimum wage (first 30 days), half thereafter if work not provided within 15 days.
  • Work within 5 km radius of village; travel allowance provided beyond this distance.
• Governance
  • Section 17 mandates social audit of all works ensuring transparency and accountability.
  • Panchayati Raj Institutions lead planning, implementation, monitoring; Gram Sabhas suggest works, execute half.
  • Payments weekly, cannot delay beyond 15 days; compensation for delays; complaints addressed within 7 days.
• Significance
  • Infrastructure development: improved rural infrastructure, natural resource base, accessibility to water/sanitation/housing services.
  • Compensating income loss: helped compensate 20-80% income loss during COVID-19 lockdown (Azim Premji study).
  • Prevents rural-urban migration by utilizing untapped rural labor resources effectively.
  • Right-based approach: combats chronic poverty giving citizens legal right to work unlike previous schemes.

East Asia Summit (EAS)

About the Summit

• East Asia Summit is forum for Indo-Pacific region leaders discussing political, security, economic challenges.
• Established in 2005 by Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and it is held annually.
• Launched in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2005 as regional cooperation platform.

Membership Evolution

• Originally attended by 16 countries from East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Oceania.
• Membership expanded to 18 countries in 2011 including Russia and United States.
• Currently represents 54% world’s population, 58% global GDP through 18 member countries.
• Ten ASEAN member states: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam.
• Eight dialogue partners: Australia, China, Japan, India, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russia, USA.
• Only leaders-led forum bringing together US, China, Russia, India, RoK, Australia simultaneously.

Membership Criteria

• Must sign ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) for membership eligibility.
• Must be formal dialogue partner of ASEAN maintaining substantive cooperative relations.

Six Priority Areas

• Environment and Energy, Education, Finance for sustainable regional development cooperation framework.
• Global Health Issues, Pandemic Diseases, Natural Disaster Management, ASEAN Connectivity as priorities.

India and EAS

• India is member since 2005 participating actively in regional cooperation initiatives.
• 4th EAS in Thailand (2009): leaders endorsed proposal to revive Nalanda University.

Central Information Commission (CIC)

Context: Centre informed Supreme Court that CIC vacancies will be filled in “two or three weeks” amid transparency concerns and 30,000 pending cases.

Present Scenario:

• CIC at present operates with only two Information Commissioners out of sanctioned strength of 10. Also, the position of Chief Information Commissioner currently vacant.

Central Information Commission

• High-level independent body addressing complaints, appeals related to Right to Information Act.
• Handles grievances concerning central government entities: ministries, PSUs, financial institutions, Union Territories.
• Ensures transparency and accountability within government organizations effectively through RTI implementation.
• Statutory Provision
  • Established by Central Government in 2005 through Official Gazette notification under RTI Act, 2005.
  • Statutory body, not constitutional; legal framework details composition, powers, responsibilities comprehensively.
  • Section 12 RTI Act outlines establishment mandating effective right to information implementation.
• Composition and Appointment
  • Composed of Chief Information Commissioner and up to 10 Information Commissioners maximum.
  • Appointed by President based on selection committee recommendations chaired by Prime Minister.
  • Committee includes Leader of Opposition (Lok Sabha), Union Cabinet Minister nominated by PM.
• Qualifications
  • Must be persons of eminence with expertise in law, science, technology, social service, management, journalism, media, administration, governance.
  • Cannot be sitting MPs, State/UT legislature members, hold office of profit, political affiliations, business/professional activities.
• Tenure and Service Conditions
  • Serve 3 years or until 65 years age, whichever comes first; not eligible for reappointment.
  • Information Commissioner may become Chief Commissioner; combined service not exceeding 5 years maximum.
  • Salary, allowances set by Central Government; cannot be altered disadvantageously during office tenure.
• Removal
  • President can remove for insolvency, conviction involving moral turpitude, paid employment outside duties.
  • Misbehavior or incapacity: President refers to Supreme Court for inquiry; removal after confirmation.
• Functions
  • Investigates complaints from individuals unable to submit requests, denied information, no response received.
  • Addresses complaints about unreasonable fees, incomplete/misleading/false information, other RTI-related issues comprehensively.
• Powers
  • Suo motu inquiry power; holds civil court authority during inquiries with legal enforcement.
  • Hears appeals, issues orders to public authorities, imposes penalties on PIOs for non-compliance.
  • Conducts investigative inquiries, issues guidelines/recommendations for effective RTI Act implementation.
  • Submits annual reports to government detailing activities, RTI application status for parliamentary presentation.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)

Establishment and Legal Framework

• Established under Section 44 of Disaster Management Act, 2005 for specialized disaster response.
• Aimed at providing specialized response to natural and man-made disasters across India.

Organizational Structure

• Initially established in 2006 with 8 Battalions; now expanded to 16 Battalions nationwide.
• Battalions drawn from Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF): BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP, SSB, Assam Rifles.
• Functions under Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and headed by Director General for coordination.

Role and Capabilities

• Multi-skilled, highly specialist force capable of handling all disaster types effectively.
• Responds to floods, cyclones, earthquakes, landslides, building collapse, train/road accidents and similar disasters.
• Strategic deployment characterized by “proactive availability” and “pre-positioning” during imminent disaster situations.
• Proven instrumental in mitigating damages caused by natural calamities across the country.

International Operations

• Active in responding to disasters under multilateral and bilateral agreements at international level.
• Responded during Fukushima, Japan triple disaster (2011): earthquake, tsunami, radiation leakage combined.
• Deployed during Nepal earthquake in 2015 providing crucial disaster response and relief operations.

Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS)

Context: MeitY announced seven electronics projects worth ₹5,532 crore under ECMS scheme, with five in Tamil Nadu, one each in MP, Andhra Pradesh.

About ECMS

• Launched by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeiTY) for component manufacturing ecosystem.
• Objective: Develop robust manufacturing ecosystem attracting global/domestic investments across value chain.
• Aims to integrate domestic electronic industry with Global Value Chains (GVCs) effectively.
• Targeted Segments
  • Subassemblies: display module, camera module and similar electronic subassembly components.
  • Bare components: Multi-layer Printed Circuit Board and other essential bare components.
  • Selected bare components: Flexible printed circuit board and specialized component categories.
  • Supply chain ecosystem and capital equipment: Capital goods used in electronics manufacturing.
• Fiscal Incentives
  • Turnover-linked incentive: Based on incremental turnover/sales for subassemblies and bare components.
  • Capex-linked incentive: Based on eligible capital investment for supply chain ecosystem/capital equipment.
  • Hybrid incentive: Combination of both approaches based on industry needs for selected components.
• Tenure and Eligibility
  • Turnover-linked incentive: 6 years duration with one year gestation period initially.
  • Capex incentive: 5 years duration for capital investment-based support scheme.
  • Greenfield and brownfield investments eligible under scheme for target segment manufacturing.
• Implemented by MeiTY through nodal agency acting as Project Management Agency (PMA).

GSAT-7R Satellite

About GSAT-7R

• GSAT-7R (CMS-03) is next-generation military communication satellite developed by ISRO for armed forces.
• Replaces aging GSAT-7A ensuring robust, encrypted, long-range communication links for Navy, Air Force, Army.

Objective

• Provides reliable, real-time communication for naval operations, air defence, strategic command control activities.
• Strengthens India’s network-centric warfare and maritime domain awareness across wide oceanic/terrestrial regions.

Key Features

• Multi-band communication: Operates across Ku, Ka, UHF bands ensuring redundancy, resilience against jamming.
• Wide coverage: Secure communication over entire Indian Ocean Region, extending to East Africa, Southeast Asia.
• Heaviest Indian communication satellite: Weighing ~4,400 kg, largest ISRO-built satellite launched to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
• Advanced encryption: Features anti-jamming, frequency hopping, encrypted data links for secure military operations.
• Launch vehicle: Deployed via LVM-3 (India’s most powerful operational launcher) used in Chandrayaan-3 mission.

Launch Details

• ISRO launching CMS-03 in November aboard Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM-3) from Sriharikota spaceport.

Significance

• Enhances India’s strategic and naval communication network across Indo-Pacific region significantly.
• Supports jointness and interoperability among three armed forces under theatre commands structure.
• Strengthens maritime security crucial amid increasing Indo-Pacific tensions and surveillance needs regionally.
• Reinforces India’s self-reliance under Aatmanirbhar Bharat in Space Defence Systems development indigenously.

Vande Mataram – 150 Years Celebration

About Vande Mataram

• “Vande Mataram” (I bow to thee, Mother) is India’s national song symbolizing motherland reverence.
• Evokes patriotism and unity among 140 crore Indian citizens across diverse backgrounds.

Composition and History

• Composed in Sanskritised Bengali by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1870s during colonial period.
• First published in his novel Anandamath (1882) as part of literary work.
• First public rendition by Rabindranath Tagore at 1896 Congress Session gaining national prominence.
• Became anthem of India’s freedom struggle, sung in protests, revolutionary gatherings despite British ban.
• Indian National Congress (1937) adopted first two stanzas as National Song balancing inclusivity/secular appeal.
• January 24, 1950: Constituent Assembly accorded equal honour to National Anthem “Jana Gana Mana”.

Features

• Spiritual patriotism: Depicts nation as nurturing mother embodying emotional and divine strength.
• Secular adaptation: Only first two stanzas (devoid of religious imagery) used officially ensuring inclusivity.
• Cultural symbolism: Serves as unifying call cutting across linguistic and regional divides nationwide.
• Historical legacy: Associated with Swadeshi (1905), Quit India (1942) movements as lyrical soul of resistance.

Current Status

• Recognized by Government as equal in stature to National Anthem officially across India.
• Instrumental version played at closing of every Parliament session maintaining protocol regularly.
• Citizens encouraged showing equal respect to both Vande Mataram and Jana Gana Mana affirmed by Delhi High Court (2022).

CRYODIL

CRYODIL

• CRYODIL is India’s first egg yolk-free semen preservation solution for buffalo breeding.
• Ready-to-use semen extender designed to preserve buffalo semen maintaining fertility and motility.
• Developed by scientists at National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology (NIANP), Bengaluru under ICAR promoting indigenous agricultural innovations.
• Objective
  • Provide safe, efficient, affordable alternative to traditional egg-yolk-based semen extenders for buffalo breeding.
  • Enhance buffalo breeding efficiency in India improving artificial insemination success rates significantly.
• Key Features
  • Long shelf life: Preserves semen for up to 18 months without contamination/motility loss.
  • Microbe-free solution: Eliminates microbial contamination risk associated with egg yolks traditionally used.
  • Stable composition: Uses purified whey proteins instead of egg yolk ensuring consistent semen quality.
  • Cost-effective: Cheaper and easier to produce compared to imported commercial extenders reducing expenses.
  • Field-tested: Successfully tested on 24 buffalo bulls showing higher post-thaw sperm movement/fertility potential.
• Significance
  • Boosts buffalo breeding: Enhances artificial insemination success rate crucial for India’s dairy productivity improvement.
  • Promotes Atmanirbhar Bharat: Reduces dependence on costly foreign extenders fostering indigenous innovation in agriculture.
  • Improves dairy economics: Increases milk yield potential by improving breeding efficiency benefiting farmers economically.