Prelims-Pinpointer-for-03-NOV-2025.

Prelims

GSAT-7R

Context: ISRO successfully launched GSAT-7R (CMS-03), which is India’s heaviest communication satellite, marking a significant milestone in the country’s space program.

Launch Details

• GSAT-7R (CMS-03) is the Indian Navy’s advanced communication satellite, weighing approximately 4,400 kg, India’s heaviest communication satellite to date.
• Launching Vehicle:  LVM3 (the most powerful launch vehicle)
• Successfully inserted into geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO); satellite will raise and circularise orbit using onboard propulsion systems.

Satellite Capabilities

• Equipped with state-of-the-art indigenous components providing robust, secure telecommunication coverage across the Indian Ocean Region.
• Advanced payload features transponders supporting voice, data, and video links over multiple communication bands, ensuring connectivity.
• Ensures seamless connectivity between the Navy’s ships, submarines, aircraft, and Maritime Operations Centres, strengthening maritime domain awareness.

Significance of the Launch

• Self-Reliance
  • Testament to Atmanirbhar Bharat, enabling armed forces to operate with enhanced situational awareness, secure communication links.
  • Highlights India’s growing self-reliance in space technology and the Navy’s commitment to safeguarding national maritime interests.
• Strategic and Technological
  • Heaviest Indian-built communications satellite launched from Indian soil, reducing dependence on foreign launchers significantly.
  • Demonstrated LVM3 capacity to routinely handle four-tonne-plus satellites to GTO from India effectively.
  • Feeds directly into ISRO’s Gaganyaan preparations (maiden human spaceflight programme) using an evolved LVM3 variant.

Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPwD Act)

About the Act

• Enacted in 2016, came into force on 19th April 2017, replacing the PWD Act 1995 comprehensively.
• Objective: ensure all persons with disabilities lead lives with dignity, without discrimination, and equal opportunities.
• Incorporates rights from the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD); India is a signatory.

Definition and Types

• Disability is defined as an evolving and dynamic concept, accommodating the changing nature of disabilities over time.
• Types increased from 7 to 21; the Central Government was empowered to add more disability types.
  • Includes: Leprosy Cured Persons, Cerebral Palsy, Acid Attack Victims, Blindness, Deaf, and Specific Learning Disabilities.
  • Also covers Autism Spectrum Disorder, Parkinson’s Disease, Haemophilia, among other disability categories comprehensively.
• “Benchmark disabilities”: persons certified with at least 40% of specified disabilities for additional benefits.

Rights and Entitlements

• Education
  • Every child with a benchmark disability (age 6-18 years) has the right to free education, ensuring accessibility.
  • 5% reservation in seats in Government and Government-aided higher educational institutions for benchmark disabilities.
• Employment
  • 4% reservation in Government jobs for certain persons/classes with benchmark disability, promoting employment.
• Accessibility
  • Stress on ensuring accessibility in public buildings (Government and private) within the prescribed time frame mandatorily.
• Guardianship
  • District Court or State-designated authority grants guardianship, enabling joint decision-making between the guardian and PwDs.

Institutional Framework

• Broad-based Central and State Advisory Boards on Disability as policy-making bodies for disability governance.
• Office of Chief Commissioner of PwDs, State Commissioners act as regulatory bodies, Grievance Redressal agencies monitoring implementation.
• Advisory Committee comprising experts in various disabilities assisting these offices ensuring effective implementation comprehensively.

Financial Support

• Creation of National and State Funds to provide financial support to PwDs ensuring welfare.

Penalties

• Violating Act provisions: imprisonment up to six months and/or fine Rs 10,000 for first offense.
• Subsequent violation: imprisonment up to two years and/or fine Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh.
• Intentional insult, intimidation, sexual exploitation: imprisonment of six months to five years and fine.
• Special Courts are designated in each district to handle cases concerning violations of PwDs’ rights, ensuring justice.

About Gram Sabha

• Article 243A (73rd Amendment Act 1992) defines Gram Sabha as the foundation of the Panchayati Raj system.
• Represents every registered voter in the village, empowering deliberation on budgets, development plans, and governance priorities.

Current Gap

• Educational curriculum focuses on the Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabha and remains silent on the Panchayati Raj institutions, causing an awareness gap.
• Gram Sabha turned into a distant administrative concept rather than a living democratic experience for the youth.

Significance

• Cultivates civic pride and local leadership making participation aspirational for youth ensuring democratic engagement.
• Instills critical life skills: conducting debates, passing resolutions, negotiating consensus for future governance leaders.
• Vision of Viksit Bharat depends on citizens seeing governance as shared civic duty, not only a government responsibility.

About Model Youth Gram Sabha Initiative

• Model Youth Gram Sabha nationwide initiative providing students with hands-on experience in grassroots democracy.
• Simulates the functioning of real Gram Sabhas, encouraging civic awareness, leadership, and participatory governance among youth.
• Organization
  • Jointly launched by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Tribal Affairs collaboratively.
  • Supported by Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs), Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs), and State Government Schools nationwide.
• Objectives
  • Nurture democratic leadership among students through experiential and activity-based learning methods effectively.
  • Align with National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, fostering responsible, participative, community-oriented citizens.
• Key Features
  • Implementation across 1,000+ schools nationwide, ensuring wide reach and extensive student participation.
  • Integration of training modules and a dedicated MYGS digital portal for streamlined implementation and monitoring.
  • Promotes learning by doing, teamwork, transparency, and decision-making through mock Gram Sabha sessions practically.
  • Plans to extend to urban areas through Model Ward Sabhas for city students, ensuring inclusivity.

Port Models: Landlord vs Service

Landlord Port Model

• Structure
  • Publicly governed port authority acts as regulatory body and landlord; private companies carry out port operations.
  • Port authority maintains ownership of the port; infrastructure is leased to private firms, who provide their own superstructure and equipment.
• Operations
  • Private firms provide, maintain the superstructure, and install their own equipment to handle cargo-handling activities independently.
  • Landlord port gets a revenue share from a private entity as part of the lease agreement.
• Port Authority Role
  • Carries out all public sector services and operations: award of bids for cargo terminals and dredging.

Service Port Model

• Structure
  • The port authority does the administration and operation of port activities, maintaining full control comprehensively.
• Operations
  • Port operations include providing navigational services, warehouse facilities, cranes, skilled employees/laborers for cargo handling.
  • Construction of infrastructure, superstructure, providing employees becomes port authority’s responsibility entirely.
• Ownership
  • Full ownership of port remains with state/government even if port authority acts in public interest.
• Challenges
  • Service ports mostly run on losses due to inefficiency in operations and management systems.
  • Port belongs to state; operations controlled by port authority; workers go on strikes to obtain demands affecting operations.

Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

About the Ramsar Convention

• International agreement for preservation and responsible use of wetlands signed on February 2, 1971, in Ramsar, Iran.
• February 2 is annually celebrated as World Wetlands Day, commemorating the signing date globally.

Wetlands Definition

• Places where water covers soil or is present at/near the soil’s surface year-round or during the growing season.
• Ramsar categorises various natural and human-made diverse water bodies and habitats as wetlands comprehensively.
• Natural wetlands: oases, estuaries, deltas, mangroves, coastal areas, coral reefs recognised under the convention.
• Human-made wetlands: fishponds, rice paddies, and reservoirs are also included in the wetland classification framework.

Newly Added Ramsar Sites (2025)

• Tamil Nadu: Sakkarakottai Bird Sanctuary, Therthangal Bird Sanctuary added to list recently.
• Sikkim: Khecheopalri Wetland; Jharkhand: Udhwa Lake designated as new sites in 2025.
• Rajasthan: Khichan (Phalodi), Menar (Udaipur); Bihar: Gokul Jalashay, Udaipur Jheel added expanding coverage.

State-wise Distribution

• A total of 93 Ramsar Sites in India are currently comprehensively designated under the Convention framework.
• Tamil Nadu leads with 18 sites, followed by Uttar Pradesh (10), Odisha (6), Punjab (6).
• Other states: J&K (5), Madhya Pradesh (5), Bihar (5), Rajasthan (4), Gujarat (4), Karnataka (4).
• Area Coverage
  • Largest: West Bengal largest area: 4,355 km² under Ramsar Sites; 
  • Odisha has the 2nd largest area covered under Ramsar Sites (3,456 km²), while Tamil Nadu (2,469 km²) has third largest area under it.
• Largest Sites
  • Sundarban Wetland (West Bengal): 4,230 km² largest Ramsar Site in India nationally. Thereafter, Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu): 1,513 km²; Vembanad-Kol (Kerala): 1,512.5 km².
• Smallest Sites
  • Renuka Lake (Himachal Pradesh): 0.2 km² is smallest; Vembannur (Tamil Nadu): 0.2 km², Vedanthangal (Tamil Nadu): 0.4 km².
• Oldest Sites
  • Chilka Lake (1981) and Keoladeo Ghana National Park (1981) are India’s oldest Ramsar Sites.

Tri-Services Exercise Trishul

About Exercise Trishul

• A major tri-services military exercise (Army, Navy, Air Force) conducted by India along the western frontier.
• Tests and demonstrates joint operational capabilities across multiple domains: land, air, sea, cyber, space.
• Organised by the Ministry of Defence for integrated combat operations validation.

Location

• Held in Rajasthan and Gujarat, focusing on Sir Creek, Rann of Kutch areas strategically.
• Extends to the Saurashtra coast for amphibious and naval drills covering diverse terrain and operations.

Objectives

• Validate integrated combat operations among all three services in complex, real-war conditions comprehensively.
• Strengthen India’s deterrence posture along the western border against potential threats from adversaries.
• Demonstrate Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliance) through the deployment of indigenous weapons and systems extensively.
• Test readiness against potential multi-front or hybrid threats ensuring preparedness for diverse scenarios.

Key Features

Integration and Scale

• Tri-services integration: Army, Navy, Air Force jointly conducting multi-domain operations including desert warfare, amphibious landings.
• Massive scale: over 20,000 troops, Rafale, Sukhoi-30MKI fighters, main battle tanks, howitzers, S-400 deployed.

Advanced Operations

• Sub-exercises: ‘Trinetra’ for electronic warfare, counter-drone operations; ‘Mahagujraj’ for integrated air operations.
• Naval component: deployment of frigates, destroyers, amphibious assets, securing coastal/offshore installations like Jamnagar refinery.

Technology and Innovation

• Use of indigenous drones, ISR systems, AI-based targeting, and joint command networks demonstrates technological advancement.
• Realistic terrain testing: operations across creek, desert, and maritime zones replicating possible warfronts with Pakistan.

Nipah Virus

About Nipah Virus

• Zoonotic virus (transmitted from animals to humans); also transmitted through contaminated food or directly between people.
• RNA virus of family Paramyxoviridae, genus Henipavirus; closely related to Hendra virus genetically.

Transmission

• Spreads through fruit bats (genus Pteropus); virus found in bat urine, faeces, saliva, birthing fluids.
• Initially appeared in domestic pigs, dogs, cats, goats, horses, and sheep showing cross-species transmission.

Symptoms and Fatality

• Causes encephalitic syndrome with fever, headache, drowsiness, disorientation, mental confusion, coma, and potentially death.
• Case fatality rate: 40% to 75% making it highly lethal infectious disease.

Diagnosis and Prevention

• Diagnosis via RT-PCR from bodily fluids; antibody detection via ELISA for confirmation.
• No vaccines are available for humans or animals currently; the WHO has identified as a priority disease.

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)

About GCC

• Regional political and economic alliance established in 1981, comprising six Arab states.
• Members: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE) collectively.
• Objective: foster economic, security, cultural, and social cooperation among members for regional stability.
• Formed in response to the Iranian Revolution (1979), the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) escalated regional tensions.

Global Significance

• GCC countries hold almost half of the world’s oil reserves; vital players in the global energy market.
• Annual summits convene discussing strategies for cooperation and regional stability among members.
• Headquarters: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia serving as central coordination point for operations.

India-GCC Relations

• Trade
  • GCC is India’s largest regional trading partner; bilateral trade (FY 2023-24): USD 161.59 billion total.
  • India’s exports: USD 56.3 billion; India’s imports: USD 105.3 billion showing significant trade volume.
  • UAE is India’s 3rd largest trading partner and 2nd largest export destination globally.
• Diaspora and Remittances
  • ~8.9 million Indian expatriates reside in GCC countries, forming 66% of all NRIs worldwide.
  • Indian expatriates contribute significantly to remittances, vital income source for India’s economy.