CURRENT CONTEXT : Recently, 19 workers and officials were rescued after being trapped for 22 hours inside the tunnel of the 280 MW Dhauliganga Hydroelectric Project in Uttarakhand.

ABOUT DHAULIGANGA HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT

• Capacity: 280 MW
• Location: Dharchula, Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand
• River: Built on the Dhauliganga River, a tributary of the Alaknanda (Ganga basin).
• Construction started: 2000
• Commercial operation: 2005
• Owned by: National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC)
• Type: Run-of-the-river project
• Dam Structure:
  • 56 m high, 315 m long, concrete-faced rock-fill dam
  • Reservoir capacity: 6.2 million cubic meters
  • Gross head: 310 m | Net head: 297 m

CURRENT CONTEXT : The Indian Army conducted Exercise Yudh Kaushal 3.0 in the high-altitude Kameng region of Arunachal Pradesh.

ABOUT THE EXERCISE

• Location: Kameng, Arunachal Pradesh
• Features:
  • Multi-domain operations with drone surveillance, real-time target acquisition, and precision strikes.
  • Showcased ASHNI Platoons (newly raised, tech-enabled units).
  • Active involvement of Indian Civil Defence Industry, reflecting India’s “Decade of Transformation.”
• Significance: Validated Army’s readiness in high-altitude operations, integrating next-generation technology and indigenous defence industry.

CURRENT CONTEXT : An Indian non-profit organisation, Foundation to Educate Girls Globally (Educate Girls), has been named a 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee.

 ABOUT FOUNDATION TO EDUCATE GIRLS GLOBALLY

• Founded: 2007 by Safeena Husain
• Mission: “One girl at a time” – ensuring girls’ education in rural, disadvantaged areas.
• Initiatives:
  • Development Impact Bond (2015) – world’s first in education, benefiting 2 million girls in 30,000 villages.
  • Pragati Open Schooling Program – helps women aged 15–29 continue education (expanded from 300 to 31,500 participants).

ABOUT RAMON MAGSAYSAY AWARD

• Established: 1958 (named after former Philippines President Ramon Magsaysay)
• Objective: Honors individuals/organizations showing transformative leadership, service, and courage in Asia.
• Award Ceremony: 7th November 2025, Manila.
• Categories (till 2008): Government Service, Public Service, Community Leadership, Journalism & Literature, Peace & International Understanding, and Emergent Leadership.

Post 2009: Only Emergent Leadership remains category-specific.

Observed on 2nd September every year

Aim : to raise awareness about the importance of coconut in poverty reduction, livelihood support, and sustainable development.

• Established by: Asian and Pacific Coconut Community (APCC)
• First Observed: 2009

CURRENT CONTEXT : During his visit to Japan (August 29, 2025), PM Narendra Modi received an auspicious Daruma Doll at Shorinzan Daruma-Ji Temple, Takasaki.

ABOUT DARUMA DOLL

• Symbol of resilience, good luck, and goal-setting
• Inspired by Bodhidharma, Indian monk from Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu, who spread Zen Buddhism to East Asia
• Tradition: Fill one eye when setting a goal, other eye when goal achieved.

CURRENT CONTEXT

India’s Ajaya Babu Valluri won gold in men’s 79 kg category at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships 2025 (Ahmedabad).

HIGHLIGHTS

• Winning lift: 335 kg total
• Beating: Malaysia’s Muhammad Erry (333 kg), Nigeria’s Adedapo Adeleke (306 kg)
• Other Indians:
  • Harjinder Kaur – Bronze (women’s 69 kg, 222 kg)
  • Mirabai Chanu – Gold (women’s 48 kg), secured 2026 Commonwealth Games berth

CURRENT CONTEXT : The Bihar Cabinet cleared the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana (August 29, 2025) to boost women’s employment and reduce migration.

KEY FEATURES

• Financial Aid: ₹10,000 to one woman per family via Direct Benefit Transfer
• Performance Review: After 6 months, additional support up to ₹2 lakh for scaling business
• Target sectors:
  • Small-scale manufacturing
  • Handicrafts
  • Dairy, poultry, agriculture entrepreneurship

CURRENT CONTEXT : The National Annual Report & Index on Women’s Safety (NARI) 2025, released by the National Commission for Women (NCW), highlights the safety conditions of women across 31 cities in India, based on a large-scale survey.

ABOUT NARI 2025

• Released by: National Commission for Women (NCW)
• Collaborators: Group of Intellectuals and Academicians (GIA), Pvalue Analytics, The NorthCap University, Jindal Global Law School
• Survey base: 12,770 women across 31 Indian cities
• Benchmark: National safety score at 65%

SAFEST CITIES

• Kohima, Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Aizawl, Gangtok, Itanagar, Mumbai
• Key factors: Gender equity, civic participation, women-friendly policing, strong urban infrastructure

LEAST SAFE CITIES

• Patna, Jaipur, Faridabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Srinagar, Ranchi
• Issues: Patriarchal norms, poor institutional responsiveness, weak infrastructure

KEY FINDINGS

• Overall perception: 6 in 10 women feel safe; 40% still feel “unsafe”
• Harassment prevalence: 7% women reported at least one incident in 2024
• Most vulnerable group: Women under 24 years (14% reported harassment)
• Common forms: Verbal harassment (58%), followed by physical, psychological, economic, and sexual harassment
• Hotspots: Neighbourhoods (38%), transport (29%)
• Responses by victims:
  • 28% confronted harassers
  • 25% left the scene
  • 21% sought safety in crowds
  • 20% reported to authorities

CURRENT CONTEXT : Former RBI Governor Urjit Patel appointed Executive Director at IMF (2025–2028), representing India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan.

ABOUT IMF

• Established: 1944, Bretton Woods Conference
• Members: 191 (latest – Liechtenstein, 2024)
• Headquarters: Washington, D.C.
• Objective:
  • Promote monetary cooperation
  • Ensure financial stability
  • Facilitate global trade
  • Promote growth & reduce poverty

STRUCTURE

• Board of Governors: Highest decision-making body, meets annually
• IMFC (International Monetary and Financial Committee): Advisory body (24 members)
• Executive Board: Daily operations, works with Managing Director

CURRENT CONTEXT : The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) released the 6th edition of the State Energy Efficiency Index (SEEI) 2024, prepared with the Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE).

ABOUT SEEI

• Objective: Track and compare energy efficiency progress of 36 States & UTs
• Indicators: 66 across sectors – Buildings, Industry, Transport, Agriculture, DISCOMs, Municipal services, Cross-sector initiatives
• Framework: New implementation-focused model

CLASSIFICATION

• Front Runners: >60%
• Achievers: 50–60%
• Contenders: 30–50%
• Aspirants: <30%

TOP PERFORMERS (2024)

• Maharashtra (Group 1: >15 MToE)
• Andhra Pradesh (Group 2: 5–15 MToE)
• Assam (Group 3: 1–5 MToE)
• Tripura (Group 4: <1 MToE)

KEY FINDINGS

• 24 states notified Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) 2017
• 31 states adopted electric mobility policies
• 13 states promoting solar agricultural pumps (Kerala – 74% adoption)
• All 36 States/UTs prepared State Energy Efficiency Action Plans (SEEAPs)