Current Context : India has joined the HealthAI Global Regulatory Network (GRN), alongside the UK and Singapore, to share safety protocols and monitor AI use in healthcare.

ABOUT HEALTHAI GRN

• Headquarters: Geneva
• Nature: Independent non-profit promoting equitable access to AI in healthcare
• Collaborations: Works with governments, international bodies, and health experts
• Special Access: Members can use a Global Public Repository of AI-registered health solutions

Role of AI in Healthcare

• Transforming Delivery: Data-driven, efficient, patient-centered care
• Targeted Therapeutics: Supports drug discovery, clinical trials, personalized treatment
• Connected Care: Enables chatbots, remote monitoring, virtual assistants for patient engagement

Current Context : Odisha’s Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary is set to be declared as India’s newest tiger reserve.

ABOUT DEBRIGARH WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

• Location: Bargarh district, Odisha
• Established As Sanctuary: 1985
• Nearby Landmark: Hirakud Dam on Mahanadi River (world’s longest earthen dam)
• Historical Link: Freedom fighter Veer Surendra Sai used it as his base during the revolt against British rule.

Current Context : The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has asked the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (RGI) to consider separately enumerating PVTGs in the upcoming Census.

ABOUT PVTGs

• Category: Sub-group of Scheduled Tribes (STs)
• Identified By: Dhebar Commission (1960–61) under U. N. Dhebar
• Criteria for Identification:
  • Declining or stagnant population
  • Geographical isolation
  • Pre-agrarian level of technology (hunting, gathering, shifting cultivation)
  • Economic backwardness and low literacy

Distribution

• Total Groups: 75
• Spread Across: 18 States + Andaman and Nicobar Islands
• Population:5 lakh (as per recent survey)
• Largest Population: Madhya Pradesh, followed by Maharashtra (6.7 lakh) and Andhra Pradesh

 Livelihoods : Depend on forest produce, hunting, livestock rearing, shifting cultivation, artisan works.

Welfare Measures

• PM JANMAN Scheme (2023):
  • Outlay: ₹24,104 crore
  • Aim: Improve socio-economic status, health, education, livelihoods, and amenities of PVTGs in 200+ districts.

Current Context : In Chamoli’s Nanda Nagar (Uttarakhand), people are witnessing land subsidence, adding to the state’s natural calamities like landslides, flash floods, and cloudbursts.

About Land Subsidence

• Meaning: Gradual settling or sudden sinking of the Earth’s surface.
• Causes:
  • Natural: Earthquakes, volcanic activity, collapse of cavities, compaction of soil.
  • Human-induced: Excess groundwater withdrawal, mining, and energy extraction.

Impacts

• Damage to infrastructure (roads, buildings, pipelines).
• Increases flood risk and reduces aquifer storage capacity.
• Causes saltwater intrusion and changes in river/stream flow.
• High maintenance costs for public infrastructure.

Global Context

• Estimated 12 million sq. km of land worldwide is vulnerable.
• Reported in USA, China, Iran, Indonesia, Vietnam, Mexico, Egypt, Japan, Italy, and now India.

Current Context : The Union Cabinet approved a ₹1,500 crore Incentive Scheme for recycling critical minerals from secondary sources. It is a part of the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM).

ABOUT THE SCHEME

• Tenure: FY 2025–26 to FY 2030–31.
• Outlay: ₹1,500 crore.
• Feedstock: e-waste, Lithium-Ion Battery scrap, and other industrial scrap.
• Incentives:
  • 20% capital subsidy on plant and machinery.
  • Operational subsidy (40% in 2nd year, 60% in 5th year).
  • Limit: ₹50 crore for large entities, ₹25 crore for small entities.

EXPECTED IMPACT

• Capacity creation: 270 kilotons of annual recycling.
• Critical mineral output: 40 kilotons annually.
• Investment: ~₹8,000 crore.
• Jobs: ~70,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Current Context : UPSC Chairman Dr. Ajay Kumar announced plans to establish a Centre of Excellence (CoE) as a knowledge hub of best practices for UPSC and State PSCs.

OBJECTIVES

• Collect and share best practices, SOPs, and innovations in recruitment.
• Strengthen transparency, efficiency, and fairness in exams.
• Support State PSCs for improved recruitment systems.

SIGNIFICANCE

• Will create a uniform and transparent recruitment process across the country.
• Encourages modern tools and innovation in examinations.

Current Context : The Prime Minister of Bhutan visited Nalanda University in Bihar.

ABOUT NALANDA UNIVERSITY

• Founded: 5th Century by Gupta Emperor Kumaragupta.
• Type: World’s first residential university.
• Location: Rajgir, Bihar. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Patrons: King Harshavardhana (7th century), Pala rulers (8th–12th century).
• International Scholars: Came from China, Japan, Korea, Tibet, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia.
  • Chinese scholar Xuanzang gave detailed account of Nalanda’s learning traditions.

DECLINE

• Decline started in 9th century with changes in Buddhism.
• Finally destroyed around 1200 CE by Bakhtiyar Khilji.

Current Context : India celebrated the 200th birth anniversary of Dadabhai Naoroji, also known as the “Grand Old Man of India”.

ABOUT DADABHAI NAOROJI (1825–1917)

SOCIAL REFORM

• Founded Literary and Scientific Society (1848) – established 6 girls’ schools by 1849.
• Founded Rast Goftar newspaper to spread reformist ideas.
• Co-founded Rahnumai Mazdayasan Sabha (1851) to reform Parsi society.

ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTIONS

• Drain of Wealth Theory – exposed how British drained India’s wealth.
• Writings: Poverty of India (1876), Poverty and Un-British Rule in India (1901).
• Raised India’s economic exploitation in forums like East India Association.

POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS

• Moderate Leader – believed in petitions, prayers, peaceful methods.
• Founded London Indian Society (1865) and East India Association (1866).
• First Indian MP in British Parliament (Liberal Party, Finsbury Central, 1892).
• As INC President (1906) – declared Swaraj (Self-Government) as Congress goal.
• Mentored leaders like Tilak, Gokhale, Gandhi.

Current Context : Iceland has again been ranked as the most peaceful country in the world in the 2025 Global Peace Index (GPI).

ABOUT GLOBAL PEACE INDEX (GPI)

• Published By: Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP)
• Coverage: 163 independent states and territories (99.7% of world population)
• Indicators Used: 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators
• Main Domains:
  1. Societal Safety and Security
  2. Ongoing Domestic and International Conflict
  3. Degree of Militarisation

HIGHLIGHTS OF GLOBAL PEACE INDEX 2025

• Edition: 19th
• Global Trend: Peacefulness continues to decline.
• Conflicts: 59 active state-based conflicts – highest since World War II.
• Deaths: 17 countries recorded over 1,000 conflict deaths in the last year.
• Conflict Resolution: Successful resolution of conflicts lowest in last 50 years.
• Top 5 Peaceful Countries:
  1. Iceland (most peaceful since 2008)
  2. Ireland
  3. Austria
  4. New Zealand
  5. Switzerland
• Least Peaceful Countries:
  1. Russia (lowest ranking in 2025)
  2. Ukraine
  3. Sudan
  4. Democratic Republic of Congo
  5. Yemen
• Regional Highlights:
  1. Most Peaceful Region: Western and Central Europe (8 out of 10 top peaceful countries).
  2. Least Peaceful Region: Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
  3. South Asia: Second least peaceful region. India ranked 115, improving by one position from 2024.
  4. Most Peaceful Asian Countries: Singapore (6th), Japan (12th), Malaysia (13th), Bhutan (21st), Mongolia (37th).

Current Context : Jane Street Group (US firm) filed an appeal in the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) against SEBI, alleging market manipulation.

About SAT

• Established under: SEBI Act, 1992.
• Type: Quasi-judicial statutory body.
• Jurisdiction: Entire India.
• Headquarters: Mumbai.

Functions

• Hears appeals against orders of: SEBI, IRDAI,
• Can be approached by any aggrieved person (companies, investors, intermediaries).

Composition

• Presiding Officer: Retired or sitting SC Judge / Chief Justice / HC Judge with 7+ years experience.
• Judicial Members: HC Judges (5+ years).
• Technical Members: Senior govt. officials or experts with 15+ years experience in finance/securities.
• Appointed by: Central Government in consultation with CJI.

Tenure & Powers

• Tenure: 5 years (reappointment allowed, max age 70).
• Powers: Same as a civil court (summon, examine, demand documents).
• Appeals: Orders can be challenged in the Supreme Court (on law questions).