Current Context : Punjab becomes the first Indian state to formally empanel sign language interpreters and special educators under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 and POCSO Act, 2012, for better access to justice for children with communication disabilities.

ABOUT THE INITIATIVE

• Purpose: To ensure that children with hearing or speech impairments are not denied justice due to communication barriers

FEATURES

• Legal Empowerment: Interpreters and educators will assist during court proceedings involving juvenile cases and POCSO-related cases
• District-Wise Deployment:
  • Experts to be posted in all districts across Punjab
  • Timely and consistent support to be made available
• Compensation and Legal Backing: Remuneration under provisions of Juvenile Justice Act and POCSO Act

SIGNIFICANCE

• Promotes inclusive legal access
• Ensures fair and impartial hearings for vulnerable children
• Sets a national example in creating barrier-free justice systems

Current Context : Moldova officially joined the International Solar Alliance (ISA) as the 107^th member, reaffirming global efforts towards a solar-powered future.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL SOLAR ALLIANCE (ISA)

• Launched By: India and France
• Year: 2015 at COP21 Climate Summit, Paris
• Headquarters: Gurugram, India
• Purpose:
  • Promote solar energy development and sustainable solutions
  • Lower technology and financing costs
  • Mobilize solar investment in developing and developed countries

ISA Membership Status

• Total Members Now: 107
• Global Representation: Open to sunshine-rich countries located between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn, and beyond

Current Context : The Lok Sabha passed a bill to provide Scheduled Tribe (ST) reservation in the Goa Legislative Assembly, ensuring political representation for tribal communities in the state.

ABOUT RESERVATION OF SEATS FOR SCs/STs

• Constitutional Basis: Article 332 of the Constitution provides for seat reservation for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the legislative assemblies of all Indian states.
• Special Provision for Assam:
  • Separate provision for autonomous districts of Assam
  • STs in these areas get dedicated representation
• Proportional Representation Principle: Number of reserved seats must reflect population proportion of SC/ST communities in the state
• Significance for Goa:
  • Recognizes demographic and cultural rights of STs in Goa
  • Aligns Goa’s assembly structure with national constitutional mandates

Current Context : A cloudburst over the Kheer Ganga River (a tributary of the Alaknanda) triggered flash floods in Dharali, located in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand.

ABOUT CLOUDBURST

• Definition: Rainfall of 10 cm or more within an hour at a location
• Common Location: Hilly regions like Himalayas due to terrain effects
• Prediction Difficulty:
  • Due to small scale and short duration
  • Needs dense radar networks or high-resolution weather models

GEO-CLIMATIC REASONS FOR HIMALAYAN VULNERABILITY

• Orographic Lift: Steep mountain slopes force moist air to rise rapidly, forming tall cumulonimbus clouds
• Heavy Cloud Formation: Clouds become heavy and burst, causing intense rainfall in a short time

ANTHROPOGENIC FACTORS

• Global Warming: Increases frequency of extreme rainfall events
• Study Findings: 2013 Kedarnath floods were amplified by greenhouse gases and aerosols

Current Context : Recently, Russia officially ended its commitment to the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, citing recent United States military moves such as:

• Repositioning two nuclear submarines near Russian shores
• Deployment of Typhon missile system in the Philippines

ABOUT INF TREATY

• Signed Between: United States and the Soviet Union
• Year of Signing: 1987
• Main Provision:
  • Destroy all ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with range between 500–5,500 km
  • Allow on-site verification inspections
• Significance:
  • First treaty to eliminate an entire class of nuclear weapons
  • Major step toward arms control and nuclear disarmament
• US Withdrawal: Already weakened in 2019 when the United States formally withdrew

MAJOR NUCLEAR ARMS CONTROL TREATIES

• NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty):
  • Entered into force: 1970
  • Purpose: Prevent spread of nuclear weapons and technology
• SORT (Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty):
  • Signed: 2002
  • Limits number of strategic nuclear warheads
• New START Treaty:
  • Signed: 2010
  • US-Russia treaty limiting strategic offensive arms
• TPNW (Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons):
  • Adopted at UN: 2017
  • Prohibits use, possession, and development of nuclear weapons for signatories

Observed annually on 8 August

Aim : To honour the historic call for complete independence from British rule. This year marks the 83rd anniversary (1942–2025) of this major civil disobedience movement led by Mahatma Gandhi.

 ABOUT QUIT INDIA MOVEMENT

• Launched On: 8 August 1942
• Launched At: All India Congress Committee Session, Bombay (now Mumbai)
• By: Mahatma Gandhi
• Slogan: “Do or Die”
• Also Known As: August Kranti or August Movement
• Purpose: To demand an end to British rule in India
• Significance: Mass arrests, protests, and a turning point in India’s freedom struggle

CURRENT CONTEXT : The central government has recently urged state governments to actively use the India Cine Hub Portal to promote global film production within the country by providing streamlined facilities and permissions.

ABOUT INDIA CINE HUB PORTAL

• Launched On: 28 June 2024
• Developed By: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India
• Set Up At: National Film Development Corporation (under the Ministry)
• Purpose: To promote India as a global filming destination by easing the process of film production, especially for foreign filmmakers

OBJECTIVES

• Create a film-friendly ecosystem across the country
• Provide a single-window clearance system for all film shooting-related approvals
• Facilitate filmmaking permissions, incentive disbursement, and resource mapping
• Attract foreign and domestic filmmakers to shoot in India

FEATURES OF THE PORTAL

• Geographic Information System (GIS)-based location mapping
• Common application form for ease of approvals
• Streamlined permission system for faster filming clearances
• Helps in promoting ease of doing business in the Indian film sector
• Encourages local employment and tourism growth through filmmaking

CURRENT CONTEXT : The 64th National Exhibition of Art (NEA) was recently inaugurated in New Delhi by the Lalit Kala Akademi, India’s National Academy of Art.

ABOUT LALIT KALA AKADEMI

• Founded: 5 August 1954
• Founder: Inaugurated by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the then Minister of Education
• Status: Became a statutory authority in 1957 under the Societies Registration Act, 1860
• Headquarters: New Delhi

FUNCTIONS

• Promotion of Indian Art in India and abroad
• Organizes exhibitions, camps, and cultural exchanges
• Maintains permanent art collections including tribal, modern, and folk art
• Has regional centres in: Chennai, Lucknow, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Garhi (Delhi)
• Funding: Ministry of Culture

NATIONAL EXHIBITION OF ART

• Started in 1955
• Most prestigious visual art event showcasing artistic excellence in India annually

CURRENT CONTEXT : The first-ever BIMSTEC Traditional Music Festival was hosted at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

ABOUT BIMSTEC

• Full Form: Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation
• Established: 6 June 1997 (via Bangkok Declaration)
• Headquarters: Dhaka, Bangladesh

MEMBER COUNTRIES (7)

• South Asia: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka
• Southeast Asia: Myanmar, Thailand

CURRENT CONTEXT : The Government has deactivated more than 4 crore duplicate or inactive domestic LPG connections under the PAHAL Scheme, as informed in Parliament.

ABOUT PAHAL (DBTL) SCHEME

• Full Form: Pratyaksh Hanstantrit Labh – Direct Benefit Transfer for LPG
• Launched By: Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas
• Coverage: Over 17 crore LPG users, making it the largest cash transfer program in the world

OBJECTIVES

• Ensure transparency and stop diversion
• Remove duplicate/fake LPG connections
• Transfer subsidies directly to users’ bank accounts
• Improve availability and delivery of LPG
• Allow self-selection for subsidy