CURRENT CONTEXT: The Kashi Declaration was adopted at the Youth Spiritual Summit in Varanasi to advance a drug-free India by 2047.

ABOUT KASHI DECLARATION:

• It is a national action plan adopted to combat substance abuse through youth and spiritual leadership and create a “Nasha Mukt Yuva” (drug-free youth) as the foundation for a “Viksit Bharat” (Developed India) by 2047.
• Theme: “Drug-free Youth for Developed India.”
• Organised by: Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS:

• Attended by 600+ youth leaders from 120+ spiritual and socio-cultural organisations.
• Aimed at tackling substance abuse as a public health and social challenge.
• Advocated for a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

• Formation of a Joint National Committee.
• Annual progress reporting.
• Creation of a national platform to link individuals to support systems.

CURRENT CONTEXT: Abu Dhabi will host the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 with focus on genetic tools in conservation.

ABOUT THE CONGRESS:

• Organised by: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
• Frequency: Once every 4 years.
• Purpose: To shape global conservation and climate change priorities for the next decade.

COMPONENTS OF THE CONGRESS:

1. Forum: Global platform for conservation science and innovation.
2. Exhibition: Showcasing work by IUCN Members, partners, and academia.
3. Members’ Assembly: IUCN’s top decision-making body.

 THEME 2025: “Powering Transformative Conservation” – focusing on five key thematic areas driving sustainable change.

ABOUT IUCN:

• Established:
• Type: Membership Union of governments and civil society organisations.
• Role: World’s largest environmental network.

GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE:

• IUCN Council: Governing body between Congress sessions, presided over by the IUCN President.
• Members’ Assembly: Highest governing body.
• IUCN Statutes: Define governance rules, including eligibility, re-election, and removal provisions.

CURRENT CONTEXT: WiFEX has completed 10 successful years since its launch in 2015 to study dense winter fog over North India.

ABOUT WiFEX:

• Launch: Winter 2015 at Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi.
• Lead Institution: Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), under Ministry of Earth Sciences.
• Collaborators: India Meteorological Department (IMD), National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF).
• Focus: One of the world’s few long-term open-field experiments solely dedicated to winter fog.

OBJECTIVES:

• To improve nowcasting (within 6 hours) and forecasting of winter fog.
• To reduce the adverse impacts of fog on aviation, transport, economy, and human life.

HOW IT WAS CONDUCTED:

• Used instruments like micrometeorology towers, ceilometers, high-frequency sensors.
• Collected data on temperature, humidity, wind, turbulence, soil heat, and aerosols.

 KEY OUTCOME:

• Developed a high-resolution (3 km) probabilistic fog prediction model.
• Model achieves over 85% accuracy for predicting very dense fog (visibility <200m).

What is Dense Winter Fog?

Dense winter fog refers to a weather condition where air contains a large amount of suspended water droplets, drastically reducing visibility—often to less than 200 meters. It is common during winter months (December–February), especially in North Indian plains.

CURRENT CONTEXT: The United States has decided to exit UNESCO, the UN’s cultural and educational agency, under a renewed global disengagement policy.

ABOUT UNESCO:

• Full Form: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
• Established: 1945 (post-World War II)
• Headquarters: Paris, France
• Parent Body: UN Economic and Social Council
• Members: 194 countries + 12 associate members

FOCUS AREAS: Education, Natural Sciences, Social and Human Sciences, Culture, Communication and Information

FUNCTIONS:

• Supports literacy and free education
• Maintains the World Heritage Site list
• Publishes global reports:
• Global Education Monitoring Report
• World Water Development Report
• World Trends in Freedom of Expression

CURRENT CONTEXT: Jharkhand has launched India’s first Mining Tourism Project in collaboration with Central Coalfields Limited (CCL).

OBJECTIVES:

• Promote alternative tourism
• Offer educational exposure
• Showcase industrial heritage and culture
• Generate employment opportunities

 KEY FEATURES:

• Pilot at North Urimari (Birsa) open-cast mine, Ramgarh
• Tour Circuits:
  • Rajrappa Route: ₹2,800 + GST
  • Patratu Route: ₹2,500 + GST
• Includes temple, valley, and cultural site visits with lunch
• Operated twice weekly, 10–20 visitors per group
• Three planned circuits: Eco-Mining Circuit-1, Circuit-2, Religious Circuit

CURRENT CONTEXT: Suhani Shah, a magician from Rajasthan, has become the first Indian to win the ‘Best Magic Creator 2025’ award at FISM World Championship.

ABOUT FISM (FÉDÉRATION INTERNATIONALE DES SOCIÉTÉS MAGIQUES):

• Global organization of magic societies founded in 1948.
• Conducts World Championship of Magic every three years.
• Recognized as the highest platform for magicians globally.

About AWARD:

• Category: Online Magic
• Event Location: Torino, Italy
• Event Dates: 14–19 July 2025
• Competitors: Jack Rhodes (UK), Jason Ladanye (US), Jason Maher (Australia), Mohammed Imani (Dubai)

CURRENT CONTEXT: “Meri Panchayat” app has won the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prizes 2025 Champion Award.

ABOUT MERI PANCHAYAT APP:

• Developed by Ministry of Panchayati Raj with National Informatics Centre (NIC).
• Aims to digitally empower 65 lakh Gram Panchayats and over 25 lakh elected representatives.

 KEY FEATURES:

• Real-time access to Panchayat budgets, Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs).
• Weather forecasting, social audit tools, and fund utilization data.
• Grievance redressal with geo-tagging and geo-fencing features.

CURRENT CONTEXT: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has recognized India as the global leader in fast payments. India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has become the number one real-time payment system, surpassing Visa.

 ABOUT UNIFIED PAYMENTS INTERFACE (UPI):

• Instant payment system developed by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
• Regulated by Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• Built over Immediate Payment Service (IMPS)

DIGITAL FOUNDATION OF UPI:

• Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY): Over 55 crore bank accounts opened.
• Aadhaar and Digital Identity: Enabled secure authentication.
• Connectivity and 5G Revolution: Enabled broad digital access.

UPI AS A GAME CHANGER:

• Digital Public Infrastructure: Open-source platform, unlike closed loop systems.
• Easy Integration: Supports both real-time and batch settlements.
• Interoperability: Enables user choice and easy market entry.
• Cross-border Transfers: Platform-based international payment solution.
• Global Expansion: Operational in Singapore, UAE, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, France, Namibia.

Supports Regional Languages in India for ease of access.

CURRENT CONTEXT: The resignation of Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar in 2025 has renewed focus on the election process and constitutional provisions regarding the post.

ELECTION PROCESS:

• Elected indirectly by an Electoral College consisting of member elected and nominated of both Houses of Parliament.
• Voting is by secret ballot through the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system.
• Candidate must secure a quota = (Total valid votes ÷ 2) + 1.

 ELIGIBILITY & TENURE:

• Must be a citizen of India, at least 35 years old, and qualified for Rajya Sabha
• Must not hold any office of profit.
• Term is 5 years, but the Vice-President continues in office until a successor is elected.
• Re-election is permitted.

 NOTABLE RESIGNATIONS:

• Jagdeep Dhankhar (2025) resigned to contest the Presidential election.
• V. Giri (1969) and R. Venkataraman (1987) also resigned mid-term for the same reason.

 CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS:

• Article 63 – Provides for a Vice-President
• Article 64 – Vice-President is ex-officio Chairperson of Rajya Sabha
• Article 65 – Acts as President during vacancies or absence
• Article 66 – Election procedure
• Article 67 – Term and conditions of office

Celebrated on 23 July every year,

Purpose : to commemorate the establishment of the Indian Broadcasting Company (IBC) in 1927, marking the beginning of organized radio broadcasting in India.

ABOUT THE DAY & BROADCASTER:

• 1923: First informal radio broadcast made by the Bombay Presidency Radio Club.
• 1927: Indian Broadcasting Company set up licensed radio stations in Bombay and Calcutta.
• 1930: Government nationalized broadcasting and renamed it the Indian State Broadcasting Service (ISBS).
• 1936: ISBS was renamed as All India Radio (AIR).
• 1956: AIR adopted the name Akashvani, based on a suggestion by poet Rabindranath Tagore.

ROLE & MILESTONES OF RADIO IN INDIA:

• Played a major role during the freedom struggle and post-independence in spreading education, health, literacy, and agricultural awareness.
• Key milestones:
  • 1957 – Launch of Vividh Bharati
  • 1977 – Start of FM broadcasting in Madras
  • 1997 – Creation of Prasar Bharati, India’s autonomous public broadcaster
  • 2000–2024 – Expansion of community radio, DTH platforms, digital broadcasting, and use of AI tools