Current Context: The central government launched NAVYA (Nurturing Aspirations through Vocational Training for Young Adolescent Girls) in Sonbhadra, UP, as a joint pilot by MWCD & MSDE aimed at skill-building in [16‑18]-year-old girls.

 ABOUT NAVYA INITIATIVE

• Target Group: Girls aged 16–18 with Class 10 qualification; focus on aspirational and North-Eastern districts.
• Ministries: Collaborative effort of Ministry of Women & Child Development and Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship.
• Training Focus: Vocational training in non-traditional sectors—graphic design, telecom, drone tech, solar PV, CCTV, smartphone assembly.
• Coverage: Pilot phase in 27 districts across 19 states, including aspirational regions.
• Objectives: Empower girls with skills, build confidence and self-reliance, support economic independence, promote gender parity in emerging fields.

Current Context: Maharashtra Cabinet approved ₹20,787 crore for land acquisition to expedite the 802 km Nagpur–Goa Shaktipeeth Expressway, though farmer opposition continues.

ABOUT SHAKTIPEETH EXPRESSWAY

• Length & Route:6 km access-controlled highway from Pavnar (Wardha) to Patradevi (Sindhudurg) linking 12 districts.
• Purpose: Connects Shakti Peethas and pilgrimage sites (e.g., Mahur, Tuljapur, Pandharpur); reduces travel time from ~18 hrs to ~8
• Budget: ₹20,787 crore for land acquisition, with ₹12,000 crore HUDCO loan; project cost estimated around ₹84,000 crore.
• Implementing Agency: Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC); designed like the Samruddhi Corridor.

Current Context: Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced Centre’s approval to establish Bihar’s first nuclear power plant under India’s new Small Modular Reactor (SMR)-based Nuclear Energy Mission.

ABOUT SMR-BASED NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

• Mission: Part of ₹20,000 crore Nuclear Energy Mission initiated in Union Budget 2025‑26.
• Technology: SMRs are compact, modular reactors offering safety, cost-effectiveness, and scalable deployment.
• Site: Bihar among six states selected; specific location and capacity being finalised; plant will use Phulwaria Dam waters.
• Significance: Addresses regional power deficits, energy security, and clean energy transition; supports Centre’s “power-for-all” goals.
• Support: Centre committed to full support; follows Bihar’s formal request.

Current Context: Gujarat became the first state to implement the Amended BharatNet Program under a state-led model, with ₹5,631 crore approved for rollout and ten-year O&M.

ABOUT AMENDED BHARATNET PROGRAM

• Genesis: Original BharatNet scheme for rural broadband; ABP approved in 2023 to improve delivery.
• Gujarat Pilot: Quadripartite MoU with central, state govt, BSNL & GFGNL; covers 14,287 GP hubs & 3,895 villages.
• Network Design: Ring topology optical-fibre network using IP-MPLS; routers at block and GP levels.
• Service Standards: ≥25 Mbps FTTH; 98% uptime; rural Wi‑Fi & institutional connections.
• O&M: 10-year operations and maintenance commitment under BharatNet Udyami model.
• Significance: Enables digital governance, rural connectivity, and inclusion across states.

Current Context: June 2025 marks 75 years since the Committee on Estimates was formed in 1950, celebrated by a national conference in Mumbai presided over by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

ABOUT COMMITTEE ON ESTIMATES

• Established: 1950 under Lok Sabha’s Rules of Procedure.
• Composition: 30 Lok Sabha members elected annually via proportional representation; ministers ineligible.
• Chairperson: Appointed by the Lok Sabha Speaker for a one-year term.
• Functions:
  •  Review budget estimates for economy and efficiency
  • Suggest alternative policies and improvements
  • Recommend format of parliamentary estimates
  • Submit reports to Lok Sabha; ministries must respond within 6 months.
• Significance: Largest financial oversight committee; has submitted over 1,000 reports influencing public policy in sectors like EVs, health, and defence.

India achieved milestone by securing a position among the top 100 countries in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Index.

• This ranking is part of the Sustainable Development Report, which evaluates the progress of nations in achieving the 17 SDGs established in 2015.
• India ranks 99^th out of 193 countries, scoring 67 points.

Relevant data of SDR  2025

• India’s Rank:99th out of 167 countries on the SDGi with a score of 67, marking India’s first entry into the top 100 (up from 109th in 2024).
• Comparisons:China 49th (74.4); USA 44th (75.2).
• Global Leaders:Finland (1st), Sweden (2nd), Denmark (3rd)—19 of the top 20 are European.
• Regional Movers:East & South Asia exhibit the fastest SDG advance since 2015, driven by socioeconomic gains (e.g., poverty reduction, education).
• Service Access Gains:Strong improvements in mobile broadband (SDG 9), electricity access (SDG 7), internet use (SDG 9), underfive mortality (SDG 3), and neonatal mortality (SDG 3).
• Setbacks:Five targets have regressed since 2015—obesity rate (SDG 2), press freedom (SDG 16), sustainable nitrogen management (SDG 2), biodiversity (Red List Index, SDG 15), and corruption perception (SDG 16).
• Multilateralism Ranking:Barbados (1), Jamaica (2), Trinidad & Tobago (3) top the list of countries most committed to UN multilateralism; among G20, Brazil leads at 25th, and among OECD Chile ranks highest at 7^th.

About the Sustainable Development Report 2025

• Publisher: UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
• Scope:Tracks 17 goals via 106 indicators; leverages over 200,000 datapoints.
• Innovations:
  • SDG Index (SDGi):One composite score per country.
  • Spillover Index:Measures how national policies affect other nations’ SDG progress.
• Purpose:Complements official UN indicators and Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) by offering independent rankings, timeseries analyses (2000–2025), and policy recommendations on financing and institutional reforms.

Commemorated every year on 26 June

• Objective : this day is dedicated to the eradication of torture and the support of victims
• Proclaimed by the UN General Assembly on 12 December 1997.
• Focuses on the effective functioning of the Convention Against Torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.

Observed every year on 26 June,

• Aim : To promote awareness of the harmful effects of drug abuse and encourages action for a drug-free society.
• Established by the United Nations General Assembly.
• Aims to strengthen global cooperation against illicit drug trafficking and abuse.

General Studies Paper-3

Context

• India has, for the first time, secured a position among the top 100 countries in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index.

About

• The Sustainable Development Report (SDR) reviews progress made each year on the Sustainable Development Goals since their adoption by the 193 UN Member States in 2015.
• This edition also includes for the first time an assessment of which countries have made the most progress on the SDGs using a headline SDG Index (SDGi).

Major Highlights

• Global Commitment through Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs): 190 out of 193 UN member states have participated in the VNR process since the adoption of Agenda 2030.
• Regional Trends in SDG Progress: East and South Asia is the fastest progressing region since 2015.
  • Drivers of progress: Rapid improvements in socioeconomic indicators.
• Top Performers in SDG Index: Finland, Sweden and Denmark hold the top three positions.
  • 19 out of the top 20 performers are European countries.
  • Challenges remain even for top countries — particularly in climate action and biodiversity goals.
• India ranked 99th out of 167 nations.
  • It places India with a score of 67 on the SDG Index, a significant improvement from its 109th rank in 2024.
  • Since the adoption of the SDGs, India has steadily improved its standing: it ranked 112th in 2023, 121st in 2022, and 120th in 2021.
• Among India’s neighbours, China ranks 49th (74.4), Bhutan ranks 74th (70.5), Nepal 85th (68.6), Bangladesh 114th (63.9), and Pakistan 140th (57).
  • Maritime neighbours Maldives and Sri Lanka stand at 53rd and 93rd places respectively.
• Global SDG Progress Remains Off-Track: None of the 17 SDGs are currently on track to be achieved globally by 2030.
  • Only 17% of SDG targets are on track worldwide.
  • Major obstacles: Conflicts, structural vulnerabilities, limited fiscal space.
• Notable progress seen in: SDG 3 (Health): Under-5 and neonatal mortality.
  • SDG 7: Access to electricity.
  • SDG 9: Mobile broadband use and internet access.
• It identified five areas of significant regression since 2015: obesity rates (SDG 2), press freedom (SDG 16), sustainable nitrogen management (SDG 2), the Red List Index measuring biodiversity loss (SDG 15), and the Corruption Perceptions Index (SDG 16).
• UN-Based Multilateralism Index (UN-Mi): Barbados ranks 1st – most committed to UN-based multilateralism.
  • The United States ranks last, following the withdrawal from Paris Climate Agreement (2025), Exit from World Health Organization (WHO) and Formal opposition to SDGs and Agenda 2030.
• Fiscal Constraints in Developing Countries: Around 50% of the global population lives in countries lacking fiscal capacity to invest in sustainable development.
  • Global public goods (like climate protection, global health, peace) remain underfunded.

Recommendations

• Need for Reform in Global Financial Architecture (GFA) as the current GFA favors wealthy nations with easier capital access.
• Proposes practical reforms to boost and align global financing toward SDGs and public goods.

Current Context: Recently, Thousands of devotees gather annually in mid‑June during monsoon for the Ambubachi Mela at Kamakhya Temple, Assam’s major Shakti worship event.

 ABOUT AMBUBACHI MELA:

• It is an annual Hindu fair held during Monsoon at the Kamakhya Temple in Assam.
• Kamakhya Temple is situated on the Nilachal Hills near Guwahati.
• Temple is one of the major centers for Tantric worship and is one of the biggest Shakti shrines.
• The festival symbolizes fertility, the arrival of the monsoon, and the traditional belief of the Earth as a fertile woman across cultures.