Current Context : Uttar Pradesh government, in collaboration with Indian Railways, launched India’s first Vistadome Jungle Safari Train, connecting Dudhwa and Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuaries.

ABOUT the Safari Train

• Objective:
  • Promote eco-tourism and wildlife education
  • Support local employment and biodiversity awareness
• Initiative: Part of “One Destination, Three Forests” project by Uttar Pradesh Eco-Tourism Board.
• Route: 107 km
• Stations Covered: Includes Dudhwa, Palia Kalan, Tikunia, among 9 total stops.
• Forests Covered:
  • Dudhwa National Park
  • Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary
  • Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary

Current Context : China is set to launch its ambitious Tianwen-2 mission on May 29, 2025, aiming to collect samples from the near-Earth asteroid 469219 Kamoʻoalewa.

ABOUT Tianwen-2 Mission

• Launch Vehicle: Long March 3B/E
• Launch Site: Xichang Satellite Launch Center
• Mission Duration: ~10 years
• Target Object: Asteroid 469219 Kamo‘oalewa
  • Quasi-satellite discovered in 2016.
  • Appears to orbit Earth due to its unique orbit.
  • Believed to be made of lunar material ejected via collision.
• Mission Objectives:
  • Survey asteroid surface.
  • Return samples (≥100g) to Earth.
  • Continue to main asteroid belt for comet 311P/PANSTARRS study.

Current Context : Tamil Nadu became the third Indian state (after Gujarat and Karnataka) to approve a dedicated Space Industrial Policy, targeting ₹10,000 crore investment and 10,000 jobs.

ABOUT IN-SPACe

• Full Form: Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center.
• Type: Single-window, autonomous agency under the Department of Space (DoS).
• Purpose: Enables and authorizes non-governmental entities (NGEs) in:
  • Facilitate the development of launch vehicles and satellites by private entities.
  • Use of ISRO/DoS infrastructure
  • Space-based services
• Function:
  • Interface between ISRO and private players
  • Facilitates innovation, academic partnerships, and space-tech incubation.
• Headquarters: Bopal, Ahmedabad.
• Space Bay Plan: Similar to Florida’s Space Coast, spanning Thoothukudi, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Virudhunagar.

Current Context : Prime Minister recently visited the Karni Mata Temple in Deshnoke, Rajasthan, emphasizing its religious and cultural importance.

About Karni Mata Temple

• Location: Deshnoke town, 30 km from Bikaner, Rajasthan.
• Deity: Dedicated to Karni Mata, believed to be an incarnation of Goddess Durga.
• Historical Background:
  • Built by Rao Jaitasi, to commemorate the victory of the Bikaner King over Mughal King Kumaran.
  • Present structure completed under Maharaja Ganga Singh of Bikaner.
• Religious Sect: Belongs to Shakta Sampradaya.
• Unique Feature:
  • Inhabited by over 25,000 rats (kābā) which are considered sacred.
  • White rats are seen as manifestations of Karni Mata and her family.
  • Despite the vast rat population, no plague outbreak has ever been recorded.
• Architecture: Carved marble façade with silver doors showing legends of Karni Mata.
• Festivals: Major fairs are held twice a year during Navratri (March-April & September-October).

Current Context: The Solan Municipal Corporation secured the top rank in the Swachh Shehar–Samridh Shehar rankings among the eight municipal corporations in Himachal Pradesh.

ABOUT SWACHH SHEHAR RANKING

• Rankings (State Level – Himachal Pradesh)

1. Solan – 1st position
2. Dharamsala – 2nd position
3. Palampur – 3rd position

• Objective
• Part of Urban Cleanliness initiatives
• Aims to promote sustainable sanitation and municipal performance benchmarking
• Organising Authority
• Conducted under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India
• Part of the broader Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban

Current Context: India has surpassed Japan to become the fourth-largest economy globally, as per the IMF’s World Economic Outlook (April 2025).

ABOUT INDIA’S ECONOMIC RANKING

• ❖ Global GDP Ranking (2025)

1. USA: $30.51 trillion
2. China: $19.23 trillion
3. Germany: $4.74 trillion
4. India: $4.187 trillion
5. Japan: $4.186 trillion
6. UK: $3.38 trillion

• Economic Forecast
• India’s GDP (FY 2026): Estimated at $4,187.017 billion
• Japan’s GDP (FY 2026): Estimated at $4,186.431 billion
• Source: IMF World Economic Outlook (April 2025)
• Growth Projections
• 2025:2%
• 2026:3%

Current Context: Indian shooter Kanak Budhwar won gold in the women’s 10m air pistol event at the ISSF Junior World Cup 2025 held in Suhl, Germany.

Event Details

• Event: ISSF Junior World Cup 2025
• Location: Suhl, Germany
• Category: Women’s 10-metre air pistol

Current Context: Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand has inaugurated its first community radio station, Panchshul Pulse, launched by Lt. Gen. Anindya Sengupta of the Indian Army’s Central Command.

ABOUT PANCHSHUL PULSE RADIO STATION

• Located in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand.
• Tagline: “Hill se Dil Tak”, highlighting emotional and cultural connection with locals.

Purpose & Significance

• An initiative under the Indian Army in collaboration with the Vibrant Villages Programme of the Government of India.
• Named after the Panchshul mountain range, symbolizing community strength.
• Aims to promote connectivity, development, and unity in border areas.

Community Engagement

• Acts as a bridge between Army, civil administration, and local population.
• Promotes goodwill, national integration, and public participation.
• Content in local dialects, with discussions on community issues.

Current Context: The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) invited applications under the “Scheme for Creation of Infrastructure for Agro Processing Clusters” (APC) as part of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY).

About PMKSY:

• Launch Year:2017
• Type:Central Sector Scheme
• Objective:To create modern infrastructure with efficient supply chain management from farm gate to retail outlet.

Key Components:

• Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure
• Creation of Infrastructure for Agro Processing Clusters (APC)
• Creation/Expansion of Food Processing and Preservation Capacities
• Operation Greens
• Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme

About Scheme for Creation of Infrastructure for Agro Processing Clusters (APC):

• Objective: To develop modern infrastructure and common facilities to encourage groups of entrepreneurs to set up food processing units based on a cluster approach.
• Features:
• Financial Assistance:Credit-linked grants-in-aid for establishing food processing projects.
• Infrastructure Support:Development of basic infrastructure like roads, water supply, power supply, effluent treatment plants, etc.
• Common Facilities:Establishment of common facilities such as testing laboratories, cold storage, warehousing, packaging, etc.

Current Context: Supreme Court delivered a landmark judgment in the case of K. Umadevi v. Government of Tamil Nadu, affirming that maternity leave is an essential component of a woman’s reproductive rights, thereby reinforcing the constitutional and human rights of working women.

About:

Background of the Case:

• The petitioner, a government school teacher in Tamil Nadu, was denied maternity leave for her third child, citing the state’s policy limiting benefits to women with only two children.
• The Madras High Court’s Division Bench upheld this denial, leading to an appeal in the Supreme Court.

Supreme Court’s Ruling:

• The Supreme Court set aside the High Court’s decision, stating that maternity leave is not merely a matter of social justice or fairness but a fundamental right tied to human dignity and constitutional protections.
• The Court emphasized that reproductive rights are integral to personal liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution and cannot be overridden by state policies aimed at population control.

Constitutional and Human Rights Implications:

• The judgment reinforces a woman’s right to reproductive choice, linking it to the right to health, privacy, dignity, and equality.
• It underscores the government’s duty to ensure gender justice and workplace equality, aligning with international human rights standards.

Key Provisions:

Maternity Leave:

• 26 weeks of paid leave for women with less than two surviving children.
• 12 weeks for women with two or more children.

Adoptive and Commissioning Mothers:

• 12 weeks of maternity leave for women who adopt a child below the age of three months and for commissioning mothers (biological mothers who use surrogacy).

Crèche Facility:

• Mandatory for establishments with 50 or more employees to provide a crèche facility within a prescribed distance.
• Work from Home: Provision for work-from-home options post maternity leave, based on mutual agreement between employer and employee.