Celebrated every year on 26 August

• Aim : to reflect on the progress made toward gender equality and to advocate for continued efforts to achieve full equality for women in all areas of life.
• This day commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which granted the women right to vote.
• In 1971, the U.S. Congress officially recognized August 26 as Women’s Equality Day.

Current Context : Residents of the Gunehad panchayat of Kangra opposed the implementation of Special Area Development Authority (SADA) in the village.

ABOUT SPECIAL AREA DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (SADA)

• It is an Indian government body tasked with the development and planning of specific regions, often to address unique local needs or challenges.
• Objectives : enhancing infrastructure, promoting economic growth, and improving living conditions of a specific area.

Current Context : Three-day Ladarcha festival, started at the scenic Kaza in Lahaul and Spiti district.

• This festival has provided a platform for self-help groups (SHGs) to showcase natural products crafted under the JICA Forestry Project.

ABOUT LADARCHA FESTIVAL

• The La Darcha Fair held every year in Lahaul and Spiti district.
• It offers a glimpse into the undiscovered and unspoiled culture, artifacts, handicrafts and a myriad of other exquisite goods produced in these regions.
• Traders from Ladakh, Rampur Busher and Spiti meet in this fair to barter  their produce.
• The fair features three stalls dedicated to traditional and natural goods, including Spiti’s clothing, Sherma tea and juice, carpets, dried apples and other local products.

Current Context : Recently, the Public Works Department (PWD) decided to install a bailey bridge on the Swan river in Rampur village of Una district.

• It connects Una district headquarters to Santoshgarh.

About Swan River

• District Una is situated on the bank of Swan River.
• It flows from North to West direction.
• It is a tributary of the Sutlej river.
• During monsoon period Swan river creates devastating floods in District Una.
• The width of the river had increased, and fertile land situated on both banks was turning barren due to silt deposits.

Current Context : U.S. and South Korean troops have begun a large-scale exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield 24.

• Aimed at strengthening their combined defense capabilities against nuclear-armed North Korea.
• Exercise include both computer-simulated war games and more than 40 kinds of field exercises, including live-fire drills.

Current Context : Chief Minister of Maharashtra Eknath Shinde inaugurated the first ‘Solar Village’ in the state.

• The Manyachiwadi village in the Patan Taluka of Satara district has become the first ‘Solar Village’ in Maharashtra.
• It is an initiative aimed at providing 100 per cent solar-powered electricity to 100 villages
• With 102 rooftop solar connections, every household in the village—which has a population of 420—will now have zero-amount electricity bills.

Current Context : At least one man died and six people are missing after a luxury yacht sank was hit by a violent storm off the coast of Sicily, Italy.

ABOUT WATER SPROUT

• A waterspout is a rotating column of air that occurs over a body of water, usually appearing as a funnel-shaped cloud in contact with the water and a cumuliform cloud.
• Mostly forms in tropical and subtropical areas.

TWO TYPES OF WATER SPOUT

• “Fair weather” or “non-tornadic” waterspout : usually form along the dark flat base of a line of developing cumulus clouds.
• Classic tornado “tornadic”, “supercellular”, or “mesocyclonic” waterspout : form over water, or move from land to water.

Current Context : The Dhangar community, a pastoral and nomadic tribal group in Maharashtra, demanding a “grazing corridor” for their sheep and goats.

ABOUT DHANGAR COMMUNITY

• The Dhangar community, a pastoral and nomadic tribal group in Maharashtra.
• The Dhangars are renowned for their migratory shepherding practices and traditionally traverse vast distances to ensure the sustenance of their flocks.
• They are recognized as Scheduled Tribes (ST) or Other Backward Classes (OBC) in various states,
• Community is concentrated in Buldhana, Latur, Amravati, and Yavatmal, Vidarbha in Maharashtra.
• Besides Maharashtra, they live in Gujarat, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh, as well, and are known by other names such as Golla and Kuruba

Current Context : India and Japan reviewed bilateral cooperation during the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in New Delhi.

• Ministers explored new initiatives to further strengthen the engagements between the two countries.
• They also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.

ABOUT “2+2” DIALOGUE

• It was initiated to further deepen bilateral security and defence cooperation and bring greater depth to the special strategic and global partnership between the two countries.
• The “2+2” format involves two ministers from each country—typically the foreign and defense ministers—discussing strategic, security, and bilateral issues.
• India has the “2+2” Ministerial format of dialogue with very few countries, including the United States, Australia, Japan and Russia.

Current Context : Indian brand Amul has been ranked as the world’s strongest food brand and the strongest dairy brand, according to Brand Finance, UK annual report titled ‘Food & Drink 2024’.

• According to the report, Amul has risen from the second rank in 2023 to become the world’s strongest food brand in 2024, with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 0 out of 100 and an AAA+ rating.

ABOUT AMUL

• It is the world’s largest milk cooperative company in the world.
• Products including milk, butter, cheese, ice cream, and more.
• Established in 1946
• Headquartered in Anand, Gujarat,
• Managed by the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF).