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

Observed annually on 24 July since 2014,

• Purpose: To honour professionals who manage heat dissipation in electronics and mechanical systems.
• Initiated by: Advanced Thermal Solutions (U.S.-based firm) in 2014.
• Importance: Thermal engineers ensure thermal safety in various high-performance technologies including consumer electronics, aerospace, automotive, biotech, and data centers.
• Applications: Vital for increasing reliability and lifespan of electronic components.

CURRENT CONTEXT: A traditional polyandrous marriage (‘Jajda’) was recently observed among the Hatti tribe in Himachal Pradesh.

 ABOUT HATTI TRIBE:

• Location: Trans-Giri region of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand (near Giri and Tons rivers).
• Name Origin: From traditional occupation—selling produce at local markets (‘Haat’).
• Status: Recognized Scheduled Tribe (ST).

 PRACTICE OF POLYANDRY:

• Type: A woman marries more than one man simultaneously.
• Local Recognition: Known as ‘Jodidara’ in revenue records.
• Purpose:
• Prevent division of ancestral land
• Preserve joint family unity and promote brotherhood
• Address demographic and resource constraints

CURRENT CONTEXT : The Government of Tamil Nadu has formally approved ₹1 crore for establishing India’s first Centre of Excellence for Hornbill Conservation at Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) in Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu, aiming to protect the Great Indian Hornbill and three other threatened hornbill species found in the Western Ghats.

ABOUT ANAMALAI TIGER RESERVE (ATR)

• Location: Situated in Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu, within the Western Ghats.
• Area: Covers around 1,480 sq km, comprising core and buffer zones with a mix of forested hills and plantation landscapes.
• Biodiversity:
  • Hosts over 250 species of birds, including:
    • Great Indian Hornbill
    • Malabar Grey Hornbill
    • Indian Grey Hornbill
    • Malabar Pied Hornbill
  • Rich in mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and butterflies endemic to the Western Ghats.

ABOUT THE CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR HORNBILL CONSERVATION

Key Objectives

• Research on hornbill ecology, breeding, movement, climate change impact, and genetics.
• Population monitoring and surveys of food and nesting trees.
• Habitat restoration using:
  • Sapling nurseries
  • Nest site protection
  • Installation of artificial nest boxes

Current Context: Tribal communities from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra gathered at Mangarh Dham to reiterate their demand for a separate Bhil Pradesh.

About the Mangarh Massacre:

• Also known as the “Adivasi Jallianwala” (Adivasi equivalent of Jallianwala Bagh).
• The Bhils, inspired by reformer Govindgiri, gathered to oppose forced labour, heavy taxes, and princely exploitation.
• On 17 November 1913, despite British orders to disperse by 15 November, the tribes remained, triggering a violent crackdown.
• Govindgiri and his deputy Punja Pargi were arrested; Govindgiri was later sentenced to life imprisonment.
• The site, now known as Mangarh Dham, was declared a national monument by the Government of India in 2022

Current Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Mangal Pandey marking his 198th birth anniversary, honouring him as a pivotal warrior of India’s First War of Independence .

 About Mangal Pandey:

• Born on 19 July 1827 in Nagwa, Ballia district, Uttar Pradesh.
• Served as a sepoy in the 34th Bengal Native Infantry of the East India Company.
• He fired at British officers on 29 March 1857 at Barrackpore, protesting the use of greased Enfield rifle cartridges offensive to Hindu and Muslim beliefs.
• His defiance is widely considered the spark that ignited the 1857 Revolt (First War of Independence).
• He was arrested and hanged on 8 April 1857.
• He is viewed as a symbol of resistance and national pride; India issued a postage stamp in his honour in 1984, and a park in Barrackpore is named after him