News In Short 15-01-2026

Kashi-Tamil Sangamam

Syllabus: GS1/Culture

Context

• PM Modi hailed the Kashi-Tamil Sangamam in strengthening cultural understanding, fostering academic and people-to-people exchanges and creating lasting bonds.

Kashi-Tamil Sangamam

• Organized by: Ministry of Education.
• Launched in: 2022.
• Kashi Tamil Sangamam 4.0 began on December 2, 2025, carrying forward the cultural and civilisational link between Tamil Nadu and Kashi.
• Universities: IIT Madras and Banaras Hindu University (BHU).
• Aim: To rediscover, reaffirm, and celebrate the age-old links between Tamil Nadu and Kashi.
  • It is in sync with NEP 2020’s emphasis on integrating the Indian Knowledge Systems with modern systems of knowledge.
  • It provides an opportunity for scholars, students, philosophers, and artists from the two regions to share their knowledge. 
  • It also aims to make the youth aware and experience cultural oneness.
• Both Kashi and Chennai have been recognised by UNESCO as ‘Creative Cities of Music’.

Source: TH

Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2024

Syllabus: GS3/Economy

Context

• NITI Aayog released the Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2024.

About

• It is a comprehensive assessment of export readiness across India’s states and union territories. 
• The first edition of the EPI was published in 2020 and this is the 4th edition.
• EPI provides an evidence-based framework to evaluate the strength, resilience, and inclusiveness of sub-national export ecosystems.

• Top Performers: In 2024, Maharashtra, along with Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, are leading performers among large states.
  • Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Nagaland, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, and Goa are listed as leading performers in the category of small states, northeastern states and union territories. 

Source: AIR

Jathiya Devi

Syllabus: GS1/Places/GS3/Infrastructure

In News

• Recently, Jathiya Devi has been identified for an ambitious urban development project to be executed by the Himachal Pradesh Housing and Urban Development Authority (HIMUDA). 

About 

• Jathiya Devi is Located about 14 km from Shimla city and derives its name from the existence of an old Jathiya Devi shrine in the area.
• The project is envisioned as a planned satellite mountain township to ease pressure on Shimla, create new economic hubs, and promote sustainable, disaster-resilient urban growth.
• Concerns: The Social Impact Assessment (SIA) acknowledges possible displacement and loss of assets such as temples, schools, shops, canals, and homes, but highlights benefits including employment, improved services, economic integration, skill development, and environmental sustainability.

Source :IE

Kuki-Zo Council and Demand for Union Territory

Syllabus: GS2/Governance; GS3/Internal Security

Context

• The Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), the apex civil body representing the Kuki-Zo people, has reiterated its demand for the creation of a Union Territory for Kuki-Zo tribes in Manipur.

Background

• An ethnic conflict erupted in May 2023 between:
  • The Meitei community, which predominantly inhabits the Imphal Valley, and
  • The Kuki-Zo community, which largely resides in the surrounding hill areas.
• The conflict was triggered by the Meitei demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, which was opposed by the Kuki-Zo groups due to concerns over land rights and political representation.
• The Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) was formed in October 2024, following nearly 18 months of violence (2023–2025), during which the Kuki-Zo community alleged bias.

Who are the Kuki-Zo Groups?

• The Kuki-Zo people are an ethnic community spread across Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Assam, and Myanmar.
• They share close ethnic and cultural ties with other Chin–Mizo groups of Myanmar and Mizoram.
• Since the 1980s–90s, several Kuki-Zo insurgent groups have emerged, primarily demanding:
  • Greater autonomy and self-determination,
  • Protection of tribal land and rights, and
  • In some cases, separate statehood.

Source: TH

Kurinji Rajkumar

Syllabus:GS3/Environment

In News

• G. Rajkumar, a former bank employee and environmentalist known as “Kurinji Rajkumar,” passed away in Thiruvananthapuram. 

Neelakurinji

• It is a purplish flowering shrub, which blooms once in 12 years in the hills of the Western Ghats and Himalayan hills.
  • It is said that Nilgiris gets its name due to the magical blue hue imparted by these stunning flowers. 
• It is an endemic shrub species seen only in the natural high-altitude montane grasslands of southwest India, with an altitude ranging from 1,340 to 2,600 m.
• It is predominately found in the valley of Western Ghats and Nilgiri Hills of South India (Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu)
• It has most recently been assessed for The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2024 and listed as Vulnerable emphasising the need for its conservation.”

Major Contributions  of “Kurinji Rajkumar,”

• He was the driving force behind the Save Kurinji Campaign, which played a key role in raising awareness about the conservation of the Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) and its fragile grassland ecosystem.
• His commitment began after witnessing the mass flowering in 1982, leading to treks and awareness efforts that evolved into a major environmental movement.
• He later focused on campaigns in the Munnar region, culminating in the establishment of the 32-sq km Neelakurinji Sanctuary in 2006, fulfilling his lifelong dream.

Source :TH