Abathsahayeswarar Temple
Syllabus: GS1/Art and Culture
In News
- The 12th-century Abathsahayeswarar Temple at Thukkachi was restored after decades of neglect.
Abathsahayeswarar Temple
- It is situated at Thukkachi, near Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu.
- It is one of the most significant monuments of the later Chola period—closely associated with Kulotunga I and Vikrama Chola
- It is designed as a Kara Kovil—a temple conceived in the form of a chariot
- It also houses the idol of Lord Sarabeshwarar which is considered one of the oldest depictions of the deity.
Temple’s restoration
- The temple’s restoration earned the UNESCO Asia Pacific Award of Distinction (2024) for its attempt to maintain the temple’s heritage while reinforcing its structural integrity.
- The project combined traditional temple building practices (Sthapatya Veda, Agama Shastra, lime mortars) with modern technologies like drone surveys, digital mapping, photogrammetry and structural engineering.
- Every granite block was numbered, disassembled and then reassembled in its original position to preserve historical authenticity.
Source :TH
Jagannath Rath Yatra
Syllabus: GS1/Culture
Context
- The world-famous Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath has commenced in Puri, Odisha.
About Rath Yatra
- Known by several names, including Gundicha Jatra, Ghosa Jatra and Navadina Jatra, the Rath Yatra is a significant Hindu festival dedicated to Lord Jagannath, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
- During the annual Rath Yatra festival, Lord Jagannath and his two siblings – elder brother Lord Balabhadra and younger sister Devi Subhadra – give darshan to devotees from their chariots and travel to the Gundicha Temple, revered as the maternal aunt’s abode of Lord Jagannath.
- The Yatra begins from the Jagannath Temple in Puri and concludes at the Shree Gundicha Temple.
- The deities will stay at the Gundicha Temple for nine days before returning to the Jagannath Temple on the same chariots during the Bahuda Yatra, also known as the return car festival.
- Beyond Puri, the Jagannath Rath Yatra is also celebrated with equal religious fervour across several states, including Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, drawing large crowds of devotees who participate in ceremonial chariot processions and prayers.
Jagannath Puri Temple
- Shree Jagannath Puri Temple is one of the most impressive monuments of the State of Odisha.
- The temple was built in the 12th Century AD by King Anatavarman Chodaganga Deva of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty.
- Jagannath Puri temple is called ‘Yamanika Tirtha’ where, according to the Hindu beliefs, the power of ‘Yama’, the god of death has been nullified in Puri due to the presence of Lord Jagannath, popularly known as Lord Krishna.
- It is one of the Dhammas (Holiest of the holy place) out of four Dhamas i.e. Puri, Dwarika, Badrinath & Rameswar, in India.
- This temple was called the “White Pagoda” and is a part of Char Dham pilgrimages (Badrinath, Dwaraka, Puri, Rameswaram).
Architectural Features of the Temple
- The entire temple complex is enclosed within two concentric walls, the Kuruma Bheda (Inner wall) and the Meghnad Pachira (Wall).
- There are four gates to the temple- Eastern ‘Singhdwara’ which is the main gate with two crouching lions, Southern ‘Ashwadwara’, Western ‘Vyaghra Dwara’ and Northern ‘Hastidwara’. There is a carving of each form at each gate.
- The main entrance to the temple is through Singhadwara located on the Eastern Front of the temple with three other entrances along with the four cardinal directions.
- The Nilachakra or the Blue wheel perched on top of the temple is made of eight metals or ashtadhatu.
- The Aruna stambha, the 33 ft monolith structure pillar in front of the Singhadwar or the main entrance of the temple was originally located at the Sun Temple, Konark.
Source: AIR
Ravidassias Community
Syllabus: GS1/ Indian Society; GS2/ Polity
Context
- The Ravidassia community has renewed its demand for recognition of a separate “Ravidassia religion” category in the Census, arguing that it has evolved into a distinct religious identity.
Who are the Ravidassias?
- Guru Ravidas was a 15th–16th century Bhakti Movement saint, mystic poet, and social reformer who advocated equality, social justice, and devotion beyond caste distinctions.
- He created the concept of Begampura — an egalitarian society and a spiritual vision of a city without sorrow, fear or discrimination.
- Ravidassias are followers of Guru Ravidas and predominantly belong to the Dalit community.
- The largest concentration of Ravidassias is found in the Doaba region of Punjab, particularly in the districts of Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshahr).
Dera Sachkhand Ballan
- Dera Sachkhand Ballan, located near Jalandhar, is the most influential religious institution of the Ravidassia community.
- It was founded in the early 20th century by Baba Sant Pipal Das.
- The dera was historically associated with Sikhism but formally declared the Ravidassia religion in 2010, following the 2009 Vienna attack on its religious leaders.
- It serves as the spiritual and organisational centre of the Ravidassia faith.
Source: IE
Tibetan Plateau
Syllabus: GS1/ Geography
Context
- Geoscientists at the University of Glasgow have helped reveal new evidence about the formation of the Tibetan Plateau.
About Tibetan Plateau
- The Tibetan Plateau (also known as the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, Qingzang Plateau, or Himalayan Plateau) is the highest and largest plateau in the world.
- It is also referred to as the “Roof of the World” or the “Third Pole”.
- Spanning approximately 2.5 million square kilometers across Central, South, and East Asia, it sits at an average elevation of over 4,500 meters above sea level.
- It is surrounded by high mountain ranges, including the Hindu Kush to the west, the Himalayas to the south, the Kunlun Mountains to the north, and the Qilian Mountains to the northeast.
- It is the source of ten major Asian rivers, including the Indus, Brahmaputra, Yangtze, Yellow, Mekong and Salween, supporting billions of people.
- It strongly influences the Asian Monsoon and the global atmospheric circulation by acting as an elevated heat source during summer.
Source: DTE
Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme (MPMS)
Syllabus: GS3/Economy
In News
- The Union Cabinet approved a new Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme (MPMS) with a budgetary outlay of ₹62,500 crore.
Background
- The Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme (MPMS) is based on the success of the PLI Scheme for Large Scale Electronics Manufacturing (2020-2026)
- The Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Large Scale Electronics Manufacturing (PLI-LSEM) has played a transformative role in establishing India as a global hub for mobile manufacturing and exports.
- The tenure of PLI-LSEM ended on 31st March 2026.
Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme (MPMS)
- It aims to scale up mobile manufacturing and improve global competitiveness.
- It is a five-year scheme, which will run from FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31.
- Features : It provides incentive support ranging from 2.25 per cent to 5 per cent on eligible sales of mobile phones manufactured in India.
- Manufacturers will also receive an additional incentive of up to 1.5 per cent for increased domestic sourcing of key components and sub-assemblies.
- It offers an additional 3 per cent incentive on eligible sales for companies investing in product design, research and development, and the creation of Indian brands.
- Objectives: It aims to deepen domestic value addition, strengthen supply chains, boost exports and consolidate India’s position as a global electronics manufacturing hub.
- It is expected to generate cumulative mobile phone production worth around ₹39 lakh crore during its tenure, significantly increase exports and create approximately 60,000 direct jobs.
Do you know?
- The electronics manufacturing sector has also emerged as a major employer, especially for young men and women from far flung villages, with a few plants employing more than 5,000 employees at a single location.
- Mobile phone manufacturing has been the key driver of this growth and has emerged as the anchor of India’s electronics manufacturing ecosystem.
- India is now the world’s second-largest mobile phone manufacturer by volume, with 99.2% of mobile phones used in India being manufactured domestically.
- Smartphones have emerged as the single largest exported product category from India in 2025, surpassing traditional leading export items such as diesel fuel and cut diamonds.
- Mobile phones now constitute a major share of India’s electronics production and exports and are playing a critical role in strengthening India’s position in global value chains.
Source :DD.
Codex Alimentarius Commission
Syllabus: GS3/Food Safety
Context
- The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) has adopted seven Codex standards and guidelines developed under India’s chairmanship and co-chairmanship.
- The Commission has also approved India’s proposal to undertake new work for the development of a Codex Standard for Cashew Kernels.
Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC)
- The Codex Alimentarius, or “Food Code” is a collection of standards, guidelines and codes of practice adopted by the CAC.
- Codex standards ensure that food is safe and can be traded.
- It is an intergovernmental food standards body, set up in 1963. The term “Codex Alimentarius” is Latin for “Food Code.“
- It was established jointly by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), within the framework of the Joint Food Standards Programme.
- Objective: To protect consumer’s health and ensure fair practices in the food trade.
- Members: Currently, 189 members (188 UN member countries and the European Union).
- The Commission meets in regular session once a year alternating between Geneva and Rome.
- India became a member in 1964.
Source: PIB
Muricatacin
Syllabus: GS3/Science and Technology
Context
- The researchers were able to synthesize muricatacin in the laboratory in an easy and more efficient manner by converting other fatty acids.
About
- Conversion of Fatty Acids: Straight-chain carbon compounds like fatty acids are some of the most commonly available chemicals in nature.
- On the other hand, many of the biologically-relevant organic compounds, including several drugs, have ring-shaped molecular structures.
- Scientists often go through a multi-step process to convert the easily-available fatty acids into more useful molecules with a variety of applications.
- Muricatacin: Researchers used their new method to synthesize more than 10 biologically and industrially relevant molecules including a molecule called muricatacin.
- Muricatacin is naturally found in Laxman phal (soursop) and is believed to have anti-cancer properties.
- Extracting muricatacin from naturally-occurring substances is considered extremely difficult and inefficient.
- Only about 15 mg of muricatacin is obtained from about 15 kg of plant material, and that too is mixed with other substances.
- The researchers were able to synthesize muricatacin in the laboratory in an easy and more efficient manner by converting other fatty acids.
- They were then able to modify this compound in such a manner that it exhibited anti-cancer properties comparable to muricatacin obtained from natural plants.
Source: IE
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