News In Short 02-08-2025

Arya Samaj Marriages

Syllabus: GS1/Society

Context

• The Allahabad High Court has asked the Uttar Pradesh government to probe how fake Arya Samaj Societies are operating across the state, conducting marriages without verifying age and violating the anti-conversion law.

Arya Samaj Marriage

• Arya Samaj was founded by Swami Dayanand Saraswati in 1875 as a Hindu reformist movement.
• It promoted inter-caste and interfaith marriages and allowed conversions through a “shuddhi” (purification) ritual.
• The Arya Marriage Validation Act, 1937 legally recognised such marriages, even between different castes or religions, if both parties declared themselves Arya Samajis.

Why Do Couples Prefer It?

• Arya Samaj weddings are quick, simple, and legally recognised under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 (for Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs).
  • People from other religions can marry by first converting through a quick shuddhi ritual.
  • Unlike the Special Marriage Act (SMA), Arya Samaj weddings do not require a 30-day public notice, helping couples avoid harassment.
• Why It’s Controversial Now: Many states (like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh) have passed anti-conversion laws requiring: Pre- and post-conversion declarations, A 60-day notice, Official inquiries.
  • These rules clash with Arya Samaj’s informal conversion process, making such marriages potentially illegal.
  • Courts have found that some Arya Samaj organisations solemnised child marriages, used fake documents, or ignored conversion laws.
• The Supreme Court and several High Courts have questioned the legality of these marriages, with investigations ordered.

Source: IE

PM National Dialysis Programme

Syllabus: GS2/ Welfare Scheme

In Context

• The Government of India has significantly expanded the reach of the Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme (PMNDP), with the initiative now operational across all 36 States and Union Territories, covering 751 districts.

Burden of ESRD in India

• About 2.2 lakh new cases of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are diagnosed annually, creating a demand for nearly 3.4 crore dialysis sessions each year. The high cost of dialysis can cause severe financial distress, particularly for families living below the poverty line (BPL).

PM National Dialysis Programme (PMNDP) 

• About: It is a flagship scheme under the National Health Mission (NHM) that offers free dialysis services to economically vulnerable patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD).
• Launched: April 2016, as part of the Union Budget 2016–17.
• Ministry: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• Objectives: To provide equitable and affordable dialysis care, reduce the financial burden on BPL families, and strengthen renal-care infrastructure.
• Service Components: 
  • Hemodialysis (HD): Dialysis centers are established at district hospitals to provide HD to patients.
  • Peritoneal Dialysis (PD): Expanding access to PD for those who cannot avail of HD.

Source: PIB

Sikkim Becomes 1st State to Launch Sabbatical Leave Scheme for Govt Employees

Syllabus: GS2/ Governance

Context

• Sikkim has become the first state in India to implement a Sabbatical Leave Scheme for government employees.

About

• Introduced in August 2023, the scheme aimed at empowering the workforce by providing time for personal and professional development without sacrificing job security.
• The policy allows regular state government employees who have completed at least five years of continuous service to avail of leave from 365 days up to a maximum of 1,080 days while receiving 50% of their basic pay during their absence.
  • The scheme preserves their seniority, ensuring continuity in service, and the government retains the right to recall the employee with one month’s notice. 
• Temporary employees become eligible after six months of continuous service, with the same structural provisions in place. 

Recent Reforms in the Scheme 

• Delegation of Approval Authority:
  • Group A & B: Require approval from the Secretary, Personnel Department.
  • Group C & D (including temporary staff): Leave can now be granted by Heads of Departments.
• This decentralisation streamlines processes and accelerates decision-making.

Source: AIR

India Post Payments Bank (IPPB)

Syllabus :GS3/Economy  

In News

• Recently, India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has launched a nationwide Aadhaar-based Face Authentication facility for customer transactions, enhancing secure, inclusive, and accessible banking—especially for the elderly and differently-abled. 

India Post Payments Bank (IPPB)

• It has been established under the Department of Posts, Ministry of Communication with 100% equity owned by the Government of India.
•  IPPB was launched on September 1, 2018. 

Mandate 

• Its mission is to provide accessible, affordable, and trusted banking to the unbanked and underbanked, using India’s vast postal network of around 1.65 lakh post offices and 3 lakh postal employees.
• It is Built on India Stack and offers paperless, cashless, and presence-less banking through biometric-enabled smartphones, delivering services at customers’ doorsteps.

Relevance 

• It serves 11 crore customers across 5.57 lakh villages and towns in 13 languages and it supports Digital India and financial inclusion, emphasizing that every customer, transaction, and deposit matters.
• It aims to promote dignified and barrier-free banking through this initiative, aligning with its mission “Aapka Bank, Aapke Dwaar.”

PIB

BlueBird Communications Satellite

Syllabus: GS3/Space 

In News

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch Block 2 BlueBird communication satellite in next  three to four months

About the BlueBird communications satellite

• The BlueBird communications satellite is developed by the U.S.-based AST SpaceMobile.
• It weighs 6,500 kg and is expected to arrive in India by September. 
• It will be launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota using ISRO’s most powerful launcher, the LVM3, previously known as the GSLV-Mk III.

Source :TH

PSLV-C61/EOS-09 Mission

Syllabus :GS3/Space 

In News

• ISRO Chief V. Narayanan confirmed that a minor issue in the third stage caused the failure of the PSLV-C61/EOS-09 mission in May.
  • Despite a successful launch, the satellite was not placed in its intended orbit.

PSLV-C61/EOS-09 mission

• EOS-09 is an earth observation satellite which is expected to boost India’s surveillance capabilities in all-weather conditions.
  • The mission aimed to  place the EOS-09 into a Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit.  
• It is equipped with C-band synthetic aperture radar enabling capturing of high-resolution images of the Earth’s surface under all-weather conditions 24/7.
• It was designed to provide continuous and reliable remote sensing data for operational applications across various sectors. 
• It carried a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload capable of providing images for various earth observation applications under all-weather conditions.

Source :TH

Human Outer Planet Exploration (HOPE)

Syllabus: GS3/Space

Context

• To prepare for future manned missions to the Moon and possibly Mars, Bengaluru-based space science organisation Protoplanet has launched the Human Outer Planet Exploration (HOPE) initiative at Tso Kar, Ladakh.

About HOPE

• It is a high-altitude research station designed to simulate deep space environments on Earth. 
• Selected crew members will undertake 10-day isolation missions to test human adaptability and resilience.
• The mission includes physiological, psychological, and epigenetic studies to aid long-duration space travel.
• Tso Kar’s cold desert and high-altitude conditions closely mimic the environment of the Moon and Mars. The location was researched for nearly nine years before setup.

Do you know?

• Similar to HOPE, there are research stations such as the Mars Desert Station (United States), Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station in Canada and BIOS-3 in Russia which look to simulate the challenges that astronauts might face in adapting to alien worlds. 

Source: TH

National Film Awards

Syllabus: Miscellaneous

Context

• The 71st National Film Awards were announced.

About

• The best male actor award was shared by Shah Rukh Khan for Jawan and Vikrant Massey for 12th Fail.
• 12th Fail won the best feature film award. 
• Rani Mukerji was awarded the best female actor for her role in Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway.

National Film Awards

• The National Film Awards (NFA) were established in 1954 to promote cinematic excellence in India.
• They are presented every year by the Government to celebrate excellence in filmmaking. 
  • These awards recognise the best films, performances, and technical achievements across various languages and genres. 
• Eligibility: Films certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) between January 1 and December 31 of the previous year are eligible.
• The awards are announced by a jury appointed by the Directorate of Film Festivals and are presented by the President of India. 
• The first Best Actor and Best Actress awards were given to Uttam Kumar and Nargis, respectively, in 1968.
  • The Best Actress award was initially called ‘Urvashi’ and the Best Actor award was called ‘Bharat’.

Source: PIB

Patalpani-Kalakund Line

Syllabus: GS1/ History and Culture

Context

• Western Railway has resumed operations of the 9.5 km metre-gauge heritage train on the 155-year-old Patalpani–Kalakund line in Madhya Pradesh, after a brief suspension due to reduced tourist footfall.

About the Line

• Located on the Dr. Ambedkar Nagar (Mhow)–Khandwa section, the Patalpani–Kalakund line lies in the heart of Madhya Pradesh’s hilly terrain.
• History: Maharaja Tukoji Rao Holkar II, who reigned from 1844 to 1886, proposed the construction of a railway line from Indore to Khandwa, which would include the Patalpani-Kalakund section. 
• The project was completed in 1878, and called the Holkar State Railways which, in 1881-82, was merged with the Rajputana-Malwa Railway.

Source: IE