News in Short – 6 October, 2025

150th anniversary of Vande Matram

Syllabus: GS1/ Culture

In Context

• The Union Cabinet announced nationwide celebration of the 150th anniversary of the national song ‘Vande Mataram’.

About

• Vande Mataram composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in Sanskrit and first appeared in the novel Anandamath  (1882).
• Its first public recital by Rabindranath Tagore at the 1896 INC session gave it national exposure.
• The national song has equal status with Jana Gana Mana, as declared by a 1950 Presidential order. 
• Article 51A(a) mandates respect for the anthem but not for a national song, indicating a sensitive balance.
• The song was a rallying cry for anti-colonial revolutionaries and a symbol of collective resolve during the independence movement.

Source: IE

Schedule M Norms

Syllabus: GS2/ Health

In News

• The Union Health Ministry has mandated strict compliance with the revised Schedule M norms for pharmaceutical manufacturers in India, following recent incidents of diethylene glycol (DEG) contamination in cough syrups.

What is Schedule M?

• Schedule M is part of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, prescribing Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for pharmaceuticals in India.
• It establishes minimum standards for plant, equipment, hygiene, and processes to ensure drug safety and quality.

Key Features of the Revised Schedule M

• The recent major revision in 2023–24 aligns Indian GMP norms with WHO-GMP and PIC/S international standards, strengthening India’s position as a global pharmaceutical manufacturing hub.
• Compliance with the revised Schedule M became mandatory for all pharmaceutical units by December 31, 2025, with large units under stricter timelines and small and medium enterprises given conditional extensions.
• All records must be Attributable, Legible, Contemporaneous, Original, Accurate, Complete, Consistent, Enduring, and Available to ensure data reliability.

About Diethylene Glycol (DEG)

• DEG is a colorless, odorless, syrupy industrial chemical (formula C4H10O3) used as a solvent, antifreeze, and in plastics but not approved for pharmaceutical or food use.
• Pharmaceutical contamination happens when industrial-grade DEG is mistakenly or fraudulently substituted for pharmaceutical-grade glycerine or propylene glycol during drug formulation, often due to poor quality control or cost-cutting.
• DEG contamination has tragically led to deaths linked to adulterated cough syrups like Coldrif.

Source: TH

Leprosy in India

Syllabus: GS2/ Health

Context

• India’s leprosy prevalence rate has fallen from 57.2 per 10,000 population in 1981 to just 0.57 in 2025.

What is Leprosy?

• Leprosy, or Hansen’s disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused by bacteria Mycobacterium leprae. 
• Symptoms include discoloured skin patches, lack of ability to feel touch, pressure, pain, heat and cold, muscle weakness, non-healing ulcers, deformities particularly in hands, feet and face and inability to close eyes and poor vision. 
• Leprosy is transmitted through droplets from the nose and mouth during close and frequent contact with untreated cases.
• Leprosy can be multibacillary or paucibacillary. It refers to classifications based on the number of Mycobacterium leprae bacteria present and the severity of the disease.
  • While multibacillary leprosy shows a high density of bacilli on slit-skin smear examination, paucibacillary leprosy cases show only a few or no bacilli on slit-skin smear examination. 
• The introduction of Multidrug Therapy (MDT) in 1983 in India revolutionized treatment of leprosy.
  • Early diagnosis and treatment with MDT can prevent disabilities and deformities.

National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP)

• The NLEP is a centrally sponsored scheme under the National Health Mission (NHM).
• Major Initiatives under NLEP:
  • National Strategic Plan and Roadmap for Leprosy 2023-27: The strategy document and roadmap outline the strategic interventions and lay out a clear-cut roadmap to achieve the goal of interruption in transmission of leprosy by 2027.
  • Leprosy screening has been integrated with the activities of comprehensive primary health care under Ayushman Bharat Yojana for screening of people above 30 years of age.
  • Nikusth 2.0: A revamped web-based ICT portal for data recording, reporting, and monitoring of leprosy activities for further strengthening services related to diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of leprosy patients was launched in 2023.

Source: PIB

Namchik Namphuk Coal Block

Syllabus: GS3/ Environment

In News

• Arunachal Pradesh has launched its first commercial coal mining project at the Namchik-Namphuk coal block in Changlang district, marking a milestone in Northeast India’s resource development and energy self-reliance.

About Namchik-Namphuk Coal Block

• Location: Changlang district, southeastern Arunachal Pradesh, part of the Upper Assam coal belt region.
• Reserves: Estimated 1.5 crore tonnes of coal, enabling long-term production viability.
• Economic Impact: Expected to generate ₹100 crore annual revenue for the state.
• Environmental Features: Operates under Mission Green Coal Regions, focusing on land reclamation, afforestation, and eco-responsible mining.
• Social Impact: Creation of local employment; reduction of illegal mining activities.
• Strategic Alignment: Supports the PM EAST vision — Empower, Act, Strengthen, Transform — for balanced Northeast development.

Commercial Coal Mining in India

• Definition: Allows private players to mine coal and sell it in the open market, ending Coal India Ltd.’s monopoly.
• Policy Origin: Introduced under the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015.
  • Operationalised in 2020 through AatmaNirbhar Bharat reforms.
• Objectives: Boost domestic coal production and cut imports.
  • Encourage private investment, adoption of advanced mining technology.
• Governing Laws: Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957
  • Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015
  • Related environmental and land laws.

Source: PIB

Falling Camel Counts

Syllabus: GS3/Species in News

Context

• The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying is planning to launch the National Camel Sustainability Initiative (NCSI) — a national mission aimed at reversing the steady decline in India’s camel population.

About

• India is witnessing a rapid and alarming decline in its camel population, especially in the traditionally camel-rearing states of Rajasthan and Gujarat.

• According to the 20th Livestock Census, India’s camel population stood at 2.52 lakh in 2019, down from about 11 lakh in 1977 and 4 lakh in 2013.
  • Nearly 90% of these camels are concentrated in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
• The NCSI,  would bring together the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, the Ministries of Environment, Rural Development and Tourism, and State governments, to ensure coordinated action.

Camels in India

• India mainly has one species of camel: Dromedary Camel (Camelus dromedarius) – one-humped camel, adapted to desert conditions.
• Chinkara and Camel are the two State Animals of Rajasthan.
• Economic & Cultural Importance:
  • Transport & Labor: Traditionally used for carrying goods, plowing, and transport in desert regions.
  • Milk Production: Camel milk is nutritious and in demand.
  • Tourism: Camel safaris are popular in Rajasthan.
  • Cultural Festivals: Camel fairs, especially the Bikaner Camel Festival, celebrate the animal.
  • Defense Use: Camels are used by the Border Security Force (BSF) in desert patrols.

Source: IE

Phosphine

Syllabus: GS3/Science & Technology

Context

• Astronomers detected trace amounts of phosphine in the atmosphere of a brown dwarf called Wolf 1130C, located dozens of light-years from Earth.

Phosphine

• Phosphine (PH₃) is a molecule made of three hydrogen atoms and one phosphorus atom. 
• On Earth, it is mostly produced by microbial life in swamps and animal intestines.
• In 2020, phosphine detection on Venus sparked debates about possible life there.
  • Phosphine is also present on gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn, showing it can form in uninhabitable environments.
• Significance: It helps scientists understand how phosphine forms naturally and could refine the search for phosphine as a potential biosignature (hint of life) on other planets.

What are brown dwarfs?

• Brown dwarfs are celestial bodies that share some similarities with stars and others with planets.
  • These objects form like stars from collapsing clouds of gas and dust. However, they do not have enough mass to consistently fuse hydrogen, a process that heats a star and makes it shine. That is why they are often known as “failed stars”.
• They have atmospheres similar to gas giant planets such as Jupiter and Saturn.
  • Their atmospheres can consist of clouds and molecules like H2O. 
  • Brown dwarfs can also be up to 70 times more massive than Jupiter.
• Significance:
  • They help astronomers better understand the conditions that are necessary for the formation of stars and planets.
  • Determining the abundance and distribution of brown dwarfs gives key information on the distribution of mass in the universe to astronomers. 

Source: IE

Exercise KONKAN-25

Syllabus: GS3/Defence

Context

• India and the United Kingdom conducted the 2025 edition of Exercise KONKAN, an annual bilateral maritime exercise that began in 2004.

About 

• The exercise comprised a Harbour Phase, involving professional exchanges, cross-deck visits, and operational discussions, and a Sea Phase featuring complex drills in anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine warfare, along with carrier-based flying operations.
• The 2025 edition marks the first-ever participation of both nations’ Carrier Strike Groups (CSGs) — the UK’s HMS Prince of Wales and India’s INS Vikrant.
• Exercise KONKAN reinforces the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership under the India–UK Vision 2035, highlighting a shared commitment to a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific.

Other India-UK Bilateral Exercises

•  AJEYA WARRIOR (Army), Exercise Indradhanush (Air Force), and Exercise Cobra Warrior (multinational air exercise hosted by the UK).

Source: TH