news-in-short-11-march-2025

Jadayaswamy Festival

Syllabus :GS 1/Culture 

In News

• Jadayaswamy festival was recently celebrated in Tamil Nadu.

About

• The Badagas community (aboriginal Tribes) of the Nilgiris celebrate the Jadayaswamy festival at Jackanarai village near Kotagiri in Tamil Nadu.
  • The Badagas live in villages, called “Hattis”.
  •  Badaga people speak the language called “Badugu”.
• The festival is dedicated to Jadayaswamy, a deity revered by the Badagas. It symbolizes faith, devotion, and the preservation of ancestral traditions.
• Eight villages organise a procession to the Jadayaswamy temple and perform a firewalk every year. 

Source: TH

Bijayananda Patnaik

Syllabus: GS1/ Famous Personalities 

In News

• The Prime Minister paid homage to Biju Patnaik on his 109th birth anniversary.

About Biju Patnaik

• He was recognized as one of the key architects of modern Odisha and  played a crucial role in India’s freedom movement, aviation, and governance.
• He used his flying skills to help freedom fighters escape British forces and transport secret messages.
• He founded the Kalinga Foundation and established the Kalinga Prize to promote scientific knowledge.
• Biju Patnaik was honored with the title “Bhumi Putra” (Son of the Soil) by Indonesia—one of the highest civilian honors given to a foreigner.
• Awarded Bintang Jasa Utma, Indonesia’s highest civilian honor in 1996.

Source: PIB

Bills of Lading Bill, 2024

Syllabus: GS2/Governance

Context

• The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, introduced the Bills of Lading Bill, 2025.

About

• Aim: To update and simplify the legal framework for shipping documents.
  • To provide a modern, comprehensive, and user-friendly approach to maritime shipping.
• The Bill replaces the Indian Bills of Lading Act, 1856, a colonial-era law governing maritime shipping.
  • The existing law is outdated, consisting of just three sections, and does not meet the evolving global trade and shipping industry needs.
• Features: 
  • It brings India’s maritime shipping law in line with global standards.
  • It simplifies the language and reorganizes provisions for easier understanding without changing their substance.
  • It gives the Central Government the authority to issue directions for the law’s effective implementation.
  • A standard repeal and saving clause will be added to facilitate a smooth transition.

Source: BS

Vizhinjam Port

Syllabus: GS3/ Economy

In News

• Vizhinjam International Seaport has received the environmental clearance for the development of phase II and III.

About Vizhinjam Port

• Location: Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
• Key Features: One of the deepest ports in India.
  • Capable of handling Ultra Large Container Vessels (ULCVs).
  • Developed under the Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Transfer (DBFOT) model.
• Significance: Efficient cargo movement, reduces India’s dependence on foreign ports like Colombo (Sri Lanka), Singapore, and UAE for transshipment, strengthens India’s maritime security.

Source: BL

Cassava

Syllabus: GS3/ Agriculture

In Context

• Study has revealed that thousands of years of indigenous farming traditions have played a crucial role in maintaining the genetic diversity of cassava.

About Cassava (Also called ‘Bread of the Tropics’)

• Also known as ‘Yuca’ or ‘Manioc’, cassava is a root vegetable grown through stem cuttings.
• It is a tall semi-woody perennial shrub or tree native to South America and was introduced in Africa & Asia by Portuguese sailors.
  • Nigeria is the world’s largest producer of Cassava.
• It has numerous health benefits as it is rich in energy & vitamins. 
• Under India’s National Policy on Biofuels (2018), cassava is recognized as a raw material for ethanol production, enhancing its significance beyond food security.

Source: DTE

India’s Wheat Production Estimated to Hit Record High 

Syllabus: GS3/ Agriculture

Context

• According to the Second Advance Estimates of Agriculture production, India’s wheat production is estimated to reach a record level of 115.3 million metric tonnes during 2024-25.

Wheat Production in India

• Area: In 2023-24, the area under wheat stood at 318.33 lakh hectares, while the production is estimated at 113.92 million tonnes.
  • In India wheat is the second largest crop after paddy in terms of area coverage. 
• Uttar Pradesh is the top wheat-producing state in the country, followed by Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Bihar, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
• Major Export Destinations (2023-24): Nepal, Iraq, South Korea, UAE and Mongolia.

Condition for Wheat Cultivation

• Climate: Temperature: Requires 10-15°C during sowing (germination) and 21-26°C during ripening and harvesting.
  • Rainfall: Optimal rainfall is 50-100 cm. Excess rainfall can damage the crop.
  • Sunlight: Requires bright sunshine during the ripening period.
  • Frost & Hailstorm: Sensitive to frost at the flowering stage and susceptible to damage from hailstorms.
• Soil Type: Grows best in well-drained loamy and clayey soil.
  • pH Level: Prefers slightly alkaline to neutral soil (6-8 pH).

Reasons for increased wheat production India

• Scientific Agronomic Practices: Adoption of zero tillage in wheat-growing areas, particularly in Punjab and Haryana, reducing soil degradation and enhancing yield.
• Soil Health Management: Increased awareness of balanced fertilizer application through initiatives like Soil Health Card Scheme.
• Irrigation Facilities: Greater coverage under micro-irrigation schemes such as PMKSY (Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana) has improved water availability.
• Absence of extreme weather events like unseasonal rains and heatwaves during critical growth stages.

Source: IE

Indian Scientists makes Ink to Thwart Counterfeiting

Syllabus: GS3/Science and Technology

Context

• Scientists from the Institute of Nano Science and Technology and the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre have made a new security ink using strontium bismuth fluoride (Sr2BiF7) nanoparticles.

About

• Counterfeiting is a crime involving the theft of someone’s trademark.
  • Businesses – both small and large – use trademarks to help consumers identify their products. 
• Threat of Counterfeiting: Counterfeiting harms businesses, especially in sectors like pharmaceuticals and branded consumer goods.
  • Fake medicines can delay treatment or be fatal, making security printing vital in packaging.
• Security Printing Features: The printing of items with safeguards against counterfeiting is called security printing.
  • Optically Variable Ink: Changes color when viewed from different angles.
  • Watermarks: Embedded designs for authenticity.
  • Holograms: Three-dimensional images for added security.
• Currently available fluorescent inks are visible only under either ultraviolet light or infrared light but not both, the new ink stands out because it fluoresces in both the ultraviolet and the near-infrared parts of the spectrum.

Source: TH

Chandrayaan-3 Reveals Data of Moon’s Polar Regions

Syllabus: GS3/Space

Context

• A new analysis of data from Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) aboard Chandrayaan-3 suggests that water ice might be present in locations outside of the polar regions of the moon.

About

• Findings offer insights into the Moon’s surface composition and evolution.
  • Practical implications include potential for creating temperature-controlled habitats for future human missions.
• High-latitude areas with slopes >14° in the poleward direction may have conditions similar to polar regions for hosting water-ice.
  • These areas may be more accessible than extreme polar regions for exploration.

ChaSTE

• It is a thermometer that performed on-site temperature measurements of the Moon’s surface and sub-surface near the polar regions for the first time.
• It revealed a significant temperature difference of nearly 60°C between the Moon’s surface and a layer just 10 cm beneath it, highlighting the extreme non-conductivity of the Moon’s surface.

Source: IE

SIPRI Report (2020-24)

Syllabus: GS3/ Defence

Context

• According to the Sweden-based Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Ukraine became the world’s largest importer of major arms in the period 2020–24.

About

• Top five arms importers: Ukraine, India, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
  • These five countries accounted for 35 percent of global arms imports.
• Top five arms exporters: The USA, France, Russia, China and Germany.
  • These exporters contributed 72 percent of total global arms exports.
• The US increased its share of global arms exports to 43 percent, whereas Russia’s arms exports declined by 64 percent.
• China accounted for 5.9 percent of global arms exports in 2020–24, a slight decline from its share in 2015–19.

Indian Scenario

• India was the world’s second largest arms importer during 2020–24.
  • However, its imports decreased by 9.3 percent between 2015–19 and 2020–24. 
• The largest share of Indian arms imports (36 percent) came from Russia, a significantly smaller share than in 2015–19 (55 percent) and 2010–14 (72 percent).
• India has contracted major military deals with France, including 36 Rafale jets & six Scorpene-class submarines.

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) – SIPRI is an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament. 1. It is based in Stockholm, Sweden. – Established in 1966, it provides data, analysis and recommendations to researchers, media and the interested public.

Source: TH

Para-Athletics Grand Prix 

Syllabus: Miscellaneous 

In News

• India will host the World Para-Athletics Grand Prix at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

About World Para Athletics Grand Prix

• It is an annual series of elite track and field competitions organized by World Para Athletics, a division of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
• Established in 2013, the Grand Prix aims to provide high-level competitive opportunities for para-athletes worldwide, facilitating their preparation for major events like the World Championships and Paralympic Games.
• It is one of the most important events of the Para-Athletics calendar as it serves as the platform for para-athletes to get themselves classified in the right sport class. 
• Once classification is done, the para-athlete is eligible to play in the international tournaments.

Source: IE