Baiga Tribe
Syllabus: GS1/Tribal Groups
Context
- Children belonging to the Baiga tribe rescued from bonded labour in Chhattisgarh.
About
- The Baiga are an ethnic group found in central India primarily in the state of Madhya Pradesh, and in smaller numbers in the surrounding states of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.
- The name Baiga means “sorcerer- medicine man”.
- The Baigas in Chhattisgarh are classified as Particularly vulnerable tribal group(PVTG) by the Government due to their declining population and low level of literacy.
- They traditionally practiced shifting cultivation, locally called “Bewar” cultivation.
Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)?
- In 1973, the Dhebar Commission set up a separate category for Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs).
- In 1975, the Union identified 52 tribal groups as PTGs.
- In 1993, 23 more groups were added to the list. Later, in 2006, these groups were named PVTGs.
- PVTGs are a more vulnerable group among tribal groups in India.
- These groups have primitive traits, geographical isolation, low literacy, a zero to negative population growth rate, and backwardness.
- Moreover, they are largely dependent upon hunting for food and a pre-agriculture level of technology.
- Out of more than 700 tribal communities, there are 75 tribal communities identified as PVTGs residing in 18 States and the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
- As per the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, the PVTG population is estimated to be 45.56 lakh.
- Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh are the top three in terms of PVTG population.
Source: TOI
National Technology Day
Syllabus: GS3/ Science and Technology
Context
- National Technology Day is observed annually on 11 May.
National Technology Day
- The day commemorates the successful nuclear tests conducted by India at Pokhran in Rajasthan in 1998 under Operation Shakti.
- The day recognizes the contribution of Indian scientists, engineers, and technological institutions to national development and strategic capability.
About Pokhran-II Nuclear Tests
- India conducted a series of five underground nuclear tests on 11 and 13 May 1998 at the Pokhran Test Range.
- The first three tests were conducted simultaneously on 11 May 1998, followed by two additional tests on 13 May 1998.
- The operation demonstrated India’s capability in designing and testing:
- Fission weapons,
- Low-yield tactical devices, and
- Thermonuclear weapon designs.
Strategic Significance
- India declared itself a nuclear weapon state after the tests.
- They laid the foundation for India’s doctrine of credible minimum deterrence and No First Use (NFU) policy.
Source: TH
‘One Case One Data’ and ‘Su Sahay initiative
Syllabus: GS2/Governance
In News
- Recently, the Supreme Court launched ‘One Case One Data’ and ‘Su Sahay initiative.
One Case One Data initiative
- It is a major digital initiative to connect all levels of courts — from taluka and district courts to High Courts and the Supreme Court through a unified database system.
- It aims to improve case management by creating a comprehensive and interconnected digital judicial information system.
‘Su Sahay’ Chatbot
- It is an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered assistance chatbot .
- It is integrated with the Supreme Court website to facilitate easier access to justice and court-related services for litigants.
- It has been developed by the National Informatics Centre in collaboration with the Supreme Court Registry
Source:TH
Forum of Regulators (FOR)
Syllabus: GS2/Governance/GS3/Economy
In News
- The Forum of Regulators held its 100th meeting at Bharat Mandapam, celebrating 21 years since its establishment.
Forum of Regulators
- It was established on 16 February 2005 under Section 166(2) of the Electricity Act, 2003.
- It serves as a statutory platform bringing together Central and State electricity regulatory commissions to coordinate and improve regulatory practices in the Power Sector.
Composition
- The Forum of Regulators consists of the Chairperson of the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission and the Chairpersons of State Electricity Regulatory Commissions.
- The CERC Chairperson serves as the head of the Forum, while the Secretary of CERC acts as its ex-officio Secretary.
- The Central Commission provides secretarial support, and the Forum’s headquarters is located in New Delhi.
Functions
- It collects and analyzes data on tariff orders and regulatory decisions of Central and State Commissions.
- It monitors subsidy accounting to ensure distribution companies correctly calculate and receive government subsidies under the law.
- It tracks compliance with renewable energy purchase targets by distribution licensees, captive users, and open-access consumers.
- It promotes harmonisation of regulations across the power sector.
- It sets performance standards for electricity licensees.
- It facilitates information sharing and coordination among regulatory commissions.
- It conducts or commissions research on power sector regulatory issues.
- It protects consumer interests while encouraging efficiency, economy, and competition in the sector.
- It carries out any additional responsibilities assigned by the Central Government.
Progress
- It has played a key role in discussing and improving major power sector reforms such as open access, tariff rationalisation, and utility unbundling.
- It has become an important institution guiding reforms and helping the sector handle regulatory challenges
- It has conducted 71 studies, 55 Capacity Building Programs, issued 25 Model Regulations and delivered 6 Technical Committee Reports & 37 Working Group Reports.
- These initiatives have contributed significantly to the development of the Power Sector in India.
Source:PIB
National Panchayat Awards 2025
Syllabus: GS2/Governance
In News
- Kawrthah North Village Council in Mizoram has secured the top rank at the national level under the “Clean and Green Panchayat” category of the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar 2025, for its work in sustainable rural development and environmental conservation.
National Panchayat Awards
- The Ministry of Panchayati Raj annually confers the National Panchayat Awards to recognize and incentivise best-performing Panchayats and promote inclusive, participatory, and sustainable development in rural India.
- The awards are given under the Incentivization of Panchayats (IoP) scheme, a central component of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA).
- Winning Panchayats receive financial incentives ranging from Rs. 50 lakh to Rs. 5 crore per awardee, depending on tier and category.
Categories
- The Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar awards recognise outstanding Gram Panchayats for their performance across themes linked to Sustainable Development Goals, including poverty-free livelihoods, health, water sufficiency, sanitation, women-friendly governance and social justice.
- Under the Nanaji Deshmukh Sarvottam Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar, awards will be given to the best-performing Panchayats at the district, block and gram levels.
Objectives
- These awards aim to encourage Panchayats to improve local governance, service delivery, and progress towards Sustainable Development Goals through community-led initiatives, reinforcing Panchayats’ role in translating national priorities towards Viksit Bharat 2047.
Latest winners
- Karnataka has secured the highest number of awards with six Panchayats being selected, followed by Andhra Pradesh and Odisha with five awards each.
Source:Air
SEHAT Mission
Syllabus: GS2/Governance; GS3/Economy
In News
- Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, and Chemicals and Fertilisers launched the ‘SEHAT Mission’ in Delhi,
SEHAT (Science Excellence for Health through Agricultural Transformation)
- It is a national mission aimed at linking agriculture, nutrition, and public health by converting agricultural innovations into better health outcomes for people in India.
- It is a joint initiative of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)
Focus and Priority Areas
- The development and evaluation of biofortified and nutrient-dense crop varieties to address malnutrition and improve nutritional status;
- Strengthening integrated farming systems to promote dietary diversification, enhance farm incomes, and build resilience.
- Addressing occupational health risks among agricultural workers through targeted, evidence-based interventions.
- Advancing agriculture-enabled strategies for the prevention and management of non-communicable diseases through the promotion of functional foods and nutritionally superior crop varieties.
- Strengthening One Health preparedness through integrated surveillance, diagnostics, and research at the human–animal–environment interface.
Objectives
- It aims to improve nutrition and public health through biofortified foods, integrated farming, better occupational health for farm workers, and support for the One Health Mission.
- It seeks to produce evidence-based and scalable solutions, strengthen coordination between the agriculture and health sectors, and create data-driven policies to address nutrition, preventive healthcare, non-communicable diseases, farmer welfare, and public health challenges.
Source :PIB
Chief of Defence Staff
Syllabus: GS3/ Defence
Context
- The Government of India has appointed Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani as the new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).
- He will also function as the Secretary, Department of Military Affairs (DMA).
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)
- The post of CDS was created in 2019 following recommendations of the Kargil Review Committee and subsequent defence reforms.
- The first CDS of India was General Bipin Rawat.
- Role and Responsibilities of the CDS:
- Principal Adviser: Acts as the primary military adviser to the Defence Minister on all tri-services matters.
- Department of Military Affairs: Functions as the Secretary to the Government of India for the Department of Military Affairs.
- Military Reform: Focuses on enhancing synergy, jointness in operations, and modernization of the armed forces.
- Theater Commands: Drives the restructuring of military commands into integrated theater commands.
- Strategic and Nuclear Role: Serves as an important military adviser to the Nuclear Command Authority.
Source: PIB
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News In Short 12-05-2026
