Strait of Hormuz
Syllabus: GS1/Places in News
Context
- Iran has reportedly threatened that it could consider closing the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing conflict, raising eyebrows globally.
About
- Strait of Hormuz is a critical narrow waterway between Iran and Oman, and connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
- A strait is a narrow passage of water that connects two larger bodies of water.
- Key ports located near the strait include:
- Iran’s Bandar Abbas – a major naval and commercial port.
- UAE’s Fujairah Port – an important oil storage and shipping point.
- Oman’s Sohar Port – used for trade and shipping reroutes.
- Qatar’s Ras Laffan – a key port for liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports.
- Approximately 20% of the world’s oil supply passes through it with nearly 83% of it destined for Asian markets.
- It is the main shipping route for energy exports from major producers like Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE.
- Much of India’s oil from key West Asian suppliers like Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE reaches Indian ports via the Strait of Hormuz.
- A bulk of India’s LNG imports, which come predominantly from Qatar, also come through this vital choke point.
- The importance of the chokepoint for India’s energy supply and security cannot be understated.
Source: IE
Campaign Aims to Push Tribal Welfare Schemes PM JANMAN and Dharti Aaba
Syllabus :GS2/Governance
In News
- The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has launched a major outreach campaign in over 500 districts to cover 1 lakh tribal villages, focusing on doorstep delivery of welfare through two flagship schemes — PM JANMAN and Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan.
Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN)
- It was announced by the Prime Minister on the Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas in 2023.
- It is a flagship initiative aimed at the holistic development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
- It comprises Central Sector and Centrally Sponsored Schemes and reflects the government’s commitment to inclusive growth and social justice, contributing to the vision of Viksit Gaon, Viksit Bharat.
- It aims to provide basic facilities such as safe housing, clean drinking water and improved access to education, health and nutrition, road and telecom connectivity, electrification of unelectrified households and sustainable livelihood opportunities in 3 years.
Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan
- It was launched on October 2, 2024, aligns with Prime Minister Modi’s vision of inclusive development by ensuring governance benefits reach every tribal citizen.
- It builds on PM-JANMAN’s success and it is a multi-sectoral initiative involving 17 ministries and 25 interventions to transform tribal villages into centers of opportunity and dignity, placing tribal communities at the heart of India’s development.
| Do you know? – Janjatiya Gaurav Divas is observed every year on November 15 in memory of Bhagwan Birsa Munda and his 150th birth anniversary celebrated in 2024 . |
Source :IE
International Day Against Unilateral Coercive Measures
Syllabus: GS2-International Relations / GS3-Economy
Context
- The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution declaring December 4 as the International Day Against Unilateral Coercive Measures, starting in 2025.
About the resolution
- The resolution passed with 116 votes in favour, 51 against, and 6 abstentions.
- It urges all states to refrain from using unilateral economic, financial, or trade measures that violate international law or the UN Charter.
What Are Unilateral Coercive Measures (UCMs)?
- UCMs refer to sanctions or restrictions imposed by individual states or regional groups without authorization from the UN Security Council.
- It often targets state economies, limiting access to essential goods, technology, finance, and development aid.
- They are seen as politically motivated tools that breach sovereignty and multilateral norms.
Source: AIR
CCI Buys 100 lakh Bales of Cotton at MSP
Syllabus :GS3/Economy
In News
- The Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) purchased nearly 100 lakh bales of cotton at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) this season and sold 35 lakh bales.
| Minimum Support Price (MSP) – It is the minimum rate at which farmers sell their crops to the government. – The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs sets the MSP for crops each sowing season based on recommendations from the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). 1. CACP considers factors like demand-supply, production costs, domestic and global price trends, and consumer impact. 2. It submits annual price policy reports for five commodity groups: kharif crops, rabi crops, sugarcane, raw jute, and copra. |
Cotton
- Cotton is a commercial crop in India which contributes about 24% to global cotton production and sustains the livelihoods of millions of farmers and workers.
- India grows all four species of cotton: G. Arboreum, G. Herbaceum (Asian cotton), G. Barbadense (Egyptian cotton) and G. Hirsutum (American Upland cotton).
- It is primarily grown in the Northern, Central, and Southern zones of India.
- India holds the largest cotton acreage in the world.
- India is the 2nd largest producer and consumer of cotton in the world.
- Cotton imports surged by 133% in May 2025, as international cotton is 8% cheaper than Indian cotton.
Cotton Corporation of India (CCI)
- It was established on 31st July 1970 under the Ministry of Textiles.
- It is a public sector undertaking supporting cotton farmers and the textile industry.
- Initially a canalizing agency for cotton imports and procurement, CCI’s main role now is to conduct Minimum Support Price (MSP) operations when market prices fall below MSP, without any limit. It also undertakes commercial purchases to ensure cotton supply during lean seasons.
Source :TH
NICDC-led Industrial Nodes
Syllabus: GS3/Economy
Context
- The Union Minister of Commerce & Industry chaired a high-level review meeting to assess the progress of NICDC-led industrial nodes in Andhra Pradesh under various industrial corridors.
About
- The National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC) is an initiative under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
- It is dedicated to developing next-generation industrial smart cities aimed at boosting manufacturing, attracting investments, generating employment, and enhancing India’s global economic competitiveness.
- NICDC ensures seamless multimodal connectivity, plug-and-play infrastructure, and sustainable urbanization through its flagship corridors:
- Delhi–Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC),
- Amritsar–Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC),
- Chennai–Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC),
- East Coast Economic Corridor (ECEC),
- and Bengaluru–Mumbai Industrial Corridor (BMIC).
- Andhra Pradesh is the only state in the country to host industrial nodes under three separate Industrial Corridors.
Source: PIB
Turmeric Cultivation
Syllabus: GS3/Agriculture
Context
- Turmeric farming has become a new way to thwart wild animal threat in Munnar, Kerala.
About
- Turmeric is a part of Curcuma Long botanic group and it is a perennial herbaceous plant of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae).
- It is used as a seasoning, dye, drug with diverse applications and also used in the cosmetics industry.
- Turmeric is also known as ‘Golden Spice’.
- India is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of turmeric in the world.
- In 2023-24, India was responsible for over 70% of global turmeric production and there are 30 varieties of turmeric produced in India.
- Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Karnataka, West Bengal, Gujarat, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, Assam are some of the important states cultivating turmeric.
Climatic Conditions
- It is a tropical herb which grows in both tropics and subtropics.
- It grows at a temperature range of 20-35°c with an annual rainfall of 1500mm or more.
- It requires a humid climatic condition.
- Soil Requirement: It grows best in well drained sandy or clayey loam with a little higher sand content.
| National Turmeric Board – It is a dedicated body established in 2025, to promote turmeric cultivation, research, and exports, ensuring holistic growth in the turmeric sector. – Headquarters: Nizamabad, Telangana. – Ministry: Operates under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. – Aim: To enhance turmeric production. 1. Support farmers and improve their livelihoods. 2. Boost global exports of turmeric and value-added products. – Functions: The Board will also look into creating awareness on the essential and medical properties of turmeric, ways to increase its yield and boost logistics and supply chain to foster trade into newer markets. |
Source: TH
Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)
Syllabus :GS3/Science and Technology
In News
- The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission marked a significant step forward with its arrival at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in India ahead of its scheduled launch in July.
Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)
- It refers to a technique for producing fine-resolution images from a resolution-limited radar system.
- It is a type of active data collection where an instrument sends out a pulse of energy and then records the amount of that energy reflected back after it interacts with Earth.
- Unlike optical imagery, which is a passive data collection technique based on emitted energy, SAR imagery is created from the reaction of an emitted pulse of energy with physical structures (like mountains, forests, and sea ice) and conditions like soil moisture.
Applications
- SAR has been used in a wide range of applications, including studying Antarctic icebergs, tracking the paths of oil spills into sensitive marshes, and mapping the wetlands of Alaska.
| Do you know? – NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) is a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) observatory being jointly developed by NASA and ISRO. – It will map the entire globe in 12 days and provide spatially and temporally consistent data for understanding changes in Earth’s ecosystems, ice mass, vegetation biomass, sea level rise, ground water and natural hazards including earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes and landslides. – It carries L and S dual band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), which operates with Sweep SAR technique to achieve large swaths with high resolution data. |
Source :TH
Indian Navy Set to Commission INS Arnala
Syllabus: GS3/ Defence
Context
- The Indian Navy is set to commission INS Arnala, the country’s first Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam.
About INS Arnala
- INS Arnala is the first of 16 ASW-SWC vessels being inducted into the Indian Navy.
- It is named after the historic Arnala Fort off the coast of Maharashtra, which was strategically important during the Maratha and Portuguese eras.
- Designed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, in collaboration with L&T Shipbuilders.
- Over 80% indigenous content, aligning with the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative.
- Features: The ship measures 77.6 meters in length, displaces over 1,490 tonnes, and is the largest Indian naval vessel powered by a diesel engine-waterjet propulsion system.
- Role and Capabilities: It is designed for subsurface surveillance, search and rescue operations and low intensity maritime operations (LIMO); alongside its primary role in anti-submarine warfare.
- It is further equipped with mine-laying capabilities.
Source: AIR
| Read this in Hindi: दिन के मुख्य समाचार 18-06-2025 |
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