News In Short 24-02-2026

Chakravarti Rajagopalachari

Syllabus: GS1/ Modern History/ Person in News

Context

• The President of India, unveiled a bust of Shri Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, the first and only Indian Governor General of independent India at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

About C. Rajagopalachari 

• Early Life: Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, popularly referred to as Rajaji, was born in 1878 in Thorapalli, Tamil Nadu.
  • His entry into public life was marked in 1917 when he became the chairperson of the municipality of Salem in 1917.
• Role in India’s Independence Movement: Rajaji’s meeting with Mahatma Gandhi in 1919 transformed his political trajectory, prompting him to give up his legal career for the freedom struggle.
  • He participated in agitations against the Rowlatt Act, the Non-Cooperation movement, the Vaikom Satyagraha, and the Civil Disobedience Movement and was jailed five times between 1912 and 1941.
• Post-independence, Rajaji served as the last Governor-General of India till 1950.
  • He briefly served as Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister between 1952 and 1954.
  • He founded the Swatantra Party in 1959, representing classical liberal economic ideas.
• Literary Contribution: His most popular works include a retelling of the Mahabharata and Ramayana in English, and Ramayana – Chakravarti Thirumagan in Tamil.
• In 1954 he was conferred with the Bharat Ratna for his contribution to Indian politics and literature.

Source: TH

ALARA Philosophy

Syllabus: GS2/Health

Context

• The U.S. Department of Energy has eliminated the ALARA philosophy from its directives and regulations, departing significantly from long‑standing international practice.

About

• The linear no-threshold (LNT) model and the ALARA principle have served as the conceptual and operational foundations of the global radiation protection framework for many decades.
• The LNT model is a risk estimation framework that says any amount of ionising radiation, no matter how small, carries some risk of causing harm, especially cancer.
  • In other words, there is no threshold below which radiation is considered completely risk‑free. And the risk increases linearly with dose.
• ALARA, short for “as low as reasonably achievable”, is the operational philosophy of radiation protection.
  • The philosophy balances safety with feasibility, cost, and societal need, and its aim is to improve continuously, including better shielding, administrative procedures, and training.
  • ALARA aims to reduce unnecessary exposure using engineering controls and encourages a safety culture.
  • Applied in: Nuclear power plants, Medical imaging (X-rays, CT scans), Industrial radiography and Research laboratories.

Source: TH

‘Rah-Veer’ scheme

Syllabus: GS2/Governance 

In News

• The Delhi government is going to implement the Centre’s ‘Rah-Veer’ scheme to motivate citizens to assist seriously injured road accidents.

‘Rah-Veer’ scheme

• The scheme, aligned with the Good Samaritan Rules under the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019.
• It provides legal protection and financial incentives to encourage prompt humanitarian action.
• Features: citizens who help seriously injured road accident victims within the “golden hour” will receive a ₹25,000 cash reward.
  • A district-level committee will evaluate cases, and the reward will be directly transferred to beneficiaries’ bank accounts. 
  • Additionally, 10 outstanding Rah-Veers annually will receive ₹1 lakh and a certificate.

It aims to overcome citizens’ hesitation to assist accident victims due to legal or procedural fears.

Source: HT

 Milestone  under PM Surya Ghar scheme

Syllabus: GS2/Government Initiatives; GS3/Environment 

In News

• Recently, the Prime Minister praised 30 lakh households adopting rooftop solar under the PM Surya Ghar scheme, marking a key clean energy milestone.
  • Gujarat leads in adoption, followed by Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, with widespread participation across other states and UTs.

PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSG: MBY).

• The Government of India launched PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSG: MBY) in February, 2024.
• It  aims to achieve rooftop solar (RTS) installations in one crore households in the residential sector by FY 2026-27 with an outlay of Rs 75,021 crore.

• The scheme allows eligible households to install solar panels via a national portal, promoting affordable clean energy. 
• The scheme’s easy financing options, including collateral-free loans up to ₹2 lakh at a 6.75% subsidized interest rate through 12 Public Sector Banks, have further accelerated adoption.

Benefits 

• Free Electricity for Households: The scheme provides households with free electricity by installing subsidised rooftop solar panels, significantly reducing their energy costs.
• Reduced Electricity Costs for the Government: The scheme’s widespread solar adoption is expected to save the government in electricity costs.
• Increased Use of Renewable Energy: The scheme encourages the adoption of renewable energy sources, contributing to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly energy mix in India.
• Reduced Carbon Emissions: The transition to solar energy under this scheme will help lower carbon emissions, supporting India’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint.

Source  :PIB

IAF’s Tejas Fleet Undergoes Maintenance Check

Syllabus: GS3/ Defence

Context

• The Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Tejas fighter aircraft fleet is undergoing a “maintenance check” to determine the reason for the recent incident that occurred while one of the fighters was taking off from a base.

About Tejas fighter aircraft

• LCA Tejas is a 4.5 generation, all weather aircraft. The aircraft is designed to be a multi-role aircraft capable of taking up offensive air support, close combat and ground attack roles at ease.
  • It is also designed to undertake Ground Maritime Operations. 
• LCA Mk1A: It is the most advanced version of the LCA Tejas.
  • It is equipped with AESA Radar, EW suite consisting of radar warning and self-protection jamming, Digital Map Generator (DMG), Smart Multi-function Displays (SMFD), Combined Interrogator and Transponder (CIT), Advanced Radio Altimeter and other advances features.

Source: IE

BAFTA – the British Academy of Film and Television Arts

Syllabus: Miscellaneous

In News

• Manipuri film Boong, produced by Farhan Akhtar’s Excel Entertainment, won the prestigious BAFTA Award for Best Children’s & Family Film in London. 

About British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA)

• It  is a British organization that gives awards annually for British and international film, television, and games. 
• It aims to honor individuals who contribute to the advancement of the film industry and to give awards for artistic merit.
• It  was officially renamed the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in 1976.
• It also runs educational and talent development programs, such as scholarships to the National Film and Television School.

Source :Air

Pangolins

Syllabus: GS3/Species in News

Context

• CITES report revealed that over 500,000 pangolins were seized globally between 2016 and 2024.

About Pangolin

• Pangolins are mammals covered in keratin scales, the only such mammals on Earth.
• They feed on ants, termites, and larvae using their long sticky tongues.
• When threatened, they use volvation (rolling into a ball) to protect themselves with their armor-like scales.
• They are considered “ecosystem engineers” due to their role in soil aeration and pest control.
• There are eight recognised species of pangolins globally — four species are found in Africa (Black-bellied, White-bellied, Giant Ground, and Temminck’s Ground pangolins) and four species are found in Asia (Indian, Philippine, Sunda, and Chinese pangolins).

Source: DTE