Lala Lajpat Rai
Syllabus: GS1/History
In News
- The Prime Minister paid tributes to Punjab Kesari Lala Lajpat Rai on his birth anniversary.
About Lajpat Rai
- He was a lawyer, journalist, and freedom fighter.
- He was born on 28 January, 1865 in a Punjabi Hindu family in Dhudike.
- In 1886, Lala Lajpat Rai moved to Hisar, practiced law, co-founded the Hisar Bar Council, and established the district branches of the Indian National Congress and Arya Samaj.
- He also contributed to newspapers like The Tribune and helped Mahatma Hansraj found the Dayananda Anglo-Vedic School in Lahore.
- In 1914, he left law to fully dedicate himself to India’s freedom struggle.
- He was elected President of the Indian National Congress in the Calcutta Special Session of 1920.
- In 1921, he founded Servants of the People Society, a non-profit welfare organization.
- He also founded the Punjab National Bank and the Lakshmi Insurance Company
Literary works
- He was a prolific writer and authored several works like – “Unhappy India”, “Young India: An Interpretation”, “History of Arya Samaj”, “England’s Debt to India” and a series of popular biographies on Mazzini, Garibaldi and Swami Dayanand.
Philosophy
- He was of the view that Hindu society needed to fight its own battle with caste system, position of women and untouchability.
- He believed that everyone should be allowed to read and learn from the Vedas irrespective of one’s caste or gender.
Death
- On 30 October 1928, Lala Lajpat Rai led a non-violent protest in Lahore against the Simon Commission.
- He was brutally beaten by police superintendent James A. Scott and later succumbed to his injuries on 17 November 1928.
Legacy
- He led protests against injustices like the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, and championed unity within Hindu society while advocating social reforms.
- He offered everything he had to liberate India from the chains of slavery.
- His life of sacrifice will continue to remain a source of inspiration for every generation of the country
Source :PIB
Tulu Language
Syllabus: GS1/Culture
Context
- The Karnataka government has expressed support for declaring Tulu as the State’s second additional official language.
- Currently, Kannada is Karnataka’s sole official language, while English is used as an additional official language.
About Tulu
- With a recorded history of over 3,000 years, Tulu is predominantly spoken in the coastal districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada in Karnataka.
- It has its own script and is one of only five literary Dravidian languages, the other four being Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam.
- The language is gaining global recognition, with academic research in Germany and France, and inclusion in Google Translate.
Do you know?
- In 2023, the Karnataka government constituted a committee headed by educationist Mohan Alva, which recommended declaring Tulu as the State’s second official language under Article 345 of the Constitution.
Source: TH
Bulleh Shah
Syllabus: GS1/History
In News
- Recently, the shrine of 17th-century Punjabi Sufi poet Bulleh Shah in Mussoorie was vandalised.
Bulleh Shah
- He was born Abdullah Shah in 1680 in Kasur (present-day Pakistan).
- He hailed from a Syed family and was educated in Persian, Arabic, and the Quran.
- He was a disciple of Shah Inayat Qadri.
Teaching and Philosophy
- He rebelled against caste, orthodox religion, and patriarchy, promoting universal love, tolerance, and spiritual equality through his Punjabi kafis.
- He drew inspiration from Sufism, Nath yogis, and the Bhakti movement, embracing Vedantic Monism and seeing divinity in all human and religious opposites.
Legacy
- He was laid to rest outside Kasur, and today his tomb attracts devotees worldwide.
- His kafis continue to inspire artists and films, while awards in his name honor literary contributions.
- Despite fame and vandalism, Bulleh Shah’s focus remained on love, compassion, and humanity.
Source :IE
Joint Sitting of Both Houses of Parliament
Syllabus: GS2/ Polity
Context
- A protest by the Opposition during the President’s Address to a joint sitting of Parliament on the first day of the Budget Session triggered sharp political exchanges.
Constitutional Position of the President’s Address
- Article 87 of the Constitution mandates the President to address both Houses of Parliament assembled together:
- At the commencement of the first session after a general election.
- At the first session of each year.
- The Address outlines the policy priorities of the elected government, approved by the Union Cabinet.
- It is a constitutional and ceremonial exercise, reflecting collective executive responsibility rather than the personal views of the President.
| Joint Sitting of Two Houses – Article 108 of the Indian Constitution provides a constitutional mechanism for resolving legislative deadlocks between the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha regarding ordinary bills. – A deadlock is deemed to have taken place under any one of the following three situations after a bill has been passed by one House and transmitted to the other House: a. if the bill is rejected by the other House; b. if the Houses have finally disagreed as to the amendments to be made in the bill; or c. if more than six months have elapsed from the date of the receipt of the bill by the other House without the bill being passed by it. – The president can summon both the Houses to meet in a joint sitting for the purpose of deliberating and voting on the bill. a. Voting is by simple majority of members present and voting. – The joint sitting is presided over by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, or in her absence, the Deputy Speaker, and then the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. Historical Instances of Joint Sitting – Dowry Prohibition Bill, 1961. – Banking Service Commission (Repeal) Bill, 1978. – Prevention of Terrorism Bill, 2002 (POTA). |
Source: TH
Enforcement Directorate (ED)
Syllabus: GS2/ Governance
Context
- The Supreme Court agreed to examine whether the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is entitled to invoke the writ jurisdiction of constitutional courts to seek relief.
Directorate of Enforcement (ED)
- Origin: It was established in 1956 with the formation of an ‘Enforcement Unit’ under the aegis of the Department of Economic Affairs and handles Exchange Control Laws violations under Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1947 (FERA 1947).
- It was renamed as the Enforcement Directorate in 1957, with administrative control later shifting to the Department of Revenue.
- It is a multi-disciplinary organization mandated with investigation of the offence of money laundering and violations of foreign exchange laws.
- The statutory functions of the Directorate include enforcement of following Acts:
- The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA): It is a criminal law enacted to prevent money, ED has been given the responsibility to enforce the provisions of the PMLA.
- The Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA): It is a civil law enacted to consolidate and amend the laws relating to facilitate external trade and payments.
- The Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 (FEOA): This law was enacted to deter economic offenders from evading the process of Indian law by remaining outside the jurisdiction of Indian courts.
| What are the Writs? – In India, the Supreme Court is vested with the power to issue prerogative writs under Article 32 of the Constitution, while High Courts exercise a similar jurisdiction under Article 226. – The Constitution recognises five such writs: a. Habeas corpus (to secure the release of a person from unlawful detention), b. Mandamus (to compel a public authority to perform a statutory or public duty), c. Prohibition (to restrain a lower court or tribunal from acting beyond its authority), d. Certiorari (to quash an order of a lower court or tribunal for lack of jurisdiction or illegality), and e. Quo warranto (to question the legality of a person’s claim to a public office). – While Article 32 enables the Supreme Court to issue writs primarily for the enforcement of fundamental rights, Article 226 vests High Courts with broader authority, including the enforcement of legal rights and the review of administrative action. |
Source: TH
Gita Mittal Committee
Syllabus: GS2/ Social Justice
In News
- The Supreme Court extended the tenure of the Justice Gita Mittal Committee by six months till July 31, 2026, to continue overseeing humanitarian relief for Manipur violence victims.
About the Committee
- This all-women panel, formed in August 2023 under Articles 32 and 142, comprises former judges Justice Gita Mittal (Chairperson, ex-CJ J&K HC)
- It probes violence against women, ensures medical/psychological aid, compensation, rehabilitation, legal support, and property restitution amid Meitei-Kuki clashes since May 2023.
- The panel has submitted 42 reports directly to SC, covering victim aid, skill development, and housing, despite no formal extension since July 2025.
Source: TH
Blue Category of Industries
Syllabus: GS3/ Environment
In News
- The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has classified Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) under the new Blue Category as Essential Environmental Services (ESS), incentivizing pollution control infrastructure.
- CETPs are centralised facilities designed to treat industrial effluents from a cluster of industries.
About Blue Category of Industries
- Blue Category includes essential environmental services (ESS). These are facilities necessary to control, abate, and mitigate pollution arising from domestic activities & industrial activities.
- ESS are facilities that directly contribute to pollution control and environmental management. For example: Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs), Waste-to-Energy Plants etc.
Know About Pollution Index (PI) Framework
- CPCB’s PI methodology assigns equal weight to air emissions, water effluents, and hazardous waste generation, guided by the Precautionary Principle.
- Categories: Red (PI ≥ 80, highly polluting), Orange (55–79), Green (25–54), White (PI < 25, minimal impact), and Blue (ESS override).
Source: AIR
Discombobulator
Syllabus: GS2/IR; GS3/Defence
In News
- Recently, US President Donald Trump claimed that American forces used a secret weapon called the “discombobulator” during a military operation in Venezuela which resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.
Discombobulator
- It may not be a single weapon but a combination of multiple systems.
- It could involve high‑pitched sounds and blinding effects to temporarily deafen, blind, or confuse.
- It may be deployed individually or in combination for maximum effect.
Systems that Disorient People
- Active Denial System (ADS): Directed energy “heat ray” causing intense burning sensation on skin, forcing people to disperse without lethal injury.
- Vortex Ring Generator: Uses high-pressure air pulses to strike targets or deliver irritants, causing nausea and confusion.
- Acoustic Hailing Devices (LRAD / Sonic Cannons): Emit high-intensity directional sound waves leading to vertigo, nausea, confusion and temporary incapacitation.
- Visual Dazzlers: High-intensity laser systems producing temporary blindness and battlefield disorientation.
Systems that Disable Equipment
- Electronic Warfare (EW) Systems: Jam or manipulate enemy radars, sensors and communication networks, degrading air defence capability.
- High Power Microwave (HPM) Weapons: Microwave pulses used to burn out or disable electronic circuits without physical destruction.
- Cyber Weapons: Similar to past tools like Stuxnet, used to sabotage critical systems digitally as part of SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defences).
- Graphite Munitions: Non-lethal weapons dispersing carbon filaments to short-circuit power grids and disrupt electricity supply.
Source: IE
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