Italy Passes a Femicide Law
Syllabus: GS1/Social Issues
In News
- Italy has passed a new law formally recognising femicide as a distinct crime, with life imprisonment as punishment.
- The move places Italy among a few nations like Mexico and Chile that specifically criminalise femicide, aiming to strengthen protections against gender-based violence.
What is Femicide?
- It is the killing of a woman for reasons related to her gender.
- It is considered among the most severe manifestations of crimes targeting women.
- The 2022 UN framework classifies femicides into three categories based on the victim’s relationship to the attacker:
- Killings by intimate partners
- Killings by other family members (blood relatives, in-laws, or adoptive relatives)
- Killings by other perpetrators outside the family or intimate circle.
Causes
- Research links femicide to patriarchal structures that institutionalize male dominance suggesting solutions must be both structural (legal and policing reforms) and cultural (changing societal attitudes toward gender).
- A UN Women report estimated that in 2024 nearly 50,000 women and girls were killed by intimate partners or family members, though data gaps remain.
Source :IE
G. V. Mavalankar
Syllabus: GS1/ Personalities
In News
- Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla floral tributes to Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar, the first Speaker of the Lok Sabha on his birth anniversary.
About G. V. Mavalankar
- Born in Baroda, Gujarat, he was a lawyer who abandoned his practice to join India’s freedom struggle under Mahatma Gandhi’s leadership. He served as President of the Constituent Assembly (Legislative) from 1946-1947.
- G.V. Mavalankar was popularly known as Dadasaheb and honoured by Jawaharlal Nehru as the “Father of the Lok Sabha”, was a pivotal figure in shaping India’s parliamentary democracy.
- Mavalankar co-founded Ahmedabad Education Society and Gujarat Vidyapith, promoting national education alongside Patel and Gandhi.
- He also founded the National Rifle Association and the Institute for Afro-Asian Relations.
- His writings, Manavatana Jharna, Sansmarano, and A Great Experiment reflect his commitment to democratic values and nation-building.
Source: AIR
Madhvacharya
Syllabus: GS1/ Personalities
In News
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Laksha Kantha Gita Parayana programme at Sri Krishna Matha, Udupi.
- Udupi holds a central place in Madhva tradition and Dvaita Vedanta.
About
- The Madhva tradition represents one of the most influential schools of Indian philosophy and religious practice.
- Founded by Jagadguru Madhvacharya (also called Purnaprajna or Ananda Tirtha) in the 13th century, this tradition is rooted in the teachings of Dvaita Vedanta, or the doctrine of dualism.
- The system is known for its strong emphasis on devotion to Vishnu/Krishna, its clear distinction between the individual soul and the Supreme Being, and its contribution to the Bhakti movement.
- A core feature of Dvaita Vedanta is the doctrine of Pancha-Bheda, which outlines five real distinctions: God and Soul, God and Matter, Soul and Matter, One Soul and Another Soul & One Type of Matter and Another. These differences are intrinsic to the structure of existence.
Contribution
- Madhva’s devotional outlook helped shape the ethos of Karnataka’s later Haridasa movement, which produced saint-composers like Purandaradasa and Kanakadasa.
- Madhvacharya authored 37 Sanskrit works, collectively called Sarva-Mula Granthas, which explain and defend his dualistic interpretation of Vedanta.
Source: DD News
Sirpur Archaeological Site
Syllabus: GS1/History
In News
- The Sirpur archaeological site is being upgraded with facilities like battery-operated golf carts, digital exhibits, and immersive storytelling modules as part of efforts to secure a UNESCO World Heritage tag.
Sirpur Archaeological Site
- Sirpur is located two hours from Raipur in Chhattisgarh’s Mahasamund district.
- It is a 5th–12th century archaeological site featuring 34 Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist monuments along the Mahanadi river.
- It was first identified in 1882 by Alexander Cunningham, excavations resumed in the 1950s and later decades, uncovering 22 Shiva temples, five Vishnu temples, 10 Buddhist viharas, and three Jain viharas, with the earliest dating to the 5th century.
Key Features
- Sirpur was once the capital of Dakshina Kosala under the Panduvanshi and Somavamshi kings.
- It showcases early-medieval urban planning with palace ruins, markets, residences, temples, stupas, meditation cells, and water systems.
- Notable structures include the 7th-century Lakshmana Temple, one of India’s finest brick temples, and the Surang Tila complex, built on a high terrace with shrines in the panchayatana style.
- It was also a major Buddhist centre, with large viharas, stupas, and the Tivaradeva Mahavihara housing a significant Buddha statue.
- Its sacred riverine landscape of ghats and temple clusters embodies UNESCO’s vision of a cultural site shaped by both nature and humankind, enhancing its global heritage value.
| Do you know? – A World Heritage Site is a location of “outstanding universal value” — a place of cultural and/or natural significance so exceptional that it transcends national boundaries and is of common importance to present and future generations of humanity. – A UNESCO tag enhances a site’s international recognition, boosting its tourism and revenue. It can also help mobilise funds and strengthen efforts to protect monuments from destruction and encroachment. |
Source :IE
India Re-elected to International Maritime Organisation Council
Syllabus: GS2/IR/GS3/Environment
In News
- India has been re-elected to the Council of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) for 2026-27 with the highest vote tally.
About International Maritime Organization
- Overview: It is the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine and atmospheric pollution by ships.
- Genesis: IMO was established in 1948 following a UN conference in Geneva and came into existence in 1958.
- Functions: Its role is to create a fair, universally adopted regulatory framework that prevents operators from cutting costs at the expense of safety and sustainability, while fostering innovation and efficiency.
- Its measures cover all aspects of shipping — from design and construction to operation and disposal — ensuring the industry remains safe, energy-efficient, and environmentally sound.
- Members: IMO has 175 Member States and three Associate Members, and its headquarters are in London, United Kingdom.
- India joined the IMO in 1959.
- Structure: The IMO is administered by a biennially convened Assembly of all member states and a 40-member Council elected for two-year terms.
- The Assembly functions as the organisation’s highest governing authority.
Source: Air
RBI Norms for Digital Banking Channels
Syllabus: GS3/ Economy
In News
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued norms on digital banking channels for regulated entities simplifying compliance and modernising financial governance.
What are Digital Banking Channels?
- Digital banking channels refer to services offered by banks through websites (internet banking), mobile phones (mobile banking), or other electronic platforms that allow customers to carry out financial and banking transactions with a high level of automation and seamless service.
Key Norms Issued By RBI
- Explicit consent: Banks must obtain customers’ clear consent before activating any digital banking channel.
- Mobile numbers allowed: Banks may collect customers’ mobile numbers for alerts and KYC.
- Risk controls: Banks may set transaction caps, velocity limits, and fraud-check measures based on internal policies.
- Compliance With Payment System Rules: Banks must ensure continuous compliance with directions issued by Department of Payment and Settlement Systems (DPSS) & Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
- Mandatory monitoring: Risk-based transaction surveillance required; banks must flag unusual behaviour and seek prior confirmation for outlier transactions
- Network-independent access: Mobile banking must work across all mobile networks.
- No third-party product displays: Banks cannot show third-party or group-company products on digital channels unless RBI permits.
Source: BS
Russia’s S-500 Air Defence System
Syllabus: GS3/ Defence
In News
- The Prime Minister of India and the President of Russia are set to meet at the upcoming India–Russia Annual Summit, where both sides are expected to discuss India’s interest in next-generation S-500 Prometey air defence system.
About
- The S-500 Prometey is Russia’s most advanced long-range, surface-to-air and anti-space defence system, designed to intercept a wide spectrum of modern and future airborne threats.
- Developed by Almaz-Antey, Russia’s premier air-defence and missile-interception manufacturer.
- S-500 can intercept aircraft, missiles, and hypersonic threats at distances up to 600 km.
- It is operational at altitudes up to 200 km, allowing interception of ballistic missiles in mid-course, hypersonic glide vehicles & low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites.
- It has a reaction time 3–4 seconds, nearly twice as fast as the S-400.
| Feature | S-400 | S-500 |
| Range | 380 km | 600 km |
| Target Altitude | 30–40 km | Up to 200 km (near-space) |
| Threats Intercepted | Aircraft, cruise missiles, limited ballistic missiles | Ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons, stealth aircraft, LEO satellites |
| Reaction Time | 9–10 sec | 3–4 sec |
| Anti-Satellite Capability | No | Yes |
| Role | Long-range air defence | Air + space defence |
Strategic Significance for India
- Major Upgrade to India’s Air Defence Shield: Acquiring the S-500 would significantly strengthen India’s tiered missile defence network, complementing:
- PAD/AAD ballistic missile defence
- S-400 regiments
- Indigenous systems (Akash-NG, MR-SAM)
- Countering China and Pakistan: Helps counter China’s hypersonic missiles like DF-17.
- Strong defence against Pakistan’s ballistic missile arsenal.
Source: TH
Operation Sagar Bandhu
Syllabus: GS2/IR; Miscellaneous
Context
- In the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, which caused widespread devastation across Sri Lanka, India swiftly launched Operation Sagar Bandhu to support relief and rescue efforts.
About Operation Sagar Bandhu
- It is a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operation launched by India to provide emergency aid to Sri Lanka. Under the operation, India dispatched:
- Relief material
- Medical supplies
- Emergency equipment
- Critical HADR assets
- The operation reflects India’s commitment to its Neighbourhood First Policy and the broader maritime vision of MAHASAGAR.
Source: PIB
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