Raghuji Bhosale I
Syllabus: GS1/History
Context
- The Maharashtra government has reclaimed the iconic sword of legendary Maratha warrior Raghuji Bhosale I.
Raghuji Bhosale I (1695– 1755)
- He was the founder of the Nagpur-based Bhosale dynasty and a prominent Maratha general during the reign of Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj.
- Impressed by his bravery and military acumen, he was honoured with the title ‘Senasaheb Subha’ by Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj.
- Raghuji led pivotal military campaigns in Bengal in 1745 and 1755, greatly expanding the Maratha Empire’s territory into Bengal and Odisha.
- He also defeated Nawabs of Kurnool and Cuddapah, extending Maratha influence in South India.
About the Sword
- The sword has the ‘firangi’ style of Maratha weaponry, characterised by a straight, single-edged European blade paired with a locally crafted Mulheri hilt, adorned with intricate gold inlay.
- It is inscribed with a gold-inlaid Devanagari script near the hilt, reading ‘Shrimant Raghoji Bhosale Senasaheb Subha Firang’, suggesting that the inscription was either created for Raghuji Bhosale or was used by him personally.
Source: IE
Muziris Heritage Project
Syllabus: GS1/ Art and Culture
Context
- The Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly recently acknowledged historian M.G.S. Narayanan as a key force behind the Muziris Heritage Project, despite his theoretical differences.
About the Project
- The Muziris Heritage Project (MHP), launched in 2009, is one of India’s largest heritage conservation initiatives.
- It is jointly implemented by the Government of Kerala and the Union Government, with support from UNESCO, aiming to preserve a cultural legacy over 3,000 years old.
- The aim of the project is to restore and promote Muziris, an ancient maritime trade hub and cultural crossroads.
Do you know?
- Muziris was a flourishing port on India’s southwest coast during the 1st century BCE, served as a major trade link with the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, and Egyptians, dealing in spices, pearls, gems, ivory, and silk.
- The port mysteriously disappeared from historical records, possibly due to natural calamities.
Source: TH
Gyan Post
Syllabus :GS 2/Governance
In News
- Minister of Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia announced the launch of Gyan Post.
Gyan Post
- It is a new India Post service which will provide affordable delivery of educational, social, cultural, and religious books across the country.
- It will use trackable surface transport to keep costs low and ensure accessibility, reflecting a commitment to bridging educational gaps regardless of location or affordability.
- Only printed materials with clearly marked publishers or printers will be eligible.
- The services will be started from 1st May,
Objectives
- It reinforces India Post’s role in public service and education empowerment.
- It is aimed at enhancing access to learning, especially in remote areas.
- It supports the goals of the new education policy by ensuring educational content reaches every corner of India.
Source: AIR
High Temperatures and Mango Production
Syllabus: GS3/Agriculture
Context
- Mango productivity has been affected due to rising temperatures.
About
- IMD Report (2024): 2024 was the warmest year since 1901.
- The last 12 years have consistently been warmer than earlier decades.
- This prolonged warming challenges the typical interannual variability of temperatures.
- Mango Productivity Trends in India: In 2024-25, it is expected to be 9.4 MT per hectare.
- This is higher than the two other leading major producers of mango, which are China (8.74 MT/Ha) and Thailand (8.36 MT/Ha).
- India is the largest producer of Mango in the world followed by China.
- Uttar Pradesh is the largest producer in India followed by Andhra Pradesh and Bihar.
- Heat Stress and Plant Physiology:
- Excess heat causes fruit drop, early maturity, sun scalding, uneven ripening.
- Disorders like spongy tissue in varieties such as Alphonso.
Climatic Conditions
- Temperature: Ideal range is 24°C to 30°C.
- Can tolerate up to 48°C for short durations.
- Sensitive to frost and cold winds, which can damage flowers and young fruits.
- Rainfall: A rainfall range of 890-1,015 mm in a year is considered as ideal for growing mangoes.
- However, mango can be grown in regions of both heavy (2540 mm) or scanty (254 mm) rainfall.
- The loamy, alluvial, well-drained, aerated and deep soils (2-2.5 m) rich in organic matter with a pH range of 5.5-7.5 are ideal for mango cultivation.
Source: TH
First-ever Aquaculture Insurance Scheme
Syllabus: GS 3/Economy
In News
- The Centre has launched India’s first-ever aquaculture insurance scheme.
Aquaculture insurance scheme
- It comes under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY) which is a sub-scheme of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).
- It aims to provide risk mitigation and financial security to marginalised fish farmers.
- Eligible beneficiaries include registered aquafarmers and entities in the fisheries value chain.
- The scheme offers two options: basic insurance covering natural calamities and comprehensive insurance that also includes disease coverage.
- Each policy covers one crop cycle.
Other Related Announcements
- The government also launched the 5th Marine Fisheries Census (MFC) to comprehensively document marine fisher families, villages, fishing equipment, and related infrastructure across India.
- For the first time, the census uses a geo-referenced, app-based digital system—the ‘VyAS-NAV’ mobile app developed by ICAR-CMFRI—for real-time data collection and validation.
- It will cover 1.2 million fisher households across 3,500 villages and will gather detailed demographic, socio-economic, and livelihood data to guide government support.
- Additionally, projects worth ₹255 crore were inaugurated for seven coastal states and UTs under PMMSY.
| Do you know? – The Union Cabinet approved the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY) in 2024 as a Central Sector sub-scheme under under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) to be implemented across all states and UTs from FY 2023–24 to 2026–27. – The scheme aims to transform the fisheries sector through financial and technological interventions and institutional reforms. |
Source :DTE
Kuiper Internet
Syllabus: GS3/Space
Context
- Amazon has launched the first batch of its Kuiper internet satellites into space.
About
- Six years ago Amazon unveiled its plans to build a constellation of internet-beaming satellites in low Earth orbit, called Project Kuiper.
- The service will compete directly with Elon Musk’s Starlink, which currently dominates the market and has 8,000 satellites in orbit.
- Starlink and Project Kuiper are both part of an effort to transform global internet infrastructure.
- The networks aim to provide access to remote corners of the world where traditional broadband, which relies on underground cables, is lacking.
- Amazon is spending as much as $10 billion to build the Kuiper network.
Source: LM
Migration to ‘.bank.in’ Domain
Syllabus: GS3/ Security
Context
- The RBI has asked all banks to commence the migration of their existing domains to the ‘.bank.in’ domain and complete the process by October 31, 2025.
About
- A domain name is used to find websites. It is a unique and easy-to-remember address to access websites on the internet.
- Currently, banks are either using ‘.com’ or ‘.co.in’ as their domain name, which is more generic.
- The initiative aims to reduce cybersecurity threats and malicious activities.
- The operationalisation of the new internet domain name is through the Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT), which has been authorised by the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI), under the aegis of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), to serve as the exclusive registrar for this domain.
What is the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI)?
- NIXI is a not for profit Organization under section 8 of the Companies Act 2013, and was registered in 2003.
- It was set up for peering of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) among themselves for the purpose of routing the domestic traffic within the country, instead of taking it all the way to US/abroad, thereby resulting in better quality of service and reduced bandwidth charges for ISPs by saving on international bandwidth.
Source: LM
National Archives Acquires
Syllabus: Miscellaneous
In News
- The National Archives of India (NAI) has acquired the private papers of former President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
- The collection includes lectures, original photographs, and personal documents like his Aadhaar card and passport.
National Archives of India (NAI)
- It was established in 1891 in Calcutta as the Imperial Records Department
- It is the largest archival repository in South Asia and the custodian of records of enduring value of the Government of India.
- It is located in New Delhi, with a regional office in Bhopal and records centres in Bhubaneswar, Jaipur, and Puducherry.
- It holds a vast collection of public records, private papers, oriental records, maps, and microfilms.
- The Director General of Archives oversees the implementation of the Public Records Act, 1993, and related rules for managing and preserving government records.
- It operates under the Ministry of Culture.
| Do you know? – Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (1931–2015), born in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu – He was a renowned aeronautical engineer and scientist. – As Project Director at ISRO, he led the development of India’s first Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-III), successfully launching the Rohini satellite in 1980. – Later, at DRDO, he spearheaded the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP), overseeing the development of the AGNI and PRITHVI missiles and India’s nuclear capabilities, including the Pokhran-II nuclear tests. – He served as Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India (1999-2001) and as Professor at Anna University, inspiring young minds. – He is known as the “Missile Man of India,” and was a renowned scientist and the 11th President of India (2002–2007). 1. Revered as the “People’s President”, he spent his post-presidency years mentoring students. – His literary works, including Wings of Fire, India 2020, My Journey, and Ignited Minds, have motivated generations. – He was Honored with Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan, and Bharat Ratna. |
Source: TH
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