{"id":36714,"date":"2025-02-03T19:17:25","date_gmt":"2025-02-03T13:47:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=36714"},"modified":"2025-08-06T17:21:38","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T11:51:38","slug":"news-in-short-3-february-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/03-02-2025\/news-in-short-3-february-2025","title":{"rendered":"News In Short 3-2-2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Gyan Bharatam Mission<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS1\/ Art &amp; Culture<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In News<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>Gyan Bharatam Mission<\/strong> was announced in the <strong>Union Budget 2025-26<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is a landmark initiative focused on the <strong>survey, documentation, and conservation<\/strong> of India\u2019s <strong>manuscript heritage<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The mission aims to cover <strong>more than one crore manuscripts<\/strong>, ensuring their <strong>preservation and accessibility<\/strong> for future generations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>With this initiative, the government is taking <strong>significant steps to reviving the <\/strong><strong>National Manuscripts Mission (NMM) <\/strong>launched in <strong>2003<\/strong> but largely inactive, and promoting India\u2019s <strong>rich literary and intellectual traditions<\/strong> at a global level.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>To accommodate this initiative, the budget for the <strong>National Manuscripts Mission (NMM)<\/strong> has been <strong>significantly increased from \u20b93.5 crore to \u20b960 crore<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Significance of the Mission<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Preserving India\u2019s Intellectual and Cultural Heritage<\/strong>: Manuscripts hold knowledge on subjects such as <strong>philosophy, science, medicine, literature, mathematics, and astronomy<\/strong>. Their preservation helps safeguard <strong>India\u2019s historical wisdom<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Digital Access for Future Generations<\/strong>: Manuscripts often suffer from <strong>physical decay<\/strong>. Digitization ensures <strong>24\/7 access to these texts worldwide<\/strong> while preventing deterioration.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Global Academic Impact<\/strong>: By making manuscripts available for study, India strengthens its position as a <strong>hub of ancient knowledge and scholarship<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Understanding Manuscripts<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A <strong>manuscript<\/strong> is a <strong>handwritten document<\/strong> on materials such as <strong>paper, birch bark, or palm leaves<\/strong>. To be classified as a manuscript, it must be <strong>at least 75 years old<\/strong> and hold <strong>scientific, historical, or aesthetic value<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India has an estimated <strong>10 million manuscripts<\/strong> in over <strong>80 ancient scripts<\/strong>, including:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Brahmi, Kushan, Gaudi, Lepcha, Maithili, Grantha, and Sharada<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>75% of manuscripts are in Sanskrit<\/strong>, while <strong>25% are in regional languages<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Source: TH<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Green Cardamom<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Economy\/Agriculture<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Researchers have identified<strong> six species <\/strong>that are closely related to<strong> Elettaria cardamomum, <\/strong>better known as <strong>green cardamom.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Of the six,<strong> four<\/strong> were previously placed <strong>in a separate genus, Alpinia,<\/strong> while the <strong>remaining two <\/strong>have been newly identified and described from Kerala\u2019s Western Ghats regions.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Following the reclassification, <strong>the genus Elettaria <\/strong>now<strong> has seven species, <\/strong>including Elettaria cardamomum. E. ensal, E. floribunda, E. involucrata and E. rufescens were earlier placed in the genus Alpinia.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The remaining two are new species, Elettaria facifera and Elettaria tulipifera.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Seed capsules of Elettaria cardamomum<\/strong> provide the commercial green cardamom.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The genus name is based on this <strong>spice\u2019s old Malayalam name, \u2018elletari<\/strong>\u2019 as used by Hendrik van Rheede in the 17th century.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About Cardamom<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Cardamom is one of the world\u2019s most exotic spices &#8211; along with Saffron and Vanilla.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It belongs to the same botanical family as ginger and turmeric <strong>(Zingiberaceae).<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is also one of the world\u2019s oldest spices \u2013 cultivated for more than 4000 years.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Evergreen forests of Western Ghats of South India <\/strong>are considered as the centre origin of cardamom.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Guatemala <\/strong>is the world&#8217;s largest producer of cardamom, India is the second largest producer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Top Producing States:<\/strong> Kerala (56.71%), Karnataka (35.91%) and Tamil Nadu (7.31%).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/epaper.thehindu.com\/ccidist-ws\/th\/th_international\/issues\/118356\/OPS\/GVTDUFFL0.1+GONDUJ41N.1.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Samudrayaan Mission<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Science and Technology<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Samudrayaan Mission has been allocated Rs 600 crore in Union Budget 2025-26.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Launched in <strong>2021<\/strong>, it is India&#8217;s<strong> first manned ocean mission<\/strong> to explore the deep ocean.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is a project of the <strong>Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) <\/strong>under the Deep Ocean Mission.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The technology is being developed by the <strong>National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT).&nbsp;<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>NIOT is an autonomous institute under MoES, has developed a 6000m depth-rated<strong> Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) \u2018Matsya 6000\u2019.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The mission aims to send <strong>three people to a depth of 6,000 meters <\/strong>in a submersible called the MATSYA 6000.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The submersible will have an operational endurance of 12 hours, which is extendable up to 96 hours in the event of an emergency.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Objectives of the Mission:&nbsp;<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>To study deep-sea marine life.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>To explore the distribution of polymetallic nodules, which are rich in minerals such as copper, nickel, and cobalt.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>To study the impact of climate change on the ocean.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>To develop India&#8217;s capabilities in deep-sea exploration and research as well as develop underwater vehicles and underwater robotics.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>To develop offshore-based desalination techniques, renewable energy generation techniques, and provide clean drinking water and explore the avenues of desalination of water.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>So far, countries such as the <strong>U.S., Russia, China, France and Japan<\/strong> have carried out successful deep-ocean crewed missions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/india\/deep-ocean-mission-samudrayaan-gets-rs-600cr-budget-boost\/articleshow\/117868032.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TOI<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Trial of Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Defence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted three successive flight-trials of the Very Short-Range Air Defence (VSHORAD) system.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It targets <strong>high-speed, low-altitude drone threats.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The test confirmed the VSHORADS <strong>precision in neutralising aerial threats.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The VSHORAD is a <strong>portable air defence system<\/strong> designed and developed indigenously by Research Center Imarat in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The missile system has the capability to meet the <strong>needs of all the three branches of the armed forces \u2014 the Army, Navy and the Air Force.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It offers close air defence protection for mobile formations, especially in the <strong>growing threat of drones and loitering munitions.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/drdo-carries-out-three-consecutive-tests-of-very-short-range-air-defence-system\/article69169680.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Democratic Republic of Congo<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS1\/Geography<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The armed group M23 is advancing in Democratic Republic of Congo, raising fears of a regional war and a public health crisis.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About: Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is the <strong>second-largest country<\/strong> in Africa after Algeria and also <strong>Africa&#8217;s most ethnically diverse<\/strong>, with over 200 ethnic groups.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It shares <strong>borders with nine countries<\/strong>: Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia, extending from Eastern Africa to the Atlantic Ocean.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Kinshasa is the capital<\/strong> and largest city of the DRC, situated on the banks of the Congo River.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Though the DRC is endowed with exceptional natural resources, including minerals like <strong>cobalt, copper, and diamonds<\/strong>, along with hydropower potential and significant arable land, it remains <strong>one of the five poorest nations<\/strong> in the world.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The DRC has faced decades of instability, with civil wars and conflicts involving rebel groups, particularly in the eastern regions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"dbbb8d\" data-has-transparency=\"true\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Democratic-Republic-of-Congo-1024x576.png\" alt=\"democratic republic of congo\" class=\"has-transparency wp-image-36716\" style=\"--dominant-color: #dbbb8d; width:408px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Democratic-Republic-of-Congo-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Democratic-Republic-of-Congo-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Democratic-Republic-of-Congo-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Democratic-Republic-of-Congo-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Democratic-Republic-of-Congo.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Do you know?<\/strong><br>&#8211; <strong>M23<\/strong>, named after a failed peace agreement signed on <strong>March 23, 2009<\/strong>, between a <strong>Tutsi-led rebel group<\/strong> and the<strong> Congolese government<\/strong>, claims to be fighting for the rights of Congo\u2019s Tutsi ethnic minority.<br>&#8211; The group accuses the Congolese government of failing to uphold the agreement, particularly regarding the integration of <strong>Congolese Tutsis <\/strong>into the army and administration.<br>&#8211; Congo and UN experts allege that <strong>neighboring Rwanda<\/strong>, governed by a Tutsi-led administration, is backing M23.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-global\/congo-m23-rebels-9812287\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">IE<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Point Nemo<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS1\/Geography, Places In News<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/06-01-2025\/news-in-short-6-january-2025#:~:text=Navika%20Sagar%20Parikrama%2DII%20is,Navy%20officers%20leading%20the%20journey.\">INSV Tarini<\/a>, sailed by two Indian Navy women officers, successfully crossed <strong>Point Nemo<\/strong> during the third leg of <strong>Navika Sagar Parikrama II.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About the Point Nemo<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Point Nemo, located in the <strong>South Pacific<\/strong> and also known as the <strong>Oceanic Pole of Inaccessibility<\/strong>, is one of the most remote places on Earth, situated approximately <strong>2,688 kilometers<\/strong> from the nearest landmass.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Due to its extreme isolation, the closest human presence is often aboard the <strong>International Space Station (ISS)<\/strong> orbiting above.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Additionally, Point Nemo serves as a <strong>spacecraft cemetery<\/strong>, where space agencies deliberately direct decommissioned satellites and space stations to safely re-enter Earth&#8217;s atmosphere and fall into the ocean, minimizing risks to populated areas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"306f8a\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"688\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Point-Nemo-1024x688.png\" alt=\"point nemo\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-36715\" style=\"--dominant-color: #306f8a; width:532px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Point-Nemo-1024x688.png 1024w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Point-Nemo-300x201.png 300w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Point-Nemo-768x516.png 768w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Point-Nemo.png 1050w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Navika Sagar Parikrama II&nbsp;<\/strong><br>&#8211; Covering more than<strong> 21,600 nautical miles<\/strong> (approx 40,000 km), it will unfold in <strong>five legs<\/strong> with stopovers at <strong>four ports <\/strong>for replenishment and maintenance.<br>&#8211; The five legs are:<br>1. Goa to Fremantle, Australia<br>2. Fremantle to Lyttleton, New Zealand<br>3. Lyttleton to Port Stanley, Falkland&nbsp;<br>4. Port Stanley to Cape Town, S Africa<br>5. Cape Town to Goa.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/pib.gov.in\/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2098252#:~:text=In%20a%20remarkable%20milestone%20for,of%20Navika%20Sagar%20Parikram%20II.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PIB<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Gyan Bharatam Mission was announced in the Union Budget 2025-26.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36714","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36714","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36714"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36714\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":50571,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36714\/revisions\/50571"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36714"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36714"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36714"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}