- CHANDRAYAAN – 3 DATA SAYS WATER ICE EASIER TO FIND ON MOON THAN BELIEVED
SUBJECT: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
- Vikram Lander’s ChaSTE recorded lunar temp: 82°C (surface), 58°C (1m away).
- Temp variations suggest water ice beneath surface.
- Significance: Water for drinking, fuel, habitation.
- PRL (Ahmedabad) notes water-rich areas more common.
- Firsts: In-situ lunar soil temp measurement at Shiv Shakti Point
- Boosts lunar resource extraction; aids global missions (Artemis, Chang’e).
2. INDIA TAKES 24TH SPOT IN FREE SPEECH SURVEY
SUBJECT: INTERNATIONAL
- India ranks 24th/33 (score: 62.6)in Future of Free Speech Index.
- Top: Norway (87.9), Denmark (87.0).
- Nearby: South Africa (66.9), Lebanon (61.8).
- Findings: Strong free speech support, but 37% favor curbs on government criticism (highest globally).
- Signs of democratic backsliding.
- Strengthen legal protections, promote civic awareness
3. A SHRINKING TRADE DEFICIT, AS SEEN IN FEB IS NO CAUSE FOR CHEER
SUBJECT: ECONOMY
- February trade deficit at $14 billion(42-month low).
- Exports: $36.91 billion(down 10.9% YoY).
- Imports: $50.96 billion(down 16.3% YoY).
- Reasons: High base effect (leap year exports: $41.4 billion).
- U.S. slowdown amid upcoming tariffs (April 2).
- Imports: Gold: Down 62% (price: ₹87,886/10g).
- Oil: Down 30%; Russia now 40% of crude imports.
- Concerns: U.S. tariffs may widen deficit by 15%;India-U.S. $500 billion trade goal at risk.
4. WHAT FACTORS INFLUENCE WOMEN’S POLITICAL PARTICIPATION
SUBJECT: SOCIAL ISSUES
- Voter turnout gap narrowing since 2010.
- Representation still low.
- Influences: Caste, class, region, local dynamics; welfare schemes (e.g., Ujjwala) boost women’s electoral role.
- Barriers: Societal norms, caste overriding gender identity.
- Party Patterns: Congress gains more female votes; BJP closing gap via welfare
5. PACT SIGNED FOR USING PARLIAMENT DATA FOR AI MODEL
SUBJECT: NATIONAL
- India AI Mission MoU with Parliament to use its data for indigenous AI model training.
- Resources: Parliament, Doordarshan, AIR datasets; 14,000 GPUs available.
- Goal: Build large language models (LLMs); reduce reliance on potentially non-open-source foreign models (e.g., Open AI).
- Plan: Engage professors, startups; emulate 5G lab model (100 university labs).
- Timeline: GPU capability in 3-5 years; U.S. collaboration based on trust, IP rights.
