- ISRO SATELLITES FORECAST WHEAT PRODUCTION ACCESS CROP CONDITION
SUBJECT: AGRICULTURE
- National Crop Forecasting Centre (NCFC): ISRO’s CROP framework monitors crop progress using Optical and SAR satellites.
- Remote Sensing & GIS: Used for agriculture, urban planning, and disaster assessment.
- ISRO Satellites: RISAT-1A, Oceansat-3, Resourcesat-2A.
- Wheat sown area (2024-25): 330.8 lakh hectares, close to Ministry of Agriculture data
- Major wheat states (Wheat Belt): Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana.
- Remote sensing supports precision agriculture and food security.
2. RECORD REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN CIVIL SERVICES
SUBJECT: SOCIAL ISSUES
- 2023 IAS batch has 41% women (74 officers), the highest ever.
- Women’s representation aligns with Modi government’s inclusive governance agenda.
- IAS training includes attachments to Central Ministries for policy exposure.
- SDG 5emphasizes gender equality in leadership roles.
3. WHAT IS U.S FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION’S ANTITRUST CASE AGAINST META
SUBJECT: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
- FTC sued Meta (2020) for anti-competitive acquisitions of Instagram (2012) and WhatsApp (2014).
- FTC aims to prove Meta’s monopoly in the PSN market, potentially leading to divestiture.
- Meta argues PSN market includes TikTok, YouTube, and others, denying monopoly status.
- Case reflects global concerns about Big Tech dominance.
- Antitrust Laws: Regulations to prevent monopolies and promote competition, enforced in the U.S. by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
- Monopoly: Market dominance by a single firm, restricting competition (e.g., Meta’s control over social networking).
4. ENSURING A FAIR FEDERAL BALANCE
SUBJECT: STATES
- Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin announced the formation of ahigh-level committee to review the Constitution and recommend steps for ensuring State autonomy.
- The article accuses the Union government, especially under the BJP, of centralising powers and undermining federal principles.
- Examples include overreach in State List subjects, misuse of Governor and President’s constitutional powers, and delayed assent to NEET and education-related bills.
- Tamil Nadu is pushing for are newed struggle to reclaim State rights, echoing the Rajamannar Committee (1971)set up by DMK.
- Historical Roots of Dravidian Federalism: DMK’s ideology is rooted in the concept of “Self-rule for States” and resisting central dominance.
- C.N. Annadurai and M. Karunanidhi championed greater devolution of powers through legislative and constitutional reforms.
5. NOMINATION OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES TO LOCAL BODIES IS A PIONEERING MOVE
SUBJECT: STATES
- Tamil Nadu Assembly has passed two Bills to guarantee nomination of persons with disabilities to local bodies.
- Once enacted, 650 posts in urban local bodies, 12,913 in village panchayats, 388 in panchayat unions, and 37 in district panchayats will be reserved for persons with disabilities.
- This is India’s first structured move toward ensuring political representation for the disabled at grassroots level.
- Static Linkages: 73rd & 74th Constitutional Amendments: Panchayati Raj and Urban Local Bodies.
- PWD Act, 1995 → RPWD Act, 2016: Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
- Affirmative Action: Social justice through political reservation.
- Article 243D & 243T: Reservation in Panchayats/Municipalities.
