theIASHub | 01 May, 2025 | 7
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Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by PM has approved the FRP for sugarcane for the upcoming 2025–26 sugar season.
o It is fixed by the Government of India based on the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP – under MoA&FW) to ensure farmers receive fair returns.
o Considering factors: Cost of production, reasonable profit margins, and the demand-supply situation,
ü Return to growers from alternative crops & general trend of prices of agricultural commodities,
ü Availability of sugar to consumers at a fair price,
ü Price at which sugar produced from sugarcane is sold by sugar producers, recovery of sugar from sugarcane,
ü Realization made from sale of by-products viz. molasses, bagasse, press mud.
o Introduction: In 2009 and replaced the Statutory Minimum Price (SMP) with the amendment of the Sugarcane (Control) Order, 1966.
o It is based on the Rangarajan Committee report of reorganizing the sugarcane industry.
Right To Digital Access : Recently, the Supreme Court's judgment affirming that the right to digital access is an intrinsic part of the right to life and liberty under Article 21 marks a landmark step toward a more inclusive digital India.
o RBI must revise KYC norms to allow alternative, non-visual identity verification methods, addressing discrimination against the blind and those with facial disfigurements.
o All public and private entities must appoint digital accessibility nodal officers, conduct regular audits, and involve persons with disabilities in user testing.
o The Court highlighted that the digital divide affects not just PwDs but also the elderly, rural, economically weaker sections, and linguistic minorities.
o Bridging the digital divide is now a constitutional obligation, not just a policy choice.
Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) : The Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) have partnered to establish 75 Space Labs in Eklavya Model Residential Schools across 19 states in India.
o Target Group: Tribal youth in EMRS schools, which aim to provide quality education to ST students.
o Expected Beneficiaries: Over 50,000 tribal students from 19 states.
o Total Sanctioned Amount: Around ₹12 crores under BPCL’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative.
o Objective: To impart quality education to tribal students, with an emphasis on not only academic education but the all-around development of tribal students.
o Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
o Implementing agency: National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS).
Greenfield High-Speed Corridor : The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), led by PM, has greenlight the development of a 166 km Greenfield High-Speed Corridor on NH-6 .
o The project will be executed on the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM).
o This large-scale infrastructure investment is in line with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity.
o The corridor will provide direct and faster access from Guwahati to Silchar and beyond.
o It will significantly enhance connectivity to Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, and the Barak Valley region.
o Integrates with major highways: National Highways: NH-27, NH-106, NH-206, NH-37 and State Highways: SH-07, SH-08, SH-09, SH-38.
o Connect Airports: Guwahati, Shillong, and Silchar.
Shri Basaveshwara: Union Ministers led the first-ever floral tribute to Shri Basaveshwara at the Prerana Sthal, Parliament House, New Delhi, on his 894th birth anniversary, marking a historic recognition of his legacy.
o The ceremony was attended by Jagadguru Shri Basava Jaya Mrutyunjaya Swamiji from Kudalsangam Lingayat Panchamasali Peetha.
o Focused on building a society rooted in love, compassion, and the rights of the marginalized, laying the foundation for modern democratic values.
o Inspired society through the Anubhav Mandapam, symbolizing inclusive democracy, and his teachings continue to influence Karnataka and the broader nation, promoting social harmony, peace, and inclusive democracy.
Caste Census : The Union Cabinet has announced a historic decision to include a caste census in the upcoming population census, demonstrating the government’s commitment to social justice.
o Caste data has historically informed administration, from colonial times to the 2011 Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC), which was never released due to data inconsistencies.
o Articles 16(4) and 340 of the Constitution support affirmative action for backward groups, though often based on expert opinion rather than empirical data, as with the Mandal Commission.
o Despite repeated demands for a national caste census, only Bihar conducted its own in 2023.
o Data-Driven Policy: Offers empirical evidence to shape and justify affirmative action.
o Evaluate Impact: Assists in assessing the effectiveness of reservation policies.
o Improve Governance: Informs better planning and execution of welfare schemes through accurate demographic insights.
Raghuji Bhonsle I : Recently, the Maharashtra government successfully reclaimed the ceremonial sword that once belonged to Raghuji Bhonsle I, a prominent Maratha leader.
o Rose to prominence after defeating his uncle in 1730 and establishing authority over Berar and Gondwana.
o Played a pivotal role in expanding Maratha rule to Odisha, culminating in a 1751 treaty with Alivardi Khan.
o Instrumental in reviving the Jagannath Temple in Puri, funding rituals, endowments, pilgrim welfare, and infrastructure.
o Led campaigns into Bengal, Bihar, UP, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh, with the dynasty eventually ruling an area of over 2.17 lakh sq km.
o Design: Slight curvature and two fullers (grooves).
o Inscription: Inlaid in gold Devanagari script, it reads: “Shrimant Raghuji Bhosale Sena Saheb Subah Firang”
o Significance: Likely ceremonial, possibly gifted by Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj along with the conferment of the title Sena Saheb Subah, a prestigious military designation in the Maratha hierarchy.
National Conference on e-Governance: The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) announces the 28th National Conference on e-Governance (NCeG), which will be jointly organized with the MeitY, in collaboration with the Government of Andhra Pradesh.
o Promoting innovation in governance.
o Advancing the "Minimum Government, Maximum Governance" approach.
o Setting new standards of good governance in India’s digital journey.
National Security Advisory Board (NSAB): The Union government has recently reconstituted the NSAB, appointing former RAW chief Alok Joshi as its chairperson and inducting six new members to the panel.
o Composition: It includes experts from the armed forces, IPS, IFS, academia, and civil society, with expertise in defense, foreign affairs, internal security, economic policy, and science & technology.
o Key Functions: Provides strategic analysis and policy recommendations to the NSC on long-term security issues, contributing to frameworks like India’s Nuclear Doctrine and Strategic Defence Reviews.
S8 Tension: Recent cosmic-shear (gravitational lensing) surveys, including a deep sky survey by the University of Tokyo using the Hyper Suprime-Cam on the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii, have reported an S8 value of 0.747—aligning with earlier lensing-based estimates.
o The universe began nearly uniform after the Big Bang (~13.8 billion years ago), as seen in the Cosmic Microwave Background. Tiny density fluctuations later evolved into galaxies, clusters, and cosmic structures.
o Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Data (Planck mission): Suggests a higher S8 — more clumping.
o Cosmic Shear Surveys (gravitational lensing): Show a lower S8 (~0.747) — less clumping.
o This mismatch is called the S8 tension, challenging the prevailing ΛCDM model (Lambda Cold Dark Matter), which assumes a universe dominated by dark matter and dark energy.
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