30 October 2024

• Governance: The government confirmed that the national census exercise will begin in 2025, with enumeration in 2025 and results by 2026. The census has been pending since 2021.
• Economy: India's defence production crossed 1.27 lakh crore rupees in FY 2023-24, the highest ever. Defence exports reached 21,083 crore rupees.
• Culture: The Konark Sun Temple's Wheels (Odisha) were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list as part of the temple's existing designation.
• Finance: Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana's Tarun Plus category (5 to 20 lakh rupees for established small businesses) saw expanded disbursements.

GS area: Governance, Polity (Census, Delimitation)

The Government of India confirmed that the pending census exercise, originally scheduled for 2021 but postponed due to COVID-19, will begin in 2025.

• Census Act, 1948: Mandates a decennial census. The Registrar General of India (RGI) conducts it under the Home Ministry. The last complete census was in 2011.
• What was postponed: The Housing Listing phase (which normally precedes the population enumeration by six months) and then the enumeration itself were postponed. Seven years of socioeconomic policy have run on 2011 data.
• Delimitation implications: The Delimitation Act requires fresh delimitation of Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies after each census. Delimitation based on 2031 data had been temporarily frozen by constitutional amendment until after 2026. The new census data will eventually feed into the next delimitation exercise.
• Women's reservation: The 106th Constitutional Amendment (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023) provides 33 per cent reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies, but it takes effect only after the next delimitation, which requires a fresh census.
• NRC and NPR linkage: The National Register of Citizens is linked to the National Population Register (NPR), which is updated as part of the census process. The census delay also paused the NPR update.

Static linkage: Census, delimitation, women's reservation, constitutional amendments (Polity and Governance).

GS area: Economy, Defence (Make in India)

India's defence production crossed 1,27,265 crore rupees in FY 2023-24, more than double the 2016-17 figure of approximately 54,000 crore rupees.

• Target trajectory: The government's target is 3 lakh crore rupees of defence production (including exports) by 2029.
• Defence exports: Reached 21,083 crore rupees in FY 2023-24. India now exports defence equipment to 85 countries.
• What is produced domestically: Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), LCA Tejas, Arjun Main Battle Tank, anti-tank missiles, naval vessels (destroyers, frigates, submarines), BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, small arms, and ordnance.
• iDEX: Innovations for Defence Excellence. A Ministry of Defence initiative to fund startups and MSMEs developing defence technology. Over 300 challenges have been issued; over 200 contracts signed.
• Negative Import List: The government publishes lists of equipment that will not be imported (must be sourced domestically). The fourth list covers 608 items including artillery guns, transport aircraft, and light combat helicopters.

Static linkage: Make in India in defence, defence exports, DRDO (Economy and Defence).

GS area: Culture (Ancient History, Architecture)

The Konark Sun Temple's iconic Chariot Wheels were highlighted as part of ongoing efforts to promote India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

• UNESCO designation: The Sun Temple of Konark (Odisha) was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.
• Architecture: Built by King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty in the 13th century (approximately 1244-1250 CE). The temple is designed as a giant stone chariot of the Sun God Surya with 24 intricately carved wheels and 7 horses.
• Wheels as sundials: The 12 pairs of wheels (24 total) are not decorative: they are functional sundials. The spokes cast shadows that allow the time to be read accurately. This is a celebrated example of ancient India's astronomical knowledge embedded in architecture.
• Chlorite stone: The wheels are carved from chlorite (locally called Khondalite), a stone quarried from the nearby hills.
• Temple's incompletion: The main tower (shikhara) collapsed centuries ago. The entrance hall (Jagamohana) and audience hall (Nata Mandir) are preserved.

Static linkage: Ancient Indian architecture, Odisha, UNESCO Heritage Sites (Culture and History).

GS area: Economy (MSME Finance, Entrepreneurship)

The Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana's Tarun Plus category, which provides loans between 10 and 20 lakh rupees to established micro enterprises, reported strong disbursements in 2024.

• MUDRA structure: Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency Ltd. It is not a direct lender. MUDRA provides refinance to scheduled commercial banks, RRBs, MFIs, and NBFCs that lend to micro enterprises.
• Three tiers of MUDRA loans:
  • Shishu: Up to 50,000 rupees (for startups and early businesses).
  • Kishor: 50,001 to 5 lakh rupees (for growth-stage businesses).
  • Tarun: 5,00,001 to 10 lakh rupees (for established businesses).
  • Tarun Plus: 10 lakh to 20 lakh rupees, introduced specifically for businesses with proven track records.
• Collateral: MUDRA loans under Tarun do not require collateral for certain categories. Coverage under the Credit Guarantee Fund for Micro Units (CGFMU) reduces lender risk.
• Target beneficiaries: Non-corporate, non-farm small and micro enterprises including vegetable vendors, street food shops, artisans, manufacturing micro units, and service providers.

Static linkage: MUDRA, MSME finance, entrepreneurship (Economy).

GS area: Environment, Culture (Tiger Reserves, Heritage)

Archaeologists discovered an ancient Buddhist monastery complex within the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh.

• Discovery: Approximately 26 Buddhist temples, a 1.5-metre-tall seated Buddha statue carved in relief, and an elephant carving were discovered. The complex was dated to the 8th to 9th century CE based on inscriptions and carving style.
• Significance: The discovery links Bandhavgarh to the larger Buddhist heritage of central India during the post-Gupta period.
• Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve: Located in Umaria and Katni districts, Madhya Pradesh. Known for one of the highest tiger densities in India.
• Project Tiger: India's tiger conservation programme launched in 1973. As of 2024, there are 55 Tiger Reserves covering over 75,000 square kilometres.
• Tiger census 2022: India counted 3,167 tigers, the highest in the world, making India home to approximately 70 per cent of the global wild tiger population.

Static linkage: Tiger reserves, Project Tiger, Buddhist heritage, Madhya Pradesh (Environment and Culture).

GS area: Economy (Trade, Infrastructure)

Petrapole land port in West Bengal, on the India-Bangladesh border, was highlighted as South Asia's largest integrated check post handling billions of dollars of trade.

• Location: Petrapole (West Bengal, India) connects to Benapole (Bangladesh).
• Trade volume: Approximately 5.5 billion dollars of bilateral trade passes through Petrapole annually.
• India-Bangladesh trade: Bangladesh is India's largest trading partner in South Asia. Bilateral trade exceeds 13 billion dollars. India exports vehicles, cotton, machinery, and chemicals; Bangladesh exports garments, jute, and processed food.
• Integrated Check Post (ICP): Under the Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI), Petrapole has been developed into an Integrated Check Post with customs, immigration, quarantine, and warehousing facilities at one location.
• BBIN: The Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicles Agreement aims to facilitate seamless cross-border transit. Petrapole is a key node.
• Land Ports Authority of India: A statutory authority under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways that develops and maintains integrated check posts at land borders.

Static linkage: Land ports, BBIN, India-Bangladesh trade (Economy and International Relations).