13 January 2025

• Governance: Draft DPDP Rules released further details on Significant Data Fiduciaries and cross-border data flows.
• Defence: Dhruv ALH (Advanced Light Helicopter) variants and their armed Rudra version were in focus.
• Society: De-notified Tribes (DNTs): 1,526 communities were classified as "criminal tribes" under colonial law; 269 remain uncategorised under SC/ST/OBC.
• Culture: Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 formally began at Prayagraj, the world's largest human gathering.
• Environment: Groundwater contamination data confirmed nitrate limits exceeded in 440 districts and fluoride in several states.

GS area: Culture, Geography

Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 formally began at Prayagraj (Sangam) on Makar Sankranti (14-15 January 2025). The preparations crossed a milestone on 13 January.

• Prayagraj Sangam: The confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati. The Triveni Sangam is the sacred bathing point.
• Amrit Snan dates (major bathing days):
  • 14 January (Makar Sankranti)
  • 29 January (Mauni Amavasya)
  • 3 February (Basant Panchami)
• Expected attendance: Around 40-45 crore pilgrims over the full festival period.
• Infrastructure: Temporary city covering over 4,000 hectares. Water, sanitation, security, and emergency health services deployed at unprecedented scale.
• Kumbh is a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Inscribed in 2017 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Static linkage: Indian culture, religious festivals, geography (GS Paper 1).

GS area: Governance, Technology

Key provisions of the DPDP Rules as they relate to Significant Data Fiduciaries.

• Significant Data Fiduciaries (SDFs): Entities handling large volumes of sensitive personal data or having high risk to users' rights. The government notifies SDFs.
• Cross-border data flow restrictions: SDFs face tighter controls on transferring personal data outside India. The Centre can prohibit transfers to specified countries.
• Data Principal rights: The individual whose data is collected has the right to access information about processing, correct inaccuracies, and demand erasure.
• Children's data: "Verifiable parental consent" required for processing data of persons under 18. The rules define mechanisms for age verification.
• Data Protection Board (DPB): The adjudicatory body can impose penalties up to Rs 250 crore per violation.

Static linkage: Governance, data privacy, IT law (GS Paper 2).

GS area: Defence, Science and Technology

The Dhruv ALH programme was discussed in context of fleet safety and operational readiness.

• Developer: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
• Classification: 5.5-tonne utility helicopter. Indigenously designed and manufactured.
• Variants:
  • Mk-I: Basic transport.
  • Mk-II: Enhanced transport and offshore roles.
  • Mk-III: Naval version with advanced avionics.
  • Mk-IV (Rudra): Armed version with a 20mm turret gun, 70mm rockets, and air-to-air missiles.
• Exports: Sold to Bolivia, Myanmar, Israel, Maldives, and Nepal.

Static linkage: Make in India in defence, indigenous military equipment (GS Paper 3).

GS area: Social Justice

De-notified Tribes are communities that were classified as "hereditary criminals" under the colonial-era Criminal Tribes Act, 1871 and its successor, the Habitual Offenders Act.

• Scale of stigma: 1,526 communities were classified under the Criminal Tribes Act.
• Denotification: The CTA was repealed in 1952, but the "denotified" label stuck.
• Categorisation gap: 269 DNT communities have not been classified under SC, ST, or OBC, leaving them without the welfare protections those categories provide.
• Idate Commission (2015): Submitted recommendations in 2017 including a permanent national commission, inclusion in caste census, and a sub-quota within OBC reservations.
• SEED Scheme (2022): Support for Education, Employment, and Development for DNT, Nomadic, and Semi-Nomadic communities. A flagship welfare scheme launched in February 2022.

Static linkage: Social justice, reservation policy (Polity and Society, GS Papers 1 and 2).

GS area: Science and Technology (Artificial Intelligence)

Discussion on AI models relevant to governance and policy.

• Large Language Models (LLMs): Trained on massive datasets. Examples: GPT-4, Claude, Gemini. High capability but expensive to run, requiring cloud infrastructure.
• Small Language Models (SLMs): Compact systems trained on focused domain-specific data. Can run on edge devices such as smartphones and IoT sensors.
• Advantages of SLMs: Faster inference, lower cost, no cloud dependency, better suited for privacy-sensitive applications.
• India context: The Bhashini project uses language AI for 22 scheduled Indian languages. SLMs are suitable for on-device translation in low-connectivity areas.

Static linkage: Artificial intelligence, digital India (Science and Technology, GS Paper 3).

• Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary: Located in Jorhat, Assam. Altitude 100-120 metres. Home to the Western Hoolock Gibbon and Bengal Slow Loris. The sanctuary borders the Bhogdoi River.
• Pink fire retardant (Phos-Chek): An ammonium polyphosphate-based slurry used in the California wildfires by aerial tankers. It creates a protective line in advance of the fire by removing oxygen at the fuel surface. Contains toxic metals including chromium and cadmium, raising environmental concerns after application.
• Bharat Cleantech Manufacturing Platform: Launched by the Ministry of Commerce at Bharat Climate Forum 2025 to support India's 500 GW renewable energy target by 2030. Focuses on solar, wind, hydrogen, and battery storage supply chains.