14 January 2025

• Science: Mission Mausam launched on IMD's 150th Foundation Day to modernise India's weather forecasting infrastructure.
• Defence: Nag Mk-2 ATGM completed field trials. DRDO's fire-and-forget missile can defeat tanks with Explosive Reactive Armour.
• International: A ceasefire deal framework between Israel and Hamas, mediated by the USA, Qatar, and Egypt, was announced.
• Governance: Rat-hole mining ban by NGT in 2014 came under scrutiny after a coal mine tragedy in Dima Hasao, Assam.
• Geography: PKC River Link Project linking Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal rivers at Rs 72,000 crore was approved.

GS area: Science and Technology, Governance

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) completed 150 years of operation on 14 January 2025. Prime Minister Modi launched Mission Mausam on the occasion.

• IMD established: 1875. Under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
• Headquarters: New Delhi.
• Mission Mausam: A modernisation initiative to upgrade weather infrastructure.
  • Objective: Deploy next-generation Doppler weather radars, satellites, and high-performance computing systems.
  • Doppler radar expansion: From 15 radars (2014) to 39 (2023). Mission Mausam targets further expansion.
  • IMD Vision-2047: Roadmap for climate-resilient forecasting aligned with India's centenary of independence.
• Current IMD services: Cyclone warnings, monsoon forecasts, agricultural weather advisories, aviation meteorology, and flood watches.

Static linkage: Weather forecasting institutions, Ministry of Earth Sciences (Science and Technology, GS Paper 3).

GS area: Environment, Governance

A coal mine tragedy in Dima Hasao district of Assam brought rat-hole mining back into national focus.

• What is rat-hole mining: Narrow tunnels barely large enough for a worker to enter are dug to extract coal. Workers, often children, crawl into the tunnels.
• Two types:
  • Side-cutting: Horizontal tunnels cut into the hillside.
  • Box-cutting: Rectangular shafts dug vertically, then horizontal channels at the bottom.
• National Green Tribunal ban: The NGT banned rat-hole mining in 2014 on environmental and safety grounds.
• Sixth Schedule exception: Rat-hole mining persists because in Sixth Schedule areas of northeast India (including Meghalaya), mineral ownership vests in landowners, not the state. This makes central mining regulations harder to enforce.
• Dima Hasao tragedy: Workers trapped in an illegal coal mine, triggering a complex rescue operation.

Static linkage: Environmental law, Sixth Schedule, tribal rights (Polity, GS Paper 2).

GS area: International Relations

A framework for a phased ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was reported on 14 January 2025.

• Mediators: USA, Qatar, and Egypt.
• Negotiation venue: Doha, Qatar.
• Proposed structure: A phased truce with hostage release provisions in exchange for Palestinian prisoner releases.
• Humanitarian context: The conflict since October 2023 resulted in over 46,000 Palestinian casualties and severe displacement.
• Regional significance: A Gaza ceasefire has implications for Lebanon, Hezbollah, Iran-Israel tensions, and India's energy security through the Persian Gulf.

Static linkage: West Asia, Israel-Palestine conflict (International Relations, GS Paper 2).

GS area: Environment, Water Resources

The Cabinet approved the PKC River Link combined with the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP).

• Rivers involved: Chambal, Parbati, Kalisindh, Banas, and their tributaries.
• Total cost: Rs 72,000 crore. The Central Government funds 90%.
• Water allocation: 4,100 million cubic metres (MCM) to Rajasthan; 3,000 MCM to Madhya Pradesh.
• Rajasthan coverage: 23 districts.
• Environmental concern: The project involves submergence of 37 sq km inside the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, a sensitive overlap.
• Benefit: Addresses water scarcity in arid Rajasthan, particularly for drinking water and irrigation in the semi-arid districts.

Static linkage: River interlinking, water management, Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (GS Papers 1 and 3).

GS area: Geography, International Relations

Fifteen fishermen from Kanniyakumari, Tamil Nadu were detained near Diego Garcia in January 2025.

• Location: Central Indian Ocean, part of the Chagos Archipelago. South of the equator.
• Administration: British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT).
• Military lease: The island hosts a major US-UK military base. It is one of the most strategically significant bases in the Indian Ocean.
• Historical context: Britain separated the Chagos Islands from Mauritius before granting Mauritius independence in 1968. Mauritius claims sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago. A sovereignty dispute was being negotiated in 2024.
• Indian angle: Tamil fishermen are regularly detained for straying into restricted waters around Diego Garcia.

Static linkage: Indian Ocean geography, maritime security (Geography and International Relations, GS Papers 1 and 2).

• Sada (Konkan plateaus): Flat-top laterite plateaus in Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra formed by erosion and lateritic weathering. They act as freshwater catchments and host seasonal biodiversity during the monsoon. Similar to the Kaas Plateau (Satara), another laterite plateau known for wildflowers and designated a UNESCO biodiversity hotspot.
• Purulia Observatory: Inaugurated by S N Bose Centre for Basic Sciences. Located at 600 m elevation in Garpanchakot, Purulia, West Bengal. Features a 14-inch telescope. Fills a longitudinal gap at 86°E in global astronomy observation networks.