14 March 2025

• Space: ISRO's SpaDeX mission successfully completed undocking, demonstrating India's autonomous in-space rendezvous capability.
• Governance: ASHA worker strikes across Kerala highlighted long-standing concerns about wages and social security for frontline health workers.
• Energy: PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana crossed 10 lakh rooftop solar installations.
• Defence: India's MR-SAM Astra missile system received a 2,971 crore rupee contract.
• Water: A parliamentary committee report on water resources flagged severe groundwater depletion across cities.

GS area: Science and Technology (Space)

ISRO's Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) successfully completed its undocking phase on March 14, 2025, making India the fourth country to demonstrate in-space docking and undocking capability.

• SpaDeX mission: Two small spacecraft (SDX01 and SDX02, each about 220 kg) launched on PSLV-C60 in December 2024.
• Docking: First achieved in January 2025.
• Undocking significance: Separation and re-docking demonstrate autonomous GNC (Guidance, Navigation and Control), required for orbital assembly and crew transfer in future missions.
• Countries with docking capability: United States, Russia and China had demonstrated docking previously. India is the fourth.
• Applications: The technology is essential for Chandrayaan-4 (lunar sample return), the proposed Indian Space Station and Gaganyaan crewed missions with orbital module transfers.
• ISRO mandate: Under the Department of Space. India's civilian space agency, established 1969.

Static linkage: Science and technology (ISRO, space).

GS area: Health, Society, Governance

ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers struck work across Kerala to demand minimum wages and social security benefits.

• ASHA workers: About 10 lakh (one million) across India. Over 98 per cent women.
• Role: Village-level health link workers. They mobilise communities for vaccination, maternal and child health, TB detection and sanitation.
• Employment status: Treated as volunteers, not regular employees. Paid performance-based incentives (not wages).
• Incentive range: 1,000 to 3,000 rupees per month depending on state.
• Social security gap: No provident fund, no ESI coverage, no maternity leave with pay.
• National Health Mission: ASHA workers are anchors of the NHM community health strategy.
• Supreme Court direction: The Supreme Court had earlier asked states to review ASHA remuneration, but implementation varies widely.

Static linkage: Health (NHM), society, governance (labour rights).

GS area: Economy (Energy), Government Schemes

The PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana crossed 10 lakh rooftop solar panel installations since its February 2024 launch.

• Announced: February 2024 budget session.
• Outlay: 75,021 crore rupees.
• Target: One crore households by 2027.
• Subsidy: Central financial assistance for rooftop solar systems of 1 to 3 kW capacity (covers up to 300 units per month free electricity for an average household).
• Technology partner: National Portal for Rooftop Solar; DISCOMs handle grid connection.
• Progress: 10 lakh installations completed by March 2025, generating about 4,770 crore rupees in subsidy disbursement.
• States leading: Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra have the highest per-district adoption.
• India's solar target: 500 GW renewable energy by 2030 under the NDC.

Static linkage: Economy (energy), government schemes, environment.

GS area: Science and Technology (Defence)

A 2,971 crore rupee contract was signed for serial production of the Astra Mk-II Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile.

• Developer: DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) with HAL.
• Range: 100-plus km (beyond visual range).
• Platform: Compatible with Su-30MKI; planned integration with LCA Tejas Mk2.
• Guidance: Active radar homing with inertial navigation mid-course update.
• Predecessor: Astra Mk-I (70 km range), operationally inducted with IAF.
• Significance: Reduces India's dependence on Russian R-77 and Western AIM-120 AMRAAM imports.
• IDDM: The contract falls under the Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured (IDDM) category.

Static linkage: Science and technology (defence), economy (defence production).

GS area: Environment, Governance (Water Management)

A parliamentary standing committee on water resources tabled its report on groundwater depletion across Indian cities.

• Key findings: 21 major cities face groundwater depletion by 2030 (NITI Aayog 2018 report figure remains valid). 25 per cent of global groundwater extraction occurs in India.
• Jal Shakti Ministry: Nodal ministry for water management.
• Aquifer mapping: The National Aquifer Mapping Programme (NAQUIM) has mapped 4.55 lakh sq km of aquifers under the National Water Mission.
• Central Groundwater Authority (CGWA): Regulatory body for groundwater extraction (under Environment Protection Act, 1986).
• AMRUT: Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation includes water supply and sewage management components.
• Groundwater crisis states: Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have the most severe over-exploitation.

Static linkage: Environment (water management), governance.

GS area: Economy, Governance (North East Development)

Reports on India's North East highlighted improved connectivity and economic indicators following the PM GatiShakti implementation.

• Act East Policy: Connects North East India to ASEAN through Mizoram-Myanmar-Thailand highway.
• NESIDS: North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme provides central funding for roads, power and connectivity.
• PM GatiShakti: Integrates infrastructure projects across ministries through a geospatial platform.
• Organic farming: Sikkim (100% organic) and Meghalaya are North East leaders in organic certification.
• Bamboo sector: North East accounts for 67 per cent of India's bamboo. The National Bamboo Mission targets value addition.
• Bodoland: The Bodo Peace Accord (2020) created the Bodoland Territorial Council as an autonomous body.

Static linkage: Economy, governance (North East India).

GS area: Economy (Agriculture), Health

India's biofortification programme expanded its coverage of high-iron and high-zinc crop varieties.

• ICAR: The Indian Council of Agricultural Research leads biofortification research.
• HarvestPlus: International collaboration platform for biofortified crop development.
• Iron-fortified rice: Varieties developed for eastern India (a high anaemia burden region).
• Hidden hunger: Micronutrient deficiency affects 2 billion people globally (WHO estimate).
• POSHAN 2.0: India's integrated nutrition mission (2021 onwards). Targets first 1,000 days of life.
• NFHS-5 anaemia data: 57 per cent of children aged 6 to 59 months and 67 per cent of women (15 to 49 years) are anaemic.

Static linkage: Economy (agriculture), health (nutrition).

• Ramappa Temple: Discussions continued on water seepage management at the 13th-century Ramappa Temple in Telangana (UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2021). It belongs to the Kakatiya dynasty era.
• Coral bleaching: NOAA (US) confirmed a fourth global coral bleaching event (the most extensive on record) was ongoing across the Pacific and Indian Oceans.