Highlights
- Environment: India ranks among the top 5 global e-waste producers. E-waste generation rose 151 per cent between 2017-18 and 2023-24.
- Security: Operation Keller neutralised TRF commander Shahid Kuttay in Shopian, J&K.
- Defence: India's Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) intercepted Pakistani drone and missile attacks effectively.
- Biodiversity: Tsarap Chu Conservation Reserve in Himachal Pradesh is India's largest at 1,585 sq km.
- Agriculture: Jute Corporation of India raised MSP for raw jute from ₹5,335 to ₹5,650 per quintal for 2025-26.
1. E-waste: India's growing burden
GS area: Environment, Governance, Waste Management
India's e-waste generation has more than doubled in six years.
- Scale: E-waste generation rose from 7.08 lakh metric tonnes in 2017-18 to 17.78 lakh metric tonnes in 2023-24. This is a 151 per cent increase.
- Global position: India ranks among the top 5 e-waste producers globally (after China, USA, Japan and Germany).
- Governing framework: E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 under the Environment Protection Act, 1986. These mandate Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for manufacturers, importers and brand owners.
- EPR mechanism: Producers are responsible for financing the collection and safe disposal of their products at end of life.
- Key gap: 90 per cent of e-waste is still handled by the informal sector which lacks safety standards. Workers face exposure to lead, mercury and cadmium without protection.
- Proposed solution: A uniform floor price for EPR compliance to make formal recycling economically viable.
Static linkage: Environmental law, EPR, solid waste management, pollution control.
2. Operation Keller and the Territorial Army
GS area: Internal Security, National Security, Defence
Indian Army neutralised TRF commander Shahid Kuttay in Shopian district, Jammu and Kashmir.
- Operation Keller: Conducted 13 May 2025 at Shoekal Keller, Shopian district by the Indian Army, J&K Police and CRPF.
- Target: Shahid Kuttay, commander of The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy organisation for Pakistan-backed Lashkar-e-Taiba.
- Shopian: A district in the southern Kashmir Valley, part of Mughal Road history, with agriculture (apple orchards) as the primary economy.
- Territorial Army: Established under the Territorial Army Act, 1948, launched 9 October 1949. A volunteer reserve force of part-time citizen soldiers. Rule 33 permits full mobilisation during national exigencies. Current strength: approximately 50,000 personnel in 65 units. Eligibility: Indian citizens aged 18-42. Operational history includes all major India-Pakistan wars.
Static linkage: Internal security, J&K, CRPF, counter-terrorism.
3. IACCS: India's integrated air defence brain
GS area: Defence Technology, National Security
India's Integrated Air Command and Control System proved its value by coordinating the interception of Pakistani attacks.
- Developer: Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).
- Coverage: Sensitive military bases, borders and air defence zones across India. Key sectors: Delhi NCR, western command (Rajasthan, Punjab, J&K), eastern borders and southern commands.
- Capabilities:
- Multi-sensor integration: Ground radar, AWACS, AEW&C aircraft, fighter jets, civilian radar feeds.
- Real-time threat assessment from detection through recognition to interception.
- 360-degree airspace visualisation with live digital mapping.
- Layered integration: Connects with the Indian Army's Akashteer air defence management system.
- Multi-tier structure: Layer 1 is counter-drone and MANPADS; Layer 2 is point air defence; Layer 3 is short and medium-range SAMs; Layer 4 is long-range SAMs (S-400, Barak-8).
Static linkage: Air defence, BEL, India's defence modernisation.
4. Tsarap Chu Conservation Reserve
GS area: Environment, Biodiversity, Governance
Himachal Pradesh notified India's largest conservation reserve to protect high-altitude biodiversity.
- Area: 1,585 sq km. India's largest conservation reserve.
- Location: Spiti Valley, Lahaul and Spiti district, Himachal Pradesh.
- Legal basis: Section 36A(1) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Conservation Reserves can be declared over government lands including community and private lands by state governments.
- Boundaries: Adjacent to Ladakh, Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary and Chandratal Wildlife Sanctuary. Functions as a wildlife corridor between Kibber and Chandratal.
- Flagship species: Snow leopard (called the "Ghost of the Mountains").
- Other fauna: Tibetan wolf, bharal (blue sheep), Himalayan ibex, kiang (wild ass), Tibetan argali.
- Management: Conservation Reserve Management Committee includes local panchayats. Promotes eco-tourism, trekking and wildlife research.
Static linkage: Wildlife Protection Act, conservation reserves, snow leopard, Spiti Valley.
5. Jenu Kuruba tribe and Jute Corporation of India
GS area: Tribal Affairs, Agriculture
Two distinct prelims items.
- Jenu Kuruba tribe: Meaning "honey collectors" in Kannada. Also called Then Kurumba or Kattu Naikar. PVTG status. Located primarily in Kodagu and Mysuru districts of Karnataka; also in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Traditional livelihood: honey collection and tuber gathering. Semi-nomadic with decentralised leadership. 52 evicted families attempted to reclaim ancestral land in Nagarhole Reserve, Karnataka in May 2025.
- Jute Corporation of India (JCI): Established 1971 under the Companies Act, 1956. Headquarters: Kolkata. Parent ministry: Ministry of Textiles. Function: Government price support agency for raw jute procurement. Raised MSP from ₹5,335 to ₹5,650 per quintal for 2025-26. Key initiative: Jute I-CARE Project for scientific retting and certified seeds. ISRO partnership for remote sensing crop assessment.
Static linkage: PVTGs, tribal rights, agricultural price support.
6. Shakargarh Bulge and military history
GS area: Modern Indian History, Geography
Pakistan amassed forces near Shakargarh following the Pahalgam attack, bringing this strategically significant area into focus.
- Location: Sialkot district, Pakistan. Bounded by the Ravi and Chenab Rivers.
- Terrain: Flat terrain with road and rail access offering offensive depth.
- Strategic value: Protects the Jammu-Pathankot axis; if captured, would cut off Kashmir connectivity.
- Battle of Basantar (1971): Fought December 4-16, 1971 during the Indo-Pakistan War. Around the Basantar River in the Shakargarh Bulge. One of the largest post-WWII tank battles. Over 60 Pakistani Patton tanks were destroyed. India achieved a defensive victory that strengthened its negotiating position at the Shimla Conference.
Static linkage: Modern Indian history, India-Pakistan wars, Shimla Agreement.
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