Category: ENVIRONMENT

Context:  Madhya Pradesh is planning to establish a second population of cheetahs by introducing a female into Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary

This follows the successful relocation of 29 cheetahs to Kuno National Park from southern Africa in 2022–23, with further imports from South Africa, Kenya, and Botswana under discussion.

Female cheetahs mature by 25–30 months, give birth around 29 months, and have a 3-month gestation with litters of up to six cubs. Mothers expend nearly double energy during cub-rearing, frequently returning to dens in bushy patches.

Gandhi Sagar presents challenges such as leopard presence and ensuring sufficient prey. Monitoring involves tracking pregnancy, prey provision, and camera traps to assess cub survival. Officials plan relocations after the monsoon for favorable conditions. Enhanced surveillance and veterinary checks aim to reduce mortality risks, as seen in earlier losses at Kuno.

This initiative seeks to create multiple self-sustaining wild cheetah populations and diversify India’s conservation strategy.

Learning Corner:

Asiatic Cheetah:

• The Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus), once widespread in India, became extinct in the country by 1952 due to excessive hunting, habitat loss, and decline of prey species.
• Historically, cheetahs were found across Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Deccan Plateau regions.
• The Asiatic cheetah now survives only in Iran, with less than 20 individuals remaining, making it one of the most endangered big cats in the world.
• India launched Project Cheetah in 2020, aiming to reintroduce cheetahs through translocation from Namibia and South Africa.
• In September 2022, eight cheetahs from Namibia were released into Kuno National Park (Madhya Pradesh), followed by twelve more from South Africa in 2023.
• The reintroduction marks the world’s first intercontinental wild carnivore translocation project.
• Current efforts focus on creating multiple viable populations, ensuring prey availability, tackling threats from leopards, and close monitoring of breeding success.

Comparison between Indian (Asiatic) cheetah and African cheetah:

Source: THE INDIAN EXPRESS

Category: POLITY

Context : On Hindi Diwas 2025, Union Home Minister Amit Shah greeted the nation, calling India a “language-centric country.”

He described Hindi and all Indian languages as carriers of culture, history, knowledge, and traditions, and highlighted Hindi as a bridge of national unity across regions.

Key Points of His Message

• Diversity and Unity: Indian languages have historically given voice to all sections and united people during the freedom struggle.
• Role of Hindi: Evolving from a language of expression into one of technology, science, and research.
• Cultural Recognition: Literary and spiritual works from all regions enrich the nation’s heritage.
• Vision for the Future: Under PM Modi’s leadership, Indian languages are experiencing a revival through initiatives like ‘Bharatiya Bhasha Anubhav’ for easy translation and promotion in law, education, administration, and technology.
• Digital Era: Emphasis on preparing Indian languages, especially Hindi, for e-governance, AI, and global competition.

Shah’s core appeal was to respect all Indian languages and move towards a self-reliant and united India, with the message: “Let us move together, think together, and speak together.”

Learning Corner:

Official Languages Act, 1963:

• Background:
  • Article 343 of the Constitution made Hindi in Devanagari script the official language of the Union.
  • English was to continue for 15 years (till 1965) as an associate official language.
  • Widespread protests (especially in southern states) against the exclusive adoption of Hindi led to the enactment of this Act.
• Key Provisions:

1. Continued Use of English: English shall continue, along with Hindi, for official purposes of the Union and for communication between the Union and non-Hindi-speaking states, even after 1965.
2. Parliamentary Proceedings: Members may address the House in Hindi or English.
3. Authoritative Texts: Laws enacted in Hindi and English are considered equally authoritative.
4. States’ Communication: Communication between the Union and states using Hindi as official language is in Hindi; with other states, it is in English.
5. Rules and Orders: The Act empowers the President to issue rules for progressive use of Hindi and regulate official communication.

• Subsequent Amendment (1967):
  1. Made the use of English indefinite, ensuring it would not be discontinued without approval from states not using Hindi.
• Significance:
  1. Balanced national integration with linguistic diversity.
  2. Prevented the imposition of Hindi as the sole official language.
  3. Enabled smooth functioning of central administration and interstate communication.

Source:  PIB

Category: CULTURE

Context: The Manki-Munda system is a centuries-old self-governance framework of the Ho adivasi community in Jharkhand’s Kolhan region.

Structure and Function

• Each village is led by a hereditary Munda, who resolves disputes and maintains order.
• A Manki oversees a cluster of 8–15 villages, handling unresolved issues.
• The system is decentralized, hereditary, and non-revenue-based, traditionally functioning without external taxation or state intervention.

British Influence

• In 1833, the British codified it under “Wilkinson’s Rules”, marking the first formal recognition of an adivasi self-governance system. This preserved some autonomy but enabled outsider entry and land changes.

Source: THE INDIAN EXPRESS

Category: ENVIRONMENT

Context : Australia has approved the world’s first vaccine to protect koalas from chlamydia, a disease causing infertility, blindness, pain, and death.

Koala Chlamydia Vaccine

Developed by the University of the Sunshine Coast after over a decade of research, it is a single-dose vaccine requiring no booster and shown to reduce mortality in wild koalas by at least 65%.

• Threat: Chlamydia infects up to 70% of some colonies in eastern Australia, making it a major cause of population decline.
• Benefits: Effective during breeding years; some studies show it may even reverse early symptoms.
• Rollout: From January, wildlife hospitals, veterinary clinics, and wild populations will be targeted, with priority to vulnerable areas. Funding challenges remain due to the labor-intensive process of vaccinating wild koalas.
• Significance: A landmark in wildlife disease control and conservation, replacing antibiotics that previously harmed koalas’ digestion and survival.

Learning Corner:

Koalas and Chlamydia

• Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) are marsupials native to eastern Australia, classified as endangered due to habitat loss, climate change, bushfires, and disease.
• Chlamydia infection (caused by Chlamydia pecorum) is one of the biggest threats to their survival.
• The disease spreads through sexual contact, from mother to joey during birth or nursing, and via social interaction.
• Symptoms: infertility, blindness (due to conjunctivitis), urinary tract infections, and severe pain. In advanced stages, it can cause death.
• Impact: In some colonies, infection rates reach up to 70%, significantly reducing breeding success and population growth.
• Treatment challenges: Antibiotics disrupt koalas’ gut flora, which is essential for digesting eucalyptus leaves, leading to starvation risk.
• Conservation response: Australia approved the world’s first single-dose vaccine in 2025, aiming to curb mortality and aid population recovery.

Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus)

• Classification: Marsupial native to eastern and southeastern Australia.
• Habitat: Prefers eucalyptus forests and woodlands, feeding almost exclusively on eucalyptus leaves.
• Physical Features: Grey fur, large nose, sharp claws for climbing trees, and a pouch for carrying joeys.
• Diet: Specialist folivore; highly dependent on eucalyptus leaves, which are toxic to most other animals.
• Reproduction: Breed once a year; gestation lasts about 35 days; joeys stay in the pouch for 6–7 months.
• Conservation Status: Classified as Vulnerable due to habitat loss, bushfires, disease (especially chlamydia), and climate change.
• Threats: Deforestation, vehicle collisions, dog attacks, and infectious diseases like chlamydia, which cause infertility and blindness.
• Conservation Measures: Wildlife sanctuaries, disease management, habitat restoration, and now a recently approved vaccine against chlamydia.

Source: THE HINDU

Category: ENVIRONMENT

Context: The Union Environment Ministry has approved the translocation of eight tigers from Maharashtra’s Tadoba-Andhari and Pench Tiger Reserves to the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR) in the northern Western Ghats.

This is the first such effort for the region and part of a long-term tiger recovery plan.

• Sahyadri Reserve: Spread over 1,165 sq km, it combines Chandoli National Park and Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary across Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara, and Ratnagiri districts.
• Phased Relocation: Two tigresses will be moved first, followed by others. Tigers will undergo “soft release” in enclosures before being fully released.
• Ecological Role: Aims to revive a breeding population, protect forest ecosystems, safeguard Koyna and Warna river watersheds, and maintain Western Ghats’ corridor connectivity.
• Protocol: Veterinary checks, monitoring, and adherence to NTCA and WII guidelines are ensured.
• Current Status: Declared in 2010, Sahyadri has mostly transient tigers; the initiative seeks to establish a stable breeding population.

Learning Corner:

Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR)

• Location: Western Maharashtra, in the northern Western Ghats. Spread across Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara, and Ratnagiri districts.
• Formation: Established in 2010 by combining Chandoli National Park (317 sq km) and Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary (423 sq km).
• Total Area: About 1,165 sq km.
• Habitat: Dense evergreen and moist deciduous forests, part of the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot.
• Fauna: Tigers (currently very few, mostly transient), leopards, wild dogs, sloth bears, sambar, gaur, and endemic reptiles/amphibians.
• Importance:
  • Secures the watersheds of Koyna and Warna rivers, vital for hydroelectric projects and irrigation.
  • Provides a crucial ecological corridor linking tiger habitats across Maharashtra, Goa, and Karnataka.

Source: THE INDIAN EXPRESS

Introduction (Context)

India is witnessing a paradigm shift in higher education with the entry of foreign universities establishing campuses in the country.

One U.K. university campus has already opened its doors in Gurugram, launching its academic programmes for the 2025-26 academic session, with the remaining universities setting up their campuses in Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai and the National Capital Region. 

It opens new opportunities for Indian students and expands educational horizons.

About UGC regulation

India’s University Grants Commission (UGC) has released its regulations for setting up and operating campuses of ‘foreign higher educational institutions’ (FHEI) in any part of India. 

Salient features

• FEHIs ranked in the global top 500, either overall or in relevant subject areas, are eligible to apply to set up a branch campus in India.  
• They can also set up as a consortium with other FEHIs, as long as each partner fulfils the eligibility criteria. 
•  FHEIs are defined in the regulations as universities or other educational institutions that are authorised to offer academic and research programmes at the undergraduate or higher levels within and outside their home country.
• FHEIs setting up an IBC in India should ensure that the quality of education provided will be same as that at the main campus in the institution’s home country and that the qualifications awarded will have the same recognition and equivalence to the qualifications awarded in the main campus, and should submit an undertaking to this effect as part of their application.
• FHEIs will also be able to set up multiple campuses in India, but a separate application must be submitted for each campus.
• The FEHI will have the autonomy to decide salary and other terms and conditions for the faculty and staff it appoints for the IBC, but the qualifications of the appointed faculty must be similar to those at the home campus.
• Programs cannot be offered online or in Open and Distance Learning modes under these regulations. Lectures in online mode are allowed but should not exceed 10% of the program requirements.

Significance

1. For Students

• Affordable access to global education without the financial and cultural burden of studying abroad.
• Exposure to global curricula, diverse peer networks, and international faculty.
• Students will have exposure to diverse peer networks, industry partnerships, and entrepreneurial ecosystems embedded within their own country.

2. For Indian Institutions

• Healthy competition that pushes domestic universities to innovate and improve.
• Scope for collaborative research in fields like renewable energy, AI, public health, and sustainability.
• Accelerated global partnerships (India already has collaborations with UK, Australia, EU, and USA).

3. For the Nation

• Positions India as a global education hub, leveraging its cultural and intellectual heritage.
• Enhances India’s soft power in the knowledge economy.
• Attracts international students, creating a two-way flow of ideas, resources, and talent.

Challenges

• Foreign universities may initially struggle to provide the same multicultural exposure as their parent campuses and will need to build global communities in India.
• While UGC mentions “need-based scholarships,” there is little clarity on how these will benefit marginalized and underprivileged students
• Rising costs of education could exclude deprived sections, limiting access to empowerment and creating a mismatch between demand and supply of skilled workers.
• Balancing global curricula with Indian cultural and social contexts.
• Preventing brain drain from Indian universities to foreign campuses within India.

Way Forward

• Ensure equitable access through scholarships and fee regulation.
• Strengthen Indian universities’ global competitiveness alongside foreign entrants
• Foster joint research centres to promote innovation.
• India must position itself as an emerging force in international education not by imitating the Western university model, but by drawing the world to engage with our terms, within our cultural, intellectual, and societal landscape.

Conclusion

The entry of foreign universities into India marks a transformational moment in higher education. It bridges aspiration with affordability, integrates India into the global education ecosystem, and strengthens India’s case as an emerging knowledge powerhouse

However, Quality higher education must aim to develop good, thoughtful, well-rounded, and creative individuals. 

Mains Practice Question

Q Foreign universities are setting up campuses in India. How can this change benefit students and the education system? What challenges need to be addressed? (250 words, 15 marks)

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/bringing-global-education-home/article70048851.ece

Introduction (Context)

India has historically shaped regional and global diplomacy through the Panchsheel principles, the Non-Aligned Movement, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, and, most recently, with its “Neighbourhood First Policy”. This stance has generally promoted peace and interdependence in South Asia. 

However, its unresolved issues with Sri Lanka, as the fisheries crisis in the Palk Strait and the sovereignty of Katchatheevu island, pose challenges.

These issues, if handled prudently, can be transformed into opportunities for cooperation rather than conflict.

About Katchatheevu island

• Katchatheevu is a tiny island in Palk Strait measuring 285.20 acres, and is located about 14 nautical miles from Rameswaram in India. 
• While there are records stating that the island was part of the then Ramnad Kingdom, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) also laid claim to it. It was administered jointly under British rule.
• It is barren, has no drinking water or infrastructure, except a sole Catholic structure dedicated to St. Anthony.
• India and Sri Lanka signed two bilateral agreements in 1974 and 1976 under Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Sirimavo Bandaranaike.
• Under these agreements, Katchatheevu island was recognised as Sri Lankan territory, and the maritime boundary in the Gulf of Mannar and Bay of Bengal was defined.
• Both countries agreed to exercise sovereign rights over living and non-living resources within their respective Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs).
• It was agreed that fishing vessels and fishermen from either side shall not fish in each other’s territorial waters, seas, or EEZs.
• Despite this, the 1974 agreement allowed Indian fishermen access to Katchatheevu island for limited purposes like rest, drying of nets, and participation in the annual St. Anthony’s Church festival, but fishing was strictly prohibited.

Present scenario

• Fishermen from south India and northern Sri Lanka depend on the Palk Strait for their livelihood.
• Many Tamil Nadu fishermen use bottom trawling, which drags nets along the seabed to catch more fish.
• Bottom trawling is harmful as it destroys the seabed, damages coral reefs and shrimp habitats, and reduces fish stocks.
• The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) stresses not only fair use of marine resources but also their conservation.
• The FAO’s Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (1995) considers destructive methods like bottom trawling as unacceptable.
• Sri Lanka banned bottom trawling in 2017, yet hundreds of Indian trawlers continue the practice.
• As fish stocks on the Indian side of the boundary decline, Tamil Nadu boats often cross into Sri Lankan waters for larger catches.
• These boats are usually owned by wealthy operators, while the fishermen working on them are daily wage earners.
• When caught fishing illegally, these fishermen often face arrest by the Sri Lankan Navy.

Way forward

Quota system

• Indian and Sri Lankan fisher organisations can hold dialogue to find solutions.
• With the agreement of Sri Lankan fishers, they can fix quotas or regulated access for Tamil Nadu’s small fishers.
• Limited fishing rights can be given on specific days or during certain seasons until fish stocks in Indian waters recover.

Community sensitisation

• Sri Lankan Tamil MPs and Tamil media can explain in Tamil Nadu how Northern fishermen lost decades of income during the civil war due to military restrictions on sea access.
• These fishermen should not be seen as enemies but as victims of economic loss, similar to Indian fishers.

International framework

• The Palk Strait and nearby waters are considered “historic waters” by both India and Sri Lanka. (This means the two countries have special sovereign rights here, stronger than normal territorial rights. In such waters, no other country (third-state) can pass through or fish without permission. Even the usual international rule of “innocent passage” does not apply.)
• According to UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea), Article 123, countries sharing a semi-enclosed sea (like the Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar) are encouraged to cooperate and manage resources together.
• Hence India and Sri Lanka could adopt similar ideas:

• • Share quotas for fishing days and catch.
  • Set up a joint research station on Katchatheevu for marine scientists to study resources and suggest sustainable practices.
  • Promote deep-sea fishing in India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), so fishermen rely less on near-shore waters and avoid crossing illegally into Sri Lankan territory.

Conclusion

India and Sri Lanka share not only maritime boundaries but also centuries of cultural, religious, and kinship ties.. To protect them, disputes must be addressed without populist rhetoric but through quiet cooperation, legal recognition and shared livelihood security. 

The way forward involves multiple levels such as government-to-government talks (retaining trust and treaty obligations) and State/Provincial engagement (involving Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka’s Northern Provincial Council and community dialogue, encouraging people-people empathy that overcomes media distortions).

Mains Practice Question

Q “The Katchatheevu and Palk Strait disputes are less about sovereignty and more about livelihoods and ecological sustainability.” Discuss (250 words, 15 marks)

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/katchatheevu-a-flashpoint-in-the-palk-strait/article70020557.ece