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Nilgiri Mountain Railway 

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Nilgiri Mountain Railway  The Coonoor railway station which is part of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) line is being completely transformed as part of the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme and is criticized by heritage train and history enthusiasts. About Nilgiri Mountain Railway: Location: The Railway line from Mettupalaiyam to Ooty is 45.88 km. long and lies partly in the Coimbatore District and partly in Nilgiri District of Tamilnadu, on the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats. It is fondly called the Ooty toy train of the Nilgiris Railway Company, first chugged up the hills on June 15, 1899. History: It…

Vertical fiscal imbalance

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Vertical fiscal imbalance Introduction to Vertical Fiscal Imbalance (VFI)       The 15th Finance Commission highlighted that States in India face a significant Vertical Fiscal Imbalance (VFI).       States incur 61% of the revenue expenditure but collect only 38% of the revenue receipts.       This imbalance means that States rely heavily on transfers from the Union government for their expenditures. Why VFI Needs Attention       Constitutional Division of Duties: The Union and State governments have constitutionally defined financial responsibilities. The Union government collects major taxes like Personal Income Tax and Corporation Tax, while States handle expenditures on publicly provided goods and…

Valley Fever 

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Valley Fever  Valley fever, a fungal disease endemic to the western United States, is seeing a significant rise in cases across California, prompting concerns among health officials and researchers. About Valley Fever:       Valley Fever, also called coccidioidomycosis, is an infection caused by the fungus Coccidioides.       The fungus lives in soil in some areas, including the southwestern United States and south-central Washington, as well as in parts of Mexico as well as Central and South America. Transmission:        People and animals can get Valley Fever by breathing in spores, generally from dust or disturbed soil, in areas where the…

Konyak Tribe

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Konyak Tribe  The Konyak Union, the apex body of the Konyak community, has sought the Nagaland government’s intervention in rectifying the “erroneous” boundary line between the State’s Mon district and Assam’s Charaideo district on Google Maps. About Konyak Tribe: The Konyaks can be found in the Mondistrict of Nagaland and also in the Tirap and Changlang districts of Arunachal Pradesh. The term ‘Konyak’ is believed to have been derived from the words ‘Whao’ meaning ‘head’ and ‘Nyak’ meaning ‘black’ translating to ‘men with black hair’. They can be grouped into two groups, namely “Thendu”, which means the “Tattooed Face” and…

Zero FIR

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Zero FIR  The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has directed Union Territories (UTs) to ensure that ‘zero FIRs’ recorded in local languages are accompanied by a translated copy of the same when forwarded to states with different languages. This directive aims to preserve the legal value of FIRs. Complying, the UTs have started sending out the original zero FIRs along with their English translation. Zero FIRs About FIRs The term first information report (FIR) is not defined in the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) 1973 or in any other law. In police regulations or rules,…

D-Voter

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D-Voter  The Assam Chief Minister recently announced that nearly 1.2 lakh people in the state have been identified as ‘D’ (Dubious or Doubtful) voters, with 41,583 declared as foreigners. About D-Voter: The concept of D-Voter is unique to Assam, where migration and citizenship are among the biggest political fault lines. It was introduced in Assam in 1997 by the Election Commission, targeting those who could not prove their Indian nationality. Those persons whose citizenship was doubtful or was under dispute were categorized as ‘D- Voters’ during the preparation of the National Register of Citizens in Assam. ‘Doubtful voter’ or ‘doubtful…

Odisha’s Bonda tribe

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Odisha’s Bonda tribe Challenges: The Bondas face issues such as poverty, lack of education, and access to health facilities, and they are increasingly vulnerable to outsider exploitation and modernization pressures. Location: The Bonda tribe primarily resides in the isolated hilly regions of Malkangiri district in Odisha, especially in the Bonda Hills within the Eastern Ghats. PVTGs: Bondas are one of the 13 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in Odisha, part of the 75 PVTGs identified across India. Ethnicity: They are part of the Austroasiatic language family and are among India’s most primitive tribes. Language: They speak the Bonda language, which…

India’s anti-tuberculosis fight 

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India’s anti-tuberculosis fight Tuberculosis: A Persistent Challenge Tuberculosis (TB) remains a global health concern, with India bearing over 25% of the world’s TB cases. Despite progress driven by political commitment, eliminating TB requires innovative solutions and improved use of existing technologies. In 2023, 25.1 lakh TB cases were diagnosed in India, indicating stronger case-finding efforts. Current Treatment Regimens and Challenges Existing treatments for drug-resistant TB are long and difficult, with patients needing 13-14 tablets daily for shorter regimens (9-11 months) or 4-5 tablets daily for longer regimens (18-24 months). These treatments are physically and mentally taxing, with severe side effects,…

Unified Lending Interface (ULI)

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Unified Lending Interface (ULI) The Reserve Bank is piloting an application for frictionless credit —Unified Lending Interface (ULI). It will be launched nationwide soon and will become the UPI on the credit side. Unified Lending Interface (ULI) Background In August 2023, the RBI initiated a pilot project for a public tech platform designed to streamline credit processes, aiming to reduce costs, expedite disbursements, and enhance scalability. Recently, RBI Governor proposed naming this platform the Unified Lending Interface (ULI). He expressed that, much like UPI revolutionized the payments ecosystem, ULI is expected to similarly transform the lending landscape in India. Need…

Shompen Tribe

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Shompen Tribe  The development of a port and airport in the pristine Nicobar Islands “will not disturb or displace” any of the Shompen, the Union Environment Minister said recently. About Shompen Tribe: They are one of the most isolated tribes on Earth. They are one of the least studied Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in India. They reside in dense tropical rain forests of the Great Nicobar Island of Andaman and Nicobar group of Islands. Around 95% of the island is covered in rainforest. The Shompen habitat is also an important biological hotspot, and there are two National Parks and…