1. Orange economy
- Context: Appealing to global companies to create content in India, the Prime Minister said that the strength of Indian culture was to respect the cultures of other countries.PM modi called the Orange economy – spanning music , film, gaming and animation -a future pillar of India’s GDP.
Orange Economy(Creative Economy)
- The creative economy is a knowledge-based sector involving the creation, production, and distribution of creative goods and services.
- It includes industries like advertising, architecture, arts, fashion, film, music, photography, publishing, R&D, andsoftware.
- India’s creative industry is valued at USD 30 billion and employs nearly 8% of the country’s working population. In 2023, India had over 100 million content creators.
WAVES(World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit):
- WAVES is a global summit for the media and entertainment (M&E) industry, organized by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
- Aim: To bring together industry leaders, stakeholders, and innovators to address challenges, explore prospects, and promote global trade, thereby influencing the future of the sector.
- It highlights India’s creative strength on the global platform.
- India will soon launch the WAVES Awards.
Prelims special:
Q. Consider the following statements:(UPSC 2024)
- India is a member of the International Grains Council.
- A country needs to be a member of the International Grains Council for exporting or importing rice and wheat.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
2. U.S-Ukraine deal
- Context: The U.S. and Ukraine announced an economic agreement giving US access to country’s valuable mineral wealth
Key Highlights:
- United States-Ukraine Reinvestment Fund: It will attract global investment to the Ukraine.
- The U.S. will get access to more than 20 raw materials deemed strategically critical to its interests, including some non-minerals such as oil and natural gas.
Mineral resources:
- Ukraine possesses rich mineral resources crucial for manufacturing high-end weapon systems, clean energy solutions (such as electric vehicles), electronic gadgets, and semiconductors.
- These minerals are rare and difficult to extract, making them highly valuable.
Geopolitical Significance:
- China has large reserves of these critical minerals, making Ukraine’s resources strategically important for the US and the West.
- The US seeks rare-earth elements, titanium, gallium, and other critical minerals for weapons systems, clean energy, and reducing dependence on China.
- The US President’s interest in acquiring Greenland is also partly driven by mineral resource concerns.
Key Classifications of Minerals:
- Rare Earth Elements (REEs): Consist of 17 elements, including 15 Lanthanides (atomic numbers 57–71), Scandium (21), and Yttrium (39).
- Critical Minerals: Defined by countries based on economic and security needs and their limited availability.
- India identified 30 critical minerals in 2023.
Prelims special:
Q. Which of the following activities constitute a real sector in the economy?(UPSC 2022)
1. Farmers harvesting their crops
2. Textile mills converting raw cotton into fabrics
3. A commercial bank lending money to a trading company.
4. A corporate body issuing Rupee Denominated Bonds overseas.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- 1 and 2 only
- 2, 3 and 4 only
- 1, 3 and 4 only
- 1, 2, 3 and 4
Ans: (a)
3. Gundaram inscriptions
- Context: The Epigraphy Branch of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has documented eleven inscriptions during an epigraphical survey in the Gundaram Reserve Forest of Telangana.
Key Highlights:
- Spanning period: 1st century BCE to the 6th century CE
- Inscription type: Engraved on a prominent rock surface locally known as Sitamma Lodi near Gattu Singaram village.
- Two inscriptions from the Gundaram rock shelter:
- First inscription Written in early Brahmi script, records that a person of the Hāritiputra lineage possibly of the Chuṭu dynasty
- He excavated a cave for Buddhist monks and describes himself as a friend of Kumāra Hakusiri, a Satavahana prince,”
- This inscription suggests a political or social connection between the Satavahanas and the Chuṭus, two influential dynasties of the early Deccan,”
- Second inscription begins with a trident and damaru — auspicious religious symbols — and states that the land east of the hill belonged to Siri Devarāna.
- This is the first known occurrence of such religious iconography accompanying early inscriptions in South India
- It indicates an early association of political authority with symbolic religious elements.
- Satavahana-period inscriptions copied at the site refer to other royal figures, including Kumāra Sakasiri and Akusiri
Significance:
- It gives critical insights into the early cultural and political landscape of the Deccan, with particular reference to the Satavahana period.
- These findings support earlier epigraphic evidence discovered at Mukkutraopet village of Velgatoor mandal near Kotilingala
- where an inscription established that Telangana was part of Asmaka(one of the sixteen Mahājanapadas)mentioned in ancient Indian texts and known to have flourished in the 6th century BCE.
- Gundaram inscriptions “strengthen the historical identification of Telangana as a core region of Asmaka.
- It provides a tangible link to the Satavahana and associated dynasties that shaped early Deccan polity.
Satavahanas dynasty
- It flourished between the 1st century BCE and the early 3rd century AD and was one of the most significant early Indian dynasties.
- Originating in the Deccan region, the Satvahanas established a powerful kingdom that was crucial in shaping ancient India’s political and cultural landscape.
- They are often credited with laying the foundations for developing South Indian culture.
- They were key players in the post-Mauryan period, bridging the gap between the decline of the Mauryan Empire and the rise of later South Indian powers.
Major Kings and Their Reigns of Satavahanas Dynasty
- The dynasty was founded by Simuka, who established the early foundations of the Satavahana rule.
- The Satvahanas reached their zenith under the reign of Gautamiputra Satakarni (c. 106-130 AD).
- Gautamiputra Satakarni is remembered for his successful campaigns against the Shakas and for restoring the kingdom’s glory after a period of decline.
- Following him, Vashishtiputra Pulumavi (c. 130-154 AD) continued the expansion and consolidation of the empire, establishing his capital at Pratishthana.
Prelims special:
Q. Which one of the following is a work attributed to playwright Bhasha?(UPSC 2024)
(a) Kavyalankara
(b) Natyashastra
(c) Madhyama-vyayoga
(d) Mahabhashya
Ans: (c)
4. Tiger census
- Context: The first phase of the annual tiger census in the Gudalur forest division in the Nilgiris has begun.
Tiger Census in India
- The national tiger census is done every four years by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in partnership with state forest departments, conservation NGOs, and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
- The census uses a double sampling method based on ground-based surveys and images from camera-traps.
Key Points Related to Tiger:
- Scientific Name: Panthera tigris
- Indian Sub Species: Panthera tigris tigris.
- Habitat:
- Its habitat stretches from Siberian temperate forests to subtropical and tropical forests on the Indian subcontinent and Sumatra.
- It is the largest cat species and a member of the genus Panthera.
- Threats:
- Habitat destruction, habitat fragmentation and poaching.
- Protection Status:
- Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I
- International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List: Endangered.
- Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): Appendix I.
Prelims special:
Q. Among the following Tiger Reserves, which one has the largest area under “Critical Tiger Habitat”? (UPSC 2020)
- Corbett
- Ranthambore
- Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam
- Sundarbans
Ans: (c)
5. Wildfires
- Context: Wildfires raged on the outskirts of Jerusalem in Israel forcing the evacuation of communities and the closure of a main highway.
Forest fire (wildfire or bushfire):
- It is an uncontrolled and non-prescribed combustion or burning of plants in a natural setting such as a forest, grassland, brushland, or tundra.
- It consumes natural fuels and spreads based on environmental conditions like wind and topography.
- Forest fires in an uncontrolled manner are considered a disaster.
- Forest fires have both positive and negative impacts.
- Positive:They have many ecological benefits
- Negative: they destroy valuable forest resources and have a negative influence on climate change.
Prelims special:
Q. Consider the following: (UPSC 2019)
- Carbon monoxide
- Methane
- Ozone
- Sulphur dioxide
Which of the above are released into the atmosphere due to the burning of crop/biomass residue?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2, 3 and 4 only
(c) 1 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Ans: (d)