State PCS - Madhya Pradesh (MP PCS)

• 30 Sep 2025

RTE Fee Reimbursement Transferred by CM

Why in News?

Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav transferred ₹489 crore in a single click to 20,652 private schools as fee reimbursement for 8.45 lakh students admitted under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009.

• From the next academic session, RTE students in private schools will also receive free textbooks and school bags.
• The state has set up the Sandipani School and continues other welfare measures like free bicycles, uniforms, textbooks, scooties for toppers, and laptops for students scoring 75% and above.

Key Provisions of RTE Act, 2009

• Right to Free and Compulsory Elementary Education: Children aged 6-14 years are entitled to free, compulsory education in local schools, with enrollment in an age-appropriate class for those above 6 not in school.
  • Aided schools must also offer education for free, proportionate to their funding, but not less than 25%.
  • Elementary education is free until completion, and no child can be held back, expelled, or required to pass a board exam before finishing elementary education.
• Curriculum and Recognition: An academic authority designated by the central or state government must develop the curriculum and evaluation procedure for elementary education.
  • All schools are required to adhere to pupil-teacher ratio norms and meet prescribed standards before establishment or recognition
  • Teacher qualification is to be ensured by the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) conducted by the appropriate government.
• Responsibilities of Schools and Teachers: Teachers are forbidden from giving private tuition or performing non-teaching tasks, except for census, disaster relief, and election duties.
  • Schools must establish School Management Committees (SMCs) consisting of local authority representatives, parents, guardians, and teachers to oversee the school's use of government funds and create a school development plan.
• Grievance Redressal: The National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights reviews safeguards and investigates complaints, with powers akin to a civil court; the state government may also establish a State Commission for similar functions.

Palomar Observatory Gets 1st Woman Head

Why in News?

Prof. Mansi Manoj Kasliwal has made history by becoming the first woman and second Person of Indian Origin (PIO) to be appointed as the new director of Palomar Observatory, following Shrinivas Kulkarni, who was the first PIO to lead the observatory from 2006 to 2018.

Key Points

• About: Born in Indore, India, she moved to the United States at the age of 15. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Cornell University in 2005 and completed her PhD in Astronomy at Caltech in 2011. After a postdoctoral stint at Carnegie Observatories, she returned to Caltech, where she is now a tenured professor.
• Recognition: Prof. Kasliwal, a professor of astronomy at Caltech, is internationally recognised for her pioneering work on explosive cosmic events such as supernovae and neutron star collisions. She received the New Horizons in Physics Prize in 2022 for her leadership in electromagnetic follow-ups of cosmic phenomena.
• Key Contributions and Achievements:
  • GROWTH Project: Leads the Global Relay of Observatories Watching Transients Happen (GROWTH), a global network of telescopes capturing transient cosmic events.
  • Palomar Transient Factory & Zwicky Transient Facility: Played a key role in the design of both facilities, uncovering thousands of supernovae and other astronomical phenomena.
  • Multi-Messenger Astronomy: Contributed significantly to follow-up observations of gravitational waves detected by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory.

Palomar Observatory

• Location and Ownership: Palomar Observatory, situated on Palomar Mountain in north San Diego County, California, is an astronomical research centre owned and operated by Caltech.
• Research Telescopes: The Observatory houses three active research telescopes: the 200-inch Hale Telescope, the 48-inch Samuel Oschin Telescope, and the 60-inch telescope, serving a diverse community of astronomers from Caltech and partner institutions.
• Historical and Ongoing Contribution: Established nearly a century ago, Palomar Observatory has been a leader in astronomical research, operating nightly for scientific advancement, instrument development, and student training.

Shirish Chandra Murmu Appointed RBI Deputy Governor

Why in News?

The Government of India has appointed Shirish Chandra Murmu as the new Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), effective  9th October 2025, succeeding M. Rajeshwar Rao.

Key Points

• About: Shirish Chandra Murmu, currently serving as the Executive Director at RBI, has been appointed to the post for a period of three years. 
  • He joined the RBI in 1991 and has held important positions such as Regional Director, as well as senior management roles in Banking Regulation, Currency Management, and Information Technology. 
• Function: In his new role, he is expected to handle key portfolios, including banking regulation, financial markets, and monetary policy.
• Appointment: His appointment was approved by the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).
  • The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), headed by the Prime Minister with the Minister of Home Affairs as a member, is responsible for making senior government appointments.
• Structure: According to the RBI Act of 1934, the central bank is required to have four deputy governors: two from within RBI, one from the commercial banking sector, and one economist to head the monetary policy department.
  • The current deputy governors, in addition to Shirish Chandra Murmu, include T. Rabi Sankar, Swaminathan J, and Poonam Gupta.