State PCS - Uttar Pradesh (UP PCS)

• 13 May 2025

Brahmos Missile

Why in News? 

BrahMos supersonic cruise missile production unit was inaugurated by the Union Defence Minister in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. 

Key Points 

• About Brahmos Missile: 
  • An Indo-Russian joint venture, the BrahMos missile has a range of 290 km and is the world's fastest cruise missile with a top speed of Mach 2.8 (about three times the speed of sound). 
    • It is named after the Brahmaputra River of India and the Moskva River of Russia. 
  • It is a two-stage (solid propellant engine in the first stage and liquid ramjet in the second) missile. 
  • It is a multiplatform missile which can be launched with great accuracy from land, air and sea having multi-capability capabilities and can operate during day and night despite bad weather. 
  • It operates on the "fire and forget" principle i.e. it does not require guidance after launch. 
• About Lucknow Brahmos Unit: 
  • The unit has been set up under the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UP DIC) at a cost of Rs 300 crore. 
  • It is a joint venture between the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of the Government of India and the Russian company NPOM. 
    • India has a share of 50.5% and Russia has a share of 49.5% in it. 
  • In the first phase, parts of the BrahMos missile will be assembled here and later the full manufacturing work will be started. 
  • The unit will manufacture 100 to 150 next-generation missiles per year. 
  • The new version's weight has been reduced from 2,900 kg to 1,290 kg. 
  • Its range will be more than 300 km. 

Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor 

• It is an ambitious project aimed at reducing the foreign dependency of the Indian aerospace and defence sector. 
• It has 6 nodes – Aligarh, Agra, Kanpur, Chitrakoot, Jhansi and Lucknow. 
• Uttar Pradesh Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) has been made the nodal agency to execute the project in collaboration with various state agencies. 
• The aim of this corridor is to establish the state as one of the largest and advanced defence manufacturing hubs and put it on the world map. 

 Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)  

• Introduction:  
  • DRDO was established in 1958 by merging the Indian Army's Technical Development Establishment (TDE), Directorate of Technical Development and Production (DTDP) and Defence Science Organisation (DSO). 
  • DRDO is the research and development wing of the Ministry of Defence, Government of India. 
  • Initially DRDO had 10 laboratories, currently it operates 41 laboratories and 5 DRDO Young Scientist Laboratories (DYSL). 
• Principle:  
  • The guiding principle of DRDO is "Balasya Mulam Vijnanam" (power lies in science), which guides the nation in both peace and war situations. 
• Mission:  
  • Its mission is to achieve self-reliance in critical defence technologies and systems by equipping the Indian Armed Forces with state-of-the-art weapon systems and equipment as per the requirements of the three services. 

UP-AGREES and AI Pragya Programme

Why in News? 

The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh launched the 'UP-AGREES' and 'AI Pragya' programmes in Lucknow in the presence of the World Bank President. 

 Key Points 

• About UP-AGREES: 
  • It will be implemented in 28 districts of Purvanchal and Bundelkhand regions of Uttar Pradesh. 
  • Its main objective is to increase agricultural productivity, ensure conservation of natural resources and increase the income of farmers. 
  • The Rs 3,900 crore project includes a Rs 2,737 crore World Bank loan and RS 1,166 crore from the state government. 
  • The 6-year loan, repayable over 35 years at 1.23% interest, will benefit 10 lakh farmers—30% of them women.  
  • The project will link 10,000 women producer groups and send 500 farmers abroad for advanced training. 
• AI Pragya Program: 
  • The main objective of the 'AI Pragya' program is to establish Uttar Pradesh as a leading state in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital technologies. 
  • Under this program, 10 lakh youth will be provided training and certification in cutting-edge technologies like AI, machine learning, data analytics and cyber security. 
  • This initiative will promote AI based startups in the state, increase employment opportunities and create a digitally skilled workforce. 
  • The programme will be conducted in collaboration with various state departments like Education, Health, Agriculture, Revenue, Secretariat Administration. 

  World Bank 

• About:  
  • It was established in 1944 as the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) along with the IMF. The IBRD later became the World Bank. 
  • The World Bank Group is a unique global partnership of five institutions working to advance lasting solutions that reduce poverty and build shared prosperity in developing countries. 
  • The World Bank is one of the specialized agencies of the United Nations. 
• Member:  
  • 189 countries are its members. 
  • India is also its member. 
• Five Development Institutions:  
  • International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) 
  • International Development Association (IDA) 
  • International Finance Corporation (IFC) 
  • Multilateral Guarantee Agency (MIGA) 
  • International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)  
  •  India is not a member of ICSID.