• 12 Aug 2025

Rajasthan's First Sex-Sorted Semen Lab for Cattle

Why in News? 

Rajasthan's first sex-sorted semen lab for cattle was inaugurated by Dairy Minister Joraram Kumawat on 11th August 2025 at Bassi, Jaipur, and aims to enhance livestock quality, breed improvement, and milk production in the state. 

Key Points 

• Operation: The lab will operate under the Rajasthan Cooperative Dairy Federation (RCDF) with support from the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), based in Anand, Gujarat. 
  • A tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by RCDF, Rajasthan Livestock Development Board (RLDB), and NDDB Dairy Services (NDS) for the management and operation of the Bassi Semen Station. 
  • The MoU aims to enhance the production and supply of both conventional and sex-sorted semen doses for artificial insemination in Rajasthan. 
• Purpose & Impact: The lab aims to enhance cattle genetics for improved milk production in the region by providing livestock farmers with affordable, high-quality semen doses for artificial insemination.  
• Production and Pricing: The annual production capacity is 10 lakh doses of semen, with varying pricing based on sex-sorted, indigenous conventional, and imported breed semen, and extra doses may be sold to other agencies at market rates. 
• Significance:  The Bassi Semen Station is set to become a key resource in Rajasthan, not only for semen production but also as an educational and support center for livestock farmers, driving forward both the economic and environmental goals of the dairy industry in the region. 

Bijnor Jail Honors Sachindranath Bakshi

Why in News? 

Sachindranath Bakshi, an unsung hero of the Kakori Train Action, has been honored at his memorial in Bijnor Jail, where he was once imprisoned after being sentenced to life imprisonment. 

• The memorial, named ‘Smritika’, was inaugurated on 11th August 2023 and includes a statue of Bakshi, along with the engraved names of 419 freedom fighters who were held in the jail during the British era. 

Key Points 

• Role in Kakori Train Action  (9th August 1925): Bakshi, alongside revolutionaries Ashfaqullah Khan, Chandrashekhar Azad and Rajendra Lahiri, played a pivotal role in the 1925 Kakori Train Action, where they looted the British treasury for the cause of India’s independence (procuring arms). 
  • He attacked the guard's compartment and seized a chest of money. 
• Bakshi’s Contribution: He had purchased the tickets and pulled the emergency chain, leading to the revolutionary act. 
• Bakshi’s Legacy: After his arrest, Bakshi was sentenced to life imprisonment, unlike his fellow revolutionaries who were executed.  
  • His memoir, ‘Kranti Ke Path Par’, reflects his emotional turmoil about the disparity in their fates. 
  • Later, he was released and continued to participate in politics after India’s independence. 
• Historical Insight: He led protests and hunger strikes (53 days) to demand recognition for freedom fighters as political prisoners. 

Sachindranath Bakshi 

 

• Born: 25th December 1904 (Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh) 
• Death: 23rd November 1984 (Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh) 
• Role: Prominent freedom fighter, founder of Hindustan Republican Army (HRA) 
• HRA Formation: 1924, aimed at armed struggle against British colonial rule 
• Initial Contributions: 
  • Propagated HRA ideals in Varanasi. 
  • Moved to Jhansi to expand HRA’s base. 

Kannauj FSL Achieves ISO 9001:2015 Certification

Why in News? 

The Kannauj Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Uttar Pradesh has become the first laboratory in the state to receive the prestigious ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System certification.  

Key Points 

• About: On 8 August 2025, the certificate was formally presented to Rajeev Krishna, the Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh, by Naveen Arora, Additional Director General of Police, Technical Services Headquarters. 
  • The certification recognizes the laboratory's high standards in forensic examinations and analysis, which significantly supports law enforcement agencies in the region. 
  • The laboratory made significant improvements across various operational areas, such as upgraded equipment, storage, staff services, sample collection, and audits to meet ISO 9001:2015 standards. 
• Significance: The certification not only strengthens the operational framework of the Kannauj laboratory but also increases the credibility of the forensic evidence it provides in judicial proceedings.

Forensic Laboratories in UP 

• As of mid-2025, Uttar Pradesh (UP) has a total of 12 (Lucknow, Varanasi, Agra, and Ghaziabad, Jhansi, Kannauj, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Bareilly, Gonda, Aligarh, and Moradabad) operational forensic science laboratories and is in the process of establishing 6 (Ayodhya, Basti, Banda, Azamgarh, Mirzapur, and Saharanpur) more labs, which will raise the total to at least 18 forensic labs in the state. 

ISO 9001:2015 Certification 

• ISO 9001:2015 Certification is an internationally recognized standard for Quality Management Systems (QMS), published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).  
• ISO is an independent, non-governmental international organization that unites global experts to establish best practices. 
• Organizations of any size or sector can pursue this certification to demonstrate their ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and regulatory requirements. 
• The benefits include boosted customer confidence, improved efficiency, easier market access, and a structured approach for continuous business improvement. 

Centenary of Kakori Train Action

Why in News? 

A hundred years ago, on 9^th August 1925, ten young revolutionaries, including Ram Prasad Bismil, and Sachindranath Bakshi, executed a daring heist on the British railway treasury, known as the Kakori Train Action.  

• To honor the revolutionaries of the Kakori Train Action, Uttar Pradesh has rebranded its famous Dussehri mangoes from the Kakori-Malihabad region under the new name ‘Kakori Brand.’ 

Key Points About the Kakori Incident 

• Event: The incident involved the robbery of the Number 8 down passenger train (from Shahjahanpur to Lucknow).  
  • The train was carrying official British cash (railway collections), intended for use in revolutionary activities aimed at undermining British colonial rule. 
• Key Figures: Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqullah Khan, Chandrashekhar Azad, Manmathnath Gupta, and Rajendra Nath Lahiri, all prominent members of the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA). 
  • In this case 17 were jailed, 4 transported for life and 4 (Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqullah, Roshan Singh, and Rajendra Lahiri) were hanged. 
• Impact on the Freedom Struggle: The Kakori Train Action gave the HRA a much-needed financial boost, allowing it to expand and eventually transform into the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA), led by Chandrashekhar Azad.

HRA

• The HRA was founded in October 1924 in Kanpur by Ramprasad Bismil, Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee, and Sachin Sanyal, with an aim to organise an armed revolution to overthrow the colonial government and establish in its place the Federal Republic of United States of India whose basic principle would be adult franchise. 

HSRA 

• The HSRA determined to overcome the Kakori setback, the younger revolutionaries, inspired by socialist ideas, set out to reorganise Hindustan Republic Association at a historic meeting in the ruins of Ferozshah Kotla in Delhi (September 1928).  
• Under the leadership of Chandrashekhar Azad, the name of HRA was changed to Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA).  
• The participants included Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar, Bhagwati Charan Vohra from Punjab and Bejoy Kumar Sinha, Shiv Verma, and Jaidev Kapur from the United Provinces.  
• The HSRA decided to work under a collective leadership and adopted socialism as its official goal. 

BSF Launches 'Operation Alert'

Why in News? 

The Border Security Force (BSF) has launched a week-long security operation called 'Operation Alert' along the Indo-Pak border in Rajasthan.  

Key Points 

• About: The operation will run between 11th August 2025 to 17th August 2025 and is aimed at strengthening security and preventing any infiltration attempts ahead of India's Independence Day. 
• Objectives: 
  • Strengthen surveillance to prevent infiltration and smuggling, especially in the sensitive areas adjoining Sriganganagar and Bikaner. 
  • Respond to intelligence reports suggesting potential disturbances orchestrated by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) leaders in Pakistan. 
  • Focus on preventing narcotic smuggling via drones, particularly in areas prone to such activities. 
• Personnel Involved: BSF soldiers and officers from all branches are participating in the operation, with additional soldiers deployed to sensitive areas. 
  • The BSF will also conduct outreach programs with border residents to increase awareness and cooperation. 

Community & Social Impact Award

Why in News? 

Haryana IAS officer, Rajesh Jogpal, has been honored with the prestigious Community and Social Impact Award for his exceptional work in urban sustainability and innovative governance.  

• The award was presented by the Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare during the second Sustainable Agriculture Summit and Awards-2025 (9th August 2025) held in New Delhi. 

Key Points 

• Impactful Leadership: IAS Jogpal, who currently serves as the Registrar of Cooperative Societies in Haryana, was recognized for his pioneering efforts in promoting sustainable urban governance. 
• Summit Highlights: The summit, organized by Sustainability Matters and IndiAgri in partnership with Grey Matters Communications, gathered agricultural leaders and innovators from across India to discuss the future of climate-smart farming. 
  • Theme of 2025 Summit: “Agriculture 2047: Climate-Ready Farming, Future-Ready India” 
• Community Focus: The award highlights the significance of integrated community development through innovative governance, particularly in urban sustainability and agriculture. 
• Objectives: The objectives of the summit are to support the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, promote climate-ready farming practices, create a platform for stakeholder dialogue, recognize sustainable agriculture innovations, and document grassroots innovations for scaling. 

World Elephant Day 2025

Why in News? 

On 12^th August 2025, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), in collaboration with the Tamil Nadu Forest Department, hosted the World Elephant Day celebration in Coimbatore.  

• A specialized workshop on Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) was also held, providing a platform for elephant range states to share challenges and discuss mitigation strategies, in line with Project Elephant's focus on community participation and scientific solutions to address human-elephant conflicts. 
• A nationwide awareness program also aims to engage approximately 12 lakh school children from around 5,000 schools across India. 

World Elephant Day 

• World Elephant Day was co-founded on 12th August 2012, by Canadian Patricia Sims and the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation of Thailand.  
• Since its inception of global awareness building, it has partnerships with 100 elephant conservation organizations worldwide and reaches countless individuals across the globe.  
• The theme for 2025 is “Bringing the world together to help elephants”. 
• World Elephant Society, established in November 2015 as a nonprofit organization, aims to support the annual World Elephant Day campaign. 
  • The organization educates the public on global elephant conservation efforts, particularly around World Elephant Day. 

Facts About Elephants 

• Three Species: African savannah elephant, African forest elephant, and Asian elephant. 
• Size: African savannah elephants are largest (up to 4 meters tall and 6,800 kg in weight). 
• Lifespan: Wild elephants typically live 60 to 70 years of age. 
• Diet: Elephants are herbivores 
• Trunk: Their trunk is a versatile tool used for breathing, smelling, touching, grasping, and producing sound. 
• Tusks: Elephant tusks are actually enlarged incisor teeth and can be found on elephants at 2 years old.  
  • Elephants have been targeted for their ivory tusks, driving the illegal wildlife trade and causing severe declines in their populations. 
• Intelligence: Elephants have the largest brain of any land animal. 
• Social Structure: Female elephants live in family groups called herds, led by a matriarch.  
• Reproduction: Elephant pregnancies last about 22 months, and calves weigh 200–300 pounds at birth. 
• Conservation Status (IUCN Red List Status):  
  • Asian elephants: Endangered (EN) 
  • Savannah elephants: Endangered (EN) 
  • Forest elephants: Critically Endangered (CR) 

India’s Role in Elephant Conservation 

• India is home to nearly 60% of the world’s wild elephant population.  
• India has established 33 Elephant Reserves and 150 identified Elephant Corridors, according to the Report on Elephant Corridors in India, 2023.  
• India has granted elephants the status of National Heritage Animal.  
• In India, Asian Elephants are categorized under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. 

Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana

Why in News? 

The Department of Posts has announced the Deen Dayal SPARSH (Scholarship for Promotion of Aptitude & Research in Stamps as a Hobby) Yojana for the year 2025-26, offering scholarships to students from classes 6 to 9.  

• The selected students will receive a monthly scholarship of ₹500 to promote interest in philately. 

Key Points 

• Eligibility: The scholarship will be awarded based on academic performance, results from a quiz organized by the Department of Posts, and a philately project (philately is the collection and study of Postage stamps). 
  • Students who have secured a minimum of 60% marks or equivalent grades in the previous year's examination are eligible to apply.  
  • A 5% relaxation will be given to students from scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.  
  • To apply, students must be members of their school's philately club, or if such a club doesn't exist, they must have an individual philatelic deposit account. 
  • Students can submit their applications at the Philately Bureau at the General Post Office (GPO).  
• Objective: The objective of the scholarship is to "Promote Philately among children at a young age in a sustainable manner that can reinforce and supplement the academic curriculum in addition to providing a hobby that can help them relax and de-stress". 
• Significance: Stamp collection provides educational insight into the socio-economic and political context of its time, serves as a stress-relieving hobby, fosters social connections, and enhances memory skills through organizing and cataloging information.

India Post

• Establishment: On 1st October 1854 by Lord Dalhousie (Governor-General of British India) 
• Historical Timeline 
  • 1766: Robert Clive set up postal system under East India Company (called "Company Mail") 
  • 1774: Warren Hastings opened Calcutta General Post Office- first public post office 
  • 1854: Lord Dalhousie brought postal service under British Crown 
• Current Network Size 
  • Total Post Offices: 164,999 Post Offices (Rural: 149,164 (90% of total) and Urban: 15,823) 
  • Global Status: World's largest postal network 
• Organizational Structure 
  • Ministry: Ministry of Communications, Government of India 
  • Circles: 23 postal circles across India 
• Services: 
  • Banking and financial services 
  • Postal Life Insurance (PLI) 
  • India Post Payments Bank 
  • E-commerce and retail services 
  • Government scheme disbursements (pensions, MGNREGA) 

Aravali Green Development Project

Why in News? 

The Rajasthan government has launched the Aravali Green Development Project aimed at ecological restoration and desertification control across 3,700 hectares in 19 districts along the Aravali range.  

Key Points 

• About: The Rs 250 crore project, spanning five years, aims to restore the Aravali ecosystem, combat land degradation and desertification, with the first year focused on plantation and the following year on maintenance. 
  • The project is aligned with the Aravali Green Wall Project, which aims for massive plantations across the Aravalis, from Delhi to Ahmedabad. 
• Geographical Focus: The project spans 19 districts from Alwar to Sirohi, covering approximately 550 kilometers (80% of the Aravali range in Rajasthan). 
• Monitoring and Oversight: The project will be monitored by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change using indicators like flora and fauna recovery, groundwater level changes, and microclimatic shifts. 
• Project Goals: 
  • Restoration of the deteriorating Aravali ecosystem. 
  • Prevention of sandstorms from the Thar Desert reaching the National Capital Region (NCR) serving as an ecological defense mechanism for North India. 
  • Combat soil erosion, desertification, and the adverse impacts of deforestation. 
  • Helps in improving biodiversity, groundwater recharge, and long-term ecological sustainability. 
• Plantation Strategy: 
  • Indigenous and climate-resilient species, including Khejri (state tree), Babool, Dhak, Neem, Ber, and native grasses like Sevan and Dhaman for soil stabilization. 
  • Species chosen for their adaptability to varying climates (dry zones in Sikar to humid areas in Dungarpur and Sirohi). 
  • Plantation will occur exclusively on forest land, avoiding areas with human habitation or encroachments. 
  • Long-term sustainability is emphasized with careful maintenance to ensure the survival of saplings in arid zones like Jaipur and Sikar. 

Chhattisgarh’s Mahatari Vandan Yojana

Why in News? 

The Mahatari Vandan Yojana is bringing significant changes in the lives of women in Chhattisgarh by empowering them economically and socially.  

• Currently, over 69.19 lakh women across the state are benefiting from this initiative. 

Key Facts About Mahatari Vandan Yojana 

• Objective: The Mahatari Vandan Yojana aims to empower women by addressing gender discrimination, inequality, improving health and nutrition levels, promoting economic independence, and strengthening women's decision-making roles in families. 
  • It aims to foster a long-term impact on the overall development and well-being of women in Chhattisgarh. 
• Launch: The scheme was launched by the state government of Chhattisgarh in March 2024. 
• Eligibility Criteria: 
  • Married women who are local residents of Chhattisgarh. 
  • Women must be at least 21 years old. 
  • Widows, divorced women, and deserted women are also eligible for the scheme. 
• Assistance Provided: 
  • Eligible women will receive ₹1000 per month via DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer). 
  • Women receiving less than ₹1000 from social assistance programs or various pension schemes will be provided the balance amount to ensure they receive ₹1000. 

State of Women’s Health in Chhattisgarh as per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), 2020-21 

• Women with BMI Less Than Normal (<18.5 kg/m²): 23.1% of women aged 15-49 in Chhattisgarh have a BMI below the normal threshold. 
• Prevalence of Anemia: 
  • All Women (15-49 years): 60.8% are anemic. 
  • Pregnant Women (15-49 years): 51.8% are anemic.