• 16 May 2025

Anti-Maoist Operation at Kareguttalu Hill

Why in News? 

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Chhattisgarh Police recently concluded a 21-day intensive anti-Maoist operation at the Kareguttalu Hill (KGH), situated on the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border.  

• This operation marks a significant breakthrough in India’s ongoing struggle to eradicate Left Wing Extremism (LWE) and achieve a Naxal-free India by 31st March, 2026.  

 Key Points  

Strategic Importance of Kareguttalu Hill  

• Kareguttalu Hill, a rugged, hilly terrain about 60 km long and 5–20 km wide, had become a stronghold and unified command centre for major Maoist outfits like the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Battalion No. 1, thier most potent military formation. 
• The region acted as a refuge for 300–350 armed Maoist cadres, including weapon manufacturing units of the Technical Department, facilitating prolonged insurgency in the area. 
• The Maoists considered it impregnable due to its geography and proximity to two states (Chhattisgarh & Telangana), complicating security forces’ operations. 

Objectives and Outcomes of the Operation 

• The primary aim was to dislocate the top Maoist leadership concentrated at Kareguttalu Hill and dismantle their unified military structure. 
  • It is considered the “largest comprehensive and coordinated anti-Maoist operation” in Chhattisgarh to date, reflecting increased capacity and resolve of security forces to reclaim inaccessible Maoist bastions. 
  • Similar operations in other previously inaccessible regions, such as Chakarbanda Hilly Region and Boodha Pahad signal a broader trend of reversing Maoist territorial dominance. 
• The operation witnessed 21 encounters over 21 days, resulting in the elimination of several Maoists, including women cadres. 
• Destruction of weapon manufacturing units was a major outcome, curbing Maoist capabilities to launch attacks on security installations, particularly in Bastar. 
• The operation involved coordinated efforts of multiple units such as the District Reserve Guard, Bastar Fighters, Special Task Force, CRPF’s Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) unit, and State Police, showcasing inter-agency synergy. 

 People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA)  

• The PLGA was formed on 2^nd December, 2000. 
• It operates as the armed wing of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), a banned political organisation in India. 
• The group seeks to overthrow the government through a prolonged civil war. 

 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)  

• Inception and Growth: The CRPF was raised in the year 1939 as the Crown Representative Police in response to political turmoil and unrest in the princely states . 
  • In the year 1949, the name of this force was changed to Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). 
  • Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the then Home Minister, envisioned a multifaceted role for the CRPF and aligned its functions with the emerging needs of the newly independent nation. 
• Special Units: The CRPF has several special units, including the Rapid Action Force (RAF), CoBRA, VIP security wing and women battalion. 

Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report 2021

Why in News 

According to the Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report 2021, released by the Registrar General of India, Uttarakhand was the only state to record an increase in birth rate during the period of 2016 to 2021.  

• This trend indicates an advanced demographic transition driven by factors like urbanization, improved healthcare, and female education. 

 Registrar General of India  

• The RGI, established in 1949 under the Ministry of Home Affairs, is responsible for overseeing population data collection, including the decennial Census of India and the Linguistic Survey of India.   
• The RGI ensures the implementation of the RBD Act, 1969, and manages the CRS for continuous birth and death registration.   
  • It also maintains the National Population Register (NPR) to record demographic details of all usual residents.  
• RGI is headed by a senior civil servant, typically of Joint Secretary rank, the RGI plays a crucial role in demographic planning and policy formulation.  

Key Points 

Key Highlights of the Report 

• About SRS Report 
  • The SRS is India’s largest demographic survey, designed to provide annual estimates of fertility and mortality indicators such as birth and death rates. 
  • The 2021 SRS offers vital population trend insights typically derived from the decadal Census, which has not been conducted yet for 2021. 
• Crude Birth Rates: Crude birth rate indicates the number of live births occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear.  
  • India’s crude birth rate was 19.3 in 2021, declining at 1.12% annually from 2016 to 2021. 
  • Tamil Nadu, Delhi, and Kerala experienced faster declines at rates of 2.35%, 2.23%, and 2.05% per year respectively during the same period. 
  • The slowest decline in birth rates occurred in Rajasthan (0.48%), Bihar (0.86%), Chhattisgarh (0.98%), Jharkhand (0.98%), Assam (1.05%), Madhya Pradesh (1.05%), West Bengal (1.08%), and Uttar Pradesh (1.09%). 
  • Other southern states including Andhra Pradesh (1.26%), Telangana (1.67%), and Karnataka (1.68%) also recorded faster-than-average declines. 
  • The entire southern region reflects a steady move toward smaller family sizes and stabilized population growth. 

 

• Total Fertility Rate (TFR): The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) represents the average number of children a woman is expected to have during her reproductive years. 
  • In 2021, India’s TFR was 2.0, with Bihar reporting a high TFR of 3.0, Uttar Pradesh at 2.7, Madhya Pradesh at 2.6, and Rajasthan at 2.4. 
• Gross Reproduction Rate (GRR): The GRR for India stood at 1, meaning that on average, each woman in India is having one daughter who survives to reproductive age and has children of her own. 
  • In contrast, higher GRRs were recorded in Bihar (1.4), Uttar Pradesh (1.3), Rajasthan (1.2) and Madhya Pradesh (1.2) 
• Birth Registration Trends and Data Insights: The Civil Registration System (CRS) 2021 data shows that states with the slowest decline in birth rates also reported an increase in registered births, including: 
  • Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, etc. 
  • Conversely, southern states such as Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala have experienced a decline in registered births since at least 2012, with a slight increase seen in Andhra Pradesh in 2021. 
  • Telangana showed a sharp rise in registered births after 2019, followed by a dramatic drop post-2020. 
• Policy and Planning Implications 
  • High fertility states require intensified family planning, education, and healthcare improvements. 
  • States with rapid fertility decline need to prepare for the challenges of an aging population and workforce management. 
  • Uniform enhancement of birth registration systems is essential for accurate demographic monitoring. 

Schemes Related to Women’s Welfare in Uttarakhand 

• Mukhyamantri Mahalaxmi Kit Yojana: It was launched by the Department of Women Empowerment and Child Development to provide social security support to new mothers and their daughters. 
• Nanda Gaura Yojana: Provides financial assistance to girls from birth until marriage to support their education and empowerment, aiming to prevent female feticide, child marriage, and social inequality among eligible Uttarakhand residents. 
• Maternity Benefit Scheme (UKBOCWWB): It provides financial assistance of ₹10,000 to registered female construction workers during their maternity period. 
• Mukhyamantri Mahila Poshan Yojana: It provides nutritious food supplements to pregnant and lactating women to combat malnutrition and promote maternal health. 

Efforts to Curb Female Foeticide in Haryana

Why in News 

A meeting was conducted by the Haryana government to intensify efforts to curb female foeticide and strengthen measures under the flagship 'Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao' campaign.  

 Key Points 

• Formation of District-Level Committees: 
  • District-level standing committees have been constituted, headed by Deputy Commissioners (DCs) with Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) acting as member secretaries. 
  • These committees are responsible for tighter monitoring and better coordination aimed at improving the state’s sex ratio. 
• Regular Monitoring and Inspections: 
  • Committees will hold weekly meetings to: 
    • Review reports on the sale of Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) kits. 
    • Inspect ultrasound centres to prevent illegal sex determination. 
    • Formulate strategies to curb female foeticide. 
• Legal Actions and Disciplinary Measures: 
  • Doctors found involved in sex-selective abortions face stringent disciplinary action, including cancellation of medical licenses by the Haryana Medical Council. 
  • First Information Report (FIR) are actively being filed against offenders, and illegal centres are being sealed. 
  • All abortions beyond 12 weeks, especially when the couple already has daughters, will be thoroughly investigated by civil surgeons. 
• Early Pregnancy Registration: The health department has been instructed to ensure Antenatal Care (ANC) registration of every pregnancy before 10 weeks for early tracking and support. 
• Personalized Support through ‘Sahelis’: Pregnant women with one or more female children are assigned ASHA or Anganwadi workers as ‘sahelis’ (friends) for counseling and monitoring. 
  • Disciplinary action will be taken against any ASHA or Anganwadi worker found negligent or complicit in illegal abortions. 
• Awareness and Community Engagement: 
  • District administrations will expand Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaigns. 
  • Religious and community leaders will be involved to promote gender equality and the value of girl children. 

 Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao (BBBP) Scheme 

•  It was launched in January 2015 to combat sex-selective abortion and improve the declining child sex ratio (918 girls per 1,000 boys in 2011). 
• The scheme is a joint initiative of the Ministries of Women and Child Development, Health and Family Welfare, and Human Resource Development. 
• Implemented across 405 districts, its main objectives are to prevent gender-biased sex selection, ensure the survival and protection of girls, promote their education and participation, and safeguard their rights. 

 Other Related Government Schemes 

• Mukhyamantri Antyodaya Pariwar Utthan Yojana 
• National Scheme of Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education 
• National Girl Child Day 
• Scheme for Adolescent Girls 
• Sukanya Samridhi Yojana

New Products added in One District One Product

Why in News? 

The Uttar Pradesh government included 12 new products under the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme . 

Key Points 

• About One District One Product Scheme: 
  • This scheme was launched  by the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh on 24 January 2018 
  • Under this, specific and traditional products of each district of the state are identified and given a Geographical Indication (GI) tag , which certifies that the products belong to a particular region. 
  • The state government provides financial assistance, group marketing facilities and other resources to the entrepreneurs to get these products recognized in the national and international markets . 
  • The major objectives of the scheme include: 
    • Creation of new employment opportunities in the state 
    • To boost the exports of the state 
    • To contribute towards making Uttar Pradesh a trillion dollar economy by the year 2029 
  • Till now 62 products were listed under this scheme , but after adding 12 new products this number has increased to 74 . 
• The 12 new products that have been added are: 
  • Baghpat – Agricultural machinery and related equipment 
  • Saharanpur - Hosiery Products 
  • Firozabad – Food Processing Ghaziabad – Metal, Textiles & Apparels 
  • Amroha – Metal and Wooden Handicrafts 
  • Agra - Petha industry and all kinds of footwear 
  • Hamirpur - Metal Products 
  • Bareilly - Wood Products 
  • Etta - Chicory Product 
  • Pratapgarh – Food Processing 
  • Bijnor – Brushes and related products 
  • Ballia – Sattu Products  

Geographical Indication (GI) Tag 

• A Geographical Indication (GI) tag is a name or mark used on special products that belong to a specific geographical location or origin. 
• The GI tag ensures that only authorised users or people residing in the geographical region are allowed to use the name of a popular product. 
• It also protects the product from being copied or imitated by others. 
  • A registered GI tag is valid for 10 years . 
• GI registration is overseen by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. 
• Legal Framework: 
  • It is regulated and guided by the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). 

India's largest titanium and superalloy materials plant

Why in News? 

Union Defence Minister and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister inaugurated India 's largest Titanium and Superalloy Materials Plant in Lucknow . 

Key Points 

•  About the Plant: 
  • This titanium plant is operated by Aeroalloy Technologies Limited, a subsidiary of PTC Industries Limited. 
  • The plant is spread over an area of 50 acres and has an annual production capacity of 6,000 tonnes , making it the world's largest single-site titanium remelting facility . 
  • The state-of-the-art technologies being used at this plant include: 
    • Vacuum arc remelting (VAR) 
    • Electron Beam (EB) 
    • Plasma Arc Melting (PAM) 
    • Vacuum Induction Melting (VIM) 
  • These technologies will make domestic production of aerospace-grade materials possible. 
• Along with the titanium plant, the foundation stone of seven additional advanced facilities was also laid. Prominent among them are: 
  • Aerospace Precision Casting Plants : Which make single crystal castings, which are important for jet engines. 
  • Aerospace Forge Shop and Mill Products Plant: The need for manufacturing critical materials such as billets, bars and plates will be eliminated. 
  • Aerospace Precision Machining Shop: which provides capability for ready-to-assemble ultra-precision CNC machined components. 
• The project is being developed under the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor, which aims to promote self-reliance in defence production . 

Titanium  

• Its symbol Ti and atomic number 22, known for its high strength-to-weight ratio, excellent corrosion resistance, and ability to withstand high temperatures.  
• It is a light and strong metal. It is as strong as steel, but much lighter than that.  
• Titanium is the preferred material for making underwater objects because it can withstand heavy water pressure even at great depths and does not rust. 
• Titanium metal is used in making alloys with aluminium, molybdenum, manganese, iron and other metals. These alloys of titanium are used in  the aviation industry . 
• Titanium is a component of joint replacement parts, including the hip ball and socket.  
• Titanium is also used in  dental implants . 

Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor 

• It is an ambitious project aimed at reducing the foreign dependency of the Indian aerospace and defence sector. 
• It will have 6 nodes – Aligarh, Agra, Kanpur, Chitrakoot, Jhansi and Lucknow. 
• Uttar Pradesh Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) was 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 Corridor refers to a route or path used by public sector, private sector and micro, small and medium enterprises for domestic production of defence equipment as well as to enhance equipment/operational capabilities of the defence forces. 

Tapti Basin Mega Recharge Project

Why in News? 

Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly implement the Tapti Basin Mega Recharge Project . 

Key Points  

• About the project: 
  • This is the world's largest groundwater recharge scheme , which aims to ensure optimal utilization of river water resources for irrigation in both (Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra) states. 
  • Under this , Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra will jointly develop three tributaries of the Tapti River originating from Multai, Madhya Pradesh. 
  • This is the third major inter-state river project involving Madhya Pradesh after Ken-Betwa Link Project (Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh) and Parvati-Kalisindh-Chambal Link Project ( Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan). 
• Key Features: 
  • Water Allocation: Under this project, water will be transferred from the Tapti River to provide drinking water supply to north-eastern Maharashtra and for irrigation support in southern and south-eastern Madhya Pradesh . 
    • The total water available for use is 31.13 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) , out of which 11.76 TMC is allocated to Madhya Pradesh and 19.36 TMC to Maharashtra 
    • The project involves construction of a diversion weir on the Madhya Pradesh-Maharashtra border and development of right and left bank canals in both the states.  
    • Under this project, 3,362 hectares of land of Madhya Pradesh will be used, for which no displacement or rehabilitation will be required. 
  • Beneficiary Districts: The project covers Burhanpur and Khandwa districts of Madhya Pradesh and Akola, Amravati and Buldhana districts of Maharashtra , which have traditionally suffered from groundwater stress and erratic rainfall . 

 Tapi/Tapti River: 

• Another important west-flowing river originates from the Satpura mountain range in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh. 
• It flows in a fault valley parallel to the Narmada but its length is much shorter. 
• Its basin covers parts of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra. 
• The three major tributaries of the Tapti River —the Purna, Girna, and Panjara —flow from the south in the state of Maharashtra. 

Ukai Dam: A major hydroelectric project located on the Tapi River , which provides water and power to the surrounding areas. 

National Cooperative Spice Fair 2025

Why in News? 

National Cooperative Spice Fair 2025 was organised by the Rajasthan Cooperative Department and Rajasthan State Cooperative Consumer Federation at Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jaipur. 

 Key Points 

About the Cooperative Spice Fair 2025 

• A variety of healthy and traditional spices, millet products and other cooperative products were showcased at the fair. 
  • This year, products made from Millet grains (Shree Anna) have become a special centre of attraction at the fair. 
• Various self-help groups, cooperative consumer associations and local producers participated in the fair with their diverse product range.
• This fair offers consumers the opportunity to purchase pure, high-quality, and healthy products directly. 
• The fair promotes employment and economic empowerment at the local level. 

Millets 

• About: It is a collective term referring to a number of small-seeded grasses that are cultivated as grain crops, primarily on marginal lands in dry areas in temperate, subtropical and tropical regions.  
  • Some of the common millets available in India are Ragi (Finger millet), Jowar (Sorghum), Sama (Little millet), Bajra (Pearl millet), and Variga (Proso millet).  
• Global and Indian Production: India is the largest producer of millets, followed by Niger and China.  
• Millet Promotion: 2023 was recognized as the International Year of Millets by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).  
  • The Indian government promotes millet production under the National Food Security Mission.