• 18 Nov 2025

Maharashtra Becomes First State to Join Nuclear Power Generation

Why in News?

Maharashtra has become the first Indian state to formally join nuclear-based power generation through a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), enabling state participation in nuclear power projects.

Key Points

• About the Agreement:
  • Maharashtra is the first state to directly participate in nuclear-power generation, a domain that has traditionally remained with the Union government.
  • The MoU enables Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Ltd (Mahagenco) to partner with  Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) for nuclear power projects, marking a major shift in India’s energy policy framework by allowing states to have a direct role in nuclear energy generation.
  • This initiative will supply clean, reliable and uninterrupted power, especially crucial for data centres — as Maharashtra currently hosts 50–60% of India’s total data-centre capacity.
• India Expanding Nuclear Capacity:
  • India aims to triple its nuclear power capacity by 2032, targeting over 22 GW of installed nuclear capacity in the coming decade.
  • Recent policy changes allow state governments and PSUs to participate through equity partnerships and Maharashtra is the first to do so.
  • Nuclear power offers high-efficiency baseload energy, minimal carbon emissions, and greater grid stability compared to intermittent renewables like solar and wind.

Bio-Input Resource Centre

Why in News?

A new Bio-Input Resource Centre (BRC) has been inaugurated in Naudiha village, Nilamber–Pitamberpur block of Palamu district (Jharkhand) to support farmers adopting natural farming by providing locally produced bio-fertilisers and organic inputs.

Key Points

• About the Palamu Centre:
  • It is managed by a women entrepreneur, promoting rural women-led agribusiness. The centre will serve more than 600 farmers in the region.
  • The facility has been established with support from PRADAN and Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS) as part of the state’s natural-farming expansion efforts.
  • It aligns with the national strategy under the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) to establish Bio-Input Resource Centres across India.
• About Bio-Input Resource Centres (BRCs):
  • BRCs are cluster-level units designed to produce and supply natural-farming inputs such as bio-fertilisers, bio-pesticides, Jeevamrit, Ghanjeevamrit, Neemastra, and other microbial formulations.
  • They are part of the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF), under which the Centre aims to set up 15,000 BRCs between 2022-23 and 2025-26.
  • BRCs may be operated by Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), Self Help Groups (SHGs), cooperatives, or farmers practising natural farming, with financial and technical assistance from the government.

Operation Muskaan

Why in News?

A 17-year-old girl missing from Madhya Pradesh, was located and rescued near the Pakistan border in Rajasthan, through coordinated efforts under Operation Muskaan.

Key Points

• Operation Muskaan was launched by the Ministry of Home Affairs to rescue missing children, prevent child trafficking and ensure safe repatriation.
  • It is also commonly referred to as Operation Smile. It originated as a pilot project by the Ghaziabad Police in 2014, which, after massive success, was adopted and scaled up nationwide by the  Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in July 2015.
• It involves police, Child Welfare Committees, labour and social welfare departments, and uses tools like the national database of missing children, citizen tip-lines, and inter-state coordination.
• The teams use the MHA's TrackChild portal and often employ Face-Recognition Software (like Darpan) to match rescued children with the national database of missing children.
• Key activities include registration of missing children, mapping vulnerable spots, rescue operations, rehabilitation, and prosecution of traffickers or exploiters.

Rajasthan’s iStart Portal

Why in News?

The Government of Rajasthan announced that the iStart portal has emerged as a major driver of the state’s startup ecosystem, with over 7,100 startups registered and more than ₹1,000 crore in investments secured.

Key Points

• iStart is the flagship startup promotion programme of the Government of Rajasthan through the Department of Information Technology & Communications (DoIT&C).
• It offers a single-window online platform for startup registration, incubation, funding, mentorship and market access.
• The programme covers startups across sectors, including green technology, manufacturing, services, mobile/IoT, and solutions for local challenge categories.
• Incubation support is provided via iStart Nest centres and Techno Hub Jaipur, offering free workspaces, internet connectivity, hardware resources and mentorship.
• Financial incentives include idea-stage grants, seed funding, soft loans and equity investments, with additional prioritisation for women-led and rural startups.
• The ecosystem also includes the QRATE rating system to assess startups’ investment readiness, and provisions for government procurement to ensure market entry for early-stage enterprises.
• The portal has reportedly created more than 42,500 jobs in the state through startup activities.

India’s First Private Railway Station

Why in News?

Rani Kamalapati Railway Station in Bhopal has become India’s first railway station to be redeveloped and operated under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, functioning as the city’s secondary transit hub.

• Located in the  West Central Railway Zone, the station was renamed in 2021 after the Gond queen Rani Kamalapati, replacing its former name Habibganj.

Key Points

• The station was redeveloped at a cost of around ₹450 crore under a PPP arrangement between the Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation (IRSDC) and the Bansal Group.
• It features airport-like amenities such as a fully air-conditioned concourse, high-speed escalators, travellators, premium waiting lounges, food courts, and multi-level parking.
• The ownership remains with Indian Railways, while operations, maintenance and commercial management are handled by the private concessionaire.
• The design integrates solar power systems, energy-efficient lighting, and barrier-free facilities for differently-abled passengers.
• The station strengthens Bhopal’s role as a major transit hub and is considered a model for future station redevelopment under the National Station Redevelopment Programme.
  

Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation (IRSDC)

• It is a special purpose vehicle (SPV) of the Ministry of Railway that has been designed to develop new stations and redevelop existing Indian railway stations.
• It is a joint venture between Indian Railway Construction Company Limited (IRCON) and Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA).
• ISRDC was incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956 on 12th April 2012.
• Its core purpose is to build world-class railway stations that apply state of the art sustainable technologies. The redevelopment effort is being administered as a PPPP project, i.e. a Public Private Partnership People project.

Panna Diamonds Get Geographical Indication (GI) Tag

Why in News?

The diamonds mined in Panna district (Madhya Pradesh) have officially been granted a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, giving them a recognised identity and premium value in national and global markets. 

Key Points

• About Panna Diamonds:
  • Panna is India’s only diamond-producing district, and under this tag the stones will be marketed as “Panna Diamond” in the 14-Natural Goods Category.
    • he Majhgawan Mine in Panna, operated by the National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC), is the only organized, mechanized diamond mine currently operating in India.
  • The diamond mining process in Panna involves small leased plots (commonly 8 × 8 metres) where soil is dug, sieved, washed and separated. Diamonds found there are deposited at the District Diamond Office for quarterly auctions.
  • With the addition of Panna diamonds, Madhya Pradesh has reached 21 products with GI tags including Chanderi Saree, Ratlami Sev, Gond Painting, and others.

• About Geographical Indication (GI) Tag:
• The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration & Protection) Act, 1999 is the Indian law governing GI tags; it came into effect on 15th September 2003. 
•  A GI tag certifies that a good originates from a specific geographic region, and its quality, reputation or other characteristic is essentially attributable to that location.
• Only authorised users from that region may use the registered GI name, which helps protect the product from international misuse and fake substitutes.

National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC)

• NMDC is India’s largest iron ore producer and a central public sector enterprise under the Ministry of Steel, established in 1958.
• It is engaged in the exploration, extraction, and production of a wide range of minerals, including iron ore, diamonds, copper, limestone, and dolomite

Exercise Ajeya Warrior-25

Why in News?

India and the United Kingdom have begun the 8th edition of Exercise Ajeya Warrior-25, a bilateral military training exercise between the Indian Army and the British Army.

Key Points

• About Ajeya Warrior Exercise:
  • Ajeya Warrior is a bilateral military exercise between the Indian Army and the British Army, held biennially since 2011.
  • It focuses on enhancing interoperability, improving tactical coordination, and sharing best practices in counter-terrorism and peacekeeping operations.
  • It is conducted under a United Nations mandate, specifically aligned with Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which deals with peacekeeping duties related to threats to peace, breaches of peace, and counter-terrorism scenarios.
    
• About the 2025 Edition:
  • The 8th edition is being held from 17th to 30th November, 2025, at the Foreign Training Node, Mahajan Field Firing Ranges, Rajasthan.
  • A total of 240 personnel are participating, with equal representation from both armies. The Indian Army is represented by the Sikh Regiment.
  • Training includes simulation-based scenarios, Brigade-level mission planning, and field exercises resembling real-life counter-terror contingencies.