• 25 Sep 2025

Pirpainti Thermal Power Plant

Why in News?

The opposition party in Bihar held a protest march in Patna against the state government’s decision to lease 1,050 acres of land in Bhagalpur to the Adani Group for just Rs 1 per year, to establish a thermal power plant in Pirpainti, Bhagalpur.

What is the Pirpainti Thermal Power Plant Project?

• About: Adani Power Limited is developing the Pirpainti Thermal Power Plant, a 2,400-MW coal-based project (USD 3 billion) in Bhagalpur district’s Pirpainti region. 
  • The project will comprise three units of 800 MW each and is expected to create 10,000–12,000 jobs during construction and about 3,000 permanent jobs once operational.
• Allegations Against the Project:
  • Land Lease: 1,050 acres leased to Adani Power for 33 years at Rs 1/year, termed a gift by the opposition party.
  • Environmental Impact: Alleged cutting of 10 lakh trees, leading to ecological damage.
  • Farmland Conversion: Fertile agricultural land reportedly reclassified as barren for project clearance.
  • Power Tariff: Bihar residents may pay around Rs 6 per unit, higher than rates in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.
• Government Response: Adani Power secured the project through a transparent Tariff-Based Competitive Bidding (TBCB) process under Section 63 of the Electricity Act, 2003. 
  • The land had already been leased in 2022 to the Bihar State Power Generation Company (BSPGCL) at Rs 1 per year, prior to the latest bidding in which Adani emerged as the winner. 
  • The nominal lease rate was included in the bidding framework to lower power generation costs, while land ownership remains with Bihar’s Energy Department.

Bihar Industrial Investment Promotion Package 2025

• In August 2025, the Bihar cabinet approved the Bihar Industrial Investment Promotion Package 2025, which allows land allocation at a token rate of Rs 1 to eligible investors.
• Under the policy:
  • Investments of Rs 100 crore with 1,000 jobs created qualify for 10 acres free land.
  • Investments of Rs 1,000 crore qualify for up to 25 acres of free land.
  • Fortune 500 companies are entitled to 10 acres of free land.
  • Other investors receive a 50% discount on Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority (BIADA) land rates.
• This scheme is open to all qualifying investors until 31st March, 2026, making the Rs 1 land transfer not exclusive to Adani.

Kolkata Floods 2025

Why in News?

Kolkata and its suburbs recorded the third-highest September rainfall since 1978, receiving 251.4 mm in 24 hours. The peak hourly rainfall of 98 mm, just below the 100 mm cloudburst threshold, led to urban flooding.

What is Urban Flooding?

• About: Urban flooding is the waterlogging of densely populated areas caused by heavy rain, overflowing rivers, or poor drainage, disrupting transport, damaging infrastructure, and posing health risks.
• Causes of Urban Flooding: 
  • Natural: 
    • Heavy Monsoon Rainfall: Intense rains in regions like the Western Ghats and northeast India often overwhelm urban drainage (2015 Chennai floods).
    • Topography: Cities in floodplains or low-lying areas (Mumbai, Kolkata) or with poor natural drainage (Bengaluru) face higher flood risk.
    • Climate Change: Increasing rainfall intensity and frequency causes flash floods (2023 Delhi floods).
  • Anthropogenic:
    • Rapid Urbanization: Encroachment on wetlands and loss of natural drainage (e.g., Bengaluru’s 80% lakes lost) increase runoff.
    • Inadequate Drainage: Outdated systems (e.g., Mumbai’s British-era drains) fail during heavy rainfall.
    • Solid Waste Mismanagement: Blocked drains worsen flooding (Himachal Pradesh 2023).
• Causes of Kolkata Floods 2025: The heavy rainfall over Kolkata was triggered by a low-pressure area moving toward coastal Gangetic West Bengal, causing strong moisture convergence and clouds reaching 5–7 km. 
  • Disfigured drainage, choked canals, high tide, and the decline of waterbodies due to unchecked urban expansion worsened flooding. 
  • The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) (2021) had predicted sharply increasing short rainfall episodes in the city.

Cloudburst

• About: A cloudburst is a sudden, intense rainstorm delivering over 100 mm of rain in under an hour across a small area (around 10 km²), often accompanied by hail and thunder. 
  • Common in mountainous regions, especially the Himalayas, cloudbursts are difficult to predict but can trigger flash floods and landslides due to their localized, extreme rainfall.
• Causes: A cloudburst occurs when moist air rises over mountains, cools, and condenses into heavy rainfall. Strong upward currents enlarge raindrops, which fall suddenly when the currents weaken. 
  • In India, it often happens when monsoon clouds move from the Bay of Bengal or Arabian Sea to the Himalayas, releasing intense rain.

Thalassaemia

Why in News?

Thalassaemia patients in Maharashtra are struggling due to a shortage of life-saving iron chelation drugs and the unpleasant taste of the available medicines. 

• These drugs, like deferasirox, are crucial to remove excess iron from frequent blood transfusions, which can otherwise damage the heart, liver, and endocrine glands.

Key Points

• About: Thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder that lowers the body’s ability to produce normal hemoglobin, resulting in fewer healthy red blood cells and anemia. 
• Symptoms: Symptoms vary from growth delays, delayed puberty, and bone abnormalities in mild cases to poor appetite, jaundice, dark urine, and facial bone deformities in severe cases.
• Types:
  • Alpha Thalassemia: A person inherits four genes (two from each parent) that produce alpha globin protein chains. Alpha thalassemia occurs when one or more of these genes are defective.
  • Beta Thalassemia: A person inherits two beta-globin genes (one from each parent). Beta thalassemia develops if one or both genes are defective.
• Burden: India, often called the Thalassemia capital of the world, has an estimated 100,000–150,000 children living with the disease, while approximately 42 million Indians carry the Beta-Thalassemia trait.
• Treatment: Treatment involves regular blood transfusions to maintain healthy red blood cell levels, combined with iron chelation therapy to prevent iron overload. 
  • In severe cases, a bone marrow or stem cell transplant can provide a potential cure.
• Initiatives for Eradication: 
  • Under the National Health Mission (NHM), States and UTs receive support for thalassemia screening, treatment, and infrastructure development. 
    • The government advises integrating thalassemia testing into the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) program for early carrier detection and genetic counseling to reduce disease burden. 
  • The National Program for Prevention and Control of Hemoglobinopathies (NPPCH) promotes awareness and provides counseling and testing services for affected individuals. 
  • The Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana (TBSY) offers financial assistance for bone marrow transplants through Coal India Ltd.’s CSR in 17 empanelled hospitals nationwide.

District Disability Rehabilitation Centre

Uttarakhand launched its first modern, multi-purpose District Disability Rehabilitation Centre (DDRC) at Gandhi Shatabdi Hospital, Dehradun, to provide comprehensive services for persons with disabilities under one roof.

Key Points

• Services Offered: The DDRC provides disability certificates, physiotherapy, counselling, assistive devices, and access to government welfare schemes.
• Beneficiary Support: Individuals can access services such as Unique ID for Persons with Disabilities, Aadhaar registration, psychological counselling, prosthetic equipment, medical treatment, and employment training.
  • Approximately 20% of Uttarakhand’s population is affected by some form of disability.
• Administration: The centre functions under a nodal agency supervised by the Social Welfare Department, with 14 staff positions, a dedicated transport vehicle, and a helpline.
• Holistic Rehabilitation: Services are provided after medical, social, educational, and psychological evaluation, ensuring comprehensive rehabilitation.
  • The centre emphasizes vocational training, rehabilitation, and self-employment schemes to promote self-reliance among beneficiaries.
• Multi-Disciplinary Team: Staff includes physiotherapists, speech and occupational therapists, and counsellors to provide holistic care.

Current Status of PwDs in India

• According to Census 2011, India has 2.68 crore persons with disabilities (PwDs), accounting for 2.21% of the total population. 
  • Disability prevalence is higher among males (2.4%) than females (1.9%) and is also greater in rural areas compared to urban regions. 
• Under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, 21 types of disabilities are recognized, including Locomotor Disability, Visual Impairment, Hearing Impairment, Speech & Language Disability, Intellectual Disability, Multiple Disabilities, Cerebral Palsy, and Dwarfism.

Khel Yatra Textbook

In line with the National Education Policy (NEP), Haryana has launched the Khel Yatra textbook for Class 6 teachers in government schools to enhance physical education and health awareness.

Key Points

• Target Audience: Exclusively designed for Class 6 teachers in Haryana's government schools.
• Primary Goal: To enhance physical education by providing a structured resource for teachers, moving beyond informal play to a curriculum-based approach.
• Core Content: The book focuses on motor skills, sports techniques (specifically Kho-Kho and handball), yoga, and health awareness.
• Implementation Strategy: Teachers will first study the book and then conduct five structured activities with students, ensuring a standardized learning process.
• Broader Objective: To foster holistic development by creating a supportive environment that promotes physical and mental well-being, aligning with the NEP's emphasis on holistic education.

National Education Policy (NEP) 2020

• About: NEP 2020, which replaced the 34-year-old NEP of 1986, seeks to address gaps in quality, equity, and access across all levels of education. 
  • Formulated based on the Dr K Kasturirangan Committee recommendations, it emphasizes foundational literacy, a holistic curriculum, multilingual education, and the integration of vocational and academic pathways.
• Key Provisions:
  • Structural Reforms: Replaced 10+2 system with 5+3+3+4 to suit children aged 3–18.
  • Experiential Learning: Promotes internships, field visits, and real-world projects to connect theory with practice.
  • Teacher Training: Focus on continuous professional development for teachers to meet evolving educational needs.

Key Initiatives: PM SHRI Schools, NIPUN Bharat, PARAKH, NISHTHA etc.