12th July 2025

Explanation - Till 1989, an adult Indian meant an Indian citizen above the age of 21. Hence, it was NOT the constituent assembly that decided age of 18. An amendment to the Constitution in 1989, reduced the eligibility age to 18. Adult franchise ensures that all citizens are able to participate in the process of selecting their representative. This is consistent with the principle of equality and non-discrimination that we studied in the chapter on rights. 

Explanation - The Tribal Aptitude, Life Skills and Self-Esteem Hub (TALASH) is a national program to support the all-round development of students in Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs). It was launched by National Education Society for Tribal Students in partnership with UNICEF India. It aims to improve both the education and personal growth of tribal students across India. The name TALASH, reflects a focused search for self-awareness, life skills, and career clarity among tribal youth. The first initiative of its kind in India is aimed specifically at tribal students. It is expected to benefit over 1,38,336 students enrolled in EMRSs across 28 States and 8 Union Territories, making it a truly national movement for inclusive education. Features of TALASH Initiative — It is an innovative digital platform designed to equip EMRS students with essential tools for self-discovery and career planning. It promotes self-awareness, helps students make informed career choices, and builds essential life skills. The initiative offers — Psychometric Assessments: Inspired by NCERT's 'Tamanna' initiative, TALASH offers a common aptitude test to help understand each student's strengths and interests. Based on the test results, students receive Career Cards that suggest the best career options suited to their skills and abilities. Career Counselling: The platform guides students toward informed career decisions, helping them align their aspirations with their aptitudes. Life Skills & Self-Esteem Modules: It has special sections that help students learn important life skills like solving problems, communication skills, and handling emotions. E-Learning for Teachers: A specialised portal equips educators with resources and training to effectively mentor and support students in their academic and personal journeys. 

Explanation - These are the statutory bodies established under the States Reorganisation Act 1956 and not constitutional bodies. They are only deliberative and advisory bodies. Chairman – The Union Home Minister is the Chairman of each of these Councils. Vice Chairman – The Chief Ministers of the States included in each zone act as Vice-Chairman of the Zonal Council for that zone by rotation, each holding office for a period of one year at a time. Members – Chief Minister and two other Ministers as nominated by the Governor from each of the States and two members from Union Territories included in the zone. 

Explanation - It was established in the year 1956 as an 'Enforcement Unit' under the Department of Economic Affairs. Later, in 1957, this Unit was renamed as 'Enforcement Directorate'. Presently, it is under the administrative control of the Department of Revenue (Ministry of Finance) for operational purposes. ED is responsible for enforcement of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA), and certain provisions under the PMLA. ED has the power to attach the asset of culprits found guilty of the violation of FEMA. It has also been empowered to undertake, search, seizure, arrest, prosecution action, and survey, etc. against the offences committed under PMLA. 

Explanation - Agricultural Monitoring and Event Detection (AMED) API is an artificial intelligence (AI)-based open-source application programming interface (API) launched by Google. It provides field-level crop data, specifically helping in monitoring crops and detecting agricultural events at individual fields across India. The AMED API details the type of crop on a given field, crop season, and the field's size and also provides historical information about the agricultural activity on it for the last three years. These insights can help significantly improve agricultural management on farms and also address the specific needs of each crop – including the right soil and water conditions, growth patterns, and climatic needs – as well as predict crops' harvest volume. Google will be sharing the AMED API for agriculture startups to find more innovative solutions to improve the agriculture ecosystem. AMED API data is also refreshed nearly every two weeks, enabling the ecosystem partners leveraging AMED API access to continuously updated information that accounts for field-level changes. AMED API builds on the Agricultural Landscape Understanding (ALU) Research API that the company launched last year. It uses satellite imagery and AI to map field boundaries and land use across India.