22nd August 2026

Explanation - Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs has said that the Government has formulated a National Action Plan for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem- NAMASTE scheme for cleaning of sewers and septic tank.

The scheme is a joint venture of Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

It aims to achieve outcomes like zero fatalities in sanitation work in India, no sanitation workers come in direct contact with human faecal matter and all Sewer and Septic tank sanitation workers have access to alternative livelihoods.

The Ministry has shortlisted type of machineries and core equipments required for maintenance works, safety gear for Safai Mitras. The same is also available on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal for ease of their procurement by States and Urban Local Bodies. Skill Development and trainings of Safai Mitras is being taken up with the support of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment through the National Safai Karamchari Finance Development Corporation.

Explanation - Bond tokenisation converts a traditional bond into digital tokens on a blockchain. Each token represents partial ownership of the bond, giving investors the same returns — interest payments and principal repayment — but at much smaller ticket sizes. How It Differs from Traditional Bond Investing? Traditional bonds pass through multiple intermediaries for issuance, settlement, and custody. Tokenised bonds can be issued, traded, and settled digitally with fewer intermediaries, backed by a real-time verifiable transaction record. Accessibility for retail investors: Corporate bonds have traditionally been an institutional product requiring large capital. Fractional ownership through tokenisation removes this barrier, opening fixed income to everyday investors. Key Benefits — Faster Settlement - Corporate bonds currently settle on a T+2 cycle (two days after the transaction). On blockchain, settlement can happen in real time, freeing up capital faster and reducing counterparty risk during the trade-to-settlement window. Greater Transparency - Every transaction on a distributed ledger is recorded and immutable, giving investors full visibility into ownership history, coupon payments, and redemptions without depending on intermediaries for accurate record-keeping.

Explanation - Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission was launched in 2021-22 to create a more organised system for tribal communities to process, add value to and market Minor Forest Produce. The mission seeks to move tribal communities beyond selling raw forest produce by providing them with skills, technology, infrastructure and market linkages. Objective — It has objective to strengthen the tribal forest economy by combining traditional knowledge and locally available resources with modern processing, technology and market access. This mission provides support at different stages, from collection and processing to marketing. Skill development: Tribal gatherers are trained in scientific harvesting, processing and value addition. Infrastructure: Van Dhan Vikas Kendra (VDVK) receives support for setting up facilities at beneficiaries’ homes or in government or Gram Panchayat buildings. Processing equipment: Depending on the locally available produce, centres can receive equipment such as cutting and sieving tools, decorticators, dryers and packaging equipment. Working capital: Financial linkages are facilitated through banks, financial institutions and the National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation. Storage and transportation: Support is also provided for storage and transportation on a rental basis. A key component of the mission is the Van Dhan Vikas Kendra (VDVK) model. VDVKs bring tribal forest gatherers together through self-help groups and help them undertake primary processing and value addition. A VDVK is generally formed by clustering around 15 self-help groups, comprising about 300 tribal members. At least 60 per cent of the members are required to belong to Scheduled Tribe communities. The Van Dhan Yojana, launched in 2018, forms the foundation of this model.

Explanation - Parichha Dam is located on Betwa River in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh. It is a key component of Betwa Canal System, which supplies water for agriculture to drought-prone areas of Bundelkhand. Parichha Dam has played an important role in irrigation system of Bundelkhand for nearly 140 years. It benefits irrigation in several areas of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Historical Background — In 1855, Captain Strachey proposed developing a canal system for Bundelkhand, following which surveys were undertaken. Construction of the dam began in 1881 and it became operational in 1886. Others in the World Heritage Irrigation Structure list: In 2022, the Sukwa-Dukwan Weir in Jhansi was included in the ICID heritage list.

Explanation - It is an autonomous research institute under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) established in 1998. It is India’s premier R&D institution responsible for the country’s research activities in the Polar and Southern Ocean realms. It is tasked with planning and executing polar expeditions and scientific research in Antarctica, Arctic, Himalayas and Southern Ocean. It also undertakes research on some of the country’s strategically vital projects like mapping of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), continental shelf margins and the Deep Ocean Mission. The Centre maintains a Research Advisory Committee (RAC) to help guide and concentrate the research activities. It is located in Vasco da Gama, Goa and was formerly known as the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR).