Current Affairs – May 21, 2025

{GS1 – A&C – Artforms} Andhra Pradesh’s Traditional Folk Arts

• Context (TH): Several traditional folk art forms of Andhra Pradesh are on the verge of extinction.

(Tholu Bommalata, Tappeta Gullu, Puli Veshalu, Harikatha, Jamukula Pata)

Credit: AP, auchitya, TH, TH, Resorcio

Key Folk Arts at Risk

• Tholu Bommalata: Ancient shadow puppetry art, dating back to the 3^rd century CE. Uses translucent leather puppets, backlit by oil lamps to narrate epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata.
  • Traditionally performed overnight by itinerant artists, accompanied by music and narration.
• Jamukula Pata (Bonela Pata): A folk performance prevalent in northern districts like Vizianagaram and Srikakulam. Featuring a trio of artists—a lead singer and two chorus members—it has been a vital medium for storytelling and oral knowledge among marginalized communities.
• Tappeta Gullu: A devotional dance performed by shepherd communities to invoke rain and appease local deities such as Gangamma.
  • Dancers wear ankle bells and play drums strapped to their chests while performing rhythmic movements to folk devotional songs.
• Puli Veshalu: A vibrant tiger dance linked to the Dasara festival in Vizianagaram, symbolizing valour and devotion. Performers paint their bodies and perform coordinated dances.
• Harikatha: A composite narrative art combining music, dance, storytelling, and spiritual discourse. This tradition has deep roots in Vizianagaram and was popularized by legends like Ajjada Adibhatla Narayana Dasu (1864–1945).
• Chekka Bhajana: A rhythmic devotional folk dance involving wooden clappers (chekkalu). Performed in groups with synchronized chanting and movements, it is integral to festivals and religious processions.
• Gangireddu Aata: A lively street performance featuring decorated bulls trained to “dance” to the sound of the nadaswaram (wind instrument), often performed during Sankranti and village fairs.
• Dasarulu: A folk theatre form that dramatizes mythological stories from the Ramayana and Mahabharata, commonly enacted during Dasara festivals.
• Samu Garadi: A martial dance with acrobatic and combat-style movements, celebrated in tribal and rural areas to showcase valour and honour local deities.
• Karrasamu: A stylized stick-fighting dance symbolizing the triumph of good over evil, performed with choreographed duels accompanied by traditional music.
• Yakshaganam: Andhra’s version of the Yakshagana dance-drama, performed in Telugu with elaborate costumes and narratives from epics and puranas.

Reasons for Decline

• Lack of patronage from both society and government.
• Minimal performance opportunities—only 3–4 events annually.
• Declining interest among youth due to changing cultural preferences.
• Inadequate financial support and welfare schemes for veteran artists.

Be Prelims Ready!

Up Next! Get Notified

{GS2 – Governance – Initiatives} e-Zero FIR

• Context (PIB | IE): e-Zero FIR is launched as a pilot initiative in Delhi by the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) to streamline FIR registration for high-value cyber financial crimes.

What is the e-Zero FIR Initiative?

• A digital system launched by the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), that automatically registers FIRs for cyber frauds above ₹10 lakh reported via 1930 helpline or NCRP.
• Aims to enable quick recovery of defrauded funds and strengthen trust in cybercrime redressal.
• Legally backed by Sections 173(1) and 1(ii) of the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
• Based on the Zero FIR concept, allowing complaints to be filed at any police station, irrespective of jurisdiction.
• Supports the goal of building a ‘Cyber Secure Bharat’ under the national cybersecurity framework.
• Integrates NCRP, Delhi Police’s e-FIR System, and NCRB’s CCTNS for real-time case processing and seamless data sharing.

How the System Operates

• Victims report financial cyber fraud (above ₹10 lakh) via 1930 helpline or NCRP.
• Complaint automatically triggers a Zero FIR at Delhi’s e-Crime Police Station.
• The FIR is then electronically routed to the appropriate territorial cybercrime police station, based on the victim’s location.
• Victims must visit concerned police station within 3 days to convert the Zero FIR into a regular FIR.
• The system ensures timely action and jurisdiction-free complaint registration.

{GS2 – MoCI – Initiatives} Government e-Marketplace (GeM)

• Context (PIB): GeM recently celebrated its 8^th Incorporation Day, marking significant strides in inclusive economic growth and digital transformation in public procurement.

About GeM

• Launched in 2016 by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry as a 100% GoI-owned digital e-commerce portal for mandatory public procurement.
• Purpose and Vision: Aims to create a transparent, efficient, inclusive, and faceless procurement ecosystem, replacing the Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (DGS&D).
• Coverage: Adopted by all 36 States and UTs, with over 1.64 lakh government buyers and 4.2 lakh active sellers. Uttar Pradesh leads in usage.
  • Product and Service Offering: Hosts over 10,000 product categories and 330+ services, facilitating both simple and complex procurements including defence, healthcare, and aviation.
• Key Policy Mandates: Mandatory for all ministries since 2017; sellers must declare Country of Origin to promote Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India.
• Advanced Functionalities: Features automated rule-based MSE provision enforcement, real-time fraud detection & GeMAI (India’s first Generative AI chatbot supporting 10 Indian languages via voice & text).
• Advantages (Reduced Costs and Ease of Use): 97% of transactions are charge-free; Fees reduced by 33-96% and capped; 60% cut in caution money for sellers with turnover below ₹1 crore; Dedicated storefronts and bid information transparency.

GeM’s Transformative Impact

• Massive Scale & Savings: Facilitated ₹13.4 lakh crore+ in transactions with ~10% cost savings (World Bank, Economic Survey).
• Inclusive & Diverse Seller Base: Onboarded 10 lakh+ MSEs, 1.3 lakh artisans/weavers, 1.84 lakh women entrepreneurs, and 31,000 startups.
• Empowering Marginalized Groups: Boosts SC/ST MSMEs, showcases SHG products via SARAS Collection, and enhances visibility through Startup Runway and Womaniya storefronts.
• Exceeding Inclusion Targets: Achieved 38% procurement from MSEs (vs 25% target) and ~4% from women-led businesses (vs 3% target).
• Strategic Reach & Expansion: Enabled major procurements (Akash Missile ₹5,000 cr, Vaccines ₹5,085 cr), Integrated Financial Management System in key states, and is poised to become the world’s largest public procurement portal.

{GS2 – MoHI – Schemes} PM E-DRIVE Scheme *

• Context (PIB | IE | TH): Karnataka requested electric buses under the PM E-Drive initiative.

• PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement, launched in 2024, is a ₹10,900 crore Centrally Sponsored Scheme for 2024–2026 under Ministry of Heavy Industries (MoHI) to promote clean, sustainable urban transport.
• Key Objectives:
  • Expedite EV adoption across 2W, 3W, 4W, e-buses, trucks & ambulances.
  • Reduce upfront EV cost for users and support EV ecosystem growth.
  • Nationwide public EV charging infrastructure & improve air quality by reducing transport emissions.
  • Promote domestic manufacturing and technological advancement in EVs.
• Builds On FAME-I (2015), FAME-II (2019), Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme 2024 (EMPS-2024).
• Demand incentives worth ₹3,679 crore will be provided for consumers (buyers/end users) for purchasing e-2Ws, e-3Ws, e-buses, e-trucks and e-ambulances via Aadhaar-authenticated e-vouchers, capped at 15% of ex-factory price.
• Subsidy rates for e-2W and e-3W are set at ₹5,000/kWh in FY 2024–25 and ₹2,500/kWh in FY 2025–26, directly reimbursed to original equipment manufacturer (OEM).
• 14,028 electric buses will be deployed in 9 major cities by 2026 through State/ city transport undertakings (STUs) under Gross Cost Contract/OPEX model, with vehicles priced below ₹2 crore eligible.
• Charging infrastructure support of ₹2,000 crore will enable installation of public charging stations (EVPCS) across 9 high EV penetration cities and key highways, following MoP’s 2024 guidelines.
• Electric ambulance deployment (₹500 crore) will include electric, plug-in hybrid, and strong hybrid types, aligned with performance standards set with MoHFW and MoRTH.
• Incentives for e-trucks (₹500 crore) require valid scrapping certificates from MoRTH-authorised facilities to promote clean freight transport.
• Capital support will fund EV public charging stations, procurement of e-buses and upgradation of vehicle testing infrastructure to ensure quality and safety compliance.

Complementary Measures & Policy Synergy

• PLI Scheme Compatibility: Incentives under PM E-DRIVE are in addition to those under PLI-Auto and PLI-ACC (Advanced Chemistry Cell).
• PM-eBus Sewa & PSM: Linked Payment Security Mechanism ensures smoother procurement and operation of e-buses by Public Transport Authorities.
• Technology Platform for Electric Mobility (TPEM): Facilitates R&D and innovation in the EV ecosystem under the Ministry of Science & Technology.
• State Incentives Encouraged: Road tax exemptions, toll waivers, parking fee rebates, etc.
• GST Reduction: GST on EVs lowered from 12% to 5% to boost affordability.

Current Affairs

{GS2 – Polity – Laws} Espionage: Jyoti Rani Case

• Context (IE | BS | LM): YouTuber Jyoti was arrested for allegedly leaking sensitive information to a Pakistan High Commission official.
• She faces charges under Sec. 3, 4 & 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923 & Sec. 52 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.

Official Secrets Act, 1923

• Historical Background: Enacted in 1923 during British rule, based on the British Official Secrets Act 1911, to suppress dissent and control sensitive information.
• Objective: Protects the sovereignty, defence, intelligence infrastructure and national security of India by penalising espionage, unauthorised communication or possession of classified data.
• Applicability & Coverage: Applies to government officials, civilians and foreign nationals; covers codes, passwords, maps, sketches and any intelligence that could harm India or help its enemies.
• Wide Interpretation: Any action that may prejudice national safety or aid an enemy is considered an offence.
• Key Penal Provisions:
  • Section 3 (Spying for the enemy): Targets unauthorised access to defence sites or data; punishment up to 14 years (defence-related), otherwise up to 3 years.
  • Section 4 (Communication with foreign agents): Presumes guilt if in contact with suspected agents without valid reason; punishment up to 14 years (defence-related), otherwise up to 3 years.
  • Section 5 (Wrongful communication): Penalises both intentional and negligent disclosure or handling of secrets; punishment up to 3 years or fine or both.
• Other Provisions:
  • Section 6: Penalises wearing unauthorised uniforms.
  • Section 9: Attempt or abetment is punishable as the main offence.
  • Search and Seizure: Authorities may conduct raids and seize documents without public disclosure in national interest.

Section 152 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (Secession and Subversion)

• Criminalises acts that threaten India’s sovereignty and integrity through speech, writing, media or financial means.
• Targets promotion or incitement of secession, rebellion or separatism via electronic or visible methods.
• Punishable by life imprisonment or up to 7 years of imprisonment and a fine.
• Focuses on protecting national unity and internal security from subversive activities.
• Exempts peaceful criticism of the government aimed at lawful reform from punishment.

{GS2 – Social Sector – Education} Mizoram Achieves Full Functional Literacy

• Context (PIB): Mizoram became the first state in India to be officially declared fully functionally literate under the ULLAS – Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram (NILP).
• It’s literacy rate has reached 98.2%, surpassing the 95% benchmark considered as full functional literacy.

About Functional Literacy

• Refers to the ability to apply reading, writing, and arithmetic skills in day-to-day life helping individuals participate fully in society and the economy. This includes:
  • Reading signs, instructions, and official documents.
  • Writing applications or filling forms.
  • Performing simple calculations for money, time, and measurements.
  • Engaging with digital tools, public services, and workplaces effectively.

About ULLAS – Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram (NILP)

• A centrally sponsored scheme launched by the Ministry of Education (2022–2027).
• Aims to educate adults aged 15 years and above who missed formal schooling.
• Based on the spirit of Kartavya Bodh (sense of duty) and Jan Jan Saakshar Bharat (Every Citizen Literate).
• Aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
• Five Key Components:
  • Foundational Literacy and Numeracy: Reading, writing, and arithmetic.
  • Critical Life Skills: Digital, financial, legal, environmental, and health literacy.
  • Basic Education: Equivalence to Classes 3, 5, and 8.
  • Vocational Skills: Job-oriented skill training.
  • Continuing Education: Lifelong learning through libraries, reading clubs, etc.

Implementation and Impact

• Operates through the ULLAS Mobile App for registration, e-content, and assessments.
• Encourages volunteerism—students, teachers, and NGOs act as educators.
• Over 2.37 crore learners and 40.84 lakh volunteers have been registered.
• Around 1.77 crore neo-literates have appeared for the national Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Test (FLNAT).
• Ladakh became the first Union Territory to achieve full functional literacy in 2024.

Also Read > National Education Policy 2020.

{GS2 – Social Sector – Health – Diseases} JN.1 Covid Variant

• Context (ET): A new COVID-19 variant, JN.1, is causing a surge in cases across Southeast Asia.

Be Prelims Ready!

Up Next! Get Notified

Key Features of JN.1 Covid Variant

• Origin: Sub-lineage of Omicron BA.2.86 (‘Pirola’), first identified in August 2023 and classified as a Variant of Interest (VOI) by the WHO in December 2023.
• Mutations: It contains about 30 spike protein mutations, enhancing its ability to evade vaccine- or infection-induced immunity.
• Spread: Initially found in Europe and the US, now causing case surges in Asia (Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Thailand).
• Transmissibility: More contagious than its parent lineage (BA.2.86).
• Immune Escape: Higher resistance to neutralizing antibodies; vaccinated individuals can be infected.
• Unusual Seasonality: Spreading during summer months, unlike typical respiratory viruses.
• Symptoms: Similar to earlier Omicron subvariants – sore throat, fatigue, dry cough, mild breathlessness. Severe cases mostly occur in elderly or immunocompromised individuals.
• Public Health Concern: With waning immunity and declining vaccination coverage, there’s potential for localized outbreaks despite endemic status.

Also Read > Coronavirus, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19 or 2019-nCoV).

{GS3 – S&T – Defence} Kinetic and Non-kinetic Warfare

• Context (ITN): India used kinetic and non-kinetic means to destroy intruding Pakistan drones.

{GS3 – S&T – Space} Chandrayaan-5 Mission

• Context (IE): ISRO and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) jointly conducted the 3^rd Technical Interface Meeting (TIM-3), towards the Chandrayaan-5.

Key Features

• Also known as LUPEX (Lunar Polar Exploration), it is a joint project between ISRO and JAXA.
• Objective: To study water and water-ice on the lunar and subsurface.
• Components: The Mission would send an uncrewed lunar lander and rover to explore the south pole region of the Moon no earlier than 2028.
  • ISRO is developing Chandrayaan-5’s lander, whereas JAXA is building the 350-kg rover. Weighing 6.5 tonnes, it is proposed to lift off on a Japanese rocket, H3, sometime in 2027-28.
• Scientific Instruments: The seven scientific instruments for this Mission will be contributed by ISRO, JAXA, European Space Agency (ESA), and NASA.
  • ESA is developing the mass spectrometer, and NASA is developing the neutron spectrometers; both are currently in the design phase.
  • One of the seven instruments will be large and shall have four sensors; one being developed by ISRO and the other by JAXA.

ISRO’s Chandrayaan Mission

1. Chandrayaan-1 Mission: Successfully launched in 2008, it took chemical, mineralogical, and photo-geologic mapping of the Moon.
2. Chandrayaan-2 Mission (2019): It was 98% successful, but just two per cent of the Mission could not be achieved in the final stages.
3. Chandrayaan-3: A follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2 demonstrated the ISRO’s end-to-end capability to land and rove on the lunar surface safely. In August 2023, ISRO executed a successful ‘soft-landing‘ of Chandrayaan-3 on the South Pole of the Moon.
   • India is only the 5^th nation to achieve a successful soft-landing (joining the US, Russia, China and Japan) on the lunar surface and the 1^st to do so on its South Pole.
4. Chandrayaan-4 Mission: Forthcoming Mission. It is India’s 1^st lunar sample return mission.

Read More> Chandrayaan Mission.

{GS3 – S&T – Space} GRAIL Mission

• Context (DDN | ET): GRAIL (Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory) mission has provided the most detailed gravity map of Moon, revealing insights into its asymmetric interior & surface differences.

• Launched in 2011 under NASA’s Discovery Program; included twin spacecraft named Ebb and Flow.
• Objective: Measure lunar gravity to understand the Moon’s internal structure & geological evolution.

Key Scientific Findings

• Lunar Asymmetry: The Moon’s nearside (facing Earth) is structurally different from its farside, showing clear contrasts in heat, geology and crustal features.
  • Asymmetry in internal mantle correlates with surface topography & crustal thickness variations.
• Tidal Deformation: Earth’s gravity causes more flexing on the nearside, indicating differences in mantle composition and structure.
• Thermal Variance: Nearside mantle is estimated to be 100-200°C hotter than the farside, likely due to radioactive decay of thorium and titanium.
  • Intense ancient vulcanism on nearside led to heat-producing elements accumulating in that region.
• Geological Features: Nearside is dominated by mare, vast, flat plains formed from cooled volcanic basalt, whereas farside is rugged terrain with fewer mare and more highlands.
  • Mare Basalts Evidence: 3-4 billion-year-old volcanic rocks suggest persistent geological activity linked to mantle composition.

Significance and Scientific Potential

• Comparative Planetology: Gravity-mapping techniques from GRAIL can be applied to moons like Enceladus (Saturn) and Ganymede (Jupiter) to study subsurface structures and habitability.

Impact on Future Lunar Exploration

• Lunar Navigation Framework: Gravity map contributes to building precise Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) systems for safer lunar missions.
• Lunar Reference Frame: Supports development of a consistent time and location system essential for future robotic and human lunar operations.

{Prelims – Awards} Banu Mushtaq Wins International Booker 2025

• Context (TH | TH): Banu Mushtaq’s Heart Lamp, translated by Deepa Bhasthi, became the first Kannada work to win International Booker Prize, marking a historic milestone for Indian regional literature.

• Follows the success of Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree (Hindi) – Winner, 2022; Pyre by Perumal Murugan (Tamil) – Longlist, 2023.
• Banu Mushtaq has previously won Karnataka State Sahitya Academy Award (1999) and English PEN Translation Award (2024).
• Significance of ‘Heart Lamp’:
  • First Kannada title to be longlisted, shortlisted, and win the prize.
  • Features 12 short stories (1990–2023) centered on Muslim communities in South India.
  • Themes: faith, gender, resistance, caste, and communal injustices through female perspectives.
  • Includes ‘Black Cobra’, adapted into Girish Kasaravalli’s award-winning film Hasina.

About the International Booker Prize

• In 2019, the Man Booker International Prize was renamed the International Booker Prize.
• The International Booker Prize is awarded annually for a single fiction book translated into English and published in the UK or Ireland.
• It was originally a biennial prize, began in 2005 as the Man Booker International Prize.
• After 2015, it expanded to allow living writers of any nationality to enter and was made annual.
• Novels and collections of short stories are both eligible.
• Recognizes both author and translator; prize money of £50,000 split equally.

How is the Booker Prize different?

• The Booker Prize was first awarded in 1969. The inaugural Booker Prize was awarded to P.H. Newby for his novel “Something to Answer For”.
• Founders: Tom Maschler and Graham C Greene.
• Awarded for fiction written in English (not translated) and published in the UK and Ireland.
• Until 2014, only novels written by Commonwealth, Irish, and South African citizens were eligible to receive the prize. Later, it was expanded to all nationalities.
• The winner of the Booker Prize 2023 is Prophet Song by Paul Lynch.
• Important winners: 1^st Indian origin winner – VS Naipaul, 1^st Indian citizen winner – Arundhati Roy.

{Prelims – PIN World – SA} Argentina’s Perito Moreno Glacier

• Context (IE): Argentina’s iconic Perito Moreno Glacier, once unusually stable, has now begun retreating rapidly since 2020 due to climate change.

Perito Moreno Glacier

• Located in Los Glaciares National Park, Santa Cruz Province, near El Calafate, Argentina, it covers ~250 sq km, stretches over 30 km, and rises 60 m above lake level.
• Formed around 18,000 years ago during the last Ice Age; nicknamed the ‘White Giant’.
• Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 for its glacial and ecological importance.
• Known for dramatic ice calving events since 1917, a key global tourist draws.

About Argentina

• Capital: Buenos Aires; located in southern South America.
  • Ushuaia, in Tierra del Fuego, is the world’s southernmost city.
• Borders Chile (west), Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil, Uruguay (north), and the Atlantic Ocean (east).
  • Argentina–Chile border is the 3^rd longest international boundary worldwide.
• Climate varies from temperate in the north to arid in the southeast and subantarctic in the southwest.
• Geographically Diverse: Andes Mountain (west), Pampas plains (central) & Patagonia Plateau (south).
• Holds 3^rd largest global lithium reserves and ranks 4^th in lithium production.
• Major rivers like Rio de la Plata and Parana support agriculture and trade.

{Species-Insects-LC} Euthalia malaccana

• Context (TH): Euthalia malaccana, a butterfly previously known only from Southeast Asia, has been recorded for the first time in Basar, Leparada district of Arunachal Pradesh.

Credit: TH

About Euthalia malaccana

• Common name: Fruhstorfer’s Baron.
• Family: Nymphalidae (Brush-footed butterflies).
• Genus: Euthalia (commonly called barons or dukes with large, broad-winged butterflies).
• Distribution: Found in the Indo-Australian region, primarily in Southeast Asia, with earlier records from northern Thailand, the Malay Peninsula, and the Sunda Islands.
• Habitat: Prefers tropical and sub-tropical forested regions at mid-elevations.
• Conservation Status: IUCN Status: Least Concern, CITES: Not listed
• Identification Features:
  • Males: Forewings with a prominent blue apical spot.
  • Females: Display larger apical spots.
  • Hindwings: Characterised by reduced red spots.
  • These features distinguish it from related species like Euthalia lubentina.