Current Affairs – September 14-15, 2025

{GS1 – A&C – Literature} Gyan Bharatam Mission *

• Context (PIB): The first Gyan Bharatam International Conference on ‘Reclaiming India’s Knowledge Legacy through Manuscript Heritage’ launched the Gyan Bharatam Mission under Ministry of Culture.

• The Gyan Bharatam Mission is a national initiative to preserve and digitise manuscripts, reviving them as living resources for education, research, innovation, and diplomacy.

Key Features

• Conservation: Survey, document, and conserve over one crore manuscripts held by academic institutions, museums, libraries, and private collectors.
• Repository: Create a National Digital Repository of Indian Knowledge Systems for global access.
• Engagement: Public participation through partner programmes, and the Gyan-Setu AI Challenge.

Significance

• The Gyan Bharatam Mission aligns with Article 51A(f) of the Constitution, which makes preserving the rich heritage of our composite culture a fundamental duty.
• The Mission supports NEP 2020, which incorporates Indian Knowledge Systems into modern curricula.
• It strengthens international collaboration to digitise and standardise manuscripts, ensuring the preservation and continuity of India’s knowledge traditions.

{GS2 – Governance – Reforms} Defence Procurement Manual 2025 **

• Context (TH): The Ministry of Defence approved the Defence Procurement Manual (DPM) 2025, replacing the 2009 manual to accelerate revenue procurement.

• DPM establishes rules for acquiring goods and services for daily operations, maintenance, and readiness of all Defence Services and Ministry establishments.

Key Features

• Self-Reliance: The manual promotes defense indigenisation under the revenue head, aligned with Finance Ministry procurement norms, while fostering coordination among Services for readiness.
• Procurement Streamlining: Simplifies procurement worth about ₹1 lakh crore by decentralising authority to Competent Financial Authorities (CFAs) at the field level, enabling faster approvals.
• Relaxed Penalties: No Liquidated Damages (LD) during development; minimal post-prototype penalties incentivise genuine suppliers and support indigenisation.

Read More > India’s Defence Modernisation Roadmap | Defence Modernisation in India

{GS2 – Governance – Initiatives} Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan *

• Context (PIB | PIB): PM Modi all set to launch the ‘Swasth Nari, Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan’ along the 8^th Poshan Maah, India’s largest mobilisation for women’s and children’s health.

About the Campaign

• Over 1 lakh health camps planned nationwide from 17 September to 2 October 2025.
• Led By: The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW), Ministry of Women & Child Development (MoWCD) and the Ministry of Ayush.
• Objective: Strengthen preventive, promotive, and curative health services for women, adolescent girls, and children.
• Whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Society convergence ensures wide outreach by participation of ASHAs, Anganwadi workers, SHGs, PRIs, MY Bharat volunteers, and private hospitals.

Health Services Included

• Cancer: Oral, breast, and cervical cancer checks, breast self-exam demonstrations, oncology referrals.
• Anaemia & Nutrition: Hb testing, Annaprashan ceremonies and menstrual hygiene promotion, supported by the Eat Right initiative of FSSAI.
• Tuberculosis: TB screening, mobile X-rays, community nutrition support via Nikshay Mitras.
• Sickle Cell Disease: Special tribal focus with screening, sickle cell cards, and genetic counselling.
• Maternal & Child Health: Antenatal care, MCP card distribution, growth monitoring, immunisation, Infant & Young Child Feeding counselling.
• Blood Donation: Nationwide drives linked to e-Raktkosh portal.
• Digital Health: Enrolment under PM-JAY, ABHA, Ayushman Vaya Vandana.
• AYUSH Services: Interventions for anaemia, NCDs (Non-communicable Diseases), and PCOD using Ayurveda, Yoga, and naturopathy.

{GS2 – Social Sector – Health} Rising Chronic Disease Deaths in India

• Context (DH | IT): The Lancet study (2001-2019) found that while most countries have reduced deaths from non-communicable diseases (NCDs), India has seen an increase.

Key Findings

• Global Trend: Nearly 80% of countries reported a decline in chronic disease mortality, though the pace of decline slowed after 2010.
• India’s Case: Probability of dying from NCDs rose, especially among women above 40 & men above 55.
  • NCDs accounted for 61.8% of deaths in 2016 (up from 37.9% in 1990).
  • “Big four” NCDs include cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes.

Causes of Concern

• Lifestyle transitions in India mirror earlier Western trends of smoking, alcohol intake, high junk food consumption, and reduced physical activity.
• Weak reach of preventive healthcare (screening, diabetes and hypertension management) leaves vulnerable populations outside care systems.
• NCDs already account for over 75% of healthcare expenditure in India, draining household savings and productivity.

Way Forward

• Healthcare Expansion: Strengthen primary healthcare under Ayushman Bharat, scale up and strengthen the National Programme for Prevention and Control of NCDs with screening for NCDs.
• Targeted Interventions: Focus on women above 40 & rural elderly, where mortality trends are steepest.
• Lifestyle Reforms: Nutrition and fitness campaigns aligned with Poshan Abhiyaan & Fit India Movement.
• Tobacco & Alcohol Policy: Stricter taxation, advertising bans, and enforcement.
• Data Systems: Strengthen Civil Registration System (CRS) & NCD registries for accurate mortality surveillance.

Read More > India’s Primary Healthcare Sector | Obesity in India | Health Insurance Schemes in India

{GS2 – IR – Events} International Electrotechnical Commission 2025 *

• Context (PIB): The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) announced that India will host the 89^th International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) General Meeting in New Delhi in 2025.

• The meeting will be India’s largest electrotechnical event, bringing together experts from over 100 countries to discuss global electrotechnical standards.
• This is the fourth time India is hosting the IEC General Meeting, after 1960, 1997, and 2013.

About International Electrotechnical Commission

• The IEC, founded in 1906 and headquartered in Geneva, is a non-profit organisation and the leading global body for developing international standards in electrical, electronic, and related fields.
• IEC has around 170 member countries, covering 99% of global population & nearly 20% of world trade.

{GS3 – Infra – Initiatives} Building Peace and Infrastructure in Manipur **

• Context (IE): Prime Minister Modi’s first Manipur visit since the 2023 Kuki-Meitei ethnic conflict underscores peace, rehabilitation, and development through infrastructure and welfare.

Major Developmental Interventions

• Dialogue initiated with Kuki-Zo and Meiteis to foster reconciliation through mutual understanding.
• Government approved 7,000 homes & ₹3,000 crore special package for ~60,000 displaced persons.
• First National Sports University established in Manipur; Marjing Polo Complex and Olympic Park announced to boost sports infrastructure and honour state Olympians.
• Manipur Urban Road Project launched to improve urban connectivity and support economic revival.
• Infotech Development Project initiated to expand digital infrastructure and promote IT-led growth.
• Dharti Aba Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan was launched for tribal development, with 18 Eklavya Model Residential Schools being built.
• Recognising Ima Keithel’s unique women-led economy, new markets and working women’s hostels announced to boost female entrepreneurship.

Persistent Challenges in Peacebuilding

• Rehabilitation Lag: Over 57,000 displaced remain in camps as resettlement lags amid security risks and inter-community distrust.
• Movement Barriers: Buffer zones enforce spatial segregation, restricting movement and access to essential services across hill-valley fault lines.
• Dialogue Gap: Engagement remains top-down and fragmented, with no direct community-level dialogue to foster genuine reconciliation.
• Leadership Vacuum: President’s Rule persists without an electoral roadmap, reflecting political paralysis and the absence of consensus.
• Border Volatility: Myanmar border fencing and Free Movement Regime suspension disrupt cross-border kinship ties and traditional trade for Kuki-Naga communities.

{GS3 – Envi – Species} Vultures’ Role in Preventing Pandemics

• Context (TH): Vultures, as keystone scavengers, help prevent zoonotic spillovers and protect public health resilience.

Public Health Roles Played by Vultures

• Vultures consume carcasses within hours, eliminating pathogens and preventing zoonotic spread.
• By reducing carrion, vultures curb feral dog populations and rabies incidence.
• Their acidic gastric juices destroy pathogens, creating a biosecure barrier against disease transmission.
• Vultures’ foraging patterns facilitate passive disease surveillance through clustered carcass mortalities.

Other Roles Played by Vultures

• Biomass Cycling: Vultures recycle carrion biomass on a large scale, facilitating nutrient cycling.
• Agro Health: They protect the agro-ecosystem by preventing nutrient overload & soil eutrophication.
• Emission Control: Their scavenging curbs greenhouse gases by limiting anaerobic decomposition.
• Ecological Sentinels: Population declines act as indicators of threats in food chains or ecosystems.

Challenges Undermining Vulture Survival

• Drug Toxicity: Illegal veterinary drug use persists despite the 2006 nationwide ban.
  • Over 95% population decline since the 1990s is linked to diclofenac-contaminated livestock carcasses.
• Power Lines: Electrocution from power lines kills vultures in large numbers along the migration routes.
• Habitat Disruption: Quarrying, mining, and infrastructure projects destroy nesting and roosting sites.
• Carcass Scarcity: Livestock burial and competition with feral dogs reduce reliable food availability.
• Weak Funding: Underfunded programmes lack integration into One Health surveillance systems.

Way Forward

• Scale meloxicam and tolfenamic use nationwide as proven vulture-safe analgesics.
• Deploy satellite telemetry & a Decision Support System integrating wildlife-livestock-human datasets.
• Retrofit high-risk power lines with diverters to reduce vulture electrocution.
• Forge Central Asian Flyway agreements under CMS for conservation and pandemic prevention.
• Fund carcass-handling SOPs, safe-food stations, and local reporting networks under One Health.

Read More > Rewilding of Vultures in Tiger Reserves

{GS3 – Envi – RE} India’s First Bamboo-based Bio-Ethanol Plant **

• Context (TH | PIB): PM Modi inaugurated India’s first bamboo-based bioethanol plant at Golaghat, Assam, described as the world’s first green bamboo bioethanol facility.

• He also laid foundation stone of a ₹7,230-crore polypropylene plant at Numaligarh Refinery, Assam.

Key Highlights of the Project

• The plant will utilise nearly 5 lakh tonnes of green bamboo annually from Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Mizoram, creating a structured market for bamboo cultivation.
• It is designed to produce 48,900 tonnes of ethanol annually alongside a substantial output of food-grade liquid CO₂.
• The project is expected to contribute around ₹200 crore annually to Assam’s rural economy.
• Developed as a joint venture of Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL), Fortum of Finland, & Chempolis OY.

About Bioethanol

• Bioethanol is a renewable alcohol made by fermenting biomass like sugarcane, bamboo, or crop residues.
• It is mainly used as a petrol blending fuel and as a green chemical feedstock.
• Divided into Four Generations: First-generation (food-based, e.g., sugarcane, corn), second-generation (non-food/crop residues, bamboo, forestry waste), third-generation (algae-based), and fourth-generation (advanced/engineered biomass with CO₂ capture).

About Polypropylene

• Polypropylene is a widely used thermoplastic polymer made from propylene, valued for being lightweight, durable, chemical-resistant, and recyclable.
• Its applications span packaging, textiles, automotive components, medical devices, and household goods, supporting industrial growth and reducing import dependence.

Read More > Ethanol Blending | Biofuels | India’s Biofuel Push

{GS3 – S&T – Space} NASA Finds Potential Biosignatures on Mars *

• Context (IE): NASA announced the Perseverance rover found the strongest potential biosignatures on Mars within Cheyava Falls rock at Sapphire Canyon.

• Key Finding: Organic carbon, phosphate, and mottled textures in clay–silt rock, a unique mix with electron-transfer minerals, making it the strongest biosignature-like evidence yet.
• Biosignatures: Objects, chemical compounds, or textural features shaped by biological activity, indicating past or present life, E.g., microbial stromatolites on Earth.
• Sapphire Canyon: A rocky outcrop in the Neretva Vallis valley near Jezero Crater, discovered in 2024.
• Cheyava Falls Rock: A Martian rock in Sapphire Canyon exhibiting leopard-spot mottling, black “poppy seed” textures, and sulphate veins, formed from ancient Martian water flow.

Credit: NASA

{GS3 – S&T – AI} Regulation of Social Media Algorithms

• Context (IE): The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology plans to recommend stricter penalties on social media algorithms that amplify misinformation.

About the Social Media Algorithms

• A social media algorithm is a programmed system that applies machine learning to prioritise, filter, and recommend content using user data, preferences, and engagement.

Constructive Functions of Algorithms

• Personalised Feeds: Algorithms align content with user interests and activity history, which improves relevance and user engagement.
• Automated Moderation: Filtering systems identify harmful or offensive posts at scale, helping sustain safer and more reliable platforms.
• Emergency Utility: In disaster situations, algorithms can prioritise verified advisories, enabling citizens to access critical updates more quickly.

Risks from Algorithmic Amplification

• Echo Chambers: Personalised feeds create closed loops that limit exposure to diverse views, increasing polarisation and distorting public debates.
• Virality Loops: Engagement-based ranking systems prioritise sensational content over facts, which amplifies misinformation and undermines credibility.
• Cross-Border Spread: Algorithms spread misleading content across global networks, making jurisdictional oversight and enforcement more difficult.

Justifications For Regulating Social Media Algorithms

• Definition Gap: Absence of a statutory definition of fake news leaves penalties inconsistent and weakens regulatory enforcement.
• Safe Harbour: Current immunity under Section 79 of the IT Act shields platforms from liability, allowing algorithmic misinformation to escape scrutiny.
• Fact-Checking: Without compulsory fact-checking mechanisms, unverified claims circulate unchecked, and platforms escape meaningful accountability.
• AI Disclosure: Unlabelled AI-generated content deceives users, making mandatory disclosure critical for transparency and public trust.
• Task Force Coordination: Fragmented institutional responses hinder the regulation of cross-border content flow, demanding coordinated oversight across ministries.

Complexities in Algorithmic Oversight

• Opacity of Algorithms: Algorithms function as opaque “black boxes,” where even developers cannot explain recommendation logic, which limits transparency and oversight.
• Evasive Tactics: Extremist groups often adapt euphemisms or coded symbols, allowing radical material to bypass detection and circulate widely.
• Speech Dilemma: Balancing content moderation with freedom of speech under Article 19(1)(a) remains a vulnerability that radical actors actively exploit.
• Contextual Blindness: Globally designed algorithms often overlook local socio-political contexts, which leads to insufficient moderation of local grievances.
• Economic Incentives: Engagement-driven revenue models reward provocative content, discouraging platforms from investing in stronger moderation.

Way Forward for Algorithmic Governance

• Audit Algorithms: Mandate independent audits of recommendation systems, as in the EU’s Digital Services Act 2023, ensuring algorithmic transparency.
• Codify Accountability: Enact legal penalties for harmful amplification, following Germany’s Netz law that fines platforms for delayed removals.
• Localise Moderation: Require platforms to improve moderation in regional languages, to prevent under-resourced languages from escaping algorithmic detection.
• AI Solutions: Expand AI-driven moderation systems, which have increasingly outperformed humans in detecting harmful online content.
• Digital Literacy: Promote nationwide digital literacy campaigns, building on the National Digital Literacy Mission to counter online propaganda.

Read More > Need for Regulating AI

{Prelims} One Liners

• In News – Coast Guard Global Summit (PIB): India will host the 5^th Coast Guard Global Summit (CGGS) in Chennai in 2027, coinciding with the Golden Jubilee (50^th anniversary) of the Indian Coast Guard.
• In News – INS Aravali (PIB): The Indian Navy commissioned INS Aravali as its new base in Gurugram to support communication networks and strengthen its Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) framework.
• Important Days – Hindi Diwas (PIB): India observes Hindi Diwas on 14 September to commemorate the Constituent Assembly’s adoption of Hindi as the official language of the Union on this day in 1949.
• Important Days – Ayurveda Day (PIB): The10^th Ayurveda Day will be celebrated on 23 September at All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), Goa, marking its first fixed-date observance. Theme: ‘Ayurveda for People & Planet’,