In News:

The Central Electricity Authority (CEA), in partnership with Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd (Tata Power-DDL), organized the 5th Edition of Lineman Diwas on March 4, 2025, in New Delhi. The event commemorates the invaluable service of linemen and ground maintenance staff—frontline workers vital to ensuring uninterrupted power supply across India.

Key Highlights:

• Theme: Seva, Suraksha, Swabhiman (Service, Safety, Self-respect).
• Over 180 linemen from 45+ state and private utilities attended.
• Recognized 5 linemen and 4 DISCOMs for exemplary safety and service standards.
• Special Anthem on linemen launched by CEA Chairperson Ghanshyam Prasad.
• Safety videos and demonstrations of modern equipment were showcased.
• Participants visited the Distribution Operations & Safety Excellence Center (DOSEC) for exposure to training modules and tools.

The event highlighted the importance of Hotline Maintenance Training, which enables linemen to safely work on live power lines, improving both worker safety and power grid reliability.

About Central Electricity Authority (CEA):

• Statutory Body under the Ministry of Power, Govt. of India.
• Established: Originally under Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948; reconstituted under Electricity Act, 2003.
• Headquarters: New Delhi.
• Functions:
  • Advises government on electricity policy, planning, and technical standards.
  • Monitors power generation, transmission, and distribution efficiency.
  • Promotes safety, training, and regulatory compliance.
• Key Divisions:
  • Power Planning & Monitoring
  • Grid Operations & Transmission
  • Distribution & Regulatory Affairs
  • Safety & Training

In News:

Japan is currently battling its most extensive wildfire in over three decades, with flames spreading across approximately 1,200 hectares of forest in Ofunato, a coastal city in Iwate Prefecture, located in northern Honshu Island. This is Japan's largest wildfire since the 1992 Kushiro fire in Hokkaido, which burned 1,030 hectares.

The cause remains unknown, and the situation is worsened by record-low rainfall (2.5 mm in February) and the hottest year on record in 2023, highlighting the growing impact of climate change. The region is also vulnerable due to its dense forests, dry winter winds, and limited precipitation during February–April, a peak season for wildfires in Japan.

About Ofunato and Iwate Prefecture

• Location: Ofunato is in Iwate Prefecture, northern Japan, along the Pacific coast.
• Ecological Importance: It features mountainous terrain, coastal forests, and is known for fisheries, tourism, and biodiversity.

Japan – Geographical Context

• Location: East Asia, surrounded by the Pacific Ocean.
• Capital: Tokyo.
• Neighbouring Countries (via maritime boundaries): China, South Korea, North Korea, Russia, Taiwan.
• Geological Features:
  • Over 80% mountainous terrain; part of the Pacific Ring of Fire (earthquake and volcanic activity-prone).
  • Major Islands: Honshu (location of Ofunato), Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku.
  • Climate: Ranges from humid subtropical (south) to cold continental (north).
  • Major Rivers: Shinano, Tone, Kiso.

In News:

India’s cutting-edge air-to-air missile, previously known as Astra MK-III, has been officially renamed Gandiva, inspired by the mythical bow wielded by Arjuna in the epic Mahabharata. This rebranding marks a symbolic nod to India's cultural legacy while highlighting its growing defence capabilities.

Overview of the Gandiva (Astra MK-III) Missile

Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Gandiva is a beyond-visual-range (BVR) missile currently undergoing final stages of development. It is designed to be equipped on frontline fighter aircraft such as the Sukhoi Su-30MKI and LCA Tejas of the Indian Air Force (IAF).

Upon induction, Gandiva is set to become one of the longest-range air-to-air BVR missiles globally, significantly enhancing India's aerial combat capabilities.

Key Capabilities and Features

• Engagement Range:
  • Up to 340 km when the target is flying at 20 km altitude.
  • Around 190 km if the target is at an altitude of 8 km.
• Propulsion System: Powered by a dual-fuel ducted ramjet engine, allowing high-speed performance across various altitudes—from sea level to 20 km.
• Speed and Maneuverability:
  • Launch speed: Between Mach 0.8 and 2.2.
  • Target engagement speed: Between Mach 2.0 and 3.6.
  • Can engage agile aerial targets with an angle of attack up to 20 degrees.
• Altitude Adaptability: Features a ±10 km snap-up/snap-down capability, enabling it to intercept targets that are significantly above or below the altitude of the launching aircraft.

Strategic Importance

Gandiva is designed to neutralize a wide spectrum of aerial threats, including:

• Enemy fighter jets
• Bombers and transport aircraft
• Aerial refueling planes
• AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control Systems)

In News:

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced a liquidity injection of ?1.9 lakh crore into the banking system through Open Market Operations (OMOs) and USD/INR forex swaps, in response to tightening liquidity conditions observed since December 2024.

What are Open Market Operations (OMOs)?

• Open Market Operations refer to the buying and selling of government securities in the open market by the central bank to regulate liquidity in the banking system.
• It is a monetary policy tool used to manage inflation and ensure financial stability.

How OMOs Work:

• To inject liquidity: RBI purchases government securities from banks, increasing their cash reserves, which lowers interest rates, encourages lending, and boosts economic activity.
• To absorb liquidity: RBI sells government securities, reducing cash reserves in the system, which raises interest rates, discourages excessive lending, and cools inflation.

RBI’s Recent Measures (March 2025):

• OMO Purchase Auctions:Government securities worth ?1 lakh crore to be bought in two tranches of ?50,000 crore each on March 12 and March 18.
• Forex Swap Auction:
  • A USD/INR Buy/Sell Swap worth $10 billion with a 36-month tenor, scheduled for March 24, to inject long-term dollar liquidity.
  • A similar $10 billion swap was conducted on February 28, which saw strong demand.

In News:

The Government of India has operationalisedAyushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs) across the country, marking a transformative step towards holistic, accessible, and preventive health care. As of January 31, 2025, a total of 1,76,141 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have been established nationwide.

Recent Development in Delhi:

Recently three Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in Najafgarh, Palam, and Ujwa were converted into Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. These are among the first AAMs in Delhi, focused on:

• Preventive and promotive healthcare, beyond clinical and immunisation services.
• Free access to 172 medicines and 63 diagnostic tests.
• Dissemination of health awareness via health talks and educational displays (e.g., ear health, lifestyle diseases).
• Community outreach through ASHA and ANM workers under IEC and BCC programmes.

These centres operate under the Rural Health Training Centre, Najafgarh, affiliated with the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The Najafgarh PHC, one of Delhi’s oldest (established in 1937), is undergoing certification under National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) and Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS).

Key Features of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs:

• Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC): Includes preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative services.
• Staff trained in yoga, lifestyle counselling, diabetes and blood pressure screening.
• Universal, free healthcare services located closer to communities.

Institutional Framework:

Ayushman Arogya Mandir is a rebranded initiative under the broader Ayushman Bharat scheme, launched as per the National Health Policy 2017 to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

It consists of two major components:

• Ayushman Arogya Mandirs – Delivering comprehensive primary healthcare services.
• Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) – Providing health insurance coverage of ?5 lakh per family/year for secondary and tertiary hospitalization to over 12 crore poor and vulnerable families (covering approximately 55 crore individuals).