In News:

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, approved the Incentive Scheme for Promotion of Low-Value BHIM-UPI Transactions (Person-to-Merchant or P2M) for FY 2024–25 to encourage digital payment adoption, particularly among small merchants and in rural and remote areas.

Key Features of the Scheme:

• Duration: 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025
• Outlay: ?1,500 crore
• Coverage: UPI (P2M) transactions up to ?2,000 for small merchants only
• Incentive Rate:0.15% per transaction value
• MDR (Merchant Discount Rate):
  • Zero MDR for all UPI P2M transactions
  • Incentive applicable only for small merchants on transactions ≤ ?2,000

Incentive Disbursement Conditions:

• 80% of claim amount: Paid upfront each quarter
• Remaining 20%: Conditional on:
  • 10%: If acquiring bank’s technical decline < 0.75%
  • 10%: If acquiring bank’s system uptime > 99.5%

Objective:

• Promote adoption of indigenous BHIM-UPI platform
• Achieve ?20,000 crore P2M transaction volume in FY 2024–25
• Expand UPI in Tier 3 to Tier 6 cities, especially rural areas
• Promote inclusive tools: UPI 123PAY (for feature phones), UPI Lite/LiteX (offline payments)

Expected Benefits:

• Cost-free UPI usage for small merchants (encouraging cashless transactions)
• Enhanced digital footprint helps merchants access formal credit
• Ensures round-the-clock availability of payment systems
• Strengthens financial inclusion and less-cash economy
• Balanced fiscal support from the government while encouraging systemic efficiency

Digital Payments Background:

• Since January 2020, MDR has been made zero for BHIM-UPI and RuPay Debit Cards via amendments to:
  • Payments and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 (Section 10A)
  • Income-tax Act, 1961 (Section 269SU)
• Previous incentive outlays (in ? crore):

Financial Year           RuPay Debit Card                BHIM-UPI                 Total

2021–22                      432                                       957                         1,389

2022–23                     408                                      1,802                        2,210

2023–24                     363                                      3,268                       3,631

What is BHIM-UPI?

• UPI: Real-time payment system developed by NPCI; allows instant money transfer between bank accounts via mobile apps.
• BHIM-UPI: Government-promoted UPI app launched in 2016.
• NIPL, NPCI’s international arm, is expanding UPI globally. UPI is accepted in Singapore, UAE, France, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and more.

In News:

Following inter-community clashes between the Hmar and Zomi tribes in Churachandpur district of Manipur, efforts have been initiated by tribal leaders to restore peace. These communities are constituents of the larger Kuki-Zo ethnic group, which has been in conflict with the non-tribal Meitei community since May 2023.

Key Developments:

• Peace Initiative:Leaders of the Hmar Inpui and Zomi Council, apex bodies of the two communities, issued a joint statement on March 18, 2025, expressing concern over the violence and agreed to:
  • Lift the shutdown in Churachandpur.
  • Resolve disputes through customary laws.
  • Work jointly for peace and normalcy.
• Government Response:
  • Restrictions under Section 163 of BNSS (BharatiyaNagarik Suraksha Sanhita) were imposed as a preventive measure.
  • President’s Rule was imposed in Manipur on February 13, 2025, and the State Assembly was placed under suspended animation following Chief Minister N. Biren Singh's resignation.

Ethnographic Background

Zomi Tribe:

• Ethnic Affiliation: Tibeto-Burman (Mongoloid race).
• Distribution: Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Assam; also in Myanmar and Bangladesh.
• Language: Belong to the Kuki-Chin (Kukish) group of languages.
• Religion: Predominantly Christian (Baptist, Presbyterian); formerly animistic.
• Features: Short stature, straight black hair, dark brown eyes.

Hmar Tribe:

• Ethnic Affiliation: Part of the Chin-Kuki-Mizo group, Mongoloid stock.
• Distribution: Manipur, Assam, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura.
• Language: Hmar language under Kuki-Chin group (Tibeto-Burman family).
• Traditional Beliefs: Animism; now mostly Christian.
• Social Structure: Clan-based; village led by a chief called “Lal”.
• Occupation: Mainly slash-and-burn (jhum) cultivators.
• Migration History: Folk traditions trace origin to Sinlung, believed to be in China.

Context:
Audible enclaves are highly localized zones of sound that remain undisturbed by ambient noise. These allow only specific individuals—usually within a defined space—to hear the sound, even in crowded or noisy environments.

Science Behind the Concept

• Nature of Sound:Sound travels as waves through a medium, causing its particles to vibrate back and forth.
  • Frequency: The rate of this vibration determines the pitch of the sound.
    • Higher frequency = Higher pitch.
  • Diffraction: As sound propagates, it naturally spreads out. Higher-frequency waves tend to diverge more.

How Audible Enclaves are created

• Parametric Array Loudspeakers:These devices emit high-frequency ultrasonic waves modulated with an audio signal. As they move through air, the waves undergo self-demodulation, converting into audible sound in a narrow, focused beam. This beam is heard only by those directly in its path.
• Advanced Audible Enclaves (New Research – 2024):A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (March 17, 2024) demonstrated a more precise technique:
  • Two ultrasonic waves of slightly different frequencies are emitted.
  • These are inaudible on their own.
  • When they intersect, non-linear acoustic interactions occur at that point.
  • This generates an audible sound wave only at the intersection point, creating an enclave audible only to nearby individuals.

Applications and Relevance

• Private Communication in public places.
• Augmented Reality and targeted advertising.
• Assistive technology for the hearing-impaired.
• Security and military operations, where discreet communication is required.

In News:

In March 2025, the United States deported 261 Venezuelans, including alleged members of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA). The deportation invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, used for the first time since World War II.

What is the Tren de Aragua (TdA)?

• Origin: Formed in 2014 inside Tocorón Prison in Aragua state, Venezuela.
• Evolution: Began as a prison gang under the “pran” system—where incarcerated crime bosses operated external criminal networks.
• Operations: Expanded amid Venezuela's economic crisis (post-2017) to Colombia, Peru, Chile, and later the United States, exploiting Venezuelan migrants.
• Criminal Activities: Drug trafficking, human trafficking, extortion, murder, and kidnapping.
• International Links: Chile accused the Venezuelan regime of facilitating the murder of a former opposition officer in 2023 via TdA operatives.

Presence in the United States

• Size: Estimated 5,000 global members; only a few hundred suspected in the U.S.
• Incidents: Linked to violent crimes in New York, Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, California, and a high-profile case in Aurora, Denver.
• Designation: Labeled a "Transnational Criminal Organization" in 2023 by the Biden administration. Assets in the U.S. frozen and a $12 million reward announced for its leaders.

Alien Enemies Act (1798):

• Purpose: Allows the U.S. President to detain, deport, or restrict foreign nationals from hostile nations during war or invasion.
• Historic Use:
  • War of 1812: Used against British citizens.
  • WWI & WWII: Used for surveillance, restrictions, and internment of citizens from enemy nations (Japanese, Germans, Italians).
  • Post-War: Used in 1948 to deport a Nazi operative; upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Controversial Invocation in 2025

• First use since WWII to target non-state criminal actors (TdA).
• The White House termed TdA a "terrorist gang" and a "direct threat to national security".
• Claimed that illegal immigration and cartel activity constituted a modern “invasion”, thereby justifying use of the Act.
• Legal Backing: The Act remains constitutional and in force unless revoked.
• Criticism: Civil rights advocates argue its use may violate due process; calls for repeal by some lawmakers due to historical misuse.

Identification of Gang Members

• Criteria (ICE Directive, 2017): Gang tattoos, prior convictions, confessions, or identification by reliable sources.
• Due Process Concerns: Migrants can be deported even if gang membership is unproven before a judge.

In News:

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of India is formulating the National Wildlife Health Policy (NWHP) to address the growing threat of zoonotic diseases through integrated wildlife health management. Over 60% of emerging infectious diseases in humans originate from animals, underscoring the importance of a "One Health" approach—integrating human, animal, and environmental health.

Key Objectives of NWHP

• Establish a comprehensive wildlife disease surveillance system.
• Strengthen diagnostic infrastructure and research capacity.
• Facilitate cross-sectoral collaboration among environment, agriculture, and animal husbandry ministries.
• Integrate existing animal and human health data systems with wildlife health information.

Institutional Framework & Implementation

• National Referral Centre for Wildlife (NRC-W):
  • Inaugurated in Junagadh, Gujarat (March 2024).
  • India’s first wildlife disease diagnostic and research centre.
  • Will serve as a referral hub for investigating wildlife mortality and outbreak events.
• Wildlife Health Information System (WHIS):
  • Proposed digital system for real-time disease data collection, reporting, and analysis.
  • Will integrate with National Animal Disease Reporting System (NADRS) and National Animal Disease Referral Expert System (NADRES).
• Satellite Diagnostic Labs:To be established near important forest zones for timely wildlife disease detection and diagnosis.
• Community Engagement:Involves measures like cattle vaccination near national parks to reduce disease transmission risks.

Key Agencies Involved

• Central Zoo Authority (CZA): Nodal agency under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972; responsible for policy coordination and implementation.
• Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser and IIT-Bombay: Supporting technical and policy formulation.
• Ernst & Young: Consultancy support.
• Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC): Policy oversight.

Alignment with Existing Conservation Frameworks

• National Wildlife Action Plan (2017–31):
  • Provides for 103 actions and 250 projects.
  • Includes protocols for disease surveillance in protected areas and tiger reserves.
• Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Provides legal basis for wildlife health regulation and zoonotic disease control.