In News:

In August 2025, the Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL), promoted by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), signed an agreement with ICICI Bank to implement India’s first Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) tolling system. The pilot will be rolled out at Choryasi Fee Plaza on NH-48 in Gujarat, making it the country’s first barrier-free toll plaza, with further expansion planned across multiple locations.

What is MLFF?

• Definition: A barrier-less electronic tolling system.
• Technology Used:
  • FASTag-based RFID readers.
  • Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras for vehicle registration verification.
• Function: Enables seamless toll deduction without vehicles halting at toll plazas.

Significance of MLFF

• Seamless travel – Eliminates queues and stoppages at toll booths.
• Reduced congestion & time-saving – Improves traffic flow on busy highways.
• Fuel efficiency & lower emissions – Supports environmental sustainability.
• Improved toll revenue collection – Reduces leakages and ensures transparency.
• Technology-driven infrastructure – Supports creation of a smart, efficient, and user-friendly National Highway network.

About NHAI

• Statutory Body: Established under the National Highways Authority of India Act, 1988; operational since 1995.
• Mandate: Development, maintenance, and management of India’s National Highways.
• Administrative control: Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
• Composition:
  • 1 Full-time Chairman.
  • Up to 5 Full-time Members.
  • 4 Part-time Members (Secretaries of Road Transport & Highways, Expenditure, Planning, and DG of Road Development).

In News:

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a major public health challenge in India, causing high mortality, morbidity, and long-term disability. Traditional diagnostic tools like CT and MRI scans are costly, infrastructure-intensive, and often unavailable in rural or emergency settings.

To bridge this gap, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), in collaboration with AIIMS Bhopal, NIMHANS Bengaluru, the Medical Device & Diagnostics Mission Secretariat (MDMS), and Bioscan Research, has developed CEREBO, a portable and indigenous diagnostic device.

What is CEREBO?

• Nature: A hand-held, portable, non-invasive device.
• Technology: Uses near-infrared spectroscopy integrated with machine learning.
• Function: Detects intracranial bleeding and brain edema within one minute.
• Accessibility: Designed for use by paramedics and unskilled personnel in ambulances, trauma centres, rural clinics, and disaster zones.
• Safety: Radiation-free, safe for infants and pregnant women.
• Output: Provides colour-coded, easy-to-interpret results.

Validation & Adoption

• Underwent multi-centre clinical trials at leading trauma and neurosurgical centres.
• Evaluated for diagnostic accuracy, time-to-decision benefits, and feasibility in emergency care pathways.
• Supported by ICMR-MDMS post-market surveillance confirming effectiveness in patient triage.
• Recommended for adoption in tertiary care hospitals, emergency services, and military healthcare.

Importance of CEREBO

• Addresses diagnostic gaps in rural and underserved areas.
• Enables early detection and triage, reducing fatalities and long-term complications.
• Provides a low-cost, rapid, and radiation-free alternative to CT/MRI scans.
• Potential for global adoption in emergency medicine, military operations, and disaster response.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) – A Public Health Concern

• Definition: Disruption of normal brain function due to sudden trauma to the head.
• Causes in India:
  • Road traffic accidents: ~60%
  • Falls: 20–25%
  • Violence: ~10%
• Incidence: ~1.5–2 million injuries annually; ~1 million deaths in India.
• Challenges: Mild TBIs often go undiagnosed initially, but may worsen over time.
• Consequences:
  • Immediate: Loss of consciousness, seizures, dizziness, confusion.
  • Complications: Intracranial bleeding, brain swelling, coma.
  • Long-term: Memory loss, cognitive decline, depression, behavioural changes, and risk of neurodegenerative diseases.

In News:

• The Ministry of Education released the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) 2024–25 report, providing a comprehensive picture of India’s school education system.
• Covering Grades I–XII across government, aided, and private schools, UDISE+ maps enrolment, teacher availability, infrastructure, digital access, retention, and learning environment.
• The findings reflect both significant progress and persistent gaps in achieving the goals of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Teacher Availability and Pupil–Teacher Ratio (PTR)

• For the first time, the number of teachers crossed 1 crore (1.01 crore) in 2024–25, a 6.7% rise since 2022–23.
• PTRs improved: Foundational (10), Preparatory (13), Middle (17), and Secondary (21)—all within NEP’s benchmark (30:1).
• However, disparities remain: states like Jharkhand (47:1) and Maharashtra/Odisha (37:1) face severe shortages, especially in higher classes.
• Female teachers now constitute 54.2%, reflecting growing gender balance.

Enrolment, Dropouts, and Retention

• Dropout rates declined significantly: Preparatory (2.3%), Middle (3.5%), Secondary (8.2%).
• Retention rates improved: Foundational (98.9%), Preparatory (92.4%), Middle (82.8%), Secondary (47.2%).
• Transition rates rose across stages, with 92.2% students moving to middle level and 86.6% to secondary level.
• Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER): Middle (90.3%), Secondary (68.5%)—indicating improved access but a need for further inclusion at higher levels.

Infrastructure and Digital Divide

• Basic facilities: Electricity (93.6%), Girls’ toilets (97.3%), Boys’ toilets (96.2%), Drinking water (99.3%), Handwashing (95.9%).
• Digital readiness: Computer access in schools rose to 64.7%, internet access to 63.5%. Yet regional disparities remain:
  • South Indian states (Kerala, Tamil Nadu) report near-universal coverage.
  • Eastern & Northeastern states lag behind—West Bengal (18.6% internet), Meghalaya (26.4%).
• Despite progress, >25,000 schools lack electricity, and 5.1% schools run with fewer than 10 students.
• Single-teacher schools reduced by 6%, and zero-enrolment schools fell by 38%, but remain concentrated in Ladakh (32%), Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand (22%).

Health and Inclusive Education

• Medical check-ups are available in only 75.5% schools, with serious gaps in Bihar (32.7%) and Nagaland (44.9%).
• Inclusive facilities: 54.9% of schools now have ramps and handrails for children with disabilities.
• Girls’ enrolment increased marginally to 48.3%, indicating gradual progress towards gender equity.

Teacher Training and Capacity Building

• 91% teachers are formally trained, but inter-state variation persists.
  • Kerala and Tamil Nadu lead with near-total coverage.
  • Meghalaya lags with only 72% at primary and 80% at upper-primary levels.

Significance and Challenges

• The report highlights improved teacher strength, better PTR, reduced dropouts, and rising digital access, aligning with NEP’s vision of universal foundational literacy and equitable access.
• Persistent regional disparities, lack of electricity in thousands of schools, inadequate digital penetration in the Northeast, and weak health infrastructure remain major challenges.

In News:

The VrindavaniVastra, a 16th-century sacred silk textile of Assam, is set to return temporarily from the British Museum, London, for exhibition in 2027. The decision marks a significant milestone in India’s efforts to reclaim its cultural heritage and present it to the public in its place of origin.

Historical Background

• The VrindavaniVastra was woven in Assam under the guidance of SrimantaSankardeva, the great Vaishnav saint-reformer, at the request of Koch King Nara Narayan.
• It depicts scenes from Lord Krishna’s childhood and divine pastimes in Vrindavan, woven intricately with silk threads.
• Historically, Nara Narayan had sheltered Sankardeva after he faced persecution by the Ahom kingdom under pressure from Brahmin priests, reflecting the socio-political tensions of the time.

Artistic and Cultural Significance

• The textile is regarded as a masterpiece of Assamese Vaishnav art, blending weaving traditions with spiritual themes.
• Originally consisting of 15 separate silk panels, the current exhibit measures around 9.5 metres in length, assembled from multiple fragments.
• It represents not only religious devotion but also the syncretic weaving traditions of Assam, incorporating motifs influenced by diverse artistic cultures.
• As a central artefact of Assamese Vaishnavism, it reinforces Sankardeva’s legacy of devotional bhakti traditions.

Journey to the West

• Fragments of the Vastra were believed to have travelled from Assam to Tibet in the 17th–18th centuries, before being collected by British explorers during the 19th–20th centuries.
• In 1904, the India Museum acquired the textile and later transferred it to the British Museum. Since then, it has been part of their South Asian collection, alongside similar pieces in other European museums.

In News:

The Mela Patt Festival, celebrated annually in Bhaderwah (Doda district, Jammu & Kashmir), is one of the most prominent cultural and religious events of the region. Rooted in Nag culture, the festival honors Lord Vasuki Nag, the presiding deity of Bhaderwah Valley, and reflects the valley’s rich legacy of syncretic traditions and communal harmony.

Historical Background

• The origins of the festival date back to the 16th century, when it was first celebrated by King Nag Pal during the era when Bhaderwah was known as Bhadarkashi.
• The festival commemorates the historic meeting between Mughal Emperor Akbar and King Nag Pal of Bhaderwah, highlighting its integration into broader Indian history.
• Over the centuries, the event has remained a symbol of unity, with no reported communal discord in its nearly 600-year-long history.

Rituals and Celebrations

• Timing: The festival is observed on Nag Panchami, seven days after the conclusion of the sacred Kailash Yatra.
• Cultural Expressions:
  • The unique ‘Dikko Dance’ features participation from men and women across communities, symbolizing peace and pride.
  • The ‘Dhakku Dance’, a traditional Dogra folk performance, is also showcased, underscoring its importance in the cultural mosaic of India.
• Inclusivity: Devotees and visitors from across Jammu & Kashmir, irrespective of caste or religion, gather to pay homage to Raja Nag Pal’s bravery and spiritual power.