Prelims Current Affairs includes National Space Day, Shramshree Scheme, Didayi tribe, Lipulekh Pass, Uttarakhand Minority Education Bill 2025, nternational Solar Alliance (ISA), Global Capability Centre and Agni-5 Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM).

IMPORTANT DAY

1. NATIONAL SPACE DAY

• Celebrated on 23 August

• Aim: To commemorate India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission success.

• First Observed on: 23 August 2023.

Purpose:

• To mark the historic soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the South Pole of the Moon.

• To honour the achievements of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

SCHEME

2. SHRAMSHREE SCHEME

Current Context: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee launched the Shramshree Scheme for returning migrant workers facing discrimination in other states.

ABOUT SHRAMSHREE SCHEME

• Purpose: Welfare scheme for rehabilitation of Bengali migrant workers.

• Key Aims:

  • Provide monthly aid and social security.

  • Ensure employment/self-employment within the state.

  • Promote skill training and entrepreneurship.

• Benefits:

  • Financial Support: ₹5,000/month (up to 1 year or till job secured).

  • Job Cards: Employment under rural job schemes.

  • Skill Training: For public/private job readiness.

  • Self-Employment: Government loans and entrepreneurship training.

• Eligibility:

  • Must be a Bengali migrant worker returning from another state.

  • Must have a valid bank account for direct transfer.

GEOGRAPHY

3. DIDAYI TRIBE

Current Context: Champa Raspeda from Odisha’s Malkangiri district became the first from the Didayi tribe (a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group) to clear NEET 2025.

ABOUT DIDAYI TRIBE

• Location: Malkangiri district, Odisha; live in Eastern Ghats hill villages.

• Classification: One of 13 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in Odisha.

• Racial Stock: Proto-Australoid.

• Language: Austroasiatic family.

• Society: Patriarchal; traditional council of elders resolves disputes.

• Belief System: Animism, deep reverence for nature.

• Housing: Thatched huts with mud walls and bamboo.

• Occupation: Agriculture, hunting, gathering, and fishing.

SPACE

4. AGNI-5 INTERMEDIATE-RANGE BALLISTIC MISSILE

Current Context: India successfully test-fired Agni-5 Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) under the Strategic Forces Command (SFC).

• SFC: Part of India’s Nuclear Command Authority, managing tactical and strategic nuclear weapons stockpile.

ABOUT AGNI-5

• Type: Nuclear-capable Surface-to-Surface Ballistic Missile (SSBM).

• Range: Over 5,000 km.

• Engine: Powered by three-stage solid fuel engine.

• Developer: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

• Programme: Part of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP).

  • Other missiles: Prithvi, Trishul, Nag, Akash.

ORGANISATION

5. GLOBAL CAPABILITY CENTRES (GCCS)

Current Context: The International Solar Alliance (ISA) announced plans to set up a Global Capability Centre in India, referred to as a “Silicon Valley for solar”.

ABOUT GCCs

• Definition: Strategic units that support an organisation’s global operations through technology, talent, and innovation.

• Objective: To leverage global talent and advanced technology for business transformation.

• Drivers in India:

  • Cost efficiency.

  • Skilled workforce (especially in IT, engineering, English proficiency).

  • Strong startup and innovation ecosystem.

POLITY

6. CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS OF MINORITIES

Current Context: Uttarakhand Assembly passed the Uttarakhand Minority Education Bill 2025, abolishing the Madrasa Board and creating the Uttarakhand Minority Education Authority.

CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS

• Article 29(1): Right of any section of citizens to conserve their language, script, or culture.

• Article 29(2): Prohibits discrimination in admission to state-aided educational institutions.

• Article 30(1): Minorities (religious or linguistic) have right to establish and administer institutions of their choice.

• Article 30(2): State cannot discriminate in granting aid to minority-managed institutions.

PLACE IN NEWS

7. LIPULEKH PASS

Current Context: India resumed border trade with China through Lipulekh Pass (Uttarakhand).

• Nepal strongly objected, claiming the area as its territory.

• India rejected Nepal’s claims, citing historical evidence and long-standing trade practices (since 1954).

ABOUT LIPULEKH PASS

• Location: Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand, India.

• Altitude: ~5,000 meters above sea level.

• Connectivity: Links India with Tibet (China) via ancient trade and pilgrimage route.

SIGNIFICANCE

• Strategic Pass: Connects India and China.

• Religious Importance: Route for Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.

• Infrastructure: Road upgraded in 2020 for pilgrims and traders.

• Enhances India’s presence near Line of Actual Control (LAC).

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

• 1816 Sugauli Treaty: Set Kali River as India–Nepal boundary.

• Nepal’s Claim: Source of Kali River lies at Limpiyadhura → Kalapani & Lipulekh belong to Nepal.

• India’s Claim: River originates further downstream → territory is part of Uttarakhand.

• Dispute ongoing since 1960s.

Download Pdf | Study Material | Downloads | Daily Quiz  | FREE Youtube Videos