Unmesha – International Literature Festival
Context:
Recently, the third edition of Unmesha – International Literature Festival organised from 25th to 28th September 2025 in the Patna, Bihar.
Unmesha – International Literature Festival
- It offers an excellent platform for writers, scholars, publishers, and poets from 15 countries, representing more than 100 languages.
- It is one of Asia’s largest international literature festivals. The previous editions were held in Shimla in 2022 and Bhopal in 2023.
- Organised by: The festival is organized by Sahitya Akademi in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, and the Government of Bihar.
Sahitya Akademi
- The Sahitya Akademi was formally established by the Government of India on 12 March 1954.
- It was registered as a society on 7 January 1956, under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
- Akademi functions as an autonomous organisation.
- Sahitya Akademi, India’s National Academy of Letters, is the central institution for literary dialogue, publication and promotion in the country and the only institution that undertakes literary activities in 24 Indian languages, including English.
- The prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award is annually conferred to outstanding writers across various languages for their significant literary contributions.
Significance of the Festival
- Unmesha represents the power of literature to shape society, inspire transformation, and create enduring cultural legacies through the exchange of ideas and stories.
- Unmesha signifies the awakening or unfolding of new ideas, narratives, and perspectives, celebrating diversity in thought and bridging divides of language, culture, geography, and ideology.
- The Vice-President expressed confidence that Unmesha will continue to inspire future generations of writers and thinkers, contributing to the vision of “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat” by fostering national integration through literature.
Rani Rashmoni
Context:
Recently, Prime Minister of India paid tribute to Rani Rashmoni on her 232nd birth anniversary birth anniversary.
About Rani Rashmoni
- Birth and Background: She was born on 28th September 1793 in Halisahar, West Bengal.
- Philanthropy and Public Welfare: She built significant public infrastructure including Babughat, Ahiritola Ghat, Nimtala Ghat on the Ganges River, and a road from Subarnarekha River to Puri to aid pilgrims.
- Dakshineswar Kali Temple: She established the famous Dakshineswar Kali Temple (1847-1855), appointing Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa as the chief priest despite caste opposition.
- Social Reformer: She advocated against social evils like polygamy, child marriage, and supported widow remarriage; submitted a draft bill against polygamy to the British authorities.
- Resistance to British Rule: She protested against taxes imposed on local fishermen by blocking river traffic, compelling the colonial government to revoke the tax. She also defied British restrictions on Durga Puja processions.
- Support for Education and Culture: She contributed generously to the Imperial Library (now National Library of India) and Hindu College (now Presidency University). She also promoted education for women and marginalized communities.
- Legacy: She remembered as a visionary leader, philanthropist, social reformer, and patriot. She was fondly called ‘Lokamata’ for her courage, compassion, and contributions to society.
- Death: She was died on 19 February 1861.
PM E-DRIVE Scheme
Context:
Recently, the Centre has issued operational guidelines for the rollout of nearly 72,300 public electric vehicle charging stations across the country under the PM E-DRIVE Scheme.
About the Guidelines
Tiered Subsidy Framework: The Ministry of Heavy Industries has introduced a tiered subsidy structure to accelerate EV charging infrastructure installation at government offices, highways, public transport hubs, and commercial complexes.
Subsidy Eligibility and Rates:
- Government offices, residential colonies, hospitals, and educational institutions receive 100% subsidy on upstream infrastructure and charging equipment if they provide free public access.
- High-traffic public locations such as railway stations, airports, bus terminals, metro stations, municipal parking, public sector ports, retail outlets of state-run oil companies, and toll plazas get 80% subsidy on upstream infrastructure and 70% on charging equipment.
- Shopping malls, markets, roadside facilities along highways, and battery swapping/charging stations qualify for an 80% subsidy on upstream infrastructure.
Implementation and Disbursement:
- Government agencies will appoint nodal bodies to aggregate demand, identify priority sites, and submit proposals via a dedicated portal.
- Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) is designated as the Project Implementation Agency (PIA).
- Subsidies will be disbursed in two tranches tied to compliance and performance benchmarks.
Focus Areas: The scheme prioritizes cities with populations over one million, state capitals, smart cities, metro satellite towns, and high-density transport corridors to maximize impact and support EV infrastructure growth.
PM E-DRIVE Scheme
- The scheme was launched by the Ministry of Heavy Industries on September 29, 2024. It aims to promote mass mobility by accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and expanding charging infrastructure across India.
- The scheme offers upfront incentives for EV purchases and supports the development of essential charging networks to encourage cleaner, sustainable transportation while reducing environmental impact and improving air quality.
- The program includes a phased manufacturing plan to boost domestic EV production and strengthen the supply chain, aligning with the Aatmanirbhar Bharat mission to foster an efficient and competitive electric vehicle manufacturing sector.