Mizoram Prohibition of Beggary Bill, 2025
Context: Recently, the Mizoram state assembly has passed the Mizoram Prohibition of Beggary Bill, 2025, in response to concerns about the growing incidence of beggary in the state.
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- Once the bill comes into effect, Mizoram will become the first state in the country where begging will be completely prohibited.
- The Bill aims not only to prohibit begging but also to rehabilitate beggars by providing sustainable livelihood opportunities, ensuring reintegration into society with dignity.
- It was brought forward in view of concerns that the upcoming Sairang-Sihhmui railway connectivity may lead to an influx of beggars from outside the state.
Key Provisions of the Bill
- The bill mandates the establishment of a state-level relief board to oversee all aspects of the implementation, including administrative and coordination functions.
- It also requires setting up of receiving centres for temporary retention of beggars.
- Beggars to be sent back to their native homes or states within 24 hours of being housed in these centres.
- The Bill prioritizes rehabilitation and sustainable livelihood support for beggars rather than punitive measures.
Adi Vaani
Context: Recently, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs launched the beta version of “Adi Vaani”, India’s first AI-powered tribal language translator.
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- The app was developed by a national consortium led by IIT Delhi, with collaboration from BITS Pilani, IIIT Hyderabad, IIIT Naya Raipur, and Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs) in Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Meghalaya.
- The goal of the translator is to bridge communication gaps between tribal and non-tribal communities, ensure digital inclusion, and preserve endangered tribal languages.
- It also seeks to digitally safeguard folklore, oral traditions, and cultural heritage while supporting education, healthcare access, and civic participation in tribal regions.
- In its Beta launch, the app supports four languages – Santali, Bhili, Mundari, and Gondi, while Kui and Garo will be added in the next phase.
Bhili is the most widely spoken non-scheduled language, and is spoken by over one crore people in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
Key Features of Adi Vaani
- Real-time translations: The app will translate Hindi and English to tribal languages and vice-versa.
- Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for digitising manuscripts and primers.
- Bilingual dictionaries and curated repositories of tribal knowledge.
- Interactive language learning tools for students and early learners.
- Community-driven development with TRIs and tribal speakers ensuring authenticity.
- Built using AI language models like Meta’s No Language Left Behind (NLLB) and IndicTrans2 tailored for low-resource tribal languages.
Mini Cloudbursts
Context: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) clarified that there is no increasing trend in cloudbursts across India in recent years, though “mini cloudbursts” are on the rise and remain difficult to forecast.
What are Mini Cloudbursts?
- The India Meteorological Department (IMD) defines a mini cloudburst as a localised heavy rainfall event with at least 5 cm of rain within one hour over an area of about 20–30 sq. km.
- Comparison with Cloudburst:
Mini Cloudburst: ≥ 5 cm rain/hour.
Cloudburst: ≥ 10 cm rain/hour over the same timeframe and area. - The term was introduced in a 2018 study by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM).
- It can be considered a milder version of a full cloudburst but still capable of causing flash floods, landslides, and local damage, especially in hilly terrain.
Why Forecasting of Mini Cloudbursts Remains a Challenge
- Localized and Short-lived Nature: Mini cloudbursts occur over very small areas and develop rapidly, making real-time prediction difficult with current observation networks and models.
- Limited Meteorological Infrastructure: Doppler radars and rain gauges often fail to capture mini cloudbursts due to their small spatial scale and sudden onset. Sparse sensor networks, especially in hilly and remote regions, delay critical data acquisition.
The IMD’s Ensemble Prediction System and Flash Flood Guidance System provide some predictive ability, but their resolution is insufficient for precise nowcasting. - Lack of Effective Communication Network in Remote Areas: Warning dissemination in remote or mountainous villages is hindered by inadequate communication infrastructure. Also, unregulated construction worsens exposure, reducing the effectiveness of early warnings even when available.
Semiconductor OSAT Pilot Line Facility
Context: Recently, the Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology inaugurated one of India’s first end-to-end Semiconductor OSAT Pilot Line facility of CG Power at Sanand, Gujarat.
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- The launch of the OSAT (Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test) Pilot Line marks a major step towards India’s goal of semiconductor self-reliance under the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM).
- This facility is a full-scale plant dedicated to chip assembly, packaging, testing, and post-test services.
- The facility will first produce chips for customer testing and approval, making it easier for commercial plants to move into full-scale production.
About Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT)
- These are third-party service providers specializing in the post-fabrication processes of semiconductors, including chip assembly, packaging, and testing, to prepare integrated circuits (ICs) for integration into final products.
- OSAT companies bridge the gap between semiconductor foundries that manufacture wafers and device manufacturers, offering cost efficiency, manufacturing flexibility.
Key Development in Semiconductor Workforce
- By 2032, the world is expected to face a shortage of around one million semiconductor professionals, and India aims to bridge this gap through its growing talent pool.
- To prepare for this, the government has launched the India Semiconductor Mission and has partnered with 270 universities, giving access to advanced semiconductor design tools.
- As an outcome, 20 chips designed by students from 17 institutions have already been successfully manufactured at the Semiconductor Laboratory in Mohali.
Exercise Yudh Kaushal 3.0
Context: The Indian Army conducted Exercise Yudh Kaushal 3.0 in the high-altitude Kameng region of Arunachal Pradesh, to test preparedness for next-generation warfare in extreme Himalayan conditions.
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- The exercise was conducted under the observation of the General Officer Commanding, Gajraj Corps, headquartered in Tezpur, Assam.
- The exercise focused on large-scale manoeuvres integrating modern technology with traditional combat skills.
- The newly raised ASHNI platoons took part for the first time, which have been designed to integrate advanced technology with traditional combat skills for decisive battlefield advantage.
- The exercise validated combat effectiveness in harsh terrain while reinforcing the force’s shift towards multi-domain operations and adoption of emerging technologies.
Key Features of the Exercise
- Drone surveillance for enhanced situational awareness.
- Precision strikes and real-time target acquisition.
- Air–littoral operations for joint coordination across domains.
- Synchronised battlefield tactics under extreme Himalayan conditions.
- Demonstrated integration of emerging technologies with conventional warfare methods.