The National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) was launched in 2025 with a corpus of Rs 34,300 crore under which Ministry?
NCMM was launched in January 2025 by the Ministry of Mines with a corpus of Rs 34,300 crore for the period FY 2024-25 to FY 2030-31 (seven years) to reduce India’s import dependence for critical minerals. The outlay comprises Rs 16,300 crore government expenditure plus Rs 18,000 crore expected PSU investment.
💡 Concept Note
India is 100% import-dependent for 10 critical minerals including lithium, cobalt, and nickel. KABIL (Khanij Bidesh India Limited) is the overseas mineral acquisition arm, a JV of NALCO + HCL + MECL.
KABIL, India's overseas mineral acquisition agency, is a joint venture of which three companies?
KABIL (Khanij Bidesh India Limited) is a JV of NALCO (National Aluminium Company), HCL (Hindustan Copper Limited), and MECL (Mineral Exploration and Consultancy Limited).
💡 Concept Note
KABIL secured a Rs 200 crore agreement with Argentina for lithium brine exploration in Catamarca province in the Lithium Triangle (Argentina + Bolivia + Chile), which holds ~65% of global lithium reserves.
The Mineral Security Partnership (MSP), which India is a member of, was launched in 2022 at whose initiative and comprises how many nations?
MSP was launched in 2022 at the United States initiative and comprises 14 nations including India, US, EU, UK, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Finland, and Sweden.
💡 Concept Note
MSP coordinates investment in critical mineral supply chains to reduce China’s dominance. China controls ~90% of graphite refining, ~65% of lithium refining, ~70% of cobalt processing, and ~60% of rare earth element refining globally.
The Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara (Medaram Jatara) is held inside which Wildlife Sanctuary in Telangana?
The Medaram Jatara is held inside Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary in Mulugu district, Telangana, which is part of the Dandakaranya forest complex.
💡 Concept Note
Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary covers ~806 km2 and supports tiger, leopard, sloth bear, and spotted deer. The Jatara raises legal questions about conservation regulations vs indigenous rights under the Forest Rights Act 2006.
The distinctive offering made by devotees at the Medaram Jatara is called Bangaram. What does this offering consist of?
Bangaram refers to jaggery (raw unrefined sugar) offered in a quantity equal to the devotee’s own body weight. This symbolises the agrarian economy of the tribal community.
💡 Concept Note
The Medaram Jatara is conducted exclusively by Koya Adivasi tribal priests with no permanent idol, no Brahminic rituals, and no Vedic hymns. Deities are represented through bamboo totems, sacred pots (gaddelu), and clan flags (dalgudda).
Which tribe exclusively conducts the priestly duties at the Medaram Jatara, and in which Dravidian language family does their language belong?
The Koya Adivasi tribe exclusively conducts the Medaram Jatara. The Koya language belongs to the Dravidian language family and is closely related to Gondi.
💡 Concept Note
Koya communities primarily inhabit the Godavari river basin across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha. The Forest Rights Act 2006 recognises Community Forest Rights (CFR) including the right to worship at sacred groves within forests.
The dugong was declared IUCN Vulnerable and listed under CITES Appendix I. What is the scientific name of the dugong, and to which order does it belong?
The dugong is Dugong dugon, the sole member of family Dugongidae, in the order Sirenia. Manatees are in the related family Trichechidae, also in order Sirenia.
💡 Concept Note
Dugongs are more closely related to elephants than to whales (both are in the Afrotheria clade). Dugongs have a fluked (whale-like) tail while manatees have a rounded paddle-shaped tail. India holds 100-200 dugongs in the Gulf of Mannar and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
India declared the world's first Dugong Conservation Reserve in 2013. Under which legislative provision are Conservation Reserves declared, and who has the power to declare them?
Conservation Reserves are declared by State Governments under provisions added to the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 by the 2002 amendment. The Gulf of Mannar Dugong Conservation Reserve (~500 km2) was the first such reserve for dugongs in the world.
💡 Concept Note
Conservation Reserves differ from National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries: they allow regulated human activity and can buffer existing protected areas. Seagrass beds are classified as CRZ-I (most protected) under the CRZ Notification 2019, prohibiting construction.
Startup India was launched on January 16, 2016. Which body manages the Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS) worth Rs 10,000 crore, and through what vehicle does it channel money?
The Fund of Funds for Startups (Rs 10,000 crore) is managed by SIDBI (Small Industries Development Bank of India) and channelled through Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs).
💡 Concept Note
Startup India is administered by DPIIT (Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade), Ministry of Commerce. India is the 3rd largest startup ecosystem globally (after US and China) with over 2 lakh DPIIT-recognised startups as of December 2025.
The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act 2013 established the Lokpal, which came into force on January 16, 2014. Which committee first recommended a Lokpal institution in India?
The First Administrative Reforms Commission (1966) under Morarji Desai first formally recommended a Lokpal institution in India. The Santhanam Committee (1962-64) had focused on anti-corruption vigilance mechanisms and recommended the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) — not the Lokpal. The First ARC proposed a Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in states, modelled on the Scandinavian Ombudsman. Multiple Lokpal Bills lapsed in Parliament before the 2013 Act was finally passed.
💡 Concept Note
Lokpal is a statutory body (not constitutional). Composition: Chairperson + up to 8 Members; at least 50% must be judicial and 50% from SC/ST/OBC/minorities/women. First Lokpal was Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose (appointed 2019). Jurisdiction covers the PM (with restrictions), Union Ministers, MPs, and Group A-D central government officials.
