LEGAL NEWS

Vice-President Releases Constitution of India in Sindhi Language

• Vice-President Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan released the latest Sindhi version of the Constitution of India.

• The Constitution was published in Sindhi language in both Devanagari and Persian scripts.

• This release was done on the occasion of Sindhi Bhasa Diwas.

• The step is seen as a major move towards promoting linguistic inclusivity and cultural recognition.

• The Vice-President highlighted that the Constitution is not just a legal text but the living spirit of the nation.

• He stated that it reflects national aspirations, ensures citizens’ rights, and strengthens democratic governance.

• In recent years, the Constitution has also been translated into several other languages such as Bodo, Dogri, Santhali, Tamil, Gujarati, and Nepali.

• Sindhi was added to the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution by the 21st Constitutional Amendment Act, 1967.

IMPORTANT DAYS

200th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule (11 April)

• Mahatma Jyotiba Phule was born on 11 April 1827, and his 200th birth anniversary is being observed in 2027.

• He is remembered as a major social reformer who worked for equality and justice in Indian society.

• Along with his wife Savitri Bai Phule, he strongly promoted women’s education and empowerment.

• The Phule couple established India’s first school for girls in 1848.

• This historic school was started at Bhide Wada, Pune, marking a milestone in educational reform.

• Jyotiba Phule actively fought against caste discrimination, untouchability, and social oppression.

• In 1873, he founded the Satyashodhak Samaj to support and uplift oppressed communities.

• His thoughts and reforms were based on the principles of rational thinking, social equality, and human dignity.

APPOINTMENT

Anand Kumar Pal Appointed as Chief Adviser (Cost), Department of Expenditure

• Shri Anand Kumar Pal has taken charge as Chief Adviser (Cost) in the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance.

• His appointment was made after approval by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).

• He belongs to the Indian Cost Accounts Service (ICoAS) cadre.

• He is a 1997-batch officer of ICoAS.

• Before this role, he was serving as Additional Chief Adviser (Cost) in the Ministry of Defence.

• The Department of Expenditure functions as the key department for managing the public financial management system of the Central Government.

• It handles major responsibilities like implementing Finance Commission and Central Pay Commission recommendations, monitoring audit observations, and preparing Central Government Accounts.

• The National Institute of Financial Management (NIFM), Faridabad, an autonomous body, works under the administrative control of this department.

NATIONAL NEWS

Indian Army Conducts Tourist Rescue Mission “Operation Him Setu” in North Sikkim

• The Indian Army successfully carried out a tourist rescue mission named Operation Him Setu in North Sikkim.

• The operation was launched by the Army’s Trishakti Corps to evacuate tourists stranded in Lachen.

• A major landslide damaged road links between Lachen and Chungthang, disrupting movement in the area.

• The situation affected connectivity and created difficulties for travel and emergency access.

• The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) supported the operation by continuously clearing roads and removing snow.

• BRO and Army troops coordinated closely to restore connectivity despite harsh terrain and extreme weather.

• Trishakti Corps (XXXIII Corps) is an important strike formation under the Eastern Command.

• It is responsible for protecting Sikkim and the strategically vital Siliguri Corridor, originally raised in 1942 and re-raised in 1960 at Shillong.

STATE NEWS

Telangana Declared Naxal-Free After Major Maoist Surrender

• Telangana DGP B. Shivadhar Reddy announced that the state has become free from armed Maoist presence.

• The announcement came after 42 cadres of CPI (Maoist) surrendered before the police.

• Among those who surrendered was PLGA commander Sodi Malla, a key Maoist leader.

• The surrendered Maoists also handed over 36 firearms, including AK-47s and SLR rifles.

• Other seized items included country-made grenades, 1,007 live ammunition rounds, and around 800 grams of gold.

• Police are using information from surrendered cadres to locate and neutralize IEDs planted by Maoists in different areas.

• Between 2024 and 2026, a total of 761 Maoists surrendered in Telangana, along with 302 firearms.

• Maoists, commonly known as Naxalites, follow an ideology of armed insurgency, aiming to capture state power through guerrilla warfare, first in rural areas and later expanding to urban regions.

RANKING AND REPORTS

NITI Aayog Releases Reports on “Ease of Doing Research & Development in India”

• NITI Aayog released two key reports in New Delhi titled “Ease of Doing Research & Development in India” and “Survey Report on Ease of Doing R&D in India.”

• The main objective is to build a more efficient, supportive, and innovation-oriented R&D environment in the country.

• These reports are the result of a detailed exercise conducted over nearly nine months.

• The study involved interaction with 400+ institutional leaders and inputs from 850+ scientists and researchers across India.

• The findings are based on an evidence-based approach, including surveys, stakeholder discussions, and regional consultative meetings.

• The reports point out key difficulties faced in the R&D sector across various thematic areas.

• They suggest practical reforms related to funding systems, institutional governance, regulatory processes, and research-to-application translation.

• NITI Aayog emphasized the need for a trust-based and outcome-focused research ecosystem, reinforcing India’s goal of becoming a global leader in science, technology, and innovation.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

NASA’s Artemis II Crew Returns Safely to Earth

• The crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission successfully returned to Earth after completing their historic space journey.

• The team included Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen.

• While re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, they travelled at nearly 33 times the speed of sound, a rare feat last seen during the Apollo era.

• Their Orion capsule, named “Integrity,” performed re-entry under automatic pilot control.

• Mission Control faced tense moments as the capsule was surrounded by intense plasma heating, leading to a planned communication blackout.

• The recovery vessel USS John P. Murtha was positioned near the San Diego coast, supported by helicopters and military aircraft.

• During the 10-day mission, Artemis II became the first human mission heading toward the Moon in over 50 years, setting a record for the farthest distance traveled from Earth.

• The astronauts also became the first to fly on NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) and travel in the Orion spacecraft, supporting the Artemis goal of long-term Moon presence and future Mars missions.

ISRO Conducts 2nd Integrated Air Drop Test for Gaganyaan Mission

• ISRO successfully carried out the second Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-02) for the Gaganyaan mission at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

• This test is crucial for ensuring the safe recovery of the Crew Module, which carries astronauts during the human spaceflight.

• After the module was released, a parachute system containing 10 parachutes was deployed to slow down the capsule.

• The parachutes helped the module achieve a safe splashdown speed for landing in water.

• IADT-02 was conducted after the successful completion of the first air drop test held on 24 August 2025.

• In IADT-01, a 4.8-tonne dummy crew module was dropped from about 3 km height using a Chinook helicopter.

• Such air drop tests simulate the final phase of spacecraft return, including emergency abort conditions and parachute failure scenarios.

• Gaganyaan, India’s first indigenous human spaceflight mission, is planned to be launched from Sriharikota in 2027.