First Private Helicopter Assembly Line
News-India’s First Private Helicopter Assembly Line.
- Event – Tata Group and Airbus to set up India’s first private-sector helicopter Final Assembly Line (FAL).
- Location – Vemagal, Karnataka.
- Model – Airbus H125 helicopter (civil and military versions).
- Deliveries – From early 2027.
- Purpose – Meet domestic demand and South Asian export markets.
- Significance – Boosts India’s aerospace industry, strengthens civil and defence aviation.
- Impact – Enhances India’s position as a global aviation hub, supports local capability development.
- Background – Airbus–Tata partnership for helicopter manufacturing.
Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses
News-Union Cabinet Approves “Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses.
- Scheme – “Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses” (2025–31).
- Budget – ₹11,440 crore (6 years).
- Target – 350 lakh tonnes production, 310 lakh hectares area.
- Beneficiaries – ~2 crore farmers.
- Components –
– High-quality seed distribution
– Area expansion
– 1,000 processing units (₹25 lakh subsidy each)
– Cluster-based implementation
– 100% assured MSP procurement of Tur, Urad, Masoor (for 4 years) - Objectives – Reduce imports, raise farmer incomes, improve nutrition, promote climate-resilient farming.
- Challenges – Adoption, logistics, sustained procurement.
First Dugong Conservation Reserve
News–India’s First Dugong Conservation Reserve Gets IUCN Recognition
- Event – IUCN recognition of India’s first Dugong Conservation Reserve (2025 WCC).
- Location – Palk Bay, Tamil Nadu.
- Established – September 2022.
- Area – 448.34 sq. km.
- Habitat protected – 12,250+ hectares of seagrass meadows.
- Species – Dugong (Dugong dugon), also called “sea cow”.
- Status – Vulnerable (IUCN Red List).
- Protection – Schedule I, Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Bathukamma Festival
News-Bathukamma Festival Sets Two Guinness World Records.
- Festival – Bathukamma (Telangana).
- Records – 2 Guinness World Records.
– Largest floral arrangement
– Most synchronized female dance participants - Significance – Celebrates Goddess Gauri and harvest season.
- Meaning – “Mother Goddess Come Alive”.
- Tradition – Women make flower stacks and dance.
- Occasion – Coincides with Navratri, symbolizing life and victory of good over evil.
Payments Regulatory Board
News-RBI Sets Up Payments Regulatory Board.
- Body formed – Payments Regulatory Board (PRB)
- Law – Under Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007
- Replaces – Board for Regulation & Supervision of Payment and Settlement Systems (BPSS)
- Chairperson – RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra
- Members – 6 total; senior RBI officials + 3 Govt nominees (incl. ex-Telecom Secy Aruna Sundararajan)
- Role – Regulate & supervise all payment systems (electronic, non-electronic, domestic, cross-border)
- Support – Department of Payment and Settlement Systems (DPSS)
MCQs
Q1. Where is India’s first private-sector helicopter Final Assembly Line (FAL) being set up by Tata and Airbus?
a) Hyderabad, Telangana
b) Vemagal, Karnataka
c) Nagpur, Maharashtra
d) Bengaluru, Karnataka
Q2. What is the total budget of the “Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses” (2025–31)?
a) ₹5,000 crore
b) ₹11,440 crore
c) ₹15,000 crore
d) ₹20,000 crore
Q3. Where is India’s first Dugong Conservation Reserve located?
a) Gulf of Kachchh, Gujarat
b) Palk Bay, Tamil Nadu
c) Andaman & Nicobar Islands
d) Lakshadweep
Q4. Bathukamma festival, which set two Guinness World Records, is celebrated in which state?
a) Karnataka
b) Andhra Pradesh
c) Telangana
d) Tamil Nadu
Q5. The newly formed Payments Regulatory Board (PRB) replaces which earlier body?
a) NITI Aayog
b) BPSS
c) NPCI
d) FSDC