Art and Culture 

Banjara Community - The Hindu 

Recently, the Lok Sabha Speaker addressed the members of Banjara community at the 286th birth anniversary celebration of Sant Sewalal Maharaja.

Santh Sevalal Maharaj

• About: Social reformer & spiritual leader of the Banjara community.
• Nomadic lifestyle: Traveled across India with Ladeniya Troup, serving forest dwellers & nomadic tribes.
• Importance: Used Ayurveda & Naturopathy to dispel myths & superstitions in tribal communities.

Banjara Community

• Settlement: Found across India, mainly in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh & Karnataka.
• Lifestyle: Originally nomadic, now settled in Tandas.
• Language: Speak Gor Boli (Lambadi), an Indo-Aryan language with no script.
• Religion: Predominantly Hindu, with elements of animistic beliefs.
• Festival: Celebrate Teej in Shravan (August), where unmarried girls pray for a good groom.
• Dance Forms: Fire dance & Chari are traditional.
• Tattoos: Common among Banjara, reflecting personal style, identity & family connection.

Geography 

175th Foundation Day Celebrations of Geological Survey of India - PIB 

The Geological Survey of India (GSI), one of the oldest scientific organizations in the country, is set to celebrate its 175th year of geoscientific legacy.

Geological Survey of India (GSI)

• Establishment: 1851 by Sir Thomas Oldham to locate coal for Railways.
• About: Repository of geo-science information for policy-making, commerce, and socio-economic needs.
• Roles: 
  • Documents geological processes (surface & subsurface) of India & offshore areas.
  • Conducts geological, geophysical & geochemical surveys using advanced techniques.
• Functions:
  • Geoscientific data creation & mineral resource assessment.
  • Geological mapping, mineral exploration, disaster studies & research.
  • Significant contribution to India’s industrial & economic growth.
• Headquarters: Kolkata.
• Regional Offices: Lucknow, Jaipur, Nagpur, Hyderabad, Shillong & Kolkata.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Mines.

Polity 

The repealed law on dramatic performances, flagged by the PM - Indian Express

Prime Minister recently asked why a colonial law that “allowed the arrest of people dancing in public places” had continued to exist even 75 years after independence. 

Dramatic Performances Act, 1876

• About: Gave the British government power to prohibit public dramatic performances deemed scandalous, defamatory, seditious, or obscene.
• Aim: To suppress Indian nationalist sentiment following the Prince of Wales' visit (1875-76).
• Issue: Part of repressive colonial laws, along with the Vernacular Press Act, 1878, and the Sedition Law, 1870.

Provisions of the Dramatic Performances Act, 1876

• Ban on performances: Allowed the government to prohibit any play, pantomime, or drama if deemed:
  • Scandalous or defamatory
  • Likely to incite disaffection against the government
  • Corrupting or depraving the audience
• Search and seizure: Magistrates could search and seize any place suspected of hosting a prohibited performance.
• Punishment: Up to three months imprisonment, fine, or both.

Status of the Law post Independence

• Declared unconstitutional (1956): Allahabad High Court ruled in State vs. Baboo Lal & Ors that the law was inconsistent with the Indian Constitution.
• State-level enactments: Versions of the law existed in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Delhi, and Tamil Nadu.
• Repeal in states: Struck down in several states, including Delhi; Madras High Court invalidated the Tamil Nadu Dramatic Performances Act, 1954, in 2013.
• Formal repeal (2018): The government removed it as part of obsolete law reforms.

Court's Intervention and Ruling

• Case Background (1953):
  • Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA) planned to stage Idgah (based on Munshi Premchand’s story).
  • Initially granted permission, later revoked by the Lucknow magistrate.
  • Prohibitory order was served mid-performance, but the play continued.
• Allahabad High Court's Approach:
  • Focused on the constitutionality of the Dramatic Performances Act rather than case specifics.
  • Cited previous rulings striking down colonial laws inconsistent with fundamental rights.
• Court's Ruling (1956):
  • Declared the Dramatic Performances Act unconstitutional for violating freedom of speech and expression (Article 19(1)(a)).
  • Found its procedural restrictions unjustified under Article 19(2).
  • Acknowledged concerns of political victimization raised by the petitioner.

Colonial Laws in Independent India

• Continuation Under Article 372: Colonial laws remained in force post-Independence unless repealed or struck down.

Presumption of Constitutionality:

• Colonial laws do not enjoy automatic validity; the government must defend them in court.
• Laws enacted by independent India's Parliament are presumed constitutional unless challenged and proven otherwise.

Repeal of the Dramatic Performances Act

• Obsolete Laws Initiative:
  • Part of the government’s effort to improve ease of doing business.
  • Over 2,000 obsolete laws repealed since 2014.

• Dramatic Performances Act, 1876:

• Declared unconstitutional by the court but remained on record.
• Formally repealed through the Repealing and Amending (Second) Act, 2017.

What were the objections to new Advocates Bill? - The Hindu

Recently, the Centre withdrew the contentious Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2025, stating that a revised version incorporating public feedback will be introduced. The Bill sought to amend the Advocates Act, 1961. However, its introduction faced strong opposition from sections of the bar. 

New Advocates Bill

• Aim: To amend the Advocates Act, 1961 to address contemporary challenges and align the legal profession with global best practices.
• Basis: Follows the Advocates Bill, 2023, which sought to eliminate touts and remove redundant provisions.
• Ban on Strikes by Lawyers: Section 35-A prohibits advocates and bar associations from boycotting court work.

• Violations: Lead to disciplinary action under the 1961 Act & BCI Rules, 1975.
• Exemptions: Strikes that do not impede justice and address professional concerns (e.g., working conditions).
• Executive Control: Allows the Centre to nominate up to three members to the Bar Council of India (BCI) alongside the Attorney General, Solicitor General, and State Bar Council representatives.

• Introduces Section 49B: Empowers the Centre to issue binding directions to the BCI.
• Power to BCI: It can now hear misconduct complaints nationwide and suspend advocates, limiting State Bar Councils' autonomy.
• Section 48B: Allows BCI to dissolve State Bar Councils and replace them with a committee if deemed ineffective.

• Expands definition of "legal practitioner" under Section 2(i): Will include lawyers from foreign firms, corporate entities, and in-house counsel.
• Recognition: Grants statutory recognition to corporate lawyers, a long-standing demand.
• Skewed power to centre: Allows the Centre to regulate foreign law firms' entry, opposed by BCI.
• Question of rights: Raises concerns about whether in-house counsel will gain audience rights in courts and arbitration.
• Issue of legal privilage: Debate over whether legal privilege extends to in-house counsel advice to employers.

Economy 

Making sense of GDP data - Indian Express

Recently, the government will release what is called the “Second Advance Estimates of National Income”.These will be the latest government estimates of India’s economic output (read Gross Domestic Product or GDP) for the ongoing financial year. 

Advance Estimates of GDP

• Definition: Forecast of India’s total economic output before the financial year ends on March 31.

Types of Estimates:

• First Advance Estimates (FAE): Based on GDP data from April to September.
• Second Advance Estimates (SAE): Incorporates October to December data, making it more reliable.

Additional Data in SAE:

• Includes detailed Q3 growth estimates.
• Released along with First Revised Estimates (FRE) of the previous financial year.

• Further Revisions:
  • Provisional Estimates (PE): Released in May.
  • Final Revised Estimates (FRE): Released in February of the following year (e.g., February 2026 for FY 2024-25).
• Purpose of SAE:
  • Provides updated economic data before final estimates.
  • Revisions may occur in Provisional Estimates (PE) in May.

Key Aspects to Watch in SAE of GDP

• Nominal GDP and Growth Rate:
  • Represents the total market value of goods and services, including inflation.
  • Used as a base for fiscal calculations like fiscal deficit.
  • Can fluctuate due to revisions in previous year's data.
• Real GDP and Growth Rate:
  • Adjusted for inflation to reflect actual economic growth.
  • Difference between real and nominal GDP growth highlights the impact of rising prices.
• Per Capita GDP and Growth Rate:
  • Indicates the average income level of an Indian citizen.
  • Growth rate often lags behind nominal GDP growth.
  • Per capita GDP is an arithmetic mean, not a median, meaning income inequality may exist.
• Economic Growth Slowdown:
  • Q2 GDP growth (5.4%) raised concerns about an economic slowdown.
  • SAE helps assess Q3 growth momentum and determine if slowdown is temporary or structural.
• GDP Revisions for 2023-24:
  • Real GDP growth rate revised from 7.3% (FAE) to 8.2% (PE).
  • FRE will further clarify economic performance for the previous year.

Environment 

Green sea turtle carcass washes ashore on Marina beach - The Hindu

The carcass of a green sea turtle washed ashore on Marina beach in Chennai recently. This is a species seen rarely on the north Tamil Nadu coast compared to the Olive Ridley sea turtles.

Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas)

• About: Largest hard-shelled sea turtle with a smooth, sub-circular to heart-shaped carapace.
• Size: 120 cm length, 136-159 kg weight.
• Diet: Herbivorous, feeds on seagrasses and algae, giving its fat a greenish tint (not the shell).
• Feature: Has a small head, no teeth (modified beak), and excellent sense of smell.
• Distribution: Found in tropical & subtropical waters worldwide.
• Nesting: Nests along coastlines of 80+ countries, with largest populations in Costa Rica & Australia.
• Migration: Migrates long distances (over 2,600 km) between feeding and nesting sites.
• Lifespan: Estimated 60-70 years.
• IUCN Red List: Endangered.

Sci and Tech 

In a first, private spacecraft lands upright on moon - The Hindu 

A U.S. company successfully landed its spacecraft on the moon on Sunday, marking only the second private mission to achieve the milestone — and the first to do so upright.

Blue Ghost Mission 1

• About: Private lunar landing mission by Firefly Aerospace under NASA’s CLPS program.
• Launch: Aboard SpaceX Falcon 9.
• Landing: Mons Latreille, Mare Crisium on the Moon.
• Operation: Designed to operate for 14 Earth days (one lunar day).
• Key Features
  • Scientific Payload: 10 instruments, including lunar soil analyzer, radiation-tolerant computer, and GPS-based navigation experiment.
  • Imaging System: Captured lunar eclipse (March 14, 2024) and lunar sunset (March 16, 2024).
  • Landing Technology: Used hazard-avoidance system to land safely on rocky terrain, slowing from thousands of mph to 2 mph.
  • Lander Structure: Golden-colored, size comparable to a hippopotamus.
  • Artemis Mission Support: Tests lunar technologies to reduce costs for future human exploration.

Euclid space telescope discovers new ‘Einstein ring’ in nearby galaxy - The Hindu 

Recently, the Euclid space mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) spotted an Einstein ring in the galaxy NGC 6505, just 590 million lightyears from the earth. 

Einstein Ring

• Definition: A ring of light formed around a celestial object due to gravitational lensing.
• Appearance: Appears only when the observer, lensing object, and background galaxy are nearly aligned.
• Gravitational Lensing: Massive celestial bodies bend and amplify light from a distant object behind them.
• Gravitational lens: Bending object.
• Discovery: First observed in 1987; extremely rare (<1% of galaxies).
• Nomenclature: Named after Albert Einstein, who predicted light bending due to gravity in his General Theory of Relativity.
• Example: Einstein ring around NGC 6505, caused by a galaxy 4.42 billion light-years away.
• Observation: Not visible to the naked eye, observed through space telescopes like Euclid.
• Importance:
  • Acts as a natural magnifying glass, revealing distant galaxies.
  • Helps study dark matter and dark energy, aiding astrophysical research.
• Einstein Cross: A rare gravitational lensing effect forming four distinct images of a distant galaxy in a cross-like pattern.