Syllabus:

• Prelims & Mains – ECONOMY

Context: The Chairman of the 16th Finance Commission, Dr. Arvind Panagariya, launched the inaugural issue of NITI Aayog’s report titled “Fiscal Health Index (FHI) 2025”.

Background: –

• The FHI aims to throw light on the fiscal status at the sub-national level and guide policy reforms for sustainable and resilient economic growth

Key things to know about elections

• The report ranks 18 major States on the basis of composite fiscal index, which is based on five major sub-indices – 
  • Quality of Expenditure: Assesses how effectively states allocate their expenditures.
  • Revenue Mobilisation: Evaluates the ability of states to generate revenue.
  • Fiscal Prudence: Measures the fiscal discipline of states in managing their finances.
  • Debt Index: Assesses the debt burden and sustainability of states.
  • Debt Sustainability: Evaluates the long-term sustainability of state debt.
• With a cumulative score of 67.8, Odisha tops the ranking in fiscal health among 18 major States, followed by Chhattisgarh and Goa with scores of 55.2 and 53.6, respectively.
• Goa, Telangana and Odisha are leading in revenue mobilization and fiscal prudence. 
• It was observed that Odisha, Jharkhand, Goa, and Chhattisgarh have effectively mobilised non-tax sources, with Odisha relying heavily on mining-linked premiums and Chhattisgarh benefitting from coal block auctions.
• Punjab emerged as the biggest laggard, followed by Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Kerala, and Haryana. 
• Kerala and Punjab struggle with low quality of expenditure and debt sustainability, while West Bengal faces revenue mobilization and debt index issues. Andhra Pradesh has high fiscal deficits, and Haryana has a poor debt profile.

Source: PIB

Syllabus:

• Prelims – ANCIENT HISTORY

Context: In an announcement that challenges long-held assumptions about the origins of the Iron Age, a new study has found evidence that the use of iron in the area that is now Tamil Nadu dates back to the first quarter of the 4th millennium BCE.

Background: –

• Globally, the Iron Age has long been attributed to the Hittite Empire in Anatolia, where iron technology is believed to have emerged around 1300 BCE. However, the Tamil Nadu findings challenge this and positions the region as a pioneering hub of early metallurgy, surpassing global timelines by nearly two millennia.

Key takeaways

• The new findings, which provide evidence that iron technology in Tamil Nadu dates as far back as 3345 BCE, are supported by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) and Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) analyses conducted on samples from sites such as Sivagalai, Adichanallur, Mayiladumparai, and Kilnamandi.
• Until recently, the Iron Age in India was believed to have emerged between 1500 and 2000 BCE, closely following the Indus Valley Civilisation. However, new data pushes this timeline back. 
• A paddy sample from a burial urn in Sivagalai was dated to 1155 BCE, while charcoal and potsherds (broken pieces of ceramic material) from the same site provided dates ranging from 2953 BCE to 3345 BCE, making it the earliest recorded evidence of iron technology globally.
• At Mayiladumparai, samples were dated to 2172 BCE, surpassing earlier benchmarks of iron usage in the region. Kilnamandi, meanwhile, yielded a sarcophagus burial dated to 1692 BCE, marking a significant milestone as the earliest-dated burial of its kind in Tamil Nadu.
• Study establishes that Tamil Nadu was not merely a participant in the evolution of metallurgy but an innovator, as the smelted iron findings have been dated to the middle of the third millennium BCE for the first time in the world.
• When cultural zones located north of Vindhyas experienced the Copper Age, the region south of Vindhyas might have entered into the Iron Age due to the limited availability of commercially exploitable copper ore. Thus, the Copper Age of North India and the Iron Age of South India are probably contemporary. 
• Archaeological sites in Tamil Nadu also revealed varied metallurgical techniques. Three types of iron-smelting furnaces were identified, showcasing early innovations in extracting iron. Circular furnaces in Kodumanal, for instance, reached temperatures of 1,300°C, sufficient to produce sponge iron.
• The study explains that the people in the area mastered the complex technology of smelting iron, which requires temperatures between 1,200°C and 1,400°C, as far back as 5,300 years ago.

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus:

• Prelims & Mains – CURRENT EVENT

Context: For effective implementation of Inland Water Transport activities in National Waterway-1 (NW-1), River Ganga, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has upgraded its existing sub-office at Varanasi to a full-fledged Regional Office. 

Background:

• IWAI, presently has five regional offices in Guwahati (Assam), Patna (Bihar), Kochi (Kerala), Bhubaneswar (Odisha) and Kolkata (West Bengal). It will now have its sixth regional office in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.

Key takeaways

• The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is the statutory body responsible for the development, maintenance, and regulation of inland waterways for shipping and navigation across the country. 
• Established on October 27, 1986, under the IWAI Act of 1985, it operates under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. 
• The headquarters of IWAI is located in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

Key Functions of IWAI:

• Infrastructure Development: IWAI is tasked with building and enhancing infrastructure on national waterways, including the construction of terminals, jetties, and navigational aids to facilitate smooth and efficient water transport.
• Regulation and Maintenance: The authority ensures the maintenance of navigable channels, conducts dredging operations, and implements measures to maintain desired depth and width for safe vessel movement.
• Project Feasibility Studies: IWAI conducts economic feasibility studies for new projects, assessing the potential and viability of developing additional waterways to expand the inland water transport network.

National Waterways in India:

• To promote and develop inland water transport, several waterways have been designated as National Waterways (NWs). Some of the prominent NWs include:
  • National Waterway 1 (NW-1): Extending from Prayagraj to Haldia over a length of 1,620 kilometers along the Ganges-Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system.
  • National Waterway 2 (NW-2): Covering an 891-kilometer stretch from Sadiya to Dhubri on the Brahmaputra River.
  • National Waterway 3 (NW-3): A 205-kilometer route from Kollam to Kottapuram in Kerala, encompassing the West Coast Canal along with Champakara and Udyogmandal canals.
  • National Waterway 4 (NW-4): Spanning 1,095 kilometers, it includes the Kakinada-Puducherry stretch of canals and the Godavari and Krishna rivers.
  • National Waterway 5 (NW-5): Covering 623 kilometers, it comprises the East Coast Canal integrated with parts of the Brahmani and Mahanadi rivers.

Source: PIB

Syllabus:

• Prelims – ART & CULTURE

Context: Kalaripayattu has become a bone of contention ahead of the 38th edition of the National Games which is scheduled to commence from January 28 in Uttarakhand.

Background: –

• The Indian Kalaripayattu Federation has accused the Indian Olympics Association (IOA) of “relegating” the martial art to the demonstration section of the event. In the 37th edition of the National Games, held in Goa in 2023, Kalaripayattu was included in the competition section.

Key takeaways

• Kalaripayattu is one of the oldest and most scientific martial art forms in the world, aimed at mind and body coordination. It originated and is widely practiced in Kerala.
• The term “Kalaripayattu” is derived from two Malayalam words: “kalari” (training ground or battleground) and “payattu” (training of martial arts), which together mean “practice in the arts of the battlefield”.
• Practices:
  • Combines strikes, kicks, weaponry, and healing techniques.
  • Practitioners are trained in physical agility, meditation, and knowledge of vital body points (Marmas).
• Styles: Divided into Northern (Vadakkan), Southern (Thekkan), and Central styles based on regional practices.
• The four stages of Kalaripayattu are:
  • (i) Maippayattu: It is the body conditioning phase where the person is schooled to prepare their body for a fight. Only after qualifying this stage can the practitioner proceed to the next phase of training.
  • (ii) Kolthari: In this stage, a person is taught attack and self-defense with the help of wooden weapons such as short sticks, and long sticks.
  • (iii) Angathari: Once the person overcomes the fear of fighting with wooden weapons, sharp metal objects are introduced — in the third stage.
  • (iv) Verumkai: This stage includes bare-hand fighting. Students are taught body anatomy so that they know what points they can hit and what they cannot.
• Weaponry: Involves the use of various weapons like swords, spears, shields, and urumi (flexible whip sword).

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus:

• Prelims – SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Context: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully carried out a demonstration of restarting its Vikas liquid engine at a test facility at Propulsion Complex in Mahendragiri.

Background: –

• This test marks a milestone in the development of technologies for recovery of stages, leading to reusability in future launch vehicles, according to an ISRO statement.

Key takeaways

• The Vikas Engine is a liquid-fuel rocket engine developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). 
• It is an essential part of India’s space launch vehicle program and has been used in multiple launch vehicles, including the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), and GSLV Mk III (now called LVM3).
• Vikas engine is used to power the second stage of PSLV, boosters and second stage of GSLV Mark I and II and also the core stage of LVM3.
• The engine uses Unsymmetrical Dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) as fuel and Nitrogen Tetroxide (N2O4) as the oxidizer.

Source: India Today

Q1.) Which of the following statements about the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is/are correct?

1. IWAI was established in 1985 under the IWAI Act, 1986.
2. The National Waterway 1 (NW-1) connects Prayagraj to Haldia along the Ganga River.
3. IWAI operates under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.

Options:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1, 2, and 3
(d) 1 and 3 only

Q2.) Consider the following statements about Kalaripayattu:

1. It originated in Andhra region and is one of the oldest martial art forms in the world.
2. The term “Kalaripayattu” means “practice in the arts of the battlefield.”
3. One of the stage of Kalaripayattu training, called Verumkai, includes bare-hand fighting techniques.

Options:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2, and 3

Q3.) Which of the following statements about the Vikas Liquid Engine is correct?

1. It is a liquid-propellant engine developed by ISRO.
2. It uses liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen as propellants.
3. The engine is used in both PSLV and GSLV series of launch vehicles.

Options:
(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1, 2, and 3
(d) 1 only

Comment the answers to the above questions in the comment section below!!

ANSWERS FOR ’  Today’s – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs

Q.1) – b

Q.2) – b

Q.3) – b