Category: NATIONAL

Context: In the midst of tensions with Pakistan, the Government has empowered the Chief of Army Staff to call on officers and personnel of the Territorial Army to provide for “essential guard or to be embodied for the purpose of supporting or supplementing” the regular army.

Decoding the context: The genesis of the Territorial Army in India can be traced back to the first war of Independence in 1857, when a Volunteer Force was raised. In 1920, the Indian Territorial Force was established, which is the direct precursor to today’s Territorial Army. After independence in 1947, the ITF was disbanded. The Territorial Army was re-raised on October 9, 1949, under the Territorial Army Act, 1948.

Learning Corner:

• The Territorial Army (TA) is India’s second line of defense after the regular army. 
• Often called the “Citizen’s Army,” it comprises volunteers who serve part-time while continuing civilian careers, providing a reserve force to support the Indian Army during national emergencies, wars, and internal security crises. 
• The TA’s motto, Savdhani Va Shoorta (Vigilance and Valour), reflects its dual role in defense and nation-building.
• The TA units were actively involved in 1962, 1965 and 1971 operations. They have also taken part in OP PAWAN in Sri Lanka, OP RAKSHAK in Punjab and J&K, OP RHINO and OP BAJRANG in the North East in a most active manner
• Legal and Organizational Structure:
  • Governed by the Territorial Army Act, 1948.
  • Comes under the Ministry of Defence, Government of India.
  • Headed by the Director General Territorial Army (DGTA).
• Eligibility and Recruitment (for Officers):
  • Nationality: Must be a citizen of India.
  • Age Limit: 18 to 42 years on the date of application.   
  • Educational Qualification: Graduate from a recognized university.   
  • Employment: Must be gainfully employed in a civil/government profession or self-employed. Serving members of the regular armed forces, police, and paramilitary forces are not eligible.
  • Physical Standards: A candidate must be physically and medically fit in all respects.
• Composition:
  • Presently, the Territorial Army has a strength of approximately fifty thousand personnel comprising 65 Departmental TA units such as Railway, IOC, ONGC, and Non Departmental TA units of Infantry Battalion (TA) including Home & Hearth Battalions, Ecological Battalion (TA) affiliated to various Infantry Regiments, and Engineer Regiment (TA) for maintenance of Line of Control Fencing.
  • Besides these, a Composite Eco Task Force for the National Mission for Clean Ganga is being raised at Allahabad.

Significance :

• Force Multiplier: The TA acts as a cost-effective force multiplier, providing a pool of trained manpower that can be mobilized quickly without the financial burden of a large standing army.   
• Strategic Depth: It provides strategic depth to the regular army.
• Flexibility and Adaptability: TA personnel bring diverse skills and experiences from their civilian professions, which can be valuable.
• National Integration: It fosters a sense of patriotism and national service among citizens from all walks of life.
• Supporting Essential Services: Their role in providing essential guard duties can free up regular army personnel for other critical tasks.   
• Disaster Relief: Historically, TA units have played a crucial role in assisting civil authorities during natural disasters.

Source : The Hindu

Category: ENVIRONMENT

Context: Over the past century, the Vembanad lake has shrunk significantly due to human-induced interventions, land reclamation, and natural sedimentation.

Decoding the context:  According to a recent expert committee report prepared as part of the Vembanad Lake Rejuvenation Project, the lake’s surface area has shrunk mainly due to land encroachment. 

Learning Corner:

• Vembanad Lake, located in Kerala, is India’s longest lake (96.5 km) and largest in the state, spanning Alappuzha, Kottayam, and Ernakulam districts. 
• Vembanad Lake forms a crucial part of the Kerala Backwaters, a network of brackish lagoons and canals running parallel to the Arabian Sea coast.
• The lake, also known as Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha and Kochi Lake in Kochi.

Geographical and Ecological Significance

• It forms part of the Vembanad-Kol wetland system, a Ramsar site since 2002, and is the second-largest Ramsar site in India after the Sundarbans. 
• Rivers and Connectivity: Fed by six major rivers—Periyar, Muvattupuzha, Pamba, Manimala, Meenachil, and Achenkovil—it connects to the Arabian Sea, forming an intricate network of estuaries, lagoons, and canals.
• National Waterway 3: A significant stretch of this waterway passes through Vembanad Lake.
• The lake surrounds islands like Pathiramanal, Perumbalam, and Vallarpadam, and is integral to the Kuttanad region, known as “The Rice Bowl of Kerala,” where farming occurs below sea level.
• Thanneermukkom Barrage: This largest mud regulator in India divides the lake into a freshwater and a brackish water zone. While it protects Kuttanad’s paddy fields from salinity, it also contributes to ecological issues like proliferation of water hyacinth and reduced fish migration.
• Biodiversity: A hotspot of biodiversity, it hosts over 90 bird species, including migratory ones at Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, and supported 150-200 fish species in the 1950s, now dwindled to below 100 due to ecological stress.

Source : The Hindu

Category: INTERNATIONAL

Context:  The International Monetary Fund (IMF) cleared a $1-billion tranche for Pakistan as part of its $7-billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) lending program and $1.3 billion tranche under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) in its board meeting.

Decoding the context: India abstained from voting in the meeting as it raised concerns over the efficacy of IMF programmes for Pakistan given its “poor track record” and also on the possibility of “misuse of debt financing funds for state-sponsored cross-border terrorism”.

Learning Corner:

• Established: 1945, headquartered in Washington, D.C.
• Unlike development banks, the IMF does not lend for specific projects. Instead, the IMF provides financial support to countries hit by crises to create breathing room as they implement policies that restore stability and growth. It also provides precautionary financing to help prevent crises.

Board of Governors

• It is the highest decision-making body of the IMF. It normally meets once a year.
• It consists of one governor and one alternate governor for each member country. The governor is appointed by the member country and is usually the minister of finance or the governor of the central bank.

IMF bailouts

• Countries seek IMF bailouts when they are facing macroeconomic risks, currency crises and need assistance to meet external debt obligations, to buy essential imports and push the exchange value of their currencies.
• The lending is done through programs designed according to purpose. These include standby arrangement, standby credit facility, extended fund facility, extended credit facility, rapid financing instrument, rapid credit facility, resilience and sustainability facility etc.

Conditions applicable to an IMF bailout

• Conditions applicable to an IMF bailout could be certain structural reforms, such as fiscal transparency, tax reforms and reforms in state-owned enterprises.
• Conditions for IMF lending also relate to macroeconomic variables, like monetary and credit aggregates, international reserves, fiscal balances, and external borrowing, as per the IMF.

Extended Fund Facility (EFF)

• An EFF is a financial assistance package offered by the IMF to countries facing serious medium-term balance of payments problems because of structural weaknesses that require time to address.
• Notably, the assistance under the EFF is in the form of a loan that has to be paid back, and not in the form of a grant or aid. 
• The term “extended” means that these countries need more time than usual to pay back the money because they need to bring about “structural” changes.

Source : Indian Express

Category: ENVIRONMENT

Context: The energy sector contributed around 145 million tonnes (Mt) of methane emissions in 2024, with oil and gas facilities accounting for over 80 million tonnes, according to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Global Methane Tracker 2025.

Decoding the context: Methane is a greenhouse gas responsible for around 30 per cent of the rise in global temperatures since the Industrial Revolution. Its levels in atmosphere are growing faster than other greenhouse gases, with its concentration being two-and-a-half times higher than the preindustrial era. 

Learning Corner:

• What is Methane (CH₄)?
  • A potent greenhouse gas (GHG).
  • Colorless, odorless, and highly flammable.
  • Has a Global Warming Potential (GWP) 84–87 times greater than CO₂ over a 20-year period, and about 28–36 times over a 100-year period.

Sources of Methane Emissions

• Energy Sector (35% of Human-Related Emissions):
  • Oil and Gas: Over 80 Mt in 2024, driven by leaks, venting, and flaring.
  • Coal: Around 40 Mt, primarily from underground mines in China, the top emitter in this category.
  • Abandoned Facilities: Abandoned coal mines and oil/gas wells emitted 8 Mt in 2024, making them the fourth-largest fossil fuel methane source globally.
• Bioenergy: 10 Mt, largely from incomplete combustion of traditional biomass (e.g., wood for cooking).
• Agriculture (40%): Enteric fermentation in livestock (e.g., cattle) and rice paddies (anaerobic decomposition) are major sources.
• Waste (20%): Landfills and wastewater treatment release methane via organic decomposition under anaerobic conditions.
• Natural Sources: Wetlands contribute significantly, but human activity amplifies emissions.

Environmental Impacts

• Climate Change: Methane’s high global warming potential accelerates near-term warming. Reducing emissions could avert 0.2°C of warming by 2050 (IPCC, 2024).
• Air Quality: Methane contributes to tropospheric ozone, a harmful pollutant causing 255,000 premature deaths annually (Global Methane Pledge, 2024).

India’s Methane Emissions Profile

• Contribution: India is the third-largest methane emitter globally (after China and the U.S.), with 30 Mt annually, of which 18 Mt comes from agriculture (enteric fermentation, paddy cultivation).
• Policy Stance: India has not signed the Global Methane Pledge (GMP), launched at COP26 (2021), which aims for a 30% reduction in methane emissions by 2030. 
• India argues that CO2, with its longer lifespan (100-1000 years), should remain the focus, and methane cuts disproportionately burden developing nations reliant on agriculture.

Global Efforts and Initiatives

• Global Methane Pledge (GMP): 159 countries aim to cut methane emissions by 30% from 2020 levels by 2030. Benefits include preventing 255,000 premature deaths and 26 million tonnes of crop losses annually.
• UNEP’s IMEO: The International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO) provides data transparency via satellite monitoring.

Source : Down To Earth

Category: ENVIRONMENT

Context: Three wild elephants were found dead in the Manas National Park in Assam near the India-Bhutan border.

Decoding the context: It is suspected that poachers have killed the elephants.

Learning Corner:

• Manas National Park, located in Assam, India, spans the districts of Baksa, Chirang, and Bongaigaon, along the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas. 
• Named after the Manas River—a major tributary of the Brahmaputra—it was declared a national park in 1990 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (designated in 1985), a Project Tiger Reserve and an Elephant Reserve.
• Area: Approx. 950 sq. km (core area); it forms part of a larger biosphere reserve.
• Linked to the Royal Manas National Park of Bhutan, forming a transboundary conservation area.

Geographical and Ecological Significance

• Location and Terrain: Situated at the confluence of the Indian, Indo-Malayan, and Indo-Chinese biogeographical realms, Manas features a diverse landscape of grasslands, tropical semi-evergreen forests, and alluvial floodplains. 
• It lies at an elevation of 61-110 meters above sea level, with the Manas River flowing through it, shaping its flood-dependent ecology.
• Biodiversity:
  • Flora: Over 840 plant species, including rare orchids and tropical Sal forests. Grasslands dominate 45% of the park, supporting herbivore populations.
  • Fauna: Hosts 55 mammal species, 450 bird species, 50 reptile species, and 3 amphibian species. Key species include:
    • Endangered Mammals: Bengal tiger, Indian elephant, greater one-horned rhinoceros, pygmy hog, and hispid hare.
    • Birds: Bengal florican, great hornbill, and migratory species like the red-headed vulture.
• Cultural Significance: The park is sacred to the Bodo community, who revere the Manas River. The annual Manas Festival, held in April (last held April 5-7, 2025), promotes eco-tourism and Bodo culture.

Conservation Challenges

• Poaching and Insurgency: During the Bodo insurgency (1980s-2000s), Manas faced severe poaching, particularly of rhinos. Militants used the park as a hideout, disrupting conservation efforts.
• UNESCO listed Manas as a World Heritage Site in Danger from 1992 to 2011 due to habitat destruction and wildlife loss.
• UNESCO Status Restored: Removed from the “in danger” list in 2011 after improved conservation measures.

Source : The Hindu

Q1. Which of the following statements about Manas National Park is/are correct?

1. It is located in Arunachal Pradesh and is part of the Eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspot.
2. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
3. The Manas River, a tributary of the Ganga, flows through it.

1. 1 and 2 only
   B. 2 only
   C. 2 and 3 only
   D. 1, 2 and 3

Q2. Which of the following statements regarding methane is/are correct?

1. Methane has a higher Global Warming Potential (GWP) than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period.
2. Methane has a longer atmospheric lifespan than carbon dioxide.
3. Methane contributes to the formation of ground-level ozone.

1. 1 and 3 only
   B. 2 and 3 only
   C. 1 and 2 only
   D. 1, 2 and 3

Q3. Which of the following statements about the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is/are correct?

1. The IMF lends money to member countries only for infrastructure projects.
2. It monitors the global economy and provides policy advice to member countries.
3. Its financial assistance is always in the form of grants.

Select the correct answer using the code below:

1. 1 and 2 only
   B. 2 only
   C. 1 and 3 only
   D. 1, 2 and 3

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) – c

Q.3) – d