• 15 Nov 2025

Jharkhand Celebrates 25 Years of Statehood

Why in News? 

Jharkhand is celebrating its silver jubilee (25 years) of statehood on 15 November 2025. The state is known as the “Land of Forests”, rich in minerals, tribal heritage, and biodiversity. 

Key Points 

• About: 
  • The day coincides with the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda, observed nationally as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas. 
  • Jharkhand @ 25 is the official theme for the 2025 Silver Jubilee celebrations. 
• Historical Background: 
  • The demand for a separate Jharkhand began in the early 1900s, rooted in efforts to protect the land, culture, and autonomy of tribal communities in the Chotanagpur Plateau and Santhal Pargana. 
  • Tribal leaders and reformers highlighted issues of land alienation, administrative neglect, and the need for self-governance to preserve their distinct identity. 
  • The aspiration finally materialised with the Bihar Reorganisation Act, 2000, and Jharkhand officially became India’s 28th State on 15 November 2000.

Birsa Munda

• Birsa Munda, born on 15th November 1875, was a member of the Munda Tribe of the Chhota Nagpur Plateau. 
• He was an Indian freedom fighter, religious leader, and folk hero. 
• He spearheaded an Indian tribal religious Millenarian movement during British rule in the late 19th century across the tribal belt of modern-day Jharkhand and Bihar. He was a close observer of the Sardari Larai movement in the region in the 1880s, which sought to restore tribal rights through nonviolent means such as petitioning the British government. These demands, however, were ignored by the harsh colonial authority. 
• Birsa Munda led the rebellion that came to be known as Ulgulan (revolt) or the Munda rebellion against the British government-imposed feudal state system. 
• His struggle against the exploitation and discrimination against tribals led to the passing of the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act in 1908, which restricted the passing of land from the tribal people to non-tribals. 

Kafni Glacier

The once-popular trekking route to Kafni Glacier in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand remains abandoned and unsafe since the devastating 2013 flash-floods. 

Key Points 

• Kafni Glacier is located in the Kumaon Himalayas, Uttarakhand, and is a tributary source for the Kafni River, which joins the Pindar River. 
• It is often described as a “hidden gem” of the Himalayas, lesser-crowded compared to Pindari Glacier, offering solitude, alpine meadows, and high-altitude views. 
• The trekking route to Kafni starts from the village of Khati (the last inhabited village) via Dwali, and historically extended to the glacier’s Zero-Point.  
• The trail was heavily damaged by the 2013 floods, and key infrastructure (bridges, trails) remain broken, making access nearly impossible for more than a decade. 

 

Aapki Poonji, Aapka Adhikar

Why in News? 

The Reserve Bank of India has launched a campaign titled “Aapki Poonji, Aapka Adhikar” (Your Capital, Your Right) in Prayagraj to help citizens reclaim funds held in dormant bank accounts.  

Key Points 

• About the Campaign: 
  • Aapki Poonji, Aapka Adhikar” (Your Capital, Your Right) is a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance, Government of India, in coordination with major regulators, including the RBI, SEBI, IRDAI, and PFRDA. 
  • The initiative aims to quickly return unclaimed financial assets to rightful owners, raise awareness about the large pool of unclaimed funds, improve access through tools like the UDGAM portal, ensure transparent, time-bound settlements, and promote good financial habits such as updated KYC, active accounts, and proper nominations. 
• Unclaimed Bank Deposits: 
  • A bank account becomes inoperative if no financial or non-financial transaction (withdrawal, deposit, fund transfer, KYC update) occurs for 2 years or more. 
  • Inoperative account balances may be transferred to the Depositor Education and Awareness (DEA) Fund, though the original account-holder or heir can claim them later. 
  • Unclaimed deposits in the Indian banking system were estimated at over ₹67,000+ crore by mid-2025.  
  • The UDGAM (Unclaimed Deposits – Gateway to Access inforMation) portal allows individuals to search for unclaimed deposits across multiple banks using basic details (name, date of birth, PAN).  
  • RBI’s “Scheme for Facilitating Accelerated Payout of Inoperative Accounts & Unclaimed Deposits” offers incentives to banks for clearing dormant funds.

Ammonium Nitrate

Why in News?   

A blast near Delhi’s Red Fort has put  “Ammonium Nitrate” in the spotlight, as investigators suspect the chemical may have been used in the explosion. 

Key Points 

• About: 
  • Pure ammonium nitrate (NH₄NO₃) is a white, crystalline, water-soluble, nitrogen-rich compound made by reacting ammonia with nitric acid, and it melts at about 170°C.  
  • The substance is classified as an oxidising agent. It is one of the base ingredients used in the manufacture of commercial explosives.  
  • It is classified as a dual-use substance, meaning it has legitimate industrial uses but can also be weaponised.  
• Uses:  
  • In agriculture, it is widely used as a nitrogen fertilizer due to its high nutrient content.  
  • It is used for controlled blasting in quarries and excavation projects, and also forms a key component of various emulsions and gels used in mining-grade explosives.  
• Weaponization of Ammonium Nitrate:  
  • Pure ammonium nitrate is not explosive by itself and is classified as an oxidiser under United Nations classification of dangerous goods.   
  • It becomes volatile when combined with fuel oil, potassium chlorate, sulphur or other accelerants.  This mixture creates ANFO (Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil), a commonly used explosive.  
    • However, ANFO cannot detonate on its own; it requires a trigger such as a detonator, often initiated with primary explosives like RDX or TNT.

Devbhoomi Parivar Yojana

Why in News? 

The Uttarakhand government approved the “Devbhoomi Parivar Yojana”, for all the resident families of Uttarakhand. 

Key Points 

• The scheme will create a comprehensive dynamic database of all families in Uttarakhand, including rural and urban areas. 
• Each family will receive a Family Identification Number (Family-ID) which will be linked to welfare schemes, enabling citizens and government to see eligibility and benefits availed. 
  • This is modeled after the 'Parivar Pehchan Patra' scheme of Haryana. 
• The database will help identify duplicate beneficiaries, streamline applications, eliminate paperwork and move towards paper-less governance. 
• Urban households, which did not previously have a family register, will now be included under this scheme. 

Slum Cluster Redevelopment Scheme (SCRS)

Why in News? 

The Maharashtra government has issued a Government Resolution (GR) empowering the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) to fast-track redevelopment of slum clusters in Mumbai under a new policy called the Slum Cluster Redevelopment Scheme (SCRS). 

Key Points 

• The policy targets clusters of at least 50 acres, where over 51% of the area is occupied by slums for inclusion under SCRS.  
  • The state aims to build five lakh rehabilitation tenements by 2030, building on about three lakh units completed since 1995 
• Occupancy or ownership formalities will not be a barrier — land including slums, unsafe buildings, government/semi-government properties can all qualify. 
• The final implementation will be approved under Section 38 of the Maharashtra Slum Areas (Improvement, Clearance and Redevelopment) Act, 1971. 
• Redevelopment may be undertaken via joint ventures with government agencies, private developers (via tender), or by a developer who already owns ≥ 40% of the cluster land. 
• The policy is designed to streamline clearance, boost private investment, and improve urban infrastructure in one of India’s largest cities.