State PCS - Uttar Pradesh (UP PCS)

• 18 Apr 2025

McGregor Memorial Medal

Why in News? 

On 16 April 2025, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan awarded the McGregor Memorial Medal for the year 2023 and 2024 to five military personnel .  

Key Points  

• About the Winners:  
  • They has been given this honour for their outstanding contribution in military reconnaissance, exploration and adventure activities . 
    • The awardees for the year 2023 included Wing Commander D. Panda of the Air Force and Electrical Artificer (Radio) Rahul Kumar Pandey of the Navy. 
    • For the year 2024, Chief Electrical Aircraft Artificer (Radio) of the Navy, Ram Ratan Jat and Sergeant Jhumar Ram Poonia of the Air Force were awarded the medal. 
  • Apart from this, Colonel Ranveer Singh Jamwal, Director of National Mountaineering and Adventure Sports Institute in Arunachal Pradesh was also honored. 
• McGregor Memorial Medal  
  • The MacGregor Memorial Medal is awarded in memory of Major General Sir Charles Metcalfe MacGregor, the founder of the United Service Institution of India (USI). 
    • This award was established on July 3, 1888. 
  • The main objective of this award was to honour reconnaissance and exploratory journeys undertaken by the armed forces, but in the year 1986 the scope of the award was extended to include military operations and adventure activities as well. 
  • The award is now open to all serving and retired ranks of the Indian Armed Forces , Territorial Army, Reserve Forces, National Rifles and Assam Rifles. 
  • A total of 127 MacGregor Medals have been awarded so far, of which 103 medals date back to before independence . 

 Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) 

• The CDS serves as the permanent chairman of the 'Chiefs of Staff Committee' which will also have the three service chiefs as members. 
  • Its main function is to promote greater operational synergy among the tri-services of the Indian Army and to minimise inter-service conflicts. 
• He also heads the newly created Department of Military Affairs (DMA) in the Ministry of Defence. 
  • He will function as the principal military adviser to the Defence Minister on matters relating to the three services, but the three service chiefs will continue to advise the Defence Minister on matters relating to their respective services. 
  • As head of the DMA, the CDS is empowered to prioritise inter-service procurement decisions as the permanent chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. 
• CDS has also been given the authority to give instructions to the three chiefs. 
  • However, he does not have the authority to command any army. 
• The CDS is the first among equals and has the rank of Secretary within the DoD (Department of Defence) and his powers will be limited to the revenue budget only. 
• He also plays an advisory role in the Nuclear Command Authority (NCA) . 

Uttar Pradesh First in GI Tagging

Why in News? 

The Prime Minister presented Geographical Indicator (GI) tag certificates to 21 traditional products of Uttar Pradesh during his Varanasi visit . 

Key Points 

• GI Certified Products: 
  • Varanasi: Banarasi Tabla , Banarasi Stuffed Chilli, Shehnai , Metal Casting Craft, Mural Painting, Red Peda, Thandai, Tricolor Barfi, and Karonda of Chirgaon. 
  • Bareilly: Bareilly furniture, Zari Zardosi, Terracotta.  
  • Mathura : Mathura's Sanjhi Craft. 
  • Products from other districts:   
    • Kathia wheat of Bundelkhand,  
    • Flute of Pilibhit,  
    • Wood Craft of Chitrakoot,  
    • Stone inlay work of Agra  
    • Imarti of Jaunpur. 
  • Uttar Pradesh has now become the top state in India with 77 GI tags . 
  • The Kashi region alone has 32 GI tagged products , making it one of the GI hubs of the world . 
• Importance: 
  • Getting legal protection will stop counterfeit products and increase the credibility of original producers in the market . 
  • From an economic point of view, GI tag will increase the brand value of products and boost exports . 
  • New employment opportunities will be created at the local level.  

Geographical Indication (GI) Tag 

• A Geographical Indication (GI) tag is a name or mark used on special products that belong to a specific geographical location or origin. 
• The GI tag ensures that only authorised users or people residing in the geographical region are allowed to use the name of a popular product. 
• It also protects the product from being copied or imitated by others. 
  • A registered GI tag is valid for 10 years. 
• GI registration is overseen by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. 
• Legal Framework: 
  • It is regulated and guided by the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).