Prelims Current Affairs includes World Radio Day, Sarojini Naidu Birth Anniversary, Kapilash Wildlife Sanctuary, Rashtriya Karmayogi Large Scale Jan Seva Programme, Mud Volcano, Continental Mantle Earthquakes, Corruption Perceptions Index (Cpi) 2025 & World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan In Cooperative Sector (Wlgsp)

IMPORTANT DAY

1. WORLD RADIO DAY

Observed on 13 February

Aim :  to highlight the importance of radio as a powerful medium of communication and information.

IMPORTANT DAY

2. SAROJINI NAIDU BIRTH ANNIVERSARY

Current Context: 13 February marks the birth anniversary of Sarojini Naidu, famously known as the Nightingale of India.

ABOUT SAROJINI NAIDU

• Born On: 13 February 1879
• Birthplace: Hyderabad
• Parents:
• Aghornath Chattopadhyaya (scientist and philosopher)
• Barada Sundari Devi
• Popular Title: Nightingale of India
• Historical Achievements:
• First Indian woman President of the Indian National Congress
• First woman Governor of an Indian state (United Province, now Uttar Pradesh)
• Contribution: Prominent freedom fighter, poet, and political leader

ENVIRONMENT

3. KAPILASH WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

Current Context: The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife approved the use of 4.68 hectares of forest land from Kapilash Wildlife Sanctuary for the Capital Region Ring Road Project.

ABOUT KAPILASH WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

• Location: Dhenkanal district, Odisha
• Geographical Region: Chota Nagpur Plateau
• Area: Approximately 125.5 square kilometres
• Landscape Features: Hills, forests, caves, and scenic terrain
• Religious Site: Kapilasa Temple situated atop a hill
• Historical Importance: Temple believed to be constructed by King Kapilendra Deb (1435–1467 AD)
• Vegetation Type: Eastern Highlands moist deciduous forest

POLICY AND PROGRAMME

4. RASHTRIYA KARMAYOGI LARGE SCALE JAN SEVA PROGRAMME

Current Context: The Ministry of Personnel stated that more than 10.5 lakh government servants have been trained under this programme.

ABOUT THE PROGRAMME

• Nature: National behavioural transformation initiative
• Launched By: Capacity Building Commission
• Core Philosophy: Promotes Seva Bhav (spirit of service) and Svadharma (sense of duty)
• Objective: Strengthening citizen-centric governance

Focus Areas:

• Improving quality of public service delivery
• Enhancing administrative responsiveness
• Encouraging collaboration and engagement

GEOGRAPHY

5. MUD VOLCANO

Current Context: A mud volcano recently erupted in Diglipur, Andaman Islands.

ABOUT MUD VOLCANO

• Definition: A mound formed by the eruption of mud, gases, and water
• Crater Features: Shallow craters with intermittent mud eruptions
• Formation Mechanisms:
• Hot spring activity involving gas and water reactions
• Gas pressure from methane and hydrocarbons in sedimentary basins
• Eruptive Material: Mud, water, gases (instead of lava)
• Associated Regions: Often found in oil-field or hydrocarbon-rich regions
• Thermal Characteristics: Mud may be hot due to depth and pressure
• Alternate Names: Sedimentary volcanoes or Gas-oil volcanoes
• Marine Occurrence: Can form islands and alter coastal topography
• Global Presence: Approximately 1,000 identified worldwide
• Occurrence in India: Only active mud volcano located in Baratang Island, Andaman chain
• Significance: Important geological and geomorphological features

GEOGRAPHY

6.CONTINENTAL MANTLE EARTHQUAKES

Current Context: Researchers from Stanford University have produced the first global map of a rare category of earthquakes known as continental mantle earthquakes.

ABOUT CONTINENTAL MANTLE EARTHQUAKES

• Definition: Seismic events originating in the mantle beneath continental regions
• Depth of Origin:
• Occur deep within the Earth’s mantle
• Typically more than 80 kilometres below the Mohorovičić Discontinuity
• Contrast with Typical Earthquakes:
• Most earthquakes originate in the brittle crust
• Common depths range between about 10 to 29 kilometres
• Surface Impact: Too deep to produce significant shaking or damage at Earth’s surface
• Global Distribution: Occur worldwide but show regional clustering
• Major Clusters Identified:
• Beneath the Himalayas (Southern Asia)
• Beneath the Bering Strait (between Asia and North America)
• Scientific Significance: Helps scientists understand mantle dynamics and deep Earth processes

INDEX

7. CORRUPTION PERCEPTIONS INDEX (CPI) 2025

Current Context: India improved its ranking to 91^st position out of 182 countries and territories in the Corruption Perceptions Index 2025.

ABOUT CORRUPTION PERCEPTIONS INDEX

• Nature: Most widely used global corruption ranking
• Published By: Transparency International
• First Published: 1995
• Assessment Focus: Perceived levels of public sector corruption

METHODOLOGY

• Ranking Basis: Expert assessments and opinion surveys
• Scoring Scale:
• Zero = Highly corrupt
• 100 = Very clean
• Sources Include: World Bank, World Economic Forum, and other reputed organisations

KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF CPI 2025

• Least Corrupt Countries: Denmark, Finland, Singapore
• Most Corrupt Countries: South Sudan, Somalia, Venezuela
• India’s Performance: Rank improved from 96 (2024) to 91 (2025) scoring 39 out of 100.

MISCELLANEOUS

8. WORLD’S LARGEST GRAIN STORAGE PLAN IN COOPERATIVE SECTOR (WLGSP)

Current Context: The Government of India is implementing the World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan to strengthen decentralised storage infrastructure.

ABOUT THE INITIATIVE

Objective:

• Strengthen decentralised grain storage capacity
• Enhance food security
• Reduce post-harvest losses
• Improve farmers’ income

PILOT PROJECT IN MADHYA PRADESH

• Pilot District: Balaghat district
• Infrastructure Created: 500 Metric Tonnes godown
• Constructed At: Bahudeshiya Prathamik Krishi Saakh Sahakari Society Maryadit Parswada
• Inaugurated By: Prime Minister Narendra Modi
• Inauguration Date: 24 February 2024
• Operational Management: Hired by Madhya Pradesh Warehousing and Logistics Corporation

CONVERGENCE OF GOVERNMENT SCHEMES

Implemented at Primary Agricultural Credit Societies level by integrating:

• Agriculture Infrastructure Fund
• Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure Scheme
• Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization
• Pradhan Mantri Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises.

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