Mahout Village
▪ Tamil Nadu recently opened its second Mahout Village at Kozhikamuthi Elephant Camp in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve.
▪ On May 14, 2025, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin inaugurated India’s first Mahout Village at Theppakadu, inside the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve.
Note
▪ Tamil Nadu is the first state in India to set up dedicated Mahout Villages.
▪ This initiative is being hailed as a blend of conservation, social welfare, and eco-tourism.
▪ Cabinet Approves ₹1,500 Crore Incentive Scheme for Critical Mineral Recycling
▪ On September 3, 2025, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved a ₹1,500 crore incentive scheme under the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) to develop recycling capacity for extracting critical minerals from secondary sources.
▪ The scheme will run for six years, from FY 2025-26 to FY 2030-31.
About National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM)
▪ Approved by the Union Cabinet in January 2025.
▪ Announced in Union Budget 2024–25.
▪ Duration: 7 years (FY 2024–25 to 2030–31).
Note
▪ As of 2023, the Government of India identified 30 critical minerals in the report “Critical Minerals for India”
