Etalin Hydroelectric Project
▪ The Arunachal Pradesh government recently allocated Rs 269.97 Crore for the construction of the Etalin Hydroelectric Project in Dibang Valley.
▪ It is a 3,097 MW hydropower project planned in the Dibang Valley of Arunachal Pradesh.
▪ It is one of the largest hydropower projects proposed in the country in terms of installed capacity.
▪ The project area falls under the “richest bio-geographical province of the Himalayan zone” and “one of the mega biodiversity hotspots of the world”.
▪ The project area is dominated by indigenous populations belonging to Idu-Mishmi tribes.
Rongali Bihu
▪ Rongali Bihu, also known as Bohag Bihu, is celebrated across Assam from 14th to 20th April 2025, marking the Assamese New Year and the beginning of the harvesting season.
▪ Rongali Bihu is the most prominent of the three Bihus celebrated annually in Assam, the other two being Kati Bihu (October) and Magh Bihu (January).
▪ Primarily a harvest festival, it marks the onset of spring, with prayers for a prosperous agricultural season.
▪ Celebrations: The Bihu dance (vibrant, fast-paced folk dance from Assam) is performed to the rhythm of folk songs and traditional instruments such as the dhol, pepa, gogona, toka, taal, and hutuli.
Prawn Aquaculture in India
▪ India’s aquaculture sector plays a key role in the country’s nutrition and economy, making it the world’s third-largest aquaculture producer and second-largest in prawn production.
▪ India’s prawn production has seen a 17% annual growth, contributing to both domestic consumption and exports.
▪ Andhra Pradesh is the largest contributor to prawn production in India followed by West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Gujarat.
▪ Prawns, with their high protein and low fat content, are increasingly in demand both domestically and internationally .
Telangana Implements Scheduled Castes Sub-Categorisation Act
▪ Telangana became the first state of India to implement the Scheduled Castes (SC) subcategorisation.
▪ This landmark decision follows the passing of the Telangana Scheduled Castes (Rationalisation of Reservations) Act 2025.
▪ The Act aims to divide the existing 59 SC communities into three distinct groups to enhance the effectiveness of reservation policies in education and employment.
▪ The categorisation will be based on empirical data regarding socio-economic status, educational attainment, and employment opportunities.
Q-Shield Platform
▪ QNu Labs, a quantum-tech startup under India’s National Quantum Mission (NQM), launched QShield, the world’s first unified platform for quantum-safe cryptography management.
▪ Q-Shield is a comprehensive cryptography management platform designed to secure critical infrastructure against future quantum threats.
▪ QNu Labs, incubated at IIT Madras Research Park (2016)
▪ Supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) under the National Quantum Mission
▪ Objective : To empower enterprises with tools that ensure data privacy and cybersecurity across cloud, on-premises, and hybrid environments in a quantum-resilient manner.
