11 July 2026

UPSC GS 2

ULLAS Programme (Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society)

·       News: Uttarakhand has become India's sixth fully literate state under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 through the ULLAS (Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society) programme.

·       About ULLAS Programme:

o  ULLAS stands for Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society.

o  It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS).

o  It is aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

o  Implementation Period: 2022–2027

·       Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Education

·       Objective: To empower adults aged 15 years and above who missed formal schooling by providing:

o  Functional literacy

o  Numeracy

o  Critical life skills

o  Vocational skills

o  Opportunities for lifelong learning

·       Focus Areas: The programme aims to:

o  Develop reading, writing, and numeracy skills.

o  Promote lifelong learning.

o  Improve employability through vocational education.

o  Enhance social and digital inclusion.

o  Foster informed and responsible citizenship.

o  It is implemented through:

§ Volunteerism, encouraging citizens to teach adult learners.

§ Promotion of social responsibility and community participation.

·       Digital Support: ULLAS encourages learners to access educational resources through:

o  DIKSHA Portal

o  ULLAS Mobile App

o  The programme provides learning materials in regional languages to improve accessibility.

·       Target:

o  Provide Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) to 5 crore adult learners.

o  Target period: 2022–2027

o  Annual target: 1 crore learners per year.

o  Uses the Online Teaching, Learning and Assessment System (OTLAS) for teaching, learning, and assessment.

·       Components of ULLAS:

·       1. Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN)

o  Reading

o  Writing

o  Basic arithmetic

o  Essential literacy skills for everyday life

·       2. Critical Life Skills

·       Includes awareness and practical knowledge in areas such as:

o  Financial literacy

o  Digital literacy

o  Legal literacy

o  Healthcare and health awareness

o  Childcare and education

o  Family welfare

o  Civic awareness

·       3. Basic Education

o  Provides educational equivalence to adults who did not complete formal schooling, enabling them to continue further education.

·       4. Vocational Skills

·       Focuses on:

o  Skill development

o  Employability

o  Local livelihood opportunities

o  Continuous learning for neo-literates

·       5. Continuing Education

·       Provides opportunities for lifelong learning in areas such as:

o  Arts

o  Science

o  Technology

o  Culture

o  Sports

o  Recreation

o  Other subjects relevant to local communities 

Partnership on Cyber, Critical Technologies and Supply Chains (PACTS)

·       News:  India and Australia have launched the Partnership on Cyber, Critical Technologies and Supply Chains (PACTS) to strengthen bilateral cooperation in cybersecurity, critical technologies, resilient supply chains, digital resilience, and defence research.

·        About PACTS:

o  PACTS is a new bilateral cooperation framework between India and Australia.

o  It aims to strengthen collaboration in:

§ Cyber security

§ Critical technologies

§ Supply chain resilience

§ Digital resilience

§ Defence research and innovation

o  It replaces the 2020 Framework Arrangement on Cyber and Cyber Enabled Critical Technology Cooperation.

·       Bilateral Oversight:

·       The partnership will be jointly overseen by:

o  India: Deputy National Security Advisor (Deputy NSA)

o  Australia: Deputy Secretary, International and Security Group, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

·       Pillars of PACTS:

·       1. Supply Chain Resilience and Diversification

·       Objective: To build secure, resilient, diversified, and trustworthy supply chains.

·       Key Areas:

o  Develop secure and trusted technology supply chains.

o  Reduce dependence on vulnerable supply chains.

o  Strengthen cooperation on undersea cable security through the Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience.

o  Promote reliable access to critical technologies and strategic materials.

·       India Lead Agency: National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS)

·       2. Critical Technology

·       Objective: Deepen cooperation in emerging and strategic technologies.

·       Areas of Collaboration:

o  Artificial Intelligence (AI)

o  Space technologies

o  Telecommunications

o  Biotechnology

o  Advanced materials

·       India Lead Agency: National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS)

·       3. Cyber Security

·       Objective: Strengthen cyber resilience and counter cyber threats.

·       Key Initiatives:

o  Combat cybercrime.

o  Protect critical infrastructure.

o  Establish a streamlined bilateral cyber cooperation mechanism.

o  Expand dialogue on:

o  Cybersecurity

o  Data governance

o  Establish a Cyber-Technology Skill Incubator for workforce development and capacity building.

·       India Lead Agency: Cyber Diplomacy Division, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)

·       4. Digital Resilience

·       Objective: Promote secure and inclusive Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) across the Indo-Pacific region.

·       Key Initiatives:

o  Expand cooperation in India's Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) model.

o  Support partner countries through:

o  Capacity-building programmes

o  Pilot projects

o  Promote affordable and resilient digital solutions in areas such as:

o  Clean and renewable energy

o  Resilient critical infrastructure

o  Digital governance

·       India Lead Agency: Oceania Division, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)

·       5. Defence Research Collaboration

·       Objective: Enhance defence technology cooperation between India and Australia.

·       Key Areas:

o  Strengthen collaboration between:

o  Australia's Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG)

o  India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)

o  Promote collaboration between defence start-ups.

o  Undertake joint research in:

o  Maritime surveillance

o  Advanced materials

o  Emerging defence technologies

·       India Lead Agency: Ministry of Defence

Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM)

·       News: The Government of India has highlighted the progress made under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM).

·       About SMAM:

·       Launched: 2014–15

·       Type: Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS)

·       Implemented under: Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY)

·       Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare

·       Objective: To "reach the unreached" by extending the benefits of farm mechanization to underserved farmers, especially:

o  Small and marginal farmers

o  Women farmers

o  Scheduled Castes (SCs)

o  Scheduled Tribes (STs)

o  Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs)

o  Self-Help Groups (SHGs)

o  Rural entrepreneurs

·       The scheme aims to:

o  Promote inclusive farm mechanization.

o  Increase access to modern agricultural machinery.

o  Reduce manual labour (drudgery).

o  Improve farm productivity and efficiency.

o  Lower the cost of cultivation.

·       Key Features of SMAM:

·       1. Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs):

o  Promotes the establishment of Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs).

o  CHCs provide farm machinery, implements, and equipment on a rental basis.

o  Enables small farmers to use expensive machines without purchasing them.

·       2. Hi-Tech and High-Value Equipment Hubs: Supports the establishment of centres providing advanced agricultural machinery such as:

o  Precision farming equipment

o  High-value farm machines

o  Specialized agricultural implements

·       3. Financial Assistance: Provides subsidies for:

o  Purchase of agricultural machinery

o  Establishment of CHCs

o  Hi-tech agricultural equipment hubs

·       4. Focus on Underserved Areas: Special emphasis is given to:

o  States with low farm power availability

o  Regions where mechanization levels are low

o  Farmers with small landholdings

·       5. Affordable Mechanization: Addresses major constraints such as:

o  Small and fragmented landholdings

o  High capital cost of machinery

o  Limited ownership of farm equipment

o  This is achieved through affordable rental services offered by CHCs.

·       6. Quality Assurance: Supports:

o  Performance testing of agricultural machinery

o  Certification of equipment

o  Promotion of safe and efficient machinery

·       7. Information, Education and Communication (IEC): Conducts awareness programmes to:

o  Educate farmers about modern machinery

o  Increase adoption of mechanization

o  Build capacity among stakeholders

·       Importance of SMAM:

o  Increases agricultural productivity.

o  Reduces labour shortages and drudgery.

o  Encourages efficient use of farm inputs.

o  Improves timely farm operations.

o  Makes advanced machinery accessible to small farmers.

o  Promotes inclusive agricultural growth.

o  Generates rural employment through Custom Hiring Centres

UPSC GS 3

Mitrephora Rashmiae

·       News:  Researchers from Mumbai's Thackeray Wildlife Foundation have discovered a new flowering tree species, Mitrephora rashmiae, in the Upper Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh.

·        About Mitrephora rashmiae:

o  It is a new species of flowering tree.

o  It was discovered in the remote forests of Upper Subansiri district, Arunachal Pradesh.

o  It belongs to the custard apple family (Annonaceae).

o  It is only the second species of the genus Mitrephora ever recorded from the Eastern Himalayan Biodiversity Hotspot.

·       Scientific Significance:

o  It is the first known species in the genus Mitrephora to bear both male and bisexual flowers on the same tree.

o  This rare reproductive characteristic makes it scientifically significant for studies in plant evolution and reproduction.

·       Distinctive Features:

o  Flower colour: Pale yellow

o  Markings: Purple stripes

o  Unique characteristic: A dome-shaped floral structure formed by the inner petals, which distinguishes it from other species in the genus.

·       Distribution:

o  Currently known from only one wild specimen.

o  Only one seven-metre-tall tree has been found.

o  It grows beside a stream in a degraded forest patch in Upper Subansiri district, Arunachal Pradesh.

·       Conservation Status: Since only a single individual has been discovered and no additional populations are known, the species has been classified as:

o  Data Deficient (DD)

o  This means there is insufficient information to assess its risk of extinction accurately. 

Drishti-10 Starliner

·       News:  The Indian Navy has ordered a Board of Inquiry (BoI) after a Drishti-10 Starliner unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crashed near Dharampur village in Gujarat's Porbandar district during a routine training sortie.

·       About Drishti-10 Starliner:

o  Drishti-10 Starliner is an advanced indigenous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).

o  It is a variant of Israel's Hermes 900 UAV platform.

o  It is manufactured by Adani Defence & Aerospace at its Hyderabad facility under a technology transfer agreement with Elbit Systems (Israel).

o  It is primarily designed for:

§ Intelligence

§ Surveillance

o  Reconnaissance (ISR) missions

·       It is an important asset for strengthening India's:

§ Maritime security

§ Border surveillance

§ Strategic reconnaissance capabilities

·       Features of Drishti-10 Starliner:

·       1. MALE Class UAV: It belongs to the MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) category.

·       Capabilities:

o  Operates at medium altitudes (generally 10,000–30,000 feet).

o  Can remain airborne for up to 36 hours continuously.

·       2. Payload Capacity

·       Can carry up to 450 kg of payload.

·       Payload may include:

§ Electro-optical sensors

§ Infrared sensors

§ Radars

§ Communication equipment

§ Intelligence-gathering systems

·       3. NATO Airworthiness Certification

·       It is certified under NATO STANAG 4671, one of the highest airworthiness standards for military UAVs.

·       Significance: Enables safe operation in:

o  Segregated airspace

o  Unsegregated airspace

o  Enhances operational flexibility.

o  Such certification is rare among military drones.

·       4. Autonomy and Connectivity

o  The UAV is designed for: Autonomous (self-governing) operations.

o  SATCOM (Satellite Communication).

·       Advantages:

o  Can be controlled beyond the operator's line of sight (BLOS).

o  Enables long-range surveillance and real-time data transmission over vast distances.

·        Low Maintenance:

o  Designed with minimal maintenance requirements.

o  Reduces operational costs.

o  Improves mission availability and efficiency.

·       Applications: The Drishti-10 Starliner can be used for:

o  Maritime surveillance

o  Border monitoring

o  Intelligence gathering

o  Reconnaissance missions

o  Disaster management support

o  Search and rescue operations

o  Monitoring critical infrastructure