Nandan Nilekani to Lead High-Powered Task Force on Examination Reforms

What’s the News?

The Union government has constituted a six-member high-powered task force, chaired by technology expert and Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, to recommend reforms in examinations conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).

The panel will suggest measures to make the examination system more reliable, transparent, secure and technology-driven. The government will use its report to strengthen the credibility of upcoming examinations and address concerns arising from paper leaks and other examination irregularities.

Examination Reforms Task Force

Composition

• Nandan Nilekani — Chairperson
  • Co-founder of Infosys.
  • Founding Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India.
• S. Somanath
  • Former Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation.
• Tapan Deka
  • Former Director of the Intelligence Bureau.
• V. Kamakoti
  • Director of IIT Madras.
• Anita Karwal
  • Former Union Education Secretary.
• Amrit Lal Meena
  • Public administrator and logistics expert. The multidisciplinary composition combines expertise in digital infrastructure, systems engineering, intelligence, higher education administration and large-scale logistics.

Key Mandate

The task force will:

• Review the existing framework for conducting NTA examinations.
• Recommend structural and administrative reforms.
• Suggest the maximum use of technology to improve examination integrity.
• Strengthen transparency, accountability and operational reliability.
• Reduce vulnerabilities associated with paper leaks and organised examination fraud.
• Recommend measures for restoring public confidence in high-stakes examinations.

The panel has been asked to submit its recommendations at the earliest, although no fixed public deadline has been announced.

National Testing Agency

• The NTA was established in 2017 as an autonomous testing organisation under the Ministry of Education.
• It conducts major entrance and eligibility examinations, including:
  • Joint Entrance Examination–Main.
  • National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test–Undergraduate.
  • Common University Entrance Test.
  • University Grants Commission–National Eligibility Test.
• Its primary function is to conduct standardised examinations for admission and fellowship in higher educational institutions.

Legal Framework Against Examination Malpractice

The reform initiative is linked with efforts to strengthen the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.

• The law targets unfair practices such as:
  • Leakage of question papers or answer keys.
  • Impersonation and organised cheating.
  • Unauthorised access to examination material.
  • Collusion involving examination authorities or service providers.
• A proposed amendment seeks:
  • Stronger punishments for examination fraud.
  • Time-bound investigations and trials.
  • Stricter action against complicit service providers.
  • Special fast-track courts for examination-related offences.

Additional Info

• Nandan Nilekani
  • Played a central role in the development of Aadhaar as the founding Chairman of UIDAI.
  • Has experience in implementing population-scale digital public infrastructure.

Sources

• India Today
• The Indian Express
• The Hindu

Puri Jagannath Temple Seeks Trademark Protection for Sacred Names

What’s the News?

The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has secured preliminary approval for trademark applications covering five sacred names and symbols associated with the Jagannath Temple in Puri.

The applications have cleared examination by the Trade Marks Registry and have been approved for publication in the Trademark Journal. This is not final registration; the marks must first complete the statutory opposition process.

The initiative seeks to prevent unauthorised commercial exploitation and preserve the distinct religious and cultural identity of the Puri shrine. The SJTA has filed 29 trademark applications in total.

Sacred Terms Covered

The five applications cleared for publication are:

• Jagannath Dham
  • A sacred appellation associated with Puri and Lord Jagannath.
• Shree Kshetra
  • A traditional religious name for Puri.
• Mahaprasad
  • The sanctified food offered to the deities and subsequently distributed among devotees.
• Nilachakra
  • The eight-spoked metal wheel installed at the top of the temple.
• Koili Vaikuntha
  • The sacred garden within the temple complex where old wooden deities are interred during the Nabakalebara ritual.

Earlier applications involving Patitapaban, Ananda Bazaar and the Nilachakra logo had also cleared examination.

Why Trademark Protection?

The move followed a dispute over the use of “Jagannath Dham” for the newly constructed Jagannath temple at Digha in West Bengal.

Odisha maintained that:

• The title has a unique religious and historical association with Puri.
• Its unrestricted use could dilute the identity of the original shrine.
• Sacred names and symbols could be commercially exploited through merchandise, services, advertisements or unauthorised digital platforms.
• Legal protection would help SJTA act against deceptive or misleading commercial usage.

The term “Dham” was subsequently removed from the official name of the Digha temple following a change of government in West Bengal.

Trademark Registration Process

Trademark registration in India is governed by the Trade Marks Act, 1999 and the Trade Marks Rules, 2017.

1. An applicant files a trademark application for specified classes of goods or services.
2. The Trade Marks Registry examines the application.
3. An accepted application is published in the Trademark Journal.
4. Any person may oppose it within four months of publication.
5. Registration is granted when:
   • No opposition is filed; or
   • An opposition is decided in favour of the applicant.

Therefore, journal publication represents an important preliminary clearance rather than the grant of a final trademark certificate.

Scope of Protection

• A trademark protects a name, logo, symbol or other mark used to distinguish particular goods or services.
• Protection applies according to the classes and conditions under which the mark is registered.
• Registration does not automatically prohibit every religious, cultural or non-commercial reference to the sacred terms.
• It primarily strengthens the SJTA’s ability to challenge misleading or unauthorised commercial use.

Additional Info

• Shree Jagannath Temple Administration
  • Statutory authority responsible for administering the 12th-century Jagannath Temple in Puri.
  • Oversees temple rituals, properties, servitors, pilgrim facilities and preservation of temple traditions.
• Trademark and Geographical Indication
  • Trademark: Identifies the commercial source of goods or services.
  • Geographical Indication: Identifies goods whose quality, reputation or characteristics are linked to a geographical origin.
  • The protection sought for “Jagannath Dham” and associated terms is under trademark law, not the GI framework.

Sources

• The Indian Express
• Times Now

Sarnath Becomes India’s 45th UNESCO World Heritage Site

What’s the News?

The Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, becoming India’s 45th World Heritage Site and Uttar Pradesh’s fourth.

The decision was taken at the 48th Session of the World Heritage Committee in Busan, Republic of Korea. Sarnath was recognised as a cultural property under UNESCO criteria (iii) and (vi) for its enduring Buddhist heritage and direct association with the life and teachings of Gautama Buddha.

Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath

Sarnath is situated near Varanasi and is one of the four principal Buddhist pilgrimage sites identified with the life of Gautama Buddha.

• Buddha delivered his first sermon here after attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya.
• The event is known as Dharmachakra Pravartana or “Setting in Motion the Wheel of Dharma”.
• Buddha taught his first five disciples here, marking the emergence of the Buddhist Sangha.
• Sarnath is also known in Buddhist traditions as:
  • Rishipattana
  • Isipatana
  • Mrigadava or Deer Park

The archaeological record reflects patronage from the pre-Mauryan period through the Mauryan, Kushana and Gupta periods.

UNESCO Property Components

Sarnath has been inscribed as a serial property consisting of two component parts:

1. Chaukhandi Stupa
   • Marks the place where Buddha is believed to have met his first five disciples.
   • Its brick structure is crowned by an octagonal Mughal-period tower.
2. Archaeological Remains of Sarnath
   • Include stupas, monasteries, temples and other remains of the ancient Buddhist complex.
   • Major structures include:
     • Dhamek Stupa
     • Dharmarajika Stupa remains
     • Ashokan Pillar remains
     • Monastic and temple ruins

UNESCO changed the property’s nominated name from “Ancient Buddhist Site, Sarnath, Varanasi” to “Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath.”

UNESCO Selection Criteria

Criterion (iii)

A site must provide unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or civilisation.

Sarnath demonstrates the continuing spiritual importance of one of Buddhism’s principal pilgrimage centres through its religious structures, archaeological remains and revival as a modern pilgrimage destination.

Criterion (vi)

A site must be directly or tangibly associated with events, traditions, ideas or beliefs of outstanding universal significance.

Sarnath is directly associated with:

• Buddha’s first sermon.
• The formation of the Buddhist Sangha.
• The teachings of the Buddha.
• The concept of the Triratna—Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha.

Protection and Management

• The two component sites are protected under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, amended in 2010.
• The Act provides:
  • A 100-metre prohibited area around a protected monument.
  • A further 200-metre regulated area, where construction requires approval.
• The Archaeological Survey of India is responsible for conservation and management.
• Additional protection is provided through:
  • Varanasi Master Plan 2031.
  • Wildlife protection regulations applicable to the buffer zone.

UNESCO has recommended a carrying-capacity study, stronger tourism management, heritage-impact assessments and measures to preserve Sarnath’s spiritual character.

Additional Info

• Ashokan legacy
  • Emperor Ashoka constructed the Dharmarajika Stupa and erected a pillar at Sarnath.
  • The four-lion capital of this pillar became India’s State Emblem.
  • The Ashoka Chakra on the National Flag is based on the wheel depicted on the Sarnath Lion Capital.
• World Heritage Convention
  • Adopted by UNESCO in 1972.
  • Covers cultural, natural and mixed properties possessing Outstanding Universal Value.
  • The World Heritage Committee consists of representatives from 21 States Parties.
• Uttar Pradesh’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites
  • Taj Mahal.
  • Agra Fort.
  • Fatehpur Sikri.
  • Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath.
• Key Facts
  • Site: Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath
  • State: Uttar Pradesh
  • India’s tally: 45
  • UNESCO criteria: (iii) and (vi)
  • Committee session: 48th
  • Venue: Busan, Republic of Korea

Sources

• The Hindu
• India Today
• Firstpost

CRPF Observes its 88th Raising Day

What’s the News?

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) observed its 88th Raising Day on 27 July 2026, recognising the service and sacrifices of its personnel in maintaining India’s internal security.

The observance marks the formation of the force as the Crown Representative’s Police in 1939. The CRPF works under the Ministry of Home Affairs and assists the Union and State governments in maintaining public order, tackling insurgency and securing elections.

Count clarification: The 2026 observance was the 88th Raising Day, marking 87 completed years since the force was established.

Central Reserve Police Force

• Established: 27 July 1939
• Original name: Crown Representative’s Police
• Renamed: Central Reserve Police Force after Independence
• Governing law: Central Reserve Police Force Act, 1949
• Administrative ministry: Ministry of Home Affairs
• Motto: Seva Aur Nishtha—Service and Loyalty
• Category: Central Armed Police Force

The CRPF Act, 1949, provides for an armed force maintained by the Central Government and known as the Central Reserve Police Force.

Major Responsibilities

The CRPF performs a wide range of internal-security and law-enforcement duties:

• Crowd and riot control.
• Counter-insurgency and counter-militancy operations.
• Operations against Left-Wing Extremism.
• Security during elections, particularly in disturbed areas.
• Protection of VIPs and vital installations.
• Assistance to State police forces in maintaining law and order.
• Rescue and relief during natural disasters.
• Participation in United Nations peacekeeping missions.

Specialised Units

Rapid Action Force

• Raised in 1992 as a specialised CRPF unit.
• Deals with riots, communal disturbances and major public-order situations.
• Also functions as a first responder during natural and human-made disasters.

CoBRA

• CoBRA: Commando Battalion for Resolute Action.
• Specialises in guerrilla and jungle warfare.
• Primarily deployed against Maoist insurgents in Left-Wing Extremism-affected areas.
• The CRPF has 10 CoBRA battalions.

Organisational Strength

The CRPF’s organisational structure includes:

• 201 General Duty battalions.
• 16 Rapid Action Force battalions.
• 10 CoBRA battalions.
• 6 Mahila battalions.
• 6 VIP Security battalions.
• 7 Signal battalions.
• 43 Group Centres.
• 22 training institutions.

Additional Info

• CRPF Raising Day and CRPF Day Parade
  • Raising Day is observed annually on 27 July.
  • The ceremonial CRPF Day Parade may be organised separately.
• Police Commemoration Day
  • Observed on 21 October.
  • Commemorates police personnel killed during a Chinese attack on a CRPF patrol at Hot Springs, Ladakh, in 1959.
• CRPF Valour Day
  • Observed on 9 April.
  • Marks the CRPF’s defence of Sardar Post in the Rann of Kutch against a larger Pakistani force in 1965.

Sources

• EBNW Story

India Permits Anhydrous Ammonia as Agricultural Fertiliser

What’s the News?

The Union government has notified anhydrous ammonia as a fertiliser under the Fertiliser (Inorganic, Organic or Mixed) (Control) Order, 1985.

The approval permits eligible units to manufacture and market it for an initial period of three years, subject to prescribed quality standards. The measure seeks to diversify India’s nitrogen-fertiliser options and potentially reduce dependence on imported urea.

Anhydrous Ammonia?

• Chemical formula: NH₃
• Meaning of anhydrous: Ammonia containing virtually no water.
• Minimum nitrogen content: 82% by weight.
• Urea nitrogen content: Around 46% by weight.
• It is stored as a liquefied gas under pressure and injected below the soil surface using specialised equipment.
• After entering moist soil, ammonia is converted into ammonium, which supplies nitrogen to crops.

Its higher nitrogen concentration means that a smaller quantity is required to provide the same amount of nitrogen compared with urea.

Regulatory Framework

The specifications were notified under Clause 20A of the Fertiliser Control Order.

• Clause 20A authorises the Central Government to provisionally notify specifications for new fertilisers.
• The approval remains valid for three years from its publication in the Official Gazette.
• It establishes quality standards and a legal pathway for manufacture and sale.
• It does not itself create a subsidy, procurement programme or compulsory-use requirement.

The Fertiliser Control Order is issued under Section 3 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 and regulates fertiliser quality, manufacture, distribution and sale.

Why is it Significant?

Reducing Urea Dependence

India reportedly:

• Produces approximately 30 million tonnes of urea annually.
• Imports nearly 10 million tonnes to meet domestic demand.

Direct agricultural use of ammonia could utilise part of the ammonia supply before its conversion into urea, thereby expanding domestic fertiliser availability and reducing exposure to international urea prices and supply disruptions.

Higher Nutrient Concentration

Higher concentration can reduce the volume required for transporting and storing an equivalent amount of nitrogen. However, these potential savings depend on specialised infrastructure and safe field application.

Implementation Challenges

• Specialised machinery: It cannot be spread like granular urea and must be injected into the soil.
• Pressurised storage: Dedicated tanks and leak-proof transport systems are required.
• Safety risks: Direct exposure can cause severe skin and eye burns and respiratory injury.
• Volatilisation: Improper injection can allow ammonia to escape into the atmosphere, causing nitrogen loss.
• Training requirements: Operators require technical training and protective equipment.
• Uneven application: Initial agricultural trials reportedly found that non-uniform injection could produce uneven crop growth.

Link with Green Fertilisers

The measure complements India’s efforts to develop green ammonia and green urea.

• Green ammonia: Produced using green hydrogen derived from renewable electricity rather than fossil-fuel-based hydrogen.
• Green urea: Manufactured using green ammonia and a carbon source.
• The National Green Hydrogen Mission supports the development of green hydrogen and its derivatives.
• A 150-tonne-per-day green urea pilot plant is being developed at Pudimadaka in Andhra Pradesh by NETRA, the research and development arm of NTPC.

Additional Info

• Fertiliser Control Order, 1985
  • Administered by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
  • Prescribes product specifications, sampling procedures, licensing requirements and quality-control mechanisms.
• ICAR
  • The Indian Council of Agricultural Research has conducted preliminary trials involving green ammonia in rice cultivation.
  • Large-scale adoption requires standardisation of dosage, soil-injection depth and application machinery.

Sources

• The Hindu BusinessLine
• NewsBytes
• Kisan India

Malvi Camel Faces Critical Extinction Risk

What’s the News?

The Malvi camel, a rare indigenous breed also known as the white camel, is facing a severe extinction threat. The 20th Livestock Census recorded only 102 Malvi camels, while breeds having fewer than 300 breeding females are considered at risk.

The ICAR–National Research Centre on Camel (NRCC) has initiated a scientific conservation and pure-breeding programme. It has procured 12 Malvi camels—three males and nine females—to establish a breeding population and preserve the breed’s genetic identity.

Malvi Camel

• Species: Camelus dromedarius—single-humped camel.
• Common name: White camel.
• Distinctive feature: Predominantly white or light-coloured coat.
• Size: Regarded as India’s smallest indigenous camel breed.
• Traditional uses:
  • Transportation.
  • Carrying agricultural and commercial loads.
  • Milk production.
• Females are reported to produce around 4–5 kg of milk, although the reports do not specify a standard reference period for this figure.

Distribution

The breed is primarily associated with the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh and adjoining southeastern Rajasthan.

• Madhya Pradesh: Mandsaur, Neemuch, Ratlam and Gwalior.
• Rajasthan: Kota, Bundi, Jhalawar and Baran.

Its population has declined because of changing rural transport systems, reduced demand for draught camels, shrinking grazing resources and weakening economic incentives for camel rearers.

Conservation Programme

The programme is being implemented by the ICAR–National Research Centre on Camel, Bikaner, under a network project of the ICAR–National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR), Karnal.

Major components include:

• Pure breeding to prevent genetic dilution.
• Expansion of the breeding population.
• Documentation of morphological, productive and adaptive traits.
• Participation of camel owners and livestock rearers.
• Awareness generation regarding the breed’s economic value.
• Promotion of camel milk and other livelihood-based uses.

NRCC is an ICAR institution specialising in camel production, health, breeding and value-added camel products, while NBAGR is responsible for the identification, registration and conservation of India’s indigenous animal genetic resources.

Risk Classification

Recent reports commonly describe the Malvi camel as endangered. However, an official government response based on the 2019 Livestock Census placed the Malvi, Mewari and Mewati camel breeds in the “Critical” risk category.

The Census recorded:

Thus, the figure of 102 is the 2019 Census count, rather than a fresh population enumeration conducted in 2026.

Additional Info

• India’s registered indigenous camel breeds
  • Bikaneri.
  • Jaisalmeri.
  • Kachchhi or Kutchi.
  • Jalori.
  • Marwari.
  • Kharai.
  • Mewari.
  • Mewati.
  • Malvi.
• 20th Livestock Census
  • Conducted by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
  • Enumerated approximately 2.52 lakh camels in India.
  • Registered breeds accounted for about 60.4% of the camel population.
  • Non-descript camels accounted for about 39.6%.

Sources

• Hindustan Times
• ThePrint

Pyrocumulonimbus Fire Clouds Intensify Europe’s Wildfires

What’s the News?

Severe wildfires in France and Spain have generated pyrocumulonimbus clouds, commonly called fire clouds or pyroCbs. A major blaze near Saumos in France’s Gironde region produced what was reported as the country’s first documented pyroCb event.

The fire cloud generated strong winds and lightning, making the wildfire more unpredictable and capable of igniting new fires. The Gironde blaze burned more than 42,000 hectares, while large-scale evacuations were undertaken across affected parts of France and Spain.

Pyrocumulonimbus Cloud

A pyrocumulonimbus is a thunderstorm cloud generated by intense heat from a wildfire or another major heat source.

• Common names: Fire cloud or fire-generated thunderstorm.
• Abbreviation: PyroCb.
• WMO terminology: Cumulonimbus flammagenitus.
• It can rise to approximately 15 kilometres and may carry smoke and aerosols into the upper troposphere or lower stratosphere.
• Unlike an ordinary thunderstorm, its initial upward convection is driven mainly by the extreme heat of a fire.

How Does It Form?

1. An intense wildfire heats the surrounding air.
2. Hot air, smoke, ash and water vapour rise rapidly through convection.
3. The rising air expands and cools.
4. Water vapour condenses on smoke and ash particles, forming a pyrocumulus cloud.
5. If the plume continues rising into an unstable and sufficiently moist atmosphere, it develops into a pyrocumulonimbus thunderstorm.

The required conditions generally include:

• Extreme fire intensity.
• Hot and dry conditions near the surface.
• Cooler and relatively moist air at higher levels.
• Atmospheric instability that supports rapid vertical movement.

Why Are Fire Clouds Dangerous?

• Lightning: PyroCbs can produce lightning that ignites new fires away from the original blaze.
• Strong downdrafts: Descending air can generate sudden and violent surface winds.
• Changing fire direction: Fire-generated winds can rapidly alter the speed and direction of a wildfire.
• Ember transport: Powerful updrafts may carry burning material over long distances.
• Reduced visibility: Dense smoke and ash complicate aerial and ground firefighting.
• Stratospheric pollution: Smoke injected high into the atmosphere can travel across continents and affect air quality and atmospheric processes.

Europe’s Wildfire Crisis

The Gironde wildfire near Bordeaux:

• Burned more than 420 square kilometres, equivalent to over 42,000 hectares.
• Forced approximately 220,000 people to evacuate within the region.
• Destroyed or damaged more than 240 houses.
• Produced repeated fire-cloud formations and fire-generated lightning.

Spain also experienced widespread fires, with more than 170,000 hectares reportedly burned during the year and its largest active blaze affecting around 50,000 hectares in Ávila.

Climate Change Link

Climate change does not directly ignite every wildfire, as many fires originate from human activity or natural causes such as lightning. However, warmer conditions can:

• Increase the frequency and severity of heatwaves.
• Dry vegetation and soil more rapidly.
• Extend the duration of fire seasons.
• Create larger quantities of combustible material.
• Increase the probability of extreme fire behaviour and pyroCb development.

A wet winter can also promote vegetation growth; subsequent drought and extreme summer heat can convert this vegetation into highly flammable fine fuel.

Additional Info

• Pyrocumulus and Pyrocumulonimbus
  • Pyrocumulus: Fire-generated cumulus cloud that may not produce a thunderstorm.
  • Pyrocumulonimbus: More powerful vertical development accompanied by thunderstorm activity, lightning and dangerous winds.
• Wildfire Monitoring
  • Satellites detect heat signatures, smoke plumes and rapid cloud development.
  • Lightning-detection instruments can help identify pyroCb intensification.
  • NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System—FIRMS provides satellite-derived information on active fires.

Sources

• The Guardian
• CNBC