Today's Brief 1-2/06/2025

JS Analysis: https://youtu.be/BO9uQDh2KuY?si=7Z5j1jFv4-m7cW3F

1 .Paraguay – General Studies Paper-I (Mains) - Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society

, a landlocked nation in south-central South America, is geographically divided by the Paraguay River into two contrasting regions: the fertile and populous Oriental region to the east and the sparsely inhabited, semi-arid Chaco to the west.

Bordered by Argentina, Brazil, and Bolivia, the country’s terrain includes grassy plains, wooded hills, and the vast Gran Chaco a lowland expanse known for marshes and thorny vegetation. Its subtropical climate features hot summers (October to March) and mild winters, with the eastern region frequently experiencing floods and the Chaco prone to drought.

Historically, Paraguay is rooted in its indigenous Guaraní culture and Spanish colonization dating back to the 16th century. It gained independence in 1811 but endured catastrophic wars, notably the War of the Triple Alliance (1864–70), which decimated over half its population.

The 20th century brought authoritarian rule under Alfredo Stroessner (1954–89), followed by a turbulent transition to democracy. Presently, Paraguay functions as a presidential republic, led by President Santiago Peña (since 2023), with the long-dominant Colorado Party continuing to shape its political landscape.

Economically, Paraguay operates a market-driven system, anchored by agriculture and hydropower. It ranks as the world’s fourth-largest soybean exporter, and also produces significant quantities of beef, corn, and cotton. The Itaipú Dam, jointly operated with Brazil, positions Paraguay among the world’s leading exporters of clean hydroelectric energy.

Paraguay is an active member of Mercosur, maintaining strong trade ties with neighboring Brazil and Argentina. It also grapples with environmental concerns like deforestation in the Chaco and water pollution.

3 .The Kheer Bhawani Mela

General Studies Paper-I (Mains) - Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society is a significant annual Hindu festival and pilgrimage predominantly celebrated by Kashmiri Pandits at the Kheer Bhawani Temple in Tulmulla, Ganderbal district, Jammu and Kashmir, though it is also observed at other shrines dedicated to the Goddess Ragnya Devi.

Held on Jyeshtha Ashtami, typically in May or June, the Mela involves devotees offering "Kheer" (sweet rice pudding) and other items to the goddess at a sacred spring, whose water color is believed to predict future conditions.

This gathering is deeply important for the Kashmiri Pandit community, serving as a spiritual connection to their roots and traditions, especially for those displaced from the Kashmir Valley.

4 . The IISS Shangri-La Dialogue

(General Studies-III (250 marks)Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security, and Disaster Management) is Asia's leading annual defense and security forum, held at Singapore's Shangri-La Hotel every June since 2002. Organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) ,

it gathers defense ministers, military chiefs, and security experts to discuss critical Indo-Pacific issues like U.S.-China relations, maritime disputes, North Korea's threats, and emerging military technologies

 The event is known for keynote speeches by major powers, including the U.S. Secretary of Defense and China's Defense Minister, making it a key platform for regional security dialogue.

Often called Asia's version of the Munich Security Conference, it plays a vital role in shaping defense policies in the region.

5 .NAKSHA:

General Studies Paper-II (250 Marks) – Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations

The Department of Land Resources (DoLR), Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, is going to conduct the second phase of capacity-building under the NAKSHA (NAtional geospatial Knowledge-based land Survey of urban HAbitations) programme from 2nd June 2025, across five Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in the country.

The first phase of capacity building programme to train the 160 master trainers from NAKSHA participating states/UTs has been completed in the month of May 2025.

This phase of training programme will be inaugurated virtually by Shri Manoj Joshi, Secretary, Department of Land Resources on 2nd June 2025 at 10:00 A.M. Under this training programme, 304 ULB-level and district officers have been nominated from 157 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).

These officers will undergo hands-on training in leveraging modern geospatial technologies for effective urban property surveys. The training will be conducted for a week starting from 2nd June 2025 at the following Centres of Excellence institutions:

1. Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussoorie, Uttarakhand

2. Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration (YASHADA), Pune, Maharashtra

3. Northeast Region Centre of Excellence, Guwahati, Assam

4. Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration (MGSIPA), Chandigarh, Punjab

5. Administrative Training Institute (ATI), Mysuru, Karnataka

   
   

The training aims to equip ULB officers and field staff with the technical and practical skills required to oversee high-accuracy land surveys under the NAKSHA programme.

Modules cover the programme framework, GNSS and ETS-based surveying, Web-GIS application, land parcel mapping, and the legal-administrative aspects of land surveys.