Minds Of Aspirants (Official)

🏹 PM-JANMAN: Bridging the Gap for India’s Tribal Communities 🏹 The Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) is a mission-mode initiative dedicated to the upliftment of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs). These are communities that have historically remained on the margins, and this scheme aims to bring the Government's presence directly to their doorstep. 🌟 The Vision The mission is built on the principle of "Reaching the Last Mile." Instead of tribal families seeking out government offices, 9 different Ministries are working together to bring essential services directly into remote tribal habitations. 🛠️ Core Areas of Impact The scheme focuses on a "Whole-of-Government" approach to provide: 🏠 Dignified Living: Ensuring families have permanent houses and clean piped water. ⚡ Modern Infrastructure: Bringing electricity and mobile connectivity to the most remote forests and hills. 🏥 Healthcare & Nutrition: Mobile medical units and Anganwadi centers to tackle health gaps at the local level. 🎓 Education & Skills: Building hostels for students and creating centers for skill development and traditional livelihood support. 🛤️ Physical Access: Constructing all-weather roads to connect isolated villages to the mainstream economy. 📍 Who does it cover? It covers all notified 75 PVTGs across 18 States and Union Territories, ensuring that no community is left behind due to geographical or social isolation. Nodal Agency: Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India 🇮🇳

🥇 Who is Prachi Gaikwad? Prachi Gaikwad from Maharashtra won Gold at the ISSF Junior World Cup in 50m Rifle 3 Positions. 🔹 Earlier won gold at Khelo India Youth Games 2025 🎯 What is 50m Rifle 3 Positions? Also called the “Marathon of Shooting” Shooters fire 60 shots at a target 50m away: • 20 Kneeling • 20 Prone • 20 Standing 🏅 Olympic Link It is an official Olympic shooting event and often serves as a pathway for young shooters to move into senior/Olympic competition.

🇮🇳🇺🇿 Exercise DUSTLIK-VII The 7th edition of joint military exercise DUSTLIK between India and Uzbekistan concluded in Namangan. 🔹 Nature: Joint Army exercise 🔹 Started: 2019 🔹 Conducted alternately in India and Uzbekistan. Focus areas: • Counter-terrorism operations • Urban warfare • Joint tactical drills • Special forces coordination 🔹 Enhances defence cooperation and strategic engagement with Central Asia. 📍 Namangan: Located in eastern Uzbekistan in the Fergana Valley — a strategically important region in Central Asia. Remember India’s military exercises with Central Asian countries. Gs3 Gs2 - India - Central Asia relationship Political science

🦌 Blackbuck Conservation Success Story Highlighted in Mann Ki Baat: 🔹 Blackbuck populations had declined sharply due to: • Hunting/poaching • Habitat loss • Agricultural expansion 🔹 Continuous conservation efforts helped revive their population, and they are now increasingly seen in open grasslands. 🔹 Key habitats in India: • Velavadar Blackbuck National Park (most famous) • Ranibennur Blackbuck Sanctuary • Tal Chhapar Wildlife Sanctuary • Also found in parts of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Haryana, Punjab & Tamil Nadu. 🔹 Conservation support from communities like the Bishnoi community has been significant. • Endemic to Indian subcontinent • IUCN Status: Least Concern • Protected under Schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972

🐘 Gaj Mitra Initiative – Human Elephant Conflict Mitigation Highlighted in Mann Ki Baat: 🔹 What is Gaj Mitra? A community-based volunteer network where trained local villagers act as first responders/informers: • Track elephant movement • Alert nearby villages in advance • Coordinate with forest officials • Help safely divert herds away from settlements/croplands In Uttar Pradesh, it has been used near Dudhwa Tiger Reserve and Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary where elephants often move from Nepal forests into villages. 🔹 Broader umbrella: Falls under elephant conservation efforts of Project Elephant (1992) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. 🔹 Top 3 states in elephant population (latest DNA-based census): 1. Karnataka – 6,013 2. Assam – 4,159 3. Tamil Nadu – 3,136 ➡️ Uttar Pradesh has only ~257 elephants, so it ranks much lower but faces conflict due to movement in the Terai belt. • Asian Elephant = India’s National Heritage Animal • IUCN: Endangered • Schedule I protection under Wildlife Protection Act

🦩 Flamingo City – Great Rann of Kutch PM in Mann Ki Baat highlighted the famous “Flamingo City” in the Great Rann of Kutch. 🔹 During breeding season, lakhs of flamingos gather here, turning the entire region pink — hence the name Flamingo City. 🔹 It is located within the Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary. 🔹 Major species: • Greater Flamingo • Lesser Flamingo 🔹 Locals call them “Lakhha Ji Ke Baarati” — referring to the massive flocks resembling a wedding procession, linked to the folklore of Jam Lakho Fulani.

Article 21

Topic -9 Important topic to be noted for prelims’26 Riverine dolphin estimation

Prelims’26 Topic - 10 Important topic to be noted Gharial population in India Critically endangered Is gharial found in the Indus River ?

Prelims’26 Key words What are cicadas? Where is silent valley national park in India? What is “honeydew”?

Source - Ministry of Tribal affairs

Prelims’26 Sacred relics of Buddha Ladakh

Prelims’26 Key words to be noted from Buddhism Tathagata Sakya clan

Prelims’26 Important topic to be noted

INS Nireekshak, the Diving Support and Submarine Rescue Vessel of Indian Navy, arrived at the port of Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 21 Apr 2026 to participate in the 4th edition of IN-SLN DIVEX 2026, a bilateral diving exercise scheduled from 21-27 Apr 2026. As part of India’s humanitarian outreach, the ship will be presenting two BHISM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri) cubes to the Sri Lankan authorities under the Government of India’s ‘Aarogya Maitri’ initiative. These state-of-the-art portable medical units capable of handling up to 200 emergency cases are designed to provide rapid response and are equipped with essential medicines and surgical tools for basic procedures. Indian Navy will also hand over 50,000 rounds of 9 mm ammunition to the Sri Lankan Navy. MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions). India-Srilanka Gs2 Political science Case study to be noted for mains’26

Hello friends, April 23 - it’s a special day for me personally. It is the day that we started Minds Of Aspirants institute at Anna nagar. We are going to complete 3 years today. And 5 overall, including the 2 years that we ran the institute online. And I am happy that we have been able to be part of the journey of many wonderful students in these past 5 years and some of them have achieved their goal of being an officer. That gives me a sense of satisfaction in the work that I do. I had never dreamt that I will ever be a teacher in my life but now to be able to teach and to see the change in students is something I will always cherish for life. But today being an Election Day , we have to first do our duty as citizens of our country and so we will have our 3rd year anniversary celebration coming Sunday (26th April) . 26th(Sunday)we have our first mock test discussion as well. And so it will be a small cake cutting session after the discussion. I thank each and everyone of you who have stood by me in this journey. I have met so many wonderful students and it’s been a privilege to be a part of their journey in civil services. Have a great day!