Hornbill Festival

Why in News?

Union Minister for Communications & Development of North Eastern Regions (DoNER) has participated in the recently held 26^th edition of Hornbill Festival of Nagaland.

December 1 is Nagaland Statehood Day, thus the Hornbill Festival begins on that day and goes on for 10 days.

• Hornbill Festival – It is a 10-day annual celebration observed by the Tribes of Nagaland.
• Location – Kisama Heritage Village, Nagaland.
  • Nagaland is also known as “The Land of Festivals”.
• Origin – It began in 2000 and is named after hornbill, a bird that symbolizes beauty and grace in Naga folklore and ritual.
• Aim – To revive and protect the rich culture of Nagaland and display its extravaganza and traditions.
• It unites 16 Naga tribes of Nagaland to celebrate in colourful costumes, pulsating rhythm, and musical stories.
• Organized by – State Tourism and the Art & Culture Departments.

Quick Fact

References

1. PIB | Hornbill Festival of Nagaland
2. NDTV | Hornbill Festival
3. Hornbill Festival | Hornbill Festival

Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025

Why in news?

The Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025 was introduced in the Lok Sabha as a private member bill.

• Purpose – To create clear & enforceable boundaries between professional demands and personal time, as digital communication, constant connectivity, and remote work have increasingly blurred the work-life balance.
• Objective – To foster better quality of life, healthier work-life balance, and reduce burnout caused by constant digital connectivity.

India currently follows a 48-hour work week, one of the more demanding globally.

Provisions of the bill

• Not obliged to respond – Employees should not be compelled to respond to official communication after work hours or on holidays.
• Right to refuse after-hours contact – It seeks to give employees the legal right to refuse work-related calls, messages and emails outside official working hours and on holidays without fear of disciplinary action.
• Scope of communication covered – The right applies to all forms of communication like phone calls, texts, emails, video calls, etc.
• Emergency rules – Employers and employees must mutually agree on emergency contact rules, if needed.
• Overtime pay – If employees work beyond office hours, they must be paid overtime at their normal wage rate.
• Institutional Mechanism – It proposes creation of an Employees’ Welfare Authority to safeguard this right.
• Counselling support – Additional support includes counselling services to increase awareness of reasonable technology use.
• Digital detox centres – Proposed to  set up digital detox centres to help workers reduce distractions and focus on personal relationships.
• Penalty – It suggests a penalty of 1% of the total employee remuneration for organisations that violate this right.

Private member Bill is a bill introduced by a member of the Parliament other than a minister; however, private member's bills rarely become law and are usually withdrawn after the government responds.

References

1. Times of India | Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025
2. NDTV | Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025
3. Hindustan Times | Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025

Rock Eagle Owl

Why in News?

Recently, quarrying was halted at Telangana quarry and visitors to the area were also restricted to ensure that the Rock Eagle owl’s eggs are not disturbed before they hatch.

• It is a large horned owl species native to the Indian Subcontinent.
• Scientific name – Bubo bengalensis.
• Common names – Rock Eagle Owl, Indian Eagle Owl, Bengal Eagle Owl
• Family – Strigidae (true owls)
• Habitat – Rocky hills with bushes, earth banks, ravines, semi-deserts with rocks and bushes, old mango orchards near villages.
• Distribution – West Himalayas, Pakistan, India, Kashmir, Nepal, Assam, and Burma (Myanmar).

Features

• Size – Length: 50–56 cm
• Weight – Approximately 1100 g.
• Appearance –
  • A large owl, splashed with brown and grey plumage, with a white throat patch that has small black stripes.
  • It is distinguished by its prominent "ear tufts" (feather tufts on its head, not actual ears) and large, deep yellow to orange-red eyes.
  • It is similar to the Eurasian Eagle-Owl but is smaller and has weaker streaking on its underparts.

• Behavior – This species is primarily nocturnal but may be seen moving about at dawn and dusk. They are usually observed in pairs.
• Diet – Primarily rats and mice, also birds (up to peafowl size), reptiles, frogs, crabs, and large insects.
• Voice – The male gives a deep double hoot, the female a higher version, and at the nest both make clucking or huwoo-huwoo sounds.
• Conservation Status
  • IUCN – Least Concern.
  • CITES – Appendix II.
  • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 – Schedule I.

References

1. Hindustan Times | In Hyderabad, rock eagle owl hatch its eggs.
2. World of Owls | Rock Eagle Owl
3. Indian Express | Rock Eagle Owl

Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)

Why in News?

The MPC of the RBI voted unanimously to reduce the policy repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.25%, citing low inflation (2.2%) and strong growth (8%) in the first half of the year.

• MPC – It was constituted in 2016 as a statutory body to formulate monetary policy in India.
• Legal basis – As per Section 45ZB of the RBI Act, 1934.  ​
• Composition - 6-member body –
  • Governor of RBI (Chairperson, ex officio) ​
  • Deputy Governor of RBI in charge of Monetary Policy (Member, ex officio) ​
  • 1 officer of RBI nominated by the Central Board of Directors (Member, ex officio) ​
  • 3 members appointed by the Central Government
• The MPC is assisted by RBI’s Monetary Policy Department (MPD) for formulating the monetary policy.
• Tenure – The appointed members serve for 4 years or until further orders, whichever is earlier and are not eligible for re-appointment.
• Meetings – The MPC is required to meet at least 4 times in a year.
• Quorum – 4 members.
• Decision – The decision of the committee would be binding on the RBI.
  • It takes decision based on majority vote (by those who are present and voting.
  • In case of a tie, the RBI governor will have the second or casting vote.
• Functions – Determine the policy interest rates required to achieve the explicit inflation target set by the government, while also keeping in mind the objective of supporting economic growth

Key Highlights of recent Committee

• Repo Rate Cut – Reduced from 5.50% to 5.25%.
• Inflation – At a 2.2%, well below the RBI’s target band of 4% ±2%.
• Growth – GDP rose to 8.2% (Quarter 2), reflecting robust domestic demand and investment.
• Implications
  • Borrowers – With lower interest rates, loans become cheaper which boost consumption & investment.
  • Savers – Lower deposit rates leads to reduced savings returns, Savers shift to equities, bonds, mutual funds for higher yields.
  • Markets – Cheaper loans expand credit, raise company profits, and lift investor confidence (positive sentiment).
  • Policy Flexibility – Neutral stance keeps options open for RBI to adjust rates either way amid global uncertainties. Future rate decisions will depend on inflation and growth trends.

Various Instruments Used in Monetary Policy

References

1. The Hindu | MPC cuts repo rate by 25 bps
2. Shriram Finance | MPC
3. PIB | MPC