UPSC Daily Current Affairs| One Liners 13-07-2026

One Liners 13-07-2026

History, Art and Culture

Mannathu Padmanabhan

Vice-president unveiled Mannathu Padmanabhan’s statue in New Delhi.

• He was a towering Indian social reformer, freedom fighter, and community leader from Kerala.
• Founded – Nair Service Society (NSS).
• His tireless efforts dismantled outdated social hierarchies, advanced modern education.
• He actively participated in the Vaikom Satyagraha (backward castes temple entry movement).
• Prominent recognitions –
  • Bharata Kesari title – Meaning "Lion of India" by the President of India in 1959.
  • Padma Bhushan (1966).

Polity & Governance

Singing of “Vande Mataram” before “Jana gana Mana” at Official Events

• Union government has asked the States and Central Ministries to “strictly comply” with its directive that Vande Mataram be played before Jana Gana Mana at official events.
• Vande Mataram, was written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.
  • Published in his novel Anandamath in early 1880s.
  • The Constitution of the modern Republic of India accorded it the status of the National Song.
• The insults to Jana Gana Mana, the National Flag, and the Constitution of India (Prevention of Insults To National Honour Act, 1971) is punishable act with 3 year imprisonment or fine.
• Union Cabinet signalled to amend 1971 Act to make any insult to the singing of Vande Mataram a punishable offence.

NSE Nifty500 Ahimsa Index

• It is a thematic benchmark launched by the National Stock Exchange (NSE) that tracks companies whose business practices align with the principles of Ahimsa (non-violence).
• Developed in collaboration with the Ahimsagain Foundation using their Ahimsa Investment Movement (AIM) framework.
• Designed to – Exclude companies involved in activities that harm animals.
• Framework –
  • Companies are assessed based on their products, services and overall business practices
  • Companies classified into 3 categories: Green, Orange and Red.
  • Only companies placed in the Green category are eligible for inclusion in the index.

PM SVANidhi 'Street Food Hub' Plan

Lakhanpur is among first towns selected under PM SVANidhi 'Street Food Hub' Plan recently.

• Objective – To transform tourist destinations into vibrant food streets offering authentic regional cuisines.
• Under the scheme, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs plans to establish up to 50 Street Food Hubs across the country.
• Priority towns – Cities or towns of
  • Strong tourism potential, cultural and heritage significance, distinctive local cuisines
  • Convergence with flagship initiatives such as Swadesh Darshan, PRASHAD, UNESCO World Heritage Sites and UNESCO Creative Cities.
• Each approved project will receive financial assistance of ₹4 crore, to be released in 3 instalments.
• Notified urban local bodies will also receive an incentive of ₹25 lakh.
• Implementation – With coordinated efforts of
  • Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
  • Ministry of Tourism.
  • Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

International Relations and Issues

Maori Powhiri Ceremonial Welcome

• Prime Minister received a grand traditional Maori powhiri ceremonial welcome in Auckland (New Zealand).
• The Maori are the indigenous Polynesian people of mainland New Zealand.
• A powhiri is a traditional Maori ceremonial welcome that unites hosts (tangata whenua) and visitors (manuhiri).
• It transitions guests from a state of tapu (sacredness/restriction) to noa (ordinary/safe) through a strict sequence of rituals.
• It includes karanga (call), whaikōrero (speeches), and the hongi (pressing noses), kai (Sharing food to conclude the ceremony).

Economy

PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme

Recently PMFME Scheme's has got landmark achievement of over 2 lakh credit-linked beneficiaries.

• Nodal ministry – Ministry of Food Processing Industries.
• Aim – To upgrade, formalize, and boost the competitiveness of unorganized micro food processing enterprises.
• Highlights –
  • Nearly 90% of the beneficiaries are first-generation entrepreneurs, and 44% are women.
  • Over 75,000 supported enterprises have formalized their operations by acquiring Udyam, FSSAI, and GST registrations.
  • Seed capital has been provided to over 4.18 lakh Self-Help Group (SHG) members.
  • Skills and capacity training provided for 1.76 lakh individuals (77% are women).
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Environment

Aastha Van Sanrakshan Yojana

• It is a major environmental initiative launched by the Central Government.
• Aim – To restore and conserve about 15,000 'Sacred Groves' or Aastha forests spread across the country.
• Sacred groves – Patches of natural forests or woodlands protected by local communities due to their cultural significance.
• Objective – To promote traditional ecological knowledge as well as to prevent land degradation, protect endangered species.
• Funding – National Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) Fund.
• Duration – 5 years (2026–27 to 2030–31).

Cyttopsis indica

• It is commonly known as the Indian dory, a discovered deep-sea fish.
• Family – Parazenidae.
• Discovered at – Kerala in the Arabian Sea at depths of 350–500 meters.
• Discovered by – ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI).
• Habitat – Lives along the continental slope of the eastern Lakshadweep Sea.
• It can survive immense ocean pressure by storing high levels of waxy compounds in its body.
• The fish is generally considered unsuitable for direct human consumption.

Bodoland Forests’ Butterfly diversity

• Assam Forest Department released a special booklet on the butterflies found in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR).
• Bodoland forest landscape situated at the confluence of the Indo-Malayan and Indo-Gangetic biogeographic zones.
• The landscape supports 346 of Assam’s 620 recorded butterfly species.
• The region hosts rare and endemic butterflies –
  •  Yellow-crested Spangle (Papilio elephenor),
  • Swinhoe's Flat (Celaenorrhinus zeyi),
  • Great Windmill, Indian Cupid, and Moore's Cupid.
• The Ultapani-Manas landscape is particularly famous for spectacular monsoon "mud-puddling" congregations.
• The vibrant diversity of butterflies inspired the Bodo community’s Bagurumba dance, widely known as the "Butterfly Dance”.

Science

Vepdegestrant

• It is a first-in-class oral cancer therapy utilizing PROTAC (Proteolysis-Targeting Chimera) technology.
• Jointly developed by – Arvinas and Pfizer.
• It received U.S. FDA approval for treating adults with advanced or metastatic breast cancer (ER-positive, HER2-negative, and ESR1-mutated).