SSC GK PARMAR – Comprehensive Notes (Key points from transcript)

Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY)

• Purpose: Provides affordable credit to small and micro enterprises; launched in 2015.

• Financing authority: SIDBI provides 100% funding/refinance for PMMY loans (as cited in transcript).

• Loan categories (types):

  • Shishu

  • Kishore

  • Tarun

  • Tarun Plus

• Loan limits (collateral-free):

  • Up to $₹50{,}000$

  • $₹50{,}001 ext{ to } ₹5{,}00{,}000$

  • $₹5{,}00{,}000 ext{ to } ₹10{,}00{,}000$

  • $₹10{,}00{,}000 ext{ to } ₹20{,}00{,}000$

• Policy note in transcript: Finance Ministry doubled loan limit (context: collateral-free PMMY loans reaching up to $₹20{,}00{,}000$ under Tarun Plus).

• Key features: collateral-free loans, refinancing through SIDBI network, aimed at micro and small enterprises.

• Real-world relevance: supports entrepreneurship, formal credit access, and financial inclusion at the grassroots level.

• Connections to prior principles: aligns with SME promotion, financial inclusion, and credit guarantee frameworks.

• Examples and scope: segments covered include micro, small, and emerging enterprises across sectors.

• Significance: fuels employment, rural development, and grassroots industrial growth.

Space, Defence, and Security Initiatives

• DRDO Navdurga range

  • Location: Nagayalanka, Andhra Pradesh.

  • Significance: India’s 3rd missile testing range.

• Missile testing ranges in India

  • Chandipur (Odisha coast) – functional range.

  • Wheeler’s Island near the Odisha coast – renamed Dr. Abdul Kalam Island; remains a functional testing site.

• S-400 Defence System (Sudarshan Chakra)

  • Purpose: long-range surface-to-air missile system with interceptor capabilities against aircraft and missiles; modern air defence umbrella.

• Cheetah conservation and relocation

  • Project under IBCA and NTCA/State agencies: import eight cheetahs from Botswana.

  • Relocation sites: Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary (Madhya Pradesh) to broaden conservation beyond Kuno National Park (Kuno) which houses 26 cheetahs.

• International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)

  • HQ: New Delhi; established to coordinate international big-cat conservation efforts.

• Jaguar squadron pilot milestone

  • Flying Officer Singh becomes the first woman pilot permanently assigned to IAF’s Jaguar fighter jet squadron.

• Vyom Mitra and Gaganyaan

  • Vyom Mitra: 1 female robot aboard Gaganyaan-related activities.

  • Gaganyaan: India’s human spaceflight programme; crew and robotic companion details noted in transcript.

• National Turmeric Board

  • Initiative: launched in New Delhi to promote turmeric cultivation/industry.

• Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR)

  • Location: Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu.

  • Operator: Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI).

  • Significance: first indigenous fast breeder reactor; India aims to be among the first to operate a commercial FBR after Russia.

• Gen. 3nm chip design centers

  • India’s first 3nm chip design centers located in Bengaluru (with centers reportedly in Noida/Delhi region as per transcript).

  • Set up by Renesas Electronics; marks a milestone for domestic advanced semiconductor design.

• Sahkar Taxi

  • Initiative: a union-cooperation-based ride-hailing service named “Sahkar” promoting cooperative/user-benefit mobility.

• Supreme Court guidelines (Tamil Nadu case)

  • Case: Tamil Nadu vs. Governor of Tamil Nadu.

  • Outcome: Court set guidelines to prevent coercive or unconstitutional marriage laws; protections around child marriage standards.

• Ken-Betwa River Linking Project

  • Foundation stone laid in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh.

  • Omkareshwar Floating Solar Project inaugurated in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh.

• NH-44 bio-bitumen paving

  • Inauguration of bio-bitumen-based National Highway stretch (NH-44) in Mansar, Nagpur, Maharashtra.

• INROAD project funding

  • Allocation: Rs. ₹100 crore; aims to support natural heritage/conservation initiatives (per transcript).

• National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM)

  • GoI outlay: $₹16{,}300{,}000{,}000$ (₹16,300 crore).

  • Objective: establish robust framework to strengthen mineral sector; 30 critical minerals identified (as of 2022 per MoM).

• Renowned facilities and global positioning

  • Union government designated SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) HQ at Beijing and RATS HQ at Tashkent (Uzbekistan); recent member: Belarus (2024).

• Aero India and Defence diplomacy

  • 15th edition of Aero India held at Yelahanka Air Force Station (Bengaluru); theme: “The Runway to a Billion Opportunities.”

  • Defence Minister’s Conclave on “BRIDGE: Building Resilience through International Defence and Global Engagement.”

• Space launch services market

  • Global market report (2025): $11.9 ext{ billion}$; 2024 value $10.34 ext{ billion}$; CAGR 16.8 ext{%}; 2028 estimate $22.18 ext{ billion}$.

• Global space and defence G2G links

  • India’s space ambitions include 100% FDI in the space sector as part of Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India).

Infrastructure, Ports, and Transport

• Vizhinjam International Seaport (Kerala)

  • India’s first deep-water dedicated transshipment port; semi-automated facility; part of major port modernization.

  • Total major ports in India: $13$.

• Indore and Itinerary

  • Indore’s Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport designated as India’s first zero-waste airport.

• Begumpet railway station, Hyderabad

  • Set to be fully operated by women staff.

• Largest railway platform

  • Hubballi Junction, Karnataka cited as the largest platform in India.

• Howrah Junction

  • Reputed as the largest railway station in India (context in transcript).

• Rail infrastructure milestones

  • Atal Tunnel (Rishikesh–Karanprayag): length $9.02 ext{ km}$ (longest high-altitude road tunnel).

  • Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Tunnel: length $9.28 ext{ km}$.

  • Longest rail tunnel: Tunnel T-8, length $14.58 ext{ km}$ (Rishikesh–Karanprayag corridor relevance is implied).

• National highway innovations

  • NH-44 bio-bitumen-based stretch inaugurated (earlier in section).

• Civil engineering heritage and memorials

  • World Monuments Watch 2025: Musi River historic buildings in Hyderabad listed.

Environment, Wetlands, and Ecology

• Ramsar sites

  • Six wetlands designated as Ramsar Sites (as per transcript).

  • Total Ramsar Sites in India: $91$.

  • World Wetlands Day observed on February 2.

• Mangrove cover by area (state-wise, approximate values in transcript)

  • Daman & Diu: 0.00 ext{%}

  • Andaman & Nicobar Islands: 12.3 ext{%}

  • Puducherry: 0.08 ext{%}

  • Andhra Pradesh: 0.43 ext{%}

  • Tamil Nadu: 0.8 ext{%}

  • Maharashtra: 6.3 ext{%}

  • Gujarat: 21.2 ext{%}

  • Odisha: 5.2 ext{%}

  • Karnataka: 0.3 ext{%}

  • Note: Values as per transcript; some figures may require verification.

• 18th India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023

  • Forest cover: 21.76 ext{ ext{%}} ext{ of land area}

  • Highest forest cover (in area terms): Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands

  • Highest forest cover (in percentage terms): Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Andaman & Nicobar Islands

  • Maximum increase: Chhattisgarh; Highest decrease: Madhya Pradesh

• Mangroves and coastal ecology

  • Mangrove cover percentage noted above with state-wise figures; West Bengal often cited for significant mangrove area in global context (transcript mentions highest figure for some states).

• Port Blair renamed

  • Port Blair (Andaman & Nicobar) renamed Sri Puram (announced by Home Minister Amit Shah).

• Wetland city accreditation

  • Indore and Udaipur added to global list of accredited wetland cities under Ramsar framework.

Social Welfare, Governance, and Public Programs

• SVAMITVA scheme

  • Survey of Villages Abadi and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas.

  • Launch date: 24 April 2020 (National Panchayati Raj Day).

  • Governance aim: property cards for villagers; estimated reach noted as over 65 lakh cards distributed.

• Ayush and health

  • AYUSH Visa: facilitates foreign nationals seeking treatment under traditional Indian systems of medicine (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathy).

  • AYUSHMAN Card: provides cashless, paperless healthcare up to $₹5{,}00{,}000$ per family per year for secondary/tertiary hospitalization at empanelled hospitals nationwide.

  • Union Ayush Minister: Shri Prataprao Jadhav.

  • Highlights: integration of traditional health systems in public healthcare; modernization of health access.

• POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission)

  • Launched: 2018; aims to tackle malnutrition among pregnant and lactating women, adolescent girls, and children under six.

  • JP/Measles rubella elimination target: to achieve zero cases of measles and rubella by 2026 (government target cited).

• Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat and KTS 3.0

  • Tamil Sangamam (KTS 3.0) held in Varanasi; inauguration by PM Modi; theme: Sage Agasthiyar; under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat initiative.

• Women entrepreneurship and finance

  • SBI Stree Shakti Package: empowers women entrepreneurs with loans, concessions, and collateral-free options; linked to broader women-centric financial schemes.

• Education and culture

  • Hamari Virasat (Our Heritage) launched to celebrate heritage; Birsa Munda 150th anniversary observance; Mahotsav context in New Delhi.

• Republic Day 2025

  • Chief Guest: Prabowo Subianto (President of Indonesia) for 2025 edition; theme: Swarnim Bharat—Virasat aur Vikas (heritage and development).

• Population health indicators and demographics (selected)

  • India’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR): $2.0$ (as per NFHS-5 2019-21).

  • Sex ratio at birth: values cited around $904$ (range in transcript); national trend aims toward improvement.

• Child rights and legal reforms

  • Supreme Court guidelines on child marriage and related laws; debates around age of marriage and consent embedded in state governance.

• Tourism and culture

  • Cruise Bharat Mission launched to boost cruise tourism; target: double cruise passenger traffic by 2029; position India as a global cruise destination.

Industry, Technology, and Innovation

• 3nm chip design centers

  • India’s first 3nm chip design centers established in Bengaluru; additional sites reportedly in Noida; collaboration with Renesas Electronics.

• Biotechnologies and bio-materials

  • Bio-bitumen-based national highway stretch on NH-44 (eco-friendly paving material).

• Digital governance and workforce

  • e-Shram portal launched to create a national database of unorganized workers, aligned with One Stop Solutions and welfare schemes (Shramev Jayate).

• India’s nuclear and energy ecosystem

  • PFBR and Bhavini role in advanced nuclear technologies; advanced energy security strategy.

• Railways and industrial hubs

  • Navratna/Miniratna status reforms and expansion of railway PSU roles; IRFC/railways expansion noted in broader economic reforms.

• Industry skills and MSMEs

  • MSME minister provided updates on classical language status; broader push for skill, entrepreneurship and micro-enterprise development.

Culture, Heritage, and International Cooperation

• ABS Asian Buddhist Summit (New Delhi)

  • Theme: "Role of Buddha Dhamma in Strengthening Asia"; first-time ABS hosted in India.

• International relations and SCO

  • SCO member dynamics; ongoing cooperation with partner nations; Belarus added as SCO member in 2024.

• UNESCO and World Heritage context

  • L.bunch of monuments and heritage sites identified for UNESCO tentative listing (Kalyana Chalukyas/Western Chalukyas sites in present-day Karnataka).

• Port Blair rebranding and local heritage

  • Sri Puram designation; local heritage and Ramsar-leveraged conservation.

Geography, Borders, and National Security

• Border and strategic projects

  • Ken-Betwa River Linking Project and Omkareshwar Floating Solar Project; cross-state water and energy integration.

• Cheetah conservation corridors and IBCA

  • International Big Cat Alliance and cross-border wildlife management implications.

• National and regional security developments

  • Operation Hawk cybercrime unit; BHARATPOL portal as an international policing cooperation tool.

• Trials and space readiness

  • Gaganyaan crew and Vyom Mitra alignment with IHSP; future human spaceflight milestones.

Quick Reference: Key Numerical and Factual Snippets

• PMMY loan limits (collateral-free): up to $₹50{,}000$; up to $₹5{,}00{,}000$; up to $₹10{,}00{,}000$; up to $₹20{,}00{,}000$ (Tarun Plus).

• Mudra categories: Shishu, Kishore, Tarun, Tarun Plus.

• Vizhinjam Port: first deep-water transshipment port; 13 total major ports in India.

• Ramsar sites: total $91$ across India.

• ISFR 2023 forest cover: $21.76\%$ of land area; highest forest cover in area terms: MP, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands; highest % terms: Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Andaman & Nikobar.

• Mangrove area figures (state-wise, as per transcript): Daman & Diu 0.00%, A&N Islands 12.3%, Puducherry 0.08%, Andhra Pradesh 0.43%, Tamil Nadu 0.8%, Maharashtra 6.3%, Gujarat 21.2%, Odisha 5.2%, Karnataka 0.3%.

• National Nutrition Mission (POSHAN) scope and rubella/measles elimination target: by 2026.

• National critical minerals: ~30 minerals identified; NCMM outlay $₹16{,}300$ crore.

• Gross values: Global space launch services market 2024 $10.34\$B$; 2025 $11.9\$B$; CAGR $16.8\%$; 2028 estimate $22.18\$B$.

• Infrastructure and energy: 14.58 km Tunnel T-8; Atal Tunnel 9.02 km; Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Tunnel 9.28 km.

• Population and social: TFR $2.0$; over $6.5\times 10^6$ property cards under SVAMITVA scheme.

• Budgetary allocations: Vibrant Villages Programme II $₹6,839\text{ crore}$; NCMM $₹16,300\text{ crore}$; Cruise Bharat target by 2029; Indore zero-waste airport.

• Heritage and monuments: Jim Corbett National Park (1936); Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary (oldest in India); 2 February World Wetlands Day.

Note: The transcript contains some garbled/inconsistent phrasings (e.g., place names, sequencing, and some values). Where exact figures are unclear, the notes present the figures as stated in the transcript and indicate where interpretation may be required for formal exam use.