10 July 2025
(Current Affairs Notes - Prelims)

Aspirational DMF Programme

• District Mineral Foundation (DMF) is a non-profit body established under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR Act).

• DMF seeks to work for the interest and benefit of persons and areas affected by mining related operations.

• Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY) aims to develop areas affected by mining operations through District Mineral Foundation (DMF) funds.

• Recently, Union Ministry of Mines released the operational guidelines for the ‘Aspirational DMF Programme’.

• Aspirational DMF Programme aims for the convergence of DMF initiatives with the Aspirational District Programme (ADP) and Aspirational Block Programmes (ABP).

• ABP/ ADP is an initiative of NITI Aayog to rapidly and effectively transform most underdeveloped districts/ blocks across the country.

Satellite Communication Services

• It is a type of wireless internet connection provided through communication satellites. It is independent of terrestrial infrastructure like telecom towers.

• It has significance in terms of global connectivity including remote area coverage, emergency and disaster relief, navigation aid, etc.

• Recently, In-SPACe granted 5 year authorisation to Starlink for satellite services in India. Starlink is a company of Elon Musk.

• IN-SPACe functions as an autonomous body under the Department of Space (DoS). It was established to strengthen India’s space economy through public-private collaboration.

INS Nistar

• It is a Diving Support Vessel recently delivered to Indian Navy.

• Is It indigenously designed and built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) at Visakhapatnam.

• The ship’s name, Nistar, originates from Sanskrit and means liberation, rescue or salvation.

• The ship is equipped with state-of-the-art Diving Equipment to undertake Diving Operations.

• INS Nistar will also serve as ‘Mother Ship’ for the Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel (DSRV), to rescue and evacuate personnel.

Mahi or Mahisagar River

• It originates from Madhya Pradesh (Dhar district) and flows through Rajasthan and Gujarat, before draining into Gulf of Khambhat, the Arabian Sea.

• It is one of the few Indian rivers that flows through more than one state twice and also crosses the Tropic of Cancer twice – a rare geographical feature.

• The Mahi basin covers parts of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. It flows near major cities like Banswara in Rajasthan and Vadodara in Gujarat.

• Recently, a bridge collapsed in Gujarat over Mahi River.

Cat Bonds (Catastrophe Bonds)

• These are high-yield debt instruments issued by insurance companies to raise money in case of large-scale disasters like earthquakes, floods, or hurricanes.

• Investors buy the bond and receive higher interest. Investors receive high yields, but lose their principal if a predefined natural disaster occurs before the bond matures.

• They help insurers manage risk and transfer some of the financial burden to investors, while investors take the risk in exchange for potentially high returns.