UPSC ENGLISH QUIZ 28.08.2025

Explanation

• Israeli government has approved the controversial West Bank settlement project, which had been stalled for nearly two decades due to strong international opposition and diplomatic pressure.
• The decision has once again stirred political tensions in the Middle East.Israel’s defense ministry committee approved plans for 3,401 homes in E1, a 12 square km area between East Jerusalem and Maale Adumim, effectively splitting the West Bank from East Jerusalem.
• The defense ministry also approved 342 units in Asael, a former unauthorized outpost in the southern West Bank now legalized under Israeli law.

West Bank Settlement Project

• It is a venture to set up additional housing units at the already occupied, yet sensitive, tract in the West Bank: E1 or East One.
• The region lies just at east of Jerusalem, which is considered the capital by both Israelis and Palestinians.
• Currently, the E1 area hosts several Bedouin communities, including the Jahalin tribe, who have lived there since the 1950s after being displaced from the Negev desert in 1948, and some since the 1990s due to prior settlement expansions.

Explanation

• Uttarakhand State Authority for Minority Education (USAME) Bill 2025 was passed in the Assembly.
• According to the Census of 2011, slightly more than 17% of the state’s population of 1.01 crore were non-Hindus.Muslims comprised 13.94% of the total population and Sikhs 2.35%.
• Other minorities, put together, made up less than 1% of Uttarakhand’s population.
• The Bill does away with the Madrasa Board and brings madrasas, as well as education institutions run by Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians, under the newly established USAME.Previously, only madrasas were recognized as minority institutions under state laws.
• Now, all 452 madrasas must seek re-recognition by the 2025-26 academic session.
• The Uttarakhand Madrasa Education Board Act, 2016, along with the Non-Government Arabic and Persian Madrasa Recognition Rules, 2019, will be repealed effective July 1, 2026.

Explanation

• Chief Minister of Kerala declared Kerala as the first fully digitally literate State in India.
• It marked the completion of the first phase of the Digi Kerala project, a grassroots-level intervention across all local bodies to bridge the digital divide.
• In the surveys carried out among 1.5 crore people from 83.46 lakh families across the State, 21.88 lakh people were identified as digitally illiterate.
• Out of this, 21.87 lakh people, comprising 99.98% of the participants, have completed the training and the evaluation.
• Only 38% of households in India are digitally literate. In urban areas, digital literacy is relatively higher at 61% as compared to just 25% in rural areas.

Explanation

• Tamil Nadu Government has launched a new reform-based punishment system.
• It assigns community service to individuals who commit certain offences.
• Tasks include cleaning hospital wards and assisting in outpatient care.
• The initiative was created in coordination with the judiciary.
• It provides an alternative to traditional punitive measures.
• The Tamil Nadu Governor has approved the new rules.
• The policy outlines 16 different types of community-based punishments.
• Offenders may clean classrooms and organize books in libraries.
• They can also maintain public spaces like parks and beaches.
• Other tasks include traffic regulation and planting trees.
• Offenders might also help maintain government offices and hostels.
• They may assist elderly residents in old age homes.
• Support duties in museums are also part of the program.
• Courts will decide the specific type of service for each case.
• They will also determine the duration of the assigned work.
• Designated police officers will supervise the service in various institutions.
• This includes hospitals, schools, and local government bodies.
• Probation officers or official monitors will ensure that duties are carried out.
• They will submit compliance reports to the courts.

Explanation

• India's first removable solar panel project launched in Varanasi.
• India’s first removable solar panel has been rolled out in a pilot project at the premises of Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW) in Varanasi.
• This pilot project is part of Indian Railways’ move towards sustainable and green energy practices.
• A 70-metre stretch with 28 panels has been installed, producing up to 15 KWs of electricity.
• The panels have been designed to be durable, efficient, and removable for maintenance and seasonal needs.
• The project has not required land acquisition, as panels are placed between the railway track spaces.
• BLW GM Naresh Pal Singh said that 20% of the energy requirement is already being met through solar energy at BLW.
• A lifespan of around 25 years is expected from these panels.
• Their installation and removal are convenient and adaptable to different conditions.