Prelims Focus 11th September 2025

Langkhon Festival

In News: In the Assamese district of Karbi Anglong, the Tiwa tribe celebrated the Langkhon (Langkhun) festival in Umsowai.

• The festival, which represents fertility, resiliency, and the intimate relationship between nature and human existence, celebrates bamboo for four days.
• Although the majority of the celebrations take place in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district, other Tiwa-populated areas also observe it.
• The tribe celebrates the yearly harvest festival by presenting their sacrament to Ramsa Devota and other deities who want their paddy to be healthy and productive from pests.

National Scheduled Tribe Finance and Development Corporation

In News:  The National Scheduled Tribe Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC) and Coal India Limited (CIL) have agreed on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the goal of giving tribal people more power. 

• Founded: In 2001, under the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs of the Indian government, the NSTFDC was established.
• Objective: The main aim is to improve the socioeconomic and educational standing of Scheduled Tribes (STs) by offering more opportunities for self-employment that would enable them to achieve economic independence and self-sufficiency.
• Training Role: The NSTFDC also gives grants to support skill development and training initiatives that are targeted towards tribal young people.

Avalanche in Ladakh 

In News: Recently, a major avalanche struck the Siachen base camp in Ladakh, resulting in the tragic deaths of three Indian Army personnel, including two Agniveers. 

Avalanche: 

• An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a slope, often triggered by a layer of snow collapsing and sliding downhill. 
• It can be caused naturally by factors like weather, temperature changes, and snow accumulation, or by human activities. Avalanches commonly occur in mountainous regions with heavy snowfall and steep terrain.
• In the context of the Siachen Glacier in Ladakh, avalanches are frequent due to extreme weather conditions, steep high-altitude terrain, and sub-zero temperatures that regularly fall as low as -60 degrees Celsius. 
• The Siachen Glacier, considered the world’s highest battlefield at about 12,000 to 20,000 feet altitude, sees avalanches that pose severe risks to stationed soldiers. 
• Several fatal avalanche incidents have occurred there over the years, causing multiple casualties among military personnel deployed in this harsh environment.
• Avalanche rescue systems and specialized training have been increasingly deployed to mitigate these risks, given the operational challenges of survival and rescue in such extreme conditions.

Bhil tribe

In News: A translated collection of folk tales of the Bhil tribe in Madhya Pradesh will indeed be made available on the Ministry of Tribal Affairs’ Adi Vaani platform, both on the website and the app. 

• This initiative is part of a broader digital effort by the Ministry to preserve tribal languages and culture, specifically through the Adi Vaani platform, which is India’s first AI-powered translation tool for tribal languages. 
• Adi Vaani supports translations between tribal languages like Bhili and Hindi/English, helping to document and promote tribal folklore, oral traditions, and educational content. 
• The Bhil tribe is one of the oldest and most widely distributed tribal groups in India, speaking Bhili, an Indo-Aryan language. 
• The translation and digital availability of their folk tales aim to preserve their rich cultural heritage while enhancing access to education, governance, and health communication in tribal languages. 
• The Adi Vaani project is a significant step towards inclusive tribal empowerment and the preservation of linguistic diversity in India, aligning with national missions like Digital India and Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.

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