Prelims Focus 24th November 2025

24/11/2025

79 3 minutes read

Sangai Festival

In News: The Sangai Festival in Manipur was inaugurated in the face of outcry by internally displaced people and non-governmental organizations who maintained that the government must resolve the current ethnic issue of Kuki-Zo-Meitei before conducting tourism fests.

Sangai Festival is an annual festival of the rich tradition and culture of Manipur that took place in Manipur between 21-30 November since 2010.
It is given the name of the Sangai deer, which is a rare animal.
The festival features a rich array of activities like Manipuri arts and classical dances such as Ras Leela, folk dances such as Kabui Naga dance and Bamboo dance, martial arts performed by the natives such as Thang-Ta and native sports such as Yubi Lakpi and Sagol Kangjei (modern polo).

Geological Survey of India (GSI)

In News: The Union Minister of Coal and Mines inaugurated the International Seminar by the name of Unearthing the Past, Shaping the Future: 175 Years of GSI as a part of the Geological Survey of India (GSI) 175 th Foundation Year celebrations.

Background: Geological Survey of India is an organization dedicated to mapping and investigating the geology of India.
Geological Survey of India (GSI), is the leading national geoscientific agency in India, under the Ministry of Mines, and was formally established in 1851 by Sir Thomas Oldham.
In India, geological work dates back to the early 1800s, when the Survey of India and army officials started surveying the country.
Geological Survey of India was the name of a project that was carried out in the year 1848 during coal exploration, under the direction of John McClelland.
GSI under Oldham grew to include more than coal as its interest, systematic geological mapping of surface and underground rock structures in India, using methods like identification of fossil indexes (then dating by radiometric methods was still unavailable).

South India Natural Farming Summit 2025

In News: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the South India Natural Farming Summit 2025 in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. The summit, held from November 19 to 21, aims to promote sustainable, chemical-free agricultural practices rooted in traditional Indian methods. The event brought together over 50,000 farmers, agricultural scientists, startups, industry partners, and innovators from South Indian states to showcase the potential of natural farming.

Key features of the summit included the following:

Emphasis on natural farming methods such as the use of Panchagavya, Jeevamrit, Beejamrit, and mulching to improve soil health, reduce costs, and promote chemical-free crops.
Recognition of South India, especially Tamil Nadu, as a growing hub for natural and organic farming, with around 35,000 hectares under such practices.
Release of the 21st installment of the PM-KISAN scheme, transferring ₹18,000 crore to nearly 9 crore farmers across India.
Promotion of crop diversification and integrated farming practices to revive soil fertility and protect biodiversity.
Encouragement for farmers to adopt the “one acre, one season” natural farming model and for research institutions to treat farms as living laboratories for advancing science-based natural agriculture.
Highlighting the role of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and state governments in creating farmer clusters, value addition, processing facilities, and online market linkages.

Transneuron

In News: A new artificial neuron has been developed that uses electrical pulses to process information in a manner similar to biological brain neurons.

This device, called a “transneuron,” can replicate the electrical firing patterns of neurons from different brain areas such as those involved in vision, movement, and planning, with up to 100% accuracy.
Unlike conventional artificial neurons that perform a single task, this transneuron can switch between multiple functional roles by adjusting electrical parameters.
The key to this technology is a nanoscale memristor within the transneuron that physically changes in response to electrical currents, allowing it to alter its behavior dynamically without software intervention.
This memristor-based system enables the transneuron to process information like living neurons, responding differently based on the timing and combination of input signals.
This breakthrough paves the way for more brain-like computing hardware that could lead to energy-efficient, faster computers and robots capable of adapting and sensing their environment much like biological organisms.
Researchers see potential applications in advanced robotics, artificial sensory systems, and neuromorphic computing where machines mimic cognitive functions of the brain.