Prelims Focus 6th June 2025

Chenab Railway Bridge

In News: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Chenab Railway Bridge on June 6, 2025, in Jammu and Kashmir. 

• This bridge is the world’s highest railway arch bridge, standing 359 meters above the Chenab River, taller than the Eiffel Tower. 
• It is a crucial part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, which aims to provide all-weather rail connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of India. 
• The bridge spans 1,315 meters and is engineered to withstand severe seismic activity and high wind speeds, showcasing India’s advanced infrastructure capabilities in challenging Himalayan terrain.
• The inauguration of the Chenab Bridge completes a 42-year-old project, fulfilling a century-old dream of linking Kashmir to India’s national railway network. 
• This rail link significantly reduces travel time and enhances connectivity, trade, tourism, and economic development in the region. 
• Alongside the Chenab Bridge, PM Modi also flagged off two Vande Bharat Express trains between Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Srinagar and inaugurated India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge at Anji Khad, further boosting infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir.

Niveshak Shivir

In News: The Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA), under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, in collaboration with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), launched the first “Niveshak Shivir” on June 1, 2025, in Pune. 

• This initiative aims to empower investors by providing a one-stop solution to resolve issues related to unclaimed dividends and shares, update KYC and nomination details, and facilitate faster settlement of claims—all under one roof.
• The event saw participation from over 450 investors and claimants from Pune and nearby regions. 
• It featured nineteen dedicated kiosks staffed by trained officials to guide investors through the entire claim process, including on-the-spot KYC updates, nomination additions, and assistance in filling out claim forms such as IEPF-5.
• A key objective of the Niveshak Shivir is to eliminate intermediaries by fostering direct interactions between investors, companies, and Registrars and Transfer Agents (RTAs), thereby providing immediate grievance redressal and minimizing risks of fraud and misinformation. 
• The initiative also included the presence of Market Infrastructure Institutions (MIIs), Depositories, and Depository Participants to demystify processes like dematerialization of physical shares and IEPF claim filing.

Ice Breaker Missile

In News: The Indian Air Force (IAF) is considering the purchase of Israel’s advanced air-launched cruise missile, the ‘Ice Breaker.’

• • It is a long-range, self sufficient, precision-guided weapon device.
  • It was developed via Israeli protection business enterprise Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
  • Compatible with multiple air and floor structures, it offers widespread flexibility in operational deployment.
  • It is suitable for jet warring parties, light attack aircraft, and helicopters as well as small maritime vessels and ground vehicles.

• Features:

• • It’s about four meters long, weighs much less than 400 kg, and might hit targets up to 300 km away at high subsonic speeds, wearing a 250 lb warhead.
  • It uses a really advanced electro-optical seeker that could “see” in all weather conditions.
  • It is loaded with synthetic intelligence that enables it to understand goals and guarantees it only engages antagonistic ones.

Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary

In News: Recently, experts from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, have collared three endangered fishing cats (Prionailurus viverrinus) for the first time in India to observe different factors including home range, behaviour, breeding and prey patterns of the species, in the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS).

• It is part of the Godavari estuary, in which the Coringa river confluences into the Bay of Bengal within the Kakinada district of Andhra Pradesh.
• About 40% of the sanctuary is best sea-backwaters and the relaxation of the place is intermingled with creeks and receives inundation with tidal waters.
• Vegetation: It has vast mangrove and dry deciduous tropical forests. It is the second-biggest stretch of mangrove forests in India.
• Flora: Mangrove vegetation like Rhizophora spp, Avicennia spp, Sonnertia spp, and so forth; develop here.
• Fauna: It is home to endangered mammals like Smooth Indian otter, Fishing cat, Jackal, etc. And also home to birds like Black capped kingfisher, Brahminy kite, Sea gulls, Reef heron, Sandpiper, and so on.
  • The coastline of the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary is a breeding ground for Olive ridley turtles.

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