Prelims Focus 8th September 2026

Vibrant Villages Programme

In News: The Vibrant Village Programme (VVP) is bringing the border villages into the mainstream of development in India through infrastructure development, livelihood improvement, and provision of access to government schemes.

• Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP) was inaugurated in 2023 and aims to accelerate the development of the targeted villages on the border with India in an integrated manner.
• Its mission is to create active, secure, and prosperous frontier towns and considers the people on the frontier as eyes and ears of the border-guiding forces.
• It is being put in place with Village Action Plans, which have been tailored to the needs of each border, state and village. 
• It is based on a convergence approach to ensure optimum coverage of ongoing government projects and all-weather road connectivity is provided under PMGSY-IV. 

National Commission for Safai Karamcharis

In News: The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment has made the appointment of the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and Members of the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK).

• • National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) was established in August 1994 as a statutory organisation under the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis Act, 1993, for an initial three-year term. 
  • It is continued as a non-statutory entity in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. 

• Functions and Mandate

• • It is being set up for Safai Karamcharis for the betterment of their care, dignity, safety, and socio-economic welfare. 
  • It advocates welfare policies for removing inequities, reviews rehabilitation schemes, inquires into grievances, initiates action on matters where welfare policies are not being implemented, and monitors working conditions, health, safety and wage levels.
  • It also presents reports and recommendations to the Central and State Governments on the problems encountered by the Safai Karamcharis. 
  • It is responsible for the implementation of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013

Roadmap to make India drug-free by 2029

In News: Union Home Minister presented a three-year plan for making India drug-free by 2029.

• The roadmap is based on four pillars. 
• There are four types of enforcement: intelligence and operations; precursor and synthetic drugs control; demand and harm reduction; capacity building and coordination. 
• Risk-based profiling and the installation of scanners at the land borders, ports, airports,s and cargo will be done by BSF, CISF, Indian Coast Guard, Customs, and DRI for a sharper look. 
• The CBI, Ministry of External Affairs and Interpol will bring back the fugitives. 
• The money trail will be followed by the Enforcement Directorate, Financial Intelligence Unit and the banking system.

Cell Broadcast System (CBS)

In News: The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT) has resumed India’s indigenous Cell Broadcast System (CBS) following a brief pause caused by an early testing glitch. Developed in collaboration with the  National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)  and the Ministry of Home Affairs, the system sends near real-time, geo-targeted emergency warnings directly to mobile devices during natural disasters and extreme weather. 

How CBS Works 

• Geo-Targeting: Bypasses individual phone numbers; alerts broadcast directly from local cell towers to all active mobile devices within a specific high-risk or disaster zone. 
• No Congestion Delays: Operates independently of standard point-to-point SMS queues, ensuring messages go through even during severe network traffic congestion. 
• High Visibility: Displays urgent pop-up warning notifications accompanied by a loud, distinctive audio-visual siren, even if devices are set to silent. 
• Multi-Vendor Compatibility: C-DOT developed 300–350 software adapters to ensure compatibility across multiple telecom vendors and network generations spanning legacy 2G up to modern 5G architectures. 

Rajasthan’s Shekhawati Region

In News: The state government announced that the fresco-adorned havelis of Rajasthan’s Shekhawati region have been added to  UNESCO’s Tentative List, marking a key milestone toward earning full World Heritage status for these open-air art galleries. 

Included Locations 

• 14 Towns Covered: Alsisar, Bisau, Chirawa, Churu, Dunglod, Fatehpur, Jhunjhunu, Khetri, Laxmangarh, Mandawa, Mahansar, Nawalgarh, Ramgarh and Sikar.
• Geographical Spread : Spans across the Sikar , Jhunjhunu , and Churu districts in northeastern Rajasthan . 

Architectural and Artistic Significance 

• Fresco Art: Their walls and facades are covered with vibrant murals depicting mythological themes, everyday life, social customs and contemporary events.
• Open-Air Galleries: Built largely by wealthy 19th- and early 20th-century Marwari merchants, the mansions feature unique details like ornate gateways, courtyards, and painted historical records. 

Significance of the Listing 

• Process: Inclusion on the tentative list is a vital prerequisite before an asset can be formally nominated for the official UNESCO World Heritage List. 
• Impact: Expected to boost international heritage tourism, improve local conservation, and drive sustainable management of these historic structures. 

Download as PDF