Under India's 'MANAV Vision' for artificial intelligence unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2026, what does the acronym 'MANAV' officially stand for?

D. Moral and Ethical Systems, Accountable Governance, National Sovereignty, Accessible and Inclusive, Valid and Legitimate Systems

A. Machine Learning, Automation, Network Security, Analytics, and Verification

B. Mission for AI, National Access, Autonomous Vehicles, and Vigilance

C. Modern Algorithms, National Architecture, Advanced Vision, and Validation

D. Moral and Ethical Systems, Accountable Governance, National Sovereignty, Accessible and Inclusive, Valid and Legitimate Systems

At which international summit held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi in February 2026 was the MANAV Vision framework officially proclaimed?

A. Global Partnership on AI (GPAI) Summit

B. World Economic Forum Global Technology Retreat

D. Raisina Science and Technology Conclave

Which multilateral financial institution is co-financing the centrally sponsored 'SANKALP' scheme implemented in Bihar for strengthening district skill architecture?

A. Asian Development Bank (ADB)

B. International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Which wetland in Uttar Pradesh was designated as India's 99th Ramsar Site of international importance in April 2026?

A. Shekha Jheel Bird Sanctuary, Aligarh

B. Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary, Sant Kabir Nagar

C. Sur Sarovar Bird Sanctuary, Agra

Which biomedical mechanism allows the experimental smart cancer drug 'RK-251', developed by IASST and IIT Guwahati, to selectively destroy tumor cells?

A. Activation by high levels of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) to release NBDHEX

B. Direct targeted monoclonal antibody radiation

C. Inhibition of cellular glucose uptake via insulin blockade

D. Nanobubble thermal ablation of tumor membranes

In which high-altitude valley did the ONGC Energy Centre commission India's first two deep exploratory geothermal wells under the National Geothermal Energy Policy 2025?

C. Parbati Valley, Himachal Pradesh

According to the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), which three nations accounted for approximately 77% of India's makhana exports following the issuance of a dedicated HSN code?

B. United States of America, Canada, and United Arab Emirates

A. United Kingdom, Germany, and France

B. United States of America, Canada, and United Arab Emirates

C. Australia, Japan, and Singapore

D. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar

Back to BPSC Current Affairs

BPSC Bihar Special • Current Affairs28 September 2026

Bihar Current Affairs: MANAV Vision AI Framework, Sankalp Yojana Bihar, Shekha Jheel & Glaw Lake Ramsar Sites

Source: MeitY / Ministry of Skill Development / MoEFCC / NITI Aayog•Exam Target: BPSC 71st & 72nd CCE Prelims

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BPSC 72nd Special Dossier — Track B, Day 2

1. MANAV Vision: India’s Human-Centric AI Governance Framework

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Historic Unveiling: On 19 February 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled India's landmark MANAV Vision at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

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Core Philosophy: Establishes an indigenous, human-centric framework for Artificial Intelligence (AI), ensuring technology serves human dignity rather than unchecked monopolistic surveillance.

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The 5 Foundational Pillars of MANAV:

M — Moral and Ethical Systems: AI must be built on ethics, fairness, transparency, and human oversight (aligned with NEP 2020 AI ethics).

A — Accountable Governance: Transparent regulatory norms, strict algorithmic oversight, and institutional liability backed by the ₹10,300+ crore IndiaAI Mission.

N — National Sovereignty: Affirming "Whose Data, Their Rights"—retaining sovereign jurisdiction over data, computing architecture, and algorithms via the India Semiconductor Mission.

A — Accessible and Inclusive: Democratizing AI as a societal force-multiplier rather than a corporate monopoly through MeghRaj GI Cloud, IndiaAI Compute Portal, and IndiaAI Kosh.

V — Valid and Legitimate Systems: Ensuring AI outputs are legally verifiable, tamper-proof, and resilient against deepfakes, supported by the IT Amendment Rules 2026.

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Global Milestone: India registered a Guinness World Record with over 2.5 lakh citizens taking the Responsible AI Pledge. External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar presented the MANAV doctrine at the UN in July 2026.

2. SANKALP Scheme in Bihar: Decentralized Skill Architecture

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Full Form: Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion.

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Institutional Genesis: Centrally sponsored scheme launched in January 2018 by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), supported by a World Bank loan of ₹3,300 crore (out of a ₹4,455 crore outlay).

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Operational Scope in Bihar: Implemented through the Bihar Skill Development Mission (BSDM) and District Skill Committees (DSCs) across all 38 districts.

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Core Mandate:

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Institutional strengthening of State Skill Development Missions and DSCs.

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Quality assurance in short-term vocational training programs.

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Sponsoring the Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship (MGNF) to deploy young professionals at district administrative levels.

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Targeted inclusion of women, SC/ST youth, and persons with disabilities.

3. Wetlands Conservation: Shekha Jheel & Glaw Lake Ramsar Sites

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Shekha Jheel Bird Sanctuary (Uttar Pradesh):

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Designated as India's 99th Ramsar Site in April 2026 by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav.

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Located in Koil Tehsil, Aligarh District; covering approximately 25–40 hectares.

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Origin: Formed in 1852 during the excavation of the Upper Ganga Canal; notified as a wildlife sanctuary in 2016 under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

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Biodiversity: Crucial staging point on the Central Asian Flyway (CAF), recognized as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) by BirdLife International, hosting over 249 bird species including the state bird Sarus Crane (Grus antigone).

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Glaw Lake / Glow Lake (Arunachal Pradesh):

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Declared India's 101st Ramsar Site in August 2026, marking Arunachal Pradesh’s very first Ramsar site.

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Nestled at 1,168 meters altitude in Lohit District inside the Kamlang Tiger Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary.

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Freshwater perennial lake feeding the Kamlang River; sanctuary to four big cats (Bengal tiger, common leopard, clouded leopard, snow leopard) and the critically endangered White-bellied Heron.

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National Ramsar Standing: India ranks 1st in South Asia and 3rd globally (behind UK and Mexico) in Ramsar designated sites, with Tamil Nadu leading nationally.

4. 10 Years of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 2015–2025)

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Milestone: The year 2025 marked one full decade of the UN 2030 Agenda adopted on 25 September 2015 (17 Goals, 169 Targets).

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Core Guiding Tenet: "Leave No One Behind".

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India's Global Standing (SDR 2025): According to the 10th Sustainable Development Report 2025 by the UN SDSN, India achieved the 99th rank among 167 nations with a score of 67.0—breaking into the global Top 100 for the first time.

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Domestic Monitoring: Monitored indigenously since 2018 via NITI Aayog's SDG India Index.

5. Bihar Critical Minerals & Rare Earth Elements (REE) Mapping

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Seven Mineral-Rich Districts Identified by GSI & Mining Department:

Gaya: Nickel, Chromium, Palladium, Platinum Group of Elements (PGE), and REE pegmatites.

Rohtas: Glauconite (Potash fertilizer mineral) and Pyrite reserves.

Banka: Copper, Lead, Cobalt, and Aluminium deposits.

Bhagalpur: Lanthanum, Cerium, Titanium, and Chromite-bearing magnetite blocks.

Nawada: Vanadium and Ilmenite (critical aerospace metals).

Jamui: Magnetite iron ore and strategic metals.

Jehanabad: Magnetite and REE associated minerals.

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Strategic Imperative: Global REE mining is ~70% monopolized by China; domestic discoveries insulate India’s EV battery, defense electronics, and semiconductor supply chains.

6. Health & Biotech: RK-251 "Smart" Cancer Drug

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Innovators: Jointly synthesized by the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST, Guwahati) under DST and IIT Guwahati.

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Mechanism: Triggered selectively by elevated Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) within malignant cells to release the potent antineoplastic compound NBDHEX, starving tumors while sparing healthy cells. Validated on triple-negative breast cancer lines and zebrafish embryo models.

7. National Makhana Board & Agro-Economy

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Superfood Identity: Makhana (Euryale ferox / Fox Nut) edible seed is low-glycemic, rich in protein, magnesium, and essential amino acids.

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Bihar's Hegemony: Produces ~75% of India's and 80–85% of the world's makhana, predominantly in Mithila and the Kosi Basin (Supaul, Saharsa, Madhepura).

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Policy Interventions:

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Formal launch of the National Makhana Board on 15 September 2025 in Bihar.

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Central Sector Scheme with an outlay of ₹476.03 crore (2025–26 to 2030–31).

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Introduction of dedicated Harmonized System of Nomenclature (HSN) codes by DGFT; primary export destinations are the USA (40%), Canada (20%), and UAE (17%).

8. Energy & Diplomacy: National Geothermal Policy & Farakka Treaty 2026

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National Geothermal Energy Policy 2025: Notified 15 September 2025 by MNRE. ONGC commissioned two 1,000m geothermal wells in Ladakh's Puga Valley (14,000 ft altitude) for a 1 MW demonstration project. GSI assesses India's geothermal potential at 10.6 GW across 10 provinces (Himalayan, SONATA, Cambay, etc.).

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Farakka Ganges Water Sharing Treaty (1996–2026): Signed on 12 December 1996 by H.D. Deve Gowda and Sheikh Hasina, the 30-year treaty expires in December 2026. Governs dry season flows (1 Jan to 31 May) in 10-day cycles at Murshidabad, West Bengal.

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