UPSC Prelims Current Affairs for 19 November 2025

About National Institute of Indian Medical Heritage (NIIMH):

• The NIIMH, formerly known as the National Center of Indian Medical Heritage (NCIMH), provides resource materials for historians, scientists, and other workers who are interested in studying and documenting the historical aspects of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Homoeopathy, and Sowa Rigpa (AYUSH), along with Modern Medicine.
• It came into existence as the Upgraded Department of History of Medicine from 26-09-1956 under the Govt. of Andhra Pradesh and was handed over to Govt. of India on 14-02-1969 due to its national and international importance.
• The institute is functioning under the administrative control of the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India.
• This Institute, which is only of its kind in South East / Asia is located in Dilsuknagar, Hyderabad.
• Mandate:
  • Literary Research and Documentation
  • Revival and retrieval of texts from Ancient manuscripts and rare books
  • Search and Collection of information, descriptive notes, editing and publication of rare medical manuscripts/books on AYUSH.
  • Documentation
  • Ayurveda Encyclopedia
  • Museum on History of Medicine
  • Referral library on AYUSH Systems of Medicine and modern medicine.
  • AYUSH Research Portal
  • CCRAS-Research Management Information System
  • National AYUSH Morbidity and Standardized Terminoligies Electronic - Portal.
  • Development of W.H.O International Terminologies of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani.
  • Development of SNOMED CT National Extension for Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani.
• It has global access owing to its enormous collection of research materials on History of Medicine.
• The institute has aMedico-Historical Library, Museum and Documentation section.
• The Institute's library is unique with collection of more than 10,000 books, which include very rare publications date back to 15th century on History of Medicine & allied subjects in various languages and serving to medical fraternity as research referral centre.
• It has complete collection of standard National & International Journal on History of Medicine since its inception. 
• The institute also publishes the Journal of Indian Medical Heritage.

Q1: What is WHO-Collaborating Centre (CC)?

By definition, a WHO collaborating centre is an institution designated by the Director-General of WHO to form part of an international collaborative network set up by WHO in support of its programme at the country, intercountry, regional, interregional and global levels. In line with the WHO policy and strategy of technical cooperation, a WHO collaborating centre also participates in the strengthening of country resources, in terms of information, services, research and training, in support of national health development.Designation is made with the agreement of the head of the establishment to which the institution is attached or with that of the director of the institution, if it is independent, and after consultation with the national government.

Sources: WHO collaborates with Hyderabad-based NIIMH for traditional medicine research

About the Vice President of India

• Constitutional status: The Vice President holds the position of the second-highest constitutional office in India, after the President.
  • Article 63 of the Constitution mandates the existence of the Vice President's office.
  • The Vice President of India serves a dual role, modelled on the lines of the American Vice President.
• Eligibility criteria: According to Article 66 of the Constitution, a person must meet the following conditions to be eligible for the office of Vice President:
  • The candidate must be an Indian citizen.
  • The individual must be at least 35 years of age.
  • The candidate must be qualified to be elected as a member of the Rajya Sabha.
  • The candidate must not hold any office of profit under the Union, state government, or any local or public authority.

Election Process

• The Vice President is elected through a proportional representation system by an electoral college that includes both elected and nominated members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. This differs from the Presidential election process, which also includes state legislative assemblies.
• The election is conducted using a single transferable vote system, and voting is carried out by secret ballot.
• Any doubts or disputes regarding the election of the Vice President are adjudicated by the Supreme Court, and its decision is final.

Tenure and Removal

• Tenure: The Vice President serves a five-year term, starting from the date they assume office.
  • The Vice President can continue in office until a successor takes charge, even after the completion of the term.
  • The Vice President is eligible for re-election.
• Resignation: The Vice President can resign by submitting a formal resignation letter to the President of India.
• Removal process: According to Article 67(b), the Vice President can be removed through a resolution passed by the Rajya Sabha with an effective majority (majority of all the then members).
  • This resolution must also be agreed to by the Lok Sabha with a simple majority.
  • A 14-day notice is required before moving the resolution.

Q1: What is impeachment?

Impeachment is the process by which the President of India can be removed from office for "violation of the Constitution." It is a quasi-judicial procedure initiated by Parliament, requiring a special majority in both Houses after thorough investigation and discussion.

News: Opposition moves resolution to remove Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar from office - The Hindu

About Analogue Space Mission: 

• The Analogue space missions are simulated missions conducted on Earth that mimic the conditions and challenges of actual space exploration.
• These missions are crucial for testing technologies, studying human behaviour, and preparing for future long-duration space flights.
• Aim: It aims to replicate the living conditions astronauts would face on missions to destinations like the Moon, Mars, or asteroids.
• Objective: To replicate conditions of living in an interplanetary habitat, tackling the potential obstacles that astronauts may face on future deep-space missions.
• They provide a controlled environment to study the physical and psychological effects of isolation and confinement, which are critical for understanding how humans will cope with extended space travel. 
• It will attempt to simulate life in an interplanetary habitat to tackle the challenges of a base station beyond Earth.
• India's mission is a joint effort which involves the Human Spaceflight Centre of ISRO, AAKA Space Studio, the University of Ladakh, IIT Bombay, and is backed by the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council.
• Throughout the mission, participants will conduct activities to simulate life on another planet, such as habitat design testing, resource management research, and psychological studies on isolation's impact on crew members.
• Significance
  • It serves as platforms for testing new technologies and operational concepts. They help in evaluating systems related to habitat design, life support, in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU), and crew health monitoring.
  • It aligns with India’s larger goal of advancing its human spaceflight and interplanetary exploration capabilities, including the Gaganyaan project, which seeks to send Indian astronauts into space.
• Examples of Analogue Missions
  • Nasa's NEEMO: Conducted underwater to simulate microgravity conditions, allowing crews to perform tasks similar to those expected in space.
  • SIRIUS Program (UAE): It focuses on understanding the psychological impacts of isolation during long-duration missions. It includes international collaborations to conduct various scientific experiments.
  • Arctic Mars analogue Svalbard Expedition (AMASE): Uses the Svalbard archipelago's extreme environments to test equipment and procedures relevant to Mars exploration.

Q1: What is Gaganyaan Mission?

Gaganyaan project envisages demonstration of human spaceflight capability by launching a crew of 3 members to an orbit of 400 km for a 3 days mission and bring them back safely to earth. It is part of the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme (IHSP), which was initiated (in 2007) by the ISRO to develop the technology needed to launch crewed orbital spacecraft into low earth orbit (LEO).

News: Simulating extraterrestrial life: Isro's analogue mission begins in Ladakh

About Gram Panchayat-Level Weather Forecasting initiative: 

• The initiative is developed in collaboration between the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) and the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
• It is aimed at “empowering rural communities and enhancing disaster preparedness at the grassroots, and will benefit farmers and villagers across the country”.
• The initiative will provide Gram Panchayats with a five-day weather forecast and hourly updates, enabling rural communities to better plan agricultural activities and prepare for weather-related risks.
• It will deliver weather updates via e-GramSwaraj, the Meri Panchayat app, and Gram Manchitra portals. e-GramSwaraj is already operational.
  • Users can see data on the current temperature, wind speed, cloud cover (in percentage), rainfall, and relative humidity at the level of gram panchayats; five-day forecasts of minimum and maximum temperatures, rainfall, cloud cover, wind direction, and wind speed, and an overall weather forecast.
• Significance: It will “strengthen grassroots governance and promote sustainable agricultural practices, making rural populations more climate-resilient and better equipped to tackle environmental challenges”.

Q1: What is the India Meteorological Department (IMD)?

IMD was established in 1875. It is the National Meteorological Service of the country and the principal government agency in all matters relating to meteorology and allied subjects. The Director General of Meteorology is the Head of the India Meteorological Department.

News:Weather forecasts at panchayat level: what will be known, and how it will help

About SEHER Programme: 

• It is a comprehensive credit education program designed to enhance financial literacy and business skills among women entrepreneurs.
• This initiative is expected to enable women to access the financial tools necessary for business growth and job creation.
• It is an initiative of NITI Aayog's Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) and TransUnion CIBIL.
• This initiative supports WEP’s goal of improving financing access for women in India’s 63 million MSMEs.

Key facts about the Women Entrepreneurship Platform

• It was incubated in NITI Aayog in 2018 as an aggregator platform that transitioned as a public-private partnership in 2022 to build a comprehensive ecosystem supporting women entrepreneurs across India.
• WEP aims at empowering women entrepreneurs by overcoming information asymmetry and providing continuum of support across different pillars - Entrepreneurship promotion, Access to Finance; Market Linkages; Training and Skilling; Mentoring and Networking and Business Development Services.
• For this, WEP adopts a wide array of interventions with a focus on convergence and collaboration with existing stakeholders.

Q1: What is National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog?

It was formed via a resolution of the Union Cabinet on 1 January 2015. It was constituted to replace the Planning Commission - instituted in 1950. It is the premier policy think tank of the Government of India, providing directional and policy inputs.

Source: WEP and Transunion Cibil to collaborate to enhance financial literacy and business skills of women entrepreneurs

About Black hole Triple’ System:

• The system comprises a black hole at its centre, currently in the process of consuming a small star spiralling very close to it.
• There is also a second star, which appears to be circling the black hole but is actually far away.
• The discovery of the system, located about 8,000 light years away from Earth has raised questions about how black holes are formed.
• Many black holes discovered until now have been part of binary systems, consisting of a black hole and a secondary object (such as a star or another black hole).
• But the black hole triple not only has one star which orbits the black hole about every 6.5 days, but also a more far-off star which orbits it every 70,000 years.
• It is situated in the constellation of Cygnus, the system features one of the oldest known black holes, the V404 Cygni, which is nine times as big as the Sun in our solar system.
  • V404 Cygni has two stars around it as the black hole did not arise from a supernova, which typically kicks away outer stars in the explosion.
  • Instead, it was formed through another process called “direct collapse”, where the star caves in after expending all its fuel, but does not explode.

Q1: What is Black hole?

These are formed after the supernova explosion when the core of a massive dying star more than 2.5 times the mass of the Sun collapses until an infinite density where gravity is so high that even light cannot escape.

News:First ‘black hole triple’ system discovered: What does it mean?