Current Affairs - State

The Union Cabinet has approved the development of a 46.7 km four-lane highway between Paramakudi and Ramanathapuram in the state of Tamil Nadu, under the National Highway-87 (NH-87). The project, with an outlay of ₹1,853 crore, is set to be executed through the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM). This initiative aims to reduce traffic congestion, improve safety standards, and promote socio-economic development in the region. With rising traffic volume and increased tourism towards Rameshwaram and Dhanushkodi, the infrastructure upgrade is critical. It will also generate significant employment—over 18 lakh person-days—contributing to regional and national development goals.

In 2022, Sikkim recorded the highest proportion of certified deaths from digestive diseases, accounting for nearly 20% of all deaths in the state. This significant figure places it at the top among Indian states, highlighting the alarming regional disparities in liver and digestive health outcomes. The Northeastern region of India, including states like Nagaland, Assam, and Manipur, shows a distinct trend of elevated digestive disease mortality, with five states crossing the 10% threshold. Factors such as high rates of alcohol and meat consumption in the region are believed to be contributing to these trends, emphasizing the need for targeted public health interventions.

The Male Mahadeshwara Hills (MM Hills) Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in Karnataka's Chamarajanagar district, bordering Tamil Nadu. Declared a sanctuary in 2013, it forms a crucial tiger corridor connecting Karnataka's BRT Tiger Reserve and Tamil Nadu's Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve. Karnataka, which has India's second-highest tiger population (563), may get its third tiger reserve if MM Hills is upgraded. The sanctuary's diverse ecosystems support tigers, elephants and indigenous Soliga communities, though recent tiger deaths highlight growing human-wildlife conflicts in this ecologically sensitive zone bordering two states.

Kolhapuri chappals, renowned for their handcrafted leather craftsmanship, are a traditional footwear style originating from Maharashtra. These chappals have been in use since the 12th century and are typically made by local artisan communities using unique methods like applying black mud paste (kala mitti) to hold leather layers and employing decorative techniques such as chaprega. Their cultural and historical significance was officially recognized in 2019 when they received Geographical Indication (GI) status, affirming their association with a specific region and traditional craftsmanship. Maharashtra remains the primary hub for the creation of authentic Kolhapuri chappals.

As of early June 2025, India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has overtaken Visa in daily transaction volumes, recording over 650 million transactions per day compared to Visa’s global daily average of 640 million. This marks a historic moment where a homegrown digital payments system from an emerging economy outpaces one of the largest international card networks. UPI’s rapid growth can be attributed to its real-time, zero-cost model, increasing smartphone and internet usage, deeper rural adoption, and merchant integration across various scales. Innovations like offline payments and credit-based UPI services, it is reshaping the global payments ecosystem.