Content :

1. The Indian Monsoon: Nature’s Pulse and Nation’s Lifeline
2. Nationwide Financial Inclusion Saturation Campaign sees a Significant Progress

The Indian Monsoon: Nature’s Pulse and Nation’s Lifeline

What is the Indian Monsoon?

• Derived from Arabic “Mausim“, meaning season.
• Seasonal reversal of winds due to differential heating of land and sea.
• Summer: Low pressure over land → Moist air from sea → Rainfall.
• Winter: High pressure over land → Dry offshore winds → Retreating monsoon.

Relevance : GS 1(Geography )

Types of Monsoon

• Southwest Monsoon (June–Sept)
• Brings 75% of India’s total rainfall.
• Vital for agriculture (esp. rice, cotton, sugarcane).
• Two branches: Arabian Sea & Bay of Bengal.
• Orographic rainfall prominent in Western Ghats & NE India.

• Northeast Monsoon (Oct–Dec)
• Retreating monsoon; winds from land to sea.
• Key for Tamil Nadu and SE coast (rain-shadow regions).
• Moisture gained over Bay of Bengal → Rains in south India.

Key Climatic Drivers

• Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)
• Shifts northwards in summer → Triggers SW monsoon.
• Shifts south in winter → Causes NE monsoon.
• Forms monsoon trough → Responsible for cloud bursts and active spells.

• El Niño
• Warming of Pacific waters → Weak monsoon → Drought risk.
• 7 out of 16 El Niño years post-1950 showed below-normal rainfall.

• La Niña
• Cooling of Pacific waters → Stronger monsoon → Flood risks.
• Helps rain-fed farming but may trigger crop damage in excess.
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Distribution & Variability of Rainfall

• Annual average rainfall: ~125 cm, with wide regional variation.
• >400 cm/year in Western Ghats & NE Hills (e.g., Mawsynram).
• <60 cm/year in western Rajasthan, Ladakh, and rain-shadow areas.
• Monsoon variability:
  • Sub-seasonal: Active-break cycles.
  • Interannual: Linked to ENSO.
  • Decadal/Centennial: Observed long-term shifts.

Economic Significance

• 64% of Indians depend on agriculture.
• 45% of farmland is rainfed → Highly vulnerable.
• Good monsoon → GDP growth, rural demand, low inflation.
• Poor monsoon → Crop failure, inflation, distress migration.

Recent Monsoon Trends (2021–2024)

• IMD’s forecasts were accurate (within ±5% of LPA).
• 2024 rainfall: 934.8 mm (108% of LPA) – well distributed.
• 78% districts received normal to excess rainfall.
• Monthly trend (2024):
  • June: 89% of LPA
  • July: 109%
  • August: 115%
  • September: 112%

Climate Change & Monsoon

• Shift in rainfall geography:
  • ↓ Kerala, NE & East-Central India
  • ↑ Rajasthan, Maharashtra, North Karnataka
• Extreme Rain Events ↑ by 75% (1950–2015).
• Dry Spells ↑ by 27% (1981–2011 vs. 1951–1980).
• July rainfall declining, September gaining.
• 50% of monsoon rain now occurs in just 20–30 hours.

Role of IMD (India Meteorological Department)

• Established: 1875; under Ministry of Earth Sciences.
• Key roles:
  • Seasonal forecasts (April & June updates).
  • District-wise rainfall tracking.
  • Cyclone early warning & disaster management.

Achievements

• 100% forecast accuracy (2021–24).
• Cyclone death toll: ↓ from 10,000 (1999) to zero (2020–24).
• Radar network ↑ from 15 (2014) → 39 (2023).
• Technological innovations:
  • HRRR & EWRF models.
  • Mausamgram portal launched in Jan 2024.

Mission Mausam (Launched: Sept 2024)

• Goal: Make India weather-ready & climate-smart.
• Merged with PRITHVI’s ACROSS scheme.
• Nine verticals:
  • OBSERVE_All, DEVELOP, IMPACT, FRONTIER, ATCOMP, DECIDE, Weather_MOD, LEAD, NEAT.
• Focus areas:
  • Extreme weather prediction, AI/ML integration, public-private partnerships.

Lightning Strikes: A Rising Concern

• One strike can carry up to 1 billion volts.
• Heat > 35,000°F – hotter than the Sun’s surface.
• ↑ frequency in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab; no longer limited to NE India.
• IITM & NRSC data confirm trend shift.

 Conclusion

• Monsoon = economic engine + ecological rhythm + cultural soul.
• Forecasting advances, policy readiness, and scientific missions like Mission Mausam enhance resilience.
• But climate variability demands constant vigilance, innovation, and adaptation.

Nationwide Financial Inclusion Saturation Campaign sees a Significant Progress

Campaign Overview

• Launched by: Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance
• Duration: 1st July – 30th September 2025 (3 months)
• Goal: Achieve saturation-level coverage of financial inclusion schemes across 2.7 lakh Gram Panchayats (GPs) & Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)
• Focus Schemes:
  • PM Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY)
  • PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY)
  • PM Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY)
  • Atal Pension Yojana (APY)

Relevance : GS 3(Banking ) , GS 2(Governance)

Progress So Far (As of 15 July 2025)

• Camps organized: 43,447 across districts
• Progress data compiled for: 31,305 camps
• Objective: Boost enrolment, update KYC/nomination, improve financial literacy

Key Achievements

• Banking Access
• New PMJDY Accounts opened: 1,39,291
• KYC Re-verified:
  • PMJDY Accounts: 96,383
  • Other Savings Accounts: 1,01,778
• Nomination Updates:
  • PMJDY: 66,494
  • Other Accounts: 63,489

• Social Security Enrolments
• PMJJBY: 1,83,225 new enrolments
• PMSBY: 2,88,714
• Atal Pension Yojana (APY): 67,668
• Claims Settled (PMJJBY + PMSBY): 1,665

Financial Literacy Drives

• Topics Covered:
  • Digital fraud awareness
  • Access to unclaimed deposits
  • Grievance redressal mechanisms

Strategic Importance

• Aims to eliminate financial exclusion at the last mile.
• Empowers marginalized & rural populations via access to:
  • Savings & insurance products
  • Pension benefits
  • Affordable credit and digital banking
• Reinforces SDG Goal 1 (No Poverty) and Goal 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

Broader Vision

• Builds upon India’s Financial Inclusion architecture since 2014.
• Complements Digital India, Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile (JAM) Trinity, and Social Security for All.
• Supports inclusive growth by integrating the unbanked, uninsured, and unpensioned into the formal financial system.