Recently, the Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA), in collaboration with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), organised a “Niveshak Shivir” in Jaipur, aimed at enhancing investor awareness and financial literacy.

About Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority

The Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) was established in 2016 under the provisions of the Companies Act, 2013.
It functions as a statutory body dedicated to promoting investor awareness, education, and protection through continuous outreach programmes and strategic collaborations.

Purpose and Mandate

The primary purpose of IEPFA is to protect the interests of investors by ensuring greater transparency, awareness, and access to financial information.
It focuses on financial literacy, prevention of investor fraud, and facilitation of claims related to unclaimed financial assets.

Key Functions of IEPFA

IEPFA performs the following important functions:

• Management of the Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF).

• Refund of unclaimed shares, dividends, matured deposits, and debentures to rightful investors.

• Promotion of investor education and awareness to enable informed financial decision-making.

• Safeguarding investor interests by facilitating recovery of unclaimed assets and reducing instances of financial exploitation.

Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF)

The IEPF consists of amounts that have remained unclaimed for a period of seven years, including:

• Unpaid or unclaimed dividends

• Application money due for refund

• Matured deposits and debentures

• Interest earned on investments from the Fund

• Grants or donations received from the government or other entities

Nodal Ministry

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) is the nodal ministry responsible for overseeing the functioning of the IEPFA.

Major Initiatives of IEPFA

IEPFA implements several flagship initiatives to promote investor education:

• Niveshak Didi – Focuses on empowering women investors at the grassroots level.

• Niveshak Panchayat – Promotes financial awareness in rural and semi-urban areas.

• Niveshak Shivir – Provides on-ground assistance for investor grievance redressal and claim facilitation.

These initiatives aim to create a financially informed and aware citizenry.

Significance

IEPFA plays a crucial role in enhancing trust in financial markets, improving financial inclusion, and ensuring protection of small investors.
By returning unclaimed assets and spreading financial awareness, it strengthens India’s investor protection framework.

Recently, officials stated that the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) is gradually becoming fully operational and is currently handling around 45,000 data access requests per month, indicating its increasing use by intelligence and law-enforcement agencies.

About National Intelligence Grid

The National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) is a secure and integrated intelligence-sharing platform that allows authorised police and investigating agencies to access government and select private databases in real time.
It has been conceptualised as a seamless and secure repository of information related to terrorism, economic crimes, and serious security threats, aimed at strengthening India’s internal security framework.

Background and Establishment

The NATGRID project was conceptualised in 2009 following the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, which exposed serious gaps in intelligence coordination.
It was set up as an attached office of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) with effect from 1 December 2010.
After addressing technological and privacy-related concerns, NATGRID began its operations on 31 December 2020.

Agencies Authorized to Access NATGRID

Access to NATGRID is provided to key intelligence and enforcement agencies, including:

• Intelligence Bureau (IB)

• Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW)

• National Investigation Agency (NIA)

• Enforcement Directorate (ED)

• Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU)

• Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB)

• Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI)

Additionally, Superintendent of Police (SP) rank officers and above are authorised to access the system.

Operation and Functioning of NATGRID

NATGRID has been mandated to maintain a centralised repository of intelligence-related databases.
It functions as an integrated intelligence grid, connecting databases of core security and enforcement agencies of the Government of India.
The platform aggregates data related to:

• Immigration entry and exit records

• Banking and financial transactions

• Credit and debit card usage

• Telecommunication data

• Individual taxpayer information

• Air and railway travel records

NATGRID uses Big Data analytics and advanced data-mining tools to analyse large volumes of information, helping agencies identify patterns, track suspects, and generate actionable intelligence inputs.

Significance of NATGRID

NATGRID strengthens inter-agency coordination and real-time intelligence sharing, reducing information silos.
It enhances India’s capability to combat terrorism, organised crime, money laundering, and economic offences.
The platform supports technology-driven, evidence-based policing and investigations, making internal security responses more effective.

Recently, a stranded family of Hoolock gibbons was successfully rescued in the Lower Dibang Valley district of Arunachal Pradesh by forest and wildlife officials, highlighting ongoing conservation efforts for India’s only ape species.

About Hoolock Gibbon

Hoolock gibbons belong to the family of gibbons, which are the smallest and fastest of all apes.
They inhabit tropical and subtropical forests of Southeast Asia.
The hoolock gibbon is one of the 20 gibbon species found globally and holds special significance as the only ape species found in India.

Distribution of Hoolock Gibbon

• The species is distributed across India, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and southern China.

• In India, hoolock gibbons are found south of the Brahmaputra River in the states of:

  • Assam

  • Meghalaya

  • Arunachal Pradesh

  • Nagaland

  • Manipur

  • Mizoram

  • Tripura

• Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary (Assam) has the largest population of hoolock gibbons in the country.

Species Classification

• Western Hoolock Gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) – Found across most of Northeast India

• Eastern Hoolock Gibbon (Hoolock leuconedys) – Restricted to eastern Arunachal Pradesh

Key Characteristics

• Diurnal and arboreal, spending most of their life in trees

• Move primarily by brachiation using their long arms

• Monogamous, forming lifelong pair bonds

• Live in small family groups

• Communicate through loud vocalisations

• Average lifespan: around 25 years

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List

• Eastern Hoolock Gibbon: Vulnerable

• Western Hoolock Gibbon: Endangered

Legal Protection in India

• Both species are listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, providing the highest level of legal protection.

Threats (Value Addition)

• Habitat loss and fragmentation due to deforestation and infrastructure projects

• Forest fires and agricultural expansion

• Low reproductive rate due to monogamous behaviour and small family size

The Defence Minister recently dedicated 125 newly completed infrastructure projects of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to the nation. This event marked the highest number as well as the highest total value of BRO projects inaugurated in a single day, reflecting India’s accelerated push towards strengthening border infrastructure and strategic connectivity.

About the Border Roads Organisation (BRO)

Nature and Role

The Border Roads Organisation is a road construction executive force of India that provides critical infrastructure support to the Indian Armed Forces. It plays a vital role in ensuring strategic mobility, logistics support, and border area development. In 2015, the BRO was entirely brought under the Ministry of Defence.

Establishment and Objectives

The BRO was established on 7 May 1960 with the primary objective of securing India’s borders and developing infrastructure in remote and difficult regions, particularly in the northern and northeastern parts of the country. Its mandate includes enhancing both military preparedness and civilian connectivity in border areas.

Area of Operations

The BRO operates across 19 States and 3 Union Territories, including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It also undertakes infrastructure development in friendly neighbouring countries, such as Afghanistan, Bhutan, Myanmar, Tajikistan, and Sri Lanka, thereby contributing to regional cooperation and strategic outreach.

Core Functions

The organisation specialises in the construction and maintenance of:

• Roads

• Bridges

• Tunnels

• Airfields

• Marine infrastructure

These projects are executed in some of the world’s most challenging terrains, including high-altitude, snow-bound, desert, and jungle regions.

Operational and Strategic Importance

During national emergencies and armed conflicts, the BRO assumes an operational role by providing direct support to the Indian Army, particularly in maintaining roads in forward areas. It also supplies the workforce required for the rehabilitation of forward airfields of the Indian Air Force. Importantly, the BRO is included in the Order of Battle of the Armed Forces, ensuring its availability during wartime.

Administrative Structure

Border Roads Development Board (BRDB)

To ensure effective coordination and speedy execution of projects, the Government of India established the Border Roads Development Board (BRDB).

• The Prime Minister serves as the Chairman of the Board.

• The Defence Minister acts as the Deputy Chairman.

Leadership

The executive head of the Border Roads Organisation is the Director General of Border Roads (DGBR), who holds the rank of Lieutenant General.

Manpower and Workforce

Officers and personnel from the General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) form the parent cadre of the BRO. Additionally, officers and troops from the Indian Army’s Corps of Engineers are deputed to the organisation. The BRO also employs over two lakh local workers, providing livelihood opportunities in remote and border regions.

Motto

The motto of the Border Roads Organisation is “Shramena Sarvam Sadhyam”, which means “Everything is achievable through hard work.”

The family of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, the author and composer of “Vande Mataram”, recently appreciated the Prime Minister’s gesture to commemorate 150 years of India’s national song. The occasion highlighted Bankim Chandra’s enduring contribution to India’s freedom movement and cultural nationalism.

About Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay

Introduction

Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, also known as Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, was one of the greatest novelists, poets, and essayists of India. He is most renowned as the author of “Vande Mataram”, which later became the national song of India. He is widely regarded as the “Sahitya Samrat” (Emperor of Literature) in Bengali literature.

Early Life and Education

Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay was born on 27 June 1838 in Kantalpara village of the 24 Parganas district of Bengal. He was born into a family of a government official during British rule. He was among the first two graduates of the University of Calcutta and later obtained a degree in law.

Literary Career

Bankim Chandra began his literary career as a writer of verse, but later turned to fiction, where he made his most significant contributions.

• His first Bengali romance, “Durgeshnandini”, was published in 1865.

• He went on to write several influential novels that shaped modern Bengali prose.

Major Literary Works

Some of his notable novels include:

• Kapalkundala (1866)

• Mrinalini (1869)

• Vishbriksha (1873)

• Chandrasekhar (1877)

• Rajani (1877)

• Rajsimha (1881)

• Devi Chaudhurani (1884)

His most famous novel, “Anand Math” (1882), occupies a central place in Indian literary and nationalist history.

Anand Math and Vande Mataram

The novel Anand Math was set against the backdrop of the Sannyasi Rebellion of the late 18th century. It contained the song “Vande Mataram”, written in Sanskrit, which became a powerful symbol of Indian nationalism.

• In 1896, Rabindranath Tagore sang Vande Mataram for the first time at the Kolkata session of the Indian National Congress.

• The song was officially adopted as India’s national song by the Constituent Assembly on 24 January 1950.

Death

Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay passed away on 8 April 1894, leaving behind a rich literary legacy that deeply influenced Indian thought and nationalism.

Contribution and Legacy

As a novelist, poet, and essayist, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay played a crucial role in:

• The development of modern Bengali prose

• The articulation of early Indian nationalism

• Inspiring patriotic sentiment through literature

His writings continue to be regarded as a foundation of nationalist literature in India.