India’s Mining Reforms Drive Record Operationalisation of Mineral Blocks

• Ministry of Mines operationalised a record 30 mineral blocks in FY 2025–26, reflecting targeted reforms in India’s mining sector.

Landscape of India’s Mining Sector

• Mining sector contributes about 2% to India’s GDP and directly employs over 1.1 million workers.
• Leading State: Odisha leads with over 44% of mineral production value in FY 2025–26.
• Production Trend: Coal crossed the 1 billion tonne mark for the second consecutive year in 2026.
• Auction Surge: Over 200 mineral blocks were successfully auctioned in FY 2025–26, with Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu leading.

Key Reforms in India’s Mining Sector

• Auction Reform: Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation (MMDR) Amendment Acts, 2015, mandated transparent e-auctions, replacing discretionary allocations.
• MMDR Amendment Act, 2025, created regulated mineral exchanges for real-time price discovery.
• Welfare Mechanism: District Mineral Foundations (DMF) use mining revenues to fund socio-economic development in mining-affected areas.
• Critical Minerals: National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) was introduced to build domestic value chains for strategic minerals.
• Rare Earth Corridors: Union Budget 2026–27 proposed these in Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu to integrate mining, processing, and magnet manufacturing.
• Financial Reform: Mineral (Auction) Amendment Rules, 2026, allow Insurance Surety Bonds instead of bank guarantees for bidders, reducing entry barriers.
• Technology Adoption: National Geoscience Data Repository (NGDR) enables AI-based subsurface modelling with digitised geological data to enhance exploration efficiency.

10 Years of Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G)

• Context (PIB): Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G), operating since 2016, has become one of India’s largest rural welfare programs.
• It restructured the former Indira Awaas Yojana to advance the ‘Housing for All’ objective in rural India.

About PMAY-G

• It is a flagship scheme under the Ministry of Rural Development for providing pucca houses with basic amenities to homeless and deprived rural households.
• Extended Target: Initially aimed at building 2.95 crore houses by 2024, it now extends to FY 2028-29 with an increased total target of 4.95 crore.
• Targeted Beneficiaries: Prioritises landless households, with at least 60% of targets allocated to Scheduled Caste (SC) or Scheduled Tribe (ST) households.
• Beneficiary Identification: Identifies beneficiaries through housing deprivation criteria under SECC 2011 and Awaas+ surveys, validated by Gram Sabhas.
• Cost Sharing: Follows a 60:40 Centre-State ratio in plain areas, 90:10 in North-Eastern and Himalayan states, and 100% Central funding for UTs except Jammu and Kashmir.

Key Features

• Housing Norms: Requires a minimum house size of 25 sq m, including a hygienic cooking area.
• Ownership: House registration should primarily be in the name of the female head or jointly.
• Financial Support: Beneficiaries receive Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) of ₹1.20 lakh in plain areas and ₹1.30 lakh in hilly and North-Eastern states.
• Scheme Convergence: Integrates with MGNREGA for 90–95 days of wage employment and with Swachh Bharat Mission–Gramin for ₹12,000 toilet subsidy.
• Digital Monitoring: Each construction stage is tracked with time-stamped, geo-tagged photos on AwaasSoft, using AI anomaly detection and Aadhaar face authentication.

Key Progress and Achievements

• Housing Progress: About 76.6% of sanctioned houses are completed, with over ₹4,03,886 crore transferred directly to beneficiaries.
• Women’s Empowerment: About 74% of sanctioned houses are owned by women, either solely or jointly with spouses.
• Livelihood Impact: Generated ~568 crore person-days of employment, with 3 lakh rural masons gaining disaster-resilient construction skills.
• Landless Support: 2,68,480 landless beneficiaries received financial assistance or land.

Extension of RoSCTL Scheme to Boost Textile Exports

• Context (PIB): Ministry of Textiles has extended the Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (RoSCTL) Scheme for exports of apparel, garments, and made-ups until 30 September 2026.

About Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (RoSCTL) Scheme

• RoSCTL is an export rebate scheme introduced by the Ministry of Textiles in March 2019.
• Predecessor: It replaced the Rebate of State Levies (RoSL) and the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) to align textile export support with WTO norms.
• Purpose: Scheme neutralises hidden domestic taxes so that such taxes are not exported along with goods.
• Tax Coverage: It reimburses non-GST embedded taxes, including state levies like fuel VAT, mandi tax, electricity duty, stamp duty and central levies like fuel excise.
• Eligibility: RoSCTL covers exporters of ready-made garments under HSN Chapters 61 and 62, as well as made-up textile products under Chapter 63.
• Implementation: It is implemented by the Department of Revenue under the Ministry of Finance.
• Benefit Form: Rebates are issued as transferable and tradable e-scrips via the ICEGATE portal.
• Redemption: Exporters may use these e-scrips to pay Basic Customs Duty on any imported goods.
• Exclusion: The scheme is mutually exclusive with RoDTEP. Exporters cannot claim both benefits on the same product.

Textile Sector in India

• GDP Share: The textile and garment sector contributes about 2% to India’s GDP and about 8% to total merchandise exports.
• Employment: It is the second-largest employer after agriculture, providing direct livelihoods to over 45 million people.
• Market Size: The domestic textile and apparel market is valued at $174 billion and is projected to reach $350 billion by 2030.
• Export Rank: India is the 6th largest textile exporter, with about 4% share in the world textile trade.
• Largest Segment: Ready-Made Garments (RMG) form the largest export segment, accounting for about 45% of total textile exports.
• Vision 2030: India aims for $100 billion in textile and apparel exports by 2030, up from the current $37.7 billion.
• FDI Policy: The sector permits 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) under the automatic route.

LS Passes Jan Vishwas Amendment Bill 2026

• Lok Sabha passed the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026, to promote “Ease of Doing Business” and “Ease of Living” by decriminalising minor offences.
• Legislative Footprint: It amends 784 provisions across 79 Central Acts under 23 Ministries.

Key Provisions of the Bill

• Decriminalisation: The Bill decriminalises 717 provisions involving technical and procedural defaults.
• Adjudicatory Shift: Designated Adjudicating Officers, including Deputy Commissioners, will determine penalties for covered offences instead of criminal courts.
• Administrative Power: Central Ministries may appoint designated officers to conduct inquiries, summon evidence, and impose penalties directly.
• Compounding: Entities can settle specified violations through compounding (paying a prescribed amount) instead of court trials.
• Inflation Adjustment: Fines and penalties will increase by 10% of their prescribed minimum amount every three years to preserve the deterrent value of penalties.
• Warning Mechanism: Warning notices may precede financial penalties for first-time or minor infractions.

Income-Tax Act 2025 Came into Effect on April 1, 2026

• Income-Tax Act, 2025, came into force on April 1, 2026, replacing the over six-decade-old Income-tax Act, 1961.
• Objective: It aims to modernise the taxation framework to simplify administration, improve compliance, and enhance taxpayer experience.
• Revenue Stability: The act remains revenue-neutral, ensuring that structural changes do not affect overall tax collections.

Key Provisions of Income-Tax Act 2025

• Structural Rationalisation: The Act reduces sections from 819 to 536, and chapters from 47 to 23 to simplify the tax compliance.
• Drafting Reform: Over 1,200 provisions are rewritten in plain language, removing complex legal terminology and jargon.
• Unified Terminology: The concepts of Previous Year and Assessment Year are merged into a single uniform term: Tax Year.
• Tax Framework: Separate sub-sections are maintained for Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) for corporates and Alternate Minimum Tax (AMT) for non-corporate taxpayers.
• Digital Assets: Virtual Digital Assets (VDAs) formally include cryptocurrencies and tokenised assets as taxable capital assets.
• Search Powers: Authorities can access a Virtual Digital Space, including email servers and social media, during search operations.
• Return Flexibility: Taxpayers can now file an Updated Return (ITR-U) up to 4 years from the end of the Tax Year, extending the previous 2-year limit.
• TDS Consolidation: Provisions for Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) are consolidated under Section 393, replacing earlier scattered placement for easier reference.
• Settlement Mechanism: A Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) is established for out-of-court settlement of small and medium taxpayers.
• Assessment Mode: Faceless collection of information and tax assessment receives statutory backing under the Act.
• Policy Continuity: Tax rates, penalties, and fundamental definitions remain unchanged from the Income Tax Act, 1961.

RBI Extends Export Realisation Timeline

• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended the deadline for realising and repatriating export proceeds from 9 months to 15 months from the date of shipment.
• INR Exports: For exports invoiced in Indian Rupees, the realisation period is extended to 18 months.
• Policy Rationale: West Asia conflict is causing ships to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, increasing transit times by 10-14 days and extending payment cycles.
• Credit Extension: The 450-day export credit benefit has now been extended to cover all disbursals made until 30 June 2026.
• Advance Payments: Exporters now have 3 years (previously 1 year) to complete shipments against advance payments received.

About Export Realisation

• Export realisation requires exporters to repatriate or realise the full monetary value of goods, software, or services exported from India within a legally stipulated period.
• Objective: It routes all export payments through official banking channels to maintain the stability of India’s foreign exchange reserves.
• Legal Basis: The framework operates under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999, with the RBI as the designated monitoring authority.
• Tracking Tool: Export Data Processing and Monitoring System (EDPMS) is RBI’s central system through which banks monitor the full lifecycle of every export transaction.
• Non-Compliance: Failure to realise export proceeds within the stipulated period is a civil offence under FEMA Section 13.

Telangana Passed a Platform-Based Gig Workers Bill

• Telangana Legislative Assembly passed the Telangana Platform-Based Gig Workers (Registration, Social Security and Welfare) Bill, 2026.
• Welfare Board: The bill establishes the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Welfare Board to manage a dedicated welfare fund for registered workers.
• Welfare Fee: Aggregator platforms must contribute 1%-2% of transaction value to the welfare fund.
• Worker ID: Every registered gig worker receives a Unique Identification Number (UID) for seamless access to government schemes across different platforms.
• Algorithmic Transparency: Platforms must disclose how tasks are allocated and how worker ratings affect available work.
• Termination: Aggregators must give a written reason and a 7-day notice before terminating a worker, except in cases of immediate safety threats.
• Grievance Redressal: The bill establishes a two-tier dispute resolution mechanism
• Internal Dispute Resolution Committees (IDRCs) are mandatory for platforms with over 100 workers.
• The government will appoint Grievance Redressal Officers to resolve disputes within 30 days.

Regulatory Framework for India’s Gig Workers

• Code on Social Security, 2020, is the primary national law that formally recognised “gig workers” and “platform workers” for the first time in India.
• Legal Definition: A gig worker is defined as an individual undertaking work outside the conventional employer-employee relationship.
• Aggregator Levy: The Code mandates that digital aggregators contribute 1%-2% of annual turnover to a Social Security Fund, capped at 5% of total worker payments.
• State Laws: Labour is a concurrent subject, enabling states to enact dedicated gig worker laws independently of central legislation.
• India’s First: Rajasthan passed India’s first dedicated gig worker law in 2023, establishing a Welfare Board and a transaction-based fee for a social security fund.

Agricultural Credit in India

• NABARD highlighted agricultural credit flow as structurally robust, projecting it to exceed ₹32.5 lakh crore in FY 2025-26.

NABARD

• National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development was established in 1982 as India’s main statutory bank for agriculture and rural development.
• It was established on the recommendation of the CRAFICARD Committee, chaired by B. Sivaraman.
• It doesn’t lend directly to farmers but offers refinance to Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs), Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), and cooperative institutions.

Current Agri-Credit Composition

• Credit Pattern: It is skewed towards short-term loans (~60%) with low long-term investment credit, limiting capital formation.
• Regional imbalance: Southern states receive 48% of credit despite only 17% of cropped area, while the East (8.2%) and Central India (13.7%) remain under-financed.
• Exclusion: Landless labourers, tenant farmers, and sharecroppers remain excluded from formal credit due to the absence of clear land titles for collateral.

About India’s Agri-Credit Framework

• RBI governs agricultural credit and establishes Priority Sector Lending (PSL) norms, while NABARD manages its operations.
• Institutional Sources: Formal credit is provided by SCBs (over 70%), RRBs, and Cooperative Systems.
• The cooperative system includes PACS, DCCBs, and State Cooperative Banks for short-term credit, and Agriculture and Rural Development Banks (ARDBs) for long-term investment credit.
• Non-Institutional Sources: Informal lenders like moneylenders and traders account for nearly 28%.

Key Credit Mechanisms and Government Schemes

• PSL Mandate: RBI mandates 18% of Adjusted Net Bank Credit (ANBC) to be allocated to agriculture.
• KCC: Launched in 1998, the Kisan Credit Card provides timely short-term credit for crop and allied activities (Animal Husbandry and Fisheries).
• Interest Support: The Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS) provides loans at 7%, reducible to 4% with prompt repayment.
• Capital Formation: Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) and Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) support long-term agricultural asset creation.

Mahi Banswara Nuclear Power Project

• Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) has approved excavation work for Units 1 and 2 of the Mahi Banswara Nuclear Power Project.
• Location: Banswara district of Rajasthan.
• Implementing Agency: Anushakti Vidyut Nigam Limited.
• Capacity: The project consists of 4 units (700 MW each) with a total capacity of 2800 MW.
• Technology: Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) using natural uranium and heavy water.
• Objective: Aims to boost nuclear energy capacity, enhance clean energy supply, and strengthen India’s energy security.
• Anushakti Vidyut Nigam Limited is a joint venture of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited and NTPC Limited to develop nuclear power projects in India.
• It is responsible for building, owning, and operating nuclear power plants, supporting India’s clean energy and nuclear expansion goals.

Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB)

• AERB is India’s nuclear regulatory authority, responsible for ensuring safety in nuclear and radiation facilities.
• Established in 1983 by the Government of India under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962.
• It functions under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and oversees nuclear power plants, research reactors, and radiation applications.
• AERB also regulates radiation use in medicine, industry, and research to ensure safe handling and operation.

Samrat Samprati

• PM Modi recently inaugurated the Samrat Samprati Museum in Koba, Gujarat, as a dedicated centre for Jain heritage preservation.
• Emperor Samprati was the grandson of Ashoka and ruled the Maurya Empire around 230–215 BCE.
• He adopted Jainism under the monk Suhastin (Suhastisuri) at Ujjain.
• Titled “Jain Ashoka” for patronising Jainism, he was also known as Indrapalit, Sangat, and Vigatashok.
• Literary Sources: Jain texts like Parishistaparva by Hemachandra, Sampratikatha, and Prabhavakcharita, along with Samprati Nripa Charitra, record his life and reign.
• Temples: Jain traditions attribute building ~1.25 temples and installing 12.5 million icons to him.
• Religious Outreach: He sent monks to promote Jainism throughout South India and also founded Jain centres in Iran and the Arab regions.

Kaynes Semiconductor Plant

• PM Modi inaugurated the Kaynes semiconductor plant at Sanand in Gujarat.
• It is an Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) facility established under the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM).
• It manufactures Intelligent Power Modules (IPMs), essential components for automotive, electric vehicles, and industrial automation.
• Significance: It marks an Indian firm’s entry into the global semiconductor value chain, strengthening India’s high-tech manufacturing base.
• ISM was launched in 2021 under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to build a self-reliant semiconductor ecosystem.

Antariksh Venture Capital Fund

• Context (PIB): The Antariksh Venture Capital Fund is India’s first dedicated fund that provides financial support to space-tech startups.
• Management: Managed by SIDBI Venture Capital Ltd with a total corpus of ₹1,005 crore.
• Regulatory Approval: The fund is registered with SEBI as a Category II Alternative Investment Fund.
• Investor: The primary investor is Indian National Space Promotion & Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe).
• Investment Timeline: Funding for selected startups is expected to begin in early FY2027.
• Objective: Aims to enhance innovation, private participation, employment generation, and strengthen India’s position in the global space economy.
• Alternative Investment Funds are privately pooled investment vehicles regulated by SEBI that invest in assets beyond traditional stocks and bonds (e.g., startups, private equity, infrastructure).

SCAN Network Linked to Parkinson’s Disease Progression

• Recent research has identified that the Somato-Cognitive Action Network (SCAN) plays a central role in Parkinson’s disease (PD).
• Parkinson’s disease is a long-term, progressive neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system that primarily impacts motor control.
• SCAN is an interconnected brain network that links cognitive intention and internal physiological states directly with physical movement.
• Hyperconnectivity: In PD, SCAN SCAN becomes overly connected with deeper brain regions, obstructing smooth signal flow.
• Specificity: This abnormal SCAN wiring appears only in PD and was not seen in other motor disorders.
• Biomarker Role: SCAN hyperconnectivity correlates with symptom severity; increased signal disruption links to worse tremors, rigidity, and instability.
• Key Implication: The discovery allows for more precise therapeutic treatment of PD through targeted neuromodulation and brain stimulation.

Bab el-Mandeb at Risk as Houthis Join West Asia Conflict 

• The Houthi movement in Yemen has entered the US-Israel-Iran conflict, raising the risk of disruption to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
• Houthis are a Shia Islamist political-military movement based in northern Yemen & part of Iran’s “Axis of Resistance”.

About Bab el-Mandeb

• Bab el-Mandeb is a narrow maritime chokepoint between the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa, separating Yemen from Djibouti and Eritrea.
• Connectivity: The strait connects the Red Sea to the north with the Gulf of Aden to the south.
• Suez Gateway: It forms the southern gateway to the Suez Canal, linking the Indian Ocean with the Mediterranean Sea.
• Perim Island: Yemen’s Perim Island divides the strait into a wider western channel for international shipping and a shallower eastern channel for local navigation.
• Alternative Route: Vessels forced to avoid the strait must reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, adding roughly 6,000 km and 10-14 days.
• Military Presence: Djibouti hosts one of the world’s highest concentrations of foreign military bases near this strategic passage.
• Etymology: Bab el-Mandeb means “Gate of Tears” in Arabic, reflecting its historical reputation for hazardous navigation.
• Strategic Significance: Bab el-Mandeb is a vital maritime chokepoint linking the Indian Ocean–Red Sea–Suez route, making it critical for global trade, energy flows, and India’s connectivity with Europe.

FCRA Amendment Bill 2026

• The Union government has deferred discussions on the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, following intense opposition and concerns regarding its impact on minority-led institutions.

About FCRA Amendment Bill 2026:

• The Bill seeks to amend the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010, which governs how individuals, associations, and companies in India accept and utilize foreign donations. It introduces a stricter framework for managing assets and funds when an organization’s registration is cancelled, surrendered, or expires.
• Aim: The primary objective is to streamline the management of foreign assets and ensure that inflows do not adversely affect national interest, public order, or national security.

Key Provisions Proposed:

• Creation of a Designated Authority: The Bill empowers the Central government to appoint a Designated Authority to take over, supervise, and manage foreign contributions and assets if a registration is cancelled, surrendered, or ceases.
• Expansion of Ceased Registration: A registration certificate is deemed to have ceased if no renewal application is made, if renewal is denied, or if it is not obtained before the expiry date.

Provisional vs. Permanent Vesting:

• Provisional: Assets vest temporarily with the Authority during suspension or renewal delays; they are returned if registration is restored.
• Permanent: Assets vest permanently if the person fails to renew registration within a prescribed period or if the entity becomes defunct.
• Asset Disposal: The Authority can transfer permanently vested assets to government departments or dispose of them via sale, with proceeds credited to the Consolidated Fund of India.
• Religious Places of Worship: For places of worship, the Authority can entrust management to a prescribed person, ensuring the religious character of the site is maintained.
• Expanded Prohibitions: The Bill expands the category of persons prohibited from accepting foreign aid to include any person (not just associations/companies) engaged in news production or broadcast.

Legal Protections and Penalties:

• Appeals: Aggrieved persons can appeal an order of the Authority to a District Judge within 90 days.
• Reduced Penalties: The maximum imprisonment for contravening the Act is reduced from five years to one year.
• Prior Approval: Central government approval is now required to initiate any investigation for offences under the Act.

Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS)

• Prime Minister chaired the second special meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) to review India’s preparedness and mitigation strategies amid the escalating West Asia conflict.

About Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS):

• The Cabinet Committee on Security is the topmost decision-making body in India regarding matters of national security, defense expenditure, and foreign affairs. It is one of the specialized committees of the Union Cabinet that handles sensitive strategic issues requiring high-level governmental intervention.
• Chaired By: The CCS is chaired by the Prime Minister of India.

Members:

The committee traditionally consists of the senior-most ministers of the Union Cabinet:

1. Prime Minister (Chair)
2. Minister of Defence
3. Minister of Home Affairs
4. Minister of External Affairs
5. Minister of Finance

• Aim: The primary aim of the CCS is to ensure national security by reviewing and approving major defense acquisitions, formulating strategies to counter internal and external threats, and managing diplomatic and economic responses to global crises that affect India.

Functions:

• Crisis Management: Reviewing and directing measures during international conflicts, such as the current West Asia crisis, to protect national interests.
• Supply Chain Security: Ensuring the stability of essential commodities like LPG, LNG, and fertilisers during global volatility.
• Defense Procurement: Assessing and approving high-value capital acquisitions for the Indian Armed Forces.
• Economic Mitigation: Discussing interventions across sectors like agriculture, shipping, aviation, and MSMEs to mitigate emerging global challenges.
• Internal Security: Formulating policies to handle domestic issues such as terrorism, insurgency, and law and order.
• Public Communication: Underlining the need for the timely flow of authentic information to prevent misinformation and rumour-mongering during crises.

Significance:

• It provides a centralized platform for the highest level of leadership to make rapid, coordinated decisions on sensitive security matters.
• By reviewing fuel duty reductions and supply diversification, the CCS plays a crucial role in maintaining the stability of domestic prices and essential supplies.

Raja Ravi Varma

• Raja Ravi Varma’s painting ‘Yashoda and Krishna’ has become the most expensive work of modern Indian art ever sold at auction, fetching a record-shattering ₹167.2 crore.

About Raja Ravi Varma:

• Raja Ravi Varma (1848–1906) was a celebrated Indian painter and artist, widely considered the father of modern Indian art. He is renowned for achieving a unique fusion of European academic techniques with purely Indian sensibilities and subjects.

Early Days:

• Birth: Born in 1848 into an aristocratic family in the princely state of Travancore (present-day Kerala).
• Training: He mastered the medium of oil painting and European realism, which were unconventional for Indian artists at the time.

Contribution to Indian Art:

• Fusion of Styles: He integrated European oil painting techniques (such as perspective and chiaroscuro) with Indian mythological and social themes.
• Mass Production: In 1894, he established a lithographic press to mass-produce his paintings as affordable oleographs.
• Democratization of Art: By creating these prints, he brought high-quality art and Hindu iconography into the homes of ordinary Indians for the first time, breaking the monopoly of the elite on sacred imagery.
• Standardizing Deities: His depictions of Hindu gods and goddesses were so influential that they still shape the popular visual consciousness of deities in India today.

Important Paintings:

• Yashoda and Krishna: A tender portrait of maternal love painted in the 1890s, recently sold for a record price.
• Shakuntala: A famous depiction of the character from the Mahabharata looking back for Dushyanta.
• Saraswati & Lakshmi: His iconic representations of the goddesses of knowledge and wealth became the standard for calendar art.
• Nair Lady Adorning Her Hair: Showcasing his skill in portraiture and capturing local Indian life.

Significance:

• His works are categorized as National Treasures due to their immense cultural and historical value to India
• He bridged the gap between traditional Indian art and the modern era, influencing generations of artists and the Indian film industry.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor

• The Indian government has intensified surveillance and inspected 49 businesses following the flooding of the market with generic GLP-1 drugs and a significant drop in their prices.

About GLP-1 Drugs:

• Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists are a class of medications that mimic a natural hormone produced in the intestines.
• In India, these medicines are strictly regulated and can only be prescribed by endocrinologists, internal medicine specialists, and cardiologists.

Developed By:

• These drugs were originally developed by global pharmaceutical companies (such as Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly) to manage chronic metabolic conditions.
• Recently, generic versions produced by various manufacturers have flooded the market, leading to increased accessibility and crashing prices.

Aim:

• The primary objective of GLP-1 drugs is to treat Type 2 diabetes by stimulating insulin production.
• They are also specifically approved for the medical management of obesity.

Key Characteristics:

• Hormone Mimicry: They function by mimicking the GLP-1 hormone, which targets areas of the brain that regulate appetite and food intake.
• Blood Sugar Regulation: They stimulate the release of insulin from the pancreas in response to rising blood glucose levels.
• Digestion Satiety: These drugs slow down gastric emptying, making the patient feel full for a longer duration.
• Diverse Formulations: Available as both injectable and oral medications depending on the specific generic or brand version.

Misuse:

• Unauthorised Sale: Growing on-demand availability through retail pharmacies, online platforms, and wellness clinics without proper medical oversight.
• Improper Prescriptions: Instances of drugs being sold without valid prescriptions from the authorized specialist categories.

Survey Vessel Sanshodhak

• The Indian Navy officially received ‘Sanshodhak’ (Yard 3028), the fourth and final ship of the Survey Vessel (Large) project.

About Survey Vessel Sanshodhak:

• Sanshodhak is the final vessel of the four Survey Vessel (Large) (SVL) class ships steered by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau.
• The name ‘Sanshodhak’ means Researcher, reflecting the ship’s primary role as a data-collection platform.
• It follows its sister ships—INS Sandhayak, INS Nirdeshak, and INS Ikshak—to complete the indigenous project signed in October 2018.

Developed By:

• Designed and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.
• The ship boasts an indigenous content of over 80% by cost, involving a large number of Indian industries and MSMEs.

Aim:

• The primary aim of the SVL project is to replace the existing Sandhayak Class survey ships with more capable, state-of-the-art platforms.
• It seeks to achieve self-reliance (Aatmanirbhar Bharat) in specialized warship construction while enhancing maritime prowess in the Indian Ocean Region.

Key Features:

• Dimensions: The ship has an overall length of 110 meters and a displacement of approximately 3,400 tons.
• Propulsion: Powered by two diesel engines, allowing the vessel to achieve speeds in excess of 18 knots.
• Advanced Sensors: Equipped with a Data Acquisition and Processing System, Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV), and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV).
• Positioning & Sonar: Features DGPS long-range positioning systems and Digital Side Scan Sonar for high-resolution underwater imaging.
• Timeline: The keel was laid in June 2022, and the ship was launched in June 2023, followed by a comprehensive schedule of sea and harbour trials.

Applications:

• Hydrographic Surveys: Capable of performing full-scale coastal and deep-water surveys of port and harbour approaches.
• Navigational Mapping: Determination of critical navigational channels and routes for safe maritime passage.
• Data Collection: Gathering vital oceanographic and geophysical data.
• Dual Use: The data collected serves both defence applications (naval operations) and civil applications (maritime trade and environmental research).

A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Indonesia

• A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Indonesia’s Northern Molucca Sea, resulting in at least one death and damage to buildings across West Java and North Sulawesi.

About Indonesia:

• Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelagic state, located in Southeast Asia between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is a sovereign nation composed of thousands of islands and is recognized as a tectonically complex region due to its position on the Pacific Ring of Fire.
• Capital: Jakarta (located on the island of Java).

Bordering Nations:

Indonesia shares land borders with three countries:

1. Malaysia: On the island of Borneo (Sabah and Sarawak).
2. Papua New Guinea: On the island of New Guinea.
3. Timor-Leste: On the island of Timor.

Key Geological Features:

• Pacific Ring of Fire: Indonesia sits on this seismically active belt, which is characterized by a high concentration of volcanoes and frequent earthquake activity.
• Volcanic Arc: The nation hosts one of the highest densities of active volcanoes in the world, stretching from Sumatra through Java to the Lesser Sunda Islands.
• Molucca Sea: A highly active tectonic zone in the northern region where the recent magnitude 7.6 earthquake originated at a depth of 35 km.
• Mountainous Interior: Most large islands, such as Sulawesi and Sumatra, feature dense tropical rainforests and rugged mountain ranges formed by tectonic plate movements.
• Continental Shelves: The country sits between the Sunda Shelf and the Sahul Shelf, creating diverse deep-sea trenches and shallow coastal waters.

Significance:

• Due to its unique position at the meeting point of several tectonic plates, Indonesia is a critical site for studying earthquake dynamics and tsunami modeling.
• Its islands harbor some of the world’s highest levels of biodiversity and vast tropical forest reserves.