Paternity Leave as a Tool for Changing Gender Norms in India

• Supreme Court recently urged the government to introduce paternity leave, emphasising its importance for gender equality and shared parenthood.

How Paternity Leave Can Advance Gender Equality

• Dismantling Stereotypes: Institutionalising paternity leave challenges the stereotype of women as sole caregivers and men as only financial providers.
• Reducing Penalty: Shared parental leave can reduce the ‘motherhood penalty’ that makes up nearly 80% of the global gender wage gap.
• Workplace Equity: Employers are more likely to be impartial towards women in hiring and promotion decisions when both parents have leave provisions.
• Redistributing Care: Paternity leave promotes an equitable distribution of domestic responsibilities, reducing the ‘dual burden’ faced by women.
• Boosting FLFPR: It can improve the Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR) by easing childcare burdens on mothers and preventing mid-career exits.

Implementation Barriers and Limitations in India

• Legal Vacuum: India lacks a binding and uniform legal framework for paternity leave, unlike the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961.
• Limited Reach: Such leaves benefit only a small portion of the workforce, as over 80% of India’s workers are in the unorganised sector.
• Social Stigma: Patriarchal norms and fear of professional marginalisation prevent many men from taking full paternity leave, even when it is available.
• Leave Imbalance: The current 15-day paternity leave for Central Government employees remains symbolic and too short to effect changes in domestic roles.

Framework for an Effective Paternity Leave Policy

• Legislative Reform: A National Paternity Benefit Act to mandate uniform paternity leave across the private sector, replacing discretionary policies.
• Leave Design: A “use-it-or-lose-it” leave quota with 80–100% wage protection, as practised in Sweden and Iceland, to encourage greater uptake.
• Funding Mechanism: Government-backed social insurance fund to transfer costs from employers and lower hiring bias against young parents.
• Social Acceptance: Public campaigns and workplace sensitisation normalising male caregiving.

Shrinking Winters in the Himalayas

• Himachal Pradesh has experienced very low snowfall and below-normal rainfall during the current winter season.
• Winters are becoming shorter, milder, and less severe compared to past decades, and places like Shimla are now witnessing dry conditions.
• The observed changes suggest a shift in traditional Himalayan weather patterns, raising concerns about climate change.

Causes of Weakened Winter in Himachal Pradesh

• Anticyclonic Conditions: Persistent anticyclonic activity leads to descending air, which suppresses cloud formation and reduces rainfall and snowfall.
• Warm Air Advection: Inflow of warm air from neighbouring regions raises temperatures and creates unusually mild winter conditions.
• Weak Western Disturbances: Reduced frequency and intensity of Western Disturbances result in lower winter precipitation in the Himalayas.
• Climate Change: Global warming is increasing baseline temperatures, causing shorter and less severe winters.
• Reduced Snow Cover (Albedo Effect): Declining snow cover reduces surface reflectivity (albedo), leading to further warming and faster snowmelt.
• Atmospheric Variability: Changing atmospheric circulation patterns are causing irregular seasonal cycles, disrupting traditional winter timelines.

Impact of Changing Winter in Himachal Pradesh

• Agriculture: Reduced snowfall and rainfall have led to crop losses and lower productivity, specially for Rabi crops.
• Horticulture: Horticulture (especially apple cultivation) faces long-term risks from heat stress, reduced chilling hours, and increased pest attacks.
• Water Resources: Decline in snowfall reduces glacier recharge and stream flows, threatening long-term water availability.
• Tourism Sector: Lack of snowfall adversely affects winter tourism, reducing income for local communities dependent on tourism.
• Ecosystem and Biodiversity: Changing climate conditions disrupt natural habitats and species distribution, affecting Himalayan biodiversity.
• Disaster Risks: Rising temperatures increase the risk of heatwaves, water scarcity, and ecological stress in mountain regions.
• Anticyclonic Conditions refers to a high-pressure system with sinking air, resulting in clear skies, dry weather, and minimal cloud formation or precipitation.
• Advection is the horizontal movement of air that transfers heat, moisture, or other atmospheric properties from one place to another.
• Albedo is the measure of how much sunlight a surface reflects into space, expressed as a fraction or percentage (higher albedo = more reflection, less heat absorption).

World Food Programme Warns of a Global Hunger Surge

• World Food Programme (WFP) warns that an additional 45 million people could face acute hunger by June 2026 if the conflict in West Asia continues.

Current Global Hunger Situation

• Acute Hunger: Around 318 million people across 68 countries face crisis-level hunger or worse.
• Regional Disparities: Africa has the highest prevalence, affecting over 20% of the population (307 million), while Asia has 323 million undernourished people.
• Key Trend: WFP 2025 Global Outlook states acute hunger has more than doubled since 2019, driven by conflict, climate shocks, and economic fragility.
• India’s Situation: India ranked 102nd in the 2025 Global Hunger Index (GHI); PDS covers over 80 crore people, but child wasting remains at 18.7%, second-highest globally.

Conflict-Driven Risks to Global Food Security

• Rising Costs: High oil prices and 18% higher WFP shipping costs are making staple foods unaffordable in import-dependent regions like Sudan.
• Supply Disruptions: Military operations are disrupting vital humanitarian routes, delaying the delivery of life-saving supplies to crisis areas.
• Fertiliser Shortages: Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, affecting 25% of global fertiliser trade, threaten sub-Saharan Africa’s upcoming planting season.
• Funding Crisis: Spending cuts are straining humanitarian efforts as major donor nations are redirecting budgets toward defence.

India’s Expanding Online Censorship Regime

• The government is planning to decentralise content blocking powers under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, allowing multiple ministries to issue takedown orders.
• Currently, only the IT Ministry issues final blocking orders, but the proposal will include ministries like Home, Defence, External Affairs, and I&B, etc.

India’s Current Online Censorship Framework

• Legal Basis: India’s online censorship is governed by the IT Act, 2000 and rules like the IT Rules, 2021, which regulate digital content & intermediaries.
• Dual Framework: India follows a dual system under the IT Act, combining centralised (Section 69A) & decentralised (Section 79) content blocking mechanisms.
• Section 69A: Section 69A empowers the government to block content on grounds of sovereignty, security, and public order, with final orders issued by the IT Ministry.
• Section 79 & Sahyog Portal: Section 79(3)(b) allows multiple agencies to send direct takedown requests via the Sahyog portal, creating a decentralised system.
• Role of Intermediaries: Platforms like Facebook & YouTube must comply with orders to retain safe harbour protection under law.
• Key Concerns: The framework raises concerns over free speech, transparency, multiple authorities issuing orders, and increasing state control over digital

Sahyog Portal

• It is an online platform launched in 2024 by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
• Purpose: Expedites content takedown orders under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, 2000.
• Operated By: Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C).
• Legal Basis: It operates under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, 2000.
• Functioning: It enables government agencies to directly send blocking requests to platforms.
• In Shreya Singhal v. Union of India (2015), the SC struck down Section 66A of the IT Act, 2000, as unconstitutional for violating freedom of speech under Article 19(1)(a).
• The Court upheld Section 69A (blocking powers) but emphasised the need for procedural safeguards and reasoned orders to prevent misuse.

ALMM Framework Expanded to Include Solar Ingots and Wafers

• Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has expanded the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) framework to include solar ingots and wafers under List-III.
• DCR Status: The expansion does not override existing Domestic Content Requirement (DCR) provisions under PM-KUSUM or PM Surya Ghar.
• Eligibility: A wafer manufacturer must possess equivalent ingot manufacturing capacity to be enlisted in List-III.
• Solar wafer is a thin slice of high-purity crystalline silicon used in a photovoltaic cell. It absorbs photons, which excite electrons to generate an electric current.
• Solar ingots are large, ultra-pure blocks of solidified silicon that serve as raw material for manufacturing solar wafers.

Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM)

• ALMM is a quality and reliability framework that ensures solar equipment meets strict manufacturing and performance standards.
• Registry: It is a mandatory registry of solar manufacturers and their specific models, managed by Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
• Eligibility: Only manufacturers and models listed under ALMM are eligible for government-owned, government-assisted, and grid-connected projects.
• Policy: ALMM is India’s primary non-tariff barrier to promote domestic solar equipment production.
• Structure: The framework is divided into three progressively upstream supply chain categories:

National Dental Commission

• Central Government has constituted the National Dental Commission (NDC), repealing the Dentists Act, 1948 and dissolving the Dental Council of India (DCI).
• Legal Status: It is a statutory body established the under National Dental Commission Act, 2023.
• Nodal Ministry: Autonomous body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• Composition: The NDC consists of a chairperson, 8 ex-officio members, and 24 part-time members appointed by the Central Government. Head office is at New Delhi.
• Objective: Aims to create a transparent, accountable, and quality-driven regulatory framework for dental education and practice.

Three Autonomous Boards:

• UG & PG Dental Education Board: To regulate dental education.
• Dental Assessment & Rating Board: Will handle accreditation and evaluation.
• Ethics & Dental Registration Board: Will oversee professional conduct and registration.
• Fee Regulation: Will set guidelines for fees in private colleges and establish standards for education, ethics, and community dental care.
• State Dental Councils: Within one year, all State governments must constitute State Dental Councils to handle grievances on professional/ethical misconduct and maintain state registers of dentists.

Electrifying Indian Kitchens for Energy Security and Clean Cooking

• Rising LPG imports and price volatility are pushing India to explore electric cooking as a cheaper, efficient alternative.

Issues with Gas-Based Cooking

• Import Dependence: India imports around 60% of LPG and 50% of natural gas, making prices vulnerable to global supply shocks.
• Rising Cost: LPG import bill has surged (≈ $26.4 billion), making clean cooking increasingly expensive without subsidies.
• Affordability & Access: Despite 332 million LPG connections, about 37% households still rely on firewood and dung, showing affordability and access gaps.

Advantages of Electric Cooking

• Cost Advantage: As per the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, electric cooking is 37% cheaper than LPG and 14% cheaper than piped gas.
• Higher Efficiency: Induction cooktops have ~85% efficiency, compared to ~40% for LPG burners.
• Pollution-Free: Produces no indoor smoke or direct emissions, improving air quality and reducing exposure to harmful pollutants from biomass and gas cooking.
• Energy Security: Lowers dependence on imported fuels like LPG and natural gas.
• Compatible with Renewables: Can run on solar power & battery storage, enabling sustainable cooking.

Challenges in Adopting Electric Cooking in India

• Grid Capacity: Large-scale adoption can increase evening peak demand, stressing the power grid and risking outages.
• Appliance Limitations: Current induction systems lack the multi-pot flexibility and flame-like control required for Indian cooking.
• High Costs: The initial investment in induction cooktops, wiring upgrades, and appliances can be a barrier for many households.
• Electricity Reliability: In many rural areas, the power supply remains inconsistent, limiting adoption.
• Behavioural Barriers: Preference for traditional flame-based cooking and lack of awareness slow the transition.

Anti-Dumping Investigation into Chinese Ethyl Chloroformate Imports

• Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) initiated an anti-dumping investigation into ethyl chloroformate imports from China.
• Allegation: China allegedly exported ethyl chloroformate at unfairly low prices, leading to price suppression and material injury to the domestic industry.
• Dumping: Occurs when a foreign firm exports at a price lower than its Normal Value (home-market price) or Cost of Production.
• Dumping Margin: The difference between the Normal Value (price in the exporter’s home market) and the Export Price.
• Anti-Dumping Duty (ADD): A remedial tariff measure imposed as an additional customs duty to offset the Dumping Margin.

Anti-Dumping Framework in India

• Investigation: DGTR, under MoCI, acts as the quasi-judicial body that conducts investigations, calculates dumping margin, and recommends the imposition of ADD.
• Imposition: Department of Revenue (Ministry of Finance) levies and collects the ADD based on DGTR’s final findings. It has the discretion to accept or reject the DGTR recommendations.
• Legal Basis: Anti-dumping measures are established under Sections 9A, 9B, and 9C of the Customs Tariff Act, 1975, supported by Customs Tariff (Anti-Dumping) Rules, 1995.
• Lesser Duty Rule: India applies a duty equal to either the dumping margin or the injury margin, whichever is lower.
• Timeline: ADDs are valid for five years but can be extended through a Sunset Review.
• Threshold: Under the WTO Anti-Dumping Agreement, an investigation must be terminated if:
• De Minimis: Dumping margin is less than 2% of the export price, or
• Negligible: Volume of dumped imports is less than 3% of total imports of that product.

About Ethyl Chloroformate

• Ethyl chloroformate is a highly reactive organic compound used as an intermediate in pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturing.
• Appearance: It is a colourless liquid with a pungent odour similar to hydrochloric acid.
• Hazards: The compound is highly volatile, corrosive, toxic, and flammable.
• Industrial Use: Ethyl chloroformate is used in the production of antibiotics, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), and herbicides.
• Health Risk: Inhalation can cause respiratory tract irritation and may lead to pulmonary edema.

MoSPI Released SDG Bulletin Report on Prosperity

• Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released two thematic bulletins titled “Planet in Focus” and “Delivering Prosperity at Scale.”
• Purpose: The bulletins provide a clear and accessible summary of India’s progress across the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Framework: These are part of a new thematic series aligned with the five pillars of the UN 2030 Agenda: People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, and Partnerships.

Key Progress from ‘Planet in Focus’ Bulletin

• “Planet in Focus” bulletin evaluates India’s progress on – SDG 6 (Water), SDG 12 (Consumption), SDG 13 (Climate), SDG 14 (Oceans), and SDG 15 (Land).
• SDG 6 – Water and Sanitation: India achieved 100% Open Defecation Free (ODF) status across all districts under the Swachh Bharat Mission. 97.2% of schools had separate toilets for girls as of 2023–24.
• SDG 12 – Sustainable Consumption: Waste recycling facilities expanded from 829 in 2019–20 to 3,036 in 2024–25, preventing 103 lakh tonnes of plastic from ending up in landfills.
• SDG 14 – Life Below Water: India’s Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) for fisheries increased by 72% between 2015 and 2025.

Key Progress from ‘Delivering Prosperity at Scale’ Bulletin

• “Delivering Prosperity at Scale” bulletin evaluates India’s progress on – SDG 7 (Energy), SDG 8 (Economy and Work), SDG 9 (Industry and Infrastructure), SDG 10 (Inequality), and SDG 11 (Cities).
• SDG 7 – Clean Energy: India is the 4th largest wind energy producer globally, with renewables accounting for over 22% of total installed power capacity.
• The carbon intensity of the power sector decreased from 61.45 to 40.52 tonnes of CO₂ per crore of GDP between 2015-16 and 2022-23.
• Household electrification coverage reached 100%, supported by schemes like Saubhagya, DDUGJY, UDAY, etc.
• SDG 8 – Work and Economy: Social protection coverage expanded from 22% in 2016 to 64.3% in 2025.
• India has the 3rd largest startup ecosystem in the world, with over 1.2 lakh government-recognised startups creating more than 12 lakh jobs.
• Tourism’s contribution to GDP was 2.60% in 2022–23, supported by programs like Swadesh Darshan, PRASHAD, and RCS-UDAN.
• SDG 9 – Industry and Infrastructure: Manufacturing accounted for 18.1% of Gross Value Added (GVA) in 2023-24, while factories increased by 33% between 2014 and 2024.
• PMGSY extended rural road connectivity to 99% of eligible habitations, while the length of National Highways expanded by 60% over the last decade.
• Internet subscriptions grew to 954.40 million in 2024, reaching 68 subscribers per 100 population.
• SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities: Over 50 crore accounts have been opened under the PM Jan Dhan Yojana, with women accounting for 56% of these accounts.
• SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities: Smart Cities Mission integrated smart water systems and green mobility into 100 urban hubs.
• PMAY-U has sanctioned over 1.18 crore houses for urban poor families, with provision for affordable pucca housing.

Evolution of Ladakh Magmatic Arc (LMA)

• Scientists have decoded the 130-million-year evolution of the Ladakh Magmatic Arc (LMA), which laid the geological foundation for the formation of the Himalayas.
• Location: Ladakh Magmatic Arc (LMA) is a major magmatic belt of igneous rocks in the Northwest Indian Trans-Himalaya.
• Boundaries: It lies between the Indus Suture Zone (ISZ) in the south and the Shyok Suture Zone (SSZ) in the north.
• Formation: The arc formed due to the northward subduction of the Neo-Tethys oceanic plate beneath the Eurasian margin.
• Duration: Its magmatic activity began during the Jurassic period (~160 Ma) and continued into the Eocene epoch (<45 Ma).
• Phases: LMA records three magmatic phases during the transition from an oceanic island arc to a continental mountain system:
• Early Island Arc: Dras-Nidar Island Arc Complex (DNIAC) formed from mantle-derived magma.
• Batholith Formation: Intensified subduction produced the extensive Ladakh Batholith.
• Post-Collisional: Continued magmatism produced mafic dykes cutting through older formations.
• Composition: LMA exhibits directional maturity, with older mafic rocks in the south and younger felsic rocks in the north.

Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) SAGAR

• The 2nd edition of the Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) SAGAR commenced recently.
• It is an initiative by the Indian Navy to address common maritime issues in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), such as piracy and illegal fishing.
• Participants: Naval personnel from 16 nations participated under the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) framework.
• Vessel: India deployed INS Sunayna, an Offshore Patrol Vessel, for the initiative.
• Phases: Includes a harbour phase at Kochi’s Southern Naval Command, followed by a joint sea phase beginning off the coast of Mumbai.
• Significance: It strengthens maritime cooperation and interoperability in the IOR under India’s SAGAR and MAHASAGAR initiatives.
• IONS is a voluntary maritime forum launched by the Indian Navy in 2008 to unite IOR navies and enhance maritime cooperation. The Indian Navy recently assumed the IONS chairmanship.

Suraksha Sankalp Karyashala

• Context: The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, through NACO, organised the Suraksha Sankalp Karyashala to strengthen district-level HIV/AIDS response in Haryana and Delhi.

About Suraksha Sankalp Karyashala:

• Suraksha Sankalp Karyashala is a national-level workshop initiative aimed at strengthening district-level HIV/AIDS response through coordinated, data-driven planning and stakeholder engagement.

Aim:

• Strengthen HIV care continuum: Improve diagnosis, treatment linkage, and viral suppression at district level.
• Accelerate epidemic control: Achieve 95:95:99 targets and move towards ending HIV/AIDS by 2027–2030.

Key Features:

• District-focused approach: Targets 219 priority districts with granular, data-driven interventions.
• Whole-of-system coordination: Brings together national, state, and district stakeholders for integrated action.
• Evidence-based planning: Focus on real-time data, monitoring, and outcome-oriented strategies.

Significance:

• Enhances treatment coverage, adherence, and viral suppression, reducing transmission.
• Promotes inclusive, equitable, and stigma-free HIV care delivery.

The Liberties Clause or Deviation Clause

• Amid the West Asia conflict (U.S.–Israel–Iran), major global shipping firms are invoking a 19th-century rule in maritime contracts to reroute cargo.
• This has led to containers being discharged at alternate ports, increasing costs and disrupting global supply chains.

About The Liberties Clause or Deviation Clause:

• The Liberties Clause (often referred to as the deviation clause) is a standard provision in a Bill of Lading—the legal contract between a shipper and a carrier—that grants the shipmaster the authority to alter a planned voyage under specific circumstances.

Origin:

• These provisions trace back to 19th-century maritime law. During this era, voyages were highly exposed to unpredictable risks like piracy, wooden-ship weather damage, and regional wars, requiring shipmasters to have the legal authority to act without breaching their contracts.
• Aim: To protect the carrier from legal liability for breach of contract when external dangers prevent the ship from reaching the named port.

Key Features:

• Route Alteration: Permits the vessel to deviate from the customary or geographical route to avoid war zones or high-risk areas.
• Alternative Discharge: Allows the carrier to complete its contractual obligation by offloading containers at the nearest safe and workable port.
• Cost Shifting: Once the cargo is discharged at an alternative port, the responsibility and costs for onward land transport, storage, and handling shift entirely to the cargo owner.
• Risk Reallocation: Moves the risk of transit from the carrier to the customer the moment a deviation is declared.

Reemergence Now:

• The clause has been quietly revived due to the Iran war. With the Strait of Hormuz seeing air strikes and threats to commercial vessels, insurers have tightened conditions, and carriers are using the clause to limit their exposure to these war-risk zones.

Significance:

• Cargo owners are facing unplanned four-figure costs per container above their original quotes for storage and local clearance.
• Nearly 90% of global trade moves by sea; invoking this rule creates a domino effect in inventory planning and global pricing.

Government launches Credit Guarantee Scheme for Microfinance Institutions- 2.0 (CGSMFI-2.0)

• Government of India has launched CGSMFI-2.0 with Rs 20000 crore corpus.

About CGSMFI-2.0

• Objective: To provide guarantee coverage to eligible Member Lending Institutions (MLIs) for financing Non-Banking Financial Company MFI (NBFC-MFI) and MFIs for on-lending to existing or new small borrowers.
• NBFC-MFI are non-deposit taking NBFC with minimum 75% of its total assets deployed towards “microfinance loans” (collateral-free loan a household with annual household income up to ₹3,00,000).
• Managed and operated by: National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company (NCGTC), wholly owned by Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance
• Tenure: June 2026 or till guarantees of Rs 20,000 crore are issued

About Microfinance

• It refers to the provision of small-scale financial services, including loans, savings, and insurance, to individuals and small businesses that lack access to traditional banking services.

Significance of Microfinance in India:

• Financial inclusion and Poverty Alleviation: Fills gap left by traditional banks, bringing low-income groups into formal financial system.
• Supports MSMEs and entrepreneurship: By providing tailored loans without mandatory collateral requirements.
• Women Empowerment: Women borrowers constitute 95% in microfinance sector. (Economic Survey 2025-26).

Rani Avanti Bai Lodhi

• Veerangana Rani Avantibai Lodhi was remembered on her martyrdom day.
• Rani Avanti Bai Lodhi (August 16, 1831 - March 20, 1858)
• Birth: Born in village of Mankedi, District Seoni (Madhya Pradesh).
• Early Life: Married to Rajput Prince Vikramaditya Singh Lodhi, son of Raja Laxaman Singh of Ramgarh (present-day Dindori, Madhya Pradesh).
• After death of Laxman Singh, she assumed the throne of Ramgarh State due to her husband’s ill health.
• Military Skills: Skilled swordsmanship, horse riding, guerrilla warfare.
• Battle of Kheri, 1857: Defeated British Troops.
• Revolt of 1857: Led her own army against British who  sought to annex her state under Doctrine of Lapse.
• Death: Sacrificed her life amidst British offensive refusing to be captured.
• Values: Bravery, Military Leadership, Courage, Resilience, Patriotic Fervour.

PRARAMBH 2026

• The Government of India has launched PRARAMBH 2026, a nationwide awareness campaign to facilitate smooth implementation of the Income Tax Act, 2025 effective from 1 April 2026.
• It reflects a shift towards simplified, technology-driven and citizen-centric tax administration with digital tools like Website 2.0 and AI chatbot Kar Saathi.

About PRARAMBH 2026:

• PRARAMBH 2026 (Policy Reform and Responsible Action for Mission Viksit Bharat) is a nationwide awareness and outreach campaign aimed at educating taxpayers about the provisions, rules, and compliance requirements of the new Income Tax Act, 2025.

Organisation Involved:

• Ministry of Finance (Department of Revenue): Nodal authority framing policy and overseeing implementation of the new Income Tax Act, 2025.
• Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT): Apex body administering direct taxes and executing PRARAMBH outreach and reforms.

Aim:

• Ensures taxpayers and officials adapt seamlessly to updated provisions and compliance systems.
• Builds trust-based taxation where awareness reduces evasion and encourages honest reporting.
• Focuses on clarity, reduced disputes, and citizen-friendly processes in tax administration.

Key Features:

• Multimedia Outreach Campaign: Uses diverse media platforms to ensure wide and effective dissemination of tax-related information.
• Taxpayer Guidance Material: Provides simplified FAQs and tutorials to make complex provisions easily understandable.
• AI Chatbot ‘Kar Saathi’: Offers real-time, accessible assistance for taxpayer queries, reducing dependency on officials.
• Income Tax Website 2.0: Enhances user experience through better navigation, faster services, and improved interface.
• Multilingual Communication: Ensures inclusivity by delivering tax information in multiple regional languages.
• Capacity Building Workshops: Trains officials nationwide to ensure efficient and uniform implementation of the new Act.
• MyGov Engagement Initiatives: Encourages citizen participation through quizzes and digital awareness campaigns.
• Aaykar Seva Kendras Support: Provides physical help centres to assist taxpayers lacking digital access.

Significance:

• Simplification reduces ambiguity and disputes, encouraging taxpayers to comply voluntarily.
• Embodies Nagrik Devo Bhava by prioritising taxpayer convenience, trust, and service orientation.

Nd-Fe-B Rare Earth Permanent Magnets

• India has inaugurated a state-of-the-art pilot plant for manufacturing Nd-Fe-B (Neodymium-Iron-Boron) rare earth permanent magnets at the ARCI, Hyderabad.

About Nd-Fe-B Rare Earth Permanent Magnets:

• A member of the rare-earth magnet family, it is a sintered or bonded material capable of maintaining a high magnetic force indefinitely without the need for an external power source. Nd-Fe-B magnets, often called super magnets, are the strongest type of permanent magnets commercially available today.

Minerals Used:

1. Neodymium (Nd): A rare-earth element that provides high magnetic anisotropy.
2. Iron (Fe): The primary metallic component that provides high magnetization.
3. Boron (B): A metalloid used to stabilize the crystalline structure.

Aim of Indigenous Manufacture:

• To build a mineral-to-market ecosystem, covering everything from rare earth extraction to finished magnets.
• To mitigate global supply chain vulnerabilities caused by the high concentration of rare earthresources in a few countries.

How it Works?

• The pilot plant at ARCI uses an end-to-end approach. It begins with strip-casting the alloy into thin flakes, followed by pulverizing the material into a fine powder.
• This powder is then pressed in a magnetic field to align the particles and sintered (heated) in a vacuum to form a solid, high-density magnet.
• Finally, the material is machined and coated to produce the finished permanent magnet.

Characteristics of Nd-Fe-B Magnets:

• Extreme Magnetic Strength: They possess the highest energy product of any permanent magnet, allowing for very small magnets to produce very strong fields.
• High Coercivity: They are highly resistant to becoming demagnetized once they have been charged.
• Temperature Sensitivity: While powerful, their performance can decrease at very high temperatures unless specific heavy rare earths (like Dysprosium) are added.
• Corrosion Susceptibility: Because of the high iron content, these magnets require protective coatings (like nickel or epoxy) to prevent rusting.

Applications:

• Electric Mobility: Critical components in high-efficiency motors for Electric Vehicles (EVs).
• Renewable Energy: Used in the generators of large-scale wind turbines.
• Electronics: Found in hard disk drives, smartphones, loudspeakers, and headphones.
• Advanced Manufacturing: Essential for robotics, industrial automation, and high-precision sensors.
• Medical Technology: Used in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines and other diagnostic tools.

India Eyes 6th-Gen Fighter Future: GCAP vs FCAS

• The Ministry of Defence informed the Parliamentary Standing Committee that the Indian Air Force is exploring membership in either the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) or the Future Combat Air System (FCAS).

About India Eyes 6th-Gen Fighter Future: GCAP vs FCAS

About Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP):

• A collaborative effort to produce a System of Systems featuring a manned supersonic stealth jet accompanied by autonomous loyal wingman drones and advanced data integration. The GCAP is a high-tech initiative aimed at developing a sixth-generation stealth fighter to replace existing platforms like the Eurofighter Typhoon and Mitsubishi F-2.
• Established By: A merger of the UK-led Tempest programme and the Japanese F-X programme, formally announced in late 2022.
• Members: The United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan.

Features:

• Timeline: A demonstrator aircraft is scheduled to fly in 2027, with the jet expected to enter service by 2035.
• Geopolitical Positioning: Marketed as a stable, non-US alternative to the F-35, particularly appealing to allies seeking strategic autonomy.
• Advanced Capabilities: Focuses on integrated sensors, a next-generation power and propulsion system, and high-capacity data networks.
• Fixed Workshare: Industrial roles between the three founding nations are largely settled, potentially limiting new members like India to an off-the-shelf purchase unless specific roles are carved out.

About Future Combat Air System (FCAS):

• A Next Generation Weapon System (NGWS) that includes a Next-Generation Fighter (NGF), unmanned Remote Carriers, and an Air Combat Cloud. The FCAS is Europe’s other major 6th-generation project, designed to create a networked combat environment for the mid-21st century.
• Established By: France and Germany, later joined by Spain.
• Members: France, Germany, and Spain.

Features:

• Industrial Opportunity: Unlike GCAP, FCAS remains at an impasse over workshare for the airframe and flight controls, offering India a potential opening for significant industrial participation.
• Naval Variant: Includes plans for a deck-based fighter variant, which is directly relevant to India’s expanding aircraft carrier programme.
• Strategic Tension: The programme has faced delays due to disagreements between French (Dassault) and German (Airbus) aerospace giants over leadership of key technological pillars.
• Holistic Network: Heavily emphasizes the Combat Cloud, using AI to coordinate between satellites, drones, and manned aircraft in real-time.

Index of Core Industries (ICI)

• Growth of combined ICI slowed to 2.3% in February, compared with 4.7% in January, on an annual basis.

About ICI

• It covers eight core industries viz. Coal, Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Refinery Products, Fertilizers, Steel, Cement, and Electricity.
• They comprise 40.27% of weight of items in Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
• Released by: Office of the Economic Advisor, Department for Promotion of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Commerce.

National Productivity Council (NPC)

• NPC signed an Agreement with Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to act as Environment Audit Designated Agency (EADA) under Environment Audit Rules, 2025.
• It entrusts NPC with overall management of environmental audit framework, including development of eligibility criteria, registration of auditors, performance monitoring, etc.

About NPC

• Gensis: 1958 to undertake research in productivity.
• Ministry: Autonomous organization under Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• NPC is a constituent of Tokyo-based Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), an Inter-Governmental Body of which India is a founding member.

Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC)

• ECI has issued orders requiring to apply to the MCMC for pre-certification of all political advertisements on electronic and social media.

About MCMC

• Created by: ECI
• Purpose: Ensuring compliance with EC guidelines and preventing paid news or misleading content.
• Strict vigil on suspected cases of paid news in the media and take suitable action.

Molecular Clouds

• Scientists tracing small molecular clouds located near the Milky Way disc have seen the skeleton of the magnetic field surrounding them for the first time to better understand its role in star formation.

About Molecular Clouds:

• It is an interstellar cloud of gas and dust in which molecules can form, the most common of which is hydrogen (H2).
• It is generally thought that our Sun formed in a similar molecular cloud by collapse of the cloud triggered by nearby supernova.
• Key features: It is opaque because of its internal dust grains. The form of such dark clouds is very irregular: they have no clearly defined outer boundaries.

Global Terrorism Index, 2026

• Global Terrorism Index, 2026 was recently published by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), a Sydney-based independent, non-profit think tank.

Key Findings

• Top rank: Pakistan recorded the highest score, being the country most impacted by terrorism.
• ~ 70% of deaths from terrorism occurred in only 5 countries: Pakistan, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Niger, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
• Substantial fall in terrorism: Deaths from terrorism fell 28% and number of attacks declined by ~ 22%.
• Indias’ rank: 13th
• 4 deadliest terrorist organisations (2025): IS, Jamaat Nusrat Al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and alShabaab.

Changing dynamics of glaciers in HKH

• Report titled ‘Changing dynamics of glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region from 1990 to 2020’ was released by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).

About ICIMOD

• It is an intergovernmental knowledge and learning centre leading the global effort to protect Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH).
• India is a regional member country.

Key Findings

• Glacier number loss Doubled: Increased from -5.4% between 1990 and 2020 to -10% between 2010 and 2010.
• Consistent retreat: 12% reduction in total glacier area and a 9% decline in estimated ice reserves.
• Indus River basin lost 6% of its glacier area, while the Ganges and the Brahmaputra River basins experienced reductions of 21% and 16%, respectively.

Government blocked 300 Illegal Gambling and Betting Websites/Apps

• The move aims to curb unlawful online gaming activities, which negatively impacts around 45 crore people losing more than Rs. 20,000 crores (August 2025).
• Online gambling involves placing bets on games of chance or skill through internet platforms, including sports betting, poker, casino games, etc. 

Key Reasons for Curbing such Unlawful activities

Economic Implications:

• Illegal parallel economy: Profits generated from illegal activities are unnoticeable and outside ambit of taxation.
• Money laundering: Such platforms could be used for moving illegal earnings through legal channels hiding their source.

Social Implications:

• Rising Addiction: It may cause pathological gambling, Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSIs); harm emotional well-being, etc.
• Pathological gambling is a clinical disorder characterized by persistent and recurring failure to resist gambling behaviour.
• Harmful Digital Environment: Predatory money gaming practices often lure users with false promises of easy financial gains.

Ethical Implications:

• Imbibes Immoral Virtues: Gaining underserved wealth through gambling develops bad characteristics like greed, laziness, insensitivity, etc.
• Against Kantian Philosophy: Gambling is built on using others as a means to an end. E.g., betting on sports using unfair rates causes loss of money.

Key Initiatives to curb such activities

• The IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021:  Amended in 2023, laid down norms for online gaming platforms.
• Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023: Section 112 (prescribes punishment for unauthorised betting and gambling).
• Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025: Prohibits online money game and online money gaming service.

 Airports in News

• Several greenfield and upgraded airports across India have been inaugurated or are nearing completion during 2025–26.

1. Navi Mumbai International Airport (DB Patil Airport):

• A major greenfield international airport developed to reduce congestion at Mumbai’s existing airport.
• Location: Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Type: Greenfield Airport

Features:

• Designed to decongest Mumbai airport and handle growing passenger traffic.
• Strategic infrastructure to support Mumbai Metropolitan Region’s expansion.

2. Noida International Airport (Jewar Airport):

• India’s largest upcoming greenfield airport serving the Delhi-NCR region.
• Location: Jewar, Uttar Pradesh
• Type: Greenfield Airport

Features:

• Phase-1 capacity of 12 million passengers annually.
• Planned as a major aviation hub with multi-modal connectivity.

3. Bhogapuram International Airport:

• A greenfield airport project to enhance connectivity in coastal Andhra Pradesh.
• Location: Near Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
• Type: Greenfield Airport

Features:

• Developed by GMR Group for domestic and international operations.
• Supports tourism and economic growth in North Coastal Andhra.

4. Dholera International Airport:

• A greenfield airport supporting the Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR).
• Location: Gujarat
• Type: Greenfield Airport

Features:

• Integrated with Dholera smart city and industrial corridor.
• Enhances logistics and manufacturing ecosystem.

Regional Greenfield / Upgraded Airports:

5. Satna Airport:

• A regional airport under UDAN scheme improving connectivity.
• Location: Madhya Pradesh
• Type: Greenfield/Revived Regional Airport

Features:

• Boosts connectivity to Baghelkhand region.
• Promotes regional economic development.

6. Datia Airport:

• A regional connectivity airport under UDAN.
• Location: Madhya Pradesh
• Type: Greenfield/Revived Regional Airport

Features:

• Enhances access to Bundelkhand region.
• Supports tourism and local trade.

7. Thoothukudi Airport (New Terminal):

• An upgraded airport with a new terminal building.
• Location: Tamil Nadu
• Type: Brownfield Expansion

Features:

• Capacity increased from 3 lakh to 20 lakh passengers annually.
• Modern infrastructure to support regional aviation growth.