Protocols for Singing Vande Mataram

• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued the first formal protocols for singing the National Song Vande Mataram, especially when played with the National Anthem.

Key Guidelines Notified

• Order of Performance: When the National Song and National Anthem are rendered together, Vande Mataram must be sung or played first, ensuring uniform ceremonial protocol.
• Complete Version Mandate: The officially approved six-stanza version shall be performed at specified formal and ceremonial state functions.
• Standing Protocol: The audience must stand in attention as a mark of respect whenever the official version is sung or played.
• Film Exception: Standing is not required when featured within newsreels or documentaries.

About Vande Mataram

• Composition: Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote the poem in 1875. He later included it in his 1882 Bengali novel Anandamath, published in the magazine Bangadarshan.
• Structure: The poem has six stanzas; the first two use Sanskrit and the latter ones use Bengali.
• Meaning: The title means “I praise thee, Mother”, symbolising devotion to the motherland
• Debut: Tagore first sang Vande Mataram publicly at the Congress Session in Calcutta, 1896, presided over by M. Rahmathulla Sayani.
• Pre-Independence Adoption: The first two stanzas were adopted as the National Song (1937) by the Congress Working Committee.
• Post-Independence Status: Officially designated as the National Song by Dr Rajendra Prasad in the Constituent Assembly (24 Jan 1950).
• Constitutional Position: Not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution; Article 51A(a) mandates respect for the National Anthem, not the National Song.

Food Adulteration in India

• Source (PIB): The Union Minister of State for Health tabled a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, outlining measures taken to prevent food adulteration.

About Food Adulteration

• Food adulteration involves the intentional or incidental degradation of food quality by adding inferior substances (adulterants) or removing essential nutrients.
• Vulnerable Sectors: The dairy sector remains a primary target for adulterants such as water, urea and caustic soda, along with spices and edible oils.
• Adverse Impacts: Long-term consumption causes organ failure, cancer (from dyes like Metanil Yellow), and cardiac issues; it damages India’s reputation in the global export market.

Legal Framework to Prevent Food Adulteration

• Primary Legislation: The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, mandates strict regulations for the manufacturing and storage of food items; it establishes the FSSAI as the regulatory body.
• Criminal Liability: The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, outlines the criminal framework for the sale of noxious or adulterated food under Sections 274 and 275.
• Consumer Rights: The Consumer Protection Act (CPA), 2019, empowers the CCPA to impose penalties for misleading advertisements and for unsafe food products.
• FSSAI: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India is the apex statutory body under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, to protect public health by regulating the food supply chain.
• CCPA: The Central Consumer Protection Authority is the regulatory arm of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, responsible for protecting consumers’ rights and preventing their violations.

Key Government Initiatives & Measures

• Eat Right India: It operates as a flagship movement to transform the food ecosystem, ensuring food is safe, healthy, and sustainable.
• DART: The Detect Adulteration with Rapid Test is a manual released by FSSAI that enables households to identify common adulterants.
• FSW: Food Safety on Wheels deploys mobile testing labs to conduct surveillance in remote areas; there are currently 305 FSWs across States and UTs.
• RUCO: The Repurpose Used Cooking Oil initiative collects used oil to produce biodiesel, preventing it from re-entering the food chain.
• SFSI: The State Food Safety Index ranks states based on their performance in food safety.
• Lab Infrastructure: The FSSAI has notified 246 NABL-accredited labs and 24 Referral Food Laboratories for the analysis of food samples for adulteration.

Collateral-Free Loans to MSMEs

• The RBI proposed raising the ceiling for collateral-free bank loans to MSMEs, alongside measures to permit bank lending to REITs under safeguards.

About Collateral-Free Loan Change

• Limit Raised: The collateral-free loan ceiling for MSMEs has been doubled from ₹10 lakh to ₹20 lakh, significantly widening formal credit access for small firms without asset security.
• Cash-Flow Lending: Banks are encouraged to rely more on cash-flow and business viability assessments rather than fixed-asset collateral, improving credit inclusion.
• Regulatory Alignment: The move complements priority sector lending norms and works alongside credit-guarantee frameworks to de-risk bank lending to MSMEs.

Other Measure Announced

• REIT Lending Permitted: Banks are allowed to lend to Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), opening a regulated credit channel to income-generating commercial real estate assets.
• Prudential Safeguards: Such exposures will be governed by risk weights, exposure caps, and due diligence norms to prevent concentration and systemic risks.

Significance for MSMEs

• Credit Gap Reduction: MSMEs face an estimated ₹20–25 lakh crore credit gap, largely due to collateral constraints; higher limits directly address this bottleneck.
• Informal Finance Dependence: Over 40–45% of micro enterprises rely on informal lenders; collateral-free limits help shift borrowing to formal banks at lower costs.
• Employment Impact: MSMEs employ ~11 crore people; easier credit supports payroll stability and incremental hiring during expansion phases.

Status of MSMEs in India

• Scale: India has ~6.3 crore MSMEs, with ~99% classified as micro enterprises (Udyam data).
• Economic Role: Contribute ~30% to GDP and ~45% to manufacturing output.
• Exports: Account for ~43–45% of merchandise exports, critical for trade competitiveness.

Accelerating Electricity Demand Growth

• The International Energy Agency report projects the fastest sustained growth in global electricity demand through 2030, driven by data centres, EVs and cooling.

Key Highlights of the Report

1. Global Projections

• Growth Pace: Electricity demand to grow at ~3.6% annually (2026–2030), adding ~1,100 TWh per year.
• Consumption Level: Global use expected to reach ~33,600 TWh by 2030.
• Structural Shift: Electricity demand outpaced GDP growth in 2024, a first outside crises in three decades, marking a new “Age of Electricity.”

2. Regional Dynamics

• Emerging Economies: Account for ~80% of additional demand through 2030.
• China: Adds ~2,600 TWh by 2030, roughly equal to the EU’s current total consumption.

3. India Snapshot

• Demand Growth: ~6.4% per year through 2030; among the fastest globally.
• Cooling Impact: Air-conditioning to contribute >20% of India’s demand growth (2026–2030).
• Peak Load: National peak demand rose ~54% since 2017 to ~250 GW in 2024.

International Energy Agency (IEA)

• Establishment: The IEA was established in 1974 by member countries of the OECD to help industrialised nations respond to the 1973-1974 oil crisis.
• Focus Areas: Energy security, economic development, and environmental awareness.
• Headquarters: Paris, France.
• Members: The IEA comprises 32 member countries, 13 association countries (including India), and 4 accession countries. A nation must be a member of the OECD to become a member of the IEA.
• Major Publications: World Energy Outlook Report, India Energy Outlook Report, World Energy Investment Report, Annual Energy Efficiency Market Report, Energy Technology Perspectives.

India’s Battery Strategy

• With rising EV adoption and renewable energy storage needs, India is rethinking reliance on lithium-ion batteries and exploring sodium-ion technology as a safer alternative.

Lithium-Ion Battery

• Category: Rechargeable electrochemical energy storage battery using lithium ions as charge carriers.
• Basic Working: Lithium ions move from anode to cathode during discharge and reverse during charging through the electrolyte medium.
• Core Components: Graphite-based anode for lithium storage, Lithium Iron Phosphate or Nickel Manganese Cobalt as cathode, and a lithium salt electrolyte enabling ion movement.

Rationale for Decreasing Reliance on Lithium-Ion Battery

• Supply Concentration Risk: Over 70% of lithium processing and major cobalt refining are concentrated in a few countries, exposing India to geopolitical shocks.
• Import Dependence: India has allocated ~40 GWh ACC capacity under PLI, but the upstream raw material ecosystem remains largely import-driven.
• Price Volatility: Rising global battery demand is expected to intensify mineral scarcity.

Why Sodium-Ion Batteries (SiBs) are a Strong Alternative?

• Mineral Light Chemistry: Many SiBs avoid cobalt, nickel & copper, lowering critical mineral exposure.
• Manufacturing Compatibility: Existing lithium-ion factories can be adapted with limited retrofitting.
• Rapid Global Scaling: Global SiB capacity expected to rise from ~70 GWh (2025) to ~400 GWh by 2030.
• High Safety Profile: Lower thermal runaway temperatures allow safer storage & transport at zero volts.

Disadvantages Of Sodium-Ion Batteries (SiBs)

• Lower Energy Density: Still lag behind high-performance Li-ion batteries in weight & volume efficiency.
• Early Commercial Stage: Limited large-scale deployment compared to a mature lithium-ion ecosystem.

Sodium-ion battery vs Lithium Ion Battery

Way Forward

• Technology-Neutral Incentives: Expand PLI schemes to explicitly include sodium-ion chemistries; E.g., flexible Advanced Chemistry Cell manufacturing lines supporting both Li-ion and SiBs.
• Upstream Ecosystem Development: Support domestic production of sodium-based cathodes, anodes and electrolytes; E.g., localisation push similar to solar PV manufacturing incentives.
• Regulatory Integration: Update BIS safety standards and certification frameworks to cover sodium-ion batteries; E.g., fast-track approval norms like those for EV lithium batteries.
• Global Collaboration: Partner with leading SiB innovators for technology transfer; E.g., joint research with EU & East Asian battery research hubs.

No-Confidence Motion Against the Lok Sabha Speaker

• The Opposition has moved a no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, triggering a constitutional procedure for examining the removal of the Speaker.

No-Confidence Motion Against the Lok Sabha Speaker:

• A no-confidence motion against the Speaker is a resolution seeking removal of the Speaker or Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha before the expiry of their term. It applies only to the Lok Sabha and not to the Rajya Sabha.
• The constitutional basis for removal is provided under Article 94(c) of the Constitution of India, which states that the Speaker or Deputy Speaker may be removed by a resolution of the House passed by a majority of all the then members.

Constitutional Provisions Involved:

• Article 94 – Vacation, Resignation and Removal
• A Speaker/Deputy Speaker shall vacate office if:

1. They cease to be a Member of the House
2. They resign in writing to the Deputy Speaker/Speaker
3. They are removed by a resolution passed by a majority of all the then members

• The procedure is further governed by Rules 200–203 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha.

Procedure for Removal of the Speaker:

1. Notice of Resolution:

• A written notice must be submitted to the Secretary-General of Lok Sabha.
• At least 14 days’ notice is mandatory before the motion can be taken up.
• Inclusion in List of Business: After notice, the motion for leave to move the resolution is listed for a day fixed after 14 days.

2. Support Requirement:

• When the motion is taken up, at least 50 Members must rise in support.
• If fewer than 50 rise, the motion lapses.

3. Discussion:

• If admitted, the resolution must be discussed within 10 days.
• Debate is strictly confined to the charges specified in the motion.
• Voting Requirement: Removal requires a majority of all the then members of the House (absolute majority, not just those present and voting).

Role of the Speaker During the Motion:

• The Speaker can participate in proceedings and speak in defence.
• They can vote in the first instance but cannot exercise a casting vote in case of a tie.
• Even after dissolution of Lok Sabha, the Speaker continues in office until the first sitting of the new House.

Has This Happened Before?

Yes, motions were moved against:

1. G.V. Mavalankar (1954)
2. Hukam Singh (1966)
3. Balram Jakhar (1987)

None of these resulted in removal.

Implications:

• Constitutional Accountability: Ensures that the presiding officer remains answerable to the House.
• Political Sensitivity: Reflects heightened tensions between ruling and opposition benches.
• Institutional Stability: Frequent or politically motivated motions may impact parliamentary decorum.

Regulation of AI Content in India

• The Union Government notified amendments to the IT (Intermediary Guidelines & Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, mandating labelling of AI-generated content.

Key Amendments Notified

• Mandatory AI Labelling: Photorealistic AI-generated or synthetically generated content must carry a prominent disclosure, preventing users from mistaking it as real.
• Compressed Takedown Timelines: Platforms must remove court/government-flagged unlawful content within 3 hours and non-consensual deepfakes within 2 hours, reduced from 24–36 hours.
• User Disclosure Duty: Platforms must seek self-declaration from users on whether content is AI-generated, failing which platforms must label or remove it.
• Narrowed AI Definition: Routine edits and quality-enhancing AI tools (e.g., camera touch-ups) are excluded from the definition of synthetically generated content.

Rationale Behind the Amendment

• Prevent Viral Harm: Unlawful and deepfake content often goes viral within minutes; studies show over 60% of harmful content reaches peak circulation within 6 hours.
• Protect Dignity and Privacy: India has seen a sharp rise in non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII) cases; NCRB data shows cybercrime cases rose by over 31% between 2022–2023.
• Platform Responsibility: With India having over 850 million internet users, intermediaries are now expected to exercise higher due diligence proportional to their technological capacity.
• Ethical AI Governance: Aligns with OECD AI Principles and G20 AI Safety Guidelines to promote responsible AI deployment in India.

Concerns and Challenges

• Operational Feasibility: A 2–3 hour takedown window may be difficult where illegality is ambiguous, especially when law-enforcement notices lack detailed reasoning.
• Over-Censorship Risk: Fear of penalties and loss of safe harbour may push platforms towards precautionary takedowns, chilling legitimate speech and satire.
• Safe Harbour Uncertainty: Non-compliance can trigger loss of intermediary immunity, exposing platforms to criminal and civil liability for user-generated content.
• Compliance Burden: Smaller platforms and start-ups may lack real-time AI detection tools and moderation staff, creating uneven regulatory impact.

Way Forward

• Clearer Illegality Tests: Issue standardised, content-specific guidelines to identify unlawful and deepfake material; E.g., predefined indicators for NCII, impersonation and election-related misinformation.
• Graded Timelines: Introduce risk-based takedown timelines instead of a uniform window; E.g., immediate removal for NCII, extended review for context-dependent speech.
• Independent Oversight: Establish an independent appellate or review mechanism to address wrongful takedowns; E.g., a digital content ombudsman with time-bound decisions.
• Tech Enablement: Support platforms through shared AI detection tools, hash databases and government-backed infrastructure; E.g., a national deepfake detection and verification facility.

B-READY Assessment

• The inclusion of India in the Business Ready (B-READY) 2026 assessment has renewed attention on India’s business reform trajectory.

What is B-READY?

• World Bank Group’s Business Ready (B-READY) is a global benchmarking exercise designed to assess the business and investment climate across economies. It replaces the earlier Doing Business Report with a more transparent, comprehensive, and modern methodology.
• Launched In: Following the discontinuation of the World Bank’s Doing Business Report (DBR) Report in 2020, the World Bank launched the B-Ready Assessment in 2024.

Organisation Involved:

• Developed and administered by the World Bank Group (WBG)
• Data collected through expert consultations and firm-level surveys (World Bank Enterprise Surveys – WBES)

Aim of B-READY:

• To provide a quantitative and evidence-based assessment of the business environment.
• To evaluate how regulations and public services support private sector development.
• To promote inclusive, sustainable, and digitally enabled economic growth.

Three Pillars of B-READY

Pillar I – Regulatory Framework

• Assesses rules and regulations governing business entry, operation, and closure.
• Focuses on statutory laws (de jure framework).

Pillar II – Public Services

• Evaluates government-provided infrastructure and institutional support.
• Includes digital systems, licensing authorities, dispute resolution bodies, etc.

Pillar III – Operational Efficiency

• Measures ease of compliance and real-world implementation (de facto).
• Captures nationwide firm-level experiences through surveys.

Key Features of B-READY:

• Lifecycle-Based Assessment Framework: Evaluates businesses across ten topics covering the complete firm lifecycle—entry, operation/expansion, and exit—ensuring a holistic understanding of regulatory and market conditions.
• Three-Pillar Structure for Comprehensive Evaluation: Built on Regulatory Framework, Public Services, and Operational Efficiency, integrating legal provisions (de jure) with real-world implementation (de facto) through firm surveys.
• Integration of Cross-Cutting Themes: Embeds Digital Adoption, Environmental Sustainability, and Gender Inclusion across all topics—making it aligned with modern economic governance priorities.
• Dual Data Collection Methodology: Combines expert consultations (laws and regulations) with firm-level surveys (World Bank Enterprise Surveys) to ensure both statutory accuracy and ground-level realism.
• Annual, Transparent Global Benchmarking: Conducted by the World Bank Group and published annually, it replaces the earlier Doing Business Report with improved methodology, transparency, and broader institutional coverage.

India, UK Sign Social Security Agreement for Temporary Employees

• India and the United Kingdom have signed a Social Security Agreement (SSA) to prevent double social security contributions for employees on short-term assignments.

What is this Agreement about?

• India and the United Kingdom have signed a reciprocal Social Security Agreement, also referred to as a Double Contributions Convention (DCC), to eliminate the burden of dual social security payments for employees temporarily working in each other’s territory.
• The agreement allows employees on assignments of up to 36 months to continue contributing to their home country’s social security system, thereby avoiding double payments.
• Nations Involved: India and United Kingdom

Aim:

• Prevents employees and employers from paying contributions in both countries simultaneously.
• Supports short-term overseas assignments in sectors such as IT, finance, consulting, and engineering.
• Forms part of commitments made under the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement signed in July 2025.
• Reduces cost burdens on firms sending skilled professionals abroad.

Key Features:

• Coverage for Temporary Assignments (Up to 36 Months): Employees remain covered under their home country’s social security system during temporary postings.
• Certificate of Coverage (CoC) Mechanism: Workers can obtain a CoC through the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation to certify exemption from host-country contributions.
• Reciprocal Application: Applies equally to Indian employees in the UK and UK employees in India.
• Prevention of Social Security Record Fragmentation: Ensures continuity in pension and benefit records.
• Implementation Linked to Trade Deal: The agreement will enter into force alongside the India–UK CETA, expected in the first half of the year.

Significance:

• India’s strength in IT and professional services benefits from smoother mobility of skilled workers.
• Supports the broader India–UK trade architecture, projected to significantly enhance bilateral trade.
• Avoids duplicative employer contributions, improving global competitiveness.

Site in Mons Mouton Selected for Chandrayaan-4 Landing

• ISRO has identified a location (MM-4) in Mons Mouton as the primary landing site for the lander of India’s first lunar sample-return mission, Chandrayaan-4.
• Site Selection: Four candidate zones were evaluated using high-resolution data from the Orbiter High Resolution Camera (OHRC) onboard the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter.
• Strategic Advantage: The 1 km x 1 km area around MM-4 exhibits the lowest hazard percentage and a mean slope of 5 degrees.
• Landing Safety: The site offers the largest number of 24m x 24m “hazard-free grids“, crucial for the soft landing of the five-module spacecraft.
• Operational Viability: It provides direct radio visibility to Earth and receives continuous sunlight for 11 to 12 days, both critical for mission longevity.

About Mons Mouton

• Geographical Feature: Mons Mouton is a massive, flat-topped lunar mountain (or “mesa“) in the Moon’s South Polar region.
• Physical Dimensions: The mountain spans approximately 100 km in width and covers an area of about 5,180 km2.
• Positional Context: It lies between the Nobile and Malapert craters, rising nearly 6,000 metres above the surrounding terrain.
• Illumination Profile: Unlike much of the South Pole, the flat summit receives extended periods of sunlight (up to 12 days at a time).
• Resource Potential: The mountain is flanked by steep, permanently shadowed regions believed to harbour water ice.
• Geological Origin: It is believed to be a remnant of the structural rim of the Moon’s oldest impact crater, the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin.

Dragon Hole

• Researchers recently identified distinct microbial communities thriving in the deep, anoxic (oxygen-free) “death zone” of Dragon Hole.
• The Dragon Hole, also known as the Sansha Yongle Blue Hole, is a massive underwater sinkhole in the Paracel Islands of the South China Sea.
• It was considered the world’s deepest blue hole (301.19 metres) until 2024.
• Ecological Stratification: The upper 100 metres support over 20 marine species, while waters below this depth are anoxic (oxygen-free) and stagnant, excluding most fish and plants.
• Microbial Adaptation: Scientific expeditions discovered approximately 1,700 distinct viral types and specialised sulphur-eating bacteria in these oxygen-deprived depths.
• Geological Origin: The Blue Hole is a Karst formation (limestone cave) developed during the last Ice Age when sea levels were significantly lower.
• Significance: Its sediment layers act as a “paleo-climate archive,” preserving long-term records of ancient climate and typhoons due to the lack of water turbulence.

Boeing P-8I Aircraft

• India approved acquiring six additional Boeing P-8I reconnaissance and anti-submarine aircraft from the US, with final approval granted by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC).
• DAC: Defence Acquisition Council is India’s top authority for approving defence equipment purchases. It oversees timely procurement, budget utilisation, and policy decisions for all armed forces.

Boeing P-8I Aircraft

• Aircraft Role: P-8I is a multi-role Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance Anti-Submarine Warfare (LRMR ASW) aircraft.
• Manufacturer: Built by Boeing, a leading US aerospace company.
• Service User: Operated by the Indian Navy for maritime security missions.
• Platform Variant: P-8I Poseidon is a customised version of the US Navy’s P-8A Poseidon.
• Fleet Upgrade: Replaced the Indian Navy’s ageing Tu-142 Tupolev aircraft.
• Mission Profile: Carries out ASW, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance, and maritime patrol.
• Combat Systems: Equipped with advanced sensors and weapons for detecting submarines, surface vessels and maritime threats.
• Key Specifications: Length 39.47 m, wingspan 37.64 m, max take-off weight 85,139 kg, operated by 9 crew members.

Deep Tech Startups

• The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) issued a notification to officially define a distinct category for ‘Deep Tech Start-ups’.
• It defines Deep Tech Start-ups as entities that develop solutions based on new scientific knowledge, with high R&D expenditure, long gestation periods, and novel Intellectual Property (IP).
• Tenure Extension: The recognition period has been doubled from 10 to 20 years to accommodate long gestation cycles.
• Financial Threshold: The annual turnover limit is set at ₹300 crore, higher than the ₹200 crore limit for general start-ups.
• Capital Usage: The notification prohibits them from investing funds in speculative assets like real estate or luxury goods unless directly related to core R&D.
• Funding Mechanism: The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) manages the ₹1 lakh crore RDI Fund for investing in emerging technology.
• Significance: The recognition structurally de-risks the sector by aligning regulatory timelines with the “science-to-market” lifecycle, thereby encouraging a long-term flow of capital.