Draft National Electricity Policy (NEP) 2026

• The Ministry of Power released the Draft National Electricity Policy 2026 for public consultation.
• Policy Replacement: It proposes replacing the National Electricity Policy, 2005, to align the power sector with Viksit Bharat @ 2047.
• Climate Transition: NEP 2026 aims to transform India from a power-deficient nation into a Net Zero–compliant economy by 2070 through:
• Per Capita Consumption: 2,000 kWh by 2030 and over 4,000 kWh by 2047.
• Non-Fossil Fuel: 500 GW generation capacity by 2030.
• Emission Intensity: 45% reduction below 2005 levels by 2030.
• Nuclear Power: 100 GW generation capacity by 2047.
• Efficiency: Single-digit Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses across states.

Key Features of Draft NEP 2026

• Tariff Reform: State regulators must implement automatic annual tariff revisions to restore the financial viability of DISCOMS.
• Tariffs will be revised automatically through indexation if states delay issuing tariff orders.
• Cross Subsidy: The policy proposes a progressive reduction in cross-subsidies for manufacturing and railways to improve competitiveness.
• USO Exemption: Regulators may exempt DISCOMs from Universal Service Obligation (USO) for consumers with connected loads of 1 MW and above.
• USO mandates Discoms to supply electricity to any consumer on request within the licensed area.
• Resource Adequacy: Mandatory 24×7 power planning introduced at the national, state, and utility levels to prevent shortages.
• Market Structure: Competition encouraged by permitting multiple distribution licensees in the same supply area.
• Local Management: Distribution System Operators (DSOs) will manage rooftop solar, electric vehicles, and other distributed resources.
• Energy Storage: Energy Storage Systems, including BESS and pumped storage, are recognised as critical grid infrastructure.
• Data Sovereignty: All operational data in the power sector must be stored domestically to ensure system security.
• Grid Governance: State Load Despatch Centres (SLDCs) will be functionally unbundled from State Transmission Utilities.
• Consumer Rights: The draft recognises Prosumers (producers + consumers) and mandates penalties on distribution licensees for gratuitous load-shedding.

Citizen-Centric Universal Health Coverage in India

• The Lancet Commission of experts called for a citizen-centred healthcare delivery system in India as the main vehicle for Universal Health Coverage.

Need for Citizen-Centric Health Coverage in India

• High OOP Pressure: Out-of-pocket spending is still ~47–50% of total health expenditure.
• Low Public Spending: Public health expenditure remains below 2% of GDP, far below the National Health Policy target of 2.5% of GDP.
• Rising NCD Load: Non-communicable diseases account for ~60% of deaths in India, requiring continuous primary care and prevention.
• Disease Burden: India has ~140 million elderly (60+), increasing demand for long-term care.

Challenges Faced

• Human Resource Shortage: Many states face 20–30% vacancies in specialist and medical officer positions at public facilities, which hinders quality and continuity.
• High Catastrophic Spending: Approximately 14–17% of households face catastrophic health expenditures (various estimates), indicating weak financial protection.
• Fragmented Care System: India has ~70% outpatient care largely in the private sector, causing discontinuity, duplication of tests and variable standards.
• Poor Preventive Focus: Screening and early diagnosis remain low; diabetes and hypertension often remain underdiagnosed for years, increasing complications load.

Key Recommendations by the Lancet Commission

1. Citizen-Centric Integrated Care

• Citizen-Centric Care: Shift from top-down public health planning to include people’s priorities, lived experiences and feedback in decisions. E.g. Kerala’s People’s Plan model for local health governance.
• Public Primary Vehicle: Make publicly financed and publicly provided care the main backbone for Universal Health Coverage (UHC). E.g. Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs)
• AYUSH Integration: Empower practitioners of Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) within integrated care teams for preventive coverage.

2. Workforce & Frontline Empowerment

• Competency Focus: Move beyond formal qualifications to evaluate provider competencies, values, motivations and ethical conduct in real service delivery.
• Frontline Empowerment: Strengthen autonomy, training and decision-support for frontline workers to improve last-mile continuity. E.g., Tamil Nadu’s Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam (doorstep care)

3. Digital Technology-Led Reform

• Digital Integration: Use digital platforms to link registered providers with payers and patients for seamless, integrated care delivery pathways. E.g. Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) with ABHA IDs.
• Point-of-Need Delivery: Deploy Artificial Intelligence (AI), genomics and capital-efficient innovations for advanced diagnostics at primary/community levels.

4. Governance & Financing Reforms

• Fund Flow Efficiency: Digitise fund flow, simplify procedures and reduce bureaucratic hurdles to improve utilisation and timely service delivery.
• Outcome-Based Financing: Shift from line-item budgets to global budgets with evaluation based on health outcomes, building accountability and trust.

World Enters Era of ‘Global Water Bankruptcy’

• The United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) report warns that the world has entered a state of “global water bankruptcy”.

Water Bankruptcy

• It is a chronic condition in which long-term water use and pollution exceed renewable inflows, preventing natural systems from returning to historical baselines.

Key Drivers

• Climate Change: It intensifies drought–flood extremes, disrupting predictable recharge cycles in rivers, aquifers, and glaciers.
• Pollution & Salinity: Industrial waste, untreated sewage, and farm runoff render water unusable; over-irrigation and sea-level rise have salinised about 100 million hectares.
• Anthropogenic Drought: Scarcity results from human over-allocation, mismanagement, and over-extraction beyond sustainable limits.

Key Findings of the Report

• Human Toll: About 75% of humanity lives in water-insecure countries, while 4 billion people face water scarcity for 1 month each year.
• Groundwater Collapse: Nearly 70% of major aquifers are depleting, causing land subsidence across ~5% of the global land area.
• Food Security Risk: Over 50% of global food production is concentrated in regions with unstable or shrinking water storage.
• Vanishing Ecosystems: Around 410 million hectares of wetlands vanished over 50 years, eroding ecosystem services valued at $5.1 trillion.
• Glacial Loss: Since 1970, glaciers have lost over 30% of their mass, reducing natural freshwater storage.
• Day Zero Crisis: Cities like Tehran and parts of Turkey face sudden municipal water system failures.
• Regional Hotspots: The highest irreversible risks lie in the Middle East and North Africa, Central–South Asia, Southwest US–Northern Mexico, Southern Africa, and Australia regions.
• India’s Status: India is among the most critically affected countries, shifting from manageable water stress to a persistent hydrological deficit.

Key Recommendations of the Report

• New Water Agenda: Move away from “emergency fixes” (like deeper wells) towards the fundamental restructuring of water rights and claims.
• Reforming Agriculture: Transitioning away from water-intensive crops in arid regions and implementing a circular water economy with 100% wastewater reuse.
• Natural Capital: Protecting the remaining forests and wetlands as critical infrastructure rather than treating them as “free” land.
• Global Monitoring: Establishing a formal global framework to monitor “hydrological debt” and prevent total system collapse.

Security Fences to Move Closer to Pakistan Border in Punjab

• Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann stated that the Union government has tentatively agreed to shift the border security fence closer to the International Border.
• Farmland Access: The proposed realignment restores unhindered access to nearly 21,300 acres of fertile farmland along the Punjab-Pakistan border.

Regulated Farming Inside Border Fence

• Controlled Access: Farmers cross the fence only during fixed hours, using identity cards, under the supervision of Border Security Force (BSF) Kisan Guards.
• Fence Misalignment: In several stretches, the security fence lies 2-3 kilometres inside India, rather than the standard 150 metres from the Zero Line.
• Visibility Norms: Authorities ban tall crops like sugarcane or maize that exceed 3-4 feet in height to maintain clear visibility.
• Machinery Regulation: Farmers must pre-register and obtain approval to use heavy machinery, such as combine harvesters.
• Tractor Quotas: Border authorities cap the number of tractors allowed to cross the gates on specific, pre-designated weekdays.
• Mandatory Escort: Every tractor entering fenced farmland must be accompanied by two BSF Kisan Guards at all times.

Governance Framework for Border Fencing in India

• Nodal Authority: The Ministry of Home Affairs oversees border fencing through the Department of Border Management.
• Executing Agencies: Construction is executed by CPWD, NBCC, or BRO, depending on terrain, altitude, and operational conditions.
• Guarding Forces: Fences are manned by BSF (Pakistan, Bangladesh), ITBP (China), SSB (Nepal, Bhutan), and Assam Rifles (Myanmar).
• Legal Authority: Border fencing powers derive from the Border Security Force Act, 1968, and executive orders under the Passport Act, 1920.
• Land Acquisition: The land required for fencing is acquired under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Act, 2013.
• Policy Shift: Border management has shifted towards a Smart Wall approach, integrating physical fencing with the Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS).

Current Status of Border Fencing in India

• Pakistan Border: Around 93% of the International Border (2290 km) is fenced; the Line of Control uses a separate Anti-Infiltration Obstacle System (AIOS).
• Bangladesh Border: Physical fencing covers nearly 79% of the 4,096 km India-Bangladesh boundary; riverine areas are covered by technological solutions like BOLD-QIT.
• Myanmar Border: Less than 2% of the 1,643-kilometre India-Myanmar border is fenced.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs approved a comprehensive border fencing project after scrapping the Free Movement Regime (FMR).
• China Border: There is no continuous physical fence along the Line of Actual Control (LAC); focus remains on developing strategic “hard” infrastructure (roads, tunnels, landing grounds, etc.).

India’s First Private National Earth Observation Satellite

• A consortium led by Pixxel signed an agreement with IN-SPACe to build India’s first private national Earth Observation (EO) satellite constellation.
• IN-SPACe: The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre is the nodal agency for authorising, regulating, and promoting private-sector participation in space activities.
• The consortium, led by Pixxel, includes Indian startups Dhruva Space, PierSight, and SatSure.
• The constellation will consist of 12 satellites with very high-resolution optical, multispectral, hyperspectral, and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imaging.
• It will deliver an end-to-end EO ecosystem spanning satellite deployment, ground infrastructure, data processing, and value-added intelligence services.
• Objective: To reduce India’s dependence on foreign geospatial data while marketing EO data globally.
• Operational Model: Under a public–private partnership, the consortium owns and operates the satellites, with the government having priority access to data.
• Significance: This marks a transition in Earth observation operations from government to industry.
• Earth Observation Satellites
• EO satellites are spacecraft equipped with remote sensing technology to monitor Earth’s physical, chemical, and biological systems from space.
• Sensor Types: They use active sensors, which emit their own radiation, like radar or passive sensors, which detect reflected solar radiation or thermal emissions.
• Indian Milestones: The first experimental EOS was Bhaskara-I (1979), and IRS-1A (1988) was the first operational remote sensing satellite.
• Key Applications: Include agricultural monitoring, disaster management, environmental assessment, ocean studies, and high-resolution cartography.

Reusable Rockets for Sustainable Access to Space

• Reusable rocket technology is transforming the commercial space sector, reducing launch expenses as the global space market is projected to surpass $1 trillion by 2030.

About Reusable Rockets

• Reusable rockets are launch vehicles designed to return intact after missions, allowing the refurbishment and reuse of engines and avionics.
• Operational Shift: The approach shifts spaceflight from disposable launches to a transportation model comparable to commercial aviation.

Core Enabling Technologies

• Guidance Systems: GPS sensors and inertial measurement units guide rockets from orbital altitudes to precise landing pads or to ocean-based drone ships.
• Retro Propulsion: Engines reignite multiple times during descent to dissipate kinetic energy and slow vehicles from supersonic speeds.
• Aerodynamic Control: Deployable grid fins and active control surfaces manage the rocket’s trajectory during atmospheric descent.
• Thermal Protection: Silica tiles, phenolic impregnated carbon ablators (PICA), and heat-resistant steel alloys protect vehicles from the ~2000 °C atmospheric re-entry heat.
• Clean Propellants: Rocket designs increasingly use liquid oxygen and methane (Methalox) engines because these engines prevent “coking” (residue buildup) and simplify refurbishment.

Landing & Recovery Systems

• Vertical Landing: Pioneered by SpaceX’s Falcon 9, vertical take-off and vertical landing (VTVL) use engine thrust and landing legs to touch down upright.
• Mechanical Catch (Chopsticks): SpaceX’s Mechazilla launch tower uses large robotic arms to catch returning boosters midair.
• Horizontal Landing: Winged spaceplanes, such as India’s Pushpak RLV-TD, glide and land on a runway like a jet.
• In-Air Capture: A towing helicopter snags the parachute line of a descending booster to prevent it from crashing into the ocean.
• Parachute Splash-Down: Parachutes are used to slow crew capsules and smaller launch vehicles for controlled splashdowns in the ocean.

Significance of Reusable Rockets

• Economic Efficiency: Reusable technology lowers cost-to-orbit by recovering and reusing expensive components like engines and avionics.
• Strategic Capability: It enables a rapid launch cadence, allowing quick satellite deployment or replacement during emergencies or conflict scenarios.
• Environmental Sustainability: Recovering rocket stages reduces space debris accumulation and marine pollution from splashdowns.
• Downmass Capability: Unlike expendable rockets, reusable vehicles like Starship can return heavy cargo safely to Earth.
• Democratized Access: Lower seat costs enable universities, smaller nations, and private researchers to access space.

ECOFIX Pothole Repair Technology

• Context (PIB): Technology Development Board (TDB) signed a commercialisation agreement with a private partner for ECOFIX pothole repair technology.
• About: ECOFIX is a ready-to-use, all-weather pothole repair mix for rapid urban road maintenance.
• Composition: It uses processed steel slag with a specialised polymeric binder to enhance bonding.
• Advantage: Developed by the CSIR-Central Road Research Institute, the mix is cheaper and more durable than conventional bituminous patchwork solutions.
• Application: Unlike bituminous mixes, ECOFIX can be applied directly into waterlogged potholes without dewatering or a tack coat.
• Fast Work: Repaired road sections can be opened to traffic within about 20 minutes.
• Emission Reduction: As a cold-mix technology, ECOFIX reduces greenhouse gas emissions compared with hot-mix methods.

About Steel Slag

• Steel slag is a non-metallic byproduct formed during steelmaking when impurities are separated using limestone and dolomite fluxes.
• Composition: It primarily contains calcium, silicon, magnesium, and iron oxides.
• Material Strength: Slag aggregates are harder and more durable than natural stones like limestone.
• Higher Density: Steel slag is generally denser (3.2-3.6 g/cc) than natural aggregates.
• Usage: Steel slag can be used as –

• Reduce cement’s overall carbon footprint as a supplementary cementitious material
• Treat acidic mine drainage and prevent heavy metal leaching
• Neutralises acidic soils and supplies micronutrients such as silicon.
• Fully replace natural aggregates, reducing road thickness and costs.

2nd Global Buddhist Summit

• Context (PIB): The International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, will organise the 2nd Global Buddhist Summit (GBS) in New Delhi.
• Its theme, “Collective Wisdom, United Voice, and Mutual Coexistence”, reinforces the relevance of Buddhist philosophy in social harmony and global dialogue.
• The summit will showcase NORBU (Neural Operator for Responsible Buddhist Understanding), an AI model designed to engage youth with Buddhist teachings.
• Significance: The summit strengthens India’s cultural diplomacy by projecting India as the global hub of Buddha Dhamma.
• The first Global Buddhist Summit, held in 2023, adopted the Delhi Declaration, which linked Buddhist philosophy with mental well-being and environmental sustainability.

International Buddhist Confederation (IBC)

• The IBC is the largest global Buddhist umbrella organisation, headquartered in New Delhi, India.
• Establishment: It was conceived in 2011 and formally established in 2012 under the Ministry of Culture.
• Objective: Integrate Buddhist values into global discourse to address contemporary challenges.
• Membership: It comprises over 320 organisations across 39 countries.
• Structure: It is governed by a Council of Patrons, a Dhamma Council, and a General Assembly that elects office bearers every 3 years.
• Key Initiatives: It organised the 1st Asian Buddhist Summit in 2024 and is developing the India International Centre for Buddhist Culture and Heritage (IICBCH) at Lumbini, Nepal.

Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988

• A two-judge Bench of the Supreme Court of India delivered a split verdict on the constitutional validity of Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, which mandates prior approval before investigating public servants.

Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988:

• Section 17A, inserted by the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, bars any police officer from conducting an enquiry, inquiry, or investigation into offences under the Act without prior approval of the competent authority, where the alleged offence relates to a decision or recommendation made in official duty

Key features of the 2018 Amendment (Section 17A):

• Prior approval mandatory at investigation stage for acts linked to official decisions or recommendations
• Competent authority defined: Union Government, State Government, or authority competent to remove the official from service, as applicable
• Exception for trap cases: No prior approval required when a public servant is caught red-handed accepting bribe
• Time-bound approval: Decision to be conveyed within 3 months, extendable by 1 month with recorded reasons
• Distinct from Section 19, which requires sanction only at the prosecution stage, not investigation

Court rulings and judicial trajectory

• Vineet Narain vs Union of India (1998): SC struck down the Single Directive requiring prior approval for investigation, holding it violated Article 14 (equality before law).
• Dr Subramanian Swamy vs Director, CBI (2014): Section 6A of the DSPE Act (prior approval for senior officers) was struck down as unconstitutional.

Current split verdict (2026)

• Justice K. V. Viswanathan: Upheld Section 17A conditionally, stressing protection for honest officers; held approval must be independent, preferably routed through Lokpal/Lokayuktas.
• Justice B. V. Nagarathna: Held Section 17A unconstitutional, calling it old wine in a new bottle, already invalidated in earlier rulings; Section 19 offers sufficient safeguard.

Union Minister highlights India’s comprehensive approach to AI on sidelines of WEF 2026

• The minister explained that the AI ecosystem consists of 5 layers: the application layer, the models layer, the semiconductor or chip layer, infrastructure such as data centers, and the energy layer.

India’s approach to 5 layer AI ecosystem:

• Application and usage layer: This layer offers the highest Return on Investment (RoI). India is aiming to lead in applying AI to enterprise workflows and public services. E.g. Kisan e-Mitra is an AI-powered chatbot that helps farmers, Bhashini provides AI-based translation in 20+ Indian languages for accessing digital services.
• Model Layer: Instead of building only massive models, India is developing  around 12 focused AI models, which can run on small GPU clusters and deliver AI services at low cost to a very large population. Nearly 95 %of AI workloads today are handled by small models, and that a 50-billion parameter model is sufficient for most enterprise requirements.
• Semiconductor: India is focusing on indigenous custom silicon development to reduce dependency. India is focusing on mastering manufacturing in the 28nm to 90nm range, covering applications such as electric vehicles, automobiles, railways etc.
• AI Infrastructure: Approx. USD 70 billion of AI infrastructure investment is already confirmed and being rolled out.
• Energy Readiness: India is integrating green energy to sustainably power the country''s growing data centre footprint. E.g., India has opened nuclear energy to private sector participation through the SHANTI Act (2025), which will support the full AI stack.

Darwin’s Bark Spider

• Scientists studied Darwin’s bark spider to identify conditions enabling the production of exceptionally tough silk.
• Darwin’s bark spider is an orb-weaver endemic to Madagascar that produces the toughest biological material and constructs the largest orb webs recorded.
• The species was named after Charles Darwin to mark the 150th anniversary of The Origin of Species.
• Appearance: They are medium-sized spiders with mottled dark brown to black colouration and a hairy texture: females are larger and about 14 times heavier than males.
• Habitat: The species occurs exclusively in Madagascar’s riverine forests and wetlands.

Key Characteristics

• Crypsis: They mimic tree bark or twigs to remain hidden from predators during the day.
• Web Gigantism: They build large orb webs supported by long ‘bridge lines’ (up to 25 meters) to suspend webs across rivers and lakes.
• Silk Strength: Their silk is 10 times tougher than Kevlar and twice as tough as other spider silks.
• Only adult females produce ultra-tough silk; males and juveniles produce weaker, standard silk.
• Unique Protein: Female silk contains proline-rich proteins that confer record-breaking toughness and spring-like elasticity.
• Proline is a non-essential amino acid and a vital building block of proteins in living organisms.
• Kevlar is a durable, heat-resistant synthetic fibre about five times stronger than steel; it is used in safety gear such as bulletproof vests.

First Commercial Space Station Haven-1

• Haven-1 is planned to be the world’s first commercial space station.
• It is a single-module station that will operate in low-Earth orbit (LEO) and will serve as a precursor to the larger multi-module station, Haven-2.
• It is being developed by the American aerospace company Vast, with support from NASA and private partners.
• Objective: To host short-duration missions and support microgravity research, in-space manufacturing, and orbital tourism.
• Launch: Haven-1 is expected to launch in 2027 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, initially uncrewed.
• Design: It follows a human-centric design, featuring a domed window and private crew quarters.
• Mission Duration: The station is built for a three-year orbital lifespan, with missions lasting 10–30 days.
• Significance: Haven-1 marks a structural shift from state-led space programmes to a commercially sustained space research ecosystem.

Fatty Liver Disease MASLD

• Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) is emerging as a silent health threat in India.
• It was earlier termed Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) but renamed to allow diagnosis based on metabolic risk factors, not alcohol exclusion.
• It is characterised by hepatic steatosis (over 5% fat in the liver) and at least one cardiometabolic risk factor (e.g., obesity, Type 2 diabetes, hypertension).
• Primary Causes: Sedentary behaviour, high-calorie diets with excess fructose, and insulin resistance.
• Disease Spectrum: It is a progressive condition that can lead to several stages of liver damage.
• Simple Steatosis: Fat accumulates in the liver without significant inflammation or damage.
• MASH: Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatohepatitis causes liver inflammation and cell damage.
• MetALD: This sub-category includes MASLD patients consuming moderate alcohol, below alcoholic liver disease thresholds.
• Fibrosis and Cirrhosis: Chronic inflammation leads to scarring (fibrosis). Severe scarring (cirrhosis) can cause liver failure or Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), a liver cancer.
• Symptoms: It is asymptomatic in early stages; advanced stages cause fatigue, right upper abdominal pain, jaundice, ascites, and bruising.
• Management Strategy: Sustained 5–10% weight loss reverses early MASLD; Resmetirom is the first FDA-approved medication for non-cirrhotic MASH.
• Monitoring: High-risk groups, especially Type 2 diabetes patients, should be screened with the FIB-4 score or FibroScan.
• Disease Burden: MASLD affects 30–38% of adults worldwide, with prevalence reaching nearly 70% among Type 2 diabetes patients.
• India Burden: India ranks among the top three most affected countries, with a general prevalence of 16–32% and an adult prevalence of 38.6%.

6th Khelo India Winter Games

• The 6th Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG 2026) have begun in Leh, Ladakh.
• It follows a two-leg format, with ice sports in Leh and snow events in Gulmarg.
• New Addition: Figure Skating (an Olympic sport) has been introduced for the first time.

Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG)

• KIWG is an annual national sports event aimed at promoting winter sports and identifying talent for global competitions.
• It is organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) and the Sports Authority of India.
• It is part of the Khelo India Scheme to revive grassroots sports and establish India as a sporting nation.

Khelo India Scheme

• The Khelo India National Programme for Development of Sports is a flagship Central Sector Scheme of the MYAS, launched in FY 2016-17.
• It subsumed three schemes — Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan (RGKA), Urban Sports Infrastructure Scheme (USIS), and National Sports Talent Search Scheme (NSTSS).
• Objectives: To strengthen the entire sports ecosystem in India by achieving mass participation and promoting sporting excellence.
• Scholarship: Selected “Khelo India Athletes” (KIAs) receive approximately 6.28 lakh per annum for 8 consecutive years.
• Major Competitions: Includes Khelo India Youth, University, Winter, Para, and Beach Games annually.
• Future Outlook: Khelo Bharat Niti-2025 was introduced, aligning the scheme with NEP 2020 and with sports-led economic development.

National Legislative Index (NLI)

• At the 86th All India Presiding Officers Conference, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced the initiation of a National Legislative Index (NLI) to objectively assess and compare the performance of legislatures.

National Legislative Index (NLI):

• The National Legislative Index is a proposed performance-evaluation framework to objectively measure and compare the functioning of Parliament and State Legislatures using predefined indicators.

Aim:

1. To promote healthy competition among legislatures.
2. To enhance efficiency, accountability, and quality of legislative deliberation.
3. To make legislatures more people-centric and outcome-oriented.

Key features

• Objective performance metrics: Assesses legislatures on measurable parameters such as number of sittings, legislative output, committee work, and utilisation of House time, reducing subjective political judgement.
• Comparative and competitive framework: Enables comparison across Parliament and State Legislatures to foster healthy competition and best-practice sharing.
• Accountability & transparency focus: Encourages discipline, quality debate, and citizen-centric law making by linking performance with public scrutiny.

Significance

• Discourages disruptions and improves deliberative quality, reinforcing legislatures as core pillars of constitutional democracy.
• Aligns institutional performance with long-term national development goals by making legislatures more efficient and outcome-oriented.

Operation Trashi-I

• Operation Trashi-I entered its fourth day in January 2026 as security forces intensified counter-terrorism operations in the dense forests of Kishtwar, Jammu & Kashmir.

Operation Trashi-I:

• Operation Trashi-I is a multi-day counter-terrorism and area-domination operation aimed at tracking, neutralising, and dismantling terrorist groups operating in the forested belts of the Chatroo region in Kishtwar district.
• Launched by: The operation is being conducted jointly by the Indian Army, Jammu & Kashmir Police (including SOG), and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), based on specific intelligence inputs.

Aim:

1. To eliminate terrorists using forest cover as hideouts
2. To destroy terrorist logistics and hideouts
3. To disrupt infiltration and movement routes linking Jammu region to the Kashmir Valley

Significance:

• Kishtwar lies on a traditional militant transit route from Kathua–Udhampur–Doda towards Kashmir
• Indicates a shift of terrorist focus from Kashmir Valley to forested Jammu regions
• Use of aerial surveillance, sniffer dogs, and human intelligence reflects modern counter-insurgency doctrine

Atal Pension Yojana (APY)

• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister of India has approved the continuation of Atal Pension Yojana (APY) up to 2030–31, along with extended funding for outreach, development, and gap funding.

Atal Pension Yojana (APY):

• Atal Pension Yojana is a voluntary, government-backed pension scheme that provides a guaranteed monthly pension to citizens, especially workers in the unorganised sector, after the age of 60.
• Launched in: 9 May 2015

Implementing authority:

• Administered by Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
• Implemented through banks and post offices.

Aim:

• To ensure old-age income security for poor, underprivileged, and unorganised sector workers.
• To promote financial inclusion and long-term retirement savings.

Key features:

• Guaranteed pension of ₹1,000 / ₹2,000 / ₹3,000 / ₹4,000 / ₹5,000 per month after 60 years
• Eligibility: Indian citizens aged 18–40 years with a savings bank/post office account
• Contribution-based, auto-debited monthly/quarterly/half-yearly till age 60
• Spouse pension & nominee benefit: Same pension to spouse after subscriber’s death; corpus returned to nominee thereafter.
• Income-tax payers not eligible for new enrolment after 1 October 2022
• Funds invested as per PFRDA guidelines through approved pension funds

Significance:

• Provides social security and dignity in old age to crores of unorganised workers.
• Deepens financial inclusion and supports India’s transition towards a pensioned society.

Small Industries Development Bank of India

• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister of India approved an equity infusion of ₹5,000 crore into Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI).

Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI):

• SIDBI is the principal financial institution for promotion, financing, and development of the MSME sector in India, and for coordinating institutions engaged in MSME financing.
• Established in:  April 1990, through an Act of Parliament.
• Headquarters:  Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

History:

• Established in 1990 as a wholly owned subsidiary of IDBI Bank.
• Delinked from IDBI in March 2000.
• One of the five All India Financial Institutions (AIFIs) regulated and supervised by RBI (others include NABARD, Exim Bank, NHB, NaBFID).

Key functions:

• Refinance support to banks, SFBs and NBFCs: Supplies bulk, low-cost funds to lending institutions so they can scale up MSME lending without balance-sheet stress.
• Direct lending to MSMEs: Provides loans straight to MSMEs for fixed capital and working capital where bank credit is inadequate or unavailable.
• Collateral-free and digital credit products: Enables MSME loans without physical collateral using digital data, reducing entry barriers for small firms.
• Venture debt and startup financing: Offers non-equity funding to startups and growth-stage MSMEs to support innovation and expansion.
• Developmental initiatives (Udyami Mitra, handholding): Acts as a facilitation platform linking MSMEs with banks, credit products, and advisory support.
• Support to microfinance institutions: Channels funds and institutional support to MFIs to extend credit to micro-enterprises at the grassroots level.

Significance:

• Acts as the backbone of MSME credit architecture in India.
• Enhances employment generation, financial inclusion, and formalisation.

One Station One Product (OSOP) Scheme

• Context (PIB): One Station One Product (OSOP) scheme is an initiative of the Ministry of Railways launched in 2022.
• Objective: To provide market access to local communities and revive traditional crafts losing prominence due to industrial standardisation.
• Implementation: Each railway station has a dedicated outlet for a unique regional product, with stalls uniformly designed by the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad.
• Target Groups: Artisans, weavers, craftsmen, and Self-Help Groups from marginalised communities.
• Significance: The scheme supports the government’s “Vocal for Local” vision by fostering livelihoods and regional identity.

Solar Radiation Storm

• The Sun unleashed the largest solar radiation storm in over 20 years, ranked S4 (Severe) by the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center, causing intense auroras across Europe and disruptions to aviation GPS systems.

Solar Radiation Storm:

• A solar radiation storm occurs when the Sun ejects extremely fast, high-energy charged particles—mainly protons—towards Earth following powerful solar eruptions.
• These particles can penetrate Earth’s magnetic shield and pose risks to space-based and high-altitude technologies.

How it forms?

• Triggered by X-class solar flares, the most intense category of solar flares.
• Often accompanied by a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME), where plasma and magnetic fields are expelled from the Sun’s corona.
• Charged particles accelerated to near-light speeds reach Earth in minutes to hours, travelling ~150 million km.

Measurement & classification:

• Classified using the NOAA Space Weather Scale (S1–S5).
• Based on proton flux ≥ 10 MeV, measured by GOES satellites in geosynchronous orbit.
• S4 storms are rare and last occurred during the Halloween Storms of October 2003.

Implications on Earth

• Space & astronaut safety: Increased radiation exposure for astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
• Aviation: Radiation risk for polar flights; GPS and HF radio disruptions.
• Satellites: Damage to electronics, navigation errors, orbital drag changes.
• Power grids: Geomagnetic storms linked to transformer damage.
• Auroras: Intense aurora borealis and australis visible far beyond polar regions.

Spain Joins the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI)

• IPOI is a non-treaty-based voluntary arrangement that promotes cooperation for a free and open Indo-Pacific and the rules-based regional order.
• Indo-Pacific is as an interconnected space between the Indian and the Pacific Ocean, joined together by its main trading channel, the Malacca strait.
• It is home to more than half of the world''s population, and nearly 2/3rds of the global economy.

About Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI)

• Genesis: IPOI was launched by India at the East Asia Summit in 2019, held in Bangkok (Thailand).
• Background: It builds upon the “Security and Growth for All in the Region” (SAGAR) initiative announced by India in 2015.
• SAGAR encourages countries to cooperate and synergise efforts towards a safe, secure, and stable maritime domain.
•  7 pillars of IPO: It includes Maritime Security; Maritime Ecology, Capacity Building and Resource Sharing; Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, etc.

Key Significance of IPOI

• Countering China''s assertiveness: E.g., In 2020, India and Vietnam agreed to enhance their bilateral cooperation in line with IPOI.
• Convergences with other global initiatives:  E.g., AIIPOIP (Australia-India Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative Partnership), AOIP (ASEAN Outlook for the Indo-Pacific), IPEF, etc.

Rash Behari Bose

• Union Home Minister paid tribute to freedom fighter Ras Behari Bose on his death anniversary.

About Rash Behari Bose (1886–1945)

• Born in Bardhaman district (Bengal).
• Was deeply inspired by the French Revolution of 1789.

Key Contributions

• Was an active member of the Yugantar group of revolutionaries under the leadership of Motilal Roy.
• Acted as an effective link between revolutionaries of Punjab, United Provinces and Bengal.
• Involved in the Delhi Conspiracy Case (1912) related to the bomb attack on Viceroy Lord Hardinge.
• Founded the Indian Independence League (1942) in Tokyo.
• Played a key role in the Ghadar Movement and in the formation of the Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army).
• Japanese Government honoured him with the Order of the Rising Sun (2nd grade)