Makhananomics

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the newly launched National Makhana Board as a transformative “revolution” for the sector.

Makhana

• It  is the dried edible seed of the prickly water lily or gorgon plant (Euryale ferox), a species which grows in freshwater ponds across South and East Asia. 
• It is known for its violet and white flowers, and massive, round and prickly leaves — often stretching more than a meter across.
• Makhana, traditionally consumed in ritual settings, has recently gained recognition as a nutrient-rich, low-fat “superfood” and healthy snack.

Production areas 

• Bihar is the leading producer of makhana in India, with cultivation concentrated in nine districts of the Mithilanchal region—particularly Darbhanga, Madhubani, Purnea, and Katihar, which account for 80% of the state’s output. 
• Around 15,000 hectares are used for makhana farming, yielding approximately 10,000 tonnes of popped makhana annually.
• The global makhana market was valued at $43.56 million in 2023, and expected to touch the $100 million-mark by 2033.

Issues and Concerns 

• Bihar, despite being the top makhana producer, lacks food processing and export infrastructure, forcing it to sell raw fox nuts cheaply to other states like Punjab and Assam, which dominate exports. 
• Poor market organization and multiple intermediaries result in low earnings for farmers and the state. 
• Additionally, makhana cultivation remains labor-intensive and low in productivity, raising input costs.

Government initiatives 

• The government is promoting its commercial potential through marketing efforts, improved industrial infrastructure, and the formation of the Makhana Board.
• In 2022, ‘Mithila Makhana’ was conferred a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, a certification that signifies that a product can only be grown in a particular geographical location, and as a result, has unique characteristics (like Darjeeling’s tea or Mysore sandal soap).

Way Ahead 

• Makhananomics envisions rural empowerment, economic growth, and regional development. 
• With better infrastructure, supportive policies, and improved market access, Bihar’s makhana sector could transform from a subsistence crop into a globally recognized superfood industry.

India to Install 100 Million Smart Meters

• The Power Ministry announced that India aims to install 100 million smart electricity meters nationwide to enhance power sector efficiency.
• The project is a key step toward India’s Digital Power Infrastructure under schemes like the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS).

Key Highlights of the Announcement

• Progress: Out of the targeted 100 million, 10 million smart meters have already been installed across various states.
• Consumer Benefits: Smart meters will enable real-time monitoring of electricity usage. Consumers can also track and manage their power consumption, helping reduce wastage and lower electricity bills.
• The system is expected to address billing disputes and enhance transparency in power delivery.
• Metro Expansion Update: The Ministry highlighted India’s growing metro rail network, stating that 1,100 km of metro lines have been constructed.

SC on Transgender Equality

• The Supreme Court of India flagged persistent discrimination against transgender persons, directing the Centre and States to formulate a comprehensive Equal Opportunity Policy.
• The case arose from a plea by a transgender woman who was terminated from schools in UP and Gujarat, highlighting systemic exclusion despite the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019.

Key Directives of the Supreme Court

• Advisory Committee Formation: Headed by Justice Asha Menon (Retd.), tasked with drafting the policy and recommending institutional reforms within 6 months.
• Institutional Mechanisms: Transgender Welfare Boards in all States/UTs (as per 2020 Rules) and Transgender Protection Cells at district and state levels under DMs and DGPs.
• Support Systems: A nationwide toll-free helpline for reporting violations.

Challenges Faced by Transgenders

• Low Workforce Participation: Only 6% of transgender persons are in formal employment, and around 92% work in the informal sector, often in begging or sex work (NHRC–NITI Aayog Report, 2021).
• Education Gap: 46% of transgender children drop out before completing secondary school, and less than 2% reach higher education (NHRC, 2022).
• Healthcare Discrimination: Only 30% have access to gender-affirming healthcare, and one in four reports denial of medical care in hospitals (Ministry of Social Justice data, 2023).
• Policy Implementation Deficit: Only 11 States have notified Transgender Welfare Boards & welfare allocation per transgender individual remains below ₹1,000 annually in most States (CAG Report, 2023).

Way Forward

• Policy Integration: “Trans-Inclusive Governance” like the UK’s Equality Act, 2010, which mandates non-discrimination across employment & public services.
• Education & Skill Development: Integrate gender diversity in teacher training & Skill India Mission.
• Economic Empowerment: Extend PM Vishwakarma Yojana & PMEGP benefits to transgender entrepreneurs via targeted sub-quotas.
• Data & Accountability: Include transgender indicators in the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) & Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for evidence-based policymaking.

Gyan Bharatam Mission

• The Gyan Bharatam Mission on manuscripts under the Union Culture Ministry, signed Memorandums of Understanding with around 20 institutes for conservation, upkeep and digitisation of manuscripts.
• National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM) is aimed to preserve, document, and disseminate India’s rich manuscript heritage. 
• The Mission has been restructured with the nomenclature ‘Gyan Bharatam Mission’ as a Central Sector Scheme for the period 2024-31. 
• The key objectives of the Mission include Survey and Documentation, conservation and preservation, publication and research etc. 
• The Culture Ministry had earlier organised the first-ever international conference on Indian manuscripts titled “Reclaiming India’s Knowledge Legacy through Manuscript Heritage”.

Pilot Whales

• More than two dozen pilot whales have died after becoming stranded on a remote beach in New Zealand.
• Scientific name:
• • Globicephala melas (Long-finned Pilot Whale).
  • Globicephala macrorhynchus (Short-finned Pilot Whale).
• Family: Delphinidae (Oceanic dolphins).
• Despite their name, they are not true whales but large oceanic dolphins.
• They were named pilot whales because it was thought that each pod followed a ‘pilot’ in the group.
• Distinctive Appearance: Pilot whales have a distinctive appearance characterized by a bulbous forehead and a long, black body with a white or light-gray saddle patch behind the dorsal fin.
• Habitat & Distribution:Long-finned species prefer cooler waters (North Atlantic, Southern Ocean).
  • Short-finned species prefer warmer tropical and subtropical waters, including parts of the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea.
• Conservation Status: 
  • The IUCN Red List for short finned whales is Least Concern.
  • The data is not sufficient for the long finned whales.

RBI Proposes Limits on Banks Capital Market Exposure and Acquisition Financing

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued a draft circular proposing limits on banks exposure to capital markets and corporate acquisitions to manage risks while promoting credit growth.

Key Proposals

• Capital Market Exposure: Banks aggregate exposure, including direct and indirect (through funds, guarantees), should not exceed 40% of their Tier-1 capital.
• Tier-1 capital includes equity, retained earnings, and certain instruments capable of absorbing losses.
• Acquisition Financing (Loans for Buying Companies): 
• Banks’ exposure to acquisition finance should be capped at 10% of Tier-1 capital.
• Banks may finance up to 70% of the acquisition deal value; the remaining 30% must come from the acquiring company.
• Only listed entities with satisfactory net worth and profitability for the last three years are eligible.
• Loans must be fully secured by the target company’s shares, so the bank can recover money if needed.
• It proposed revised risk-weight guidelines for non-banking financial companies’ infrastructure loans, a move that could lower capital requirements for lenders financing established projects.

PM Modi to Attend ASEAN Summit Virtually

• PM Modi will participate virtually in the 47^th ASEAN Summit, scheduled to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from October 26 to 28, 2025.

  Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

• It is a regional group of ten countries that promotes economic, political, and security cooperation.
• It was established in 1967 in Bangkok with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration). Its secretariat is in Jakarta, Indonesia.
• ASEAN has 10 member countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. India is not a member of ASEAN.
• ASEAN led the creation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), now the world’s largest free trade agreement.
• ASEAN is one of India’s largest trading partners and collectively accounts for approximately 11% of India’s global trade.

State of Emergency in Peru

• Peru’s President José Jerí declared a 30-day state of emergency in the capital Lima and the nearby Callao region, citing worsening public security and increasing crime rates.
• Peru has been experiencing a rise in organised crime, with nationwide protests led by “Gen Z” activists.

 Peru

• Location: Peru lies on the western coast of South America, bordered by Ecuador and Colombia to the north, Brazil to the east, Bolivia and Chile to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west.
• Physical Divisions: Three distinct regions — the arid coast in the west, the Sierra (central highlands) with the Andes mountains, and the humid Selva (jungle) with the Amazon rainforest in the east.
• Drainage: Includes the Amazon River, which originates in the Andes and flows into the Atlantic Ocean, and Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake shared with Bolivia.
• Climate: Varies from dry coastal deserts to humid rainforests due to latitude, elevation, and opposing currents of the cold Humboldt and warm El Niño.

Delhi’s First Cloud-Seeding Flight Trial

• The Delhi Government conducted its first cloud-seeding flight trial.

Cloud Seeding

• Cloud seeding is a weather modification technology that artificially stimulates rainfall by spraying chemical substances into the air that serve as cloud condensation nuclei.
• Cloud condensation nuclei are small particles upon which water vapour condenses to form clouds.
• The chemical substances used are silver iodides, potassium iodides, dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) or liquid propane.
• It works only when there are enough pre-existing clouds in the atmosphere.
• Weather Suitability: It requires tall, moist clouds and low wind conditions to operate effectively.
• Pollution Removal: Artificial rain reduces particulate matter by washing pollutants out of the air.

Limitations of Cloud Seeding

• Cloud seeding cannot create clouds; it only works when natural ones exist. Its effectiveness in boosting rainfall remains uncertain and inconsistent.
• Any temporary pollution relief after rainfall lasts only a day or two; such short-term measures divert focus from lasting solutions like emission control and clean energy adoption.
• It uses chemicals such as silver iodide and sodium chloride to induce rain, which, if used repeatedly, may accumulate in soil and water, harming ecosystems and health.

Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Raising Day

• The 64th raising day of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) was observed recently. 

Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) 

• It was raised on October 24, 1962 and it guards the 3,488 km-long India-China border, stretching from the Karakoram Pass in Ladakh to Jachep La in Arunachal Pradesh. 
• It also plays a crucial role in internal security operations, including anti-Naxal duties in Chhattisgarh.
• Many of the ITBP’s Border Out Posts are located at altitudes between 9,000 and 18,800 feet, where temperatures can plummet to minus 45 degrees Celsius during winters.

Relevance 

• It is recognised as a specialised armed police force.
• It trains its personnel in mountaineering, skiing, and tactical combat, in addition to maintaining readiness for disaster response and relief operations in the Himalayan region. 
• It has conducted numerous rescue missions, providing timely assistance to citizens affected by natural calamities.

Decline of Lab-Grown Diamonds

• According to the World Diamond Council (WDC), lab-grown diamonds are becoming less popular due to oversupply, and consumer preferences are shifting back to natural diamonds.

World Diamond Council (WDC)

• The WDC is a not-for-profit trade organization representing the global diamond industry within the Kimberley Process (KP).
• Objective: To uphold the integrity of the natural diamond supply chain and maintain consumer trust through accountability and responsible sourcing.
• Institutional Role: The WDC offers technical, financial, and other support to the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) to ensure that all diamonds come from legitimate sources.

Lab-Grown Diamonds (LGDs)

• Lab-grown diamonds are synthetic, man-made diamonds that are chemically and optically identical to natural ones but are created in laboratories.
• Production Methods: Two primary methods are used – High-Pressure High-Temperature (HPHT) and Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD).
• HPHT Process: It replicates Earth’s natural conditions for diamond formation and uses a carbon source (usually graphite), along with a diamond seed under extreme heat and pressure.
• CVD Process: It creates diamonds by heating a seed in a vacuum chamber with carbon-rich gases to produce high-purity crystals.
• Advantages: LGDs provide an ethical, sustainable, and affordable alternative to mined diamonds, attracting environmentally conscious buyers.

Defence Procurement Manual 2025

• The Defence Minister of India, Rajnath Singh, released the Defence Procurement Manual (DPM) 2025 in New Delhi.
• The Defence Procurement Manual (DPM) governs revenue procurements required for the day-to-day functioning, maintenance, and operational readiness of the Armed Forces.
• It is distinct from the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP), which handles capital procurements.
• It replaces the earlier manual of 2009 and incorporates lessons from defence reforms under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative and the Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy (DPEPP) 2020.
• The manual will become effective from November 1, 2025, and is expected to govern revenue procurement of about ₹1 lakh crore by the three-Armed Services under the Ministry of Defence.

Significance of the Defence Procurement Manual

• Promoting Indigenisation: Introduces a framework for assured orders up to five years for indigenously developed products, providing predictability for domestic manufacturers.
• Level Playing Field: Eliminates the requirement of No Objection Certificates from Defence Public Sector Undertakings before procurement from private sources.
• Ease of Doing Business: Simplifies procurement worth about ₹1 lakh crore by decentralising authority to Competent Financial Authorities (CFAs) at the field level, enabling faster approvals.
• Relaxed Penalties: No Liquidated Damages (LD) during development; minimal post-prototype penalties incentivise genuine suppliers and support indigenisation.

Challenges Within the Defence Procurement Manual

• High Import Dependence: India remains the world’s largest arms importer (SIPRI, 2024), with around 36% of its defence needs sourced externally.
• Low R&D Spending: Defence research accounts for less than 1% of GDP, limiting innovation capacity.
• Limited Private Sector Participation: Historically dominated by public sector undertakings, private firms contributed only 22% of total defence production (MoD, 2023–24).

Way Forward

• Support to MSMEs: Simplify eligibility norms, expand limited Tender options up to ₹50 lakh to promote inclusion and align the manual with MSME Samarth and Make in India initiatives.
• Capacity Building: Establish Defence Procurement Training Institutes for the uniform implementation of procedures. E.g. United Kingdom’s Defence Equipment and Support Agency.
• Monitoring & Transparency: Create a digital monitoring dashboard for tracking revenue procurement at all stages. E.g. South Korea’s Defence e-Procurement System (D2B).
• Encouraging MRO Sector: Allow a 15% upfront growth margin during refits and overhauls to strengthen the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul ecosystem. E.g. Indian Navy’s MRO Vision 2030.

Project Arunank

• Project Arunank of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) marked its 18th Raising Day in Naharlagun, Arunachal Pradesh.
• It was established in 2008 and it  has built over 696 km of roads and 1.18 km of major bridges, enhancing connectivity to remote areas and supporting Armed Forces operations.
• Notable achievements include the blacktopping of the 278 km Hapoli-Sarli-Huri Road and strategic links like the TCC-Maza and TCC-Taksing Roads.
• It has embraced sustainable technologies such as Steel Slag, Geo Cells, and GGBFS Concrete to improve infrastructure durability.
• Environmental efforts include planting 23,850 trees under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ initiative, while welfare measures for Casual Paid Labourers have improved working conditions.

Future Plans 

• BRO plans to expand road networks, build new bridges and tunnels, and enhance high-altitude connectivity using advanced technologies for safer, more sustainable infrastructure.

ICGS Ajit and ICGS Aparajit

• The Indian Coast Guard launched two advanced Fast Patrol Vessels—ICG Ship Ajit and ICGS Aparajit—at Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL). 

• These vessels are the seventh and eighth in a series of eight indigenously built FPVs being constructed by Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) for the ICG, underscoring India’s growing self-reliance in defence shipbuilding.
• The 52-metre-long vessels displace 320 tonnes and are equipped with Controllable Pitch Propellers (CPP) — the first of their kind in this class of ships in India — ensuring superior manoeuvrability and propulsion efficiency.

Importance and Roles 

• The FPVs are designed for multi-mission roles such as fisheries protection, coastal patrol, anti-smuggling, anti-piracy, and search and rescue operations, especially around India’s island territories and Exclusive Economic Zone.

This marks a key step in enhancing India’s coastal defense and maritime surveillance capabilities.