Military Quantum Mission Policy Framework

• The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan has released the Military Quantum Mission Policy Framework to integrate quantum technologies into the Indian Armed Forces.

Military Quantum Mission Policy Framework:

• The Military Quantum Mission Policy Framework is a strategic vision and roadmap document that lays down how quantum technologies will be systematically adopted and operationalised across the Army, Navy and Air Force to achieve future battlefield superiority.

Aim:

1. To integrate quantum capabilities across tri-services through jointness and interoperability.
2. To align defence requirements with the National Quantum Mission using a civil–military fusion approach.

Key features

• Four pillars of quantum integration: Focuses on quantum communication, quantum computing, quantum sensing & metrology, and quantum materials & devices.
• Tri-services jointness: Emphasises unified adoption across Army, Navy and Air Force rather than siloed development.
• Civil–military fusion model: Leverages academia, startups, industry and multiple government sectors through dedicated governing bodies.
• Policy + implementation roadmap: Provides phased milestones, institutional mechanisms and governance structures for execution.
• Future battlefield orientation: Addresses secure communications, superior sensing, faster decision-making, and resilience against cyber-electronic threats.

Honouring Subhas Chandra Bose on Parakram Diwas

• PM Narendra Modi paid tribute to Subhas Chandra Bose on his birth anniversary, observed as Parakram Diwas.
• The Centre is organising Parakram Diwas–2026 in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to commemorate the 129th Birth Anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, celebrating his legacy of courage, sacrifice, and patriotism.

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: Who he was?

• Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was a revolutionary nationalist leader who advocated complete independence through assertive and military means, diverging from the dominant non-violent strategy of the freedom movement.

Early life:

• Born on 23 January 1897 in Cuttack, Odisha, to a prominent family.
• Brilliant student; studied at Presidency College and Scottish Church College.
• Cleared the Indian Civil Services (ICS) exam in England (1920) but resigned voluntarily to serve the freedom struggle.\
• He considered Chittaranjan Das as his political mentor and Swami Vivekananda as his spiritual guide.

Contribution to the Freedom Movement

• Radical Congress leadership: Rose as a mass leader of the Left wing; elected Congress President in 1938 (Haripura) and 1939 (Tripuri), signalling a shift towards assertive anti-colonial politics.
• Uncompromising demand for Purna Swaraj: Rejected dominion status and constitutional gradualism; argued for immediate independence, especially during Britain’s wartime vulnerability.
• Socialist economic vision: Founded the National Planning Committee (1938), advocating state-led industrialisation, scientific planning, and economic self-reliance.
• Ideological challenge within the INC: Resigned after the Tripuri crisis, exposing tensions between Gandhian non-violence and Bose’s militant political realism.
• Forward Bloc and radical mobilisation: Established the Forward Bloc (1939) to consolidate leftists, youth, and workers under a militant nationalist platform.
• Ideology: Advocated Socialism and Purna Swaraj; rejected the 1928 Nehru Report’s Dominion Status.

Exile and Armed Struggle:

• Escape and globalisation of the struggle: Escaped house arrest in 1941, internationalising India’s freedom movement and shifting it to the geopolitical arena.
• Pragmatic Axis engagement: Sought support from Germany and Japan as a strategic anti-imperialist move, not ideological alignment.
• Revival of the INA: Reorganised the Indian National Army, instilling discipline, nationalism, and a direct military challenge to British authority.

• INA Leadership: He assumed command of the Indian National Army in Singapore in 1943 and established the Rani of Jhansi Regiment as the INA’s women’s combat unit.

  Azad Hind: He proclaimed the Provisional Government of Free India in Singapore in 1943.

  INA was formed in 1942 by Mohan Singh, with Indian Prisoners of War (PoWs) captured by the Japanese.

• Azad Hind Government (1943): Proclaimed India’s first government-in-exile, with symbols of sovereignty including currency, courts, and diplomatic recognition.
• Psychological blow to colonial rule: INA’s advance to Imphal and Kohima (1944), though militarily unsuccessful, broke the myth of British invincibility and hastened colonial exit.

Last days and mystery:

• Reported to have died in a plane crash in Taiwan on 18 August 1945, though circumstances remain controversial.
• Multiple inquiries were held; debates over his death continue to this day.

Significance and legacy:

• Popularised the slogan “Give me blood, and I will give you freedom.”
• Inspired mass nationalism, particularly among soldiers and youth.
• INA trials (1945–46) weakened British moral authority and accelerated India’s independence.
• 23 January is celebrated as Parakram Diwas to honour his indomitable spirit.

U.S. Formally Withdraws From the World Health Organization

• The United States is set to formally withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO) after serving a one-year notice, despite warnings about adverse impacts on U.S. and global health governance.

What is the WHO?

• The World Health Organization is the specialised health agency of the United Nations responsible for coordinating international public health, responding to health emergencies, and setting global health standards to ensure the highest attainable level of health for all.
• Establishment and Headquarters:
• Established: 7 April 1948 (World Health Day)
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
• Membership: 194 Member States

Historical background:

• Emerged from earlier international sanitary efforts such as the International Sanitary Conferences (1851–1938).
• Incorporated the League of Nations Health Organization after World War II.
• Played a decisive role in landmark achievements like eradication of smallpox, near-eradication of polio, and coordination during Ebola and COVID-19 outbreaks.

Core functions of WHO

• Global health leadership: Coordinates international responses to pandemics, epidemics, and health emergencies.
• Standard setting: Develops global norms such as the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) and health regulations.
• Universal Health Coverage (UHC): Promotes equitable access to essential health services.
• Technical assistance: Supports countries with policy advice, data, and capacity building.
• Data and surveillance: Collects and disseminates global health statistics and early-warning alerts.

Process of withdrawal from WHO:

• Under U.S. domestic law, withdrawal requires:

1. One-year advance notice, and
2. Full payment of outstanding financial obligations.

• The current withdrawal has raised legal concerns as membership dues reportedly remain unpaid, and final modalities are under discussion within WHO’s Executive Board.

Significance of the U.S. withdrawal:

• For WHO: Loss of ~18% of total funding, leading to staff reductions and scaled-back programmes.
• For global health: Weakens pandemic preparedness, disease surveillance, and coordinated emergency response.
• For the U.S.: Reduced access to real-time global health data, early warnings, and multilateral influence in setting health norms.

Long-Range Anti-Ship Hypersonic Glide Missile (LRAShM)

• India will publicly debut its Long-Range Anti-Ship Hypersonic Glide Missile (LR-AShM) at the 77th Republic Day parade, marking India’s entry into the exclusive hypersonic anti-ship weapons club.

Long-Range Anti-Ship Hypersonic Glide Missile (LRAShM):

• LR-AShM is an indigenous hypersonic glide missile designed to engage high-value naval targets, including aircraft carrier battle groups, at very long ranges with extreme speed and evasive manoeuvres.
• Developed by: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the Indian Navy, primarily to meet coastal battery and maritime strike requirements.

Aim:

1. Enhance maritime deterrence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
2. Neutralise enemy surface combatants at standoff distances, beyond the reach of conventional cruise missiles.
3. Strengthen A2/AD (Anti-Access/Area Denial) capabilities through shore-based, mobile launchers.

Key features:

• Hypersonic speed: Operates in the hypersonic regime (up to ~Mach 10, average hypersonic glide around Mach 5+), drastically compressing enemy reaction time.
• Long range: ~1,500 km operational range (future variants reportedly aiming higher).
• Boost-glide architecture: Two-stage solid propulsion boosts the vehicle; post-burnout unpowered hypersonic glide with multiple manoeuvres.
• Advanced guidance: Inertial navigation + satellite aid + active radar seekers, enabling accurate engagement of moving targets and resilience against electronic countermeasures.
• Low-altitude, manoeuvrable flight: High speed and evasive trajectory reduce radar detection and interception probability.
• Deployment flexibility: Land-based mobile launchers initially; ship-borne and air-launched variants envisaged.

Significance:

• Places India alongside the US, Russia and China in hypersonic glide missile capability.
• Credibly threatens carrier strike groups and strengthens India’s posture across the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal.

Operation Megaburu

• Operation Megaburu, a major anti-Maoist offensive in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district, led to the killing of 16 Maoists, including top CPI (Maoist) leader Anal alias Patiram Manjhi.

Operation Megaburu:

• Operation Megaburu is a large-scale counter-insurgency operation against the CPI (Maoist), conducted in the Saranda forest region, one of the last major Maoist strongholds in Jharkhand.
• Launched in: January 2026
• Location: Kumdi area, Kiriburu police station, West Singhbhum district, Jharkhand
• Forces involved: Central Reserve Police Force (elite CoBRA units) and Jharkhand Police

Aim:

• Neutralise top Maoist leadership and dismantle command structures.
• Clear remaining Maoist pockets in Singhbhum region.
• Advance the Government of India’s goal to end Naxalism by March 2026.

Key features:

• Intelligence-driven operation: Launched on specific inputs about the presence of senior Maoist leaders, including Central Committee members.
• Elite force deployment: Around 1,500 CoBRA commandos deployed for deep-jungle combat in difficult terrain.
• Simultaneous leadership decapitation: Elimination of several area, sub-zonal and regional committee members, including women cadres.
• Largest recovery in Jharkhand: Highest number of Maoist bodies recovered in a single encounter in the state.

Significance:

• Almost all Central Committee members in Jharkhand neutralised; only a small residual presence remains.
• Confirms that Maoists are now confined to limited forest pockets rather than widespread zones.
• Enhances civilian confidence and enables developmental activities in long-affected tribal areas.

Governor’s Power to Address the State Legislatures

• Several States have seen fresh confrontations with Governors over the content and reading of the Governor’s Address to the State Legislature, raising questions on constitutional propriety.

Governor’s Power to Address the State Legislatures:

• The Governor’s Address is a constitutional formality at the beginning of the first session of a State Legislature after elections and at the start of the first session of every year.
• It outlines the policies and priorities of the elected State government, not the personal views of the Governor.

Constitutional articles involved:

• Article 163: Governor acts on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers, except in constitutionally specified discretionary matters.
• Article 174: Power to summon, prorogue and dissolve the State Legislature (to be exercised on Cabinet advice).
• Article 175: Governor may address or send messages to the House.
• Article 176:(1) At the commencement of the first session after each general election to the Legislative Assembly and at the commencement of the first session of each year, the Governor shall address the Legislative Assembly or, in the case of a State having a Legislative Council, both Houses assembled together and inform the Legislature of the causes of its summons. (2) Provision shall be made by the rules regulating the procedure of the House or either House for the allotment of time for discussion of the matters referred to in such address.

Powers of the Governor:

• Mandatory address, not discretionary speech: The Governor is constitutionally required to address the House but cannot alter, omit, or rewrite the speech prepared by the elected government.
• No independent policy authority: The Address reflects the Council of Ministers’ agenda, reaffirming democratic accountability.
• Limited discretion in summoning sessions: As clarified by courts, the Governor cannot unilaterally summon or delay sessions contrary to Cabinet advice.
• Symbolic constitutional role: The address is meant to communicate government policy, not act as a veto or critique mechanism.
• Procedural compliance: Rules of the House provide time for discussion on the Address, reinforcing legislative scrutiny rather than gubernatorial control.

Key court judgements

• Nabam Rebia v. Deputy Speaker (2016): The Supreme Court held that the Governor cannot exercise discretion in summoning the Assembly under Article 174 and must act on aid and advice.
• Rajasthan High Court (1966): Held that even a partial reading of the Governor’s Address satisfies constitutional requirements; it is an irregularity, not illegality.
• Syed Habibullah v. Speaker, West Bengal Assembly (Calcutta HC): Ruled that the Address is mandatory, but defects in delivery do not invalidate legislative proceedings.

Significance

• Federal balance: Reinforces that Governors are constitutional heads, not parallel power centres.
• Democratic legitimacy: Protects the authority of elected State governments over policy articulation.
• Institutional harmony: Prevents politicisation of the gubernatorial office.

Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary

• A forest fire has been raging since 20 January 2026 in Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary, near the Indo-China border, affecting about 12 hectares of forest land.

Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary:

• Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary is a high-altitude protected area and a designated Important Bird Area (IBA), known for its exceptional alpine to subtropical biodiversity and strategic location along India’s eastern Himalayan frontier.
• Located in: East Sikkim, Sikkim.
• Altitude (~1,300 m to >4,000 m): Wide elevation range creates subtropical, temperate and alpine ecosystems, supporting high biodiversity and climate-sensitive species.
• Area (~12,400 hectares): Large contiguous forest expanse enables ecological connectivity, wildlife movement, and functioning of high-altitude watersheds.
• Established (2002): Notified to legally protect fragile eastern Himalayan ecosystems and conserve rare flora, fauna, and migratory bird habitats.

Neighbouring states / nations

1. Bhutan to the east
2. China (Tibet Autonomous Region) to the north (via Nathu La–Jelep La corridor)
3. Extends southwards towards West Bengal, connecting with Neora Valley National Park

Key features:

1. Unique biogeography:

• Part of the Eastern Himalayas biodiversity hotspot

Encompasses three biomes:

1. Eurasian High Montane (Alpine & Tibetan)
2. Sino-Himalayan Temperate Forest
3. Sino-Himalayan Subtropical Forest

Rich flora:

• Rhododendron forests, Silver Fir, Juniper, oak forests with dense bamboo thickets
• Alpine pastures and high-altitude wetlands such as Bedang Tso Lake

Diverse fauna:

• Tiger, Leopard, Takin, Musk Deer, Goral, Serow, Asiatic Black Bear
• Himalayan Monal, Snow Partridge, Pallas’s Fish Eagle, Wood Snipe (Vulnerable), Tibetan Eared Pheasant (Near Threatened)
• Acts as a migratory corridor via Nathu La and Jelep La passes

2. Strategic & military significance:

• Located along sensitive India–China–Bhutan tri-junction zone
• Area hosts Army deployments, affecting access and conservation operations

Significance:

• Critical habitat for endangered Himalayan species and high-altitude wetlands.
• Acts as a natural water regulator through forests and alpine lakes.
• Highly sensitive to climate change, forest fires and reduced snowfall.

One Crore e-Passports Issued

• Nearly one crore e-Passports have been issued since the nationwide launch in 2024.
• Automatic Adoption: All new passport applications and renewals now automatically receive upgraded e-Passports.
• Transition Target: India aims to complete the national transition to e-Passports by June 2035.

About e-Passport

• Document Nature: An e-Passport is a conventional paper passport embedded with an electronic Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip.
• Global Standards: The document complies with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Document 9303 standard for machine-readable travel documents.
• Implementing Agency: The Ministry of External Affairs implements e-Passports under the Passport Seva Programme Version 2.0.

Key Features of e-Passport

• Data Storage: Embedded 64-kilobyte RFID chip stores demographic details, a digital photograph, and biometric identifiers like fingerprints and iris data.
• Chip Design: The passive RFID chip communicates only with authorised readers via contactless smart card technology.
• Tracking Safeguard: The read-only chip only activates when close to readers, preventing location tracking or remote misuse.
• Security Architecture: Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and digital signatures protect chip data against forgery and unauthorised modification.
• Access Control: Supplemental Access Control (SAC) prevents unauthorised skimming by requiring a physical passport scan before data release.

Key Advantages of e-Passport

• Border Clearance: Automated e-gates enable faster, contactless immigration clearance.
• Forgery Resistance: The encrypted chip makes the passport highly resistant to physical tampering.
• Identity Accuracy: Biometric attributes prevent impersonation through 1:1 identity verification.

Constitutional Limits on “Protective Custody” under PITA

• Context (IE): Bombay High Court ordered the release of an adult trafficking survivor under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 (PITA), holding that “care” cannot become forced confinement.

Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 (PITA)

• Objective Focus: Aims to prevent commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking, targeting the organised trade ecosystem (brothels, traffickers, pimps), not victims.
• Prostitution Not Per Se Illegal: The Act does not criminalise prostitution itself; it criminalises activities around it like brothel management, procuring, detaining and living off earnings.
• Protective vs Corrective Framework: Protective Home (Section 2(g)) is for care of rescued victims; Corrective Institution (Section 2(b) + Section 10A) is for detention of offenders after guilt.
• Custody Safeguards: Post-rescue custody under Section 17 is time-bound with an inquiry requirement, ensuring rescue does not become unlawful confinement.

Key Observations by Bombay High Court

Constitutional Primacy Over Statute

• Liberty First: For an adult, protective home placement must satisfy constitutional liberty standards, not be treated as routine welfare custody.
• Article 19 Weight: Freedom of movement, residence and livelihood does not stand suspended merely because a person has been trafficked.

Procedural Safeguards

• Strict Timelines: Custody limits under PITA reflect legislative intent; 10 days of initial custody and 3 weeks of interim custody must be followed strictly.
• Reasoned Inquiry: Magistrate must conduct an inquiry and record reasons using material evidence, not assumptions about vulnerability or livelihood.

Court’s Test for Care vs Detention

• Care Meaning: Care involves support measures respecting autonomy, counselling, shelter offered with consent, and rehabilitation assistance outside exploitation.
• Detention Meaning: Detention is marked by compulsion, restrictions on movement and choice, with confinement continuing even after refusal.
• Consent Central: For a major, institutional “care” cannot be forced; it must be voluntary, informed, autonomy-respecting, and consistent with constitutional liberty.
• Exit Right: Once an adult clearly expresses a wish to leave, continued stay becomes compulsory detention, not rehabilitation support or protective care.

Evidence Standard Against Detention

• Material-Based Justification: Any restraint on liberty must be supported by specific material placed on record, not vague welfare logic.
• Reject Speculation: “May return to sex work” is vague and cannot justify restricting personal liberty.
• Victim ≠ Offender: PITA targets trafficking networks, so survivors cannot be treated as offenders without any conduct attracting penal provisions.
• Poverty Ground: Lack of income may justify assistance, but cannot be used to curtail liberty.

Narrow Exceptions

• Incapacity Grounds: Detention may be justified only with medical material showing impaired decision-making capacity or inability to consent.
• Public Danger: Restraint needs demonstrable risk, not hypothetical fear.
• Accused Status: Confinement can apply if the person is also an accused in a criminal case.

Karnataka HC Limits BNS Section 69 in Consensual Relationships

• The Karnataka High Court ruled that Section 69 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) cannot be misused as retaliation in failed consensual relationships.
• Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, is India’s primary criminal code, which officially replaced the 163-year-old Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Key Rulings of the Court

• Purpose: Section 69 of BNS aims to punish deceit, fraud, and sexual exploitation, not disappointment, failed affection or the collapse of a relationship.
• Retroactivity: The Court rejected retroactive criminalisation of consensual relationships based solely on later allegations.
• Legal Threshold: A ‘false promise of marriage’ is a criminal offence only if dishonest intention is proved to have existed from the beginning.

About Section 69 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita

• It criminalises sexual intercourse, excluding rape, when consent is obtained by deceitful means.
• Deceitful Means: Includes false promises of employment or marriage, inducement through fraudulent means, and marriage after suppressing identity (hiding a previous marriage or true name).
• Punishment: Conviction may attract imprisonment up to ten years, along with a fine.
• Legal Status: It is a cognisable, non-bailable, non-compoundable offence triable by a Court of Session.

India’s Dilemma on Joining the Board of Peace

• India was absent from the Board of Peace‘s ceremonial launch despite having received a formal invitation from President Donald Trump.

Significance of Board of Peace for India

• Strategic Partnership: Active participation strengthens the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and reduces the risk of future diplomatic friction.
• Narrative Balance: Having a presence on the board helps counter Pakistan’s influence and curtail the spread of anti-India narratives in West Asian security discussions.
• Economic Access: Membership enables Indian infrastructure and pharmaceutical firms to bid for high-value post-war reconstruction contracts in Gaza.
• Multilateral Bypass: The board offers a pragmatic route to bypass the current deadlock and paralysis within the UNSC.

Challenges with Board of Peace for India

• UN Primacy: Participation in a parallel mechanism risks undermining the authority and centrality of the United Nations system.
• Policy Autonomy: Alignment with a US-led grouping may constrain India’s tradition of independent foreign policy decision-making.
• Governance Norms: Provision for a permanent chairman for life contradicts India’s support for democratic, rules-based global institutions.
• Fiscal Burden: A mandatory one-billion-dollar contribution could divert scarce resources from domestic development priorities.

Way Forward

• Calculated Ambiguity: India should initially seek observer status to assess the Board’s functioning without committing to full membership.
• Selective Engagement: New Delhi can support specific humanitarian and Gaza reconstruction projects without endorsing contentious governance provisions.
• UN Reform Push: India must leverage this development to renew its advocacy for urgent United Nations Security Council reforms.
• Interest Primacy: Final decisions must prioritise India’s energy security and diaspora welfare over external alignment pressures.

About Board of Peace

• The Board of Peace is a US-led intergovernmental initiative launched by President Donald Trump during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
• Primary Mandate: The Board aims to oversee post-war reconstruction and governance of the Gaza Strip through a technocratic administrative framework.
• Long-Term Vision: Its charter proposes an expanded role in resolving global conflicts where traditional institutions have failed.
• Governance Structure: The organisation appoints Donald Trump as inaugural chairman with an indefinite tenure, with sole control over agendas and successor appointments.
• Membership Model: Standard membership lasts three years, while permanent membership requires a mandatory one-time contribution of one billion dollars.
• Decision Authority: The primary council is limited to Heads of State, ensuring high political authority and faster decision-making.
• Notable Members: Pakistan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, UAE, Egypt, Argentina, Hungary, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Morocco, Azerbaijan.

Goldilocks Farm Relief

• The year 2025–26 witnessed a bumper crop due to moderate temperatures & surplus monsoon rainfall, which together helped keep food inflation low.
• Annual consumer food inflation averaged -0.2% in 2025, and fell further to -2.7% during Jul–Dec 2025, indicating supply-led price correction.

Goldilocks Combination

• Surplus & Rainfall: India saw above-normal monsoon rainfall (May–Oct 2025) plus moderate temperatures, creating near-ideal crop conditions and stabilising prices.
• Temperature Advantage: India’s 2025 annual mean temperature anomaly was +0.28°C (1991–2020 baseline), far lower than +0.65°C (2024), reducing heat-stress losses.

Drivers of Reduced Food Inflation in 2025

1. Supply-Side Farm Conditions

• Reservoir Buffer: Before peak rabi sowing (end-Oct), water in 161 major reservoirs reached 90.8% of full storage, improving irrigation certainty and winter cropping outcomes.
• Wheat Record Sowing: Wheat area rose to 334.17 lakh ha this season, up from 328.04 lakh ha in the same period last year, boosting harvest expectations.
• Rabi Crop Expansion: Mustard increased from 86.57 to 89.36 lakh ha, rabi maize from 23.49 to 25.24 lakh ha, and masoor from 17.66 to 18.12 lakh ha.
• Heat Risk Benchmark: March heat spikes historically damage yields (e.g., 2002 mean anomaly +1.61°C all-India, +3.22°C in NW wheat belt), but current winter conditions reduce this risk.

2. Price Cooling in the Food Basket

• Potato Price Collapse: Potato wholesale prices in UP mandis fell to ₹600–700/quintal, compared to ₹1,200–1,300/quintal a year ago, reflecting large arrivals.
• Broad Deflation: CPI retail inflation in vegetables was -18.5% (Dec) and pulses -15.1%, showing broad food basket softening not limited to one crop.

3. Policy & External Cushion

• Govt Stocks High: Rice & wheat stock in government godowns stood at 95.4 million tonnes (Jan 1), nearly 4.5 times the required level, improving price-stabilisation ability.
• Global Supply Strong: 2025–26 projections show record output in major staples like wheat, rice, maize, soyabean and palm oil, reducing imported inflation risk.

Status of Agriculture in India

• GDP Base: Agriculture contributes about ~18% of India’s GVA, despite a rising services share.
• Employment Anchor: It supports ~45% of the workforce, making it the largest livelihood sector.
• Export Contributor: Agricultural and allied exports are around ~10–12% of India’s total exports.
• Farm Base: India has ~14.6 crore operational holdings, reflecting a fragmented smallholder structure.
• Feminisation Trend: Women form ~63–64% of workers in agriculture (PLFS).

World’s Oldest Known Rock Art Discovered in Indonesia’s Muna Island

• Archaeologists discovered the world’s oldest known rock art in Liang Metanduno cave on Muna Island, Indonesia.
• Artwork Type: The artwork is a hand stencil in which the fingers were deliberately narrowed to resemble a claw-like or animal feature.
• Dating Method: Uranium-series dating indicates the calcium carbonate layer covering the artwork is at least 67,800 years old.
• Age Record: This finding surpasses the previous 51,200-year-old record for a wild pig painting discovered in Leang Karampuang cave in South Sulawesi, Indonesia.
• Human Timeline: The discovery supports the “long chronology” theory, suggesting modern humans reached Sahul before 65,000 years ago.
• Sahul was a Pleistocene landmass linking Australia, New Guinea, Tasmania, and the Aru Islands.
• Cognitive Insight: The deliberate modification of hand shape indicates that early Southeast Asian humans possessed complex symbolic thinking far earlier than previously established.

India’s First Privately Manufactured C-295 Aircraft

• India’s first indigenous and privately manufactured C-295 aircraft will soon roll out of the Vadodara manufacturing facility.
• It is being built by Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) in partnership with Airbus Defence and Space.
• This marks a shift from public-sector dominance to private-sector participation in defence manufacturing, advancing the Make in India defence initiative.
• Vadodara facility, opened in 2024, is India’s first private sector final assembly line (FAL) for military aircraft.

Airbus C-295

• The Airbus C-295 is a medium-range, twin-engine turboprop military transport aircraft.
• The aircraft will replace the Avro-748 fleet of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
• Payload Capacity: It can carry up to 10 tonnes of cargo at a cruising speed of 480 km/h.
• Range & Endurance: The aircraft offers a ferry range of 5,000–5,630 km with 11–13 hours endurance.
• Operational Flexibility: It features Short Take-off and Landing (STOL) capabilities, enabling operations from short, unpaved, and semi-prepared airstrips.
• Multirole Design: It supports troop transport, medical evacuation (MEDEVAC), maritime patrol, signals intelligence (SIGINT), and disaster response.
• Unique Feature: Indian-built units will integrate an indigenous Electronic Warfare (EW) Suite developed by Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) and Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL).

Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2026

• Context (PIB): The Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2026 for the Institutional and Individual categories has been announced.
• Institutional Category: Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA) is selected for its community-centric disaster resilience model and preparedness practices.
• Individual Category: Lieutenant Colonel Seeta Ashok Shelke is awarded for leading humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations during the 2024 Wayanad landslides and floods.
• She supervised the 190-foot Bailey bridge construction at Chooralmala to restore connectivity.

More About the Award

• It is a national award instituted to recognise the exemplary service and contributions of individuals and institutions in the field of Disaster Management.
• The award is announced annually on January 23, the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
• The award is administered by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• Prize Details: The institutional award includes a certificate and ₹51 lakh, while the individual award includes a certificate and ₹5 lakh.
• Eligibility: Only Indian nationals and institutions are eligible; self-nominations are allowed.

State of Finance for Nature 2026 Report by UN Environment Programme (UNEP)

• The report highlights a global financial imbalance in spending, skewed towards nature-negative finance in comparison to nature-positive finance.
• Nature-positive finance are investments in activities promoting environmental conservation. E.g. Nature-based Solutions (NbS)
• Nature-negative finance are investments that potentially degrade natural infrastructure. E.g. Environmentally Harmful Subsidies

Key Highlights of the Report

• Massive Funding Gap: In 2023, finance for nature-negative activities reached $7.3 trillion (30 times higher), while investment in nature-based solutions (NbS) was just $220 billion.
• Public-Private finance gap: 90% of NbS finance is public finance while private finance is concentrated in high-impact sectors like fossil fuels, heavy industry, etc.
• Investment Need: To meet the Rio Convention targets (limiting warming to 1.5°C and halting biodiversity loss), annual NbS investment must increase by >2.5 times to $571 billion by 2030.
• Key Recommendations: Redirecting capital flows away from nature-negative activities, reforming harmful subsidies, Mandating disclosure of nature-related risks, Expanding blended finance and de-risking investments to mobilise private capital.

Nature Based Solutions (NbS)

• NbS leverage nature and the power of healthy ecosystems to address societal challenges through actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural and modified ecosystems, benefiting people and nature at the same time.   E.g. Protecting and restoring coral reefs, Building greener cities, etc.

Key Initiatives for NbS

1. Global

• Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF): Aims to protect 30% of land and sea by 2030 and $500 billion/year reduction in harmful subsidies.
• Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD): A framework for businesses to report and act on nature-related risks and impacts.

2. India

• MISHTI Scheme (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes): Aimed at mangrove plantation along the coastline and salt pans.
• Amrit Dharohar: To promote the conservation of Ramsar sites (wetlands) through community participation.

Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) Report on Causes of Air Pollution in Delhi-NCR

• The expert report was prepared following a Supreme Court order related to the M.C. Mehta vs. Union of India case.

Key findings of the Report

• Secondary Particulate Matter: Largest contributor (27%) to Delhi’s winter pollution.
• Secondary Particulate Matter are fine particles formed in the atmosphere through chemical reactions of precursor gases like SO₂, NOx, NH₃ and VOCs, e.g., ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulphate aerosols.
• Other Major Winter Contributors: Transport is the largest primary source at 23%, followed by biomass burning (20%).
• Dust accounts for 15% (comprising road, soil, and construction & demolition sources), while industry including thermal power plants contributes 9%.
• Trends in PM2.5 and PM10: A gradual decline and stable trends are noted in both PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations in Delhi since 2016
• However, there is still a huge gap to meet the annual National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).
• Transboundary Pollution: Around two-thirds of Delhi’s PM2.5 originates outside Delhi.
• Seasonality: Pollution peaks during winter mainly due to low wind speed, shallow planetary boundary layer and atmospheric stagnation which traps pollutants, rather than sudden emission spikes.

Recommendations

• Infrastructure: Augment waste-to-energy plants, installing barrier-free toll systems and rationalizing the Environment Compensation Charge.
• Transport Reforms: Phasing out polluting vehicles, expanding electric/CNG public transport and zero-emission mobility, address congestion with traffic management etc.
• Governance: Implementing mandatory annual action plans for NCR states to ensure accountability.