AERB: Safeguarding India’s Atomic Future

Atomic Energy Regulatory Board(AERB) allows major equipment installation at unit 5 and 6 of the Kundakulam Nuclear Plant

Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (Tamil Nadu) is India’s largest nuclear power plant, developed with Russian collaboration and operated by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited. 

Atomic Energy Regulatory Board

»     Established: by President in 1983 as per the provision of the Atomic Energy Act, 1962.

       o  SHANTI Act, 2025 granted  statutory status, defined regulatory powers, enforcement authority and greater institutional autonomy to AERB

»     Mission: To ensure the use of ionizing radiation and nuclear energy in India does not cause undue risk to the health of people and the environment.

Algeria in Focus: Current Affairs

Algeria (Capital: Algiers)

India-Algeria Joint Commission agrees to further expand defence cooperation during the first meeting.

»     Political Features 

»     Located in the Maghreb region ofNorth Africa.

       o   Maghreb region comprises Atlas Mountains and coastal plain of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya.

»     Land Boundary: Tunisia (Northeast), Libya (East),X Niger & Mali (South), Mauritania & Western Sahara (Southwest), Morocco (West).

»     Maritime Boundary: Mediterranean Sea (North)

»     Geographical Features

»     Landscape is dominated by high plateaus and the Sahara Desert, with the Atlas Mountains in the north and the Ahaggar Massif in the southeast.

»     M’zab Valley: 5 fortified oases towns is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

»     Climate: Mediterranean in north to desert type in south.

Crime in India 2024: NCRB Insights

Key Highlights of Report (compared to 2023)

»     Crime rate per lakh population: dropped to 418.9 from 448.3. 

»     Overall case registrations: decrease of 6.0%. 

»     Crimes Against Vulnerable Groups:

       o  Women: decreased by 1.5% to ~4.4 lakh cases, with ''Cruelty by Husband'' making up the largest share (~42%).

           Ø  A new category called ''Offences against Women and Child'' was introduced under the BNS.

       o  Children: increased by 5.9% to ~1.8 lakh cases.

       o  Senior Citizens: rise of 16.9% over 2023, with theft and fraud being the most common offenses.

       o  Scheduled Castes (SCs) & Scheduled Tribes (STs): Crimes against SCs decreased by 3.6%, and crimes against STs decreased by 23.1%.

»     Specific Crime Categories:

       o  Cyber Crimes: surged by 17.9%, with fraud accounting for nearly 73% of these incidents. 

       o  Economic offenses: increased by 4.6%, dominated by forgery, cheating, and fraud.

       o  Juveniles in conflict with the law: increased by 11.2%, with the vast majority (77.7%) falling in the 16 to 18 age bracket.

National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)

»     Establishment:  in 1986, on recommendations of the Tandon Committee, National Police Commission (1977-81), and MHA’s Task Force (1985).

»     Core Mandate: Functions as a central repository of information on crime and criminals to assist investigators in linking crimes to perpetrators.

»     Major Initiatives:

       o  CCTNS (Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems), 2009: Has connected 15,000+ police stations across India.

       o  National Digital Police Portal, 2017: Police can search criminals/suspects on CCTNS, and citizens can file online complaints, verify tenants, etc.

»     Key Databases: National Database of Sexual Offenders (NDSO); Online Cyber-Crime Reporting Portal, etc.

»     Specialized Tools: CyTrain (training portal for cybercrime investigation); Cri-MAC (Crime Multi-Agency Centre- facilitates inter-agency coordination), etc.

»     Other Key Publications: Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India; Prison Statistics India.

»     Other Portals Managed by NCRB: Central Finger Print Bureau; NAFIS (National Automated Fingerprint Identification System), etc.

EAC-PM Paper: Rethinking PSL in India

The paper titled ‘Economic Impact Analysis of Priority Sector Lending’ was released by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM).

Key Highlights of Report

»     Issues with Current Framework:

       o  Bank Performance Gap: Private Banks consistently fall short of the 40% target via direct lending and heavily rely on indirect mechanisms like Priority Sector Lending  Certificates (PSLCs) and Rural Industrial Development Fund (RIDF) deposits sold by Nationalised Banks & Small Finance Banks (SFBs).

       o  Economic Efficiency Trade-offs: Mandated lending reduces Total Factor Productivity (TFP), encourages capital hoarding, and finances lower-yield projects. 

           Ø  PSL portfolios also face high administrative costs and elevated default risks.

       o  Limited Growth Impact: District-level analysis (using nighttime luminosity as output proxy) shows insignificant effects on economic output.

       o  Geographical Skew: Less than 10% of districts (mainly state capitals, industrial hubs, and southern/western regions) account for over 45% of total Priority Sector Advances.

»     Policy Recommendations:

       o  Shift to Social Equity Focus: Treat PSL primarily as a social tool rather than growth engine. 

           Ø  Exclude legacy categories (e.g., corporate farmers), strictly target small/marginal farmers, micro-enterprises, and weaker sections. 

           Ø  Consider lowering overall targets forgreater bank flexibility.

       o  Holistic Approach: Avoid pure top-down credit mandates in lagging areas, which are inefficient. 

           Ø  Pair targeted credit with fiscal interventions addressing core constraints such as infrastructure, skills, and market linkages.

PSL Framework in India

»     PSL is an initiative by the RBI that mandates banks to allocate a portion of their lending to priority sectors. 

       o  Priority Sector means those sectors which Government and RBI consider important for the country''s development but remain underserved due to 

           Ø  information asymmetry

           Ø  preference of banks to lend to larger firms

           Ø  deep-rooted social or caste-based biases.

»     Credit Targets:

       o  Domestic commercial banks and foreign banks (with 20+ branches): 40%

       o  Small Finance Banks (SFBs) and Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs): 60%

       o  Regional Rural Banks (RRBs): 75%

»     Status of Credit:Rose 85% to ₹42.73 lakh crore (2024) from ₹23.01 lakh crore (2019).

Extragalactic Jets: Cosmic Powerhouses

Scientists discovered that the composition of plasma can lead to the strikingly different appearances of extragalactic jets emerging from the regions surrounding black holes.

Extragalactic Jets  

»     They are highly energetic, narrow streams of plasma and radiation  ejected from regions surrounding supermassive black holes at galactic centres.

»     Speed & Extent: Travel at nearly the speed of light and extend thousands of light-years into space.

»     Radiation Spectrum: across the electromagnetic spectrum, from radio waves to gamma rays.

»     Source of Energy: Powered by accretion of matter onto supermassive black holes and guided by strong magnetic fields.

Fair and Remunerative Price: Policy in Practice

Union Cabinet raises sugarcane FRP by ₹10 per quintal. 

FRP

»     FRP is the minimum price declared by the Central Government at which sugar mills are legally bound to procure sugarcane from farmers.

»     Objective: Ensures assured and remunerative prices to sugarcane farmers.

»     Legal Basis: Introduced under the Sugarcane (Control) Order, 1966.

»     Institutional Mechanism: Recommended by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) and approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).

»     Criteria: FRP is fixed considering factors such as production cost, sugar recovery rate, alternative crop returns, by-product value, consumer interest, etc. 

State Advised Price (SAP): Some States such as Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Uttarakhand announce SAP, which is generally higher than FRP.

Geocells: Reinforcing the Ground

CSIR-CRRI and BPCL, received recognition from India Book of Records and Asia Book of Records for constructing first roadblock section using Technical Textile geocell made from end-of-life plastic waste.

Geocells

»     Structure: Geocells are three-dimensional, honeycomb-like cellular structures consisting of a regular open network of synthetic strips, cells filled with soil, gravel, sand, concrete, or recycled materials for ground stabilization.

»     Applications: Widely used in embankments, river channels, retaining walls, airport runways, and urban green infrastructure.

»     Significances: They improve slope stability, prevent erosion and landslides, reduce construction cost and material use, and enhance road durability.

India–Vietnam Ties Elevated to Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

The “Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” marks an elevation of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established between India and Vietnam in 2016.

»     This decision was taken during the visit of the President of Vietnam to India.

Key Highlights / Outcomes of Visit 

»     Trade & Economic Cooperation: Bilateral trade target set at $25 billion by 2030 (currently around $16 billion). 

       o  Both sides pushed for Early review and conclusion of ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA).

»     13   strategic MoUs Signed: Across critical minerals cooperation, Digital Connectivity & FinTech, healthcare, digitisation of ancient Cham manuscripts, etc.

»     Defence & Security Cooperation: Both countries will establish Strategic Diplomacy–Defence Dialogue (2+2).

»     Maritime Integration: Vietnam joined Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI). 

       o  IPOI is a voluntary, non-treaty initiative launched by India at East Asia Summit 2019 in Thailand to promote a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific region.

Significance of Vietnam for India

»     Act East Policy: Vietnam is a core partner of India in ASEAN and a critical partner in India''s Act East policy, Vision MAHASAGAR and the Indo-Pacific vision. 

»     Geostrategic location: Vietnam''s position in the Indo-Pacific is crucial for maintaining secure and stable trade routes. 

»     Countering China:  Both support freedom of navigation and a rules-based order in the South China Sea in accordance with the 1982 UNCLOS.

»     Supply Chain Diversification: Vietnam’s cooperation in imports and rare earths supports India’s manufacturing ecosystem, helps reduce global dependence on Chinese supply chains.

Energy security: Indian companies have invested in oil and gas exploration projects in Vietnamese waters in South China Sea which are extremely rich in hydrocarbon reserves.

Mission Mausam: Connecting Coastal Cultures

Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) established a state-of-the-art Urban Testbed and Aerosol Observatory at the SRM Institute of Science and Technology in Chennai under ''Mission Mausam''.

Mission Mausam

»     Launched:  In 2024.

»     Ministry: Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).

»     Implementing Agency: India Meteorological Department (IMD), the National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), and IITM.

»     Budget: ₹2,000 crores over 2 years. 

»     Aim:

       o  To make the nation ‘Weather Ready’ and ‘Climate Smart’.

       o  To improve weather and climate services, ensuring timely and precise observation, modeling, and forecasting information for multiple sectors, including agriculture, disaster management, and rural development.

Structural Gaps in India’s Healthcare

Recently, India approved 43 new medical colleges, 20,649 additional MBBS and PG seats for 2025-26. However, rural CHCs still face persistent gaps in public healthcare delivery.

Challenges in Public Healthcare delivery System

»     Acute Shortage of Specialist: Rural Community Health Centres (CHCs) face nearly 80% specialist vacancies, with only 4,413 specialists available against the requirement of 21,964.

       o  Despite addition of 72,627 PG seats across 731 medical colleges since 2014, expansion in medical education has not translated into adequate specialist availability in public healthcare facilities. 

»     Weak Health Governance Framework: Of the 43 newly approved medical colleges for 2025-26, 27 are private institutions with limited accountability towards public health workforce deployment.

»     Reluctance of Doctors to Serve in Rural Areas: Newly graduated specialists are often unwilling to work in remote and underserved areas. 

»     Flawed Budgetary Priorities: The central health budget heavily prioritizes capital expenditure and building infrastructure rather than functional operations.

Measures required for improving Public Healthcare delivery System

»     Align PG Medical Education with Public Health Needs: Link postgraduate medical admissions and specialist training with vacancies in CHCs and district hospitals.

       o  Aspirant doctors should be required to sign an undertaking to serve in a designated government facility, with priority given to candidates willing to commit to a 10-year service bond in difficult-area CHCs. 

»     Promote Rural Specialist Deployment: Provide financial incentives, housing, quality schooling and career progression benefits for doctors serving in difficult and remote areas.

»     Adopting the "All or None" Deployment Strategy: A CHC should either receive the full required team of five specialists or none at all, which distributes the workload better. 

Initiatives taken to strengthen Health System

»     Human Resource Development: E.g., Expansion of AIIMS, medical colleges, and nursing institutions. . 

»     Digital Health Reforms: E.g., Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission for digital health IDs and electronic health records. 

»     Affordable Healthcare Initiatives: E.g.,  Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) to reduce out-of-pocket expenditure. 

»     Public Health and Preventive Care: E.g., National Health Mission (NHM) to strengthen rural and urban healthcare systems. 

»     Governance and Regulatory Reforms: E.g., National Medical Commission reforms to improve transparency and quality in medical education. 

Swasth Bharat Portal was launched recently by the Health and Family Welfare Ministry. 

Swasth Bharat Portal

»     Nature: Functions as a unified digital layer that integrates existing standalone programme systems via an API-based federated architecture.

»     ABDM-Compliant: Portal seamlessly integrates with Ayushman Bharat Health Account, Healthcare Professionals Registry and Health Facility Registry enabling secure exchange of interoperable patient health records.

»     Empowering Frontline Workers: Provides a single interface for ASHAs, ANMs, CHOs, and Medical Officers (MOs), eliminating the need for multiple logins and repetitive data entry.

Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM)

»     Objective: To develop a robust digital backbone to support the integrated digital health infrastructure and bridging gaps among stakeholders in India''s healthcare ecosystem.

»     Type: Central Sector Scheme

»     Tenure: 5 years

»     Implementing Agency: National Health Authority (NHA)

Swasth Bharat: Transforming Healthcare Digitally

As per a study of IIT Delhi, India could prevent an estimated 1,24,564 deaths every year by fully mitigating sulphur dioxide (SO₂) emissions through systems like Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD).

SO2

»     It is a colorless, toxic gas with a pungent, choking odor.

»     Role in secondary pollutants: SO₂ reacts in the atmosphere to form secondary inorganic aerosols, including sulphate, nitrate and ammonium. 

       o  These pollutants add to PM2.5, the fine particulate matter linked to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

»     It is a pollutant monitored under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) notified by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

       o  NAAQS includes NO2, PM10, PM2.5, Ozone, Lead, CO, Ammonia, Benzene, Benzo(a)pyrene, Arsenic, and Nickel.

»     Major sources: coal-fired power plants (largest), smelting metallic ores, petroleum refining, volcanic eruptions, and emissions from transportation (ships/locomotives). 

Trade & Technology Council: India-EU Partnership

India and EU launched €15.2 million (~₹169 crore) joint initiative to strengthen EV battery recycling under the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC)-working group-

»     The initiative will be funded through the EU’s Horizon Europe programme and India’s Ministry of Heavy Industries.

»     About India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC)

»     Launch: February 2023.

»     Objective: It aims to push both regions toward strategic autonomy by actively reducing the EU''s dependence on China and India''s reliance on Russia.

»     Three Core Working Groups (WGs):

        o  WG 1: Strategic Technologies, Digital Governance and Connectivity.

        o  WG 2: Green and Clean Energy Technologies.

        o  WG 3: Resilient Value Chains, Trade and Investment.