Agri Health Link Mission

SEHAT – Science Excellence for Health through Agricultural Transformation is a joint initiative of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

Key Highlights of SEHAT

»     Vision: Transform agriculture from food production system into powerful driver of nutrition, health, and well-being for India.

»     Five Priority Areas of National Significance:

»     Development and evaluation of biofortified and nutrient-dense crop varieties: Address malnutrition and improve nutritional status.

»     Biofortification increases nutrient density of food crops through conventional plant breeding, and/or improved agronomic practices and/or modern biotechnology without sacrificing key characteristics.

       o   E.g., enriching with zinc, iron and other nutrients.

»     Strengthening Integrated Farming Systems: Promote dietary diversification, enhance farm incomes, and build resilience.

»     Addressing Occupational Health Risks: Among agricultural workers through targeted, evidence-based interventions.

»     Prevention and management of non-communicable diseases: Advancing agriculture-enabled strategies through promotion of functional foods and nutritionally superior crop varieties.

»     One Health preparedness: Integrated surveillance, diagnostics, and research at human–animal–environment interface.

»     Significance

»     Proactive, Preventive, and Holistic approach to Healthcare as against reactive and curative model.

»     Address Dual burden of undernutrition and overnutrition rising non-communicable diseases like diabetes, hypertension and cancer, etc.

»     “Whole of government” and “Whole of systems” approach integrating science, policy making and implementation.

Architect of Unity

Prime Minister paid tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at Somnath, Gujarat.

»     Born in Nadiad (Gujarat) he was often referred to as the "Iron Man of India”.

»     He led successful campaigns against oppressive policies and taxation imposed by British authorities in Kheda Satyagraha (1918) and the Bardoli Satyagraha (1928).

»     He mobilised support for non-violent movements like Quit India Movement of 1942.

»     He presided over the 46th session (Karachi) of the Indian National Congress in 1931 which was called upon to ratify the Gandhi-Irwin Pact.

»     He became the first Deputy Prime Minister and first Home Minister of India.

»     He contributed to the integration of over 560 princely states into the Indian Union.

»     Values: Patriotism, courage, leadership

Fastest Cat Returns

Two cheetahs brought from Botswana were released in the Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh.

About Cheetah 

»     World’s fastest Mammal and the only large carnivore to be extinct in India (1952).

»     Unlike other big cats (lions, tigers, leopards, and jaguars) cheetahs don’t roar.

»     Two Species of Cheetahs:

       o  African Cheetah (IUCN Status- Vulnerable).

       o  Asiatic Cheetah (IUCN Status- Critically Endangered).

»     Habitat: Asia (only in arid regions of eastern Iran and India (After Reintroduction); Africa (grasslands, scrublands and open forests E.g. Botswana, Namibia and South Africa)

Project Cheetah (2022)

»     Objective: To translocate African cheetahs to India. 

»     Implementing Agency: National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

»     World’s first intercontinental large wild carnivore translocation initiative

       o  Checkpoint proteins act like switches which turn the immune response on or off and regulate its degree of activation.

Food Geopolitics Report

Released by IPES-Food, International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems, examines how new geopolitics of food is reshaping food systems.

 Key Factors Driving New Geopolitics of Food

»     Trade Wars and Economic Chaos: E.g. shift in US tariff policy is impacting countries exporting agricultural products to USA.

»     Military Conflicts: Food could be used as weapon of war and coercion, deepening crises in the world’s “hunger hotspots”.

»     Crisis of multilateralism:  Global institutions including United Nations, are facing both budget shortfalls and a crisis of legitimacy.

Market Management Tools and Associated Concerns:

»     Public food stockholding (PSH): Involving strategic procurement, storage and management of food by public entity and release via auctions or public food distribution programs.

       o   E.g., India’s PSH program backed National Food Security Act of 2013 and managed by Food Corporation of India (FCI).

       o   Concerns: fiscal and infrastructure costs; issues with management capacity, coordination across stakeholders, and corruption.

»     Supply Management Mechanisms: Including marketing boards having exclusive authority to buy/sell a given commodity, and production quotas limiting quantity of food commodities that producers can sell.

       o   E.g., Supply management in Canada’s dairy, poultry, and egg sectors; Farmer-owned cooperatives in Norway’s supply management system.

       o   Concerns Associated: Inefficiencies and market-distorting effects, etc.

Way Forward

»     Resilience Food Systems: Transition away from systemic dependencies through self-reliance; targeted fiscal measures, tax reduction on essential goods, export reductions, etc.

»     Role of civil society and social movement: Mobilize pressure, open debate, build consensus, and generate support for food systems that meet needs of vulnerable.

»     Food sovereignty: Stronger policies to curb corporate concentration, financial market regulation, reform of trade agreements, etc.

Governor’s Discretion in Govt Formation

In the recent Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, no single party secured a clear majority (hung assembly), making the role of Governor in government formation crucial.

Role of the Governor in forming a government

Constitutional provision:

»     Article 164(1): The Chief Minister (CM) of a State shall be appointed by Governor, while other ministers shall be appointed by Governor on the advice of the CM.

       o   The Constitution does not prescribe any criteria for selecting CM during hung assembly.

»     Discretionary power (Article 163): The Governor functions in accordance with the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers with the CM, except certain functions where discretion is exercised.

       o   In case of no party having a clear majority, the Governor exercises situational discretion.

Sarkaria Commission (1987) Recommendations:

»     When a single party secures a clear majority in the Assembly, the Governor invites the leader of that party to form the government.

»     However, in case of no party having a clear majority, it suggested an order of preference for selecting a CM:

       o   Pre-poll alliance,

       o   Largest single party with outside support,

       o   Post-poll coalition,

       o   Post-poll alliance with external support.

»     Potential Concerns: Governors have, on certain occasions (E.g. Goa and Manipur in 2017), appointed Chief Ministers without following order of preference.

Supreme Court judgements related to Governor’s discretionary powers

»     S. R. Bommai v. Union of India (1994): The Governor must invite the leader of the party commanding a majority in the House, or the single-largest party/group, to form the government.

»     Rameshwar Prasad case (2006): It held that ‘floor of the House’ is the constitutionally ordained forum for testing the majority support enjoyed by a government.

Suggestions:

»     Punchhi Commission (2010): Advocated for clear guidelines on the Governor''s discretionary powers during a hung assembly to limit arbitrary choices.

»     Justice Kurian Joseph Committee: Incorporate a new schedule into the Constitution to codify the rules governing the Governor’s use of discretionary powers.

Indian Ocean Rim Spotlight

India hosted the 10th Indian Ocean Dialogue (IOD) under the theme "Indian Ocean Region in a Transforming World.”

»     IOD is a flagship Track 1.5 platform under Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)

IORA

»     Genesis: An inter-governmental organization established in 1997.

»     Objective: Encourage regional cooperation and sustainable development within the Indian ocean region.

»     Secretariat: Ebène, Mauritius

»     Members: 23 member states and 12 dialogue partners.

»     Institutional Mechanisms of IORA:

       o  IORA Council of Ministers: Highest decision-making body.

       o  IORA Chair: The Council of Ministers, on voluntary offer by Member States, elects a Chair of the Association for a period of two years.

            Ø  India has assumed the Chairship of IORA for the 2025-27 period

Justice on Time: Bail First

Expressing concerns over mounting pendency and repeated delays in listing, Court gave suggestions to High Courts to strengthen systemic efficiency. 

Key Suggestions:

»     Listing: Bail matters to be listed on weekly or fortnightly basis through an automatic software-based mechanism.

»     Fresh applications to be listed on alternate days or within a week of filing, with mandatory representation from Union or State.

»     Automatic re-listing of matters not be taken up, fixation of an outer timeline for disposal.

»     Status Reports: Mandatory filing of status reports before first hearing, and advance service of bail petitions by Advocate General or designated government agencies.

»     Discourage Causal/Avoidable Adjournments: Sought by government counsels.

Need for Expediting Disposal of Bail Application 

»     Upholding Fundamental Rights: Article 21 of Constitution guarantees right to life and personal liberty and Bail serves as mechanism to ensure this liberty is not arbitrarily curtailed prior to conviction.

»     Overcrowding of Prisons: Occupancy rate in prisons stood at 112.7% in 2024 with around 3.7 lakh undertrial prisoners (Prison Statistics India, 2024).

»     Upholding Indian criminal jurisprudence: SC has in multiple cases upheld the principle of “bail is the rule and jail is the exception”.

Legal Provisions Concerning Bail:

»     Bail in bailable offence [Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023]

       o   Section 478: Person accused of a bailable offence at any time while under arrest without a warrant and at any stage of the proceedings has the right to be released on bail.

       o   Section 479(1) : Release on bail for individuals who have undergone detention for up to one-half of the maximum imprisonment period specified for the offense.

Jute Mission – NJB

NJB stepped up implementation of Jute Crop Information System (JCIS)..

»     JCIS was launched in 2023 in collaboration with Indian Space Research Organisation and Jute Corporation of India to monitor jute cultivation using remote sensing and field data.

»     Has two key tools:BHUVAN JUMP, mobile app for on-field jute monitoring, and PATSAN (Prospective Assessment of Jute Using Mobile App-Based Field Observations).

National Jute Board (Hq: Kolkata, West Bengal)

»     Governed by National Jute Board Act, 2008. 

»     Ministry: Ministry of Textiles

»     Function: research and human resource development to explore new and innovative use of jute;  increase global share of Indian jute goods consumption.

Shiksha Poshan Mission

Centre granted temporary extension to two flagship schemes, Samagra Shiksha and PM Poshan till September 30, 2026.

Samagra Shiksha:

»     Aim: Integrated scheme for school education covering entire gamut from pre-school to class XII.

       o   It subsumed the erstwhile Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, and Teacher Education Scheme.

»     Launched in 2018.

»     Ministry: Ministry of Education

PM POSHAN (Formerly Mid-Day Meal Scheme)

»     Type: Centrally Sponsored Scheme.

»     Ministry: Ministry of Education

»     Aim: Provide one hot cooked meal in Government and Government-aided schools covering all school children studying in pre-primary and Classes I-VIII.

Smart MLFF Tolling

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways launched MLFF  tolling system in a part of  Urban Extension Road-II in NCR

MLFF Tolling

»     Integrates Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology with FASTag-based electronic toll collection to automate user fee collection with minimal human intervention.

»     Implementation: National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).

»     Significance:

        o  Reduce operation costs in toll collection (from 15% to 3-4%).

        o  Save nearly 250 crore litres of fuel annually.

        o  Reduce approximately 81,000 tonnes of carbon emissions.

Su Sahay: Citizen Support Portal

The Chief Justice of India launched two major digital initiatives to streamline judicial administration and enhance access to justice.

About the Digital Initiatives

»     One Case One Data: A unified case management system integrating multi-level databases of taluka courts, District Courts, High Courts and Government.

       o  Aim: Automates data retrieval and verification, enabling seamless tracking, reducing duplication, and extending reciprocal access to High Courts and government departments.

»     Su Sahay: An AI-powered assistance chatbot developed by the National Informatics Centre and the Supreme Court Registry.

       o  Integrated into the Supreme Court website, it aims to help stakeholders access case information and navigate court services efficiently.

Vaccine Against Malaria

A study found that the world’s first approved malaria vaccine (RTS, S/AS01E) reduced overall child deaths by 13 % in parts of Africa.

»     Malaria is a life-threatening disease mostly spread to people through the bites of some infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.

»     It does not spread from person to person.

Malaria vaccines (RTS, S/AS01E)

»     It was recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2021 for use among children living in sub-Saharan Africa and other regions with P. falciparum malaria transmission.

»     R21/Matrix-M vaccine is the second malaria vaccine approved by WHO in 2023.

Viksit Bharat Gramin Mission Act -  2025

The Act will come into force on 1 July, 2026 and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005 will stand repealed.

»     To ensure seamless transition, existing e-KYC verified MGNREGA Job Cards shall remain valid until Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Cards are issued.

Salient Features of the VB-G RAM G Act

»     Viksit Bharat @2047 Alignment: Shifts towards integrated rural development and durable asset creation.

»     Thematic Public Works: Prioritizes four areas- water security, core rural infrastructure, livelihood-related assets, and extreme weather mitigation.

»     Tech-Enabled Governance: Integrates face authentication for attendance, GIS, AI-enabled analytics, real-time dashboards, and Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

»     Participatory Planning: Execution relies on bottom-up Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans (VGPPs) seamlessly integrated into the Viksit Bharat-National Rural Infrastructure Stack (VB-NRIS).

Key Statutory Provisions: 

»     Centrally Sponsored Scheme: Shared responsibilities between Centre and States.

»     Enhanced Guarantee: Mandates a statutory 125 days of guaranteed unskilled wage employment per rural household annually.

»     Prompt Payments & Penalties: Wages must be paid weekly or within 15 days from closure of muster rolls; delays incur a daily compensation rate of 0.05% of unpaid wages.

»     Unemployment Allowance: If employment not provided within 15 days, mandates an allowance at one-fourth of the notified wage for the first 30 days, and one-half thereafter.

»     Agricultural Balance: Empowers States to notify up to a 60-day pause during peak sowing/harvesting seasons to secure farm labour.

Workforce Pulse Indicators

Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) Quarterly Bulletin (Jan-Mar 2026) estimated declining Unemployment Rate (UR) in urban areas while Regular wage employees in rural areas witnessed a rise.

»     There was an increase in rural employment in both secondary and tertiary sector.

Key Labour Force Indicators

»     Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR): 55.5%.

       o  LFPR is the percentage of persons in the labour force (i.e. working or seeking or available for work) in the population.

»     Worker Population Ratio (WPR): 52.8%.

       o  WPR is the percentage of employed persons in the population.

»     Unemployment Rate (UR): in urban areas stood at 6.6%.

       o  UR is the percentage of persons unemployed among the persons in the labour force.