Agarwood: Aromatic Asset of India

Assam ships first legal agarwood chips to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Agarwood (Oudh or Gaharu)

»     Overview: A highly valuable fragrant resinous wood used in perfumes, incense and traditional medicine.

»     Formation: Produced when Aquilaria trees are infected by fungi and generate resin as a defence mechanism.

»     Species in India: India has three Aquilaria species, including agarwood-producing Aquilaria khasiana and Aquilaria malaccensis.

»     Traditional Use: Mentioned in Ayurveda, Unani and Chinese medicine systems.

»     Protection Status:

       o  Appendix II of CITES.

Agri Exports Surge Despite Global Trade Hurdles

India’s agricultural exports have grown rapidly, surpassing $50 billion in FY 2025–26, despite steep tariffs imposed by the United States.

Reasons for growth in India’s farm exports:

»     Market Diversification: E.g. marine product exports saw rising shipments to China, Vietnam, Japan, Belgium.

»     Global Dynamics: Lower crop yields in the world''s biggest coffee producers (Brazil and Vietnam), created a lucrative gap for Indian exports.

»     Value Addition: Share of processed food exports has risen consistently, from ~15 % in FY18 to ~20 % in FY25.

Key Government Initiatives to promote farm exports: 

»     Agriculture Export Policy 2018 (AEP): designed to double agri-exports, diversify the export basket, and promote indigenous, organic, and traditional products.

»     Krishi Udan Yojana 2.0: Enhances air transport for perishable agri-products, particularly from the Northeast and tribal areas.

»     District as Export Hubs (DEH) Initiative: Identifies specific products with export potential in each district (One District One Product - ODOP) to promote local exports.

APEDA Initiatives:

»     Farmer Connect Portal: A platform for providing opportunities for Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and cooperatives to interact with exporters.

»     BHARATI Initiative: to support 100 agri-food startups with a focus on high-value, GI-tagged, and organic products to achieve $50 billion in exports by 2030.

BOT Model Powers India’s Infra Push

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is opening build-operate-transfer road projects to large institutional investors.

BOT Model

»     It is a type of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model commonly used for financing large infrastructure projects.

»     Working Mechanism: Private company finan

»     ces, designs, builds and operates the project for a fixed concession period and collects user charges.

       o   It involves high private sector participation in construction, operation and maintenance over a long duration.

»     Ownership Transfer: After the concession period ends, ownership is transferred back to the government/public authority.

»     Risk Sharing: Private entity bears major risks such as financial risk, traffic/volume risk and sometimes pricing risk.

Chile in Global Spotlight

Chile (Capital: Santiago)

Republic of Chile’s Foreign Minister leads a High-Level Delegation to India to strengthen economic and commercial cooperation.

Political Features:

»     Location: South- western part of South America.

»     Land Borders: Peru (North), Bolivia (North-East), Argentina (East).

»     Maritime Boundary: Pacific Ocean on the West.

Geographical Features

»     Landforms: Andes Mountains (world’s longest continental mountain chain) form most of the border with Argentina.

»     Desert: Atacama (driest non-polar desert on Earth).

»     Major River: Loa and Baker.

»     Mineral resources: Part of the Lithium triangle (along with Argentina and Bolivia) and world’s top copper producer.

»     Highest Peak: Ojos De Salado (world''s highest active volcano).

DGFT: Gateway to Global Commerce

The government banned export of sugar until September this year to cool domestic prices.

»     The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has amended the export policy from ‘Restricted’ to ‘Prohibited’.

DGFT

»     Ministry: Attached office under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry

»     Headed by: Director General of Foreign Trade.

»     Function: Formulates and implements India’s Foreign Trade Policy.

»     Role: To promote and facilitate exports/imports, keeping in view the interests of the country.

»     Headquarters: New Delhi and 24 regional offices across India.

Focus on Core Objective: Highlights promotion of gasification, which is the central policy thrust.

The scheme will help realize target of gasification of 100 MT of coal by 2030 under the National Coal Gasification Mission, 2021.

»     Coal gasification is a thermochemical process that converts coal into a versatile, combustible gaseous mixture known as synthesis gas (or syngas).

»     Syngas is a mixture of CO and hydrogen and is used to produce downstream products like urea, methanol, synthetic natural gas (SNG), and ammonia.

»     Status of Coal/Lignite in India: Coal reserves (401 billion tonnes); Lignite reserves (47 billion tonnes).

Key Features of the Scheme

»     Target: To gasify approximately 75 million tonnes (MT) of coal and lignite by incentivizing domestic industries.

»     Financial Outlay: Rs. 37,500 crore.

»     Financial Incentives: maximum of 20% of the cost of Plant and Machinery, disbursed in four installments linked to project milestones.

»     Funding Caps: ₹5,000 crore for single project, ₹9,000 crore for single product-centered projects (excluding SNG and urea), and ₹12,000 crore for any single entity group across all projects.

»     Policy Support: To provide long-term investment certainty, the government has extended the coal linkage tenure up to 30 years under Non-Regulated Sector (NRS) linkage auction framework.

Significance of Scheme

»     Energy Security: Reduces exposure to global price volatility and import dependence on ammonia (~100% imported), methanol (80-90%), LNG (>50%), and urea (~20%).

»     Environmental Benefits: Better emission control, reducing pollutants like sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen oxides (NOₓ), etc. 

»     Economic Impact: Expected to attract major investments and generate ₹6,300 crore annual revenue and supports Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives.

»     Employment: Likely to create around 50,000 direct and indirect jobs

Golden Root in Global Trade

Recently, Mizoram Ginger Mission was launched by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) and Government of Mizoram for cultivation Mizoram’s GI-certified ginger.

Ginger:

»     Scientific Name: Zingiber officinale Rosc (Family: Zingiberaceae).

»     Status: India is a leading global producer of ginger.

»     Major Producing States: Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh.

»     Agro-Climatic Requirements

       o   Climate:Warm and humid (up to an altitude of 1500m).

       o   Temperature: 12-35°C.

       o   Rainfall: Requires moderate rainfall for sowing (around 1500mm annually), and dry weather before harvesting.

       o   Soil: well-drained friable sandy loam, clay loam, or lateritic loam rich in humus.

Significances: 

»     Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

»     Highly effective in treating nausea, managing blood sugar (HbA1c) and cholesterol levels, etc.

India’s Nuclear Vision 2047: TERI Roadmap

Presently, India operates 25 nuclear reactors across seven sites, with a total installed capacity of 8.8 GW.

Key Highlights of the Report

»     Capacity Expansion: Large PHWRs need to anchor base-load power, while Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) will target hard to abate sectors like steel & cement.

»     SMRs are miniaturised versions of large nuclear power plants, generating up to 300 MWe per module and offering advantages such as – 

       o   Modularity through factory-made parts for faster assembly and lower costs, 

       o   Scalability via incremental deployment based on energy demand, and 

       o   Enhanced safety through passive systems enabling automatic shutdown without human intervention.

»     Massive Investment Mobilization: Scaling the capacity will require an estimated capital outlay of ₹23–25 lakh crore.

»     Workforce Expansion: The construction phase alone will demand 1.2–2 lakh personnel, requiring a massive push in specialized skills training.

Challenges before India

»     Regulatory framework remains outdated for SMR deployment and private participation.

»     SHANTI Act (2025) lacks clear operational rules, ownership models, and financing clarity.

»     High capital costs (₹20–25 Cr/MW), fuel import dependence, and waste management issues.

Recommendations

»     Green Financing: Include nuclear energy in India''s green taxonomy to unlock global environmental, social, and governance (ESG) capital flows.

»     Regulatory Reform: Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) to adopt phased, design-certified licensing and update siting norms for SMRs.

»     Private Sector Clarity: Define PPP/SPV models under SHANTI Act such as allowing private entities to provide capital and NPCIL to retain safety/operations.

»     Skilling: Launch “Nuclear Mitra” programme via ITIs for rapid workforce training.

»     Other: Create a centralized national framework for fuel and waste, dedicated fund for transparent public outreach on nuclear energy.

LEADS 2025: India’s Logistics Scorecard

LEADS is the flagship assessment of logistics performance across States and Union Territories released by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

»     LEAPS 2025 (Logistics Excellence, Advancement and Performance Shield) awards were also given across 13 categories  covering Core Logistics, MSMEs, Startups, Special Categories etc. 

LEADS

»     It was conceived on the lines of the Logistics Performance Index (LPI) of World Bank in 2018.

»     LEADS 2025 provides a four-tier performance framework (earlier three tier).

»     It uses objective indicators (nearly 59% weightage) like regulatory support and logistics enablers, and perception indicators such as logistics infrastructure, services and sustainable logistics.

India’s Logistics sector:

»     Logistics cost: ~8% of GDP(2023 to 2024).

Key Issues:

»     Infrastructure Gaps: Poor road quality, port congestion and weak rail connectivity.

»     Skewed share: Over 60% freight movement through roads raises fuel consumption, congestion and transit costs.

»     Fragmentation: Dominance of small players leads to operational inefficiencies.

»     Others: Regulatory Complexity: Slow Technology Adoption; etc.

Initiatives to strengthen Logistics Sector:

»     National Logistics Policy (NLP) 2022: Aims to lower the cost of logistics in par with other developed countries. 

»     PM GatiShakti National Master Plan: Integrated infrastructure master plan to ensure seamless movement of people and goods.

»     Logistics Data Bank 2.0: Syncs with Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP) APIs, offering exporters and MSMEs real-time visibility across road, rail, sea etc.

»     Others: Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs); Strengthening Multimodal and Integrated Logistics Ecosystem (SMILE) program; Multi-Modal Logistics Parks (MMLPs); E-Way Bill System; Infrastructure Status to Logistics Sector; Logistic Efficiency Enhancement Programme etc.

SC Upholds Constitution over Majority Rule

The Supreme Court observed that while India is a constitutional democracy where majority rule prevails, courts must test decisions against constitutional principles.

»     These remarks were made by a nine-judge Constitution bench reviewing the scope of religious freedom.

Constitutionalism

»     It refers to a system in which the government’s power is limited by a constitution.

Significance

»     Safeguards Rights: Protects fundamental freedoms from state interference.

»     Upholds Rule of Law: Ensures that everyone is subject to fair and stable laws. E.g., Article 14 (Equality before law).

»     Protects Democracy: Guarantees fair elections and ensures power rests with the people.

»     Ensures Accountability: Uses independent oversight (e.g., CAG) to keep the government transparent.

»     Separation of Power: Divides authority among branches to prevent any single entity from dominating.

»     Checks Majoritarianism: Ensures that majority rule does not infringe on rights of marginalized groups. E.g., Article 29,30 safeguarding rights of linguistic and religious minorities.High prevalence rates of preventable risk factors: Rising Global anaemia prevalence in women of reproductive age and Violence against women.

Challenges with Constitutionalism

       o   Rise of authoritarian tendencies undermining constitutional principles

»     Judicial Overreach challenging the principle of separation of power.

»     Governance Issues such as corruption can erode public trust in democratic institutions.

Cases Related to Constitutionalism:

»     Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973): Established the Basic Structure Doctrine and held that amendments cannot alter the core principles of the Constitution.

»     Rameshwar Prasad v. Union of India (2006): Observed that Constitutionalism abhors absolutism and is premised on the rule of law.

»     I.R. Coelho v. State of Tamil Nadu (2007): Stated that the principle of Constitutionalism requires control over governmental power to ensure that democratic principles are not undermined.

Shipbuilding Powers India’s Blue Economy

MoU signed for developing India’s First Mega Greenfield Shipyard at Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu under India- Republic of Korea Comprehensive Framework ‘VOYAGES’.

»     Proposed shipyard will have 2.5 Million GT annual capacity and generate 15,000 direct jobs.

‘VOYAGES’ (Shared Vision for Operation of Yard Assisted Growth with Efficiency and Scale)

»     Signed in April, 2026, it promotes India-South Korea cooperation in shipbuilding, shipping and maritime logistics via technology transfer, green shipbuilding and training of Indian professionals in South Korea.

Overview of India’s Shipbuilding Sector

»     Global Standing: India holds less than 1% of global share, far behind China (47%), South Korea (25%) and Japan (18%).

»     Aging Fleet: Average Indian fleet age is 21 years, creating demand for nearly 2,500 new vessels.

»     Market Growth: Sector projected to grow from US$90 million (2022) to US$8.12 billion by 2033.

Silent Epidemic of Forgetfulness

India’s first Alzheimer’s disease therapy “donanemab” was launched recently.

Alzheimer Disease

»     Definition: A progressive brain disorder and the most common cause of dementia (60–70% of cases).

       o  Dementia is a condition involving decline in memory, thinking and behaviour that interferes with daily life.

»     Cause: Linked to factors such as genetics, lifestyle and ageing.

Sovereign AI Mission – Building Trust in Tech

A report by IBM and IndiaAI, highlighted that India’s AI strategy is being decisively shaped by the rise of sovereign cloud and sovereign AI as foundational guardrails.  

»     The report highlighted that AI could add over $500 billion to India’s economy by 2030 and 83% of Indian AI startups focus on applying existing models.

Sovereign AI

»     It is a nation''s ability to design, develop, and regulate AI systems using its own domestic infrastructure, national data, and indigenous workforce.

»     IndiaAI Mission, launched in 2024, promotes sovereign AI through development of shared national AI compute infrastructure model, IndiaAI Innovation Centre for development of indigenous foundational models or Large Language Models, IndiaAI Datasets Platform (AIKosh), etc.

»     Indian Sovereign AI models: Sarvam AI’s models, Vachana by Gnani.ai (text-to-speech model), Param2 17B by BharatGen.

Significance of Sovereign AI

»     Data Sovereignty: Compliance with data residency, privacy and consent requirements, ensuring national control over sensitive citizen and strategic data.

»     National Security: Strengthens cyber resilience and protection of critical infrastructure.

»     Strategic Autonomy: Reduces dependence on foreign AI platforms and technologies.

»     Trusted AI Ecosystem: Enables secure data-sharing and cloud infrastructure in banking, healthcare and manufacturing.

»     Inclusive AI Development: Improves AI relevance for local languages and socio-cultural contexts.