Author: Ramvilas

MPC Retains Repo Rate, Lowers Growth Forecast

Economy

Surha Tal: India’s 100th Ramsar Site

Environment

Context

• Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary (Surha Tal) in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, has been designated as India’s 100th Ramsar Site.

About

• Established in 1991,
• The sanctuary is centred around Surha Tal, a natural perennial oxbow lake formed by the shifting course of the Ganga River.
• It is located in the Indo-Gangetic Plain, near the confluence of the Ganga and Ghaghara rivers.
• It hosts several migratory birds from Siberia and Central Asia, including the Greylag Goose, Pintail, Common Teal, and Bar-headed Goose.
• Local species include Sarus crane, Heron, and Cormorant.

Connect with the basics – Ramsar Convention

• A Ramsar site is a wetland designated as one of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
• Ramsar Convention – It is one of the inter-governmental accords to preserve the wetlands of international importance.
• It was signed on February 2, 1971 in Ramsar, Iran and came into force in 1975.
• India became a signatory to the Ramsar Convention in 1982.

Ramsar Facts

• Total: 100 sites (As of June 2026).
• India has the most sites in Asia.
• 100th Site: Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary (Surha Tal) in Uttar Pradesh (Added June 2026).
• Top State: Tamil Nadu (20 sites), followed by Uttar Pradesh (13 sites).
• First Sites: Chilika Lake (Odisha) and Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan) in 1981.
• Sizes: Sundarban (West Bengal) is the largest. Renuka (Himachal Pradesh) is the smallest.

Montreux Record (Threatened Sites)

• What it is: A register of Ramsar sites facing ecological danger from pollution or human interference.Active Indian Sites:
• Only two sites—Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan) and Loktak Lake (Manipur).
• Removed- Chilika Lake was removed after successful recovery.

Isobutanol

Science & Technology

Context

• As India expands its biofuel strategy beyond ethanol, the government is evaluating the use of diesel blended with up to 15% isobutanol to reduce dependence on crude oil imports.

Isobutanol

• Chemical Profile: It is a clear, colorless liquid with a mild alcoholic odor. It is one of the four isomers of butanol.
• Traditional Use: It has long served as an industrial solvent in paints, lacquer, coatings, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides.
• Production: It can be created from petrochemicals or by fermenting biomass like sugarcane syrup, molasses, and grains using engineered microbes.

Why Isobutanol Over Ethanol for Diesel Blending

• India successfully implemented a 20% ethanol blending mandate for petrol, but ethanol failed to mix properly with diesel.

Significance for India

• Import Substitution: Blending up to 10% isobutanol into diesel can slash India’s high crude oil import bills.
• Climate & Emission Targets: It burns cleaner, reducing harmful particulate emissions. This helps achieve India’s Net-Zero emission goal by 2070 and aligns with the National Policy on Biofuels.

Jan Samarth Portal

Government Schemes

Context

• The Jan Samarth Portal has completed four years of promoting digital financial inclusion and seamless credit delivery.

Jan Samarth Portal

• Launched in – 2022
• Objective – It is a single-window digital platform for availing benefits under 16 credit-linked government schemes.
• Significance – It facilitates access to institutional credit across sectors such as agriculture, business, housing, renewable energy, and livelihoods.
• Available in 8 languages, the portal has onboarded 269 lending institutions, including banks, NBFCs, and cooperative banks.

Additional information – Digital financial inclusion schemes

Core Pillars: The JAM Trinity

1. Jan Dhan: Zero-balance bank accounts for the unbanked.
2. Aadhaar: Biometric digital ID for instant e-KYC verification.
3. Mobile: Core tool to access mobile banking apps.

Key Schemes

• PM Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY): World’s largest financial inclusion drive. Over 56 crore accounts. Offers free RuPay cards, ₹2 lakh accident cover, and ₹10,000 overdraft.
• UPI: Real-time mobile payment network. Handles over 80% of India’s retail digital payments.
• Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT): Sends government subsidies straight into Aadhaar-linked accounts. This stops corruption and cuts state waste.
• Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS): Rural biometric banking via local agents (Bank Mitras). No smartphone required.
• Jan Suraksha Schemes: Cheap, auto-debit security. Includes PMSBY (₹20/year accident cover), PMJJBY (₹436/year life cover), and Atal Pension Yojana (unorganised sector pension).
• Unified Lending Interface (ULI): Nationwide platform that speeds up digital loans by instantly linking land and financial data.

Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM)

Polity

PM E-DRIVE

Environment

Context

• The Delhi Government has announced the induction of 2,800 new low-floor electric buses under the PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE)
• Objective – to strengthen public transport and accelerate the transition towards sustainable urban mobility.

PM E-DRIVE

• The scheme was launched by the Government of India in 2024 to accelerate the transition towards electric mobility.
• The scheme has a total financial outlay of ₹10,900 crore.
• Duration: Initially approved for two years (2024–26), its duration has now been extended to 31 March 2028, while retaining the same outlay.

Objectives:

• To accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) across the country.
• To develop a robust EV charging infrastructure.
• To strengthen the domestic EV manufacturing ecosystem.
• To reduce dependence on fossil fuels and lower vehicular emissions.
• To promote the Make in India initiative through the Phased Manufacturing Programme (PMP).
• The scheme supports the procurement of 14,028 electric buses across nine major cities with populations exceeding 40 lakh.

Major Abhilasha Barak Conferred UN Award

International

Context

• Prime Minister congratulated Major Abhilasha Barak on being conferred the UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award.

About

• Major Barak is currently serving with the United Nations mission in Lebanon, has been honoured with the award for her outreach efforts with women and girls during her deployment in the West Asian nation.
• She is also the first woman combat helicopter pilot of the Indian Army.
• Nomination – Each year, the awardee is selected from among candidates nominated by force commanders and heads of mission from all peace operations.
• India is among the largest troop and police contributing countries to UN peacekeeping missions.

United Nations peacekeepers

• The United Nations (UN) Peacekeepers, commonly known as the ‘Blue Helmets’
• They are military, police, and civilian personnel deployed by the United Nation
• Objective – to help countries transition from conflict to peace.
• Duties – It includes protecting civilians, preventing conflict, strengthening security, and supporting peace processes.
• Peacekeeping operations are authorized by the UN Security Council and supported by member states, with personnel drawn from many countries around the world.

Food Planet Prize 2026

Miscellaneous

Context

• The Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) programme has won the Food Planet Prize 2026.

About the Prize

• The Food Planet Prize was established in 2019 by the Curt Bergfors Foundation, Sweden.
• It is regarded as the world’s largest environmental award dedicated to transforming global food systems.
• The award carries a prize of US$ 1.5 million (about ₹14 crore).
• Note – APCNF’s selection marks the first time an Indian initiative has won the award.

Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF)

• Launched in 2016
• Launched by – Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS)
• Mandate – the programme promotes natural farming by reducing dependence on chemical fertilisers and pesticides.
• Uniqueness – it covers over 8,000 villages and nearly 18 lakh farmer families, making it one of the world’s largest community-led agroecology initiatives.
• The Andhra Pradesh model is now being studied and replicated in several Indian states, as well as countries like Sri Lanka and Zambia.

Additional Information – Natural Farming

• It is a chemical free farming, involving livestock (preferably local breed of cow) integrated natural farming methods and diversified crop systems rooted in the Indian traditional knowledge.
• It is largely based on on-farm biomass recycling with major stress on biomass mulching, use of on-farm cow dung-urine formulations; maintaining soil aeration and exclusion of all synthetic chemical inputs.

National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF)

• Launched in – November 2024
• It is a centrally sponsored Scheme
• Objective – to promote chemical-free, ecosystem-based natural farming rooted in traditional knowledge.

Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) Initiative

Governance

Mission Senehjori

Government schemes

Context

• Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) has launched Mission Senehjori,
• It is a flagship initiative to transform Assam’s Muga silk sector into a globally competitive luxury textile ecosystem.

About

• The mission aims to strengthen host-plant cultivation, modernise reeling infrastructure, promoting Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) & expanding global market access under the unified “Senehjori” brand.
• Implementation – Government of Assam, the Central Silk Board, the Ministry of Textiles, and other central agencies.

Central Silk Board

• It is a statutory body under the Union Ministry of Textiles, established by the Central Silk Board Act, 1948 (later amended as Central Silk Board (Amendment) Act, 2006).
• Mandate – It is responsible for formulating policies and implementing programs for the development of sericulture and silk industry.
• Headquarter: Bengaluru, Karnataka

Sericulture Basics

• Sericulture involves cultivating silkworms (primarily Bombyx mori for mulberry silk) that feed on leaves like mulberry, oak, castor, and arjun to spin cocoons.
• These are processed into yarn and fabric, blending agriculture and industry.
• Note – India is the only country that produces all 4 major varieties of natural silk.

1. Mulberry Silk (70% of India’s total output);
2. Tasar (Tussar) Silk (Derived from wild silkworms);
3. Eri Silk (aka ‘Ahimsa Silk’);
4. Muga Silk (A Geographical Indication (GI) product).

• Assam produces around 90% of the world’s Muga silk
• India is today the second-largest producer of silk globally, accounting for nearly 25% of global silk output, next only to China.

Right to be Forgotten

Syllabus: GS2/ Governance

Context

• The Delhi High Court held that the Right to be Forgotten is an important part of the fundamental right to privacy under Article 21 of the Constitution.

Right to be Forgotten

• It is the right to ask organizations to remove your personal data from the internet, search engines, and public databases under specific conditions.
• It helps people protect their online reputation and privacy so they are not permanently judged by past mistakes or outdated information

How It Works

• The right to be forgotten is also called the right to erasure.
• It allows you to ask a company or search engine (like Google) to delete or hide links about you.
• You can usually ask for your data to be removed if the information is outdated, incorrect, or irrelevant.

Position of the Right to be Forgotten in India

• India does not yet have a specific law on the Right to be Forgotten.
• However, the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 and several court judgments have recognised this right.
• The Supreme Court’s K.S. Puttaswamy judgment (2017) recognised informational privacy as part of the right to privacy.

Meteor Explosion

Science & technology

Context

• NASA has confirmed that a bright fireball meteor exploded in the sky

Asteroid vs. Meteoroid vs. Meteorite:

• Asteroid: Small rocky body orbiting the Sun.
• Meteoroid: Smaller particle from an asteroid or comet orbiting the Sun.
• Meteor: A meteoroid that enters Earth’s atmosphere, creating a streak of light (shooting star).
• Meteorite: A meteor that survives its passage through the atmosphere and lands on Earth’s surface

Additional information – Global Asteroid Missions

• DART Mission (NASA, 2022): The first planetary defense test aimed at changing an asteroid’s trajectory by crashing a probe into it, specifically targeting the binary asteroid Didymos.
• OSIRIS-REx (NASA, 2016-2023): Sample return mission to asteroid Bennu, providing insights into the solar system’s formation.
• Hayabusa2 (JAXA, 2014-2020): Successfully collected samples from asteroid Ryugu, including essential ingredients for life.
• Lucy Mission (NASA, 2021-Present): A 12-year journey to study multiple Jupiter Trojan asteroids.
• Hera Mission (ESA, 2024 Launch): Will study the impact crater produced by DART to analyze its deflection success.
• Tianwen-2 (China, 2025 Planned): A mission to sample the near-Earth asteroid Kamo’oalewa

RudraM-II

Science & technology

Context

• India successfully flight-tested the indigenous RudraM-II Air-to-Surface Missile, strengthening its indigenous defence and precision-strike capabilities.

RudraM-II

• Type – It is an air-to-surface missile
• Developed by – Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad, the nodal DRDO laboratory.
• Speed – Mach 5.5,
• Range – 300 km
• Payload capacity – 200 kg.
• Significance – It can be deployed from aircraft like Sukhois flying at altitudes ranging from 3 to 15 km.
• The new missile will eventually replace the older Russian-origin Kh-31 anti-radiation missiles currently in service.

Do You Know?

• RudraM-I, the earlier variant in the RudraM series, has a range of 100–250 km and can attain speeds of up to Mach 2.
  
  

Banni Grasslands

Environment

Majuli Island

Geography

Context

• A recent study by scientists from the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences has reconstructed nearly 4,000 years of climate, vegetation, and river dynamics of Majuli Island.

Majuli Island

• Majuli is located in the Brahmaputra River system in Assam.
• Uniqueness – world’s largest inhabited river island.
• Majuli is a unique fluvial island formed by the Brahmaputra River and its tributaries, covering about 875 sq. km.
• It is bounded by the Subansiri River in the north, Kherkatia Suti in the northeast, and the Brahmaputra River in the south.
• Geographical features – Its landscape consists of alluvial plains, braided channels, wetlands (Beels), and riverine sandbars known as Chaporis.
• The island is an important centre of Neo-Vaishnavite culture established by Srimanta Sankardeva.
• It hosts around 30 Sattras (Vaishnavite monasteries), which serve as centres of religion, culture, education, and community governance.
• It is home to several indigenous tribal communities, including the Mising, Deori, and Sonowal Kachari tribes.
• Threats- The island faces recurrent floods, riverbank erosion, deforestation, and land loss.

Additional Information- Brahmaputra River

• The Brahmaputra is a major transboundary river in Asia.
• It originates from the Chemayungdung Glacier near Lake Manasarovar (Mapam Yumco) in Tibet.
• It is known variably as Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet (its longest upper stretch), Siang or Dihang in Arunachal Pradesh, Brahmaputra in Assam & Jamuna in Bangladesh.
• It flows east through Tibet’s plateau, enters India via Arunachal Pradesh, widens in Assam’s plains, and merges with the Ganges in Bangladesh before reaching the Bay of Bengal.

AUKUS Alliance

International Relations

Context

• The AUKUS alliance between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States has completed five years and recently expanded cooperation in maritime defence and advanced technologies.

AUKUS

• It was launched in September 2021
• It is a trilateral strategic security partnership.
• Objective – to strengthen defence capabilities, technological cooperation, and strategic stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

Two Pillars of AUKUS

Pillar I:

• Focuses on helping Australia acquire conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs).
• It will make Australia the seventh country to operate nuclear-powered submarines.

Pillar II:

Focuses on cooperation in advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, cyber capabilities, undersea technologies, and advanced weapon systems.

Forest Rights Act and PESA

Polity and Governance

Context

• The constitution of a task force in Chhattisgarh to fast-track the implementation of laws such as the Forest Rights Act, 2006 and the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, has led to controversy.

Forest Rights Act

• It is also called The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006
• Mandate – to recognize the rights of forest-dwelling communities, including Scheduled Tribes, over forest resources
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA).

Four Main Rights

1. Title Rights: Ownership of cultivated forest land up to 4 hectares.
2. Use Rights: Right to collect, use, and sell Minor Forest Produce (MFP) like bamboo and honey.
3. Development Rights: Right to use land for local schools, clinics, and roads.
4. Forest Management: Power to protect and manage their traditional forests.

PESA Act, 1996

• PESA Act, 1996 stands for the Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996.

The PESA Act (1996) grants self-governance to tribal areas across 10 Indian states.

• Gram Sabha Power: Village assemblies protect tribal culture and approve all local development plans.
• Land Protection: Must give permission before land is taken or mined for sand and stone.
• Resource Ownership: Full rights over minor forest items (fruits, honey) and small water bodies.
• Economic Control: Regulates local markets, stops bad money lenders, and can ban alcohol.
• Tribal Leadership: Scheduled Tribes must hold at least 50% of seats and all chairperson roles.

Base Year Revision of Wholesale Price Index (WPI)

GS3/ Economy

Context

• The Government of India has approved the revision of the base year of the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) from 2011–12 to 2022–23.

Wholesale Price Index (WPI)

• Objective – It tracks the price of goods sold in bulk by wholesale businesses.
• Published by – The Office of the Economic Adviser, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• It covers goods only. It does not track services.
• Base Year: 2022–23 (Updated in 2026 from 2011–12).
• Note – WPI will be phased out by 2031. India is moving to a new Producer Price Index (PPI).

Additional Information – Core Differences Between WPI and CPI

India-Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA)

Economy

Lokmata Ahilyabai Holkar

Art & Culture

Context

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Lokmata Ahilyabai Holkar on her birth anniversary.

Ahilyabai Holkar (1725–1795)

• She was the celebrated queen of the Holkar dynasty who ruled the Malwa kingdom in the 18th century.
• Revered as the “Philosopher Queen” for her enlightened and people-centric governance.
• Born in Chondi village, Ahmednagar (Maharashtra) and married to Khanderao Holkar, son of Malhar Rao Holkar.
• After the deaths of her husband, father-in-law and son, she assumed the administration of Malwa in 1767.

Major Contributions

• She is remembered for her model of justice, welfare-oriented governance, and cultural preservation.
• Ahilyabai rebuilt important temples such as the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and Somnath Temple in the 18th century.
• She promoted women’s education, widow remarriage, and opposed practices like sati.
• She also worked for the upliftment of tribal communities and lower castes.
• Under her rule, Maheshwar and Indore became major trade centres, and the famous Maheshwari saree tradition flourished.

PM SVANidhi Scheme Completes Six Years

Government Schemes

Context

• PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Scheme, has completed six years of empowering street vendors through affordable collateral-free credit, digital inclusion and social security.

PM SVANidhi Scheme

• Financing – It is a Central Sector Scheme
• Launched on – 1 June 2020
• Objective – to provide affordable working capital loans to street vendors affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Implementing Agencies: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA)
• Eligible criteria: Street vendors in possession of Certificate of Vending/Identity Card issued by Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).

Key Features

• Working Capital Loan: Collateral-free loans of ₹15,000, ₹25,000, and ₹50,000.
• UPI-linked RuPay Credit Cards: Vendors successfully repaying the second tranche are eligible for UPI-linked RuPay Credit Cards with limits up to ₹30,000.

SVANidhi se Samriddhi (SSS):

• It is an Indian government scheme that links street vendors and their families to eight welfare programs for safety and health.
• Main Purpose – It helps vendors who got a PM SVANidhi loan.
• Workers visit vendors to check what their families need.
• It connects them to benefits without complex paperwork.

The 8 Benefits Included

1. Life Insurance (PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima)
2. Accident Insurance (PM Suraksha Bima)
3. Free Bank Accounts (PM Jan Dhan Yojana)
4. Food Ration Anywhere (One Nation One Ration Card)
5. Old Age Pension (PM Shram Yogi Maandhan)
6. Safe Birth Cash Help (Janani Suraksha Yojana)
7. Mother & Baby Support (PM Matru Vandana Yojana)
8. Construction Worker Aid (BoCW Registration)

Shangri-La Dialogue

International

In News

• India has officially signed a deal to supply BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to Vietnam, as confirmed at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

Shangri-La Dialogue

• Established in – 2002
• It is also known as the Asia Security Summit
• It is Asia’s premier defence and security forum.
• It is held annually at Singapore’s Shangri-La Hotel.
• Organised by – International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), London, with support from Singapore’s Ministry of Defence.
• Mandate – The dialogue focuses on both traditional security issues (territorial disputes, military cooperation) and non-traditional challenges (terrorism, cybersecurity, climate change).
• Note – India’s Raisina Dialogue is considered to be modelled on the Shangri-La Dialogue.

Additional Information – BrahMos Missile

• Type: Two-stage supersonic cruise missile (World’s fastest operational cruise missile).
• Joint Venture: India (DRDO) and Russia (NPOM).
• Named after Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers.
• Speed: Mach 2.8 to 3.0 (Nearly 3 times the speed of sound).
• Principle: “Fire and Forget” (Requires no control after launch).
• Platform: Multi-platform (Can launch from land, air, sea, and submarines).
• Warhead: 200–300 kg conventional (tactical weapon, not nuclear).
• Range Evolution & MTCROriginal Range (290 km): Restricted due to Russia being bound by MTCR (Missile Technology Control Regime) rules.
• Extended Range (400–450 km+): Upgraded after India joined MTCR in 2016, lifting the range limits.