Author: Ramvilas

Bay of Bengal as India’s SHANTI Anchor

International

News – 

• The External Affairs Minister introduced the SHANTI framework to establish a rules-based maritime order in the Bay of Bengal (BOB) and across the Indo-Pacific.

SHANTI Framework

• Full form – Securing Holistic Advancement through Norms, Trust, and Integrity

• Objective – It is India’s normative regional maritime security approach based on shared responsibility rather than a rigid military alliance.
• Significance – The strategy aims to build long-term resilience against transnational challenges, including illegal fishing, cyber threats, and marine pollution.
• The framework strengthens India’s position as a trusted security partner and first responder across the wider Indo-Pacific.

Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2026

Environment

News –

• The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2026 was released by Yale and Columbia Universities, reviving debate on environmental governance and assessment methodologies.

About – 

• Objective – It assesses 177 countries through 47 indicators, weighted across Ecosystem Vitality (45%), Climate Change Mitigation (30%) and Environmental Health (25%).

Key Highlights of EPI 2026

• Global Leaders: Estonia topped the index with 74.79, followed by Luxembourg and the UK, while European countries dominated the leading positions.
• India ranked 176th out of 177 countries, scoring 22.46, ahead of only Laos globally and last in South Asia.

INS Nipun

Defense

News – 

• Nipun, the second Diving Support Vessel (DSV) built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited, was delivered to the Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam.

About – 

• It is the sister ship of INS Nistar with nearly 75% indigenous content, supporting Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

Features – 

• Role: Deep-sea rescue, submarine salvage, and underwater security.
• Key Asset: Serves as a mother ship for Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicles (DSRVs).
• Specs: 118.4 metres long, 9,350 tonnes displacement.
• Capability: Supports saturation diving up to 300 metres deep.

United to end AIDS Report

Health & Society

Context (DTE):  

• The United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) released the report, United to End AIDS, at the 26th International AIDS Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS (2026)

• It is a global roadmap adopted by UN Member States in 2026, during the UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS in New York.
• It aims to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 through the 95-95-95 targets, secure US$21.9 billion annually by 2030, and protect human rights.

Additional Information – Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) 

• • Pathogen – It is a chronic, potentially life-threatening health condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) which damages the human immune system.
  • Transmission: Through direct contact with certain body fluids (blood, semen, rectal fluid, vaginal fluid or breast milk) from a person infected with HIV.

• Symptoms:

• • Stage 1: Flu-like illness (Fever, chills, rashes, night sweats)
  • Stage 2: Clinical latency (No particular symptoms)
  • Stage 3: AIDS (Weakening of Immune System)
• Prevention: Prevention is better than cure, using protective techniques, non-contaminated needles & preventing mother to child transmission.
• Treatment:  There is no cure for HIV infection. It is treated with antiretroviral drugs, which stop the virus from replicating in the body. Untreated HIV can progress to AIDS, often after many years.

Steps taken by Government of India

• National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) (Central Sector Scheme) 

• • India has achieved the 6th MDG of halting and reversing the HIV epidemic.

• Prevention from Parent to Child Transmission (PPTCT) programme

• HIV/AIDS Act 2017 (Prohibits discrimination against HIV-infected people on any grounds)

• 90:90:90 strategy as adopted by UNAIDS (90% (diagnosed, treatment (by anti-retroviral treatment (ART)) & suppression)) by 2020. Extended by 10 years with the goal post of 95-95-95.
• Project ACCELERATE (John Hopkin & NACO initiative): To provide HIV Services through Safe Zindagi online portal.

• Mission Sampark: Its purpose was to “bring back” people living with HIV (PLHIV) who had stopped antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Dengue Virus

Health & Society

News – 

• Indian Council of Medical Research’s (ICMR) Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) found all four dengue virus serotypes (DENV- 1 to DENV-4) are circulating in India

Dengue

• • Pathogen – Dengue is a viral infection caused by the dengue virus (DENV).
  • DENV is an RNA virus of the Flaviviridae family with four serotypes (DENV-1 to 4). 

• Symptoms: High fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pains, nausea, vomiting, swollen glands, rash. 

• Transmission: The virus is transmitted to humans through the bites of infected female mosquitoes, primarily the Aedes Aegypti mosquito.
• There is a possibility of maternal transmission of Dengue (from a pregnant mother to her baby), transmission via blood products, organ donation and transfusions.
• Prevention: There is no specific antiviral treatment for dengue, so prevention relies on controlling mosquito populations and raising public awareness. 
• The mosquitoes that spread dengue are active during the day. The best way of protection is to protect yourself from mosquito bites.

India’s first indigenous dengue vaccine

• DengiAll is an indigenous, tetravalent, single-dose dengue vaccine candidate being developed by Panacea Biotec in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

Shaheed Udham Singh

History & Culture

News – 

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Shaheed Udham Singh on his martyrdom day, calling his life a symbol of courage and sacrifice that will inspire generations.

Shaheed Udham Singh (1899-1940) 

• He was an Indian revolutionary who avenged the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre by assassinating Michael O’Dwyer, former Lieutenant Governor of Punjab.
• Early Life: Born Sher Singh in Sunam, Punjab, he was raised at the Central Khalsa Orphanage in Amritsar, where he was renamed Udham Singh. 
• Traumatised by the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre, he dedicated his life to a struggle against colonial rule.
• Revolutionary Ties: He joined the Ghadar Party to mobilise overseas Indians. Influenced by Bhagat Singh, he returned to India in 1927 to work with the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA).
• Assassination: Singh shot and killed Michael O’Dwyer at Caxton Hall, London, in March 1940, as a punishment for his support of the 1919 Amritsar massacre.
• Secular Identity: In custody, he adopted the name “Ram Mohammad Singh Azad,” blending India’s major religions with Azad (Freedom) to symbolise anti-colonial unity.
• Martyrdom: After a 42-day hunger strike in Brixton Prison, he was hanged at Pentonville Prison on 31 July 1940. His remains were repatriated to India in 1974.

India’s First Caste Enumeration in Ladakh

Polity

Context

• Ladakh will become the first place in independent India to enumerate caste as part of a regular Census in the Census 2027.

Census in India

• Definition – A census is a survey of the population of an area that includes collecting details of a country’s demographics including age, sex and occupation.
• History: Under W.C. Plowden, the Census Commissioner of India, first census was conducted in 1881.
• Independent India’s first census was held in 1951 and since then it has happened in the first year of every decade.
• The Constitution mandates that enumeration is carried out but the Census of India Act of 1948 does not specify its timing or periodicity.
• Census is conducted by – Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India which functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Rabindranath Tagore

History & Culture

News – 

• The Home Minister offered salutations to Rabindranath Tagore on his death anniversary.

Rabindranath Tagore

• He was the youngest son of Debendranath Tagore (leader of Brahmo Samaj)
• He was a Bengali poet, song composer, and painter.
• He was born in Calcutta on May 7, 1861 and died on August 7, 1941, Calcutta.
• Awards: Became the first non-European and first lyricist to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913 for his work Gitanjali (1912).
• He was awarded a knighthood in 1915, but he repudiated it in 1919 as a protest against the Amritsar (Jallianwala Bagh) Massacre.
• Contribution to Education: In 1901 Tagore founded an experimental school in rural West Bengal at Shantiniketan (“Abode of Peace”), where he sought to blend the best in the Indian and Western traditions.
• He settled permanently at the school, which became Visva-Bharati University in 1921.
• Contribution in Freedom Movement: He was a prominent leader particularly during partition of Bengal (1905), and two of his compositions became the national anthems of India (Jana Gana Mana) and Bangladesh (Amar Sonar Bangla).
• Key Literary Works: Sonar Tari (1894), Manasi (1890), Chitra (1914), The Post Office (1914), Nastanirh (1901), Chokher Bali (1903) Noukadubi (1906), Gora (1910), Ghare Baire (1916) and Shesher Kabita (1929).

Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa)

Environment

News – 

• Roselle was highlighted on International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples (August 9) for its nutritional security and climate resilience.

About

• It is native to Africa and cultivated across tropical and subtropical Asia, Africa, and the Americas. 
• In India, it’s mainly grown by indigenous and tribal communities.
• Commonly called Mesta or Chukur in India, it is also known as Bhenda Dal in Odisha’s Malkangiri, Gongura in Telugu, and Patwa in Hindi.
• Nutritional Value: Provides vitamin C, iron, and calcium; its red calyces are rich in anthocyanins, which are antioxidants and offer cardiovascular and liver benefits.
• Economic Uses: The fleshy calyces make herbal teas, jams, and pickles; stalks provide Mesta fiber for commercial use or as a raw jute substitute.

Mecca Joint Defense Agreement

International

Context (IE): 

• Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, creating a trilateral mutual-security framework.

About – 

• The agreement expands the 2025 Saudi Arabia-Pakistan Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA) by incorporating Türkiye into the security framework.
• Geopolitical Drivers: Declining confidence in US security guarantees, Saudi diversification efforts beyond Western dependence, and Türkiye’s pursuit of wider regional influence.

Key Features:

• Collective Deterrence: An armed attack against any member will be treated as an attack against all three, resembling NATO’s Article 5.
• Defense-Industrial Cooperation: Expands military coordination, defense-industrial collaboration, and joint security planning to strengthen interoperable, self-reliant defense capabilities.
• Implications for India: The pact complicates India’s West Asian diplomacy by linking Saudi Arabia, a key partner, to Pakistan and Türkiye.

Grievance Redressal Assessment & Index

Polity

News – 

• The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances released its 50th Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) report featuring the GRAI for June 2026.

Grievance Redressal Assessment & Index 

• It is a periodic evaluation framework launched by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) in India.
• Mandate – It ranks central ministries and departments based on how efficiently and timely they resolve public complaints submitted via CPGRAMS.

GRAI evaluates organizations using 11 key indicators spread across four main dimensions:

1. Efficiency: Time taken to dispose of and clear pending grievances.
2. Feedback: Citizen satisfaction levels and feedback quality.
3. Domain: Performance relative to the specific sector or service area.
4. Organisational Commitment: Institutional resources and top-level monitoring dedicated to fixing issues.

Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS)

• It is India’s 24/7 online portal for citizens to lodge, track, and appeal grievances against public authorities. 
• It is managed by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions.

Features

• Unified Portal: Links 92 Central Ministries/Departments and all States/UTs.
• Strict Timeline: Mandates grievance resolution within 21 days.
• Appeal Window: Citizens can appeal unsatisfactory closures to an Appellate Authority.
• Tech Integration: Features 22-language support via the AI-powered BHASHINI platform.

Excluded Issues- The portal does not accept complaints regarding:

• Sub-judice court matters.
• RTI queries or appeals.
• Service matters of government employees.
• Religious issues.
• National security threats.

Har Ghar Tiranga 2026

History & Culture

Context (PIB): 

• The Ministry of Culture launched the nationwide Har Ghar Tiranga 2026 campaign in New Delhi, which will be observed across the country from 9 to 17 August 2026.
• The Ministry of Culture also launched SURYAPATH TIRANGA, a flagship initiative under the Har Ghar Tiranga 2026 campaign. 
• The National Flag will be ceremonially hoisted in succession from east to west across Indian Missions worldwide, symbolically travelling with daylight across the globe.
• Har Ghar Tiranga 2026 is dedicated to the Spirit of Vande Mataram.

Har Ghar Tiranga

• • Campaign that started in 2022 under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to encourage people to bring the Tiranga home and to hoist it to mark India’s independence.
  • Aim: To invoke feelings of patriotism in the hearts of citizens and promote awareness about our national flag.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Culture

Cabinet Secretary

Polity

News – 

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), headed by the Prime Minister, approved a one-year extension for Cabinet Secretary Dr. T.V. Somanathan.

Cabinet Secretary 

• • He is the senior-most civil servant and administrative head of the Cabinet Secretariat, under the direct charge of the Prime Minister.
  • He serves as ex officio Chairman of the Civil Services Board.
  • He is regarded as primus inter pares (first among equals) among Union secretaries. He ranks 11th on the Indian Order of Precedence.
  • Mandate: He acts as principal administrative adviser to the PM and Cabinet, ensures inter-ministerial coordination, and heads the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC).
  • Appointment: ACC appoints him for a standard 2-year tenure, extendable up to 4 years. To extend beyond 4 years, the government must relax the relevant service rules on a case-by-case basis.
• Sir Narayanan Raghavan Pillai was the first Cabinet Secretary of independent India.

Asan Wetland Conservation Reserve

Environment

Context (TH): 

• The Supreme Court ruled that a 10-km mining buffer zone now applies to all wetland reserves across India, expanding the earlier safeguard for the Asan Wetland Conservation Reserve.

Asan Wetland

• Locally called Dhalipur Lake
• It is a human-made freshwater lake in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, formed by the Asan Barrage at the Asan and Yamuna Rivers confluence.
• Designated a Ramsar Site (Uttarakhand’s first) in 2020, and is listed as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International.
• Biodiversity: It is a vital wintering habitat and stopover along the Central Asian Flyway, supporting 330 bird species, including threatened vultures, Pallas’s Fish-eagle, and migratory waterbirds.
• It serves as a spawning ground for aquatic biodiversity, supporting the endangered Golden Mahseer.

PM-KISAN

Government Schemes

News- 

• Union Cabinet extended the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) 

Scheme to 2030–31, with an outlay of ₹3.15 lakh crore for the period.

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN)

• Launched on – February 24 in 2019.
• Financing – Central Sector Scheme with 100% funding from the Government of India.
• Implementation – Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

Key feature 

• Objective – The Centre transfers an amount of Rs 6,000 per year, in three equal installments, directly into the bank accounts of all landholding farmers irrespective of the size of their land holdings.
• Financial assistance – It provides financial assistance to the  Small and Marginal Farmers (SMFs) in procuring various inputs to ensure proper crop health and appropriate yields.
• Identification of beneficiary – Responsibility of identification of beneficiary farmer families is entrusted with the State / UT Governments.

Phoenix Species Project

Environment

News – 

• Phoenix Species Project launched a global effort to bring 100 of the world’s most threatened species back from the brink.

About the Project

• Purpose: It is a global effort to recover 100 of the world’s most threatened species by providing sustained support for local champions and offering sustained funding.
• Genesis: Launched in August 2026 

Key Features:

• Founders: Bezos Earth Fund and Re:wild (Leonardo DiCaprio).]
• Target: 100 species listed as Critically Endangered or Extinct in the Wild on the IUCN Red List.
• Knowledge Partner: IUCN Species Survival Commission.
• Global Alignment: Directly supports Target 4 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
• Strategy: Focuses on long-term, locally and Indigenous-led habitat restoration, translocations, and invasive species control.

Appointment of the UN Secretary-General

International

News – 

• The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) recently held its first straw poll to select the next UN Secretary-General (UNSG), whose five-year term will begin on 1 January 2027.

Secretary-General as the UN

• The Secretary-General is the UN’s Chief Administrative Officer, who oversees the work of the UN Secretariat and fulfills any other functions entrusted by the organisation’s principal organs. 

Elections: 

• Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council. 

• This means that the Permanent Members of the Security Council – China, France, Russia, the U.K., and the U.S. have a significant say in who gets elected.

Key Principal Organs of the UNO:

• • United Nations General Assembly (UNGA): The main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ, where all 193 member states have equal representation.
  • United Nations Security Council (UNSC): Responsible for maintaining international peace and security, with 15 members (5 permanent with veto power, 10 non-permanent).
  • Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC): Coordinates economic, social, and environmental work of the UN system, overseeing specialized agencies.
  • International Court of Justice (ICJ): The principal judicial organ, settling legal disputes submitted by states, located at The Hague.
  • Secretariat: Carries out the day-to-day work of the UN, administered by the Secretary-General.
  • Trusteeship Council: Established to supervise trust territories, it suspended operations in 1994 after Palau gained independence.
  • Headquarters: New York (UNGA, UNSC, ECOSOC, Secretariat, Trusteeship Council) and The Hague (ICJ).
• Membership: 193 member states (all part of UNGA).

Dhansiri River

Geography

Context

• According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), the Dhansiri River is flowing above the danger mark, raising concerns that the flood situation in low-lying areas could worsen.

About

• Origin: It originates from the Laisang peak in Nagaland.
• Course: It is situated in north-east India.
• It is a transboundary river running through the states of Assam and Nagaland.
• It flows 352 kilometres through Dimapur, Chümoukedima, and Assam’s Golaghat district before joining the Brahmaputra.
• Confluence: It joins the Brahmaputra on its south bank in Assam, near Dhansirimukh.
• Being heavily rain-fed, its water level rises sharply during the monsoon, and high flows can cause flooding in areas of Golaghat and adjoining Assam.

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.

16th BRICS Trade Ministers Meeting

International

Context

• • India concluded the 16th BRICS Trade Ministers’ Meeting in Jaipur under its BRICS Chairship 2026.

• theme: Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability

Key Outcomes

• Economic Strategy: Finalised the BRICS Economic Partnership 2030 roadmap.
• Trade Finance: Adopted The Jaipur Consensus to tackle the global finance gap.
• MSME Support: Created guiding principles for cash-flow-based, collateral-free lending.
• Supply Chains: Approved a 2026–2030 action plan for food and pharma security.
• Digital Trade: Agreed on framework principles for cross-border digital services.

Additional Information – BRICS 

• • Founded in – 2009
  • HeadQuarters – Shanghai
  • It is an acronym for the grouping of the world’s leading emerging economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (included in 2010)
  • Origin – The term “BRIC” was coined by the British Economist Jim O’Neill in 2001 to describe the four emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China.

• Recent Expansion (BRICS+): In 2024–2025, the bloc expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, and Indonesia. Saudi Arabia has received an invitation but has not yet formalized its membership.

• Share of BRICS – BRICS brings together five of the largest developing countries, representing 41% of the global population, 24% of the global GDP, and 16% of the global trade (By 2028, BRICS is expected to make up 35 percent of the global economy)
• Chairmanship – The chairmanship of the forum is rotated annually among the members. 

Initiatives of BRICS 

1. New Development Bank (NDB) 
2. Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) 
3. BRICS Payment System 
4. Customs Agreements 
5. Constellation of Remote Sensing Satellites

Official Secrets Act, 1923

Defense

Context

• A Wing Commander of the Indian Air Force (IAF) was arrested under provisions of the Official Secrets Act for allegedly leaking sensitive defence-related information.

Official Secrets Act, 1923

• It is a colonial-era law designed to protect official secrets and safeguard national security.
• The law, applicable to government servants and citizens, provides the framework for dealing with espionage, sedition, and other potential threats to the integrity of the nation. 
• The law makes spying, sharing ‘secret’ information, unauthorised use of uniforms, withholding information, interference with the armed forces in prohibited/ restricted areas, among others, punishable offences.
• If guilty, a person may get up to 14 years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both.
• The information could be any reference to a place belonging to or occupied by the government, documents, photographs, sketches, maps, plans, models, official codes or passwords.

India’s First Privately-built 800 kN FFSC Engine Unveiled

Science and Technology

Context

• Space-tech company Astrobase Space Technologies has unveiled India’s first privately developed 800 kN Full-Flow Staged Combustion (FFSC) rocket engine.

About

• • The engine, named EVEREST, has been developed by Astrobase.

• Global Standing: India is the 4th nation to master this tech (after the US, Russia, China).

• Reusability: Methane burns cleanly without soot, enabling rapid rocket refurbishment.
• Payload Boost: Designed to lift up to 30 tonnes to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
• Policy Link: Funded via IN-SPACe’s Technology Adoption Fund (TAF).
• Strategic Capability: Aims for a 15-day launch-on-demand turnaround time.

Slender-Billed Vultures

Environment

News

• Five captive-bred slender-billed vultures along with white-rumped vultures were released at Jatayu Soft Release Center in Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, Assam, the first release of its kind anywhere in the world. 

Slender-Billed Vultures (Gyps tenuirostris)  

• The slender-billed vulture is a dark, lean scavenger with broad wings, a long bare neck and pale underparts. 
• Habitat: It inhabits dry open and forested regions away from human settlements.
• Distribution: It is found mainly in the northern Indian subcontinent including the Gangetic plains, parts of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, West Bengal, Assam, Nepal and Bangladesh.
• Ecological Role:  It is an important scavenger and a provider of ecosystem services that helps to dispose of animal remains naturally and maintain environmental hygiene.
• Threats: The main cause of the decline of the slender-billed vulture is diclofenac poisoning, which leads to kidney failure.
• Other threats include food shortage, pesticide poisoning, habitat and tree loss, persecution, and electrocution or collisions.

Conservation status

• IUCN status – Critically Endangered.

• It is included in CITES Appendix II,

White-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis)

• It is mainly found in plains and open country, but also in woodland, villages and cities. 
• It eats carrion. It is very social, gathering in large feeding flocks and communal roosts, and breeds colonially in tall trees. 
• It occurs in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and southern Viet Nam,
• It is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

National Gopal Ratna Awards (NGRA) 2026

Miscellaneous

Context

• The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying has invited nominations for the National Gopal Ratna Awards (NGRA) 2026.

National Gopal Ratna Awards (NGRA) 2025

• It is one of the highest national honours in the livestock and dairy sector. 
• These awards will be presented on 26th November 2025 as part of the National Milk Day celebrations. 
• It was instituted in 2014 as a part of Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM)
• It focuses on the scientific conservation and development of indigenous bovine breeds. 
• It is annually conferred to encourage milk-producing farmers, dairy cooperative societies/MPCs/FPOs, and Artificial Insemination Technicians (AITs).
• The awardees will get a certificate of merit and a memento and cash price of ₹5,00,000, ₹3,00,000 and ₹2,00,000 for the first, second and third categories respectively.

Additional information- Rashtriya Gokul Mission

• It was launched in 2014 

Objectives

• • Development and conservation of indigenous breeds
  • Breed improvement programme for indigenous cattle breeds to improve their genetic makeup 

• Enhancement of milk production and productivity 

• Upgradation of nondescript cattle using elite indigenous breeds like Gir, Sahiwal, Rathi, Deoni, Tharparkar, Red Sindhi and 
• Distribution of disease free high genetic merit bulls for natural service.
• Gokul Grams: They will act as Centres for development of Indigenous Breeds and a dependable source for supply of high genetic breeding stock to the farmers in the breeding tract

National Circular Bioenergy Scheme (GOBARdhan Scheme)

Government Scheme

Context

• Recently, the Union Cabinet has approved the National Circular Bioenergy Scheme (GOBARdhan – Galvanising Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan) with a total outlay of ₹23,731 crore.

The GOBARdhan (National Circular Bioenergy Scheme) 

• It is a 10-year initiative (FY 2026–27 to 2035–36)
• Implementation – Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas

Key Objectives & Components

• Target: Boost Compressed Biogas (CBG) production tenfold to 5 MMSCMD.
• Unified Framework: Consolidates previous initiatives like SATAT, Market Development Assistance (MDA), and Biomass Aggregation Machinery (BAM).

Additional Information – Biofuels

• • Definition – Biofuels are alternative fuels made from plant and plant-derived resources.

• Example: Bioethanol, Biodiesel, Green diesel, Biogas etc.

National Policy on Biofuels, 2018

• The National Policy on Biofuels 2018 (amended in 2022) provides a framework for increasing the use of biofuels in India to enhance energy security.

Government Efforts for Biofuel Expansion

• Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana (Jaiv Indhan – Vatavaran Anukool fasal awashesh Nivaran Yojana): It promotes 2G ethanol production from agricultural waste and residues.
• SATAT Scheme (Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation): It promotes Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) production as a fuel alternative.

Good Samaritan Scheme

Government Schemes

Context

• Only 813 people have been awarded under the Good Samaritan scheme over the past five years, from 2021-22 to 2025-26.

About

• • It was launched in 2021

• Implementation – Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).

• Objective – to reduce road accident fatalities by incentivising bystanders to rush victims to the hospital within the “Golden Hour” (the first 60 minutes).

Key Features

• • Reward: A cash prize of ₹25,000 per incident and a Certificate of Appreciation.
  • Duration – 2026-27 to 2030-31 cycle

• Financing – Central sponsored scheme.

• Integration: Operates alongside the PM RAHAT Scheme, which offers cashless medical treatment up to ₹1.5 lakh for accident victims.

PM RAHAT (Road Accident Victim Hospitalization and Assured Treatment) 

• • It is a newly launched initiative by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

• Objective – to provide immediate, cashless medical treatment to road accident victims across India. 

• Significance – it aims to reduce fatalities during the “Golden Hour” (the critical first hour after an accident). 

Key features of the scheme 

• It includes cashless treatment up to ₹1.5 lakh for up to 7 days. 
• It offers stabilization care for a maximum of 24 hours in cases that are not life-threatening and 48 hours in life-threatening situations. 
• The scheme covers all road accident victims on all types of roads. 
• Hospitals cannot ask for advance payments for emergency stabilization. 
• Implementation is linked with the 112 helpline for emergency response. 
• Treatment is available at hospitals empaneled under Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY). 
• A digital system connects the eDAR and TMS 2.0 for reporting and claim processing. Funding comes from the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVAF). 
• Grievances are handled by a Grievance Redressal Officer at the district level.

Farakka Treaty

International

Context

• With the 1996 Farakka Treaty set to expire on 12 December 2026, demands have been raised to review its provisions in light of Bihar’s future water requirements.

Farakka Treaty

• It is also known as the Ganga Water Treaty.
• It was signed on 12 December 1996 between Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda of India and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh. 
• It governs the sharing of Ganga waters at the Farakka Barrage. 
• The Farakka Barrage, built on the Bhagirathi River in West Bengal.
• It was constructed to improve the navigability of the Kolkata Port by diverting water into the Hooghly River. 

Padma River

• The Padma River is one of the largest and most important rivers in Bangladesh. 
• It is the main distributary of the Ganges River after the Ganges enters Bangladesh from India. 
• The Padma flows southeast, joins the Jamuna River (the lower Brahmaputra), and later merges with the Meghna River before emptying into the Bay of Bengal.
• It is a major part of the world’s largest delta system, the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna Delta. 

Additional Information – Ganga River System

The Ganga River System is India’s largest river basin. 

• Origin – The river starts as the Bhagirathi from the Gangotri Glacier.
• Name: It becomes the Ganga when it joins the Alaknanda at Devprayag.
• RiverLength: It is 2,525 km long.
• States: It flows through five states: Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.
• The Delta: It splits in West Bengal. One part goes to Bangladesh (called Padma). It helps form the Sundarbans Delta, the biggest delta in the world.

Important Tributaries

• Left-Bank (North): Ramganga, Gomti, Ghaghara, Gandak, Kosi.
• Right-Bank (South): Yamuna (the longest one) and Son.

Key Exam Facts

• National River: Named India’s National River in 2008.
• Ganga Dolphin: This is India’s National Aquatic Animal. It is endangered.
• Namami Gange: The main government project to clean and protect the river.

Agni-4

Defence

Context

• India successfully test-fired the medium-range ballistic missile Agni-4 from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Odisha.

Agni-IV

• • It is a nuclear-capable surface-to-surface ballistic missile 

• Developed by – DRDO.

• Type: Two-stage solid-fueled medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM).
• Range: Approximately 4,000 km.
• Payload: Can carry a 1,000 kg nuclear or conventional warhead.
• Mobility: Launched from a road-mobile launcher for strategic flexibility.
• Technology: Uses advanced Ring Laser Gyroscope navigation and a heat shield that resists 4,000°C re-entry temperatures.
• Significance: Operated by the Strategic Forces Command to enforce India’s Credible Minimum Deterrence and No-First-Use policy.

Dr. M. S. Swaminathan Award for Environment Protection

Awards

News

• P. Pechiyammal of Ramanathapuram and Govindhammal of Villupuram were given the Dr. M. S. Swaminathan Award for Environment Protection 2026.
• Pechiyammal was recognised for pioneering the collection of ghost fishing gear (abandoned fishing nets, nylon ropes and plastic waste) from coastal areas, a move that has helped reduce marine pollution.
• Govindhammal was recognised for her contribution toward promoting sustainable agriculture, empowering farmers with better seeds and improved farming practices.

Dr. M. S. Swaminathan Award for Environment Protection

• It was instituted by the Rotary Club of Madras East (RCME) in the name of its honorary member and agricultural scientist, the late M.S. Swaminathan.
• It is being supported by CavinKare Pvt. Ltd.
• It is presented to either an individual, a company, or an NGO that has contributed, either directly or indirectly, to enhancing environmental protection and awareness. 

Additional Information – M. S. Swaminathan 

• He was known as the Father of India’s Green Revolution. 
• The term ‘Green Revolution’, was coined by William S Gaud in 1968.

Awards in India: 

1. 1. Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award
   2. Indira Gandhi Prize 
   3. Padma Shri in 1967 
   4. Padma Bhushan in 1972
   5. Padma Vibhushan in 1989, 

• Bharat Ratna in 2024.

Green Revolution

• It refers to a period of significant increase in agricultural production resulting from the adoption of modern technology, high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds, chemical fertilizers, irrigation, and mechanization.

Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) Bill, 2026

Polity

News

• The Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) Bill, 2026 has been introduced in Parliament. 

About – 

• It was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 3, 2026. 
• It aims to replace the ISI Act, 1959, 
• It transitioned the 1931-founded Institute of National Importance from a registered society into a statutory body to streamline governance.

Key Provisions

• President as Visitor: Designates the President of India as the Visitor, granting powers to order performance inquiries and issue directives.
• Board of Governors (BoG): Replaces the 33-member Governing Council with an 11-member BoG to oversee administration, budgets, and degree approvals.
• Director Appointment: The Director will be selected by a search committee and appointed by the BoG with prior approval from the Visitor.
• Regulatory Autonomy: Prior Central Government approval is required only for the first set of regulations drafted by the BoG, relaxing the strict 1959 rules.
• Removal of Take-Over Clause: Deletes the 1959 provision allowing the government to seize administrative control of ISI for two years during defaults.

Additional Information – Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) 

• • It is a premier, globally acclaimed public research university and an Institution of National Importance, 

• Headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal. 

• Founded on December 17, 1931, 

• • Founded by – by the legendary statistician Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, 
  • ISI serves as India’s gold standard for academic excellence and research in statistics, mathematics, computer science, quantitative economics, and allied sciences. 
• Functions under – Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).

Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018

Economy

Context

• As per the Ministry of Home Affairs, India has brought back 274 fugitive criminals from 36 countries between 2019 and 2026.

Fugitive Economic Offender (FEO)

• A Fugitive Economic Offender (FEO) is an individual against whom an Indian court has issued an arrest warrant for a specified economic offence involving ₹100 crore or more, and who has either left India to evade criminal prosecution or refuses to return from abroad to face the law.
• This legal status was established under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 (FEOA) to deter economic offenders from evading justice by staying outside the jurisdiction of Indian courts

Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018

• Confiscation of Property: The Act empowers authorities to attach and confiscate properties of the offender located both in India and abroad.
• The law also covers benami properties and assets indirectly controlled by the offender.
• Bar on Civil Claims: The Act disallows declared FEOs from initiating or defending any civil claims in Indian courts.
• Special Court Mechanism: The Act provides for adjudication of cases through special courts established under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.

Enforcement Directorate

• • Established in – On 1st May 1956, an ‘Enforcement Unit’ was formed. In the year 1957, this Unit was renamed as ‘Enforcement Directorate’.
  • Established under – It is a specialized financial investigation agency under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance.

• Functions – ED enforces the following laws

• Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA)

• Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA)
• The Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 (FEOA).

The World Development Report 2026

Economy

Context

• The World Bank has released The World Development Report 2026.

About

• It has been published annually since 1978
• It provides in-depth analysis and policy recommendations on a specific and important aspect of development

Major Findings

• Automation Risks: Jobs in high-income countries are more than three times as likely to face automation risk from generative AI as those in low- and middle-income countries.
• Boost in Productivity: AI could boost productivity in more than 16% of existing jobs in developing economies, compared with more than 18% in advanced economies.
• AI in Agriculture: Separate research on agriculture found that AI could improve productivity and resilience, but only with supportive policies, infrastructure and equitable access.

Additional Information –  World Bank Group (WBG)

• • Origins: Established at the 1944 Bretton Woods Conference.

• Headquarters: Washington, D.C

• Mandate: Eradicate extreme poverty and promote shared global prosperity.

The Five Institutions

• IBRD: Loans to middle-income and creditworthy low-income nations.
• IDA: “Soft Loan Window” providing interest-free credits/grants to poorest nations.
• IFC: Private sector arm investing directly in developing markets.
• MIGA: Offers political risk insurance to foreign investors.
• ICSID: Arbitrates international investment disputes.

India & WBG 

• Founding Member: Of IBRD, IDA, and IFC.
• Exclusion: India is NOT a member of ICSID (cites bias toward developed states).
• Borrowing Status: “Blend Status” (transitioning from soft IDA credits to commercial IBRD loans).

Key Global Publications

1. 1. World Development Report
   2. Global Economic Prospects
   3. Human Capital Index

• Note: The Ease of Doing Business Report has been permanently discontinued.

Governance & Structural Rules

• Prerequisite: Nations must join the IMF before joining the IBRD.
• Voting Power: Tied to financial shareholding, not population; USA holds de facto veto power.

Uzbekistan

Geography