The Kannada Development Authority (KDA) submitted a landmark report titled “Why do children fail in Kannada?” to the state government.
It recommends making Kannada learning compulsory across all school boards (including CBSE and ICSE)
Key Recommendations & Policy Measures
Mandatory Across All Boards: Kannada must be taught as a compulsory first or second language in all schools in the state, regardless of the curriculum.
25% Government Job Quota: At least 25% of state government jobs will be reserved for children who have studied in Kannada medium up to at least Class 10.
Bilingual Policy: The committee has advised replacing the three-language formula with a bilingual policy to reduce the academic load on students.Early
Childhood Learning: The report demands that Kannada be made mandatory at all levels, starting from Anganwadi and pre-primary, with heavily language-focused textbooks instead of content-based ones
Legal Backing: These suggestions align with the broader implementation of the Kannada Language Learning Act, 2015, which has been in effect since 2017.
Additional Information – The Kannada Language Learning Act, 2015
Mandate – It is a Karnataka state law mandating that Kannada be taught as a compulsory subject (either as the first or second language) in all schools from Standards I to X.
The act applies to all schools across the state, including CBSE, ICSE, and state board institutions.
Recently, PM Modi highlighted the impact of flagship social security schemes launched by the Union Government 11 years ago, including the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), and Atal Pension Yojana (APY).
Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana
Launched in – 9th May 2015
Implementation –Ministry of Finance
Objective – It provides an insurance policy to the people belonging to the underprivileged sections of society.
Key features of the scheme
It offers a life cover of Rs. 2 lakhs for one year to all its account holders. This life cover is provided in case of accidental death or permanent disability.
A life cover of Rs. 1 lakh is provided to the beneficiary in case of partial disability.
This scheme can be availed by any individual aged between 18 years to 70 years.
In case of the death of the account holder, the benefits of the scheme can be availed by his/her nominee.
Premium – The scheme provides an annual premium of Rs. 12 per annum per member. This premium is auto-debited in one instalment on or before 1st June of every year.
Atal Pension Yojana
Launched in – May, 2015
Objective – To create a universal social security system for all Indians, especially the poor, the under-privileged and the workers in the unorganised sector.
Administered By – PFRDA through NPS.
Eligibility –Any citizen of India can join the APY scheme. The age of the subscriber should be between 18-40 years.
Benefits
It provides a minimum guaranteed pension ranging from Rs 1000 to Rs 5000 on attaining 60 years of age.
The amount of pension is guaranteed for lifetime to the spouse on the death of the subscriber.
In the event of death of both the subscriber and the spouse, the entire pension corpus is paid to the nominee.
Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana
Launched in – 9th May 2015
Implementation – Ministry of Finance
Objective – To provide life insurance security to the poor and low-income section of the society.
Eligibility – This scheme can be availed by people aged between 18 years to 50 years.
Key features of the scheme
The scheme offers a maximum assured amount of Rs.2 lakhs.
In case of the death of the insured person, the next eligible beneficiary is provided with a death benefit including a death coverage of Rs. 2,00,000.
Premium – The premium for this scheme is Rs. 330 per annum
Multiple Independently Targeted Re-Entry Vehicle system
Defence
In News
India conducted the successful flight-trial of an Advanced Agni missile with Multiple Independently Targeted Re-Entry Vehicle (MIRV) system from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha.
Uniqueness – The technology has the capability that allows multiple warheads to be loaded on a single missile delivery system and programmed to hit different targets, thus greatly enhancing the missile’s destructive potential.
Agni Missiles
The Agni missile class is the backbone of India’s nuclear launch capability.
Developed by – Agni-1 to 5 missiles are designed & developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
Other Ranges of Agni Missiles
Agni I: Range of 700-800 km.
Agni II: Range more than 2000 km.
Agni III: Range of more than 2,500 Km
Agni IV: Range is more than 3,500 km and can fire from a road mobile launcher.
Agni-V: The longest of the Agni series, an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) with a range of over 5,000 km.
Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP)
Launched in – 1983
Conceived by – IGMDP was conceived by Dr. APJ.Abdul Kalam in the 1980s.
Objective – To enable India to attain self-sufficiency in the field of missile technology.
External Affairs Minister Jaishankar visited Trinidad and Tobago to strengthen India’s engagement with the Caribbean nation and preserve the legacy of the Girmitya community.
Girmityas
The Girmityas were indentured laborers from British India who were transported to work on plantations in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The term “Girmitya” is derived from the word “agreement,” which referred to the indenture contracts signed by Indian labourers during the colonial period.
Girmityas were sent to countries like Fiji, Mauritius, Seychelles, Réunion, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, British Guiana (now Guyana), Suriname, Malaysia, and Kenya.
Migration to Trinidad and Tobago
Approximately 143,000 indentured labourers migrated from India to Trinidad between 1845 and 1917 and most migrants came from northern India and Bihar.
Their descendants today constitute nearly 40–45% of Trinidad and Tobago’s population and play a major role in its political, economic, and social life.
Additional Information – The Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
It is a crucial 15-member regional bloc (formed 1973) aimed at economic integration and foreign policy coordination.
Members (15): Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Location: Southeastern Gulf of Mexico, east of Central America, and north of South America.
India-CARICOM Relations:
2nd Summit (2024): Held in Georgetown, Guyana, enhancing ties, as discussed in.
Areas of Cooperation: Climate change, disaster management, renewable energy, and financial technology (UPI).
Flagship Initiative: Trinidad and Tobago became the first Caribbean nation to adopt India’s UPI.
Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)
International Relation
In News
The 10th Indian Ocean Dialogue (IOD) was held in New Delhi under the theme “Indian Ocean Region in a Transforming World.”
Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)
It is an intergovernmental organisation for regional cooperation among 23 member states bordering the Indian Ocean.
Established: March 7, 1997 (formerly IOR-ARC).
Secretariat: Ebène, Mauritius.
Membership: 23 Member States and 12 Dialogue Partners (e.g., China, USA, Japan).
Chairship: India is the current Chair for the 2025–2027 term, having taken over from Sri Lanka.
Origin: Inspired by Nelson Mandela’s 1995 visit to India, advocating for socio-economic cooperation.
The Pan-IIT Bangalore Summit 2026 took place on May 16, 2026, at the Taj Yeshwantpur in Bengaluru,
About
Organised by – Government of Karnataka and the Pan-IIT Alumni India Association.
Theme: Centered strictly on “Technology Sovereignty”
Mandate – to foster national self-reliance and deep-tech innovation.
Core Focus Tracks: Featured specialized independent sessions on AI, deep-tech, semiconductors, defense, energy, mobility, and healthcare.
Massive Hackathon: Included a competition with over 12,000 participants focused on solving real-world digital governance challenges provided directly by the state government.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister, has approved the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane for 2026–27 at ₹365 per quintal for a 10.25% recovery rate.
Sugar Production in India
India became the world’s top sugar producer in 2021-2022, surpassing Brazil.
Location of Sugar Industry in India: Sugar industry is broadly distributed over two major areas of production:
Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana and Punjab in the north and
Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in the south.
Sugarcane – Uses
It belongs to the bamboo family of plants and is indigenous to India.
About two-third of the total sugarcane produced in India is consumed for making gur and khandsari and only one-third of it goes to sugar factories.
It also provides raw material for manufacturing alcohol.
Bagasse, the crushed cane residue, can be more beneficially used for manufacturing paper.
Ethanol production – It is also an efficient substitute for petroleum products and a host of other chemical products.
India has become the 3rd largest country in the world in ethanol production after the USA and Brazil.
Conditions for growth
Crop duration: 10-15 months, and even 18 months to mature, depending upon geographical conditions.
Soil: Sugarcane can tolerate any kind of soil that can retain moisture. Examples – loams, clayey, black cotton soil, brown or reddish loam and laterites.
It should be rich in nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus.
Climate: Hot and Humid (21-27 °C of temperature and 75-150 cm of rainfall).
Government steps
Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane
Recommended by – Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP)
Objective – to assure margins on account of profit and risk to farmers, irrespective of the fact whether sugar mills generate profit or not.
Jamaica
Syllabus: GS1/Places in News
Context
India and Jamaica signed three Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) in health cooperation, solarisation, and broadcasting during the External Affairs Minister official visit.
Jamaica
Jamaica is a mountainous island in the Caribbean Sea, situated south of Cuba.
It is part of the chain of Caribbean islands called the Greater Antilles, along with Cuba, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico.
It is the third largest island in the Caribbean Sea, after Cuba and Hispaniola.
Jamaica became independent from the United Kingdom in 1962 but remains a member of the Commonwealth.
Jamaica was formed when the North American and Caribbean tectonic plates collided about 25 million years ago.
Major Mountain Ranges:Blue Mountains, John Crow Mountains, Don Figuero Mountains, Cockpit Country.
Major Rivers: Black River, Rio Cobre, Rio Grande.
Pulitzer Prize 2026
Syllabus: Miscellaneous
Context
Two Indian journalists named Anand RK and Suparna Sharma along with Natalie Obiko Pearson won the Pulitzer Prize 2026.
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize was established in 1917, named in honour of newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer, and is administered by America’s Columbia University.
There are 23 categories. In 22 of them, winners get a certificate and 15,000 US dollars. But only one category, Public Service, gets a gold medal.
It recognises excellence across journalism, literature and music composition.
Previous Indian Winners
Gobind Behari Lal: First from India to win the Pulitzer Prize for journalism in 1937. He was a member of the Ghadar Party in America.
Siddhartha Mukherjee: Won the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction for his demystification of cancer in The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer.
Danish Siddiqui: Photojournalist and a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, awarded in 2018 for Rohingya crisis coverage and in 2020 for his powerful images capturing the human toll of COVID-19 in India.
The Union Government’s Urban Challenge Fund (UCF) allocates ₹1 lakh crore in Central Assistance to promote market-led, reform-driven urban transformation across India.
Out of this nationwide fund, Karnataka expects a baseline allocation of approximately ₹5,000 crore to ₹5,500 crore
Urban Challenge Fund (UCF)
Objective – It is a flagship scheme designed to transform India’s urban landscape by shifting from traditional grants to market-linked, reform-driven infrastructure financing.
Financing – Centrally Sponsored Scheme
Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA)
Timeline: FY 2025–26 to FY 2030–31
Three Strategic Verticals
Cities as Growth Hubs: High-impact transit-oriented development (TOD), economic corridors, and greenfield townships.
Creative Redevelopment: Retrofitting congested city cores, heritage sites, and regenerating brownfield areas.
Water and Sanitation: Modernizing solid waste management, legacy waste remediation, and clean water supply grids.
Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) 5.0
Syllabus: GS3/Economy
In News
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) 5.0.
Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS 5.0)
It will provide additional financial support to businesses facing liquidity pressures due to the ongoing West Asia situation.
The scheme aims to facilitate an additional credit flow of ₹2,55,000 crore to help MSMEs and the airline sector tide over financial instabilities.
UDGAM Portal
Syllabus: GS3/ Economy
Context
The Reserve Bank of India informed the Supreme Court of India that 30 banks have been integrated into the UDGAM portal.
UDGAM (Unclaimed Deposits – Gateway to Access Information) portal
Developed by – Reserve Bank of India
Objective – to provide a centralised search facility for unclaimed bank deposits.
It enables citizens to identify unclaimed balances across multiple participating banks through a single platform.
The portal does not settle claims; instead, it facilitates the process by directing users to the respective banks where the deposits are held.
Unclaimed Financial Assets
Unclaimed financial assets arise when money held with financial institutions is not claimed by the account holder or their legal heirs for a prolonged period.
If a bank deposit remains unclaimed for 10 years or more, it is transferred to the Depositor Education and Awareness Fund (DEA Fund).
Even after transfer to the DEA Fund, the ownership of the money remains with the depositor. There is no time limit for the depositor or their legal heirs to claim the funds.
PCV Vaccine: Rolled out under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP). Protects against pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis.
SAANS Campaign: Social Awareness and Action to Neutralise Pneumonia Successfully. Drives early identification in under-5 children.
Integrated Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Pneumonia and Diarrhea – Integrated strategy targeting India’s two highest under-5 child killers: pneumonia and diarrhea.
Global Frameworks
Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Pneumonia and Diarrhoea (GAPPD) : WHO/UNICEF plan aiming for fewer than 3 child pneumonia deaths per 1,000 live births.
World Pneumonia Day: Observed every year on November 12.
The Union Cabinet has approved Rs.5659.22 crore for the Mission for Cotton Productivity (2026–27 to 2030–31)
Mission for Cotton Productivity
It is also referred as Kapas Kranti
Objective – it aims to address stagnant yields and improve fibre quality to make India a self-reliant and globally competitive textile hub.
Focuses on high-density planting (HDPS), developing 24 climate-resilient varieties, promoting Extra Long Staple (ELS) cotton, and branding (“Kasturi Cotton Bharat”).
Modernization: Includes upgrading 2,000 ginning units and integrating digital tools for better market access
Connect with the basics – Cotton Cultivation in India
It is often referred to as “White Gold,”
It is a vital commercial crop that serves as the backbone of India’s textile industry and sustains millions of livelihoods.
Geographic & Climatic Requirements-
It is a subtropical Kharif crop requiring 6–8 months to mature, cotton needs a warm, sunny climate (21°C–30°C) with at least 210 frost-free days.
Rainfall/Soil: Requires 50–100 cm of water; best grown on moisture-retaining Black Cotton Soil (Regur), though it thrives in alluvial/red soils with proper drainage to avoid waterlogging.
Production: India is the world’s top producer and holds the largest acreage.
Major producing states – Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh
Key Challenges: Pink Bollworm (PBW) resistance
India’s e-waste Management
Syllabus: GS3/Environment/Waste Management
Context
India generated 6.2 million tonnes of e-waste in FY24, projected to more than double to 14 million tonnes by 2030.
Connect with the basics- E-Waste
E-waste refers to discarded electrical and electronic devices such as computers, circuit boards, mobile phones, and appliances.
It contains hazardous materials like lead, mercury, cadmium, and brominated flame retardants.
Improper disposal leads to soil contamination, water pollution, and health hazards.
Impact of Improper E-Waste Management
Water Pollution: Toxic discharge from cyanide and sulphuric acid affects water bodies.
Air Pollution: Emissions from lead fumes and plastic burning are severe.
Soil Contamination: Hazardous substances leach into the soil, damaging agriculture and biodiversity.
Economic Loss: India is estimated to forfeit over ₹80,000 crore worth of critical metals each year, which could have been recovered and re-used in manufacturing.
Initiatives for E-Waste Management in India
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): Producers, importers, and brand owners are made responsible for managing their product’s end-of-life waste.
An online EPR E-Waste portal has been developed by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) where entities such as producers, manufacturers, recyclers, and refurbishers of the e-waste are required to be registered.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has comprehensively revised the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 and notified the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022.
India’s first e-waste clinic was inaugurated in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
It’s a facility for segregating, processing, and disposing of e-waste from both households and commercial units.
The Ministry of Mines launched a Pan-India E-Waste Recycling Drive as part of Special Campaign 5.0 (in 2025), aimed at promoting Swachhata in government offices and ensuring scientific disposal and resource recovery from electronic waste.
Basel Convention
The Basel Convention is a global treaty aimed at controlling the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes and their disposal, ensuring that such wastes are managed in an environmentally sound manner.
It was adopted in 1989 and entered into force in 1992.
India is a party to the Basel Convention.
Teesta River
Syllabus: GS1/Geography
In News
Bangladesh has renewed its request to move forward on the long-pending Teesta water-sharing agreement.
Teesta River
It is a tributary of the Brahmaputra
It originates from the Tso Lhamo Lake in north Sikkim.
It travels for about 150 km in Sikkim and 123 km in West Bengal, before entering Bangladesh.
It flows another 140 km in Bangladesh and joins the Bay of Bengal.
Agreement
India and Bangladesh had reached an in-principle agreement in 2011 to share the Teesta river waters, but it was never finalized due to coordination issues between the Centre and the West Bengal government .
Bangladesh has now expressed hope that the 2011 agreement can be reconsidered in the present political context.
