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Biosecurity Threat in India

Health

Context

• In 2025, the Gujarat ATS uncovered an alleged ricin-based bioterror plot, marking India’s first suspected ricin-linked bioterror case with possible international links.

Biological Weapons

• Biological weapons use pathogens (bacteria, viruses, fungi) or toxins (like ricin, botulinum toxin) to cause disease or death in humans, animals, or crop
• They are classified as Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) due to their potential for large-scale harm.

India’s Existing Biosecurity Architecture

• The Department of Biotechnology oversees research governance and safety frameworks for labs.
• The Plant Quarantine Organisation of India regulates agricultural imports and exports.
• The National Disaster Management Authority has issued detailed guidelines for the management of biological disasters.

Key legal instruments include:

• The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, governing hazardous microorganisms and genetically modified organisms.
• The Weapons of Mass Destruction and Their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act, 2005, which criminalises biological weapons.
• The Biosafety Rules, 1989, and guidelines issued in 2017 for recombinant DNA research and biocontainment.

International Measures

Biological Weapons Convention (BMC):

• It entered into force in 1975
• It prohibits the development, production, acquisition, transfer, stockpiling and use of biological and toxin weapons.
• It was the first multilateral disarmament treaty banning an entire category of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

Chemical Weapons Convention

• Mandate – It is an international treaty aimed at eliminating the production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons and their precursors.
• Adoption and Enforcement – The Treaty was adopted on September 3, 1992, and entered into force on April 29, 1997.
• Member countries – It currently has 193 member states.
• Legally binding – It makes it mandatory to destroy old and abandoned chemical weapons.
• India’s ratification – India signed the treaty in January 1

Australia Group:

• The Australia Group is an informal forum of countries that seeks to prevent the proliferation of chemical and biological weapons.

Ministry of Home Affairs Guidelines on Vande Mataram

Polity and Governance

Context

• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued guidelines directing that the national song Vande Mataram be sung/ played before the national anthem when both are played at official events.

Key Guidelines

Occasions for Playing or Singing:

• Arrival and departure of the President at formal State functions.
• Before and after Presidential addresses to the nation.
• Arrival and departure of Governors/Lieutenant Governors at State functions.
• When the National Flag is brought on parade.
• Other occasions specified by the Government of India.
• Protocol: The official version of approximately 3 minutes and 10 seconds shall be used.
• All six stanzas of Vande Mataram, including the four stanzas that were set aside by the Congress Working Committee in 1937, will be played.

Constitutional and Legal Framework

• Status of National Symbols: On 24 January 1950, the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram were adopted as India’s National Song.
• While the Constitution does not explicitly define “National Song,” its recognition flows from Constituent Assembly discussions and executive practice.
• Article 51A(a) Fundamental Duties: Mandates every citizen to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem.
• Vande Mataram is not explicitly protected by any constitutional provision.

Additional information – Vande Mataram

• Vande Mataram was composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in Sanskrit and first appeared in the novel Anandamath in 1882.
• Anandamath is set against the backdrop of the 1769–73 Bengal famine and the Sanyasi Rebellion.
• First sung by Rabindranath Tagore at the 1896 Indian National Congress session gave it national exposure.
• During the Swadeshi Movement of 1905, Vande Mataram emerged as the anthem of civil resistance.
• Vande Mataram, as a political slogan, was first used on 7 August 1905.

Corruption Perceptions Index

Governance

Context

• Transparency International recently published 2025 Corruption Perception Index (CPI).

Corruption Perceptions Index

• Published by – Transparency International
• Objective – It measures levels of public sector corruption in 182 countries.
• Methodology: It uses a scale from zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).
• Best performing countries: Denmark (89) followed by Finland (88) and Singapore (84).
• Worst Performing Countries: South Sudan and Somalia
• India’s Performance: In 2025, India ranked 91st globally on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), scoring 39 out of 100, which is a slight improvement from the previous year.

India’s First Musical Road

Government Initiative

Context

• Mumbai’s Coastal Road has introduced India’s first musical road

India’s First Musical Road

• A 500-metre stretch between Nariman Point and Worli, named Sangeet Marg, plays the Oscar-winning song “Jai Ho” when vehicles travel at a speed of 60–80 km per hour.
• The concept uses specially engineered rumble strips carved into the asphalt at precise intervals.
• As vehicles move over these grooves, vibrations are generated due to friction between the tyres and the road surface.
• These vibrations create sound waves that combine to reproduce the melody, which can be heard by passengers inside the vehicle.
• The concept is based on Hungarian technology and has previously been implemented in countries such as Hungary, Japan, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates.

Karnataka Information Commission (KIC)

News –

• The Karnataka Information Commission (KIC) has claimed to be the fastest in India for disposing of second appeal petitions under the RTI Act.

Karnataka Information Commission (KIC)

• It is an autonomous statutory body established on March 2, 2006, under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005.
• It serves as the final appellate authority for citizens seeking information from public authorities within the state of Karnataka.

Key Leadership & Structure

• State Chief Information Commissioner (In-Charge): Dr. H.C. Sathyan.
• Information Commissioners: The commission includes several State Information Commissioners (SICs), such as Shri. Raman K., Dr. Harish Kumar, Sri. Rudranna Harthikote, and Sri. Rajashekara S..
• Benches: In addition to its main headquarters in Bengaluru, the KIC operates regional benches in Belagavi and Kalaburagi to improve accessibility.

Core Functions & Powers

• Adjudication: The KIC hears Second Appeals and Complaints regarding the refusal of information or delays by Public Information Officers (PIOs).
• Penalties: The commission has the authority to impose financial penalties—up to ₹25,000—on officials who delay information.
• Judicial Authority: It possesses the powers of a Civil Court, including the ability to summon witnesses, require oral or written evidence under oath, and inspect public records.

Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya

Personality in News

Context

• The Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay on his death anniversary (11 February).

Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya (1916–1968)

• He was a political thinker, economist, and leader of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh.
• He was an exceptional scholar and dedicated nationalist.
• Ideology – He was a visionary thinker, known for his doctrine of Integral Humanism (Ekatma Manav Darshan) which emphasized a balance between spiritual and material development and promoted decentralization and self-reliant village-based economy.
• Contributions- He contributed to ideological journalism by starting ‘Rashtra Dharma’ (monthly), ‘Panchajanya’ (weekly), and ‘Swadesh’ (daily).

India Records Highest-ever Tea Exports in 2025

Agriculture

Context

• India recorded its highest-ever tea exports in 2025, touching 280.40 million kg during January–December 2025, marking a significant increase from 256.17 million kg in 2024.

Indian Tea Industry

• India is the 2nd largest tea producer and largest black tea producer.
• Export destinations – Iran, Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Russia e India is the 4th largest tea exporter in the World.
• Employment – The Indian tea Industry is employing 16 million workers directly.
• Note – Assam grows about 55% of the teas produced in India. India’s tea production has increased by 39% in 2022 from 2008.

Geographical Condition for Tea production

• The tea plant grows well in tropical and subtropical climates.
• Soil: It requires deep and fertile well-drained soil, rich in humus and organic matter.
• Temperature: The average annual temperature for tea plants to grow well is in the range of 15-23°C.
• Precipitation: The rainfall needed is between 150-200 cm.
• Frequent showers evenly distributed over the year ensure continuous growth of tender leaves.
• Major tea producing states are Assam, hills of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
• Apart from these, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh and Tripura are also tea-producing states in the country.

Asia Tea Alliance

• Member countries – It is a coalition of tea associations from major tea-producing countries in Asia like India, China, Sri Lanka, Japan etc.
• Objective – It aims to promote the collective interests of member nations within the global tea market.

Network Readiness Index Report 2025

Infrastructure

Context

• India is placed at 45th rank (with score 54.43 out of 100) as per the Network Readiness Index 2025 report released in 2026.

Network Readiness Index Report 2025

• Published by – Portulans Institute, an independent, non-profit research and educational institute based in Washington DC.
• Objective – The report maps the network-based readiness landscape of 127 economies based on their performance in four pillars: Technology, People, Governance and Impact, covering a total of 53 indicators.
• Top Three Nations: USA, Finland, Singapore

Protest Against Ken-Betwa Linking Project

Geography; /Environment

Context

• Protests against the Ken–Betwa River Linking Project (KBLP), highlighting tensions over the implementation of the river interlinking project.

Ken-Betwa Link Project

• It is a project proposed to transfer excess water from the River Ken to the Betwa basin through the use of a concrete canal.
• Objective – to provide irrigation to the Bundelkhand region of UP, which is one of the worst drought-affected areas in India.
• Beneficiary states – Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
• Significance – It will meet the irrigation purposes, drinking water, and electricity needs of 6 districts in both states.
• Biodiversity Concerns – Nearly 8,650 hectares of forest land including part of Panna National Park in Madhya Pradesh will be submerged if the project were to become a reality.

Bonded Labour Abolition Act 1976: 50 years of abolition law

Governance

Context

• February 9, 1976, marked an important milestone in equality in Indian society with the enactment of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act (BLSA).

Bonded Labour Abolition Act 1976

• Bonded labour (or debt bondage) is defined as a condition where money is lent in such a way that the debtor is forced to pay back through labour instead of money.
• It was enacted to give effect to Article 23 of the Constitution (prohibition of trafficking and forced labour).
• Bonded labour was deeply entrenched due to poverty, caste hierarchies, landlessness, and indebtedness.
• India ratified ILO Convention No. 29 (Forced Labour) in 1954, strengthening the legal obligation.

Objectives:

1. Abolish the bonded labour system.
2. Free bonded labourers and extinguish their debts.
3. Prevent economic and social exploitation.
4. Provide a legal framework for rehabilitation.

Seychelles

International Relations

Context

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a $175 million Special Economic Package for Seychelles during the visit of Seychelles President Dr. Patrick Herminie to India.

Seychelles

• It is an archipelago nation of 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar, known as Africa’s smallest and least populous country.
• Its capital is Victoria on Mahé island.
• Biodiversity: It is known for rare species like the Coco de Mer, the Aldabra giant tortoise, and the rare black parrot.

Mangrove clam (Geloina erosa)

Environment

In News

• ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute achieved a global first by inducing captive breeding of Geloina erosa (mangrove/mud clam), offering hope for restoring overexploited populations in Indian mangroves.

About

• Geloina erosa (also Polymesoda erosa) is a large bivalve (up to 10 cm shell width) inhabiting organic-rich, muddy intertidal zones of mangroves and estuaries across South and Southeast Asia.
• It is known locally as “Kandal Kakka” in northern Kerala.
• It acts as an efficient filter feeder, improving estuarine water quality through nutrient recycling.
• Its burrowing behaviour stabilises sediments, enhances nutrient cycling, and strengthens mangrove ecosystem resilience.

No questions on PM CARES, relief and defence funds: PMO

Syllabus: GS2/Polity

Context

• The Prime Minister’s Office has informed the Lok Sabha Secretariat that parliamentary questions and discussions related to the PM CARES Fund, Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF), and the National Defence Fund (NDF) are not admissible under the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha.

PM CARES vs. PMNRF: Key Differences

Reticulated Python

Environment

Context

• Guinness World Records has confirmed a 22-metre female reticulated python named Ibu Baron or “The Baroness”, from Sulawesi, Indonesia, as the longest measured snake in the world.

Reticulated Python

• Scientific Name: Malayopython reticulatus
• The species is native to South and Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, and parts of India.

Physical Characteristics:

• It is the longest snake species in the world.
• It is among the three heaviest snake species, after the green anaconda and Burmese python.
• It has distinctive net-like (reticulated) patterns on its scales.
• Human Predation: Reticulated pythons are among the few snake species known to prey on humans.
• They kill by constriction, suffocating their prey before swallowing it whole.

Bastar Pandum Festival

Syllabus: GS1/Culture

Context

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the people of Chhattisgarh for the special celebration of ‘Bastar Pandum’ festival.

About the Festival

• Celebrated in – It is a cultural festival celebrated in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh showcasing tribal heritage and cultural traditions.
• Significance – It has emerged as a major cultural platform highlighting Bastar’s tribal identity through art, music, dance, handicrafts, and indigenous cuisine.

Indian PM Visit to Malaysia

IR

Context

• India and Malaysia vowed to expand their ties in the high-priority sectors of trade and investment, defence, energy, advanced manufacturing and semiconductors.

Major outcomes of the meet

• A Framework Agreement on the International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA) was also finalised, reflecting shared commitment to biodiversity and sustainable development.
• Both sides also received the report of the 10th Malaysia-India CEO Forum, highlighting private sector perspectives on trade, investment and future collaboration.

Additional Information – India and Malaysia Relations

• Diplomatic Relations: The two countries established diplomatic relations in 1957, and this was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) in 2024.
• Both countries are members of various international organizations, such as the United Nations, ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), and the Non-Aligned Movement.
• Trade and Economic Relations: Malaysia is the 13th largest trading partner for India while India stands amongst the 10 largest trading partners globally.
• Defense and Security: Harimau Shakti is the primary bilateral training exercise between the Indian Army and the Malaysian Army.
• ASEAN Centrality: Malaysia holds a crucial position in expanding India’s trade with ASEAN, aligning with India’s Act East Policy, advancing maritime connectivity in the Strait of Malacca and South China Sea, and supporting ASEAN’s Indo-Pacific Perspective (AOIP) and the Indo-Pacific Initiative (IPOI).
• Tourism and diaspora: India is the 5th largest source country for inbound tourism to Malaysia.
• Indian Community: Malaysia has the third largest Indian diaspora in the world (2.9 million).
• Cultural Ties: Indian influence in Malaysia can be seen in various aspects of Malaysian culture, including language, religion (Hinduism and Buddhism), architecture, cuisine, and festivals.

The AYUSH Sector in India

Governance

In News

• India’s new free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union opened the door for Indian doctors and products to enter the European market more easily.

AYUSH Sector in India

• AYUSH encompasses traditional systems of medicine such as Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy.

Key Initiatives

• National AYUSH Mission (NAM): Core policy instrument to integrate AYUSH into public healthcare through:
• Institutes of National Importance: All India Institute of Ayurveda (New Delhi), National Institute of Homoeopathy (Kolkata) & Dedicated national institutes for Siddha, Unani, Yoga, and Naturopathy.
• Regulatory and Research Bodies: Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), National Commission for Indian System of Medicine & National Commission for Homoeopathy.
• Medicinal Plant Promotion: National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) working with 32 State Boards to support quality cultivation, value chains, and exports.
• Flagship Schemes: AYURGYAN (Education and capacity building), Ayurswasthya Yojana (Community health and preventive care using AYUSH systems).

Eritrea

Syllabus: GS1/ Places in News

In News

• Recently, Ethiopia demanded that Eritrea immediately withdraw its troops from Ethiopian territory, highlighting renewed tensions in the Horn of Africa.

Eritrea

• Capital: Asmara (Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site).
• Location: Situated in the Horn of Africa (Northeast Africa). Lies along a crucial geostrategic corridor connecting Africa with West Asia.
• Strategic Importance: Controls the western coast of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital global maritime chokepoint linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
• Geographical Features: Hot desert climate along the Red Sea coast. Temperate / Mediterranean-like climate in the central highlands.
• Membership in International Groupings: African Union (AU) & COMESA (Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa).