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7th Governing Body Meeting of National CAMPA

Environment

News – 

• The 7th Governing Body Meeting of National CAMPA in Coimbatore marked a shift from conventional compensatory afforestation toward landscape-based ecological restoration.

Outcomes – 

• Aastha Van Sanrakshan Yojana (AVSY) was approved with an initial corpus of ₹3,000 crore (2026–31) to conserve nearly 15,000 sacred groves (Aastha Vans).
• MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes) was extended for three years until 2029, with an added ₹500 crore, taking the total outlay to ₹600 crore.

Four wildlife recovery programmes were approved 

• Objective – to strengthen scientific monitoring, anti-poaching measures, and habitat restoration:
• Gangetic Dolphins: Recovery action plan focused on major freshwater river systems.
• Project Snow Leopard Phase-II: Including the 2nd nationwide population estimate in the Himalaya.
• Indian Rhinoceros: Conservation plan for habitat protection and anti-poaching enforcement.
• Wild Water Buffalo: Scientific habitat management to secure the remaining population.
• Sangai (Brow-antlered Deer): Continued financial and operational support for conservation.

Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management & Planning Authority (CAMPA)

• It was established under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016 (in force 2018).
• Objective – to collect and administer funds for ecological compensation of diverted forest land.
• Genesis: Supreme Court, in T.N. Godavarman, constituted an ad hoc CAMPA by its 2006 order to manage unspent afforestation collections.
• Two Tiers: (1) National CAMPA Authority, headed by the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, sets policy, while (2) State CAMPA Authorities execute field operations.
• Liability: Agencies diverting forest land must provide alternative land, fund compensatory afforestation, and pay the Net Present Value (NPV) of the lost forest ecosystem. 
• Fund Uses: Artificial and natural regeneration, wildlife management, catchment treatment, village relocation from protected areas, and human-wildlife conflict management.

Cyclosporiasis

Science & Technology

News – 

• A widespread outbreak of cyclosporiasis has been reported in the United States.

About – 

• • Responsible pathogen- Cyclosporiasis is a foodborne intestinal illness caused by the microscopic, single-celled protozoan parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis.
  • Transmission: Strictly fecal-oral route via contaminated food or water.
  • No Direct Person-to-Person Spread: Excreted parasite eggs require days to weeks in the environment to mature and become infectious.

• Host Range: Humans are the only known hosts.

• Symptoms: Severe, explosive watery diarrhea, fatigue, cramps, and weight loss.
• High-Risk Groups: Immunocompromised individuals, the elderly, and young children.
• Diagnosis: Missed by routine stool cultures; requires special staining, UV fluorescence microscopy, or PCR.
• Treatment: Treated with the antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX). No vaccine exists.

98th Foundation Day of ICAR

Polity

News – 

• Marking ICAR’s 98th Foundation Day, the Union Ministry of Agriculture unveiled the “Developed Agriculture and Prosperous Farmers” roadmap as a key pillar of Viksit Bharat 2047.

Outcomes- 

• 100 Climate-Smart Villages: Developing at least 100 villages before ICAR’s centenary to demonstrate climate-resilient farming, water conservation, and risk-reduction models.
• One Institute-One Grand Innovation: Mandating every ICAR institute deliver at least one breakthrough technological innovation, vaccine, or crop variety within two years.
• Mission ICAR-100: Transforming Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) into innovation hubs for large-scale demonstrations, with each KVK visiting at least 100 villages.
• ICAR Open Digital Knowledge Platform: Creating a mobile-first platform providing free crop advisories, soil-test results, and instructional videos via smartphones.

Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)

• Established in 1929 (originally as the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research), 
• ICAR is the apex body for coordinating agricultural research and education in India.
• It is an autonomous organisation under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
• Union Agriculture Minister serves as the ICAR Society’s ex officio President, and the Minister of State for Agriculture serves as Vice-President.

Abathsahayeswarar Temple

History and Culture

In News

• The 12th-century Abathsahayeswarar Temple at Thukkachi  was restored after decades of neglect.

Abathsahayeswarar Temple

• It is situated  at Thukkachi, near Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu.
• It is one of the most significant monuments of the later Chola period—closely associated with Kulotunga I and Vikrama Chola
• It is designed as a Kara Kovil—a temple conceived in the form of a chariot
• It  also houses the idol of Lord Sarabeshwarar which is considered one of the oldest depictions of the deity.

Temple’s restoration 

• The temple’s restoration earned the UNESCO Asia Pacific Award of Distinction (2024) for its attempt to maintain the temple’s heritage while reinforcing its structural integrity.
• The project combined traditional temple building practices (Sthapatya Veda, Agama Shastra, lime mortars) with modern technologies like drone surveys, digital mapping, photogrammetry and structural engineering.
• Every granite block was numbered, disassembled and then reassembled in its original position to preserve historical authenticity.

Jagannath Rath Yatra

Art & Culture

Context

• The world-famous Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath has commenced in Puri, Odisha.

Rath Yatra

• Known as – Gundicha Jatra, Ghosa Jatra and Navadina Jatra.
• It is a significant Hindu festival dedicated to Lord Jagannath, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. 

Jagannath Puri Temple

• • Shree Jagannath Puri Temple is one of the most impressive monuments of the State of Odisha.
  • The temple was built in the 12th Century AD by King Anatavarman Chodaganga Deva of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty.
  • Jagannath Puri temple is called ‘Yamanika Tirtha’ where, according to the Hindu beliefs, the power of ‘Yama’, the god of death has been nullified in Puri due to the presence of Lord Jagannath, popularly known as Lord Krishna.

• It is one of the Dhammas (Holiest of the holy place) out of four Dhamas i.e. Puri, Dwarika, Badrinath & Rameswar, in India.

• This temple was called the “White Pagoda” and is a part of Char Dham pilgrimages (Badrinath, Dwaraka, Puri, Rameswaram).

Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme (MPMS)

Economy

In News

• The Union Cabinet approved a new Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme (MPMS) with a budgetary outlay of ₹62,500 crore.

Objective – 

• It has been launched to scale up domestic production, deepen component localization, and foster indigenous smartphone design and R&D. 
• Launched by: It has been launched by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). 
• Duration: It is a five-year scheme, which will run from FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31.
• Budget Outlay: Its budgetary outlay is of Rs. 62,500 crore.

Features

• Production-Linked Incentives: The scheme provides incentive support on eligible sales of mobile phones manufactured in India, with differentiated incentive rates ranging from 2.25% to 5%, based on the applicable eligibility criteria.
• Incentive for Domestic Value Addition: Manufacturers can receive an additional incentive of up to 1.5% for increasing domestic sourcing of key components and sub-assemblies, thereby promoting local manufacturing ecosystems.
• Support for Design and Innovation: To foster indigenous innovation and brand creation, the scheme offers an additional 3% incentive on eligible sales for companies undertaking product design and R&D activities in India.

Semicon 2.0

Economy

Context 

• The Union Cabinet approved Semicon 2.0 (India Semiconductor Mission 2.0) with a ₹1,27,500 crore outlay to develop India’s semiconductor ecosystem.

Six Strategic Pillars:

1. Design: 
2. Machines & Materials: 
3. Fabrication: 
4. Expanding Assembly, Testing, Marking, and Packaging (ATMP) and Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) units to establish India as a global alternative.
5. R&D
6. Talent Development

India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) 

• Launched by – Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

• Aim – To build a vibrant semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem to enable India’s emergence as a global hub for electronics manufacturing and design.

Connect with the basics – Semiconductor Chips

• These are materials which have a conductivity between conductors and insulators. 
• Example – They can be pure elements, silicon or germanium or compounds; gallium, arsenide or cadmium selenide.
• Significance of Semiconductor Chips – They are the basic building blocks that serve as the heart and brain of all modern electronics and information and communication technology products.
• Applications – These chips are now an integral part of contemporary automobiles, household gadgets and essential medical devices such as ECG machines.

12th BRICS Labour & Employment Ministers’ Meeting

International

Context – 

• • India hosted the 12th BRICS Labour & Employment Ministers’ Meeting in Hyderabad.

• Theme 2026 – “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability“.

Outcomes – 

• BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers’ Declaration – to promote decent work, broaden social protection systems, and support inclusive, resilient economic growth.
• BRICS CONNECT, a collaborative, tech-driven platform, was launched by India to modernise, align, and strengthen labour frameworks (South-South cooperation) across member states.

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