Current Affairs

Union Government is considering restructuring India’s BIT framework, introducing a Qualified MFN clause (non-discrimination with limits) instead of the open-ended MFN dropped in the 2015 Model BIT, which also avoided a full FET standard. Proposals: cut domestic remedies/ISDS window from 5 years to 1, extend post-expiry protection from 5 to 10 years, expand “investment” to include portfolio/financial assets, and ban third-party funding. India is negotiating about a dozen BITs; net FDI averaged ~US$40 bn (FY20–FY22) and ~US$7.65 bn in FY26 (preliminary).

Iran retaliated with ballistic missiles at US bases in Jordan after the Larak Island strike, refocusing attention on Larak Island and the Strait of Hormuz. Larak is a small 49 sq km island in the strait, south of Hormuz Island, ~45 km southeast of Bandar Abbas and 18 km southeast of Qeshm’s eastern end. The strait is a narrow waterway between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula (UAE, Musandam-Oman), linking the Persian Gulf (west) with the Gulf of Oman (east) and the Arabian Sea; Iran lies north and UAE south; islands include Hengam, Hormuz and Qishm.

Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers announced a new phase of the Integrated Fertilizer Management System (iFMS), a national digital platform developed and technically supported by NIC for the Department of Fertilizers. iFMS provides dealer registration, stock tracking, dealer search, and MIS/DBT reports, linking production, imports, movement, retail sale and subsidy processing. It covers 14 crore Aadhaar-linked buyers and 2.5 lakh retailers; new dashboards enable multi-level monitoring.

A study in Nature mapped 219 hanging glaciers in the Alaknanda basin, Garhwal Himalayas (Uttarakhand). Hanging glaciers are ice masses perched on steep slopes, formed when valley glaciers retreat and thin, leaving tributary glaciers high above; if fully melted, the empty valleys are “hanging valleys”. They can detach, triggering avalanches and secondary hazards like GLOFs. High-elevation glaciers are climate-sensitive; Himalayan warming in the past two decades exceeds the global average, accelerating retreat.

Union Government notified Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2026, making IST the single reference time for official, legal and commercial use, with digital synchronisation for banking/digital payments, telecom, transport, power grids and networks. Rules promote Indian timing sources to reduce foreign satellite dependence; NavIC (ISRO) may disseminate secure IST. Compliance period: 180 days. “One Nation, One Time” includes a White Rabbit demo network at RRSL Bengaluru linking NSE Chennai; partners: CSIR-NPL, ISRO, SEBI, NSE, BSNL.

Himachal Pradesh’s Australian Merino-Gaddi/Pahari crossbreeding programme, under the National Livelihood Mission (2021), is run at the Government Sheep Breeding Farm, Nagwain (Mandi). Using artificial insemination, 240 imported Merinos (40 males, 200 females) are crossed to improve wool quality and raise output from ~1,500 to 3,000 tonnes by 2027. Concerns include gene-pool loss, poor adaptation/health and weak markets; measures stress conservation, monitoring, cooperatives and fair prices.

India and China held the Special Representatives (SR) dialogue on the boundary question, co-chaired by Ajit Doval and Wang Yi, adopting an 8-point consensus. An Expert and Working Group will pursue an “Early and Substantial Harvest”, first finalising Terms of Reference. Border management includes two new military meeting points and two hotline channels in the Eastern and Middle Sectors; both will improve understanding of the undemarcated LAC, using WMCC and commander-level mechanisms. Talks follow the 2005 Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles. Both welcomed reopening three border trade points, strengthening trade and pilgrimage; China will increase Kailash-Manasarovar batches. Trans-border rivers: Expert-Level Mechanism meets in September; hydrological data sharing and MoU renewals to continue. 26th SR round will be in India in 2027.

A study in the Journal of Threatened Taxa reported vulture mortality due to electrocution from high-tension power infrastructure at Sudhauwala, Dehradun, with 46 vulture carcasses recorded. Relocating a livestock carcass dumping site 2.4 km away reduced risk; vultures continued using the new site, with no mortality during limited monitoring. Other raptors included Black Kite (Milvus migrans) and Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela). Major threats include electrocution, poisoning, veterinary NSAIDs, food scarcity, and habitat loss.

India’s industrial activity was steady in July 2026; Index of Industrial Production (IIP) stood at 124.8, unchanged from revised June. IIP is a composite indicator measuring volume changes in a basket of items over time vis-à-vis base year (index=100), indicating industrial growth/contraction. Compiled and released monthly by NSO, MoSPI, with 28-day lag. Base year: 2022-23; Earlier bases: 1937, 1946, 1951, 1956, 1960, 1970, 1980-81, 1993-94, 2004-05, 2011-12.

Madhya Pradesh government and archaeologists began fresh excavation at Vaishya Tekri, Ujjain, to refine Ashoka-era study through structural and landscape investigation. Central mound is ~350 ft base and ~100 ft high; earlier (1938-39, Gwalior State) finds included Mauryan bricks, punch-marked and Avanti coins. Site shows rammed murum core, bowl foundation, square moat and processional path. Context: Ashoka as Avanti Kumara at Ujjayini (~282 BCE); edicts mention; Devi linkage. Focus includes stratigraphy (Mauryan vs Sunga/Satavahana), monastic mapping, and Shipra trade; Xuanzang-linked Kumhar Tekri has 3rd-century BCE burial/cremation ground.

Assam’s Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) completed 25 years; established in 2002 at Panbari near Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, it is India’s first dedicated facility for hand-raising, treatment and release of orphaned/injured wildlife. Jointly run by Assam Forest Department, Wildlife Trust of India (formed 1998) and IFAW (founded 1969), it has rescued 10,000+ animals and released ~68%, supporting flood rescue, rehabilitation, conflict outreach and rhino reintroduction to Manas.

Spoon-tailed duskhawker (Gynacantha basiguttata), a dragonfly (Order Odonata), was recorded in India for the first time with verifiable photographic evidence on the Miao-Vijaynagar Road inside Namdapha National Park and Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh (Eastern Himalayas; Indo-Burma region). It occurs in parts of Southeast Asia. Earlier doubtful female-only record was excluded from checklists; new evidence supports inclusion. No specimen collected per forest rules and Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022.

FAO released Status of the World’s Soil Resources 2026 at UNCCD COP17 Food Systems and Soil Health Day, noting worsening soil degradation and weak adoption of sustainable management. Soil underpins 95% of human food; 58% regional assessments worsened since 2015 (~10% improved). Erosion is biggest issue (81% management poor/very poor; 65% deteriorating). India: largest South Asia share; 30-37% land degraded; 11% (83 mha) water erosion; 4.8-5.3 bn tonnes soil and ~8 mn tonnes nutrients lost annually; 29% lost to sea. India-Bangladesh-Pakistan: unsustainably high nitrogen surplus; India uptake 30-45% vs 59% global. Subsidies favour output; better cross-policy coordination urged. FAO: UN specialised agency; 195 members (194 countries+EU); key reports include Food Price Index, SOFO, SOFIA, SOCO, SOFI.

Bihar urged the Centre not to renew the 1996 India-Bangladesh Ganga Water Sharing Treaty in its current form before expiry on 12 December 2026 (30-year term). Signed on 12 December 1996 by PM H.D. Deve Gowda and Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina, it regulates lean-season (1 January-31 May) flows at Farakka Barrage, Murshidabad, via a 10-day rotation formula and consultations below 50,000 cusecs. Bihar cited silt trapping, flooding/erosion (Patna, Bhagalpur, Buxar), and 2,000 cusecs extra need by 2050; sought national silt policy and state role; cited Article 253.

An international team led by University of Cambridge unveiled the CosmoCube mission to study the ~150-million-year period after the Big Bang before first stars (“Cosmic Dawn”). A compact SSTL-21 satellite by Surrey Space Technology Ltd will orbit the Moon (2-hour orbit; ~40 minutes behind far side) to shield Earth radio interference and detect faint 21-cm neutral-hydrogen signals, collecting ~1,000 hours data to probe dark matter. Payload uses RFSoC radiometer technology; urgency cited due to Artemis and ISRO lunar plans.

A study in Ecology and Evolution finds dung beetle Onthophagus orpheus prefers dog dung over cow dung. Dung beetles are detritivores forming brood balls, burying dung for offspring food, aiding nutrient recycling, soil enrichment, seed dispersal and plant growth, and acting as ecosystem engineers. Dog dung yields larger brood balls, faster development and larger offspring, but higher egg mortality, possibly due to antiparasitic residues; mechanism needs study. Urban dog waste accumulation poses risk.

A controversy over the Acting Chief Justice (ACJ) of Rajasthan High Court, in office since late September 2025, has reached the Supreme Court Collegium, which is considering at least four judge names recommended by the ACJ. The collegium system is judge-made, not constitutional. Convention: senior-most judge acts temporarily and avoids recommendations; no fixed rule. Precedents: Bombay HC (2020) 18/22 forwarded, later returned; Rajasthan (2022) 8/12 cleared after Centre gave no intelligence-based objections. Letters also allege administrative misuse; CJI said such claims must follow institutional channels.

Gas Report 2026 by IGU, Snam and Rystad Energy projects 2026 gas demand to decline 7 bcm as Strait of Hormuz disruptions constrain ~20% of global LNG supply. LNG trade fell 4% in Jan–Jun 2026, with Asia facing >80% of import shortfall; Africa vulnerable. India: May 2026 peak power demand 271 GW; IGX gas purchases rose ~340% YoY (Apr–May).

Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2026, conducted by the National Statistical Office under MoSPI, is likely to collect data on digital and platform workers for the first time to estimate gig-economy size and inform labour policy. PLFS tracks employment/unemployment via LFPR, WPR and UR. Gig work is task-based outside employer–employee ties; platform work uses online apps. Economic Survey 2025-26 notes 55% gig-worker rise (FY2021–FY2025); NITI Aayog estimated 7.7 million (2020-21), projected to rise by 2029-30; issues include weak social security and income instability.

Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam is emerging as an international subsea cable gateway, likely India’s third major subsea connectivity hub after Mumbai and Chennai, amid data-centre and AI growth. The 3,600-km I-2SEA system (Microsoft–Lightstorm–Singtel consortium) will land at Visakhapatnam and Chennai and start service in Q4 2029. Google’s America-India Connect also lands at Visakhapatnam, aiding route diversification, with terrestrial fibre corridors proposed (Machilipatnam–Mumbai–Hyderabad; Chennai–Hyderabad–Mumbai).

DRDO (under MoD’s Dept of Defence R&D; established 1958; HQ DRDO Bhavan, New Delhi) with ADRDE tested the indigenous Military Combat Parachute System at Nyoma-Mudh drop zone, Leh (Ladakh). Under 22,000-ft and −15°C conditions, the parachute opened at 20,000 ft and landed safely at 13,700 ft near IAF Nyoma base. Indigenous para-computer, oxygen system, specialised jumpsuits and MCPS validated Himalayan high-altitude insertion, reducing import dependence.

Uttar Pradesh informed the National Green Tribunal that physical demarcation of the Ganga floodplain is completed along ~700 km from Unnao to Ballia across 13 districts, with 7,350 pillars to deter encroachment and unauthorised construction. The exercise aligns with the River Ganga Authorities Order, 2016 and NGT directions. Floodplain is low-lying land absorbing high flows, aiding flood storage and recharge. Under National Mission for Clean Ganga’s August 2026 amendment, floodplain is zoned into Active (≥1/5 years), Regulatory (5–25) and Warning (25–100) with graded permissions.

INS Samarthak, delivered to the Indian Navy, is the first Multi-Purpose Vessel (MPV) built by Larsen & Toubro Ltd., Kattupalli, with over 75% indigenous content. ‘Samarthak’ means ‘The Proponent’. A versatile trial and evaluation platform, it is 107 m long, 18.6 m wide, displaces over 3,750 tonnes, and has a maximum speed of 15 knots. It supports development/testing of next-generation weapons and sensors, maritime surveillance, patrolling, launching/recovering surface and aerial targets, humanitarian assistance, and sea-pollution response.

GEER Foundation study identifies Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary, Jamnagar (Gujarat; Gulf of Kutch), as a major Black-necked Stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus; Ciconiidae) breeding stronghold. Four nests on Neltuma juliflora (3-4.5 m) showed 100% fledging: 8 juveniles, no mortality/predation/abandonment; peak 21-23 storks. Success linked to 0.3-0.7 m semi-perennial wetlands. IUCN: Near Threatened; Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 Schedule II (2022). Ramsar site (2022); bund-created freshwater-brackish ecotone; Central Asian Flyway.

A high-altitude flash flood hit Nepal’s Rasuwa district (Bagmati Province) on the Nepal-Tibet border. ICIMOD assessed an ice-rock avalanche in Tibet collapsed into Lhende Khola, temporarily damming water that breached, sending a high-velocity surge through Lhende Khola-Bhote Koshi-Trishuli (formed at Syabrubesi) corridors into the Narayani/Gandak system. At least six hydropower/transmission assets, including 111 MW Rasuwagadhi, 78 MW Sanjen Khola and 60 MW Upper Trishuli 3A, were damaged, disrupting ~430 MW (~12%). Rasuwagadhi-Gyirong customs and bridges were hit, halting Nepal-China trade; alerts rose along lower Narayani and Koshi in northern India.

MoEFCC petitioned NGT (National Green Tribunal Act, 2010; disposal within 6 months; guided by Natural Justice, not CPC) to require a structured Annual Plan of Operation for endemic Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana; Acanthaceae), directing state forest departments to submit annual plans on budget, habitat monitoring and anti-poaching, addressing invasives (Acacia, Eucalyptus), illegal conversion, fires, eco-tourism; synchronised across Nilgiri Biosphere; Western Ghats shola-grassland 1,300-2,400 m (Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka; minor Eastern Ghats: Shevaroy, Sandur). Plietenial masting shrub blooms once/12 years, seeds, dies; Nilgiris “Blue Mountains”, used by Paliyan tribe for age. Schedule III, Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (2022 amendment): uprooting / damaging / cultivating / possessing / trading without permission illegal; penalty up to 3 years + fine; core habitat protected via 32 sq km Kurinjimala Sanctuary, Idukki (Kerala).