Current Affairs

A tiger was camera-trapped in the Kishkindha hills of Koppal district, Karnataka, marking a sighting in this forest area after nearly five decades, possibly moving via the Srisailam wildlife corridor (Andhra Pradesh). Kishkindha hills lie on the northern bank of the Tungabhadra river, opposite the historic Hampi site; the surrounding plateau is ~3,000 million years old. A tiger corridor linking Srisailam and Shivamogga was cut off after Tungabhadra dam construction in the late 1950s.

NITI Aayog’s report “Reimagining Skilling for Viksit Bharat”, using Economic Survey 2024-25 data, flags education-employment mismatch: only 8.25% graduates work in qualification-aligned jobs; graduate unemployment ~13% (women 20.4%) versus national 3.2%. It estimates 8.7 crore (15-29) as NEET (not seeking work). It urges outcome-based skilling, better awareness of PMKVY/DDU-GKY/PM Internship, scaling AEDP/WIDP, and PPP skilling institutions (e.g., World Skill Center, Odisha).

All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi (autonomous under Ministry of Ayush) launched the ‘Garbhini Mitra’ course for the 2026-27 session to train personnel for pregnancy and postnatal community support. It is a 6-month offline programme (Monday-Friday, 3-5 pm) based on Garbhini/Sutika Paricharya and Garbhadhana Vidhi, covering dietetics, yoga, labour emotional support, newborn massage, BLS, infection control, biomedical waste and safety. Eligibility: 10+2, 18+; provisional Class 12 allowed; roles include maternal health support workers.

International Workplace Group’s 4th annual Work from Anywhere (WFA) Index 2026 lists Mumbai as the only Indian city, scoring 77.0 and ranking above London and Miami. Cities are assessed on climate, internet, accommodation, transport, lifestyle/culture, flexible workspaces, happiness and quality of life. Top ranks: Bangkok (106.5), Tokyo (96.5), Barcelona (95.5); top five include Porto and Vancouver. India scores 100 on flexible workspace maturity (Cushman & Wakefield), ahead of UK 98, France 97, US 81; India is Asia-Pacific’s largest flexible office market (projected >100 million sq ft). Survey: 51% have formal WFA policy; 90% report better work-life balance; 80% higher productivity.

Talabira II & III coal mine in Odisha, allocated to NLC India Ltd (Navratna, Ministry of Coal), recorded production 19.14 MT and dispatch 17.69 MT in FY2025-26; supply: 10.72 MT to power and 6.97 MT to other sectors. RFID/AI-enabled DLMS cut gate processing from 1.42 to 0.54 min/vehicle. Zero fatalities; 5-Star MoC rating (FY2020-21 to FY2024-25). Coal block allocation: Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015.

Chinese shipping line Sea Legend launched a regular commercial container service from Ningbo-Zhoushan (eastern China) to Europe via the Arctic Northern Sea Route (NSR). NSR can cut transit time by up to 40% (about 18-20 days vs 35-40 via Suez), bypassing the Strait of Malacca, Red Sea and Suez Canal. NSR lies in Russia’s EEZ (Barents Sea/Murmansk to Bering Strait/Alaska), administered under Russian federal law by the Northern Sea Route Administration; seasonal (late July-September), requiring permits, ice-class compliance and icebreaker escorts; vessels ~20k-50k DWT.

ICAR registered 16 new indigenous livestock/dog breeds per recommendations of the 14th Breed Registration Committee (BRC) meeting, raising India’s documented breeds to 262 (258 indigenous, 4 synthetic). New breeds span 9 species across 13 States and Jammu & Kashmir (UT): cattle Koppal (Karnataka), Mahakaushali (Madhya Pradesh), Periyar (Kerala), Umarda (Maharashtra); buffalo Gomanchali (Goa); goat Battisi (Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh), Totapuri (Rajasthan); sheep Asomi (Assam), Kow Debar (Uttarakhand), Madgyal (Maharashtra, Karnataka), Seemanchali (Bihar); donkey Braj (Uttar Pradesh); horse/pony Kashmiri (J&K); pig Nagal (Nagaland); yak Sikkimese (Sikkim); dog Kombai (Tamil Nadu). ICAR-NBAGR, Karnal (Haryana), is nodal, evaluates phenotypic/genetic data, assigns accession numbers, maintains repository; BRC is chaired by ICAR DDG (Animal Science).

IIT Madras conducted a hot-fire test of India’s first indigenously developed 5 kN air-breathing Rotating Detonation Engine (RDE) with an integrated aerospike nozzle, achieving sustained multi-second pressure-gain combustion and stable 5 kN thrust. The test confirmed TRL-5, validating chamber integrity, detonation stability and nozzle design under realistic stresses. RDE uses rotating supersonic detonations (vs deflagration), offering 15-25% higher efficiency, fewer moving parts, and precision-machined production. D-Propulse targets flight-ready engines by December 2027 for cruise missiles, target drones and high-speed UAVs.

A rare weather phenomenon resembling a waterspout was observed over the Brahmaputra in Assam’s Barpeta district. A waterspout is a rotating column of air and mist over a water body, usually less intense, lasting ~5 minutes (up to 10), averaging ~165 feet in diameter with winds around 100 km/h. It forms with high humidity and warm water relative to overlying air. Types are tornadic (thunderstorm-linked, develops downward) and fair-weather (calmer cumulus base, develops upward, little movement).

Union Minister for Communications launched revamped Dak Sewa and Dak MITRA apps in New Delhi to strengthen digital postal service delivery and Branch Post Office operations. Dak MITRA (Mobile Interface for Transactions & Rural Assistance) is a unified platform for over 1.4 lakh Branch Post Offices, indigenously developed by CEPT under the APT platform (DoP IT 2.0), enabling paperless real-time postal/financial services. Dak Sewa offers 24×7 citizen access, tracking/booking/complaints, locators and calculators, with 23 languages via BHASHINI.

Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister held high-level bilateral meetings with South Asian counterparts on the sidelines of the 17th Conference of Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) at Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Mongolia is landlocked in north-central Asia, bordering China (south) and Russia (north); capital Ulaanbaatar; continental climate. Vegetation: forest-steppe, steppe, semidesert, desert. Ranges: Khentii, Khangai, Altay; highest Nayramadlin Orgil (4,374 m). Orkhon valley is UNESCO-listed; Hovsgol Nuur lies on Russia border. Resources: coal, fluorite, copper, gold, silver.

Madhya Pradesh is restoring Ashoka-linked Buddhist monuments, starting excavation at Vaishya Tekri stupa, Ujjain. Size: ~350-ft base, ~100-ft height. Gwalior State archaeology (1938-39) found large bricks and punch-marked coins, suggesting Mauryan date, but historians caution; no Ashokan pillars exist. Ashokan edicts mention a kumara at Ujjain. Xuanzang’s 7th-century Kumhar Tekri stupa aligns with 3rd-century BCE burial-cremation finds; urbanisation threatens the site.

ICAR’s National Research Centre for Banana (NRCB), Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu (established 1993), released two banana varieties: Kaveri Thangam and Kaveri Nadan. Kaveri Thangam is biofortified with nearly 10 times higher Vitamin A (provitamin A), golden-yellow firm pulp, unique aroma, 15-day shelf life, and resistance to banana weevils. Kaveri Nadan yields up to 75 t/ha, nearly double traditional Nadan, improving productivity and reducing climate-related risks. NRCB undertakes crop improvement/biotechnology, post-harvest/export protocols, and AI- and sensor-based micro-irrigation.

NASA and Katalyst Space Technologies cancelled the primary reboost attempt under the Swift Boost Mission to extend the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory’s life in LEO. The LINK spacecraft, launched on a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL from Kwajalein Atoll, suffered attitude-control failures (reaction-wheel overheating, thruster anomalies). LINK will attempt non-docking proximity operations to test autonomous navigation. Swift (launched 20 Nov 2004) monitors GRBs using three multiwavelength telescopes; without propulsion, its orbit will decay to re-entry.

Cochin Shipyard Ltd delivered INS Mangrol to the Indian Navy, third of eight ASW Shallow Water Crafts under a 16-vessel ASW-SWC programme split between CSL (Mahe-class) and GRSE (Arnala-class), to replace Soviet-origin Abhay-class corvettes. Named after Mangrol (Junagadh, Gujarat), it carries the legacy of minesweeper INS Mangrol (in service till 2004). With >80% indigenous content (BEL, L&T Defence, Mahindra, NPOL, MSMEs), it has 200 nm range, 900-1,100 t, 78 m, 25 knots, 2-week endurance, diesel-waterjet propulsion (2.7 m draught), Abhay sonar and variable-depth sonar, and RBU-6000, torpedoes, 30 mm gun, mine-laying; aimed at coastal ASW amid Chinese IOR activity and Pakistan’s AIP Hangor-class induction.

Scientists from Pune reported two new benthic foraminifera (single-celled marine protists) from intertidal sediments along the Konkan coast, Maharashtra (western India): Psammophaga holzmannae and Psammophaga sinhai. Psammophaga (“sand eater”) ingests micro-particles and agglutinates sand grains to form protective tests. The species honour Dr Maria Holzmann (Swiss foraminifera molecular research) and Dr Rajiv Sinha/Indian coastal researchers. Foraminifera are bio-indicators and paleo-climate proxies.

Supreme Court bench led by the CJI directed the Union to conduct a fresh survey of elephant corridors and held they cannot be blocked citing crop-damage fears. In an ongoing writ on human-elephant conflict, it sought a report on banning coercive deterrents (fireballs, spikes) that divert natural movement. India has 22,446 elephants (SAIEE 2021-25); 2023 mapping identified 150 corridors in 15 States, with 32 bottlenecked in South India. West Bengal has 26 corridors; Charmar-Jingol (Chhattisgarh) is 20 km by 2.5 km, used by 80-100 elephants from Odisha.

The Kerala High Court permitted a breast cancer patient to be impleaded in a petition examining the “exorbitant” price of Ribociclib, described as a life-saving breast cancer medicine. Ribociclib is a CDK 4/6 (cyclin-dependent kinase) inhibitor used with other medicines and always alongside hormone therapy for certain advanced, metastatic, or locally advanced breast cancers; it blocks kinase to inhibit cancer growth and spread, with possible serious adverse effects.

Government and Amazon Web Services (AWS) launched a nationwide cloud and AI skilling initiative for youth in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities across all states and Union Territories. It will provide foundational AI and cloud literacy to 1.5 lakh learners via AWS digital training, and intensive job-ready training to 10,000 through AWS re/Start under NSDC and Cultus Education. Delivery is fully online via Cultus, with a national hackathon for cloud and AI projects.

Recently, 416 marriages were solemnised in a day at Guruvayur Temple, Guruvayur (Thrissur, Kerala), the “Dwarka of the South”, dedicated to Guruvayurappan (Vishnu as Baby Krishna) and among India’s largest daily-footfall shrines. It has Kerala-style gabled-roof architecture, Nalambalam, Balikkal, Deepastambam, 17th-century murals, and ~70-ft gold-plated Dwajasthamba; offers Thulabharam. It keeps captive male Asian elephants; nearby Punnathur Kotta has 56. References occur in 14th-century Tamil Kokasandesam; earliest recorded history: 17th century. Present structure rebuilt 1638; Dutch plunder/fire 1716; rebuilt 1747; captured 1766 with 10,000-fanam ransom; shrines destroyed/fire 1789; idol reinstalled 1792.

ISRO plans to launch GISAT-1A (EOS-05) in September 2026 as replacement mission F17, after GISAT-1/EOS-03 (August 2021, GSLV Mk-II) failed when the cryogenic upper stage did not start due to a valve leak lowering liquid-hydrogen tank pressure (LH2 fuel, LOX oxidiser). GISAT provides wide-area, near-continuous subcontinent imaging for floods, cyclones, agriculture and forestry. Recent PSLV-C61 (EOS-09, May 2025) and PSLV-C62 (N1, January 2026) failed in third-stage anomalies; launches paused for investigation.

MeitY notified the Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme (MPMS) with an outlay of ₹62,500 crore for FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31 to scale manufacturing, deepen value addition and strengthen supply chains (domestic share >99.2%). It has TS1 (2.25%-5% incentive) and TS2 (5% + 3% for Indian design/R&D), plus up to 1.5% for domestic sourcing; TS2 needs Indian ownership / control, IP, in-house R&D, with one-year gestation. Eligibility: FY 2025-26 turnover ₹10,000 crore (TS1) or ₹1,000 crore (TS2); EMS registered in India may apply; localized components must be ≥25%. Expected: ~₹39 lakh crore production, ~60,000 direct jobs, higher exports.

Ministry of Rural Development launched National Campaign on Entrepreneurship-II as a 3-month drive to promote rural SHG women’s entrepreneurship towards creating 6 crore Lakhpati Didis, covering farm and non-farm enterprises and SHG product marketing. It strengthens enterprise promotion cadre, formalisation, digital/e-commerce, producer groups, and issues monthly “Sankalp Shakti” bulletin. CRP-EPs/BDSPs are recognised as “Udyam Sakhis”. Targets: train 5 lakh women, formalise 50,000 enterprises, onboard 25,000 on e-commerce, encourage 20 lakh in agro-ecological practices; promote via ONDC (open B2C/B2B) and GeM (B2G procurement).

WHO Regional Office for Africa confirmed the end of poliovirus type 2 outbreaks in Burundi, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Congo and Uganda, after independent outbreak assessments. Confirmation followed review of surveillance, laboratory and epidemiological evidence, population immunity and vaccination campaign performance. Burundi strengthened routine immunisation and environmental surveillance; Ghana laboratory capacity; Uganda improved response after 2024 detection; Guinea-Bissau reported no detection since July 2021; Congo’s last detection was December 2023. Risk persists; high vaccination and strong surveillance remain essential. Polio can cause irreversible paralysis.

Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA), launched September 2018, strengthens MSP implementation via assured procurement, price stabilisation and market intervention. Components: PSS procures pulses, oilseeds and copra at MSP (NAFED/NCCF on State request; registered farmers with land records) when prices fall below MSP; PSF maintains buffers (pulses, onion, potato) by harvest procurement and lean-season release; PDPS pays MSP-market gap (up to 15% of MSP) to banks without procurement (mainly oilseeds); MIS procures perishables (e.g., tomato/onion/potato) without MSP when prices drop ≥10%, with Centre-State cost-sharing via nodal agencies.

National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP) is a Central Sector Scheme launched in 2019 for nationwide vaccination and surveillance to control/eradicate Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis, with 100% Central funding to States/UTs. Nodal body: Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. FMD is a highly contagious viral vesicular disease of cloven-hoofed animals. Brucellosis is a reproductive disease (Brucella abortus). Targets: FMD vaccination twice yearly; Brucellosis vaccination once in lifetime for 4–8 month female bovine calves.