Current Affairs

Red-eared slider turtle, circulated via pet trade, is emerging as an invasive threat to water bodies in Coimbatore. Predominantly aquatic, it has established distribution on all continents except Antarctica and is identifiable by red stripes behind each ear. Highly adaptable, it survives sub-optimal temperatures, breeds rapidly due to lack of predators, lives 20–50 years, and is IUCN Least Concern. It competes with native Indian turtles for basking, nesting and food, and its aggressive, high consumption impacts fish populations, disturbing freshwater ecosystems.

IAF’s Suryakiran aerobatic team held an air show over Gangapur Dam (near Nashik, Maharashtra). Gangapur is an earthfill dam on the Godavari, claimed as Asia’s longest earthen reservoir; 9.8 km long and 36.6 m high, with a curved design and central spillway. Built in 1965 under the Godavari Marathwada Irrigation Development Project, it provides irrigation and drinking water to drought-prone Nashik, Ahmednagar and Aurangabad; storage 215.88 MCM, catchment 2,122 sq km. Upstream Kashypi Dam regulates flow; left/right bank canals are 64 km/30 km; site has gardens and migratory birds.

RBI’s Financial Stability Report and Annual Report 2024–25, along with Budget 2025–26 documents and Study of Budgets 2024–25, indicate Indian households saving less and borrowing more ahead of Union Budget 2026. Household debt rose from ~36% of GDP (mid-2021) to 41.3% (March 2025). Gross financial assets: 106.6% of GDP; net financial savings: 3–4%, 7.6% (Q4 2024–25). Budget 2025–26 capex: ₹11.2 lakh crore (effective ₹15.5 lakh crore); States prioritise capex; committed spends 30–32% of revenue receipts.

Engineering Export Promotion Council of India (EEPC India) urged the Union Budget to expedite GST refund payments and reduce income tax for non-corporate manufacturing MSMEs. EEPC India is a trade and investment promotion body for the engineering sector, sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, established in 1955. It is an advisory interface to government, with 13,000+ members (60% SMEs), and promotes MSME global value-chain integration.

In 2025, near year-long climate disasters caused over 4,000 deaths in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand amid continuing Char Dham road works. Devdar/deodar (Cedrus deodara) forests (1,500–3,200 m), including around the Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone (4,000 sq km; notified 2012), stabilise slopes and aid Ganga water quality. Char Dham Project (launched 2016) is ~75% complete (Jan 2026; end-2026 target) but involved felling ~7,000 trees, diverting 43 ha, and flawed DL-PS standards linked to >800 landslide zones.

A gonorrhoea study in the July–December 2024 Indian Journal of Sexually Transmitted Diseases and AIDS cites WHO estimates of global burden (2020) and India’s NACO guidance. Gonorrhoea, caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, affects urogenital/pharyngeal/rectal/conjunctival mucosa and spreads via unprotected sex; reported higher in men since 2013. Diagnosis: urine/swab, NAAT most accurate. Treatment: ceftriaxone 500 mg IM single dose; abstain 7 days; screen for HIV/chlamydia/syphilis; culture if symptoms persist for antimicrobial resistance; prenatal screening prevents neonatal complications.

The European Union extended the suspension of preferential trade benefits for India under its Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP), a unilateral trade preference framework introduced in 1971. The GSP aims at poverty reduction via expanded exports from vulnerable countries, and promotes sustainable development and good governance. It has three tiers: General GSP (duty cuts on 66% tariff lines), GSP+ (zero duties on 66% with conventions), and Everything but Arms (duty-free access for LDCs except weapons).

Government sanctioned >10,000 km of rural roads in six states under PMGSY-IV (2024–29). PMGSY is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the Ministry of Rural Development, launched in December 2000 to provide all-weather road connectivity to eligible unconnected rural habitations, including bridges. Phases: I (2000) universal access; II (2013) upgradation; III (2019) 1,25,000 km; IV targets 25,000 habitations via 62,500 km.

Chief of Defence Staff released the Military Quantum Mission Policy Framework for the Tri-Services to promote jointness and integration for technology-centric warfare. Aligned with the National Quantum Mission, it enables civil-military collaboration through dedicated governing bodies. Priority domains include quantum communication, computing, sensing/metrology, and materials/devices. It covers QKD (entanglement-based secure keys), quantum radar/imaging, GPS-denied navigation, logistics/SIGINT optimisation, adaptive materials, and transition to post-quantum cryptography for cyber defence.

An expert report prepared after a Supreme Court order in M.C. Mehta vs. Union of India analyses Delhi’s winter PM2.5 sources. Secondary particulate matter is the largest contributor (27%), formed from SO₂, NOx, NH₃ and VOCs (e.g., ammonium nitrate/sulphate aerosols). Other shares: transport 23%, biomass burning 20%, dust 15% (road/soil/C&D), industry incl. thermal power plants 9%. PM2.5/PM10 show decline since 2016 but remain far from NAAQS; ~two-thirds PM2.5 is transboundary. Winter peaks due to low winds, shallow boundary layer and stagnation; recommendations cover waste-to-energy, barrier-free tolls, ECC rationalisation, cleaner transport and NCR annual action plans.

Two extremely rare ant fly species of genus Metadon (Family Syrphidae) were discovered in India and reported in Zootaxa: Metadon ghorpadei from Delhi’s northern ridge forest and Metadon reemeri from Sirvuvani hills, Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu. Ant-associated (myrmecophilous) larvae live as inquilines in ant nests and feed on brood; adults stay near nests. Only 27 Microdontinae species are known regionally; threats include fragmentation, urbanisation, invasives.

Ministry of Panchayati Raj showcased SVAMITVA (“Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas”) in its tableau at the 77th Republic Day parade, New Delhi. A Central Sector Scheme launched on National Panchayati Raj Day (24 April 2021), it uses drones and GIS to map rural Abadi areas, issuing Property Cards/Title Deeds. Implemented with State Revenue Departments and Survey of India, it supports GIS-based GPDP; CORS offers 5 cm accuracy; recognised by UN and World Bank.

Spain has joined India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), a voluntary, non-treaty-based arrangement promoting cooperation for a free and open Indo-Pacific and a rules-based regional order. India launched IPOI at the 2019 East Asia Summit in Bangkok, building on SAGAR (2015) for a safe, secure maritime domain. Key pillars include maritime security, ecology, capacity building/resource sharing, and disaster risk reduction.

An Indian minister outlined a five-layer AI ecosystem: applications, models, semiconductors/chips, infrastructure (data centres) and energy. India is developing ~12 focused AI models runnable on small GPU clusters for low-cost scale; ~95% workloads use small models; ~50-billion-parameter models meet most enterprise needs. Priorities include custom silicon, 28–90 nm manufacturing (EVs, automobiles, railways), confirmed ~$70 billion AI infrastructure, green energy integration, and the Shakti Act enabling private nuclear participation.

Pixxel-led consortium (Pixxel, Piersight Space, Satsure Analytics India, Dhruva Space) signed an agreement with IN-SPACe to design, build and operate India’s first national Earth Observation constellation under a PPP model. IN-SPACe is the nodal body authorising, regulating and promoting private space activity. The project will deploy 12 satellites with very high-resolution optical, multispectral, SAR and hyperspectral imaging, with ₹1,200 crore investment over five years, enabling end-to-end EO services and industry-operated national EO infrastructure.

The Ministry of Power released the Draft National Electricity Policy (NEP) 2026 to replace the NEP notified in 2005. It targets per capita electricity consumption of 2,000 kWh by 2030 and over 4,000 kWh by 2047 (1,460 kWh in 2024–25). It mandates index-linked annual tariff revision, robust cybersecurity with in-India data storage, and a Distribution System Operator for network sharing and integrating distributed renewables, storage, and Vehicle-to-Grid, including BESS. It notes universal electrification (2021), unified national grid (since 2013), and DISCOM losses, debt, cost-reflective tariff gaps, and cross-subsidisation raising industrial tariffs.

Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) completed 11 years since launch on 22 January 2015 under the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign. It promotes welfare of the girl child and builds a long-term savings corpus for education and future needs. Eligible girl child: below 10 years. One account per girl; maximum two per family. Annual deposit ₹250–₹1.5 lakh for 15 years. Guardian operates till 18 years. Matures after 21 years; up to 50% withdrawal for education after 18 years.

The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development (instituted in 1985) for 2025 has been awarded to Mozambican human rights activist Graca Machel. Administered by the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust, it is an annual award open to a person or organisation, without distinction of nationality, race or religion. It honours creative efforts promoting global peace, racial equality, international cooperation, responsible use of science, expanded human freedom and enrichment of the human spirit.

India’s first ‘Made in India’ C-295 aircraft is slated to roll out before September 2026. It is being manufactured at the Airbus–Tata Final Assembly Line in Vadodara, highlighting the C-295 programme. The C-295 is a medium-range, twin-engine turboprop tactical transport aircraft, with flight endurance of up to 11 hours and short take-off and landing (STOL) capability.

Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) is an emerging health concern, notably in India, and replaces the term Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) to reflect metabolic causes. It is a chronic fatty liver condition, often silent, linked to obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol, and is the world’s most common liver disease. It ranges from hepatic steatosis to MASH (earlier NASH). Management includes diet, physical activity and weight loss.

A new ginger family (Zingiberaceae) species, Parakaempferia alba, was discovered in Arunachal Pradesh’s Siang Valley (East Siang district) and published in the Nordic Journal of Botany. It grows along shaded streambanks in humid, sandy soil at 150–400 m altitude. It differs from P. synantha in leaf shape, flower spikes/bracts, and has unique glands near the ovary. The find underscores Eastern Himalayas biodiversity hotspot value.

National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) completed one year of its Internet Governance Internship & Capacity Building Scheme (IGICBS) under MeitY, aimed at building awareness and expertise in internet governance among Indian citizens. NIXI is a Section 8 non-profit (Companies Act, 2013) enabling domestic traffic exchange via neutral peering among ISPs/CDNs, reducing latency and improving QoS. Divisions: IX NIXI, INRegistry (.IN; delegated by GoI in 2004), and IRINN/NIR.

APEDA held an Assam conclave to strengthen agri-exports from Assam and improve market access for agricultural and organic products. APEDA is a statutory body under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, established in 1986 under the APEDA Act, 1985, headquartered in New Delhi, chaired by Shri Abhishek Dev. It promotes exports of agricultural and processed foods, registers exporters, sets standards, inspects meat products, improves packaging/marketing, provides training, and implements NPOP.

The Supreme Court disposed a Telangana writ petition against the Union government and Andhra Pradesh over proposed expansion of the Polavaram-Banakacherla (Polavaram-Nallamalasagar) Link Project. Approved in 2009, it diverts surplus Godavari water via Polavaram dam to drought-prone Rayalaseema through Krishna and Penna basins for irrigation and drinking water, under GWDT Award with CWC clearances. Telangana cites AP Reorganisation Act; AP claims only flood waters. Disputes follow Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956; KWDT and GWDT were constituted in 1969.

Indian Railways has expanded the One Station One Product (OSOP) initiative to over 2,000 railway stations as of Jan 2026. Launched in 2022, with the Ministry of Railways as nodal ministry, OSOP provides display-and-sale outlets at stations to promote indigenous specialised products and crafts. It has empowered 1.32 lakh artisans, covering tribal artefacts, handlooms, handicrafts (wood carving, chikankari, zari-zardozi) and processed/semi-processed foods, aligned with “Vocal for Local” and Atmanirbhar Bharat.