Current Affairs

Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon completed his first spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS) with NASA astronaut Jessica Meir during US Spacewalk 96 (6 hours 27 minutes). The EVA prepared the ISS 3B power channel for upgrades enabling installation of additional ISS Roll-Out Solar Arrays (IROSA) to boost electricity for ISS systems and eventual safe, controlled deorbit. Spacewalks/EVA involve operating outside spacecraft using suits for oxygen, temperature control and vacuum protection, aiding in-space repairs.

Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change report ‘Forest Fires in Himalayan Region, its adverse effects and mitigation measures’ flags gaps: no empirical climate-change link study, no consolidated casualty/compensation record, MODIS diurnal gaps (no pass 01:30–10:30, 13:30–22:30), and limited evidence on Chir Pine and invasive species. It recommends region-specific studies, centralized database, Department of Space geostationary satellite, FRI historical-ecological study, invasive eradication with Oak–Deodar Regeneration Mission, National pine-needle utilisation policy, and MoEFCC Pine Needle Management Board under Himalayan Biomass Management Framework.

Government launched Prakriti Gyan Dham, a first-of-its-kind Eco-Educational Hub, at Lucknow. Developed by CSIR–National Botanical Research Institute under the Ministry of Science and Technology, it provides a direct interface between scientific knowledge and public engagement through experiential, interactive learning. Key enclaves include PAaVan interpretive heritage trail, Vibhav Enclave (rare/endangered/threatened plants), Bhairav Enclave (State Plants), Bamboosteum, and Indian Heritage Garden.

CSIR demonstrated its indigenously developed Modified Mix Seal Surfacing Plus (MSS+) road surfacing technology at Jaipur. Developed by CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI), it targets construction and maintenance of low to medium volume traffic roads and has been implemented on over 100 km in Uttar Pradesh. MSS+ uses crushed natural aggregate, customized modified bitumen emulsion and mineral admixture; it is prepared at ambient temperature, avoiding pre-heating, and offers cost-effectiveness, durability, all-weather flexibility and improved skid resistance.

Operational guidelines for SDRF/NDRF (2026-31) add heatwaves and lightning to India’s notified natural disasters, taking the list to 14 (earlier 12: cyclone, drought, earthquake, fire, flood, tsunami, hailstorm, landslide, avalanche, cloudburst, pest attack, frost/cold wave). States can use full SDRF/mitigation funds; NDRF supplements if SDRF is inadequate. Under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 (replacing NCCF in 2010), SDRF provides immediate relief only (no crop/property compensation); Centre shares 75% (90% for NE states, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, J&K). NDRF is fully Centrally financed via cesses/duties in Public Account. Heat-health actions align with NPCCHH/NAPHRI; NHRIDS covers 51,000+ reporting units.

Microsoft opened its largest India data centre in Hyderabad, adding its fourth India cloud region and expanding Azure’s footprint to Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai and Mumbai. The cloud infrastructure is positioned as the backbone for AI services, supporting AI-led computing demand and enterprise digitalisation as India’s data centre sector matures. The expansion occurs amid competition in India’s cloud market with Google and Amazon; AWS, Microsoft and Oracle are also scaling via owned regions and colocation partnerships.

SEBI’s Annual Report states India leads globally in number of IPOs and ranks third in funds raised after the United States and Hong Kong (China). SEBI authorised a new Closing Auction Session (CAS) and updated indicators on corporate bond mobilisation and investor participation. Corporate bond mobilisation fell 8.4% to ₹9.1 lakh crore (first fall in four years). FPI ownership hit a 15-year low; DII holding reached 17% by March 2026. Mutual funds expanded via Tier-3 cities; monthly SIPs averaged over ₹16,400 crore. 62% retail investors were influenced by social-media financial influencers; investor protection measures were strengthened.

SBSTTA-28 in Nairobi is giving scientific, technical and technological advice under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity ahead of CBD COP17 in Yerevan, Armenia. It reviews Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (2022) 23 goals for 2030; 129 national reports show most targets off-track, with slow finance / technology / capacity to developing countries. Agenda includes marine/coastal biodiversity, wildlife management, protected areas and IPBES work, plus synthetic biology: gene-engineering tools with patents concentrated; benefits and ecological/regulatory concerns. COP16 Cali (2024) mandated an action plan and expert group; IUCN Abu Dhabi (Oct 2025) backed case-by-case releases. A draft SBSTTA thematic plan seeks sharing funds, training and technology.

Assam recorded the world’s first release of captive-bred slender-billed vultures (Gyps tenuirostris): five birds bred at the BNHS conservation facility were released at the Jatayu Soft Release Centre, Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve. Gyps vultures in India declined ~99% in 20 years due to veterinary painkillers; Centre banned diclofenac, aceclofenac, ketoprofen and nimesulide. Species is an Old-World vulture, Critically Endangered since 2002; pesticide poisoning remains a threat in Assam.

The Ministry of Home Affairs issued national security guidelines for renewable energy projects in border areas (LoC, LAC, IB). Solar, wind and hybrid projects are banned within 1 km of the international border. Projects up to 50 km from the IB need security clearance; those within 20 km of LoC/LAC/IB require Defence NOC. Applications go only to MNRE. Hiring personnel from Pakistan, Bangladesh or China needs MHA permission. Existing projects: small near LAC; large near IB (Rajasthan, Gujarat); LoC (J&K) mostly solar rooftops; Kargil/Ladakh solar PV.

India reported 68 renewable grid disturbances (Jan 2022-Jun 2025), causing 1-7 GW loss, mainly in Rajasthan and Gujarat, linked to variable solar/wind output, non-compliance with LVRT/HVRT (ride-through during voltage disturbances) and frequency instability; STATCOMs can provide rapid voltage support. Installed capacity: 548 GW (Jul 2026); solar 162 GW, wind 47 GW; renewables grew >200% in a decade. FY2026 added 44.61 GW, incl. 16.3 GW distributed solar (PM-KUSUM, rooftop). Transmission planned for 500 GW non-fossil by 2030; measures include ISTS charge waivers and RPOs. Storage need: USD 1.15 tn (2025-2050), USD 3.3 tn (2051-2070). Peak demand rose 242.77 GW (Jun 2025) to 270.8 GW (May 2026); CEA projects 459 GW (2034-35), global estimates 700 GW (2047). EVs may be 6-9% consumption by 2035; data centres may need 14-30 GW by early 2030s.

Researchers at IIT Guwahati developed “E‑Eye”, a portable optical sensing device for on-site water quality testing, especially in rural areas. It detects arsenic, lead, iron, chromium, fluoride and E. coli. Priced ~₹3,500 with ~₹2 per test, it uses Beer‑Lambert law and colour-intensity readouts, giving digital concentrations comparable to UV‑Visible/Atomic Absorption spectrophotometers, with wireless transmission and support to Jal Jeevan Mission.

CII-EY India report flags India’s energy security risks beyond oil and gas to critical minerals, manufacturing, storage and grid. India is fully import-dependent for lithium, cobalt, nickel, silicon, rare earths, gallium, germanium and PGE; 2025-2070 demand: 66 MT copper, 46 MT graphite, 19.5 MT silicon, 11.5 MT nickel. Per capita power use rises 780 kWh (2015-16) to 1,153 (2024-25). Storage investment: USD 1.15 tn (2025-2050), USD 3.3 tn (2051-2070); T&D: USD 2 tn+. Nuclear projected 100 GW by 2047; non-fossil nearing 300 GW, target 500 GW by 2030; PM Surya Ghar boosts rooftop solar. Oil use doubles to 243 MT (FY26); SPR approved 11.8 MT; recommends domestic exploration, processing, recycling, diversified imports and partnerships.

New catfish species Pseudecheneis likimroensis was described from the Likimro river, Kiphire district, Nagaland, in the Tizu-Chindwin drainage of the Indo-Myanmar biodiversity hotspot. Genus Pseudecheneis comprises rheophilic hill-stream catfishes. About five specimens were collected at 446 m. It has a dorso-ventrally flattened body and adhesive ridges/grooves for boulder-rich torrents; carnivorous. Threats include dynamite/chemical fishing, river modification, coal mining, and overfishing; endemism driven by tectonic uplift and river-course changes.

Government introduced the Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026, replacing the Indian Statistical Institute Act, 1959, to overhaul ISI governance. ISI, founded in 1931 by P.C. Mahalanobis and declared an Institution of National Importance in 1959, is currently a society with a 33-member council. The Bill makes ISI a statutory body corporate, with the President as Visitor, a Centre-nominated Board of Governance, an Academic Council, revised director appointment, and Visitor powers; critics cite autonomy concerns.

Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs report ‘Cyber Crime – Ramifications, Protection and Prevention’ flags gaps in intermediary grievance redressal, OTT self-regulation, offshore ads, payment fraud probes, CBI jurisdiction, complaint-to-FIR conversion, cyber education and laws. Recommends standardized multilingual grievance system; independent OTT post-release panel with age-verification/parental controls; ad identity checks and zero-trust monitoring; operational CPFIR; amend DSPE Act, 1946; NCRP-to-e-FIR via I4C; graded cyber-safety curriculum; permanent law-review; unified technology-neutral cybercrime law and Integrated Cybercrime Task Force.

Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice presented its 166th Report reviewing India’s tribunal system, citing vacancies (ITAT: 27/126 Members, all 7 Deputy Registrars; NGT: 5 Judicial, 6 Expert vs statutory minimum 10 each), contractual overreliance (NCLT >95% admin; TDSAT staff 52 frozen since 2001), rising pendency (ITAT +19,275 in 5 months; NCLT CIRP breaches), weak infrastructure (NCLT below NCMS; RCT lacks capital budget, depends on Zonal Railways), IT gaps (NGT no IT section; NCLT e-portal obsolete; NCLT 2.0; cyber-audits), and access gaps (RCT legal aid 9/23; “Zero FIR” filing).

A Nature Ecology & Evolution global study analysed range shifts in 1,758 butterfly species across 105 countries, linking patterns to climate and human threats. It found 80% expanded and 79% shifted to cooler regions; 27% contracted; 22% showed elevational shifts. Europe is a hotspot (UK: 63% horizontal contraction; Mexico: 39% vertical shifts). India’s Tawny Coster expanded into Australia at 135 km/year. It cites niche conservatism, calls for dynamic conservation (micro-refugia, connectivity) and notes Paris 1.5-2°C relevance.

India and Lesotho held the 6th Joint Commission Meeting in New Delhi, reviewing cooperation in trade/economic relations, development partnership, skilling and capacity building, and coordination in regional and multilateral forums; next Joint Bilateral Commission for Cooperation will meet in Maseru in 2027. Lesotho is a landlocked enclave within South Africa; capital Maseru; in Maloti-Drakensberg; “Kingdom in the Sky”, entirely above 1,400 m, with over 80% above 1,800 m; southernmost landlocked state.

Chhattisgarh has proposed translocating Asiatic wild water buffaloes (Bubalus arnee) from Assam to revive its declining wild buffalo population. The species occurs in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Thailand and Cambodia; in India, major populations are in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park, with smaller populations in Meghalaya, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. India hosts >90% of the global population (~3,500–3,700). Habitat includes grasslands, alluvial plains and marshes. It is Schedule I (Wildlife Protection Act, 1972), IUCN Endangered, and CITES Appendix III.

National Handloom Day is observed on 7 August; 2026 marks the 12th observance, commemorating the 1905 Swadeshi Movement (boycott of foreign goods, indigenous manufacturing, Atmanirbharta). Key programmes: NHDP, SCDP and Mega Cluster Development Programme for weaver welfare, infrastructure, productivity and market linkages. Union Budget 2026-27: National Fibre Scheme, Textile Expansion & Employment Scheme, National Handloom & Handicraft Programme, Mahatma Gandhi Gram Swaraj Initiative. Measures include Handloom Marketing Assistance, Weaver MUDRA, PMJJBY/PMSBY, scholarships; Handloom Mark, India Handloom Brand, GI, Handlooms Act 1985, GeM, Indiahandmade portal, 5% GST (selected products). Challenges: powerloom imitation/counterfeiting, low incomes/credit, high input costs, low productivity, middlemen; modernization via traceability (blockchain) and digital integration.

GI and Beyond 2.0 summit showcased India’s GI-tagged handloom/handicraft products and launched the Digital Handloom Atlas (“One Platform. Endless Markets”) to enhance visibility and connect artisans with domestic and international markets. Organised by the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles, with HEPC. 

GI certificates: Ladakh Nambu, Ladakh Pashmina, Himachal Gudma, Himachal Lingchay, Jharkhand Bamboo Craft, Jharkhand Tussar Saree/fabrics, Munda Jewellery, Bareilly Terracotta. HEPC Diamond Jubilee logo marked 60 years.

India test-fired the Agni-4 medium-range ballistic missile to demonstrate operational readiness; all critical systems performed as expected. The Agni series evolved from a re-entry vehicle technology demonstrator into a ballistic missile family under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme. Agni-4, under Strategic Forces Command, has ~4,000 km range and 1,000 kg payload, supporting credible minimum deterrence; ballistic missiles follow powered boost then free-fall trajectory.

The 10th BRICS Industry Ministers’ Meeting concluded under India’s BRICS Chairship 2026, adopting outcomes on industrial cooperation, MSME ecosystems, photovoltaics, startups, and the BRICS Partnership on the New Industrial Revolution (PartNIR). It issued a Joint Declaration to strengthen industrial cooperation, adopted an MSME Framework, created a Photovoltaic Working Group, and endorsed a Startup Action Plan, including India’s proposals for a BRICS Incubator Network and Startup Innovation Fund; PartNIR supports practical collaboration, knowledge sharing, capacity building, and industrial innovation.

Centre operationalised the E-commerce Export Framework under FTP 2023, allowing inventory in India only for confirmed overseas orders, banning speculative build-up. Exports run via an Exporter-on-Record procuring from Sellers-on-Record and exporting in its name. It mandates seller payments within timelines, visibility of sale/tracking, proportional rebates/refunds, digital traceability preventing domestic diversion, bank compliance certification, and re-export/return/disposal of rejected consignments for manufacturers, traders, MSMEs and artisans.

Union Cabinet approved GOBARdhan as India’s National Circular Bioenergy Scheme, a unified national framework for Compressed Biogas (CBG) with digital governance. It covers agricultural residue, cattle dung, press mud, municipal organic waste and biomass, converting them into clean fuel, Fermented Organic Manure (FOM)/Liquid FOM and rural income. Growth engines include assured offtake with CNG/PNG blending obligation (3% FY2026-27, 4% FY2027-28, 5% from FY2028-29), administered price ₹2,110/MMBTU (10-year horizon), capital assistance up to ₹2 crore/TPD, pipeline connectivity, credit guarantee and a district-level challenge fund; aims include domestic CBG growth, lower imports and emissions.