Why in the News? ● Growing Adoption: Farmers are increasingly adopting Direct-Seeded Rice (DSR) technology due to water scarcity, rising labour costs, groundwater stress, and below-normal monsoon rainfall associated with El Niño, promoting agricultural sustainability and water resource management. ● Water-Efficient Cultivation: The adoption of herbicide-tolerant (HT) basmati varieties is enabling wider use of DSR…
Why in the News? ● New Legislation: The West Bengal Assembly has passed the West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-social Activities Bill, 2026 and the West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order (Amendment) Bill, 2026. ● Objective: The laws aim to strengthen preventive detention provisions and establish a mechanism to recover compensation for damage…
Why in the News? ● Recent Debate: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that an Indian passport is a travel document, not a citizenship document, triggering debate on proof of citizenship. ● Broader Context: The issue has gained significance amid the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and ongoing discussions on citizenship verification,…
Why in the News? ● Drug Rules Amended: The Central Government has amended the Drugs Rules, 1945 to bring stem cell-derived products, gene therapeutic products, and xenografts under the Centrally Licensed Approving Authority (CLAA) framework. ● Regulatory Objective: The amendment aims to strengthen regulatory oversight of advanced and emerging medical therapies while ensuring patient safety,…
Why in the News? ● New Scheme Notified: The Ministry of Labour and Employment has notified the Employees’ Provident Funds (EPF) Scheme, 2026, replacing the EPF Scheme, 1952 under the Code on Social Security, 2020. ● Key Reforms: The new scheme simplifies PF withdrawal rules, introduces provisions for principal employers, while retaining the existing contribution…
Why in the News? ● Environmental Clearance: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has granted Environmental Clearance (EC) for the Kente Extension Integrated Coal Block in Hasdeo Arand forests, Chhattisgarh. ● Mining Expansion: The project will have a production capacity of 9 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) and is the third major…
Why in the News? ● New Legal Framework: The Central Government is considering a new legal framework requiring Virtual Private Network (VPN) providers to establish a local presence in India and appoint compliance officials. ● Regulatory Objective: The move aims to strengthen enforcement against the misuse of VPNs to bypass government restrictions on online content…
Why in the News? ● Stay Order: The Maharashtra Government stayed the Right to Information (Amendment) Rules, 2026 following widespread objections and ahead of Anna Hazare’s proposed hunger strike. ● Public Concerns: The stay was ordered after concerns that the amended rules diluted the spirit of the Right to Information Act, 2005, similar to concerns…
Why in the News? ● SC Verdict: The Supreme Court set aside an NCLT order after finding that it relied on AI-generated fictitious judicial precedents (hallucinations). ● Zero Tolerance: The Court directed the Bar Council of India (BCI) to frame norms and reiterated a zero-tolerance policy towards AI-generated fake legal citations. AI HALLUCINATIONS IN JUDICIAL…
Why in the News? ● UNGA Support: The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has renewed support for India’s proposal on the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) during the Ninth Review of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, with discussions scheduled for SIR 2026 (Special Intensive Review 2026). ● India’s Stand: India urged the international community…