Daily Current Affairs 2025  

30/01/2026

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CA-30/01/2026

• Centre notified coking coal under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act on January 29, 2026, following recommendations from NITI Aayog and a high-level committee.
• This status speeds up mining approvals, exempts projects from public consultations, and allows use of degraded forest land, aiming to tap India's 37.37 billion tonnes of reserves mainly in Jharkhand.
• Imports, which met 95% of steel sector needs at 57.58 million tonnes in 2024–25, are expected to decline, supporting the National Steel Policy.

• A type of bituminous coal that, when heated in the absence of oxygen (above 600°C), produces coke—a porous, carbon-rich fuel.
• Role in Steelmaking: Coke acts as both a fuel and a reducing agent in blast furnaces, enabling the conversion of iron ore into molten iron.
• Difference from Thermal Coal: Unlike thermal coal (used for power generation), coking coal is valued for its ability to form coke with high strength and low impurities.

Aspect	Importance
Steel Industry	Coking coal is indispensable for blast furnace steel production.
Imports	Heavy reliance on Australia, USA, and Canada exposes India to global price volatility.
Stock Market Reaction	Shares of Coal India and Bharat Coking Coal Ltd. (BCCL) rose 3–5% after the government’s designation.
Strategic Security	Domestic mining reduces vulnerability to supply disruptions.

• Deep-Seated Deposits: Many reserves are difficult to access, requiring advanced mining technology.
• Environmental Concerns: Mining and coke production contribute to carbon emissions.
• Global Price Volatility: India’s dependence on imports makes steel prices sensitive to international market shifts.

• Initiative: Launched under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav by the Ministry of Culture.
• Platform: Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar (MGMD) portal, integrated with MyGov India.
• Coverage: Documentation of 4.84 lakh villages out of India’s 6.5 lakh villages.
• Objective: To preserve intangible cultural heritage and make it accessible digitally.

• Linguistic Diversity: Records local dialects, scripts, and language usage patterns.
• Folklore & Oral Traditions: Captures folk songs, stories, and oral histories unique to each region.
• Traditional Practices: Includes festivals, rituals, crafts, and agricultural customs.
• Art & Architecture: Documents village temples, shrines, and indigenous art forms.
• Community Participation: Encourages local involvement to ensure authenticity.

• Started in 2017 as the National Mission on Cultural Mapping and Roadmap (NMCM).
• Aim: Build a comprehensive database of cultural assets and resources.
• Approach: Community-based initiatives to safeguard traditions and support artists.
• Outcome: Strengthens cultural identity while promoting rural tourism and local economies.

• Preservation: Protects traditions at risk of fading due to modernization.
• Education: Provides material for students, researchers, and UPSC aspirants studying cultural diversity.
• Tourism: Enables cultural tourism by showcasing village heritage.
• Policy Planning: Helps government design welfare schemes sensitive to local traditions.

• Data Authenticity: Ensuring accurate representation of diverse traditions.
• Community Involvement: Sustained participation is crucial for credibility.
• Digital Divide: Villages with limited internet access may face challenges in contributing.
• Updating Records: Traditions evolve; continuous updates are needed.

• Major Producing States: Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Bihar.
• Raw Material: Primarily sugarcane juice; some regions also use palm sap or date juice.
• Industry Type: Mostly small-scale, cottage industries, but modernization is underway.
• Employment: Provides livelihood to thousands of rural workers, especially during sugarcane harvest season.
• Market: Domestic consumption is high; exports are growing to Middle East, Africa, and Europe.

• MoFPI Initiatives:
  • Development of modern jaggery processing infrastructure with better boilers, mechanized filtration, and packaging units.
  • Financial incentives for upgrading traditional units.
  • Integration with ODOP schemes to promote jaggery as a district-level specialty product.
• Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY):
  • Supports jaggery units under Mega Food Parks and Cold Chain projects.
  • Encourages value addition (jaggery powder, flavored jaggery, organic jaggery).

• Seasonal Dependency: Processing is tied to sugarcane harvest cycles.
• Quality Issues: Traditional jaggery often faces contamination and inconsistent quality.
• Competition: Refined sugar dominates urban markets.
• Export Barriers: Need for certification (organic, FSSAI, international standards).

• Rising demand for organic and chemical-free sweeteners.
• Export potential in health-conscious markets abroad.
• Scope for value-added products like jaggery powder, energy bars, and confectionery.
• Integration with digital marketplaces for branding local jaggery varieties (e.g., Kolhapur jaggery, Muzaffarnagar jaggery).

• Objective:
  • Support micro food processing enterprises (MFPEs) in upgrading technology, gaining access to credit, and formalising operations.
  • Encourage One District One Product (ODOP) approach to leverage local strengths.
  • Generate employment and empower self-help groups (SHGs), farmer producer organizations (FPOs), and cooperatives.
• Duration & Funding:
  • 2020–21 to 2025–26.
  • ₹10,000 crore outlay shared between Centre and States/UTs.
  • As of FY 2024–25, ₹3,791.1 crore released to States/UTs.
• Financial Support:
  • Credit-linked subsidy: 35% of eligible project cost.
  • Beneficiary contribution: minimum 10%.
  • Bank loan support: up to 90% of project cost.
• Seed Capital:
  • Support for SHG members: up to ₹40,000 per member for working capital and small tools.
  • In FY 2024–25, ₹376.98 crore seed capital approved for 1,03,201 SHG members.
• Capacity Building:
  • Training programs for entrepreneurs in food safety, packaging, branding, and marketing.
  • Over 1,16,666 beneficiaries trained nationwide.

• Technology Upgradation: Helps small units modernize equipment and improve productivity.
• Market Access: Branding and marketing support to compete with larger players.
• Employment Generation: Encourages self-employment and small-scale entrepreneurship.
• Cluster Development: Focus on ODOP ensures regional specialisation and value addition.

• In Kerala, a small snack unit received a loan of ₹3 lakh under PMFME, enabling purchase of new machines, doubling production, and expanding product range.
• In Andhra Pradesh, a roti maker unit was set up with 35% subsidy and 90% bank loan support, showcasing how the scheme fosters grassroots entrepreneurship.

• Slow fund disbursement: Some states (e.g., Jammu & Kashmir) report central funding lagging behind approved project plans.
• Awareness gaps: Many micro entrepreneurs remain unaware of eligibility and application processes.
• Implementation hurdles: Coordination between banks, state nodal agencies, and beneficiaries can delay approvals.

• Initiated by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
• Target: 8.8 crore MT of legacy waste to be remediated by 2026.
• Achieve “Lakshya Zero Dumpsites” by September 2026.
• Transform dumpsites into green, investment-ready urban spaces.

• Fast-tracked approvals and funding disbursement.
• Dedicated monitoring dashboards for progress tracking.

• Use of bio-mining and bio-remediation to recover land and resources.
• Deployment of mechanized sieving, composting, and RDF (Refuse Derived Fuel) plants.

• Parallel program to attract private investment in reclaimed land.
• Encourages PPP models for sustainable waste management.

• Training of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in remediation techniques.
• Standardized checklists and guidelines for execution.

• Operational Delays: Large-scale projects often face procurement and contractor bottlenecks.
• Environmental Risks: Dust, leachate, and methane emissions during remediation.
• Community Resistance: Local opposition due to relocation or temporary nuisances.
• Monitoring Gaps: Need for strict compliance with National Green Tribunal (NGT) directives.

• Timeline: Extended until March 2026 as Namami Gange Mission 2.0.
• Objective: To effectively abate pollution and rejuvenate the Ganga and its tributaries.
• Approach: Integrated conservation mission combining infrastructure, ecological restoration, and community participation.
• Implementation Models: Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) and Design-Build-Operate-Transfer (DBOT) for long-term efficiency.

• 2025 Commissioning:
  • 25 STPs operationalized across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Delhi.
  • Added 530 MLD capacity, bringing total to 3,977 MLD.
• 2025–26 Q3 Update:
  • 5 new sewerage projects operationalized in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
  • Total STPs commissioned under Namami Gange now 173 plants.

• River Surface Cleaning: Deployment of trash skimmers to remove floating waste.
• Afforestation: Plantation drives along the Ganga basin to restore biodiversity.
• Public Awareness: Ganga Praharis (volunteers) mobilized for community-led conservation.
• Industrial Pollution Control: Strict monitoring of effluent discharge from industries.

Aspect	Phase I (2014–2020)	Phase II (2021–2026)
Focus	Initial infrastructure, awareness	Expansion, efficiency, ecological restoration
STP Capacity	~2,500 MLD	~3,977 MLD (as of 2025)
Projects	100+ STPs	173 STPs commissioned
Funding	₹20,000+ crore	Continued with HAM/DBOT
Extension	Till 2020	Till March 2026

• Urban Sewage Load: Rapid urbanization in Ganga basin cities continues to add untreated sewage.
• Industrial Compliance: Ensuring industries adhere to zero liquid discharge norms.
• Maintenance & Sustainability: Long-term operation of STPs requires strong monitoring and funding.
• Community Engagement: Sustained public participation is critical for success.

• Launch Period: 1 November 2025 – 30 April 2026
• Coverage: Employees who worked between 01 July 2017 – 31 October 2025 but were not enrolled in EPF.
• Penalty Waiver:
  • Employee’s share of contribution (if not deducted earlier) is waived.
  • Only ₹100 penal damages per establishment is charged.
• No Prosecution: EPFO will not initiate suo motu compliance action against employers who use this scheme.
• Implementing Authority: Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), under the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

• Expand Social Security: Bring more employees under the EPF Act, 1952.
• Encourage Voluntary Compliance: Build trust between employers and regulators.
• Correct Past Omissions: Provide a safe window for employers to regularize missed enrollments without heavy penalties.

• Access to EPF benefits (retirement savings, insurance, pension).
• Social security coverage for those previously excluded.

• Minimal penalty (₹100 only).
• No retrospective liability for missed employee contributions.
• Improved compliance record with EPFO.

• Deadline-sensitive: Employers must act before 30 April 2026.
• Documentation required: Proof of employment during the covered period.
• One-time opportunity: Missing this window may expose employers to penalties later.

• Clarifies appellate rights in commercial disputes, preventing litigants from lacking remedies at the plaint stage.
• Boosts procedural fairness and uniformity in applying the Act.
• Reduces litigation uncertainty, promoting efficient commercial justice.

• Objective
  • To provide speedy resolution of commercial disputes.
  • To reduce backlog in civil courts and improve India’s Ease of Doing Business ranking.
• Establishment of Courts
  • Commercial Courts at the district level for disputes of specified value.
  • Commercial Divisions within High Courts having original civil jurisdiction.
  • Commercial Appellate Divisions in High Courts to hear appeals.
• Jurisdiction
  • Applies to disputes of a specified value (initially ₹1 crore, later reduced to ₹3 lakhs).
  • Covers matters such as contracts, trade, intellectual property, insurance, banking, and arbitration.
• Pre-Institution Mediation
  • Introduced in 2018 amendment: parties must attempt mediation before filing a suit, unless urgent relief is sought.
• Procedural Innovations
  • Summary judgments allowed without recording oral evidence if the case is straightforward.
  • Strict timelines for filing written statements and completing arguments.
  • Transfer of pending suits from civil courts to commercial courts.

• Efficiency: Reduced delays in high-value disputes.
• Investor Confidence: Strengthened India’s reputation as a business-friendly jurisdiction.
• Ease of Doing Business: Contributed to India’s improved global rankings.
• Judicial Discipline: Encouraged adherence to timelines and modern case management practices.

• Strengthen India’s STI ecosystem to support self-reliance and global competitiveness.
• Promote open science by making research outputs accessible to all.
• Encourage innovation & entrepreneurship through start-ups, incubation centers, and industry-academia linkages.
• Ensure equity & inclusion by engaging women, rural communities, and marginalized groups in science.
• Boost international collaboration in science and technology.
• Improve governance & financing of STI to ensure transparency and efficiency.

Focus Area	Key Provisions
Open Science	National repositories, open-access journals, and citizen science initiatives.
Capacity Development	Training programs, skill development, and strengthening higher education institutions.
Financing STI	Diversified funding sources, public-private partnerships, and long-term investment in R&D.
Research & Innovation	Support for start-ups, incubation hubs, and translational research.
Technology Development	Indigenization of critical technologies, reducing import dependence.
Equity & Inclusion	Special programs for women, rural innovators, and underrepresented groups.
Science Communication	Popularization of science through media, outreach, and public engagement.
Global Engagement	Strengthening India’s role in international scientific collaborations.
Governance	Evidence-based, decentralized, and participatory policy-making.

• Fifth STI Policy: Follows earlier policies of 1958, 1983, 2003, and 2013.
• Bottom-up approach: Drafted through nationwide consultations with researchers, industry, and civil society.
• Atmanirbhar Bharat vision: Aligns science and technology with national self-reliance goals.
• Societal impact: Focuses on using science to solve challenges in health, agriculture, environment, and education.

• Implementation gap: Previous STI policies faced delays in execution.
• Funding constraints: India’s R&D expenditure remains below 1% of GDP, limiting impact.
• Brain drain: Retaining top talent requires stronger incentives and infrastructure.
• Balancing openness with security: Open science must safeguard sensitive data and technologies.

• Formation: Material from a nearby star or interstellar medium loses angular momentum and spirals inward due to gravity.
• Heating: Friction and compression within the disc raise temperatures to millions of degrees, causing emission of X-rays, ultraviolet, and visible light.
• Visibility: Black holes themselves emit no light, but their accretion discs make them detectable.

• Event Horizon: The boundary beyond which nothing, not even light, can escape.
• Accretion Disc: The luminous ring of matter orbiting just outside the event horizon.
• Corona: A hot, diffuse plasma above and below the disc, contributing to X-ray emissions.
• Jets: Some black holes launch relativistic jets of particles perpendicular to the disc, powered by magnetic fields.

• Thin Disc: Cool, geometrically thin, radiates efficiently (common in stellar-mass black holes).
• Thick Disc / ADAF (Advection-Dominated Accretion Flow): Hot, inefficient radiation, often seen in low accretion rate systems.
• Hybrid Models: Thin outer disc with a hot inner flow, explaining observed X-ray spectra in black hole binaries.

• Growth of Black Holes: Accretion discs feed black holes, increasing their mass.
• Astrophysical Beacons: Discs emit radiation that allows astronomers to detect and study black holes indirectly.
• Testing Relativity: The extreme gravity near the disc bends light, offering a natural laboratory for Einstein’s general relativity.
• Cosmic Impact: Jets from discs influence galaxy evolution by heating and redistributing interstellar gas.

• Instabilities: Magnetic turbulence (MRI—magnetorotational instability) drives accretion but makes modeling complex.
• Energy Conversion: Only a fraction of matter reaches the black hole; much is expelled in winds/jets.
• Observation Limits: Direct imaging is rare (e.g., Event Horizon Telescope’s image of M87*), most data comes from spectra and simulations.

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