Daily Current Affairs 2025  

11/02/2026

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CA-11/02/2026

• India restructured its National Horticulture Mission (NHM), now under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), to boost the sector's growth.

• Holistic development of horticulture for better production, productivity, and farmer income.​
• Protects farmers from distress sales via new components like Price Differential Payment (PDP) under Market Intervention Scheme (MIS).​

• The National Horticulture Mission (NHM) is a key Indian government scheme launched in 2005-06 to promote comprehensive growth in the horticulture sector. 
• It addresses production, processing, and marketing challenges for crops like fruits, vegetables, flowers, spices, and plantation varieties.

• Expanded coverage to all districts nationwide, up from selected areas.
• Enhanced cost norms for interventions to improve farmer support.​
• Added focus on high-value, exotic, and medicinal crops.​
• Promotes latest innovative technologies in horticulture.​

• e-NAM (National Agriculture Market) is a digital platform launched by the Indian government to unify agricultural markets across states, enabling transparent online trading for farmers.

• Objectives: Creates a pan-India online marketplace linking APMC mandis, private markets, and buyers for real-time auctions, quality-based pricing, and nationwide trade.
• Features: Online payments to bank accounts, mobile app for price discovery (AGMARKNET integration), multilingual support, toll-free helpline, and farmgate participation.
• Benefits:
  • Farmers gain wider buyer access, fair prices via quality assaying, and SMS transaction details.
  • Traders benefit from reduced logistics via planned e-NAM 2.0 upgrades (announced earlier).​
  • Markets see automated reporting, better fee collection, and manipulation-free auctions.​

• Platform reached 1.79 crore registered farmers (including smallholders) and integrated 1,522 mandis as of January 31, 2026, boosting digital access, e-payments, and market transparency.​
• In October 2025, 9 new commodities were added (totaling 247), developed by Directorate of Marketing and Inspection after stakeholder consultations, enhancing farmer bargaining power and reducing middlemen reliance.

• Crop Diversification Programme (CDP) under Pradhan Mantri-Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY), focusing on shifting from water-intensive paddy in Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh.
• This ties into Budget 2026-27 announcements emphasizing rural diversification, high-value crops, and schemes like PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana.

• Launched in 2013-14 as a centrally sponsored scheme under Pradhan Mantri-Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY).
• Aims to promote sustainable farming by reducing groundwater depletion and soil degradation from rice-wheat monocropping.

• Provides farmer support for alternate crop demonstrations, farm mechanization, value addition, and organic farming.​
• Recent pilot project approved for 2023-24 to 2027-28 under National Food Security Mission (NFSM), led by ICAR-IIFSR Modipuram, with Rs 13.26 crore outlay.​

• Diverts paddy area to less water-intensive crops like pulses, oilseeds, cotton, and nutri cereals.
• Enhances farmer income stability, climate resilience, and nutritional security while cutting import reliance on pulses and oils.

• The policy set an ambitious target to create 2 lakh PACS, marking a major milestone amid ongoing implementation efforts.​
• It supports broader goals like Viksit Bharat 2047, with focus on rural empowerment tying into current economic discussions.​

• Achieve "Sahkar se Samriddhi" (Prosperity through Cooperation) by strengthening cooperatives for inclusive growth over 20 years (2025-2045).
• Unveiled on July 24, 2025, by Union Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi.
• Over 83 reform areas identified, with 58 implemented by late 2025.​
• Establish at least one cooperative per village and ensure 50 crore active members nationwide.​
• Enhance transparency, financial stability, and competitiveness through reforms.​

• Strengthening Foundation: Legal reforms, governance improvements, finance access, and digitalization of operations like PACS.
• Promoting Vibrancy: Build business ecosystems, expand exports via National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL), and develop rural clusters.​
• Future-Readiness: Integrate AI, blockchain, cloud accounting, and professional management.
• Inclusivity & Outreach: Empower rural women, Dalits, tribals, and youth; create 5 model cooperative villages per tehsil.
• Emerging Sectors: Expand into housing, farming, consumer, and producer cooperatives with regulatory support.​
• Youth & Capacity: Nationwide cooperative university and skill-building programs.​

• India's Nationwide Launch: On February 10, 2026, the Department of Fisheries approved and announced the "National Rollout of Vessel Monitoring System".
• Safety and Communication Focus: The system provides real-time alerts for adverse weather, vessel positions, and communication support for fishermen at sea.​

• Funding and Scope: Part of PMMSY by @FisheriesGoI, it covers nationwide implementation for fishing vessels.
• Technology: Uses satellite/GPS for position reporting (latitude, longitude, speed), similar to global VMS standards.
• Objectives: Prevents illegal fishing, ensures compliance in restricted areas, and boosts marine resource management.

• Fisheries Management & Enforcement:
  • Area and Seasonal Closures: Authorities can use geofencing to set digital boundaries for restricted areas, receiving instant alerts if a vessel enters a prohibited zone.
  • Effort Monitoring: Vessel speed and movement patterns can indicate potential fishing activity, allowing authorities to target inspections effectively.
  • Data Analysis: VMS data is used for fisheries research and stock assessments, helping to estimate fish populations and prevent overfishing.
  • Integration with E-logbooks: VMS often integrates with Electronic Reporting Systems (ERS) and e-logbooks to verify catch reports, improving data accuracy and reducing fraud.

• Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) is increased focus on women‑led fisheries cooperatives, climate‑resilient coastal fishing villages, and deep‑sea/blue‑economy expansion under the scheme’s ongoing implementation phase.

• Launched in September 2020 as a flagship “umbrella” scheme for holistic development of fisheries and aquaculture in India.
• Aims to double fishers’ incomes, modernise infrastructure, reduce post‑harvest losses, and boost exports and employment.

• Implemented with total outlay of ₹20,050 crores for FY 2021–25; extended up to FY 2025–26 to cover remaining targets.
• Operates through two broad streams:
  • Central Sector Component: fully funded by Centre.
  • Centrally Sponsored Component: cost shared between Centre and States/UTs.
  • Beneficiary Subsidies: For individual/group activities, the total government subsidy (Centre + State) is 40% for the General category and 60% for SC/ST/Women.

• Harness Potential: Sustainably expand fish production and productivity across inland, marine, and aquaculture sectors.
• Income Doubling: Target doubling the incomes of fishers and fish farmers.
• Modernization: Strengthen the entire value chain, including post-harvest infrastructure (cold chains, ice plants) and marketing.
• Waste Reduction: Reduce post-harvest losses from approximately 20–25% down to 10%.
• Employment: Generate approximately 55 lakh direct and indirect employment opportunities

• Used tube net method for species suited to Lakshadweep waters.
• Harvests every 30-45 days; full expansion involved stakeholder consultations with locals, industry, and government.​
• Builds on NICRA research since 2020; first commercial pilot by TSC-Purple Turtle Company, Tuticorin.​

• ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) guided a commercial pilot in Chetlath island, starting September 2022 with 600 tube nets and 3 tons seed stock per plot.
• First harvest yielded 15 tons in 45 days, enabling farm expansion to 30 plots and neighboring atolls like Kiltan and Kadmat. Announced as a major success on February 8, 2026, supporting India's blue economy goals.​

• Tamil Nadu Seaweed Park: As of late 2025, approximately 50% of the civil works for the first Multipurpose Seaweed Park in Tamil Nadu have been completed. Hub-I facilities are expected to be finished by January 2026, followed by Hub-II in July 2026.
• Import Guidelines: New "Guidelines for Import of Live Seaweeds" were issued in October 2024. These allow for the regulated import of high-quality, commercially valuable seed strains like Kappaphycus to improve crop yields and genetic diversity.
• Lakshadweep Cluster: The islands have been officially notified as a Seaweed Cluster. Certain areas in Lakshadweep have demonstrated exceptional productivity, yielding up to 15 times the initial seed weight compared to the 5x average in other regions.
• Centres of Excellence: The Mandapam Regional Centre of ICAR-CMFRI was designated as a Centre of Excellence and a Nucleus Breeding Centre in February 2026 to focus on seed bank development and research. 

• Economic: Jobs for coastal communities, export potential in carrageenan and bioethanol.
• Environmental: CO2 sequestration, eutrophication reduction.​
• Nutritional: High iodine, anti-inflammatory uses.​

• PLI-ACC Scheme on investments, job creation, and ongoing implementation challenges highlighted in Parliament. It refers to India's Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage.

• Approved in May 2021 by the Cabinet with ₹18,100 crore outlay to build 50 GWh domestic ACC manufacturing capacity, mainly for EVs and renewable storage.
• Incentives based on sales volume, value addition (25% in 2 years, 60% in 5 years), and minimum investment (₹225 crore/GWh).
• Supports advanced lithium-ion and niche ACC tech; facilities must commission within 2 years of approval.​

Round	Capacity Allocated	Beneficiaries	Status (as of late 2025)
Round-1 (2022)	30 GWh	Ola Electric, Rajesh Exports, Hyundai Global (exited)	Partial commissioning (1.4 GWh total)
Round-2 (2025)	10 GWh	Reliance New Energy	Agreement signed; gestation till 2027 ​
Total	40 GWh	4 firms (effective 3)	₹3,237 Cr invested, 1,118 jobs

• Installed Capacity: Only 1.4 GWh (approx. 2.8% of the target) has been commissioned so far, with Ola Electric being the only firm to reach this stage as of late 2025.
• Reliance Gigafactory: Reliance reaffirmed in January 2026 that its 40 GWh plant in Jamnagar, Gujarat, is on track to commence operations in 2026, starting with battery energy storage systems (BESS) before full cell manufacturing.
• Financial & Job Impact: As of December 31, 2025, beneficiary firms reported a cumulative investment of ₹3,237 crore and the generation of 1,118 jobs.

• Limited availability of advanced technology and skilled manpower.
• Challenges in importing critical machinery and equipment.
• Strict Domestic Value Addition (DVA) requirements (minimum 25% within two years). 

• RGSA's ongoing implementation, noting its role as a revamped scheme since FY 2022-23, with focus on states like Maharashtra for PRI capacity building and Gram Swaraj objectives.​

• Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) is a centrally sponsored scheme by India's Ministry of Panchayati Raj to strengthen Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) for better rural governance and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) localization.

• Scheme Period: Approved for continuation from April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2026, co-terminus with the 15th Finance Commission cycle.
• Objectives:
  • Enhance PRI governance capabilities, training for ~60 lakh elected representatives and stakeholders.
  • Promote leadership for nine SDGs themes: poverty-free villages, healthy/child-friendly villages, water sufficiency, clean/green villages, infrastructure, social security, good governance, and engendered development.
  • Support e-Panchayat, incentivization, action research, distance learning, and Gram Panchayat construction.
• Coverage: All states/UTs, including non-Part IX areas without formal Panchayats; demand-driven funds via Annual Action Plans.

• Dragon Hole, the world's deepest known blue hole, is a massive underwater sinkhole in the South China Sea near the Paracel Islands.

• Located 9 km north of Drummond Island; measures 301 meters deep and up to 130 meters wide at points.​
• Named Sansha Yongle Blue Hole; formed by rainwater dissolving limestone when sea levels were lower, later flooding as levels rose.
• Features steep walls and limited water circulation, creating oxygen-free zones below about 100 meters.

• Acts as a natural lab for studying isolated life in oxygen-depleted environments, with distinct microbial layers.
• Chinese teams from First Institute of Oceanography plan further sampling for DNA analysis and comparisons to other blue holes.​
• Over 20 new marine species found in initial probes; latest findings focus on viral diversity rather than megafauna.​

• Mons Mouton, a prominent lunar mountain near the Moon's South Pole.
• ISRO scientists identified the MM-4 region on Mons Mouton's flat summit as a safe landing patch for Chandrayaan-4, India's first lunar sample return mission; findings were presented at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC).

• Geography: It stands approximately 6,000 metres (20,000 feet) tall, making it roughly the same height as Denali, North America's highest peak.
• Dimensions: It features a broad, plateau-like peak that spans nearly 100 kilometres (60 miles) in width.
• Location: Situated in the South Circumpolar Region (SCR), it lies on the rim of the South Pole–Aitken (SPA) basin, the oldest and largest impact basin on the Moon.
• Etymology: Officially named in May 2022 after Melba Roy Mouton, a pioneering NASA mathematician and computer programmer. 

• Water Ice: It is located near Permanently Shadowed Regions (PSRs)—deep craters that never receive sunlight and are believed to contain significant deposits of water ice.
• Solar Illumination: Despite its proximity to dark craters, its high-altitude peaks receive extended periods of sunlight, which is critical for powering solar-operated landers and rovers.
• Communication: The site offers a direct and clear line-of-sight for radio communication with Earth

• A study published, The Lancet Regional Health-Southeast Asia warns that over-reliance on HbA1c for type-2 diabetes diagnosis and monitoring in India leads to underdiagnosis and delayed treatment for millions.

• HbA1c readings are distorted by high rates of iron deficiency anemia (affecting over half of adults in some areas), hemoglobin disorders like sickle cell disease, and G6PD deficiency, which falsely elevate or lower results.
• This could delay diagnosis by up to 4 years in cases like undetected G6PD deficiency in men, raising complication risks; public health surveys using only HbA1c may also misrepresent India's diabetes burden (101 million cases).

• India has the world's highest diabetes prevalence, yet anemia is endemic, making HbA1c unreliable as a standalone "gold standard" test (measures average blood sugar over 2-3 months).​
• Inconsistent lab quality control adds to accuracy issues; one south India study found oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) detected far more prediabetes cases (87.8%) than HbA1c (45.4%).

• Use OGTT (fasting + 2-hour post-glucose) for diagnosis in low-resource settings; combine self-monitoring blood glucose (SMBG) 2-3 times weekly with basic hematology screening.​

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