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19/02/2026

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CA-19/02/2026

• 2026 Global Outlook: WFP warned that 318 million people face acute hunger, double pre-pandemic levels, with active famines confirmed in Gaza and parts of Sudan.
• Innovation Showcase: WFP recently spotlighted AI-driven solutions, such as "Annapurti" grain ATMs and digital hunger maps, at the 2026 Munich Security Conference side-event.
• Funding Crisis: Severe resource constraints have forced WFP to cut rations in countries like Uganda and Niger, with total funding dropping from $9.8 billion in 2024 to an expected $6.4 billion in 2025.
• Emergency Response: A joint UN convoy led by WFP recently reached cut-off communities in Sudan's South Kordofan State, providing aid to 130,000 people for the first time in months. 

• Establishment: Founded in 1961 by the UN General Assembly and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
• Headquarters: Located in Rome, Italy.
• Mission: To achieve Zero Hunger (SDG 2) by providing emergency food aid and building long-term resilience.
• Funding: Entirely funded by voluntary contributions from governments, corporations, and individuals.
• Governance: Led by an Executive Director (currently Cindy McCain) and overseen by a 36-member Executive Board.
• Nobel Peace Prize: Awarded in 2020 for efforts to combat hunger and prevent its use as a weapon of war.
• Operations: Operates in over 120 countries, managing vast logistics including 5,000 trucks, 20 ships, and 80 aircraft.
• Innovation: Uses blockchain for refugee aid (in Jordan) and satellite analytics to predict climate-related disasters.
• School Meals: The world’s largest provider of school meals, reaching over 466 million children globally.

• Definition: A loan from an investor to a local government (like a Nagar Nigam) to finance community development.
• Types of Bonds:
  • General Obligation (GO) Bonds: Backed by the municipality's overall taxing power; used for general infrastructure.
  • Revenue Bonds: Repaid specifically from the income generated by the project being funded, such as toll roads or water fees.
• Benefits:
  • Tax Efficiency: Interest income is often tax-free under Section 10(15), offering higher post-tax returns than FDs for those in high tax brackets.
  • Safety: They generally have a lower risk of default compared to corporate bonds and are often rated (AA or AAA) by agencies like CRISIL.
  • Stable Income: Provides predictable interest payments, typically semi-annually or annually.
• Key Risks:
  • Liquidity Risk: The secondary market for these bonds is still nascent in India, making it difficult to sell them quickly before maturity.
  • Interest Rate Risk: Like all fixed-income securities, bond prices fall when market interest rates rise.
• Maturity Period: Usually ranges from 3 to 10 years in India, matching the long-term nature of infrastructure projects.
• Regulation: Regulated by SEBI under specific guidelines that mandate positive net worth and a clean repayment history for the issuing city. 

• Archaeological Breakthrough: Researchers from the University of Konstanz and partners announced they had pinpointed the city's location at Jebel Khayyaber in present-day Iraq.
• Technological Feat: The discovery was made without digging; instead, drones and magnetometers scanned the soil to build a detailed digital map of streets, temples, and workshops.
• Hidden Streets Uncovered: The scans revealed a massive Hippodamian grid (a formal street network) with residential blocks that are among the largest ever found in the ancient world.
• Reshaping History: The find validates classical texts by historians like Pliny the Elder and provides the first physical evidence for what was one of Alexander's final ambitious settlements. 

• Founding: Originally established in 324 BCE by Alexander the Great as "Alexandria on the Tigris" to consolidate control over Mesopotamian waterways.
• Location: Situated at the ancient confluence of the Tigris and Eulaeus (Karkheh) rivers near the modern Iraq-Iran border.
• Reconstruction: After multiple destructions by flooding, the city was rebuilt by the satrap Hyspaosines in the 2nd century BCE, who renamed it Charax Spasinou and made it the capital of the Kingdom of Characene.
• Trade Hub: For nearly 500 years, it served as a vital commercial gateway connecting India and China to the Mediterranean, facilitating the trade of spices, silk, and precious stones.
• Political Significance: It acted as an autonomous bridge between the Roman and Parthian empires. Emperor Trajan famously visited the city in 116 CE, where he watched ships sailing for India.
• Unique Design: The city features an enormous antiflood embankment nearly 4.5 km long and residential grid blocks measuring approximately 185 by 85 metres.
• Decline: Its importance faded in the 3rd century CE after the Sassanian Empire rose to power and geological changes caused the Tigris River to shift away from the city. 

• New 2026 Regulations: The RBI notified the Foreign Exchange Management (Borrowing and Lending) (First Amendment) Regulations, 2026, marking the biggest overhaul of the ECB framework in years.
• Borrowing Limit Increase: The annual borrowing limit under the automatic route has been raised from $750 million to the higher of $1 billion or 300% of the borrower's net worth.
• Removal of Pricing Caps: The "all-in-cost" ceiling (previously capped at 500-550 bps over benchmarks like SOFR) has been scrapped. Borrowing costs are now market-determined, allowing companies to negotiate terms freely based on their credit profiles.
• M&A and Acquisition Financing: For the first time, ECB proceeds can now be used for domestic acquisitions (obtaining a strategic/controlling stake), a move expected to trigger a surge in Indian mergers and acquisitions.
• Incentives for Infrastructure: The government enhanced the limit for infrastructure sector borrowers under the approval route from $100 million to $500 million per year to meet massive funding requirements. 

• Purpose: Primarily used for capital expenditure, infrastructure projects, modernisation, and fresh investments.
• Forms of ECB: Can include bank loans, buyers' credit, suppliers' credit, and securitised instruments like Floating Rate Notes or Fixed Rate Bonds.

• Automatic Route: Cases are examined and approved directly by Authorised Dealer (AD) Category-I Banks without prior RBI clearance.
• Approval Route: Requires prior RBI approval for specific cases exceeding automatic limits or involving unusual end-uses.

• Eligible Borrowers: All entities eligible to receive Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), including companies, SEZ units, Port Trusts, and registered micro-finance institutions.
• Recognised Lenders: Must be residents of FATF or IOSCO-compliant countries. This includes international banks, multilateral institutions (like IFC or ADB), and foreign equity holders.

• India's First: This is the first time an Indian state has formally acknowledged slow-onset tidal events—which occur roughly twice daily—as eligible for disaster relief.
• U.S. 2025-2026 Outlook: According to the latest NOAA High Tide Flooding Outlook, the U.S. is predicted to experience a median of 4 to 9 high tide flood days through April 2026, with the Pacific Islands seeing up to 20 days.
• UK Weather Alert: On 18 February 2026, the UK Environment Agency warned of high tidal flood risks across South West England due to persistent wet weather and strong winds expected through mid-March. 

• Core Causes:
  • Spring Tides: Occur during full or new moon cycles when gravitational pull is strongest.
  • Sea Level Rise: Climate change-induced rising oceans amplify the frequency and depth of these floods.
  • Land Subsidence: In areas like the U.S. Gulf Coast or Venice, sinking land makes tidal ingress more severe.
• Characteristics:
  • Can occur on calm, sunny days without any storm activity.
  • Often impacts the same low-lying infrastructure repeatedly (roads, sewers, basements).
• Socio-Economic Impacts:
  • Infrastructure Stress: Repeated saltwater exposure corrodes roads and overwhelms gravity-based drainage systems.
  • Livelihood Loss: Fishermen, coastal farmers (due to soil salinity), and small traders face constant disruption.
  • Public Health: Stagnant saline water increases risks of waterborne diseases and mold growth in homes.
• Severity Levels (NOAA Standards):
  • Minor (0.55m): Mostly disruptive; leads to stormwater backups and road closures.
  • Moderate (0.85m): Likely to damage homes and businesses.
  • Major (1.20m): Destructive; often requires evacuations and major infrastructure repairs. 

• Vazhachal Bird Survey: A three-day scientific survey in Kerala's Vazhachal Forest Division recorded active nesting of the Malabar Pied Hornbill, highlighting the region as a "hornbill paradise" with high avian diversity.
• "Hornbill Restaurants": The Chhattisgarh Forest Department has established six "hornbill restaurants" in the Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve (USTR) to provide dedicated feeding sites and promote the natural expansion of the rare species.
• Tamil Nadu Conservation Drive: The Tamil Nadu government recently launched a long-term survey (running until April 2026) and established India’s first Centre of Excellence for Hornbill Conservation at the Anamalai Tiger Reserve to protect this species and its habitat.
• Community Success: A two-decade-long initiative involving the Kadar tribal community in Kerala has successfully restored local populations to nearly 100 individuals across 12 nesting sites. 

• Appearance: Distinctive black plumage with a white belly, throat patch, and tail sides. It features a large yellow bill topped with a prominent black casque.
• Sexual Dimorphism: Males have black skin around the eye and red eyes, while females have white/pale blue orbital skin and are generally smaller.
• Distribution: Found in three distinct regions: the Western Ghats, parts of Central and Eastern India (Odisha, Chhattisgarh), and Sri Lanka.
• Diet: Primarily frugivorous (fruit-eating), with figs making up about 60% of their diet. They are also opportunistic omnivores, eating small reptiles, insects, and mammals.
• Ecological Role: Known as "farmers of the forest" because they are vital seed dispersers, aiding in the regeneration of tropical forest ecosystems.
• Unique Breeding: The female seals herself inside a tree cavity using a paste of mud and droppings, leaving only a tiny slit. The male feeds her and the chicks through this slit for several weeks.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Near Threatened (NT).
  • Wildlife Protection Act (India): Schedule I (highest level of protection).
• Major Threats: Habitat loss due to deforestation, the decline of large nesting trees, and poaching for meat or traditional medicinal beliefs. 

• Status: The highest decision-making body within the Ministry of Defence for deciding on new policies and capital acquisitions.
• Establishment: Formed in 2001 based on the recommendations of the Group of Ministers on "Reforming the National Security System" following the 1999 Kargil War.
• Objective: To ensure expeditious procurement of approved requirements for the Armed Forces by optimally utilising allocated budgets.
• Composition:
  • Chairman: Union Minister of Defence.
  • Members: Includes the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), the Chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, the Defence Secretary, and the Director General (Acquisition).
• Key Functions:
  • Acceptance of Necessity (AoN): Grants the first formal procedural approval required for any capital acquisition project to proceed.
  • Categorisation: Decides the procurement route, such as 'Buy (Indian-IDDM)', 'Buy & Make', or 'Make', to prioritise indigenous manufacturing.
  • Strategic Planning: Gives in-principle approval to the 15-year Long-Term Integrated Perspective Plan (LTIPP) for modernisation.
  • Monitoring: Oversees the progress of major projects based on feedback from the Defence Procurement Board.
• Significance: It acts as the cornerstone of the Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-reliant India) initiative in defence, with over 90% of recent approvals focusing on indigenous sourcing.

• Location: Situated on the northern outskirts of Bhirrana village in Fatehabad, Haryana, overlooking the dried-up bed of the ancient Saraswati River (modern-day Ghaggar-Hakra system).
• Oldest Site: It is recognized as the oldest known Harappan site in the Indian subcontinent, even predating the famous Mehrgarh site in Pakistan.
• Unbroken Cultural Sequence: The site is unique because it shows a continuous evolution through four major phases:
  • Period IA (Hakra Wares Culture): Characterized by subterranean dwelling pits plastered with yellow alluvium.
  • Period IB (Early Harappan): Featured open-air mud-brick houses and advanced pottery.
  • Period IIA (Early Mature Harappan): Saw the introduction of fortification walls and formal town planning.
  • Period IIB (Mature Harappan): Represented by a full-fledged city with standard Harappan seals, baked bricks, and drainage.
• Key Findings:
  • Dancing Girl Graffiti: A piece of red potsherd was discovered featuring an engraving of a "Dancing Girl" similar to the famous bronze statue from Mohenjo-daro.
  • Urban Planning: Excavations revealed a grid-pattern layout, wide streets, and a sophisticated water filtration system using sand, gravel, and charcoal.
  • Advanced Craftsmanship: Artifacts include copper bangles, arrowheads, beads of lapis lazuli and carnelian, and terracotta wheels with painted spokes.
  • Pit Dwellings: The earliest inhabitants lived in circular pits, some with brick lining and chulhas (cooking stoves) containing charred grains.
• Trade Hub: Evidence suggests Bhirrana was a significant commercial hub, with standardized weights and materials like marine shells and lapis lazuli indicating trade with distant coastal regions and Central Asia. 

• Geography: A narrow maritime chokepoint between Iran (north) and the UAE/Oman (south) that connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
• Strategic Dimensions: It is approximately 167 km long and just 33 km wide at its narrowest point, with shipping lanes in each direction being only 3 km wide.
• Energy Lifeline: It is the world's most critical oil transit chokepoint; roughly 20–25% of global seaborne oil and 20% of global liquefied natural gas (LNG) pass through it daily.
• Major Exporters: Essential for oil and gas shipments from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, and Qatar.
• Asian Dependence: Approximately 80–85% of the oil transiting the strait is destined for Asian markets, particularly China, India, Japan, and South Korea.
• India's Stakes: India relies on this route for nearly 40% of its crude oil imports and over 50% of its LNG imports, making its stability vital for India's energy security.
• Economic Impact: Analysts estimate that a total blockade could cause oil prices to surge to between $120 and $150 per barrel.
• Legal Status: Governed by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which generally grants ships the right of "transit passage," though Iran has historically contested certain interpretations.
• Alternative Routes: Limited bypass options exist, such as Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline and the UAE’s Habshan-Fujairah Pipeline, but they currently only handle a fraction of the strait's total volume. 

• Discovery of Climate Rhythms: New research from the University of Southampton, published, reveals that even during the deepest freeze, Earth's climate "pulsed." By studying 2,600 layers of ancient Scottish rocks (varves), scientists found evidence of annual seasons, solar cycles, and even El Niño-like patterns pulsing beneath the ice.
• Habitable "Oases": The same study suggests that for these climate cycles to exist, roughly 15% of the ocean must have remained ice-free. These open-water "oases" in the tropics likely acted as critical life-rafts, allowing our earliest multicellular ancestors to survive the 57-million-year freeze.
• Ocean Temperature Quantified: In mid-February 2026, an international team led by Chinese scientists provided the first quantitative measurements of Snowball Earth ocean temperatures. Their findings in Nature Communications indicate that coastal waters ranged from -22°C to -8°C and were up to four times saltier than modern oceans.
• Evolutionary Boost: A February 2025 study highlighted how massive glaciers "ground up" the Earth's crust, releasing a flood of minerals and phosphorus into the oceans. This "nutrient spike" is now believed to be a primary trigger for the explosion of complex life that followed the thaw. 

• The Periods: The most famous "Snowball" episodes occurred during the Cryogenian Period (approx. 720–635 million years ago), specifically the Sturtian and Marinoan glaciations.
• The Mechanism:
  • Runaway Cooling: Triggered by a sharp drop in (likely from tectonic shifts and rock weathering), ice reflected sunlight back into space (Albedo Effect), causing a feedback loop that froze the equator.
  • The Thaw: Earth escaped this state through millions of years of volcanic outgassing. Without rain to wash out of the air, the gas built up to extreme levels, eventually creating a massive greenhouse effect that melted the ice in as little as 1,000 years.
• Key Evidence:
  • Dropstones: Large boulders found embedded in fine-layered marine sediments in tropical palaeolatitudes, proving that icebergs once floated near the equator.
  • Cap Carbonates: Thick layers of limestone sitting directly atop glacial debris, recording the rapid, violent transition from a global deep-freeze to a "hothouse" environment.
  • Banded Iron Formations (BIFs): The reappearance of these rocks suggests the oceans were sealed off from the atmosphere, becoming oxygen-depleted (anoxic).
• Impact on Life:
  • Bottleneck Effect: The extreme conditions forced a "survival of the fittest," potentially driving the transition from single-celled organisms to multicellularity.
  • Oxygenation: The post-glacial "nutrient flood" caused cyanobacteria blooms, significantly raising atmospheric oxygen and setting the stage for the Cambrian Explosion. 

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