Daily Current Affairs 2025  

11/03/2026

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CA-11/03/2026

• International Status Granted: The Union Cabinet approved the proposal to designate Madurai Airport as an international airport, elevating it from its previous "Customs Airport" s status.
• Economic & Tourism Boost: The upgrade is expected to attract more international airlines, benefit the local automobile and chemical industrial clusters, and ease travel for pilgrims visiting sites like the Meenakshi Amman Temple and Rameswaram.
• Expansion Milestones: Recent court rulings have accelerated land acquisition for runway expansion, which is necessary to handle larger wide-body aircraft. 

• Operations: The airport has been operating 24/7 (round-the-clock) since October 1, 2024, facilitating night-time flights and better infrastructure utilization.
• Location: Situated approximately 12 km south of Madurai city centre.
• Traffic: It is the fourth busiest airport in Tamil Nadu, following Chennai, Coimbatore, and Tiruchirappalli.

• Runway: Currently 2,285 metres (7,500 ft) long, with plans to extend it to 3,800 metres (12,500 ft) to accommodate wide-body aircraft.
• Facilities: Features a single terminal with 12 parking bays and a CAT-I Instrument Landing System (ILS).
• Cargo: A dedicated cargo terminal (repurposed from the old passenger terminal) has been operational since December 2017.

• Domestic: Regular flights to major cities including Chennai, Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad.
• International: Currently serves destinations like Colombo, Dubai, and Singapore.
• Passenger Traffic: Handled approximately 1.39 million passengers in the 2024–25 fiscal year.

• Operational Expansion: As of March 10, 2026, BBSSL has officially registered 3,418 cooperative societies as members in Bihar alone, despite not having a formal branch office there.
• Direct Farmer Impact: Quality and affordable seeds have been provided to nearly 20,000 farmers in the current financial year.
• Remunerative Procurement: BBSSL is currently procuring seeds from farmers at MSP plus a 10% bonus, or the state corporation's rate (whichever is higher), providing a significant income boost.
• Recent Strategic MoUs: In early 2026, BBSSL signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Assam to boost local seed availability and cooperative farming. 

• Establishment: Formed on January 25, 2023, under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) Act, 2002.
• Promoters: A joint venture by five major cooperative bodies: KRIBHCO (lead promoter), IFFCO, NAFED, NDDB, and NCDC.

• Initial Paid-up Capital: ₹250 Crore (₹50 Crore from each promoter).
• Revenue Target: Ambitious turnover goal of ₹18,000 crore by 2032-33.
• Primary Brand: All quality seeds are distributed under the single brand name 'Bharat Beej'.

• Seed Replacement: Increasing the Seed Replacement Rate (SRR) and Varietal Replacement Rate (VRR) to improve yields.
• Indigenous Seeds: Focusing on the collection, preservation, and promotion of traditional and indigenous seeds.
• Self-Reliance: Reducing dependence on imported seeds to support Atmanirbhar Bharat.

• Covers the entire seed lifecycle: testing, certification, production, procurement, processing, and branding.
• Targeting a network of over 20,000 additional cooperatives by the end of the 2025-26 period.
• Digital Integration: Operates through the Bharat Beej (BBSSL) mobile app for effortless member registration and document management.

• Vision & Goal: Guided by the slogan "Sahkar se Samriddhi" (Prosperity through Cooperation), it aims to build a "Viksit Bharat" by 2047.
• Duration: A comprehensive 20-year roadmap (2025–2045) that replaces the outdated 2002 National Policy on Cooperatives.

• Strengthening Foundation: Legal reforms to enhance autonomy and ease of doing business.
• Promoting Vibrancy: Expanding exports through the National Cooperative Export Limited (NCEL) and creating model cooperative villages.
• Future Readiness: Full computerisation of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) and adoption of AI/Blockchain.
• Inclusive Growth: Focused participation of women, youth, SC/STs, and tribals.

• GDP Contribution: Triple the cooperative sector's share in India’s GDP by 2034.
• Membership: Activate 50 crore citizens into the cooperative movement.
• Coverage: Ensure at least one cooperative society in every village and 2 lakh new multipurpose PACS by 2026.

• New Sectors: Moves cooperatives beyond traditional agriculture into green energy, insurance, health, tourism, and taxi services ("Sahkar Taxi").
• Educational Reform: Establishment of the Tribhuvan Sahkari University in Anand, Gujarat, as India's first national cooperative university.
• Drafting Committee: Formulated by a 48-member committee headed by former Union Minister Suresh Prabhu after analyzing over 640 stakeholder suggestions.

• Cooperative ownership under Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002; drivers (called Sarathis) buy Rs 500 shares to become co-owners.
• No surge pricing in normal conditions; fixed low fares (Rs 30 for 4 km); zero commission, with subsidies for drivers.
• Supports cars, three-wheelers, and two-wheelers; 80% profits shared with drivers based on km driven, 20% for cooperative funds.​
• Safety includes driver verification, Delhi Police integration, real-time tracking, and 24/7 support.​
• Social Security for Drivers- Accident insurance and health insurance coverage.

• Established June 6, 2025, by Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited under Ministry of Cooperation and National e-Governance Division.
• Officially launched on 5 February 2026 by Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah.
• Pilot phase started in December 2025 in Delhi-NCR and Gujarat.
• It aims to create a driver-centric mobility ecosystem through the cooperative model.
• Driver-owned cooperative model, where drivers (called Sarathis) have ownership and profit-sharing rights.
• The platform is operated by Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited and supported by the Ministry of Cooperation.  
• Institutional Support:- IFFCO, Amul (GCMMF), NABARD, NCDC, KRIBHCO,NDDB,NAFED,NCEL

• Cooperative Economy: Promotes “Sahkar se Samriddhi” (Prosperity through Cooperation).
• Driver Empowerment: Provides ownership, social security, and better income.
• Competition in Ride-Hailing Market: Challenges monopoly of private aggregators.
• Affordable Urban Mobility: Potentially cheaper rides for consumers.
• Digital Public Infrastructure: Integrates mobility with India’s digital ecosystem.

• Lakshadweep Expansion: The Union Government approved four new ice-plant units for Lakshadweep under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) as part of a ₹62.43 crore package.
• Direct Expansion (DX) Technology: New 5-tonnes-per-day DX block ice plants were sanctioned for the Chetlat and Kiltan islands to modernize local preservation.
• Renewable Energy Integration: The government is actively exploring the use of solar power to run these ice plants to reduce dependence on diesel-based generation.
• National Infrastructure Push: In ongoing parliamentary sessions (March 2026), the government highlighted that 38 ice plants/cold storages have been approved for Odisha and similar projects are being fast-tracked in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. 

• Primary Purpose: Ice plants are critical for maintaining the cold chain, as fish spoilage begins immediately after catch; ice is the most cost-effective preservation method for small-scale fishers.
• PMMSY Funding: Under the PMMSY scheme, the central government provides substantial subsidies for setting up ice plants:
  • 60% subsidy for women and SC/ST beneficiaries.
  • 40% subsidy for other categories.
• Types of Units:
  • Block Ice Plants: Traditional units producing large blocks for long-duration storage.
  • Slurry/Flake Ice: Modern machines that can be fixed onboard fishing vessels to cool fish faster without damaging the product.
• Economic Impact: Improved ice availability has helped increase fish production in regions like Lakshadweep from 500 tonnes in the 1960s to approximately 20,000 tonnes annually today.
• Strategic Goal: Part of India's target to reach 220 lakh tonnes of fish production by FY 2025–26 by minimizing the current high post-harvest wastage.
• Modernization Focus: Shift towards containerised ice plants and energy-efficient systems to make coastal fishermen villages climate-resilient. 

• Launched: September 2020 by PM Narendra Modi as part of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
• Total outlay: ₹20,050 crore initially (FY 2021-25), extended to FY 2026.
• Nodal agency: Department of Fisheries, with NFDB for training/capacity building.​
• Components: Central Sector (non-beneficiary) and Centrally Sponsored (beneficiary-oriented; 40% aid for general, 60% for SC/ST/women).​

• Double fishers' income via enhanced production, productivity, and value chain.​​
• Generate 68 lakh jobs by 2024-25 end; promote Blue Revolution.​​
• Address challenges like post-harvest losses, informal sector, and poor credit access.​

• Infrastructure: Fishing harbors, cold chains, aquaculture farms.​
• Welfare: Insurance for fishers, Kisan Credit Card integration.​
• Sub-scheme PM-MKSSY: ₹6,000 crore (2023-27) with World Bank aid for formalization, safety, and quality.
• Progress: Beneficiary success stories of job creation; ₹5,450 crore recent allocation.

• On March 10, 2026, the Ministry of Heavy Industries reported that tenders for 6,228 e-buses have been concluded, and Letters of Award (LoA) for 4,720 buses have already been issued to Public Transport Authorities (PTAs).

• Core Objective: The scheme acts as a financial safety shield, ensuring that private operators and manufacturers receive timely monthly payments even if a Public Transport Authority (PTA) defaults.
• Total Outlay: The Union Cabinet approved the scheme with a budget of ₹3,435.33 crore.
• Target Scope: It aims to support the deployment of more than 38,000 electric buses between FY 2024-25 and FY 2028-29.
• Operating Model:
  • Buses are inducted under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model, specifically the Gross Cost Contract (GCC) approach.
  • Under GCC, operators procure and manage the buses while PTAs pay them on a monthly basis.
• Payment Mechanism:
  • In case of default, CESL (the implementing agency) pays the operators from the PSM fund.
  • The defaulting PTA must repay this amount; if they fail, the RBI can invoke the Direct Debit Mandate (DDM) to recover funds from the state’s account.
• Support Duration: The scheme provides payment security for up to 12 years from the date of a bus's deployment.
• Environmental Impact: The massive deployment is expected to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and dependency on fossil fuels like diesel and CNG.
• Complementary Scheme: It works alongside the PM E-DRIVE scheme, which provides demand incentives for electric vehicles, including buses. 

• Definition: PLCs are "Beacon" or well-performing Gram Panchayats selected to serve as immersion-based training sites where other panchayat leaders can learn through real-world demonstrations.
• Selection Criteria: They are chosen based on success stories, exemplary work in identified LSDG themes, or high rankings in the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI).
• Primary Objective: To facilitate peer learning and experiential training for Elected Representatives (ERs) through exposure visits and "face-to-face" field classes.
• Activities Offered:
  • Demonstrations of effective Gram Sabha functioning and committee meetings.
  • Practical training on preparing Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDP).
  • Showcasing "Low Cost/No Cost" activities and local livelihood initiatives.
• Infrastructure Support: Under the Revamped RGSA, support is provided for digital libraries, computers, and setting up training venues at these sites.
• Governance Structure: Each PLC is typically headed by the local Sarpanch (Chairman) and assisted by a Resource Person or Young Fellow (Vice Chairman) and the GP Secretary (Convenor).
• Implementation Agency: The overall supervision and monitoring are managed by the State Institutes of Rural Development (SIRDs).

• India is the largest global manufacturer of generic medicines but remains critically dependent on China for raw materials.
• For specific life-saving antibiotics (Penicillin, Cephalosporins), dependency is as high as 80-100%.

• Chinese APIs are often 20-30% cheaper due to massive economies of scale, integrated chemical clusters, and state subsidies.

• PLI Scheme for Bulk Drugs: With an outlay of ₹6,940 crore, it has successfully commissioned 38 projects covering 28 critical products as of December 2025.
• Import Substitution: India has started domestic production of 29 out of 43 formerly 100% imported "critical" APIs through the PLI initiative.
• Bulk Drug Parks: Dedicated parks are being established in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, and Himachal Pradesh with a ₹3,000 crore budget to reduce logistics and utility costs.

• Biopharma SHAKTI: A new ₹10,000 crore initiative announced in the 2026 Union Budget to strengthen the domestic biopharmaceutical ecosystem and research capacity.

• The Indian API industry is projected to grow from $14.18 billion in 2025 to $22.18 billion by 2031. 

• Infrastructure Milestone: As of February 2026, approximately 2,17,805 Gram Panchayats (GPs) have been made "service ready" under BharatNet, including over 10,886 in Tamil Nadu.
• Amended BharatNet Program (ABP): The government is actively upgrading existing networks to ensure balance GPs and remaining non-GP villages receive connectivity on demand.
• 4G Saturation Project: Till February 2026, a total of 24,263 mobile towers have been commissioned to provide 4G services in previously uncovered remote and rural areas.
• New Pilot Launches: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) recently launched the Digital India Common Service Center (DICSC) project in districts like Pilibhit and Gorakhpur to establish model centers in nearly all gram panchayats. 

• Concept: A "Digital Village" is a connected village where citizens can access various e-services (banking, health, education, etc.) through Common Service Centres (CSCs).
• Core Services Provided:
  • Financial Inclusion: Banking, insurance, and pension services.
  • Healthcare: Access to telemedicine (eSanjeevani) and health check-ups.
  • Education: Virtual classrooms, digital literacy (PMGDISHA), and access to platforms like DIKSHA.
  • Livelihood Units: Small manufacturing units like LED bulb assembly and sanitary napkin units managed by local workers.
• Funding & Support:
  • Projects are funded through the Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) (formerly the Universal Service Obligation Fund).
  • The government previously set a target of one lakh villages, with an initial pilot phase covering 700 villages across the country.
• Key Enablers:
  • CSC SPV: The implementing agency under MeitY that manages the network of over 6.5 lakh Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs).
  • PM-WANI: Promotes affordable public Wi-Fi hotspots; as of February 2026, over 4 lakh hotspots have been deployed.
• Strategic Impact: The project aims to empower rural residents, reduce the digital divide, and foster local economic growth by integrating villages into the broader digital economy.

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