UPSC Current Affairs 09 May 2026

• Litchi belongs to the Sapindaceae family; it is an evergreen subtropical tree native to southern China and Southeast Asia.
• The edible part is the juicy aril (drupe flesh), rich in Vitamin C and B-complex; unripe fruits contain toxins hypoglycin A and methylenecyclopropylglycine (MPCG).
• Trees bear clusters of round-oval fruits (2-5 cm), ripening in summer; historical records date to 1657 illustrations.

• India is the world's second-largest producer after China, with ~95,000 hectares under cultivation yielding 727,000 MT (2018-19 data); Bihar leads at 40% production from 32,000 ha, followed by West Bengal (12%) and Jharkhand (10%).
• Expanded to 19 states including UP, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Assam, Punjab, Maharashtra, and southern states like Tamil Nadu; traditionally in Himalayan foothills.
• National Research Centre on Litchi (ICAR-NRCL), established 2001 in Muzaffarpur, Bihar (ISO 9001:2015 certified), leads R&D on varieties, IPM, post-harvest tech, and productivity (current 7-8 t/ha vs potential 14-15 t/ha).

• Supports livelihoods for millions, especially in Bihar (300,000 MT from 32,000 ha); export potential high but current exports low (~108 MT).
• GI-tagged varieties like Muzaffarpur Shahi Litchi boost value; recent exports include rose-scented litchi to Qatar (2025).
• Challenges include pests like stink bug, low productivity gaps, and climate sensitivity.

• Linked to Muzaffarpur's "chamki ki bimari" (acute encephalopathy) in children; unripe litchi toxins cause hypoglycemia on empty stomachs, leading to seizures (confirmed in 2017 US-India Lancet study).
• Poverty and malnutrition exacerbate risks; avoid unripe fruits, especially for malnourished kids skipping evening meals.

• BRICS MSME cooperation framework established in 2016; special sessions held since 2018, with SME Action Plan 2025-2030 and Strategy for BRICS Economic Partnership 2025 promoting MSME integration into value chains and digital trade.
• Brazil's presidency proposed the BRICS MSME Forum as a permanent body for policy coordination, stakeholder dialogue, and MSME network among ministries/agencies.
• India joined the BRICS Industrial Centre for MSMEs in February 2026 to strengthen engagement; earlier events include 9th BRICS Industry Ministers' Meeting (2025) and India BRICS Business Summit in Hyderabad (April 2026).

• Information Exchange: Maintain focal points, map MSME/startup ecosystems, share trade intelligence, hold thematic seminars, and facilitate business development info.
• Interaction & Synergy: Establish BRICS MSME Forum with annual meetings, governance, B2B cooperation, R&D collaboration, capacity building, and sustainable practices support.
• Trade & Value Chains: Map digital platforms, identify cooperation areas (digital/green transition), develop policy recommendations, and engage international organizations.
• Additional proposals: Joint benchmarking, climate transition programs, tailored financial products, harmonized regulations, and a dedicated digital platform for MSMEs.

• Leading renewed agenda via Part NIR, focusing on resilient MSME sectors through institutional capacity, innovative financing, and policy exchanges.
• Commerce Secretary called for MSME collaboration at BRICS Trade Ministers' Meeting (November 2025), highlighting MSMEs as industrial backbone.

• Conclusive Titling: Moving from a "presumptive" title system to a "conclusive" one where the government guarantees land ownership.
• Transparency: Minimising land disputes and fraudulent transactions by making records accessible online to all citizens.
• Single-Window Access: Providing "anytime-anywhere" access to land records through a unified portal.

• Computerisation of Records: Digitising textual Records of Rights (RoR) and automating the mutation (transfer of ownership) process.
• Digitisation of Cadastral Maps: Converting traditional paper maps into digital formats and integrating them with textual records.
• Survey/Re-survey: Using modern technologies like drones, GIS, and GPS to update land boundaries and records.
• Revenue Court Computerisation: A new component in this phase aimed at digitising cases related to land disputes for faster resolution.

• Bhu-Aadhaar (ULPIN): A 14-digit alphanumeric ID assigned to every land parcel based on its longitude and latitude coordinates.
• NGDRS: The National Generic Document Registration System provides a "One Nation, One Software" solution for property registration.
• Aadhaar Linking: Consent-based linking of Aadhaar numbers with land records to prevent identity theft in property deals.

• Reduced Litigation: Accurate, tamper-proof records significantly lower the scope for ownership disputes.
• Easy Credit Access: Banks can verify land records online, making it faster for farmers and owners to secure loans.
• Faster Registration: Property registration time has been reduced from hours to mere minutes in many integrated states.

• Predominant Gas: Mostly molecular hydrogen (H₂), which is difficult to detect directly because it stays cold and dark.
• Tracers: Astronomers often use carbon monoxide (CO) to find these clouds, as it emits detectable radio waves.
• Dust Grains: About 1% of the mass consists of tiny solid particles (like cigarette smoke) that block visible light, creating "dark nebulae".

• Extreme Cold: Temperatures typically range from 10 to 30 Kelvin (-263°C to -243°C).
• Immense Mass: Giant Molecular Clouds (GMCs) can reach millions of solar masses and span hundreds of light-years.
• High Density: While still better vacuums than those made on Earth, their cores are dense enough to allow gravity to pull gas together into stars.

• Formation: They assemble from atomic hydrogen in the interstellar medium.
• Star Birth: When a cloud's core becomes too heavy or is hit by a shockwave (like a supernova), it collapses to form protostars.
• Destruction: Once massive stars are born, their intense radiation and stellar winds blow the remaining gas away, eventually dispersing the cloud.

• Foundations of Life: They contain water, alcohols, and amino acids, which can be delivered to new planets via comets and asteroids.
• Galactic Evolution: They are the primary sites where the gas in a galaxy is recycled into new generations of stars.

• Range: Approximately 6,000 kilometres (3,728 miles), placing it in the ICBM category (missiles with ranges exceeding 5,500 km).
• Speed: Capable of reaching extreme hypersonic speeds between Mach 9 and Mach 25 (up to 30,850 km/h).
• Payload Capacity: Can carry a warhead (high explosive or strategic) weighing up to 3,000 kg (3 tons).
• Propulsion System: It is Turkey's first liquid-fuelled rocket system, using nitrogen tetroxide/dinitrogen tetroxide as an oxidizer and unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine as fuel.
• Engine Configuration: Features four rocket propulsion engines.

• Strike Reach: From Turkish territory, the missile can theoretically reach targets across most of Europe, Asia, and Africa, including cities like Moscow, Beijing, London, and Nairobi.
• Launch Platform: Designed to be launched from a mobile wheeled launcher (likely an 8x8 heavy truck) for better survivability and mobility.
• Evasion: Its high hypersonic velocity is specifically intended to help it evade modern, layered air defence systems.

• First domestically developed Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM).

• Developer: Developed by the Turkish National Defence Ministry's Research and Development (R&D) Center.
• Development Timeline: The project has reportedly been in development for roughly 10 years.
• Status: As of May 2026, the missile is in the prototype/initial production phase; mass production has not yet commenced.

• Self-Reliance: The program is part of Turkey's broader "One Nation, One Software/Hardware" push to become militarily self-reliant and reduce dependence on foreign technology.
• Geopolitical Impact: Analysts view the Yildirimhan as a tool for regional power projection and a response to shifting security landscapes in Europe and the Middle East.

• Digestion: It breaks down complex carbohydrates (fiber/starch) that human enzymes cannot, liberating short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that fuel the body.
• Immune Training: About 70–80% of immune cells reside in the gut; the microbiome teaches them to distinguish between "friendly" and "harmful" invaders.
• Vitamin Synthesis: It produces essential nutrients like Vitamin K and Vitamin B12.

• Neurotransmitter Production: Gut microbes produce or stimulate roughly 90% of the body’s serotonin, influencing mood, sleep, and mental clarity.
• Vagus Nerve: A "superhighway" connecting the gut and brain, allowing microbial signals to influence neurological health.

• Diet: Diverse, plant-rich diets are the primary driver of a "healthy" microbiome.
• Environment: Factors like antibiotics, pesticides, stress, and sleep deprivation can trigger dysbiosis (microbial imbalance).
• Age: Diversity typically shifts with age, which recent studies link to changes in metabolism and immunity.

• Psychobiotics: Specialized probiotics being trialled to treat depression and anxiety.
• Precision Nutrition: Personalized diets based on an individual's unique microbiome score (e.g., ZOE Health Ranking).
• Microbiome Gene Editing: Experimental use of genetically engineered microbes to prevent conditions like kidney stones.

• Self-Employment: To create self-employment opportunities for first-generation entrepreneurs in rural and urban areas.
• Sustainable Livelihood: To provide sustainable employment to traditional artisans and unemployed youth near their homes to prevent migration.
• Micro-Enterprise Growth: To facilitate the setting up of new micro-enterprises in the non-farm sector.

• Nodal Agency: Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) at the national level.
• State Level: Implemented by State KVIC Directorates, State Khadi and Village Industries Boards (KVIBs), District Industries Centres (DICs), and banks.

• Age: Any individual above 18 years of age.
• Educational Qualification:
  • Class 8 pass required for projects above ₹10 lakh (Manufacturing) or ₹5 lakh (Service).
  • No qualification required for projects below these limits.
• Eligible Entities: Individuals, Self Help Groups (SHGs), Charitable Trusts, and Co-operative Societies.
• Exclusions: Only new projects are eligible. Units that have already availed of other government subsidies are not eligible.

Category of Beneficiary	Beneficiary Contribution	Subsidy (Urban)	Subsidy (Rural)
General Category	10%	15%	25%
Special Category*	05%	25%	35%

• Manufacturing Sector: Maximum project cost of ₹50 lakh.
• Service/Business Sector: Maximum project cost of ₹20 lakh.
• Upgradation: Existing well-performing PMEGP units can apply for a second loan of up to ₹1 crore for manufacturing and ₹25 lakh for services with a 15–20% subsidy.

• Material: Primarily made from high-strength polymers like High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene, or newer sustainable materials like jute and recycled plastic.
• Design: A network of interconnected cells that are collapsed for transport and expanded on-site into a honeycomb-like mattress.
• Infill: These cells are typically filled with local soil, sand, aggregate, or even concrete, depending on the application.

• Confinement Effect: By encapsulating the infill material, geocells prevent the lateral movement of soil particles, creating a rigid "slab" effect that distributes heavy loads over a wider area.
• Stress Reduction: They can reduce vertical stresses transferred to the subgrade by up to 30%, allowing for thinner road base requirements.
• Erosion Control: On slopes, the cells hold soil and vegetation in place, preventing washouts from rainwater or surface runoff.

• Road Construction: Used for reinforcing road bases, particularly in marshy or soft-soil areas, reducing the need for expensive aggregate layers.
• Railways: Stabilizes the ballast and sub-ballast layers to prevent track deformation and improve drainage.
• Slope Protection: Stabilizes steep embankments, retaining walls, and channel linings.
• Infrastructure: Employed in airport runways, industrial yards, and container terminals to handle extreme static and dynamic loads.

• Cost-Efficient: Reduces construction material needs (up to 50% less aggregate) and lowers long-term maintenance costs.
• Sustainability: Facilitates the use of local, low-quality infill materials and reduces the carbon footprint by minimizing transport needs.
• Climate Resilience: Helps infrastructure withstand extreme weather conditions, such as heavy monsoons, which typically cause potholes and road settling.

• Size: It is the second-largest heron in the world, standing about 127 cm tall with a wingspan of up to 2 meters.
• Appearance: Distinctive dark grey plumage with a contrasting white throat, belly, and vent. It has a long, slender neck and a massive blackish bill.

• Restricted Range: Found only in the freshwater ecosystems of the Eastern Himalayas.
• Key Strongholds:
  • Bhutan: Hosts nearly half the global population (stronghold in Punatshangchhu and Mangdechhu basins).
  • India: Found only in Arunachal Pradesh (Namdapha and Kamlang Tiger Reserves).
  • Myanmar: Small populations in the northern Kachin state.
• Extinctions: Believed to be locally extinct in Nepal and Bangladesh.

• Bio-indicator: Its presence is a critical indicator of a healthy river ecosystem, signalling high water quality, thriving fish populations, and low human disturbance.
• Diet: A specialist predator that primarily feeds on fish in fast-flowing river rapids.

• Status: Categorized as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List and listed among the top 100 Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) birds.
• Population: Fewer than 60 individuals are confirmed to exist in the wild globally.
• Major Threats:
  • Infrastructure: Large-scale hydropower dams that fragment river habitats.
  • Habitat Loss: Pollution from mining (sand and gold) and forest fires.
  • Human Pressure: Disturbance from fishing, plastic pollution, and opportunistic hunting with airguns.

• Ex-Situ Breeding: Bhutan’s Conservation Breeding Centre is successfully raising five individuals to bolster wild populations.
• Technological Monitoring: Use of the Earth Ranger platform in Bhutan for real-time tracking and protection of nesting sites.

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