UPSC Current Affairs 07 August 2026

• SPoCS is in the news because the Union Minister for Culture informed the Rajya Sabha that a Category-II Science Centre and an Innovation Hub at Srinagar are being developed under the scheme to promote scientific temper in Jammu & Kashmir.
• The government also shared the latest implementation status, highlighting the growing network of science centres, innovation hubs and their public outreach across India.

• SPoCS (Scheme for Promotion of Culture of Science) is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Culture aimed at promoting scientific temper, innovation, curiosity and informal science education among students and the general public.
• The scheme is implemented by the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Culture.
• It supports the establishment of Science Cities, Science Centres, Innovation Hubs and Digital Planetariums across the country.
• The initiative complements the constitutional duty under Article 51A(h), which calls upon every citizen to develop scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform.

• The Government confirmed that two projects in Srinagar are under implementation:
  • Category-II Science Centre
  • Innovation Hub at Srinagar Science Centre
• The Ministry informed Parliament that over 1.68 crore visitors, including students, have visited science centres established under SPoCS, reflecting the scheme's expanding outreach.
• NCSM continues to expand the national network of Science Centres, Innovation Hubs and Digital Planetariums under the scheme.

• Promote scientific temper and evidence-based thinking among citizens.
• Encourage hands-on learning beyond classroom education.
• Foster innovation, creativity and scientific curiosity among school students.
• Bridge the urban-rural gap in access to science education.
• Strengthen STEM awareness through interactive exhibits and outreach programmes.

• Science Cities for large-scale science communication.
• Science Centres with interactive exhibits and educational galleries.
• Innovation Hubs to nurture creativity, tinkering and problem-solving skills.
• Digital Planetariums for astronomy and space science education.
• Mobile science exhibitions and public science awareness programmes.

• Promotes the constitutional value of scientific temper.
• Strengthens STEM education aligned with the objectives of NEP 2020.
• Encourages innovation and supports India's transition towards a knowledge-based economy.
• Improves access to quality science education in aspirational and remote regions.
• Inspires youth towards careers in science, technology and research.

• Uneven geographical distribution of science centres.
• Need for higher participation from rural and tribal areas.
• Requirement for continuous modernization of exhibits.
• Limited awareness among schools regarding available facilities.

• Expand SPoCS infrastructure in underserved districts.
• Integrate science centres with Atal Tinkering Labs, universities and research institutions.
• Increase digital and multilingual science outreach.
• Strengthen public-private partnerships for innovative science communication.
• Promote experiential learning through regular student engagement programmes.

• Developed by: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• Type: Surface-to-surface, two-stage ballistic missile.
• Propulsion: Solid-fuel rocket motors.
• Range: Approximately 3,000–4,000 km.
• Payload: Around 1,000 kg, capable of carrying conventional or nuclear warheads.
• Mobility: Designed for deployment through mobile launch platforms, enhancing survivability and operational flexibility.
• Guidance: Incorporates advanced inertial navigation and re-entry technologies.
• Agni-4 is classified as an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) by several defence assessments, although the Ministry of Defence’s latest release refers to it as an MRBM.

• Strengthens credible minimum deterrence: The test reinforces India’s declared nuclear doctrine based on credible minimum deterrence and a No-First-Use posture.
• Improves operational readiness: Since the trial was conducted under the SFC, it was significant not merely as a technological demonstration but also as a validation of the missile’s operational preparedness and reliability.
• Enhances survivability: Solid fuel allows quicker launch preparation and simpler logistics compared with liquid-fuel systems. Mobility makes it more difficult for an adversary to locate and neutralise the missile before launch.
• Expands strategic reach: With a range of up to 4,000 km, Agni-4 strengthens India’s land-based deterrent, particularly in the context of evolving missile capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Supports Atmanirbhar Bharat: The test demonstrates indigenous capability in propulsion, navigation, guidance, missile control and re-entry systems. DRDO has developed the Agni missile family to meet India’s strategic security requirements.

• Land-based systems: Agni missile series.
• Sea-based systems: Nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines and submarine-launched ballistic missiles.
• Air-based systems: Nuclear-capable aircraft and air-launched weapons.

• Risk of an arms race and heightened strategic competition in Asia.
• Possibility of miscalculation during periods of regional tension.
• Need for secure command-and-control mechanisms to prevent unauthorised use.
• Balancing strategic modernisation with India’s commitment to global nuclear disarmament.
• Maintaining transparency and confidence-building measures with neighbouring countries.

• National Handloom Day is observed every year on 7 August.
• The date commemorates the launch of the Swadeshi Movement on 7 August 1905 at Calcutta Town Hall.
• The movement promoted indigenous goods and encouraged the boycott of foreign textiles during the anti-Partition of Bengal movement.
• The Government of India declared 7 August as National Handloom Day in 2015.
• The first National Handloom Day was inaugurated in Chennai in 2015.

• Provides employment and supplementary livelihood, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas.
• Preserves India’s regional cultural traditions, designs, motifs and indigenous knowledge.
• Has a high participation of women; more than 72% of handloom weavers and allied workers are reported to be women.
• Uses relatively low levels of mechanisation and can support sustainable, decentralised production.
• Strengthens the objectives of Vocal for Local, Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat 2047.

• India Handloom Brand: Promotes authentic, high-quality handloom products and protects consumers from imitation.
• Handloom Mark: Certifies that a product is genuinely handwoven.
• Raw Material Supply Scheme: Provides yarn and other inputs at comparatively affordable prices.
• National Handloom Development Programme: Supports clusters, infrastructure, design development and marketing.
• Handloom Hackathon 2026 – “Weaving Innovation”: Invites students, startups, researchers, designers and weavers to develop solutions in areas such as sustainability, digital technology, branding, productivity and market access.
• GI protection and e-commerce initiatives: Help associate products with their geographical identity and expand direct market access.

• Competition from powerlooms, mill-made fabrics and cheap synthetic substitutes.
• Irregular access to quality yarn and rising input costs.
• Limited design innovation, branding, packaging and digital marketing.
• Dependence on intermediaries, resulting in low incomes for weavers.
• Weak social-security coverage and inadequate access to institutional credit.
• Risk of declining traditional skills as younger generations shift to other occupations.
• Counterfeit products marketed as handloom goods.

• A comprehensive strategy should combine heritage preservation with commercial viability. This requires direct producer-to-consumer platforms, stronger cooperatives and producer companies, design and technology support, reliable raw-material supply, social-security coverage and improved access to credit.
• Government procurement, GI-based branding, tourism-linked craft circuits and sustainable fashion markets can create stable demand.
• Greater participation of women and youth through digital training and entrepreneurship can ensure that handloom remains a source of dignified livelihood rather than merely a cultural symbol.

• Polymer binder: Holds the fuel and oxidiser components together and provides structural stability.
• Burn-rate catalyst: Regulates and accelerates the rate at which the propellant burns.
• Unlike conventional formulations that use separate materials, HYDERACENE combines both functions in a single polymer molecule.
• Its technical composition is described as ferrocene polyethylene glycidyl grafted hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene, developed through ring-opening polymerisation.

• Self-reliance in critical materials: Missile and space programmes depend not only on major systems but also on specialised chemicals, polymers, propellants and energetic materials. Domestic production can reduce import dependence and supply-chain vulnerabilities.
• Improved propellant stability: Combining the binder and catalyst may reduce separation between components during storage, potentially improving long-term stability and reliability.
• Enhanced propulsion performance: Controlled and efficient combustion can contribute to better performance of solid rocket motors used in missiles, rockets and launch vehicles.
• Defence–space convergence: The technology may have applications in missile systems, sounding rockets, launch vehicles and other solid-propellant propulsion platforms.
• University-led innovation: HYDERACENE demonstrates the role of higher-education institutions in developing strategic technologies and supporting India’s research ecosystem.

• A patent does not automatically mean that the material has been adopted in operational missiles or launch vehicles.
• Extensive testing is required for thermal stability, ageing, mechanical strength, toxicity, storage safety and compatibility with existing propellant formulations.
• Technology transfer, industrial-scale production and quality control remain essential.
• Integration into defence and space systems requires validation by agencies such as DRDO, ISRO and relevant industrial partners.
• Strategic materials must satisfy rigorous safety and reliability standards before deployment.

• The next step should be accelerated technology transfer and commercialisation, along with independent performance testing and pilot-scale production.
• Collaboration among UoH, DRDO, ISRO, public-sector undertakings and private defence manufacturers can help convert the patented innovation into a deployable technology.
• India should also build a wider domestic ecosystem for advanced polymers, energetic chemicals and composite materials instead of focusing only on the final missile or launch vehicle.

• A recent study led by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in collaboration with the George Institute for Global Health India, Gates Foundation, Gavi and other institutions, examined the feasibility of introducing a hexavalent vaccine into India’s Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP).
• The study found that the vaccine could make childhood immunisation more efficient and convenient, but its economic benefits would depend heavily on reducing the procurement price.

• Diphtheria
• Tetanus
• Pertussis or whooping cough
• Hepatitis B
• Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
• Polio

• Replacing the existing pentavalent and fractional IPV doses in the primary immunisation schedule.
• Replacing these vaccines as well as the DTP booster dose with a hexavalent formulation.

• Reduce the number of injections received by infants.
• Save time for parents and caregivers.
• Reduce the workload of Auxiliary Nurse Midwives and other frontline health workers.
• Lower the use of syringes and other consumables.
• Simplify vaccine records and session management.
• Reduce cold-chain and vaccine-storage requirements.
• Improve convenience and potentially reduce missed vaccination opportunities.

• The study found that introducing the hexavalent vaccine would initially increase programme expenditure, mainly because the price per dose is higher than that of the existing vaccines.
• However, a 50% reduction in the vaccine’s unit price could allow operational and system-level savings to offset the additional procurement cost under the primary immunisation schedule.
• Therefore, bulk procurement, domestic manufacturing, technology transfer and negotiations with vaccine producers would be essential before considering nationwide adoption.

• India’s UIP currently uses a combination of vaccines, including pentavalent vaccine, fractional IPV and oral polio vaccine.
• A hexavalent vaccine could simplify programme delivery, especially in areas where health workers face high workloads, cold-chain constraints and difficulties in ensuring repeated vaccination visits.
• However, the study is an economic and operational assessment; it does not by itself mean that the hexavalent vaccine has already been incorporated into India’s nationwide UIP.

• Higher initial procurement cost.
• Need for regulatory approval and continuous safety monitoring.
• Requirement of adequate clinical evidence for Indian children and different vaccine formulations.
• Possibility of supply disruption if dependence is placed on a limited number of manufacturers.
• Need to ensure that combination vaccines do not compromise the immunogenicity of individual components.
• Training and updating of immunisation guidelines, vaccine records and cold-chain systems.

• India should consider a phased and evidence-based approach involving pilot introduction in selected states, independent cost-effectiveness assessment and post-marketing surveillance.
• Domestic manufacturing and competitive procurement should be promoted so that the vaccine becomes affordable without compromising safety or quality.

• Analogue Paneer is in the news because Maharashtra (August 2026) has imposed a one-year ban on the manufacture, storage, transport, distribution and sale of unstandardised analogue (non-dairy) paneer following food safety concerns and consumer deception.
• Gujarat has also announced a statewide ban on analogue paneer, butter and cheese, while food safety authorities across several states have intensified raids against products falsely sold as dairy paneer.

• Analogue Paneer is a non-dairy substitute that resembles conventional paneer in appearance and texture but is not made entirely from milk.
• It is generally prepared using vegetable oils/fats, starch, emulsifiers, stabilisers and food additives, instead of milk fat and milk proteins.
• It is significantly cheaper to produce than traditional dairy paneer, making it attractive for commercial food businesses.
• It is legally permitted only when correctly labelled as an analogue product and not misrepresented as milk paneer.

• The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed that cheese analogues must never be sold as "paneer."
• Manufacturers and food service establishments must ensure clear and accurate labelling of analogue products.
• Misbranding analogue products as dairy paneer constitutes a violation of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

• Consumers often cannot visually distinguish analogue paneer from real paneer.
• Unlabelled analogue products may reduce nutritional intake while misleading buyers.
• Widespread use in the hospitality sector makes enforcement challenging.
• Lack of awareness among consumers and small food businesses.

• Drowning and accidents.
• Fire incidents and electrocution.
• Landslides and animal attacks.
• Mine-related rescue operations and other dangerous situations.

• Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak: Conspicuous courage while saving life under circumstances involving very great danger to the rescuer
• Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak: Courage and promptitude while saving life under circumstances involving great danger
• Jeevan Raksha Padak: Courage and promptitude while saving life despite the possibility of grave bodily injury

• Recognition of informal expertise: The honour acknowledges the contribution of rat miners, whose specialised manual skills became decisive in a complex rescue.
• Disaster-resilient governance: The incident demonstrates the need for contingency planning, geological risk assessment and trained rescue teams during infrastructure construction.
• Ethics in public service: The award reflects courage, selflessness, compassion and the constitutional value of human dignity.
• Cooperative federalism: The rescue required cooperation among central agencies, state authorities, armed forces and technical specialists.

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