GS Analyst: Daily Current Affairs

Biochar has emerged as a promising tool ahead of the 2026 launch of India’s carbon market, with potential applications in carbon removal and sustainable development.

What is Biochar and Why is it Important?

Definition and Origin:

• Biochar is a carbon-rich, charcoal-like substance produced through pyrolysis of organic waste such as agricultural residue and municipal solid waste.

Role in Waste Management:

• India generates 600+ million tonnes of agri-residue and 60+ million tonnes of solid waste annually. Biochar provides a sustainable method to process this waste, reducing open burning and landfill use.

Climate Mitigation Potential:

• Use of 30–50% of surplus biomass could remove 0.1 Gt of CO?-equivalent per year, helping meet India’s climate targets.

Applications:

• Agriculture and Soil Restoration:
  • Carbon Sink Potential: Biochar can lock carbon in the soil for 100–1,000 years, serving as a long-term carbon sink.
  • Soil Benefits: Enhances soil organic carbon, improves water retention, and reduces fertilizer demand by 10–20%.
  • Nitrous Oxide Reduction: Can reduce N?O emissions by 30–50%. Given its 273× warming potential compared to CO?, this is a significant gain.
• Energy and Fuel Substitution:
  • By-products as Fuel: Syngas and bio-oil produced during pyrolysis can generate 8–13 TWh electricity and replace 12–19 million tonnes of diesel or kerosene.
  • Coal Displacement: Could replace 0.4–0.7 million tonnes of coal annually, further reducing fossil fuel reliance.
• Construction Sector:
  • Low-carbon Building Material: Adding 2–5% biochar to concrete enhances strength, improves thermal resistance by 20%, and captures 115 kg CO? per cubic metre.
• Wastewater Treatment:
  • Pollution Control: A kg of biochar can treat 200–500 litres of wastewater. With 70+ billion litres of wastewater generated daily in India, the demand potential is 2.5–6.3 million tonnes.

Barriers to Biochar Adoption

• Lack of Standards and Carbon Accounting: Absence of standardised feedstock protocols and carbon verification reduces investor trust in biochar projects.
• Limited Policy Support: Biochar remains excluded from mainstream crop residue or energy policies, and monitoring frameworks are weak.
• Technological and Market Uncertainties: R&D is nascent; deployment is restricted by lack of awareness, business models, and coordination across agriculture, energy, and climate sectors

Steps for Enabling Large-Scale Adoption:

• Integrate into Policy Frameworks: Include biochar in crop residue management, rural energy missions, and State Action Plans on Climate Change (SAPCCs).
• Standardisation and Research: Develop region-specific feedstock and pyrolysis standards. Optimise usage per agro-climatic zone.
• Recognise in Carbon Market: Certify biochar as a verifiable carbon removal method in India’s upcoming carbon market to unlock carbon credit income for rural stakeholders.
• Rural Employment Generation: Deploy decentralised pyrolysis units to create ~5.2 lakh rural jobs, linking climate action with inclusive development.

The Government informed the Lok Sabha about the progress and coverage of seismic microzonation studies conducted by the Ministry of Earth Sciences through the National Centre for Seismology.

Seismic Hazard Microzonation:

• Seismic Hazard Microzonation is the process of dividing a region into zones based on the level of seismic risk, using geological, geotechnical, and seismological

Key Parameters Assessed:

• Ground shaking potential
• Liquefaction susceptibility
• Landslide hazards
• Rock fall and slope instability
• Flooding triggered by earthquakes

Purpose & Significance:

• Helps formulate targeted mitigation strategies to reduce structural and human losses.
• Crucial for urban planning, infrastructure development, and disaster preparedness in seismic zones.
• Provides location-specific data, even in areas lacking reliable seismic models.

Cities and Regions Covered:

• Fully/partially covered cities:Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Guwahati, Ahmedabad, Gandhidham, Dehradun, Jabalpur, Sikkim, Chennai, Coimbatore, Bhubaneswar, Mangalore.
• In advanced stages:Patna, Varanasi, Lucknow, Kanpur, Meerut, Agra, Dhanbad, Amritsar.

Utility in Planning:

• Guides building codes, land use planning, and the selection of safe construction sites.
• Enables the implementation of cost-effective engineering solutions in high-risk zones.

National Implementation:

• The project is coordinated by institutions like the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Geological Survey of India (GSI), IITs, etc.
• Indian cities like Delhi, Guwahati, Bengaluru, and Kolkata have undergone microzonation studies.

India Post launched the Advanced Postal Technology (APT) application nationwide under its IT 2.0 digital transformation initiative on 04 August 2025.

Advanced Postal Technology (APT) Application:

• APT is part of India Post’s IT 2.0 initiative aimed at full-scale digital transformation of the postal network.
• It replaces the legacy IT system across 64 lakh post offices in urban, rural, and remote areas.

Technological Enhancements Enabled by APT:

• Improved transaction speed across counters.
• Seamless digital payment integration for postal services.
• Real-time tracking of articles.
• Enhanced user experience and service delivery efficiency.

Operational Achievements:

• Over 20 lakh articles booked and over 25 lakh articles delivered using the APT system.
• Indicates rapid stabilization and scalability of the new platform.

System Readiness & Support Mechanism:

• Dedicated support teams and real-time monitoring mechanisms have been deployed to mitigate operational disruptions.
• The Department is actively monitoring performance to ensure continuity and service quality.

Significance:

• Reflects India Post’s commitment to Digital India goals, especially in last-mile service delivery.
• Strengthens India Post's role in financial inclusion, e-commerce logistics, and digital governance.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has released new updates on the implementation of the “Assistance to States & UTs for Modernization of Police” (ASUMP) and SMART policing framework.

Constitutional Provision:

• “Police” is a State subject under List II of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India.

Umbrella Scheme:

• Modernization of Police Forces (MPF) – supports States/UTs in strengthening police infrastructure.

Sub-Scheme – ASUMP:

• “Assistance to States & UTs for Modernization of Police”
• Focus on equipping police with modern weaponry, mobility, communication equipment, and constructing police buildings.

SMART Policing Initiative:

• SMART stands for:
  • Strict and Sensitive
  • Modern and Mobile
  • Alert and Accountable
  • Reliable and Responsive
  • Tech-savvy and Trained

Key Focus Areas of SMART Policing:

• Cybercrime prevention
• Drug de-addiction
• Protection of vulnerable groups
• Counter left-wing extremism
• Capacity building and modern equipment

Implementation Framework:

• States/UTs prepare Annual Action Plans
• Reviewed by High-Powered Committee (HPC) in MHA
• Funds are released per guidelines of Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance

The Ministry of Home Affairs has released performance data of the MANAS Helpline (1933) launched in July 2024 to strengthen citizen participation in drug law enforcement and rehabilitation efforts.

Name & Launch Details:

• MANAS stands for Madak-PadarthNishedAsoochna Kendra.
• Officially launched on 18th July 2024.
• Helpline Number: 1933
• Also accessible via UMANG App and email.

Objective:

• Provides a secure, bilingual and anonymous platform for reporting drug trafficking, storage, manufacturing, and cultivation.
• Offers counselling and rehabilitation
• Acts as a multi-channel digital interface for anti-narcotics activities.

Counselling & Rehabilitation Integration:

• Integrated with the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (MoSJE) helpline 14446 for de-addiction guidance.

Public Participation Tools:

• Awareness content (brochures, videos, posters) accessible via portal.
• Public engagement through MyGov platform:
  • Quiz contests
  • Poster & reel-making competitions

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs presented the latest status of community claims under FRA, 2006 in the Rajya Sabha and detailed associated legal safeguards for Scheduled Tribes.

Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006:

• It is enacted to recognize and vest forest rights and occupation of forest land in forest-dwelling Scheduled Tribes (FDSTs) and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs). It also provides legal safeguards against their eviction.

Implementation Responsibility:

• State Governments are responsible for implementing FRA, while the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) is the nodal ministry at the central level, monitoring Monthly Progress Reports from States/UTs.

Progress (as of 31st May 2025):

• Total community claims filed: 2,11,609
• Community claims disposed: 1,74,744 (82.58%)
  • Titles distributed: 1,21,705
  • Claims rejected: 53,039
• Pending claims: 36,865 (17.42%)

Constitutional Provisions:

• Schedule V empowers the Governor to regulate land transfers and prevent alienation in Scheduled Areas.
• PESA Act, 1996 mandates Gram Sabha consultation before land acquisition and rehabilitation in Scheduled Areas.
• RFCTLARR Act, 2013 provides special protections for STs including compensation and rehabilitation safeguards.
• MMDR Act (Amended 2015): Enabled District Mineral Foundations (DMFs) to be set up in mining-affected districts; guided by PMKKKY guidelines (latest: 2024).
• CAF Act, 2016: Involves tribal communities in afforestation and eco-restoration activities.

Legal Safeguards under FRA:

• Section 4(4): Forest rights are heritable but not alienable or transferable.
• Section 4(5): No forest dweller can be evicted before recognition/verification process is completed.

The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), through NCCR, has completed a national survey (2022–2025) evaluating marine debris and microplastic levels along India's coastlines and ecologically sensitive habitats.

Nodal Ministry and Agency:

• Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES)
• National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), Chennai

Period of Survey:

• Conducted between 2022 and 2025

Key Pollution Sources Identified:

• Microplastics:
  • Riverine input
  • Abandoned, Lost, and Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG)
• Beach Litter:
  • Tourism and recreational activities

Plastic Litter Trends (Swachh Sagar Surakshit Sagar Programme):

• 2018: 67% plastic contribution
• 2024: Declined to 43%

Ecosystem Sensitivity:

• Most Sensitive:
  • Mangroves
  • Estuaries
  • Coral reefs

Policy and Public Measures:

• Draft National Marine Litter Policy circulated for inter-ministerial review
• Over 250+ cleanup events organized
• ~150 tons of beach litter removed
• Initiatives like Swachh Sagar Surakshit Sagar, International Coastal Cleanup Day, and SwachhataPakhwada actively conducted
• Citizen Science Approach: Community participation, awareness campaigns since 2018 targeting students and fishing communities

After more than a decade of research, scientists have identified the bacterium Vibrio pecsiniensis as the pathogen behind the mass die-off of starfish along the Pacific coast.

Vibrio pectenicida – The Pathogen

• A marine bacterium previously known to infect shellfish, now identified as the cause of SSWD.

Discovery

• Detected in the coelomic fluid of infected sunflower sea stars.
• Specifically, strain FHCF-3 was found responsible for initiating the disease.

Symptoms & Progression in Starfish

• Starts with external lesions.
• Leads to twisting of arms, tissue breakdown, disintegration, and death.
• Entire body turns to mucus-like consistency in a few days.

India continues advancing its three-stage nuclear power programme with operational and research achievements in uranium mining, thorium utilization, and fast breeder reactor development.

Closed Nuclear Fuel Cycle:

• India follows a closed nuclear fuel cycle, emphasizing reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) to recover fissile material such as plutonium and uranium-233. This helps minimize high-level radioactive waste and ensures optimal utilization of limited uranium and abundant thorium resources.

Three-Stage Nuclear Power Programme:

• Stage-I: Utilizes natural uranium (U-238) in Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs).
• Stage-II: Uses plutonium obtained from reprocessing spent fuel from PHWRs in Fast Breeder Reactors (FBRs) along with thorium as a blanket to breed uranium-233.
• Stage-III: Employs uranium-233 obtained from thorium for sustainable energy production.

Reprocessing & Reactor Infrastructure:

• Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) and Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) have been developed at Kalpakkam.
• Reprocessing of irradiated Thoria to obtain Uranium-233 has been successfully demonstrated. The KAMINI reactor at IGCAR is the only reactor globally operating on U-233.

Thorium R&D Initiatives:

• Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) has developed technologies to fabricate Thoria-based fuel.
• Post-irradiation studies and reprocessing capabilities for Thoria fuels have been established at lab scale.

Uranium & Thorium Exploration and Mining:

• Uranium Corporation of India Ltd. (UCIL) is responsible for uranium mining and processing in India.
• Atomic Minerals Directorate (AMD) has identified:
  • 4,33,800 tonnes of in-situ U?O? resources in 47 deposits across multiple states.
  • 18 million tonnes of thorium oxide (ThO?) in 136 deposits (mostly in beach sands and inland placers).
  • 29,900 tonnes of ThO? in hard rocks (Gujarat), incidental to rare earth mineral exploration.

A massive flood triggered by torrential rain in Uttarkashi’s Kheer Ganga river led to fatalities and destruction, highlighting the increasing frequency of extreme weather events in the Himalayas.

Immediate Cause and Event Description

• Heavy Rainfall as Trigger:The region witnessed torrential rainfall between August 3 and 5, with some areas receiving nearly 30 cm in a single day, leading to the sudden surge of water and debris.
• Nature of the Disaster:Though termed a "cloudburst" by state officials, the India Meteorological Department’s definition — 10 cm rainfall/hour over 10 sq km — may not have been met due to lack of radar verification.
• Impact on Life and Infrastructure:The floodwaters engulfed buildings in Dharali town (8,600 ft altitude), resulting in at least 4 confirmed deaths, 60 feared missing, and possible casualties among Indian Army personnel.

Systemic Vulnerabilities and Misdiagnosis

• Misuse of ‘Cloudburst’ Label:Quick labelling of such incidents as cloudbursts allows governments to deflect accountability, portraying them as uncontrollable natural phenomena instead of consequences of inadequate preparedness.
• Radar and Forecasting Gaps:The absence of high-altitude Doppler radars limits IMD’s ability to detect real-time precipitation data, hampering disaster prediction and early warning systems in mountainous terrain.
• Terrain-Induced Instability:Continuous rainfall, coupled with the fragile, craggy terrain of the Himalayas, likely caused soil loosening, leading to the violent flow of water mixed with silt and debris.

Climate Change and Governance Imperatives

• Role of Climate Change:The rising frequency of extreme rainfall events is consistent with global climate change trends, especially affecting ecologically fragile regions like the Himalayas.
• Infrastructure-Related Risks:Large-scale infrastructure development without proper environmental assessments has added to slope instability and intensified disaster impacts through debris accumulation.
• Need for Proactive Governance:Post-disaster, state authorities must urgently review silt and debris buildup, identify risk-prone zones, and implement buffer mechanisms to mitigate future climate-induced disasters.

Practice Question:

 “The increasing incidence of flash floods in the Himalayan region reflects the compounded effects of climate change and unregulated development.” Discuss with reference to the recent disaster in Uttarkashi. Suggest a strategic roadmap for disaster preparedness and resilience in ecologically sensitive zones. (250 words)

Over 300 Chinese engineers have been withdrawn from Foxconn's iPhone 17 facilities in India, signaling a deliberate economic move by China to obstruct India’s high-end manufacturing trajectory.

China's Geo-Economic Strategy Against India

• Withdrawal of Skilled Workforce:The recall of over 300 Chinese engineers from Apple’s key Indian manufacturing hubs is a calculated attempt to impede India’s access to high-end manufacturing expertise critical for electronics production.
• Technology Denial as a Tool:These engineers possessed crucial knowledge in advanced production line setup and operational efficiency; their removal is designed to hinder India’s learning curve and slow down indigenous technological development.
• Rare Earth and Equipment Embargoes:China has imposed restrictions on the export of critical minerals such as gallium, germanium, and graphite, and informally curbed supply of capital equipment essential for sectors like electronics and solar energy.

Broader Strategic Intent and Economic Pressures

• Multifaceted Suppression Strategy:China is leveraging control over raw materials, specialised machinery, and human capital to sustain its regional manufacturing dominance and forestall India’s emergence as a viable alternative.
• Underlying Economic Vulnerabilities:Demographic decline, property market instability, and over-reliance on exports underpin China's urgency to suppress new manufacturing rivals, as domestic consumption remains weak.
• Weaponisation of Overcapacity:Chinese firms are deploying aggressive price suppression globally to dominate markets, a tactic enabled by systemic overcapacity and state-backed industrial support mechanisms.

India’s Challenges and Lessons from China

• Nascent Manufacturing Ecosystem:Despite policy aspirations, India continues to depend on imports for critical components like chips, sensors, and engines, indicating significant structural deficiencies in domestic capability.
• Infrastructural and Procedural Bottlenecks:India faces persistent hurdles including inadequate logistics infrastructure and bureaucratic red tape, which hinder manufacturing competitiveness and scalability.
• Strategic Autonomy and Policy Focus Needed:The episode underlines India’s need for long-term planning, indigenous technological development, and policy consistency to achieve strategic autonomy in manufacturing.

Practice Question:

The RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decided to keep the policy rate unchanged and maintain a neutral stance, reflecting confidence in the Indian economy despite global uncertainties.

Policy Decision and Inflation Outlook

• Neutral Policy Stance:The RBI left the policy rate unchanged, maintaining a neutral stance in line with expectations, indicating stability in monetary policy despite global turbulence.
• Inflationary Trends:CPI inflation is expected to stay around 2% in June 2025 and remain between 4–5% through FY26, supported by easing food prices, especially vegetables.
• Inflation Risks Remain:Vegetable inflation was high in recent months, but with improved supply, it is expected to moderate. However, the RBI remains cautious due to potential food price volatility.

Growth Projections and Domestic Factors

• GDP Outlook for FY26:The RBI retained its GDP growth forecast at 6.5% for FY26, supported by strong agricultural activity, resilient rural demand, and favourable monsoon conditions.
• Supportive Macroeconomic Conditions:Stable interest rates, lower inflation, and rising consumer demand contribute to economic resilience, with private consumption playing a key role.
• Domestic Demand as Key Driver:India’s growth continues to be driven by domestic demand, with limited reliance on exports, as merchandise exports to the US form only 2% of India’s GDP.

Global Pressures and Policy Implications

• Tariff and Trade Concerns:Recent tariff hikes by the US are unlikely to significantly impact India, but they add uncertainty to global trade and warrant close monitoring.
• Private Sector Caution:Despite economic optimism, private investment remains cautious due to lingering global risks, even as corporate balance sheets show signs of strength.
• Capital Flows and External Position:India’s foreign exchange reserves remain strong, covering nearly 11 months of imports, indicating resilience against external shocks.

Practice Question:

Discuss the implications of RBI’s neutral monetary policy stance in the context of global uncertainties and domestic inflation trends. How can India ensure macroeconomic stability while promoting growth? (250 words)