Today's 5 stories
International relationsThe Hindu, Page 8GS2GS3
An opinion article in The Hindu on 14 September 2026, written as BRICS leaders met in New Delhi under India's chairship, argues that India should make the New Development Bank (NDB) the centrepiece of its financial agenda in BRICS instead of seeking open confrontation with Western-led finance. The article notes that BRICS accounts for nearly 40% of global GDP, yet its members' voting share in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has not changed. The NDB, a multilateral development bank set up by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa and operating since 2015, is presented as the one BRICS institution that can turn that economic weight into lending power.
Prelims facts
- The New Development Bank was agreed at the BRICS summit in Fortaleza, Brazil, in July 2014 and is headquartered in Shanghai; its five founders hold equal shares.
- In September 2026 the NDB listed 139 approved projects worth about $42.9 billion.
- The NDB has ten members: the five BRICS founders plus Bangladesh, the UAE, Egypt, Algeria and Uzbekistan.
- A Panda bond is a yuan-denominated bond issued in mainland China by a non-Chinese issuer; the NDB priced a 7 billion yuan Panda bond on 8 September 2026.
- New NDB transactions with Russia have been on hold since March 2022.
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Environment and geographyPIB, Government releaseGS3Must read
On 14 September 2026, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav visited the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) habitat at Naliya in Gujarat's Kutch district with Gujarat Forest Minister Arjun Modhwadia, and inaugurated a Soft Release Centre for GIBs during the visit. The Press Information Bureau (PIB) release says the centre is meant for the "conservation, monitoring and gradual adaptation of GIBs to the natural environment". A soft release means birds are held for a period in an enclosure inside their natural habitat before being set free, so that they can adjust. The release lists the work done so far: about 11 sq km of grassland degraded by the invasive tree Prosopis juliflora has been restored, and about 30 km of predator-proof fencing now encloses around 15 sq km. Under a 'jump-start' approach, infertile eggs laid in the wild are replaced with viable ones, and the chick from the second such attempt has survived beyond its critical first three months in the wild. At a review in Bhuj, the Minister also released a Gujarat Action Plan for GIB conservation.
Prelims facts
- The Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) has been Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2011; about 150 birds were estimated in 2018.
- On 14 September 2026 a Soft Release Centre for GIBs was inaugurated in Kutch, Gujarat, during the Environment Minister's visit to the GIB habitat at Naliya.
- Under the 'jump-start' approach in Kutch, infertile eggs laid in the wild are replaced with viable eggs.
- The Supreme Court's judgment of 19 December 2025 in M.K. Ranjitsinh v Union of India fixed GIB priority areas of 14,013 sq km in Rajasthan and 740 sq km in Gujarat.
- The same judgment ordered critical power lines in priority areas to be buried or rerouted within two years.
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Science and technologyThe Hindu, Page 12GS3GS2Must read
The Hindu reported on 14 September 2026 that the Ministry of Defence's Annual Report for 2025-26 says an Indian Air Force (IAF) S-400 air defence unit destroyed a Pakistani special-mission aircraft at a distance of 314 km during Operation Sindoor, the four-day conflict of 7 to 10 May 2025. The Hindu described it as one of India's longest claimed surface-to-air engagements. It credits the IAF's Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS), which joined military and civil surveillance sensors into one air picture, and says protocols were in place to avoid engaging civil aircraft, contrasting this with Pakistan's decision to keep its civil airspace open during the fighting.
Prelims facts
- The Defence Ministry's Annual Report 2025-26 says an IAF S-400 unit destroyed a Pakistani special-mission aircraft 314 km away during Operation Sindoor (7 to 10 May 2025).
- India signed the S-400 contract with Russia on 5 October 2018 for five squadrons worth about $5.43 billion; the first squadron arrived in December 2021.
- In Indian service the S-400 is called 'Sudarshan Chakra'; it was designed by Russia's Almaz-Antey.
- IACCS is the IAF's automated air defence command and control network; it links military radars, civil radars and the Army's Akashteer system.
- Operation Sindoor followed the Pahalgam terrorist attack of 22 April 2025, in which 26 people were killed.
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EconomyIndian Express, Page 13GS3GS2Must read
The Indian Express reported on 14 September 2026 the fine print of the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on two sensitive goods, steel and cars. The negotiations, relaunched on 17 June 2022, were concluded on 27 January 2026; the European Commission presented the agreement to the Council of the EU on 11 September 2026, a step towards signature. The Commission has published the texts, which it says are for information and may change during legal revision. On steel, the report says India gets an annual quota of 1.64 million tonnes (mt) for exports to the EU: 0.69 mt as an FTA-specific component and 0.95 mt as a Most Favoured Nation (MFN) component. India's steel exports to the EU are about 4 mt a year, so a large share will still face duties or compete for other quotas. The published texts include an annex (Annex 2-B) on steel tariff-rate quotas.
Prelims facts
- India-EU FTA negotiations were relaunched on 17 June 2022 and concluded on 27 January 2026; the Commission presented the deal to the EU Council on 11 September 2026.
- Under the deal India gets an annual EU steel quota of 1.64 million tonnes (0.69 mt FTA-specific and 0.95 mt MFN), against exports of about 4 million tonnes.
- India's tariff of up to 110% on EU cars falls to 10% within a quota of 2,50,000 vehicles; the first-year quota is 1,00,000, only for cars above €15,000.
- The EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism entered its definitive phase on 1 January 2026 and covers iron and steel, cement, aluminium, fertilisers, electricity and hydrogen.
- A tariff-rate quota allows a set volume of imports at a lower tariff; imports beyond it pay the higher rate.
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Society, justice and ethicsIndian Express, Page 11GS2GS1
An opinion article published on 14 September 2026 argues that anganwadi centres, the village and ward-level childcare and nutrition centres of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), are India's foundational investment in its children, and that communities, not only the government, must take responsibility for them. The article is written around the 9th Rashtriya Poshan Maah (National Nutrition Month), which began on 9 September 2026 at the Rudraksh International Cooperation and Convention Centre in Varanasi with the theme 'Hamari Anganwadi, Hamari Jimmedari' (Our Anganwadi, Our Responsibility). According to the article, anganwadis now reach more than 8.9 crore children, women and adolescent girls.
Prelims facts
- The 9th Rashtriya Poshan Maah began on 9 September 2026 in Varanasi with the theme 'Hamari Anganwadi, Hamari Jimmedari'.
- The Integrated Child Development Services scheme, under which anganwadis run, was launched on 2 October 1975.
- Mission Poshan 2.0 (2021-22), under the Ministry of Women and Child Development, integrates POSHAN Abhiyaan, Anganwadi Services and the Scheme for Adolescent Girls.
- POSHAN Abhiyaan was launched in March 2018; the Poshan Tracker app was launched on 1 March 2021.
- PMMVY, the maternity benefit scheme, is the successor of the Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana of 2010 and implements the NFSA's cash maternity benefit of ₹6,000.
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Every other article worth knowing
The Hindu
Houthis claim new attacks on Saudi Arabia; east-west oil pipeline shut
The Hindu, Page 1GS2GS1Prelims
Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed fresh missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, targeting a military base in Sharurah province and causing injuries in al-Tawwal governorate. The strikes led to the closure of Saudi Arabia's east-west oil pipeline, which moves roughly 4% of global oil supply. Yemen's internationally recognised government called the Houthi advance along the Red Sea coast "painful" and announced plans to fight back. With the Houthis controlling the Red Sea coast and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, shipping and energy markets face risk. The conflict has displaced over 85,000 people.
Prelims facts
- Saudi Arabia's east-west oil pipeline, shut after the Houthi strikes, moves roughly 4% of global oil supply.
- Rashad al-Alimi chairs Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), formed in April 2022.
- A Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015; the Houthi movement (Ansar Allah) emerged in the 1990s.
Mains angle
Maritime chokepoints and energy security: Houthi control of the Red Sea coast and Bab el-Mandeb, along with strikes that shut a major Saudi pipeline, show how a proxy war threatens shipping and oil supply.
Source summary
Op-ed: Pakistan's West Asia defence pacts bring strategic depth but risk overstretch
The Hindu, Page 6OpinionGS2Prelims
The author says Pakistan has expanded its strategic presence in West Asia through a defence pact with Kuwait (August 27, 2026) and membership of the Saudi Arabia-Türkiye-Pakistan arrangement formalised by the Makkah Agreement (August 7, 2026), which treats an attack on one member as an attack on all. Pakistan has also recently acted as an intermediary between Iran and the United States. The author argues these overlapping roles create tensions in crises such as Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, and that for India the pivot means a more resilient but possibly overstretched Pakistan.
Prelims facts
- The Makkah Agreement (August 7, 2026) among Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan has a collective defence clause and a permanent secretariat in Saudi Arabia with a Pakistani as its first Secretary-General.
- Pakistan signed a defence pact with Kuwait on August 27, 2026.
- The author traces Pakistan's West Asia ties to its membership of the Central Treaty Organization (CENTO) and its post-1971 Arab relations.
Mains angle
India's neighbourhood and West Asia policy: the author sees Pakistan's collective defence links in West Asia as both a challenge of greater resilience and a possible relief through strategic overstretch, with India's strong Gulf ties as a counterbalance.
Source summary
Op-ed: India's counter-terror strategy has shifted from passive response to assertive action
The Hindu, Page 6OpinionGS3GS2Prelims
The author argues that India's counter-terrorism approach shifted after 2014 from passive responses to assertive measures, citing the Uri surgical strikes (2016), the Balakot airstrikes (2019) and Operation Sindoor, which targeted terror networks in Pakistan after the Pahalgam attack of April 2025. In February 2026 India launched PRAHAAR, its National Counter-Terrorism Policy and Strategy, a whole-of-government approach covering pre-emptive military action, de-radicalisation and cutting terror financing. India seeks global consensus against terrorism through forums such as the SCO and BRICS.
Prelims facts
- PRAHAAR is India's National Counter-Terrorism Policy and Strategy, launched in February 2026.
- Operation Sindoor followed the Pahalgam terror attack of April 2025.
- The Uri surgical strikes took place in 2016 and the Balakot airstrikes in 2019.
Mains angle
Internal security: useful for questions on India's counter-terror doctrine, showing the move to pre-emptive action and a whole-of-government policy that combines military, de-radicalisation and anti-financing measures.
Source summary
India holds talks with African leaders during the 18th BRICS Summit
The Hindu, Page 11GS2Prelims
During the 18th BRICS Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed Ali and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and hosted Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye, the African Union Chairperson, to discuss the India-Africa Forum Summit and Global South cooperation. He also met the Vice Presidents of Uganda and Nigeria on technology, capacity building, trade and digital initiatives. The India-Africa Forum Summit had been postponed due to the Ebola crisis.
Prelims facts
- Burundi's President Evariste Ndayishimiye is the Chairperson of the African Union.
- The India-Africa Forum Summit was postponed due to the Ebola crisis.
- The New Delhi Declaration addressed racial injustice, decolonisation and South Africa's action against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Mains angle
India-Africa relations: meetings on trade, defence, digital technology and the delayed India-Africa Forum Summit show India using the BRICS summit to deepen ties with Africa.
Source summary
Iran and UAE want to 'turn the page' on strained ties; Iran proposes Hormuz security cooperation
The Hindu, Page 14GS2Prelims
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran and the UAE want to "turn the page" on their strained relations after talks with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled Bin Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan during the BRICS summit in New Delhi (September 12-13). Ties had deteriorated after the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran in February, which led to Iranian retaliation against U.S. allies including the UAE. Iran is proposing regional security cooperation for the Strait of Hormuz and plans to brief Gulf states in Oman on managing maritime traffic there.
Prelims facts
- Iran plans to brief Gulf states in Oman on managing maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
- An Iranian commercial ship was struck off Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, with one fatality.
Mains angle
West Asia and energy security: an Iran-UAE thaw and Iranian proposals for regional management of Hormuz traffic show the BRICS summit serving as a venue for diplomacy between members amid a crisis affecting global energy security.
Source summary
The Indian Express
BRICS Summit: Modi warns against weaponisation of technology; Xi announces open-source AI for BRICS
Indian Express, Page 1GS2GS3Prelims
At the BRICS Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned against the "weaponisation of technology and critical minerals", remarks seen as an indirect reference to China's dominance in critical mineral supply chains and US-China tech rivalry. India proposed a BRICS Integrated Early Warning System for infectious diseases and a BRICS Logistics Supply Chain Cooperation Framework. Chinese President Xi Jinping said China would lead an open-source AI ecosystem for BRICS members and called for a global AI governance framework.
Prelims facts
- India's BRICS chairmanship focused on four pillars: Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.
- The BRICS Network on Digital Agriculture will integrate AI, geospatial technology and Digital Public Infrastructure for farmers' needs.
- Xi Jinping's five-point initiative aims to boost BRICS cooperation in manufacturing, trade and technology.
Mains angle
Technology geopolitics and supply-chain resilience: India used its BRICS chair to flag the weaponisation of technology and critical minerals while pushing practical cooperation on disease early warning, logistics and digital agriculture.
Source summary
Putin proposes a BRICS insurance mechanism and grain market to counter Western sanctions
Indian Express, Page 6GS2GS3Prelims
Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a new insurance mechanism and a collaborative grain market for BRICS nations and the Global South, aimed at reducing reliance on Western financial systems amid sanctions on Russia. He also called for a dedicated BRICS economic growth platform with independent routes for capital, labour and technology. The insurance proposal responds to Western restrictions that stop companies from insuring Russian crude shipments unless the oil is sold below set price caps.
Prelims facts
- The G7, EU and UK have imposed price caps and insurance restrictions on Russian crude oil exports.
- The proposed BRICS grain market aims to create an alternative trading system that could reduce dependence on global commodity markets influenced by Western powers.
Source summary
BRICS declaration calls for constructive engagement on the WHO pathogen access and benefit-sharing annex
Indian Express, Page 6GS2Prelims
The New Delhi Declaration of the 18th BRICS Summit calls for "constructive engagement" on the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) Annex, which must be adopted before the WHO Pandemic Agreement, adopted by the World Health Assembly on May 20, 2025, opens for signature. The main dispute is whether sharing pathogen samples must be mandatorily linked to sharing benefits such as vaccines and intellectual property. Developing nations want mandatory benefit-sharing; African nations back a "federated" model of sovereign national nodes, while the EU favours a "hybrid" approach.
Prelims facts
- The WHO Pandemic Agreement, adopted on May 20, 2025, is only the WHO's second legally binding health treaty.
- Article 31 of the Pandemic Agreement provides that it will be open for signature only after the PABS Annex is adopted.
- The New Delhi Declaration reaffirms state sovereignty over biological resources under the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Mains angle
Global health governance and equity: the PABS dispute shows the divide between developing and developed countries over linking pathogen sharing with access to vaccines, medicines and diagnostics.
Source summary
UN Secretary-General backs the Global South's demand for expanding the Security Council
Indian Express, Page 7GS2Prelims
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres supported the Global South's demand, led by India, for expanding the UN Security Council, saying at the BRICS Summit that current global realities differ from 1945 and require institutional reform. The New Delhi Declaration reiterated support for comprehensive UN reform with greater representation of developing countries from Africa, Asia and Latin America. Guterres also pointed to the shift to multipolarity and the need to reform the Bretton Woods system, while PM Narendra Modi urged the Global South to move from "rule-takers" to "rule-shapers".
Prelims facts
- The UN Security Council's five permanent members with veto power have remained unchanged since 1945.
- The New Delhi Declaration calls for greater representation of developing countries from Africa, Asia and Latin America in a reformed UN.
Mains angle
UNSC reform and multilateralism: the UN chief's backing at BRICS supports the argument that institutions shaped in 1945 must be reformed for a multipolar world.
Source summary
India and the Philippines to deepen ties in defence, space, trade and technology
Indian Express, Page 7GS2Prelims
PM Narendra Modi and Philippines President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. discussed advancing ties across defence, space, technology and trade at the BRICS Summit, and the Philippines joined the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI). Relations were elevated to a strategic partnership in August 2025. Under a 2022 deal worth $375 million, the Philippines became the first international customer of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, with deliveries from April 2024. Shared concerns over China's territorial assertions in the South China Sea drive security cooperation.
Prelims facts
- The Philippines is the first international customer of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, under a $375 million deal from 2022.
- India and the Philippines adopted a 2025-29 roadmap for military training and maritime security cooperation.
- India-Philippines bilateral trade has exceeded $3 billion.
Mains angle
India's Indo-Pacific engagement: defence exports such as BrahMos and maritime cooperation with the Philippines reflect shared concerns over China's assertions in the South China Sea.
Source summary
Kolhapur sets up India's first transgender disaster rescue team
Indian Express, Page 9GS2GS3Prelims
Kolhapur in Maharashtra has set up India's first transgender disaster management and rescue team through its District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA). Fifteen transwomen were trained in rescue swimming, inflatable boat and motorboat handling, lifesaving, and first aid and CPR. The DDMA had earlier formed the all-women "Aapda Sakhi" rescue unit in 2019; the new initiative aims to improve disaster response and promote social inclusion of the transgender community. Plans include training for about 30 disaster categories and Home Guard status for the volunteers.
Prelims facts
- Kolhapur's transgender rescue team was set up through the District Disaster Management Authority, under the framework of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
- Kolhapur's "Aapda Sakhi" team, formed in 2019, was the state's first all-women rescue unit.
Mains angle
Social inclusion and disaster management: training transgender persons as rescuers shows how community-based disaster response can also advance the inclusion of marginalised groups.
Source summary
Op-ed: The BRICS New Delhi Declaration widens options and is a win for diplomacy
Indian Express, Page 10OpinionGS2Prelims
The article reviews India's hosting of the 18th BRICS Summit (September 12-13, 2026) and the New Delhi Declaration 2026, adopted under the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability". The declaration calls for "exercising maximum restraint" in West Asia, opposes unilateral sanctions, backs stronger cross-border payment systems and supports AI cooperation focused on the needs of the Global South. The article presents the outcome as a win for diplomacy that gives members more options.
Prelims facts
- BRICS has 11 full members (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Indonesia) and 10 partner countries.
- BRICS represents 49.5% of the global population and 40% of global GDP.
- The New Delhi Declaration 2026 runs to 45 pages and 140 paragraphs.
Source summary
Op-ed: India must choose between AI applications and frontier models, and compute is the constraint
Indian Express, Page 10OpinionGS3Prelims
The author argues that India must choose between building AI applications and developing frontier AI models, with computing capacity the critical constraint. The IndiaAI mission has 45,000 GPUs, but Sarvam AI was allocated only 4,096, about 50 times less than the capacity used to train frontier models globally. The article discusses a proposed "compute tax" that would require data centres in India to reserve 25% of their capacity for a national compute pool, and warns that without policy action India risks economic disempowerment like nations that missed the Industrial Revolution.
Prelims facts
- The IndiaAI mission has 45,000 GPUs available.
- Sarvam AI was allocated 4,096 GPUs.
- Scaling laws hold that AI model performance improves with more data, larger model size and more computing resources.
Mains angle
Technology sovereignty: the author argues that GPU scarcity limits India's ability to build sovereign frontier models, raising the policy question of how scarce compute should be allocated.
Source summary
Op-ed: Tiruppur's knitwear cluster offers a blueprint for productive jobs
Indian Express, Page 11OpinionGS3GS2Prelims
The author uses the Tiruppur knitwear cluster to argue that the textiles and apparel sector can drive job creation for Viksit Bharat. Youth unemployment (ages 15-29) is 9.9% nationally and 13.6% in urban areas, while agriculture employs 43% of the workforce and manufacturing only 12.1%. Tiruppur accounts for 68% of India's knitwear exports and employs over a million workers, and the cluster has invested over Rs 850 crore in common effluent treatment to meet Zero-Liquid-Discharge norms.
Prelims facts
- Tiruppur accounts for 68% of India's knitwear exports.
- The PM MITRA (Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel) Parks scheme was launched in 2021.
- Agriculture employs 43% of India's workforce, against 12.1% in manufacturing.
Mains angle
Employment and manufacturing: labour-intensive clusters like Tiruppur show how textiles can absorb workers leaving agriculture, alongside environmental standards such as zero-liquid discharge.
Source summary
Op-ed: India and Germany deepen their green partnership at the fourth Indo-German Environment Forum
Indian Express, Page 11OpinionGS2GS3Prelims
India and Germany reaffirmed their commitment to the 2022 Partnership for Sustainable Green Development at the Fourth Indo-German Environment Forum in Delhi on September 1, held under the theme "Together for Greater Resilience", and signed a Declaration of Intent on wetland protection. The article says India must balance reducing energy poverty with decarbonising its economy, and Germany offers expertise in grid integration, storage and regulation. Over 2,000 German companies operate in India, and cooperation covers circular economy, green steel and low-carbon cement.
Prelims facts
- The Fourth Indo-German Environment Forum was held in Delhi on September 1 under the theme "Together for Greater Resilience".
- India and Germany signed a Declaration of Intent on wetland protection.
- The India-Germany Partnership for Sustainable Green Development dates to 2022.
Mains angle
Climate diplomacy and green transition: German expertise in grid integration, storage, green steel and low-carbon cement can support India's decarbonisation while it tackles energy poverty.
Source summary
MoSPI: nominal GDP revised down because informal sector data has improved
Indian Express, Page 13GS3Prelims
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has revised down nominal GDP estimates for earlier years under the old 2011-12 series, mainly because of better data on the informal sector. The new series with base year 2022-23 uses direct data from the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE) and the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), replacing the proxies and decadal surveys earlier used to estimate unorganised sector GVA. The revision addresses long-standing criticism that GDP poorly captured the informal economy.
Prelims facts
- The new GDP series has 2022-23 as its base year, replacing the 2011-12 series.
- The new series uses the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE) and the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for direct annual estimates of the unorganised sector.
Mains angle
Data quality and growth measurement: better informal sector data makes GDP estimates more accurate, relevant to debates on how well national accounts capture the unorganised economy.
Source summary
Copper prices hit a record on fears of US tariffs amid US-China tensions
Indian Express, Page 14ExplainedGS3Prelims
Copper prices hit a record $14,767.5 per tonne on September 9, driven mainly by expected US tariffs rather than growth expectations. The US proposes a 15% tariff on refined copper imports from January, rising to 30% in 2028, which has shifted copper inventories from London Metal Exchange (LME) warehouses to US COMEX facilities. China, the world's largest copper consumer and a major exporter of copper products to the US, faces these tariffs amid wider trade tensions. Copper is used in housing, manufacturing, power grids, clean energy and artificial intelligence.
Prelims facts
- US COMEX holds about 700,000 tonnes of copper inventory, against 265,000 tonnes at the LME and 63,000 tonnes at the Shanghai Futures Exchange.
- China is the world's largest consumer of copper.
- The US proposes a 15% tariff on refined copper imports from January, rising to 30% in 2028.
Mains angle
Critical minerals and trade wars: tariff-driven price spikes in copper show how protectionism can raise input costs for power grids, clean energy and artificial intelligence.
Source summary
Press Information Bureau
CAZRI's moth bean varieties withstand moisture stress in an El Niño year
PIBGovernment releaseGS3Prelims
Four drought-resistant moth bean varieties developed by ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI), Jodhpur, kept growing through a 35-day prolonged moisture stress period in the Kharif 2026 El Niño year in the arid regions of western Rajasthan. The varieties show developmental plasticity, adjusting growth to available soil moisture, which points to the potential of climate-resilient agriculture. Organisations involved include the Rajasthan State Seeds Corporation, the National Seeds Corporation and private players for the Saathi Portal.
Prelims facts
- ICAR-CAZRI, Jodhpur, developed the moth bean varieties CAZRI Moth-4, Moth-5, Moth-6 and Moth-7.
- Moth bean is cultivated on nearly 10 lakh hectares in the hot arid regions of western Rajasthan.
- The varieties survived a 35-day moisture stress period in the Kharif 2026 El Niño year.
Mains angle
Climate-resilient agriculture: drought-tolerant crop varieties for arid zones help farmers cope with El Niño-linked moisture stress.
Source summary
Dryland Congress 2026 ends with the Delhi Declaration on Drylands
PIBGovernment releaseGS3GS2Prelims
The Dryland Congress 2026 concluded in New Delhi with the adoption of the Delhi Declaration on Drylands (3D), coinciding with the UN Day for South-South Cooperation. The declaration stresses South-South and triangular cooperation and aims to translate scientific knowledge into action and scale proven innovations for resilient dryland agriculture. ICAR Director General Dr M. L. Jat proposed that ICAR-NIAP lead foresight initiatives, and ICRISAT Director General Dr Himanshu Pathak stressed drylands' importance for global food security and urged turning deliberations into concrete action.
Prelims facts
- The Delhi Declaration on Drylands, abbreviated 3D, was adopted at the Dryland Congress 2026 in New Delhi.
- Dr M. L. Jat is Secretary, DARE and Director General, ICAR; Dr Himanshu Pathak is Director General of ICRISAT.
- New partnerships with the Global Crop Diversity Trust and Wipro Limited were announced at the Congress.
Mains angle
Dryland agriculture and food security: the declaration frames South-South and triangular cooperation as the route to scaling resilient farming in arid regions.
Source summary
India is the world's largest vaccine producer and supplier by volume, says Jitendra Singh
PIBGovernment releaseGS3Prelims
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said India is the world's largest vaccine producer and global supplier by volume, accounting for nearly 60% of global vaccine production and meeting over 65% of the WHO's routine immunisation requirements. India's bioeconomy reached USD 195.3 billion in 2025, growing 18% year on year. The Ind-CEPI Mission has delivered GEMCOVAC-19, India's first mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, and candidates for Chikungunya and Monkeypox.
Prelims facts
- GEMCOVAC-19, delivered under the Ind-CEPI Mission, is India's first mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.
- India's bioeconomy was valued at USD 195.3 billion in 2025, with 18% year-on-year growth.
- The BRIC-THSTI Bioassay Laboratory is one of CEPI's 17 centralised network laboratories.
Mains angle
Health security and biotechnology: India's vaccine scale and the DBT-BIRAC-CEPI partnership support epidemic preparedness and its role as a global vaccine supplier.
Source summary