The Union Cabinet has approved the PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY), merging 36 existing schemes from 11 Ministries. With an annual outlay of ₹24,000 crore for six years starting 2025-26, the scheme aims to enhance agricultural productivity, promote crop diversification, sustainable practices, and augment post-harvest storage. It is projected to benefit 1.7 crore farmers across 100 districts, which will be identified based on indicators like low productivity, low cropping intensity, and less credit disbursement. Modeled on the "Aspirational District Programme," the scheme's progress will be monitored monthly, focusing exclusively on agriculture and allied sectors.
The Union Cabinet approved the PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY) to boost agricultural productivity and sustainable practices.
The scheme merges 36 existing schemes from 11 Ministries with an annual outlay of ₹24,000 crore for six years, starting 2025-26.
PMDDKY aims to enhance post-harvest storage, improve irrigation, and facilitate credit availability for farmers.
The article highlights an alarming rise in sexual violence against women in spaces traditionally considered safe, such as schools, colleges, and workplaces, across India. It cites several recent cases, including a student's death in Balasore due to sexual harassment and other incidents of rape and assault on campuses. The author criticizes the ineffectiveness of existing laws and mechanisms like Internal Complaint Committees (ICCs), mandatory under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013. Despite stringent laws, the system often fails victims, leading to a lack of accountability and underreporting of crimes, as evidenced by NCRB data showing a 4% increase in crimes against women in 2022 over 2021.
There is a concerning increase in sexual violence against women in educational institutions and workplaces across India.
The article highlights specific incidents of sexual harassment, rape, and assault on college campuses, leading to tragic outcomes.
The effectiveness of Internal Complaint Committees (ICCs), mandated by the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013, is questioned due to systemic failures and lack of accountability.
Exam Points
Act: Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013
The Election Commission of India's (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar has raised concerns about potential disenfranchisement of lakhs of citizens. The process is criticized for being opaque, hurried, and imposing onerous burdens on voters, especially those added after 2003, who must re-establish eligibility with fresh applications. The ECI's notification lists only 11 acceptable proofs, notably omitting widely held documents like Aadhaar, ration cards, and even ECI-issued EPICs. The Supreme Court has intervened, urging the ECI to consider these omitted documents, emphasizing that electoral roll preparation must meet constitutional standards of fairness, transparency, and non-discrimination, as the right to vote is fundamental to democracy.
The Election Commission of India's (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar is causing concern over potential voter disenfranchisement.
The revision process is criticized for being opaque, hurried, and imposing excessive burdens on voters, particularly those added after 2003.
The ECI's list of acceptable documents for re-establishing eligibility omits widely held proofs like Aadhaar, ration cards, and ECI-issued EPICs.
Exam Points
State: Bihar
Process: Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls
Recent tremors in Delhi (magnitude 4.4) and a series of earthquakes across Asia highlight India's seismic vulnerability, especially as the Indian Plate drifts northward, making the Himalayas prone to a "Great Himalayan Earthquake." Delhi, in Seismic Zone IV, faces high risk due to rapid urbanization and non-compliant older structures. The article emphasizes the urgent need for India to rigorously enforce seismic codes, retrofit old buildings, and adopt resilient infrastructure. It draws lessons from Bangkok's high-strength concrete use and warns against unreinforced masonry seen in Myanmar. Experts estimate annual retrofitting investments of ₹50,000 crore are needed, urging a national dialogue and public education for preparedness to transform vulnerability into strength.
Recent tremors in Delhi and widespread seismic activity across Asia underscore India's high seismic vulnerability, particularly in the Himalayan region.
Delhi, located in Seismic Zone IV, faces significant risk due to rapid urbanization and a large number of older buildings not compliant with seismic codes.
India's seismic risk is exacerbated by the northward drift of the Indian Plate, making the Himalayas overdue for a major earthquake.
Exam Points
Delhi Seismic Zone: Zone IV (high risk)
Indian Plate movement: 4-5 cm/year northward
Bureau of Indian Standards Code: IS 1893:2016 (mandates ductile detailing and shear walls)
India faces a growing "adoption paradox" where a significant number of prospective parents (36,381 in 2025) far outnumber children legally free for adoption (2,652 in 2025), resulting in a 1:13 ratio and an average wait time of 3.5 years. This imbalance, highlighted by a Parliamentary panel and the Supreme Court, is attributed to complexities in declaring children legally free, resource limitations in Child Care Institutions (CCIs), and a lack of accountability. Despite 3.1 crore orphans in India, only a fraction are in the adoption pool. The Juvenile Justice Act (2021) mandates time-bound procedures, but its implementation remains questionable, leading to older children and those with special needs being less preferred for adoption.
India faces an "adoption paradox" with a severe imbalance between prospective parents and children legally free for adoption, leading to long wait times.
As of July 2025, there are 36,381 prospective parents registered versus only 2,652 children legally free for adoption, a ratio of 13:1.
The average delay for prospective parents to get an adoption referral has increased to 3.5 years.
Exam Points
Adoption ratio (2025): 13 prospective parents for every 1 child legally free
Gujarat has initiated India's first Tribal Genome Sequencing Project to enhance tribal healthcare. The project aims to sequence the genomes of 2,000 individuals from tribal communities across 17 districts in the state. This initiative will focus on early detection and targeted treatment of genetic disorders prevalent in these communities, such as sickle cell anaemia, thalassemia, and certain hereditary cancers. Additionally, the genetic data collected will be utilized to identify markers related to natural immunity and to support the development of personalized healthcare solutions tailored for tribal populations.
Gujarat has launched India's first Tribal Genome Sequencing Project to improve healthcare for tribal communities.
The project will sequence the genomes of 2,000 individuals from tribal communities across 17 districts in Gujarat.
Its primary goal is the early detection and targeted treatment of genetic disorders like sickle cell anaemia, thalassemia, and hereditary cancers.
Exam Points
State: Gujarat
Project: India's first Tribal Genome Sequencing Project
Target: 2,000 individuals from tribal communities across 17 districts
The Ministry of Commerce, through its departments like DGFT and DGTR, is actively monitoring and clamping down on import surges and dumping practices by India's trading partners. This initiative aims to protect the domestic sector from unfair trade practices. The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) recently initiated anti-dumping investigations on eight product lines from 12 countries/groupings, targeting industrial chemicals and glass wool, among others. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) also restricted imports of palladium, rhodium, and iridium alloys (containing >1% gold) to prevent evasion of higher import duties on gold, which was being disguised as these free-import alloys.
The Ministry of Commerce is actively monitoring and restricting import surges and dumping to safeguard India's domestic industries.
The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) has initiated anti-dumping investigations on eight product lines from 12 countries or groupings.
Dumping refers to exporting goods at prices below their normal rate, harming domestic producers.
Exam Points
Ministries involved: Ministry of Commerce
Departments involved: Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR)
Number of anti-dumping investigations: 8 product lines from 12 countries/groupings
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