The Union Health Ministry is set to launch a nationwide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program targeting girls aged 14. This initiative aims to provide protection against cervical cancer, the second most common cancer among women in India, with nearly 80,000 new cases reported annually. The vaccination will be voluntary, free of cost, and administered at designated government health facilities, including Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. India will utilize Gardasil, a quadrivalent vaccine that protects against HPV types 16 and 18 (which cause cervical cancer) and types 6 and 11. The program is supported by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, ensuring equitable access.
The program targets girls aged 14 to ensure maximum preventive benefit before potential exposure to the virus.
Gardasil is a quadrivalent vaccine providing protection against four specific types of HPV.
Vaccinations will be conducted exclusively at government health facilities to ensure quality and cold chain standards.
Exam Points
Gardasil vaccine protects against HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18.
Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women in India.
The program is supported by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
The Union Cabinet has approved the Kerala government's proposal to change the state's name to 'Keralam', reflecting the name used in the Malayalam language. The process follows a resolution passed by the Kerala Assembly in June 2024. Under Article 3 of the Constitution, the President will now refer the 'Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026' to the State Legislative Assembly for its views. Following this, the Union government will introduce the legislation in Parliament. This move aligns with the linguistic basis on which states were originally formed in 1956.
The name change aims to align the official name with the state's linguistic and cultural identity in Malayalam.
Article 3 of the Indian Constitution provides the procedure for altering the name, area, or boundaries of any state.
The Union Cabinet's approval is a critical step before the President recommends the bill to Parliament.
Exam Points
Article 3 of the Constitution governs the alteration of state names.
The Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 is the proposed legislation.
The Supreme Court observed that addressing human-wildlife conflict in southern India requires a humanitarian approach and direct engagement with local communities. Chief Justice Surya Kant noted that the situation in parts of Kerala and other southern states is 'alarming'. The court emphasized that mere judicial orders are insufficient; instead, authorities must reach out to local people in their own language and understand their socio-economic conditions. The bench criticized the use of cruel methods like spikes or fireballs to drive away elephants and highlighted that commercial interests often exploit these conflict situations.
Judicial orders alone cannot solve complex human-wildlife conflicts without ground-level community engagement.
A humanitarian approach is necessary to understand the economic interests and sensitivities of local populations.
The court flagged the systematic evasion of laws and the use of cruel deterrence methods against wildlife.
Exam Points
Chief Justice of India: Justice Surya Kant.
The court referred to previous orders from August 1, 2018, and December 4, 2018.
Specific mention of 'alarming' conflict situations in Kerala and southern states.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled for a standalone two-day visit to Israel in February 2026, marking his second visit since 2017. The visit aims to deepen the 'de-hyphenated' strategic partnership amidst regional instability in West Asia. Key focus areas include defense cooperation, specifically in UAVs and missile systems like the Barak-8, and the progress of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). Israel is India's second-largest trading partner in Asia, with bilateral trade reaching $3.75 billion. Discussions are also expected to cover a potential Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and cooperation in high-tech sectors like AI.
India maintains a 'de-hyphenated' policy, engaging with Israel independently of its relations with Palestine.
Defense remains a cornerstone of the relationship, with Israel providing cutting-edge surveillance and missile technology.
The IMEC project is a strategic priority for regional connectivity and trade diversification.
India has shifted to a proactive trade strategy, pursuing comprehensive Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with major economies like the UAE, Australia, and the UK. The goal is to increase total exports to $2 trillion by 2030, as outlined in the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023. These agreements aim to integrate Indian firms into global value chains, particularly in high-growth sectors like electronics and pharmaceuticals. The strategy emphasizes 'strategic autonomy' while reducing dependence on single geographies. Recent milestones include an interim agreement with the U.S. and ongoing negotiations for a historic FTA with the European Union.
India aims for $2 trillion in total exports by 2030 under the Foreign Trade Policy 2023.
FTAs are being utilized as strategic instruments for both economic growth and diplomatic influence.
The strategy focuses on diversifying export destinations to ensure economic resilience against global shocks.
Exam Points
Export target: $2 trillion by 2030.
Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023.
India-EU FTA covers a market of nearly 2 billion people.
An editorial criticizes the Supreme Court's perceived retreat from its 2018 guidelines intended to curb mob violence and cow vigilantism. Chief Justice Surya Kant recently observed that the 2018 'general directions' were 'unmanageable', suggesting petitioners approach High Courts instead. The article argues that since 2018, vigilantism has grown, often with state encouragement or legal sanctity. The 2018 judgment (Dipak Misra bench) had emphasized the state's 'sacrosanct duty' to protect citizens from lynching. The current judicial diffidence is seen as a blow to the rule of law and the protection of individual rights against majoritarian violence.
The 2018 Supreme Court judgment provided specific preventive, punitive, and remedial measures against mob lynching.
Current judicial observations suggest a shift toward handling cases on individual merits rather than systemic monitoring.
Vigilante groups are allegedly being accorded quasi-policing powers in violation of court guidelines.
Exam Points
2018 Supreme Court judgment on cow vigilantism (Dipak Misra bench).
Chief Justice of India: Justice Surya Kant.
The 2018 judgment emphasized the 'sacrosanct duty' of the state to protect citizens.
ISRO has formed a high-level committee, including external experts like K. Vijay Raghavan, to investigate 'systemic issues' behind the recent failures of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). The PSLV-C62 mission failed in January 2026 when the third stage failed to ignite, a mishap similar to the PSLV-C61 failure in May 2025. The panel will examine manufacturing, procurement, and organizational problems. This move marks a departure from ISRO's usual internal Failure Analysis Committees, seeking a 'third-party appraisal' to ensure accountability and improve the reliability of India's workhorse rocket in an increasingly privatized space ecosystem.
The PSLV is ISRO's 'workhorse' rocket, but consecutive failures have raised concerns about its reliability.
The probe will look beyond technical faults to organizational, manufacturing, and procurement processes.
External experts are involved to provide an unbiased, third-party assessment of the failures.
Exam Points
PSLV-C61 (May 18, 2025) and PSLV-C62 (January 12, 2026) were the failed missions.
Expert: K. Vijay Raghavan (former Principal Scientific Adviser).
Researchers have confirmed that the HIV capsid—the protein shell protecting the virus's genetic material—is an excellent target for long-acting antiretroviral therapy. A new drug, Lenacapavir, the first capsid-based inhibitor, has shown high efficacy in clinical trials. Unlike older drugs, Lenacapavir is administered as a subcutaneous injection once every six months, forming a slow-release reservoir. While HIV can develop resistance, studies show that mutations in the capsid significantly impair the virus's ability to replicate, making it a 'high cost' adaptation for the virus. This discovery opens doors for a new generation of durable HIV treatments.
The capsid is essential for protecting viral RNA and must remain largely unchanged for the virus to survive.
Lenacapavir offers a long-acting treatment option (bi-annual injection) compared to daily oral pills.
Viral resistance to capsid inhibitors comes at the cost of significantly reduced viral fitness and replication.
Exam Points
Drug name: Lenacapavir (first capsid-based HIV inhibitor).
Administration: Subcutaneous injection every six months.
Petitions in the Supreme Court challenge the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, arguing it dilutes the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Section 44(3) of the DPDP Act amends Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act to provide a blanket exemption for 'personal information', removing the previous proviso that allowed disclosure if it served a larger public interest. Critics argue this prevents scrutiny of public servants' assets and corruption. The matter has been referred to a Constitution Bench to balance the fundamental right to privacy (Puttaswamy judgment) against the right to information (Article 19).
The DPDP Act 2023 removes the 'public interest' override for disclosing personal information under RTI.
Previously, RTI was used to probe corruption by accessing assets and liabilities of public servants.
The Supreme Court must now reconcile the right to privacy with the need for transparency in governance.
Exam Points
DPDP Act, 2023; Section 44(3) of DPDP Act.
Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act, 2005.
Puttaswamy Judgment (2017) declared privacy a fundamental right.
Four years since the invasion began in February 2022, the Russia-Ukraine war continues to severely impact global and domestic economies. A World Bank report estimates Ukraine's post-war reconstruction cost at $558 billion. In both nations, essential food prices have skyrocketed; for instance, rice prices in Russia rose by 40% compared to 2022. Ukraine's GDP contracted by 30% in 2022, while Russia faces long-term stagnation due to sanctions. Defense spending has surged to over 20% of Ukraine's GDP and nearly 30% of Russia's total expenditure, leading to decreased allocations for social sectors like education and healthcare.
Reconstruction costs for Ukraine are estimated at nearly three times its projected 2025 GDP.
Inflation in Russia reached 14% in 2022 and remains volatile due to ongoing conflict and sanctions.
Both countries have significantly diverted funds from social welfare and infrastructure to military spending.
This article examines 'Agreements on Reciprocal Trade' (ARTs) introduced by the Trump administration, which differ from traditional Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). Unlike FTAs, ARTs are often not signed under WTO's GATT Article XXIV, making them legally suspicious under international law. These agreements frequently include 'America First' provisions, such as the power to impose unilateral tariffs or restrict data sovereignty. The U.S.-India trade deal and agreements with countries like Bangladesh are cited as examples. These deals represent a shift toward managed trade and bilateralism, potentially undermining the multilateral WTO framework.
ARTs often bypass WTO rules on non-discrimination and the Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) principle.
These agreements allow the U.S. to maintain trade barriers while demanding concessions from partner nations.
They often include clauses that restrict the domestic policy space and data sovereignty of the partner country.
Exam Points
GATT Article XXIV governs Free Trade Agreements.
Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) rule is a core principle of the WTO.
WTO was established in 1995.
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