BANKING | ECONOMY CURRENT AFFAIRS
BPCL and CSE Sign MoU on Biofuels and Circular Economy
- Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) have signed an MoU to collaborate on biofuels, biomass utilisation, waste-to-resource solutions and circular economy initiatives.
- Objective: The partnership aims to strengthen the biofuels value chain, with a special focus on Compressed Biogas (CBG), while promoting sustainable resource management and cleaner energy solutions.
- About BPCL: BPCL is a Fortune Global 500 company and India’s second-largest oil marketing company, operating refineries at Mumbai, Kochi and Bina with a combined refining capacity of 35.3 MTPA. It aims to achieve net-zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2040.
- About CSE: The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) is a New Delhi-based public-interest research and advocacy organisation working on environment and sustainable development issues.
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GOVERNMENT SCHEMES CURRENT AFFAIRS
CARA Launches Adoption Awareness 2026 Theme
- Key Development: The Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) has launched the Adoption Awareness 2026 theme: “Legal Adoption. Safe Childhood. Secure Future.- Say No to Illegal Adoption!” to promote legal, safe, transparent and child-centric adoption across India.
- About CARA: CARA is the statutory nodal authority for the adoption of orphaned, abandoned and surrendered children under the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD).
- Establishment: Founded in 1990 as an autonomous body, CARA was granted statutory status under Section 68 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
- International Role: CARA serves as India’s Central Authority for inter-country adoptions under the 1993 Hague Convention.
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NABARD and IMD Sign MoU for Climate-Resilient Agriculture
- NABARD and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) have signed an MoU to integrate weather and climate information into Data in Climate Resilient Agriculture (DiCRA), strengthening climate-resilient farming.
- Weather Information: Through DiCRA, IMD will provide district- and block-level weather forecasts, agrometeorological advisories, weather alerts, seasonal risk information and weather observations via a dedicated Weather Portal.
- About DiCRA: Data in Climate Resilient Agriculture (DiCRA) is a digital public platform that provides open-access geospatial datasets on soil moisture, crop conditions, vegetation health, climate vulnerability and weather information to support climate-smart agriculture.
- About National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD): It is India’s apex development financial institution for agriculture and rural development, established on 12 July 1982 under the NABARD Act, 1981.
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INTERNATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
Lahore Named SCO Tourism and Cultural Capital for 2026–27
- Key Development: Lahore (Pakistan) has been designated the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Tourism and Cultural Capital for 2026–27 during the 26th SCO Council of Heads of State Summit held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
- Objective: The designation aims to promote tourism, cultural exchange and people-to-people ties among SCO member states.
- Rotational Title: The Tourism and Cultural Capital title is awarded on a rotational basis to highlight the cultural heritage of the country holding the SCO Chairmanship.
- Pakistan’s Chairmanship: Pakistan will chair the SCO for 2026–27 under the theme “Turning Vision into Action: Connectivity, Innovation and Shared Prosperity.”
- About Lahore: It is Pakistan’s cultural hub, home to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites Lahore Fort and Shalimar Gardens.
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Giorgia Meloni Becomes Italy’s Longest-Serving PM Since World War II
- Giorgia Meloni has become Italy’s longest-serving Prime Minister since World War II, leading the same government for 1,413 days, surpassing Silvio Berlusconi’s previous record.
- Significance: Meloni became Italy’s first woman Prime Minister on 22 October 2022, achieving the milestone despite Italy’s history of frequent government changes, with 68 governments in around eight decades.
- About Giorgia Meloni: Born in Rome on 15 January 1977, she entered politics at 15, became Italy’s youngest minister in 2008 as Minister for Youth, and was elected President of the European Conservatives and Reformists Party in 2020.
- About Italy: Capital: Rome. It is located in Southern Europe and shares borders with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia.
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DEFENCE CURRENT AFFAIRS
IAF Tests Long-Range Glide Bomb ‘Khagantak-243’
- Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully conducted the first flight trial of the indigenously developed Khagantak-243 Long-Range Glide Bomb (LRGB) from a Su-30MKI at the Pokhran Field Firing Range, Rajasthan.
- Key Features: The bomb has a strike range of 144–180 km when released from an altitude of 12 km at Mach 0.8, enabling aircraft to engage targets without entering enemy air-defence zones.
- Design & Warhead: It carries a 125 kg Mk-81 blast-fragmentation warhead and features swivel-type glide wings with five aft control surfaces for precision targeting.
- About DRDO: Established in 1958, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is the R&D wing of the Ministry of Defence. Its motto is “Balasya Mulam Vigyanam” (Strength lies in Science).
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‘RAKSHA’ Defence Diplomacy Framework: India’s 10-Year Global Strategy
- India has unveiled the ‘RAKSHA’ Defence Diplomacy Framework, outlining a 10-year roadmap to strengthen global defence partnerships and align national security objectives with proactive international cooperation.
- Objective: The framework aims to enhance strategic engagement with friendly nations, promote long-term regional stability, strengthen defence partnerships, and expand India’s role in the global security architecture.
- Key Pillars: It focuses on strategic partnerships, capacity building through joint military exercises and training, promotion of ‘Make in India’ defence exports, and strengthening maritime security with India acting as a Net Security Provider and First Responder in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
- Significance: The framework reinforces India’s vision of becoming a trusted global defence partner while boosting indigenous defence manufacturing and international collaboration.
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ENVIRONMENT CURRENT AFFAIRS
IBCA Signs MoU with ADB for Landscape Conservation and Nature-Positive Financing
- International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed an MoU to promote landscape conservation, nature-positive financing and sustainable development during an international workshop on Tiger Landscapes in New Delhi.
- Objective: The partnership aims to recognise tiger landscapes as natural capital and promote conservation, bioeconomy and ecotourism as drivers of sustainable livelihoods, local income generation and ecological security.
- About IBCA: Launched by India in April 2023, the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) is a treaty-based global organisation headquartered in New Delhi for conserving the world’s seven big cat species.
- About National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA): It is a statutory body established in 2006 under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 to oversee Project Tiger.
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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CURRENT AFFAIRS
Tata Elxsi and Sarla Aviation to Develop ‘Shunya’ Electric Air Taxi Platform
- Tata Elxsi and Sarla Aviation have signed an MoU to jointly develop ‘Shunya’, a 6+1 seater electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) air taxi platform for urban air mobility.
- Roles: Tata Elxsi will provide expertise in avionics, flight-control systems, software integration, testing, verification and certification, while Sarla Aviation will lead the aircraft’s design, development and type certification.
- About Shunya: The eVTOL aircraft is designed for vertical take-off and landing, with a top speed of 250 km/h, range exceeding 300 km, and capacity for one pilot and six passengers (or 680 kg cargo). Its first flight is targeted within 18–24 months.
- Sarla Aviation: It is a Bengaluru-based aerospace startup developing indigenous eVTOL air taxis for sustainable urban transportation.
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SPORTS CURRENT AFFAIRS
India to Host Inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy 2027
- International Cricket Council (ICC) has approved India as the new host of the inaugural ICC Women’s Champions Trophy 2027, replacing Sri Lanka due to governance issues.
- Tournament Details: The tournament will be held from 14–28 February 2027 at Mumbai and Vadodara.
- Participating Teams: Australia, England, India, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka have qualified based on the ICC Women’s T20 International Team Rankings.
- About ICC: Founded in 1909 as the Imperial Cricket Conference, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is the global governing body for cricket. Headquartered in Dubai, UAE, it has 108 member countries, including 12 Full Members and 96 Associate Members.
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