Why in the news?

The Maldives has thanked India for extending the first withdrawal of ₹30 billion (₹3,000 crore) under the India–Maldives currency swap agreement. The rollover is intended to support the Maldives’ financial liquidity and reflects continued bilateral cooperation under India’s Neighbourhood First Policy.

A currency swap agreement is a financial contract where two parties, such as corporations, financial institutions, or central banks, agree to exchange principal and interest payments in one currency for equivalent amounts in another currency.

What Is the India–Maldives Currency Swap Agreement?

Imagine the Maldives facing a temporary shortage of foreign currency to meet its financial obligations. In such a situation, a currency swap arrangement can provide access to another country’s currency and help ease short-term financial pressure.

Under this arrangement, India provides financial support to the Maldives through access to Indian rupees. This can help the island nation manage liquidity requirements and maintain financial stability.

The facility operates under the Framework on Currency Swap Arrangement for SAARC Countries, signed between the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Maldives Monetary Authority during Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu’s state visit to India in October 2024.

The first withdrawal of ₹30 billion was extended to the Maldivian government on 23 April 2025. India subsequently approved the Maldives’ request to roll over this facility.

Why Is the Currency Swap Facility Important?

For the Maldives, the arrangement provides financial flexibility during periods of liquidity pressure. For India, it supports economic cooperation with a strategically important neighbor in the Indian Ocean region.

The decision also reflects India’s continued engagement with neighboring countries through financial assistance and regional cooperation.

Why in News?

The Government of India has constituted a committee under Prof. Ramesh Chand, former member of NITI Aayog, to examine the concerns of sugarcane farmers and recommend measures to improve their financial returns and address issues in the sugar industry.

The decision follows discussions between representatives of sugarcane farmers from Karnataka and Maharashtra and Union Ministers responsible for Agriculture and Consumer Affairs.

Key Issues to Be Examined by the Committee

• Imagine a sugarcane farmer who spends heavily on cultivation but remains concerned about the price received for the crop. At the same time, sugar mills face production costs and market-related challenges. To address these concerns, the government has formed a committee to examine both sides of the issue.

• The committee will review the demand for higher remunerative returns for sugarcane farmers, taking cultivation costs and other relevant factors into account.

• It will also examine the demand to revise the ex-mill Minimum Selling Price (MSP) of sugar, considering production costs, market realizations, and the financial viability of sugar mills.

• Another important issue is the transparency of sugar recovery testing, which determines how much sugar can be extracted from sugarcane.

• The committee will examine testing and reporting procedures, verification mechanisms, and sugarcane weighing practices at mills.

Committee Composition and Consultation

The committee includes officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, the Department of Food and Public Distribution, and the Department of Consumer Affairs. It will consult farmers, sugar mill associations, state governments, and other experts before submitting its recommendations.

Significance

The initiative aims to promote fairer returns for farmers, transparent weighing and sugar recovery practices, and greater financial stability for sugar mills. Its recommendations could help improve trust between sugarcane farmers and the sugar industry while supporting a more sustainable sugar sector.

Why in News?

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) is set to reorganize its operational and administrative structure from 1 November 2026, following approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The move aims to improve security management through specialized sectors based on the type of establishment being protected.

What Is the CISF’s New Restructuring Plan?

Imagine a country where airports, power plants, coal mines, ports, and government buildings all require different security arrangements. Protecting each facility demands specialized knowledge and a distinct approach.

To address these needs, the CISF is shifting from a largely geographical supervisory system towards a more sector-specific approach. Several existing sectors will be reorganized to focus on areas such as power, coal, steel, petroleum and natural gas, ports, government buildings, museums, monuments and mass rapid transit systems.

This change is expected to improve supervision, develop specialized expertise, and strengthen coordination with ministries and installation authorities. Existing functional arrangements for aviation, atomic energy, and space establishments will continue.

Why Is CISF Restructuring Important?

The reorganization comes as the CISF takes on new security responsibilities. It has been designated a Recognized Security Organization (RSO) for port facilities under the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code. It has also been entrusted with security responsibilities at high-security correctional facilities in Jammu and Kashmir and designated as the nodal agency for aerial security of critical infrastructure.

CISF’s New Security Focus: Cybersecurity and Drone Protection

Alongside administrative changes, the Force is strengthening its cybersecurity, drone, and anti-drone capabilities through specialized training and collaboration with leading institutions.

चर्चा में क्यों ?

1. भारत-सिंगापुर के बीच 33वाँ द्विपक्षीय समुद्री नौसैनिक अभ्यास SIMBEX-2026 21 से 26 अक्टूबर 2026 तक विशाखापत्तनम में आयोजित किया जा रहा है।

2. इस अभ्यास में सिंगापुर की नौसेना का जहाज RSS Supreme भाग ले रहा है। उद्घाटन समारोह INS Nilgiri और INS Kamorta पर आयोजित किया गया।

3. यह अभ्यास भारत की समुद्री सुरक्षा, हिंद-प्रशांत क्षेत्र में सहयोग, नौसैनिक कूटनीति और भारत की Act East Policy के दृष्टिकोण से महत्त्वपूर्ण है।

महत्त्वपूर्ण पक्ष:

1. SIMBEX की शुरुआत 1994 में Exercise Lion King के नाम से हुई थी। समय के साथ यह दोनों देशों के बीच व्यापक समुद्री सहयोग का महत्त्वपूर्ण माध्यम बन गया।

2. इस अभ्यास को दो प्रमुख चरणों में आयोजित किया जाता है। दोनों का उद्देश्य केवल सैन्य अभ्यास करना नहीं, बल्कि एक-दूसरे की कार्यप्रणाली को समझना और संयुक्त अभियानों की क्षमता विकसित करना भी है। इनमें से एक का नाम हार्बर फेज(Harbour Phase) है और दूसरे का नाम सी फेज (Sea Phase) .

Why in News ?

WWF-India Programme Centre – Resource Partner (PC-RP) under Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) initiative has launched green diwali campaign 2026.

Key Highlights

1. Campaign urges citizens to celebrate cracker-free, clean and green Diwali.

2. Special focus on 130 cities covered under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).

3. Target groups include schools, colleges, educational institutions, resident welfare associations and local communities.

Green Diwali Pledge

Citizens are encouraged to:

1. Avoid firecrackers and motivate others to do the same.

2. Use diyas and energy-efficient lights.

3. Avoid single-use plastic.

4. Segregate waste.

5. Choose locally made products.

Objective: Reduce pollution and waste during Diwali while encouraging sustainable lifestyles and greater environmental awareness.

Why in News ?

1. Recently, Chief Economic Adviser V. Anantha Nageswaran stated that financial inclusion is central to central banking, not a peripheral objective.

2. He explained that India's experience shows that financial inclusion can help increase incomes and create economic opportunities.

3. He emphasised that the focus should shift from access to finance towards effective usage, empowerment, financial well-being, and economic resilience.

Important Points

According to CEA, for financial inclusion, major focus areas are

1. Consumer protection.

2. Digital financial tools.

3. Financial services for vulnerable sections.

4. Strengthening households' ability to manage financial risks.

Key Takeaway

Financial inclusion must progress from access to effective usage and empowerment, while responsible AI governance must ensure trust, privacy, accountability, and financial stability.

Why in News?

Bengaluru-born astronomer Dr. Ramya Anche has been selected as the principal investigator of NASA’s $20 million PUFFINS space telescope mission, under its Astrophysics Pioneers program.

Targeted for launch in 2030, the mission will investigate tiny interstellar dust particles to improve our understanding of how stars and planets form.

What Is NASA’s PUFFINS Mission?

PUFFINS stands for Polarimetry in the Ultraviolet to Find Features in Interstellar Dust. It will use a 10-inch telescope to observe ultraviolet light from around 70 distant stars.

The mission will study extremely tiny dust grains, roughly comparable in size to a common cold virus. Though difficult to observe, these particles influence how starlight travels through the galaxy and play an important role in understanding the formation of stars and planets.

PUFFINS will use ultraviolet spectro polarimetry, a specialized technique for studying the properties of light, to investigate these particles.

From Devanahalli to NASA: An Inspiring Journey

Growing up in Devanahalli, near Bengaluru, Dr. Ramya Anche has journeyed from local classrooms to the forefront of international space research. She is an assistant research professor at Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, and previously joined the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) in 2012.

Her selection followed a competitive process in which scientists and engineers submitted detailed mission proposals to NASA. The mission received $20 million in funding to design, build, and launch its telescope.

India’s Contribution to the PUFFINS Mission

The mission involves around 40 scientists, engineers, and researchers, with participation from the University of Arizona, McDonald Observatory, IUCAA Pune, and IIA Bengaluru.

By leading PUFFINS, Dr. Anche will help explore the universe at its smallest scales, bringing scientists closer to understanding how stars and planets take shape.

चर्चा में क्यों?

• सिरपुर को यूनेस्को की "अस्थायी सूची" (Tentative List) में शामिल कर लिया गया है।

• यह विश्व धरोहर दर्जा पाने की दिशा में पहला कदम है।

• अगला कदम: अधिकारियों के पास विस्तृत नामांकन डोजियर (Nomination Dossier) तैयार कर यूनेस्को को सौंपने के लिए एक वर्ष का समय है।

मुख्य विशेषता:

• सिरपुर (Sirpur), छत्तीसगढ़ के महासमुंद जिले में महानदी के पूर्वी तट पर स्थित है।

• समय अवधि: 5वीं शताब्दी से 12वीं शताब्दी ईस्वी तक।

• सिरपुर भारत के उन गिने-चुने पुरातात्विक परिदृश्यों में से एक है जहाँ हिंदू, बौद्ध और जैन तीनों धर्मों के स्मारक एक ही शहरी ढांचे के भीतर मौजूद हैं।

• यहाँ 22 शिव मंदिर, 5 वैष्णव मंदिर, 10 बौद्ध विहार और 3 जैन विहार हैं।

• यह भारत की "अनेकता में एकता" और धार्मिक सहिष्णुता का जीवंत प्रमाण है।

• यहाँ का लक्ष्मण मंदिर (भगवान विष्णु को समर्पित, 7वीं शताब्दी) भारत के सबसे बेहतरीन ईंट-निर्मित मंदिरों में से एक है। यह अपनी जटिल नक्काशी और निर्माण शैली के लिए प्रसिद्ध है।

• यहाँ राजमहल परिसर, बाजार संरचनाएँ, आवासीय क्षेत्र, ईंट और पत्थर के मंदिर, विहार, स्तूप, ध्यान कक्ष और जल प्रबंधन प्रणाली के अवशेष मिले हैं। यह दर्शाता है कि यह एक योजनाबद्ध और समृद्ध शहरी केंद्र था।

Why in News?

India will host the 61st Meeting of the International Committee of Legal Metrology (CIML) for the first time from 26 to 28 October 2026 in New Delhi.

The meeting is being organized by the Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India, in association with the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML).

Focus Areas

The meeting will focus on developing and revising international recommendations, discussing technical activities, and strengthening the OIML Certification System (OIML-CS). It will also focus on capacity building and harmonizing legal metrology standards across countries.

Significance for India:

This is a big opportunity for India to showcase its legal metrology reforms to the world, including simplified compliance procedures, trust-based regulation, and ease of doing business.

Harmonizing measurement standards will help reduce technical barriers to trade. It will minimize duplication in testing and certification, improve export competitiveness, and strengthen consumer protection.

About OIML

The International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) is an intergovernmental body established in 1955 to harmonize legal metrology globally. Legal metrology applies laws to measurements and instruments used in trade, industry, healthcare, safety, and the environment.

OIML develops recommendations and standards for reliable measurements. Its main decision-making body is CIML; the 60th meeting was held in Paris in 2025. Its Certification System (OIML-CS) allows mutual acceptance of instrument testing, reducing duplication.

Why in News?

In a significant step towards preserving India’s linguistic diversity, the Digital India BHASHINI Division and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, have developed text-to-speech (TTS) models for Sourashtra, a minority Indo-Aryan language spoken mainly by the Sourashtra community in Tamil Nadu.

What Is Sourashtra, and Why Does It Matter?

Sourashtra is one such language. Despite its cultural significance, it has limited representation in digital speech technologies. The new models aim to bridge this gap by allowing written Sourashtra text to be converted into speech.

Key Features of the Sourashtra Text-to-Speech Models

• Male and female voices: Users can listen to Sourashtra text in both voice options.

• Support for two scripts: The models can process text written in both Tamil and Sourashtra scripts.

• AI-powered speech generation: They use an end-to-end architecture based on Variational Inference with Adversarial Learning to convert text directly into spoken language.

How Will This Initiative Help?

The technology can support language learning, digital accessibility, documentation, and linguistic research. It may also help integrate Sourashtra into digital applications and make online content more accessible to its speakers.

Significance for India

India’s linguistic diversity is an important part of its cultural heritage. By developing speech technology for underrepresented languages, BHASHINI and IISc Bengaluru are helping reduce the digital language gap.

Its bigger role is that technology should not be limited to widely spoken languages. Every linguistic community should have an opportunity to participate in the digital age in its own language.

चर्चा में क्यों ?

1. हर साल 21 अक्टूबर को राष्ट्रीय पुलिस दिवस का आयोजन होता है.

2. 21 अक्टूबर 1959 को लद्दाख के हॉट स्प्रिंग्स क्षेत्र में, भारी हथियारों से लैस चीनी सेना ने भारतीय पुलिस दल पर घात लगाकर हमला किया था। इसमें 10 पुलिसकर्मी शहीद हुए थे ।

3. जनवरी 1960 में, देश भर के पुलिस महानिरीक्षकों (IGP) के वार्षिक सम्मेलन में यह तय किया गया कि हर साल 21 अक्टूबर को इन शहीदों की याद में "स्मृति दिवस" मनाया जाएगा ।

4. 2018 में इसी दिन, प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी ने नई दिल्ली के चाणक्यपुरी में राष्ट्रीय पुलिस स्मारक राष्ट्र को समर्पित किया था ।

महत्त्वपूर्ण पक्ष:

1. राष्ट्रीय पुलिस स्मारक में केंद्रीय शिल्पकृति के रूप में मौजूद एक 30 फुट ऊँचा ग्रेनाइट का एकल पाषाण खंड(monolith) पुलिस कर्मियों की शक्ति, विनम्रता और नि:स्‍वार्थ सेवा का प्रतीक है।

2. राष्ट्रीय पुलिस स्मारक केन्द्रीय गृह मंत्रालय के अंतर्गत संचालित होता है।

चर्चा में क्यों ?

1. कोयला मंत्रालय के अधीन कोल कंट्रोलर ऑर्गनाइजेशन (CCO) ने बंद हो चुकी कोयला खदानों की भूमि की वैज्ञानिक बंदी (Scientific Mine Closure) और सतत पुनर्उपयोग (Sustainable Repurposing) के लिए SUVIKALP नामक टूल विकसित किया था

2. इसे बेहतर कार्य निष्पादन के लिए Skoch गोल्ड अवार्ड 2026 दिया गया है

3. SUVIKALP CCO द्वारा विकसित in-house "Mine Repurposing Tool" है जो यह तय करने में मदद करता है कि किसी बंद खदान की भूमि के लिए कौन-सा पुनर्उपयोग प्रोजेक्ट सबसे उपयुक्त है।

4. यह कई तकनीकी, पर्यावरणीय, सामाजिक और आर्थिक (Technical, Environmental, Social, Economic) मानदंडों पर परियोजनाओं का मूल्यांकन और रैंकिंग करता है

महत्त्वपूर्ण शब्दावली:

• माइन क्लोज़र (Mine Closure): खदान से खनन बंद होने के बाद उस जगह को सुरक्षित, पर्यावरण-अनुकूल और उपयोगी बनाने की प्रक्रिया। इसे "वैज्ञानिक" तब कहते हैं जब यह योजना, डेटा और मानकों के आधार पर हो, न कि केवल खदान को बंद करके छोड़ देना।

• माइन रीपर्पज़िंग (Mine Repurposing): बंद खदान की भूमि/गड्ढों का नए सिरे से उपयोग जैसे खेती, नवीकरणीय ऊर्जा (सोलर), पर्यटन, जलाशय, औद्योगिक उपयोग, आदि।

• CCO (Coal Controller Organisation): कोयला मंत्रालय का एक संगठन, जो कोयला भंडार, उत्पादन और खदान बंदी से जुड़े नियामकीय/तकनीकी कार्य देखता है।

नोट: स्कॉच गोल्ड अवार्ड (SKOCH Gold Award) भारत में सुशासन, नवाचार और जनहित में उत्कृष्ट कार्यों को मान्यता देने वाला एक निजी, स्वतंत्र पुरस्कार है। इसे स्कॉच ग्रुप (SKOCH Group) नाम की एक स्वतंत्र थिंक-टैंक संस्था देती है, जो 1997 से काम कर रही है और 2003 से ये अवार्ड दे रही है।

Why in News?

Recently, the ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute (ICAR-CPRI) highlighted Kufri Jamunia, a special purple potato variety. It has been in the news for its potential to fight hidden hunger and improve nutritional security in India.

What are the key facts about Kufri Jamunia?

Kufri Jamunia is a biofortified purple potato variety developed by the ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute (ICAR-CPRI). It was officially released in 2024. Biofortification: This means improving the nutrition inside crops through simple plant breeding. The goal is to tackle hidden hunger, which is the deficiency of important micronutrients like iron and zinc, even in people who are eating enough calories.

Characteristics: It is a medium-maturing variety. You can easily identify it by its dark purple skin and deep purple flesh. The tubers are oblong with shallow eyes and have a soft, mealy texture. Each plant produces 10-12 medium to large tubers.

Yield: It gives a very good yield of 32-35 tonnes per hectare under recommended farming practices. In station trials, the yield went up to 49 tonnes per hectare in just 90 days. Around 90% of the total yield was marketable. It also has a dormancy period of 6-8 weeks with good storage quality, so it stays fresh longer.

Nutritional Value: It is rich in vitamin C, anthocyanins, carotenoids, iron, and zinc. It has even higher levels of these components than earlier purple varieties like Kufri Neelkanth and Kufri Manik. Anthocyanins are the natural pigments that give it that beautiful purple color and work as powerful antioxidants for our health.

Culinary Uses: Its purple flesh and mealy texture make it perfect for our kitchen. It can be used for traditional dishes, snacks, and processed foods like parathas, puris, bakery products, and even anthocyanin-rich potato flour.

Cultivation: Kufri Jamunia has shown stable performance in multi-location trials. It is recommended for cultivation in the North Indian plains, where the climate and soil are very favorable for potato farming.

Significance: With its better nutrition, high yield, and multiple uses in cooking, it has the potential to address hidden hunger, promote dietary diversity, and strengthen nutritional security for millions of Indians.

Why in News?

Recently, the 5th edition of the India-Australia Joint Military Exercise AUSTRAHIND 2026 commenced at the Foreign Training Node, Tiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

The exercise is being conducted from 19 October to 01 November 2026. The fourth edition was held at Irwin Barracks, Perth, Australia, from 13 to 26 October 2025.

The exercise will be conducted on the theme “Joint Sub-Conventional Operations in Island and Coastal Environments under Chapter VII of the UN Mandate.”

Exercise AUSTRAHIND 2026 will further strengthen military-to-military cooperation, interoperability, and mutual trust between India and Australia.

Other defense exercises with Australia:

Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP): Elevated in June 2020 to deepen cooperation across defense, cybersecurity, and regional governance. Both nations work alongside the United States and Japan in the Quad to support a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Regular joint military exercises include AUSINDEX (naval), AUSTRAHIND (army), and Exercise Pitch Black (air force), supported by a Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement.