Why in News?

• Union Minister Dr Virendra Kumar launched the Vayo Samman Rashtriya Abhiyan (National Intergenerational Bonding Campaign).

• Implemented under Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana (AVYAY).

• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Objectives

• Promote intergenerational bonding between youth and senior citizens.

• Mobilise citizens aged 18 years and above as volunteers.

• Address social isolation and promote dignified ageing.

• Recognise senior citizens as mentors and contributors to society.

India’s Ageing Population

• Population aged 60 years and above:

• 2011: Approximately 10 crore (8.4%).

• 2036 (projected): 23 crore (14.9%).

• Challenges: Urbanisation, migration, changing family structures and reduced interaction between generations.

5C Model

The campaign follows the 5C framework:

• Connect: Create interaction opportunities between generations.

• Converse: Promote dialogue and exchange of experiences.

• Co-create: Undertake joint activities and projects.

• Contribute: Share knowledge, skills and resources.

• Continue: Ensure sustained community participation.

Why in News?

• NITI Aayog and TEXMiN signed a Joint Statement of Intent (SoI) to strengthen India's critical and strategic minerals ecosystem.

• TEXMiN is an initiative of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad.

Key Objectives

• Develop indigenous technological capabilities.

• Promote research, innovation and technology translation.

• Build resilient and sustainable critical mineral value chains.

• Support the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) and Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

Four Areas of Cooperation

• Collaborative research and technology development.

• Technical and strategic studies.

• Policy and institutional support.

• Capacity building and knowledge exchange.

Why in News?

• The Bharat Renewable Energy Summit and Expo 2026 brought together global investors, policymakers and industry leaders to promote renewable energy cooperation and investment.

• Indian Participation: 13 States and Union Territories showcased renewable energy potential and investment opportunities.

The Next Terawatt Plenary

• Convened by the International Solar Alliance (ISA), CEEW(Council on Energy, Environment and Water) and Energiva Ventures.

• A high-level plenary meeting held to discuss strategies for expanding renewable energy at the terawatt scale(1000 Gw) in the future.

Key priority areas:

• Integrated energy planning, supply and storage.

• Energy infrastructure expansion and resilience.

• Terawatt-scale financing.

• Digitalisation and AI for secure and affordable energy.

• Roadmap: Present to 2050, aligned with Viksit Bharat 2047.

Why in News?

• The opening ceremony of the 5th edition of Exercise Tiger Triumph 2026 was held on 2 November 2026 at the Maritime Warfare Centre, Visakhapatnam.

Key Highlights

• Nature: India–US Bilateral Tri-Service Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise.

• Format (2026): Tabletop Exercise (TTX).

• Objective: Enhance joint planning, coordination and interoperability during large-scale HADR operations.

• Focus on Combined Joint All-Domain Operations.

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Participation

India:

• Indian Navy, Indian Army and Indian Air Force.

• Special Forces personnel from all three Services.

• National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) participating for the first time in this edition.

USA:

• US Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Navy.

• Specialists from Space, Cyber, Medical and Explosive Ordnance Disposal domains.

Why in News?

• IPRD-2026 commenced on 3 November 2026 in New Delhi.

• Organised by the Indian Navy in association with the National Maritime Foundation (NMF).

• Theme: Science, Technology and Academic Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

Key Highlights

• Focus on converting scientific advancements and technological innovations into regional cooperation.

• Strengthening maritime capabilities, institutional partnerships and regional resilience.

Why in News?

India has secured 88th position in the World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index 2026, slipping two places from 86th in the previous edition. India recorded an overall score of 0.48 in the index, which assesses how the rule of law is experienced in everyday life across 143 countries and jurisdictions.

Key Findings of the WJP Rule of Law Index 2026

• India’s ranking: India ranked 88th with a score of 0.48, down from 86th in the previous year.

• Global leaders: Denmark topped the index, followed by Norway and Finland.

• Major countries: The United States ranked 30th, China 92nd, and Russia 121st.

Eight Factors Used to Measure the Rule of Law

The WJP Index evaluates countries on eight key factors:

1. Constraints on Government Powers

2. Absence of Corruption

3. Open Government

4. Fundamental Rights

5. Order and Security

6. Regulatory Enforcement

7. Civil Justice

8. Criminal Justice

Global Decline in the Rule of Law

The report highlights a continuing global decline in the rule of law for the ninth consecutive year.

• Rule-of-law scores declined in 62% of countries covered by the index.

• Freedoms of speech and assembly, along with civic participation, weakened in more than 60% of countries.

• Around 86% of countries experienced a sustained decline over the past five years.

• The report observes that authoritarianism is no longer merely an emerging trend but has become entrenched in many countries.

Rule of Law and Economic Stability

The report also highlights the relationship between governance and economic stability. Strong rule-of-law institutions are associated with better inflation control, while weaker governance structures tend to coincide with greater price volatility and severe inflationary pressures.

Why in News?

• K. Rupesh Kumar, CEO of the Kerala Responsible Tourism Mission Society, has received the ICRT Global Award for his contributions to Responsible Tourism.

• He is honoured with the Pioneering Contributor to Responsible Tourism award.

What is Responsible Tourism?

Tourism in which:

• Local people receive employment and economic benefits.

• Local culture and traditions are preserved.

• Environmental damage is minimised.

• The benefits of tourism reach local communities.

About the ICRT Global Award

• It is presented by the international organisation International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT Global).

• The organisation promotes Responsible and Sustainable Tourism.

• Its founder is Professor Harold Goodwin.

• The award is given to individuals and organisations that make tourism environmentally friendly and beneficial to local communities.

Why in News?

• Four-member crew emerged after 378 days of isolation during NASA’s second simulated Mars mission at Johnson Space Center, Houston, USA.

• In this mission, scientists developed Mars like environment on the Earth during the experiment.

Key Highlights

Mission: Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA).

Habitat: 1,700-square-foot (158 sq. m) 3D-printed facility.

Mission Period: 19 October 2025 onwards, for 378 days.

Activities included:

• Growing crops in simulated Martian soil.

• Maintaining the habitat and performing simulated Mars operations.

• Communication with NASA officials with simulated interplanetary delays.

Objectives

• Study astronauts' physical and psychological adaptation to long-duration space missions.

• Understand the challenges of limited resources and isolation.

• Assess communication delays, independent decision-making and habitat maintenance.

• Help prepare for future human missions to the Moon and Mars.

Why in News?

• Soreng district, Sikkim has become India’s first notified Organic Fisheries Cluster under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).

Key Highlights

• Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh launched the SOP for Organic Certification of Fisheries in the Northeastern Region.

• Fisheries projects worth ₹375 lakh inaugurated under PMMSY.

• 34 fisheries production and processing clusters notified across India under PMMSY.

• Announced in 2019, this scheme was implemented in September, 2020.

Important Development

• Sikkim signed an MoU with ITBP for institutional procurement of locally produced Rainbow Trout.

• Aims to provide stable market access to trout farmers.

Significance

• Promotes chemical-free and sustainable fish farming.

• Strengthens fisheries value chains and farmers’ income.

• Creates opportunities for premium domestic and export markets.

Why in News?

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued the Telecom Consumers Complaint Redressal (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, to make complaint resolution faster, more accessible, and more transparent.

Key Provisions of the Amendment

• Digital Complaint Facility: Consumers can now register complaints, file appeals, and raise service requests through telecom service providers' mobile applications, in addition to existing channels such as websites and complaint centers.

• 24×7 Consumer Support: Complaint centers must operate round the clock throughout the week. However, human assistance must be available for at least 16 hours daily. AI agents and automated systems may also be used with appropriate human oversight.

• Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities: Service providers must establish dedicated helplines or desks for persons with disabilities (PwDs) and ensure accessibility features on their digital platforms.

• Faster Appeal Process: The time limit for filing an appeal after complaint disposal has been reduced from 30 days to 15 days. The Appellate Authority must communicate its final decision within 15 days of receiving the appeal.

• Stronger Accountability: Appellate Authorities must comprise regular management employees with at least five years of experience. The earlier advisory committee-based appeal process has been discontinued.

• Consumer Feedback: Service providers must conduct five-point satisfaction surveys after resolving complaints and appeals and publish the results quarterly.

• Regulatory Oversight: Service providers must establish Consumer Grievance Redressal Oversight Committees. TRAI can review their performance through audits, inspections, and consumer feedback.

• Financial Disincentives: Financial penalties may be imposed for violations of the regulations and delayed or non-submission of quarterly performance reports.

Applicability

The amended regulations apply to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) having more than 10,000 subscribers at the end of the preceding financial year.

Why in News?

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that India aims to add 500 GW of new non-fossil fuel-based power capacity over the next 10–11 years.

• He made the announcement while addressing the inaugural session of the Bharat Renewable Energy Summit and Expo 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

India’s Progress in Clean Energy

Highlighting India's progress in renewable energy, the prime minister said that the country had already achieved an important milestone under its Paris Agreement commitments.

• Target achieved early: India had pledged to ensure that 50% of its installed electricity capacity came from non-fossil fuel sources. It achieved this target in 2025, five years ahead of the 2030 deadline.

• Further expansion: India is now aiming to add another 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity over the next 10–11 years.

• Growing capacity: According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, India's total installed power generation capacity stood at approximately 558.89 GW.

The prime minister expressed confidence in India's ability to achieve the ambitious target, emphasizing the country's growing capabilities in the clean-energy sector.

Why Is the 500 GW Target Important?

India's growing energy demand makes the expansion of clean power sources increasingly important. Additional non-fossil fuel capacity can help the country:

• Reduce dependence on coal and other fossil fuels.

• Lower carbon emissions and support climate commitments.

• Strengthen energy security by reducing dependence on imported fuels.

• Encourage investment in solar, wind, hydro, and other clean-energy technologies.

• Create new opportunities in manufacturing, infrastructure, and green jobs.

Why in News?

INS Sudarshini returned to Kochi on 2 November 2026, completing its 10-month transoceanic sailing expedition, Lokayan 26.

Major Engagements

• Participated in Escale à Sète festival (France), SAIL 250 and International Naval Review (USA).

• Conducted naval interactions and training exchanges with Morocco, Portugal, Italy, Egypt and Spain.

Significance

• Strengthened international maritime cooperation and India's maritime outreach.

• Provided practical sail-training experience to young naval officers.

• Promoted India's MAHASAGAR vision – Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions.

• Reflected the ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – The World Is One Family.

Why in News?

• The 1st International Maize Conference 2026 is being held in Hyderabad from 2 to 4 November 2026, bringing together scientists, policymakers, agricultural institutions, and industry representatives to discuss ways to improve maize production, research, and value-chain development in India.

• The conference was organized around the theme “Maize Revolution for Food, Feed, Fodder, Fuel, and Sustainability in the Changing World” (M4FS).

India Targets 75 Million Tonnes of Maize Production

• India's maize production has reached approximately 55 million tonnes, supported by improvements in crop productivity over the past decade.

Key Focus Areas of the Conference

The discussions focused on making maize farming more productive, profitable, and sustainable.

• Improved seeds and hybrids: Developing high-yielding varieties with better nutritional quality and resistance to pests, diseases, and climate-related stresses.

• Affordable seed access: Strengthening public-sector hybrid production and ensuring quality seeds reach farmers.

• Advanced research: Promoting modern breeding techniques and conserving valuable maize genetic resources.

• Mechanization: Encouraging efficient farming technologies to improve productivity and reduce cultivation costs.

• Value-chain development: Expanding maize-based industries, including its use as a feedstock for ethanol production.

• Food safety: Improving aflatoxin management to ensure better quality maize for food and animal feed.

Significance for India

• The conference highlighted the need to expand the traditional 4F approach—Food, Feed, Fodder, and Fuel—to a 5F approach by placing farmers at the center. 

Why in News?

The Ministry of Defence has signed contracts worth ₹53,866.50 crore with two defense public sector shipyards—Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) and Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL)—for the construction of eight next-generation corvettes for the Indian Navy.

• The project aims to strengthen India's maritime security while giving a major boost to indigenous warship design and manufacturing.

Who Will Build These Warships?

The eight corvettes will be built by two Indian shipyards:

• GRSE: Five corvettes.

• Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL): Three corvettes.

This is the first project in which the ships will be indigenously designed by the Indian Navy and constructed by defense PSUs selected through a competitive process.

What Makes These Corvettes Special?

The next-generation vessels will feature advanced missile weapons and sensor systems. They will be designed to perform a wide range of naval operations across air, surface, and underwater domains.

Their key roles will include:

• Anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare.

• Maritime surveillance and reconnaissance.

• Search-and-attack missions.

• Coastal and littoral defense.

• Protection of important maritime trade routes.

• Strengthening India's maritime presence and deterrence capabilities.