1️⃣ India Emerges as a Global Cooperative Powerhouse

Why in News

• UN declared 2025 as International Year of Cooperatives (IYC).
• India highlighted globally for its cooperative-led development under “Sahkar Se Samriddhi”.

Key Facts

• 27% of world’s cooperatives
• 8.5 lakh registered, 6.6 lakh functional
• 32 crore members (~98% rural households)
• 30+ sectors: agriculture, dairy, fisheries, housing, banking
• ~80,000 PACS – backbone of rural credit

Government Initiatives

• ₹2,925 cr PACS digitalisation (ERP) – 14 languages
• NCEL, NCOL, BBSSL (new apex cooperatives)
• White Revolution 2.0 – +50% milk procurement
• Cooperative surcharge cut: 12% → 7%

Challenges

• Regional imbalance
• Infrastructure & governance deficits
• NPAs in Urban Cooperative Banks

✅ Prelims Q Answer: (a) 1 and 3 only

2️⃣ Agricultural Subsidies & Need for Reform

Why in News

• Union Budget 2026 discussions on merging food + fertiliser subsidies via DBT (PM-Kisan model).

Key Numbers

• Total subsidy: ₹3.71 lakh cr
• Food: ₹2.03 lakh cr
• Fertiliser: ₹1.67 lakh cr
• MSP payouts: ₹3.33 lakh cr (2025)
• Urea distortion of N:P:K (ideal 4:2:1)

Major Issues

• Fiscal stress (~10% of Budget)
• Groundwater depletion
• WTO de-minimis pressure
• Skewed benefits to NW India

Reform Path

• DBT consolidation
• Bring urea under NBS
• Nutrition-centric PDS
• Shift to Green Box subsidies

✅ Prelims Q Answer: (a) 2 and 3 only

3️⃣ Domestic Workers Do Not Need a Separate Law

Why in News

• SC-mandated committee (Jan 2025) report submitted (July 2025).

Committee Findings

• Covered under 4 Labour Codes:
  
  • Code on Wages, 2019
  • IR Code, 2020
  • OSH Code, 2020
  • Social Security Code, 2020
• Focus on implementation, not new law

Concerns

• Private households → inspection difficulty
• Gendered vulnerabilities
• India has NOT ratified ILO Convention 189

✅ Prelims Q Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only

4️⃣ Chips to Start-up (C2S) Programme

Why in News

• 56 chips fabricated
• 75+ patents
• Large-scale VLSI talent creation

Key Features

• Launched: 2022
• Ministry: MeitY
• Outlay: ₹250 crore
• Access to EDA tools + wafer runs (SCL Mohali)
• Implemented via ChipIN Centre (C-DAC)

Significance

• Design-led semiconductor sovereignty
• Startup & IP creation
• Supports National Semiconductor Mission

✅ Prelims Q Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only

5️⃣ Second Range-wide Dolphin Survey (Project Dolphin)

Key Points

• Launched from Bijnor, UP
• Implemented by MoEFCC
• Coordinated by Wildlife Institute of India
• Uses hydrophones (acoustic monitoring)

Previous Count (2021–23)

• ~6,327 riverine dolphins
• Highest: UP & Bihar

Species to Remember (Prelims Gold)

• Ganges Dolphin – Endangered
• Indus Dolphin – Beas system
• Irrawaddy Dolphin – Chilika
• Indian Ocean Humpback – Vulnerable

✅ Prelims Q Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only

6️⃣ BRICS Plus Naval Exercise – “Will for Peace 2026”

Why in News

• India opted out

Key Facts

• Host: South Africa
• Nature: Non-institutionalised, host-driven
• Participants: China, Russia, Iran, UAE, SA
• Observers: Brazil, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia

Why India Skipped

• Strategic autonomy
• China factor
• Avoid military bloc signalling
• BRICS ≠ defence alliance

✅ Prelims Q Answer: (a) 2 and 3 only