2 October 2025

• Agriculture: The Union Cabinet approved the Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses with a six-year outlay of Rs 11,440 crore and a production target of 350 lakh tonnes by 2030-31.
• Banking: The RBI constituted a Payments Regulatory Board under the Payments and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
• Health: Amendments to the International Health Regulations creating a new "Pandemic Emergency" category entered into force on 19 September 2025 and were widely discussed today.
• Women: The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme completes a decade. The sex ratio at birth improved from 919 in 2015-16 to 929 in 2019-21.
• Defence: Pakistan tested its Fatah-4 cruise missile with a range of 750 kilometres.

GS area: Agriculture, Economy

The Union Cabinet approved the Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses (also called the Dalhan Aatmanirbharta Mission). The scheme runs from 2025-26 to 2030-31.

• Outlay: Rs 11,440 crore over six years.
• Nodal ministry: Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare.
• Production target: 350 lakh tonnes by 2030-31 from the current 242 lakh tonnes in 2024-25.
• Area target: 310 lakh hectares including 35 lakh hectares of rice fallows.
• Yield target: 1,130 kilograms per hectare from the current 881 kilograms per hectare.
• Free seed kits: 88 lakh; certified seeds to be distributed: 126 lakh quintals.
• Post-harvest infrastructure: 1,000 processing units, each supported by a subsidy of Rs 25 lakh.
• Price assurance: MSP procurement of tur, urad and masoor for four years through NAFED and NCCF.
• SATHI Portal: Seed Authentication, Traceability and Holistic Inventory, a digital platform tracking certified seeds from production to farmer delivery.
• Beneficiaries: approximately two crore farmers.

India imports significant quantities of tur and masoor because domestic production consistently falls short of demand. Price volatility in these commodities has repeatedly triggered emergency import decisions and stock-limit orders. The four-year MSP assurance is intended to incentivise farmers to shift area under the scheme's target crops.

Static linkage: Agriculture (food security, pulses), government schemes.

GS area: Economy (Banking, Payments)

The Reserve Bank of India constituted a six-member Payments Regulatory Board (PRB) under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.

• Legal authority: the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 is the enabling legislation for regulation of payment systems in India.
• Replaces: the Board for Regulation and Supervision of Payment and Settlement Systems (BPSS), which was an internal RBI committee.
• Composition: the RBI Governor serves as ex-officio Chairperson; a Deputy Governor and an Executive Director serve as ex-officio members; three members are nominated by the Government of India.
• Meeting frequency: at least twice a year; decisions by majority vote; casting vote with the Chairperson in case of a tie.
• Distinction from BPSS: the PRB has a statutory base and includes government nominees, making it a more formal regulatory structure.

Static linkage: Monetary policy institutions, payment systems regulation.

GS area: International Relations (Health, International Organisations)

Amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) adopted through World Health Assembly Resolution WHA77.17 in June 2024 entered into force on 19 September 2025. These created a new legal category called "Pandemic Emergency."

• Declaring authority: the WHO Director-General may declare a Pandemic Emergency using the powers under Article 12 of the amended IHR.
• Trigger criteria: broad geographic spread, severe health system strain, major social or economic disruption, and a need for a whole-of-society response.
• New institutional requirement: each State Party must designate National IHR Authorities.
• Finance mechanism: a Coordinating Financial Mechanism for developing nations was created to support emergency responses.
• Oversight: a States Parties Committee provides non-punitive oversight of compliance.
• Difference from PHEIC: a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) is the existing WHO declaration. The Pandemic Emergency is a new, higher-tier category reserved for situations involving rapid international spread.

Static linkage: WHO, international health law, pandemic preparedness.

GS area: Society, Women Empowerment

The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme marks a decade of implementation. Launched in 2015, it operates under three ministries: Women and Child Development, Health and Family Welfare, and Education.

• Sex ratio at birth improvement: from 919 girls per 1,000 boys in 2015-16 to 929 in 2019-21 at the national level.
• State spread: 20 of 30 states and UTs now record a sex ratio at birth above the national average.
• Awareness outcomes: an awareness survey in Madhya Pradesh found 89.5 per cent of respondents were aware of the scheme and 63.2 per cent reported being motivated to send daughters to school.
• Total Fertility Rate: 2.0 as per NFHS-5, a significant decline from earlier levels.
• Infant Mortality Rate: reduced from 49 per 1,000 live births in 2014 to 33 in 2020.
• Coverage: began with 100 districts with the lowest child sex ratio; now covers all districts.

Static linkage: Social justice, women and child development, demographic indicators.

GS area: Defence

INS Imphal conducted a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with USS Gridley of the United States Navy. Key facts about INS Imphal:

• Class: Visakhapatnam-class stealth guided missile destroyer; part of Project P-15B.
• Series: third ship after INS Visakhapatnam and INS Mormugao; INS Surat is the fourth.
• Commissioned: December 2023.
• Builder: Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai; designed by the Navy's Warship Design Bureau.
• Significance: first naval warship named after a city in Northeast India; first to include accommodation for women officers and sailors aboard a frontline warship.
• Specifications: length 164 metres; displacement over 7,500 tonnes; speed over 30 knots; crew of 50 officers and 250 sailors.
• Armament: BrahMos anti-ship/land-attack missiles, medium-range surface-to-air missiles, anti-submarine rocket launchers, and a 76-millimetre main gun.

Static linkage: Indian Navy modernisation, indigenous shipbuilding.

• Environmental surveillance by ICMR: the Indian Council of Medical Research plans wastewater surveillance of 10 viruses across 50 Indian cities. Wastewater monitoring detects infection surges 7 to 10 days before clinical case counts rise, the same technique used to track polio and COVID-19.
• DigiLocker and UPSC verification: UPSC announced document verification through DigiLocker. Documents stored in DigiLocker are treated as originals under Rule 9A of the IT Rules, 2016. MeitY administers the DigiLocker system.
• Biomedical Research Career Programme Phase III: Department of Biotechnology and Wellcome Trust partnership. Total funding: Rs 1,500 crore (DBT Rs 1,000 crore; Wellcome Trust Rs 500 crore). Covers 2025-26 to 2030-31. Supports early career and intermediate research fellowships.
• Fatah-4 missile (Pakistan): indigenously developed cruise missile; range 750 kilometres; speed Mach 0.7; weight 1,530 kilograms; warhead 330 kilograms; guidance GPS and inertial navigation system; circular error probable of 4 metres.