Cabinet has approved the Policy for Auction of Coal Linkage for Seamless, Efficient & Transparent Utilisation (CoalSETU) Policy.

About CoalSETU

• It creates a new auction window for coal under the Non-Regulated Sector (NRS) Linkage Auction Policy of 2016.
• Purpose: It will allow allocation of coal linkages on auction basis on long-term for any industrial use and export.
• Exception: Coking coal shall not be offered under this window.
• Participation: Any domestic buyer requiring coal can participate in the linkage auction.
  • Traders are not allowed to bid under this window.
• Usage of Coal Obtained:
  • Own consumption by the buyer.
  • Export of coal (up to 50% of linkage quantity)
  • Coal washing or other purposes permitted under policy
  • Exception: Resale in the country is not allowed.

India Calls for Protection of Preah Vihear Temple  amid the Thailand–Cambodia border clashes.

About  Preah Vihear Temple

• Location: Cambodia (Near the border with Thailand)
• Principal Deity: The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva
• History: The temple  began under King Yashovarman I (889–910 CE) and completed during the reign of King Suryavarman II (1113–1150 CE) of Khmer dynasty.
• It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Supreme Court Extends ₹50 Lakh Insurance to All Doctors Who Died on COVID Duty under “Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package: Insurance Scheme for Health Workers Fighting COVID-19”.

About Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package: Insurance Scheme for Health Workers Fighting COVID-19

• Objective: To provide financial protection to health workers engaged in COVID-19 duties.
• Implementing Ministry: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India
• Insurance Coverage: ₹50 lakh accident insurance cover per beneficiary.
• Coverage Provided
  • Death due to COVID-19 infection during duty.
  • Accidental death while performing COVID-19–related duties.
• Beneficiaries: Healthcare workers including doctors, nurses, paramedics and support staff directly involved in COVID-19 duties.

NASA loses contact with MAVEN spacecraft in Mars orbit.

About Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft

• Launched: In 2013 by NASA
• Objective: To explore Mars' upper atmosphere, ionosphere, and interactions with the Sun and solar wind to explore the loss of the Martian atmosphere to space.

India has been left out of new US critical mineral diversification plan ‘Pax Silica’.

About Pax Silica Initiative

• It is a U.S.-led strategic initiative to build a secure, prosperous, and innovation driven silicon supply chain from critical minerals and energy inputs to advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, AI infrastructure, and logistics.
• Aim: To reduce dependencies and ensure aligned nations can develop and deploy transformative technologies at scale.
• Members: Japan, Republic of Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, The United Kingdom, Israel, United Arab Emirates, and Australia.

₹476-crore Central Sector Scheme has been rolled out for holistic development of makhana sector in first meeting of National Makhana Board.

• Roadmap has been approved for research, quality seed production, value addition, and export promotion.

About National Makhana Board (Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare)

• Established to boost value addition, branding, and global positioning of makhana.
• Location: Bihar
• Objectives: Improve farmers’ income and promote scientific cultivation, post-harvest processing and value addition.

Government of India highlighted rural transformation and development leadership at International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)–India Day.

About IFAD (HQ: Rome, Italy)

• UN Specialised Agency: IFAD is an international financial institution and a United Nations specialised agency dedicated to eradicating rural poverty and hunger.
• Focus on Smallholders: It supports smallholder farmers, pastoralists and rural entrepreneurs through finance, training and technology.
• Rural Development Financing: Provides loans and grants for agriculture, climate resilience, value-chain development and livelihood diversification.

The recent ICRIER-Prosus Centre Report highlights significant disparities in digitalisation across Indian states, with some advancing rapidly while others lag behind. 

Key Findings of the Report

• Highlights uneven digital transformation at the subnational level, with states progressing at varied paces. 
• Delhi tops digitalisation scores, followed by Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Haryana.
• States like Jharkhand rank much lower, indicating wide inter-state gaps in digital adoption.
• Risks slowing India’s ambitious Digital Bharat goals if weaker states do not catch up.