Growth of combined  ICI slowed to 2.3% in February, compared with 4.7% in January, on an annual basis.

About ICI

• It covers eight core industries viz. Coal, Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Refinery Products, Fertilizers, Steel, Cement, and Electricity. 
  • They comprise 40.27% of weight of items in Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
• Released by:Office of the Economic Advisor, Department for Promotion of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Commerce. 

NPC signed an Agreement with Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to act as Environment Audit Designated Agency (EADA) under Environment Audit Rules, 2025.

• It entrusts NPC with overall management of environmental audit framework, including development of eligibility criteria, registration of auditors, performance monitoring, etc. 

About NPC

• Gensis: 1958 to undertake research in productivity. 
• Ministry:Autonomous organization under Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

NPC is a constituent of Tokyo-based Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), an Inter-Governmental Body of which India is a founding member.

ECI has issued orders requiring to apply to the MCMC for pre-certification of all political advertisements on electronic and social media.

About MCMC

• Created by: ECI
• Purpose: Ensuring compliance with EC guidelines and preventing paid news or misleading content.
  • Strict vigil on suspected cases of paid news in the media and take suitable action.

Scientists tracing small molecular clouds located near the Milky Way disc have seen the skeleton of the magnetic field surrounding them for the first time to better understand its role in star formation.

About Molecular Clouds:

• It is an interstellar cloud of gas and dust in which molecules can form, the most common of which is hydrogen (H₂). 
• It is generally thought that our Sun formed in a similar molecular cloud by collapse of the cloud triggered by nearby supernova.
• Key features: It is opaque because of its internal dust grains. The form of such dark clouds is very irregular: they have no clearly defined outer boundaries.

Global Terrorism Index, 2026 was recently published by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), a Sydney-based independent, non-profit think tank.

Key Findings

• Top rank: Pakistan recorded the highest score, being the country most impacted by terrorism.
  • ~ 70% of deaths from terrorism occurred in only 5 countries: Pakistan, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Niger, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). 
• Substantial fall in terrorism: Deaths from terrorism fell 28% and number of attacks declined by ~ 22%.
• 4 deadliest terrorist organisations (2025): IS, Jamaat Nusrat Al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and alShabaab. 
• Indias’ rank: 13th

Report titled ‘Changing dynamics of glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region from 1990 to 2020’ was released by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).

About ICIMOD

• It is an intergovernmental knowledge and learning centre leading the global effort to protect Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH).
• India is a regional member country.

Key Findings

• Glacier number loss Doubled: Increased from -5.4% between 1990 and 2020 to -10% between 2010 and 2010.
• Consistent retreat: 12% reduction in total glacier area and a 9% decline in estimated ice reserves.

Indus River basin lost 6% of its glacier area, while the Ganges and the Brahmaputra River basins experienced reductions of 21% and 16%, respectively.

Ministry of Heavy Industries invited bids to set up integrated manufacturing facilities under the Scheme to Promote Manufacturing of Sintered Rare Earth Permanent Magnet (REPM).

About Scheme to Promote Manufacturing of Sintered REPM

• Aim: To establish 6,000 Metric Tons per Annum (MTPA) of integrated REPM manufacturing facilities, involving conversion of rare earth oxides to metals, metals to alloys, and alloys to finished REPMs.
• Beneficiary allocation: 5 beneficiaries selected through global competitive bidding process, each to be allotted up to 1,200 MTPA of capacity.
• Financial outlay:  Rs.7,280 crores- Capital subsidy: ₹750 crore, Sales-linked incentive: ₹6,450 crore

About REPM

• They are one of the strongest types of permanent magnets, made from alloys of rare earth elements.
• Examples: Neodymium-Iron-Boron 
• Applications: Electric vehicles, renewable energy, electronics, aerospace, and defence applications.