Reserve Bank of India issued the ‘Digital Payments – E-mandate Framework, 2026,’ under the Payment and Settlement Systems (PSS) Act, 2007.

• E-Mandate is a digital standing instruction that authorizes automatic debits from a bank account for recurring payments, facilitating seamless and automated transactions.

About Framework

• A one-time registration process with validation of additional factor of authentication (AFA) is required for e-mandate.
• Every e-mandate shall specify the validity period of the e-mandate which can be modified or withdrawn by customer at any time. 
• All recurring transactions may be authorised without AFA up to ₹15,000/- per transaction.

Two waste sites in India are listed among top methane emitters globally in the “Spotlight on the Top 25 Methane Plumes in 2025: Landfills”, released by the University of California (UCLA).

• These sites include waste facility in Telangana's Secunderabad and Maharashtra's Mumbai emits 4.9 tonnes of methane per hour.

About Methane

• It is a powerful greenhouse gas and the second-largest cause of global warming, after carbon dioxide.
• Even though methane stays in the Earth’s atmosphere for a shorter time than carbon dioxide, it is far more powerful at trapping heat.

NASA’s Curiosity rover detected organic molecules never seen before on Mars including chemicals considered building blocks of life.

• These molecules are important as they are precursors to DNA and RNA.

About Curiosity Rover

• It is part of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission, launched in 2011.
• Objective: to study if Mars has the right environmental conditions to support small life forms called microbes?
• Curiosity explores Gale Crater and acquires rock, soil, and air samples for onboard analysis.

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Alarming Arsenic contamination has been found in the Salween River.

About Salween River

• Also known as Nu (China) and Thanlwin (Myanmar), it is the second longest river in Southeast Asia after the Mekong River.
• It is the longest waterway without a dam in Southeast Asia.
• Origin: Mountain Tangula on the Tibetan plateau
• Empties in: Gulf of Martaban in the Andaman Sea
• Basin: China (53%), Myanmar (42%) and Thailand (5%)
• Tributaries: Moei, Pang, Teng, Pawn, Hka, and Hsim

Earth Day is being celebrated on 22^nd April with the 2026 Theme being ‘Our Power, Our Planet’ focussing on renewable energy.

About Earth Day

• Celebrated each year on April 22, it marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970.
• History: 
  • The First Earth Day (April 22, 1970): Started as a nationwide mass protest demanding sustainable change in the US.
    • This led to the creation of the US Environment Protection Agency and the Clean Air Act.
  • Going Global (1990): Expanded internationally in 1990, to broaden, educate and activate the environmental movement worldwide.

Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) serves as a model for balancing wildlife conservation with the economic needs of local communities.

• TATR has achieved this by strengthening co-existence between villagers and animals. 
• Local villagers benefit from tourism economy and revenue sharing, supports value-added forest produce collection and invests in zero-waste management.

About Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve

• Location: In central plateau province of Deccan Peninsula - Chandrapur district of Maharashtra.
• Flora: Southern tropical dry deciduous forest with teak, bija, dhauda, hald, salai, semal, and tendu.
• Fauna: Tiger, Leopard, Sloth Bear, Wild Dog, Gaur etc. 
• River: Andhari River. 

The Supreme Court directed a high-powered committee, chaired by former Justice S. Ravindra Bhat, to expand its scope beyond streamlining open correctional institutions. 

• The panel is now tasked with formulating a plan to make prisons across India disabled-friendly, while maintaining security requirements.
• Court emphasised a humane, rights-based approach, ensuring Articles 14 (equality) and 21 (dignity) are not diluted during incarceration.

Supreme Court’s Direction

• The committee is tasked with creating a blueprint for:
  • Mobility: Ramps, accessible toilets, and tactile flooring.
  • Assistive Tech: Provision of hearing aids, wheelchairs, and Braille materials.
  • Medical Care: Specialized psychiatric and physical therapy within the prison system.

India’s Palm Oil import demand may rise amid global supply crunch.

• India is the largest importer of palm oil in the world.

About Palm Oil

• Palm oil is derived from the fruit of the African oil palm tree (Elaeis guineensis).
• Types: 
  • Crude palm oil (extract from fruit pulp): It is primarily used for cooking.
  • Palm kernel oil (extract from seed): It is used for non-edible purposes (Cosmetics, pharmaceuticals etc.)
• Cultivation: 
  • Oil palm trees are native to Africa.
  • Currently, Indonesia and Malaysia make up over 85% of global supply.
  • In India, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala are the major Oil palm growing States and account for 98% of the total production.
    • Indian oil palm initiatives include National Mission for Edible Oils - Oil Palm etc.

Department of fertilizers issued an advisory restricting the sale of surplus ammonia to the fertiliser sector.

• It may affect the pharmaceutical industry as it relies on ammonia for production of medicines and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs).

About Ammonia

• Production Process: Produced via Haber-Bosch process, where hydrogen and nitrogen are combined. 
• Major Uses: Around 70% of ammonia is used in fertilizers, while the rest is utilized in industrial applications including plastics, explosives, and synthetic fibres. 
• Global Production:China is the largest producer ( ~30%), followed by the US, the European Union, India etc. 

The Ministry of Defence has signed contracts with Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) and Electro Pneumatics and Hydraulics (India) Private Limited for the procurement of TRAWL Assembly for T-72/T-90 Tanks.

About TRAWL Assembly

• It is a mine-clearing device mounted on battle tanks like T-72 and T-90 to safely breach minefields.

About Tanks

• T-72 (Ajeya): Ex-USSR main battle tank, entering service in 1973, with approximately 25,000 units built.
  • T-72 possesses an NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) protection system and is engineered for deep wading, including submerged river crossings.
• T-90: Russian main battle tank, a modernized evolution of the T-72, entering service in 1992. 
  • India is the largest operator of the T-90, with the "Bhishma" variant.