The Department of Space (DoS) has approved establishment of Common Technical Facilities (CTFs), to be built with the support of IN-SPACe, in Gujarat (Khoraj) and Tamil Nadu (Thoothukudi).

• These CTFs will be located within plug-and-play manufacturing clusters exclusively designated for space activities (spacecraft, payload systems, etc.).

About IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre)

• It is an autonomous body under the Department of Space (DoS).
• Established as part of Space Sector Reforms (2020) to enhance private sector participation and strengthen India’s space economy through public-private collaboration.
• Key Functions:
  • Promotion: Drives the private space ecosystem via funding and technology transfers from ISRO.
  • Enabling: Reduces startup costs by providing access to ISRO’s infrastructure and laboratories.
  • Authorization: Serves as the primary regulator for clearing private launches and ground operations. Etc.

India's Chandrayaan-3 mission was honored with prestigious 2026 Goddard Astronautics Award by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).

About the Award

• Significance: Highest honor bestowed by AIAA for notable achievements in the field of astronautics.
• Background: Named after Robert H. Goddard, a pioneer in liquid rocket engine development, and received its current widened criteria in 1975.

Chandrayaan-3 Mission

• Historic Landing: On August 23, 2023, Chandrayaan-3 made history by becoming the first spacecraft to achieve a soft landing near the Moon's South Pole. 
• Mission Life: One lunar day (~14 Earth days).
• Components: Vikram Lander and Pragyan Rover.

Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare moved Pregabalin to Schedule H1, following widespread misuse among youth for its sedative, euphoric, and dissociative effects.

About Pregabalin

• Medical Uses: Pregabalin (or Lyrica) is primarily prescribed to treat nerve pain, chronic pain, neuropathies, fibromyalgia, and manage seizures in people with epilepsy. 
• Health Risks: Suicidal thoughts and central nervous system (CNS) depression.

Schedule H1

• About:  Schedule H1 is a highly restrictive category under the Drugs Rules, 1945 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
• Strict Prescription Rule: Under Schedule H1 medicines can only be sold against a valid prescription issued by a Registered Medical Practitioner (RMP).
• Retailer Accountability: Chemists and retailers have to maintain a separate register that records all details.
• Mandatory Warning Labels: Manufacturers must prominently display a “Schedule H1 Drug Warning” label on the packaging.

The rapid growth of egocentric data collection has triggered ethical questions around surveillance, consent and labour displacement.

About Egocentric Data

• Egocentric data refers to video and sensor recordings captured from the perspective of the person performing a task. 
  • Typically collected using cameras mounted on the head, chest or wrist, the footage shows exactly what a human worker sees while carrying out an activity including hand movements, object interactions, navigating spaces etc.
• Significance: 
  • Designed to mimic the visual viewpoint a robot itself would have during deployment. 
  • Valuable for training Vision-Language-Action (VLA) models, which are AI systems that combine visual understanding, language instructions and physical movement.
• Related Issues: Surveillance, privacy, ownership, compensation.

India blocked China’s first request to set up a dispute panel at the World Trade Organization (WTO) claiming Indian tariffs and incentives (IT and solar energy products) discrimination.

• A country can block the first request for a panel. However, at the next DSB meeting, the panel’s establishment is automatic unless there is a unanimous consensus against it.

About WTO Dispute Settlement Body (DSB)

• DSB is the institution responsible for resolving trade disputes between member countries.
• Key Features
  • Composition: It consists of representatives of all WTO member countries.
  • Main Function: It administers the WTO’s dispute settlement mechanism under the Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU).
  • Functions of the DSB: Establishes dispute settlement panels; Adopts panel and Appellate Body reports; Authorizes compensation or trade sanctions if rulings are not followed, etc.
• Since 2019 WTO’s Appellate Body has been non-functional due to a lack of quorum (judge appointments blocked by the US).

AIIB launched an Energy, Food Security and Economic Resilience Facility to support members whose development may be affected by the conflict in the Middle East. 

• It offers a time-bound financing envelope of up to USD10 billion over two years.

About AIIB

• Establishment: Multilateral Development Bank established in 2016.
• Headquarters: Beijing, China.
• Objective: To promote sustainable infrastructure development, regional connectivity and economic growth in Asia.
•  Membership: Over 111 approved members worldwide.
  • India is a founding member and the second-largest shareholder after China. 
• India is also the largest borrower from AIIB. 

As India faces intensifying heatwaves due to climate change, parametric insurance is emerging as a tool for automatic financial relief during extreme heat events.

About Parametric Insurance

• Parametric insurance is a non-traditional model that pays out a pre-agreed, fixed sum when a specific, measurable event (e.g., temperature, rainfall, wind speed)  occurs, rather than compensating for actual physical damages. 
• Significance: Ensures faster financial relief during disasters like heatwaves, floods and droughts; useful for climate-risk management and vulnerable communities.

RBI approved its highest-ever surplus transfer of ₹2.86 lakh crore to the Central Government for the Financial Year 2025–26.

About RBI Surplus

• Surplus implies excess of income over expenditure.
  • RBI's Income Source: Interest on holding of rupee securities, liquidity adjustment facility (LAF), marginal standing facility (MSF), loans & advances and foreign sources.
    • RBI is not liable to pay income-tax or super-tax on any of its income, profits or gains.
  • RBI’s Expenditure: Printing of notes, agency charges which includes commission to banks, primary dealers etc. and employee cost.

Provisions regarding transfer of RBI surplus to the government

• Sections 47 of RBI Act, 1934: Allocation of surplus profits to the Central Government is mandatory after making provisions for bad/doubtful debts, depreciation in assets, and other standard banking cushions.
• Following the Malegam Committee (2013) and Bimal Jalan Committee (2019) recommendations, surplus transfers to the government have increased significantly.