Current Affairs – January 30, 2026

{GS1 – Geo} Coking Coal Notified as Critical & Strategic Mineral **

• Context (PIB): The Government of India has notified coking coal as a Critical and Strategic Mineral under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR Act).

• The decision aims to strengthen the domestic steel sector and support the Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat 2047 visions.

About Coking Coal

• Coking coal is a high-grade bituminous coal that, when heated in the absence of air, converts into hard, porous coke.
• It has higher carbon, lower moisture, and lower sulphur and phosphorus than non-coking coal.
• Its plasticity and swelling ability (caking index) distinguish it from thermal coal, which only burns.
• Indian Reserves: Over 90% of reserves are located in Jharkhand’s Jharia coalfield, with minor deposits in West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.
• Import Dependence: India is the world’s largest importer of coking coal, importing about 85% of its requirement mainly from Australia, Russia, and the USA.
• Mission Coking Coal 2030: The Ministry of Coal launched it in 2021 to increase domestic coking coal production to 140 MT by 2030.

About Critical Minerals

• Critical minerals are metallic or non-metallic elements essential to economic development and national security, yet highly vulnerable to supply chain disruptions.
• In 2023, the Ministry of Mines identified 30 critical minerals, including lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, copper, and rare earth elements (REEs).
• Legal Framework: The amended MMDR Act gives the Central government sole authority to auction mining leases for ‘Critical and Strategic’ minerals (25).
  • “Critical Minerals” are minerals of high economic value and supply risk; “Critical and Strategic Minerals” are a legal category under the MMDR Act, important for national security.
• Strategic Importance: These minerals are indispensable for “Sunrise Sectors” such as semiconductors, EVs, renewable energy, and defence technologies.
• NCMM 2025: The National Critical Mineral Mission aims to secure supply chains through domestic production, recycling, and overseas acquisition.

Read More > Critical Minerals Strategy of India

{GS2 – MoSPI} MoSPI to Introduce New Consumer Price Index (CPI) Series **

• Context (ET): The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) is revising the Consumer Price Index (CPI) series to reflect evolving consumption patterns in India.

Key Changes Introduced in New CPI Series

• Base Year: The CPI base year is changing from 2012 to 2024 to reflect current consumption patterns.
• Food Weight: Food and beverages’ weightage will decline from 45.86% to about 36.75%.
  • PDS Exclusion: Free food grains received through schemes like PMGKAY are assigned zero weight in the CPI basket.
• Item Count: The number of weighted items in the CPI basket will increase from 299 to 358.
  • Basket Update: Smartphones, OTT subscriptions, and international airfare are added, while obsolete items like VCRs and audio cassettes are removed.
• Online Markets: For the first time, twelve “Online Markets” have been set up in major cities to monitor prices directly from e-commerce platforms.
• Housing Weight: Weight for housing, water, electricity, and gas will increase from 16.91% to 17.66%.
• Transport Weight: Transport and communication weight rises sharply from 8.59% to 12.41%.
• Price Sources: The new series covers rural housing rents for the first time and excludes employer-provided housing to prevent data distortion.
• Rural Share: The weightage of the rural sector in the combined index has been increased from the 53.52% to 55.4%.
• COICOP Compliance: The CPI structure is moving from 6 to 12 distinct Divisions, fully aligning with the UN COICOP 2018 framework.
  • COICOP: UN Classification of Individual Consumption According to Purpose is the global standard for classifying household spending on goods and services.

Significance of New CPI Series

• Lower Volatility: Reduced food weight makes headline inflation less sensitive to monsoon fluctuations and vegetable price shocks.
• Updated Basket: A broader basket of items reflects rising digital and service-based consumption in Indian households.
• Living Costs: Including rural rent and excluding employer housing improves the accuracy of housing inflation measurement.
• Global Alignment: Adopting international classification standards improves the global comparability of India’s inflation data.
• Engel’s Law: Lower food share and higher non-food spending reflect rising incomes and changing consumption behaviour.

{GS2 – MoHFW} Health Ministry Notifies Amendments to NDCT Rules, 2019 **

• Context (TH | PIB): The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare notified amendments to the New Drugs and Clinical Trials (NDCT) Rules, 2019, to reduce regulatory burden.

• Objective: To promote R&D-led growth, align domestic rules with global best practices, and enhance India’s R&D attractiveness.
• Implementation: Dedicated online modules will operate through the National Single Window System (NSWS) and the SUGAM portal to ensure transparency.

Key Amendments to NDCT Rules, 2019

• Test Licence Waiver: The mandatory test licence for small-quantity research drug manufacturing is replaced by prior online intimation to the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).
  • High-risk substances like cytotoxic drugs, narcotics, and psychotropics still require a test licence.
• Reduced Timelines: For categories still requiring a test licence, the statutory processing time has been reduced from 90 days to 45 days.
• BA/BE Reform: Prior permission for low-risk Bioavailability and Bioequivalence studies is no longer required, allowing commencement through simple CDSCO intimation.

Significance of the Amendments

• Time Efficiency: Drug development timelines are expected to shrink by nearly 90 days per project, enabling quicker transition from laboratory research to clinical evaluation stages.
• Burden Reduction: With CDSCO processing ~30,000–35,000 test licences and ~4,000–4,500 BA/BE applications annually, the regulatory workload will reduce substantially.
• Generic Boost: Faster BA/BE study initiation strengthens India’s generic drug pipeline, supporting quicker market entry and export competitiveness.
• Regulatory Focus: Manpower savings allow CDSCO to concentrate more on high-risk drug oversight, inspections and pharmacovigilance functions.
• Global Alignment: Simplified norms bring India closer to US FDA and EU-style risk-based regulatory frameworks, improving investor confidence.

{GS2 – IR} Limits of International Patent Law in Space

• Context (TH): Existing international patent law is built on territorial boundaries, creating legal uncertainty over ownership and jurisdiction in shared, non-sovereign outer space environments.

About International Patent Law

• Territorial Rights Framework: International patent law grants inventors’ exclusive rights within national jurisdictions, with enforcement tied to sovereign territorial boundaries and domestic legal systems.
• National Registration System: Patent protection depends on filing and recognition by individual countries rather than a single global authority, creating fragmented legal coverage.

Territorial Basis of Patent Law in Space

• Jurisdiction By National Territory: Patent rights are traditionally enforced within geographical boundaries where inventions are made, used or sold under a single sovereign authority.
• Jurisdiction by Registration: Under the Outer Space Treaty and Registration Convention, legal jurisdiction applies to the state registering a space object, not the physical location of innovation.
• Module-Based Model: The International Space Station allocates patent jurisdiction module-wise based on contributing nations, enabling workable legal clarity in a segmented structure.
• Breakdown In Shared Habitats: Future lunar or planetary bases will feature integrated systems and multinational collaboration, weakening clear territorial anchors for patent enforcement.

Limits of International Patent Law in Space

Challenges in Permanent Space Settlements

• Blurred Innovation: Inventions may evolve across platforms, nations, remote updates and robotic systems, making it unclear where legally relevant acts occur.
• Artificial Jurisdiction Outcomes: Patent coverage may depend solely on registration choices rather than actual contribution or operational control.

Tension with Non-Appropriation Principle

• Core Space Law Principle: The non-appropriation principle prohibits any nation from claiming sovereignty or ownership over outer space, the Moon, or other celestial bodies.
• Common Heritage Concept: Outer space is meant to be explored and used for the benefit of all humankind rather than for exclusive national control.

Uncertainty Over Temporary Presence Doctrine

• Paris Convention: Limits patent enforcement for goods in transit to protect the public interest on Earth.
• Unclear Space Application: No treaty clarifies whether spacecraft docking, orbital transit or multinational platforms qualify as temporary presence.

Strategic Registration & Regulatory Arbitrage

• Flags of Convenience: Firms may develop technologies in strong patent regimes but deploy them on objects registered in weak enforcement jurisdictions.
• Uneven Global Influence: Few spacefaring nations shape legal outcomes while most remain rule-takers.

Way Forward

• Global Space IP Framework: Establish a dedicated international patent regime for space activities to govern ownership and enforcement across shared habitats.
• Contribution-Based Model: Shift from registration-only control to systems recognising actual innovation inputs and operational involvement.
• Safeguards For Essential Technologies: Limit exclusivity on life-support and survival technologies to preserve common access while rewarding innovation.
• Multilateral Coordination: Create common operational norms for shared lunar bases and stations to reduce disputes; E.g. NASA’s Artemis Accords as the leading coordination template.

{GS3 – IE} Highlights of Economic Survey 2025-26 **

• Context (TH): Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the Economic Survey 2025-26 in Parliament ahead of the Union Budget 2026.

• Core Philosophy: The Survey advocates a shift to “Disciplined Swadeshi,” a calibrated alternative to move beyond protectionism and integrate India into global supply chains.

Key Highlights of the Economic-Survey 2025-26

State of the Economy

• Growth Trajectory: Real GDP is estimated to grow by 7.4% in FY26, maintaining India’s position as the fastest-growing major economy.
• Future Outlook: The Survey estimates Real GDP growth of 6.8%-7.2% for FY27, with the medium-term potential growth rate revised upward to 7%.
• Consumption Engine: Private Final Consumption Expenditure (PFCE) as a share of GDP rose to a 12-year high of 61.5%, driven by robust domestic demand.
  • Rural vs Urban: Rural consumption improved due to strong agricultural performance, while urban demand was supported by stable employment.
• Investment Revival: Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF) grew by 7.6% and maintained a steady rate of 30% of GDP.

Fiscal Developments

• Deficit Targets: The Centre achieved a fiscal deficit of 4.8% (Provisional) in FY25 and has set a target of 4.4% for FY26.
• Tax Buoyancy: Centre’s revenue receipts rose to 9.2% of GDP in FY25, indicating improved tax buoyancy compared with pre-pandemic levels.
• Broadening Base: The direct tax base expanded significantly, with income tax return filers reaching 9.2 crore in FY25.
• GST Performance: Gross GST collections grew 6.7% year-on-year to ₹17.4 lakh crore during April–December 2025, reflecting better compliance and economic formalisation.
• Expenditure Quality: Effective Capital Expenditure increased to 4.0% of GDP; asset creation was prioritised over revenue spending.
• Debt Sustainability: The General Government debt-to-GDP ratio has decreased by 7.1 percentage points since 2020.

Monetary Management and Financial Inclusion

• Policy Stance: The RBI adopted a neutral stance and cut the Repo Rate by 125 bps since February 2025 (now at 5.25%) to boost economic growth.
• Banking Health: Gross Non-Performing Assets (GNPA) declined to a multi-decadal low of 2.2%, demonstrating an improved asset quality and stronger balance sheets.
• Financial Inclusion: PM Jan Dhan Yojana accounts have grown to 55.02 crore, including 36.63 crore in rural and semi-urban areas.
• Capital Markets: The number of unique investors in the Indian capital markets crossed 12 crore, with women accounting for nearly 25%.

Inflation and Prices

• Headline Trends: Retail inflation fell to a historic low of 1.7% (April-Dec 2025), primarily due to deflation in food prices.
• Core Dynamics: Core inflation remained persistently high at 4.62%, driven mainly by a surge in global precious-metal prices, particularly gold and silver.
• Household Impact: The sharp moderation in food and fuel prices has strengthened overall household purchasing power.

Agriculture and Allied Sectors

• Growth Estimate: The agricultural sector is projected to grow by 3.1% in FY26, slower than the 4.6% growth recorded in FY25.
• Production Shift: Horticulture production (362.08 MT) continues to exceed foodgrain production (357.7 MT) for the second consecutive year.
• Allied Growth: India’s fish production has increased by 142% over the past decade, reaching a record 188.7 lakh tonnes in 2023-24.

Industry and Infrastructure

• Industrial Growth: Industrial GVA is projected to grow by 6.2%, driven by a strong recovery in the manufacturing sector.
• Railway Modernisation: The railway network achieved near-total electrification of 99.1% of its broad-gauge network.
• Aviation Sector: India became the 3^rd largest domestic aviation market, with the number of operational airports reaching 164.
• Power Reform: Power distribution companies (DISCOMs) have collectively recorded a positive Profit After Tax (PAT) of ₹2,701 crore for the first time since the corporatisation of State Electricity Boards.
• Logistics Expansion: Operational high-speed highway corridors (HSCs) have expanded to 5,364 km, nearly tenfold over the past decade.

Services Sector

• Sector Dominance: The services sector’s share of GDP rose to 53.6% in H1 FY26, with a projected growth rate of 9.1% for FY26.
• Investment Magnet: The services sector accounted for over 80% of total Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows during FY23-FY25.
• Export Rank: India ranked 7^th globally for services exports, reaching an all-time high of $387.5 billion in FY25.

External Sector

• Forex Reserves: Foreign exchange reserves reached an all-time high of USD 701.4 billion, providing a buffer of 11 months’ worth of goods imports and covering 94% of external debt.
• Global Share: India’s share in global merchandise exports nearly doubled to 1.8% since 2005, while its share in services exports rose to 4.3%.
• Remittances: India remained the top global recipient of remittances, with inflows of USD 135.4 billion (3.5% of GDP) in FY25.
• External Debt: At the end of September 2025, total external debt stood at USD 746 billion; sovereign external debt accounted for less than 5% of the Government of India’s total debt.

Social Infrastructure and Employment

• Unemployment Rate: The unemployment rate declined to 4.9% in Q3 from 5.4% in Q1 FY26. Female Labour Force Participation (FLFPR) rose to 41.7% in FY24.
• Poverty Decline: The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) dropped sharply to 11.28% due to the saturation approach in welfare delivery, ensuring that basic amenities reach every household.
• Education Access: School enrolment ratios improved, with the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) exceeding 90% at both the primary and upper primary levels.
• Social Spending: General government expenditure on social services has increased to 7.9% of GDP in FY26, with a focus on health and education outcomes.
• Worker Registration: The e-Shram portal has registered over 31 crore unorganised workers to improve social security coverage and ensure seamless portability of welfare benefits.

Read More > Economic Survey 2025-26

{GS3 – IE} Economic Plumbing to Reform Execution Phase

• Context (IE): An analysis highlights that India’s last decade focused on building digital, fiscal and infrastructure foundations, while the next phase must prioritise reforms.

India’s Economic Plumbing in the Last Decade

• Digital Public Infrastructure: Creation of Aadhaar, Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and digital service delivery systems strengthened financial inclusion and governance efficiency.
• Fiscal Capacity Building: Expansion of tax base through Goods and Services Tax (GST), now covering ~1.4 crore businesses, improved revenue stability.
• Capital Expenditure Push: ~₹10.5 trillion in FY25, exceeding the revised estimate and marking the highest level of public capex to date.
• Institutional Strengthening: Reforms in insolvency (IBC), faceless compliance and digital clearances enhanced economic resilience and investor confidence.
• Labour Market Formalisation: Payroll data showing ~2 million net additions per month reflect a growing shift from informal to formal employment.

Need for Reform Execution

• Productivity Gap: Despite ~2 million formal payroll additions per month and unemployment stabilising near 5%, job quality and productivity remain uneven.
• Informal Female Employment: Female labour force participation rose to nearly 40%, but a large share remains in low-paid or unpaid work segments.
• Manufacturing Stagnation: Manufacturing continues below 16% of GDP, limiting large-scale employment despite electronics sector success.
• Logistics Inefficiency: India’s logistics costs are around 8% of GDP (earlier ~13–14%), still higher than global best practice levels of 6–7%, hurting manufacturing efficiency.
• Regulatory Frictions: GST covers ~1.4 crore businesses, yet MSMEs face compliance overlap, frequent rule changes and state-level execution gaps.
• Consumption Imbalance: Over 248 million exited multidimensional poverty, but mass-market demand recovery lags behind premium consumption growth.

Way Forward

• Skill Upgradation: Deepen industry-linked certification, apprenticeships and continuous reskilling frameworks to improve workforce productivity; E.g., National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme.
• Labour-Intensive Push: Expand targeted incentives, cluster infrastructure and export facilitation for employment-heavy sectors; E.g., PM MITRA textile parks for integrated textile manufacturing ecosystems.
• Logistics Reform: Fast-track multimodal freight corridors, port modernisation and last-mile connectivity to reduce logistics costs; E.g., Gati Shakti National Master Plan integration across ministries and states.
• Regulatory Simplification: Align Centre–State compliance systems and reduce procedural duplication to lower expansion costs; E.g., clearances under the National Single Window System (NSWS).
• Income Mobility: Transform welfare from consumption support into livelihood launchpads through skilling & credit access; E.g., DAY-NRLM and PM SVANidhi livelihood pathways.

{Prelims – A&C} Nebra Sky Disc *

• Context (TOI): A 3,800-year-old Bronze Age artefact from Germany is being recognised as the world’s oldest known astronomical mapping tool.

About Nebra Sky Disc

• Origin: Bronze Age artefact discovered on Mittelberg Hill, Germany, dated around 1800–1600 BCE.
• Material: Made of bronze with carefully inlaid gold symbols representing celestial bodies.
• Cosmic Depictions: Shows crescent moon, sun or full moon, and 32 stars including the Pleiades cluster.
• Purpose: Likely used as an early sky map or seasonal calendar for agriculture and rituals.

{Prelims – Species} Bactrian Camel (Camelus bactrianus)

• Context (DTE): Two Bactrian camels, named Galwan and Nubra, marched along Kartavya Path in New Delhi as part of the Animal Contingent during the Republic Day Parade.

About Bactrian Camel (Camelus bactrianus)

• The Bactrian camel is a large, even-toed ungulate native to the Central Asian cold deserts.
• Key Trait: It is known for two humps and strong adaptation to harsh, cold desert environments.
• Species Types: There are two distinct species of Bactrian camels
  1. Domesticated Bactrian Camel: Population is abundant; widely found across Central Asia.
  2. Wild Bactrian Camel: IUCN: Endangered; restricted to Gobi (Mongolia, China) and Taklamakan (China) Deserts.
• Thermal Range: The species can tolerate extreme temperatures, from near –40°C in winter to summer temperatures reaching 40°C.
  • Seasonal Coat: It grows a thick, shaggy coat in winter and sheds it rapidly in summer.
• Water Adaptation: They are adapted to eat snow for hydration; the Wild Bactrian Camel is the only land mammal capable of surviving on water saltier than seawater.
• Habitat Preference: The species inhabits semi-arid cold deserts, rocky mountain steppes, and stony plains with sparse vegetation.
• Native Range: Its natural distribution spans the steppes of Central Asia, mainly in Mongolia, China, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.
• Indian Presence: In India, Bactrian camels are found only in the Nubra Valley in Ladakh; these are remnants of the trade caravans that once travelled along the Silk Route.
• Ecological Role: As large grazers, they regulate vegetation growth in desert ecosystems and disperse seeds over long distances.

{Prelims – S&T} Discombobulator Weapon System *

• Context (IE): U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned a classified weapon, the “Discombobulator,” allegedly used in Caracas during Operation Absolute Resolve to capture Nicolás Maduro.

• Weapon Type: It is described as a directed-energy weapon (DEW) that disables targets using electromagnetic interference.
• Electronic Action: The system reportedly uses high-power microwave (HPM) pulses to create voltage surges that disrupt radar systems and missile circuits.
• Human Effect: It is said to exploit the Frey Effect to induce phantom sounds and severe vertigo in exposed personnel.
• Expert View: Defence experts believe “Discombobulator” likely refers to a combination of existing electronic warfare and acoustic technologies, rather than a single new weapon.

{Prelims – PIN} 78^th Death Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi

• Context (IT | NOA): Martyrs’ Day, observed on January 30, commemorates the assassination of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi.

• The day is also known as Sarvodaya Day, reflecting Gandhi’s vision of uplifting all sections of society.

About Mahatma Gandhi

• Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, Gujarat; he studied law in London (1888–1891).
• Philosophical Pillars: Ahimsa (Non-violence), Satya (Truth), Asteya (Non-stealing), Aparigraha (Non-possession), and Sarvodaya (Welfare of All).
• South Africa Phase (1893–1914): He developed Satyagraha (non-violent protest) to fight racial discrimination; formed the Natal Indian Congress (1894), established Phoenix Settlement & Tolstoy Farm.
• Return to India: He returned on January 9, 1915 (Pravasi Bharatiya Divas) and toured India at the advice of his political mentor, Gopal Krishna Gokhale.
• Early Satyagrahas: Champaran (1917), first civil disobedience (for indigo farmers); Ahmedabad Mill Strike (1918), first hunger strike; Kheda (1918), first non-cooperation (for revenue remission in famine).
• Mass Movements: Non-Cooperation Movement in 1920 (first nationwide mass movement), Dandi March in 1930 (Salt Satyagraha), the Quit India Movement in 1942 with the slogan “Do or Die”.
• Bestowed Titles: He was called “Mahatma” by Rabindranath Tagore and hailed as the “Father of the Nation” by Subhas Chandra Bose.
• Literary Works: He authored Hind Swaraj and The Story of My Experiments with Truth (autobiography) and edited the journals Indian Opinion, Navajivan, Young India and Harijan.
• Assassination: Gandhi was assassinated on January 30, 1948, by Nathuram Godse.

Read More > PMF IAS Modern Indian History Book