Current Affairs – April 11, 2026

{GS2 – Vulnerable Sections} Nari Shakti Reforms in India

Context (TH): India’s approach to women’s empowerment has evolved from a welfare-driven intent to structural transformation, placing women at the core of development policy.

Pillars of Nari Shakti Reform

Financial Inclusion: Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana opened 57+ crore accounts, 55% of which are held by women, enabling access to formal banking.
SHG Revolution: 10 crore women in 90 lakh Self-Help Groups, boosting grassroots entrepreneurship and local economies.
Clean Energy: PM Ujjwala Yojana reached 10.5+ crore households, reducing health risks & drudgery.
Credit Access: In PM MUDRA Yojana, ~70% loans are granted to women, promoting small businesses and financial independence.
Workforce Participation: Female Labour Force Participation increased to ~37%, reversing past decline.
Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam: Provides 33% reservation for women in Parliament and Assemblies.

Challenges in Nari Shakti Reform

Awareness Gap: Limited awareness among women reduces enrolment and prevents full utilisation of government schemes.
Low Workforce Participation: Female Labour Force Participation (~37% – PLFS) remains below global averages, indicating structural employment barriers.
Uneven Inclusion: Marginalised and vulnerable women still face barriers in accessing benefits due to social and economic constraints.
Output vs Outcome Focus: Policies often emphasise coverage rather than measuring real improvements in empowerment and quality of life.
Leadership Barriers: Persistent patriarchal norms and low representation (currently, women hold only about 13.6% of Lok Sabha seats) limit decision-making power and leadership roles.

Way Forward for Nari Shakti

Last-Mile Saturation: Use the Aspirational Districts Programme (NITI Aayog) and DBT systems to ensure 100% coverage of eligible women under key schemes.
Capacity Building & Leadership: Expand training via Mission Shakti and strengthen implementation of Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam to convert representation into effective governance.
Outcome-Based Monitoring: Leverage dashboards like Poshan Tracker and Ayushman Bharat IT systems to shift from coverage to measurable outcomes (nutrition, health, income).
Financial & Digital Inclusion: Deepen access through PMJDY + UPI + Aadhaar (JAM Trinity) to enhance credit, savings, and digital transactions for women-led enterprises.
Sectoral Participation: Promote women in high-growth sectors via Skill India, Digital India, and STEM initiatives (India has ~43% women in STEM enrolment – AISHE).

{GS2 – IR} Iran to Levy Transit Fees for Passage through Strait of Hormuz

Context (NDTV): Iran’s parliament is drafting a bill to levy transit fees on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

Fee Structure: Proposed tolls may reach $2 million per vessel or $1 per barrel of oil.
Free Passage: United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) requires all natural straits used for international navigation to allow free transit passage.
Justification: Iran claims that wartime conditions override UNCLOS rules and entitle it to compensation for providing security in the strait.
Oman’s Rejection: Oman, which co-manages the strait, has rejected the proposal, citing international agreements that prohibit such levies.

UNCLOS Rules Governing Levy Charges by Coastal States

Sovereignty: Coastal states cannot levy charges on foreign ships simply for passing through their territorial waters or international straits.
Services: Fees are only permissible if they are directly tied to specific services rendered to the individual ship, such as pilotage or towing.
Equality: Any service-related levies must be applied non-discriminatorily to all vessels regardless of their flag or country of origin.
Artificiality: Man-made canals like Suez or Panama are exempt from general transit rules and may charge tolls to recover construction and operating costs.
Enforcement: States may collect fiscal or customs penalties in their contiguous zone if a vessel violates laws within the state’s territory.

{GS3 – Agri} Karnataka Leads in Namo Drone Didi Yojana

Context (TH): Karnataka emerged as the leading state under Namo Drone Didi Yojana (NDDY), with 145 SHG women trained as drone pilots.

Namo Drone Didi Yojana is a Central Sector Scheme to empower rural women through agricultural drone services.
Drone Target: The scheme targets the distribution of 15,000 drones to women’s Self-Help Groups under DAY-NRLM.
Central Subsidy: Union Government provides 80% financial assistance for the drone and accessories, capped at ₹8 lakh.
Loan Support: For the remaining 20%, SHGs can avail loans through the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) at 3% interest subvention.
Pilot Training: Each SHG member undergoes 15 days of training: 5 days for pilot certification and 10 days for agricultural applications.
- Assistant Training: A second member is trained as a drone assistant for repairs and maintenance.
Implementing Agency: Lead Fertiliser Companies (LFCs) act as key implementing agencies for drone procurement, technical assistance, and coordination among drone manufacturers, SHGs, and farmers.
Nodal Authority: The Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) under MoA&FW oversees the scheme’s budget and issues operational guidelines.

Read More> Namo Drone Didi Scheme

{GS3 – Envi} State of Global Marine Conservation as per WDPCA

Context (DTE): According to the World Database on Protected and Conserved Areas (WDPCA), global ocean protection has risen by 1.41% since 2024, with nearly 10% of the ocean now under protection.

About World Database on Protected and Conserved Areas (WDPCA)

About: WDPCA is a joint venture between UNEP and IUCN for tracking terrestrial and marine conservation efforts.
Authority: It is compiled and managed by the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) in Cambridge.
Objective: The database tracks progress toward Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), which aims to conserve 30% of the Earth’s land and water by 2030.
Frequency: It is updated monthly to reflect changes in management status.

Key Findings on Marine Conservation

Marine Coverage: 10.01% of the global ocean is now within protected and conserved areas.
Habitat Volume: 95% of all habitable space on Earth by volume is located within the high seas.
Conservation Gap: Only 1.66% of the high seas (areas beyond national jurisdiction) are currently under conservation management.
Largest MPA: Tainui Atea, established in French Polynesia in 2025, is now the world’s largest marine protected area at 4.5 million sq. km.
30×30 Target: Marine protection must triple in extent by 2030 to meet the global goal of protecting 30% of the Earth’s seas.
Protection Quality: Only 2.8%-3.3% of the ocean is classified as “fully or highly protected,” where extractive activities like industrial fishing are strictly banned.
Biodiversity Gaps: About 30%-34% of identified marine Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) remain outside any protected or conserved zones.

Key Biodiversity Areas are sites that contribute significantly to the global persistence of biodiversity.
Target 11 of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets (2011-2020) aimed to conserve at least 10% of coastal and marine areas.

{GS3 – Envi} India to Halt New HFC Production Clearances **

Context (IE): The government has directed all authorities to stop granting environmental clearances for new or additional Hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) production beyond December 31, 2027.

Phase-down targets will be implemented through amendment of the Ozone Depleting Substances Rules, 2000, aligning with the HFC phase-down schedule under the Kigali Amendment.

Hydrofluorocarbons

HFCs are synthetic greenhouse gases used mainly as refrigerants in ACs, refrigerators, & cooling systems.
Origin: HFCs were introduced as replacements for Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) to protect the ozone layer.
Ozone Impact: They are ozone-friendly (do not deplete the ozone layer), unlike earlier refrigerants.
Climate Impact: HFCs have very high global warming potential, making them a major climate concern.
Usage: Widely used in air conditioning, refrigeration, aerosols, and foam production industries.
Global Regulation: Controlled under the Kigali Amendment to reduce their climate impact.
Alternatives: Transition is underway towards low-GWP refrigerants like hydrocarbons, ammonia, and CO₂-based systems.

Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol

The Kigali Amendment was adopted in 2016 in Kigali, Rwanda, under the Montreal Protocol.
Objective: Aims to phase down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) to reduce global warming.
Global Nature: It is a legally binding international agreement with differentiated responsibilities for developed and developing countries.
Timeline: Countries follow gradual reduction schedules instead of immediate bans.
India’s Ratification: India ratified the amendment in 2021.
India’s Targets: India will freeze HFC consumption in 2028 and reduce it by 85% by 2047.

{GS3 – S&T} Project Glasswing to Test Advanced AI for Cybersecurity **

Context (IE): Anthropic launched Project Glasswing to protect critical software infrastructure with advanced AI systems.

It involves a global coalition of major tech firms, including Amazon Web Services, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and NVIDIA.
Model: It uses Claude Mythos Preview, an Anthropic AI model, to detect and fix software vulnerabilities across banking, healthcare, and telecom networks.
Rationale: The model found severe flaws in major operating systems and browsers, including decade-long undetected vulnerabilities, exposing cybersecurity risks.
Access: The Claude model will be accessible only to selected partners, under strict controls, due to the risks of misuse in offensive cyber operations.
Significance: The initiative marks a shift from reactive signature-based security to continuous AI-driven vulnerability detection and remediation.

{GS3 – S&T} Temperature-Controlled Nanomaterials *

Context (DDN): Indian researchers have developed temperature-responsive nanomaterials that enable dynamic control of structural, optical, and electrical properties.

Material Used: The research utilises naphthalene diimide (NDI), an amphiphilic organic molecule capable of self-assembly in aqueous environments.
Core Principle: Based on supramolecular self-assembly, where molecules organise into nanostructures via weak noncovalent interactions.
Room Temperature State: At room temperature, NDI molecules form nanodisks exhibiting high conductivity and chiroptical activity.
High Temperature State: Upon heating, nanodisks transform into nanosheets, accompanied by a loss of chiroptical properties and reduced conductivity.
Key Mechanism: Temperature serves as a reversible switch that controls structure-property relationships in nanomaterials.
Applications: Potential use in electronics, photonics and bioelectronic interfaces for smart technologies.

Amphiphilic: A substance that has both water-loving (hydrophilic) & water-repelling (hydrophobic) parts.
Weak Noncovalent Interactions: Forces that hold molecules together without sharing electrons.
Chiroptical: Property of a substance to interact differently with left & right-handed polarised light.

Nanomaterials

Nanomaterials are materials with dimensions in the 1–100 nanometre (10-9 metre) range.
Properties: They show enhanced strength, conductivity, reactivity, and optical behaviour due to high surface area and quantum effects.
Types: Include nanoparticles, nanotubes, nanowires, nanodisks, and nanosheets, based on structure and dimensions.
Applications: Widely used in electronics, medicine (drug delivery), energy storage, environmental cleanup, and sensors.

{Prelims – Species} Sanderling (Calidris alba) *

Context (TH): A tagged migratory shorebird, Sanderling, was recently recorded on Narcondam Island in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago.
It is a small, migratory wading bird that derives its name from the Old English word ‘sand-yrðling’, meaning “sand-ploughman”.
Appearance: It has a stout black bill and legs, with a pale grey-white winter coat that becomes mottled brick-red during the breeding season.
Habitat Preference: It breeds in the High Arctic tundra and prefers open, sandy beaches during winter.
Distribution: Its range is nearly global, with migration along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF) spanning several countries from the Arctic to Australasia.
- In India, it is a winter migrant found along coasts of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Goa, and Kerala.
Diet: Primarily carnivorous and exhibits “wave-chasing” behaviour to feed on crabs, amphipods, and polychaete worms.
Grouping: It is very social outside the breeding season, forming large flocks for roosting and foraging.
Ecological Role: The bird serves as a key bio-indicator of the ecological health of intertidal zones and sandy beach ecosystems.
Key Threats: Coastal degradation, human disturbance, and climate change affecting breeding grounds.
Conservation Status: IUCN: Least Concern; WPA: Schedule II.

{Prelims – S&T} Cornstarch-Water Mixture as a Non-Newtonian Fluid

Context (TH): A new study has solved the long-standing physics puzzle about how a cornstarch-water mixture transitions from liquid to solid.

Cornstarch-water mixture is a non-Newtonian fluid that behaves like a solid under sudden force and like a liquid under slow motion.

Non-Newtonian Fluid

Non-Newtonian fluids are fluids whose viscosity changes with applied force or stress, unlike normal (Newtonian) fluids.
Behaviour: They can behave like a liquid under slow movement and like a solid under sudden force (e.g., cornstarch-water mixture).
Types: Types include shear-thickening (becomes harder) and shear-thinning (flows more easily) fluids.
Application: Widely used in industrial applications, protective gear, biomedical fields, and soft robotics.

Newtonian fluids (like water) have a constant viscosity that changes only with temperature or pressure.

{Prelims – Exercise} INS Sudarshini Participates in Escale à Sète 2026 *

Context (PIB): Indian Navy’s sail training ship INS Sudarshini concluded its maiden participation in the Escale à Sète 2026 festival.

Escale à Sète is a biennial maritime heritage festival in Sète, France, showcasing over 120 traditional and historic vessels worldwide.
It operates under UNESCO patronage, promoting maritime culture, environmental awareness, and intergenerational knowledge transfer.
INS Sudarshini’s participation is part of the “Lokayan 26” to strengthen international maritime relations.

Lokayan 2026 is the Indian Navy’s 10-month transoceanic expedition to train cadets, enhance maritime cooperation, and showcase India’s seafaring heritage.
INS Sudarshini is a three-masted sail training ship built by Goa Shipyard Limited.

Get the PDFs!

{Prelims – In News} National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation

Context (AIR): National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation has celebrated its 25th Foundation Day on 10^th April.

Establishment: NSTFDC was set up in 2001 as a Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
Objective: Aims to promote economic development and self-employment among Scheduled Tribes (STs).
Key Functions: Provides concessional loans, skill development, and financial assistance for income-generating activities.
Implementation Mechanism: Works through State Channelising Agencies for fund project execution.
Significance: Contributes to tribal empowerment, inclusive growth and the reduction of disparities.

{Prelims – PIN World – Asia} Qeshm Island *

Context (AJ): Airstrikes damaged vital infrastructure on Iran’s Qeshm Island, including a desalination plant, amid the US–Iran–Israel conflict.

Qeshm is the largest island in the Persian Gulf, located parallel to the Iranian mainland at the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz.
It is separated from mainland Iran by the Clarence Strait, also known as the Khuran Strait.
Strategic Role: The island houses subterranean “missile cities” and naval bases of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Geological Status: Known as an open-air geological museum, it contains a UNESCO Global Geopark, the Namakdan Salt Cave, and Hara mangrove forests.
Cultural Heritage: The island preserves traditions of Bandari people like Lenj wooden boat-building, recognised as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Bandari people (literally “people of the port”) are a diverse group living in Iran’s southern coastal provinces along the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

{Prelims – PIN World – Asia} Mount Semeru

Context (NH): Mount Semeru in Indonesia recently erupted multiple times, sending ash columns up to 1,100 metres above the summit.

Mount Semeru, located in East Java, rises to 3,676 metres and is Java’s highest mountain.
It is a stratovolcano, with steep slopes built by alternating lava, ash, and tephra layers.
Semeru’s summit contains the active Jonggring-Seloko crater, which has experienced near-continuous low-level eruptions since 1967.
It formed where the Indo-Australian Plate subducts beneath the Sunda Plate (part of the Eurasian Plate), creating the Sunda Trench.
It lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a zone of intense earthquakes and volcanic activity.
Cultural Significance: Locally called ‘Mahameru’ (The Great Mountain), after the mythical Mount Meru, it is revered in Hindu-Buddhist tradition.