Current Affairs - August 23, 2026

{GS1 – A&C} Vaishya Tekri Stupa

Context (IE): Madhya Pradesh government is set to resume excavation at Vaishya Tekri after ~90 years.

Vaishya Tekri is a circular archaeological mound near Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, believed to contain a Mauryan-period Buddhist stupa from the 3^rd century BCE.
Dimensions: Estimated at 350 feet in diameter and 100 feet high, the stupa is hypothesized to be larger than the Great Stupa at Sanchi. Kesariya Stupa in Bihar is the largest brick stupa in India.
Construction: The core of the stupa was built using compacted local black murum, encased in a thick envelope of large brick masonry. A bowl-shaped masonry base countered the outward lateral pressure, and a rectangular depression or moat surrounded the stupa.
Artifacts: Early excavations uncovered Mauryan-era punch-marked coins and cast Avanti coins.
According to local legends, the stupa was commissioned by Ashoka’s wife, Devi, during his governorship of Ujjayini. It is believed to be the Kanakgiri Vihara mentioned in Buddhist literature.

Ujjayini (modern Ujjain), on the banks of the Sipra (a Chambal tributary), was the capital of Avanti Mahajanapada, linking western ports with Pataliputra. Ptolemy referred to it as Ozene. Ujjain earned the epithet India’s Greenwich because ancient astronomers used its meridian for spatial calculations.

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{GS1 – IS} Empowering Youth, Transforming India **

Context (PIB): India, with nearly 65% of its population under the age of 35, is driving the rise of the Amrit Peedhi to realize the vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047.

Significance of Youth Empowerment

Output Expansion: 68% working-age demographic provides the human capital required to drive sustained GDP growth.
Capital Formation: Low dependency ratio (31%) raises disposable household income, boosting gross savings for infrastructure investment.
Global Talent Supply: India's demographic dividend enables it to export skilled technical personnel to fill the workforce deficits of aging developed economies.

Government Initiatives for Youth-Led Transformation

Mera Yuva Bharat (2023): The digital platform connects young citizens directly to community development and public policy formulation.
YUVAi (2022): Aligns school pedagogy with Industry 4.0 demands by training one crore youth in AI skills.
Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (2020): Conducts targeted awareness campaigns and rehab efforts in schools to safeguard youth's physical and mental health.
PM-SETU Programme (2025): Deploys a Hub-and-Spoke model across 1,000 Industrial Training Institutes to provide modern technical skill training.
Prime Minister's Internship Scheme (2024): Provides formal corporate exposure to thousands of graduates to build a structural bridge between academic training and enterprise.
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (2015): Links industrial demand with targeted training modules to certify over 1.64 crore youth in emerging technologies.
Startup India (2016): Offers incubation infrastructure and regulatory support to expand India's domestic innovation ecosystem, making it the world's third-largest startup hub.
Khelo India (2018): Builds grassroots athletic talent across 1,067 certified centers to prepare for future global events like the 2036 Olympics.

Key Challenges in Youth Empowerment

Employability Paradox: Only 5.7% of male youth and 3.3% of female youth have technical education, constraining employability in modern sectors.
Gender Exclusion: Female labor force participation remained at 40.0% in 2025, limiting full utilization of India’s demographic dividend.
Jobless Growth: The low youth unemployment rate (9.9%) reflects a failure to create enough decent jobs for the growing, educated workforce.
Skilling Shortfall: Only 4.9% of youth aged 15-29 have received formal vocational training, compared with over 70% in developed economies.
Employment Informality: With 56.2% of the overall workforce in self-employment, many young people are stuck in low-productivity informal jobs.
Mental Health Crisis: The youth face mental health and addiction pressures from exam stress, economic uncertainty, and a lack of counseling.

{GS2 – MoTA} Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission (PMJVM) *

Context (PIB): Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission (PMJVM) has sanctioned 4,172 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras and linked 12.48 lakh tribal members to the scheme.

PMJVM is a Central Sector Scheme launched in 2021-22 by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to build a unified ecosystem for tribal produce. TRIFED implements it at the central level.
Objective: Shifts forest-dwelling distressed sellers of raw materials into value-adding entrepreneurs.
Functions: Procures Minor Forest Produce (MFP) directly at Minimum Support Price (MSP), trains gatherers in processing, packaging, and branding, modernizes local Haat Bazaars, secures GI tagging, and connects forest and handicraft products to e-commerce and exhibitions.
Van Dhan Vikas Kendras serve as primary procurement and processing units, each comprising about 15 Van Dhan SHGs (of up to 20 gatherers). At least 60% of members must belong to STs.

Regulation of Minor Forest Produce (MFP)

Statutory Definition: Section 2(i) of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 defines MFP as all non-timber forest produce of plant origin, including bamboo, cane, tendu leaves, honey, lac, and medicinal herbs.
Ownership Right: Section 3(1)(c) of the Act vests forest dwellers with the right to own, collect, use, and dispose of MFP traditionally gathered within or outside village boundaries.
Collective Ownership: Section 4(m)(ii) of the PESA Act, 1996, directs State Legislatures to confer ownership of MFP on Gram Sabhas and Panchayats in Fifth Schedule areas.
Right to Sell: The 2012 Forest Rights Amendment Rules clarified that disposal of MFP includes the right to sell, process, store, and transport, individually or collectively.

{GS3 – Agri} India’s Coconut Sector **

Context (PIB): Revered as Kalpavriksha (Tree of Life), India’s coconut sector supports rural livelihoods, agricultural growth, and India’s cultural traditions.

Coconut Sector of India

Global Ranking: India ranks first in production and third in cultivation, accounting for 31.24% and 17.90% of global totals, respectively.
Productivity: Stood at 20,301.22 million nuts of coconut during 2024-25. Average productivity stood at 9,249 nuts per hectare.
States Wise Production: Keralam has largest area under coconut cultivation. Tamil Nadu leads coconut production, while Andhra Pradesh records highest productivity, followed by West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.
Share in Exports: Reached ₹7,038.35 crore (USD 794.70 million) in 2025-26 marking a 62% increase over previous year.
- Export Target: USD 2 trillion in exports by 2030 and USD 21 trillion by 2047.
Export Diversification: From being restricted to traditional products like coconut shell charcoal, coconut oil, etc., to diversified value-added products (virgin coconut oil, coconut milk, and coconut water).
Key Export Destinations: USA, UAE, Sri Lanka, Germany, Russia, Turkey, Belgium, UK, and Netherlands.
Area Under Cultivation: During 2025-26, about 2,175 hectares of new area brought under cultivation.

Measures taken to strengthen Coconut production in India

Coconut Promotion Scheme: Announced in Union Budget 2026-27, to enhance coconut production and productivity through targeted interventions.
- Forms part of a broader ₹350 crore allocation for high-value agriculture, including cashew and cocoa.

MSP for Copra 2025-26: Copra, dried kernel of coconut, is among 22 mandated agricultural crops covered under Minimum Support Price regime.

National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) and National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation (NCCF) are Central Nodal Agencies for copra procurement.

India produces two types of copra: milling copra and ball copra.
Milling copra is used for oil extraction and involves drying the coconut kernel. Ball (edible) copra is consumed as a dry fruit and for religious purposes.

Demonstration Cum Seed Production Farm (DSP): Demonstrate scientific coconut cultivation practices and commercially producing quality coconut planting materials. It involves
- Establishment of new DSPFs: ₹30 lakh is allocated from budget for the first two years.
- Maintenance of existing DSPFs: From the third year onwards, financial assistance of up to₹1.00 lakh per hectare per year is provided for farm maintenance until yield stabilization (15–20 years).
Establishment of Small Coconut Nursery: Promotes production of quality coconut seedlings through public and private nurseries. During 2025-26, assistance was provided to establish12 new nurseries.
Accreditation and Rating of Coconut Nurseries: Ensures the availability of genuine, high-quality planting material through nursery accreditation and quality assessment.
Assistance for Quality Planting Material Production in Public Sector Nurseries: Supports coconut seedling production through financial assistance to eligible public sector nurseries.
- Beneficiaries include State Departments, State Agricultural Universities (SAUs), Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), Demonstration Seed Production (DSP) Farms.
Expansion of the Area Under the Coconut: Under scheme, financial assistance of ₹56,000 per hectare is provided for planting coconut seedlings in new areas in two equal annual instalments.
- Subsidy available for maximum area of 2 hectares and a minimum area of 0.08 hectares.
Comprehensive Programme for Sustainable Productivity Improvement in Existing Coconut Holdings:
- Productivity Improvement Through Coconut-Based Cropping System (PICCS), a major component.
- Implemented on a cluster basis through Departments of Agriculture/Horticulture of concerned State Governments, as well as directly by Coconut Development Board.
- Subsidy is provided at 100% of cost, amounting to ₹42,000 per hectare, limited to 2 hectares per beneficiary in two equal annual instalments.

Read More> Coconut Promotion Scheme

{Prelims – Geo} Shompen Tribe

Context (TH): Tribal Council of Great and Little Nicobar alleged the island administration pressured the Shompen tribe to abandon its traditional lifestyle for the Great Nicobar project.

Shompen are one of India's 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), inhabiting the interior rainforests and river basins of Great Nicobar Island.
They have Mongoloid traits, setting them apart from Negrito groups like the Jarawas, Onges, Great Andamanese, and Sentinelese. They speak Shompenese, a fragmented Austroasiatic language.
The tribe leads a nomadic hunter-gatherer life, foraging the rainforest for Pandanus fruit as its main diet.
Legal Protections: Their territory falls within the Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve, protected by the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Regulation, 1956.
- They are also entitled to "Habitat Rights" under Section 3(1)(e) of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006.Top of FormBottom of Form

{Prelims – MIH} Maveeran Ondiveeran

Context (AIR): Vice President paid tribute to Maveeran Ondiveeran on his 255^th death anniversary.

He was an 18^th century warrior and freedom fighter from present-day Tamil Nadu.
He was a trusted commander in the army of Puli Thevar (Poolithevan), one of the early leaders who resisted the expansion of the British East India Company in southern India.
He played an important role in armed resistance against the British East India Company in Tirunelveli region.

Puli Thevar was Palaiyakkarar (Polygar) of Nerkattumseval in present-day Tenkasi district of Tamil Nadu. He is remembered as one of the earliest leaders to organise armed resistance against the British East India Company in South India.

{Prelims – S&T} MQ-9B Sea Guardian

Context (IE): Ministry of Defence signed a ₹1,943-crore contract with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems to lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardian HALE drones for a 30-month period.

MQ-9B Sea Guardian is a High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI).
Designed for long-range, persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and capable of operating for ~30 hours above 40,000 ft, with a ferry range of 5,000 nautical miles.
Equipped with maritime surface-search radar, AIS, and EO/IR sensors, it uses a bolt-on/bolt-off open architecture for mission-specific configurations. It is the first unmanned aircraft in its class capable of conducting real-time surface and subsurface patrols.

{Prelims – Sci} Helicase

Context (TH): A recently published study revealed how a molecular safety catch regulates helicase, preventing premature DNA replication and maintaining genomic stability.

Helicase is a vital catalytic enzyme and motor protein that unwinds double-stranded DNA into single strands before cell division. It is central to DNA repair and chromosomal stability.
It hydrolyses ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) to break hydrogen bonds between DNA base pairs, creating a Y-shaped replication fork. This exposes the single strands, allowing them to serve as templates for synthesizing new DNA.
It works with topoisomerase enzymes to relieve molecular tension ahead of the fork and single-stranded binding proteins to prevent premature reannealing.
Mutations in human helicase genes cause genomic instability disorders, raising cancer risk, such as Bloom syndrome and Werner syndrome (premature aging).
Applications: Helicase research aids genetic engineering, gene therapies, and diagnostic tools like Helicase-Dependent Amplification (HDA), an alternative to Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) is a double-helix molecule with four nucleotides—Adenine, Thymine, Guanine, and Cytosine—that carries instructions for cellular growth, development, and reproduction.

{Prelims – Misc} One Liners

In News – Friends of My Bharat (PIB): Global outreach platform launched by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports during the BRICS Youth Summit 2026 in Gandhinagar.
- It is a digital module on the MY Bharat phygital platform that provides Indian-origin students, young professionals, and other youth abroad with information on nation-building activities, volunteer initiatives, and youth-led programs.
S&T – MutAIverse (DDN): A first-of-its-kind Generative AI platform developed by Indian researchers to trace the environmental and chemical roots of cancer by decoding DNA damage.
- Mechanism: A machine-learning tool called AdductLinker works backward from tumor-biopsy mass spectrometry data to link detected DNA adducts (formed when reactive carcinogens bind to a patient's DNA) to possible precursor genotoxins (agents damaging cellular DNA).