Current Affairs – February 26, 2026

{GS2 – Polity} Supreme Court Bans NCERT Textbook for Contempt of Court **

• Context (TH): Supreme Court ordered a blanket ban on a new Class 8 NCERT Social Science textbook over a section titled “corruption in the judiciary.”

• Chapter Content: The chapter included references to judicial corruption, case backlogs, and complaints against judges, along with a quote from an ex-CJI acknowledging systemic flaws.
• Court’s Finding: A three-judge bench led by CJI Surya Kant described the chapter’s inclusion as a “calculated move to undermine” the institution, amounting prima facie to criminal contempt.
• Bench Order: The bench ordered immediate seizure of all physical copies and removal of all digital versions. It issued show-cause notices to the NCERT Director and the Education Secretary.
• Contempt Case: The Court registered a suo motu case in this matter as a Criminal Contempt under Section 2(c) of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.
• Constitutional Basis: The Supreme Court exercised its inherent authority as a Court of Record under Article 129 to punish for contempt.

Supreme Court’s Rationale for the Ban

• Basic Structure: The textbook content directly undermines judicial independence, a core component of the Basic Structure Doctrine.
• Impressionable Minds: Young students must be protected from material that could distort their perception of the justice system.
• Selective Framing: The chapter’s selective reference to corruption, while omitting the judiciary’s role in upholding democracy, scandalises the institution.
• Public Trust: Such content constitutes interference with the administration of justice by eroding public trust in the judiciary.

Read More > Contempt of Court

{GS2 – Polity} Eastern Nagaland Autonomy

• Context (TH): Centre signed a tripartite agreement with the Government of Nagaland and the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO) to establish the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority.

• Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) grants enhanced administrative and financial autonomy to six eastern districts — Kiphire, Longleng, Mon, Noklak, Shamator, and Tuensang.

Background of the ENPO Demand

• Separate Statehood Aspiration: The ENPO consistently demanded the creation of a separate ‘Frontier Nagaland’ State, citing decades-long perceptions of administrative and developmental neglect.
• Political Escalation: ENPO called for a Lok Sabha election boycott (2024) to press the demand.
• Core Grievance: Perceived development gap (connectivity, services, institutions) vis-à-vis western Nagaland (widely reported in analyses).

Why did the Centre Accept the Autonomy Demand?

• Strategic Frontier Stability: Eastern Nagaland’s proximity to the India–Myanmar border, marked by cross-border vulnerabilities, elevated the urgency of political accommodation.
• Political Signalling Pressure: The ENPO’s Lok Sabha election boycott call (2024) underscored the depth of regional discontent and its potential implications for democratic legitimacy.
• Insufficient Financial Packages: Earlier confidence-building measures, including special packages, proved inadequate in addressing core political and autonomy-driven aspirations.

About Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA)

• Devolutionary Autonomy Mechanism: FNTA represents an institutional experiment in asymmetric federal governance, granting autonomy without altering state boundaries.
• Regional Administrative Decentralisation: Establishment of a mini-secretariat framework aims to bring governance structures closer to remote tribal populations.
• Legislative & Executive Jurisdiction: The Authority exercises powers across 46 identified subjects, enabling context-specific policy responses in land use, development, and livelihoods.
• Financial Resource Allocation: Developmental outlays are structured around population and area-based metrics, with the Ministry of Home Affairs providing financial support for initial requirements.
• Constitutional Safeguard Continuity: FNTA operates without disturbing protections under Article 371(A), preserving customary laws and traditional Naga institutional frameworks.

{GS2 – MoPNG} MoPNG Directs Nationwide Sale of E20 Ethanol-Blended Petrol **

Context (TH): Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) has directed oil marketing companies to sell petrol blended with up to 20% ethanol (E20) from April 1, 2026.

• Legal Basis: The directive was issued under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, in conjunction with the Motor Spirit and High-Speed Diesel Order, 2005.
• Fuel Standard: E20 petrol must meet Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) specifications, with a minimum Research Octane Number (RON) of 95.
• Exceptions: Central Government may grant exemptions for specific regions and for limited periods under special circumstances.
• Objective: The mandate aims to standardise high-octane fuel across all States and Union Territories for modern engine requirements and environmental goals.
• Revised Deadline: The 2022 amendment to the National Policy on Biofuels 2018 advanced the 20% ethanol blending target deadline from 2030 to Ethanol Supply Year (ESY) 2025-26.

Significance of the Directive

• Energy Security: The mandate advances the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme to reduce India’s crude oil import bill by an estimated ₹40,000 crore annually.
• Agricultural Growth: The policy creates a guaranteed, high-volume market for ethanol derived from sugarcane and surplus food grains.
• Climate Commitments: The adoption of E20 fuel reduces tailpipe carbon monoxide emissions, advancing India’s ‘Panchamrit‘ goal of net-zero emissions by 2070.
• Circular Bioeconomy: This transition promotes a circular bioeconomy by incentivising the conversion of agricultural waste and damaged food grains into sustainable fuel.

Read More> Ethanol Blending | India’s Biofuel Push

{GS2 – Social Sector} Quiet Crisis of Adolescent Mental Health

• Context (TH): Recent tragedies and clinical trends highlight a growing but under-recognised burden of child and adolescent mental health challenges in a rapidly expanding digital environment.

Drivers of the Quiet Crisis

• Digital Immersion: Over 800 million Indians use smartphones and low-cost Internet, significantly increasing adolescent exposure to digital ecosystems.
• Comorbidity Expansion: Increasing overlap of anxiety, depression, ADHD, and compulsive digital behaviours complicates diagnosis, delaying recognition and intervention.
• Stigma Persistence: Deep-rooted social stigma surrounding mental health suppresses early help-seeking, leading to crisis-driven rather than preventive care pathways.

Constraints in Tackling Quiet Crisis

• Workforce Deficit: India has fewer than 10,000 psychiatrists for over 1.4 billion people, translating to nearly 0.75 psychiatrists per 100,000 population, far below WHO adequacy thresholds.
• Specialisation Gap: Only a small fraction of mental-health professionals specialise in child and adolescent psychiatry, intensifying early diagnosis and care-access bottlenecks.
• School-Level Blind Spot: Nearly 70% of adolescents with mental health needs remain undiagnosed, partly due to the absence of structured screening systems (NMHS).
• Delayed Treatment Window: Studies indicate an average delay of 2–5 years between symptom onset and clinical intervention for mental-health conditions in India.

Way Forward

• Early Screening Integration: Institutionalise routine mental-health assessments across youth ecosystems; E.g., school health services under Ayushman Bharat – Health & Wellness Centres.
• Accessible Crisis Support: Expand low-friction mental-health access channels; E.g., Tele-MANAS (14416) providing 24/7 digital addiction support.
• Digital Risk Regulation: Strengthen behavioural-risk governance frameworks; E.g., Online Gaming (Regulation) Act, 2025, targeting addiction and compulsive engagement patterns.
• Age-Sensitive Platform Controls: Develop adolescent digital-exposure safeguards; E.g., ongoing consultations on Australia-style age-based social media restrictions for users under 16.

{GS2 – Social Sector} Tetanus and Adult Diphtheria (Td) Vaccine *

• Context (PIB | DDN): Ministry of Health and Family Welfare recently launched the indigenous Tetanus and Adult Diphtheria (Td) vaccine.

• This new vaccine officially replaces the traditional Tetanus Toxoid (TT) vaccine in India’s Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP). The vaccine was developed by Central Research Institute (CRI), Kasauli.
• Dual Protection: The Td vaccine offers protection against both Tetanus and Diphtheria, unlike the TT vaccine, which only targets tetanus.

About Tetanus

• Tetanus, commonly known as lockjaw, is a life-threatening, non-communicable disease caused by the bacterium Clostridium tetani.
• The infection occurs when bacterial spores enter the body through contaminated wounds from soil, dust, or animal faeces.
• The bacteria produce a neurotoxin that blocks inhibitory signals in the central nervous system.
• Symptoms: Painful, involuntary muscle spasms that typically begin with a locked jaw.

About Diphtheria

• Diphtheria is an acute, highly contagious bacterial infection caused by the respiratory pathogen Corynebacterium diphtheriae.
• Transmission: Mainly through respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing, or direct contact with infected skin lesions.
• Symptoms: It forms a pseudomembrane of dead tissue in the nose or throat, causing respiratory obstruction; it also causes sore throat, mild fever, and “bull neck” (swollen lymph nodes).

{GS2 – MoD} Defence Budget as Deterrence Consolidation

• Context (IE): Union Budget 2026–27 recorded a major rise in defence allocation, marking a significant shift toward capability-driven national security planning.

Strategic Rationale Behind Spending Surge

• Deterrence Credibility: Investments enhance deterrence stability by strengthening capability depth.
• Capability Restoration: Budgetary expansion addresses force-level shortfalls; E.g., fighter squadron strength remains near 30–32 squadrons vs sanctioned 42, highlighting structural gaps.
• Modernisation Imperative: Rising allocation reflects technological transition needs.
• China’s Capability Expansion: Decades of PLA modernisation, naval expansion, and border infrastructure development reshape regional deterrence equations.
• Two-Front Dynamics: Deepening China–Pakistan military coordination intensifies multi-domain preparedness and rapid mobilisation requirements.
• Maritime Security Demands: Expanding Indo-Pacific theatre responsibilities increase naval asset stretch and force projection pressures.

Criticism Faced by India’s Defence Expansion

• Arms Race Narrative: Rising defence expenditure is sometimes framed internationally as contributing to regional militarisation, particularly within the Indo-Pacific security landscape.
• Developmental Trade-Offs: Critics argue that higher military allocations may constrain fiscal space for welfare spending in health, education, and social protection sectors.
• Security Dilemma Risks: Defence modernisation is occasionally interpreted by adversaries as escalatory signalling, potentially triggering reciprocal capability build-ups.

{GS2 – IR} U.S. Imposes 125.87% Preliminary Countervailing Duty on Indian Solar Imports *

• Context (IE): U.S. Department of Commerce imposed a preliminary countervailing duty (CVD) of 125.87% on Indian solar cells and modules, following an investigation into unfair trade practices.

• Subsidy Allegation: The U.S. alleges that Indian exporters benefit from ‘Actionable Subsidies’, which allow them to undercut U.S. domestic producers on price.
• Hidden Subsidy: The duties also target ‘Cross-Border Input Subsidies,’ where subsidised Chinese inputs allegedly give Indian manufacturers artificially lower production costs.
• Circumvention Claim: The investigation alleges that Chinese manufacturers are relocating assembly to India to bypass direct trade barriers on Chinese goods.
• Duty Calculation: The duty was calculated using the ‘Facts Available’ provision under Article 12.7 of the WTO SCM Agreement, after Indian firms failed to provide the required data.
  • Adverse Inferences: The provision allows the investigating country to apply ‘Adverse Inferences’ to set maximum duty rates when exporting firms fail to fully cooperate.

Key Subsidy Schemes Under Investigation

• AAP: Advance Authorisation Programme (AAP) allows duty-free import of raw materials specifically for use in exported goods.
• EPCG: Export Promotion of Capital Goods (EPCG) scheme allows manufacturers to import factory machinery at 0% duty, subject to a specific export obligation.
• DBK: Duty Drawback (DBK) Programme refunds customs and excise duties paid on inputs used in the manufacture of export goods.
• PLI: Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme provides direct cash transfers to eligible manufacturers based on their incremental sales and domestic value addition.
• RoDTEP: Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) refunds embedded duties and taxes that are not otherwise credited to exporters.
• State Subsidies: State-level industrial subsidies include the provision of land at below-market rates and subsidised electricity and water.

Read More > India’s Solar Energy Indigenisation

{GS3 – Infra} Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) *

• Context (TOI | TH): The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is investigating the crash of a Redbird Airways air ambulance in Jharkhand.

• The AAIB Investigators confirmed that the aircraft was not equipped with black boxes.

About Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB)

• The AAIB is an independent statutory body, established in 2012, to investigate aircraft accidents and serious incidents in Indian airspace.
• Objective: To identify systemic failures and prevent recurrence through safety recommendations.
• Nodal Ministry: AAIB functions under the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
• Statutory Basis: It is governed by the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024, and operates under the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017, as amended in 2021.
• International Obligation: It aligns with Annex 13 of the Chicago Convention, under the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

• Punitive Limits: Unlike the DGCA, the bureau lacks punitive powers and cannot suspend licences, ground airlines, or impose fines.

{GS3 – Envi} Unpackaging the Illusion of Safe Bottled Water

• Context (TH): Growing dependence on packaged drinking water reflects declining public trust in municipal supplies, even as emerging research highlights less visible contamination risks.

Reasons for Dependence on Bottled Water

• Trust Deficit: NSSO surveys indicate that nearly 35–40% of urban households report concerns over municipal drinking-water quality.
• Safety Perception: Packaged water is widely equated with purity despite evolving contamination risks; E.g., India’s bottled-water market has crossed ₹20,000 crore.
• Convenience Economy: Expanding retail penetration reinforces habitual consumption patterns.

Emerging Contamination Concerns on Bottled Water

• Microplastic Exposure: Studies across cities consistently detect microplastics in bottled water; E.g., Nagpur-based research found 72–212 particles per litre.
• Nanoplastic Blind Spot: Global estimates suggest nanoplastic may constitute a significant fraction of ingested particulate contaminants (OECD).
• Chemical Leaching: Plastic additives such as phthalates and antimony migrate into water under heat exposure, common during storage and transport in India.

Regulatory Gaps Faced in the Bottled Water Industry

• Testing Limitations: FSSAI regulations do not prescribe permissible limits for microplastics.
• Enforcement Variability: State-level surveys periodically detect substandard samples; E.g., Karnataka inspections have identified bottled-water non-compliance rates exceeding 20% in certain audits.
• Fragmented Industry: Thousands of small bottling units complicate oversight; for example, India hosts an estimated 4,000+ packaged-water units, many of which operate at local scales.
• Groundwater Stress: Bottled-water extraction intensifies aquifer depletion; E.g., NITI Aayog warns that nearly 60% of Indian districts face groundwater stress.

Way Forward

• Regulatory Modernisation: Update safety standards to include microplastic monitoring; E.g., aligning with WHO-led emerging contaminant frameworks.
• Municipal System Strengthening: Improve reliability and transparency of public water systems; E.g., Jal Jeevan Mission quality-monitoring expansion.
• Refill Infrastructure: Expand monitored public water-dispensing networks; E.g., Railways’ ‘Rail Neer’ plants, reducing single-use plastic dependence.

{Prelims – S&T} SUJVIKA Portal

• Context (PIB): Ministry of Science and Technology launched the SUJVIKA portal to mark the 40^th Foundation Day of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT).

• SUJVIKA is an AI-driven biotech product data portal. It was developed by the DBT in collaboration with its industry partner, the ABLE (Association of Biotechnology-Led Enterprises).
• It presents structured biotechnology import statistics, enabling researchers to identify priority areas.
• The platform guides evidence-based local manufacturing planning and promotes public-private partnerships to strengthen the national bioeconomy.
• Strategic Role: It supports India’s roadmap to achieve a $1 trillion bioeconomy by 2047.

{Prelims – S&T} Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO India) *

• Context (ET): Larsen & Toubro (L&T) secured the contract to set up the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO India) in Maharashtra.

About LIGO India

• LIGO India is a scientific project to establish an interferometer-based observatory for detecting gravitational waves.
  • LIGO uses two long, L-shaped vacuum tubes and laser beams to detect the minuscule stretching and squeezing of space caused by passing gravitational waves.
• The initiative is a joint effort between the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), the Department of Science and Technology (DST), and the US National Science Foundation (NSF).
• Leader Institutes: Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Institute for Plasma Research (IPR), & the Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT).
• Global Network: LIGO India will augment the existing network of gravitational-wave detectors, joining the two observatories in the USA, Virgo in Italy, and KAGRA in Japan.
• Significance: The facility will elevate India’s leadership in astrophysics and strengthen high-precision manufacturing of technology.

Read More > How LIGO Detects Gravitational Waves

{Prelims – Exercise} Exercise Dharma Guardian

• Context (DDN): The 7^th edition of the India-Japan joint military exercise, ‘Dharma Guardian’, began at the Foreign Training Node in Chaubattia, Uttarakhand.

• It is an annual bilateral military exercise held alternately in India and Japan.
• Objective: Enhance interoperability for counter-terrorism operations under a United Nations mandate.
• Key Activities: Establishing an Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) grid, heliborne missions, and house-intervention drills in realistic, challenging terrain.
• Technological Integration: The 2026 edition showcases AI-enabled sensors that transmit real-time battlefield data for the first time.
• Significance: The drill reinforces the India–Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership and reaffirms their commitment to a rules-based order in Indo-Pacific.

{Prelims – Exercise} Exercise Agni Varsha

• Context (TH): The Southern Command of the Indian Army conducted Exercise Agni Varsha at the Pokhran Field Firing Ranges in Rajasthan.

• It is a large-scale, fire-and-manoeuvre military drill to validate operational readiness and integrated combat capabilities in a desert environment.
• Technological Integration: The exercise incorporated unmanned aerial systems (UAS), counter-drone solutions, modern artillery, and networked surveillance assets.
• Asset Showcased: Included T-90 battle tanks, infantry combat vehicles, K-9 Vajra, and Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) Dhruv.

{Prelims – PIN World} Jeju Island *

• Context (IE | LM): India issued a travel advisory clarifying Jeju Island’s visa-free entry rules after a reported detention of an Indian traveller under the Republic of Korea’s visa waiver scheme.

• The advisory emphasised that visa-free eligibility does not guarantee entry, which remains subject to immigration clearance under Korean law.

About Jeju Island

• Geographic Type: Jeju is South Korea’s largest and southernmost volcanic island.
• Location: Jeju lies near the Korean Strait, separating South Korea from Japan (Tsushima Islands).
• Administrative Status: Jeju is formally designated as the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, enjoying enhanced administrative autonomy within the Republic of Korea since 1 July 2006.
• Highest Peak: Mount Hallasan (1,950 m), a dormant volcano, is the tallest mountain in South Korea.
• UNESCO Status: Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes were designated a UNESCO WHS (2007).
• Climate Character: Warm ocean currents give an oceanic climate supporting subtropical vegetation.