Current Affairs – January 31, 2026

{GS1 – Geo} Desynchronisation of Earth’s Seasonal Cycles

Context (TOI): A recent study based on 20 years of satellite observations shows that Earth’s seasons are becoming uneven, fragmented, and locally unpredictable.

Key Drivers: Anthropogenic climate change, particularly rising temperatures and altered precipitation patterns, is driving shifts in seasonal cycles.

Key Findings of the Study

Seasonal Asynchrony: Regions located nearby, even in climatically similar areas, are experiencing mismatched seasonal timings instead of coordinated transitions.
Geographic Hotspots: Seasonal breakdown is most evident in complex topography, notably in tropical mountains and Mediterranean climate zones.
Divergent Growth: Mediterranean forests may reach peak growth weeks or months after grasslands or show two growth peaks, disrupting ecosystem synchrony.

Major Impacts

Biodiversity Disruption: Desynchronisation creates biological mismatches, such as pollinators emerging before flowering, accelerating biodiversity loss.
Agricultural Fragility: In Colombia, nearby coffee farms now follow different harvest cycles, increasing the risk of reliance on historical seasonal cues.
Water Cycle Instability: Earlier snowmelt and short, intense bursts of rainfall cause floods and droughts in the same region in the same year.
Anthropogenic Seasons: Human-driven unnatural cycles are emerging, such as Southeast Asia’s “haze season” and Bali’s “trash season.”

{GS2 – Vulnerable Sections} Financial Burden of India’s Ageing Population

Context (TH): While India is often celebrated for its demographic dividend, its States are undergoing a significant but uneven demographic transition according to a new RBI report.

Uneven Demographic Transition Across States

Ageing South: Kerala and Tamil Nadu face rising old-age dependency due to sustained fertility decline and longer life expectancy trends.
Youthful North: Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand will continue seeing strong growth in working-age population beyond the 2031 period.
Middle Path States: Karnataka and Maharashtra balance workforce expansion with emerging ageing pressures over the coming decades.

Financial Burden of India’s Ageing Population

Rising Pension Costs: In Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the elderly population is projected to cross 20–22% by 2036, implying a sharp rise in pension and social security expenditure (RBI projections).
Shrinking Revenue: Population weightage in recent Finance Commission formulas accounts for 15–25% of devolution criteria, benefiting high-population States at the cost of ageing southern States.
Delimitation Impact: Southern States could lose up to 8–10 parliamentary seats post-delimitation due to slower population growth, weakening fiscal bargaining power.
Gendered Old-Age Poverty: Nearly 70% of elderly women in India lack any formal pension coverage, compared to around 40% of elderly men.
Collapsing Family Support: Over 55% of the elderly now live in nuclear households, increasing dependence on public support systems (national ageing surveys).
Healthcare Strain: The elderly account for nearly 30–35% of total hospitalisation expenditure, despite forming a much smaller population share.

Way Forward

Geriatric Healthcare: Build specialised elderly healthcare infrastructure across States; E.g., Kerala’s ‘Vayomithram’ project providing free medical care and mobile health services for senior citizens.
Early Pension Building: Expand contributory and non-contributory pension systems in youthful States before fertility decline; E.g., National Pension System (NPS) universalisation push.
Job Mass Creation: Launch large-scale employment in emerging sectors like green energy and care economy; E.g., Germany’s renewable energy employment transition model.
Social Pension Expansion: Strengthen old-age income support for informal workforce retirees; E.g., Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS).

Context (ET): India has concluded Social Security Agreements (SSAs) with 14 EU countries and aims to finalise the remaining 13 within five years.

Total Reach: India has signed and operationalised SSAs with 20 countries; key non-EU SSA partners include Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, Canada, Norway, Australia, and the UK.

Agreement Nature: A Social Security Agreement (SSA) is a bilateral treaty that safeguards the social security rights of cross-border workers.
Legal Control: SSAs fall under the sovereign national jurisdiction of countries, not under the competence of trade blocs.
Nodal Agency: Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), under the Ministry of Labour and Employment, implements Social Security Agreements.
Coverage Certificate: EPFO issues Certificates of Coverage (CoC) that temporarily exempt Indian workers from the host country’s social security contributions.

Core Principles of Social Security Agreement (SSA)

Detachment Rule: Short-term workers are exempt from dual social security contributions, typically for assignments of up to five years.
Totalisation Rule: Workers can combine years of service in both countries to meet minimum pension eligibility requirements.
Exportability Rule: Pension benefits remain payable without reduction after relocation to the home country or a third country.
Equal Treatment: Foreign workers enjoy the same social security rights and obligations as host-country nationals.

Read More> Social Security Framework in India

{GS2 – IR} Transboundary Airshed Cooperation in South Asia

Context (IE): A World Bank report, ‘A Breath of Change,’ highlights that air pollution in the Indo-Gangetic Plains and Himalayan Foothills spreads across national borders, demanding regional action .

Need for Transboundary Airshed Cooperation in South Asia

Cross-Border Pollution: Up to 30% of air pollution in Indian Punjab during winters comes from Pakistan’s Punjab due to north-westerly winds (World Bank).
High External Contribution: In Nepal’s Terai region, nearly 68% of air pollution originates from neighbouring countries, limiting domestic-only solutions (World Bank).
Weak Regional Frameworks: South Asia lacks a legally binding treaty like Europe’s LRTAP, relying mainly on voluntary platforms such as the Malé Declaration.
Funding Constraints: Regional air quality cooperation slowed after Swedish aid under Malé Declaration ended in 2013, weakening monitoring and joint action.
City-Centric Approach: India’s NCAP funds flow mainly to urban bodies, though major pollution sources often lie beyond municipal boundaries.

Way Forward

Binding Cooperation: Develop a South Asia transboundary air pollution agreement with emission targets; E.g., Europe’s UNECE LRTAP Convention.
Airshed Planning: Shift from city-based control to regional airshed management frameworks; E.g., CAQM’s Delhi-NCR multi-state model.
Stable Financing: Create pooled regional air quality funds for long-term monitoring and mitigation; E.g., EU’s sustained environmental financing mechanisms.
Cross-Border Action: Coordinate crop residue management, industrial controls and transport norms across countries; E.g., US–Canada acid rain cooperation model.

{GS3 – Agri} Impact of Climate Change on Cattle in India

Context (IE): Delhi-based think tank Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) released the analysis report titled ‘Cattle and Community in a Changing Climate’.

Impacts of Climate Change on Cattles

Disease Proliferation: Rising wet-bulb temperatures have led to a 33% increase in disease incidence by fostering the growth of vector populations, such as ticks and mosquitoes.
Lactation Shrinkage: Chronic heat stress reduces lactation duration and productive days, resulting in lower total milk output per cycle.
Physiological Vulnerability: Dark-skinned buffaloes and crossbreds with fewer sweat glands face restlessness and early herd retirement due to greater heat absorption and reduced sweating.
Immune Suppression: Warmer environments compromise natural immunity, increase susceptibility to infection, and delay recovery from illnesses.
Metabolic Slowdown: High temperatures suppress appetite and slow digestion, reducing the nutrient intake required for milk production.
Reproductive Failure: Extreme heat disrupts hormonal balance, increases undetected oestrus, and leads to calf mortality.

Structural Vulnerabilities of the Indian Livestock Sector

Inadequate Infrastructure: Nearly 25% of cattle rearers lack funds to build ventilated sheds for heat-stress protection.
Input Costs: Climate-driven inflation has created severe fodder insecurity, with over 70% households unable to afford adequate feed.
Fragmented Holdings: An average rural herd size of 3.14 animals limits economic resilience and financial buffers against climate shocks.
Breed Mismatch: Heavy reliance on exotic crossbreds creates a climate trap; over 50% of crossbred and buffalo rearers are facing losses due to the breed’s biological inability to tolerate tropical heat.
Knowledge Deficit: Limited awareness of climate risks leaves 80% of rearers unaware of climate-adaptive practices like silage-making and ration-balancing.

Way Forward

Genetic Upgradation: Shift focus to selective breeding of indigenous breeds (such as Gir and Sahiwal) to enhance heat tolerance and productivity.
Climate-Smart Infrastructure: Provide targeted capital subsidies to smallholders for constructing ventilated cattle sheds with fans and foggers.
Nutritional Security: Promote hydroponics and silage technologies to ensure a consistent quality fodder supply during droughts and heat waves.
Disease Surveillance: Establish early-warning systems and universal vaccination drives to control climate-linked vector-borne livestock diseases.
Extension Services: Launch structured awareness campaigns to educate farmers on heat-stress management and the risks of unsustainable herd expansion.

Read More> India’s Dairy Sector

{GS3 – Envi} Human–Leopard Conflict Case **

Context (TH): A farmer in Gujarat’s Gir Somnath district killed a leopard in self-defence during an attack and was subsequently booked under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

About the Indian Leopard

Adaptable Big Cat: Leopards are the smallest among major big cats and can thrive across diverse landscapes ranging from dense forests to human-dominated regions.
Population Range: India hosts an estimated 13,000–14,000 leopards (Fifth Cycle Leopard Population Estimation 2024), making it the global stronghold for the species.
Protection Status: Classified as Vulnerable (VU) under the IUCN Red List and placed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Habitat Spread: Found in tropical rainforests, dry deciduous forests, temperate regions and northern coniferous forests, but absent in deserts and Sundarbans mangroves.
Nocturnal Nature: Primarily active at night, leopards are stealth hunters that avoid human presence.
Solitary Lifestyle: Leopards generally live and hunt alone except during mating or while rearing cubs.
Gestation Period: Pregnancy lasts around 90 to 105 days, after which cubs are born in concealed dens.
Hotspots: Madhya Pradesh leads India with around 3,900+ leopards, followed by Maharashtra (~1,980) and Karnataka (~1,870), reflecting strong central & western conservation.
Highest Density: Sanjay Gandhi National Park (Mumbai) records the world’s highest urban leopard density at over 21 leopards per 100 sq km.

Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972

Purpose: A central law to protect wild animals, birds, and plants, regulate hunting, trade, and habitat protection through protected areas and enforcement powers.
Constitutional Basis: Enacted under Concurrent List (Seventh Schedule); strengthens the Article 48A duty of the State to protect the wildlife & aligns with the Article 51A(g) fundamental duty.

Animal Protection Under WPA, 1972

Section 9: Prohibits hunting of wild animals except under narrowly defined statutory exceptions, making “hunting” the default illegality.
Section 2(16): “Hunting” Includes killing, poisoning, trapping, capturing, and even attempting these acts, so liability can arise even without a successful kill.
Section 11: Allows hunting only with written permission in limited situations, such as danger to human life or certain protective grounds, preventing “self-defence” from becoming a blanket excuse.
Section 12: Enables special permits for scientific research, education, scientific management, or collection, with conditions, useful for public health and conservation science.
Section 39: Many wildlife/trophies become government property, tightening enforcement against illegal possession/retention after seizures.

Four Schedules in WPA, 1972

Schedule I (Highest Protection): Covers species with maximum legal protection; offences generally attract stricter punishment and tighter controls on possession/trade.
Schedule II (High Protection): Protected species with strong safeguards, though generally lower than Schedule I in priority/penal severity.
Schedule III (Protected Plants): Lists specified plants where picking, uprooting, trade/possession are regulated to prevent biodiversity loss.
Schedule IV (CITES-Linked Specimens): A distinct schedule to operationalise CITES obligations, regulating international trade, permits, documentation, and compliance for listed specimens.

{GS3 – S&T} India’s Space Economy **

Context (PIB): India’s space economy has become one of the fastest-growing segments, driven by a shift from government dominance to commercial participation.

Key Target: India aims to expand the economy to $44 billion, with an 8% global market share, by 2033.

Current Landscape

India’s space economy is valued at around $8.4 billion, accounting for nearly 2% of the global market.
The sector added around ₹20,000 crore to GDP over the last decade and supports about 96,000 jobs.
India has 399 space-tech startups across launch systems, satellites, propulsion, and space electronics.
Productivity remains high, with every $1 invested generating a $2.54 multiplier effect on national GDP.
India has launched 434 foreign satellites, positioning itself as a reliable low-cost global launch hub.

Key Growth Drivers

Cost Advantage: India’s low-cost, high-reliability model strengthens its competitive edge, as illustrated by the modest mission cost of Chandrayaan-3.
Satellite Services: Demand for High-Throughput Satellites (HTS) for broadband, tele-education, tele-medicine, and GPS-based GAGAN navigation drives sectoral growth.
PPP Transition: ISRO adopted the Public-Private Partnership model, with IN-SPACe enabling the transfer of technologies such as SSLV to private consortia.
Demand Expansion: Rising demand for satellite internet and real-time Earth Observation boosts domestic manufacturing of SmallSat constellations.
Downstream Services: The sector’s shift in focus from launch-centric activities to data monetisation is expected to generate 70% of future revenues.

Key Government Initiatives and Policies

Indian Space Policy 2023: Permits non-governmental entities to undertake end-to-end space activities, including rockets, satellites, and launch pads.
Manufacturing Ecosystem: Dedicated hubs such as Kerala Space Park provide plug-and-play infrastructure for producing space-grade components.
Liberalised FDI: Updated norms allow 100% FDI in satellite component manufacturing and up to 74% in satellite operations under the automatic route.
Capital Support: A ₹1,000 crore venture fund provides risk capital to deep-tech startups, with financing for growth and later-stage development.

{Prelims – Species} Greylag Goose (Anser anser) *

Context (TH): A flock of migratory greylag geese was poisoned with pesticides in Majuli district, Assam.

About Greylag Goose (Anser anser)

About Species: The Greylag goose is the largest grey goose species and the primary wild ancestor of most domesticated goose breeds.
Appearance: The bird has grey-brown plumage, a thick neck, a large orange or pink bill, & pink legs.
- Unique Marker: It shows a distinctive pale grey forewing in flight.
Habitat Preference: The species prefers open freshwater wetlands, marshes, and lakes with extensive reed beds.
Geographic Range: It has a Palearctic distribution, breeding throughout northern Eurasia and migrating south in winter. It is a common winter visitor to the wetlands of North and North-West India.
Behaviour: The species is highly social; they form large flocks and fly in V-shaped skeins.
Diet: Primarily herbivorous, they graze on grasses, roots and tubers, and also feed on cereal crops.
Ecological Role: It helps regulate aquatic vegetation and supports nutrient cycling in wetlands.
Key Threats: Habitat loss, illegal hunting, water pollution, avian influenza, etc.
Earliest Domestication: Greylag geese were among the first domesticated animals, with records from Ancient Egypt dating back over 4,000 years.
Conservation Status: IUCN: Least Concern; CMS: Appendix II; WPA: Schedule II

{Prelims – S&T} Pechora Missile System *

Context (TOI): Bengaluru-based Alpha Design Technologies Ltd has completed a full upgrade of the Pechora missile system for the Indian Air Force.

Modernisation: The upgrade replaced obsolete valve-based electronics with digital chips, digitised the tracking radar, and refurbished legacy mechanical systems.

About Pechora Missile System

About: Pechora is a Soviet-origin, medium-range, solid-fuel, two-stage surface-to-air missile system.
Induction: Inducted into the Indian Air Force in the 1970s, it has now been upgraded for Mission Sudarshan Chakra integration.
Low-Level Role: Unlike many medium-range systems, it specialises in intercepting low-flying threats, including aircraft and cruise missiles.
Engagement Envelope: It can engage targets from as low as 20 metres up to 25 kilometres, with an operational range of 35 kilometres.
Speed Profile: The missile is supersonic and can reach speeds between Mach 3 and Mach 3.5.
Radar System: The system follows a two-step radar process.
1. Surveillance Stage: Surveillance radars first detect incoming threats up to 100 kilometres.
2. Fire-Control Stage: The SNR-125 radar then locks onto the target and guides the missile.

{Prelims – In News} MY Bharat Portal

Context (PIB): The MY Bharat (Mera Yuva Bharat) portal has crossed the milestone of two crore registrations since its launch.

MY Bharat is an autonomous digital platform for youth engagement and participation for individuals aged 15 to 29.
It was launched in 2023 under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to transform “youth development” into “youth-led development”
It integrates a digital portal and app with on-ground activities for experiential learning, volunteering, and professional growth.
The platform serves as a centralised youth database, enabling targeted, evidence-based policy interventions in the youth sector.