Current Affairs – May 05, 2026

{GS2 – IR} India’s Buddhist Diplomacy **

Context (IE): Despite hosting 7 of 8 Ashtamahasthanas, India accounts for only ~6% of Foreign Tourist Arrivals from Buddhist tourism.

Ashtamahasthanas: Bodh Gaya (Enlightenment), Sarnath (First Sermon), Kushinagar (Parinirvana), Rajgir, Vaishali, Shravasti, Sankasya, and Lumbini (Birthplace; in Nepal).

Role of Buddhism in India’s Soft Power Diplomacy

Soft Balancing: India’s control over Himalayan Buddhist centres like Tawang and the Dalai Lama’s presence counterbalance China’s influence in Asian Buddhist affairs.
Relic Diplomacy: The country loans sacred relics (e.g., Piprahwa relics) to build cultural goodwill.
Knowledge Diplomacy: Revival of Nalanda University aims to restore India as global Buddhist learning hub.
Institutional Multilateralism: New Delhi-based International Buddhist Confederation positions India as a key facilitator of the Pan-Asian Buddhist Agenda.
Act East Link: Shared civilisational values of ‘Peace and Coexistence’ make Buddhism a foundational cultural layer of the Act East Policy.

Challenges in Realising Full Potential

Limited Global Projection: India under-leverages Buddhism compared to Thailand, Sri Lanka, Japan.
Symbolic vs Substantive Gap: Efforts often remain event-based (relic exhibitions) rather than sustained engagement.
Fragmented Branding: Sites treated as isolated tourist destinations, not a civilisational circuit.

Govt Initiatives

Targeted Connectivity: Buddhist Circuit Scheme in the North-East builds physical infrastructure and interpretation centres to boost tourism.
Community Upliftment: Buddhist Development Plan under PMJVK establishes community halls, health facilities, and green energy projects in the Himalayan and Northeast Buddhist regions.
Circuit Development: Swadesh Darshan 2.0 develops tourist infrastructure, facilities, wayside amenities, and experience centres at major Buddhist pilgrimage sites.

Way Forward

Institutional Mechanism: Establish a Buddhist Heritage and Pilgrimage Development Authority to coordinate continuous conservation, fast-track transport permits, and unified destination branding.
Transit Modernisation: Build international airport ecosystems at hubs like Gaya and integrate fast-track specialised e-visas to facilitate repeat charter operations.
Knowledge Diplomacy: Fund academic fellowships in Pali and Buddhist studies to re-establish India’s ancient legacy.

{GS2 – Polity} Model Code of Conduct *

Context (TH): A Petition has been filed in the Supreme court alleging PM’s national broadcast during assembly elections violated Model Code of Conduct and the Representation of the People Act (RPA), 1951.

Model Code of Conduct (MCC)

MCC is a set of guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to regulate conduct of political parties, candidates, and the government in power during elections.
Status: It is not a statutory law, its authority rests on the plenary powers of ECI under Art 324 of IC.
Mohinder Singh Gill v. CEC (1978: SC described Article 324 as a “reservoir of power” allowing ECI to act even where Parliament has not legislated.
Harbans Singh Jalal v. Union of India (1997): Punjab & Haryana HC held that MCC comes into force from the date of election schedule announcement.

Alleged Violation of MCC

The primary legal question raised by the PM’s broadcast concerns Part VII of the MCC, which exclusively governs the conduct of the party in power during elections.
Part VII Provisions:
- Incumbent parties are prohibited from combining official visits with electioneering.
- The use of government machinery for campaign work is strictly forbidden.
- Publicly funded mass media must not be misused for partisan coverage during the election period.

Read More > Model Code of Conduct

What is the RPA, 1951?

Representation of the People Act, 1951 is a statutory law with defined categories of “corrupt practices” acts that can disqualify a candidate and invalidate an election. Unlike the MCC, it is enforceable in courts of law.

Violation of RPA, 1951

Identity-Based Appeals: Section 123(3) makes it a corrupt practice for a candidate or their agent to appeal to voters on the ground of religion, race, caste, community, or language.
- In Abhiram Singh v. C.D. Commachen (2017), a 7-judge Constitutional Bench held that the pronoun “his” in the section extends to the voter as well as the candidate.
Assistance from Government Servants: Section 123(7) identifies the procurement of assistance from government servants (incl. gazetted officers) for electoral prospects as a corrupt practice.
- Doordarshan staff, Sansad TV personnel, and PMO officials are “govt. servants” under this provision.

Context (TH): Ministry of Health released the RBSK 2.0 Guidelines at the 10^th National Summit on Good Practices and Innovations in Public Healthcare Service Delivery.

National Summit a flagship initiative of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; has been held since 2013.

Key Features of RBSK 2.0

Expanded Scope: It includes screening for developmental disorders, mental health issues, and risk factors for non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.
Digital Integration: It introduces digital health cards and real-time data monitoring systems to track referrals and reduce patient dropouts.
Inter-Ministerial Convergence: It promotes stronger coordination between the Ministries of Health, Education, and Women & Child Development to achieve universal coverage.

About RBSK

Launched by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 2013 under the National Health Mission.
Aim: Improving the overall quality of life of children and enabling them to achieve their full potential through comprehensive community-level care.
Approach: It involves screening of children from birth to 18 years for 4 Ds – Defects at birth, Diseases, Deficiencies, and Developmental delays.

{GS3 – IE – Industry} Digitalisation Reforms Improved Productivity in MSMEs

Context (ET): An IMF working paper found that India’s digitalisation reforms in public administration have improved productivity in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Key Findings

States with greater digitalisation reforms recorded higher Total Factor Productivity (TFPR).
- TFPR measures how efficiently a firm uses its inputs (capital + labour) to generate revenue.
Most MSMEs remain unregistered, making it harder to extend the reach of digital reforms.

Significance of MSMEs

GDP Contribution: Account for ~35% of manufacturing output and contribute ~31% of India’s GDP.
Employment: Employs ~33 Cr people, making it 2^nd largest employer after agriculture.
Export: MSMEs contribute ~45% of India’s total exports (2023-24).
Inclusive Growth: Spread across rural and semi-urban areas, reducing regional disparities and limiting migration to cities.
Boost Innovation: Act as a nursery for innovation, promoting local skills, startups, and self-employment.

Schemes for MSMEs

MUDRA Yojana: Provides collateral-free loans up to ₹20 lakh to micro and small enterprises under Shishu, Kishor, Tarun, and Tarun Plus.
Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro & Small Enterprises (CGTMSE): Provides collateral-free credit guarantee cover to MSMEs, reducing lender risk and improving credit access.
PM Vishwakarma Yojana: Supports traditional artisans and craftspeople with skill training, toolkits, and collateral-free credit.
MSME Samadhaan: Online portal to resolve delayed payment issues faced by MSMEs from buyers, including government departments.
Udyam Portal: Single online platform for MSME registration, simplifies formalisation and enables access to all government benefits.
Raising & Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP): World Bank-supported scheme to improve MSME competitiveness, market access, and credit linkages.

{GS3 – S&T} Dual-Use Satellites **

Context (TH): Growing use of dual-use satellites is creating a security dilemma due to repurposability of civilian assets for military use.

Dual use satellites are civilian/commercial space assets with inherent military, intelligence, or surveillance capabilities, creating strategic ambiguity by blurring the line between peaceful and military uses.

India’s Space Cyber Security Framework 2026 mandates a ‘secure-by-design’ doctrine for satellite control and data links against cyber-attacks and electronic jamming.

Regulations of Dual-Use Satellites

Weapon Restrictions: Outer Space Treaty (OST) prohibits placing weapons of mass destruction in orbit but does not restrict conventional military systems.
State Responsibility: Governments bear absolute legal accountability for all national space activities under the OST, including private and commercial dual-use satellite operations.
Principle of Distinction: Under International Humanitarian Law, during armed conflict dual-use satellites can be targeted only if they contribute to military action.
Due Regard: Article IX of the OST mandates consultation when activities such as kinetic tests or jamming risk ‘harmful interference’ to other states.

Intent Verification: OST lacks verification mechanisms, forcing states to infer intent behind orbital manoeuvres.
Payload Anonymity: Registration Convention permits states to file vague functional descriptions, enabling military payloads to be masked as civilian.
Attribution Gap: Unlike kinetic strikes, soft-kill methods like GPS jamming or cyber-hacking are difficult to attribute, allowing states to evade legal accountability.
Liability Mismatch: Liability Convention permanently assigns liability to the Launching State, creating a liability mismatch when a dual-use satellite is sold or leased.

{Prelims – Envi} Whitley Awards 2026

Context (HT): Indian conservationists Parveen Shaikh and Barkha Subba won the 2026 Whitley Awards for protecting the Indian Skimmer and Himalayan salamander.

Whitley Awards honour grassroots conservation leaders from the Global South and are known as the “Green Oscars”. The awards are conferred by the Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN), a UK-based charity.
Indian Winners: Dr Purnima Devi Barman in 2024 and Y Nuklu Phom in 2021. Vivek Menon was the first Indian to win the Award in 2001.

Indian Skimmer (Rynchops albicollis)

It is a riverine bird that catches fish by flying low and skimming water surfaces with its specialised bill.
Distribution: India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, with some populations extending to Nepal and Myanmar.
Habitat: Inhabits large saSndy lowland rivers. India hosts nearly 90% of the global population.
IUCN: Endangered; WPA: Sch I; CMS: Appendix II.

Himalayan Salamander (Tylototriton himalayanus)

Rare amphibian and one of two salamander species found in India (other one is Manipuri Newt or Zaimeng Lake Newt).
Habitat: Cold, shaded mountain regions including freshwater wetlands, forest fringes, and ponds.
Distribution: Endemic to the eastern Himalayan terrain across India, eastern Nepal, and Bhutan.
- In India, it is found in the Darjeeling and Kalimpong hills of West Bengal and parts of Sikkim.
IUCN: Vulnerable; WPA: Schedule I.

{Prelims – Envi} National Clean Air Programme

Context (TH): NGT directed all southern States and Puducherry to ensure strict, time-bound execution of State Action Plans under the National Clean Air Programme.

It highlighted poor and skewed spending—majority on road dust (86%), with limited focus on vehicular emissions and biomass burning and directed that NCAP funds be tied to measurable reductions in PM2.5/PM10.

National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)

Launched by MoEFCC in 2019 to improve air quality in Million Plus Cities and non-attainment cities (unable to meet NAAQS for 5 years).
Objective: Reduce PM2.5 & PM10 levels by 20–30% (later revised up to ~40%).
Approach: Multi-sectoral and source-based interventions (transport, industry, dust, waste, biomass burning) via city and State Action Plans.
Implementation: Coordinated by CPCB with State Pollution Control Boards.
Monitoring: Progress tracked via Portal for Regulation of Air Pollution in Non-Attainment Cities (PRANA).

{Prelims – Infra} India’s First ‘Barrier-Less’ Toll Plaza

Context (IE): India launched its first Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) tolling system in Gujarat.

The barrier-less tolling operates at the Choryasi toll plaza on NH-48’s Surat-Bharuch stretch.
Technology: Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) readers and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras scan FASTag and vehicle registration numbers.
Developed by: ICICI Bank. Operated by: Indian Highways Management Company Limited under National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

FASTag is a prepaid, reloadable electronic toll collection tag affixed to a vehicle’s windscreen for automatic toll deduction.
RFID uses electromagnetic fields to identify and read data stored on a moving vehicle’s FASTag.

{Prelims – IS} Forcible Acid Ingestion as ‘Acid Attack Victims’

Context (TH): Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, now legally recognises forcible acid ingestion survivors as ‘acid attack victims’, following Supreme Court interpretation.

Injury Scope: Survivors with severe internal injuries, including oesophageal or gastric damage, will qualify for benefits even without visible disfigurement.
The inclusion will entitle survivors to financial assistance, rehabilitation support, anti-discrimination safeguards, and reservation in government jobs and higher education.

Read More> Acid Attacks in India | RPwD Act, 2016

{Prelims – IS} Project Deepak

Context (PIB): Border Roads Organisation (BRO) celebrated the 66^th Raising Day of Project Deepak.

Established in 1961, Project Deepak develops and maintains critical infrastructure in Western Himalayas.
It includes maintenance of the historic Hindustan-Tibet Road (part of NH 5), Manali-Leh stretches, and major bridges like Averipatti, Kasang, and Akpa.
The project also provides humanitarian assistance during high-altitude natural disasters.

BRO, established in 1960, is India’s primary agency for building and maintaining strategic roads in remote border areas, operating under the Ministry of Defence.

{Prelims – Misc} Prelims One Liners

DM – Cell Broadcast System (IE): Launched by Ministry of Communications, it is an indigenous system delivers near real-time, multilingual disaster alerts to mobile users, strengthening emergency communication and public safety. Developed by Centre for Development of Telematics.
Initiatives – ‘One Meal A Day with Millets’ Initiative (TH): ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR) launched national mission to promote millet in daily diet.
IR – Project Freedom (TH): Launched by United States to restore freedom of navigation through Strait of Hormuz. It will assist ‘neutral and innocent’ ships trapped in Persian Gulf amid the dual blockade by Iran and the U.S.