Current Affairs – May 12, 2026

Context (PIB): Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) launched the Science Excellence for Health through Agricultural Transformation (SEHAT) Initiative.

It reflects India’s shift from a curative healthcare model to preventive and promotive healthcare.
Objective: To strengthen convergence between agriculture, nutrition, and public health to improve health outcomes in India.
The mission prioritises biofortified crops, nutrient-rich foods, integrated farming systems, and non-communicable diseases prevention.
It promotes the idea that food can become medicine through nutritious & scientifically validated agricultural practices.
SEHAT supports the One Health framework, integrating human, animal, and environmental health systems.

{GS3 – Agri} Fermented Organic Manure *

Context (TH): Indian Biogas Association has proposed 10% mandatory blending of Fermented Organic Manure (FOM) with chemical fertilisers by 2030.

FOM is an organic fertiliser produced from biodegradable waste through the fermentation or anaerobic digestion process in biogas plants.
Source: It is made using cattle dung, agricultural residue, food waste & other biodegradable materials.
By-product of Biogas: FOM is a nutrient-rich by-product generated during biogas production.
Benefits: It improves soil fertility, microbial activity, water retention capacity, reduces dependence on chemical fertilisers, and supports sustainable agriculture.
As per estimates 10% blending could save nearly $2 billion annually in fertiliser imports.

Fermentation is the chemical breakdown of organic substances like sugars by microorganisms such as bacteria or yeast, usually in the absence of oxygen.

{GS3 – IE} PLFS Quarterly Bulletin (Jan-March 2026)

Context (PIB): Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) Quarterly Bulletin for January-March 2026.

PLFS is a nationwide survey by the National Statistical Office (NSO) measuring employment, unemployment, and labour force indicators.

Key Highlights

Unemployment Rate (UR): Increased slightly to 5%. Urban UR fell to 6.6% from 6.7% in the previous quarter, while rural UR rose to 4.3% from 4.0%.
Sectoral Shift: Rural employment declined in agriculture from 58.5% to 55.8%, while secondary and tertiary sectors reached 22.6% and 21.7%.
Job regularisation: Percentage of salaried rural employees rose from 14.8% to 15.5%.
Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR): Stable at 55.5%. Female LFPR also stayed stable at 34.7%.
Worker Population Ratio (WPR): Stood at 52.8%, down from 53.1% last quarter. Rural WPR declined from 56.1% to 55.7%, while urban WPR remained stable at 46.9%.

Read More > PLFS 2025

{GS3 – IE} PM’s Call for Import Reduction

Context (IE): PM has urged Indians to reduce imports-linked consumption to reduce forex outflows and BoP pressures caused by the Iran conflict, which has triggered fuel, fertiliser, and commodity price shocks.

India’s BoP situation by mid-2025 is as weak as 2013, when Morgan Stanley designated India one of the “Fragile Five” economies, underscoring the urgency behind the PM’s appeal.

Forex (Foreign Exchange Reserves) means the stock of foreign currencies and foreign assets held by the central bank, in India’s case, the Reserve Bank of India. Key Components: Foreign Currency Assets (USD, EUR etc.), Gold reserves, Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), and Reserve Tranche Position with the IMF.

Why Do Imports Drain Forex?

When Indian importers purchase goods from other countries, payment has to be made in dollars rather than Indian rupees. This increases the demand for foreign currency and leads to a decline in forex.
Post-1991, capital account surpluses typically offset India’s current account deficits; however, since mid-2024, shrinking capital inflows and frequent deficits have intensified forex pressures.

The Vicious Cycle: Rising imports → rupee weakens → imports become costlier → deficit worsens further → rupee weakens more. This cycle has intensified since the Iran war pushed crude oil prices sharply higher.

Implications of PM’s Appeal

Positive

Concerns Raised

Forex & CAD Management: Lower imports help conserve RBI forex reserves, reduce the trade deficit, and contain Current Account Deficit (CAD).
- IMF has projected India’s CAD could widen to $84.5 billion in 2026, roughly 2% of GDP.
Economic Self-Reliance: Encourages domestic manufacturing, jobs, and Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Rupee Stability: Lower dollar demand eases pressure on the exchange rate and helps maintain the stability of the Indian rupee.

One-Sided Strategy: Focusing only on reducing consumption ignores the need to boost exports and domestic productivity.
Growth Impact: Reduced consumption may weaken domestic demand, GDP growth, and stifle private investment.
Structural Issues Ignored: In sectors like fertilisers, the issue is imbalanced subsidy structure, not merely excess consumption.
Investor Sentiment Risk: Consumption cuts may discourage foreign investment & capital inflows.

Way Forward

Boost domestic production and exports so India can grow its share in global exports and earn more forex.
Fix Fertiliser Subsidy Distortions rather than simply cutting fertiliser consumption.
Diversify export basket & reduce structural dependence on crude oil imports through long-term energy transition investments.

{GS3 – Infra} Government Revises BOT Guidelines *

Context (TH): Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has revised Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) guidelines.

The guidelines allowed big funds and large investors to bid for build-operate-transfer (BOT) projects, Earlier, big funds were allowed to bid only for toll, operate and transfer (TOT) projects.
It has allowed sovereign wealth funds, infrastructure funds and pension funds, and private equity to bid for BOT projects under the public-private-partnership (PPP) model.
Eligible Bidders: Natural persons, private entities, government-owned entities, Alternative Investment Funds, Foreign Investment Funds, or any combination through a Joint Bidding Agreement to form a consortium.

Highway Development Models

BOT (Toll): Private player finances, builds, operates and collects toll and also bears revenue risk
BOT (Annuity): Government pays fixed annuity to private player and revenue risk borne by government
HAM (Hybrid Annuity Model): Government pays 40% during construction; remaining 60% as annuity during operations.
EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction): Government funds entirely and private player only constructs.
TOT: Already-built highways monetised by transferring toll collection rights to private players.
InvIT: Infrastructure Investment Trust pools investor money to invest in operating infrastructure assets.

{GS3 – IS} Issue of Counterfeit Currency **

Context (TH): The NCRB’s ‘Crime in India’ 2024 report flags Counterfeit Indian Currency Notes (CICN) as a threat nearly a decade after demonetisation.

Regulation of Counterfeit in India

UAPA classifies production or smuggling of high-quality counterfeit currency as ‘terrorist act’.
Sections 178-182 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) prescribe life imprisonment or substantial fines for manufacturing, possessing, or distributing counterfeit currency.
Global Coordination: CBI serves as the nodal agency, coordinating with international bodies such as Interpol. NIA is the primary agency responsible for investigating cross-border counterfeit networks.

Factors Behind the High Prevalence of Fake Currency

Technological Sophistication: Industrial-grade scanners and AI-driven imaging enable syndicates to replicate security features such as micro-lettering and latent images.
Economic Scale: A record-high volume of cash in circulation, exceeding ₹42 lakh crore, provides an unmonitored transaction base that masks the entry of counterfeit notes.
Verification Gaps: Absence of authentication hardware in rural markets and small businesses creates ‘soft targets’ where high-quality fakes circulate undetected.
Geographical Exposure: India’s porous land borders and strategic maritime routes are exploited by international syndicates to smuggle ‘Super Notes’ manufactured using foreign machinery.

Supernote is a high-quality counterfeit note that is nearly identical to genuine currency in terms of paper quality, security threads & printing. These are officially classified as ‘High Quality Fake Indian Currency Notes’ (HQ-FICN).

Government Initiatives Against Fake Currency

Institutional Synergy: MHA established the FICN Coordination Group (FCORD) for real-time intelligence sharing between central agencies and state police.
Specialised Investigation: Terror Funding and Fake Currency (TFFC) Cell of NIA targets the financial infrastructure of cross-border smuggling syndicates.
Bilateral Diplomacy: India has signed MoUs with neighbouring countries, including Bangladesh, to oversee and halt the movement of ‘Super Notes’.
Public Empowerment: RBI conducts ‘Paisa Bolta Hai’ campaign aimed at educating citizens about verifying over 17 security features on banknotes.

{Prelims – Envi} Yavari-Tapiche Territorial Corridor *

Context (DTE): A report warned that the Yavari-Tapiche Territorial Corridor (YTTC) in the western Amazon faces severe threats.

YTTC is a proposed protected corridor along the Peru–Brazil border in the western Amazon.
It is home to the world’s largest population of Indigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation and Initial Contact (PIACI).
It contains one of the Amazon’s largest contiguous tropical forests with extremely high biodiversity and carbon density.
~66% of the corridor lies in Brazil, where most forests already enjoy protected status, especially within the Vale do Javari Indigenous Territory.
Major Threats: Oil and gas exploration, logging, mining, road construction, fishing, and organised crime.

{Prelims – Envi} D’Ering Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary

Context (TH): Tiger returned to D’Ering Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary after ~20 years.

D’Ering Memorial WLS lies in Arunachal Pradesh’s East Siang district, between the Siang and Sibya rivers. It features riverine islands called chaporis, vast alluvial grasslands, mixed forests, and bamboo clusters.
Originally called Lali Wildlife Sanctuary, it was renamed to honour Daying Ering, chairman of the Ering Commission (recommended four-tier panchayat system for NEFA).
Fauna: Tigers, Chinese pangolins, rare hispid hares, wild buffaloes, and Gangetic river dolphins.
It is an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area supporting migratory birds like Bengal florican & rare black-breasted parrotbills.

{Prelims – Envi} Gharials (Gavialis gangeticus)

Context (TH): A gharial was spotted in Kaziranga National Park after it was long believed to have disappeared from Assam’s river systems.

Gharials are among the longest crocodilians, with a long, thin snout and needle-like teeth.
Mature males develop a bulbous nasal growth, the ‘ghara’, which serves as a vocal resonator.
Habitat: Prefers deep, fast-flowing freshwater rivers with high sandbanks.
Distribution: Once widespread across the northern Indian subcontinent, it is now restricted to the Chambal, Girwa, and Gandak rivers in India and the Rapti-Naryani river in Nepal.
They are the most aquatic of all crocodilians and are primarily piscivorous (fish-eating).
National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary is a tri-state protected area along the Chambal River in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.
IUCN: Critically Endangered; CITES: Appendix I; WPA: Sch I

{Prelims – IR} European Central Bank (ECB)

Context (IE): RBI and the European Central Bank (ECB) signed a revised MoU to strengthen banking and financial regulatory cooperation.

ECB is the central bank for the Eurozone, a group of 21 EU members that use the euro. It is owned by all 27 EU central banks.
- Eurozone expanded from its original 11 to 21 members, adding Croatia and Bulgaria in 2023 & 2026 respectively.
Established in 1998 by the Maastricht Treaty, the ECB is headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany.
Structure: Includes the Governing Council (decision-making body, the Executive Board (daily management), and the General Council (advisory body).
Key Functions: Sets Eurozone monetary policy, authorises euro banknotes, supervises major banks via Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM), and manages foreign reserves.

{Prelims – PIN World} Canary Islands

Context (TH): A cruise ship arriving at the Canary Islands had reported a hantavirus outbreak.

Canary Islands are an autonomous volcanic archipelago of Spain in the Atlantic Ocean, about 100 km west of Morocco (North-West Africa).
It connects Europe, Africa, and the Americas and serves as a major gateway for the Atlantic migration route into Europe.
Tenerife is the largest island, home to Mount Teide, Spain’s highest peak.
The Islands have a subtropical climate, moderated by the cold Canary Current and trade winds.

{Prelims – Polity} ‘One Case One Data’ and ‘Su Sahayak’ Initiatives

Context (B&B): Supreme Court launched the digital initiatives ‘One Case One Data’ and ‘Su Sahayak’ to improve technology-driven access to judicial services.

One Case One Data	Su Sahayak
It aims to create a unified digital judicial database connecting courts from the taluka level to the SC. Purpose: To improve case management, judicial coordination, and data integration across the Indian judiciary. It integrates information from High Courts, district courts, & taluka courts into a single system.	Su Sahayak is an AI-powered chatbot integrated with the Supreme Court website. Purpose: To provide easier access to court-related services & information for litigants and citizens. Development: The chatbot was developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) in collaboration with the Supreme Court Registry.

{Prelims – S&T} Long-Duration Scramjet Combustor *

Context (NOA): DRDO successfully conducted a long-duration test of its Actively Cooled Full-Scale Scramjet Combustor.

The combustor sustained for 20 minutes using an indigenous endothermic liquid hydrocarbon fuel and advanced ceramic thermal barrier coating (TBC), proving it can withstand hypersonic thermal stresses.

About Scramjet Technology

A Scramjet (Supersonic Combustion Ramjet) is an air-breathing engine operating at Mach 5 or higher.
They draw atmospheric oxygen instead of carrying oxidiser. This reduces vehicle weight, increases payload capacity, and enables sustained high-speed flight, ideal for hypersonic missiles.
Unlike a standard ramjet, the airflow in these engines remains supersonic during combustion.
India is the fourth country, after the United States, Russia, and China, to demonstrate scramjet flight.
ISRO’s Reusable Launch Vehicle–Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD) program aims to use scramjets to reduce satellite launch costs.

Read More > Long-Range Hypersonic Missile

{Prelims – Misc} One-Liner

IR – Habshan Gas Complex (TH): It is one of the world’s largest gas-processing facilities, located in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The facility was damaged during the West Asia conflict due to drone and missile attacks, with full restoration expected by 2027.
Defence – INS Sagardhwani (PIB): Indian Navy’s indigenous oceanographic research vessel completed a scientific mission to Cam Ranh, Vietnam, as part of the SAGAR Maitri initiative.
- It is primarily used for Underwater Domain Awareness (UDA) and marine acoustic research to enhance sonar performance and underwater surveillance.
Award – National Florence Nightingale Awards (PIB): In 2026, 15 nursing personnel received the awards on International Nurses Day, marking Florence Nightingale’s birth anniversary (May 12). Ministry of Health and Family Welfare established the award in 1973 to recognize meritorious nursing services.
- Florence Nightingale was a British social reformer and statistician who founded the first scientifically based nursing school at St. Thomas’ Hospital, London.