KAS Current Affairs

Current Events of National and International Importance

India amends tax treaty with France, cuts dividend tax

• India has revised its three-decade-old tax treaty with France, which will help major French firms save millions of dollars in dividend levies, while it also broadens New Delhi’s powers to tax certain transactions, the finance ministry said.
• French firms holding at least 10% in an Indian entity will now pay a 5% tax on dividends, down from 10% earlier.
• For minority French shareholdings of under 10% in Indian companies, however, dividend tax will rise from 10% to 15%.reuters

RODTEP rates cut

• The Directorate General of Foreign Trade has amended the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products Scheme so that the rate applicable for all products shall be limited to 50% of existing rates and, where applicable, 50% of the notified value caps, with immediate effect.

Current Events of State Importance and Important Government Schemes and Programs

Centre allocates ₹2,245.30 croreto Karnataka under SwachhBharat Mission-Urban 2.0

Context: The Union government has allocated ₹2,245.30 crore to Karnataka under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) 2.0, with ₹83.53 crore ready to be released once the State submits a detailed action plan.

• The information was given by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in response to an issue raised in the Lok Sabha by MP for Bengaluru Central P.C. Mohan.
• According to the Ministry, out of the total ₹2,245.30 crore allocation, ₹709.30 crore has been earmarked for solid waste management. So far, projects worth ₹625.77 crore have been approved, and the State government has claimed ₹87.82 crore.
• An additional ₹83.53 crore will be released after the State prepares and submits a detailed action plan, gets it cleared by the State Level Technical Committee, and sends it to the Ministry for approval. Once approved, the funds must be transferred by the State government to urban local bodies for implementation.
• For Bengaluru alone, projects worth ₹512.68 crore have already been cleared, of which the Centre’s share is ₹128.16 crore. These projects include material recovery facilities with a combined capacity of 1,226.11 tonnes per day to sort and process waste, waste-to-energy plants capable of handling 460 tonnes per day, and sanitary landfills with a capacity of 800 tonnes per day.
• Plans also include transfer stations that can manage 6,081.74 tonnes per day, remediation of 100.49 lakh tonnes of legacy waste, and the procurement of 24 mechanical road sweepers.
• Mr. Mohan said substantial funds have already been allocated and approvals granted by the Centre, and that timely submission of the action plan by the State would ensure release of the remaining funds and speed up the development of modern waste management infrastructure in Bengaluru.

Paper-I: Essays

Essay-1: Topic of International/National Importance

“Technology becomes humane only when access becomes universal.”

Essay-2: Topic of State importance/Local Importance

Paper-II: General Studies 1

President unveils bustof Rajaji, hails move toshed ‘colonial mindset’

Context: President Droupadi Murmu unveiled the bust of C. Rajagopalachari at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, hailing it as a step towards “shedding the vestiges of colonial mindset”.

• The bust of Rajaji, the only Indian Governor-General of Independent India, has been installed at the Grand Open Staircase near Ashok Mandap and replaces that of Edwin Lutyens, the British architect who designed New Delhi.
• “This initiative is part of a series of steps being taken towards shedding the vestiges of the colonial mindset and embracing, with pride, the richness of India’s culture, heritage, timeless traditions and honouring those who served Bharat Mata with their extraordinary contributions,” said a statement from the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
• Ms. Murmu visited the venue of Rajaji Utsav that will be open to the public from February 24 to March 1. Speaking on the occasion, she said that when Rajaji arrived at the Government House (now known as Rashtrapati Bhavan), he placed portraits of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Mahatma Gandhi in his room.
• “Rajaji sent a clear message that while India was formally still a dominion, Swaraj had been fully established in the hearts of Indians. Thus, Rajaji set an inspiring example of mental decolonisation. His ideals are reflected in the national campaign adopted by the people of India to take pride in India’s heritage… Indian consciousness and connection with all Indians, especially the weaker sections, are reflected in Rajaji’s thoughts and actions,’’ she said.
• The President said that while India moved towards “Viksit Bharat”, icons such as Rajaji would inspire people with their ideas and ideals. She called for promoting the spirit of enterprise to fulfil his dreams.

‘State contributes one-fifth to India’s bioeconomy’

Context: Karnataka’s bioeconomy, a $39 billion enterprise, contributes over one-fifth to the national bioeconomy and over 10% to the Gross State Domestic Product as of 2025, said a newly launched report.

• Between 2023 and 2025, the State’s bioeconomy expanded from $31 billion to $39.2 billion, representing a cumulative rise of 26.5%; Karnataka also saw 218 new biotech start-ups being added in 2025 alone
• Karnataka’s bioeconomy, a $39 billion enterprise, contributes over one-fifth to the national bioeconomy and over 10% to the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) as of 2025, observes a newly launched report.
• The Karnataka BioEconomy Report 2025, prepared by the Association of Biotechnology-Led Enterprises (ABLE) for the Karnataka government, was released.

Production-oriented

• Between 2023 and 2025, the State’s bioeconomy expanded from $31 billion to $39.2 billion, representing a cumulative rise of 26.5%.The growth has been attributed to a robust biopharmaceutical base , rapid bioindustrial diversification, and strong bioservices integration.
• “Karnataka’s innovation ecosystem — anchored in research institutions, start-ups, and global R&D centres— has transitioned from being research-heavy to production-oriented and globally competitive,” reads the report, which pins the State’s contribution to India’s bioeconomy at 20.63%.
• According to the report, Karnataka’s bioeconomy accounted for 10.51% of the GSDP in 2025. This is more than twice the share of the biotech sector to India’s GDP (4.57%).
• “This positions biotechnology not merely a scientific discipline but as an economic pillar central to the State’s development model,” notes the report.

Start-up numbers

• Karnataka’s biotech start-up ecosystem continued to grow, with 218 new biotech start-ups being added in 2025 alone, marking the highest annual start-up additions in three years. With this,the cumulative number of biotech start-ups in the State stands at 1,451,up from 1,233 in 2024.
• The State currently holds a 12–13% share of the national biotechnology start-up pool and more than75%of them startups are focused on life sciences and health-tech. Bengaluru accounts for about 54% of the biotech start-ups.
• Mysuru contributes around 8.7% to the bioeconomy of the State, while Belagavi and Dakshina Kannada together account for over 9%.
• On the investment front, between January 2024 and October 2025, Karnataka attracted$1.14 billion across around 40 deals.

Collaboration critical

• “The rapid expansion of biomanufacturing shows a sector moving decisively from research to global-scale production. Continued collaboration between government, industry and academia will be critical to sustaining Karnataka’s leadership in India’s next phase of bio-led growth,” said G.S. Krishnan, honorary president, ABLE.
• Minister for Information Technology, Biotechnology and Rural Development, noted that biotechnology is no longer confined to laboratories, but is now a central driver of economic growth, industrial innovation and societal impact.
• “Our focus is on building a full-spectrum biomanufacturing economy by supporting deep-tech start-ups, strengthening innovation infrastructure, and ensuring that growth reaches beyond Bengaluru,”he said.

Paper-III: General Studies 2

Centre unveils policy to tackle terrorism threats

Context: PRAHAAR states that India faces terrorist threats on all three fronts — water, land and air; the policy adds that capacities have been developed to protect critical sectors of the economy

• The Union Home Ministry released the country’s first-ever anti-terror policy, emphasising that other than terror sponsored from across the border, “criminal hackers and nation states continue to target India through cyber-attacks”. The policy — titled PRAHAAR — has been uploaded on the Ministry’s website.
• It states that India faces terrorist threats on all three fronts — water, land and air — and that capacities have been developed to protect critical sectors of the economy, including power, railways, aviation, ports, defence, space and atomic energy, from both state and non-state actors.
• The Hindu first reported on December 23, 2025, that the National Counter Terrorism Policy and Strategy had been finalised and would be released soon.
• The policy underlines that “India does not link terrorism to any specific religion, ethnicity, nationality or civilisation”. However, it notes that India has been affected by “sponsored terrorism” from across the border, with “Jihadi terror outfits as well as their frontal organisations” continuing to plan, coordinate, facilitate and execute terror attacks.
• “India has been on the target of global terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda and IS, which have been trying to incite violence in the country through sleeper cells,” it says, adding that extremists operating from foreign countries have hatched conspiracies to promote terrorism.
• “Their handlers from across the border frequently use the latest technologies, including the use of drones, for facilitating terror-related activities and attacks in Punjab and J&K. Increasingly, terrorist groups are engaging organised criminal networks for logistics and recruitment to execute and facilitate terror strikes in India,” the policy says.
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah had announced on November 7, 2024, that a National Counter Terrorism Policy and Strategy was being drafted to fight terrorism and its ecosystem.
• Following the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam terror incident, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted meetings with anti-terror units of all States and apprised them of the measures aimed at preventing and pre-empting such attacks.
• The policy further states that for propaganda, communication, funding and guiding terror attacks, these terror groups use social media platforms as well as ‘instant messaging applications’ and technological advancements such as encryption, dark web, crypto wallets etc, enabling them to operate anonymously.
• “Disrupting/Intercepting terrorist efforts to access and use CBRNED (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosive, Digital) materials remains a challenge for Counter Terrorism (CT) agencies. The threat of state and non-state actors misusing drones and robotics for lethal purposes remains another area of concern,” it flags.
• As a way forward, the policy suggests that to make appropriate cases against the perpetrators of acts of terrorism, there is a need to associate legal experts at every stage of investigation.
• “Terrorist groups based outside (from abroad) nowadays use the infrastructure, logistics and terrain knowledge of local outfits for launching attacks. National actions, coupled with international and regional cooperation, are key elements in addressing the transnational terrorism challenge,” it emphasises.
• The MHA said Indian intelligence and law enforcement agencies have been continuously working to prevent the recruitment of Indian youth by extremist groups.
• Underscoring the role of community and religious leaders, the policy states that moderate preachers and NGOs are engaged to spread awareness about the adverse consequences and impacts of radicalisation and extremist violence.
• The Ministry said there is a move to establish a uniform anti-terrorism structure across States, as standardisation of processes and procedures would ensure similar and synergistic responses to terror attack.
• It said that the policy aims to criminalise all terrorist acts and deny access to terrorists, their financiers and supporters access to funds, weapons and safe havens.

WhatsApp tells SC it does not share data with Meta

Context: Will fully comply with National Company Law Appellate Tribunal directions on user consent for sharing data with parent company, it says as both challenge imposition of penalty of ₹213.14 crore

• The instant messaging platform WhatsApp maintained in the Supreme Court on Monday that it was not “quite right” to say the online entity was sharing data with other Meta platforms.
• Appearing before a three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, for WhatsApp and its parent company, Meta, said its technology was very clear and put a premium on privacy. “There is no question of violating the law,” Mr. Sibal submitted.
• He said the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, comprehensively addressed the privacy concerns raised in the Supreme Court.
• The court was hearing petitions filed by Meta and WhatsApp against a National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) decision to uphold a ₹213.14-crore penalty imposed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI).
• The CCI had found WhatsApp’s “take-it-or-leave-it” approach in its 2021 privacy policy an abuse of its market dominance. It found the prior consent sought from users to share their data with Meta “manufactured”. It had concluded that users were forced to share data for continued access to WhatsApp messaging services.
• In an appeal last year, the NCLAT concluded that the “core principle is to remove exploitation by restoring user choice”.
• “The users can be given choice if users retain the right to decide what data is collected from them, for which purposes, and for how long. We had also stated in our findings that any non-essential collection or cross-use (like advertising etc.) can occur only with the concerned user’s express and revocable consent,” the NCLAT had observed.
• WhatsApp said it would fully comply with the NCLAT directions relating to user consent for sharing data with Meta under its controversial 2021 privacy policy by March 16, 2026. The tribunal had, however, found the CCI’s five-year ban on sharing data for advertisement purposes “redundant”, considering that the user had already been given a choice to opt in or out.
• WhatsApp has filed a comprehensive affidavit explaining its technology of end-to-end encryption, following scathing oral remarks from the Bench in the previous hearing on February 3.
• The Bench had cautioned that it would not permit the platform and Meta to breach the right to privacy of millions of their “silent consumers” in India through the sharing and commercial exploitation of personal data. It had even compared sharing of private data to a “decent way of committing theft”. Though WhatsApp and Meta had protested that users could “opt out” of the data-sharing provision, the court had persisted in its criticism.
• Senior advocate Madhavi Goradia Divan, for CCI, said there was also a competition law concern attached to the case.
• “Data-sharing has many facets. One may be privacy and data protection. But there is another aspect, protecting market and consumer, which stands on a totally different footing,” Ms. Divan submitted.

Paper-IV: General Studies 3

Paper-V: General Studies 4

Ethics Case Study
Background
In Rajamahendravaram city of East Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh, four elderly persons died and eight others fell critically ill after consuming adulterated milk supplied by a local vendor. Medical reports indicate that the victims suffered from acute renal failure and anuria. The same vendor had procured milk from 46 dairy farmers and supplied it to 106 families. The district administration detained the vendor and initiated forensic testing of blood samples, cattle fodder, and milk samples. The State government announced compensation to victims’ families, while allegations of negligence in enforcing food safety norms were raised.

You are the District Collector of East Godavari.

1. Ethical Issues Involved?
2. Stakeholders?
3. Ethical Principles Applied?
4. Options Available to You?
   Option 1: Limit action to arresting the vendor and completing investigation
   Option 2: Combine legal action with immediate health, relief, and surveillance measures
   Option 3: Implement long-term structural reforms in food safety governance

Sources: The Hindu

KAS Current Affairs GS2: Strait of Hormuz

Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint that connects the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea through the Gulf of Oman.

KAS Current Affairs GS3: Great Nicobar project

NGT clears ₹92,000-cr. Great Nicobar project

Context: The tribunal disposes of a batch of applications over environmental clearance for the project;says ‘adequate safeguards’ are provided in EC conditions and finds no good ground to interfere

• A Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) cleared the way for the ₹92,000-crore Great Nicobar Island mega-infrastructure project, noting that “considering the strategic importance” of it and “other relevant considerations”, “we do not find any good ground to interfere”.
• It disposed of applications related to the environment clearance (EC) for the project, with a direction to authorities “to ensure full and strict compliance of EC conditions”.
• The project includes a transshipment port, an airport, a power plant, and a township.
• The Bench was hearing a batch of applications related to the EC, which was granted in 2022. An earlier NGT Bench had in 2023 called for the formation of a high-powered committee (HPC) to address certain issues concerning the protection of coral reef colonies, nesting sites of leatherback turtles, and the allegation that parts of the project are located in ecologically protected zones.
• The applicants argued that the government had erred in limiting the terms of reference for the HPC to three issues and that the terms were “factually incorrect”. They said the issues had not been properly examined. The NGT said “adequate safeguards” had been provided in the conditions specified in the EC, which the tribunal had already refused to interfere with in its 2023 order. It said the remaining issues had “been dealt with” by the HPC.
• “A balanced approach is required to be adopted while considering the issue of allowing development of the port on a strategic location and taking adequate steps to carry out the activity strictly in terms of the ICRZ Notification, 2019 instead of prohibiting the activity if the objection is based on apprehension,” the NGT said in its order.
• The NGT Bench, headed by its Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, noted that it found no error in the drafting of the terms of reference for the HPC, adding that the applicants did not point out “any other substantial issue” that should have been examined by the HPC.
• Further, noting the Union government’s stance against public disclosure of the HPC report, given that it is “of strategic, defence and national importance and has confidential and privileged information”, the NGT said, “The above disclosures reveal that the project is very important for India.”
• The NGT order said that to ensure “full and effective” compliance with the EC conditions, the Environment Ministry “will undertake all measures to protect the coral reefs along the coastal stretch and will also ensure coral regeneration through proved scientific method for regeneration”. The NGT asked the Environment Ministry to prepare and approve an “implementation plan” in this regard

‘Responsibility of Environment Ministry’

• On erosion of shorelines of the Great Nicobar Island, the NGT said it “will be the responsibility” of the Environment Ministry to “ensure that on account of proposed constructions which includes foreshore development, there is no erosion/shoreline change”. On protecting coral reefs, the Bench relied on the government’s submissions that “no coral reef exists within the work area of the project.”
• The applicants had also submitted that the Environmental Impact Assessment for the project was conducted for just one season, as opposed to three seasons as mandated by regulations. On this, the NGT noted the government’s submissions that “since there is no high erosion site in Andaman & Nicobar, therefore, three-season data is not required”.
• While the project’s environmental clearance was under challenge before the NGT, aspects of the project’s forest clearance are currently under challenge before the Calcutta High Court. Apart from the alarm raised by conservationists and activists about the project’s potential damage to the ecology , locals on the island have objected to the project’s approval, alleging that their consent for it had not been taken lawfully.
• The locals — the Nicobarese and the Shompen — have alleged that their rights on forest lands which are supposed to be used for the project had not been settled.

KAS Current Affairs GS1: Gig Workers

State notifies 1% welfare fee for gig workers

Context: The Karnataka government has notified the quantum of the welfare fee to be collected from aggregator platforms to provide social security benefits to platform-based gig workers at 1% per transaction for all services.

• The Karnataka government has notified the quantum of the welfare fee to be collected from aggregator platforms to provide social security benefits to platform-based gig workers.
• While the Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Act, 2025, mandates a welfare fee of 1-5% of the payout to the worker for each transaction, the government has fixed the fee at 1% per transaction for all services.

The cap per transaction, however, varies for different services:

• For food and grocery delivery services such as Swiggy, Zomato, Blinkit, Zepto, and BigBasket the cap is at ₹0.5.
• For ride-hailing services such as Rapido, NammaYatri, and Uber, the cap is fixed at ₹0.5, ₹0.75, and ₹1 for two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and four-wheelers, respectively.
• Logistics services like Porter will have to shell out ₹0.5, ₹0.75, ₹1, and ₹1.5 per transaction for two-wheelers, three-wheelers, light commercial vehicles, and heavy commercial vehicles, respectively.
• For e-marketplace services, ₹0.5, ₹0.75, and ₹1 have been fixed as the cap for two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and light commercial vehicles, respectively.
• Professional activity providers like Urban Company have the highest cap at ₹1.5.

Each quarter

• According to a Government Order published in the Gazette on February 13, within five working days from the end of each quarter, every aggregator should calculate the welfare fee, self-declare the same, and pay it to the government.
• All the payments will be mapped onto a Payment and Welfare Fee Verification System (PWFVS) administered by the State government and monitored by the Gig Workers Social Security Board. According to the GO, the details of the welfare fee collected and spent will be disclosed and made available on the portal.
• The bank details for making the payment of the welfare fee will be provided on the website of the Labour Department.

KAS Current Affairs GS3: Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act

Adani Group enters nuclear power sector after SHANTI Act

Context: The Adani Group announced its entry into the nuclear power sector , via a regulatory filing. This is the first instance of a major power company in India doing so, following the passage of the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act in December.

• “We wish to inform you that Adani Power Limited (APL) has incorporated a wholly owned subsidiary — Adani Atomic Energy Limited,” the company.
• The SHANTI Act, which was passed by Parliament in December, replaces the Atomic Energy Act and allows private companies to operate nuclear power plants in India. It also allows such companies to form joint ventures with foreign companies for technology collaboration.
• India has an installed nuclear power capacity of 8.8 GW, with the government claiming that it will rise to 32 GW in the next decade. It currently contributes about 3% of generated electricity.

KAS Current Affairs GS2: Panchsheel Agreement

India believed that Panchsheel pact settled border

• “[Jawaharlal] Nehru probably knew that we had something like the McMahon Line in the east, and we had some kind of claim in the Ladakh area, but it was not clearly defined. That is why he wanted to go in for the Panchsheel Agreement.
• Once Tibet was occupied by China, “India gave up those privileges”.
• In 1954, India recognised Tibet as part of China, and both countries signed the Panchsheel Agreement. With this, India assumed that it had settled its northern border and the only area not settled through a formal treaty, from India’s perspective, rested on the Panchsheel Agreement.

KAS Current Affairs GS1: NPCI International Payments Ltd. (NIPL)

NPCI’s international arm inks pact with Malaysia’s PayNet

• NPCI International Payments Ltd. (NIPL), the international arm of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has signed an agreement with Payments Network Malaysia Sdn Bhd (PayNet), to enable QR based merchant payments between India and Malaysia.
• Indians visiting Malaysia will be able to use UPI apps to make seamless cross border merchant payments at DuitNow QR acceptance touchpoints.

KAS Current Affairs GS3: Bodhan AI

Bodhan AI, which has been established as a non-profit organisation under the Education Ministry to build an open-source “Bharat EduAI Stack” to introduce artificial intelligence across all levels of education.

IIT initiative

• Mitesh Khapra of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras unveiled Bodhan AI and outlined plans for the Bharat EduAI Stack as digital public infrastructure.
• IIT Director said that Bodhan AI would aid in making education equitable, of high quality, affordable, and easily accessible.

KAS Current Affairs GS2: Industrial Relations Code (Amendment) Bill, 2026

Lok Sabha passes Industrial Relations Code Bill to avoid confusion over 2020 Act

Context: The Lok Sabha passed a Bill to help avoid any “future unwarranted complication” over the continuity of certain laws replaced by the Industrial Relations Code of 2020.

• The Industrial Relations Code (Amendment) Bill, 2026, contains savings provisions to ensure continuity and legal certainty.
• The Bill would help avoid any “future unwarranted complication” over the continuity of certain laws replaced by the Industrial Relations Code of 2020.
• The Industrial Relations Code, 2020 replaces the Trade Unions Act, 1926, the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946 and the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, relating to trade unions, industrial employment and industrial disputes, according to statement of objects and reasons of the proposed law.
• It contains savings provisions under Section 104 to ensure continuity and legal certainty. “Though the repeal has occurred by operation of Section 104 of the Code itself, there is a possibility of future confusion being created on a misconceived ground that the Act delegates the power to repeal the said enactments to the executive,”.
• The provisions of Section 104 and a February 2026 notification are clear that the repeal has occurred by the operation of Section 104 of the Code itself. “It is considered desirable to introduce the proposed amendment to avoid any future unwarranted complication,” it said.
• The four Labour Codes implemented nearly three months ago ensures guarantee of minimum wage. These Codes also ensure compulsory issuance of appointment letters as well as uniform wages for the same work irrespective of gender.