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.

KAS Current Affairs: GS2: Substantive Motion

Dubey moves Substantive Motion against Rahul in Lower House

Context: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey said he had initiated a Substantive Motion against Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for allegedly being “hand in glove” with “anti-national” forces.

• A Substantive Motion is an independent, self-contained proposal submitted for the approval of a Legislative House or Assembly, drafted to express a decision or opinion. The motion entails a debate followed by a compulsory vote if the notice is accepted and the motion is moved.
• Mr. Dubey’s remarks during Zero Hour that he has submitted a notice for the substantive motion led to a furore in the House, leading to adjournment for the day.
• The Substantive Motion comes a day after Mr. Gandhi tore into the India-U.S. interim trade deal, accusing the government of compromising national interests.
• Many parts of his speech were expunged from the records, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that the ruling side would move a Privilege Motion against the Congress leader.

Sources: TH

KAS Current Affairs: GS1: New Consumer Price Index

New CPI series marks retail inflation at 2.75%

Context: The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) data based on a new series with 2024 as base year, placing retail inflation in January 2026 at 2.75%.

• The new series of the CPI, which updated the base year from 2012.
• The total number of items covered under the new series has increased to 358 from the 299 items in the older series.
• The number of goods covered under the new series has increased to 308 from 259, and the number of services has gone up to 50 from 40.
• The updated CPI series gives new weights to goods and services based on consumption patterns revealed in the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) 2023-24.
• The new series also collects data from more sources across the country. Data are collected from 1,465 rural markets, up from 1,181. The number of urban markets covered has gone up to 1,395 from 1,114. Notably, the new series also collects data from 12 online marketplaces, a new category that has been included now.
• The new series of the CPI provides more granular data by dividing the underlying goods and services into 12 broad groups compared to the six groups under the older series. As a result of this, and also based on the consumption patterns of the HCES 2023-24, the weights assigned to these goods and services have also been revised to better reflect current consumption.

New weights

• The weightage assigned to the food and beverages category has been revised downward in the new series to 36.75% from the earlier 45.86%.
• “The lower weightage on the relatively volatile food category may make the headline inflation number less volatile, all other things remaining equal,”.
• The housing category, with an earlier weight of 10.07%, has been expanded to also include water, electricity, gas and other fuels, and this combined category now has a weight of 17.67%.
• The additional groups in the new series include furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance (with a weight of 4.47%), health (6.1%), transport (8.8%), information and communication (3.61%), recreation, sports and culture (1.52%), education services (3.33%), restaurants and accommodation services (3.35%), and personal care, social protection and miscellaneous goods and services (5.04%).
• The paan, tobacco and intoxicants category saw its weight increase to 2.99% from 2.38% in the older series.
• The clothing and footwear category’s weight fell to 2.38% from 6.53%.

“Since the basket is aligned with recent expenditure data, the inflation signals from this will be more closely matched to the prevailing economic conditions,”.

Source: TH