News Summary · 6 minutes read
PM Modi at the ESTIC-2025. Photo: X/@IndiaDST
Stay ahead in your UPSC CSE preparation with our daily News Summary. Designed to save time, it highlights key national and international events from leading newspapers and government websites.
First Emerging Science, Technology, and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) begins
- Inaugurated by PM Modi → to be held from 3–5 November 2025 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
- ESTIC replaces the Indian Science Congress (founded in 1914), the oldest congregation of scientists in India.
- At the event, PM Modi launched the ₹1 Lakh Crore Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme Fund → aims to promote a private sector–driven R&D ecosystem in the country.
- PM’s speech highlights
- Indian scientists should generate ideas to transition from food security to nutrition security, develop biofortified crops to address malnutrition, create low-cost fertilisers, better map India’s genomic biodiversity for personalised medicine, and explore new and affordable innovations in clean battery storage.
- India’s expenditure on R&D had doubled in the past decade, the number of patents registered had grown 17 times, and the number of “deep-tech start-ups” had risen to 6,000.
- India has become the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem.
- India has the world’s most successful digital public infrastructure, e.g., Aadhaar, UPI, India Stack, and Digilocker.
- India’s bio-economy has grown from $10 bn in 2014 to $140 bn today.
- Under the India AI Mission, an investment of over ₹10,000 crore is being made.
- India is set to host the Global AI Summit in February 2026.
Decentralised vs Centralised Procurement Schemes
- Recently, Madhya Pradesh sought the Centre’s permission to withdraw from the Decentralised Procurement Scheme and to go back to Centralised Procurement Scheme → due to growing financial strain due to wheat and paddy purchasing.
- Centralised Procurement Scheme
- Introduced along with the establishment of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) in 1965.
- FCI procures food grains at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) on behalf of the Central Government → procured grain becomes part of the Central Pool, stored and moved by FCI to different States.
- Advantages: ensures uniform standards and central oversight, and facilitates national balancing during deficit years.
- Challenges: High transport and handling costs, and over-dependence on a few surplus States.
- Decentralised Procurement Scheme (DCP)
- Launched in 1997-98 as a voluntary scheme for States → aims to decongest FCI operations and promote State autonomy.
- States themselves procure food grains at MSP, store, and distribute.
- FCI assists in quality checks, surplus evacuation, and inter-State transfers when State stocks exceed local requirement.
- States bear the procurement cost initially and are reimbursed by the Centre as per approved cost sheets.
- Advantages: cuts inter-State transport costs, enables quicker farmer payments and localised management, strengthens State ownership and accountability.
- Challenges: uneven capacity across states, quality control issues, and financial stress for the states due to delayed payments and non-reimbursement of actual costs by the centre.
What is cloud seeding
- Spraying a chemical into clouds to stimulate rainfall → also disperses fog and clears air pollutants.
- Generally used chemicals: Silver Iodide, Potassium Iodide, dry ice (solid Carbon Dioxide), Sodium Chloride, liquid Propane, and Calcium Chloride.
- Limitations of cloud seeding
- High operational cost and complex logistics.
- Dependence on cloud type and atmospheric moisture.
- Uncertain link between seeding and rainfall outcome.
- CAIPEEX Experiment – Cloud Aerosol Interaction and Precipitation Enhancement Experiment by IITM Pune (2009-2019).
- Objective: quantify the scientific benefits of cloud seeding.
- Results: seeded clouds produced ~46% more rainfall → demonstrated potential under moist convective cloud conditions.
- Recently, IIT Kanpur conducted cloud-seeding trials in Delhi to generate artificial rain and reduce smog, but these resulted in negligible rainfall → post-monsoon clouds over Delhi were dry and thin (not suitable for effective seeding).
High Seas Treaty or BBNJ Agreement
- An Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction or BBNJ Agreement → legally binding instrument.
- The text was adopted in 2023 → In September 2025, Morocco became the 60th country to ratify the agreement, enabling it to enter into force in January 2026.
- Key components
- Marine Genetic Resources (MGRs): recognised as the common heritage of humankind → equitable sharing of benefits (monetary & non-monetary).
- Area-Based Management Tools (ABMTs): includes creation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to conserve biodiversity and enhance climate resilience.
- Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs): mandatory for human activities that could impact marine ecosystems, including transboundary and cumulative effects.
- Capacity Building and Transfer of Marine Technology (CB&TMT): Support for developing nations to access research and technology for ocean conservation.
- Key challenges
- Common heritage of humankind vs freedom to access high seas → balancing equity with sovereignty remains unresolved.
- Benefit Sharing of MGRs: framework exists, but no clear mechanism for calculating or distributing benefits → risk of biopiracy and developed-nation dominance.
- Major maritime powers, such as India, the U.S., and China, have not ratified the treaty → notably, India signed it in 2024, but has not ratified yet.
- Institutional Overlaps: must coordinate with the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and the Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) to avoid duplication or conflict in ocean governance.
- Significance
- Strengthens the implementation of UNCLOS, bridging legal and ecological gaps.
- Encourages science-based ocean governance, integrating biodiversity and climate goals.
- Empowers developing nations through capacity building and fair access to marine resources.
- Contributes to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 — Life Below Water.
- The High Seas Treaty bridges the gap between equity and ecology beyond sovereign boundaries. However, ambiguous language, uneven participation, and institutional overlaps threaten its effectiveness. Its success will depend on transparent benefit-sharing and inclusive ocean stewardship.
Quick Picks
- India’s bioeconomy sector, encompassing agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and aquaculture, is projected to reach $300 billion by 2030, as per a NITI Aayog report.
- Great Nicobar Island mega-infrastructure project: a ₹92,000-crore project proposed on the Great Nicobar Island, which includes a transhipment port, an airport, a power plant, and a township → being developed by the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO) → forest and environment clearances issued for the project are under challenge in courts and tribunals.
- India and Bahrain have agreed to develop a common understanding to commence Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) negotiations.
- India and New Zealand commenced the 4th round of negotiations towards a free trade agreement.
- Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia: rebel paramilitary force in Sudan → war between RSF and Sudanese army has caused famine in Sudan’s El Fasher and Kadugli cities, as confirmed by a UN-backed hunger monitor.
- Hezbollah: Iran-backed political party and militant group based in Lebanon.
Practice: Daily Current Affairs Quiz ↗️
Read: News Summary ↗️
Subscribe: Telegram Channel ↗️
Join: Telegram Group ↗️