News Summary · 5 minutes read
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.
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Menstrual health in schools is a fundamental right
The Supreme Court has held in “Dr. Jaya Thakur vs. Government of India & Ors.” that the right to menstrual health and access to menstrual hygiene management (MHM) measures in educational institutions is part of the fundamental right to life and dignity under Article 21.
Additionally, the Court ruled that the lack of MHM measures in schools:
- Violates the right to education under Article 21A and the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.
- Violates the right to privacy and bodily autonomy of girl students under Article 21.
- Violates the right to equality under Article 14.
- Subjects girls to stigma, stereotyping, and humiliation.
- Compels girls to resort to absenteeism.
- Causes girls to adopt unsafe practices.
- Hinders girls from exercising their right to education with dignity equal to that of their male counterparts, or students who can afford sanitary products on their own.
The Supreme Court has directed States/UTs to ensure:
- Implementation of ‘Menstrual Hygiene Policy for School-going Girls’, for girl students from Classes 6th-12th.
- Access to free-of-cost oxo-biodegradable sanitary napkins in all schools.
- Every school, whether government-run or privately managed, are provided with gender-segregated toilets.
- MHM corners in all schools, equipped with spare innerwear, spare uniforms, disposable bags and other necessary materials to address menstruation-related exigencies.
- Sensitisation of male teachers and students about the biological reality of menstruation.
Green steel
Green steel is steel produced using low- or zero-carbon methods that avoid the use of fossil fuels, such as coal. It aims to slash the steel industry’s CO2 emissions by replacing traditional blast furnaces with cleaner alternatives.
Advantages
- Reduces carbon emissions up to 95% compared to traditional steelmaking, which accounts for 7-9% of global carbon emissions.
- Enhances resource efficiency via higher scrap recycling rates.
- Supports forest conservation by reducing coal mining needs.
- Enables landscape restoration and water conservation post-production.
- Meets growing demand for sustainable materials in construction, autos, and infrastructure.
- Creates jobs in clean technology and recycling sectors.
- Lowers long-term costs through energy efficiency.
- Provides a competitive edge with green certifications and premium pricing.
- Allows faster, lighter, and stronger builds.
- Aligns industries with net-zero goals and circular economy principles.
Production methods
Green steel production methods focus on replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources, such as hydrogen or electricity. Examples:
- Hydrogen Direct Reduction (H2-DRI)
- Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) with Scrap
- Electrolysis-Based Reduction
Challenges for India
- Annual demand for green steel in India is expected to reach 4.5 MT by 2030, but Indiaproduced nearly 151 MT of steel in FY25, with negligible amounts of green steel.
- Currently, India’s steel sector accounts for 10-12% of India’s carbon emissions, due to heavy reliance on coal.
- European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), fullyoperational since 1 January 2026, penalises carbon-intensive steel exports from India to Europe.
- Limited supply and the high cost of renewable energy.
- Limited availability and the informal nature of the scrap market in India.
- Identification of carbon sinks for carbon sequestration.
- Lack of long-maturity, low-cost debt for green steel projects.
- Lack of skilled workforce and technology support.
Govt efforts
- National Green Hydrogen Mission (2023) has provided anoutlay of ₹ 455 crore up to 2029-30 for low-carbon steel projects.
- Green Steel Taxonomy (2024): defines green steel as the steel with an emission intensity less than 2.2 tCO2e per tonne of finished steel (tfs) → to be certified by the National Institute of Secondary Steel Technology (NISST).
- Ministry of Steel released a report titled “Greening the Steel Sector in India: Roadmap and Action Plan” in 2024.
- National Solar Mission (2010) promotes the use of solar energy to reduce the emissions of the steel industry.
Suggestions
- Govt should set clear carbon emission reduction targets for the steel industry to plan its capital investments.
- Carbon price regime should be rolled out at the earliest, to provide a mechanism for dispersing the cost of green steel production through the value chain, e.g., in Europe, near-zero emission technologies became viable only after the carbon price reached $90-$100 a tonne of CO2.
- A public procurement policy for green steel should be prepared to create a domestic market for it.
- Green steel products should be promoted with appropriate certifications.
- Renewable energy availability for the steel sector must be increased.
- Manufacturing clusters for green steel should be created with the needed infrastructure and logistics support.
- Steel producers should be provided with fiscal support for transitioning to green steelmaking.
Boosting the green steel sector will help India achieve its climate goals, secure its economic future, and lead the world in sustainable industrialisation.
2nd India-Arab foreign ministers’ meeting (IAFMM)
- To be hosted by India on 31 January 2026 in New Delhi.
- Co-chaired by India and the UAE.
- 1st IAFMM was held in 2016 in Bahrain, where 5 priority verticals of cooperation were identified: economy, energy, education, media and culture → 2nd IAFMM aims to build on it.
- IAFMM: highest institutional mechanism between India and the League of Arab States (LAS) → formalised in 2002 through an MoU between India and LAS.
- IAFMMstrengthens India’s relations with the oil/gas-rich Arab world, enhancing energy security.
League of Arab States (LAS)
- Formed in Cairo in 1945.
- 22 member States (North Africa + West Asia) → India is an observer.
- Part of India’s extended neighbourhood.
- Aims to strengthen and coordinate the political, cultural, economic and social programs of its members and to mediate disputes among them or between them and third parties.
Quick Picks for Pre and Mains (QPPM)
- India AI Impact Summit 2026: to be organised by MeitY on 16-20 February 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi → 1st global AI summit to be hosted in the Global South.
- 5th Rüsoma Orange Festival: Rüsoma village, Nagaland → promotes Rüsoma oranges.
- Senkaku/Diaoyu Island: located in the East China Sea → governed by Japan, but disputed by China.
- Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has been designated as a terrorist organisation by the European Union (EU).