News In Short 17-07-2026

Korku Community

Syllabus: GS1/Tribal Groups

Context

• The indigenous Korku community of Madhya Pradesh have demanded the forest department and district administration to remove encroachments from forest lands. 

About

• Korkus is a Munda ethnic group concentrated chiefly in Madhya Pradesh and parts of Maharashtra.
• Based on the 1991 census, the total population of Korku was 4,52,149. 
• The literal meaning of Korku is – human group.
• They belong to the Munda linguistic group, speaking the Korku language (Mon–Khmer family).
• Ancestor worship is an important feature; memorial pillars called Munda are erected in memory of the deceased.
• Traditional dances and festivals are closely linked to agriculture and forests.

Source: DTE

Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026

Syllabus:GS2/Governance

In News

• The government is expected to introduce the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill during the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

About

• Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 currently provides legal protection to the national flag, the Constitution of India, and the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana.
• The Union Cabinet has approved a proposal to amend the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, making the deliberate insult of or obstruction to the singing of Vande Mataram a punishable offence.
• Under the amendment, whoever intentionally insults, prevents or disrupts the singing of Vande Mataram shall be punished with imprisonment for a term up to three years or with a fine or with both, which is equal to the punishment for similar offences involving the national anthem.

Source: TH

Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant

Syllabus: GS3/Energy

Context

• A ransomware group has posted files linked to the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant on the dark web.

About

• Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant is located in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. It is India’s largest nuclear power station.
• It consists of six units of Pressurised Water Reactors of VVER design, which were established in technical collaboration with Russia. 
• The first two units (KKNPP Units-1 & 2) are already in operation, while Units 3 and 4 are still under construction and are due to be operational by 2027. 
• The remaining two units are at different stages of progress.

Nuclear Power in India

• India is currently operating 24 nuclear power reactors across seven sites with a total installed capacity of 8.78 Gigawatt. 
• Other six: Tarapur Atomic Power Station (TAPS) Maharashtra, Rajasthan Atomic Power Station (RAPS), Kaiga Generating Station (KGS) Karnataka, Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS) Tamil Nadu, Narora Atomic Power Station (NAPS)  Uttar Pradesh, and Kakrapar Atomic Power Station (KAPS) Gujarat.
• Ten more reactor units with a combined capacity of eight thousand Megawatt are under construction.
  • These reactors are Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors, Boiling Water Reactors and Light Water Reactors. 
• The country is mainly using natural uranium fuel to run the Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors to produce nuclear energy. 

Source: TH

Cyclosporiasis Outbreak

Syllabus: GS2/Health; GS3/Science and Tech

Context

• A growing outbreak of Cyclosporiasis in the United States has prompted public health concerns.

About

• Cyclosporiasis is a type of food poisoning, caused by the microscopic parasite, Cyclospora cayetanensis. 
• It is commonly linked to the consumption of contaminated fresh produce, including leafy greens, lettuce, spinach, basil, cilantro, parsley, raspberries, and snow peas. 
• It spreads through the faeco-oral route, which means that food or water contaminated by faeces containing the parasite, cause the illness. It does not spread from person to person. 
• Although the first published human case was reported in 1979 in Papua New Guinea, Cyclospora was not widely recognised as a significant human pathogen until the 1990s, when several foodborne outbreaks were reported. 
• Symptoms usually appear about one week after infection and include watery diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, bloating, loss of appetite, fatigue, nausea, weight loss, and occasionally vomiting and low-grade fever. 
• While the disease is generally not life-threatening, it can be more severe in children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems. 
• The recommended treatment is the antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), along with adequate fluid intake to prevent dehydration. 

Source: TH

Revised CAFE III Norms

Syllabus: GS3/Environment 

In News

• Recently, the Union Government has released the draft Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE)-III norms for public consultation, which set tougher standards for fuel efficiency and CO₂ emissions of passenger vehicles starting from 1 April 2027.

Background 

• The Bureau of Energy Efficiency introduced the CAFE norms in 2017 to regulate fuel consumption and carbon emissions from passenger vehicles. 
• These norms apply to vehicles running on petrol, diesel, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), compressed natural gas (CNG), hybrids, and electric vehicles (EVs) weighing less than 3,500 kg.
  • The norms were tightened in the beginning of financial year 2022-23, with increased penalties for non-compliance. 
• The CAFE norms push automakers to lower carbon dioxide emissions while incentivising the production of EVs, hybrids, and CNG vehicles, which are less carbon-intensive than cars that run on fossil fuels.

Key Highlights of Revised CAFE III 

• More ambitious fuel efficiency targets: Under the proposed norms, manufacturers will be required to progressively improve the fuel efficiency of their fleets.
  • The target fuel consumption is proposed to be tightened from 3.996 litres per 100 km (94.76 gCO₂/km) in 2027-28 to 3.327 litres per 100 km (78.90 gCO₂/km) by 2031-32.
• Biofuel Recognition: For the first time, Carbon Neutrality Factors (CNFs) are proposed, allowing manufacturers to claim lower-than-actual tailpipe emissions for vehicles using ethanol, compressed biogas (CBG) and other biofuels, acknowledging their lower lifecycle emissions.
• Compliance in blocks: Instead of annual compliance, manufacturers will be assessed over two blocks of compliance, a first 3-year period and a 2-year period.
• Technology Incentives: It  proposes additional incentives for manufacturers adopting fuel-saving technologies.
  • They can claim compliance benefits of up to 9 gCO₂/km, subject to a maximum benefit of 1 gCO₂/km for each approved technology.
• Super Credits for Cleaner Vehicles: It also recommends super credits for Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), Range-Extended Electric Vehicles (REEVs), Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs), Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicles (SHEVs), and Flex-Fuel Vehicles (FFVs) while calculating fleet average fuel consumption, thereby encouraging the adoption of cleaner vehicle technologies.

Source :PIB