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Author Archives: NEXT IAS Current Affairs Team

NITI Aayog & IBM Unveil Roadmap to Make India a Top-3 Quantum Economy by 2047

Context

  • The NITI Aayog’s Frontier Tech Hub, in partnership with International Business Machines-IBM, has released a national roadmap to transform India into one of the world’s top-three quantum economies by 2047.

    • About

  • Quantum technology is a rapidly advancing field that leverages the principles of quantum mechanics to develop new technologies with unprecedented capabilities.
  • By 2035, quantum technologies are projected to unlock USD 1–2 trillion in new global value across industries.
  • India entered the global quantum race by launching the National Quantum Mission (NQM) in 2023, from 2023-24 to 2030-31.

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    National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID): Strengthening India’s Internal Security Architecture

    Context

  • The National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) has begun receiving nearly 45,000 requests per month, reflecting a significant rise in its use by central and state security agencies.

    • What is the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID)?

  • NATGRID is a real-time intelligence and data-access platform developed after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks (2008) to enable seamless information-sharing across agencies.
  • It functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and consolidates over 20 categories of civil and commercial data, such as bank transactions, telecom usage, passport/immigration records, tax IDs, police FIRs (CCTNS), and other e-governance sources.
  • Data accessibility: Initially restricted to Intelligence Bureau (IB), the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) etc.

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    Export Promotion Mission (EPM)

    Context

  • The Government has approved the Export Promotion Mission (EPM) with ₹25,060 crore to boost exports, especially for MSMEs and labour-intensive sectors.

    • Export Promotion Mission

  • In the Union Budget for 2025-26, the Finance Minister announced an Export Promotion Mission.
  • It would facilitate easy access to export credit, cross-border factoring support, and support to MSMEs to tackle non-tariff measures in overseas markets.
  • Time Span: EPM will span six years covering FY 2025-26 to FY 2030-31.

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    Legalities Involved in Organ Transplants

    Context

  • India’s performance in deceased organ donation remains extremely low (0.77 per million in 2023, compared to 49.38 in Spain). Nearly 5 lakh Indians die annually waiting for transplants.

    • Organ Transplant and Donation

  • Organ Transplantation/Donation is a surgical procedure in which an organ, tissue or a group of cells are removed from one person and surgically transplanted into another person.
  • One person can save up to 8 lives by donating heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas and intestines.
  • In India, the organ transplantation is one of the lowest in comparison with the western nations.

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    Concerns Over the Draft Indian Statistical Institute Bill 2025 

    In News

  • The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the draft Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2025 for public consultation.
  • The Bill proposes a major restructuring of the governance and functioning of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI).

    • Draft Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2025: Key Provisions

  • Transformation into a Statutory Body: Replaces the ISI Act, 1959, and dissolves the existing society-based structure. ISI becomes a centrally supervised statutory institution, created directly by Parliament.
  • Changes in Governance Structure: Board of Governance will wield most institutional powers. Majority of Board members are Central Government nominees; internal academic representation is reduced to only three seats.
  • The Academic Council becomes recommendatory rather than decision-making.

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    UNESCO’s 20th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

    Context

  • India is hosting the 20th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, 2025 in Red Fort complex, New Delhi.
  • This will be the first time that India hosts the ICH Committee session and the Ministry of Culture and Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) are the nodal agencies for hosting the Session.

    • About the Intangible cultural heritage

  • Intangible cultural heritage, includes the practices, knowledge, expressions, objects, and spaces that communities see as part of their cultural identity.
  • Passed down over generations, this heritage evolves, strengthening cultural identity and appreciation of diversity.
  • Historical Background: For the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, UNESCO adopted the 2003 Convention during its 32nd General Conference in Paris.

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    News In Short 06-12-2025

    In News

  • A large-scale cancellation of flights by a major Indian airline recently led the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to grant a one-time exemption from the newly implemented Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) rules.

  • These rules are designed to prevent pilot fatigue by restricting maximum duty hours and mandating adequate rest periods.

    • About Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)

  • Overview: DGCA is India’s statutory civil aviation regulator mandated to ensure aviation safety, airworthiness, and compliance with global aviation standards. 
  • Establishment: Created in 1927 as a government organisation. Became a statutory body in 2020 after amendments to the Aircraft Act. 
  • Administrative Control: Functions under the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA). 

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    India’s Groundwater Contamination Crisis

    Context

  • The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) highlights a disturbing rise in toxic contaminants across India’s aquifers.

    • About

  • India holds 18% of the world’s population but only 4% of its freshwater resources, placing enormous pressure on available water systems. 
  • India depends on groundwater for about 85% of its rural drinking water needs and around 60% of irrigation water. 

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    Private Member Bill on Right to Disconnect

    Context

  • A private member bill “Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025”, reintroduced in the Lok Sabha.

    • What is Right to Disconnect?

  • The Right to Disconnect refers to an employee’s right to not engage in work-related communications—such as calls, emails, or messages—outside official working hours.
  • It aims to protect workers from excessive digital connectivity and ensure a healthy work–life balance.

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    Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Indian Judiciary

    Context

  • Recently, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) observed that the judges are ‘over-conscious’ of the risks in using Artificial Intelligence (AI), while hearing a PIL seeking guidelines to check the misuse of AI in Courts.

    • Promise of AI in the Courts

  • AI technologies such as Natural Language Processing (NLP), Machine Learning (ML), Optical Character Recognition (OCR), and Predictive Analytics are being deployed in the Indian legal system.

    • Read More

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