NEXT IAS Current Affairs Team - Current Affairs

Context

India’s lab-grown diamond market is entering a high-growth phase as demand accelerates and funding surges amid the expansion.

Lab-grown Diamonds

Lab-grown diamonds (also called synthetic or cultured diamonds) are real diamonds that are manufactured in laboratories using advanced technology that replicates the natural conditions under which diamonds form inside the Earth.

Composition: Pure carbon

Crystal structure: Same as natural diamonds (cubic crystal lattice)

Joint Water Measurements By India & Bangladesh as Ganges Treaty Nears Expiry

Context

India and Bangladesh have initiated a joint water measurement initiative on the Ganga and Padma rivers as the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty enters its final year before expiry in December 2026.

About the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty, 1996

The Ganges Water Sharing Treaty, signed on 12 December 1996 between India and Bangladesh, governs the sharing of Ganges waters at the Farakka Barrage, located in West Bengal, about 18 km upstream of the Bangladesh border.

The treaty marked a major diplomatic breakthrough, ending decades of tension over Ganges water sharing that had strained bilateral relations since Bangladesh’s independence in 1971.

National Sports Governance Act Comes Into Effect Partially

In News

The Central Government has notified that select provisions of the National Sports Governance Act, 2025..

National Sports Governance Act

It was originally notified in August 2025, allowing different provisions to be implemented on different dates.

It is a landmark legislation aimed at restructuring the governance of sports bodies in India.

It seeks to align Indian sports administration with global standards while prioritizing athlete welfare and transparency.

Prejudice and Healthcare Access for Trans Men in India

Context

Despite legal recognition and welfare initiatives, transgender men and gender-diverse persons assigned female at birth (AFAB) continue to face systemic discrimination, and inadequate access to inclusive healthcare in India.

Key Issues Faced in Healthcare Access

Structural and Institutional Barriers: Persistent misgendering, judgemental attitudes, and denial of care in public healthcare institutions.

Healthcare access is linked to gender recognition certificates under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, creating administrative gatekeeping.

A binary understanding of gender among medical professionals excludes transmasculine and non-binary identities.

Bulgaria Joins European Union

In News

Recently, Bulgaria became the 21st country to switch to the euro, nearly 20 years after the Balkan nation joined the European Union (EU).

Background

The Maastricht Treaty of 1992 established the European Union.

It paved the way for the formation of a common economic and monetary union, which is the European Economic and Monetary Union

It allowed the adoption of a common currency, which would be accepted as the sole legal tender, the euro.

India Need Climate-resilient Agriculture (CRA)

Context

India is fast-tracking the expansion of Climate-Resilient Agriculture (CRA) to counter growing climate-change risks to food security, rainfed agriculture, and farmers’ incomes.

What is Climate-resilient Agriculture (CRA)?

Climate-resilient agriculture uses a range of biotechnology and complementary technologies to guide farming practices and reduce dependence on chemical inputs, while maintaining or improving productivity.

Tools include: Biofertilizers and biopesticides, and soil-microbiome analyses.

Genome-edited crops can be developed to withstand drought, heat, salinity, or pest pressures.

MSMEs & Their Economic Footprint in India’s Journey to Viksit Bharat

Published on: 02 January, 2026

As India envisions itself as a Viksit Bharat (developed nation) by 2047, the role of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) has emerged as both foundational and transformative, that act as engines of employment, critical drivers of innovation, exports, and inclusive growth.