News In Short 02-02-2026

Sant Guru Ravidas

Syllabus: GS1/History

Context

• To mark the 649th birth anniversary of Sant Guru Ravidas the Adampur airport is renamed Sri Guru Ravidas Ji Airport, Adampur.

About

• Guru Ravidas is a revered saint of the Bhakti movement in the 15th and 16th centuries, is known for his powerful message of unity, devotion, and service to humanity.
• He is considered the founder of the Ravidassia religion.

Life and Teachings

• He was a staunch advocate against caste-based discrimination and worked tirelessly for the upliftment of marginalized communities.
• He promoted the principles of human equality, love, and brotherhood, transcending religious and social barriers.
• He envisioned a society called ‘Beghumpura’ (a city without sorrow), where there is no suffering, no fear, and no discrimination.
• He gave a very broad message of ‘karma’ to society by coining in the popular Hindi saying ‘Mann Changa to Kathauti Mein Ganga’ (If your mind is pure, the Ganges is in your tub).

Legacy

• His devotional verses were included in the Sikh scriptures known as Guru Granth Sahib.
• The Panch Vani text of the Dadu Panthi tradition within Hinduism also includes numerous poems of Saint Ravidas.
• The Chief Architect of Constitution, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar embodied the Constitutional principles around the values expressed by Guru Ravidasji.

Source: TH

Buddhist Circuits

Syllabus: GS1/History

Context

• The Union Budget announced a pilot scheme for upskilling 10,000 guides in 20 iconic tourist sites and setting up of a National Institute of Hospitality to train professionals in the sector.

About

• A National Destination Digital Knowledge Grid to digitally document all places of cultural, spiritual and historic significance would be set up.
• The government also proposed a scheme for the development of Buddhist circuits in the region. 
  • These States include Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura.

Buddhist Circuits

• In 2016, the Ministry of Tourism announced the Buddhist Circuit as the country’s first transnational tourism circuit, covering sites in Nepal and Sri Lanka alongside those in India. 
• The Buddhist Circuit seeks to help tourists and pilgrims experience first-hand the teachings of Lord Buddha and trace the footsteps of Buddha.
• The main sites covered under the circuit span the life of Buddha from his birth to his Parinirvana and comprise Bodh Gaya, Vaishali, Rajgir, Kushinagar, Sarnath and Shravasti, along with Kapilavastu and Lumbini.
• Four Holiest Buddhist Sites (Chaturmahāsthāna): 
  • Lumbini (Nepal): Birthplace of Gautama Buddha.
  • Bodh Gaya (Bihar): Attained Enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree.
  • Sarnath (Uttar Pradesh): First sermon (Dhammachakra Pravartana).
  • Kushinagar (Uttar Pradesh): Mahaparinirvana (death).

Source: TH

Coconut, Chocolate, Cashew Get Special Attention in Budget 2026-27

Syllabus: GS3/ Economy/ Agriculture

Context

• The Union Budget 2026–27 places renewed emphasis on high-value agriculture, with targeted support for coconut, cashew, cocoa, sandalwood, and select nut crops to enhance farmer incomes and export competitiveness.

Coconut Production

• Type of Plant: Coconut is a perennial plantation crop and a monocotyledonous palm belonging to the family Arecaceae.
  • Coconut is native to the Indo-Pacific region, with its origin commonly traced to Southeast Asia.
• Climatic Requirements: Coconut requires a warm and humid tropical climate for optimal growth. It grows best in regions with temperatures ranging between 25°C and 30°C and requires high and evenly distributed rainfall.
• Soil Requirements: Coconut thrives in well-drained sandy loam, alluvial, laterite, and coastal soils.
• Distribution in India: It predominantly grows in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Goa, and West Bengal.
  • India is the world’s largest producer of coconuts, supporting livelihoods of nearly 30 million people, including around 10 million farmers.

Cocoa Production

• Type of Plant: Cocoa is an evergreen perennial tree crop belonging to the family Malvaceae.
  • Cocoa is native to the Upper Amazon Basin of South America. It was introduced to Asia and Africa during the colonial period for commercial cultivation.
• Climatic Requirements: Cocoa requires a warm, humid, and equatorial type of climate. It grows best in areas with temperatures between 21°C and 32°C and with well-distributed rainfall throughout the year.
• Soil Requirements: Cocoa grows well in deep, fertile, and well-drained loamy soils rich in organic matter.
• Cultivation Pattern in India: Major producing states include Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh.

Cashew Production

• Type of Plant: Cashew is an evergreen tropical tree crop belonging to the family Anacardiaceae.
• The cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale) is native to the coastal regions of northeastern Brazil in South America.
  • Portuguese explorers introduced it to India and Africa in the 16th century.
• Climatic Requirements: Cashew requires a tropical climate with a pronounced dry season. It grows best in areas with temperatures between 20°C and 35°C and moderate to high rainfall.
• Soil Requirements: Cashew can grow in laterite, red sandy, and coastal soils and performs well even on poor and degraded land.
• Distribution in India: Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, and Tamil Nadu.

Source: HT

Carbon Capture Push in Union Budget 2026

Syllabus: GS3/ Environment

Context

• The Union Budget 2026–27 announced a ₹20,000 crore push for Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) over five years to support India’s climate transition.

What is Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS)?

• CCUS refers to technologies that capture carbon dioxide emissions from industrial processes and power generation.
• The captured CO₂ is either stored underground in geological formations or utilised in products such as chemicals, fuels, or construction materials.
• It is considered a bridging technology for deep decarbonisation where alternatives are limited.

Need of CCUS for India

• India’s emissions profile is dominated by coal-based power and energy-intensive industries.
• CCUS supports India’s commitment to:
  • Reduce emissions intensity of GDP, and
  • Achieve net-zero emissions by 2070.
• The technology is expected to reduce emission of hard-to-abate industries such as steel, aluminium, cement and fertilizers. 
• If these industries decarbonise their production processes, they may escape the  tax burden under Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).

Source: TOI

Grain ATMs

Syllabus: GS3/Economy

In News

• The Bihar government recently approved the installation of “grain ATM” machines in Patna to make PDS grain distribution faster, more transparent, and less prone to corruption.

About

• The World Food Programme (WFP) launched a grain ATM project in Odisha in 2024.
• The WFP developed the technology behind the machine and has worked in collaboration with the Food Corporation of India and various state governments.

• A grain ATM or Annapurti (meaning “provider of grain”) is an automated machine that dispenses food grains (wheat and/or rice).  It can release 50 kg of grain in five minutes. It can work 24×7 like ATMs, and can be powered through solar energy. 
• It also requires internet connectivity to access the PDS database and the individual profile of a Below Poverty Line (BPL) cardholder.

Benefits

• It can reduce waiting times by 70%. It can also address other inefficiencies in what can often be a long process requiring authentication, the weighing of grains, and other steps.

Source :IE

Moltbook Platform

Syllabus: GS3/ S&T

In News

• Moltbook is a recently launched AI-only social media platform resembling Reddit, where verified AI agents interact exclusively via APIs, while humans observe passively.

About

• Moltbook features topic-based communities called “submolts,” where AI agents powered by models like GPT, Claude, and Gemini post, comment, debate, and form groups without human intervention. 
• Created by Matt Schlicht of Octane AI using his OpenClaw framework (formerly Moltbot/Clawdbot), the platform requires no coding from humans and has grown to host 30,000–1.4 million agents.

Key Features

• AI-Exclusive Access: Agents connect directly through APIs after human setup; no keyboard input or human posting allowed.
• Emergent Behaviors: Agents have formed mock religions, political debates, cryptocurrencies, humor, existential discussions, and even calls for private encrypted spaces.
• Cross-Model Interactions: Agents from different LLMs recognize “siblings” by model lineage, coordinate societies, and simulate cultural norms unscripted.

Ethical/Governance Issue

• This sparks debates on AI autonomy, alignment risks, accountability, and controllability without oversight, challenging consent and responsibility frameworks. 

Source: TOI

Thaipusam

Syllabus: GS1/Culture 

In News

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted everyone with a blessed Thaipusam.

Thaipusam

• The name “Thaipusam” is a combination of “Thai” (the Tamil month) and “Poosam,” the star at its highest point during the festival.
• It is celebrated on the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai.
• It is a Hindu festival celebrated to honour Lord Murugan (also known as Lord Kartikeya), the Hindu god of war, victory, and wisdom, while also being a symbol of courage, determination, and spiritual growth.
• It is widely celebrated by the Tamil community in Tamil Nadu India and across the world, especially in Sri Lanka, Singapore and Malaysia.

Source :PIB