News In Short 26-02-2026

RAMP Programme

Syllabus: GS2/Governance

Context

• The 5th National MSME Council has reviewed the progress of the World Bank supported RAMP Programme. 

Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP)

• RAMP is a World Bank supported Central Sector Scheme aimed at improving access of MSMEs to market, finance and technology upgradation by enhancing the outreach of existing MoMSME schemes. 
• Objective:
  • Accelerating Centre- State collaboration in MSME promotion and development.
  • Enhancing effectiveness of existing MoMSME schemes for technology upgradation.
  • Strengthening Receivable Financing Market for MSMEs.
  • Enhancing effectiveness of Credit Guarantee Trust for Micro & Small Enterprises (CGTMSE), and promoting guarantee for greening initiatives of MSEs, and women owned MSEs.
  • Reducing incidence of delayed payments to MSEs.
• Key Benefits: The RAMP scheme would enhance the performance of MSMEs by promoting technology upgradation, innovation, digitization, market access, credit, greening initiatives, etc through active participation of the State Governments.

Source: PIB

Him-CONNECT

Syllabus: GS2/Government Initiative

Context

• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) is organising Him-CONNECT in New Delhi as part of The Energy and Resources Institute’s (TERI) World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS).

About

• ‘Him-CONNECT’ links researchers from the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) with start-ups, investors and policymakers.
• It will showcase more than 24 technologies and innovations developed under the National Mission on Himalayan Studies (NMHS).
• The platform aims to facilitate commercialisation, on-ground deployment and wider adoption of Himalayan-focused solutions.

Source: PIB

India-Sweden AI Partnership Through SITAC Framework

Syllabus: GS2/IR

Context

• On the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, the IndiaAI Mission and Business Sweden signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

About

• It provides a structured framework for collaboration on the development, application and deployment of artificial intelligence solutions, with emphasis on real-world industrial and societal outcomes. 
• Both countries will jointly develop a dedicated programme titled the Sweden–India Technology and Artificial Intelligence Corridor (SITAC). 
  • SITAC will serve as the flagship platform to facilitate structured engagement among government agencies, industry stakeholders, startups and academic institutions from both countries.
• The partnership aligns the objectives of the IndiaAI Mission to build a comprehensive national AI ecosystem through access to compute, data and talent with Sweden’s strengths in industrial innovation, advanced research and development and responsible AI implementation. 

Source: PIB

Mission Sudarshan Chakra

Syllabus: GS3/Defence 

In News

• Indian PM visit to Israel  boosted defence deal on advanced weapons tech and missile defence under Mission Sudarshan Chakra.

Background and Need of Mission Sudarshan Chakra.

• During Operation Sindoor, India faced drone and missile threats from Pakistan.
• To strengthen national security, the Sudarshan Chakra missile shield—planned for 2035 under Make in India.
• It aims to integrate advanced defensive systems like Iron Dome, Iron Beam, Arrow, David’s Sling, along with existing S-400, Barak, and Akash systems, covering India’s borders and coastline.
  • The upcoming India-Israel MoU may include both defensive and offensive weapon collaboration.

Sudarshan Chakra

• It is a multi-layered, home-grown air defence initiative. 
• It is  named after Lord Krishna’s divine disc, designed to protect key sites from missiles, rockets, drones, and swarms.
• It combines long-range systems like S-400 and Project Kusha, medium-range MRSAM/Barak-8, short-range Iron Dome, and future laser-based weapons like Iron Beam and DURGA-II for cost-effective drone and low-altitude threat interception.

Role of Israel

• Israel is a key partner in Sudarshan Chakra, providing advanced electronics, sensors, and precision tech, with technology transfer for systems like Iron Dome and Iron Beam under a Make in India focus. 
• Israeli AI will integrate India’s radars and sensors into a unified network for real-time threat detection and response.

Source :FE

SUJVIKA Portal

Syllabus: GS3/ Economy; Science & Technology

Context

• On the 40th Foundation Day of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), “SUJVIKA”, an AI-driven Biotech Product Data Portal, was launched highlighting biotechnology as a key driver of India’s future economic growth.

About SUJVIKA Portal

• SUJVIKA is a Trade Statistics Digital Intelligence Platform that presents authenticated biotechnology product import data in a structured and accessible format. 
• The portal provides sector-wise insights into biochemical products, industrial enzymes, and other biotechnology imports. 
• It enables researchers, startups, and industry to identify high-value and high-volume imports, assess import dependency and prioritise indigenisation and R&D efforts.
  • The portal also supports evidence-based planning and promotes public–private partnerships for strengthening domestic biomanufacturing.

Bioeconomy of India

• India’s bioeconomy grew from about USD 10 billion in 2014 to USD 165.7 billion in 2024.
• Biotechnology is projected to power the next industrial revolution. Biotech startups increased from fewer than 100 in 2014 to over 11,000 at present.
• The country aims to achieve a USD 1 trillion bioeconomy by 2047 under the Viksit Bharat vision.

Source: PIB

International Climate Initiative (IKI)

Syllabus: GS3/ Environment

In News

• Germany and India have launched a €20 million (approximately ₹180 crore) Large Grant project under the International Climate Initiative (IKI).

About International Climate Initiative (IKI)

• Established in 2008, IKI serves as Germany’s primary funding mechanism for international climate projects. 
• It supports mitigation, adaptation, and biodiversity efforts in over 150 partner countries, with 14 priority nations including India, Brazil, China, South Africa, Indonesia, and Mexico.

New India-Germany Project: Scope and Targets

• This €20 million project zeroes in on India’s high-risk ecosystems, promoting nature-based solutions for long-term resilience. 
• Priority regions include Himalayas (glacier melt and landslides), Western Ghats (biodiversity hotspots facing deforestation), North-East India (fragile terrains prone to erosion) & Island ecosystems (e.g., Andaman & Nicobar, vulnerable to sea-level rise).

Strategic Significance for India and Global Climate Goals

• This initiative bolsters India’s climate agenda amid escalating risks, rising temperatures, erratic monsoons, and biodiversity loss. 
• It supports NDC targets like 50% non-fossil energy by 2030 and aligns with National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) missions such as Himalaya and Sustainable Habitat.

Source: IE

CAFE-3 Norms

Syllabus: GS3/Environment 

In News

• The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) recently reviewed the proposed CAFE-3 carbon emission norms for passenger vehicles, set for 2027, but did not make a final decision.

CAFE norms

• The norms were introduced by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency 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.
• It aims to reduce oil dependency and air pollution by encouraging automakers to lower CO₂ emissions and promote EVs, hybrids, and CNG vehicles, which are less carbon-intensive than conventional fossil-fuel cars.

Draft Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE)-3 Norms 

• The CAFE-3 norms introduce concessions for small cars and extend incentives to flex-fuel and strong hybrid vehicles.
• The previous 3.0 g CO₂/km waiver for light cars weighing upto 909 kg and with engine capacity not exceeding 1200 cc has been removed. 
• Automakers can form pools to meet targets, and the emission slope is now flatter, tightening limits for heavier vehicles while easing them for smaller cars.

Source: TH

Peatlands

Syllabus: GS3/Environment

Context

• Two large lakes in the Democratic Republic of Congo are releasing carbon that has been locked away for thousands of years in surrounding peatlands posing a threat to climate stability.

Peatlands

• Peatlands are terrestrial wetland ecosystems in which waterlogged conditions prevent plant material from fully decomposing.
  • Consequently, the production of organic matter exceeds its decomposition, which results in a net accumulation of peat.
• In cool climates, peatland vegetation is mostly made up of Sphagnum mosses, sedges and shrubs, whereas in warmer climates graminoids and woody vegetation provide most of the organic matter.
• Peatlands occur in every climatic zone and continent and cover 4.23 million km2, which corresponds to 2.84% of the Earth’s terrestrial surface.
  • About 84% of the world’s peatlands are considered to be in natural, or near-natural state. 
• Due to the process of peat accumulation, peatlands are carbon rich ecosystems that store and sequester more carbon than any other type of terrestrial ecosystem.

Source: DD