News Guidelines for EVM Ballot Papers

Context: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has revised guidelines under Rule 49B of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, to make EVM ballot papers more readable.

Changes in EVM Ballot Papers

• Candidate Photographs: Colour photographs of candidates will now be printed on EVM ballot papers, starting with Bihar elections.
• Photo Size: Candidate’s face will occupy three-fourths of the photograph space for better visibility.
• Numerals: Serial numbers of candidates/NOTA will be printed in the international form of Indian numerals, in bold, font size 30.
• Uniformity in Names: Names of candidates/NOTA will be printed in the same font type and size for uniformity.
• Paper Quality: Ballot papers will be printed on 70 GSM paper for better durability.
• Colour Coding: For Assembly Elections, ballot papers will use pink colour with specified RGB values.

Section 49B of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961: Preparation of Voting Machine by Returning Officer

• Language and Particulars: The balloting unit must display details in the language(s) specified by the Election Commission of India.
• Order of Names: Candidate names must appear in the same sequence as in the official list of contesting candidates.
• Name Similarity: If two or more candidates share the same name, they must be distinguished by occupation, residence, or other identifiers.
• Returning Officer’s Duties: The officer affixes candidate names and symbols, seals the units, sets the number of candidates, and secures the control unit with required seals.

Significance

• These reforms are part of 28 initiatives taken by ECI in the last six months to streamline election processes and improve voter convenience.

Ebola

Context: The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported 48 confirmed Ebola cases and 31 deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

About Ebola Virus Disease (EVD)

• Ebola is a severe and often fatal viral disease caused by orthoebolaviruses (formally ebolavirus), first discovered in 1976 in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
  • It has been named after the Ebola River near the village where the first outbreak occurred.
• Affected Species: Ebola affects humans and other primates such as gorillas, chimpanzees, and monkeys.
• Natural Hosts: Fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are considered natural reservoirs of the Ebola virus.
• Transmission:
• • Animal-to-Human Spread: Transmission occurs through contact with blood, secretions, or organs of infected animals like bats, gorillas, monkeys, forest antelope, or porcupines.
  • Human-to-Human Spread: It spreads through direct contact with body fluids of infected persons, including the deceased.
• Medical Care: No permanent cure exists; treatment focuses on fluid balance, blood transfusion, and supportive care.
• Approved Medicines: Inmazeb and Ebanga are two FDA-approved monoclonal antibodies used to treat Ebola virus disease (EVD)

India-AI Impact Summit 2026

Context: The Government of India unveiled the logo and key initiatives for the India-AI Impact Summit 2026, scheduled at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi in February 2026.

About the India-AI Impact Summit

• The summit builds on the momentum of earlier global AI summits held at Bletchley Park, Seoul, and Paris.
  • The AI Action Summit in Paris was the 3rd summit, following the Bletchley Park Summit (UK 2023) and the Seoul Summit (South Korea 2024). 
• It marks a strategic shift from a focus on “Action” to “Impact.”
• The summit will focus on achieving tangible outcomes, strengthening global collaboration, and ensuring responsible large-scale deployment of AI.
• Hosted by: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
• Objective: The Summit aims to showcase AI’s transformative role in inclusive development, sustainability, and equitable progress, positioning India as a global leader in responsible AI innovation.

Three Sutras (Principles)

• People: AI must serve humanity in all its diversity, preserving dignity and ensuring no one is left behind.
• Planet: AI must align with global sustainability goals by promoting climate resilience, scientific discovery, and resource efficiency.
• Progress: AI must ensure equitable benefits, democratize access to compute and datasets, and advance healthcare, education, governance, and agriculture.

Seven Thematic Chakras

• Human Capital: Address workforce transformation, reskilling, and equitable access to future skills.
• Inclusion for Social Empowerment: Promote multilingual and accessible AI, eliminating cultural, gender, and data biases.
• Safe and Trusted AI: Establish safety testing, transparency, and interoperable governance tools.
• Resilience Innovation, and Efficiency: Foster resource-efficient, lightweight, and adaptable AI systems.
• Science: Accelerate open, interdisciplinary research and innovation in the Global South.
• Democratizing AI Resources: Ensure equitable access to data, compute, and infrastructure for diverse AI solutions.
• AI for Economic Development & Social Good: Scale AI applications in public-interest sectors and enable cross-border collaboration.

Government Initiatives to Promote AI

• Launch of Eight Indigenous Foundational Models across domains such as healthcare, agriculture, governance, and scientific discovery.
• 30 Data & AI Labs launched under IndiaAI Mission, forming the first wave of a 570-lab network to democratize AI training.
• IndiaAI Fellowship Program expanded to support 13,500 scholars across undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels.
• Flagship Events: AI Pitch Fest (UDAAN), YuvaAI Innovation Challenge, AI Expo, Research Symposium, and Global Innovation Challenges.

Gyanex

Context: India has begun a series of analog space experiments under Gyanex to design its own astronaut protocols ahead of the Gaganyaan mission and future space expeditions.

About Gyanex

• The Gaganyaan Analog Experiments (Gyanex) are ground-based simulations carried out by ISRO, ICMR, and the Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Bengaluru.
• Objective: To develop India’s astronaut protocols by testing medical, psychological, and teamwork aspects of human spaceflight in confined environments.
• Components of Experiments
  • Confined Simulator: Astronaut designates and researchers live in static mock spacecraft modules replicating space routines and food.
  • Science Experiments: Crews conduct biomedical and operational experiments under stress and isolation.
  • Bed-Rest Studies: Defence personnel undergo six-degree head-down tilt to simulate effects of microgravity.
  • Dietary Protocols: Food developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the National Institute of Nutrition is tested.
• Gyanex-1: In July 2025, Group Captain Angad Pratap and two others stayed confined for 10 days, conducting 11 scientific experiments and generating vital psychological and medical insights.

Other Space Simulation Experiments

• NASA (USA): Uses parabolic flights to simulate short periods of microgravity.
• ESA (Europe): Conducts confinement studies and Mars habitat simulations.
• India’s Ladakh Missions:  Himalayan Outpost for Planetary Exploration (HOPE) habitat tested at Tso Kar valley, replicating Martian-like conditions such as high UV radiation and saline permafrost.

Significance of India’s Own Experiments

• Custom Protocols: International astronaut standards provide a baseline, but Indian astronauts require evidence-based training adapted to their physiology and culture.
• Psychological Preparedness: Helps design selection criteria and training for stress, isolation, and teamwork.
• Future Missions: Establishes groundwork for longer spaceflights, lunar habitats, and interplanetary exploration.
• Self-Reliance: Positions India as a nation capable of building independent space medicine and astronaut health systems.

Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR)

Context: A State Finance Inspection report has revealed large-scale financial irregularities at Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR), Kerala, including unauthorised diversion of tourism revenue into a welfare fund.

About Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR)

• Created in 1895 after the construction of the Mullaperiyar Dam, it is named after the Periyar River.
• Location: PTR is located in the Idukki district of Kerala in the Western Ghats.
• Hills: The reserve lies across the Cardamom Hills and Pandalam Hills, adjacent to the Tamil Nadu border.
• Rivers: The Periyar and Pamba rivers drain the reserve.
  • The Mullaperiyar Dam is located within PTR.
• Tribal Communities: PTR is home to several tribes, including the Mannans and Palians, who traditionally depend on the forests.
• Vegetation: Vegetation types include tropical evergreen, semi-evergreen, moist deciduous, transitional fringe evergreen forests, grasslands, and eucalyptus plantations.
• Flora: Dominant flora includes teak, rosewood, mango, jamun, bamboo, jacaranda, tamarind, and royal ponciana.
• Fauna: Major fauna includes elephants, tigers, gaurs, sambar deer, wild pigs, barking deer, mouse deer, and wild dogs.
  • It also supports rare primates such as the lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri langur, bonnet macaque, and common langur and  elusive Nilgiri Tahr

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