FCRA 2.0 Portal and e-OCI Card
Context: Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the FCRA 2.0 Portal and the e-OCI Card to strengthen digital governance, transparency and citizen-centric service delivery.
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About FCRA 2.0 Portal
- The FCRA 2.0 Portal is a revamped digital platform for administering the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 (FCRA).
- Objective: To streamline registration, compliance, monitoring and regulation of foreign contributions received by NGOs and associations.
- Nodal Body: Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
- Hosted on : National Government Cloud (MeghRaj).
- Key Features
- Process re-engineering for faster application processing.
- Integrated dashboard for real-time monitoring of foreign fund inflows.
- Aadhaar-based authentication and e-Sign facility.
- OCR (Optical Character Recognition)-based document analysis for automated document verification.
- Eliminates the physical submission of documents.
- Upcoming features include:
- FCRA Mobile App
- AI-powered chatbot
- Dedicated online dashboard for banks
- Significance: Enhances transparency, ease of compliance, digital governance and national security through technology-enabled monitoring of foreign contributions.
About e-OCI Card
- The e-Overseas Citizen of India (e-OCI) Card is a digital version of the OCI card, introduced to provide secure and paperless services to Overseas Citizen of India cardholders.
- Key Features
- Unique lifelong registration number for every OCI cardholder.
- No need to reissue the OCI booklet after obtaining a new passport.
- Enables real-time digital verification by cardholders.
- Eliminates risks associated with loss or damage of physical documents.
- Offers greater convenience through a secure digital format.
- Significance: The e-OCI Card simplifies services for over 50 lakh OCI cardholders by enabling secure, paperless, and digitally verifiable identity management.
About Overseas Citizen of India (OCI)
- An OCI status provides a lifelong immigration privilege allowing foreign citizens of Indian origin to live, work, and travel in India indefinitely.
- Origin: Introduced in 2005 for the Indian diaspora, as Indian law does not permit dual citizenship
- The framework underwent a major digital transformation under the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2026, shifting services into a streamlined, electronic infrastructure.
Centralised IT-Enabled System (CITES)
Context: The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) temporarily suspended services such as claim submission and passbook downloads to complete database consolidation and software upgradation under the Centralised IT-Enabled System (CITES) project.
About Centralised IT-Enabled System (CITES)
- CITES is EPFO’s digital modernisation project, developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC).
- It replaces the decentralised architecture with a single national database and automated, rule-based processing.
- Aim: To improve transparency, efficiency, and seamless service delivery.
Reasons For its Need
- Decentralised Database Structure: Earlier, EPFO functioned through 120+ decentralised regional databases, with members tied to a specific regional office.
- Regional Office Dependency: Members often had to visit the concerned regional office for claims, corrections, pension services, and death claims.
- Employer-Centric Claim Processing: Most claims required employer authorisation, causing delays and making the system employer-centric.
Key Features of CITES
- One National Database: Any EPFO office can process member requests.
- Unified Digital Interface: Accessible using the existing Universal Account Number (UAN) and password.
- Online Services: KYC updates, claim submission, claim tracking, and grievance resolution can be completed online.
- Electronic Query Resolution: Members can respond to EPFO queries digitally, reducing the need for physical visits and claim rejections.
Benefits for Members
- Consolidated Member Records: Consolidates all previous Member IDs under a single Aadhaar-linked Universal Account Number (UAN).
- Unified Account Dashboard: Enables members to view PF balance, claim status, pensionable service, benefits availed, and withdrawal eligibility.
- Faster & Simpler Claim Processing: Simplifies PF transfers, maintains accurate service history, and speeds up settlements, including death claims.
- Future-Ready Digital Infrastructure: Serves as the technological foundation for EPFO’s proposed UPI-linked PF withdrawal system.
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NASA Robotic Rescue Mission
Context: NASA launched a robotic mission to rescue the aging Swift Space Telescope, marking a major step towards on-orbit satellite servicing and space sustainability.
NASA Robotic Rescue Mission
- NASA, in collaboration with the U.S.-based startup Katalyst, has launched an unprecedented robotic servicing mission to rescue the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, which is gradually losing altitude in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
- The Observatory was launched in 2004 into LEO.
- Objective: To dock with the Swift Space Telescope and raise it to a higher, stable orbit, thereby extending its operational life and demonstrating future on-orbit satellite servicing technologies.
- Key Features
- Autonomous Robotic Docking: The LINK robotic spacecraft will autonomously locate the Swift telescope, maneuver around it, and capture it using three robotic arms before towing it nearly 300 km to a safer orbit.
- Innovative Air-Launch System: The mission uses the Pegasus rocket, which is released from an aircraft instead of a conventional launch pad, providing a flexible and cost-effective launch mechanism.
- Extending the Life of a Scientific Asset: Launched in 2004, the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory continues to play a critical role in detecting and studying gamma-ray bursts, despite being designed for only a two-year mission.
- Significance
- Advances On-Orbit Satellite Servicing: The mission could establish a new model for repairing, refuelling, repositioning, upgrading and extending the lifespan of satellites, reducing replacement costs and enhancing operational efficiency.
- Promotes Sustainable Space Operations: Successful completion would help reduce space debris, improve long-term utilisation of space assets, and strengthen sustainable management of the increasingly crowded Low Earth Orbit.
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International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)
Context: Bangladesh joined the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) as its 27th member, strengthening global cooperation for big cat conservation.
International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)
- The International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) is a treaty-based global initiative, established by India in 2024 and headquartered in New Delhi
- Objective: To conserve the world’s seven big cat species—tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar and puma.
- Members: The Alliance now has 27 member countries and 5 observer countries drawn from the 95 big cat range countries, with Bangladesh becoming the latest member.
- Eligibility: Membership in the IBCA) is open to all United Nations member countries.
- This includes both “range states” (countries where big cats naturally occur) and “non-range countries” willing to collaborate on global wildlife conservation efforts.
- IBCA governance: It is governed by a General Assembly made up of all member nations, an elected member nations Council, and a Secretariat.
- Funding of IBCA: IBCA has secured Government of India’s initial support of Rs. 150 crore for five years (2023-24 to 2027-28)
The IBCA promotes international collaboration, scientific research, capacity building and knowledge sharing to strengthen global conservation of big cats and their habitats while supporting biodiversity conservation.
1 Jul 2026
