APEDA Facilitated Fortified Rice Export

Context: India achieved a major milestone as the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) facilitated the first export of 12 metric tonnes of Fortified Rice Kernel (FRK) from Chhattisgarh to Costa Rica.

What is Fortified Rice?

• Fortified Rice Kernel (FRK) is produced by blending rice flour with micronutrients such as iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12, which are extruded and shaped like rice grains.
• Purpose: It is mixed with regular rice at a fixed ratio to enhance its nutritional content, addressing malnutrition and supporting food security initiatives.

About the Export

• Milestone Export: The first consignment of FRK from Chhattisgarh to Costa Rica marks India’s integration of its domestic nutrition mission “Kuposhan Mukt Bharat ” with global outreach.
• Impact: It highlights Chhattisgarh’s growing role in international agri-trade and India’s technological capability in food fortification for nutrition-rich exports.

About APEDA

• APEDA is a statutory body established by the Government of India under APEDA Act, 1985 under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
  • It came into effect from 13th February, 1986
• Role and Mandate: 
  • APEDA is responsible for promoting and developing exports of agricultural and processed food products by providing financial assistance, market intelligence, and export facilitation.
  • It also supports value-added and nutrition-oriented exports, reinforcing India’s image as a reliable supplier of high-quality, safe, and nutritious food products globally.

Employees Enrolment Scheme

Context: The Union Labour and Employment Minister launched the Employees’ Enrolment Scheme 2025 during the 73rd Foundation Day of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).

About Employees’ Enrolment Scheme – 2025

• It is a simplified and transparent route for employers to regularise past omissions, advancing India’s vision of “Social Security for All” and promoting workforce formalisation
• Nodal Body: The scheme is implemented by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) under the Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India.
• Objective: To boost voluntary compliance and universalise social security by enabling employers to regularise eligible employees who were previously left out of EPF coverage.
• Special Coverage Window:
  • Applicable for employees engaged between 1 July 2017 and 31 October 2025 who were not covered under EPF.
  • The enrollment window remains open for six months, from 1 November 2025 to 30 April 2026.
• Key Provisions:
  • Employers can declare omitted employees through the EPFO online portal, irrespective of the establishment’s existing coverage status.
  • Employee’s share of contribution for the declared period is waived if not deducted earlier.
  • Employers are required to pay only their own share, interest (Section 7Q), administrative charges, and a lump-sum penalty of ₹100 per establishment.
  • The penalty applies across all three EPF schemes as deemed compliance.
• Eligibility and Protection: Establishments facing inquiries under Section 7A, Para 26B, or Para 8 of EPS-1995 are also eligible.
  • EPFO will not initiate any suo motu compliance action during the scheme period..

About EPFO Foundation Day

• EPFO is India’s premier social security organization under the Ministry of Labour and Employment, which celebrates its Foundation Day on November 1st.
• Establishment: The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation was founded in 1952, following the enactment of the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952.
• 73rd Foundation Day (2025): Celebrated at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
  • Award on 73rd Foundation Day: The Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya National Academy of Social Security (PDUNASS), EPFO’s training arm, received two Bhavishya Nidhi Awards 2025 for:
    • Best Achievement in Capacity Building
    • Reimagining Governance: Discourse for Excellence (RGDE)

Thorium Molten Salt Reactor

Context: China has successfully demonstrated the world’s first thorium-to-uranium nuclear fuel conversion in its experimental Thorium Molten Salt Reactor (TMSR).

• China aims to build a 100 MW demonstration reactor by 2035, advancing toward commercial thorium-based nuclear systems.

About Thorium Molten Salt Reactor (TMSR)

• TMSR is a fourth-generation advanced nuclear energy system developed by the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics (SINAP) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
• How It Works: It uses high-temperature molten salt as both coolant and solvent for nuclear fuel, allowing operation at atmospheric pressure with passive safety features.
• Key Advantages:
• • Safety: Automatic shutdown via salt plug melting if overheated.
  • Efficiency: Extracts more energy from fuel with minimal high-level waste.
  • Flexibility: Can integrate with solar, wind, and hydrogen production systems for a low-carbon energy mix.
  • Industrial Integration: Facilitates high-temperature energy storage and chemical industry processes.
• Status in India: The third stage of India’s nuclear programme envisages thorium-based reactors like the Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) and Indian Molten Salt Breeder Reactor (IMSBR) to achieve long-term energy security.

About Thorium

• Thorium-232 is  the only natural isotope, which can be  converted to Uranium-233, a fissile material suitable for power generation.
• Thorium is derived from monazite.
• Advantages over Uranium:  Thorium produces less long-lived radioactive waste and is three times more abundant in nature than uranium.
• Global Production and Use: Despite abundant availability, thorium use is limited due to high extraction costs and technological barriers.
• Global distribution:  India holds the world’s largest thorium reserves, mainly in Kerala, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu.

National Geo-Spatial Platform

Context: The Survey of India (SoI) has partnered with C.E. Info Systems Pvt. Ltd. to develop a unified National Geo-Spatial Platform under the National Geospatial Policy, 2022.

About the National Geo-Spatial Platform

• Purpose and Vision: The platform aims to serve as a single digital infrastructure for aggregating, harmonizing, and disseminating authentic foundational geospatial data to support governance, industry, research, and citizens.
• Key Features:  It will integrate and standardize datasets such as Ortho-Rectified Imagery, Digital Elevation Models (DEM), Administrative Boundaries, Geodetic Reference Frames, and Geographical Names.
• Technological Framework: The system will enable seamless access through web services, APIs, and mobile applications, ensuring data interoperability and collaboration among central ministries, academia, and private sectors.

Core Components of the Platform

• Geospatial Data Integration and Dissemination System:  Acts as the backbone for data consolidation and secure sharing of spatial datasets.
• Integrated Geospatial Application Interface (IGAI): Provides a user-friendly interface to develop and deploy geospatial applications across sectors.
• Spatial Data Registry (SDR): Facilitates metadata management to ensure data consistency, accuracy, and traceability.

About Survey of India (SOI) 

• The Survey of India (SOI) was established in 1767 and has a history of more than 250 years and a rich heritage of accurate geospatial information.
• Currently SOI works under the Ministry of Science and Technology.

UNAIDS Report on Inequality-Pandemic Nexus

Context: A new UNAIDS report warns that growing inequalities are intensifying pandemics globally, urging nations to address social and economic disparities to strengthen global health security.

Key Findings of the Report

• Inequality-Pandemic Nexus: High inequality within and between countries makes pandemics more disruptive, deadly, and prolonged, as seen during COVID-19, AIDS, and Ebola.
• Cycle of Inequality: Pandemics, in turn, deepen inequality, creating a self-reinforcing cycle that worsens health and economic vulnerabilities.
• Global Unpreparedness: Existing pandemic preparedness measures overlook structural inequality, limiting the world’s ability to prevent or mitigate future outbreaks effectively.
• Socioeconomic Drivers: Poor access to healthcare, unsafe working conditions, and inadequate social protection systems heighten exposure to disease and hinder recovery.

Recommendations to Tackle Inequality

• Address Social Determinants: Ensure fair access to housing, education, employment, and social protection to reduce pandemic risks at their roots.
• Reform Global Financial Systems: Remove fiscal constraints to enable all nations to invest in public health and inequality reduction.
• Promote Technology Sharing: Develop global governance for research and development to treat technology and health innovations as public goods.
• Build Local Production Capacity: Strengthen regional vaccine and drug manufacturing to ensure equitable access during health crises.
• Adopt Equity-Focused Health Security: Integrate inequality reduction into global health preparedness frameworks for more resilient and inclusive pandemic response systems.

About UNAIDS 

• UNAIDS launched in 1996 is the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, an entity that leads the global response to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
• It coordinates action, provides strategic direction, advocacy, and technical support, and unites 11 different UN organizations (like WHO, UNICEF, and the World Bank) in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
• Its goal is to achieve zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination, and zero AIDS-related deaths by 2030.

Semiconductor Manufacturing

Context: Odisha marked a historic milestone in India’s semiconductor journey with the launch of the country’s first end-to-end Silicon Carbide (SiC) semiconductor plant under the India Semiconductor Mission.

About Silicon Carbide

• Silicon Carbide (SiC) is a compound of silicon (Si) and carbon (C).
• It is a synthetic, ultra-hard, heat-resistant material with both ceramic and semiconductor properties.
• Also known as Carborundum, it is widely used in electronics, industry, and renewable energy systems.
• Properties of Silicon Carbide:
• • High Hardness: Nearly as hard as diamond (9.5 on Mohs scale).
  • Wide Bandgap (~3.2 eV): Enables operation at high voltages, frequencies, and temperatures.
  • High Thermal Conductivity: Excellent heat dissipation in power devices.
  • High Breakdown Voltage: Withstands strong electric fields.
  • Chemical & Thermal Stability: Resistant to corrosion, oxidation, and radiation.
  • Lightweight and Strong: Ideal for aerospace and high-stress environments.
• Types:
  • Black SiC: Produced from quartz sand and petroleum coke — used as abrasive.
  • Green SiC: High-purity form — used in electronics and advanced applications.
• Applications of Silicon Carbide (SiC)
  • Power Electronics: Used in EV inverters, solar inverters, and high-voltage power devices for improved energy efficiency.
  • Aerospace and Defense: Employed in satellite sensors, radar systems, and high-temperature electronics.
  • Industrial Uses: As an abrasive, cutting and grinding material, and refractory lining in furnaces and kilns.
  • Optoelectronics & LEDs: Used in LEDs, high-frequency communication, and semiconductor devices due to its wide bandgap.

About India Semiconductor Mission (ISM)

• ISM was launched in 2021 under the aegis of the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) for the development of a sustainable semiconductor and display ecosystem in the country.
• Components:
  • Scheme for setting up of Semiconductor Fabs in India
  • Scheme for setting up of Display Fabs in India
  • Scheme for setting up of Compound Semiconductors / Silicon Photonics / Sensors Fab and Semiconductor Assembly, Testing, Marking and Packaging (ATMP) facilities in India
  • Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme.

Typhoon Kalmaegi

Context: Typhoon Kalmaegi, locally named Tino, made landfall in the central Philippines, bringing torrential rains, strong winds, and storm surges, causing casualties and large-scale evacuations.

About Typhoon Kalmaegi

• Typhoon Kalmaegi is a powerful tropical cyclone that struck the central Philippines with sustained winds of 150 km/h and gusts reaching 205 km/h.
• Origin: Typhoon Kalmaegi originated over the western Pacific Ocean east of the Philippines.
• Landfall: It made landfall over the Visayas region.
• Forecast Path: It is expected to cross the Visayas and move into the South China Sea while maintaining typhoon strength.

What is a Typhoon?

• Definition: Typhoons are intense tropical cyclones originating over the warm waters of the Western Pacific Ocean, characterised by rapidly rotating winds and low-pressure centres.
• Formation Conditions: Warm ocean temperatures, high humidity, and a pre-existing atmospheric disturbance near the ocean surface.
• Global Terminology:
• • Hurricanes — Atlantic Ocean and Northeast/South Pacific Ocean
  • Cyclones — Indian Ocean region
  • Typhoons — Western Pacific Ocean
  • Willy-Willies — Western Australia

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