News in Shorts: 12 May 2026

12 May 2026

‘One Case One Data’ and ‘Su Sahayak’ Initiatives

Context: The Supreme Court of India has launched the ‘One Case One Data’ and ‘Su Sahayak’ digital initiatives for improving citizen-friendly access to judicial services across courts in India.

About ‘One Case One Data’ Initiative

Objective: It aims to create a unified and integrated judicial data system connecting courts across India.
Coverage: The platform integrates information from:
- Supreme Court
- High Courts
- District Courts
- Taluka Courts.
Purpose: It seeks to streamline case management, improve judicial coordination, and ensure seamless access to case-related information.
Digital Integration: The initiative creates a comprehensive interconnected database for efficient judicial administration.
Significance: It is expected to improve transparency, accuracy, and efficiency in the justice delivery system.

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About Su Sahayak AI Chatbot

Su Sahayak is an AI-powered assistance chatbot integrated with the Supreme Court website.
Objective: It aims to provide easier access to justice and court-related services for litigants and citizens.
Developed By: The chatbot was developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) in collaboration with the Supreme Court Registry.
Functions: It will help users access:
- Case information
- Court services
- Judicial procedures
- Digital assistance services.

SEHAT Initiative

Context: The Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare and the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare launched the ‘SEHAT Mission’.

About the SEHAT Initiative

SEHAT Initiative stands for Science Excellence for Health through Agricultural Transformation.
Nodal Agency: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)
Objective: The mission aims to strengthen convergence between agriculture, nutrition, and public health to improve health outcomes in India.
Key Features of SEHAT:
- Healthcare Approach: SEHAT reflects India’s shift from a curative healthcare model to preventive and promotive healthcare.
- Food as Medicine: The initiative promotes the concept that nutritious food and healthy diets can help prevent diseases.
Focus Areas:
- Biofortified Crops: Development and promotion of crops rich in essential nutrients to combat malnutrition.
- Integrated Farming Systems: Encouraging diversified farming systems for better nutrition, resilience, and farm income.
- Occupational Health: Addressing health risks faced by agricultural workers through targeted interventions.
- NCD Prevention: Promoting functional foods and healthy diets to reduce non communicable diseases.
- One Health Preparedness: Strengthening integrated surveillance and research at the human-animal-environment interface.

Unemployment Rate Trends in India

Context: According to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) quarterly labour force and unemployment data, the unemployment rate in rural areas edged up marginally to 4.3% from 4% during the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year.

Key Findings of MoSPI Quarterly Labour Force Data (Jan–Mar 2026)

Urban Unemployment Rate: Urban unemployment among persons aged 15 years and above eased to 6.6% in the January–March 2026 quarter from 6.7% in the previous quarter.
- Unemployment Rate (UR): Percentage of persons in the labour force who are willing to work and actively seeking work but are unemployed.
Overall Labour Participation: The Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) for persons aged 15 years and above was estimated at 55.5%, compared to 55.8% earlier.
- Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR): Percentage of the population that is either employed or actively seeking employment. It reflects the level of participation in economic activity.
Rural Labour Participation: In rural areas, LFPR stood at 58.2%, down from 58.4% in the October–December 2025 period.
Urban Labour Participation: Urban LFPR for persons aged 15 years and above dipped marginally to 50.2%.
Female Labour Participation: Female LFPR for persons aged 15 years and above remained broadly stable at 34.7% in the fourth quarter.
Rural Employment Structure: The rural workforce continued to be predominantly engaged in the primary sector.
- Primary Sector: Sector related to extraction and use of natural resources such as agriculture, fishing, forestry, and mining.
Urban Employment Structure: The urban workforce remained concentrated in the tertiary sector.
- Tertiary Sector (Service Sector): The sector of the economy that provides services such as banking, transport, healthcare, education, and IT instead of producing goods.

About Quarterly Labour Force Survey / PLFS

The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) is conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
- Since its launch in 2017, it has been the primary source of labour force and employment-related statistics in India.
Key Features: Conducted by the National Sample Survey (NSS) framework under NSO.
- Provides data under two major approaches:
  - Usual Status (ps+ss): Measures a person’s long-term employment status over the last 365 days, considering both the principal activity (ps) and any subsidiary economic activity (ss).
  - Current Weekly Status (CWS): Measures activity status based on the last 7 days.
- Covers employment indicators by gender, age, sector, occupation, industry, and employment type.

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ICMR Transfers Three Indigenous Medical Technologies to Industry

Context: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) transferred three indigenous medical technologies to industry partners during the National Technology Day 2026.

About the Event

Coordinating Institutions: The event was coordinated by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser in collaboration with the Department of Biotechnology.
Whole-of-Government Approach: The programme reflected a “Whole-of-Government” approach involving 14 scientific ministries and departments.
Indigenous Technologies Showcased by ICMR: Indian Council of Medical Research showcased six indigenous technologies in biopharma, diagnostics, and bioindustrial sectors:
- COVID-19 Vaccine: Covaxin
- COVID Diagnostic Kit: COVID Kavach ELISA Kit
- TB Detection Technology: CRISPR-Cas-based TB Detection System
- Nipah Virus Diagnostic: Nipah Point-of-Care Assay
- Dengue Diagnostic Tool: Dengue ELISA Diagnostic Kit
- Vector Control Innovation: Biolarvicide for mosquito control.

About National Technology Day 2026

Observed On: Celebrated annually on 11 May to commemorate Pokhran-II (Operation Shakti), during which India conducted five nuclear tests in 1998 under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and scientist A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.

Key Technology Transfers by ICMR

Initiative: Under the Medical Innovations Patent Mitra initiative, ICMR facilitated the transfer of three indigenous medical technologies to industry partners through licensing agreements.
PSP94 ELISA-based Prostate Diagnostic: A cost-effective ELISA test to guide prostate biopsy decisions in patients with PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) levels below 20 ng/ml.
- PSP94 (Prostate Secretory Protein 94) is a protein secreted by the prostate gland.
- ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) is a laboratory technique used to detect and measure specific proteins, antigens, or antibodies in a sample.
  - It works through antigen-antibody interaction linked with an enzyme reaction that produces a measurable colour change.
Factor VIII Inhibitor / Coagulation Disorder Point-of-Care Diagnostic: Enables rapid diagnosis of coagulation disorders at the point of care.
- Coagulation disorders: are conditions in which the blood’s clotting process is impaired. They may lead to excessive bleeding or abnormal clot formation.
- Point-of-care diagnostic: also known as point-of-care testing (POCT), refers to performing diagnostic tests at or near the site of patient care rather than in centralized laboratories.
Multiplex RT-PCR Kit for Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika: Allows simultaneous detection of Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika viruses using a single-tube RT-PCR platform.
- RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction): A molecular diagnostic technique that converts viral RNA into DNA and amplifies it to detect the presence of specific pathogens with high sensitivity.

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About Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)

The Indian Council of Medical Research is India’s apex body for biomedical research.
Administrative Ministry: It functions under the Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Headquarters: New Delhi.

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