News in Shorts: 14 January 2026

NPS Vatsalya Scheme

Context: The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has released the National Pension System (NPS) Vatsalya Scheme Guidelines 2025. 

About National Pension System (NPS) Vatsalya

• NPS Vatsalya is a contributory savings scheme specially designed for minors to build long-term financial security.  
• Launch: It was announced in the Union Budget 2024-25 and officially launched in September 2024.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Finance
  • Regulated and administered by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA). 
• Objective: To allow parents/guardians to start saving for their children from an early age, with transition to the regular NPS once the child becomes an adult.

Key Features of NPS Vatsalya

• Eligibility: Open to all Indian citizens (including NRI/OCI) who are below 18 years of age.
  • The account is opened in the name of the minor but operated by the parent/legal guardian.
• Contribution: Minimum initial and annual contribution is ₹250 and no maximum limit on contributions.
  • Contributions can also be gifted by relatives and friends.
• Pension Fund Selection: Guardian can choose any one Pension Fund registered with PFRDA.
• Partial Withdrawal: Allowed after 3 years from account opening and up to 25% of the guardian’s own contributions (excluding returns).
  • Permitted for:  Education,  Medical treatment and  Specified disabilities.
  • Maximum twice before age 18, and twice between ages 18–21.
• Upon Turning 18: When the beneficiary reaches 18, a fresh KYC (Know Your Customer) process is mandatory. 
  • They then have options until age 21: 
    • To continue under NPS Vatsalya.
    • Shift to regular NPS Tier I (All Citizen Model or other applicable model).
    • Exit with up to 80% as a lump sum and minimum 20% to be annuitised (used to buy pension).
    • Full withdrawal permitted if corpus is ₹8 lakh or less. 
• The guidelines have introduced incentives for community-level workers (such as Anganwadi workers, ASHAs, and Bank Sakhis).

Bannerghatta National Park

Context: Recently, the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC)  recommended restoring Bannerghatta National Park’s eco-sensitive zone to its original 2016 extent.

About Bannerghatta National Park (BNP)

• Establishment: It was declared a reserve forest in 1970 and became a national park in 1974.
  • A portion was carved out as the Bannerghatta Biological Park (zoo and safari) in 2002 to promote conservation and tourism.
• Location: Situated in Bengaluru and Ramanagara District, Karnataka, and forms part of the Eastern Ghats–Deccan Plateau ecological transition zone.
  • It has ranges of the Anekal Hills, formed of ancient granite sheets that shape the park’s rugged terrain.
• Ecological Significance: 
  • Forest Types: BNP hosts dry deciduous and scrub forests.
  • Biodiversity: supports rich biodiversity, including elephants, deers, leopards, sloth bears, and diverse avifauna. 
  • Ecological Role:
    • Serves as a vital ecological buffer for Bengaluru.
    • Provides watershed services and regulates microclimate.
    • Acts as a wildlife corridor linking Eastern Ghats patches.

Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) Status

• A 2016 draft notification proposed an ESZ of about 100 sq km around BNP.
• In 2020, the ESZ extent was substantially reduced, enabling increased residential, institutional, and commercial activity along the park’s periphery.

Implications of restoring ESZ Status

• Restoration of the ESZ could bring large housing layouts, resorts, and institutional campuses under regulatory scrutiny.
• While educational and agricultural activities are not fully prohibited, they are regulated, whereas commercial activities are restricted within ESZs.

Senkaku Islands

Context: Recently, Japan protested against the Chinese Coast Guard intrusion near the Senkaku Islands.

About Senkaku Islands

• The Senkaku Islands are a group of uninhabited islands that have emerged as a major flashpoint in East Asian geopolitics due to competing territorial claims.
• Japan assumed control of Taiwan and the Senkaku Islands in 1895, after winning the first Sino-Japanese War.
  • Taiwan became free from Japanese rule on October 25, 1945 ( Japanese Surrender after WW II)
• Location: The islands are situated in the East China Sea, northeast of Taiwan and west of Okinawa, close to vital international shipping lanes.
• Geographical Features: 
  • Total land area:  6.3 sq km.
  • Islands: Uotsuri, Kuba, Taisho, Kitakojima, Minamikojima, Tobise, Okinokitaiwa, and Okinominamiiwa islands, with a total land area of about 6.3 sq km.
  • Composition: conglomerate sandstone, tuff, andesite, volcanic lava, and elevated coral outcrops, reflecting the region’s volcanic and tectonic activity.
• Strategic and Economic Significance: The surrounding waters are rich in fisheries and are believed to hold hydrocarbon reserves, enhancing their economic and strategic value.
• Territorial Dispute: The islands are claimed by Japan (Senkaku), China (Diaoyu), and Taiwan (Diaoyutai).
• Current Administration: Japan currently administers and controls the Senkaku Islands as part of Ishigaki City in Okinawa Prefecture, rejecting claims that the dispute was ever formally shelved.

NIRANTAR

Context: Recently the Union Environment Minister chaired a NIRANTAR meeting, stressing balanced natural resource use and stronger coordination among MoEFCC institutions.

About National Institute for Research and Application of Natural Resources to Transform, Adapt and Build Resilience (NIRANTAR) 

• It is a collaborative platform of institutions under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) integrating research, policy, and implementation across domains.
• Objective: To enhance coordination, cooperation, and convergence among MoEFCC institutions to support evidence-based policymaking, sustainable development, and climate resilience.
• Four Thematic Verticals of NIRANTAR: 
  • Forest, Biodiversity and Bioresources: Research and sustainable utilisation of biological resources.
  • Himalayan Ecology and Mountain Ecosystems: Addressing climate change impacts such as glacier retreat and fragile ecosystems.
  • Coastal and Marine Systems: Sustainable management of coastal zones and marine resources.
  • Climate Change, Environmental Assessment and Monitoring: Research, impact assessment, and policy support for climate action.
• Whole-of-Government Approach: NIRANTAR is envisaged as a mechanism to enable a whole-of-government approach, fostering cooperation among research institutes, policymakers, and implementing agencies.

Key MoEFCC Institutions

• Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun
• Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), Dehradun
• Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Bhopal
• G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment (GBPNIHE), Almora
• National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), New Delhi
• Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), Coimbatore
• National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), Chennai

BHASHINI Samudaye

Context: Recently, MeitY organised BHASHINI Samudaye at Dr Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi.

About BHASHINI Samudaye

• BHASHINI Samudaye is a collaborative initiative aimed at consolidating India’s language AI ecosystem by fostering shared ownership, ethical data practices, and ecosystem-wide participation under the National Language Translation Mission (NLTM).
  • NLTM now known as Mission BHASHINI, is a transformative Indian government initiative to break language barriers using technology.
• Organised By: Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
• Key Highlights of the Event
  • Ecosystem Collaboration: Engagement of government bodies, academia, civil society, and industry to scale multilingual AI solutions.
  • Participatory Governance: Emphasis on community-driven data creation and shared responsibility for public digital infrastructure.
  • Platform Roadmap: Presentation of expansion plans and pathways for institutional and State-level integration.
  • BHASHINI in Action: Live demonstrations of language AI use cases and walkthrough of BhashaDaan.
    • BhashaDaan is India’s national crowdsourcing initiative where every citizen can help build AI that understands our languages and voices.
    • It collects speech, text, and translations from people across India and uses them to train Al systems.
  • Data Strengthening: Launch of Dataset Onboarding Supporting Team (DOST) to onboard high-value multilingual datasets into BHASHINI and AI Kosh.

About BHASHINI

• BHASHINI (BHAratiya Bhasha Interface) is India’s AI-powered National Language Technology Mission under the Digital India initiative
• Launch: July 2022, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
• Objective: To transcend language barriers, ensuring that every citizen can effortlessly access digital services in their own language.
• Key Features
• • Multi Language platform:  Public digital infrastructure supporting 22 Scheduled and several non-Scheduled languages.
  • Real-time Translation: Offers live translation for government services and digital platforms like e-Swaraj and the Defence Production website.
  • Voice & Text: Provides Text-to-Text, Text-to-Voice, Voice-to-Text, and Voice-to-Voice conversion.
  • AI-Powered: Leverages AI, Natural Language Processing (NLP), and speech recognition to create a multilingual digital ecosystem.
• Applications: BHASHINI supports governance platforms, education, healthcare, fintech, startups, and citizen services, enabling voice-based interfaces, document translation, and inclusive digital service delivery.

Golden Jackal

Context: Recently, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) ordered a probe into the alleged unlawful killing of a protected golden jackal at the National Zoological Park, Delhi.

About Golden Jackal (Canis aureus)

• The Golden Jackal, also known as the common jackal or reed wolf, is a medium-sized, wolf-like canid widely distributed across parts of Africa, Europe, and South Asia.
• Habitat: They are highly adaptable and are commonly found in valleys, river basins, wetlands, agricultural landscapes, and coastal areas, though they are rare in high-altitude regions.
• Distribution: In India, they are widely distributed, ranging from the Himalayan foothills to the Western Ghats.
• Behavioural Traits: They are generally nocturnal in human-dominated areas, live in monogamous pairs, and use burrows or natural crevices for shelter.
• Diet: Golden jackals are omnivorous and opportunistic foragers, feeding on small mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, fruits, and carrion.
• Ecological Role: Ecologically, they are considered a keystone species in many ecosystems due to their roles in:
  • Pest control by regulating rodent populations
  • Scavenging, which aids in waste removal and disease control
  • Seed dispersal, contributing to vegetation regeneration
  • Ecosystem stability through flexible feeding behaviour
• Conservation Status
  • IUCN Red List: Least Concern (LC)
  • Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I
  • CITES: Appendix III

Nipah Virus

Context: Two healthcare workers in  West Bengal, were suspected of being infected by the Nipah virus.

About Nipah Virus 

• Nipah virus is primarily a bat-borne disease, with potential spread from pigs in certain cases. 
• It belongs to the family Paramyxoviridae, genus Henipavirus
• The first outbreaks of the Nipah virus among humans was reported from Malaysia (1998) and Singapore (1999).
• Transmission:
• • It is a zoonotic virus, transmitted from animals to humans and also be transmitted directly from human-to-human
  • Reservoir: The fruit bat, also known as the flying fox, serves as the animal host reservoir for the virus.
• Symptoms: It resembles influenza, including fever, muscle pain, sore throat, and respiratory issues. 
  • In severe cases, it can lead to respiratory distress, convulsions, and death.
• Incubation Period: 4 to 14 days, making contact tracing critical for controlling its spread.
• Fatality Rate: The WHO estimates that between 40% and 75% of cases can result in death
  • WHO has identified Nipah as a priority disease.
• Treatment: Currently, there are no vaccines for Nipah virus, and infected individuals are quarantined and treated under strict isolation measures

Past Outbreaks

• The last outbreak in West Bengal occurred in 2007, while the most recent outbreak in India took place in Kerala in August 2025.

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