News in Shorts: 24 January 2026

Liberalised Remittances Scheme (LRS)

Context: India’s outward remittances under the RBI’s Liberalised Remittance Scheme fell to a two-year low in November 2025, driven by declining foreign education and travel spending.

Key Trends in Outward Remittances 

• Total outward remittances: Fell to $1.94 billion, lowest since November 2023.
• Foreign education spending: Declined sharply to $120.9 million, lowest since April 2020, reflecting reduced overseas enrolments.
• Foreign travel spending: Dropped to $1.1 billion, amid global uncertainty and tighter visa and policy conditions.

About the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS)

• LRS is an RBI-facilitated framework that allows resident individuals to remit funds abroad for permitted current and capital account transactions.
• Launched: 2004 by the Reserve Bank of India.
• Remittance limit: Up to USD 250,000 per individual per financial year.
  • Remittances beyond this limit require prior approval from the RBI.
• Objectives
  • Facilitate education, travel, medical treatment, and maintenance of relatives abroad.
  • Enable overseas investments, asset acquisition, and financial diversification.
  • Promote orderly integration of India with global financial systems.
• Eligibility Criteria:
  • The scheme is available to all resident individuals, including minors and students.
  • Exclusion: Corporates, partnership firms, Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs), trusts, and other entities are excluded from the scheme.
• Permissible Uses:  Funds remitted under LRS may be used for education, business travel, employment, medical treatment, gifts, investments, and other personal purposes, subject to FEMA and RBI guidelines.
• Prohibited Transactions: purchase of lottery tickets, margin trading, speculative activities, or certain real estate transactions, as notified by RBI.
• Taxation under LRS:
  • Remittances under LRS are subject to Tax Collected at Source (TCS) as per the Income Tax Act.
  • Exclusion: TCS is not applicable if the remitter furnishes a declaration that the funds are used for manufacturing, processing, production, or power generation, and not for resale.

ASC ARJUN

Context: In a significant step towards improving passenger safety, security and service delivery, Indian Railways has introduced a humanoid robot named “ASC ARJUN”.

About ASC ARJUN

• It is the first humanoid robot introduced on the Indian Railways network.
• Location: Deployed at Visakhapatnam Railway Station.
• Purpose: Primarily to enhance passenger safety, security, and service delivery, while working alongside Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel.
• Development: Fully designed and developed in Visakhapatnam using home-grown (indigenous) technology.
• Key Features and Capabilities:
• • Intrusion Detection: Equipped with Face Recognition System (FRS).
  • AI-based Crowd Monitoring: Real-time alerts to RPF control rooms.
  • Multilingual Announcements: Automated guidance in English, Hindi, and Telugu.
  • Semi-Autonomous Navigation: Moves along predefined paths with obstacle avoidance.
  • 24×7 Patrolling: Continuous surveillance of platforms.
  • Emergency Response: Fire and smoke detection systems for timely alerts.

TeraWave Communication Network

Context: Blue Origin has announced TeraWave, a massive satellite communications constellation to provide ultra-high-speed global connectivity using optical laser links.

About TeraWave Communication

• TeraWave is a next-generation satellite communications constellation announced by Blue Origin.
• Capacity & Speed: Designed to deliver data speeds of up to 6 Terabits per second (Tbps) anywhere on Earth.
  • It is far higher than existing satellite networks like Starlink.
• Primary Focus: Targets enterprise, government, data centers, and mission-critical users rather than general consumer broadband.

Working Technology of TeraWave

• LEO Satellite Constellation: TeraWave uses a dense constellation of 5,408 Low-Earth Orbit and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellites, enabling low latency and continuous global coverage.
• Optical Inter-Satellite Links: Satellites communicate with each other using optical laser links, allowing ultra-high-speed data transfer without routing all traffic through Earth.
• Space-to-Ground Data Transmission: Data is beamed from satellites to ground gateway terminals.
• Integration with Terrestrial Networks: Ground gateways connect with existing high-capacity fiber, cloud, and data-center infrastructure, enabling seamless data flow between space and Earth systems.

About Blue Origin

• Blue Origin is a USA based private aerospace company.
• Established: Blue Origin was founded in 2000 by Jeff Bezos with a long-term vision of enabling millions of people to live and work in space.
• Focus on Reusable Rockets: The company emphasizes reusable rockets to reduce launch costs.
• Key Launch Vehicles: 
• • New Shepard: Suborbital rocket for space tourism and research.
  • New Glenn: Heavy-lift orbital rocket crucial for deploying large satellite constellations like TeraWave.

SpaceX Starlink

• Starlink is an existing low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite internet constellation providing broadband connectivity worldwide.
• It was developed and operated by SpaceX.
• Scale: ~10,000 satellites already in orbit (largest constellation globally), with more planned.
• Users: Consumers, businesses, governments, and defence agencies.
• Coverage: Available in 140+ countries, especially useful for remote and disaster-prone regions.

Advanced Chemistry Cell–PLI (ACC-PLI) Scheme

Context: India’s ACC-PLI scheme for advanced battery manufacturing faces major delays, with limited capacity commissioned, amid technology gaps, localisation challenges, and supply-chain constraints.

About the Advanced Chemistry Cell–PLI (ACC-PLI) Scheme

• The ACC-PLI scheme was launched in October 2021 by the Ministry of Heavy Industries to promote domestic manufacturing of next-generation battery cells.
• Objectives
  • Establish 50 GWh of battery cell manufacturing capacity by 2026.
  • Reduce import dependence, especially on China.
  • Build a local battery value chain (cathode, anode, electrolyte).
  • Support EV adoption and energy storage at competitive costs.
• Key Components
  • Outlay: ₹18,100 crore.
  • Incentive: Up to ₹2,000 per kWh of battery sold.
  • Local Value Addition: 
    • 25% within 2 years, 
    • 60% within 5 years.
  • Eligibility: Minimum investment of ₹1,100 crore.

Key Gaps in Scheme Achievement

• Delayed Capacity Creation: 
  • Only 1.4 GWh commissioned on time against a 50 GWh target.
  • 8.6 GWh under development but delayed
• Technology & Skill Deficit: 
  • Lack of domestic expertise in cell manufacturing and mineral refining.
  • Delays in visas for Chinese technical specialists slowed equipment installation
• Weak Incentive Outcomes: 
  • Zero incentives disbursed by October 2025.
  • Job creation far below expectations (0.12% of target) generated only 1,118 jobs against an estimated 1.03 million jobs

Demand for Batteries in India

• EV-Driven Demand: EV sector accounts for 70–80% of lithium battery demand.
• Energy Transition Needs: Growing demand from renewable energy storage systems.
• Slowing Growth Signals: EV sales growth (FY 2024-25) at 15.3%, below earlier projections of 49% growth predicted for 2022 -2030.

About Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC)

• ACCs are next-generation rechargeable battery cells that use advanced chemical compositions (beyond conventional lead-acid batteries) to deliver high energy density, longer life, faster charging, and improved safety.
• They mainly include lithium-ion and emerging battery chemistries designed for modern energy and mobility needs.
• Applications
• • Electric Vehicles (EVs): Power electric cars, two-wheelers, buses, and commercial fleets.
  • Renewable Energy Storage: Store solar and wind energy for grid stability and peak demand management.
  • Consumer Electronics: Used in smartphones, laptops, wearables, and power tools.
  • Grid-Scale Storage: Support smart grids, backup power, and frequency regulation.
  • Defence & Space: Reliable power for unmanned systems, satellites, and strategic equipment.

Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary

Context: Recently a forest fire affected about 12 hectares inside Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary, intensified by dry weather, high winds, steep terrain, and restricted access.

About Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary

• Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary is a high-altitude protected area in East Sikkim, known for its rich biodiversity, strategic location, and role as an Important Bird Area (IBA).
• Est: 2002.
• Location: Situated in East Sikkim, along the Indo-China border
  • Forms an ecological corridor with Bhutan forests and Neora Valley National Park (West Bengal).
  • Lies along the Pangolakha Range, extending below the Chola Range, separating Sikkim from Bhutan.
• Geography: 
  • Altitude: ~1,300 m to over 4,000 m
  • Terrain: Steep mountainous slopes, alpine meadows, marshes, and forested valleys.
  • Mountain Passes: Nathu La and Jelep La, historically important and ecologically sensitive.
  • Water Bodies: High-altitude lakes such as Bedang Tso and nearby lakes including Tsongmo, vital for migratory birds.
  • Rivers: Headwaters of Rangpo and Jaldhaka originate nearby.
• Vegetation: Alpine–temperate–subtropical gradient
  • Rhododendron, Silver Fir, Juniper, moss-rich oak forests, and dense bamboo thickets.
• Fauna: Tiger, Leopard, Takin, Red Panda, Musk Deer, Serow, Asiatic Black Bear
  • Red Panda is also the State Animal of Sikkim

Red-Eared Slider Turtle

Context: Recently, red‑eared slider turtles were found in Coimbatore wetlands, Tamil Nadu, raising concerns about invasive species threats to freshwater ecosystems.

• Released from the pet trade, they are now spreading in Indian urban lakes and wetlands.

Red-Eared Slider Turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans)

• The red-eared slider turtle is one of the world’s most widely introduced freshwater turtles, primarily spread through the global exotic pet trade.
• Native Range: Native to the United States, especially the Mississippi River basin and surrounding regions.
• Distribution: Now established on all continents except Antarctica.
  • In India, sightings are increasing in urban lakes, tanks, and wetlands, especially near cities.
• Key Features
  • Appearance: Distinct red stripes behind each ear.
  • Habitat: Predominantly aquatic; becomes semi-terrestrial while expanding range.
  • Adaptability: Survives in sub-optimal temperatures and diverse habitats.
  • Behaviour: Aggressive hunter, especially during breeding periods.
  • Lifespan: 20–50 years in the wild.
• IUCN Status: Least Concern (globally), but invasive outside native range.

Impact on Indian Ecosystems

• Breeds rapidly due to absence of natural predators.
• Competes with native turtles for basking sites, nesting areas, and food.
• Aggressive feeding reduces fish populations, disturbing freshwater food chains.
• Alters wetland ecology, threatening local biodiversity.

Ways to Tackle Its Invasion

• Strict regulation and monitoring of exotic pet trade and imports.
• Public awareness campaigns discouraging release of pet turtles into natural water bodies.
• Early detection and removal, with reporting by fishermen, citizens, and local authorities.

Shadow Fleet

Context: Recently, the U.S. imposed fresh sanctions on Iran’s “shadow fleet” to curb oil exports allegedly funding protest repression and regional destabilisation.

What is a Shadow Fleet?

• A shadow fleet refers to a network of ageing, often anonymously owned oil tankers used to evade international sanctions by concealing the origin, ownership, and destination of cargo.
• Key Features of a Shadow Fleet
• • Opaque Ownership: Vessels are registered through shell companies across multiple jurisdictions.
  • Evasion Techniques: Frequent ship renaming, flag-hopping, disabling Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders, and ship-to-ship transfers at sea.
  • Informal Logistics: Operates outside mainstream insurance, financing, and compliance systems.

Impact of Shadow Fleets

• Sanctions Evasion: Enables sanctioned states like Iran to continue exporting oil and petroleum products despite restrictions.
• Security Risks: Revenues may finance weapons programmes, proxy groups, and internal repression.
• Maritime Safety & Environment: Poorly regulated vessels increase risks of accidents, oil spills, and legal disputes.

Meteotsunami

Context: A rare meteotsunami struck the coastal town of Santa Clara del Mar, Argentina.

What is a Meteotsunami?

• Definition: A meteotsunami is a tsunami-like sea-level oscillation caused by rapid atmospheric  disturbances, not by seismic activity.
• Distinct from Earthquake Tsunami: Unlike conventional tsunamis triggered by undersea earthquakes, meteotsunamis are generated due to meteorological factors.
• Triggering Mechanism:
• • Atmospheric Pressure Changes: Sudden drops or fluctuations in air pressure over the ocean surface.
  • Wave Formation Process: The atmospheric disturbance transfers energy to the ocean surface, creating long waves that travel toward the coast and are often amplified by shallow continental shelves, bays, inlets, or harbours.
• Behaviour and Characteristics:
  • Rapid Onset: The phenomenon occurs suddenly with little or no warning.
  • Sea Withdrawal: Water may initially recede from the shoreline before surging back forcefully.
  • Wave Height and Impact: Meteotsunamis can reach wave heights of 6 feet or more, posing risks to coastal infrastructure, vessels, and human safety.
• Geographical Occurrence: They have been recorded in several regions, including the Great Lakes, Gulf of America, Atlantic Coast, and the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas.
• Difference from Seismic Tsunami: Unlike seismic tsunamis, which originate from tectonic activity, meteotsunamis are weather-induced, though their physical behaviour and coastal impact can appear very similar.

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