📰 PIB Notes for UPSC – 15 June 2026
Daily PIB Current Affairs | UPSC & SSC Exam Preparation
Today's PIB Notes for UPSC covers 13 key topics —
ASI-Denmark MoU for Danish Ship Oresund, DRDO's LRLACM Cruise Missile Test,
BHASHINI-GeM MoU for Multilingual Procurement, Law Ministry Reforms Utsav & Nyaya Prabodh,
12 Years of Panchayat Reforms, 12 Years of Science & Technology Growth,
Top Class Education Scheme for SC Students, PIB Backgrounder on Ease of Living,
IBC Decade – IICA Conference, PM's Visit to Slovakia (Outcomes),
India-France Innovation Roadmap 2030, and CCRAS-CSU Ayurveda Manuscript Workshop.
Each topic includes simplified notes, prelims extra points & an interactive MCQ —
ideal for UPSC Prelims & SSC CGL.
Ministry of Culture
ASI & National Museum of Denmark – MoU for Underwater Archaeology of Ship Oresund
📝 Key Notes
⭐ Prelims Extra Points
❓ MCQ Practice
- MoU signed between ASI Underwater Archaeology Wing and National Museum of Denmark: Njord – Centre for Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage, Copenhagen.
- Project: Locate and document remains of historic Danish ship Oresund — wrecked near Karaikal, Puducherry in 1619 CE.
- Oresund = first Danish ship known to have reached India.
- Method: Non-invasive archaeological survey using advanced technologies (no excavation/disturbance).
- Significance: First international collaborative underwater archaeology project by ASI's Underwater Archaeology Wing.
- Aims to strengthen India-Denmark cooperation in underwater cultural heritage research.
⭐ Prelims Extra Points
- ASI = Archaeological Survey of India — under Ministry of Culture; established 1861 by Alexander Cunningham; protects 3,693+ centrally protected monuments.
- Underwater Archaeology Wing (UAW) of ASI — established 2001; Goa-based; focuses on submerged cultural heritage.
- Karaikal = enclave of Union Territory of Puducherry; located on Coromandel Coast (Tamil Nadu region).
- India's maritime archaeological significance: Lothal (Gujarat) — world's oldest known dockyard (~2500 BCE, Harappan civilization).
- Denmark was active in India under Danish East India Company (Ostindisk Kompagni) — 1616 to 1845; traded from Tranquebar (Tharangambadi), Tamil Nadu.
- UNESCO 2001 Convention on Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage — India has not yet ratified it.
- Non-invasive archaeology = uses sonar, sub-bottom profiler, ROVs, photogrammetry — no physical disturbance of site.
❓ MCQ Practice
Q. The historic Danish ship 'Oresund' that sank near Karaikal in 1619 CE holds significance as:
The Oresund is significant as the first Danish ship known to have reached India, wrecked near Karaikal, Puducherry in 1619 CE — making it an important maritime archaeology resource.
Ministry of Defence
DRDO Successfully Tests Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile (LRLACM)
📝 Key Notes
⭐ Prelims Extra Points
❓ MCQ Practice
- DRDO conducted successful flight-test of Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile (LRLACM) on 15 June 2026.
- Launch site: Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island, off the coast of Odisha.
- Tracking: Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur; all test objectives met.
- Fully indigenous missile; all sub-systems by DRDO labs + Indian industry.
- Nodal Laboratory: Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Bengaluru.
- Users: Indian Navy & Indian Air Force (representatives witnessed the test).
- Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO and industry partners.
⭐ Prelims Extra Points
- Cruise Missile = self-guided, terrain-hugging, air-breathing missile; flies at low altitude; high precision; can carry conventional or nuclear warhead.
- India's existing cruise missiles: BrahMos (India-Russia joint; supersonic), Nirbhay (DRDO; subsonic, long-range).
- Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island = formerly Wheeler Island; India's premier missile test facility in Odisha Bay of Bengal.
- ADE (Aeronautical Development Establishment) = DRDO lab in Bengaluru; developed Tejas LCA, UAVs, cruise missiles.
- DRDO = Defence Research and Development Organisation — under Dept of Defence R&D; Chairman = also Defence Secretary (Rajesh Kumar Singh).
- Land Attack Cruise Missile = designed for precision strike on ground targets from naval vessels or aircraft — enhances stand-off capability.
- India's missile programme milestones: Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) — Agni, Prithvi, Akash, Trishul, Nag.
❓ MCQ Practice
Q. The LRLACM test was conducted from which location off the coast of India?
Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island (formerly Wheeler Island), off the coast of Odisha — India's premier integrated missile test facility — was the launch site for LRLACM.
Ministry of Electronics & IT
BHASHINI & GeM MoU – Multilingual Access to Public Procurement
📝 Key Notes
⭐ Prelims Extra Points
❓ MCQ Practice
- MoU between Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD) under DIC, MeitY and Government e-Marketplace (GeM) under Ministry of Commerce.
- Programme name: "BHASHINI for Seva/Sanchalan – A BHASHINI Sahayogi Program".
- Goal: Multilingual access across 22 officially recognised Indian languages on GeM platform.
- BHASHINI capabilities: 800+ govt websites powered; 15 million+ inferences daily; supports 36 Indian text + 23 voice + 35 international languages.
- Key components: Translation API, voice bots, voice-first technology, multilingual glossary, domain-specific language models, Bhashadaan (language data contribution).
- BHASHINI initiatives: BHASHINI Udyat, Mitra, Appmitra, Sahyogi, Pravakta.
- Target beneficiaries: MSMEs, startups, entrepreneurs across linguistic regions.
⭐ Prelims Extra Points
- BHASHINI = India's National Language Digital Public Infrastructure; AI-powered multilingual platform; part of Digital India.
- GeM (Government e-Marketplace) = National Public Procurement Portal; launched 2016; for B2G (business-to-government) procurement; under Ministry of Commerce.
- 8th Schedule of Constitution = recognizes 22 scheduled languages of India (most recently added: Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Santhali in 2004).
- DPI (Digital Public Infrastructure) = India Stack — UPI, Aadhaar, DigiLocker, BHASHINI etc. — India's replicable digital governance model for global south.
- Bhashadaan = crowdsourced language data collection platform — citizens contribute voice, text, translation data to train Indian language AI models.
- Voice First = design approach where voice/speech is primary mode of interaction — critical for digital inclusion of low-literacy users.
❓ MCQ Practice
Q. BHASHINI is India's National Language Digital Public Infrastructure. It currently powers how many government websites?
BHASHINI powers 800+ government websites, processes over 15 million inferences daily, and supports 36 Indian text languages, 23 Indian voice languages, and 35 international languages.
Ministry of Law & Justice
Reforms Utsav & 'Nyaya Prabodh' Campaign Launched – Dharamshala
📝 Key Notes
⭐ Prelims Extra Points
❓ MCQ Practice
- Regional Workshop + Reforms Utsav: Celebrating 12 Years of Reforms held at Dharamshala, Kangra, Himachal Pradesh (15 June 2026).
- Organized by Dept of Justice, Ministry of Law & Justice; event graced by HP Governor Shri Kavinder Gupta & MoS Law Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal.
- Launch: "Nyaya Prabodh – Awakening to Justice" — year-long legal awareness campaign.
- Activities launched: Know Your Rights in 90 seconds, Nyaya Quiz, Pro Bono Pledge.
- DISHA Scheme: Over 1.12 crore citizens received pre-litigation legal advice.
- Tele-Law = technology-enabled legal advice for rural/marginalised communities under DISHA.
- Nyaya Bandhu = pro bono legal services initiative connecting advocates with underprivileged.
- Justice Delivery achievements: 4.10 crore hearings via video conferencing; 32 crore case records on National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG).
- Govt amended/repealed 1,725+ laws in 12 years.
- Article 39A = constitutional mandate for equal justice and free legal aid.
⭐ Prelims Extra Points
- Article 39A = DPSP (Directive Principle) — mandates free legal aid to ensure justice not denied due to economic disability; added by 42nd Amendment, 1976.
- NALSA = National Legal Services Authority — implements free legal aid under Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
- eCourts Mission Mode Project — digitises court processes; part of National eGovernance Plan; Phase III underway.
- NJDG = National Judicial Data Grid — real-time pendency data of all district courts; managed by eCommittee of Supreme Court.
- Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) — for expeditious trial of sexual offence cases (POCSO & rape cases).
- Pro Bono = Latin "for public good" — free legal services by lawyers to those who cannot afford fees.
- Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das — lawyer who defended Aurobindo Ghosh in Alipore Bomb Case (1908-09) pro bono.
❓ MCQ Practice
Q. Article 39A of the Indian Constitution, related to legal aid, was added by which Constitutional Amendment?
Article 39A — mandating equal justice and free legal aid — was inserted by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment in 1976. It falls under Directive Principles of State Policy (Part IV).
Ministry of Panchayati Raj
12 Years of Panchayat Reforms – Key Achievements
📝 Key Notes
⭐ Prelims Extra Points
❓ MCQ Practice
- RGSA (Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan): 4.10 crore elected reps & functionaries trained; 33.55 lakh women reps trained (FY 2022-23 to 2025-26).
- SVAMITVA Scheme (since 2020): 3.18 crore property cards issued across 1.92 lakh villages (drone-based survey).
- e-GramSwaraj: 2.59 lakh Panchayats onboarded; ₹3.16 lakh crore online transactions processed.
- Meri Panchayat App: 1 crore+ downloads.
- 15th Finance Commission (2020-26): ₹2.82 lakh crore (94.98% of total) released to Rural Local Bodies — highest ever.
- 16th Finance Commission (2026-31): Recommended ₹4,35,236 crore — 84% jump over 15th FC.
- SabhaSaar: AI platform for automatic Gram Sabha Minutes in 23 languages; launched Aug 2025; 1.35 lakh Panchayats used; 3 lakh+ MoMs generated.
- GP-level weather forecasting (Oct 2024) — with IMD & Ministry of Earth Sciences.
- PESA (Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas Act, 1996) — 7 training manuals in tribal languages; PESA-GPDP Portal; Centre of Excellence; PESA Ranking.
- Model Youth Gram Sabha (MYGS) (Oct 2025): 619 JNVs + 200 EMRS + Govt schools; engaged 29,000 students in 819 schools.
4.10 Cr
Elected Reps Trained
3.18 Cr
Property Cards (SVAMITVA)
₹4.35 L Cr
16th FC Grant (2026-31)
84%
Jump in RLB Grants
⭐ Prelims Extra Points
- PESA Act, 1996 = extends PRI provisions to tribal (5th Schedule) areas; gives tribal communities control over natural resources & local governance.
- Finance Commission = constitutional body (Art. 280); recommends centre-state tax devolution; 16th FC constituted 2023 under Dr Arvind Panagariya.
- SAMARTH Panchayat Portal = tool for Own Source Revenue (OSR) mobilisation by GPs — property tax, user charges etc.
- GPDPs = Gram Panchayat Development Plans — prepared by all 2.55 lakh GPs; integrated into e-GramSwaraj.
- PFMS = Public Financial Management System — enables real-time tracking of government fund flows to all levels.
- Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) = residential schools for rural talented students; under Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, Ministry of Education.
❓ MCQ Practice
Q. 'SabhaSaar', an AI platform for automatic Gram Sabha Minutes generation, supports how many Indian languages?
SabhaSaar generates Gram Sabha Minutes of Meetings automatically in 23 Indian languages. Launched August 2025, it has been used by 1.35 lakh Panchayats generating 3 lakh+ MoMs.
Ministry of Science & Technology
12 Years of Transformative Growth in Science, Technology & Innovation
📝 Key Notes
⭐ Prelims Extra Points
❓ MCQ Practice
- Press conference by Dr Jitendra Singh (MoS Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, PMO) at CSIR HQ, New Delhi.
- Bioeconomy: $10 billion (2014) → $190 billion (2026); target $300 billion by 2030; policy: BioE3 Framework.
- Space startups: Single digits → 400+; space economy: $8 billion → projected $45 billion.
- Weather Radars: 17 (2014) → 50 (2026); another 50 planned under Mission Mausam.
- Weather forecasting coverage: 300 cities → 1,700 locations.
- Chandrayaan-3: India = first nation to land near Moon's South Pole (August 2023).
- Future goals: Bharatiya Antariksh Station by 2035 + Indian Moon landing by 2040.
- Nuclear energy sector opened to private participation — major policy reform.
- CSIR Aroma Mission: Livelihood creation for Himalayan farmers via high-value aromatic crops.
- Steel Slag Road Technology: Industrial waste → durable roads (CSIR-CRRI innovation).
- Deep Ocean Mission: Indigenous deep-sea tech — Matsya 6000, Varaha.
- ANRF (Anusandhan National Research Foundation), National Quantum Mission, National Supercomputing Mission highlighted.
$190 Bn
Bioeconomy (2026)
400+
Space Startups
50
Weather Radars (2026)
1,700
Weather Forecast Locations
⭐ Prelims Extra Points
- BioE3 Policy = Biotechnology for Economy, Environment & Employment — India's biotech growth framework (2024).
- Mission Mausam — India's weather observation modernisation mission; targets 50+ radars, enhanced lightning detection, nowcasting.
- Chandrayaan-3: Launched July 14, 2023; soft-landed Aug 23, 2023; Vikram lander + Pragyan rover — near lunar South Pole (Shiv Shakti Point).
- ANRF = Anusandhan National Research Foundation — established under ANRF Act 2023; modelled on US NSF; ₹50,000 crore outlay over 5 years.
- National Quantum Mission (NQM) — approved 2023; ₹6,003 crore; aims to develop quantum computers, communication, sensing by 2031.
- National Supercomputing Mission — builds supercomputing grid across IITs, IISc, national labs; developed PARAM series.
- Matsya 6000 = India's deep-sea submersible (NIOT); for 6,000m depth exploration under Deep Ocean Mission.
❓ MCQ Practice
Q. India's bioeconomy has grown from approximately $10 billion in 2014 to what value by 2026?
India's bioeconomy grew from ~$10 billion (2014) to $190 billion (2026), with a target of $300 billion by 2030. The BioE3 framework and progressive policies have driven this ~20x growth.
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
Top Class Education Scheme for SC Students – Success Stories
📝 Key Notes
⭐ Prelims Extra Points
❓ MCQ Practice
- Top Class Education Scheme for SC Students — implemented by Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment; launched 2007-08.
- Eligibility: Meritorious SC students with annual family income up to ₹8 lakh.
- Coverage: Tuition fees, living expenses, books, computers, other academic needs.
- Growth: Students supported — 195 (2007-08) → 4,742 (2025-26); Expenditure: ₹2.17 crore → ₹117.19 crore.
- Institutions: IITs, NITs, IIITs, NLUs, NID, IIMs, other premier institutions.
- Success stories: Amul Shaturia (IIIT Allahabad → ₹56 lakh package); Sushmitha Pothuraju (Amazon ₹45 lakh); Nalan S (IIT Palakkad → BEL Navratna PSU); Rishabh Lade (NLU Mumbai → IDBI Bank).
⭐ Prelims Extra Points
- Top Class Education Scheme = part of SHREYAS (Scholarships for Higher Education for Young Achievers Scheme); implemented by Ministry of SJ&E.
- Other SC scholarship schemes: Pre-Matric Scholarship (Classes IX-X), Post-Matric Scholarship (higher education), National Overseas Scholarship.
- SHRESHTA scheme (June 2022) — SC students in quality residential schools (Classes IX-XII); income limit ₹2.5 lakh; through NETS exam.
- SC GER in Higher Education: 18.9% (2014-15) → 25.9% (2021-22); SC female GER: 18.1% → 26%.
- DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) — scholarship amounts directly to Aadhaar-linked bank accounts; fully digital since 2021-22.
- DAPSC = Development Action Plan for SCs — 38 ministries, 239 schemes for SC welfare.
❓ MCQ Practice
Q. The Top Class Education Scheme for SC students supports meritorious SC students with annual family income up to:
The Top Class Education Scheme supports meritorious SC students with annual family income up to ₹8 lakh, providing comprehensive coverage of tuition, living expenses, books and computers at premier institutions.
PIB Backgrounder
Ease of Living – India's Journey of Inclusive Progress (2014-2026)
📝 Key Notes
⭐ Prelims Extra Points
❓ MCQ Practice
- PMAY-U: 1.25 crore sanctioned; 98 lakh completed (vs 8 lakh in 2005-14).
- PMAY-G: 3.91 crore sanctioned; 3.05 crore completed; 75% women/joint ownership.
- PMUY: 10.57 crore LPG connections; LPG coverage: 55.9% (2014) → 107.2% (2026).
- JJM: 15.86 crore (81.94%) rural households with tap water (was 3.23 crore/16.72% in 2019); JJM 2.0 extended to Dec 2028 with ₹8.69 lakh crore.
- SBM-Gramin: Sanitation coverage 39% (2014) → 100% (2019); 12.14 crore HH toilets; 5.69 lakh ODF Plus villages.
- Total Installed Power: 248 GW (2014) → 532 GW (2026); RE: 76 GW → 274 GW; India = 3rd largest clean energy.
- SAUBHAGYA: 2.86 crore households electrified; average rural supply: 12.5 hrs → 22.6 hrs.
- PM Surya Ghar: 40 lakh households with rooftop solar; ₹75,021 crore scheme.
- PMJDY: 58 crore accounts; ₹3 lakh crore deposits; 40.60 crore RuPay cards.
- PMMY: 57.7 crore loans, ₹40 lakh crore; 66% to women.
- National Highways: 91,287 km (2014) → 1,46,572 km (2026) — 61% growth.
- Vande Bharat Express: 162 services; 3.98 crore passengers in FY 2025-26; launched Feb 2019.
- Metro Rail: 248 km (5 cities, 2014) → 1,155 km (26 cities, 2026) — 3rd largest globally; ridership: 28 lakh → 1.15 crore/day.
- UDAN: 665 routes; 95 airports; 1.64 crore passengers; airports: 74 (2014) → 165 (2026).
- Jan Vishwas Act 2023 & 2026: Decriminalised 717 provisions across 79 central Acts.
- Peak electricity demand record: 256.1 GW (25 April 2026).
- UJALA: 37 crore LED bulbs; ₹19,153 crore annual household savings.
⭐ Prelims Extra Points
- Digi Yatra = paperless air travel using facial recognition; launched Dec 2022; 9.3 crore passengers across 38 airports (by May 2026).
- Kavach = Indian automatic train protection system; deployed on 3,103 route km; installed on 4,277 locomotives; train accidents: 135 (2014-15) → 16 (2025-26).
- RRTS/Namo Bharat = Delhi-Meerut corridor; operates at 160 kmph; design speed 180 kmph; world's first ETCS Level II with Hybrid Level III on LTE backbone.
- Bullet Train = Ahmedabad-Mumbai (508 km; 320 kmph design speed); Surat-Bilimora section in 2027; 7 more corridors announced in Union Budget 2026-27.
- Bharatmala Pariyojana — national highway development programme; 22,590 km completed by March 2026.
- PMGSY — rural roads; 99.6% eligible habitations connected; roads: 3.86 lakh km (2000-14) + 4.11 lakh km (2014-26).
- JAM Trinity = Jan Dhan + Aadhaar + Mobile — India's welfare delivery backbone enabling DBT without leakages.
❓ MCQ Practice
Q. India's metro rail network expanded from 248 km (5 cities) in 2014 to what size by March 2026, making it the 3rd largest globally?
India's metro network grew to 1,155 km across 26 cities by March 2026 — making India the 3rd largest metro network in the world. Daily ridership grew from 28 lakh to 1.15 crore.
Ministry of Corporate Affairs
A Decade of IBC – IICA National Conference & PGIP Convocation
📝 Key Notes
⭐ Prelims Extra Points
❓ MCQ Practice
- IICA hosted National Conference: "Redefining India's Restructuring Ecosystem: A Decade of Learning" at Pradhan Mantri Sangrahalaya, New Delhi.
- 6th Batch Convocation of PGIP (Post Graduate Insolvency Programme) — 40 students; 2-year residential programme by IBBI-approved curriculum.
- IBC (Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code) achievements: ~₹4 lakh crore recovered; creditors realised ~170% of liquidation value.
- 32,000+ cases settled before formal admission; credit worth ₹14 lakh crore preserved.
- IBC (Amendment) Act, 2026 = described as "landmark generational reform".
- New mechanism: CIIRP (Creditor-Initiated Insolvency Resolution Process).
- UNCITRAL Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency — enabling provisions introduced through IBC Amendment 2026.
- Key institutions: NCLT (National Company Law Tribunal), NCLAT, IBBI (Insolvency & Bankruptcy Board of India).
- Scheme announced: PM Vidya Lakshmi merit-cum-means scholarship for PGIP students.
- ONOS (One Nation One Subscription) extended to IICA.
⭐ Prelims Extra Points
- IBC (Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code), 2016 — landmark reform consolidating insolvency laws; provides time-bound resolution (180+90 days) for corporate insolvency.
- IBBI = Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India — regulatory body for IBC; established 2016.
- NCLT = National Company Law Tribunal — adjudicating authority for corporate insolvency; established under Companies Act 2013.
- NCLAT = National Company Law Appellate Tribunal — appeals from NCLT; chairperson is retired Supreme Court judge.
- IICA = Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs — premier training institute under MCA; located in Manesar, Haryana.
- ARC = Asset Reconstruction Company — buys bad loans from banks at discount; regulated by RBI under SARFAESI Act 2002.
- UNCITRAL Model Law = UN standard for cross-border insolvency — provides framework for international recognition and cooperation in insolvency proceedings.
❓ MCQ Practice
Q. According to the IICA conference, approximately how much has been recovered through IBC resolution processes in a decade?
Nearly ₹4 lakh crore has been recovered through IBC resolution processes, with creditors realising approximately 170% of liquidation value. Additionally, 32,000+ cases settled pre-admission preserved ₹14 lakh crore of credit.
Prime Minister's Office
PM Modi's Visit to Slovakia – Key Outcomes
📝 Key Notes
⭐ Prelims Extra Points
❓ MCQ Practice
- PM Narendra Modi visited Slovakia — bilateral relationship elevated to Comprehensive Partnership.
- 11 MoUs/LoIs signed including:
- MoU on Labour Migration
- LoI on Defence cooperation
- MoU on Digital Technologies
- MoU on Higher Education & Research
- MoU on Quantum Communication & Critical Infrastructure Protection
- MoU: National Institute of Naturopathy, Pune (AYUSH) ↔ Slovak Health Spa Piestany
- Agreement: IIT Delhi ↔ Slovak Technical University (student exchange, scholarships, research)
- First ever ICCR Chair in Artificial Intelligence at Technical University of Kosice
- Agreement on Scientific Cooperation: INSA ↔ Slovak Academy of Sciences
- Announcements: Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism + Consular Dialogue established.
- MoU on Audio-visual Creation + Tourism cooperation also signed.
⭐ Prelims Extra Points
- Slovakia = Central European country; capital Bratislava; EU & NATO member; neighbour of Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Ukraine.
- ICCR = Indian Council for Cultural Relations — promotes India's cultural diplomacy globally; established 1950; HQ: New Delhi.
- INSA = Indian National Science Academy — India's apex science body; established 1935; promotes science and technology in India.
- Comprehensive Partnership = elevated diplomatic relationship denoting broad cooperation across political, economic, security & cultural domains.
- AYUSH = Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathy — Ministry promotes traditional medicine.
- India's Act West Policy — engagement with Central & Eastern Europe complements Act East Policy.
❓ MCQ Practice
Q. During PM Modi's visit to Slovakia, the first ever ICCR Chair in Artificial Intelligence was established at which institution?
The first ever ICCR Chair in Artificial Intelligence was established at the Technical University of Kosice, Slovakia — a landmark in India-Slovakia academic cooperation.
Prime Minister's Office
India-France Innovation Roadmap 2030 – Key Pillars
📝 Key Notes
⭐ Prelims Extra Points
❓ MCQ Practice
- PM Modi & President Macron elevated bilateral to "Special Global Strategic Partnership" on 17 February 2026; jointly inaugurated India-France Year of Innovation 2026.
- India-France Innovation Roadmap 2030 adopted — 4 key pillars:
- Trusted AI — safe, secure AI; child safety online; privacy-preserving data sharing (India's DEPA + France's trusted data spaces).
- People-to-People (Academic Mobility) — France targets 30,000 Indian students by 2030; expanded Mutual Recognition of Qualifications (MRQ) (France = first country to sign MRQ with India, 2018).
- Technological Sovereignty — CEFIPRA (flagship bilateral science cooperation centre); India-France Innovation Network (IFIN); Franco-Indian Campus for Aeronautics Training in Kanpur.
- AI & Research for Global Health — ICMR + France's Health Data Hub; consent-based data sharing.
- 19 academic/institutional agreements signed (IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Madras, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Gandhinagar, IISc etc. with French institutions).
- Space cooperation: India-France events: Bengaluru Space Expo (BSX) 7-9 Sep + International Space Summit 9-10 Sep, Paris.
- India-France InnoXchange Bridge — bilateral startup & innovation exchange initiative.
⭐ Prelims Extra Points
- CEFIPRA = Centre Franco-Indien pour la Promotion de la Recherche Avancée — established 1987; flagship India-France scientific cooperation institution; co-funds research projects.
- DEPA = Data Empowerment and Protection Architecture — India's consent-based personal data sharing framework; uses Account Aggregators.
- Horizon 2047 Roadmap = India-France long-term partnership roadmap adopted in 2023 to coincide with India's centenary of independence.
- France is India's 6th largest trading partner in EU; strong ties in defence (Rafale jets, Scorpène submarines), space, nuclear energy.
- Rafale Fighter Jets = procured from France's Dassault Aviation; India has 36 for IAF + 26 for Indian Navy (Rafale M).
- AI Action Summit (2025) hosted by France; AI Impact Summit (2026) hosted by India — both referenced in Roadmap.
- Station-F = world's largest startup campus; located in Paris — India-France startup collaboration hub.
❓ MCQ Practice
Q. France became the first country to sign a Mutual Recognition of Qualifications (MRQ) agreement with India in which year?
France signed the MRQ agreement with India in 2018, becoming the first country to do so — enabling mutual recognition of higher education and professional qualifications between the two countries.
AYUSH
CCRAS-CSU Workshop – Transliteration of Ayurveda Manuscripts in Tigalari & Old Kannada Scripts
📝 Key Notes
⭐ Prelims Extra Points
❓ MCQ Practice
- 15-day capacity-building workshop on transliteration of Ayurveda manuscripts in Tigalari & Old Kannada scripts at Udupi, Karnataka.
- Jointly organised by CCRAS (Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences), Ministry of Ayush + Central Sanskrit University (CSU), Ministry of Education, in collaboration with Sri Vadiraja Research Foundation.
- Venue: Sri Puthige Narasimha Sabhabhavana, Geetha Mandir, Udupi — under blessings of Sri Puthige Matha.
- Inaugurated by Prof. Vaidya Rabinarayan Acharya, Director General, CCRAS.
- Tigalari script = ancient script predominantly found in coastal Karnataka; used to write Sanskrit and Tulu texts.
- This is the 3rd such joint workshop by CCRAS-CSU; earlier at Puri (Karani/Devanagari) and Guruvayur, Kerala (Vattezhuthu/Malayalam).
- Aligns with Gyan Bharatam Mission — Govt's initiative to conserve India's knowledge traditions.
- Transliterated manuscripts will be published by CCRAS and CSU.
⭐ Prelims Extra Points
- CCRAS = Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences — apex body for Ayurveda research under Ministry of Ayush; established 1978.
- Central Sanskrit University — established 2020 (upgraded from Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan); under Ministry of Education; promotes Sanskrit language and literature.
- Tigalari script = also called Tulu script; used in coastal Karnataka & Kerala; one of India's endangered scripts.
- Gyan Bharatam Mission — PM Modi's initiative to document, digitise and preserve India's traditional knowledge (manuscripts, oral traditions, folk wisdom).
- NIIMH = National Institute of Indian Medical Heritage — CCRAS institute in Hyderabad; focuses on history of Ayurveda and traditional medicine.
- Manuscript conservation — India has 10+ million manuscripts (world's largest manuscript repository); National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM) under Ministry of Culture.
- Sri Puthige Matha = Vaishnava religious institution in coastal Karnataka; known for preserving Sanskrit and Tulu manuscripts.
❓ MCQ Practice
Q. The CCRAS-Central Sanskrit University workshop at Udupi focuses on transliteration of Ayurveda manuscripts in which scripts?
The Udupi workshop focuses on Tigalari and Old Kannada scripts — ancient scripts predominantly found in coastal Karnataka. Earlier workshops were at Puri (Karani/Devanagari) and Guruvayur (Vattezhuthu/Malayalam).
