In News:

• In a landmark achievement, India has successfully developed a rare and high-purity Reference Material (RM) – Methandienone Long-Term Metabolite (LTM) for advanced anti-doping testing in sports.
• This development was led by the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Guwahati in collaboration with the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL), New Delhi, under the Department of Pharmaceuticals.

What are Reference Materials (RMs)?

• Highly purified, scientifically characterized forms of drug substances or their metabolites.
• Essential for accurate analytical testing and doping control.
• Crucial for detecting over 450 prohibited substances listed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
• Globally scarce – only 4–5 manufacturers worldwide produce such materials, making them expensive and difficult to access.

Methandienone Long-Term Metabolite (LTM)

• A specialized RM developed for tracing misuse of anabolic steroid Methandienone.
• LTMs are metabolites that remain detectable in urine long after substance use – enabling identification of athletes even months or years after doping.
• Enhances detection sensitivity and increases the number of positive tests, thus acting as a deterrent.
• Not commercially available globally, making India’s contribution unique.

Significance for India and the World

• Strengthening Anti-Doping Efforts: Supports WADA’s global mission of transparency, fairness, and integrity in sports.
• Protecting Clean Athletes: Shields honest athletes while discouraging performance-enhancing drug misuse.
• Global Contribution: Methandienone LTM can be shared with 30 WADA-accredited laboratories worldwide, positioning India as a global leader in doping science.
• Self-Reliance in Sports Science: Since 2020, NIPER Guwahati has synthesized 12 out of 22 identified RMs for NDTL, reducing dependency on costly imports.

National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) – Key Facts

• Premier analytical testing and research organization under Government of India.
• Only laboratory in India accredited for human sports dope testing.
• Accredited by:
  • National Accreditation Board for Testing & Calibration Laboratories (NABL)
  • World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)
• Plays a central role in ensuring India’s compliance with international anti-doping standards.

In News:

India and Singapore have recently elevated their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) by signing multiple agreements across defence, space, trade, skills, and sustainability.

A key highlight was Singapore’s support for India’s interest in joint patrolling of the Malacca Strait, one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints. This development has both bilateral and regional strategic implications.

The Malacca Strait: Geography and Importance

• Location: Between Sumatra (Indonesia) and Peninsular Malaysia–Thailand, linking the Andaman Sea (Indian Ocean) with the South China Sea (Pacific Ocean).
• Significance:
  • One of the busiest shipping lanes globally, handling ~60% of India’s seaborne trade and nearly all its LNG imports.
  • A vital energy artery for China, making it a strategic vulnerability (“Malacca Dilemma”).
  • Historically named after the Malacca Sultanate (1400–1511).

Malacca Straits Patrols (MSP)

• Launched in 2004 by Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore; Thailand joined later.
• Aimed at curbing piracy, terrorism, and trafficking.
• Three coordinated layers:
  1. Sea Patrols: Regular joint naval patrolling.
  2. Eyes-in-the-Sky: Combined aerial surveillance.
  3. Intelligence Exchange Group: Real-time information sharing.
• India’s interest in joining the MSP reflects its commitment to freedom of navigation, regional stability, and maritime security.

India–Singapore Bilateral Cooperation (2025 Roadmap)

During PM Narendra Modi’s meeting with Singapore PM Lawrence Wong (2025), a roadmap was adopted identifying eight priority areas:

1. Trade and Economy
2. Skills Development – MoU to establish a National Centre of Excellence for Advanced Manufacturing Skilling in Chennai.
3. Digitalisation& AI
4. Sustainability – MoU for a Green and Digital Shipping Corridor and collaboration on green maritime fuel.
5. Connectivity– Deepening maritime links.
6. Healthcare & Medicine
7. People-to-People and Cultural Exchanges
8. Defence and Security – including space collaboration.

Key Agreements

• Space Cooperation: MoU between IN-SPACe (India) and Singapore’s Office for Space Technology and Industry for commercial and research linkages.
• Green Shipping Corridor: To promote sustainable maritime trade.
• Skill Development: Centre of Excellence for advanced manufacturing skilling.

Strategic Implications

• For India:
  • Securing energy and trade routes through the Strait.
  • Expanding its role in regional security architecture.
  • Strengthening defence and space cooperation with ASEAN.
• For Singapore:
  • Reinforces its position as a hub for maritime and digital connectivity.
  • Gains from India’s manufacturing, space, and green energy initiatives.
• Regional Balance:
  • Counters China’s strategic dominance in the South China Sea.
  • Enhances multilateral security frameworks in the Indo-Pacific.

In News:

• The vaquita porpoise (Phocoena sinus), the world’s rarest marine mammal, is on the brink of extinction with only about 10 individuals remaining in the northern Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez), Mexico.
• Despite global attention, weak enforcement of wildlife protection laws in Mexico and the persistence of illegal fishing practices have accelerated the species’ decline.
• A recent report by the North American Environmental Commission under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) has held Mexico accountable for failing to safeguard the vaquita.

The Vaquita: An Overview

• Discovery: Identified in 1958.
• Classification: Smallest member of the cetacean family (whales, dolphins, porpoises), diverged from dolphins ~15 million years ago.
• Habitat: Restricted to shallow waters (up to 50 m deep) in the Upper Gulf of California.
• Appearance: Distinct dark eye rings, lip patches, and a large dorsal fin aiding heat release.
• Behavior: Solitary or small-group species, shy, avoids boats.
• Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered.
  • CITES: Appendix I (strict trade regulation).

Causes of Decline

• Gillnet Bycatch:
  • The primary threat is entanglement in illegal gillnets set for totoaba fish, whose swim bladder fetches high prices in East Asia.
  • Despite Mexico’s ban on gillnets since 2020, on-ground reports reveal continued use.
• Weak Enforcement:
  • Only 10 of the 850 promised satellite trackers fitted on fishing vessels.
  • Fishermen bypass restrictions by sending illegal catch to other regions.
• Institutional Failures:
  • Lack of adequate vessel inspections, monitoring, and promotion of alternative fishing gear.
  • Mexico’s enforcement claims contradicted by eyewitness accounts and NGO reports.

International Pressure and USMCA Mechanisms

• The USMCA Environmental Commission report has urged the United States to hold Mexico accountable.
• Under USMCA, the US can:
  • Press for stricter compliance through consultations.
  • Escalate disputes to a panel stage.
  • Impose import penalties if Mexico fails to enforce the ban in vaquita habitats.

In News:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping economies, governance, and societies at an unprecedented pace. While AI offers transformative opportunities in healthcare, education, mobility, and governance, it also poses challenges of bias, misinformation, data privacy, and ethical use. Recognizing the urgency of global cooperation, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has launched two institutional mechanisms to advance inclusive and responsible AI governance.

UNGA’s Two New Initiatives on AI Governance (2025)

1. Independent International Scientific Panel on AI
   • Serves as a bridge between research and policymaking.
   • Provides independent scientific assessments of emerging AI risks and opportunities.
   • Annual reports to be presented at the Global Dialogue sessions in 2026 (Geneva) and 2027 (New York).
2. Global Dialogue on AI Governance
   • An inclusive UN platform for member states and stakeholders.
   • Facilitates deliberation on critical AI issues: ethical use, regulation, global standards, and equitable access.
   • Complements the Global Digital Compact, adopted as part of the Pact for the Future (2024).

India’s AI Governance Landscape

• Legal Framework:
  • No dedicated AI law. AI is currently governed under:
    • IT Act, 2000 – cybercrimes, intermediary liability.
    • Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 – data privacy.
    • IPR laws – regulation of AI-generated works.
• Policy Initiatives:
  • NITI Aayog’s National Strategy on AI (2018): Focus on healthcare, agriculture, education, mobility, smart cities.
  • Principles for Responsible AI (2021): Emphasize safety, transparency, fairness, accountability, and inclusivity.
• Global Engagement:
  • Hosted the GPAI Summit (2023).
  • Co-chaired the AI Action Summit with France (2025).
  • Set to host the AI Impact Summit (2026).
  • Actively shaping norms of ethical AI use in the Global South.

In News:

The Prime Minister Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Scheme, launched on 1st June 2020 amidst the COVID-19 crisis, has emerged as a landmark initiative for supporting urban street vendors by providing collateral-free working capital loans, promoting digital inclusion, and enabling social security access.

In August 2025, the Union Cabinet approved the restructuring and extension of the scheme till 31st March 2030, with an enhanced outlay of ?7,332 crore to benefit 1.15 crore beneficiaries, including 50 lakh new entrants.

Key Features of the Restructured Scheme

• Enhanced Loan Tranches
  • 1st tranche: ?15,000 (earlier ?10,000)
  • 2nd tranche: ?25,000 (earlier ?20,000)
  • 3rd tranche: ?50,000 (unchanged)
• UPI-linked RuPay Credit Card
  • Available for vendors who have repaid the second loan.
  • Ensures instant credit access for business and personal needs.
• Digital Incentives
  • Cashback up to ?1,600 on digital transactions.
  • Promotes financial literacy and digital adoption.
• Expanded Coverage
  • From statutory towns to census towns, peri-urban areas, in a phased manner.
• Capacity Building & Convergence
  • Training in entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and digital skills.
  • Food safety & hygiene certification for street food vendors in partnership with FSSAI.

‘SVANidhi se Samriddhi’ Component

• Ensures saturation coverage of welfare schemes for vendors’ families.
• Monthly Lok Kalyan Melas to connect beneficiaries with schemes like PM Suraksha Bima Yojana, PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, Ayushman Bharat, and PM Jan Dhan Yojana.

Achievements Till Date (as of July 2025)

• 96 lakh loans disbursed worth ?13,797 crore to 68 lakh vendors.
• 47 lakh digitally active beneficiaries with over 557 crore transactions worth ?6.09 lakh crore.
• ?241 crore cashback earned by vendors.
• 46 lakh beneficiaries profiled across 3,564 ULBs, leading to 1.38 crore scheme sanctions.
• Recognitions:
  • PM’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration (2023) for Innovation.
  • Silver Award (2022) for Government Process Re-engineering in Digital Transformation.