In News:

The Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology (TNSDA) has completed a landmark archaeological excavation at Marungur village, located in Panruti taluk, Cuddalore district, uncovering a habitation-cum-burial site dating from the Iron Age to the Early Historic period. This multidisciplinary excavation offers significant insights into the cultural evolution of ancient Tamil Nadu’s Naduvil Mandalam (Central Territorial Division), between the Thenpennai and Vada Vellar rivers.

Key Features:

1. Rare Dual Site Discovery

• Both a habitation mound and an associated burial site were found together — a rarity in Tamil Nadu.
• The site is situated at 100 metres above mean sea level, adjacent to a pond and covered by laterite soil.

2. Chronological Context

• Dated tentatively to the transition from late Iron Age to Early Historic Period.
• Radiocarbon dating (AMS) of charcoal samples, phytolith studies, and Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) analysis are underway to confirm dates.

3. Advanced Techniques Used

• UAV Mapping, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), stratigraphic trenching, and archaeo-botanical studies.
• Collaboration with Beta Analytic Laboratory (USA) and the French Institute of Pondicherry for dating and pollen analysis.

Major Discoveries

A. Habitation Mound (8 Trenches Excavated)

• Pottery: Rouletted ware, red-slipped ware, black-and-red ware, grey ware, coarse red ware, and graffiti-inscribed potsherds (some resembling Indus signs).
• Artifacts (95 antiquities): Bone tools (points), burnishing stones, terracotta pipes, and beads (carnelian, agate, quartz, glass, terracotta).
  • Iron implements: Crescent-shaped chisels, knives.
  • Conch shell cores and antimony rods (ornamental use).
  • Copper coin of Raja Raja Chola I from upper layers.
  • Large terracotta storage jars (1.25 m), one containing six bone tools.

B. Burial Site (2 Trenches Excavated in Cashew Grove)

• Megalithic Stone Circles (Laterite):
  • Two concentric circles (outer and inner), capstone-protected burial urns.
  • Total of 10 urns recovered.
• Grave Goods:
  • Iron swords, red jasper beads, black-and-red ware, red-slipped ware.
  • Offering pots around urns — evidence of complex burial rituals.

C. Tamil-Brahmi Inscribed Potsherds

• Found in urn burials and dated paleographically to 2nd–3rd century BCE.
• Inscriptions include terms like “a-ti-y(a)-ka-n”, “a-ma-?”, and “a-ta”.
• Significance: Among earliest epigraphic evidence of Tamil-Brahmi in burial contexts.

Significance:

Future Steps

• Radiometric Dating: Charcoal to be analyzed using Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) in the USA.
• Pollen and phytolith analysis to reconstruct ancient diet and environmental conditions.
• Thermoluminescence and petrology studies to date ceramics and sediment exposure.
• TNSDA proposes further surveys at Manikkollai (30 km from Marungur) for 2025–26.

In News:

India has cemented its position as the world’s foremost digital payments economy, with the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) registering 18.39 billion transactions in June 2025, according to a report jointly prepared by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and FIS Global.

About the Report: Fast Payments 2025

• Prepared by: IMF and FIS Global
• Focus: Assessment of digital public infrastructure enabling real-time payments
• Key Metric Introduced: Faster Payment Adoption Score (FPAS) – a benchmark for evaluating the scale and effectiveness of fast payment systems across 30 countries

India’s Standout Performance

• Top Global Rank: India scored 87.5% on FPAS, ranking highest globally—outpacing Brazil, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
• UPI Ecosystem Scale:
  • Handles over 640 million daily transactions
  • Caters to approximately 491 million users and 65 million merchants
  • Supported by a network of 675+ banks
• Speed and Cost Efficiency:
  • Payment settlement within 5 seconds
  • Transactions are virtually cost-free for users
• International Footprint:
  • UPI services are now live in seven countries, including France, UAE, and Singapore
  • India is advocating its adoption within the BRICS+ grouping as a model for cross-border payment interoperability

Key Strengths of UPI Infrastructure

• Interoperability: Seamless transactions across multiple platforms (PhonePe, Google Pay, Paytm, etc.) and banks
• Inclusivity Features:
  • Aadhaar-based linking
  • USSD-based services for feature phones
  • Multilingual interfaces to facilitate rural access
• Built on India Stack: Utilizes digital infrastructure components like Aadhaar, eKYC, DigiLocker, and Account Aggregator
• Security Framework:
  • Real-time fraud detection
  • Tokenization and robust regulatory oversight
• Collaborative Ecosystem: A joint effort of NPCI, fintech players, and RBI, ensuring scalability and resilience

In News:

India’s contributions were widely appreciated at the 88th Executive Committee Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CCEXEC88) held at FAO Headquarters, Rome.

What is the Codex Alimentarius?

• A collection of internationally recognized food standards, guidelines, and codes of practice.
• Promotes consumer health protection, food safety, and fair-trade practices.
• Recognized under the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures as a global reference point.

Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC)

Structure of CAC:

• Codex Commission
• Executive Committee (CCEXEC)
• Codex Secretariat
• Subsidiary Bodies and Committees

Meetings alternate between Geneva and Rome annually. Funded by regular budgets of FAO and WHO.

India’s Contributions at CCEXEC88 (2025):

1. Millet Standards: India chaired the development of Codex group standards for whole millet grains, alongside Mali, Nigeria, and Senegal. These standards are up for final approval at CAC48.

2. Strategic Planning (2026–2031):

• India led discussions on SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) indicators for monitoring Codex outcomes.
• These KPIs will guide Codex’s strategic direction and will be adopted at CAC48.

3. Regional Capacity Building:

• India mentored Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Timor Leste under the Codex Trust Fund (CTF).
• Urged other developing countries to use the CTF for mentorship and twinning programs.

Other Leadership Roles by India in Codex:

National Codex Contact Point (NCCP), India

• Constituted by: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
• Role:
  • Liaison with the Codex Secretariat
  • Coordinate India’s input via National Codex Committee
  • Facilitate domestic stakeholder consultation for Codex decisions

In News:

The Youth Spiritual Summit 2025 concluded at the Rudraksh International Convention Centre, Varanasi, with the formal adoption of the Kashi Declaration — a landmark roadmap to combat drug abuse through youth and spiritual leadership.

• Organised by: Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
• Theme: "Drug-Free Youth for Developed India"

What is the Kashi Declaration?

The Kashi Declaration is a national action plan to counter substance abuse in India. It integrates spiritual wisdom, youth empowerment, and institutional coordination to establish a Nasha Mukt Yuva (Drug-Free Youth) by 2047, aligning with the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.

Key Objectives:

• Eradicate Drug Abuse: Mobilise youth to build a drug-free society by 2047.
• Spiritual Mobilisation: Leverage India’s spiritual heritage as a tool for transformation and healing.
• Whole-of-Society Approach: Involve families, schools, communities, and institutions in prevention and rehabilitation.
• Empower Youth Volunteers: Enable MY Bharat clubs to conduct awareness, outreach, and de-addiction drives.
• Institutional Coordination: Establish a Joint National Committee for multi-ministerial convergence and periodic reporting.

Major Features:

Institutional Mechanisms Proposed:

• Joint National Committee: For inter-ministerial coordination and implementation oversight.
• Annual Progress Reporting: Ensures transparent monitoring and accountability.
• National Platform: To connect affected youth with rehabilitation and support services.

In News:

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan last week wrote to Chief Ministers of all states to immediately stop the “forced tagging” of nano-fertilisers or biostimulants along with conventional fertilisers.

What are Biostimulants?

Biostimulants are substances or microorganisms that enhance nutrient uptake, plant growth, yield, and stress resistance in crops. They are distinct from fertilisers and pesticides, as they do not directly supply nutrients or control pests.

• Composition: Often derived from plant waste, seaweed extracts, or microbes.
• Function: Stimulate physiological processes in plants.
• Not classified as: Fertilisers (under nutrient input) or Pesticides (regulated under Insecticides Act, 1968).

Official Definition (FCO, 1985): A substance or microorganism whose primary function is to stimulate physiological processes in plants, enhancing nutrient uptake, growth, and yield—but not including pesticides or plant growth regulators.

Regulatory Framework

• Governing Law: Fertiliser Control Order (FCO), 1985 – amended in February 2021 to include biostimulants.
• Central Biostimulant Committee (CBC): Established in April 2021 for five years to advise the Ministry on:
  • Product approval and specifications
  • Sampling/testing methods
  • Lab and data standards

Toxicity and Safety Requirements:

To be approved, biostimulants must undergo:

• 5 acute toxicity tests: Oral, dermal, inhalation (rat), skin, and eye irritation (rabbit)
• 4 eco-toxicity tests: Impact on fish, birds, honeybees, and earthworms
• Field trials: At 3 agro-ecological zones, with 3 doses, for one crop season

No biostimulant shall contain pesticide beyond 0.01 ppm.

Why Tightened Regulation?

• Previous Lack of Oversight: Biostimulants operated in a regulatory vacuum for years.
• Market Flooded with Unapproved Products: Over 30,000 unregulated products were in circulation.
• Farmer Complaints: Rising concerns over efficacy and “forced sales” with subsidised fertilisers like urea and DAP.
• Judicial Push: A 2011 Punjab & Haryana HC observation prompted states to monitor biostimulant sales more stringently.

Recent Government Measures

• Provisional Registration (2021–2024): Allowed 2-year sale of products while testing was underway. Deadline extended repeatedly until June 16, 2024.  Post-June 2024: Unsold stocks from unregistered firms are no longer permitted for sale.
• Retailer Misuse: Reports of retailers forcing farmers to buy biostimulants with subsidised fertilisers prompted Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to direct states to halt such practices.
• Product Crackdown: From over 8,000 products four years ago, the number of approved products is now down to 650.
• Crop-Specific Specifications (May 2025): Government notified biostimulant standards for crops including tomato, chilli, brinjal, paddy, cotton, potato, soybean, maize, etc.