In News:

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has announced the winners of the 2025 Young Champions of the Earth Award, recognising three outstanding entrepreneurs from India, Kenya, and the United States for their innovative solutions addressing pressing environmental challenges.

About the Award

• Launched: 2017
• Relaunched: 2025, in partnership with Planet A, an environmental awareness initiative co-founded by U.S. cleantech executive Chris Kemper.
• Organised by:United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
• Objective: To empower and celebrate young innovators (below 30 years of age) offering scalable solutions to the triple planetary crisis — climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution & waste.

Each winner receives USD 20,000 in seed funding, mentorship, and access to a global platform to expand their innovations. They also participate in the Planet A Pitch Competition, with opportunities to win an additional USD 100,000 growth grant and a potential USD 1 million seed investment.

2025 Award Winners

• JinaliMody (India) – Founder, Banofi Leather
  • Innovation: Produces sustainable, leather-like material from banana crop waste.
  • Impact: Reduces water consumption, chemical pollution, and carbon emissions associated with traditional leather production.
  • Significance: A women-led initiative tackling the fast fashion industry’s environmental footprint while promoting circular economy principles.
• Joseph Nguthiru (Kenya) – Founder, HyaPak
  • Innovation: Converts the invasive water hyacinth from Lake Naivasha into biodegradable packaging and seedling wrappers.
  • Impact: Provides a sustainable alternative to single-use plastics while addressing invasive species management.
• Noemi Florea (United States) – Founder, Cycleau
  • Innovation: Developed a compact greywater reuse system that can retrofit household sinks, showers, and laundry units.
  • Impact: Converts wastewater into potable water using low energy, offering a scalable model for water conservation and reuse.

Significance

• The award exemplifies youth-driven environmental innovation, aligning with UNEP’s broader mission to foster sustainable solutions.
• It highlights global South participation, with India and Kenya demonstrating leadership in low-cost, eco-friendly technologies.
• The 2025 relaunch underscores growing private sector and media collaboration in advancing environmental entrepreneurship through platforms like Planet A.

In News:

India has successfully test-fired the Agni-Prime (Agni-P) intermediate-range ballistic missile from a rail-based mobile launcher, marking a first-of-its-kind achievement in the nation’s defence history. The test was conducted from a platform integrated with the national railway network. This milestone represents a significant leap in India’s strategic mobility and deterrence capabilities.

About Agni-Prime Missile

• Type: Next-generation, nuclear-capable, intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM)
• Range: Up to 2,000 kilometres
• Developed by:Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in collaboration with the Strategic Forces Command (SFC)
• Part of: India’s Agni missile series, designed to reinforce the country’s credible minimum deterrence posture.

The Agni-Prime is equipped with advanced guidance and communication systems, featuring a canisterised launch mechanism that enhances storage safety, rapid deployment, and longer shelf life.

Rail-Based Mobile Launcher: A Game-Changing Innovation

The recent test marked the first time India used a rail-based canisterised mobile launcher.

• It can move seamlessly across the national rail network, allowing flexible positioning and quick deployment.
• The launcher enables a short reaction time with low visibility, enhancing operational stealth and survivability.
• This mobility reduces predictability of launch locations, complicating adversarial surveillance and targeting efforts.

Strategic Significance

• Enhanced Strategic Deterrence:The test demonstrates India’s ability to deliver a credible and survivable nuclear deterrent, joining the select group of nations with rail-based canisterised launch systems.
• Improved Survivability and Flexibility:Rail mobility adds a new dimension to India’s nuclear command structure by complementing road-based and silo-based systems, ensuring launch readiness even under high-threat scenarios.
• Operational Stealth and Rapid Response:The ability to launch within minutes from concealed rail positions strengthens India’s second-strike capability under its nuclear doctrine.
• Geopolitical Implications:The development aligns with India’s effort to maintain strategic stability in a complex regional environment, particularly amid evolving threats in South Asia and the Indo-Pacific.

Recent Developments in India’s Missile Programme

• In August 2025, Agni-Prime was successfully tested from Chandipur, Odisha.
• Earlier, in March 2024, under Mission Divyastra, India tested Agni-5 with MIRV (Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle) capability — allowing a single missile to carry and deliver multiple nuclear warheads to different targets.
• The Strategic Forces Command, operational since 2003, currently manages India’s nuclear arsenal and deployment systems.

In News:

In a major push to revive India’s maritime and shipbuilding sector, the Union Cabinet approved a ?69,725 crore package (September 2025) anchored on a comprehensive 4-Pillar Approach. The initiative aims to transform India into a global hub for shipbuilding and shipping services, enhance maritime self-reliance, and contribute to the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

Background

India’s maritime sector supports 95% of the nation’s trade by volume and 70% by value, making it a critical pillar of economic and strategic security. Recognized as the “mother of heavy engineering industries,” shipbuilding plays a pivotal role in employment generation, technological innovation, and defence capability. The new package seeks to address long-standing gaps in financing, infrastructure, and capacity to strengthen domestic shipyards and maritime logistics.

Objectives

• Expand domestic shipbuilding capacity to 4.5 million Gross Tonnage (GT) by 2036.
• Generate nearly 30 lakh employment opportunities.
• Mobilize ?4.5 lakh crore in investments.
• Build resilient maritime supply chains ensuring national, energy, and food security.
• Advance India’s position as a competitive and sustainable maritime economy.

The Four Pillars of the Package

1. Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Scheme (SBFAS)

• Extended till: 31 March 2036
• Corpus: ?24,736 crore
• Purpose: Incentivize shipbuilding within India by providing financial support to Indian shipyards.
• Key Feature: Introduction of a Shipbreaking Credit Note worth ?4,001 crore to encourage sustainable ship recycling and capacity utilization.

2. Maritime Development Fund (MDF)

• Corpus: ?25,000 crore
• Components:
  • Maritime Investment Fund: ?20,000 crore, with 49% Government of India participation.
  • Interest Incentivization Fund: ?5,000 crore to reduce the cost of borrowing and improve project bankability.
• Objective: Provide long-term financing for shipbuilding, port infrastructure, and related logistics services.

3. Shipbuilding Development Scheme (SbDS)

• Outlay: ?19,989 crore
• Aim: Expand India’s domestic shipbuilding capacity and support mega shipbuilding clusters.
• Key Features:
  • Establishment of the India Ship Technology Centre under the Indian Maritime University (IMU).
  • Support for greenfield and brownfield shipyards.
  • Insurance and risk coverage for shipbuilding projects.
  • Focus on skill development and adoption of advanced shipbuilding technologies.

4. National Shipbuilding Mission and Reforms

• A National Shipbuilding Mission will coordinate implementation and monitor outcomes of all initiatives under the package.
• Focus areas include:
  • Taxation, legal, and policy reforms to streamline procedures.
  • Capacity enhancement through modern shipyard development.
  • Human resource and skill training to strengthen India’s maritime workforce.
  • Promotion of green and sustainable shipbuilding practices aligned with global standards.

Expected Impact

• Unlock 4.5 million GT of annual shipbuilding capacity.
• Create nearly 30 lakh direct and indirect jobs across the maritime ecosystem.
• Boost investment inflows of ?4.5 lakh crore into ports, shipyards, and allied industries.
• Enhance strategic autonomy and reduce dependence on foreign shipbuilders.
• Strengthen geopolitical resilience, ensuring continuity of India’s trade, energy, and food supply chains during global disruptions.
• Foster innovation, sustainability, and competitiveness in line with “Make in India” and “Blue Economy” objectives.

In News:

The System for Pension Administration – Raksha (SPARSH), an initiative of the Ministry of Defence (MoD), has emerged as a landmark reform in defence pension management. Recently, SPARSH resolved 87% of legacy discrepancies—addressing 5.60 lakh out of 6.43 lakh cases—and has significantly improved grievance redressal efficiency.

About SPARSH Pension System

• Launched by: Ministry of Defence
• Administered by:Defence Accounts Department (DAD) through the Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (Pensions), Prayagraj
• Coverage: Caters to pensioners from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Defence Civilians
• Scope: Over 31.54 lakh defence pensioners across India and Nepal are onboarded on SPARSH, making it the world’s largest digital pension management system.

Objectives

• To provide a comprehensive, transparent, and paperless system for pension sanction, disbursement, and grievance redressal.
• To ensure direct pension disbursement to beneficiaries without intermediaries.
• To modernize defence pension administration by shifting from a fragmented and manual process to a centralized and integrated digital framework.

Key Features

• Centralized and Web-Based Platform:Handles pension sanction, claim, and disbursement directly into the pensioners’ bank accounts, eliminating third-party intermediaries.
• Self-Service Portal:Enables self-verification, easy data correction, and real-time access to pension details through a personal dashboard.
• Digital Life Certification:Pensioners can complete identification digitally, removing the need for physical visits to pension offices.
• Comprehensive Record Management:Maintains the entire pension lifecycle—from initiation to cessation and transfer to the last eligible beneficiary.
• Grievance Management:Provides an integrated mechanism for service requests and grievance redressal within the same platform.

Significance

SPARSH represents a paradigm shift in defence pension administration—from manual and fragmented systems to a transparent, technology-driven model. It embodies the government’s commitment to “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance”, ensuring efficiency, accountability, and dignity for millions of defence pensioners.

By integrating real-time disbursal, grievance monitoring, and self-service accessibility, SPARSH has strengthened financial inclusion, digital governance, and welfare delivery within India’s defence ecosystem.

In News:

The U.S. administration’s decision to impose a steep $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications has reignited debate over whether the L-1 visa could serve as a practical alternative for Indian professionals. While both facilitate skilled migration, they serve distinct purposes and cater to different categories of workers.

About the L-1 Visa

• Nature and Purpose:
  • The L-1 visa is a non-immigrant work visa designed for intra-company transfers within multinational corporations.
  • It enables global firms to relocate executives, managers, and employees with specialized knowledge from their overseas branches to U.S. offices.
  •  Introduced under the Immigration and Nationality Act (1965), it aims to promote international business operations and internal talent mobility without depending on the external labour market.
• Categories:

• L-1A: For executives and managers; maximum stay of 7 years.
• L-1B: For employees with specialized knowledge; maximum stay of 5 years.

Applicants must have worked at least one continuous year abroad for the same company within the preceding three years.

Key Features and Advantages

• No Cap or Lottery: Unlike the H-1B, the L-1 has no annual quota or lottery system, allowing year-round applications.
• Blanket Petitions: Large multinationals can file blanket petitions for quicker processing.
• Dual Intent: L-1 holders can apply for a green card without jeopardizing their visa status.
• Dependent Work Rights: Spouses on L-2 visas can work freely in the U.S., offering significant flexibility for families.
• Corporate Convenience: Firms can manage global mobility efficiently, especially for leadership or niche technical roles.

Limitations and Challenges

• Narrow Eligibility: Only employees of the same multinational company are eligible. The visa cannot be used to switch to another employer in the U.S.
• High Scrutiny: U.S. consulates, especially in India, closely scrutinize “specialized knowledge” claims, leading to higher rejection rates than H-1B visas.
• Time-Bound Stay: L-1 visas have strict duration limits and cannot be extended while awaiting permanent residency.
• No Portability: The visa binds the employee to the sponsoring company, unlike H-1B holders who can change employers under certain conditions.

L-1 vs H-1B: The Key Differences