In News:

The United States and Saudi Arabia have signed a landmark civilian nuclear cooperation agreement, commonly known as the 123 Agreement, along with a bilateral safeguards agreement to facilitate peaceful nuclear cooperation.

What is the US–Saudi 123 Agreement?

• The 123 Agreement is a bilateral civil nuclear cooperation framework established under Section 123 of the US Atomic Energy Act, 1954. It provides the legal basis for the United States to transfer nuclear technology, reactors, fuel, equipment, and technical expertise to another country for peaceful civilian purposes.
• The agreement was signed by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman.

Objective

• The agreement aims to support Saudi Arabia's civilian nuclear energy programme, enabling the country to diversify its energy mix beyond crude oil. Nuclear energy is expected to help meet rising domestic electricity demand while powering desalination plants, air-conditioning systems, and other energy-intensive sectors.

Background

• Negotiations had remained stalled for years because the United States insisted that Saudi Arabia adopt the "Gold Standard", under which it would permanently forgo domestic uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing, and also normalize diplomatic relations with Israel.
• The 2026 agreement marks a policy shift by removing the Israel normalization requirement and allowing greater flexibility regarding Saudi Arabia's domestic uranium enrichment programme under agreed safeguards.

Key Features

• The agreement allows US companies to supply civilian nuclear reactors, equipment, fuel-cycle technology, and technical expertise to Saudi Arabia.
• It permits Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium domestically in facilities developed with US cooperation, subject to mutually agreed safeguards.
• A bilateral safeguards mechanism has been incorporated to ensure that nuclear materials and technology are used exclusively for peaceful purposes and are not diverted for nuclear weapons development.
• Unlike several earlier US nuclear cooperation agreements, this pact does not require Saudi Arabia to adopt the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Additional Protocol, which provides for more intrusive international inspections.
• The agreement will also undergo a 90-legislative-day review by the US Congress before entering into force.

In News:

The Prime Minister recently inaugurated 75 redeveloped railway stations across 20 States under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS), aimed at transforming railway stations into modern, passenger-centric transport hubs. Earlier, in May 2025, 103 redeveloped stations across 18 States and Union Territories were dedicated under the scheme.

About the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS)

Launched by the Ministry of Railways in December 2022, the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme is a long-term initiative to redevelop 1,309 railway stations across the country. The scheme follows a phased and station-specific approach, with redevelopment plans tailored to local needs, passenger traffic, and future growth.

Its objective is to improve passenger amenities, integrate stations with urban transport systems, preserve regional heritage, and transform stations into vibrant city centres.

Key Features

• The scheme adopts customised redevelopment, where each station reflects the local culture, heritage, and architectural style while incorporating modern infrastructure.
• Passenger facilities are being significantly upgraded through better entry and exit points, spacious waiting halls, covered platforms, modern toilets, lifts, escalators, free Wi-Fi, executive lounges, food courts, kiosks, improved lighting, digital passenger information systems, parking facilities, and landscaped public spaces.
• A major focus of the scheme is universal accessibility. In line with the Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan (Accessible India Campaign), stations are being equipped with ramps, tactile pathways, Braille signage, accessible toilets, low-height ticket counters, dedicated parking spaces, and lift-enabled foot overbridges and subways to ensure ease of access for Divyangjan and elderly passengers.
• The scheme also supports local livelihoods through the 'One Station One Product' (OSOP) initiative, which provides dedicated outlets for local artisans, weavers, tribal communities, handicrafts, handloom products, and region-specific food items.

Urban Connectivity and Sustainability

ABSS seeks to transform railway stations into multimodal transport hubs by integrating them with metro rail, bus services, and other urban transport systems. Redevelopment also incorporates green infrastructure, better landscaping, energy-efficient facilities, and improved environmental planning to promote sustainable urban development.

In News:

The Rome Declaration for an Unarmed and Disarming Peace, signed in July 2026 by Nobel laureates, AI scientists, religious leaders, and global experts, has highlighted the growing danger of outsourcing moral and ethical decision-making to Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly in military and nuclear command systems.

What is the Rome Declaration?

The Rome Declaration for an Unarmed and Disarming Peaceis a global ethical appeal that advocates human control over Artificial Intelligence, especially in decisions involving warfare and nuclear weapons. It urges the international community to negotiate a binding treaty prohibiting autonomous AI systems from making nuclear launch decisions, emphasizing that human judgment, ethics, and accountability must always remain central.

Inspired by Pope Leo XIV's encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, the declaration currently serves as a normative framework rather than a legally binding instrument.

Key Principles

The declaration calls for:

• Preventing an AI-driven military and nuclear arms race.
• Ensuring responsible development and ethical governance of AI.
• Maintaining meaningful human control over high-risk military decisions.
• Promoting international regulation, transparency, and accountability.
• Renewing global efforts towards complete, verifiable nuclear disarmament.

Major Ethical Mandates

The declaration stresses that:

• AI should never make the final decision to launch nuclear weapons.
• Developers should adopt transparent and auditable ethical frameworks.
• Fully autonomous, self-improving AI systems that cannot be controlled by humans should be prohibited.
• Nuclear-armed states should conduct cybersecurity audits of their command-and-control systems.
• Countries should resume negotiations for the complete elimination of nuclear arsenals.

Why is the Declaration Important?

Rapid advances in AI have significantly reduced decision-making time during military crises, increasing the risk of accidental escalation. Unlike humans, AI systems may misinterpret faulty or manipulated data, leading to catastrophic decisions within seconds.

The declaration also highlights concerns such as:

• Algorithmic bias and discrimination.
• Lack of transparency due to AI's "black-box" nature.
• Weak accountability when AI makes harmful decisions.
• Loss of human moral agency by delegating ethical choices to machines.

The declaration describes these interacting risks as "convergent perils", where multiple AI-related threats combine to create systemic dangers for humanity.

Global AI Governance Initiatives

Several international initiatives seek to promote responsible AI:

• EU Artificial Intelligence Act (2024) – Risk-based regulation of AI.
• UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI (2021) – First global ethical framework for AI.
• Bletchley Park Declaration (2023) – International cooperation on frontier AI safety.
• Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) – India is a founding member and hosted the 2023 Summit.

India's AI Governance Framework

India has adopted a principle-based approach to AI governance through:

• NITI Aayog's National Strategy for AI (2018) – "AI for All"
• IndiaAI Mission (2024) to promote indigenous AI innovation.
• MeitY's AI Governance Guidelines, based on human-centric, safe, transparent, and accountable AI development.

In News:

The 23rd Commonwealth Games are being held in Glasgow, Scotland, from 23 July to 2 August 2026, with athletes from 74 nations and territories participating.

About the Commonwealth Games (CWG)

• The Commonwealth Games (CWG) is one of the world's largest multi-sport events, bringing together athletes from countries and territories of the Commonwealth of Nations, most of which are former British colonies.
• It is held once every four years and is governed by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF).
• The idea of the Games originated from the 1911 Inter-Empire Championships held in London during the Festival of Empire.
• The concept was proposed by Canadian sportswriter Melville Marks Robinson, leading to the first official British Empire Games in Hamilton, Canada, in 1930. The event was renamed the Commonwealth Games in 1978.

Commonwealth Games 2026

• The 23rd edition is being hosted by Glasgow, Scotland, over a period of 10 days.
• This edition features 10 sports, significantly fewer than the 19 sports contested at the Birmingham 2022 Games. The events include athletics, swimming, boxing, weightlifting, judo, artistic gymnastics, track cycling, bowls, netball, and 3×3 basketball.

India at Commonwealth Games 2026

• India has fielded a 125-member contingent, including para-athletes.
• Indian athletes are competing in athletics, boxing, weightlifting, judo, artistic gymnastics, track cycling, bowls, swimming, and para-sports. India is not participating in 3×3 basketball and netball.
• India first participated in the Commonwealth Games in 1934. Its best-ever performance came at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, where it secured 101 medals.
• India will also host the Centenary Commonwealth Games in 2030, with Ahmedabad (Gujarat) selected as the host city.

In News:

With India expected to record around 1.87 million new cancer cases in 2026, researchers are exploring space oncology, an emerging field that uses the unique conditions of space to improve cancer research, drug discovery, and treatment development.

What is Space Oncology?

Space oncology is an emerging interdisciplinary field that studies how microgravity and cosmic radiation influence cancer cells, tumour growth, metastasis, and treatment response. The space environment acts as a natural laboratory, allowing scientists to investigate cancer biology under conditions that cannot be replicated easily on Earth.

Research in space helps scientists develop better tumour models, identify biomarkers, understand treatment resistance, and accelerate the discovery of new cancer therapies.

Why is Space Important for Cancer Research?

Microgravity alters the behaviour of cancer cells by changing their structure, gene expression, and interaction with surrounding tissues. These changes enable researchers to observe tumour development more accurately and improve drug testing.

Space-based research also supports:

• Development of 3D tumour spheroids that closely resemble human tumours.
• Better protein crystallisation for drug design.
• Improved drug formulation and targeted drug delivery.
• Reduced dependence on animal models during early-stage research.

Effects of Microgravity on Cancer Cells

• Studies show that microgravity causes cytoskeletal reorganisation, alters cell adhesion, migration, proliferation, and gene expression.
• It also promotes the formation of multicellular tumour spheroids, which provide more realistic models for studying cancer progression and evaluating new therapies.
• Changes in cellular behaviour under microgravity can also influence drug uptake and improve understanding of treatment resistance.

Applications in Cancer Research

Research has shown promising outcomes in different cancers.

• In breast cancer, microgravity can reduce tumour aggressiveness by affecting cell adhesion, migration, and cell-cycle regulation, making tumour models more responsive to targeted therapies.
• In gastrointestinal cancers, exposure to microgravity has been associated with altered tumour progression and increased sensitivity to certain anti-cancer drugs due to changes in resistance-related genes and proteins.

India's Potential Role

• India can leverage ISRO's growing space capabilities, expanding commercial space ecosystem, and strong pharmaceutical sector to become a leader in space biotechnology.
• Greater collaboration among ISRO, research institutions, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and space startups can accelerate innovation in cancer diagnostics, drug development, and advanced therapies.
• Space-based biomedical research also offers India an opportunity to develop affordable and indigenous cancer treatments, while strengthening its position in the global biotechnology sector.