International Relations
India & Israel Elevate Ties to “Special Strategic Partnership”:
Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu concluded talks in Jerusalem, elevating India-Israel relations to a “Special Strategic Partnership for Peace, Innovation and Prosperity.” India and Israel also signed multiple agreements across defence, technology, agriculture, AI, trade and labour cooperation.
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- India–Israel established full diplomatic relations in 1992.
- Strategic Partnership emphasises defence, technology, AI and trade cooperation.
- India and Israel signed 16-17 bilateral agreements/MoUs.
- Areas include artificial intelligence, defence tech, UPI payments, agriculture and cybersecurity.
- Leaders agreed to fast-track Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations.
- Partnership expansion reflects strategic autonomy in foreign policy.
- Cooperation aims to deepen innovation, joint production and technology transfer.
- Israel is a key partner in water management and homeland security tech.
- Indian diaspora in Israel contributes to cultural and economic ties.
- The visit was described as “extraordinarily productive” by Israeli leadership.
(IE)
India & Nepal Sign MoU on Forest and Wildlife Cooperation:
Context: India and Nepal signed a new MoU to strengthen cooperation in forest management, wildlife conservation, biodiversity protection and climate change mitigation, crucial for shared ecosystems along borders.
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- India and Nepal share transboundary ecosystems.
- Tigers, elephants, rhinoceros and other large species migrate across borders.
- MoU focuses on corridor conservation and habitat restoration.
- Knowledge exchange and technical expertise will be shared.
- Climate change impacts forest and wildlife health.
- Cooperation contributes to SDG goals on life on land.
- MoU builds on historical bilateral environment cooperation.
- Forest conservation is governed in India by the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.
- Biosafety and wildlife protection involve community engagement.
- Nepal’s Chitwan and Bardiya parks complement India’s Terai arc habitats.
(IE)
Economy
CBIC to Launch SWIFT 2.0 & Digital Travellers Guide on International Customs Day:
Context: The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) will launch the upgraded SWIFT 2.0 platform, the revamped Atithi App for digital baggage self-declaration, and a Digital Travellers Guide for enhanced customs efficiency on International Customs Day 2026.
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- SWIFT = Single Window Interface for Facilitating Trade.
- Digital tools reduce documentation and processing time.
- ATITHI App digitalises traveller baggage declaration.
- International Customs Day is observed on 26 Jan annually (actual launch now scheduled).
- Enhances Ease of Doing Business.
- Helps combat trade fraud and streamline imports/exports.
- Integrates with Customs Integrated System (CIS).
- Supports secure digital payments.
- Phase-wise rollout across major customs locations.
- Builds on India’s digital public infrastructure.
(PIB)
Geography, Mapping, Ecology & Environment and DM
IMD Reviews Changing Rainfall Patterns:
Context: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) presented findings on changing rainfall variability linked to climate change.
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- IMD established in 1875.
- Functions under Ministry of Earth Sciences.
- Climate change increases rainfall variability.
- Extreme rainfall events becoming frequent.
- Impacts agriculture and water security.
- Monsoon contributes ~75% of annual rainfall.
- El Nino and La Nina affect Indian monsoon.
- Climate models help forecast trends.
- Rainfall variability affects food inflation.
- Climate adaptation planning required.
(PIB)
Government Schemes
India to Pilot CBDC-Based Food Subsidy Distribution Under PMGKAY:
Context: India will launch a CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currency)-based pilot for food subsidy under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) in Puducherry, allowing programmable subsidies that function only at authorised fair price shops.
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- CBDC = Digital Rupee issued by the Reserve Bank of India.
- CBDC can be programmable for purpose-bound spending.
- PMGKAY is an emergency food security measure for vulnerable groups.
- Pilot aims to reduce leaks and improve targeting.
- Fair price shops distribute food grains under NFSA framework.
- PDS subsidy leakages have historically been a major challenge.
- Digital Rupee offers traceability and transparency.
- Digitization of subsidies aligns with DPI ecosystem.
- Puducherry chosen as pilot due to manageable scale.
- Success could lead to wider implementation.
(PIB)
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