1. Cess and Surcharge

As per the recent Budget estimates the divisible pool has fallen below ₹90 per ₹100 collected since 2020-21 due to rising cesses and surcharges and is expected to remain so till 2025-26.

• About Cess: A tax on tax, imposed on total tax liability, including surcharge, for a specific purpose.

o Examples: Infrastructure Cess, Krishi Kalyan Cess, Swachh Bharat Cess, Education Cess, Cess on Crude Oil.

• About Surcharge: An additional charge on income tax, applicable to specific taxpayers (individuals, AOPs, companies).

o No specific purpose, can be used as per the Central Government’s discretion.

• Usage: Used for centrally sponsored schemes and specific national needs, indirectly benefiting states.
• Fund Allocation: Proceeds from cess and surcharge go to the Consolidated Fund of India and are not shared with states.

Constitutional Provision: Levied by the Central Government under Article 271 of the Indian Constitution.

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2. State Emblem

Union Home Ministry has recently directed State governments to prevent the misuse and improper depiction of the State Emblem of India.

• About: State Emblem is an official seal of the Government of India, adapted from the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka.
• The complete emblem includes three lions on the abacus, Dharma Chakra in the center, a bull (right), a galloping horse (left), outlines of Dharma Chakras, and the motto below.
• Issues: Incomplete display is a violation of the 2005 Act.
• Restrictions on Usage: Only specified authorities can use the emblem under the State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act, 2005 and Regulation of Use Rules, 2007.
• Strict action to be taken against officials (for incomplete display) and unauthorized individuals/organizations (for misuse).

Misuse of State Emblem of India: Unauthorized use by individuals/authorities on stationery, vehicles, seals, publications, buildings, websites, etc.

• Omission of the motto "Satyameva Jayate" (in Devanagari script), making the Lion Capital logo incomplete.
• Design deviations from Appendix I & II of the State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act, 2005.

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3. Darien Gap

Indian-origin Harjinder Singh left for Dubai, aiming for a safe entry into the USA and a job via the Darien Gap.

• About: Darién Gap is an approximately 60-mile (100-km) break in the Pan-American Highway.
• The Pan-American Highway otherwise runs continuously from Alaska to Argentina.
• The gap is located in thickly vegetated marshland and jungle of the Darién region.
• It spans the easternmost part of Panama and northwestern Colombia.
• Route Taken by Harjinder Singh: Dubai → Colombia (Cali) → Turbo (Coastal town) → Panama jungle.

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4. Algo Trading

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) recently released a regulatory framework to ensure safer participation of retail investors in algorithmic trading through brokers.

• About: Algo Trading involves orders generated using automated execution logic, offering timed and programmed order execution advantages.
• About SEBI: Established as a statutory body in the year 1992 and the provisions of the SEBI Act, 1992 came into force on 1992.
• SEBI framework includes: Use of Application Programming Interface (API) for algo trading.

o Responsibilities of stock brokers and exchanges.

o Brokers shall act as principals, while algo providers/fintech vendors will act as agents using the broker's API.

o Retail investors developing their own algos must register them with the stock exchange through their broker if they exceed a specified order per second threshold.

o Registered algos can be used only for the investor’s family, not for others.

oThe threshold for algo categorization will be set by the Broker’s Industry Standards Forum, under the guidance of stock exchanges and SEBI.

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5. Tribhuvan Sahkari University Bill, 2025

The Bill was recently introduced in Lok Sabha by Minister of State for Cooperation.

• About the Bill: The new university will be established on the campus of IRMA (Institute of Rural Management Anand) in Gujarat, will be India’s first dedicated cooperative university.
• Purpose of the University: Currently, IRMA offers specialised courses in rural management and cooperative sector training.

oThe university aims to provide technical and management education in the co-operative sector.

oIt will promote co-operative research and development to achieve global standards of excellence.

• Global Perspective: Similar cooperative universities exist in Germany, Kenya, Colombia, and Spain.
• How is it Different?

oSpecialised University for co-operative education, training, research, and development.

oEstablishes sector-specific schools in dairy, fishery, sugar, banking, rural credit, co-operative finance, co-operative marketing, laws, audit, and multi-state co-operatives.

oIntegration with e-learning platforms like SWAYAM.

• Why a Cooperative University?

Cooperative sector’s role in the economy: Agricultural credit, fertiliser distribution, fertiliser production, sugar production, milk production and procurement, wheat procurement, paddy procurement & fish production.

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6. WAVES 2025

TruthTell Hackathon as part of the Create in India Challenge (CIC) at WAVES 2025 aims to develop AI-powered solutions to tackle misinformation in live broadcasts.

• About WAVE 2025: Organized by Ministry of Information & Broadcasting in collaboration with India Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA).
• Objectives: Develop AI-driven tools for real-time misinformation detection and fact verification.

  oEnhance trust and transparency in live broadcasting.

  oPromote ethical AI usage in journalism and media.

• Supporting Partners: Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY), IndiaAI Mission, and DataLEADS.
• About ICEA: Apex industry body for mobile & electronics sector in India driving innovation, policy advocacy, and global collaborations.

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7. National Mission on High-Yielding Seeds

The Indian government has recently launched a new programme called the National Mission on High-Yielding Seeds.

• High-yielding varieties are those that enable increased food production per unit areaand alleviate pressure to add more arable land to production systems.
• About National Mission on High-Yielding Seeds: Launched in the Union Budget for 2025-26 to improve seed research and increase the availability of over 100 new seed varieties since July 2024.
• Main Goals:

o Strengthening research: Develop new high-yielding seeds.

o Improving resistance: Focus on creating seeds resistant to pests and climate stress.

o Commercial availability: Make these seeds easily accessible to farmers.

• Concerns:

o Monoculture risks: Widespread use of a few high-yielding varieties may lead to monoculture farming, making crops more vulnerable to diseases and pests.

o Impact on biodiversity: Promotion of high-yielding seeds could cause the decline of traditional and indigenous seed varieties.

o Loss of pollinator diversity: Shifting to uniform seed varieties may reduce support for bees and butterflies.

• Recommendations: Support a mix of modern and traditional seeds to preserve genetic diversity.

o Invest in community seed banks and support farmer-led seed conservation.

o Create policies promoting biodiversity-friendly farming practices while advancing high-yielding varieties.

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8. Project VISTAAR

Recently, the project related information shared by Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in a written reply in Lok Sabha.

• About: The Project aims to create a unified, federated digital ecosystem for agriculture by integrating reliable, validated, and up-to-date resources.
• Focus: Enhances scalability, accessibility, and inclusivity of digital solutions, with two-way communication to incorporate farmer feedback.
• Key Objectives: Supports center-state convergence, fosters stakeholder partnerships, and aligns with ICAR Institutes and State Agricultural Universities.
• Goal: To develop robust Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for agricultural extension, empowering farmers with actionable information.
• MoUs: Signed with Odisha, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan to onboard their technical and content review committees.
• Support: The Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare supports the implementation of VISTAAR, without separate funding.
• Integration: VISTAAR aims for integration with all initiatives via the network, utilizing AI-enabled chatbots and integration with Agristack.

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9. Landslide Risk Mitigation Scheme (LRMS)

9.The scheme related information shared by Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

• About Landslide Risk Mitigation Scheme (LRMS): Approved in 2019 for four States—Sikkim, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Uttarakhand—to provide central assistance for disaster preparedness and capacity building for future landslide mitigation projects.

              oLaunched in July 2019 under Improving Disaster Risk Governance of State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs) / District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs).

• About National Landslide Risk Mitigation Project: Recently approved with a financial outlay of Rs. 1000 Crore for 15 landslide-prone states for funding from the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF).
• 15 States Benefitting: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal.

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