• The census will be conducted in two phases.
• Phase I will begin in October 2026.
• Phase II will begin in March 2027.
• The first phase will be conducted in four regions: Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, and Jammu & Kashmir.
• The census is conducted by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, which functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

• The 2027 Census will be the 16th census since 1872 and the 8th census after Independence.
• The Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India is Mr. Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan.
• The government has decided to collect Census data, caste-based enumeration data, and National Population Register (NPR) data simultaneously during the upcoming census.

• The Bill proposes amendments to the civil nuclear liability framework, providing legal protection to operators and limiting the liability of equipment suppliers.
• It allows Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) up to 49%, introduces an integrated legal framework, and provides for the establishment of a Special Nuclear Tribunal.
• The insurance cover per nuclear accident will be increased to ₹1,500 crore.
• The initiative is expected to attract private investment and promote the development of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), with a target of deploying five indigenous SMRs by 2033.
• The Bill seeks to amend or integrate two existing laws:
• The Atomic Energy Act, 1962, and
• The Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010.

• Organisers: Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA), jointly with various Central Ministries such as the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
• Objective: To promote science communication in Indian languages.
• Aim: To bring together writers, scientists, researchers, students, and journalists on a common platform to communicate scientific ideas to the general public in a simple and effective manner.
• Theme: “Science Communication: Reaching the Last Mile”.

Panel Discussions on Science Communication:

• Sessions were held on the challenges of science writing and journalism in various Indian languages such as Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, and others.

• Established: July 1875
• Original Name: The Native Share and Stock Brokers’ Association
• Location: Mumbai (Dalal Street)
• Significance: Asia’s oldest stock exchange and the 10th oldest in the world
• Electronic Trading: In 1995, BSE replaced the open outcry system with a fully electronic trading system known as the BSE On-line Trading System (BOLT)

• Base Year and Base Value: Base year 1978–79 with a base value of 100
• Regulator: BSE operates under the rules and supervision of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)

• To provide long-term coal linkages for industrial use and exports
• To reduce dependence on imported coal
• To promote Ease of Doing Business
• To enable faster and more effective utilization of domestic coal reserves

Creation of the ‘Coal-Setu’ Window:

• A new window/sub-sector has been added under the Non-Regulated Sector (NRS) Coal Linkage Policy, 2016
• It allows allocation of coal linkages for any industrial use and export
• Only designated end-users are permitted to participate; traders are not allowed

Auction-Based Allocation:

• Long-term coal linkages will be allocated through a competitive auction process
• The policy provides flexibility in coal usage based on demand
• Linkage holders are allowed to export up to 50% of the coal through use across their group companies

Expected Impact:

• The policy will help ensure a more reliable and sustainable coal supply within the country
• It will strengthen energy security, encourage investment, and support industrial growth

• Established: 25 January 1950
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Constitutional Basis: Articles 324 to 329 of the Indian Constitution
• Nature: An independent and constitutional body
• Initially: Single-member body

• Since 1993: Multi-member Commission (1 Chief Election Commissioner + 2 Election Commissioners)
• National Voters’ Day: 25 January
• 61st Constitutional Amendment: Amended Article 326, reducing the voting age from 21 years to 18 years

• Capital: Gangtok
• Major Rivers: Rangit, Rangpo, and Lachung
• State Flower: Noble Orchid (Yerum Leyi)
• Tourism: Sikkim is a major tourist destination in India
• Lepchas: Indigenous inhabitants of Sikkim and Nepal

• Highest Mountain Peak in India: Kangchenjunga (located in Sikkim)
• Pension Policy: Sikkim is the first North-Eastern state to restore the Old Pension Scheme (OPS)
• First Railway Station: Rangpo Railway Station

• MahaCrimeOS AI is built on Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service and Microsoft Foundry, enabling rapid case registration, multilingual data extraction, legal assistance, and open-source intelligence (OSINT).
• The platform integrates with banking, telecom, and public databases, simplifying the issuance of subpoenas and evidence collection, and standardizing investigation workflows.
• Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described the platform as part of the MARVEL initiative and announced its statewide rollout, aimed at empowering police personnel in combating cybercrime.
• Satya Nadella termed the initiative a new benchmark in digital security and AI-driven governance.

• Capital: Washington, D.C.
• Largest City: New York City
• Continent: North America
• Head of State: President
• Legislature: Congress (House of Representatives and Senate)
• Currency: United States Dollar (USD)

• Major Rivers: Mississippi, Missouri, Colorado
• Major Mountain Ranges: Rocky Mountains, Appalachian Mountains
• Official Language: English
• (In March 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order granting English official recognition at the federal level.)

• Member States: Currently, the European Union has 27 member countries
• Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium
• Established: 1 November 1993, under the Maastricht Treaty

• H3N2 infection is a type of Influenza A virus, often also known as Hong Kong Flu.
• It is a seasonal flu that frequently causes severe respiratory illnesses.
• Classification: H3N2 is one of several subtypes of the Influenza A virus. Influenza A viruses have two proteins on their surface: hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N).
• Nomenclature: It includes H3 (the third hemagglutinin type) and N2 (the second neuraminidase type).
• Nature: It is a human influenza virus that can also be found in pigs, which sometimes leads to it being confused with 'swine flu', although H1N1 is the more common subtype of swine flu.
• Seasonal nature: It is typically more active in India during the late monsoon and winter seasons.
• Mode of transmission: It spreads through small droplets released into the air when coughing, sneezing, or talking.

• Capital: Sofia
• Location: South-Eastern Europe
• Continent: Europe
• Currency: Bulgarian Lev (BGN)

• Script: Cyrillic
• Major Rivers: Danube, Maritsa
• Major Mountain Range: Balkan Mountains

• The Bill introduces major reforms to the Insurance Act, 1938 and the IRDAI Act, 1999.

Key Provisions:

• Increase in FDI: Raises the FDI cap in Indian insurance companies from 74% to 100%.
• Composite Licensing: Permits insurance companies to offer both life and general insurance products under a single license.
• Reduced Capital Requirements: Lowers the minimum capital norms for insurance and reinsurance companies.
• Greater Flexibility for Agents: Allows insurance agents to sell products of multiple companies (earlier restricted to one life and one general insurer).
• Dynamic Investment Norms: Empowers IRDAI with greater flexibility to adjust investment regulations in line with market requirements.

• IDPIC will focus on enhancing the security of digital transactions, preventing fraud, and enabling real-time monitoring, data analytics, and risk assessment.
• Leveraging AI and ML technologies, the platform will strengthen transparency and reliability in payment systems, supporting the Digital India initiative.
• The approval from the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance is valid until October 2026.

• For 2026, the MSP for Milling Copra has been set at ₹12,027 per quintal and for Ball Copra at ₹12,500 per quintal.
• Compared to the previous season, this represents an increase of ₹445 per quintal for Milling Copra and ₹400 per quintal for Ball Copra.
• From 2014 to 2026, MSP has increased by 129% for Milling Copra and 127% for Ball Copra.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi commented on 12 December 2025 that the increase in MSP for 2026 will enhance farmers’ income and promote copra production.

• The award acknowledges Bank of Baroda’s strong financial performance, leadership in digital transformation, and excellent customer service.
• The bank has expanded rural reach by opening 184 new branches, launched Smart OD facility for MSMEs, and introduced products such as Liquid Fixed Deposits.

• MD & CEO Dr. Debadatt Chand described the recognition as an acknowledgment of the bank’s sustainable development and transformation journey.

About Bank of Baroda:

• Established: 20 July 1908
• Founder: Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III (Maharaja of Baroda)
• Nationalization: 1969 by Government of India
• Headquarters: Vadodara, Gujarat

• Signed on: 2 February 1971 in Ramsar, Iran (World Wetlands Day is celebrated annually on 2 February)
• Effective from: 1975
• Secretariat: Maintains the list of Ramsar sites at IUCN headquarters in Gland, Switzerland
• India: Ratified the convention in 1982
• First Indian Ramsar Sites (1981): Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan) and Chilika Lake (Odisha)

• Silisera Lake is a historic man-made reservoir and an important biodiversity hotspot.
• It is home to over 110 species of birds, aquatic and terrestrial fauna, promoting tourism and ecological balance.

Other Ramsar Sites in Rajasthan:

• Keoladeo National Park (Bharatpur): Declared in 1981, famous for Siberian Cranes
• Sambhar Lake (Jaipur–Nagaur): Added in 1990, known for salt production and bird sanctuary
• Khichan Wetland (Phalodi, Jodhpur): Added in June 2025, habitat for migratory birds like Greylag Geese
• Menar Wetland Complex (Udaipur): Recognized in June 2025, rich in biodiversity

• Venue: UNEP Headquarters, Nairobi, Kenya
• Theme: “Fostering Sustainable Solutions for a Resilient Planet”
• Objective: To address global environmental challenges and approve the medium-term strategy and work program for 2026–2029
• India’s Representation: Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Kirti Vardhan Singh