The Estimates Committee has completed 75 years since its formation. 

• It is the largest among the three financial committees (others being Committee on Public Undertakings, and Public Accounts Committee). 

About Estimates Committee

• Establishment: Formed in 1950.
• Composition: 30 members elected from the Lok Sabha Members. 
  • Ministers are not eligible to be members.
• Chairperson: Appointed by the Speaker from among the members.
• Term of office: One year.
• Key Functions: 
  • To report on potential economies & organizational improvements,
  • Suggest alternative policies to bring about efficiency
  • Expenditure review of the policies
  • Suggest the form in which the estimates shall be presented to Parliament
• Recommendation Submission: Submitted to Lok Sabha and the concerned ministry must take action within 6 months or when required by the committee.

Recently, the NAVYA vocational training initiative for adolescent girls was launched. 

About NAVYA Initiative

• Ministry: Joint initiative of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
• Objective: To provide vocational training to young girls (aged 16-18 years) through PMKVY 4.0.
  • PM Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 4.0 provides NSQF aligned skill development training including reskilling and upskilling.
• Aim: To link girls with employment and entrepreneurship opportunities beyond conventional boundaries, such as Graphic Designer, Smartphone Technician, Drone Assembly Expert, etc.
• Target: 27 aspirational districts across 19 states.

Gujarat became the first state to implement the ABP under a state-led model.

About ABP

• Background: BharatNet was launched to provide broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats (GPs) across the country. 
• Genesis: ABP was approved in 2023 as a design improvement 
• Purpose:
  • Optical Fibre (OF) connectivity to 2.64 lakh GPs in ring topology (a network design where connected devices form a circular data channel)
  • OF connectivity to the remaining non-GP villages on demand. 
• Features: 
  • IP-MPLS (Internet Protocol Multi-Protocol Label Switching) network with routers at Blocks and GPs.
  • Operation and maintenance for 10 years.
  • Minimum 25 Mbps download speed for each FTTH subscriber.
  • Last-Mile Network to be implemented through BharatNet Udyami model

Ministry of Defence has concluded 6th phase of contracts under the EP mechanism.

• The procurement aims to enhance situational awareness, lethality, mobility, and protection for troops deployed in  counter-terrorism (CT) operations

About EP Mechanism.

• Background: Introduced after key events like the 2016 surgical strikes, the 2019 Balakot airstrike, and the 2020 Ladakh standoff with China.
• Purpose: Allows fast-track defence procurement instead of lengthy standard procedures.
• Current status: Armed Forces can now use up to 15% of their capital budget for urgent purchase of weapons and equipment to refill operational stocks.

Critical and Emerging Technologies Index has been launched to assess how 25 countries perform across five technology sectors: AI, biotechnology, semiconductors, space, and quantum. 

• Published by the Harvard Kennedy School.
• It identifies six criteria that define each technology sector: geopolitical significance, systemic leverage, GDP contribution, dual-use potential, supply chain risk, and time to maturity.

Key Findings

• India lags significantly behind the top three — U.S., China, and Europe — across most technology sectors.
• India trails in critical tech, particularly semiconductor tech.

Scientists in China use DNA editing to produce fertile mice from two male parents for the first time.

• The new research advances epigenetic programming as a reproductive tool to breed motherless mice without compromising on their health and fertility.

Epigenetic Programming 

• Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in gene expression that occur without alterations to the underlying DNA sequence.
• Epigenetic Programming: They are genetic modifications that impact gene activity without changing the DNA sequence.
  • These modifications are attached to DNA and do not change the sequence of DNA building blocks. 
• Within the complete set of DNA in a cell (genome), all of the modifications that regulate the activity (expression) of the genes is known as the epigenome.

Madhya Pradesh High Court denied permission to perform religious and cultural activities at the tomb of Hazrat Sheikh Muhammad Ghaus in Gwalior.

• The premises of the monument also contain the graves of Tansen.

About Tansen (Childhood name Ramtanu)

• He was an important figure in Hindustani classical music born in Gwalior.
• Tansen was the title given to him by Raja Vikramjit of Gwalior.
• Learnt music from Swami Haridas.
• Composed Dhrupad on Hindu deities as well as for his Patrons: Ramchandra Vaghela and Akbar.
• He was among the Navaratnas (nine jewels) at the court of Akbar.
• Composed famous ragas: E.g., Miyan ki Malhar, Miyan ki Todi and Darbari. 
• His descendants and disciples are called Seniyas.

The Technology Development Board (TDB) has extended financial support for the commercialisation of an indigenous battery recycling technology that utilises dual-mode (wet and dry) black mass recovery.

What is Black Mass?

• When a lithium-ion battery reaches the end of its life, it doesn’t stop being valuable. Inside that used battery is a dark, powdery substance known as black mass — a mix of critical minerals.
• This can be recovered, refined, and reused to power the next generation of clean energy.

About black mass recovery technology

• It is a process that extracts valuable materials like lithium, cobalt, and nickel from used lithium-ion batteries.
  • Ensures high separation efficiency and recovery rates of up to 97–99%.