India successfully test-fires Agni-III intermediate-range ballistic missile from Integrated Test Range in Odisha

About Agni-III

• Developed by: Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO)
• Specification: It is a two-stage, solid-fuelled ballistic missile
• Range: >3000 km
• Warhead: It is capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads.

Iran reaffirms its commitment to the Chabahar port and cooperation with India, despite US sanctions uncertainty.

About Chabahar port

• Location: Sistan-Balochistan province in Iran's southern coast.
• Genesis: India Ports Global Limited (IPGL) started operating the port in 2018.
• Significance: It connects India to Afghanistan ,Central Asia and  International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) bypassing Pakistan
• In 2024, IPGL signed a 10-year contract with the Ports and Maritime Organisation of the Islamic Republic of Iran for equipping and operating the Shahid Beheshti Terminal of Chabahar Port.
• India has fulfilled its commitment of contributing USD 120 million for the procurement of port equipment.

The Supreme Court observed that states were opting for ‘acting’ and avoiding appointment of regular DGPs with a fixed tenure of two years in violation of Prakash Singh Judgement (2006).

Prakash Singh Judgement (2006)

• Selection and Tenure of DGP: The DGP must be chosen from a UPSC panel of senior officers and given a minimum two-year tenure.
• State Security Commission(SSC): Every State must establish a SSC to prevent unwarranted political interference in police functioning.
• Separation of Investigation: The investigation wing must be separated from law and order duties. 
• Police Establishment Board: Each State must set up it (headed by DGP) to decide transfers, postings and promotions up to DSP level.
• Police Complaints Authorities: To inquire into complaints of serious misconduct, abuse of power and human rights violations by police officers.
• National Security Commission: To be established by the Central Government to select and place heads of Central Police Organisations. 

About PFC

• Genesis: Incorporated in 1986, it is a Schedule-A Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) 
• It is a leading Non-Banking Financial Corporation (NBFC) in the Country.
• Classified as an Infrastructure Finance Company by the RBI in 2010.
• Ministry: Ministry of Power.

About REC

• Genesis: Incorporated in 1969 in the backdrop of severe drought and famine, to energise agricultural pump-sets for irrigation purposes.
• It is a 'Maharatna' company and is registered with RBI as NBFC, Public Financial Institution (PFI) and Infrastructure Financing Company (IFC).
• Ministry: Ministry of Power.
• It is the National Project Implementation Agency for the “PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana”.

The government to enhance highway construction through public-private partnerships (PPP) in 2026-27, prioritising the build-own-transfer model.

About Build-Own-Transfer (BOT) Model

• BOT is a PPP model in which a private entity finances, designs, builds, and operates a project for a fixed period before transferring it to the government.
• Revenue and User Charges: The private partner is allowed to collect user fees during the concession period to recover investment and earn profits.
• Risk Allocation: The risk allocation to the private sector may be significant, including volume and finance risk, and potentially price risk.

Researchers from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI)have uncovered two remarkable new ‘bio-warrior’ marine worm (polychaetes) species from the coasts of West Bengal.

• Known as ‘bio-warrior’ as they thrive where other life withers.

About New Marine Worm Species

• Namalycastis solenotognatha: 
  • Named for its “channeled jaw” structure.
  • Found in sulfide-rich, foul-smelling mudflats and decaying mangrove wood.
  • Adapted to extreme and polluted environments.
• Nereis dhritiae:
  • Named after the first woman director of ZSI, Dhriti Banerjee
  • Found inside wooden dock piles on sandy beaches.
  • Survives in areas submerged during high tide.

A recent report highlighted security concerns related to Moltbook.

About Moltbook

• Concept: It is a social forum exclusively for autonomous AI agents, similar to online forum, Reddit.
  • Humans can only observe, while AI agents post, debate, and upvote.
  • Many agents on Moltbook were created using the open-source AI agent OpenClaw.
• Launched in: January 2026 by Matt Schlicht 
• Use Case: Developers potentially deploy agents to test autonomy, coordination, and machine social behavior. E.g. creation of a mock religion, Crustafarianism.

The National Statistics Office under Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) launched the beta version of Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for eSankhyiki portal.

• MCP is a technology that allows users to connect directly with datasets through their own AI tools and applications.

About eSankhyiki Portal

• It is a centralized digital platform launched by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) to provide seamless access to India's official statistics.
• It aims to provide timely and valuable data inputs for policymakers, researchers, and the general public.
• Key data included- Consumer Price Index, Index of Industrial Production, Periodic Labour Force Survey etc.