India's LNG imports from the US, Oman, Nigeria, and Angola increased, offsetting decline in supplies caused by disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

• India meets nearly half of its natural gas demand through LNG imports, about 60% of which traditionally transit the Strait of Hormuz, mainly from Qatar and the UAE.

About LNG

• LNG is natural gas cooled to about −162°C, converting it into a liquid for easier storage and transportation.
  • Liquefaction reduces its volume by nearly 600 times, making long-distance shipping economical.
• LNG mainly consists of methane and is transported in specialised cryogenic tankers.
• Significance:
  • LNG is widely used for power generation, industries, transport, and households.
  • It is considered a cleaner fossil fuel, emitting less carbon dioxide and air pollutants than coal and oil.

Prime Minister's Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PM-VBRY) Completes One Year; Over 72 Lakh First-Time Workers Join the Formal Workforce.

About PM-VBRY

• Ministry: Ministry of Labour & Employment
• Implementing Agency: Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO)
• Launch: Budget 2024–25 under the Prime Minister's Package for Employment and Skilling as the Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme
• Objective: Promote formal employment by supporting first-time employees and incentivising employers to create additional jobs
• Salient Features:
  • Outlay: ₹99,446 crore; Target: 3.5+ crore jobs over 2 years.
  • Covers jobs created between 1 August 2025 and 31 July 2027.
  • Two Components:
    • Part A: Up to ₹15,000 incentive for eligible first-time employees.
    • Part B: Up to ₹3,000/month per new employee for employers (4 years for manufacturing sector; 2 years for others).

Concerns over the environmental and ethical impacts of natural diamond mining have brought lab-grown diamonds into focus as a sustainable alternative.

About Lab-Grown Diamonds (LGDs)

• Artificially produced diamonds created in laboratories by replicating the natural conditions under which diamonds form.
• Raw Material: Carbon source deposited on a diamond seed crystal.
• Manufacturing Processes
  • High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT):
    • Mimics the high pressure and temperature conditions of the Earth's mantle to crystallize carbon into diamond.
  • Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD):
    • Carbon-rich gases (e.g., methane) are ionized in a vacuum chamber, depositing carbon atoms layer by layer on a diamond seed.

Rising consumption of processed foods, pharmaceuticals and chemically treated water has increased concern over human exposure to nitrosamines.

About Nitrosamines 

• Nitrosamines (or N-nitrosamines) are a class of chemical compounds formed when amines react with nitrites or nitrates under conditions such as heat, acidic pH, or oxidising environments. 
• Formation: Can form during food processing, storage, cooking, water disinfection, and in the human stomach.
• Health Impact: Long-term exposure is associated with an increased risk of cancer.

Key Compound: N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is one of the most potent nitrosamines found in water and medicines

A third-party assessment found that KCC-MISS has improved agricultural productivity, income diversification, and access to affordable credit. 

About Kisan Credit Card–Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (KCC-MISS)

• Ministry: Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. 
• Coverage: Short-term crop loans under KCC; KCC also covers animal husbandry, dairy and fisheries.
• Interest Support: Provides 1.5% interest subvention to banks on short-term crop loans up to ₹3 lakh under KCC. 
  • Farmers receive loans at 7% interest, which reduces to an effective 4% on timely repayment through a 3% Prompt Repayment Incentive (PRI). 
• Implementation: Delivered through banks under the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) framework.
• Focus: Promotes affordable credit, timely input use, and agricultural productivity.

The Supreme Court held that Section 498A IPC applies to women in live-in relationships "in the nature of marriage", allowing prosecution for domestic cruelty.

About Section 498A (Indian Penal Code, 1860)

• Section 498A IPC criminalised cruelty by a husband or his relatives against a married woman, including physical or mental cruelty and harassment for dowry.
• The offence was cognizable, non-bailable, and non-compoundable.
• After the enactment of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, the provision has been replaced by Section 85 an 86 of the BNS, which continues to punish cruelty by the husband or his relatives against a woman.

Lok Sabha has passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026.

About the Bill

• It amends the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956 and replaces the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance, 2026.
• Objective: To increase the number of judges in the Supreme Court (excluding the Chief Justice of India) from 33 to 37.
• Need:  Tackling the pending backlog of cases in the Supreme Court.
  • As of 2026, over 92 thousand cases are pending in the Supreme Court. 

India hikes windfall tax on petrol, diesel and aviation turbine fuel (ATF) exports.

About Windfall Tax

• A windfall tax is a tax imposed by governments on certain industries that experience significantly above-average profits due to favorable economic conditions.
• The purpose is to redistribute excess profits in one area to raise funds for the greater social good.
• Governments justify the tax by asserting that these profits are not solely due to the taxed entity's efforts but also due to external factors.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has proposed mandating Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communication systems in all new vehicles in a phased manner from October 2027 to enhance road safety.

About V2V Communication

• It is a wireless communication technology that enables vehicles to exchange real-time information directly with one another.
• It is a key component of Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs).
• V2V supports short- to medium-range communication and can extend coverage through multi-hop communication.
• Mechanisms: It uses technologies such as Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC), Cellular Networks (4G/5G), Wi-Fi, and WiMAX.
• Significance:
  • Enables the sharing of data on speed, location, direction, braking, and road hazards.
  • Enhances road safety, traffic efficiency, collision avoidance, and intelligent transportation systems (ITS).