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Recently, the Government of India announced a national skilling initiative in Artificial Intelligence (AI). The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is the nodal ministry. This initiative will provide free training in AI to 15000 participants who work in the creative and media sectors. The purpose of this venture is to strengthen the AI skills in fields like animation, visual effects, gaming, and comics.

The AI skilling programme will be managed by the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) in collaboration with Google and YouTube. This programme will happen in two phases. The first phase will occur from 23rd March, 2026, to 30th June, 2026. It will primarily focus on foundational skills in AI. The participants will receive Google Career Certificates upon successful completion of this phase. The second phase will occur between July and December 2026. This phase will focus on hands-on practical training using advanced AI tools. Additionally, the ministry has come up with two more initiatives, i.e., MyWAVES platform and the rollout of the Advanced Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) an in-built satellite tuner in television sets.  MyWAVES is a multilingual platform that will enable citizens to create, upload, and share content. Meanwhile, the EPG initiative will enable citizens to watch DD Free Dish channels without the installation of a set-top box.

These initiatives are being done by the government to promote the Orange Economy (by investing in AI skilling, digital platform and content infrastructure). This provides economic value to creativity and culture. The overall aim behind this promotion is to make India a global hub for digital content and innovation.

Recently, the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Lok Sabha. It has made changes to the 2019 act by changing the definition of a transgender person and altering the process of identity recognition.

The landmark judgement, NALSA vs. Union of India (2014), is the original influence behind the 2019 Act. It is widely popular because it upheld the right to self-identification of gender. This essentially means that transgender people have the right to determine their own gender without any sort of medical intervention. As a result, the 2019 Act has a broad definition of “transgender person”, which includes trans-men, trans-women, intersex persons and socio-cultural identities like Hijra and Kinnar. Now, the bill in question has narrowed the scope of the definition. It is retaining Hijra, Kinnar, and intersex persons and adding eunuchs and all the people forced to become transgender in the definition. But the recent bill is set to remove all the other categories. Additionally, it is also introducing certification of transgender people after going through a medical board. Under the 2019 law, a transgender person could obtain a certificate based on self-identification. The new bill, however, requires approval from a medical board before the District Magistrate issues the certificate. The bill has also introduced stricter penalties against begging, bonded labour and forcing individuals into transgender identities The offender will face imprisonment of 5–10 years with a minimum fine of ₹1 lakh if the victim is an adult, and 10–14 years with a minimum fine of ₹3 lakh if the victim is a child.

Some aspects of this bill have sparked debate among the public. The government has argued that the vagueness of the existing definition has created complexity in helping socially castrated individuals. Hence through this bill they want to involve only those who have the biological characteristics of being a transgender, rather than extending the definition to all those who self-identify without such biological traits. Whereas the transgender people feel the changes mentioned to be detrimental to their self-identity.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given approval for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) to the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) for the cotton crop. The MSP is Rs. 1,718.56 crore for the session 2023-24. This allocation is designed to offer direct price assistance to cotton farmers nationwide. This is also being seen as a crucial step towards realising the goals of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

The MSP is the price at which the government directly buys crops from the farmers. It is set by the government itself, and it protects the farmer when the market price falls below the MSP. This helps the cotton farmers as it stabilises cotton prices by preventing distress sales. It also ensures remunerative returns to farmers, which ultimately contributes to the economic security of cotton-growing farmers. The MSP for seed cotton, which is also known as ‘kapas’, is fixed upon the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). On the other hand, the job of the CCI is to undertake MSP operations in cotton. It has established a robust procurement network and undertaken various technology-driven initiatives to help the farmers. One such initiative includes the launching of the “Cott-Ally” mobile app, which provides outreach and service delivery to farmers.

Cotton is one of the most crucial cash crops of India. It is supporting around 60 lakh farmers and millions engaged in allied sectors such as textiles and trade. During the 2023–24 cotton season, it was grown over an estimated 114.47 lakh hectares, yielding about 325.22 lakh bales. This output made up nearly a quarter of the world’s total cotton production.

The World Water Day Conclave was organised by the Ministry of Jal Shakti under the theme “Industry for Water”. It was attended by multiple stakeholders from various fields like government, industry, academia and start-ups. The main idea behind this conclave was to realise that water conservation is not only the government’s priority; rather, it is a collective responsibility of all individuals, communities and sectors.

The conclave had four thematic sessions. The first session was on sludge management, which stated that sludge should be treated as a resource rather than as waste. It can be used for soil improvement, energy generation and other such economically and environmentally beneficial work. The next session focused on the importance of water use across industrial sectors. Commitments were made to do regular water auditing, reduce the water footprint and make a rainwater harvesting structure. The third session put light upon the growing significance of glaciers. Discussions were done on the need for better monitoring of glaciers, weather, and springs to support informed policymaking. In the final session deliberation on the use cases of water census data was done. Apart from the technical sessions, a new scheme named Mission for Advancement in High Impact Areas (MAHA) was announced, which is aiming at promoting research and innovation in the water sector.

The conclave produced a number of significant reports and policy papers, including the irrigation and water body census reports, along with the National Water Data Policy 2026. It stressed better use of data, greater involvement of industries, adoption of modern technologies, and stronger collaboration across sectors.

The Government of India is undertaking comprehensive measures in response to the evolving crisis in West Asia. It is being done to ensure security of energy, maintain maritime operations, and safeguard its citizens abroad. This crisis has caused closure of the Strait of Hormuz, but the domestic fuel supply is stable, and no shortage has been reported. Additionally, the government has started prioritizing Piped Natural Gas (PNG) connections, and for the welfare and safe return of Indian nationals, there has been an increase in diplomatic talks with key regional stakeholders.

The geopolitical tension has prompted frequent multi-ministerial meetings to address the crisis. Refineries are being operated at high capacity with adequate crude reserves, while LPG production has been maximised. The government has increased commercial LPG allocation up to 50%, prioritising hospitals, educational institutions, restaurants and hotels. Supply of LPG is still a concern, but no dry-out in the distributorship has been reported yet. States have been advised to expand PNG infrastructure and facilitate faster connections. To reduce pressure on LPG demand, alternative fuel like kerosene has been made available to all the states and union territories. Under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 and LPG Control Order, 2000, state governments have been empowered to act against any hoarding and black marketing. The government has also requested consumers to avoid panic bookings.

The situation near the crisis region is being closely monitored. Assistance is being provided round-the-clock through evacuations, advisories and logistical support. Prime Minister Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar have also held talks with their respective counterparts on the broader implications of the conflict in the region.

With reference to Minimum Support Price (MSP), consider the following statements:

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

With reference to the Fiscal Health Index (FHI) 2026, consider the following statements:

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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Answer: Option A
It protects farmers when market prices fall below a certain level.
It is fixed based on recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).

Answer: Option C
It evaluates states on parameters including revenue mobilisation and debt sustainability.
It uses data from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).