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The Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2026 has come into effect from April 1, 2026. It came into effect after replacing the 2016 framework. It is issued under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The new rules aim to improve waste handling through the principles of a circular economy, and by making producers responsible for the waste they create. They have also introduced stricter compensation based on the ‘polluters pays’ principle.

The new framework has introduced a mandatory four-stream segregation of waste at source – wet, dry, sanitary and special care waste. Wet waste like kitchen waste, flowers, etc., will be processed through bio-methanation at the nearest facility. Dry wastes like plastic, paper, metal, etc., will be sorted and recycled in Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs). Sanitary and hazardous waste will be handles separately through proper channels. The rules also make large waste producers more responsible by introducing an Extended Bulk Generator Responsibility mechanism. As per the new rules, the Central Pollution Control Board will introduce an online system to track waste from the moment it is generated to its final disposal. This platform will also make it easier to register, report, and monitor waste facilities.

Urban and rural local bodies, state governments, and central ministries have been assigned specific responsibilities. The rules also encourage industries to use more Refuse-derived fuel (RDF), increasing its use from 5% to 15% over six years. The rules also give attention to hilly and island regions to reduce environmental pressure in ecologically sensitive areas.

The Updated Income Tax Act, 2025 has replaced the 1961 legislation and has been effective as of April 1 2026. Under the new reform transparency, simple procedure and reduction of compliance burden on taxpayers has been cited as the agenda. Structurally, it is leaner with only 536 sections and 16 schedules as opposed to the earlier 819 and 14 schedules, alongside fewer rules and forms. This overhaul aims to streamline tax administration.

In order to remove confusion based on age criteria, both Forms 15G and 15H have been merged into a single unified form 121 under Section 393(6). This applies to resident individuals, Hindu Undivided families (HUFs) and specified entities, while excluding non-residents, firms and companies. The new reform allows a single form 121 to be submitted across multiple financial accounts under a Unique Identification Number (UIN). This minimizes the damage of excess Tax Deducted at Source (TDS).

Form 26 AS is renumbered as Form 168, from being a basic tax credit record to a comprehensive ‘financial diary’. It amalgamates tax data with the (AIS) to consolidate all PAN linked activities into a single holistic financial profile.

Starting April 1, LRS foreign remittance has been eased by reducing the TCS rate from 5% to 2% on payments over 10lakhs for education, medical and overseas tour packages. In addition, the new FAST Disclosure Scheme (FAST-DS 2026), allows taxpayers in a 6 months window to report undeclared foreign assets with reduced penalties.

The Income Tax Act, 2025 heralds a new age of technology-driven tax regime that is streamlined. By rationalising structures and offering targeted relief measures, it makes taxation more efficient, transparent, and taxpayer-friendly.

As per the Statistics released by the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2025, working women saw a growth in wages as opposed to men across all jobs categories ranging from salaried, self-employment to casual labour. Earnings for women increased by 7.2% in salaried jobs, 8.8% in self-employment and 5.4% in casual labour compared to 2024. Comparatively, for men earnings rose by 5.8%, 8.8% and a 0.2% decline in salaried jobs, self-employment and casual labour respectively. The data speaks to a positive trend in women’s growth spanning multiple industries.

A significant gender pay exists despite the onset of faster wage growth. Women earned only 76% of the income drawn by men in salaried jobs in 2025, unchanged from prior years. There was slight improvement in casual labour where women earned 69% of male wages, up from 66% in 2024. Nevertheless, the disparity is most acute in self-employment with women’s earnings being just 36% of male income.

Employment patterns in 2025 exhibits an improvement in job quality, signaled by a proliferation of salaried positions. Women’s entree to stable jobs with security benefits improved with the number of salaried women rising to 18.2% from 16.6% in 2024. Conversely self-employment declined to 64.2% from 66.5%. Casual labour had a marginal rise at 17.6% yet overall, India’s salaried employment reached 23.6% up from 22.4% in 2024.

In addition, the survey exhibits an easing of joblessness rate with rural unemployment falling to 2.4% and urban to 4.8%. Following an improvement of Youth unemployment to 9.9% but female youth unemployment increased 11.3%.

Although women’s earnings are increasing quicker than men’s, entrenched structural barriers prevent true income parity. The data broaches a convoluted date where wage growth is improving and gradual movement towards formal employment, but persistent gender gaps, remain in self-employment.

According to the data from National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), a total of 1,20,010 number of cases were registered across the India under NDPS Act in 2023. The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 prohibits the production, possession, sale, purchase, transport, and consumption of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances across India.

Kerala recorded the highest number of cases under the NDPS Act in 2023, with 30,697 cases, the highest among all Indian states. Across the country, a total of 1,20,010 NDPS cases were registered during the year, the government told the Rajya Sabha. Following Kerala, Maharashtra (15,610 cases) and Punjab (11,589 cases) ranked second and third respectively, marking a significant shift in the traditional perception of drug hotspots. Among Union Territories, Jammu and Kashmir recorded the highest number with 2,232 cases.

India is sandwiched between two major drug-producing regions:

The Golden Crescent is a major global drug-producing region outlined by Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan. Since India shares boundary line of approximately 3,323 kilometers with Pakistan and approximately 106 kilometers with Afghanistan, where northern states (like Punjab and J&K) become entry points. Due to close proximity northern Indian states becomes vulnerable to drug inflows originating from the golden crescent. Currently, it is the world's largest opium-producing region, with Afghanistan leading in heroin production.

Golden Triangle falls into another major global narcotics-producing region located in Southeast Asia, where Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand meet. India shares a border of approximately 1,643 kilometers long with Myanmar. Here difficult terrain and loosely monitored borders allow drugs to move illegally into India through informal routes. It is increasingly linked to synthetic drugs like methamphetamine and heroine which are easier to transport and distribute.

The Geological Survey of India (GSI), concluded the field season (2025-26) garnering significant achievements in exploration of mineral, critical resource assessment and geo-scientific advancements. Functioning under the Ministry of Mines, the GSI is the premier organisation in charge for geological mapping and mineral resource estimation. The latest field season heralds a pivotal phase one where all focus is on critical minerals and national priorities such as resource security and clear energy transition.

GSI is undertaking a total of 458 mineral exploration projects for the landmark year 2025-26 of which 230 are focused on critical minerals and 92 specifically on rare earth elements. GSI transferred 80 geological reports for anchors out of them 39 were on critical minerals for auctioning, so as to facilitate transparency. In addition, 4 coal and 11 exploration licence blocks were made available for development. A triumph moment came through the discovery of natural hydrogen in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, further propping up India’s potential in emerging clean energy resources.

Further, GSI also consolidated geoscientific data generation through large-scale mapping covering over 22,000 sq. km, while geochemical surveys spanned 28,000 sq. km. This progress has been anchored by ground and airborne geographical survey and AI models based on mineral targeting. In the geohazard management, coverage has been expanded to 21 districts across states following an improved early warning system by the National Landslide Forecasting Centre.

The feats accomplished through FS 2025–26 is testament to GSI’s imminent role in ensuring mineral security, supporting infrastructure development, and enhancing disaster resilience. With an ambitious plan of around 500 projects of mineral exploration, GSI is set to further strengthen India’s resource base and reaffirm the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

Consider the following statements regarding Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026:

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

With reference to the updated Income Tax Act, 2025, consider the following statements:

Which of the statements given above are correct?

With reference to the Periodic Labour Force Survey 2025, consider the following statements:

Which of the statements given above are correct?

With reference to NDPS Act cases in India (2023), consider the following statements:

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

With reference to the Geological Survey of India and its Field Season 2025–26, consider the following statements:

Which of the statements given above are correct?

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Answer: Option A
They have replaced the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.
They are issued under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

Answer: Option C
Forms 15G and 15H have been merged into a single Form 121.
Form 26AS has been renamed as Form 168.
The TCS rate under LRS for education and medical purposes has been reduced.

Answer: Option A
Women’s wages grew faster than men’s across all categories of employment in 2025.
Women’s earnings in self-employment are significantly lower compared to men.

Answer: Option A
Kerala recorded the highest number of NDPS cases among all states.
Maharashtra recorded more cases than Punjab.

Answer: Option A
The Geological Survey of India functions under the Ministry of Mines.
Natural hydrogen was discovered in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands during this field season.
Geochemical surveys covered a larger area than geological mapping during this period.