January 2026

Textiles ministry signs MoUs with 15 States under Tex-RAMPS scheme

Context: The Ministry of Textiles has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with 15 States as part of the ‘Textiles focused Research, Assessment, Monitoring, Planning And Start-Up’ (Tex-RAMPS) scheme.

• The MoUs were signed on the first day of the two-day national textile ministers’ conference in Guwahati on the theme ‘India’s Textiles: Weaving Growth, Heritage & Innovation’.
• The scheme is designed to improve the coverage, quality, timeliness, and credibility of textile-related statistical products and research, according to a press release.
• The initiative drives integrated planning for key sectors including handlooms, handicrafts, apparel, and technical textiles by focusing efforts directly at the cluster and district levels, the release said.
• The Ministry provides an annual grant of ₹12 lakh to each State or Union Territory. An additional grant of ₹1 lakh a year will be provided for each district, based on the development and execution of specific district action plans.

Source: The Hindu

India to continue to work with ISA, back solar adoption

Context: India will continue to work with the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and support solar adoption and energy transition goals, government sources said on Thursday, even as the U.S. announced its withdrawal from the alliance.

• In an executive order signed on January 7, the U.S. sought to withdraw from 66 “wasteful, ineffective or harmful international organisations”, which also included the solar alliance.
• “These withdrawals will end American taxpayer funding and involvement in entities that advance globalist agendas over U.S. priorities, or that address important issues inefficiently or ineffectively such that U.S. taxpayer dollars are best allocated in other ways to support the relevant missions,” read a White House fact sheet.
• The 125-member alliance was conceptualised on the sidelines of COP21 in Paris in 2015 and was formally instituted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of France Francois Hollande.
• It aspires to unlock $1 trillion in solar investments by 2030 whilst reducing technology and financing costs relating to solar implementation.
• The sources stated that the alliance’s programmes are operational in more than 95 countries and had supported creation of national pipelines, regulatory frameworks, and market creation.
• They added that the alliance had been “successful” in demonstrating the “feasibility and effectiveness” of solar solutions.
• Taking note of the latest development, the sources held, “ISA will continue to work with member countries, particularly least developed countries and small island developing states, in development and deployment of solar energy, mobilising finance, building capacity, and reducing risk perceptions.”

Source: The Hindu

Govt. seeks feedback on draft Bill to regulate pesticides, promote ‘safe and effective’ use

Context: The Union Agriculture Ministry has invited public comments on the draft Pesticides Management Bill that aims to repeal the Insecticides Act of 1968.

• According to the draft, the new Bill will regulate manufacture, import, packaging, labelling, storage, advertisement, sale, transport, distribution, use and disposal of pesticides to “ensure availability of safe and effective pesticides”.
• The Bill strives to minimise risk to human beings, animals, living organisms other than pests, and the environment, and promote pesticides that are “biological and based on traditional knowledge”.
• It defines “pesticide” as a substance or mixture of substances, including a formulation, of chemical or biological origin intended to prevent, destroy, attract, repel, mitigate or control any pest in agriculture, industry, pest control operations, public health, storage or for ordinary use.
• The definition includes any substance intended for use as a plant growth regulator, defoliant, desiccant, fruit thinning agent, or sprouting inhibitor and also any substance applied to crops either before or after harvest to protect them from deterioration during storage and transport.

• The draft provides for constituting the Central Pesticides Board to advise the Central government and State governments on scientific and technical matters on administering the proposed Act.
• It will advise the Union government in making criteria for good manufacturing practices, including processes for pesticide manufacturers, best practices for pest control operators, procedure for the recall of pesticides, the criteria for the disposal of pesticides and packages in an environmentally sound manner and standards for the advertisement of pesticides.
• As per the draft Bill, the Union government can appoint a registration committee to make decisions on registration of pesticides, specify conditions subject to which a certificate of registration is granted, periodically review the safety and efficacy of registered pesticides and amend or cancel certificates of registration. The committee shall also maintain a national register of pesticides in digital form.
• The draft Bill also provides for a punishment of imprisonment up to five years, or fine from ₹10 lakh to ₹50 lakh or with both for the manufacture, import, sale, exhibit for sale, transport, distribute, use or cause to use of pesticide in “death or grievous hurt of another.”

Source: The Hindu

India’s first commercial Quantum Computer to be deployed at IIIT, Dharwad

Context: India’s first commercial Quantum Computer to be deployed at the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) in Dharwad, said Priyank Kharge, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, IT & BT.

• “Karnataka is moving decisively in the quantum space. The deployment of India’s first commercial Quantum Computer at IIIT-Dharwad marks a significant milestone in our journey to build a world-class quantum ecosystem,” he said.
• The Minister on Wednesday had meetings with the Bengaluru-based deeptech company QpiAI and Singapore-based ZWEEC, to discuss on advancing Karnataka’s leadership in quantum technologies and strengthening rural water security.
• “Through strong collaboration with companies like QpiAI, the State government was committed to advancing the Karnataka Quantum Roadmap while ensuring that cutting-edge technology translates into real impact,” Mr. Kharge said.
• According to the Minister, the deployment of the country’s first indigenously built Quantum Computer for commercial use at the IIIT-Dharwad, where the State government has recently announced a Centre of Excellence in Quantum AI and Computing, was happening at a quick momentum.

Roadmap

• The QpiAI team also briefed Mr. Kharge on their ambitious roadmap to scale from a 25-qubit quantum computer to a 1,000-qubit system within the next two to three years, positioning Karnataka as a key hub for advanced quantum research, talent development, and industry collaboration.
• The discussions reaffirmed the State government’s commitment to working closely with deeptech companies to accelerate innovation, research, and commercial applications in quantum computing, the Minister said.
• The ZWEEC, a Singapore-based company specialising in advanced water technology solutions, may work with rural water supply and sanitation department, Mr. Kharge said.
• According to the Minister, he had discussions with the representatives of the ZWEEC which offers solutions for early detection of drinking water contamination, algal blooms, and intelligent monitoring of water infrastructure through automated and data-driven technologies. “These solutions have relevance for rural drinking water systems and the government will evaluate the technology further,” Mr. Kharge added.

Source: The Hindu

State Film Awards: Filmmaker M.S. Sathyu honoured with Puttanna Kanagal Award

Context: The Lifetime Achievement Awards as part of the Karnataka State Film Awards 2020 and 2021 were announced on Thursday. Renowned filmmaker and theatre personality M.S. Sathyu was honoured with the Puttanna Kanagal Award for the year 2020.

• Actor-politician Jaimala, who has an experience of over 50 years in the film industry, was named for the Dr. Rajkumar Award. Veteran still photographer Pragathi Ashwath Narayana was picked for the Dr. Vishnuvardhan Award.
• For the year 2021, Sa. Ra. Govindu, producer and former Karnataka State Film Chamber for Commerce (KFCC) president, was honoured with the Dr. Rajkumar Award.
• Director K. ​Shivarudraiah was named for the Puttanna Kanagal Award, while actor-producer M.K. Sundar Raj was given the Dr. Vishnuvardhan Award.

Source: The Hindu

Trump clears Bill to slap up to 500% tariff on buying Russian oil

• Context: Doubling down on his pressure on India to stop importing oil from Russia, U.S. President Donald Trump has ‘greenlit’ legislation that will empower him to levy up to 500% in tariffs on countries that buy oil or uranium from Russia, according to senior Senator Lindsey Graham.
• Mr. Graham, a close associate of Mr. Trump, said the U.S. President on Wednesday “greenlit” the Russia Sanctions Bill, which could be voted in Congress “as early as next week”. “This Bill would give President Trump tremendous leverage against countries like China, India, and Brazil to incentivise them to stop buying the cheap Russian oil that provides the financing for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s bloodbath against Ukraine,” Mr. Graham said.
• The bipartisan Bill introduced in the Senate in April 2025 has thus far got 84 co-sponsors in the Senate (out of 100 members), and 151 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives, suggesting it will be passed smoothly once brought to a vote. The move came ahead of the arrival of U.S. Ambassador-designate Sergio Gor to New Delhi, who had said that ensuring India ends its import of Russian oil is a “top priority”.
• Mr. Gor, who was sworn in to the position months ago will begin his tenure as Ambassador to India and “Special Envoy to South and Central Asia” on Monday, and is expected to outline his mission with a public statement.
• Earlier this week, Mr. Trump, who had jointly addressed the press along with Mr. Graham, announced they had a “great legislation coming”, as Mr. Graham said the Bill would give the U.S. President discretion to choose the figure of the tariffs over and above 25% penalty tariffs already imposed on India.
• As a result, Mr. Gor’s first order of business in Delhi would likely be to push for a full stop to Indian oil imports from Russia, not just a reduction. This week, Reliance announced that it has not received any cargo of Russian oil at its Jamnagar refinery through most of December, and does not expect any in January, indicating that it has stopped orders of the oil for now.
• Indian PSUs increased their intake sharply in November 2025, but with Reliance stopping all such imports and Nayara Energy, the other big importer under sanctions from Western countries unable to import, it is unlikely that India’s Russian oil purchases can recover to previous levels. In 2018, under similar pressure from the previous Trump administration, India had “zeroed out” its oil imports from Iran and Venezuela as well.
• Meanwhile in Paris, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslow Sikorski expressed “satisfaction” that India has reduced its oil imports from Russia, during a joint press appearance with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Foreign Ministers of France and Germany.
• “Relations between the European Union and strategic partners such as India are very important to us and I express my satisfaction regarding the reduction of import of Russian oil to India because this is financing the war machine of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin,” Mr. Sikorski said.
• In September, during his Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearings, Mr. Gor said that Mr. Trump had been “crystal clear” on the issue of India’s oil purchases. “They (India) must stop buying Russian oil.”

Source: The Hindu

UN body report sets India’s 2025-26 growth at 7.2%

Context: A day after the Centre estimated the economy to grow at 7.4% in financial year 2025-26, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs said consumption and public investment can “largely offset” the impact of tariffs imposed by the U.S. and enable India to grow by 7.2% this fiscal.

• However, the report warned that continuing tariffs could weigh on the economy as 18% of Indian exports are U.S.-bound. It said “tax reforms and monetary easing should provide additional near-term support”, adding that strong demand from other markets will limit the tariff impact. The report predicted India’s growth to be 7.4% in calendar year 2025. On a fiscal year basis, it estimated India to grow at 6.6% and 6.8% in 2026-27 and 2027-28, respectively.
• “In India, growth is estimated at 7.4% for 2025 and forecast at 6.6% for 2026 and 6.7% for 2027, supported by resilient consumption and strong public investment, which should largely offset the adverse impact of higher U.S. tariffs,” the report said.
• On the other hand, the report presented in the UN DESA’s World Economic Situation and Prospects 2026, added that, while the tariffs may adversely affect some product categories, key exports are expected to remain exempt.
• “On the supply side, continued expansion in manufacturing and services sectors will remain a key driver of growth throughout the forecast period,” the report said.
• The report noted that investment trends among developing economies diverged in 2025.  “India recorded strong growth in gross fixed capital formation, led by higher public spending on physical and digital infrastructure, defence, and renewable energy,” the report said.
• “The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) countries continued to undertake large-scale capital investments aligned with long-term economic diversification strategies.” 
• However, in contrast, the report noted that China saw a contraction in its fixed asset investment through the first three quarters of 2025, due to the ongoing weakness in the property sector.
• “The Indian rupee stabilised against the U.S. dollar in the first half of the year, supported by broad dollar weakness,” the report said. “However, in the second half, the Indian rupee edged lower following stronger-than-expected growth in the U.S. and ongoing trade negotiations.” It added that portfolio outflows and higher U.S. tariffs added to depreciation pressures on the Indian rupee.

Source: The Hindu