2026

Share of southern States in FDI rises as IT inflows double

Context: The doubling of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows into Information Technology (IT) sector in the first half of FY26 (H1FY26) helped the southern States of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu raise their share in total FDI even as Maharashtra and Gujarat saw their shares shrink.

• FDI into India stood at $35.2 billion in H1FY26 (April-September 2025), up 18% from $29.8 billion in the same period last fiscal, official data show.
• The FDI growth was driven by a two fold jump in inflow into the IT sector (categorised as ‘Computer Software & Hardware’) to $9 billion in H1FY26. With this, the sector’s share rose up to 25% of the total FDI flow compared with 14% in the prior period.

Still in pole position

• Maharashtra, still at the top position, saw a reduction in share of total FDI in H1FY26 to 30% vs. 45% ($10.6 billion). Gujarat’s share halved to 6.4% while Karnataka with $9.4 billion and Tamil Nadu with $3.6 billion were at second and third spot in overall tally.
• FDI into e-commerce majors Meesho and Flipkart, from foreign promoter entities and investors, dominated the top deals. Large PE investments in Access Healthcare Services and Haldiram Snacks and investments by Ardour Investment Holdings in Adani Green Energy were also among the top deals. A $0.8 billion FDI into Raiden Infotech, a subsidiary of Google, for data centre business was another key FDI during this period.
• Madhavi Arora, chief economist, Emkay Global; the change in FDI shares of States was a function of India receiving more services FDI compared with manufacturing. GCCs and new-age technology firms were concentrated in the Southern states, especially Karnataka.
• Sectorally, the “Services” sector (which is said to include other services besides technology) and ‘non-conventional’ energy saw a decline in the FDI inflows in this half year.
• In terms of origin, Singapore led the way with a significant $12 billion invested accounting for 34% of the total FDI.
• The U.S. and Mauritius followed with $6.6 and $3.5 billion respectively.

Sources: The Hindu

Coast Guard adds pollution control vessel to its fleet

Context: Samudra Pratap, built with over 60% indigenous content, will substantially enhance the Coast Guard’s capability in fire-fighting, maritime safety, environmental protection, and surveillance.

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh commissioned the Indian Coast Guard Ship ICGS Samudra Pratap, the first of two indigenously designed pollution control vessels (PCVs) for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), in Goa.
• The Minister described the ship, built with over 60% indigenous content, as a symbol of India’s maturing defence industrial ecosystem.
• The vessel was built by Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL).
• The Defence Ministry: Samudra Pratap is India’s first homegrown pollution control vessel and the largest ship in the Coast Guard’s fleet so far. Its induction substantially enhances the ICG’s capability in pollution response, fire-fighting, maritime safety, environmental protection, and extended surveillance across the country’s vast maritime zones.
• Commissioning the ship, Mr. Singh reiterated the government’s goal to increase indigenous content in warships to 90%. He said the vessel integrated multiple roles on a single platform, making it effective not only for pollution control but also for coastal patrol and maritime security in today’s complex maritime environment.
• The ship is equipped with advanced pollution detection systems, specialised pollution response boats, modern firefighting equipment, and aviation facilities including a helicopter hangar, enabling greater operational reach even in rough sea conditions.

Protecting marine life

• Mr. Singh noted that these capabilities would ensure rapid detection and containment of pollution incidents, helping protect coral reefs, mangroves, fisheries, and marine biodiversity, directly supporting coastal communities and the blue economy.
• Emphasising that marine environmental protection is both a strategic necessity and a moral responsibility, the Defence Minister praised the ICG’s role in oil spill response, maritime law enforcement, and coastal cleanliness.

Women officers

• In a notable first, Samudra Pratap will have two women officers aboard. Mr. Singh hailed it as a proud step towards a more inclusive and gender-neutral Coast Guard, highlighting the growing role of women in frontline maritime operations.
• Reaffirming the government’s commitment to modernising the ICG, he stressed the need for an intelligence-driven and integration-centric force to address emerging technology-led threats. He expressed confidence that Samudra Pratap will significantly strengthen India’s maritime governance.

Sources: The Hindu

India launches new e-Business visa for Chinese nationals

• India has introduced an e-Production Investment Business Visa called e-B-4 Visa that Chinese businessmen can apply for to travel to India for specific business activities, including installation and commissioning of equipment. A latest advisory on the Indian Embassy website here said the e-B-4 Visa, which was introduced on January 1, can be applied for online without visiting the embassy or agents. The new visa is introduced in view of the growing demand for business visas to travel to India. It will be issued in about 45 to 50 days, with permission to stay in India for up to six months.

Police in States step up social media monitoring

Context: Dedicated cells rise from 262 in 2020 to 365 in 2024; numbers high in Bihar (52), Maharashtra (50), Punjab (48), West Bengal (38) and Assam (37); officials cite evolving crime trends for rise in cells.

• Over the past five years, police forces across States have dedicated significant resources to monitoring social media platforms, an analysis of police infrastructure data shows. The number of dedicated social media monitoring cells rose from 262 across 28 States and eight Union Territories as of January 1, 2020, to 365 as of January 1, 2024.
• Most of such cells are operational in Bihar (52), Maharashtra (50), Punjab (48), West Bengal (38) and Assam (37).
• In Manipur, where ethnic violence erupted on May 3, 2023, the number of police social media monitoring cells rose from three on January 1, 2020, to 16 on January 1, 2024. The expansion occurred despite the Internet being suspended in the State for about 140 days in 2023.
• Assam increased the number of social media monitoring cells from one in 2022 to 37 in 2024. West Bengal expanded its network from two to 38 cells, while Punjab doubled its capacity, increasing the number from 24 to 48 between 2022 and 2024.
• Earlier, social media monitoring cells were not counted separately or were part of the cybercrime police stations. They began to function as distinct units from 2021, according to Data on Police Organisations (DoPO) reports for the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
• The annual DoPO reports are prepared by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D), a police think tank under the Union Home Ministry.
• The cells started featuring in the reports since 2021, which includes data for the 2020.
• Meanwhile, the number of cybercrime police stations increased from 376 as of January 1, 2020, to 624 as of January 1, 2024.

‘Evolving crime trends’

• Police officials attribute the need for dedicated cells to track and pre-empt the evolving crime trends on social media platforms such as Facebook, X, Snapchat, WhatsApp and Instagram.
• The 2024 DoPO report said that the number of drones available with police forces in States and Union Territories stood at 1,147, up from 1,010 as of January 1, 2023.
• The report also noted that 5,92,839 police posts were vacant across the country, against the total sanctioned strength of 27,55,274.
• Of the total sanctioned strength of 27.55 lakh, the actual strength comprised 3,30,621 personnel belonging to Scheduled Castes, 2,31,928 to Scheduled Tribes and 6,37,774 to Other Backward Classes.

Source: The Hindu

Bhu Suraksha project launched to digitise land records

Context: Minister for Revenue Krishna Byre Gowda launched the Bhu Suraksha Project to expand the digitisation of land records to the offices of Assistant Commissioners (ACs) and Deputy Commissioners (DCs).

‘To curb malpractice’

• Karnataka’s land records were being fully digitised to curb malpractice and improve transparency.
• The original land records in all taluk offices had been scanned and digitised. Digitisation plays crucial measure to prevent fake entries and the creation of forged documents in land records.
• Work under the Bhu Suraksha project to digitise records in AC and DC offices had begun last month.

Suspicious cases

• Of the forged land documents, treated with seriousness.
• “Each suspicious case will be examined thoroughly. Wherever required, documents will be sent to forensic laboratories to verify their authenticity, and appropriate action will follow,”.

📌 Key Highlights of the Bhu Suraksha Project
Launch Date: January 5, 2026, in Bengaluru.

Launched By: Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda.

Objective: To digitise Karnataka’s vast land records and make them easily accessible online.

Scale: Karnataka has an estimated 100 crore pages of land records, of which 62 crore pages have already been scanned.

Coverage Expansion: Digitisation will now extend to the offices of Assistant Commissioners (ACs) and Deputy Commissioners (DCs).

Technology Use: Advanced scanning and digital archiving to ensure secure, tamper-proof records.

🏛️ Why It Matters
Transparency: Eliminates scope for manipulation of land records.

Accessibility: Citizens can access verified land documents online without middlemen.

Legal Security: Prevents fake entries and forged documents, reducing land disputes.

Efficiency: Streamlines land administration and reduces delays in property transactions.

⚠️ Challenges & Risks
Completion Timeline: Scanning of all records is targeted by March 2026, requiring massive coordination.

Data Security: Ensuring protection against cyber threats is critical.

Training Needs: Revenue staff must adapt to digital workflows.

Citizen Awareness: Rural populations need guidance on accessing digital records.

✨ Significance
The Bhu Suraksha Project is a landmark initiative in Karnataka’s governance, aligning with Digital India goals. By digitising land records, the state aims to provide secure land ownership, reduce disputes, and empower citizens with transparent access to property information.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah equals Urs’s record on tenure

• Chief Minister Siddaramaiah equals the record of D. Devaraj Urs as Chief Minister with the longest tenure in Karnataka. Both hailed from Mysuru.

Karnataka’s Longest-Serving Chief Ministers
While Karnataka is known for its competitive and often volatile political landscape, a few leaders have managed to maintain extended leadership across multiple terms.

List of Chief Ministers of Karnataka (1947–2026)

India’s Longest-Serving Chief Ministers
Nationally, the benchmarks for “long tenure” are significantly higher. In several states, regional dominance has allowed leaders to stay in power for over two decades.

Tiger census gets under way in Karnataka

Context: tiger census got under way in Karnataka across all forest areas of the State, including the Kali, Bhadra, Nagarahole, Bandipur, and B.R.T. Tiger reserves.

• It is the sixth such exercise with the enumeration conducted earlier in 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022; in the previous census, it was estimated that Karnataka had around 563 tiger.
• Karnataka has the second highest number of tigers in the country after Madhya Pradesh.
• The census is part of the nationwide tiger estimation exercise which is conducted once every four years.
• The 2026 census is the sixth such exercise with the enumeration conducted earlier in 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022. In the previous census, it was estimated that Karnataka had around 563 tigers.
• The census will be carried out in all patrol beats of the 38 forest divisions across every forest range in the State for which training was given to frontline personnel of the all 13 forest circles and the five tiger reserves between October and December last year.

Census in two phases

• During the first phase of the enumeration for three days, teams comprising three members will patrol five km daily in forest areas across the State. They will collect details of pugmarks, scats, and direct sightings of tigers, leopards, and other carnivores and also elephants.
• During the second phase, from January 15 to 17, the estimation will be conducted in 14 forest divisions, during which teams will move through forests to collect data on direct sightings of herbivores such as deer, sambar, wild buffalo, and gaur. “This will help determine where camera traps should be installed.
• Project Tiger Director Ramesh Kumar who has been nominated as the nodal officer to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) will oversee this year’s census.
• “He (Ramesh Kumar) has been instructed to list the number of tigers and other carnivores in each area, assess the population of herbivores in each division, understand how many tigers each forest supports and how much prey is available for them, and thereby identify the forest’s carrying capacity,”.

Camera trap surveys

• Using the data collected in the first two phases, camera traps will be installed at suitable locations in the third phase.
• “There are 2,230 camera traps in the five tiger reserves and camera trap surveys have already begun in all five tiger reserves. Of these, the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve has 600 camera traps, Bandipur Tiger Reserve 550, B.R.T. Tiger Reserve 300, Bhadra Tiger Reserve 330, and Kali Tiger Reserve 450 camera traps,”.
• Steps have also been taken to install camera traps outside tiger reserves.
• Nearby tiger reserves that have completed camera trap surveys will provide cameras for this purpose. “It is observed that tigers are increasingly venturing out of forests into human habitations, and it appears that the tiger population in the State has increased this time. It will help to know the exact numbers through this census,”.

⭐ Karnataka (highlight)

Karnataka’s estimated tiger numbers across census cycles: 290 (2006) → 300 (2010) → 406 (2014) → 524 (2018) → 563 (2022).

In 2022, Karnataka is reported as the #2 state after Madhya Pradesh (785), just above Uttarakhand (560).

Sources: The Hindu