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India-Europe ties growing, can bring stability to global politics: Jaishankar

Context: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s first official visit for 2026 began in Europe, with a visit to Paris and Luxembourg, against the backdrop of major shifts in global politics including the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by the U.S. and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

• In Paris, the Minister met his French, German and Polish counterparts for the India-Weimar Triangle meeting. Mr. Jaishankar said he chose Europe to kickstart the year because India-Europe ties were growing and because the two sides could bring stability to the international economy and global politics.
• “Why did I come to Europe? I think it was a very conscious choice. It was a choice which reflected our belief that this relationship with Europe is really poised to grow, grow to the next level,” he said at a joint press conference in Paris on Wednesday, with his Weimar Triangle counterparts.
• “I think we can bring more stability, both into the international economy and global politics, and that really is why I’m here,” he said.
• India’s relationship with the EU and with Europe had the most room to grow, among all its major relationships, Mr. Jaishankar said. The discussions in Paris included India sharing perspectives on challenges in the Indo-Pacific and on the Ukraine conflict, he said on X.
• The European Union and India are working to announce a ‘Free Trade’ Agreement (FTA) during the visit of EU leaders Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa to India for Republic Day later this month. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal is in Brussels on a two-day visit (January 8-9) for discussions with his EU counterpart, Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič. German Chancellor Frederik Merz is due in Ahmedabad and Bengaluru next week while French President Emmanuel Macron is due in New Delhi next month for the India AI Impact Summit.
• Mr. Jaishankar also held bilateral discussions with France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot.

‘Build bridges’

• Mr. Barrot emphasised that it was the first time a non-European partner had been invited to the Weimar Triangle meeting format at the Foreign Minister level. The rationale, as per Mr. Barrot, was that France currently held the G7 presidency and India, the presidency of BRICS. He also pointed to the FTA that is approaching finalisation.
• “In an increasingly violent world where balances are being questioned, it is important to build bridges between centres of stability, dialogue and responsibility,” the French Minister said.
• Europe has been reeling from U.S. President Donald Trump’s ambiguity about the transatlantic relationship, including his qualified and wavering support for Ukraine in its war against Russia. More recently, following the U.S.’s capture of Mr. Maduro, Mr. Trump has renewed his push to acquire Greenland, an autonomous region of Denmark. This has alarmed European allies of the U.S., many of whom have defended Denmark and Greenland’s sovereignty to determine their future.
• “There’s no such thing as a collective West. There’s no such thing as a Global South,” the French Foreign Minister said at Wednesday’s press conference.
• “There are but nations who can dialogue for their mutual interests,” he said, adding that countries could come together to defend international law and sovereignty.

Source: The Hindu

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

India scaled 54.51 GW wind energy capacity in 2025

• India added 6.34 gigawatts (GW)-worth wind energy capacity in the calendar year 2025 with the total capacity in the country scaling 54.51 GW at the end of the year, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi informed.
• Notably, the capacity added in 2025 is approximately 85.4% higher than the capacity added in the preceding calendar year. India installed 3.42 GW worth capacity in 2024. It had closed 2024 with 48.16 GW wind capacity.

Source: The Hindu

Census first phase to be held from April 1 to Sept. 30 this year

Context: The houselisting phase will be conducted in each State over a 30-day period; second phase of the count will be carried out in February 2027.

• The first phase of Census 2027, the houselisting operations (HLO) phase, will be conducted from April 1 to September 30 across all States and Union Territories, the Registrar-General and Census Commissioner of India said in a notification.
• This phase will be conducted in each State over a 30-day period, with the specific dates to be notified by the States.
• The self-enumeration option will be available 15 days before the start of the phase.
• “The houselisting operations of the Census of India 2027 shall take place between 1st April, 2026 and 30th September, 2026 in all States and Union territories in India during the period of thirty days specified by each State and Union territory. There shall also be an option for self enumeration which shall be conducted in fifteen days’ time period just before the start of house to house houselisting operations of thirty days,” Census Commissioner Mritunjay Kumar Narayan said in a Gazette notification.
• This will be the first digital Census and the first to enumerate caste in Independent India.

Household queries

• The second phase of the Census is the population enumeration phase in February 2027.
• Caste identities will be enumerated during this phase.
• The pre-test or the preparatory exercise for the first phase of the Census was held from November 10 to 30 last year in select areas across the country. It had sought household responses to 35 questions, including the composition of the floor and roof of the house, main cereal consumed, source of drinking water and cooking fuel, and the number of married couples in the house.
• About 30 lakh field functionaries — including enumerators, supervisors, master trainers, charge officers, and Principal/District Census Officers — will be deployed for data collection, and supervision of Census operations.