IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Analysis
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(PRELIMS Focus)
Outer Space Treaty, 1967: Legal Framework for Peaceful Use of Space
Science & Technology
Why in News?
The Outer Space Treaty (OST), 1967 has come into focus after U.S. President Donald Trump posted “The Moon Is Ours” in September 2026. Under the treaty, no country can claim sovereignty or ownership over the Moon or any other celestial body. However, the treaty leaves some questions concerning commercial extraction and ownership of space resources less explicitly defined.
About the Outer Space Treaty
- Full name: Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies.
- Opened for signature: 27 January 1967 at Moscow, London and Washington.
- It entered into force in October 1967.
- It forms the basic framework of international space law.
Key Provisions
| Article | Important Principle |
|---|---|
| Article I | Space exploration/use should benefit all countries; free for exploration and use by all States |
| Article II | No national appropriation of outer space, Moon or celestial bodies |
| Article IV | No nuclear weapons or other WMD in orbit/on celestial bodies; Moon and other celestial bodies for peaceful purposes |
| Article VI | States are responsible for national space activities, including those by non-governmental entities |
| Article VII | States are internationally liable for damage caused by their space objects |
| Article IX | Avoid harmful contamination and harmful interference with activities of other States |
Moon Mining: The Important Distinction
The OST prohibits territorial/national appropriation, but it does not provide a detailed international regime governing commercial ownership of extracted lunar resources. This has produced differing legal interpretations regarding mining and resource ownership.
The Artemis Accords (2020) support the extraction and use of space resources while maintaining that such activities do not constitute sovereignty over celestial territory. They operate alongside—not as a replacement for—the OST.
The Moon Agreement, 1979, goes further by treating the Moon and its natural resources as the “common heritage of mankind” and envisaging an international regime for resource exploitation.
Sources:
Dermatophytes: Fungi Causing Superficial Skin Infections
Science & Technology
Why in News?
Dermatophyte infections, commonly associated with itchy skin lesions, discoloured nails and hair loss, are receiving attention because of the growing problem of antifungal-resistant dermatophytosis, particularly in India. Trichophyton indotineae is an important emerging example, with widespread reports of difficult-to-treat infections and resistance to terbinafine, a commonly used antifungal.
What are Dermatophytes?
- Dermatophytes are a group of fungi that obtain nutrients from keratin.
- They colonise keratinised tissues such as:
- Skin
- Hair
- Nails
- The resulting infections are collectively called dermatophytosis or tinea/ringworm infections.
- They generally remain confined to superficial tissues rather than invading living tissue.
Major Genera
- Trichophyton
- Microsporum
- Epidermophyton
Transmission
Dermatophytes may spread through:
- Anthropophilic transmission → human-to-human
- Zoophilic transmission → animal-to-human
- Geophilic transmission → soil-to-human
- Indirectly through contaminated objects (fomites) such as towels, clothing, hairbrushes and footwear.
Antifungal Resistance
Trichophyton indotineae is particularly significant because it can cause widespread, inflammatory and recurrent infections and is often resistant to terbinafine. It has now been documented in numerous countries beyond South Asia.
Sources:
https://epaper.thehindu.com/ccidist-ws/th/th_delhi/issues/205470/OPS/GV7GIET86.1+GQGGIF0HL.1.html
National Formulary of India (NFI) 2026: Promoting Rational Use of Medicines
Science & Technology
Why in News?
The 7th Edition of the National Formulary of India (NFI) 2026 was launched on 21 September 2026 by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare during the 6th National Pharmacovigilance Week. It has also been made available digitally through NFI Online.
What is NFI?
- The National Formulary of India is a guidance document for healthcare professionals to promote the rational, safe and evidence-based use of medicines.
- It provides guidance on prescribing, dispensing and administering medicines.
- It is intended for doctors, pharmacists, nurses, medical students and other healthcare professionals.
- The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) publishes the NFI under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
- NFI is a guidance document, whereas the Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) is the official book prescribing standards of identity, purity and strength for medicines.
NFI 2026: Key Facts
- 7th Edition
- 34 chapters
- 20 appendices
- 653 drugs
- Includes 42 fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) and 30 immunologicals
- Drug monographs have been revised in alignment with the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) and National Health Programmes.
- Available in print and digital formats.
Related Development: Biovigilance
The government also approved the Biovigilance Programme of India, under which IPC will lead monitoring of adverse events associated with medicines and biological products used in organ and tissue transplantation, covering both donors and recipients.
UPSC Static–Dynamic Linkage
Rational drug use → appropriate medicine + appropriate dose + appropriate duration + patient safety → pharmacovigilance
Sources:
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseDetail.aspx?PRID=2312930®=48&lang=1
Exercise Nomadic Elephant 2026: India–Mongolia Joint Military Exercise
International Relations
Why in News?
The 18th edition of Exercise Nomadic Elephant commenced at the Foreign Training Node, Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, on 21 September 2026. The annual exercise between the Indian Army and Mongolian Armed Forces will continue until 3 October 2026.
Key Facts
- Participating countries: India and Mongolia
- Nature: Annual bilateral, platoon-level military exercise
- Frequency: Conducted alternately in India and Mongolia
- 2026 venue: Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand
- Participants: 45 personnel from each side
- Previous edition: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, May–June 2025
- 18th edition: 2026
Objective & Training Areas
The exercise aims to enhance the joint capability of both armies to conduct Counter-Insurgency (CI) Operations in semi-urban and mountainous terrain under a United Nations mandate.
Training includes:
- Cordon and Search Operations
- Room Intervention Drills
- Special Heliborne Operations
- Cyber Security Training
- Employment of drones and counter-drone systems
- Tactical-level operations and exchange of best practices
- Enhancement of interoperability between the two armies.
Static–Dynamic Linkage
India–Mongolia defence cooperation → Bilateral military exercises → UN peacekeeping/CI training → Mountainous terrain → Interoperability
Mongolia is strategically important to India as a Central Asian partner, with cooperation extending beyond defence to energy, mining, culture and diplomacy.
Sources:
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseDetail.aspx?PRID=2313046®=48&lang=1
State of Global Water Resources 2025: Persistent Water Stress and Groundwater Decline
Environment & Ecology
Why in News?
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released the State of Global Water Resources 2025 Report on 17 September 2026. It highlights increasingly erratic global water cycles, declining freshwater storage, persistent groundwater depletion and continued glacier loss.
Key Global Findings
- River discharge: 2025 was among the driest years for global rivers in 35 years.
- Only 36% of global river-basin area recorded normal flows; another 36% experienced below- or much-below-normal flows.
- Terrestrial water storage: 42% of global land area had below-normal water storage in 2025.
- Global land-based water storage has shown a declining trend since 2014–16.
- Glaciers: All major glaciated regions lost ice mass for the fourth consecutive year. Global glacier mass loss in 2025 was estimated at about 408 ± 132 gigatonnes, contributing approximately 1.1 ± 0.4 mm to sea-level rise.
Groundwater & India
- 34% of monitored groundwater stations recorded below- to much-below-normal levels in 2025, compared with 25% in 2024.
- India experienced persistent groundwater deficits during 2022–2025, particularly in northwestern India.
- Over-abstraction is identified as an important driver.
- Despite above-normal river discharge in the Ganga, Godavari, Krishna and Indus systems and higher reservoir inflows, deeper groundwater reserves did not show broad recovery.
Water-Related Disasters
Asia and Africa together accounted for at least half of recorded water-related extreme events and over 80% of associated deaths during the previous five years.
Sources:
https://www.downtoearth.org.in/water/indias-groundwater-in-persistent-decline-warns-un-report
Visegrád Group (V4): Central European Regional Cooperation
International Relations
Why in News?
The four members of the Visegrád Group (V4)—Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic—collectively backed India’s bid for permanent membership of the UN Security Council at the first V4–India Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, held on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York in September 2026.
About Visegrád Group
- Also known as V4 / Visegrád Four.
- Established: 15 February 1991.
- The founding leaders met at Visegrád, Hungary.
- Originally consisted of Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia; after the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993, it became the four-member V4.
- Members:
- Czech Republic (Czechia)
- Hungary
- Poland
- Slovakia
- All four are members of the European Union since 2004.
Nature & Objectives
The V4 is an informal intergovernmental regional cooperation platform, rather than a supranational organisation like the EU.
Its cooperation covers:
- Political and diplomatic coordination
- Economic cooperation
- Defence and security
- Energy security
- Transport connectivity
- Culture, science and education
- Youth and people-to-people exchanges
The group generally works through consensus and has a rotating annual presidency. It also engages third countries through “V4+” formats.
V4–India Cooperation: 2026
The first V4–India Foreign Ministers’ Meeting agreed to explore:
- Annual meetings of foreign ministers
- An Annual Business Forum
- Technology and innovation
- Space and connectivity
- Research and education
- Defence cooperation
- Cultural and people-to-people exchanges
The V4 countries’ collective support for India’s permanent UNSC membership adds another dimension to India’s engagement with Central Europe.
Sources:
(MAINS Focus)
Water Wealth: On Groundwater Exploitation in Punjab
GS III – Agriculture / GS III – Environment
Groundwater Depletion, Agricultural Sustainability, and Farmer Welfare
Introduction
Punjab’s groundwater crisis is well-documented but worsening. According to the 2025-26 Dynamic Groundwater Assessment, the state’s groundwater extraction rate stands at 152%—the highest among states. While interventions reduced the number of ‘over-exploited’ blocks by five over the last two assessments, 72% of its 153 blocks remain in the ‘red zone’. The principal consumer is irrigation for rice and wheat, amounting to nearly 25 billion cubic metres annually. Data show that observation wells with water below 40 metres in the post-monsoon period grew by two percentage points between 2022 and 2025. As the water crisis persists, the wealth gap among farmers is also widening.
The Groundwater Crisis: Causes and Consequences
The Rice-Wheat Trap
- Historical Strategy: Food security through assured procurement, subsidised electricity, and groundwater access.
- Outcome: Concentrated rice-wheat cropping system; high-yield varieties, intensive irrigation, fertilizer use, and mechanisation.
- Lock-in: Farmers reluctant to pursue other crops due to uncertainties in storage, prices, processing infrastructure, and supply chains.
Widening Wealth Gap
- Efficient Smallholders: Farmers with marginal landholdings use water more efficiently.
- Advantaged Large Farmers: Wealthier farmers access lower water tables and draw higher volumes.
- Consequence: As water table drops, those unable to afford tube wells buy water, transferring wealth to larger landowners and creating unregulated dependencies.
- Study Findings (EPW): In Sangrur and Barnala, larger farms earned higher returns but recorded lower groundwater productivity vis-à-vis paddy than smaller farms.
- Systemic Bias: Groundwater depletion raises capital required for irrigation, privileging farmers with better access to finance.
Government Efforts and Their Limits
Current Interventions
- Demand-Side Measures: Multiple attempts to address demand pressure.
- Scale: Overwhelming; efficiency gains insufficient.
Pani Bachao, Paisa Kamao Scheme
- Mechanism: Farmers entitled to cash for every unused kilowatt-hour (for pumping) under a threshold.
- Promise: Directly links conservation with income.
- Limitation: Low enrolment.
The Way Forward
- Protect Incomes: Protect farmers’ incomes and access to irrigation while rendering additional extraction prohibitive.
- Electricity Subsidy: Use part of the subsidy bill to directly support smallholder farmers.
- Collectivise Infrastructure: Help collectivise irrigation infrastructure.
- Crop Transition: Support farmers’ transition to other crops.
- Benefits Follow Cultivator: Ensure benefits reach cultivators (including tenants), not just owners of land or pumps.
- Welfare Approach: Subsidise access to water rather than groundwater extraction.
Conclusion
Punjab’s groundwater crisis—152% extraction rate, 72% of blocks in the red zone—is both an environmental and social challenge. The rice-wheat cropping system, locked in by assured procurement and subsidised electricity, has depleted water resources and widened the wealth gap. As the water table drops, smallholders are forced to buy water, transferring wealth to larger landowners. Government efforts, including the Pani Bachao, Paisa Kamao scheme, are promising but limited by low enrolment. The way forward requires protecting farmers’ incomes while making additional extraction prohibitive—using electricity subsidies to support smallholders, collectivising irrigation infrastructure, and supporting crop transitions. When benefits follow the cultivator, welfare can subsidise access to water rather than groundwater extraction.
Practice Question
- Groundwater exploitation in Punjab disincentivises small farmers and widens the wealth gap, requiring a welfare approach that protects incomes while rendering additional extraction prohibitive. Critically examine the causes, consequences, and policy responses to Punjab’s groundwater crisis. (250 words, 15 marks)
How Much of Your Food Spending Actually Reaches the Farmer?
GS III – Agriculture / GS III – Economy
Agricultural Marketing, Value Chains, and Farmer Income
Introduction
A widespread concern in India is that farmers receive only a fraction of the rupee a consumer spends on food. Using supply-use tables and the “Food Dollar series” technique, a study traces how much of a rupee spent on food accrues to the farm for 2011-12 to 2023-24. The findings: when a consumer spends a rupee on food at home, 57.8% accrued to the farm in 2023-24; for food away from home, only 8.4%. India’s farm share is markedly higher than comparable estimates for most countries (61 countries, 2005-15: ~27% for at-home food). However, farm share estimates deserve cautious interpretation—a low share does not necessarily mean the farmer is worse off, and a high share does not guarantee profits.
Key Findings: Farm Share of Food Expenditure
At-Home vs. Away-from-Home
- At-Home (2023-24): 57.8% accrued to farm (up from 51.8% in 2011-12).
- Away-from-Home (2023-24): 8.4% (down from ~10% in the 2010s).
- Reason: Food away from home passes through longer chains—restaurant preparation, service, trade.
International Comparison
- At-Home (India): 57.8%
- Global Average (61 countries, 2005-15): ~27%
- Away-from-Home (USA): ~4%
- Implication: India’s farm share is markedly higher.
Changing Food Habits
- PPF (Perishable, Processed, High-Value Foods): Share of households consuming any PPF rose from 82.2% (2011-12) to 96.6% (2022-23).
- Expenditure Share: PPF expenditures barely rose as a share of total monthly consumption.
- Processing Industry: Dominated by low-margin milling, mostly unorganised, low value addition.
- Eating Out: Growing but accounts for ~13% of total food consumption (lower than US and China).
- Projection: Farm share overall expected to decline as these trends become more prominent.
Cautious Interpretation of Farm Share
Lower Farm Share ≠ Farmer Worse Off
- Longer Value Chains: Lower farm share may reflect longer, more complex chains.
- Higher Net Returns: Farmers may earn a lower share but higher net returns.
- Example: Gherkins—farmers earn 3-5% of retail price but make higher returns than tomatoes, for which they may get a higher share.
High Farm Share ≠ Profits
- Input Costs: Even with a high share, farmers may not be making profits.
- Example: Cooperative dairy farmers (Amul) receive 60%+ of retail price, but increasing feed costs may leave lower incomes if not passed on as higher prices.
Policy Implications
- Farm Share as Indicator: Low farm share often cited as evidence of inefficient/unfair supply chains; high farm share celebrated.
- Caution: Farm share alone does not capture farmer welfare—net returns, input costs, and market power matter.
- Need for Holistic Assessment: Consider value addition, processing, and farmer bargaining power.
Conclusion
The “Food Dollar series” reveals that 57.8% of at-home food expenditure accrued to the farm in 2023-24—markedly higher than the global average of ~27%. However, farm share estimates deserve cautious interpretation. A low share may reflect longer, more complex value chains that leave farmers with higher net returns; a high share does not guarantee profits if input costs rise. Indian food habits are changing—PPF consumption is rising, eating out is growing, and the processing industry remains low-margin. As these trends become more prominent, the farm share overall is expected to decline. Policymakers must look beyond farm share to assess farmer welfare holistically, considering net returns, input costs, and market power.
Practice Question
- Farm share estimates deserve cautious interpretation: a low share may reflect longer value chains with higher net returns, while a high share does not guarantee profits. Critically examine. (250 words, 15 marks)
