Wednesday's Briefing

India Free Trade Agreements: Conflicts Delay GCC, EAEU and Israel Talks Worth $243 Billion

Conflicts in West Asia and Eastern Europe are stalling India's GCC, EAEU and Israel FTA talks worth $243 billion, testing New Delhi's trade diversification — key for GS Paper 2 IR and GS Paper 3 Economy.

• Conflicts in West Asia and Eastern Europe are delaying India's GCC, EAEU, and Israel FTA talks, worth about $243 billion — nearly 20% of India's total trade.
• India–GCC FTA covers $178.7 billion; its Terms of Reference launched on 24 February 2026.
• India–EAEU FTA covers $60.7 billion; EAEU members are Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, and Armenia.

Index of Core Industries Revised: New 2022-23 Base Year, Iron Ore Added as 9th Sector

DPIIT's Economic Adviser revised the Index of Core Industries to base year 2022-23, adding Iron Ore as a ninth sector — a key prelims fact for GS Paper 3, Economy.

• DPIIT's Office of the Economic Adviser revised the Index of Core Industries (ICI) to a new base year of 2022-23, from 2011-12.
• Iron Ore has been added as the ninth core industry, joining Coal, Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Refinery Products, Fertilizers, Steel, Cement, and Electricity.
• The ICI's combined weight in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) has fallen to 32.88%, down from 40.27% in the old series.

Catch the Rain 2026: Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari Drives Community Water Conservation

The Jal Shakti Ministry's Catch the Rain campaign, run with Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari, drives community rainwater harvesting as India's per-capita water availability falls — vital for GS Paper 3, Environment and Water Resources.

• Catch the Rain 2026 runs 4 July–4 August, the flagship theme of the annual Jal Shakti Abhiyan.
• Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB), launched 1 June 2026, frames groundwater recharge as a people's movement.
• JSJB 2.0's target of 1 crore recharge structures by May 2026 was exceeded — 1.5 crore built, 50% above target.

White-Bellied Heron Overlooked as 1,200 MW Lohit Hydropower Project Gets Forest Clearance

Arunachal's 1,200 MW Lohit hydropower project got in-principle forest clearance though its EIA omitted the Critically Endangered white-bellied heron, whose Indian stronghold lies in this basin — key for GS Paper 3 Environment & Biodiversity.

• The Forest Advisory Committee granted in-principle forest clearance to the 1,200 MW Lohit hydropower project in Arunachal Pradesh in December 2025.
• The project's environmental assessment reportedly omitted the Critically Endangered white-bellied heron despite its presence in the Lohit river basin.
• India's white-bellied heron population is just 6-9 individuals, with about 70% found in the Lohit basin.

China Launches World AI Cooperation Organisation, Challenging Western AI Governance

China operationalised the World AI Cooperation Organisation (WAICO) at WAIC 2026 with 29 founding members and a Global South training pledge — relevant for GS Paper 2 (IR) and GS Paper 3 (Sci-Tech).

• China operationalised the World AI Cooperation Organisation (WAICO) at WAIC 2026 in Shanghai.
• 29 countries signed on as founding members, including Russia, Pakistan, Brazil, and South Africa.
• WAICO's headquarters is based in Shanghai, China.

Supreme Court Judges Strength Raised to 38: Bill Introduced in Lok Sabha

Centre introduces a Bill in Lok Sabha to replace an ordinance raising Supreme Court judges strength from 34 to 38. Backlog exceeds 92,000 cases. Relevant for UPSC, UPPSC and state PSC aspirants in GS Paper 2 under Indian Polity.

Centre Constitutes National Road Safety Board Under Motor Vehicles Act After Five-Year Delay

Centre formally constituted the National Road Safety Board under Section 215B of the Motor Vehicles Act. India logged 1,77,175 road deaths in 2024. Relevant for UPSC and state PSC aspirants in GS Paper 2 under Governance.

Judicial Accountability in India: How Are Supreme Court and High Court Judges Removed?

A former High Court judge's resignation amid a misbehaviour inquiry has revived debate on judicial accountability and India's judge removal process. Relevant for UPSC, UPPSC, MPSC and other state PSC aspirants in GS Paper 2 under Judiciary.

Maharashtra to Set Up India's First AI-Powered Bird Sanctuary for Conservation

Maharashtra is developing India's first AI-powered bird sanctuary, using artificial intelligence for species monitoring and conservation — relevant for UPSC GS Paper 3, Science & Technology and Environment.

Female Labour Force Participation Hits Record Highs in Tamil Nadu's Electronics Hubs

Tamil Nadu now employs 43% of India's women in electronics manufacturing, with Coimbatore posting India's highest urban FLFPR at 41.3% — a case study for GS Paper 1/2, Social issues — women & work.