01
Infrastructure · PPP
In-principle approval for privatisation of 11 AAI airports
The Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) has given in-principle approval to the Civil Aviation Ministry proposal to hand over the operations, management and development of 11 Airports Authority of India airports to private concessionaires under the PPP model. The airports are grouped into five bundles.
Why bundling is being used
Larger and commercially stronger airports are paired with smaller airports so the latter can be supported through cross-subsidisation. Each bundle is proposed to be awarded to a single concessionaire, with the broader aim of developing world-class airport infrastructure while improving the long-term sustainability of smaller airports.
Bihar angle
Gaya is included with Varanasi and Kushinagar. Varanasi is the larger airport in this bundle, while Gaya and Kushinagar are expected to benefit from the cross-subsidisation structure.
Five proposed bundles
- Bundle 1: Amritsar + Kangra (Gaggal)
- Bundle 2: Varanasi + Gaya + Kushinagar
- Bundle 3: Bhubaneswar + Hubballi
- Bundle 4: Raipur + Aurangabad (Maharashtra)
- Bundle 5: Tiruchirappalli + Tirupati
Private concessionaire
- Airport operations and management
- Airport development
- Passenger terminals
- City-side infrastructure
AAI / government side
- Air traffic control
- Communication, navigation and surveillance services
- Cargo-related functions through the AAI cargo and logistics framework
11Airports proposed
5Bundles
1 yearJoint management period
60%AAI employees to be retained up to 3 years
How airports were shortlisted
The phased exercise assessed major and smaller airports for PPP suitability and bundling. Criteria discussed include traffic, land availability, commercial potential, capex needs, proximity and financial viability.
What happens next
The Civil Aviation Ministry is expected to conduct a market-sounding exercise, AAI will review feedback from private operators, and the proposal may be modified before the final PPPAC recommendation.
Prelims focus:This is the second phase of airport privatisation. The first phase covered Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Jaipur, Thiruvananthapuram and Guwahati; the sixth airport appears in the supplied material as Mangaluru / Bengaluru, so revise that name carefully.
02
Bihar Special · Education
Bihar Vidya Sathi digital mentorship platform launched
Bihar Vidya Sathi is a 24×7 interactive digital learning and mentorship platform for school students, designed to provide personalised one-to-one academic support free of charge.
24×7Digital mentorship
~3 lakhStudents initially covered
700Model schools
38Districts of Bihar
Core features
- AI tools for concept clarity and tailored practice
- One-to-one academic support
- Live tutoring and doubt-resolution sessions
- Students can choose mentors based on learning preferences
- Continuous academic engagement
Who benefits
- Classes 9 and 10: comprehensive academic support across subjects
- Classes 11 and 12 science students: specialised digital resources and live tutoring
- Preparation support for Bihar Board, JEE and NEET examinations
Scale and rollout
The platform mobilises a network of about 75,000 expert teachers. It is initially being rolled out across Saraswati Vidya Niketan Model Schools and is planned for systematic expansion to state-run institutions across Bihar.
Why it matters
The initiative aims to promote educational equity, quality guidance, immediate problem-solving and wider access to strong teachers regardless of location.
Launch details
Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary inaugurated the platform via video conference from Sankalp Auditorium, Lok Sevak Awas. The event included a live application demonstration by students Jahnavi and Ziya from Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Shastrinagar, along with participation by senior state dignitaries and education officials.
03
Bihar Special · Inland Waterways
Bihar’s first modern ship repairing centre proposed at Digha, Patna
A modern ship repairing centre is proposed at Digha in Patna, with an estimated cost of about ₹300 crore. The project is intended to strengthen Bihar’s inland water transport ecosystem and reduce dependence on Kolkata for vessel maintenance.
₹300 crEstimated cost
~5 acresLand allocation
March 2027Construction start
2028Completion target
Capacity and execution
- Repair capacity: about 4–5 vessels per day
- Parking / waiting space for about 20 ships
- Construction responsibility assigned to L&T after selection by the Inland Waterways Authority of India
- Expected construction period: roughly 18 months
Why it matters
Vessels from Bihar currently go to Kolkata for maintenance, which can take one to two months. A Patna facility could reduce repair turnaround to around 10–15 days, lower maintenance and logistics costs and reduce vessel downtime.
Patna and Sonpur logistics ecosystem
- Godown / warehousing facilities in Patna for cargo arriving by water
- High-level and low-level jetties and support facilities at Gaighat, Patna
- Kalughat–Sonpur multimodal terminal with water, rail and road connectivity
- Capacity for two cargo vessels to berth together at the multimodal terminal
Commercial ghats and waterways
Development is also linked with commercial ghats at locations such as Buxar, Kachchi Dargah, Digha, Raghopur, Sultanganj and Kahalgaon. Bihar’s inland-waterway network includes the Ganga and other notified waterways on rivers such as Gandak, Kosi, Ghaghara, Karmanasa and Son.
Concept link:Inland waterways are presented as the cheapest freight mode. The comparison used here is about ₹1.30 per tonne-km for waterways and ₹2.41 for rail; the road figure appears in the supplied content at roughly ₹2.65–₹3.62 per tonne-km.
04
Health · India–Japan
Meiji Seika Pharma–Serum Institute partnership for Japanese Encephalitis vaccine
Meiji Seika Pharma, through its Indian subsidiary Medreich Pharma, is working with the Serum Institute of India (SII) to introduce a Japanese Encephalitis vaccine in India, combining Japanese vaccine technology with India’s low-cost manufacturing capability.
Partnership and next step
- SII is expected to seek the required Indian regulatory approval
- The vaccine is intended for children
- Technology and know-how are to come from Japan
- Affordable large-scale manufacturing is expected in India
- SII technical teams have visited Japan to understand the technology
Japanese Encephalitis basics
- Caused by the Japanese Encephalitis virus
- Main vector: Culex mosquito
- Pigs and water birds are important amplifying hosts
- Humans are generally dead-end hosts
- Children are especially vulnerable in endemic areas
WHO vaccine categories
Three broad JE vaccine categories are highlighted: inactivated cell-based vaccine, live attenuated vaccine and live recombinant vaccine.
Medreich expansion angle
Meiji Seika Pharma acquired Medreich in 2014 and is also looking to expand investment in the Indian subsidiary, with a focus on generics in India and exports to markets such as the UK, Canada, Europe and Africa.
Prelims trap:Japanese Encephalitis is a mosquito-borne viral disease affecting the brain and nervous system. It is not primarily transmitted directly from one infected human to another.
05
Economy · India–Japan Financial Cooperation
Resona Bank deepens ties with Tata Capital
Japan’s Resona Bank has announced a tie-up with Tata Capital to give its clients better access to financing solutions and business opportunities in India through Tata Capital’s local network.
Key points
- The collaboration is based on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
- It is described as a non-exclusive collaboration
- Both sides will leverage their respective strengths in the Indian market
- Opportunities will be explored through Tata Capital’s network
Investment link
The announcement follows a $20 million investment by Resona Bank as a limited partner connected with Tata Capital Growth Fund III. The timeline of that investment was not disclosed.
Exam relevance:The development reflects expanding India–Japan financial and business linkages, especially in corporate financing, investment networks and access to the Indian market.
06
Economy · Digital Public Infrastructure
UPI completes 10 years; transaction volume rises about 13,000-fold
Unified Payments Interface (UPI) completed ten years after its launch on 25 August 2016. Developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) under the regulatory oversight of the Reserve Bank of India, it has become a core part of India’s digital payment ecosystem.
25 Aug 2016Launch date
NPCIDeveloper
RBIRegulatory oversight
P2P + P2MPayment modes
Ten-year growth
- Annual transaction volume: about 1.78 crore in 2016–17 to more than 24,162 crore in 2025–26
- Increase in volume: almost 13,000-fold
- Transaction value: roughly ₹0.06–₹0.07 lakh crore to around ₹314 lakh crore
- Participating banks: 44 to 703
2026 milestones
- Monthly transactions crossed 2,300 crore for the first time in May 2026
- May 2026: about 2,320 crore transactions
- July 2026: about 2,366 crore transactions
- July 2026 marked the highest monthly transaction volume in UPI’s ten-year journey
Why UPI matters
- Financial inclusion and wider digital payment access
- Interoperability across banks and apps
- Seamless person-to-person and person-to-merchant payments
- Merchant adoption and everyday retail payments
- Greater transparency and participation in the formal digital economy
Global recognition
UPI’s scale, reliability and interoperability have drawn global attention. The IMF has acknowledged it as the world’s largest real-time payment system by transaction volume.
07
Agriculture · Animal Genetic Resources
ICAR registers 16 new indigenous animal breeds
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has registered 16 new indigenous animal breeds, taking the total number of recognised indigenous breeds in India to 262. The move is linked with scientific documentation, conservation and sustainable use of climate-resilient animal genetic resources.
16New breeds registered
262Total recognised breeds
4 + 4Cattle and sheep breeds
Climate resilienceMajor significance
Newly registered cattle and sheep
- Cattle: Umarda, Periyar, Koppal and Mahakaushali
- Sheep: Madgyal, Seemanchali, Kow Debar and Asomi
- Periyar is highlighted as a dwarf cattle breed from Kerala
Other newly registered breeds
- Goats: Totapuri and Battisi
- Buffalo: Gomanchali
- Dog: Kombai
- Pig: Nagal
- Horse / pony: Kashmiri
- Donkey: Braj
- Yak: Sikkimese yak
Why indigenous breeds matter
- Genetic diversity and conservation
- Adaptation to local heat and climatic stress
- Support for farmer livelihoods
- Food and nutritional security
- Sustainable use of animal genetic resources
Climate-change connection
Rising temperatures and changing climate conditions create risks for animal productivity and food security. Locally adapted indigenous breeds are therefore treated as a form of genetic insurance against climate stress.
08
Internal Security
Prahar / Prahaar: counter-terrorism and counter-radicalisation doctrine
Prahar / Prahaar is described as India’s first-ever counter-terrorism and counter-radicalisation doctrine, with emphasis on an integrated, technology-driven internal-security approach and stronger action against cross-border terror networks.
Core elements
- Counter-terrorism and counter-radicalisation
- Strict anti-infiltration measures
- Faster action in cases with cross-border terror links
- Return of fugitives and use of trial in absentia where applicable
- AI-based analysis of intelligence available on the MAC platform
- Integrated investigation of UAPA cases
Other security priorities
- Vision document on narcotics control
- Detection and deportation of illegal migrants
- Policy framework to combat cybercrime
- Proxy warfare by Pakistan
- Cross-border terrorism and radicalisation
Emerging threats discussed
- Sub-aerial systems and drone threats
- Information warfare and national-security implications
- Biosecurity and biological threats
- Blue-economy and maritime security
- Economic security
What is MAC?
MAC (Multi Agency Centre) is an intelligence-sharing mechanism intended to support fusion, analysis and operationalisation of intelligence. It is not a maritime trade regulation mechanism.
National Security Strategies Conference
The two-day conference involved more than 850 officials from security forces, agencies and police. Participation included junior home ministers, deputy NSAs, heads of central paramilitary forces, DGPs of states and Union Territories, young police officers and specialists. The conference was held in hybrid mode.
