1st September 2026

Explanation - Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU) scheme is a centrally sponsored scheme with an investment of Rs 60,000 crore. The scheme aims to transform 1,000 Government ITIs across India into modern, industry-aligned training institutions. PM-SETU will follow a hub-and-spoke model, with 200 hub ITIs linked to 800 spoke ITIs. Each hub will be equipped with advanced infrastructure, innovation and incubation centres, production units, training of trainer facilities, and placement services, while the spokes will extend access and outreach. The scheme will — Introduce new, demand-driven courses and revamp existing ones in collaboration with industry; Set up Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) with credible Anchor Industry Partners to manage clusters and ensure outcome-based training; Create pathways for long-term diplomas, short-term courses, and executive programs; Strengthen 5 National Skill Training Institutes in – Bhubaneswar (Odisha), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Hyderabad (Telangana), Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh), Ludhiana (Punjab), as Centres of Excellence with global partnerships. The initiative is backed by global co-financing from the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, with the first phase focusing on Patna and Darbhanga ITIs.

Explanation - A solar flare is a tremendous explosion on the Sun that happens when energy stored in 'twisted' magnetic fields (usually above sunspots) is suddenly released. A flare appears as a sudden, intense brightening of a region on the Sun, lasting several minutes to hours. Flares occur when intense magnetic fields on the Sun become too tangled. In a matter of just a few minutes, they heat the material to many millions of degrees and produce a burst of radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum, including from radio waves to x-rays and gamma rays. The biggest flares occur in association with large sunspots that have sharp magnetic gradients and large currents, which are the source of the flare energy. There are five different classes of solar flares: A, B, C, M, and X — X-class flares: These are the biggest; they are major events that can trigger radio blackouts around the whole world and long-lasting radiation storms in the upper atmosphere. M-class flares: These are medium-sized; they generally cause brief radio blackouts that affect Earth's Polar Regions. Minor radiation storms sometimes follow an M-class flare. C-class flares: These are small with few noticeable consequences here on Earth. At its peak, a C-class flare is ten times less powerful than an M-class flare. B-class flares: These are ten times smaller or weaker than C-class flares. A-class flares: These are at least ten times less intense than B-class flares, with no noticeable consequences on Earth. Effect of Solar Flare on Earth — The intense radiation emitted during a solar flare can affect satellite communications, disrupt radio signals, and even pose a risk to astronauts in space. Additionally, the increased solar radiation can lead to geomagnetic storms, which may impact power grids and cause auroras (northern and southern lights) at lower latitudes.

Explanation - Integrated Fertiliser Management System is the digital platform for fertiliser management in India. It is developed and technically supported by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) for the Department of Fertilisers. Features — It offers a range of online services related to fertiliser distribution and management. It includes dealer registration, stock availability tracking, dealer search, and access to Management Information System and Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) reports. iFMS connects key stages of the fertiliser ecosystem, including production, imports, movement, stock availability, retail sale and subsidy processing. The new dashboards and analytical tools have been developed to provide officials with a consolidated view of fertiliser production, imports, dispatches, movement, stocks and retail sales. These tools enable monitoring at the national, State, district and retailer levels, helping identify unusual trends and emerging supply situations at an early stage. Significance — iFMS enhances transparency, efficiency, and real-time monitoring in fertiliser supply, supporting farmers and stakeholders in ensuring timely availability of quality fertilisers.

Explanation - The Most Favoured Nation (MFN) principle generally requires a country to provide investors from one treaty partner treatment no less favourable than that provided to investors from another country. For example, if Country A gives investors from Country B more favourable treatment under a later treaty, an MFN provision could potentially allow investors from Country C to seek similar treatment if their treaty with Country A contains an applicable MFN clause. India moved away from an open-ended MFN provision in its 2015 Model BIT because of concerns that investors could use provisions from treaties with third countries to make broader claims than those expressly negotiated in their own treaty.

Explanation - A Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) is an agreement between two countries to promote and protect investments made by investors of each country in the other's territory. It gives foreign investors certain guarantees — against arbitrary treatment, expropriation without compensation, and denial of justice. When disputes arise, BITs typically allow investors to take the host country to international arbitration. BITs are crucial for attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). They signal to investors that the host country offers a stable, rules-based environment for investment. India's BIT History: From 1993 to 2016 - India signed BITs with 83 countries based on its 1993 model (amended in 2003). Of these, 74 were ratified. The 1993 model allowed foreign investors to go directly to international arbitration without exhausting domestic remedies first. A turning point came when global companies like Vodafone and Cairn Energy filed international arbitration cases against India in tax disputes — and won. These cases exposed India to significant financial liability and raised concerns about regulatory sovereignty. India responded by overhauling its BIT framework. The 2016 BIT model introduced a major change: foreign investors must now exhaust all domestic remedies before initiating international arbitration. Of the 74 ratified BITs, India issued termination notices to 68 countries and asked them to renegotiate on the basis of the 2016 model.