3rd July 2026

Explanation – The Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) is one of India’s most important social security and retirement savings mechanisms for organised sector workers. It is managed by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) under the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Under the EPF system:

• Employees contribute a fixed share of their wages every month.
• Employers make a matching contribution.
• The savings earn annual interest declared by EPFO.
• Workers can make partial withdrawals for specified purposes and receive the accumulated amount at retirement or exit.

Alongside EPF operates the Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS), which provides monthly pension benefits after retirement, subject to service conditions. Together, EPF and EPS form the backbone of formal sector retirement security in India. The new EPF Scheme, 2026 replaces the old Employees’ Provident Funds Scheme, 1952, while the EPS 2026 replaces the earlier Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995 and the Employees’ Family Pension Scheme, 1971.

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Explanation – A VPN lets users mask their IP address and route their internet traffic through servers located elsewhere, making it appear as if the traffic originates from another country while hiding the user's real location. This creates two features the government finds problematic:

• Bypassing censorship: India's blocking orders require companies to geo-block content within India's jurisdiction. But by connecting through a VPN server in, say, the US, a user can still access content blocked in India.
• Anonymity: VPNs allow anonymous browsing and are widely regarded as privacy-enhancing tools.

The scale of the tension is clear from India's expanding censorship: over 24,000 blocking orders in 2025, up from over 12,000 in 2024. When the Centre temporarily blocked Telegram before the NEET-UG retest, Proton VPN reported daily sign-ups from India jumping over 120% — illustrating exactly why VPNs "defeat the purpose" of blocking, in the government's view.

Explanation – It is India’s first privately developed orbital-class rocket. It is developed by Skyroot Aerospace.

Features of Vikram-1 Rocket:

• Vikram-1 is a seven-storey-tall, multi-stage orbital launch vehicle.
• It is built with an all-carbon composite structure, and powered by in-house developed propulsion systems, including 3D-printed engines and high-thrust solid-fuel rocket boosters.
• Carrying Capacity: It is designed to carry small satellites weighing up to 350 kg to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and 260 kg into a sun-synchronous orbit (SSO).
• Design: The design emphasises simplicity, reliability, and the ability to launch within 24 hours from any location.
• Stages: It has four stages and the first three stages are solid-fuelled, providing robust initial thrust, topped by a hypergolic liquid upper stage for precise orbital adjustments.
• Stage 4 uses a cluster of four Raman engines. These are hypergolic engines, meaning they ignite instantly when two chemicals, MMH fuel and NTO oxidiser, come into contact.
• It is built to target the small-satellite segment and is capable of placing multiple satellites into orbit in a single mission.
• Innovation: Other key innovations include ultra-low-shock pneumatic separation systems and advanced avionics for real-time guidance.

Explanation – It is developed by the Ministry of Rural Development under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM). eSARAS is the official online marketplace built exclusively for products made by women Self-Help Groups and their federations. It has emerged as a flagship initiative that combines Digital India’s technological framework with grassroots entrepreneurship.

The platform lists local products across major categories:

• Home and Living
• Women's Apparel and Accessories
• Men's Apparel and Accessories
• Personal Care
• Food Items
• Kids Toys & Accessories

Features of eSARAS Platform:

• It enables artisans to sell directly to consumers without relying on multiple intermediaries.
• It is integrated with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) and UMANG platform.
• To cater to institutional and corporate buyers, the Ministry has introduced the premium “SARAS Shakti Collection”, a curated range of products.

Significance: It is positioning India’s rural artisans to compete in larger markets without losing the authenticity of their craft.

Explanation – It is a statutory body entrusted with the primary task of promotion of export of marine products.

History:

• It was set up by an act of Parliament during 1972.
• The erstwhile Marine Products Export Promotion Council established by the Government of India in September, 1961 was merged into MPEDA on 24th August, 1972.

Functions:

• Developing and regulating offshore and deep-sea fishing and undertaking measures for the conservation and management of offshore and deep-sea fisheries.
• Registering fishing vessels, processing plants or storage premises for marine products and conveyances used for the transport of marine products.
• Fixing standards and specifications for marine products for purposes of export.
• Regulating the export of marine products.
• Registering exporters of marine products on payment of such fees as may be prescribed.

It has set up five full-fledged Quality Control Laboratories at Kochi, Nellore, Bhimavaram, Bhubaneswar, and Porbandar. In order to reach out to exporters in different parts of the country, it has set up 18 regional/sub-regional divisions/desk offices.

• Headquarters: Kochi, Kerala
• Trade Promotion Offices: New Delhi, Tokyo, and New York
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Commerce and Industry