Why in News?

• India participated in the G20 Trade Ministers’ Meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, under the US G20 Presidency.
• India agreed on a consensus outcome document, the “G20 Statement on the Weaponization of Food through Coercive Trade Actions“.
• India stressed that food should not be used as a tool of pressure and reaffirmed its commitment to a rules-based global trading system with the WTO at its core.

G20 & WTO Framework

• The G20 is the premier forum for international economic cooperation. It has 19 countries, the European Union and the African Union. The AU became a permanent member during India’s 2023 presidency.
• The G20 has no permanent secretariat. The presidency rotates annually and works with the previous and next hosts (the Troika).
• The World Trade Organization (WTO) is headquartered in Geneva. It was established in 1995 and replaced the GATT.
• The WTO Agreement on Agriculture covers domestic support, market access and export subsidies.

Prelims Pointer

• The Bali Ministerial Decision (2013), adopted at the 9th WTO Ministerial Conference, protects developing countries’ public stockholding for food security from legal challenge under certain conditions. It is called the “Peace Clause“.
• The 12th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12, Geneva, 2022) exempted World Food Programme (WFP) purchases for humanitarian purposes from export restrictions.
• The Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) was set up by the G20 in 2011 to improve transparency in food markets, after the 2007-08 price spikes. It is hosted by the FAO.
• The World Food Programme is a UN agency with headquarters in Rome.

India’s Food Security Measures

• National Food Security Act, 2013: Gives legal entitlement to subsidised foodgrains to eligible households.
• Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY): Provides free foodgrains to beneficiaries under the NFSA.
• Food Corporation of India (FCI): Procures, stores and distributes foodgrains.

Why in News?

• The Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD) and its organisations participated in a nationwide cleanliness drive on 1 October 2026 under Swachhata Hi Seva 2026.
• The campaign, “Ek Din, Ek Ghanta, Ek Saath“, included cleanliness activities by FCI, CWC, IGMRI, WDRA and the National Sugar Institute across the country.

Five Pillars of Swachhata Hi Seva (SHS) 2026

• Transformation of Cleanliness Target Units (CTUs) and public places.
• Swachh Paathshala to engage youth.
• SafaiMitra Suraksha Evam Samman Shivir for sanitation workers.
• Strengthening Jan Bhagidari.
• Swachhata se Samriddhi, which means waste-to-wealth.

About Swachh Bharat Mission

• The Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) was launched on 2 October 2014.
• It has two parts: SBM-Gramin under Jal Shakti and SBM-Urban under Housing and Urban Affairs.
• “Ek Din, Ek Ghanta, Ek Saath” also ran under SHS in 2023, then called “Ek Tareekh Ek Ghanta Ek Saath“, when the SHS theme was “Garbage Free India“.

Why in News?

• INS Trishul reached Toulon, France on 22 September 2026 to take part in the 24th edition of Exercise Varuna.
• Varuna is the annual bilateral maritime exercise between the Indian Navy and the French Navy.

India-France Defence Framework

• Varuna began as a bilateral naval exercise in 1983 and was named Varuna in 2001.
• Varuna is the Vedic god of the oceans and water.
• The India-France Strategic Partnership dates to 1998. France is a key partner in defence, space and nuclear energy.
• The Horizon 2047 roadmap (2023) sets a long-term vision for the India-France partnership.
• Defence cooperation examples: Rafale fighter jets, Scorpene submarines (Project 75) and Rafale-M for the Navy.

Prelims Pointer

• Toulon is a major French naval base on the Mediterranean coast.
• Marseille is a port city in southern France.
• Suffren belongs to France’s Barracuda-class of nuclear attack submarines.
• This edition was held in the Mediterranean. Some previous editions were held in the Indian Ocean or Arabian Sea, so editions alternate between India and France.

Why in News?

• The 5th Kautilya Economic Conclave (KEC 2026) will be held in New Delhi from 3 to 5 October 2026.
• The theme is “Resilience in an Age of Flux“.

Conclave Basics

• The Conclave is an initiative of the Institute of Economic Growth (IEG), organised in partnership with the Ministry of Finance.
• It was first convened in 2022. It is by invitation only.

Kautilya & Arthashastra

• Kautilya is also known as Chanakya or Vishnugupta, the minister of Chandragupta Maurya.
• His treatise, the Arthashastra, covers statecraft, economy, taxation, trade and administration.
• The Arthashastra describes the Saptanga (seven limbs) of the state: Swami, Amatya, Janapada, Durga, Kosha, Danda and Mitra.