Why in News?

The Prime Minister inaugurated the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on 27 October.

He said science succeeds only when it goes from the laboratory to the land.

Key Points

• ESTIC 2026 is the second edition, held from 27 to 29 October and organised by CSIR. It covers 12 thematic areas, with about 150 deep-tech start-up stalls.
• The ₹1 lakh crore research commitment includes ₹12,000 crore for lab-to-market technologies, matched by ₹12,000 crore from private investors.
• Annual patent filings rose from under 50,000 to about 1.5 lakh in ten years.
• The 500 MW Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor has achieved first criticality.
• A space start-up placed a satellite in orbit on its first attempt, and India has mastered satellite docking.
• He said AI gives quick answers, but scientists must verify them.
• Participants were asked to set a concrete three-year target for a technology or product.

Background

• ANRF: Set up under the ANRF Act, 2023 as the apex research body. It subsumed the SERB.
• RDI Scheme: Approved on 1 July 2025 with ₹1 lakh crore for low-cost, long-term finance to private research. DST is the nodal department.
• PFBR: A 500 MWe sodium-cooled fast breeder reactor at Kalpakkam, built by BHAVINI. First criticality on 6 April 2026.
• Three-stage nuclear programme: Stage 1 PHWRs, Stage 2 fast breeders, Stage 3 thorium-based reactors.

Why in News?

The 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in New Delhi (26-27 October), on the theme “Fostering Parliaments for People-Centric Development”, adopted a Joint Declaration backing India’s BRICS Chairship in 2026.

Key Points

• Participants: Parliaments of Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, South Africa and the UAE.
• Sanctions: It condemns unilateral coercive measures, including economic and secondary sanctions.
• Terrorism: It condemns the 22 April 2025 attack in Jammu and Kashmir (26 killed), and calls for zero tolerance and early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.
• West Asia: It calls for maximum restraint and backs the two-state solution.
• UN reform: It supports reform of the UN Security Council.
• Technology: It stresses digital sovereignty, equitable access to AI and a digital public infrastructure repository.
• Russia’s proposals: A BRICS Plus group in the IPU and a Working Group on Sport.
• Next forum: 2027, under China’s chairship.

Background

• BRICS: The summit began in 2009 (Yekaterinburg), South Africa joined in 2010, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE in 2024 and Indonesia in 2025.
• Parliamentary Forum: First held in Moscow on 8 June 2015. The 11th was in Brasília (June 2025).
• 18th BRICS Summit: New Delhi, 12-13 September 2026.

Why in News?

Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) as a pathway to cut emissions from hard-to-abate sectors and support India’s net zero by 2070 goal. It features among the energy technologies at ESTIC 2026.

Key Points

• Process: Capture carbon dioxide at the source, then purify, dry and compress it, transport it by pipeline or ship, and then use it or store it underground.
• Uses: Enhanced oil recovery, food and beverages, urea, green methanol and concrete.
• Storage sites: Depleted oil and gas reservoirs, deep saline aquifers and basaltic rock formations.
• Hard-to-abate sectors: Steel, cement, oil and gas, petrochemicals, chemicals and fertilisers. Their emissions, with thermal power, may reach about 2,300 million tonnes a year by 2030.
• Hubs and clusters: The DST CCUS Roadmap (December 2025) names the Gujarat coast, the Odisha-Jharkhand belt (steel and cement) and Northeast India (oil and gas).
• Blue hydrogen: Coal gasification with carbon capture can produce it, while green hydrogen comes from electrolysis of water using renewable power.
• Existing power: Fossil-fuel sources were 45.12% of installed capacity in August 2026.
• Budget 2026-27: A ₹20,000 crore CCUS scheme over five years for power, steel, cement, refineries and chemicals.
• First of its kind: India’s first integrated CCUS field laboratory at IIT Bombay (May 2026) can capture up to 3 tonnes of CO₂ a day and tests storage in Deccan Traps basalt.

Background

• Net zero 2070: Announced as part of the Panchamrit commitments at COP26 in Glasgow (2021).
• NITI Aayog: Its November 2022 report called CCUS critical for hard-to-abate sectors and favoured a hub and cluster model.
• National CCUS Centres: Set up in 2022 at IIT Bombay and JNCASR, Bengaluru.
• Mission Innovation: A global clean energy platform in which India worked with 13 partner countries on CCUS research.

Why in News?

The Union Environment Minister delivered India’s national statement at CBD COP-17 in Yerevan, Armenia, reaffirming India’s commitment to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Key Points

• India’s position: Implementation must match national circumstances, backed by finance, capacity building and technology transfer from developed countries.
• Support for benefit-sharing from digital sequence information through the Cali Fund.
• Synthetic biology: A science-based and precautionary approach.
• NBSAP: 23 National Biodiversity Targets and 142 indicators.
• Protected areas: 1,134 Protected Areas, 103 Ramsar sites, 57 Biodiversity Heritage Sites and 18 Biosphere Reserves.
• Initiatives: International Big Cat Alliance, Mission LiFE, MISHTI, Amrit Dharohar and Soil Health Card Scheme.

Background

• COP-17: 19-30 October 2026, theme “Taking Action for Nature”, the first global review of the framework.
• Kunming-Montreal Framework: Adopted in December 2022 with 4 goals for 2050 and 23 targets for 2030.
• Cali Fund: Launched at COP16 (2024) for benefit sharing from digital sequence information.
• CBD: Adopted at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. India’s Biological Diversity Act, 2002 sets up Biodiversity Management Committees.

Why in News?

DPIIT has launched the 6th National Startup Awards under Startup India. Applications are open from 27 October to 20 November 2026.

Key Points

• Categories: 20 sectoral and 3 special categories: Women-Led Startups, North-East Startups and the new Student Innovator / Aspiring Entrepreneur Award.
• New sectors: 12 new categories, including Biomanufacturing, Defence and Security, Ocean and Blue Economy, Space-Tech and Future Mobility.
• Prize: ₹25 lakh per category. The Student award has a ₹25 lakh pool across four sub-categories.

Background

• Startup India: Launched on 16 January 2016, which is National Startup Day.
• Awards: First held in 2020. The 5th edition results came on 16 January 2026.
• Recognised startups: Over 2.23 lakh by 31 March 2026.
• Fund of Funds for Startups: ₹10,000 crore, managed by SIDBI.

Why in News?

Two industrial disputes at Bihar Gramin Bank were settled through conciliation on 22 and 23 October 2026, giving about ₹77.69 crore of benefits to over 10,900 employees.

About Gramin Banks (Regional Rural Banks)

• Origin: Set up on the recommendation of the Narasimham Working Group (1975) by an ordinance of 26 September 1975, and then the Regional Rural Banks Act, 1976. The first five began on 2 October 1975, and the first was Prathama Bank, Moradabad (sponsored by Syndicate Bank, authorised capital ₹5 crore).
• Purpose: Credit and banking for small and marginal farmers, agricultural labourers, artisans and the weaker sections, as an alternative to the cooperative credit structure.
• Ownership: Centre 50%, sponsor bank 35% and State 15%. The sponsor bank gives capital, training and technology. J&K Bank is the only private sector sponsor.
• Capital: The RRB (Amendment) Act, 2015 allows RRBs to raise capital from sources other than the Centre, State and sponsor bank, with the Centre and sponsor bank together holding at least 51%. The K.C. Chakrabarty Committee recommended recapitalisation to improve their capital adequacy.
• Regulation: The RBI regulates them, and NABARD supervises them. For income tax they are treated as cooperative societies.
• Priority sector: They must lend 75% of adjusted net bank credit to the priority sector, against 40% for commercial banks. The minimum capital adequacy ratio is 9%.
• Consolidation: 196 RRBs by 2005, reduced to 43 by 2020-21 by mergers on the Vyas Committee’s advice. The “One State, One RRB” drive merged 26 more from 1 May 2025, leaving 28 RRBs.
• Reach: 28 RRBs with over 22,000 branches in about 700 districts.
• Brand: A common logo for all RRBs was unveiled in December 2025.