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UPSC Prelims & Mains
PIB Snippets — October 9, 2026
Today’s official releases — the World Development Report 2026 on AI, Windergy India 2026, SAREX-2026 off Paradip, and JOSH Teams under TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan
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World Development Report 2026: The Promise of Artificial Intelligence
Why in News?
- Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw launched the World Bank Group’s World Development Report 2026: The Promise of Artificial Intelligence in New Delhi, at an event organised by the IndiaAI Mission under MeitY along with the World Bank Group.
AI Opportunities, Challenges and India’s Initiatives
- The report looks at the opportunities and challenges of AI for developing economies through adoption, adaptation and advancement.
- AI can widen access to expertise, raise productivity and improve services in health, agriculture and education.
- These gains need electricity, connectivity, computing infrastructure, quality data, skills and capable institutions.
- Developing countries should adapt AI tools to local needs instead of building systems from scratch.
- Only 1 of the 25 low-income countries has a national AI strategy.
- India’s AI-based monsoon forecasting was cited as a model, and Ethiopia is now following it.
- The IndiaAI Mission has seven pillars, including Compute Capacity, AIKosh, FutureSkills, Startup Financing and Safe & Trusted AI.
- Safe & Trusted AI supports bias mitigation, algorithm auditing, explainable AI and deepfake detection.
- The State AI Showcase featured Navachetana (Andhra Pradesh), MahaVISTAAR AI (Maharashtra), EdskGrid (Meghalaya) and Vyuhaa-Cerviai.
AI for Inclusive Growth and the Global South
- Inclusive development: AI can extend scarce expertise in health, farming and education to larger sections of the population.
- Global South leadership: India’s experience offers lessons for other developing countries.
- Scale-up focus: The move from isolated pilots to evidence-based scale-up is the key policy challenge.
AI Governance: Key Institutions and Initiatives
| Concept | Static Fact |
|---|---|
| World Development Report | The flagship annual report of the World Bank, published since 1978, on a theme of global development. |
| IndiaAI Mission | Approved by the Union Cabinet in March 2024 with an outlay of about ₹10,372 crore, to build India’s AI ecosystem. |
| MeitY | The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology is the nodal ministry for IT and AI policy. |
| AIKosh | The IndiaAI Datasets Platform that provides datasets and models for AI development. |
| AgriStack | A digital public infrastructure initiative for agriculture built on farmer data. |
Note: The World Development Report is published by the World Bank, not the IMF or the UN.
Source: PIB
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Windergy India 2026: India’s Wind Power Capacity Reaches 59.20 GW, Target 100 GW by 2030
Windergy India 2026: Wind Power Milestones
- Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi inaugurated the 8th Windergy India 2026 in Chennai on 8 October 2026 (conference: 7 to 9 October).
- He said India’s installed wind capacity reached 59.20 GW on 30 September 2026 and that the country is on track to touch 100 GW by 2030.
- Three agreements were announced at the event: the IWTMA-BWE Global MoU, the IWTMA-PTB LoI and the IWTMA-OECD collaboration.
India’s Wind Energy Growth and Industry Developments
- Windergy India is a global wind energy conference and exhibition, with about 400 exhibitors from more than 20 countries. Denmark, Germany and Spain had country pavilions.
- India recorded its highest-ever annual wind addition of 6.05 GW in FY2026. The Minister expects FY2027 to beat this.
- States were felicitated for land facilitation, timely clearances and resolving Right-of-Way (RoW) issues, which are the main bottlenecks for wind projects.
- Tamil Nadu’s repowering policy was highlighted as a model for states with ageing turbines.
- Two reports were released: “Energy Transition in TN” and “Reimagining Contractual Mechanism for Indian Wind Sector”.
Wind Energy: Potential, Policies and Climate Targets
| Concept | Key Facts |
|---|---|
| Wind potential | NIWE (Chennai, under MNRE) estimates about 1,164 GW at 150 m hub height. |
| Ministry | MNRE looks after wind energy policy. |
| Climate target | 500 GW non-fossil capacity by 2030, part of India’s NDC under the Paris Agreement. |
| Offshore wind | Potential lies off Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. The National Offshore Wind Energy Policy, 2015 and the VGF scheme for offshore wind support it. |
| Policy support | ISTS charge waiver, Green Energy Corridor, 100% FDI under the automatic route, and the Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy, 2018. |
India’s Wind Power Status: State and Global Rankings
- Gujarat is the top wind state, followed by Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh come next.
- India ranks 4th globally in wind installations, according to the Global Wind Energy Council report of 2026 (data till December 2025).
Note: 59.20 GW refers to wind energy alone, not total renewable capacity or the 500 GW non-fossil target.
Source: PIB
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SAREX-2026: Indian Coast Guard Holds 12th National Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise off Paradip
SAREX-2026: Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise
- The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) conducted the 12th National Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX-2026) off Paradip, Odisha, on 8 October 2026, under the National Maritime Search and Rescue Board (NMSARB).
- The theme was “Leveraging Technology to Strengthen SAR Preparedness and Maritime Safety”, and the exercise was reviewed by DG ICG Paramesh Sivamani.
Maritime Safety: Institutions, Conventions and Initiatives
| Concept | Key Facts |
|---|---|
| NMSARB | Set up in 2002. Chaired by the DG, Indian Coast Guard, who is also the National Maritime SAR Coordinating Authority. |
| SAREX | Held biennially since 2003. SAREX-2024 (11th edition) was held at Kochi. |
| Indian SAR Region | About 4.6 million sq km. It has 3 MRCCs (Mumbai, Chennai, Port Blair) and 36 MRSCs. |
| SAR Convention | The 1979 International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue of the IMO divides the world’s oceans into SAR regions. Each coastal state is responsible for its own region. |
| Indian Coast Guard | Established in 1978 under the Coast Guard Act, 1978. Works under the Ministry of Defence. Headquarters in New Delhi. Motto: “Vayam Rakshamah”. |
| SAGAR vs MAHASAGAR | SAGAR (2015) means Security and Growth for All in the Region. MAHASAGAR (2025) means Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions, and widens the focus to the Global South. |
Note: Paradip is a major port in Odisha on the Bay of Bengal coast.
Source: PIB
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JOSH Teams Launched under TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan: Youth-Led Push for TB Elimination
JOSH Teams: Youth-Led Drive for TB Elimination
- Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda launched JOSH (Joint Squad for Health) Teams under the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan on 8 October 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
- India’s TB incidence has fallen 21%, against a 12% global decline, and treatment coverage has risen to 92%, as per the WHO report.
- 67,933 Panchayats across 697 districts were recognised as TB Mukt in 2026.
JOSH Teams: Structure, Roles and Technology
- JOSH is run by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the Ministry of Defence and the Government of NCT of Delhi.
- Each JOSH Team has 5 MY Bharat Volunteers and 5 NCC Cadets, led by a Class-I officer at Block/Ward level.
- The teams spread awareness on prevention, support active case finding, encourage treatment completion and reduce stigma.
- New tools launched: the Khushi Avatar (an e-Sangini initiative, in 12 Indian languages), a JOSH feature on the TB Mukt Bharat App, and IEC materials.
- Technology cited in the TB response: AI-based portable X-ray, rapid molecular diagnostics and shorter regimens for drug-resistant TB.
TB Elimination: Key Programmes and Initiatives
| Concept | Key Facts |
|---|---|
| Cause of TB | Caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It spreads through air and mainly affects the lungs. TB is preventable and curable. |
| NTEP | The National TB Elimination Programme (earlier RNTCP) is the main programme. TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan works within it. |
| Global target | SDG 3.3 and the WHO End TB Strategy aim to end TB by 2030. India has set a more ambitious aim of reaching the goal earlier. |
| Ni-kshay | Ni-kshay portal (case tracking), Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana (nutrition support through DBT) and Ni-kshay Mitra (community support to patients). |
| MY Bharat | Mera Yuva Bharat, a youth platform under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, launched in 2023. |
Note: The WHO publishes the annual Global TB Report, which tracks incidence, mortality and treatment coverage.
Source: PIB
