Why in News?

• The 2026 southwest monsoon ended with 759.4 mm rainfall, which is 12.6% below normal or 87% of LPA.
• It was the weakest monsoon since 2015, while the East and Northeast experienced their driest monsoon since 1901.

Monsoon at a Glance

• The southwest monsoon is the seasonal reversal of winds that brings moisture-laden air from the Indian Ocean to the subcontinent between June and September.
• It delivers about three-fourths of India’s annual rainfall and is critical for kharif crops, reservoirs and groundwater recharge.
• Two branches: The Arabian Sea branch hits the Western Ghats first and brings heavy rain to the west coast. The Bay of Bengal branch moves towards northeast India and then turns west along the Gangetic plain.
• Onset: The monsoon normally arrives over Kerala around 1 June and covers the whole country around 8 July.
• Withdrawal: It normally begins from west Rajasthan around 17 September and ends around 15 October.

Mechanism & Variability — How It Works

• Differential heating: Summer heating of the Indian landmass creates a low-pressure area, which draws in moist winds from the cooler Indian Ocean.
• Shift of the ITCZ: The Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone moves northward over the Gangetic plain, forming the monsoon trough.
• Tibetan Plateau heating: Intense heating of the plateau supports the Tropical Easterly Jet and strengthens the monsoon.
• Jet streams: The Subtropical Westerly Jet shifts north of the Himalayas in summer, and the Tropical Easterly Jet sets in over peninsular India.
• Cross-equatorial flow: Southeast trade winds from the Mascarene High cross the equator and turn into southwest winds because of the Coriolis force. The low-level Somali Jet carries moisture towards India.

What Controls It?

• El Niño (warming of the central and eastern equatorial Pacific) generally weakens the Indian monsoon, while La Niña generally strengthens it.
• Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD): A positive IOD (warmer western Indian Ocean) generally supports the monsoon and can offset El Niño’s effect.
• Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO): This eastward-moving tropical disturbance affects the monsoon on a weekly to monthly scale.

Why in News?

• During the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), bulk pre-filled Form-7 applications seeking deletion of Muslim voters’ names were reported in parts of Belagavi North, Karnataka.
• The Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) said his name was misused to pressure Booth Level Officers (BLOs) into signing the forms, while similar applications were reported in Bhalki after the claims and objections deadline.

About SIR

• SIR is a special, house-to-house verification of electoral rolls ordered by the Election Commission of India (ECI), in which voters fill an Enumeration Form and their entries are re-verified.
• Legal basis: Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 allows the ECI to direct a special revision of the roll, and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 lay down the procedure.
• Constitutional basis: Article 324 gives the ECI superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of electoral rolls; Article 326 guarantees adult suffrage for citizens aged 18 and above.
• SIR first began in Bihar in June 2025 and has since been extended to other states in phases.

Key Officials

• BLO is a local official who does house-to-house verification.
• Booth Level Agent (BLA) is appointed by a recognised political party to assist and raise objections.
• ERO decides on claims and objections for an assembly constituency.
• Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) heads election administration in a state.

Electoral Roll Forms (Registration of Electors Rules, 1960)

Why in News?

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved higher Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for all six mandated rabi crops for the 2027-28 marketing season.
• Safflower got the biggest hike, at ₹675 per quintal, taking its MSP to ₹7,215 per quintal (up 10.3%).
• The Centre says the MSP carries a margin of 50% to 106% over the all-India weighted average cost of production.

Core Facts

• MSP is the price at which the government is ready to buy a crop from farmers, announced before the sowing season.
• The CCEA approves MSP on the recommendation of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).
• The six rabi crops covered are wheat, barley, gram, lentil (masur), rapeseed and mustard, and safflower.
• The estimated MSP payout for the six crops is about ₹90,962 crore in 2027-28, according to press reports.
• Rabi crops are sown from October and harvested from March–April.

Static and Current Affairs Linkage

• The government fixes MSP for 23 crops: 7 cereals, 5 pulses, 7 oilseeds and 4 commercial crops (copra, raw jute, cotton and sugarcane).
• Sugarcane is priced through the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP), not MSP, although it is counted among the commercial crops.
• CACP was set up in 1965 as the Agricultural Prices Commission and renamed in 1985. It is an attached office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and has no statutory status.
• Since Budget 2018-19, MSP is set at at least 1.5 times the cost of production, using the A2+FL cost (paid-out costs plus the imputed value of family labour).
• Rabi crops are sown in winter (October–December) and harvested in spring, while kharif crops are sown with the monsoon (June–July) and harvested in September–October.
• MSP has no legal guarantee, and procurement is concentrated in wheat and rice through the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state agencies.

About Safflower

• Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) belongs to the Asteraceae (sunflower) family.
• It is a drought-tolerant crop with a deep taproot that draws moisture from lower soil layers, so it suits dryland farming and residual moisture cultivation.
• It grows well on black cotton soils (vertisols) and is sown around September–October and harvested around February–March.
• Major producing states are Maharashtra and Karnataka, with smaller areas in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
• Local names include Kusum (Hindi) and Kardi (Marathi).
• Safflower oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids (linoleic and oleic acid) and is considered good for heart health.
• Its petals yield a natural dye (carthamin), historically used for colouring textiles and food. It is sometimes called “bastard saffron”.

Why in News?

• The yield on the 30-year US Treasury bond hit its highest level in about 25 years (around 5.5–5.6%), according to market reports.

Yield Drivers

• Why yields rise: Rising inflation, higher global demand for loans, and large government debt (above $40 trillion in the US, per the article).
• US interest payments rose from about $600 billion before Covid-19 to $1.2 trillion in 2025.
• US Treasuries are the safest benchmark asset, so higher yields push up borrowing costs for other governments, companies and households.

Significance for India

• Capital outflows: Foreign portfolio investors may move money from Indian debt and equity to higher-yielding US bonds.
• Rupee pressure: Outflows can weaken the rupee, which raises the cost of imports such as crude oil and adds to inflation.
• Higher G-sec yields: Indian bond yields tend to rise in sympathy, which increases the government’s borrowing cost and corporate borrowing costs.
• Limits on RBI: The RBI may find it harder to cut rates without widening the gap with US rates and encouraging further outflows.
• Costlier external borrowing: Indian firms borrowing in dollars, including through external commercial borrowings, face higher interest costs.
• Bond portfolio losses: Banks and mutual funds holding bonds face mark-to-market losses when yields rise.