30 June 2026

UPSC GS 1

Thewa Art

1. News: The Prime Minister of India recently presented Thewa motif cufflinks as a gift to the President of Slovakia during his official visit to Slovakia.

2.  About Thewa Art:

a. Thewa Art is a unique and completely handcrafted jewellery-making tradition that involves fusing intricately carved gold onto coloured glass to create decorative ornaments and artefacts.

b. It originated in Pratapgarh and is one of Rajasthan's most distinctive traditional crafts.

c. The art is believed to be over 400 years old and was first developed by Nathu Lal Sonewal in the 18th century.

d. The word "Thewa" is derived from the local dialect and means "setting."

e. The craft received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2014.

3. Process of Thewa Art:

a. The uniqueness of Thewa lies in its secret thermal bonding technique.

b. A thin sheet of 23-carat gold foil, known as "Thewa Ki Patti," is intricately hand-carved.

c. The gold sheet is placed on a lac-resin compound spread over a board.

d. The lac is gently heated, allowing the gold sheet to adhere firmly.

e. Intricate openwork designs are created by carefully piercing and removing portions of the gold foil.

f. The finished gold design is then permanently fused onto coloured glass without using glue, solder, or synthetic adhesives.

4. Themes: Thewa artisans commonly depict:

a. Royal court life.

b. Hunting scenes featuring elephants, deer, and lions.

c. Hindu mythological stories.

d. Peacocks.

e. Floral motifs.

f. Royal wedding processions.

UPSC GS 2

BHARATI Programme

1. News:  The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority has successfully concluded the first cohort of the BHARATI Programme.

2.  About BHARATI Programme:

a. BHARATI (Bharat's Hub for Agritech, Resilience, Advancement and Incubation for Export Innovation) is the flagship startup incubation initiative of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority.

b. The programme aims to foster innovation-led growth in India's agri-food export sector by supporting startups working in agriculture, food processing, and export-oriented technologies.

3. Aim: The programme seeks to:

a. Empower 100 agri-food startups.

b. Promote innovation across the agri-food value chain.

c. Help achieve USD 50 billion in exports of APEDA-scheduled products by 2030.

4. Key Features:

a. Flagship incubation initiative of APEDA.

b. Focuses on agritech, food processing, and export innovation.

c. Supports startups developing export-oriented technologies and solutions.

d. Strengthens India's agri-food export ecosystem through innovation and entrepreneurship.

5. Implementation: The programme is structured to complement existing government-led and industry-led incubation programmes in:

a. Agriculture.

b. Food processing.

c. Agri-business.

d. Food technology.

e. Rather than replacing existing incubators, it provides additional support for startups with export potential.

6. Alignment with Government Initiatives: The BHARATI Programme is aligned with the Government of India's flagship initiatives:

a. Atmanirbhar Bharat.

b. Vocal for Local.

c. Digital India.

d. Start-Up India.

Youth Co:Lab

1. News:   Six youth-led startups from across the country have emerged as winners of the 8th edition of the Youth Co:Lab National Innovation Challenge 2026.

2. About Youth Co:Lab:

a. Youth Co:Lab is a regional initiative co-led by the United Nations Development Programme India and the Citi Foundation, in partnership with the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM).

b. It aims to empower young innovators and entrepreneurs to accelerate the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through leadership, social innovation, and entrepreneurship.

3. Genesis:

a. 2017: Youth Co:Lab was co-created by the UNDP and the Citi Foundation for the Asia-Pacific region.

b. 2019: It was launched in India in collaboration with the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM).

4. Objective: The initiative seeks to establish a common agenda across the Asia-Pacific region for investing in and empowering youth so they can drive sustainable development through innovation and entrepreneurship.

5. Implementation: In India, Youth Co:Lab is implemented by the T-Hub Foundation. 

UPSC GS 3

Index of Services Production (ISP)

1. News:   The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) is set to launch the Index of Services Production (ISP) in July 2026.

2. About Index of Services Production (ISP):

a. The Index of Services Production (ISP) is a short-term economic indicator designed to measure changes over time in the volume of output produced by the services sector relative to a specified base year.

b. It tracks changes in the real output of service-producing industries and serves as a high-frequency indicator of the performance of India's services sector.

3. Base Year:

a. The ISP is being developed with 2024–25 as the proposed base year.

b. It will primarily use Goods and Services Tax (GST) data to measure economic activity in the services sector.

4. Principal Data Sources: The index will be compiled using multiple administrative and survey-based data sources.

5. Administrative Data:

a. Air transport.

b. Railways.

c. Banking.

d. Insurance.

6. GST Data:

a. Wholesale and retail trade.

b. Hospitality.

c. Road and water transport.

d. Warehousing.

e. Telecommunications.

f. Real estate.

g. Information Technology (IT) services.

h. Professional services.

i. Entertainment.

7. ASISSE Data (to be incorporated later): Data from the Annual Survey of Incorporated Services Sector Enterprises (ASISSE) will subsequently be used for:

a. Health services.

b. Education services.

8. Key Features:

a. Measures the real output of the services sector.

b. Uses GST-based administrative data as the primary source.

c. Primarily reflects the formal sector, as it is based on enterprises registered under GST.

d. Provides a high-frequency measure of services sector performance.

9. Weights in the ISP: The weights assigned to different service sectors are based on their respective contributions to Gross Value Added (GVA) as reported in the National Accounts Statistics (NAS).

Netra Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) System

1. News: The Defence Research and Development Organisation has handed over the Final Operational Clearance (FOC) certificate of the indigenous Netra Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) System to the Indian Air Force.

2.  About Netra Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) System:

a. The Netra AEW&C System is an indigenously developed airborne radar and command platform built on the Embraer EMB-145 aircraft.

b. It is popularly known as the "Eye in the Sky" of the Indian Air Force (IAF).

c. The system has been developed by the Centre for Airborne Systems, a laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation, based in Bengaluru.

d. With the development of Netra, India became the fifth country in the world to develop an indigenous AEW&C capability.

3. Features:

a. Built on the Brazilian Embraer EMB-145 aircraft platform.

b. Equipped with an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar mounted in a dorsal fin above the fuselage.

c. Detects and tracks aircraft, drones, missiles, ships, and other aerial threats over long distances.

d. Differentiates friend from foe using the Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system.

e. Directs friendly fighter aircraft during combat operations through real-time command and control.

4. Operational Capabilities:

a. Detection Range: Approximately 250–500+ km, depending on the target.

b. Radar Coverage: 300° to 360° surveillance.

c. Provides real-time battlefield management and situational awareness.

d. Shares operational information instantly with:

i. Fighter aircraft.

ii. Ground command centres.

e. Other military platforms.

5. Mission Equipment: The Netra AEW&C system integrates several advanced subsystems, including:

a. Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar.

b. Identification Friend or Foe (IFF).

c. Mission Computer.

d. Secure Communication Networks.

e. Electronic Support Measures (ESM).

f. Communication Support Measures (CSM).

g. Advantages over Ground-Based Radar

h. Unlike ground-based radar systems, the AEW&C aircraft operates at high altitude, enabling it to:

i. Detect threats beyond the radar horizon.

ii. Overcome terrain-related limitations.

iii. Provide a much larger surveillance area.

iv. Improve command, control, and coordination during air operations.