Daily Current Affairs Digest | 13th September 2026

1. Commissioning of INS Arighat & India’s Nuclear Triad

Indian Navy SSBN bolstering the Nuclear Triad. Source: Kamal Kishore / REUTERS

Syllabus: GS Paper III – Security Challenges, Indigenization of Technology, Defense

Source:The Hindu / PIB

Context

India has formally commissioned its second Arihant-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), INS Arighat, significantly reinforcing the naval leg of the country’s nuclear triad.

Strategic Dimensions

• Assured Retaliation (Second Strike): Under India’s “No First Use” (NFU) nuclear doctrine, a credible minimum deterrence heavily relies on survivable second-strike capabilities. SSBNs, which can remain submerged undetected for months, provide this absolute guarantee.
• Payload & Range: INS Arighat is armed with the indigenous K-15 (Sagarika) Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs) with a range of 750 km, and is being retrofitted to accommodate the longer-range K-4 missiles (3,500 km range), capable of targeting strategic deep-land military assets of adversaries.
• The SSN vs. SSBN Distinction: While SSNs (Nuclear Attack Submarines) are designed for stealthy sea-denial and hunting enemy ships using torpedoes and cruise missiles, SSBNs are purely strategic deterrence vessels carrying nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles.

2. Supreme Court on the Right against Climate Change (Article 21)

Syllabus: GS Paper II & III – Indian Constitution, Environmental Conservation, Fundamental Rights

Source:The Indian Express

Context

In a landmark jurisprudential expansion, the Supreme Court of India has explicitly recognized the “right to be free from the adverse impacts of climate change” as a distinct Fundamental Right embedded within the Right to Life and Personal Liberty under Article 21.

Jurisprudential Shift

• M.C. Mehta Legacy Expanded: While earlier judgments established the right to a clean environment (air and water), this ruling specifically acknowledges the intersection of climate change with food security, vector-borne diseases, and livelihood loss due to extreme weather.
• State Accountability: The Court directed the MoEFCC to establish a statutory “Climate Change Risk Assessment Body” to evaluate all major infrastructure projects against strict decarbonization and climate-resilience metrics before environmental clearances are granted.
• International Commitments as Domestic Law: The Court leaned heavily on India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement, effectively transforming international climate pledges into judicially enforceable domestic obligations.

3. Operationalizing the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS)

Syllabus: GS Paper III – Environmental Conservation, Economy (Market-based mechanisms)

Source:PIB / The Hindu

Context

The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has released the finalized compliance framework for the Indian Carbon Market (ICM) under the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS), shifting India from an energy-efficiency certificate model (PAT scheme) to a pure emissions-trading system.

Market Architecture

• Obligated Entities: In Phase 1, heavily emitting sectors—such as thermal power, cement, steel, and fertilizers—are given mandatory emission intensity targets.
• Carbon Credit Certificates (CCC): Entities that overachieve their reduction targets earn CCCs, which can be traded on designated power exchanges. Entities failing to meet targets must purchase CCCs to ensure compliance.
• Defense Against CBAM: The domestic carbon market acts as a strategic buffer against the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). By internally pricing carbon, Indian exporters of steel and aluminum can offset the EU’s border carbon taxes.

4. Ratification of the BBNJ ‘High Seas’ Treaty

Syllabus: GS Paper II – Global Groupings, International Treaties, GS Paper III – Environment

Source:The Indian Express

Context

India has formally ratified the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) agreement, commonly known as the High Seas Treaty, formulated under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Marine Protected Areas mapping. Source: Rainer Lesniewski / Getty Images

Treaty Pillars

• Marine Protected Areas (MPAs): Provides the legal framework to establish large-scale MPAs on the high seas, which is critical to achieving the global “30×30 target” (protecting 30% of the earth’s land and oceans by 2030).
• Marine Genetic Resources (MGRs): Mandates the equitable sharing of benefits arising from the commercialization of genetic material found in the deep ocean (e.g., enzymes used in pharmaceuticals), preventing a monopoly by technologically advanced maritime powers.
• Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs): Makes it mandatory to conduct rigorous EIAs before undertaking high-seas commercial activities like deep-sea mining or geoengineering.

5. GEAC Policy Shift: Genome Edited Crops (SDN-1/SDN-2) vs. Transgenics

Syllabus: GS Paper III – Science and Technology, Biotechnology, Agriculture

Source:The Hindu

Context

The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) has issued updated guidelines explicitly exempting certain categories of genome-edited crops from the stringent regulatory trials required for traditional Genetically Modified (GM) crops.

The Scientific Distinction

• Transgenic (GM) Crops: Involve introducing a foreign gene from a completely different species (e.g., the Cry1Ac gene from soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis inserted into Bt Cotton). Highly regulated due to perceived ecological risks.
• Genome Editing (CRISPR-Cas9):
  • SDN-1 and SDN-2: Involve targeted mutations or small edits within the plant’s own DNA without introducing any foreign genetic material.
  • Policy Exemption: GEAC has ruled that SDN-1 and SDN-2 edited crops are functionally identical to crops developed through conventional selective breeding, thus exempting them from the lengthy biosafety trials governed by the EPA, 1986.
• Impact: Expected to rapidly accelerate the development of climate-resilient, drought-tolerant, and disease-resistant indigenous crop varieties without the political friction associated with GM crops.

6. Implementation Roadmap for ‘One Nation, One Election’

Syllabus: GS Paper II – Indian Constitution, Parliament and State Legislatures, Elections

Source:PIB

Context

Following the recommendations of the High-Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections, the Law Commission has published a draft white paper on the phased constitutional amendments required to synchronize Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assembly elections by 2029.

Proposed Constitutional Mechanics

• Curtailment & Extension of Terms: Article 83 (Duration of Houses of Parliament) and Article 172 (Duration of State Legislatures) would require amendments to temporarily align the tenures of varying State Assemblies with the Lok Sabha cycle.
• Constructive Vote of No-Confidence: To prevent mid-term collapses, the committee proposed adopting the German parliamentary model: a motion of no-confidence against an incumbent government can only be passed if the opposition simultaneously presents a viable alternative leader with a proven majority.
• Single Electoral Roll: Amending Article 325 to mandate a unified electoral roll prepared by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for all three tiers (Lok Sabha, Assembly, and Panchayats/Municipalities), eliminating duplication and voter-list discrepancies.

7. Great Indian Bustard (GIB) Conservation Strategy

Syllabus: GS Paper III – Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation, Biodiversity

Source:The Hindu

Context

The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the MoEFCC have launched a specialized “Undergrounding Project” for high-tension power transmission lines across the Thar Desert to prevent collision-induced mortalities of the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard.

Ecological Profile

• Status: Critically Endangered (IUCN Red List); Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972; Appendix I of CITES. State bird of Rajasthan.
• The Threat Matrix: GIBs are heavy birds with poor frontal vision. As they fly at low altitudes across the Thar Desert—which overlaps with India’s prime solar and wind energy generation zones—they frequently collide with high-tension transmission lines.
• Conservation Measures: Besides undergrounding cables, the SC mandated the installation of “Bird Diverters” (reflective flaps) on existing elevated wires. WII is also successfully running conservation breeding centers in Desert National Park (Rajasthan).

8. Launch of the Critical Minerals Mission

Syllabus: GS Paper III – Economy, Indigenization of Technology, Resources

Source:The Indian Express

Context

The Ministry of Mines has officially launched the National Critical Minerals Mission, backed by a dedicated sovereign fund, to secure the supply chains of 30 designated critical minerals essential for clean energy and defense manufacturing.

Mission Verticals

• Domestic Exploration: Expediting the auction of deeply embedded mineral blocks (like Lithium in Reasi, J&K, and Glauconite/Potash).
• Rare Earth Permanent Magnets (REPM): Establishing indigenous processing facilities for Neodymium and Praseodymium (NdPr) to manufacture permanent magnets required for EV motors and wind turbines, breaking the near-total reliance on Chinese refining monopolies.
• Global Asset Acquisition: Empowering the state-owned joint venture KABIL (Khanij Bidesh India Ltd) to acquire lithium and copper equity stakes in resource-rich geographies like the ‘Lithium Triangle’ (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile) and Australia.

9. Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA) Structural Expansion

Syllabus: GS Paper II – International Relations, GS Paper III – Energy, Environment

Source:PIB

Context

During the latest energy summit, the India-led Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA) announced a standardized global certification framework for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and advanced 2G (Second Generation) ethanol.

Strategic Goals

• Standardization: Resolving trade barriers by creating universally accepted standards for the carbon-intensity auditing of biofuels.
• Technology Transfer: Facilitating the sharing of cellulosic ethanol technology (extracting fuel from agricultural waste/stubble) with nations in the Global South, moving away from 1G biofuels that compete with food security (e.g., sugarcane and corn).
• The SAF Mandate: Assisting member nations in meeting the CORSIA (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation) mandates, which require international flights to blend SAF to achieve net-zero aviation by 2050.

10. Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP) 2.0

Syllabus: GS Paper III – Indian Economy, Infrastructure (Logistics, Ports, Roads)

Source:The Hindu

Context

Under the National Logistics Policy, the government has rolled out ULIP 2.0, a centralized digital gateway integrating over 30 distinct logistical systems from 7 ministries to bring down India’s logistics cost from ~13% of GDP to the global average of ~8%.

Core Features

• Interoperability: Connects the FASTag grid, port customs (ICEGATE), railway freight operations (FOIS), and the e-Way Bill system into a single dashboard.
• Real-time Tracking: Allows manufacturers and exporters to track multi-modal cargo seamlessly from factory floors in landlocked states to international shipping ports without logging into different departmental portals.
• Ease of Doing Business: Replaces cumbersome physical clearances with blockchain-backed digital ledgers, drastically reducing cargo dwell time at border check-posts and ports.

Prelims Quick Facts / Snippets

• Kavach 3.0: The upgraded version of the Indian Railways’ indigenous Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system, recently tested for high-density routes; it uses ultra-high frequency radio communication to apply automatic brakes if two trains are on the same track.
• Gini Coefficient vs. Palma Ratio: While the Gini coefficient measures overall income inequality, recent economic surveys emphasize the Palma Ratio (the income share of the top 10% divided by the bottom 40%) as a more sensitive indicator of extreme wealth concentration.
• Phage Therapy: The use of bacteriophages (viruses that specifically infect and kill bacteria) as a targeted alternative medical treatment to combat Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and superbug infections.
• Mainsail & Vikram-1: Developed by Indian spacetech startup Skyroot Aerospace, Vikram-1 is a multi-stage solid-fuel launch vehicle featuring a 3D-printed liquid-propellant upper stage engine designed for low earth orbit commercial satellite deployment.
• Article 142: The Supreme Court invoked its extraordinary powers under Article 142 to grant “complete justice” in recent high-profile environmental litigation, bypassing standard procedural delays.

Daily Mains Practice Questions

1. GS Paper III (Environment & Economy):
   “While the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS) is a vital step toward India’s net-zero targets, its success hinges on strict compliance mechanisms and avoiding greenwashing.” Analyze the architecture of India’s newly proposed carbon market and its potential impact on heavy industries.(250 words / 15 marks)
2. GS Paper II (Polity & Constitution):
   “The expansion of Article 21 to include the right against the adverse impacts of climate change places a heavy proactive burden on the executive.” Discuss the constitutional implications of this judicial expansion and how it aligns with India’s international climate commitments.(250 words / 15 marks)