UPSC Current Affairs 9th July 2026

Poshan Tracker: India’s Real-Time Nutrition Monitoring Platform

General Studies Paper 2: Government Policies & Interventions, Health

Overview

Poshan Tracker is a mobile-based governance application launched in March 2021 by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) and the National e-Governance Division. It serves as the digital backbone for POSHAN Abhiyaan and Mission Poshan 2.0, marking a shift from traditional welfare delivery to evidence-based nutrition governance.

The platform facilitates near real-time monitoring of nutrition services delivered through Anganwadi Centres, targeting children, pregnant women, lactating mothers, and adolescent girls.

Key Features

Current Status and Achievements (As of May 2026)

• Widespread Coverage: Active across all 28 States and 8 UTs with over 8.93 crore registered beneficiaries.
• Verified Data: Maintains a live monthly database of over 7.7 crore Aadhaar-authenticated children.
• Active Monitoring: Tracks growth metrics for over 6.3 crore children (94% of registered beneficiaries).
• Supplementary Nutrition Delivery: Delivered supplementary nutrition to over 5.5 crore beneficiaries for at least 15 days, and 5.17 crore for at least 21 days.
• Awards: Received the National Award for e-Governance Gold Award (2024) and the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration (2025).

Related Nutrition Initiatives

POSHAN Abhiyaan

Launched in March 2018 in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, this MWCD flagship initiative aims to address nutritional needs through a targeted, convergent approach.

Annual Reduction Targets:

Strategic Pillars:

• Quality Services: Focuses on a child’s first 1,000 days via ICDS, NHM, and PMMVY.
• Cross-Sectoral Convergence: Guided by the NITI Aayog-led National Council on India’s Nutrition Challenges.
• Technology: Leverages the Poshan Tracker and ICDS-Common Application Software.
• Jan Andolan: Drives community-led nutrition awareness and behavioral change.

Mission Poshan 2.0 (Mission Saksham Anganwadi)

Announced in the 2021–22 Budget, this initiative consolidates POSHAN Abhiyaan, Anganwadi Services, and the Scheme for Adolescent Girls.

• Core Focus: Integrates nutrition support, early stimulation (0–3 years), and ECCE (3–6 years).
• Saksham Anganwadi: Upgrades existing Anganwadi Centres with modern infrastructure, including LED screens, water purifiers, smart learning aids, and Poshan Vatikas (nutrition gardens).

UPSC Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Prelims

Q. Which of the following are the objectives of ‘National Nutrition Mission’? (2017)

1. To create awareness relating to malnutrition among pregnant women and lactating mothers.
2. To reduce the incidence of anaemia among young children, adolescent girls and women.
3. To promote the consumption of millets, coarse cereals and unpolished rice.
4. To promote the consumption of poultry eggs.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 1, 2 and 3 only

(c) 1, 2 and 4 only

(d) 3 and 4 only

Answer: (a)

Mains

Q. The incidence and intensity of poverty are more important in determining poverty based on income alone. In this context, analyse the latest United Nations Multidimensional Poverty Index Report. (2020)

Q. “Despite Consistent experience of high growth, India still has the lowest indicators of human development.” Examine the issues that make balanced and inclusive development elusive. (2016)

Advances in Quantum Computing and Error Correction

Recent breakthroughs in Quantum Error Correction (QEC) by tech companies, alongside India’s National Quantum Mission (NQM), have renewed global focus on quantum technologies. These advancements aim to transition current error-prone Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) systems into fault-tolerant quantum computers capable of transforming cryptography, climate modeling, and materials science.

Understanding Quantum Computing

Quantum computing leverages the principles of quantum mechanics to solve highly complex problems that would take classical supercomputers thousands of years to compute. While classical computers process data in bits (strictly 0 or 1), quantum computers use qubits (quantum bits), which can exist in multiple states simultaneously.

Core Principles of Quantum Mechanics:

Different Types of Qubits:

Note on Quantum Key Distribution (QKD): QKD uses quantum particles (photons) to securely share encryption keys. If intercepted, the particles are disturbed (due to the observer effect), instantly alerting users to the intrusion.

The “Noise” Problem and Error Correction

Despite their potential, contemporary quantum processors (NISQ devices) are highly fragile.

• Decoherence: Qubits are extremely sensitive. Any interaction with environmental factors (heat, light, electromagnetic interference) causes them to lose their quantum state.
• High Error Rates: Even when cooled to near absolute zero (-273 °C), current processors make one error per 100 to 1,000 operations (compared to classical computers, which make one error per quintillion operations).
• Quantum Error Correction (QEC): To fix this, researchers force an array of several noisy “physical qubits” to act as a single, stable “logical qubit.” In 2024, researchers demonstrated that effectively scaling up physical qubits successfully suppresses the encoded error rate, marking a major step toward fault tolerance.

India’s National Quantum Mission (NQM)

Sanctioned in April 2023, the NQM aims to position India as a global leader in Quantum Technologies by 2031.

• Objectives: To build “intermediate-scale quantum computers” (50–1,000 qubits) and develop indigenous hardware/software ecosystems.
• Infrastructure: The mission established four Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs) and targets 2,000-km satellite-based quantum communication and QKD networks.
• Progress: India has already successfully developed an indigenous 1,000-km quantum communication network with support from the Department of Science and Technology (DST).

UPSC Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Prelims

Q. ‘X’, born in the UK, was conferred the Nobel Prize in 2025. He was a professor in an American university when this prize was announced. Identify ‘X’: (2026)

(a) Michel H. Devoret

(b) Richard Robson

(c) John Clarke

(d) Joel Mokyr

Answer: (c) John Clarke (Awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics alongside Michel H. Devoret and John M. Martinis for discoveries in macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation).

Q. Which one of the following is the context in which the term “qubit” is mentioned? (2022)

(a) Cloud Services

(b) Quantum Computing

(c) Visible Light Communication Technologies

(d) Wireless Communication Technologies

Answer: (b)

Mains

Q. “The emergence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Digital Revolution) has initiated e-Governance as an integral part of government”. Discuss. (2020)

Mizoram Museum Notified as India’s 21st Designated Repository

General Studies Paper 3: Environment and Biodiversity

Overview

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), acting on the recommendation of the National Biodiversity Authority, has officially notified the Natural History Museum (NHM) in Mizoram as India’s 21st Designated Repository under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.

What are Designated Repositories?

Designated Repositories are crucial institutions within India’s biodiversity governance framework. They are legally mandated to preserve authenticated biological specimens accessed under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, ensuring scientific traceability and long-term conservation of the nation’s bio-resources.

Key Facts About NHM Mizoram

• Establishment: Set up in 2022 under Mizoram University (a Central University).
• Location Significance: Situated within the highly diverse Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot. Mizoram and the broader North-eastern region harbor over 7,500 species of flowering plants and more than 2,000 faunal species.
• Specimen Collection:
  • Flora: Maintains voucher specimens of selected plant life, such as pteridophytes (ferns) and macrofungi.
  • Fauna: Preserves specimens of reptiles, amphibians, fishes, moths, beetles, and butterflies.
• Scientific Role: It will act as the primary depository for “type specimens” of newly discovered species from the region, which is vital for taxonomic research and species identification.

Strategic Significance

• Resource Safeguarding: Protects regional biological resources and aids in ecological restoration following habitat loss, natural disasters, or species decline.
• Target Alignment: Strengthens India’s ex situ (off-site) conservation efforts. It directly supports National Biodiversity Target 4 of India’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) 2024-2030, which aligns with the global Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

UPSC Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Prelims

Q. Consider the following statements: (2012)

1. National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) helps in protecting the Indian agriculture from the threat of smuggling of biological resources.
2. The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) directly monitors and supervises the scientific research on genetic modification of crop plants.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (a) (Monitoring GM crops falls under the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), not the NBA).

Mains

Q. How does biodiversity vary in India? How is the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 helpful in conservation of flora and fauna? (2018)

Academic Bank of Credits and APAAR ID: India’s Lifelong Learning Ecosystem

General Studies Paper 2: Governance, E-Governance, Education, Government Policies

Overview

The Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) and APAAR ID are pivotal digital initiatives driving India’s “One Nation, One Student ID” vision. Designed to make education more flexible, portable, and learner-centric, these platforms form the digital backbone of the lifelong learning ecosystem envisioned under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Key Components

• Academic Bank of Credits (ABC):
  • About: A digital platform under the Ministry of Education, regulated by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
  • Function: It serves as a digital repository to store, manage, transfer, and redeem academic credits earned by students from recognized educational institutions.
  • Credit Rules: Credits remain valid for up to seven years (or subject-specific limits). Once a student redeems their credits for a qualification, those specific credits cannot be reused.
  • SWAYAM Integration: Students can earn up to 40% of their credits through the Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds (SWAYAM) online platform. Over 388 universities have adopted SWAYAM regulations, and 170 have aligned with the National Credit Framework (NCrF).
• APAAR ID:
  • About: Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) is a unique 12-digit student identifier linked directly to the ABC portal.
  • Coverage: It creates a single, unified academic identity that tracks a learner’s journey across school, higher education, skill development, and other learning programs.
  • Accessibility: It is fully accessible via DigiLocker. To ensure rural and remote outreach, APAAR IDs can also be generated at Common Service Centres (CSCs).

Mechanism & Security

• Workflow: Students register on the ABC portal using an Aadhaar-linked DigiLocker account to generate their combined ABC/APAAR ID. From there, educational institutions upload credit data directly to the student’s unified account.
• Data Integrity: The platforms utilize robust encryption, strict security protocols, and blockchain-based digital credentials to ensure privacy and tamper-proof academic records.

Significance

By integrating India’s digital education infrastructure—including DigiLocker, CSCs, SWAYAM, and SAMARTH ERP—ABC and APAAR eliminate academic silos. They facilitate the “multiple entry and exit” system for students, establishing a secure, transparent, and future-ready academic framework that empowers multi-disciplinary learning and geographic mobility.

UPSC Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Prelims

Q. ‘SWAYAM’, an initiative of the Government of India, aims at: (2016)

(a) promoting the Self Help Groups in rural areas

(b) providing financial and technical assistance to young start-up entrepreneurs

(c) promoting the education and health of adolescent girls

(d) providing affordable and quality education to the citizens for free

Answer: (d)

Mains

Q. National Education Policy 2020 is in conformity with the Sustainable Development Goal-4 (2030). It intends to restructure and reorient the education system in India. Critically examine the statement. (2020)

Q. “The emergence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Digital Revolution) has initiated e-Governance as an integral part of government”. Discuss. (2020)