Daily Current Affairs - 7th January 2026
- TPP
- Jan 7
- 12 min read
Comprehensive UPSC Current Affairs Summary | International Year of Rangelands & Pastoralists 2026, PPP Project Pipeline, NITI Aayog Affordable Housing Framework, Arctic Report Card 2025, ISRO Dust Experiment (DEX), Mpemba Effect, W UMa Stellar Twins, Doomsday Glacier Risks, Revised BEE Star Labelling and more.
If you missed Monthly Current Affairs Pointers (CAP) | Sept - Oct 2025, read it here.Table of Content
INTERNATIONAL
ENVIRONMENT & GEOGRAPHY
Rangelands and Pastoralists
The United Nations has declared 2026 as the “International Year for Rangelands and Pastoralists.”
About Rangelands
Rangelands cover around half of the Earth’s land surface, making them one of the largest land-use systems.
They include grasslands, savannas, shrublands, deserts, wetlands, and mountain areas.
Major examples of rangelands include the steppes of Central Asia.
Other important rangelands are the African savanna, which supports rich wildlife.
In Europe, rangelands include the Alps and the Pyrenees.
In South America, the Andes form extensive rangeland ecosystems.
The Great Plains of the United States are another key rangeland region.
Rangelands are significant because they preserve unique flora and fauna, meaning plant and animal diversity.
They also provide essential ecosystem services, which are benefits humans obtain from nature.
These services include carbon storage, helping mitigate climate change.
Rangelands also support water regulation, maintaining hydrological balance.
About Pastoralists
Pastoralists are communities that raise animals, mainly through grazing-based livelihoods.
They contribute to global food security by producing milk, meat, and other animal products.
Pastoralists possess a diverse cultural heritage, shaped by their close relationship with nature.
They also hold local and indigenous knowledge, which is vital for sustainable rangeland management.
Ministry of Finance Creates 3 - Year PPP Project Pipeline
The Ministry of Finance has created a three-year Public Private Partnership (PPP) project pipeline to strengthen infrastructure planning.
The pipeline provides early visibility of potential PPP projects to investors and developers.
This enables more informed planning and investment decisions by all stakeholders.
The pipeline comprises 852 projects. These projects are valued at over ₹17 lakh crore.
The initiative aims to accelerate infrastructure development across multiple sectors.
About Public Private Partnership (PPP)
A Public Private Partnership (PPP) is a long-term contractual arrangement between a government authority and a private entity.
It is used for the provision of public infrastructure or public services.
Key PPP Models
Build Operate Transfer (BOT) is a model where the private entity finances, designs, builds, and operates a facility.
Under BOT, the private party earns revenue through user fees during the concession period.
After the set period, ownership is transferred back to the public sector.
Design Build Finance Operate (DBFO) involves the private party handling the entire project lifecycle from design to operation.
In DBFO, the government retains ownership, while the private entity is paid through service fees or user tolls.
Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) is a model where the government fully funds the project.
Under EPC, the private entity acts only as a contractor responsible for design and construction.
Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) combines features of EPC and BOT models.
Under HAM, the government pays 40% of the project cost in milestone-linked installments.
The developer raises the remaining 60% and recovers it through annuity payments.
Need for PPP
PPPs help in bridging the infrastructure financing gap in India. India is estimated to require $4.5 trillion in infrastructure investment by 2030.
PPPs help in reducing the fiscal burden on the government.
This allows public tax revenues to be redirected towards social welfare sectors such as healthcare and education.
PPPs provide access to advanced technology and innovation from the private sector.
They also integrate global best practices into infrastructure development.
Other benefits include improved efficiency and timely project delivery.
Initiatives Taken to Promote PPP
The government has implemented the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme to support economically justified but financially unviable projects.
The India Infrastructure Project Development Fund (IIPDF) supports project preparation activities.
Institutions such as the India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (IIFCL) provide long-term financing.
The government allows 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in equity of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) in the PPP sector.
For most sectors, such FDI is permitted through the automatic route, simplifying investment procedures.
‘A Comprehensive Framework to Promote Affordable Housing’ – NITI Aayog Report
NITI Aayog released the report titled “A Comprehensive Framework to Promote Affordable Housing” to address India’s urban housing challenges.
The report provides a working definition of Affordable Housing for policy consistency.
In metropolitan cities, affordable housing is defined as a dwelling unit with carpet area up to 60 sq. m.
In metropolitan cities, the maximum house value is capped at ₹60 lakh.
In non-metropolitan areas, affordable housing includes dwelling units with carpet area up to 90 sq. m.
In non-metropolitan areas, the maximum house value is capped at ₹45 lakh.
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana–Urban (PMAY-U) 2.0, 2024 adopts the same carpet area norms for affordable housing.
Under PMAY-U 2.0, the house value must not exceed ₹45 lakh.
Key Issues in India’s Affordable Housing Crisis
Urban master plans often fail to allocate dedicated land for affordable housing.
Limited land availability increases housing costs and constrains supply.
Middle-Income Groups (MIG) purchase smaller units meant for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and Low-Income Groups (LIG).
This results in MIG crowding-out EWS/LIG households from the affordable housing market.
EWS/LIG households struggle to access formal housing loans.
This difficulty arises due to a lack of stable and documented income required by banks.
Nearly 1 crore urban houses remain vacant across Indian cities.
These vacant houses are locked due to low rental yields and weak tenancy laws, creating a vacant housing dilemma.
Key Recommendations on Affordable Housing
Zoning reforms are recommended to structurally integrate affordable housing into city planning.
Cities should designate Affordable Housing Zones within Master Plans and Town Planning Schemes.
At least 10% of all residential land should be earmarked for affordable housing.
Vienna and South Korea are cited as examples of countries following such zoning approaches.
Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) is recommended to optimise land use near transport corridors.
TOD involves earmarking areas near metro and mass transit stations for development.
These TOD zones should support mixed-use development, combining housing, offices, and commercial spaces.
Mandatory reservation for EWS/LIG housing is proposed to ensure inclusion.
A 10–15% reservation of built-up area is recommended for EWS/LIG housing.
This reservation should apply to housing and commercial projects exceeding 10,000 sq. m. built-up area.
The rule should also apply to projects with plot areas exceeding 5,000 sq. m.
Rental housing reforms are essential to unlock vacant housing stock.
States are advised to adopt dedicated rental housing policies.
These policies should be implemented through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models.
The framework should align with PMAY-U 2.0’s Affordable Rental Housing (ARH) vertical.
Gross Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) of Banks at Multi-Decade Low
According to the RBI’s “Report on Trend and Progress of Banking in India 2024–25,” the asset quality of Indian banks has shown significant improvement.
The Gross Non-Performing Asset (GNPA) ratio declined to a multi-decade low of 2.1% by late 2025.
The Net Non-Performing Asset (NNPA) ratio also improved and fell to 0.5% by the end of March 2025.
This marks a sharp turnaround from 2018, when the GNPA ratio peaked at 11.18%.
What are Non-Performing Assets (NPAs)?
NPAs are loans or advances where principal or interest remains overdue for more than 90 days.
Gross NPA (GNPA) represents the total value of such overdue loans.
Net NPA (NNPA) is calculated by subtracting provisions from GNPA.
Provisions are funds set aside by banks to cover expected loan losses.
Key drivers of NPAs include economic slowdowns, fraudulent borrowers, and poor credit monitoring.
Challenges arising from NPAs include high provisioning requirements and reduced lending capacity of banks.
Classification of NPAs
Substandard assets are NPAs that remain overdue for a period less than or equal to 12 months.
Doubtful assets are those that have remained in the substandard category for more than 12 months.
Loss assets are loans where loss has been identified by the bank, auditors, or RBI.
In loss assets, the amount has not been written off fully, despite recognition of loss.
Key Initiatives Responsible for Reduction in NPAs
The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), 2016 introduced a time-bound and creditor-driven resolution mechanism for stressed assets.
The SARFAESI Act, 2002 empowers secured creditors to take possession of collateral in case of loan default.
Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs) have enabled banks to clean balance sheets by purchasing NPAs.
The Indradhanush Plan was launched to revamp Public Sector Banks (PSBs) through capital infusion.
Debt Recovery Tribunals (DRTs) continue to support faster recovery of bad loans.
Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)
On its 79th Foundation Day, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) launched a new standardization portal and initiatives like SHINE for women.
BIS is India’s National Standards Body, functioning under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.
It was established under the BIS Act, 2016 with a mandate to formulate Indian Standards ensuring quality, safety, reliability, and efficiency of goods and services.
BIS carries out product certification, which verifies that products meet prescribed standards.
It also manages hallmarking of gold and silver, ensuring authenticity and purity of precious metals.
Further, BIS implements compulsory registration schemes to regulate specific products for consumer protection and standard compliance.
50th Meeting of PRAGATI Conducted
The 50th meeting of PRAGATI was recently conducted, marking a major milestone in governance reforms.
PRAGATI, launched in 2015, stands for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation.
It integrates accountability, transparency, and timely decision-making into the administrative process.
Key Features of PRAGATI
PRAGATI is a multi-purpose and multi-modal digital platform designed for technology-enabled governance.
It spans all tiers of government, including the Centre, States, and districts.
PRAGATI embodies the “Team India” spirit, emphasizing collaborative governance.
PRAGATI review meetings are chaired by the Prime Minister, ensuring high-level oversight.
These meetings enable direct engagement between the Prime Minister, State Governments, and Central Ministries.
The platform hosts key governance tools such as PM Gati Shakti, which supports integrated infrastructure planning.
It also integrates PARIVESH, an online system for environmental clearances.
Another integrated tool is the PM Reference Portal, used for tracking directions issued by the Prime Minister.
PRAGATI has received global recognition for its governance model.
An external study by Oxford University’s Saïd Business School termed PRAGATI a global benchmark.
The study also described PRAGATI as a “single source of truth” for real-time project monitoring.
Objectives of PRAGATI
One key objective is fast-tracking critical infrastructure projects facing administrative or operational bottlenecks.
Another objective is improving outcomes of flagship welfare schemes that show sub-optimal performance.
PRAGATI also aims at resolving citizen grievances across multiple sectors.
Key Transformative Role Played by PRAGATI
PRAGATI has exemplified cooperative federalism, where the Centre and States work jointly.
It encourages ministries and departments to move beyond silos to solve complex problems.
Since its inception, around 500 Secretaries of the Government of India and Chief Secretaries of States have participated in PRAGATI meetings.
PRAGATI has achieved a high project resolution rate of about 94%.
This has helped reduce time delays, cost overruns, and coordination failures.
PRAGATI has also been instrumental in unlocking long-pending infrastructure projects.
A notable example is the Jammu–Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla rail link, approved in 1994 and commissioned in 2025.
Other major projects include the Navi Mumbai International Airport.
It also facilitated progress on the Bogibeel rail-cum-road bridge over the Brahmaputra River.
Dust EXperiment (DEX)
ISRO’s Dust EXperiment (DEX) has successfully detected interplanetary dust particles striking Earth approximately every 1,000 seconds.
DEX is India’s first indigenously developed instrument designed specifically to detect and study high-speed interplanetary dust particles.
Interplanetary Dust Particles (IDPs) are microscopic fragments originating from comets and asteroids.
These particles travel at very high velocities and provide clues about the early Solar System.
The DEX instrument was deployed on POEM, which stands for PSLV Orbital Experimental Module.
POEM is a platform that uses the spent fourth stage of PSLV for in-orbit scientific experiments.
DEX was flown aboard the PSLV-C58 mission. The instrument was developed by the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad, a premier space science institute under ISRO.
Residue Upgradation Facility (RUF) and Hydrocracking Technology
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) has commissioned a state-of-the-art Residue Upgradation Facility (RUF) in Andhra Pradesh.
The RUF has a processing capacity of 3.55 million metric tonnes per annum.
The facility employs advanced residue hydrocracking technology, which upgrades low-value heavy residues.
This commissioning is considered a landmark achievement in indigenous engineering capability.
Hydrocracking Technology
Hydrocracking is a catalytic refining process widely used in petroleum refineries.
It converts heavy oil fractions into high-quality middle distillates.
The key products obtained include diesel, naphtha, and LPG.
In the hydrocracking process, high molecular weight hydrocarbons are broken into lighter compounds under high pressure and temperature.
Mpemba Effect
Indian scientists have developed the first supercomputer-powered simulation to successfully capture the Mpemba Effect.
The Mpemba Effect is a long-standing physical paradox in thermodynamics.
It suggests that hotter substances can freeze faster than colder substances under certain conditions.
The phenomenon is most famously observed in water.
However, the Mpemba Effect is not limited to water. It has been observed in other materials and diverse physical systems.
The study of the Mpemba Effect has important implications for heat engines and refrigeration systems.
It is also relevant for quantum computing, where non-equilibrium dynamics are critical.
Additionally, the effect contributes to advances in materials science, particularly in understanding phase transitions and energy relaxation.
Study on Stellar Twins
A recent astronomical study has provided new insights into the evolution and eventual fate of binary stars.
The study focused on a specific type of stellar twin, known as W Ursae Majoris (W UMa) contact binaries.
Stellar twins are defined as two stars that have identical spectra, indicating similar composition and temperature.
Key Scientific Highlights
W Ursae Majoris (W UMa) stars are short-period binary systems, meaning they orbit each other very rapidly.
These systems are dumbbell-shaped, reflecting the strong gravitational interaction between the two stars.
In W UMa systems, the two stars are in physical contact, forming a single shared atmosphere.
Due to this configuration, W UMa binaries act as natural laboratories for stellar physics.
They help scientists determine fundamental stellar parameters, such as stellar masses and radii.
The study revealed changes in the orbital properties of the stars over time.
It also showed how mass is transferred between the two stars, influencing their evolution.
Additionally, researchers found evidence of surface activity, including star spots, which are cooler regions on stellar surfaces.
Arctic Report Card (ARC) 2025
The Arctic Report Card (ARC) 2025 has been released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The report highlights that the Arctic region is warming far faster than the rest of the planet.
Key Scientific Highlights
Arctic surface air temperatures were the highest on record during October 2024–September 2025 since systematic records began in 1900.
The last 10 years have been recorded as the 10 warmest years ever in the Arctic.
Atlantification refers to the influx of anomalous water properties and biota from lower latitudes into the central Arctic Ocean.
This process weakens Arctic Ocean stratification, which means reduced layering between warm and cold waters.
Weak stratification enhances vertical heat transfer, accelerating sea ice melt.
Atlantification also threatens large-scale ocean circulation patterns, which regulate global climate.
Rusting of rivers has been observed in Arctic Alaska, where surface waters have turned orange instead of clear. This phenomenon has affected over 200 watersheds.
Rusting occurs due to iron release from thawing permafrost soils, which are permanently frozen grounds.
The change in water chemistry impacts fish populations. It also affects drinking water supplies of local Arctic communities.
Greening of the Arctic refers to a long-term increase in tundra vegetation productivity and abundance.
This phenomenon was first detected in the late 1990s.
Greening has far-reaching impacts on Arctic landscapes.
It also affects wildlife habitats and biodiversity.
Changes in vegetation influence permafrost stability, accelerating thawing.
These transformations directly impact the livelihoods of Arctic indigenous people.
Key Geopolitical Implications of Arctic Melting
Melting ice is opening new Arctic shipping routes.
The Northern Sea Route (NSR) runs along Russia’s Arctic coast from the Kara Sea to the Bering Strait.
The NSR, once impassable, is becoming increasingly viable for navigation.
The Arctic Council plays a crucial role as a leading intergovernmental forum for Arctic cooperation.
It focuses on environmental protection and safeguarding indigenous communities.
The Arctic Council was established in 1996. It consists of eight member states, namely Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the USA.
For India, the Arctic holds growing strategic and scientific importance.
India operates the Himadri Research Station in the Arctic.
Through its Arctic Policy, India aims to enhance research, climate understanding, and international engagement in the region.
Doomsday Glacier
A recent study shows growing cracks in the Doomsday Glacier’s ice, indicating a possible collapse of the Antarctic ice shelf.
The Thwaites Glacier, commonly known as the ‘Doomsday Glacier’, is one of the largest glaciers in Antarctica.
It is called Doomsday Glacier because of its potential to significantly raise global sea levels and being one of the fastest-changing ice-ocean systems on Earth.
Scientists estimate that the complete melting of the glacier could raise global sea levels by 65 cm, posing a major threat to coastal regions worldwide.
Star Labelling
The new revised star rating of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has recently come into force.
BEE is a statutory body established under the Energy Conservation Act, 2001, responsible for promoting energy efficiency in India.
BEE Star Ratings are a key feature of the Standards and Labelling (S&L) Programme, aimed at helping consumers make informed energy-saving choices.
The objective of the star ratings is to inform consumers about energy efficiency and the cost-saving potential of the marketed appliance.
Mandatory appliances under the scheme include ceiling fans, electric geysers, tubular fluorescent lamps, and colour televisions.
Voluntary appliances covered include general purpose industrial motors, computers, and microwave ovens.
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