India to Join US-led Pax Silica Initiative

Context: Recently, India and the United States moved closer on trade and technology cooperation as Washington invited New Delhi to join the Pax Silica initiative amid ongoing trade deal negotiations.

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• The development was reported following remarks by the US Ambassador to India.

• The Ambassador announced that India would be invited as a full member of the Pax Silica initiative in February.

• The initiative is led by the United States and guided by the US State Department.

About Pax Silica

• The United States had earlier launched Pax Silica on December 12 without including India.

• The exclusion had raised concerns about trade-related differences between India and the United States.

• The Pax Silica initiative is a US-led strategic framework for securing AI and technology supply chains.

• The focus is on ensuring that critical technologies are safe, reliable and free from hostile control.

• The founding members of the Pax Silica initiative, who signed the declaration on December 12, 2025, include the United States as the lead country, Australia, Israel, Japan, the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.

• The initiative is viewed as a counter to China’s dominance in global manufacturing supply chains.

Other similar Initiatives 

• Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF): It is led by the United States, of which India is also a member. It focuses on Resilient Supply Chain & Clean Economy.

• Minerals Security Partnership (MSP): India joined in 2023, and it focuses on Critical minerals like lithium, cobalt, and other rare earths.

• Quad’s Critical & Emerging Technologies Working Group: It focuses on Strategic tech coordination among trusted democracies.

• G20’s Supply Chain Resilience & Digital Public Infrastructure: It focuses on Resilient global value chains and Digital infrastructure.

Significance of Pax Silica for India

• The participation can help India attract investments in AI and semiconductor ecosystems.

• The initiative supports joint ventures and strategic co-investment opportunities.

• The framework can help India reduce import dependence in technology-heavy sectors.

• The cooperation strengthens safeguards for critical infrastructure such as telecom and data systems.

• The initiative complements recent large-scale US investments in Indian AI infrastructure.

PFRDA Constitutes Expert Committee for Assured Payout Framework under NPS

Context: The PFRDA has formed an expert committee to design a framework for assured pension payouts under the NPS, to strengthen retirement income security in line with the vision of a Viksit Bharat 2047.

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• The development to constitute a high-level expert committee was announced by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) under the provisions of the PFRDA Act, 2013.

• The committee has been tasked with developing guidelines and regulations for assured payouts under the National Pension System (NPS). 

• The committee is chaired by Dr M. S. Sahoo, former Chairperson of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI).

• The panel consists of fifteen members drawn from legal, actuarial, finance, insurance, capital markets and academic backgrounds.

Key Objectives of the Committee

• The committee will function as a standing advisory body on structured pension payout solutions.

• The committee will develop a regulatory framework for assured payouts, including options discussed in the PFRDA consultation paper dated 30 September 2025.

• The committee will ensure a smooth transition for subscribers from the accumulation phase to the payout phase.

• The committee will examine novation and settlement mechanisms to provide legally enforceable and market-based assurance.

• The committee will define operational aspects such as lock-in periods, withdrawal limits, pricing models and fee structures.

• The committee will recommend capital and solvency norms for risk management and examine tax treatment of assured payouts.

About Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA)

• PFRDA was established in 2003, granted statutory status through the PFRDA Act 2013.

• It is the statutory regulator of India’s pension sector, functioning under the Ministry of Finance to ensure old-age income security for citizens.

• It oversees the development, regulation and supervision of pension schemes across the country to protect subscriber interests and strengthen the pension system.

• PFRDA is headquartered in New Delhi.

Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2026

Context: Recently, the Prime Minister addressed the concluding session of Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2026, reaffirming the central role of youth leadership in achieving the vision of a developed India by 2047.

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• The second edition of the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue (VBYLD) was held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

• It was organized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports under the Mera Yuva Bharat initiative and engages youth aged 15–29 from all States and Union Territories.

• The four-day dialogue commenced on 9 January 2026 and concluded on 12 January 2026.

• The concluding day coincided with National Youth Day, marking the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.

• The Prime Minister of India interacted directly with young leaders and addressed the valedictory session.

• The first edition of the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue (VBYLD) was held from January 10 to 12, 2025, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 

• The Prime Minister described the dialogue as an unprecedented platform for youth participation in governance.

• He noted that over five million youth registered for the initiative and more than three million youth participated in the Viksit Bharat Challenge.

• He appreciated the role of the Mera Yuva Bharat organisation in successfully conducting the dialogue.

Youth Presentations and Thematic Tracks

• The dialogue serves as a structured platform for Indian youth to engage directly with national leadership and contribute to the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047. 

o Key Focus: Institutionalising youth engagement in governance and policy discourse.

o Participants: Over 50 lakh youth participated in preliminary rounds, with selected leaders (aged 15–29) and members of the global Indian diaspora gathering at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

• New Initiatives: This edition introduced two new thematic tracks:

o Design for Bharat: Focused on creative solutions for national challenges.

o Tech for Viksit Bharat: Focused on technology-driven innovation and social causes.

World Hindi Day 2026

Context: World Hindi Day 2026 was observed on 10 January to promote the global use of Hindi.

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• The observance was reported through official government communication and media coverage of events organised by the Ministry of External Affairs.

• World Hindi Day 2026 was commemorated in India and abroad through Indian embassies and missions.

• The day marked the anniversary of the first World Hindi Conference held in Nagpur in 1975.

• The Government of India officially observes the day every year on 10th January.

• Around 770 institutions in more than one hundred countries teach Hindi.

Objectives of World Hindi Day

• The day aims to promote the use of Hindi at the international level.

• It seeks to encourage the presence of Hindi in diplomacy education and cultural exchange.

• It focuses on strengthening connections between Hindi and the Indian diaspora.

• It highlights Hindi as a carrier of India’s cultural heritage rather than as a tool of imposition.

National Hindi Day

• World Hindi Day is observed on 10th January with an international focus.

• National Hindi Day is observed on 14th September in India to commemorate the adoption of Hindi in the Devanagari script as an official language in 1949.

• Hindi Diwas activities focus on strengthening the domestic use of Hindi in administration, education and public life.

BHASHINI Samudaye

Context: Recently, the Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) organised BHASHINI Samudaye at New Delhi.

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● Theme: Strengthening India’s Language AI Ecosystem

● BHASHINI Samudaye is a BHASHINI-led collaborative initiative that brings together language experts, academic institutions, civil society organisations, and data practitioners to co-create, govern, and scale language AI solutions for India. 

● The initiative reinforces BHASHINI’s mandate under the National Language Translation Mission (NLTM) to eliminate language barriers and ensure access to digital services in all Indian languages.

o The National Language Translation Mission is a Government of India initiative under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) that aims to bridge language barriers in the digital space by enabling automatic and high-quality translation of content across Indian languages.

● MeitY and the Digital India BHASHINI Division outlined BHASHINI’s vision for a coordinated, sovereign, and inclusive language AI ecosystem anchored in public digital infrastructure, community participation, and ethical data practices.

● The workshop featured focused sessions on scaling BHASHINI, covering platform capabilities, strategic priorities, and collaboration pathways with institutions, states, and implementation partners.

● Key Sessions and Highlights

o Scaling BHASHINI Together: Platform, Priorities, and Pathways, focused sessions covered platform capabilities, strategic priorities, and collaboration pathways with institutions, states, and implementation partners.

o Roadmap Presentation: BHASHINI’s plans for platform expansion and ecosystem engagement were presented.

o BHASHINI Samudaye Platform: Structured presentations and partner feedback aimed at strengthening participatory governance and collaborative contribution mechanisms.

o Expression of Interest (EoI) to Strengthen Data Systems: Aimed at deepening data partnerships and aligning contributors with BHASHINI’s standards for ethical, inclusive, and scalable data creation.

About BHASHINI

● BHASHINI, or the BHASHa INterface for India, is a pathbreaking initiative aimed at democratizing access to digital content and services across India’s linguistic spectrum. 

● It aligns with the objectives of the Digital India program by fostering inclusivity and accessibility. 

● As a National Language Translation Mission (NLTM), BHASHINI uses cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) technologies to bridge the language divide, enabling users to access content and services in their preferred language. 

● BHASHINI (Translation Mission) is implemented by Digital India BHASHINI Division, a division under Digital India Corporation, a Section 8 Company of the MeitY.

International Renewable Energy Agency

Context: The sixteenth session of the Assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) was held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

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● Theme: Powering Humanity: Renewable Energy for Shared Prosperity.

● The Assembly session brought together global leaders and energy decision-makers to discuss strategies.

● It highlighted actions needed to accelerate renewable energy worldwide, driving economic inclusion, equity, and human wellbeing.

● As the Custodian Agency for monitoring key energy goals of the UAE Consensus, IRENA presented relevant data and projections.

● These sessions addressed key global trends, including renewable energy in agri-food systems, geothermal advancement, energy security, cost-effective transitions, and critical materials policies.

About IRENA

● It is an intergovernmental organisation that supports countries in their transition to a sustainable energy future.

● It serves as the principal platform for international cooperation, a centre of excellence, and a repository of policy, technology, resources, and financial knowledge on renewable energy.

● Presently, IRENA has 170 Members (169 States and the European Union) and 14 states-in-accession. 

● India is also one of the founder members of IRENA.

● The headquarters are located in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile

Context: Recently, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight-tested the Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM),

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● It is a third-generation ‘fire and forget’ type of missile with top attack capability, against a moving target at the KK Ranges in Maharashtra’s Ahilyanagar. 

o The ‘Fire and forget’ type of missile refers to a weapon system that locks onto a target before launch and does not require further guidance from the operator after firing.

● The test was conducted by DRDO’s Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad. 

● Features:

o The homegrown MPATGM consists of a range of indigenous technologies, Imaging Infrared (IIR) homing seeker, accomplished with day and night combat operation capability; 

o An all-electric control actuation system; 

o A fire control system that computes targeting, aiming, and firing; 

o A tandem warhead that uses dual charges to defeat the layered armour of adversary tanks.

o Thermal Target System to simulate the target tank.  

o The warhead is capable of defeating modern main battle tanks.

o The missile can be launched from a tripod or a Military Vehicle Launcher.

About DRDO

● DRDO was formed in 1958 from the amalgamation of the then-already functioning Technical Development Establishment (TDEs) of the Indian Army and the Directorate of Technical Development & Production (DTDP) with the Defence Science Organisation (DSO). 

● DRDO is the R&D wing of the Ministry of Defence, with a vision to empower India with cutting-edge defence technologies and a mission to achieve self-reliance in critical defence technologies and systems.