GK One-Liners

What: World TB Day is observed every year on 24 March to commemorate Robert Koch’s 1882 discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the bacterium that causes tuberculosis. The 2026 theme is ‘Yes! We Can End TB: Led by Countries, Powered by People’, co-organised by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Stop TB Partnership. India’s nodal programme, the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) — renamed in 2020 from the Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP) — aims to make India TB-free by 2025 (national target) ahead of the global 2030 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) deadline, with an ambitious domestic goal extended to 2027.

How: NTEP operates under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) and delivers free diagnosis, treatment, and nutritional support through the Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY), which provides ₹500 per month to TB patients to address malnutrition — a key co-morbidity. The Nikshay digital portal tracks patient registration, treatment adherence, and outcome reporting nationwide.

Why: This topic is high-yield for UPSC Prelims (full forms: NTEP, RNTCP, NPY; target year 2025/2027; first WHO-sponsored day: 1982) and GS-II Mains (health policy, India vs global TB burden, social determinants). The distinction between RNTCP and NTEP, and the Nikshay portal as a Digital India tool, are common question anchors.

What: The Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2026 is published by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), an Australia-based think tank. India ranked 13th globally with a score of 6.428, reflecting a 43% decline in terrorism impact, approximately 142 incidents, and over 100 deaths in 2025. Globally, terrorism deaths fell 28% to 5,582 — the lowest since 2007 — while incidents dropped 22% to 2,944. The top five most-affected countries are Pakistan (1st, score 8.574), Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, and Mali.

How: GTI scores are calculated using four factors: incidents, fatalities, injuries, and property damage, weighted over a five-year rolling period. Pakistan topped the index for the first time, recording 1,139 deaths and 1,045 incidents in 2025 — its worst since 2013 and a sixth consecutive year of rising deaths. India’s improvement is attributed to robust counter-terrorism operations and strengthened border security.

Why: GTI features regularly in UPSC Prelims (publisher: IEP; India’s rank; top-ranked country) and GS-III Mains (internal security, cross-border terrorism, counter-terrorism frameworks). The Pakistan-first ranking and simultaneous global decline make this a strong Mains discussion point on asymmetric security threats in South Asia.

What: The Credit Guarantee Scheme for Microfinance Institutions 2.0 (CGSMFI-2.0) is a government-backed credit guarantee facility effective from 20 March 2026, valid until 30 June 2026 or until ₹20,000 crore in guarantees are issued — whichever is earlier. It is managed by the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company (NCGTC) and is designed to benefit approximately 36 lakh (3.6 million) borrowers in the microfinance sector.

How: NCGTC provides guarantee cover to lenders — including banks, NBFCs (Non-Banking Financial Companies), and MFIs (Microfinance Institutions) — reducing their credit risk on loans extended to low-income or financially excluded borrowers. This de-risks formal lending to the bottom-of-pyramid segment and incentivises credit flow without collateral requirements.

Why: For UPSC Prelims, key anchors are NCGTC, CGSMFI-2.0, the ₹20,000 crore ceiling, and the 36 lakh beneficiary figure. For GS-III Mains (inclusive growth, financial inclusion, microfinance regulation), this scheme connects to the RBI’s evolving MFI regulatory framework and India’s financial inclusion agenda under schemes like PM Jan Dhan Yojana.

What: The Forest Survey of India (FSI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bhaskarcharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N) to enhance geospatial technology, remote sensing, and Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) capabilities for forestry applications. BISAG-N is headquartered in Gandhinagar, Gujarat (not Ahmedabad — a common misconception). The MoU was signed at the 90th meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SC-NBWL) held in Dehradun.

How: The collaboration will deploy satellite imagery analysis, GIS (Geographic Information System) mapping, and AI-driven tools to improve forest cover assessment, biodiversity monitoring, wildlife corridor identification, and carbon stock estimation. FSI, headquartered in Dehradun, is the nodal agency under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) for periodic India State of Forest Reports (ISFR).

Why: For Prelims: BISAG-N’s full form, Gandhinagar HQ (trap: not Ahmedabad), SC-NBWL venue. For GS-III Mains (environment & biodiversity), this connects to India’s forest monitoring obligations under the Paris Agreement, the National Forest Policy, and the use of space technology for conservation governance — a recurring theme in UPSC essays and Mains answers.

What: The International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), based in Hyderabad, has established a pilot plant to manufacture Neodymium-Iron-Boron (Nd-Fe-B) rare earth permanent magnets. ARCI operates under the Department of Science & Technology (DST), which falls under the Ministry of Science & Technology (MoS&T). Nd-Fe-B magnets are the strongest commercially available permanent magnets and are critical for electric vehicles (EVs), renewable energy (RE) systems such as wind turbines, and advanced electronics.

How: The pilot plant enables India to indigenously produce these high-performance magnets, reducing dependence on China which currently dominates global rare earth magnet supply chains. The process involves sintering or bonding neodymium-based alloy powders — a core area of ARCI’s powder metallurgy expertise. This supports India’s critical minerals strategy and the PLI (Production Linked Incentive) scheme ecosystem for EVs.

Why: Prelims anchors: ARCI full form, Hyderabad location, DST/MoS&T affiliation, Nd-Fe-B full form. For GS-III Mains (science & tech, energy security, critical minerals), this connects to India’s EV mission under FAME-II, the National Critical Minerals Mission, and China’s dominance in rare earth supply — a strategic vulnerability that UPSC examiners frequently test.

What: Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU), a national Institute of National Importance (INI) under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), signed an MoU with the SSB (Sashastra Seema Bal) Academy to provide academic accreditation for SSB training programmes, enable faculty exchange, and develop degree and diploma curricula for border security personnel. Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) is one of India’s Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) deployed on the India-Nepal and India-Bhutan borders.

How: Under the MoU, RRU will accredit SSB’s existing training modules, co-develop specialised academic programmes in security management, counter-insurgency, and border administration, and facilitate faculty exchange to bridge the gap between academic theory and operational practice in border security management.

Why: For Prelims: RRU as an INI under MHA (not MoD — an important distinction), SSB’s border deployment (Nepal & Bhutan borders — not Pakistan or China which are guarded by BSF and ITBP respectively). For GS-III Mains (internal security, CAPFs, border management) and GS-II (institutions of national importance), this question tests both institutional classification and India’s border management architecture.