Current Affairs 08 January 2026

Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR)

Background

• SIR began in Bihar and expanded to 12 more States and Union Territories.
• ECI clarified that issuing national identity cards or maintaining NRC lies with the Union Government, not the ECI.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) defended its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls before the Supreme Court, rejecting allegations that it amounts to a “parallel National Register of Citizens (NRC)”.

• The ECI stated it has a constitutional duty, not merely power, to ensure that foreigners are excluded from electoral rolls.
• Even the presence of one foreigner on electoral rolls violates constitutional principles.
• The Constitution is described as “citizen-centric”, making citizenship the foundation of electoral participation.

Constitutional and legal basis cited

• Article 324: Grants ECI plenary powers over preparation and revision of electoral rolls.
• Article 326: Limits voting rights to adult citizens.
• Article 327: Parliament’s law-making power on elections is subject to Articles 324 and 326.
• Citizenship Act, 1955 (Section 9(2)): Central Government’s exclusive jurisdiction applies only to termination of citizenship due to voluntary acquisition of foreign citizenship.

2026 Declared International Year for Rangelands and Pastoralists

The United Nations has declared 2026 as the “International Year for Rangelands and Pastoralists”, highlighting the urgent need to recognise and protect grasslands and rangelands as critical ecosystems for climate action, biodiversity conservation, and livelihoods. UNCCD COP16 formally recognised rangelands as complex socio-ecological systems.

Advantages of Grasslands:

• Grasslands and savannahs are major carbon sinks, often comparable to forests.
• They support pastoralist and indigenous communities and provide ecosystem services like:
  • Water regulation
  • Soil conservation
  • Biodiversity support

Grasslands in India

Grasslands cover about 4–6% of India’s geographical area (often underestimated). Many Indian grasslands are misclassified as “wastelands” in official records.

Major Types of Grasslands in India

1. Alpine Grasslands
   • Location: Himalayas (above treeline)
   • Examples: Bugyals (Uttarakhand), Himachal meadows
   • Use: Summer grazing (Bhotiyas, Gujjars)
2. Montane / Shola Grasslands
   • Location: Western Ghats (Nilgiris, Anamalai, Palani, Hesaraghatta Grasslands)
   • Feature: Shola–grassland mosaic
   • Importance: Water regulation, endemism
3. Semi-arid & Arid Grasslands
   • Location: Rajasthan, Gujarat, Deccan Plateau
   • Examples: Banni grasslands (Kutch), Maharashtra–Karnataka grasslands
   • Communities: Maldharis, Raikas
4. Floodplain Grasslands
   • Location: Terai (Ganga–Brahmaputra plains)
   • Examples: Kaziranga, Dudhwa
   • Fauna: One-horned rhino, swamp deer

What are Biomaterials

Biomaterials are materials that are Derived wholly or partly from biological sources, or Engineered using biological processes. These are key alternative to fossil-based materials in sectors such as plastics, textiles, construction, and healthcare.

Types of biomaterials

• Drop-in biomaterials:
  • Chemically identical to fossil-based materials
  • Compatible with existing manufacturing systems
  • Example: Bio-PET
• Drop-out biomaterials:
  • Chemically different
  • Require new processing or disposal systems
  • Example: Polylactic Acid (PLA)
• Novel biomaterials:
  • Offer new properties (self-healing, bioactive, advanced composites)

Bio-Bitumen via Pyrolysis: From Farm Residue to Roads

India has achieved a major milestone in sustainable infrastructure with the industrial-scale technology transfer of Bio-Bitumen via Pyrolysis, an indigenous innovation developed by CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI), New Delhi and CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum (CSIR-IIP), Dehradun.

What is Bio-Bitumen?

• A bio-based alternative to fossil-derived bitumen.
• Produced by pyrolysis of farm residue, especially post-harvest rice straw.
• Bio-Bitumen Creating Process:
  • Collection of rice straw
  • Pelletisation
  • Pyrolysis to produce bio-oil
  • Blending with conventional bitumen
• First Plastic road of100-metre trial stretch successfully laid on Jorabat–Shillong Expressway (NH-40), Meghalaya.

Technical and economic significance

• 20–30% of conventional bitumen can be safely replaced without loss of performance.
• Tested for Rutting, Cracking, Moisture damage and resilient modulus.
• India currently imports around 50% of its bitumen; bio-bitumen can reduce imports worth ₹25,000–30,000 crore annually.

First Advance Estimates of GDP 2025–26 Released

The National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the First Advance Estimates of India’s GDP for FY 2025–26 on 7 January 2026.

Key growth estimates

• Real GDP growth: 7.4% in FY 2025–26
• Nominal GDP growth: 8.0% in FY 2025–26
• Real GVA growth: 7.3%
• Nominal GVA growth: 7.7%

Sectoral performance (GVA at Constant Prices)

• Services sector: Main growth driver
  • Financial, Real Estate & Professional Services + Public Administration, Defence & Other Services: 9.9%
  • Trade, Hotels, Transport, Communication & Broadcasting: 7.5%
• Secondary sector: Manufacturing & Construction: 7.0%
• Primary sector: Agriculture & Allied Activities: 3.1% and Electricity, Gas, Water & Utilities: 2.1%

How is the GDP estimated?

• Advance Estimates are indicator-based and use the benchmark–indicator method.
• Key data sources include:
  • Index of Industrial Production (IIP)
  • GST collections
  • Bank credit and deposits
  • Agriculture & livestock production estimates
  • Railway, aviation, port traffic data

Disclaimer: This article is prepared for competitive exam preparation using publicly available information.