SIPRI Report on Arms

Syllabus: GS3/Defence

Context

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Arms Transfers Database (1950–2025) was updated recently.

Major Highlights

The volume of international transfers of major arms in 2021–25 was 9.2% higher than in 2016–20. This was the biggest increase since 2011–15.
The five largest suppliers of major arms in 2021–25 were the United States, France, Russia, Germany and China.
Top five importers are Ukraine, India, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan accounted for 35% of global imports.
Europe accounted for 33% of global arms imports, followed by Asia and Oceania at 31% and West Asia at 26%.
Arms exports by the USA increased by 27% between 2016–20 and 2021–25, giving it a 42% share of total global arms exports.
India accounted for 8.2% of total global arms imports between 2021 and 2025, making it the second-largest importer of major weapons systems.
The largest share of Indian arms imports came from Russia, at 40% a significantly smaller share than in 2016–20 (51%) and almost half that in 2011–15 (70%).
India is increasingly turning to Western suppliers including France, Israel and the United States.

sipri report on arms

About SIPRI
SIPRI is an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament. It is based in Stockholm.
It was established in 1966, SIPRI provides data, analysis and recommendations, based on open sources, to policymakers, researchers, media and the interested public.
Funding: It was established on the basis of a decision by the Swedish Parliament and receives a substantial part of its funding in the form of an annual grant from the Swedish Government.
The Institute also seeks financial support from other organizations in order to carry out its research.
Source: SIPRI

Proton Accelerator Facility to Come up in Visakhapatnam

Syllabus: GS3/Science and Technology

In News

Andhra Pradesh will host a high-energy proton accelerator in Visakhapatnam as part of India’s long-term nuclear research programme.
A proton is a subatomic particle with a positive electrical charge. It is found in every atomic nucleus of every element.

About the Project

The high-energy proton accelerator in Visakhapatnam will generate high-energy neutrons for converting thorium into uranium fuel.
The facility benefits from Visakhapatnam’s technological ecosystem and sea access for cooling.
The project is linked to the Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT).
Importance
The proton accelerator is being developed as part of India’s long-term nuclear programme.
It is a strategically important technology that may take decades to become fully operational.
It will generate high-energy neutrons through spallation reactions to convert India’s abundant thorium into uranium fuel for reactors.
Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT)
It was established in 1984 under the Department of Atomic Energy.
It leads research in particle accelerators and laser technologies with applications in space, defence, communications, and medical science.
It also runs national-scale labs where industries, hospitals, and institutions conduct experiments.

Haleem

Syllabus: Miscellaneous

Context

Amid shortage of commercial LPG, there are apprehensions that haleem will be pushed off the Ramzan menu in Hyderabad.

About the Haleem

Haleem is a GI-tagged seasonal delicacy served during the Islamic holy month of Ramzan in Hyderabad, that is shipped across the country by multiple restaurant chains.
Cooked over wood-fired ovens — known as ‘bhatti’ — for nearly 12 hours, the wheat, meat, and spices are turned into a gooey consistency by evening and is part of the fast-breaking food items at Iftaar.
Source: TH

National Highways Green Cover Index (NH-GCI)

Syllabus: Miscellaneous

Context

NHAI in coordination with ISRO has released the first-of-its-kind Annual Report on the National Highways Green Cover Index (NH-GCI) 2025–26.

About

The assessment uses high-resolution satellite sensors to detect chlorophyll content, enabling an objective and technology-driven measure of vegetation along highways.
The NH-GCI value is expressed as a percentage, indicating the proportion of land covered by green cover within the Right of Way (RoW) of National Highways.
The index measures vegetation along both sides of highways at a granularity of one kilometre.
Approximately 30,000 km of National Highways spanning 24 States have been covered for the period July–December 2024.

Stranded Renewable Power and Grid Constraints in India

Syllabus: GS3/ Energy

Context

At the Bharat Climate Forum 2026, energy experts highlighted a critical risk in India’s energy transition that renewable power generation is increasing rapidly, but grid and institutional constraints are preventing its efficient utilisation.

India’s Renewable Energy Sector

India’s total renewable energy capacity reached 253.96 GW in November 2025, representing an increase of over 23% from 205.52 GW in 2024.
Solar installed capacity reached 132.85 GW followed by Wind at around 53.99 GW.

India’s Global Position:

India ranks 3rd globally in solar power installed capacity.
India ranks 4th in wind power installed capacity.
India ranks 4th in total renewable energy installed capacity worldwide.
The leading states in India for renewable energy capacity are Rajasthan, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka.
The country aims to achieve 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030 as part of its climate commitments.

Challenges in India’s Renewable Energy Transition

Transmission Congestion and Stranded Power: In Rajasthan, around 23 GW of renewable capacity has been commissioned, but grid evacuation capacity is only 18.9 GW, leaving over 4,000 MW of power stranded during peak solar hours.
Unequal Curtailment of Renewable Projects: Renewable projects with Permanent General Network Access (GNA) continue to transmit power normally while projects with Temporary GNA (T-GNA) often face complete shutdown during peak hours.
This unequal treatment creates financial losses for developers who invested in projects after obtaining necessary approvals.
Under-utilisation of Transmission Infrastructure: High-capacity transmission lines such as 765 kV corridors are designed to evacuate large amounts of electricity (around 6000 MW). In reality, many operate at only 600–1000 MW, which is less than 20% of their designed capacity.
These projects involve huge investments of ₹4,000–₹5,000 crore per corridor, and their costs are ultimately borne by electricity consumers.
Institutional and Governance Issues: The grid operator Grid Controller of India Limited focuses mainly on grid stability, while no clear utilisation benchmarks or review mechanisms exist to address persistent underuse of transmission assets.
Technical Constraints in Grid Operation: Grid operators cite technical risks such as voltage oscillations and potential grid instability when renewable energy injection increases rapidly.
Technologies such as STATCOMs, reactive power compensators, and advanced protection systems can help address these issues but are not deployed at sufficient scale.

Government Initiatives to Improve Clean Energy Utilisation

Green Energy Corridor (GEC): Aims to strengthen the transmission infrastructure to evacuate renewable energy efficiently from generation points to demand centres.
PM-KUSUM Scheme: Promotes installation of solar pumps and grid-connected solar power plants in rural areas to reduce diesel usage and support farmers.
National Green Hydrogen Mission: Seeks to promote the production and use of green hydrogen to reduce reliance on fossil fuels in sectors like refining, steel, and fertilisers.
Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme: Provides financial incentives for domestic manufacturing of high-efficiency solar photovoltaic (PV) modules and advanced battery storage systems.
Renewable Energy Hybrid Policy: Encourages setting up of projects that combine solar and wind energy in the same location to increase capacity utilisation and reliability.

International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF 2026)

Syllabus: GS3/Agriculture

Context

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has declared 2026 the International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF 2026).

About

Workforce shift: Rural men are moving to non-farm jobs leading to women replacing them in agriculture.
Rise in women’s participation:
Employment in agriculture surged by 135% in a decade.
Women now account for 42% of the agricultural workforce.
2 in 3 working women are engaged in agriculture.
This still remains lower than the rest of the world, women’s work participation was in the range 57%-63% in a majority of countries.
In 2023-24, there were at least 117.6 million women working in agriculture (of whom 21.7 million were hired workers, 95.1 million were self-employed and 0.8 million were regular workers).
The estimated male workforce in agriculture was 127.5 million.
Economic Impact: Women’s greater participation has not translated into higher income for the economy, as agriculture’s share of the national GVA fell from 15.3% in 2017-18 to 14.4% in 2024-25.

Challenges Faced by Women in Agriculture

Unpaid Labour: Nearly half of the women in agriculture are unpaid family workers, with their numbers jumping 2.5 times from 23.6 million to 59.1 million in just eight years.
In States such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, more than 80% of women workers are in agriculture, and over half of them receive no wages.
Systemic Inequities: Women as farmers, own only 13-14% of land holdings, and earn 20-30% less than men for equivalent work.
Asset ownership, decision-making power, and access to credit and government support remain male-dominated, trapping women in low-value activities.
Digital Divide: Barriers in digital literacy, language, affordability of devices limits the participation in modern agri-markets.
Therefore, the feminisation of agriculture; has, in a way, reinforced inequities rather than enabling women’s economic empowerment.

Emerging Opportunities

High-Value Segments: With global demand rising for organic products and superfoods, India’s value chains for tea, spices, millets and certified organic produce are poised for expansion in sectors where women are already strongly represented.
Geographical Indications, branding initiatives, and support for meeting export standards can help women producers shift from subsistence farming toward premium, value-added product markets.
Digital Innovations: Digital innovations can play a decisive role in bridging this gap.
Platforms such as e-NAM, mobile-based advisory services, voice-assisted applications, and precision agriculture tools are already connecting women to markets, knowledge systems, and financial services.
These solutions help formalise women’s labour while expanding access to schemes, credit, and fair pricing.

Government Initiatives for Women in Agriculture

Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP): Under National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), supports women farmers in sustainable agriculture, livestock, and NTFP (non-timber forest produce).
Joint Land Titles: States encouraged to issue land pattas in joint names of husband and wife.
Priority Sector Lending (PSL): Mandates credit flow to women farmers.
Rural women SHGs & FPOs: Supported through NABARD and DAY-NRLM.
Agri-Clinics & Agri-Business Centres (ACABC): Special provisions for women agri-entrepreneurs.
Digital Literacy: Initiatives like Digital Sakhi, BHASHINI platform for multilingual access to agri-services.
Maternity Benefits & Health Schemes: Support women farmers’ welfare indirectly.
Support for Women FPOs: Encouraged under the 10,000 FPOs Scheme (2020) with special provision for women-led groups.
GI Tags, Branding, and Export Facilitation: Helps women producers in spices, tea, millets, organic produce.

SIPRI Report on Arms | Proton Accelerator Facility to Come up in Visakhapatnam | Haleem | National Highways Green Cover Index (NH-GCI) | Stranded Renewable Power and Grid Constraints in India | International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF 2026)