Bagurumba Dance | Responsible Nations Index (RNI) | Environmental Protection Fund | Chagos Islands | Statehood Day of Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura | One Station One Product (OSOP) | EU’s Anti-coercion Instrument

Bagurumba Dance

Culture

Context

• The Prime Minister visited Assam and attended the Bagurumba Dwhou 2026.

Bagurumba Dance

• It is often referred to as the “butterfly dance”,
• It is one of the most significant and graceful folk dances of Assam.
• It is a mass folk dance of the Bodo community.
• It was traditionally performed by young women, the dance symbolises harmony with nature, celebrating themes of fertility, peace and joy.
• The dance is closely associated with the Bwisagu festival, which marks the Bodo New Year and the advent of spring.

Responsible Nations Index (RNI)

Polity and Governance

In News

• India has recently introduced the Responsible Nations Index (RNI)

Responsible Nations Index (RNI)

• It is a global benchmarking framework that shifts the focus from mere economic power to ethical governance, sustainability, and global responsibility in assessing national performance.
• The index evaluates countries across four core dimensions ethical governance, social well-being, environmental stewardship & global responsibility
• It is developed by World Intellectual Foundation (WIF) in collaboration with Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) & Indian Institute of Management Mumbai.
• Singapore, Switzerland & Denmark topped the list & India ranks 16th globally.

Environmental Protection Fund

Geography & Environment

In News

• The Union Government has formally notified comprehensive rules governing the administration and utilisation of the Environmental (Protection) Fund.

Environmental (Protection) Fund

• The Environmental (Protection) Fund is a statutory, dedicated fund under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
• Objective – to channel monetary penalties from environmental violations into pollution control, restoration, monitoring, research, and capacity building.
• Is is administered by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) or any body notified by the Central Government
• 75% of penalty proceeds transferred to the Consolidated Fund of the State/UT, 25% retained by the Centre.
• The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) to audit the Fund.

Chagos Islands

International

In News

• The UK government defended its deal to transfer the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while retaining a lease for a strategic military base, amid criticism from US President Donald Trump.
• In 2025 The United Kingdom signed an agreement handing sovereignty over the contested and strategically located Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

Chagos Archipelago

• It comprises more than 60 low-lying islands in the Indian Ocean roughly 1,600 km to the northeast of the main island of Mauritius.
• It was separated from Mauritius in 1965, when Mauritius was still a British colony.
• Britain purchased the islands for three million pounds but Mauritius has argued that it was illegally forced to give them away as part of a deal to gain independence from Britain.
• In the late 1960s, Britain invited the US to build a military base on Diego Garcia, the largest of the Chagos Islands, removing thousands of people from their homes.

Chagos archipelago

• Since the 1980s, Mauritius has claimed sovereignty over the Chagos Islands.
• In 2019, the UN’s International Court of Justice ruled that Mauritius’ decolonisation was incomplete at independence in 1968 and advised that the UK must end its administration of the islands as soon as possible.

Statehood Day of Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura

Polity and Governance

Context

• The President of India has extended greetings to the people of Meghalaya, Tripura and Manipur on their Statehood Day.
• Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura were granted statehood on January 21, 1972, following the enactment of the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971.

About

• Manipur: Formerly a princely state, it merged with India in 1949. It functioned as a Union Territory from 1956 until it was granted statehood.
• Tripura: Also a princely state, it joined the Indian Union in 1949. Like Manipur, it was a Union Territory from 1956 before becoming a full state in 1972.
• Meghalaya: Originally part of Assam, it was first made an autonomous state within Assam in 1970 before being carved out as a separate state in 1972 to recognize its unique tribal and cultural identity.

One Station One Product (OSOP)

Government schemes

In News

• Indian Railways’ One Station One Product (OSOP) scheme has expanded to over 2,000 Railway Stations, empowering 1.32 Lakh Artisans.

One Station One Product (OSOP) scheme

• It was launched in 2022
• Objective – to promote local, indigenous, and specialised products by leveraging India’s vast railway network.
• Uniqueness – The Ministry of Railways has designed the OSOP stalls to be aesthetically uniform yet locally distinct.
• These stalls are often designed by the National Institute of Design (NID) to ensure they are functional and attractive to travelers.
• The OSOP scheme is a key component of the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, which aims to provide seamless multi-modal connectivity and improve the logistics of local goods.

EU’s Anti-coercion Instrument

International

Context

• The French President mentioned activating the EU’s anti-coercion instrument, after US President’s tariffs threats regarding Greenland.

European Union’s Anti-coercion instrument

• It is a trade tool that the bloc adopted in 2023 but has never used.
• Aim: To respond to any country using trade weapons to pressure an EU member state.

Measures:

• The armoury allows the EU to take measures such as import and export restrictions on goods and services in its single market.
• It also limits American companies’ access to public procurement contracts in Europe.