Iranian Kurds | Raisina Dialogue 2026 | Gravity Bomb | India’s 7th National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity | Karnataka & Andhra to Ban Social Media Use by Children | IISc launches “Moonshot” Project on Brain Co-processors

Iranian Kurds

International

Context

• S. President Donald Trump encouraged Iranian Kurdish forces to launch attacks against Iran as conflict in West Asia widened.

Kurds

• Kurdish people are an ethnic minority group in the Middle East without an independent state.
• The population ranges between 25 million and 45 million worldwide, with most living in the mountainous region across parts of western Iran, eastern Turkey, northern Iraq and Syria, and Armenia.
• They speak various Kurdish dialects, not related to Turkish or Arabic; and are mostly Sunni Muslims.
• Turkey has the largest population of approximately 15 to 20 million people while Iran has 8-12 million Kurds.
• Concerns of Kurds: They were promised a nation post-WWI, but never granted.
• They faced rebellions, state suppression of language and culture.
• Kurdistan Regional Government: Following years of conflict and the 1991 Gulf War, the Kurds established the Kurdistan Regional Government (K.R.G.) in Iraq, which is now a constitutionally recognised autonomous region.

Raisina Dialogue 2026

International

Context

• PM Modi attended the inaugural session of the Raisina Dialogue 2026 in New Delhi.
• The theme for 2026 edition is “Samskara: Assertion, Accommodation, Advancement.”

Raisina Dialogue

• The Raisina Dialogue is India’s premier conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics committed to addressing the most challenging issues facing the global community.
• It brings together global leaders, policymakers, diplomats, scholars, and strategic experts to discuss major international challenges.
• The first session was held in 2016.
• It is hosted by the Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation, in collaboration with the External affairs ministry of India.

Gravity Bomb

Science and Tech

Context

• US Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth announced that the US would be shifting to ‘gravity bombs’, marking a major tactical pivot in the ongoing campaign against Iran.

Gravity Bomb

• A gravity bomb (or free-fall bomb) is an unpowered munition dropped from an aircraft.
• Unlike cruise missiles such as the Tomahawk cruise missile, it has no engine and falls toward the target under gravity, guided by the aircraft’s speed and altitude.
• Modernisation: Many gravity bombs are fitted with Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) kits, which use GPS and steerable fins to convert them into precision-guided munitions.
• Key Feature: Gravity bombs are relatively cheap but require aircraft to fly close to targets, making them effective mainly when air superiority is achieved.

India’s 7th National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity

Environment

Context

• India has submitted its 7th National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), assessing national progress toward biodiversity targets for 2030.
• The report evaluates India’s performance against 23 National Biodiversity Targets (NBTs) aligned with the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).

Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

• Origin: The Convention was opened for signature in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Rio Earth Summit).
• The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) entered into force on 29 December 1993.
• The first session of the COP was scheduled in 1994 in the Bahamas.
• Secretariat: Montreal, Canada.
• Ratification: The CBD has been ratified by 196 nations, making it one of the most widely adopted international treaties.
• Note – The United States is the only UN member state that has not ratified the convention.

It has 3 main objectives;

1. The conservation of biological diversity
2. The sustainable use of the components of biological diversity
3. The fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources.

• The governing body is the Conference of the Parties (COP), which meets every two years.
• The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-Sharing are supplementary agreements to the CBD.

Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

• The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework was concluded at COP15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), held in Montreal, Canada, in 2022.
• It features 23 targets to be met by 2030 and four global goals for 2050 to preserve biodiversity for current and future generations.
• The agreement is not binding on members.

Karnataka & Andhra to Ban Social Media Use by Children

Syllabus: GS2/Governance

Context

• Karnataka has announced a ban on social media use by children under 16 in its latest Budget, and Andhra Pradesh is moving to introduce a measure that would prohibit those under 13 to use such service.
• Objective – to restrict social media access for minors to combat digital addiction and safeguard mental health.

State-Wise Proposed Restrictions

• Karnataka: The proposal aims to ban social media for children under 16 years of age.
• Andhra Pradesh – to prohibit social media for children under 13 years of age,

Key Objectives and Context

• Health and Safety: The primary drivers are rising concerns over digital addiction, cyberbullying, and declining academic performance.
• Global Precedents: These moves follow international trends, such as Australia’s world-first nationwide ban for under-16s enacted in late 2025.
• Support Measures: Karnataka has paired its proposal with the “Mobile Bidi, Pustaka Hidi” (Leave the phone, pick a book) campaign and plans to deploy mental health counselors in educational centers.

Additional Information – ‘Mobile Bidi Pustaka Hidi’ (Drop the Mobile, Pick up a Book)

• It is a statewide campaign launched by the Government of Karnataka in February 2026
• Objective – to combat mobile phone addiction and revive reading habits among schoolchildren.

Key Details of the Campaign

• Primary Objective: To reduce excessive screen time for children under 16 and encourage them to cultivate a love for physical books and libraries.
• Target Audience: Approximately 50 lakh students across government, aided, and private schools in Karnataka.
• Implementation: Overseen by the Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) and the Department of State Education Research and Training (DSERT).

IISc launches “Moonshot” Project on Brain Co-processors

Syllabus: GS3/ Science and Technology

Context

• The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) launched a moonshot project to develop brain co-processors that combine neuromorphic hardware and AI algorithms to enhance or restore brain function.

Brain Co-Processors

• Brain co-processors are advanced devices designed to interact directly with the human brain.
• They decode neural signals, process them using AI algorithms, and re-encode them back into the brain through neural stimulation or neurofeedback.
• They enable cognitive and motor rehabilitation, particularly for stroke survivors who lose sensorimotor abilities such as reaching and grasping objects.