Prelims Current Affairs includes Frontier 50 Initiative to promote grassroots-level adoption, WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, HFMD is spreading rapidly among children in Delhi and nearby Haryana, Periodic Labour Force Surveys (PLFS), Baba Kalyani was awarded the Holley Medal by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), 14th Sirarakhong Hathei Chilli Festival was inaugurated at Sirarakhong Village and ndia’s largest and most technologically advanced sports complex.

POLICY AND PROGRAMME

1. FRONTIER 50 INITIATIVE

Current Context: Recently, the NITI Aayog launched the Frontier 50 Initiative to promote grassroots-level adoption of frontier technologies and accelerate impact creation in Aspirational Districts and Blocks.

ABOUT FRONTIER 50 INITIATIVE

• Launched by: NITI Aayog under its Frontier Tech Hub

• Coverage: 50 Aspirational Districts / Blocks

• Aim:

  • Support these districts/blocks to choose use cases from the Frontier Tech Repository

  • Deploy frontier technologies to accelerate saturation of services across ADP/ABP themes

• Frontier Tech Repository:

  • Contains 200+ impact stories from across India

  • Sectors: Agriculture, Healthcare, Education, National Security

  • Showcases how states and startups are using technologies to transform livelihoods

ABOUT NITI FRONTIER TECH HUB

• Established to anticipate mega technology shifts and prepare India to unlock their potential

• Focus on inclusive growth, supply chain resilience, and national security

• Brings together experts from government, industry, and academia

• Evaluates opportunities and risks from frontier tech like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Quantum computing, and Biotechnology

• Aims to design strategies for Viksit Bharat@2047

INTERNATIONAL

2. WTO AGREEMENT ON FISHERIES SUBSIDIES

Current Context: The WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies has recently come into force, becoming the first multilateral trade agreement with environmental sustainability at its core.

ABOUT THE AGREEMENT

• Adopted at: 12th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12), Geneva in 2022.

• Purpose: To protect marine life and stop overexploitation of fish stocks

• Key Provisions:

  • Prohibits subsidies that support Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing

  • Prohibits subsidies for fishing activities targeting overfished stocks

  • Covers fishing in high seas not under any Regional Fisheries Management Organisation

IMPLEMENTATION MEASURES

• WTO Fish Fund:

  • Established to help developing and least developed countries (LDCs)

  • Provides technical assistance and capacity building

  • 17 members pledged over USD 18 million

• Monitoring:

  • A Committee on Fisheries Subsidies will be formed

  • Members must report their subsidy programmes, fish stock levels, and conservation measures

DISEASE

3. HAND, FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE (HFMD)

Current Context: HFMD is spreading rapidly among children in Delhi and nearby Haryana, prompting health experts and schools to issue advisories.

ABOUT HFMD

• Type: Contagious viral infection

• Common in: Infants and children under 5 years

• Cause: Several viruses; not related to foot-and-mouth disease in animals

• Transmission: Contact with unwashed hands, saliva, nasal mucus, feces, or blister fluid

• Highly spreads in: Daycare centres and schools

SYMPTOMS: Fever, Sore throat, Painful mouth sores, Blister-like rash on hands, feet, and sometimes other body parts

REPORT

4. INDIA’S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FALLS TO 5.1% (AUGUST 2025)

Current Context: According to Periodic Labour Force Surveys (PLFS) data released by MoSPI, India’s unemployment rate fell to 5.1% in August 2025, showing improvement in rural employment and female participation.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF PLFS DATA

• Overall Unemployment Rate (15+ years): 5.1% (lowest in 3 months)

• Male Unemployment: 5.0% (5-month low)

  • Urban male UR: 6.6% (July) → 5.9% (August)

  • Rural male UR: 4.5% (lowest in 5 months)

• Rural Recovery: Rural UR dropped from 5.1% (May) → 4.3% (August)

RISE IN FEMALE WORKFORCE PARTICIPATION

• Worker Population Ratio (WPR – Female):

  • 30.2% (June) → 32.0% (August)

  • Rural: 33.6% → 35.9%

  • Urban: 22.9% → 23.8%

• Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR – Female):

  • 32% (June) → 33.7% (August)

  • Rural: 35.2% → 37.4%

  • Urban: 25.2% → 26.1%

OVERALL PARTICIPATION

• WPR (All): 52.2% (August) vs. 51.2% (June)

• LFPR (All): 55% (August) vs. 54.2% (June)

AWARD

5. BABA KALYANI AWARDED ASME HOLLEY MEDAL FOR ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE

Current Context: Bharat Forge CMD Baba Kalyani was awarded the Holley Medal by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) for his outstanding contributions to engineering innovation and strengthening resilient global supply chains.

ABOUT THE HOLLEY MEDAL

• Established by: ASME in 1924

• Purpose: To honour individuals or teams for exceptional engineering achievements that provide public benefit

• Awarded for:

  • Unique engineering acts

  • Noteworthy contributions to address major technical or societal challenges

  • Engineering solutions creating timely public benefit

SIGNIFICANCE

• Recognises Indian innovation in advanced manufacturing and strategic industrial development

• Places Baba Kalyani among a select global group of innovators celebrated for engineering excellence

HISTORY

6. HATHEI CHILLI FESTIVAL

Current Context: The 14th Sirarakhong Hathei Chilli Festival was inaugurated at Sirarakhong Village, Ukhrul District, Manipur to promote the GI-tagged Hathei chilli and boost local farming and cultural tourism.

ABOUT HATHEI CHILLI FESTIVAL

• Location: Sirarakhong, Manipur

• Organised to: Promote Manipur’s unique GI-tagged chilli variety

• Key Events:

  • Ceremonial Flag Hoisting

  • Cultural performances

  • Buyer-Seller Meet to connect farmers with markets

  • Tree Plantation Drive under ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign

ABOUT HATHEI CHILLI

• Origin: Sirarakhong village, Ukhrul district, Manipur

• Features:

  • GI-tagged crop

  • Bright red colour, medium pungency, strong aroma

• Uses: Culinary spice, pickles, food processing

• Significance: Symbol of Manipur’s agricultural identity and cultural heritage

SPORTS

7. INDIA’S LARGEST SPORTS COMPLEX IN AHMEDABAD

Current Context: Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated India’s largest and most technologically advanced sports complex at Naranpura in Ahmedabad, aiming to position India as a top sporting nation by 2047.

ABOUT THE NARANPURA SPORTS COMPLEX

• Location: Naranpura, Ahmedabad, Gujarat

• Cost: ₹825 crore

• Facilities:

  • International standard aquatic complex

  • State-of-the-art indoor and outdoor sports arenas

  • Dedicated training and residential infrastructure for athletes

• Purpose:

  • To train athletes at world-class standards

  • To host international tournaments like Commonwealth Games

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