Prelims Current Affairs includes Sampann Pension Portal, Atal Pension Yojana (APY), Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), Steel Slag, India’s First Private Earth Observation (EO) Satellite Constellation, Lambada Tribe, Kaladi (Traditional Dairy Product) And Third Path or Carney Doctrine

SCHEME

1. SAMPANN PENSION PORTAL

Current Context: The SAMPANN pension portal has been integrated with the UMANG platform, benefiting nearly 4 lakh Department of Telecommunications pensioners.

ABOUT SAMPANN PENSION SYSTEM

• Full Form: System for Accounting and Management of Pension.
• Developed By: Office of the Controller General of Communication Accounts.
• Launched: December 2018.

KEY FEATURES

• Manages entire pension lifecycle.
• Enables direct pension disbursement to bank accounts.
• Provides grievance redressal and digital access.

INTEGRATION WITH UMANG

• Access to Pension Payment Order (PPO) details.
• Check Life Certificate validity online.
• Combined support with DigiLocker.

ABOUT UMANG

• Unified digital platform under Digital India.
• Provides Central, State and local government services.
• Available on Android, iOS and web.

SCHEME

2. ATAL PENSION YOJANA (APY)

Current Context: The Union Cabinet has approved the continuation of the Atal Pension Yojana up to FY 2030–31.

ABOUT ATAL PENSION YOJANA

• Launched On: 9 May 2015.
• Launched By: Government of India.
• Administered By: Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).

OBJECTIVE

• Promote voluntary retirement savings.
• Provide assured pension to unorganised sector workers.

KEY FEATURES

• Target Group: Unorganised sector workers.
• Entry Age: 18–40 years.
• Income Tax Rule: Income-tax payers not eligible from 1 October 2022.

PENSION BENEFITS

• Guaranteed monthly pension of ₹1,000 to ₹5,000.
• Pension amount depends on contribution and age of entry.

EXIT OPTIONS

• At 60 years: Full pension payable.
• Before 60 years: Only in case of death or terminal illness.
• Voluntary Exit: Only own contribution with interest returned.

ECONOMY

3. SMALL INDUSTRIES DEVELOPMENT BANK OF INDIA (SIDBI)

Current Context: The Union Cabinet has approved equity support of ₹5,000 crore to SIDBI.

ABOUT SIDBI

• Established: 2 April 1990.
• Nature: Principal financial institution for MSME sector.
• Ownership: Government of India.
• Headquarters: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.

MANDATE

• Promotion of MSMEs.
• Financing of MSMEs.
• Development and coordination of MSME ecosystem.

FUNCTIONS

• Direct lending to MSMEs.
• Refinance to banks and NBFCs.
• Venture capital and technology support.
• Sustainable and risk capital financing.

SCIENCE AND TECH.

4. STEEL SLAG

Current Context: The Union Minister of State for Science and Technology has advocated wider adoption of steel slag–based road construction, especially in hilly and Himalayan regions.

ABOUT STEEL SLAG

• Industrial by-product of steel manufacturing.
• Generated from electric arc furnaces and basic oxygen furnaces.

COMPOSITION

• Calcium silicates.
• Magnesium, manganese and aluminium oxides.

PRODUCTION PROCESS

• Formed during smelting of iron ore or steel-making.
• Cooling process determines type and usability of slag.

APPLICATIONS

• Road Construction: Replacement for coarse aggregate.
• Environmental Remediation: Prevents heavy-metal leaching.
• Mining Areas: Treatment of acidic mine drainage.

SPACE

5. INDIA’S FIRST PRIVATE EARTH OBSERVATION (EO) SATELLITE CONSTELLATION

Current Context: A Pixxel-led consortium has signed an agreement with IN-SPACe to design, build and operate India’s first national private Earth Observation satellite constellation.

ABOUT THE CONSORTIUM

• Lead Company: Pixxel
• Consortium Members:
• Piersight Space
• Satsure Analytics India
• Dhruva Space

ABOUT IN-SPACe

• Full Form: Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre.
• Role: Authorises, regulates and promotes private sector participation in space.
• Acts as India’s nodal agency for commercial space activities.

KEY FEATURES OF EO CONSTELLATION PROJECT

• Execution Model: Public–Private Partnership (PPP).
• Ecosystem: End-to-end Earth Observation system from satellites to analytics.
• Number of Satellites:

ABOUT EARTH OBSERVATION SATELLITES

• Satellites used to monitor Earth’s surface, oceans and atmosphere.
• Use optical, multispectral, hyperspectral and radar sensors.

MAJOR APPLICATIONS

• Agriculture and crop monitoring.
• Disaster management and early warning systems.
• Climate change and environmental studies.
• Urban planning and water resource management.
• National security and strategic surveillance.

MAJOR INDIAN EO SATELLITES

• HySIS, Cartosat-3, RISAT-2B, EOS-07

GEOGRAPHY

6. LAMBADA TRIBE

Current Context: The Supreme Court of India is examining the long-standing dispute over the Scheduled Tribe status of the Lambada community in Telangana.

ABOUT LAMBADA TRIBE

• Also Known As: Sugalis or Banjaras.
• Community Status: Scheduled Tribe.
• Region: Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
• ORIGIN : Believed to have originated from the Marwar region of Rajasthan.

TRADITIONAL OCCUPATION

• Historically semi-nomadic traders transporting goods.
• Forced to abandon traditional occupation during British rule.
• Spoken Language: Gor Boli or Lambadi.

MISCELLANEOUS

7. KALADI (TRADITIONAL DAIRY PRODUCT)

Current Context: The Union Minister of State for Science and Technology has directed that Kaladi, a traditional dairy product of Jammu and Kashmir, be upscaled for wider food applications and recipes.

ABOUT KALADI

• Cuisine: Traditional Dogra cuisine.
• Region: Udhampur district, Jammu and Kashmir.
• Status: Geographical Indication (GI) tagged product.

UNIQUE FEATURES

• Dried externally but remains moist inside.
• Low ambient temperature of Udhampur aids slow drying.

ABOUT GI TAG

• A sign used on products having a specific geographical origin.
• Indicates qualities or reputation linked to that origin.

COVERED PRODUCTS

• Agricultural products.
• Foodstuffs, wines and spirits.
• Handicrafts and industrial products.

LEGAL FRAMEWORK

• Governed by the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.
• Validity: 10 years (renewable).

MISCELLANEOUS

8. THIRD PATH OR CARNEY DOCTRINE

Current Context: The Canadian Prime Minister, in a speech at the World Economic Forum 2026, outlined a new global agenda called the “Third Path” amid the United States–China rivalry and the weakening of the rules-based world order.

ABOUT THIRD PATH / CARNEY DOCTRINE

• Core Idea: A new approach to global governance for a multipolar world.
• Philosophical Basis: Value-Based Realism.
• Primary Focus: Cooperation among middle powers rather than domination by hegemons.

VALUE-BASED REALISM

• Defends sovereignty, territorial integrity and human rights.
• Recognises divergent national interests and value differentials among partners.
• Accepts incremental progress instead of absolute alignment.
• Emphasises building strong domestic capacity as the foundation of global influence.

VARIABLE GEOMETRY POLICY

• Formation of different coalitions for different issues.
• Coalitions based on shared values and interests rather than fixed alliances.
• Examples: Schengen Area, G7 grouping, Quad formation

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