1. Best Egmont Case Award
Syllabus Mapping: GS3: Internal Security; Money Laundering; Financial Intelligence
- The Best Egmont Case Award(BECA) is a prestigious annual competition established by the Egmont Group in 2011 to showcase outstanding financial intelligence cases in the fight against money laundering and terrorist
- Financial Intelligence Unit–India (FIU-IND) was adjudged Runner-up at the Best Egmont Case Award (BECA) 2026 during the Egmont Group Plenary held in Baku, Azerbaijan, for successfully investigating a large-scale cyber fraud and cross-border money laundering network, while Taiwan’s Anti-Money Laundering division was the winner.
- The investigation relied on the Egmont Secure Web (ESW) to exchange financial intelligence with foreign Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs), highlighting the importance of international cooperation in combating transnational financial crime.
- Egmont Group is a global network of Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) established in 1995 to facilitate secure exchange of financial intelligence and strengthen the global Anti-Money Laundering/Counter Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT)
- The Egmont Group currently has 182 member jurisdictions, with each jurisdiction represented by its Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).
- FIU-IND was established in 2004 under the Ministry of Finance as India’s national agency for receiving, analysing and disseminating information relating to suspicious financial transactions. It reports to the Economic Intelligence Council (EIC).
2. Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS)
Syllabus Mapping: GS3: Indian Economy; MSMEs; Financial Inclusion
- Recently, the Ministry of MSME mandated the use of TReDS for settlement of all purchases by Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) from MSMEs, implementing a key announcement of the Union Budget 2026–27. This aims to ensure timely payments and improve MSMEs’ working capital.
- TReDS (Trade Receivables Discounting System) is an RBI-regulated electronic platform for financing and discounting the trade receivables (invoices) of MSMEs due from corporates, CPSEs and Government Departments.
- On TReDS, once the buyer accepts the invoice, banks and NBFCs competitively bid to finance it, enabling the MSME to receive early payment without collateral.
- TReDS is regulated by the RBI under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
- Eligible participants: MSME sellers, buyers (corporates/CPSEs/Government Departments) and financiers (Banks & NBFCs).
- As of 2026, five RBI-authorised TReDS platforms are operational: RXIL, M1xchange, Invoicemart, C2treds and DTX.
- Key details of participants:
- The Indian government mandates that all CPSEs and companies with an annual turnover exceeding RS 250 crore register as buyers on TReDS platform
- Financing is generally ‘without recourse’ to the seller, meaning the MSME bears no liability if the buyer defaults.
3. Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme
Syllabus Mapping: GS3: Food Processing Industries; MSMEs; Agriculture
- Recently, the PMFME Scheme crossed the milestone of 2 lakh loan sanctions, mobilising over ₹20,300 crore in project investments and generating nearly 11 lakh direct and indirect jobs. About 90% of beneficiaries are first-generation entrepreneurs, while 44% are women.
- Launched in 2020 under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, PMFME is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) to formalise and enhance the competitiveness of the unorganised micro food processing sector.
- The scheme adopts the One District One Product (ODOP) approach to promote cluster-based development, value addition and market linkages.
- It provides credit-linked subsidy, seed capital, common infrastructure, branding & marketing support, incubation, skilling and entrepreneurship support to individual micro enterprises, SHGs, FPOs and Producer Cooperatives.
- ODOP under PMFME is distinct from DPIIT’s ODOP initiative—PMFME’s ODOP is exclusively for food-processing value chains, whereas DPIIT’s ODOP covers products across all sectors.
- Key benefits:
- Credit-linked Capital Subsidy: 35% of eligible project cost, subject to a maximum subsidy of ₹10 lakh for individual micro enterprises.
- Seed Capital: Up to ₹40,000 per SHG member for working capital and purchase of small tools; priority is given to SHGs processing ODOP products.
- Common Infrastructure: Grant up to 35% of eligible project cost, subject to a ceiling of ₹3 crore, for FPOs, SHGs, Cooperatives and other eligible entities.
4. e-Samudra & e-Navik
Syllabus Mapping: GS3: Infrastructure; Ports & Shipping; Digital Governance
- Recently, the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) launched the Ship Registration Module on the e-Samudra platform to digitise and simplify vessel registration in India.
- e-Samudra is India’s Unified Maritime Services Portal, providing a single-window digital platform for maritime stakeholders such as ship owners, seafarers, charterers, MTOs and shipping companies.
- The platform offers 72+ online maritime services, enabling paperless processing, online applications, real-time tracking and faster approvals.
- Recently, the Directorate General of Shipping launched a 24×7 Grievance Redressal Module under the e-Navik platform for Indian seafarers.
- The platform enables seafarers to register grievances through the e-Navik portal, toll-free helpline, WhatsApp and email from anywhere in the world.
5. Centre of Excellence on Human–Wildlife Conflict (CoE-HWC)
Syllabus Mapping: GS3: Environment & Biodiversity; Wildlife Conservation
- Recently, the Centre of Excellence on Human–Wildlife Conflict (CoE-HWC) was inaugurated at the Wildlife Institute of India–Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (WII–SACON), Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Simultaneously, the National Human–Wildlife Conflict Portal was launched.
- The Centre has been established jointly by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and SACON as the national nodal institution for research, innovation, policy support, capacity building and dissemination of best practices on human–wildlife conflict management.
- It will promote science-based conflict mitigation using technologies such as AI, GIS, remote sensing, early-warning systems and wildlife movement modelling, besides strengthening community participation.
- The newly launched National Human–Wildlife Conflict Portal will serve as a centralised digital platform for reporting incidents, data management, knowledge sharing and decision support across States and UTs.
- WII (Wildlife Institute of India) is an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC), headquartered at Dehradun.
- SACON (Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History) is an autonomous institute of MoEFCC located at Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, specialising in ornithology, ecology and biodiversity conservation.
