1 . PM Vishwakarma Scheme
Syllabus Mapping: GS-II: Welfare Schemes | Vulnerable Sections | Inclusive Growth; GS-III: Skill Development | MSMEs | Employment | Traditional Industries
- PM Vishwakarma is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME), launched on 17 September 2023 to provide end-to-end support to traditional artisans and craftspeople working with hands and tools.
- The scheme covers 18 traditional trades including carpenter, blacksmith, goldsmith, potter, sculptor, cobbler, mason, barber, tailor and fishing-net maker, with the objective of strengthening the Guru-Shishya/family-based traditional skill ecosystem.
- Three-stage verification is used for registration, with beneficiaries receiving recognition through a PM Vishwakarma Certificate and ID Card; registration is facilitated free of charge through Common Service Centres (CSCs) using the biometric-based portal.
- The scheme provides Basic Training of 5–7 days and Advanced Training of 15 days or more, along with a ₹15,000 toolkit incentive through e-vouchers and a training stipend of ₹500 per day.
- Credit support: beneficiaries can access collateral-free enterprise-development loans up to ₹3 lakh in two tranches—₹1 lakh + ₹2 lakh—at a concessional 5% interest rate, subject to scheme conditions.
- Digital and market support: beneficiaries receive incentives for eligible digital transactions and marketing support through quality certification, branding, e-commerce platforms such as GeM, trade fairs and exhibitions, helping artisans move towards wider value chains.
- The scheme has an approved outlay of ₹13,000 crore for FY 2023–24 to FY 2027–28 and is fully funded by the Union Government; implementation involves MSME, MSDE and Department of Financial Services (DFS), with MSME as the nodal Ministry.
- After three years, 30 lakh artisans have completed the prescribed three-stage verification and been registered, while around 50 lakh have received Basic Skill Training; 6.18 lakh have received loans up to ₹1 lakh, amounting to ₹5,297 crore, and 18.15 lakh toolkits have been delivered.
2. SEMICON India 2026: India’s Transition to Semicon 2.0
Syllabus Mapping: GS-III: Semiconductor Ecosystem | Electronics Manufacturing | Technology | R&D | Supply-Chain Resilience
- SEMICON India 2026 was held at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi, from 17–19 September 2026, marking a shift from creating basic semiconductor capabilities to building an integrated semiconductor ecosystem.
- Semicon 2.0 expands the India Semiconductor Mission across six pillars — Design, Equipment & Materials, Fabs, Advanced Packaging, Applied R&D and Talent, thereby covering both manufacturing and the supporting ecosystem.
- A semiconductor ecosystem cannot depend only on chip fabrication; specialised equipment, ultra-pure chemicals, materials, packaging, design capability and skilled manpower are equally important for supply-chain resilience.
- Semicon 1.0 → Semicon 2.0: Semicon 1.0 established foundational capabilities, including 70,000 trained design engineers and EDA tools across 500+ organisations; Semicon 2.0 seeks to deepen these capabilities across the wider value chain.
- India has now moved towards commercial semiconductor production, with new production lines at CDIL Semiconductor, Mohali (discrete devices) and Suchi Semicon, Surat (packaging); these take operational commercial ATMP units to five among the 12 units approved under Semicon 1.0.
- A fabrication plant (Fab) manufactures semiconductor devices on silicon wafers through processes such as deposition, lithography, etching and doping. ATMP/OSAT facilities undertake Assembly, Testing, Marking and Packaging after fabrication. Thus, Dholera Fab = front-end manufacturing, while Jagiroad OSAT = back-end packaging, and both serve different stages of the value chain.
- Electronic Design Automation (EDA) refers to software tools used to design, simulate, verify and prepare semiconductor circuits for manufacturing. India’s earlier investment in design talent and EDA access is therefore important because chip manufacturing begins with design capability, not directly at the fab.
- Tata Electronics’ Dholera project represents the fabrication side, with a 300-mm fab in Gujarat, while its Jagiroad, Assam facility represents the packaging side through OSAT, illustrating India’s attempt to develop both ends of the manufacturing chain.
3. 17th Kathakali Festival
Syllabus Mapping: GS-I: Indian Culture | Classical Dance | Performing Arts | Cultural Heritage
- The 17th Kathakali Festival, organised by the Kalakshetra Foundation under the Ministry of Culture, is being held in Chennai from 18–20 September 2026 with the theme “Kadha Rasa Sangama – Confluence of Essence of Stories.”
- Kathakali is a classical dance-drama tradition of Kerala, combining dance, drama, music, elaborate costumes and facial expressions, with stories traditionally drawn from epics and Puranic literature.
- A key feature of Kathakali is its highly stylised abhinaya, particularly facial expressions and hand gestures (mudras) used to communicate the narrative, with comparatively limited spoken dialogue.
- Its traditional repertoire is strongly connected with the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranic narratives, while performances are characterised by distinctive make-up, elaborate costumes, rhythmic movement and expressive acting.
- Kalakshetra Foundation was established in 1936 by Rukmini Devi Arundale and is an important institution for the preservation and dissemination of Indian classical arts, particularly Bharatanatyam, music and traditional crafts.
- Kathakali is among the major Indian classical dance traditions recognised in India’s cultural tradition; unlike Bharatanatyam, which developed prominently in Tamil Nadu, Kathakali originated in Kerala.
4. Ultra High Performance Fibre Reinforced Concrete (UHPFRC) Technology
Syllabus Mapping: GS-III: Infrastructure | Construction Technology | Roads & Highways | Advanced Materials | Science & Technology
- The Indora Chowk–Dighori Flyover in Nagpur, constructed by NHAI, has used UHPFRC technology to enable longer spans between successive piers, reducing the number of supports and facilitating faster construction.
- UHPFRC is an advanced fibre-reinforced concrete with very high strength, toughness and durability, developed by using a dense cementitious matrix and fibre reinforcement.
- Its basic composition involves a very dense cementitious matrix, fine aggregates, low water content and dispersed fibres; the dense structure reduces porosity while fibres improve the behaviour of concrete under tensile and cracking stresses.
- Why fibres? Conventional concrete is strong in compression but relatively weak in tension; fibres bridge cracks, control their propagation and improve tensile behaviour, toughness and ductility.
- High strength-to-weight ratio allows relatively slender and lightweight structural components to carry high loads, making UHPFRC suitable for bridges, flyovers and other demanding infrastructure.
- Long-span advantage: Higher strength and crack resistance allow structural segments to span greater distances between supports, reducing the requirement for multiple piers.
- Urban infrastructure advantage: Fewer piers mean less obstruction of roads and traffic, making the technology particularly useful for congested urban corridors where conventional construction can create significant disruption.
- Durability: Its dense microstructure provides greater resistance to water penetration, cracking and environmental deterioration, potentially increasing service life and reducing maintenance requirements.
- Construction advantage: UHPFRC can be used in prefabricated structural elements, allowing controlled manufacturing and faster on-site assembly, thereby reducing construction time and traffic disruption.
- RCC vs UHPFRC: Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) primarily uses steel reinforcement to resist tensile stresses, while UHPFRC incorporates fibres throughout the concrete matrix for additional crack control, tensile performance and toughness; both can also be used together.
- Where can it be used? UHPFRC is particularly relevant for bridges, flyovers, bridge decks, precast segments, rehabilitation/strengthening of structures and other structures requiring high strength with reduced structural weight.
5. SLINEX-26: India–Sri Lanka Maritime Exercise
Syllabus Mapping: GS-II: India–Sri Lanka Relations | GS-III: Maritime Security | Defence Cooperation | Indian Ocean Region
- SLINEX-26 is the 13th edition of the India–Sri Lanka bilateral maritime exercise, being conducted at Visakhapatnam from 17–21 September 2026, with a Harbour Phase followed by a Sea Phase.
- The Indian Navy is represented by INS Kavaratti, an indigenous Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Corvette, and INS Jyoti, a Fleet Tanker, while SLNS Sindurala represents the Sri Lanka Navy.
- SLINEX: The exercise was conceptualised in 2005 and has evolved into a platform for maritime cooperation, interoperability and mutual understanding between the two navies.
- Anti-Submarine Warfare: ASW involves detecting, tracking and countering submarines, using capabilities such as sonar, maritime surveillance and specialised naval platforms; it is important for protecting sea lanes and naval assets.
- The Harbour Phase focuses on professional interactions, cross-deck visits and exchange of best practices, while the Sea Phase focuses on coordinated maritime operations and operational interoperability.
