1. Recirculatory Aquaculture System (RAS)
Syllabus Mapping: GS3: Fisheries & Aquaculture | Blue Economy | Sustainable Agriculture | Water-use Efficiency | Agri-tech
- RAS is an intensive, controlled aquaculture system in which water from fish-rearing tanks is continuously collected, treated and recirculated, substantially reducing dependence on fresh water.
- The system uses a combination of mechanical and biological filtration to remove solid wastes and harmful dissolved substances and maintain suitable conditions for fish growth; treated water is then returned to the culture tanks.
- RAS can recycle up to 90–95% of water, making it particularly useful where freshwater availability is limited and enabling aquaculture in urban, peri-urban and otherwise unsuitable locations.
- Since the culture environment is controlled, RAS enables year-round production, better control over water quality and greater biosecurity, while reducing exposure to fluctuations in natural water bodies.
- RAS can support farming of diverse species, including high-value trout in cold-water regions, as well as fish and shrimp in suitable controlled systems; it can therefore help diversify India’s aquaculture beyond traditional production areas.
- Its controlled environment can improve quality consistency and traceability, which are increasingly important for export-oriented seafood production.
- Limitations: RAS requires relatively high capital investment, electricity, technical expertise and continuous monitoring; therefore, power failure or inadequate system management can rapidly affect cultured fish.
- Under PMMSY, 9,467 RAS units have been approved, with the technology being promoted as part of India’s shift towards intensive, resource-efficient and commercially viable aquaculture.
2. Biofloc Technology (BFT)
Syllabus Mapping: GS3: Fisheries & Aquaculture | Blue Economy | Sustainable Agriculture | Biotechnology | Resource-use Efficiency
- Biofloc Technology (BFT) is an intensive aquaculture system that uses beneficial microorganisms to convert nitrogenous wastes generated by fish/shrimp into microbial biomass (bioflocs) within the culture tank.
- Bioflocs consist of a mixture of microorganisms, organic matter and trapped particles; they can serve as an additional food/nutritional source for cultured organisms while simultaneously helping maintain water quality.
- BFT works by maintaining an appropriate carbon-to-nitrogen (C:N) ratio, which promotes the growth of heterotrophic bacteria that assimilate dissolved nitrogenous wastes into microbial biomass, reducing the accumulation of toxic compounds such as ammonia.
- Unlike conventional aquaculture, where substantial water exchange may be required to remove wastes, Biofloc enables waste recycling within the culture system, thereby reducing water consumption and nutrient discharge.
- BFT is particularly suited to high-density/intensive farming and can support fish and shrimp production in relatively small areas, creating opportunities for small-scale and land-constrained farmers and entrepreneurs.
- Biofloc can improve feed utilisation because the microbial biomass itself becomes an additional feed resource, potentially reducing dependence on conventional feed inputs.
- Limitations: the system requires careful control of C:N ratio, dissolved oxygen, pH and microbial balance, and continuous aeration is important; poor management can cause rapid deterioration of water quality.
- Under PMMSY, 4,573 Biofloc units have been approved, promoting technology-based aquaculture and helping expand production beyond traditional farming systems.
3. Jute: India’s Golden Fibre
Syllabus Mapping: GS3: Agriculture | Fibre Crops | Agro-based Industries | MSMEs | Sustainable Development | Circular Economy |
- Jute is a bast fibre obtained mainly from the stems of Corchorus species and is called the “Golden Fibre” because of its natural golden colour and silky lustre; mesta is also classified as raw jute in trade/industrial usage due to similar end uses.
- India is the world’s largest producer of raw jute and leading producer of jute goods, accounting for about 75% of estimated global jute-goods production; West Bengal is the major production and industrial centre, followed by Bihar, Assam, Odisha and Jharkhand.
- Jute is a warm and humid-season crop, generally sown during March–April and harvested in about 100–110 days; it requires roughly 700–1,500 mm rainfall and is predominantly rainfed, with cultivation concentrated in eastern and northeastern India.
- Jute is an important sustainable natural fibre because it is biodegradable, recyclable, strong, durable and versatile, with applications in packaging, agriculture, construction and technical textiles; it also has thermal/acoustic insulation and high moisture-absorption properties.
- Jute Geotextiles (JGT) are technical textiles made from jute fibres and are used for soil-erosion control, slope/river-bank protection, road and railway construction, drainage and soft-soil stabilisation; being biodegradable, they can support soil restoration, seed germination and ecological restoration.
- The National Jute Development Programme (NJDP) is the umbrella programme for jute-sector development, implemented by the National Jute Board (NJB), for FY2021–22 to FY2025–26; its major components include JUTE-ICARE and Jute Diversification.
- JUTE-ICARE (Improved Cultivation and Advanced Retting Exercise), launched in 2015–16, promotes scientific cultivation, certified seeds, mechanisation and improved retting to raise productivity and fibre quality, with implementation involving CRIJAF and Jute Corporation of India (JCI).
- The Jute Corporation of India (JCI) is the sole nodal agency for implementing MSP policy for raw jute and undertakes procurement directly from farmers when market prices fall below MSP; the MSP for raw jute for 2026–27 is ₹5,925/quintal.
- The Jute Packaging Materials (Compulsory Use in Packing Commodities) Act creates a guaranteed domestic market by mandating jute packaging; currently, 100% of foodgrains and 20% of sugar are required to be packed in jute bags, subject to government notifications/exemptions.
- JUTE-SMART, an e-governance portal developed by the Office of the Jute Commissioner, digitises procurement and supply of jute sacking bags; ISRO’s NRSC, with JCI and NJB, has also developed the Jute Crop Information System, including BHUVAN JUMP for field monitoring and PATSAN for near-real-time crop surveillance and analytics.
4. India–Sweden Cooperation on AI & Digitalisation under SITAC
Syllabus Mapping: GS3: Science & Technology | Artificial Intelligence | Digitalisation | International Technology Cooperation
- IndiaAI Mission, under MeitY, held a bilateral dialogue with Sweden under the Sweden–India Technology and AI Corridor (SITAC) on cooperation in AI and digitalisation.
- India highlighted its AI strengths in Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), large-scale digital adoption, AI talent and testing environments, while Sweden brings expertise in industrial technology, advanced manufacturing and research.
- IndiaAI Mission’s priorities include compute capacity, datasets & models, indigenous/domain-specific AI, AI applications, future skills, start-up financing and Safe & Trusted AI.
- Discussions covered the policy ecosystem for enterprise AI, particularly data governance, data localisation, responsible AI and market access, highlighting that AI adoption requires both technological capacity and governance frameworks.
- Potential cooperation areas include industrial AI, trusted data, compute infrastructure, AI skills and responsible AI, with emphasis on practical outcomes rather than only policy dialogue.
- The engagement may lead to pilots, testbeds, co-development, ecosystem partnerships and commercial collaborations between Indian and Swedish technology/industrial companies.
- SITAC provides a focused framework for sustained India–Sweden cooperation in AI and digitalisation, connecting Swedish industrial capabilities with India’s AI ecosystem and market scale.
5. Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan Awards 2026 & National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)
Syllabus Mapping: GS3: Environment | Air Pollution | Environmental Governance | Sustainable Development | Citizen Participation
- Swachh Vayu Diwas 2026 was observed by MoEFCC on the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, with the 5th Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan Awards recognising best-performing cities and wards under NCAP.
- Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan Framework, introduced in 2022–23, assesses cities on road-dust control, solid-waste management, vehicular emissions, industrial pollution, C&D waste, other emissions (DG sets/commercial establishments) and IEC activities.
- All 130 NCAP cities are ranked in three population categories—<3 lakh, 3–10 lakh and >10 lakh—through city self-assessment → State-level Monitoring Committee → CPCB evaluation → independent field verification → selection of 10 best-performing cities.
- NCAP, launched as a flagship programme for improving air quality across 130 cities in 24 States/UTs, uses a city-specific strategy rather than a uniform one-size-fits-all approach.
- Top Performers:
- Category 1: Population >10 lakh → Lucknow – 1st, Indore – 2nd, Jabalpur – 3rd.
- Category 2: Population 3–10 lakh → Rourkela – 1st, Firozabad & Guntur – joint 2nd, Amravati – 3rd.
- Category 3: Population <3 lakh → Kalinganagar – 1st, Angul – 2nd, Talcher – 3rd.
- The released Compendium of Best Management Practices under NCAP documents replicable interventions by cities and SPCBs/ PCCs across road dust, vehicular and industrial pollution, solid/C&D waste, open burning, greening, technology and public outreach.
