Current affairs — 2 August 2026

Prelims pointers

• The National Biodiversity Authority released Rs 8.22 crore as access-and-benefit-sharing funds connected with Indian rice varieties.
• Pioneer Overseas Corporation paid for using Indian Oryza sativa varieties to develop and commercialise hybrids.
• Research institutions that conserved and shared rice varieties received Rs 2.47 crore of the total disbursement.
• Rs 5.75 crore was allocated among 33 biodiversity boards and councils according to rice-growing area.
• The National Biodiversity Authority is a statutory body established under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.

Prelims pointers

• The Ujh River is identified as a main tributary of the Ravi River.
• WAPCOS Limited, an undertaking under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, is entrusted with project implementation.
• The project is designed to generate around 186 MW to 212 MW of electricity.
• It is expected to irrigate nearly 90,000 hectares across districts of Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.
• The project is also planned to provide drinking water to Kathua district and industrial water availability.

Prelims pointers

• The Government said a fresh survey across all districts under the 2013 Act found no manual scavengers.
• A total of 89,915 sewer and septic-tank workers have been validated under the NAMASTE Scheme.
• NAMASTE was launched during 2023-24 to promote worker safety, dignity, mechanisation and welfare support.
• NAMASTE interventions include PPE, occupational-safety training, machinery subsidy and health-insurance coverage.
• SBM-Urban 2.0 includes Used Water Management and promotes mechanised sewer and septic-tank cleaning.

Prelims pointers

• The campaign was launched through a nationwide video conference with over one crore youth at more than 28,000 locations.
• The initiative began as a pilot project in Kashi in the previous year before becoming a national project.
• More than 125 spiritual organisations and several NGOs joined the initiative under the Kashi Declaration.
• The 100-week roadmap provides for Sunday activities involving art, culture, sports, meditation, spirituality and service.
• The Prime Minister urged families to seek expert and medical help rather than hide addiction for reasons of social prestige.

Prelims pointers

• The Supreme Court cancelled 204 of 218 coal blocks allocated between 1993 and 2012 in its 2014 decision.
• The Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015 placed the re-allocation of coal mines on a statutory footing.
• Commercial mining permits a successful bidder to sell coal to any consumer without a captive-use restriction.
• The bidder's revenue share payable to government is indexed to the National Coal Index.
• Since June 2020, 141 mines with combined peak-rated capacity of 366.35 MT annually have been auctioned across 14 rounds.