UPSC Daily Current Affairs| One Liners 03-01-2026

One Liners 03-01-2026

Polity & Governance

Voice over WiFi (VoWiFi) Services

BSNL launches Voice over WiFi (VoWiFi) services nationwide across all circles.

• VoWiFi – It is an IMS-based service that supports seamless handovers between Wi-Fi and mobile networks.
• Calls are made using the customer’s existing mobile number and phone dialer, without the need for third-party applications.
• It enables customers to make and receive voice calls and messages over a Wi-Fi network.
• It ensures clear and reliable connectivity in areas with weak mobile signal, including homes, offices, basements, and remote locations.

Social Media Regulation

The Ministry emphasized that adherence to the IT Act and the IT Rules, 2021, is mandatory.

• Notices issued by – Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
• Issued to – Social media platform X.
• Concern – Grok AI is being misused by users to create fake accounts to host, generate, publish or share obscene images or videos of women in a derogatory or vulgar manner.
• Aim – To prevent the hosting, generation, and sharing of obscene, nude, indecent, and explicit content through the misuse of AI-based services.
• Regulatory provisions – The Information Technology Act, 2000 and IT Rules, 2021.

International Relations and Issues

Legacy of Khaleda Zia

• Khaleda Zia was the 1^st woman to serve as Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
• She was married to former President General Ziaur Rahman, the founder of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
• Her longstanding political rivalry with Sheikh Hasina of the Awami League significantly shaped Bangladeshi politics for an entire generation.

Global Spice Routes Conclave

• Held in – Kochi, Kerala.
• Organized by – Muziris Heritage Project in collaboration with Kerala Tourism.
• Objective
  • To highlight the shared maritime and cultural heritage among participating regions.
  • To promote and enhance cultural and heritage tourism among countries along the ancient Spice Route.
  • To establish Kerala as a dynamic intersection of global heritage and maritime civilization.
• Themes/Sessions
  • Governing and Sustaining Transnational Heritage Corridors,
  • Heritage Tourism,Re-imagining Spice Routes for Tourism,
  • Digital Spice Routes, Muziris Reimagined, Knowledge Tradition in the Region.

Muziris Heritage Project

• Initiated by – The Government of Kerala.
• Aim – To conserve and showcase the historical and cultural significance of Muziris, an ancient port city in Kerala, which was a hub of the Spice Route.

Economy

Concerns of Apple Growers in Himachal Pradesh

• Background – The proposed reduction in import duty on apples imported from New Zealand, from 50% to 25% under a trade agreement, has raised significant concerns.
• Key Concerns
  • Threat to Livelihoods – The proposed policy is expected to severely impact the livelihoods of apple growers, particularly small and marginal farmers.
  • Loss of Market Share – Indian apple producers are likely to experience a substantial reduction in market share.
  • Decline in Prices – The anticipated decrease in apple prices may result in economic distress for domestic growers.
  • Existing Challenges – Apple growers are already contending with climate change, increasing input costs, labor shortages, and diminishing profit margins.

Significance of the Apple Industry in Himachal Pradesh

• Economic Contribution – It generates approximately ₹5,500 crore in annual revenue.
• Employment – It provides livelihoods for more than 150,000 families.
• Production – Himachal Pradesh produces approximately 25 percent of India's total apple output, amounting to around 650,000 tonnes annually.

• Limited Diversification – The region's hilly terrain restricts opportunities for cultivating alternative crops.

Security

VPN Ban in Kashmir

• Location – Enforced in 4 districts of Jammu and Kashmir such as Shopian, Kulgam, Budgam, and Srinagar.
• Concern – Security threats arising from increased militant activity.
• Authority – District administrations exercised magisterial powers to enforce the ban.
• Government's Rationale – To counter the use of VPNs by militants for communication, coordination, and evading surveillance.

VPN – Virtual Private Network

• It is a type of online service that allows you to hide your browsing activity, identity, and location while browsing the internet.
• Typically, in order to access the internet, your computer creates a public connection to your internet service provider, or ISP.
• A VPN creates a private connection between your computer and a remote server, owned by the VPN provider.
• Privacy – This digital connection, or tunnel, encrypts your data so that no one else can see it.
  • It also masks your IP address so that no one else can trace you.

Index

National Drug Use Survey (NDUS)

• NDUS – It is projected to be the largest of its kind in India.
• Key Details
  • Survey Period – Through 2026.
  • Coverage – Nearly 20 lakh individuals across India.
  • New Focus – Documentation of indigenous forms of substance use, such as local alcoholic beverages, opium, and cannabis that have social sanction.
  • Specific Populations – Detailed analysis for prison inmates, school students and college students.
  • Funding – Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
  • Conducted by – National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (AIIMS).
  • Methodology – The survey will utilize household sampling (4.4 lakh households, 17.6 lakh individuals) and respondent-driven sampling targeting 2.1 lakh drug-dependent individuals.