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One Liners 18-02-2026
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Geography
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Thwaites Glacier – A Climate Tipping Point
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Location & size – A massive glacier in West Antarctica, roughly the size of a large country.
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Nickname – Often called the “Doomsday Glacier” due to its potential impact on global sea levels.
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Geography – Sits on land that slopes downward inland, dipping below sea level—making it vulnerable to warm ocean water flowing underneath.
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Role of ice shelf – Acts like a brace that slows the glacier’s movement.
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Current changes – Thwaites is thinning, retreating, and already contributing to sea-level rise.
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Potential impact – If it collapses entirely, it could raise global sea levels by about 0.5 meters.
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Wider risk – It holds back other glaciers in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.
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Global consequences – Higher sea levels will worsen coastal flooding, erosion, and storm surges—threatening cities, ports, and low-lying islands worldwide.
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Social Issues
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New Aadhaar App
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It is a next-generation mobile application.
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Objective – To provide Aadhaar Number Holders (ANH) with a secure, convenient and privacy-first way to carry, share, show and verify their digital identity.
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Available in – Both android and Apple IOS platforms.
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Advanced functionalities –
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Face verification for proof of presence.
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Biometric lock/unlock in a single click.
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Viewing of authentication history.
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QR-based contact card for easy sharing of contact details.
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Hotel check-ins through Offline Verification Seeking Entity’s (OVSE) QR code scanning.
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It facilitates, age gating, hospital admissions for visitors and attendants, event entries, verification of gig workers and service partners among many such use cases.
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Developing offline verification ecosystem.
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“One Family – One App” concept – It allows management of up to 5 Aadhaar profiles on a single device.
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International Relations and Issues
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Hedging in International Relations
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Position – It falls between balancing (resisting a stronger power) and bandwagoning (aligning with it).
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Nature – Not clearly defined, but generally understood as a mix of
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Selective engagement
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Limited resistance
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Partial deference
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Objective – Allows a state to cooperate economically with a potentially adversarial power while simultaneously preparing for possible diplomatic or military confrontation.
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Effect – Helps avoid direct conflict in the short term while keeping options open for the future.
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In short, hedging is a dual-track strategy—working with a rival where beneficial, but quietly building strength to counter them if needed.
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Economy
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Labour Force & Workforce Trends (Jan 2026)
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Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) -
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Overall LFPR (15+ years) – 55.9% in Jan 2026, nearly unchanged from 56.1% in Dec 2025.
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Female LFPR (15+ years) – Steady at 35.1%, same as Nov 2025.
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Workforce Participation Rate (WPR) – After rising steadily from Jun–Dec 2025, WPR dipped slightly to 53.1% in Jan 2026.
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Urban Workforce Participation –
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Unemployment (UR) –
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Agriculture
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Pesticides Management Bill, 2025
Ministry of Agriculture released the draft Pesticides Management Bill, 2025, seeking public comments on the legislation.
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Objectives –
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To replace the Insecticides Act, 1968 and Rules, 1971 with updated, farmer-centric legislation.
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To support both farmers’ ease of living and industry’s ease of doing business.
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Reforms –
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Greater transparency & traceability in pesticide services.
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Use of digital methods & technology to streamline processes.
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Stricter controls on spurious pesticides via higher penalties.
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Key Features –
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Environment
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Chhari-Dhandh Wetland – Ramsar Site Recognition
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Declared as – A Ramsar site on January 31, 2026, Gujarat’s 5th Ramsar Site and the 1st in Kachchh.
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Location & Ecosystem – Spread over 22,700 hectares, it lies at the confluence of desert, grassland, and wetland landscapes, supporting diverse flora and fauna.
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Birdlife -
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Hosts ~283 bird species, including 11 globally threatened and 9 Near Threatened species.
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Attracts thousands of migratory birds annually, notably the Grey Hypocolius.
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Surveys recorded over 50,000 waterbirds, including 40,000 cranes at one site.
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Tourism & Research – Major destination for birdwatchers and ornithologists; 80% of visitors are foreign tourists from 52 countries.
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Conservation history –
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Declared as Gujarat’s 1st Conservation Reserve in 2008.
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Sustained measures include habitat protection, ecological monitoring, and community participation.
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Global Importance –
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Key stopover along the Central Asian Flyway, linking Central Asia with the Indian subcontinent.
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Provides vital feeding and resting grounds for migratory birds from Central Asia, Iran, and Siberia.
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NHAI ‘Bee Corridors’
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First-of-its-kind initiative – Pollinator corridors along National Highways to support honeybees and wild pollinators.
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Shift in approach – From ornamental to ecological plantations with continuous stretches of bee-friendly vegetation.
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Design –
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Mix of trees, shrubs, herbs, grasses.
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Nectar- and pollen-rich species (Neem, Karanj, Mahua, Palash, Bottle Brush, Jamun, Siris).
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Staggered flowering for year-round bloom.
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Inclusion of wild elements (flowering weeds, dead wood, hollow trunks).
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Implementation –
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Corridors developed based on agro-climatic suitability.
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Clusters of flowering trees every 500 m–1 km (matching bee foraging distance).
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At least 3 corridors planned in 2026–27.
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40 lakh trees to be planted, with 60% under Bee Corridor initiative.
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Objective – To enhances pollinator conservation, boosts agriculture & horticulture productivity, and strengthens ecological balance.
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Security
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Trilateral Naval Exercise in Andaman Sea
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Conducted between – Indian Navy, along with Japan and Indonesia.
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Objective – To enhance joint operational readiness, improve interoperability, and strengthen maritime cooperation for a safe and stable region.
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Command – Indian Navy formally took command of Combined Task Force (CTF) 154 under the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF).
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Combined Task Force (CTF) 154
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Established in – May 2023.
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Objectives – To enhancing maritime security through multinational training programs across the Middle East and the wider region.
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To build partner nations' operational capabilities to address common threats, including illegal trafficking, piracy, and irregular migration.
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Exercise – It conducts Regular Maritime Security Enhancement Training (MSET) events, exercises such as Compass Rose and Northern/Southern Readiness.
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Operates alongside CMF's other task forces -
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CTF 150 (Maritime Security),
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CTF 151 (Counter-Piracy),
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CTF 152 (Maritime Security in Arabian Gulf) and
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CTF 153 (Maritime Security in Red Sea).
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Exercise Vajra Ghaat – Key Highlights
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Conducted at – Pokhran Field Firing Range, Jaisalmer under the Southern Command, led by the White Tiger Division.
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Focus on – Validation of refined Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) to boost battlefield survivability and operational effectiveness in desert warfare.
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Key Highlights
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K9 Vajra self-propelled artillery gun system demonstrated speed, precision, and lethality in high-intensity fire missions.
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Integration of advanced surveillance and technology-driven target acquisition enabled real-time engagement of simulated enemy positions.
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Preparedness – It reaffirmed the Army’s ability to conduct integrated combat operations in desert sectors by combining
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Outcome – Strengthened combat posture in the western sector, highlighting synergy between traditional combat arms and emerging technologies.
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