🔆 Maharashtra Gives Legal Recognition to Women Farmers

📍Why in News?
✅ Maharashtra has become the first Indian state to enact the Maharashtra Women Farmers Empowerment Act, 2026, legally recognising and protecting the rights of women farmers.

📍What is it?
✅ The Act seeks to address gender inequalities in access to land, water, credit, agricultural benefits and other productive resources.
✅ It recognises women engaged in agriculture even if they do not own agricultural land.

📍Key Features
✅ Broad Definition of Farmer: Covers women involved in crop cultivation, animal husbandry, poultry, fisheries, agroforestry, vermiculture, mushroom cultivation and primary processing.
✅ Woman Farmer Certificate (WFC): Provides official recognition to women farmers without requiring land ownership.
✅ Digital Registry: Creates a centralised database of certified women farmers.
✅ Dedicated Empowerment Fund: Supports targeted welfare and development programmes.
✅ Institutional Mechanism: Provides for state-level monitoring and high-level policy oversight.

📍Significance
✅ Enables better access to institutional credit, crop insurance and government schemes.
✅ Formally recognises the contribution of landless and marginalised women to agriculture.
✅ Strengthens women’s economic independence and household decision-making power.
✅ Can promote climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture through greater participation of women.

📍Key Challenges
✅ Deep-rooted patriarchal norms and unequal land ownership.
✅ Possible delays in issuing Woman Farmer Certificates.
✅ Digital divide and limited awareness among rural women.
✅ Difficulty in identifying seasonal and migrant women agricultural workers.
✅ Need for effective inter-departmental coordination.

📍Way Forward
✅ Organise village-level WFC enrolment camps and awareness campaigns.
✅ Ensure banks recognise the WFC for accessing agricultural credit.
✅ Provide targeted skill development and agri-technology training.
✅ Strengthen monitoring to ensure benefits actually reach women farmers.

📍Conclusion
✅ Legal recognition of women as independent farmers can transform their access to resources, finance and state support, making Indian agriculture more inclusive, equitable and resilient.

📍SECURE ANSWER WRITING PRACTICE QUESTION
✅ “Women’s identity in Indian society continues to be shaped more by relational roles than by individual autonomy.” Examine. (10 Marks)

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24th July editorial summary

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🔆 CURRENT AFFAIRS – 24 JULY 2026

🔆 POLITY & GOVERNANCE

📍 Supreme Court Reaffirms Right to Effective Legal Aid
✅ Case: Abdul Hameed v. State of Rajasthan
✅ Originated from the 1996 Samleti (Dausa) Bus Bomb Blast case
✅ Supreme Court held that effective legal representation is an integral part of Article 21
✅ Denial of legal aid does not automatically result in acquittal; fresh trial may be the appropriate remedy
✅ Court set aside the conviction and death sentence and ordered a de novo (fresh) trial
✅ Reinforces fair trial and effective legal aid as fundamental constitutional guarantees

🔆 INTERNATIONAL

📍 SOFI Report 2026 Highlights Global Hunger Trends
✅ Africa overtook Asia as the region with the highest number of undernourished people
✅ Africa: 309 million undernourished (20% of population)
✅ Asia: 292 million undernourished
✅ 56.6% of Africa’s population faced moderate or severe food insecurity
✅ Major hunger hotspots: South Sudan, Burundi, Somalia, Central African Republic and Chad
✅ Report jointly released by FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO

📍 France Bans Social Media for Children Below 15
✅ First European Union country to impose a nationwide social media ban for children under 15 years
✅ Law also prohibits mobile phone use in high schools
✅ Similar restrictions are being considered in Spain, Denmark, Greece and the UK
✅ Australia has already approved a similar ban for users under 16 years

🔆 ECONOMY

📍 India Progresses Towards 500 GW Non-Fossil Energy Target
✅ Target: 500 GW non-fossil fuel electricity capacity by 2030
✅ India has achieved 50% installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources
✅ Total non-fossil capacity: 297.36 GW
✅ Renewable Energy: 288.58 GW
✅ Solar: 162.15 GW
✅ Wind: 57.44 GW
✅ India ranks 3rd globally in installed renewable energy capacity

📍 India Emerges as Global Leader in Railway Electrification
✅ 99.6% of India’s Broad Gauge railway network electrified
✅ Ranked 2nd globally, after Switzerland
✅ Ahead of China, Spain, Japan, France and the UK
✅ Rail transport emits around 11.5 g CO₂ per tonne-km, significantly lower than road transport (101 g CO₂ per tonne-km)
✅ Supports cleaner transport and lower fossil fuel consumption

🔆 ENVIRONMENT

📍 Zoopharmacognosy
✅ Study of self-medication behaviour in animals
✅ Animals use plants, soils and insects to prevent or treat illnesses
✅ Examples include:
✅ Apes swallowing rough leaves to remove parasites
✅ Birds lining nests with aromatic leaves to repel pests
✅ Elephants consuming specific plants before childbirth
✅ Provides insights into animal behaviour, ecology and potential medicinal discoveries

🔆 DEFENCE

📍 DRDO Successfully Tests Kusha Missile
✅ Indigenous Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LRSAM)
✅ Maiden flight test conducted from APJ Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha
✅ Designed to intercept fighter aircraft, UAVs, cruise missiles and large aerial targets
✅ Features three interceptor variants (M1, M2 & M3)
✅ Planned engagement ranges: 150 km, 250 km and 350–400 km
✅ Interceptors travel at approximately Mach 5.5
✅ Bridges capability gap between MRSAM and S-400 air defence systems

📍 Samudra Pradakshina
✅ India’s first Tri-Service all-women global circumnavigation sailing expedition
✅ Crew comprised 9 women officers from the Army, Navy and Air Force
✅ Sailed nearly 25,500 nautical miles
✅ Crossed the Equator twice, the International Date Line, and rounded the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Horn and Cape Leeuwin
✅ Undertaken aboard IASV Triveni
✅ Showcases Nari Shakti and joint operational capability of the Armed Forces

🔆 SPORTS

📍 Commonwealth Games 2026
✅ Venue: Glasgow, Scotland
✅ 23rd edition of the Commonwealth Games
✅ Held every 4 years (first held in 1930)
✅ Opened by King Charles III
✅ 74 nations competing across 10 core sports
✅ Features 47 medal events across 6 integrated para-sports
✅ Commonwealth comprises 56 member countries

📍 India Wins First Medal at Commonwealth Games 2026
✅ Lovlina Borgohain assured India’s first medal
✅ Reached the semi-finals in Women’s 75 kg Boxing, guaranteeing at least a Bronze Medal

✅ First Commonwealth Games medal of her career
✅ Previously won medals at the Olympics, World Championships, Asian Games and Asian Championships

#CurrentAffairs

24th July UPSC current affairs

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Jhandu Kumar clinched India's first medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, securing bronze in para powerlifting's men's 72kg category. The Bihar native, a former vegetable vendor's son born with polio, overcame immense adversity. His journey from para athletics to powerlifting, guided by Paralympic medallist Rajinder Singh Rahelu, culminated in this historic achievement, marking a significant milestone for India's para sports.

🔆 DST Scientists Develop Electrolyte Additive for Safer & Affordable Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries

📍 Why in Focus?
Scientists at the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science & Technology (DST), have developed a novel electrolyte additive that significantly improves the performance and lifespan of Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries (AZIBs).

📍 Key Highlights:
✅ Researchers developed a new electrolyte additive BDIM (1,3-bis(1,3-dicarboxypropyl)-1H-imidazole-3-ium chloride) to enhance the stability of Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries (AZIBs).
✅ The additive suppresses hydrogen evolution, corrosion and zinc dendrite formation, improving battery safety, cycle life and charging performance.
✅ AZIBs are emerging as low-cost, safer and sustainable alternatives to Lithium-ion batteries, especially for grid-scale renewable energy storage.
✅ Scientists used advanced techniques such as Ultramicroelectrode (UME) and Fast-Scan Cyclic Voltammetry (FSCV) to study zinc deposition and interfacial charge-transfer mechanisms.
✅ The innovation can support renewable energy integration, backup power systems and sustainable energy infrastructure by reducing battery degradation and maintenance costs.

📍 Challenges / Issues / Implications:
✅ Commercialisation and large-scale manufacturing of advanced battery technologies.
✅ Reducing dependence on imported energy storage technologies and critical minerals.
✅ Scaling affordable, safe and efficient battery storage to support India’s clean energy transition.

✅ Mains Question (GS III | 150 Words):
“Discuss the significance of next-generation battery technologies such as Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries (AZIBs) in achieving India’s renewable energy and energy storage goals. Highlight the challenges in their commercial adoption.”

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10 CRORE FINE, 10 year jail & action within 3 months:
Govt cabinet clears 'Anti Paper Leak Bill'

The state of food security and nutrition in the world SOFI 2026 report

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh to introduce The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha on Monday, July 27

According to the legislative business agenda, he will introduce a Bill to amend the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024