Forest ServicesDaily Current Affairs — 13 April 2026
5 articles • UPSC Prelims & Mains
Light Pollution: Rising Threat from Artificial Light at Night (ALAN)
Context A study published in the journal Nature has found that artificial light at night increased by 16% globally between 2014 and 2022. What Is Light Pollution? Light pollution is the human-made alteration of outdoor light levels from those occurring naturally.
New Framework For Identifying Upper Layer NBFCs (NBFC-ULs)
In News The RBI released draft amendment directions to revise the methodology for identifying Non-Banking Financial Companies aiming to enhance transparency, simplicity, and regulatory parity. About The current Scale Based Regulatory (SBR) Framework for NBFCs prescribes a two-pronged methodology for identification of NBFC-UL viz. Top ten eligible NBFCs by asset size and parametric scoring methodology.
India’s Payment Revolution
Context Indias digital payment ecosystem hit a new milestone in January 2026, recording 21.70 billion transactions valued at ₹28.33 lakh crore, the highest ever logged. Background The early 2000s marked the beginning of digital transformation with systems like RTGS (Real-Time Gross Settlement-introduced in 2004) and IMPS (Immediate Payment Service-introduced in 2010). Although these systems enabled faster transactions, their benefits were limited to people already connected to the formal banking
Importance of Biotechnology in Traditional Farming Practices
Context With the agriculture industry projected to grow 2.5 times by 2033, biotech experts underscored the growing importance of agri-biotechnology in the coming years. What is Climate-resilient Agriculture (CRA)? Climate-resilient agriculture uses a range of biotechnology and complementary technologies to guide farming practices and reduce dependence on chemical inputs, while maintaining or improving productivity.
Reserve Bank of India Suggests New Safety Measures to Prevent Digital Frauds
Context In order to curb digital fraud, the Reserve Bank of India has released a discussion paper suggesting additional measures to prevent digital fraud. The RBI Measures: A time lag of 1 hour for the completion of digital payments of more than 10 thousand rupees. During this period, the payer’s bank would provisionally debit the customer’s account, and the Customer would retain the option to cancel the transaction for any reason.