Daily Current Affairs — 31 January 2026
7 articles • UPSC Prelims & Mains
Proposal to Accelerate the Development of Hydro Pumped-storage Projects (PSPs)
In News The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has proposed a regulatory overhaul to accelerate the development of hydro pumped-storage projects (PSPs). Background Eco-sensitive zones (ESZs) protect fragile ecosystems, and currently PSPs and hydropower projects are banned within ESZs and a 10-km buffer around protected areas. Environmental concerns and local protests in states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra’s Western Ghats highlight risks to forests and wildlife.
Space Spinoffs
Context Space exploration has generated powerful healthcare spinoffs forming an invisible backbone of modern diagnostics, medical devices, and healthcare delivery systems on Earth. What are Space Spinoffs? Space spinoffs are civilian applications of technologies originally developed for space missions.
Amendments to New Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules, 2019
Context The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has notified key amendments to the New Drugs and Clinical Trials (NDCT) Rules, 2019, to reduce regulatory burden and promote ease of doing business. Rational behind the reforms India is one of the worlds largest suppliers of generic medicines and vaccines, accounting for nearly 20% of global generic drug exports by volume, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Issue: The industry stakeholders have long flagged lengthy regulatory
Use of Stem Cells to Treat Autism Unethical: SC
In News The Supreme Court of India (SC) ruled that offering Stem Cell Therapy (SCT) as a routine clinical treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is unethical and constitutes medical malpractice. Why Did the Supreme Court Term It Unethical? Lack of Scientific Evidence: There is no conclusive clinical proof that stem cell therapy can improve or cure autism and when a procedure lacks a scientific standard of care, a practitioner cannot provide adequate information regarding risks and outcomes
Green Steel & India’s Climate Goals Trajectory
Context India pledged and committed to submitting a revised and more ambitious Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) at COP30 in Belém with a clear plan for economy-wide decarbonisation, especially in the steel sector. Why Steel Matters? Steel is a critical component of Indias eight core infrastructure industries, holding a significant weight of 17.92% in the Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI).
Menstrual Health Fundamental Right under Article 21: SC
Context In Dr. Jaya Thakur v. Union of India, the Supreme Court has ruled that the right to menstrual hygiene is an integral part of the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution.
Economic Survey: India Must Shift to Entrepreneurial State
Context The Economic Survey 2025-26 borrows a phrase from Mariana Mazzucato to describe what Indian governance must become: an Entrepreneurial State. What is an Entrepreneurial State? It is a deeper shift towards entrepreneurial policymaking under uncertainty: a state that can act before certainty emerges, structures risk rather than avoiding it, learns systematically from experimentation, and corrects course without paralysis.