About National Medical Commission (NMC):

• It is a statutory body constituted by the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, which came into force in 2020.
• It replaced the Medical Council of India (MCI) and serves as the top regulatory authority for medical education, medical professionals, and medical institutions in India.
• It grants recognition of medical qualifications, gives accreditation to medical schools, grants registration to medical practitioners, monitors medical practice, and assesses the medical infrastructure in India.
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Functions:
  • Establish Policies and Regulations: Laying down policies to maintain high quality and standards in medical education and making necessary regulations.
  • Regulate Medical Institutions and Professionals: Developing policies to regulate medical institutions, research and professionals.
  • Assess Healthcare Needs: Assessing the requirements in healthcare, including human resources and healthcare infrastructure, and developing a roadmap to meet these needs.
  • Coordinate Autonomous Boards: Promoting, coordinating, and framing guidelines for the proper functioning of the Commission, Autonomous Boards, and State Medical Councils.
  • Ensure Compliance: Ensuring that State Medical Councils comply with the guidelines and regulations framed by the NMC.
  • Exercise Appellate Jurisdiction: Acting as an appellate body for decisions made by the Autonomous Boards.
  • Promote Ethical Conduct: Laying down policies and codes to ensure observance of professional ethics in the medical profession.
  • Frame Fee Guidelines: Framing guidelines for determining fees and other charges for 50% of seats in private medical institutions and deemed universities.
  • Other Powers and Functions: Performing such other functions as may be prescribed.
• Composition:
  • It consists of 33 members, including the Chairperson (medical professionals only), 10 ex-officio members and 22 part-time members.
  • Medical Advisory Council: It provides the platform through which the States or UTs can put forth their views and concerns before the NMC and advises the NMC on measures to determine and maintain minimum standards of medical education.
  • Four autonomous boards:
    • Under-Graduate Medical Education Board
    • Post-Graduate Medical Education Board
    • Medical Assessment and Rating Board
    • Ethics and Medical Registration Board.

About Sawalkote Hydroelectric Project:

• It is a 1,856-MW hydropower plant on the Chenab River in the Udhampur and Ramban districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
• It has been designed as a run-of-the-river scheme located between the Baglihar project upstream and the Salal project downstream, making it part of a continuous chain of hydropower installations on the Chenab.
• It will be the largest hydroelectric project in the Union Territory and one of the biggest in North India.
• It is being built by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).
• It will comprise nine turbines and an underground power station.
• It will produce around 8000 million units of electricity every year.
• By regulating the flow of the Chenab River, the Sawalkote project could contribute to flood mitigation downstream, while also ensuring better water management for agriculture and domestic use.
• It is a key part of India’s plan to fully utilise its share of water from the western rivers under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).
• It is the first major hydropower project on the Indus river to be accorded environmental clearance following India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in 2025, following the Pahalgam terror attack.

About Psammophaga holzmannae and Psammophaga sinhai:

• They are two new species of microscopic marine organisms that selectively pick up and swallow specific mineral grains from the seafloor.
• They were found at Rajapuri Creek in Raigad district along Maharashtra’s Konkan coast.
• Psammophaga is a type of foraminifera, a group of microscopic organisms commonly found in oceans.
• The name comes from Greek words meaning 'sand eater'.
• Unlike many foraminifera that have hard, multi-chambered shells, these organisms have just one chamber and a soft wall made mainly of very fine clay particles.
• The most interesting discovery was what the organisms choose to eat.
  • Both species selectively take in heavy minerals containing titanium and iron. These include ilmenite and magnetite.
  • This is important because these minerals occur only in small amounts in the surrounding sediment.
• How do they do it?
  • Psammophaga uses thin, temporary hair-like extensions called granuloreticulopodia.
  • These extend from the aperture and help the organism interact with the surrounding sediment.
  • Scientists believe these extensions may help the organism detect differences between mineral grains, although the exact mechanism is still not known.

About Methamphetamine:

• It is a powerful, highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system.
• It is also known as meth, chalk, ice, and crystal.
• It was developed early in the 20th century from its parent drug, amphetamine, and was used originally in nasal decongestants and bronchial inhalers.
• Properties of Methamphetamine:
  • It is a member of the class of amphetamines.
  • It takes the form of a white, odorless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder that easily dissolves in water or alcohol.
  • It has a role as a neurotoxin, a psychotropic drug, a central nervous system stimulant, a xenobiotic and an environmental contaminant.
• Impact of Methamphetamine on Humans:
  • It causes increased activity and talkativeness, decreased appetite, and a pleasurable sense of well-being or euphoria. 
  • The use of methamphetamine in higher doses can induce psychosis, bleeding in the brain, skeletal muscle breakdown, and seizures.

About Glyphosate:

• It is a widely used herbicide that can kill certain weeds and grasses.
• It is considered a broad-spectrum herbicide, meaning it can effectively control a wide variety of plants, including grasses, broadleaf plants, and woody plants.
• Impact of Glyphosate:
  • Herbicidal Action: It works by inhibiting an enzyme called EPSP synthase, which is essential for the synthesis of certain amino acids that plants need for growth.
    • It disrupts this enzyme; glyphosate interferes with the plant’s ability to produce proteins, leading to the eventual death of the plant.
  • Broad-Spectrum: It is effective only on plants that grow above the water.
    • It will not be effective on plants that are submerged or have most of their foliage underwater, nor will it control regrowth from seed.
  • It is degraded in soil and water by microbes and binds tightly to soil particles, which prevents the leaching of glyphosate into groundwater.
  • It does not degrade quickly in plants. As a result, it is possible that glyphosate residues can occur in food products.

About Friends of MY Bharat’ Initiative:

• It is an initiative of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
• It strengthens engagement with Indian-origin youth living across the world and provides them opportunities to participate in India’s nation-building and youth-led programmes.
• It is developed through Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat) platform.
• Features of Friends of MY Bharat’ Initiative:
  • Global Youth Engagement: It will enable Indian-origin students, young professionals and other youth residing outside India to access information about nation-building activities, volunteering opportunities and youth programmes hosted on the MY Bharat platform.
  • Volunteering opportunities: It will also provide information on volunteering opportunities in areas such as education, environmental protection, health awareness, disaster relief and cultural preservation. 
  • A dedicated ‘Know Your India’ section will offer curated information on India’s culture, heritage, history, tourism, travel and prominent leaders. 
  • The initiative seeks to channel the ideas, skills, experiences and aspirations of global Indian youth towards India’s development journey.

What is MY Bharat Platform?

• MY Bharat (Mera Yuva Bharat) was launched in  2023 under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
• The initiative aims to place youth at the centre of nation-building by providing opportunities for volunteering, skill development, leadership and civic participation.
• It serves as a digital platform that connects the Government, educational institutions, non-profit organisations and industry to create meaningful youth engagement.

About Impatiens Nimspurjai:

• It is a new plant species of the touch-me-not family.
• It is endemic to western Nepal.
• It was named in honour of the celebrated Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja.
• Its botanical name combines "Nims Purja" with "jai", the Nepali word for jasmine.
• Habitat: It grows on moist, humus rich slopes in temperate forest and forest-edge habitats.
• It is closely related to Impatiens radiata, I. harae, and I. wallichii, other balsams native to the Himalayan region.
• Characteristics of Impatiens Nimspurjai:
  • It has sessile oblong-lanceolate leaves.
  • It is an annual herb reaching up to nearly a metre in height.
  • It is distinguished by its sessile, oblong to lanceolate leaves and small clusters of flowers flushed with yellow and tinged purple.

About Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary:

• Location: It is located in the West Bengal.
• It is one of the oldest sanctuaries in India, having been established in 1915.
• It is nestled in the biogeographic zone of Gangetic plain.
• It is actually the south east extension of the Singalila National Park.
• Vegetation: It mainly consists of Temperate and alpine forest.
• Flora: The forest has different kinds of trees and plantation including oak, pines and birch.
• Fauna: It provides habitat for barking deer, wild boar, Himalayan black bear, Indian leopard, jungle cat, rhesus monkey, Assam macaque, Himalayan flying squirrel.

What is Melanism?

• It is the advanced version of the dark-coloured pigment called melanin found in the skin, hair, fur or feathers of various organisms.
• It is supposedly the outcome of a genetic mutation, but can also occur due to peculiar temperature changes during gestation.
  • Melanistic Leopard is simply a leopard with a unique genetic trait which makes its coat appear almost completely black.

Why in news?

A recent Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs report, "India's Role and Presence in the Arctic and Antarctic Regions," has highlighted a widening gap between India's Arctic ambitions and its actual capabilities — coming close on the heels of India's Arctic Policy, 2022.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• India's Arctic Credentials
• Why India Needs an Arctic Narrative: Climate Security?
• Geopolitical Stakes
• Institutional and Capability Gaps

India's Arctic Credentials

• India's Arctic engagement dates back over a century: as part of the British Dominion, it was among the original 14 signatories of the 1920 Svalbard Treaty, which entitles Indians to visit the Svalbard archipelago without a visa and undertake commercial activities there.
• Today, India remains one of only two developing countries with a permanent scientific presence in the Arctic, through its Himadri research station in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard.
• However, engagement has largely stayed confined to scientific research, even as the Arctic evolves into a convergence point for climate change and geopolitics.

Why India Needs an Arctic Narrative: Climate Security

• Monsoon linkage: Agriculture contributes about 18% of India's GDP and supports over half its population, with nearly 70% of annual rainfall coming from the southwest monsoon.
  • Emerging research points to an Arctic-Indian monsoon teleconnection, where Arctic warming and shrinking sea ice alter atmospheric circulation patterns affecting South Asian rainfall.
• Sea-level rise: The Arctic is a major driver of global sea-level rise, threatening low-lying nations like the Maldives and large parts of Bangladesh and India's coastline.
  • Estimates suggest over 250 million people in vulnerable South Asian coastal regions could be affected by mid-century — a challenge with direct implications for migration, humanitarian response, and national security.

Geopolitical Stakes

• Two of India's closest strategic partners, the US and Russia, are Arctic nations, while China — despite being a non-Arctic state — has invested heavily in Arctic infrastructure, research, and shipping.
• The Arctic is emerging as a zone of great-power competition over maritime access, energy security, and critical mineral supply chains.
• India enjoys goodwill with all eight Arctic states, reinforced by the recent India-Nordic Summit (covering Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland) and improving ties with Canada — a diplomatic advantage few other countries possess.

Institutional and Capability Gaps

• No Dedicated Polar Ambassador
  • Arctic affairs responsibility is fragmented across four different divisions within the Ministry of External Affairs, hampering coherent policy-making.
  • All Arctic states, and even non-Arctic states like Singapore, have dedicated Arctic envoys — India does not, despite having a formal Arctic Policy.
• Absence of a Polar Research Vessel (PRV)
  • Without an ice-class research vessel, India's Arctic research remains confined largely to Svalbard, dependent on foreign collaboration or chartered vessels — limiting research continuity and scheduling flexibility.
  • Though a PRV was sanctioned by the Union Cabinet in 2014, it remains undelivered, with current plans pushing completion to the end of this decade.
  • In contrast, China acquired a second-hand Ukrainian icebreaker (Xuelong/"Snow Dragon") as an interim measure and now operates multiple polar vessels, including a nuclear icebreaker under construction — a model India could emulate.
• Inadequate Funding
  • India spent just Rs 17.53 crore on Arctic activities in 2024-25 — less than one-tenth of its Antarctic spending, and less than the cost of building a single kilometre of flyover.
  • This is seen as disproportionately low for a region influencing sea-level rise along India's 11,098-km coastline and holding major climate and geopolitical significance.

Conclusion

India possesses historic legitimacy, scientific presence, and diplomatic goodwill in the Arctic, but its institutional structures and budgetary commitments do not match its strategic interests.

With the 2022 Arctic Policy providing the framework and the Parliamentary Committee identifying the gaps, the urgent task now is to convert policy intent into concrete capability — through a Polar Ambassador, a dedicated research vessel, and adequate funding — to secure India's long-term climate and geopolitical interests in the region.