About Bitumen:

• It is a dense, highly viscous, petroleum-based hydrocarbon.
• It is found in deposits such as oil sands and pitch lakes (natural bitumen) or is obtained as a residue of the distillation of crude oil.
• Bitumen is primarily used for paving roads and is known as black gold in the pavement industry.
• Properties:
  • It is known for its waterproofing and adhesive properties.
  • It has adhesive properties, and is soluble in carbon disulphide.
  • It is composed of complex hydrocarbons and contains elements like calcium, iron, sulfur, and oxygen.
  • The quality of material and ease of production depends on the source and type of crude oil from which it is derived. 
• Applications:
  • Bitumen is versatile and widely used.
  • It is commonly used in the construction industry, notably for roads and highways.

About Development Policy Financing:

• It provides rapidly disbursing financing to help a borrower address actual or anticipated development financing requirements.
• It supports borrowers in achieving poverty reduction and climate-friendly sustainable and inclusive growth through a program of policy and institutional actions.
  • For example: Strengthening public financial management, improving the investment climate, addressing bottlenecks to improve service delivery, and diversifying the economy. 
• It can be extended as loans, credits/grants, or guarantees.
• It is an initiative of the World Bank.
• Funds are made available to country based on
  • Maintenance of an adequate macroeconomic policy framework, as determined by the Bank with inputs from IMF assessments;    
  • Satisfactory implementation of the overall reform program;
  • Completion of a set of critical policy and institutional actions agreed between the Bank and the client
  • Alignment with the Goals of the Paris Agreement

About Sickle Cell Anaemia:

• It is a group of inherited blood cell disorders that affect hemoglobin, the molecule in red blood cells (RBCs) that delivers oxygen to cells throughout the body. 
• How Does it Affect Blood Flow?
  • Normally, RBCs are disc-shaped and flexible enough to move easily through the blood vessels.
  • People with SCD have atypical hemoglobin molecules called hemoglobin S, which can distort RBCs into a sickle, or crescent, shape.
  • When RBCs sickle, they do not bend or move easily and can block blood flow to the rest of the body.
  • The sickle-shaped cells can also stick to vessel walls, causing a blockage that slows or stops the flow of blood.  
• What causes it?
  • The cause of SCD is a defective gene, called a sickle cell gene.
  • A person will be born with SCD only if two genes are inherited—one from the mother and one from the father.
  • If you are born with one sickle cell gene, it’s called sickle cell trait. People with sickle cell trait are generally healthy, but they can pass the defective gene on to their children. 
• Symptoms:
  • Signs and symptoms of sickle cell disease usually begin in early childhood.
  • Early stage: Extreme tiredness or fussiness from anemia (low number of RBCs), painfully swollen hands and feet, and jaundice.
  • Later stage: Severe pain, anemia, organ damage, and infections.
• Treatments:
  • A bone marrow transplant (stem cell transplant) can cure SCD.
  • However, there are treatments that can help relieve symptoms, lessen complications, and prolong life.
  • Gene therapy is also being explored as another potential cure.

About Norway:

• Location: It is located on the western half of the Scandinavian Peninsula.
• Bordering Countries: It shares land borders with Sweden, Finland and Russia in the east and an extensive coastline facing the North Atlantic Ocean on the west.
• Maritime Border: It is bounded by the Barents Sea in the north, the Norwegian Sea and the North Sea in the west and the Skagerrak (Skager Strait) in the south.
• Capital City: Oslo 
• Geographical Features of Norway:
  • Terrain: About two-thirds of Norway is mountainous, and off its much-indented coastline lie, carved by deep glacial fjords.
  • Highest Point: The highest point in Norway is Galdhopiggen
  • Rivers: Glama, the country's longest, and the Dramselva, Lagen (two of them) and the Tana in the far north.
  • Lakes: Lake Mjosa is the largest Lake.
  • Natural Resources: It has deposits of iron ore, copper, titanium, coal, zinc, lead, nickel, and pyrite, and large offshore reserves of petroleum and natural gas.

About Abhigyan App:

• It is a centralised platform created to support law enforcement in making better use of crime-related data. 
• It is developed by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
• Features of Abhigyan App:
  • It enables field police personnel to access a vast repository of criminal records directly on their smartphones.
  • It is secured with two-step authentication and allows real-time fingerprint identification within seconds, strengthening ground-level policing.
  • It is equipped with features such as fast identification, portability, and access to millions of records.
  • The app is linked to the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS), which stores fingerprint scans of accused, convicts, and those in prisons on a centralised platform.
  • A demonstration of the app showed that prints can be matched with the NAFIS database in 35 seconds.

Key Facts about National Crime Records Bureau:

• It was established in 1986 to act as a repository of information on crime and criminals.
• It was set up based on the recommendations of the Tandon Committee, the National Police Commission (1977-1981) and the Task Force of the Home Ministry.
• Nodal Ministry: It comes under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India.
• Headquarters: New Delhi.

About International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea:

• It is an independent judicial body established by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
• Composition
  • The Tribunal is composed of 21 independent members.
  • Members elected by secret ballot by the States Parties to the Convention.
  • Each State Party may nominate up to two candidates.
  • Term: Members are elected for nine years and may be re-elected; the terms of one third of the members expire every three years.
  • Eligibility of members: Candidates from among persons enjoying the highest reputation for fairness and integrity and of recognized competence in the field of the law of the sea.
• Jurisdiction:
  • It has jurisdiction over any dispute concerning the interpretation or application of the Convention, and over all matters specifically provided for in any other agreement which confers jurisdiction on the Tribunal.
  • Disputes relating to the Convention may concern the delimitation of maritime zones, navigation, conservation and management of the living resources of the sea, protection and preservation of the marine environment and marine scientific research.
  • The Tribunal is open to States Parties to the Convention (i.e. States and international organisations which are parties to the Convention).
  • It is also open to entities other than States Parties, i.e., States or intergovernmental organisations which are not parties to the Convention, and to state enterprises and private entities.
• Headquarter: Hamburg, Germany.

About Kalamkari Painting:

• It is a highly popular form of hand-painted or block-printed cotton textile and paintings, practised in Andhra Pradesh.
• It came up as a textile tradition during the reign of Qutb Shahis at Golconda in the 16-17th century.
• “The word ‘Kalam’ meant pen, while ‘Kari’ meant craftsmanship.
• Kalamkari Painting Techniques:
  • The process of creating Kalamkari begins by soaking the fabric in a mixture of astringents and buffalo milk, followed by drying it in the sun.
  • The outlines of the design in red, black, brown, and violet are drawn using a mordant, after which the cloth is dipped in an alizarin bath.
  • Wax is then applied to the areas that remain undyed, and the fabric is immersed in indigo dye.
  • Once the wax is removed, the remaining areas are hand-painted.
  • Artists use a bamboo or date palm stick with fine hair attached to create design contours, applying natural dyes extracted from roots, leaves, seeds, and minerals like iron and copper.
• Kalamkari Painting Styles: It is broadly divided into two distinct styles based on the regions where the art form developed—Srikalahasti and Machilipatnam.
• Srikalahasti Kalamkari:
  • It is practised in Srikalahasti of Tirupati district and is done entirely by hand using the kalam (pen).
  • This form is characterized by freehand drawing and intricate detailing.
  • Theme: It portrays mythological figures and themes, religious iconography, temple architecture, and Hindu deities.
• Machilipatnam Kalamkari:
  • It is also known as Pedana Kalamkari, developed in Pedana near Machilipatnam.
  • It is deeply influenced by Persian art due to the patronage of the Mughals and the Golconda Sultanate.
  • Theme: It uses block-printing techniques, focusing on floral and geometric designs.

About Brahmani River:

• It is one of the major rivers in eastern India, primarily flowing through the state of Odisha.
• It is formed by the confluence of the Sankh and South Koel rivers near the major industrial town of Rourkela in Odisha.
• Both the sources of the Brahmani River are on the Chota Nagpur Plateau.
• River Basin: The basin flows through Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha states, before it outfalls into the Bay of Bengal.
• Boundary: The Brahmani River basin is bounded in the north by the Chhotanagpur plateau, in the west and south by the Mahanadi basin, and in the east by the Bay of Bengal.
• Tributaries: The principal tributaries of this river are Sankh, Tikra, and Karo.
• The Brahmani delta is the site of the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary, famous for its estuarine crocodiles.
• It is one of the few rivers that cut across the Eastern Ghats and has formed a minor gorge at Rengali in Odisha, where a dam has been built.

Why in news?

In November 2025, India received a 'C' grade — the second-lowest grade — from the IMF for the quality of its national accounts statistics.

In response, the government undertook a wide-ranging overhaul of its key statistical databases over the following months, improving their timeliness, representativeness, accuracy, and coverage across GDP measurement, industrial output, and inflation indices.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• What Got Updated?
• Why Was the Overhaul Necessary?
• Changes to National Accounts (GDP/GVA)
• Changes to Industrial Output (IIP)
• Changes to Inflation Indicators
• Producer Price Index (PPI) — A New Addition

What Got Updated

• Three broad categories of statistical databases were revised:
• 

Why Was the Overhaul Necessary?

• The core problem: India's statistical databases were built on outdated base years and were becoming progressively less representative of economic reality.
  • GDP, GVA, and IIP had a base year of 2011-12.
  • WPI had a base year of 2011-12; CPI had a base year of 2012
  • These reflected household consumption patterns nearly 15 years old.
• Old indices still measured items no longer in common use — DVDs, cassettes, VCRs, tape recorders — while missing modern items like online streaming services, CNG/PNG, and rural house rent that have since become significant in household spending.
• Why Accurate Data Matters?
  • The RBI's Monetary Policy Committee uses CPI to gauge inflation and set interest rates.
  • Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) for government employees are pegged to inflation data.
  • Real GDP growth — the global standard metric for measuring economic growth — is calculated only after adjusting for inflation.
  • Inaccurate base data distorts policymaking across the board.

Changes to National Accounts (GDP/GVA)

• The base year was revised from 2011-12 to 2022-23, making the data far more representative of the current economy.
• Key Methodological Improvements
  • Double Deflator Method - This method adjusts input and output prices separately when estimating real GDP growth — giving a much more accurate picture of how price changes affect different stages of production. Currently applied to agriculture and manufacturing, with plans to extend it to other sectors over time.
• Segregation of Multi-Activity Enterprises - Earlier, if a company operated across multiple sectors, its entire output was attributed to its main sector — distorting sectoral data. Now, output is allocated proportionately across each sector the company actually operates in, giving a more accurate sectoral picture.
• New Data Sources - The revised series now incorporates:
  • GST data
  • Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data
    • These additions, along with improved statistical methodology, are expected to reduce data discrepancies.

Changes to Industrial Output (IIP)

• The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) — which tracks monthly industrial activity and feeds directly into GDP/GVA calculations — was updated as follows:
  • Base year updated to 2022-23
  • Expanded sectoral coverage: now includes gas supply, water supply, sewerage, and waste management activities (in addition to existing sectors)
  • Greater granularity introduced — separately tracking renewable vs. non-renewable electricity sources and different types of minerals produced
• Products – 839 (Old Series); 1,042 (New Series)
• Item groups – 407(Old Series); 463 (New Series)

Changes to Inflation Indicators

Consumer Price Index (CPI) — Retail Inflation

• Base year updated to 2024.
• Item basket and weightages now pegged to the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) 2023-24.
• Categories expanded from 6 groups to 12 categories.
• Total items measured (goods + services) increased from 299 to 358.
• New inclusions: Rural house rent, online media/streaming services, CNG and PNG fuel costs, and improved measurement of telephone charges, rail fare, air fare, and postal charges.
• Removed items: VCRs, DVD players, radios, tape recorders, cassettes — products no longer in common use.

Wholesale Price Index (WPI) — Producer-Level Inflation

• Base year updated to 2022-23.
• Items expanded from 697 to 957.
• Reorganised categorisation — for example, crude petroleum and natural gas moved from "Primary Articles" to the "Fuel and Power" group, aligning them with coal, electricity, and petroleum products.

Producer Price Index (PPI) — A New Addition

• The Commerce Ministry introduced an entirely new index — the PPI — in June 2026, with key distinguishing features:
  • Separately tracks input prices paid by producers and output prices they receive.
  • Excludes transport costs and indirect taxes (which WPI includes) — making it a purer measure of producer-level pricing.
  • Incorporates both goods and services, making it more holistic than WPI.
• The Big Shift: WPI to Be Phased Out
  • The government has indicated that the WPI will be phased out over the next five years, after which CPI and PPI will become India's two principal price indices — aligning India more closely with international statistical practice.

Conclusion

• Numbers shape policy — and outdated numbers shape it badly. By updating base years, refining methodology, and introducing the PPI, India has moved its statistical architecture closer to economic reality and global best practice.
• The real test now lies in sustained data quality, regular updates, and whether this overhaul finally earns India a better IMF grade.