Current Affairs 27 January 2026

Content

1. Karnataka Government to Set Up Gig Workers’ Welfare Board
2. LR-AShM: India’s Hypersonic Glide Missile Capability
3. Expectations from a Gender Lens in Budget 2026–27
4. The Issues Surrounding Governors’ Address
5. India Has Most Road Accident Deaths in the World: Can ‘Talking Cars’ Curb These?
6. ExoMiner++: Planet Spotter

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Karnataka Government to Set Up Gig Workers’ Welfare Board

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Context and Significance

• Karnataka government has decided to operationalise the Gig Workers’ Welfare Board under the Karnataka Platform-based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Act.
• The move addresses regulatory gaps in platform-based employment, recognising gig workers as a distinct labour category requiring statutory social security mechanisms.

International Solar Alliance (ISA): Core Facts

Establishment and Institutional Profile

• ISA was launched in 2015 on the sidelines of COP21 (Paris) by India and France.
• It became a treaty-based intergovernmental organisation in 2018, after ratification by required member states.
• Headquarters: Gurugram, Haryana, India.
• Membership: Over 120 countries, primarily tropical and developing nations across Africa, Asia, and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

Mandate and Functional Role of ISA

What ISA Does (and Does Not Do) ?

• ISA does not directly build solar plants; instead, it focuses on risk mitigation, standard-setting, capacity building, and mobilisation of finance.
• It acts as a platform aggregator, linking governments, multilateral banks, private investors, and technology providers.
• Key objective: Reduce cost of capital for solar projects in developing economies.

U.S. Exit: Financial vs Confidence Impact

Limited Financial Impact

• The U.S. joined ISA only in 2021 and contributed around $2.1 million over three years.
• This constituted ~1% of ISA’s total funds, making direct financial disruption negligible.
• India and ISA officials have clarified that ongoing programmes, training, and capacity-building initiatives will continue.

Confidence and Signalling Effect

• Withdrawal sends a negative signal to global lenders and investors, especially in risk-sensitive developing markets.
• Climate economics is driven not only by funds, but also by credibility, long-term commitment, and policy certainty.

Impact on India’s Solar Manufacturing and Projects

Domestic Manufacturing Capacity

• India is now largely self-reliant in solar modules and components, supported by PLI schemes, customs duties, and domestic demand.
• India does not depend on U.S. supply chains for panels or critical equipment.
• Hence, solar power costs in India are unlikely to rise due to U.S. exit.

Employment and Investment

• Most Indian solar projects are backed by long-term PPAs with SECI and state DISCOMs, insulating them from global political shifts.
• Jobs and domestic investments remain structurally secure.

Potential Upside for Indian Industry

• With the U.S. slowing renewable approvals domestically and facing supply tensions with China and Mexico, Indian manufacturers may find export and relocation opportunities.
• Outcomes depend on progress in India–U.S. bilateral trade negotiations and alignment with U.S. technical standards.

Real Risk Zone: Africa and Poorer Developing Countries

Financing Constraints

• ISA’s core work is concentrated in Africa and least-developed countries, which rely heavily on concessional finance and multilateral confidence.
• U.S. retreat from climate platforms may make lenders more risk-averse, slowing project approvals and financial closures.

Spillover Effects on India

• Indian solar developers seeking overseas expansion through ISA-supported projects may face delays.
• Slower solar deployment in Africa weakens South–South cooperation momentum.

Strategic and Diplomatic Implications for India

• ISA is a key pillar of India’s Global South diplomacy and climate leadership.
• U.S. exit removes an influential partner but does not alter leadership structure—India remains the anchor.
• India’s role shifts from agenda-setter to system-sustainer, increasing responsibility for credibility and delivery.

Broader Global Governance Signal

• The episode reflects fragmentation of global climate governance, where multilateral cooperation weakens amid geopolitical realignments.
• Climate action increasingly depends on coalitions of the willing, regional platforms, and middle-power leadership.

Way Forward

• India should strengthen ISA by crowding in MDBs, development finance institutions, and private capital.
• Expand ISA’s role in blended finance, guarantees, and project preparation facilities.
• Use ISA as a tool for technology diffusion, standards harmonisation, and South–South cooperation.
• Diversify partnerships beyond traditional Western donors to ensure resilience.

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LR-AShM: India’s Hypersonic Glide Missile Capability

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Context and Strategic Significance

• The LR-AShM (Long Range Anti-Ship Missile) hypersonic glide vehicle was showcased during the 77th Republic Day Parade, signalling India’s entry into advanced hypersonic strike capabilities.
• Developed by DRDO, LR-AShM strengthens India’s maritime strike, deterrence, and anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) posture, particularly in the Indo-Pacific security environment.

What is LR-AShM?

Hypersonic Glide Missile System

• LR-AShM is a hypersonic glide missile designed to meet Indian Navy requirements, capable of engaging static and moving targets at sea.
• It combines hypersonic speed (Mach 5+), high manoeuvrability, and precision strike capability, complicating adversary detection and interception.

Technical Features and Performance

Speed, Range, and Flight Profile

• The missile travels at Mach 5 or higher, maintaining hypersonic velocity throughout most of its trajectory.
• It has a range of around 1,500 km, enabling deep maritime strike without exposing naval platforms.
• The missile can cover this distance in approximately 15 minutes, drastically reducing enemy reaction time.

Two-Stage Propulsion System

• LR-AShM uses a two-stage solid rocket booster to accelerate the vehicle to hypersonic speeds.
• After separation, the hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) continues flight within the atmosphere using kinetic energy and aerodynamic lift.

Manoeuvrability and Survivability

Difficult to Detect and Intercept

• Unlike ballistic missiles, LR-AShM follows a low-altitude, non-ballistic trajectory, reducing radar detection and early warning time.
• High manoeuvrability allows mid-course course correction, evading missile defence systems designed for predictable ballistic paths.

Guidance and Targeting

Precision Strike Capability

• The missile is equipped with advanced navigation, guidance, and control systems, enabling precision strikes against moving maritime targets.
• Terminal-phase manoeuvres enhance hit probability against high-value naval assets, including aircraft carriers and destroyers.

Operational and Military Significance

Maritime Deterrence and A2/AD

• LR-AShM significantly enhances India’s anti-ship warfare capability, strengthening deterrence in critical sea lanes.
• It reduces adversary freedom of manoeuvre by creating high-risk zones for hostile naval deployments.

Strategic Balance and Global Context

• Hypersonic weapons are currently operational with few countries, including the U.S., China, and Russia.
• India’s progress places it among a select group of hypersonic-capable powers, enhancing strategic credibility.

DRDO’s Hypersonic Ecosystem

Complementary Hypersonic Programmes

• DRDO is simultaneously developing hypersonic cruise missiles (HCMs) and air-breathing scramjet technologies.
• Hypersonic cruise missiles rely on scramjet engines, enabling sustained powered flight within the atmosphere at Mach 5+.

Comparison: Glide vs Cruise Hypersonic Missiles

Hypersonic Glide Vehicles (HGVs)

• HGVs are boosted by rockets, then glide unpowered at hypersonic speeds with high manoeuvrability.
• They are relatively simpler than scramjet-powered systems and suitable for long-range precision strikes.

Hypersonic Cruise Missiles

• Hypersonic cruise missiles use scramjet propulsion, sustaining powered flight at hypersonic speeds.
• They are technologically complex, requiring advanced materials, thermal management, and combustion stability.

Challenges and Limitations

• Development involves challenges in thermal protection, guidance accuracy at hypersonic speeds, and integration with naval platforms.
• Counter-hypersonic defence systems globally remain limited, increasing strategic instability risks.

Way Forward

• Accelerate testing and induction of LR-AShM variants with longer ranges (up to 3,500 km).
• Integrate with satellite-based maritime domain awareness, naval sensors, and network-centric warfare systems.
• Continue parallel development of hypersonic cruise and scramjet technologies to maintain long-term strategic edge.

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Expectations from a Gender Lens in Budget 2026–27

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Context and Core Argument

• Budget 2026–27 is expected to address women’s time poverty, a structural constraint limiting female labour force participation, productivity, and equitable inclusion in India’s growth trajectory.
• Gender inequality persists not due to lower female contribution, but because unpaid care work and mobility constraints restrict women’s access to paid employment and skills.

Data Snapshot: Women, Work, and Time Poverty

Labour Force Participation and Unpaid Work

• Nearly 60% of women remain outside the labour force, despite forming a large share of agricultural and informal workers.
• Time Use Survey shows women’s unpaid domestic work rose from 364 minutes/day (2019) to 366 minutes/day (2024).
• Women’s paid work time increased marginally from 68 to 76 minutes/day, indicating persistent imbalance.

Structural Causes of Women’s Time Poverty

Care Burden and Mobility Constraints

• Childcare, eldercare, and domestic responsibilities disproportionately fall on women, limiting time for paid work or skilling.
• Poor access to safe transport, sanitation, drinking water, and energy increases daily time spent on basic survival tasks.

Gender Budgeting: Concept and Limits

Gender Budget as an Enabling Tool

• Gender budgeting is not welfare spending but a public finance instrument to redistribute time, opportunity, and outcomes.
• India’s gender budget has expanded to 8.9% of total Union Budget (2024–25), highest so far.

Quality vs Quantity Problem

• Nearly 75% of allocations fall under Part B (30–99% women beneficiaries), diluting targeted impact.
• Many schemes are re-labelled as “gender-responsive” without addressing women-specific barriers.

Reimagining Schemes Through a Time-Use Lens

Infrastructure that Saves Women’s Time

• Investments in piped drinking water, sanitation, electricity, clean cooking energy, and rooftop solar reduce unpaid labour.
• Convergence across Jal Jeevan Mission, Swachh Bharat, Ujjwala, and rooftop solar is critical for time savings.

Care Economy and Social Infrastructure

Strengthening Childcare and Nutrition Systems

• Anganwadis, creches, and POSHAN schemes suffer from infrastructure gaps and fragmented implementation.
• Expanding care infrastructure converts unpaid care into social responsibility, freeing women’s productive time.

Employment-Centric Gender Budgeting

Linking Budget to Job Creation

• Employment-linked incentive schemes should set explicit targets—at least 50% of new jobs for women.
• Subsidies for enterprises hiring women should be coupled with social security and childcare support.

Rural Women and MGNREGA Reforms

Enhancing Workdays and Care Integration

• MGNREGA employs a high share of women but remains capped at 100 days in most cases.
• Proposal to expand to 125 days, with on-site childcare, addresses both income and care constraints.

Women Entrepreneurship and MSMEs

Credit, Scale, and Market Access

• Women own nearly 60% of MSMEs, yet most are informal, micro-scale, and under-capitalised.
• Only 9% of MSME credit flows to women-owned enterprises.
• Simplified credit access, market linkage, and transition support are required for scale.

Skills for a Digital and AI Economy

Gendered Skilling Priorities

• Budget must prepare women for AI, digital platforms, and emerging sectors, not only traditional livelihoods.
• Allocation of ₹660 crore for gender support under the IndiaAI Mission (2025–26) signals intent.
• Success depends on outcome-based metrics, not enrolment numbers alone.

Governance and Accountability Gaps

• Gender budgeting often measures money spent, not time saved, income gained, or agency enhanced.
• Lack of disaggregated outcome tracking weakens accountability across ministries.

Way Forward: Budget 2026–27 Priorities

• Shift from women-centric spending to women-centric outcomes, especially time release and labour participation.
• Institutionalise Time Use Surveys in budget planning and scheme design.
• Expand care infrastructure as economic investment, not social expenditure.
• Align gender budgeting with employment, skilling, and digital transformation strategies.

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The Issues Surrounding Governors’ Address

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Context and Significance

• Recent controversies in Opposition-ruled States over Governors skipping, delaying, or modifying the annual address have revived debates on constitutional propriety, federalism, and neutrality of the Governor’s office.
• The issue goes beyond ceremony, touching the balance between elected governments and constitutional heads within India’s federal structure.

Constitutional Framework

Article 175: Governor’s Address

• Article 175(1) empowers the Governor to address either House or both Houses of the State Legislature and send messages on legislative matters.
• The address is not discretionary in substance; it reflects the policies and programmes of the elected Council of Ministers.

Article 176: Mandatory Annual Address

• Article 176(1) mandates the Governor to address the State Legislature at the commencement of the first session each year and after Assembly elections.
• The address is a constitutional obligation, not a political speech, forming part of legislative procedure.

Established Constitutional Practice

Role of the Governor in the Address

• Since 1937 (provincial autonomy), Governors deliver speeches prepared by the Council of Ministers, outlining the government’s agenda.
• The Governor acts as a constitutional head, speaking on the aid and advice of the elected executive.

Supreme Court Clarifications

• In Shamsher Singh v. State of Punjab (1974), the Supreme Court held that the Governor functions on aid and advice, except in narrowly defined discretionary areas.
• The Court reaffirmed that Articles 175 and 176 do not grant policy discretion to Governors.

Nature of the Current Controversy

Deviations from Convention

• Governors in some States have skipped addresses, omitted portions, or delayed delivery, disrupting legislative functioning.
• Such actions depart from long-standing conventions and challenge the neutrality of the Governor’s office.

Federal and Political Dimensions

• Most disputes arise in Opposition-ruled States, intensifying perceptions of partisan conduct by centrally appointed Governors.
• The controversy reflects deeper tensions in Centre–State relations and competitive federalism.

Governance and Legislative Implications

Impact on Legislative Accountability

• The Governor’s address allows legislatures to debate and scrutinise government policies through a Motion of Thanks.
• Skipping or altering the address undermines legislative oversight and democratic accountability.

Institutional Friction

• Frequent confrontations weaken institutional trust and normalise constitutional brinkmanship.
• This risks converting a ceremonial constitutional role into a site of political contestation.

Sarkaria and Punchhi Commission Recommendations

Sarkaria Commission (1988)

• Emphasised that Governors should act as impartial constitutional heads, not agents of the Centre.
• Recommended restraint in discretionary powers and adherence to constitutional conventions.

Punchhi Commission (2010)

• Called for clear guidelines on Governor’s conduct and suggested a more consultative appointment process.
• Highlighted misuse of gubernatorial office as a threat to federal balance.

Underlying Structural Issues

• Ambiguity in the appointment and accountability of Governors creates incentives for politicisation.
• Absence of enforceable conventions allows selective interpretation of constitutional roles.

Way Forward

• Codify constitutional conventions governing the Governor’s address through parliamentary or judicial clarification.
• Reform the appointment process to ensure neutrality, including consultation with States.
• Reinforce Supreme Court precedents to limit discretionary misuse.
• Strengthen federal norms by recognising the primacy of elected governments in policy articulation.

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India Has Most Road Accident Deaths in the World: Can ‘Talking Cars’ Curb These?

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Context and Significance

• India records the highest number of road accident deaths globally, highlighting a severe public safety crisis despite expanding road infrastructure and vehicle penetration.
• The government is exploring Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication systems, or “talking cars”, as a technology-led intervention to reduce accidents.

Scale of the Road Safety Crisis in India

Data and Global Comparison

• India accounts for nearly 11% of global road accident deaths, according to WHO estimates.
• Over 1.7 lakh people die annually in road accidents, with pedestrians, cyclists, and two-wheeler riders most vulnerable.
• Economic cost of road accidents is estimated at 3–5% of India’s GDP, reflecting productivity loss and healthcare burden.

What Are ‘Talking Cars’? (V2X Technology)

Concept and Components

• V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) enables vehicles to communicate with other vehicles, road infrastructure, pedestrians, and networks in real time.
• It includes V2V, V2I, V2P, and V2N, allowing hazard alerts, speed warnings, blind-spot alerts, and collision avoidance.

How V2X Systems Work ?

Technical Architecture

• Vehicles are equipped with on-board units (OBUs) and sensors that transmit data on speed, direction, braking, and location.
• Roadside units (RSUs) relay information within a 300-metre detection range, enabling early warning before human reaction time.

Government Initiative in India

Policy and Institutional Framework

• The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) is working with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on V2X standards.
• A Joint Task Force has been set up, involving MoRTH, DoT, and technology stakeholders, to pilot V2X implementation.

Expected Benefits of V2X Adoption

Road Safety Outcomes

• V2X can significantly reduce rear-end collisions, intersection crashes, and fog-related pile-ups, especially on highways.
• Automated alerts reduce dependence on human reflexes, addressing driver fatigue, distraction, and delayed reaction.

Traffic and Environmental Benefits

• Improved traffic flow reduces congestion, fuel consumption, and emissions, aligning with sustainable mobility goals.
• Real-time data enables smarter traffic management and emergency response coordination.

International Experience

Global Adoption Patterns

• United States has led V2X trials with strong regulatory support and vehicle safety mandates.
• European Union countries like Germany and France are integrating V2X into smart mobility frameworks.
• China is scaling V2X aggressively through smart cities and EV ecosystems.

Challenges in the Indian Context

Infrastructure and Cost Constraints

• V2X requires dense roadside infrastructure, high-quality digital connectivity, and standardised hardware.
• High initial costs may limit adoption in low-end vehicles, which dominate Indian roads.

Privacy and Data Governance Issues

• Continuous vehicle data transmission raises privacy, surveillance, and cybersecurity concerns.
• Absence of a robust data protection and liability framework may slow public acceptance.

Limitations of Technology-Only Solutions

• Majority of Indian road fatalities involve two-wheelers and pedestrians, who may not benefit immediately from V2X.
• Poor road design, enforcement gaps, and behavioural factors remain non-technological determinants of accidents.

Way Forward

• Combine V2X deployment with road engineering improvements, strict enforcement, and behavioural change campaigns.
• Begin with high-risk corridors, expressways, and freight routes through pilot projects.
• Integrate V2X with ADAS, Bharat NCAP, and Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS).
• Develop clear data protection, liability, and interoperability standards before mass rollout.

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ExoMiner++: Planet Spotter

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Context and Significance

• ExoMiner++ is a deep-learning AI model developed by NASA to identify exoplanets from large astronomical datasets, marking growing use of AI in space science.
• It represents a shift from manual, rule-based validation to AI-assisted, scalable discovery, crucial as space telescopes generate massive volumes of data.

What is ExoMiner++?

Evolution from ExoMiner

• ExoMiner++ is the successor to ExoMiner, which analysed Kepler Space Telescope data and validated 370 previously ambiguous exoplanets.
• The upgraded model is trained on both Kepler and TESS datasets, expanding applicability across missions and star systems.

How ExoMiner++ Works ?

Transit Detection Method

• ExoMiner++ analyses light curves, graphs showing stellar brightness over time.
• When a planet transits its star, it causes a temporary dip in brightness, which the model identifies and evaluates.

Filtering False Positives

• Many brightness dips are caused by binary stars, stellar activity, or background objects, not planets.
• ExoMiner++ distinguishes real planetary signals from such false positives with higher accuracy than conventional techniques.

Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI)

Transparency in Decision-Making

• Unlike black-box AI systems, ExoMiner++ is designed as an explainable AI model.
• It provides a confidence score for each candidate and explains why a signal is classified as planetary.

Scientific Utility

• Explainability builds trust among astronomers, enabling human verification rather than replacing scientific judgement.
• It aligns AI outputs with scientific accountability and reproducibility.

Performance and Discoveries

Scale and Efficiency

• ExoMiner++ can analyse thousands of stars simultaneously, far exceeding manual or earlier automated methods.
• Using TESS mission data, it has identified around 7,000 potential exoplanet candidates so far.

Open Science and Collaboration

Open-Source Release

• NASA has released ExoMiner++ as open-source software on GitHub, promoting transparency and global collaboration.
• Researchers worldwide can replicate results, improve algorithms, and apply the model to independent datasets.

Future Mission Integration

• ExoMiner++ is expected to support upcoming missions like the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which will generate even larger datasets.
• The model’s adaptability ensures long-term relevance across future astronomical surveys.

Broader Scientific and Technological Implications

• Demonstrates AI’s role in accelerating scientific discovery, not just commercial applications.
• Highlights convergence of space science, big data, and machine learning.
• Sets precedent for explainable AI adoption in high-stakes scientific research.

Challenges and Limitations

• AI models depend on quality and representativeness of training data, risking bias if datasets are incomplete.
• Final confirmation of exoplanets still requires follow-up observations using spectroscopy and other techniques.

Way Forward

• Combine ExoMiner++ outputs with ground-based and space-based follow-up missions for validation.
• Expand explainable AI frameworks to other domains like galaxy classification and asteroid detection.
• Strengthen international collaboration in AI-driven space exploration.

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