1. What is the MCA21 Portal?

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) recently waived additional filing fees for 13 key e-forms due to a scheduled three-week shutdown of the MCA21 portal to facilitate its migration from Version 2 (V2) to Version 3 (V3) across India.

About MCA21 Portal:

The MCA21 portal, launched by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, offers secure and user-friendly access to its services for professionals, businesses, and the public.

Objective:
It aims to fully automate all processes to ensure proactive compliance with legal provisions under the Companies Act of 1956 and 2013, and the Limited Liability Partnership Act of 2008. The portal supports the business community in fulfilling their statutory obligations efficiently.

It is also designed for interoperability with the National e-Governance Services Delivery Gateway (NSDG).

Key Benefits:

• Streamlined company registration and statutory document filing

• Easy access to public records

• Efficient grievance redressal

• Simplified registration and verification of charges

• Improved compliance and corporate governance

• Enhanced service delivery by MCA staff

Services Offered:

• Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) issuance

• Director Identification Number (DIN) application

• Access to company/LLP master data

• E-filing for LLPs

• LLP services for business users

• New company registration

• Complaint resolution for MCA services

• Document-related services

• Fee and payment processing

• Investor services

2. World Investment Report 2025

India has moved up one position to 15th among the top global FDI destinations in 2024, despite a slight dip in inflows to $27.6 billion, according to the UNCTAD’s World Investment Report 2025.

About the Report:

Published annually by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the World Investment Report analyzes trends in foreign direct investment (FDI) globally and provides insights into policy measures that enhance development impact.

Highlights of the 2025 Report:

• Global FDI dropped 11% in 2024, marking a second consecutive year of decline, indicating a slowdown in productive capital flows.

• Despite a nominal 4% increase in global FDI to $1.5 trillion, this growth was mainly due to volatile conduit flows in some European economies. Excluding these, actual FDI dropped by 11%.

• Investment in SDG-linked sectors in developing nations (like infrastructure, renewable energy, water, and agrifood systems) declined by 25–33%, except for the health sector which showed modest growth.

• FDI in the digital economy increased by 14%, though 80% of digital greenfield projects in the Global South were concentrated in just 10 countries.

• The U.S. remained the top FDI recipient, with inflows rising to $279 billion in 2024 from $233 billion in 2023.

• China dropped to fourth place due to a 29% fall in FDI.

• FDI in Africa surged by 75%, with record greenfield investments in Southeast Asia. India, the Gulf, and Latin America also showed growth momentum.

• Asia attracted $605 billion in FDI, maintaining its position as the top destination, accounting for 40% of global and 70% of developing country FDI.

India’s Performance:

• FDI inflows dropped slightly to $27.6 billion in 2024 from $28.1 billion in 2023, yet India climbed to the 15th global rank.

• India ranked 4th globally in greenfield project announcements with 1,080 projects.

• It secured 97 international project finance deals, placing it in the top five globally.

• Outward FDI from India rose significantly, moving from 23rd to 18th place globally with investments totaling $24 billion in 2024.

3. What is the Gender Budgeting Knowledge Hub?

The Central Government recently launched the Gender Budgeting Knowledge Hub, a digital platform designed to promote gender-sensitive planning across India.

About the Hub:

Developed by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, the portal serves as a centralized resource center for tools, policy briefs, best practices, and gender-disaggregated data to support gender-inclusive planning and budgeting at both central and state levels.

The platform aims to equip policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders with evidence-based tools to ensure gender perspectives are integrated into all stages of the policy cycle.

Gender Budgeting in India:

• Gender budgeting is a strategy for integrating gender perspectives into policymaking through gender-sensitive planning, allocation, and monitoring.

• India introduced gender budgeting in 2005–06 to bridge gender gaps in resource allocation.

• From ₹0.98 lakh crore in 2014–15, the gender budget has increased to ₹4.49 lakh crore in 2025–26—more than fourfold growth in 11 years.

Implementation Framework:

• The Ministry of Women and Child Development leads the effort at the central level.

• State-level implementation involves departments of Women and Child Development, Finance, or Planning.

• District-level structures for women’s empowerment help coordinate local implementation.

• Each hub is required to have at least one gender specialist.

4. Sharavathi Lion-Tailed Macaque Wildlife Sanctuary

Tensions have escalated after the arrest and subsequent release of farmers accused of illegally entering the Sharavathi Lion-Tailed Macaque Wildlife Sanctuary in Shivamogga district with homemade weapons.

About the Sanctuary:

• Located in the Sharavathi River Valley of Sagar taluk, Shivamogga district, Karnataka.

• Part of the Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

• Spanning 431.23 sq. km, including the Linganamakki Reservoir (124 sq. km).

• Formed by merging the Sharavathi Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Aghanashini Lion-Tailed Macaque Conservation Reserve, and nearby reserve forests.

• Bordered by Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary to the southwest.

Ecology:

• The terrain is highly varied, with elevations ranging from 94 m to 1102 m.

• Dominated by tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, moist deciduous forests, and patches of grasslands.

Biodiversity:

• Key species include the endangered lion-tailed macaque (Macaca silenus), endemic to the Western Ghats.

• Other fauna: tiger, leopard, wild dog, jackal, sloth bear, deer species, wild pig, langurs, bonnet macaques, and the Malabar giant squirrel.

• Rich in flora such as Dhoopa, Gulmavu, Surahonne, Mavu, and Nandi trees.

5. What is Merchant Banking?

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) recently permitted merchant bankers to engage in unregulated activities such as consultancy services without forming a separate legal entity.

About Merchant Banking:

Merchant banking refers to specialized financial services offered primarily to corporations and businesses. These services assist in capital raising, investment advisory, and business expansion.

Functions and Role:

• Merchant banks provide expert guidance on mergers, acquisitions, and restructuring.

• They act as intermediaries between companies and investors.

• Offer assistance in private equity investments and strategic business partnerships.

• One of their primary responsibilities is issue management, which includes facilitating the public issuance of shares, debentures, or securities.

Unlike commercial banks, merchant banks do not offer everyday banking services to the public.

Regulatory Framework:

• Regulated by SEBI, which mandates compliance with strict norms regarding conduct, transparency, and conflict-of-interest management.

• Must meet minimum net worth requirements to ensure financial stability.

• Subject to SEBI inspections and audits; violations may result in penalties or suspension of registration.

Key Services:

• Corporate advisory for strategic decisions

• Capital raising via equity or debt instruments

• Investment management for large portfolios

• Underwriting support during public offerings

• Risk management through financial analysis and strategic planning

6. Croatia

Recently, the Indian Prime Minister visited Croatia and acknowledged its support following the Pahalgam terror attack.

Key Facts about Croatia:

• Croatia is situated in southeastern Europe, occupying the northwestern part of the Balkan Peninsula.

• Neighbouring countries: It shares land borders with Slovenia (northwest), Hungary (northeast), Serbia (east), and Bosnia & Herzegovina and Montenegro (southeast).

• To the west, it is bordered by the Adriatic Sea and shares maritime boundaries with Italy.

• Its strategic location along the eastern Adriatic coast makes it an important maritime gateway to Europe.

• The geography comprises fertile plains in the north and low mountains and highlands along the coastline.

• Croatia is a member of both the European Union and NATO.

• Major seaports—Rijeka, Split, and Ploče—are part of the EU’s core Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T).

• Mountain ranges: The Dinaric Alps, along with Velebit and Velika Kapela, extend through the country.

• Climate: Predominantly Mediterranean.

• Rivers: Drava, Krka, and Sava flow through the region.

• Capital: Zagreb—the largest city and Croatia’s administrative, cultural, economic, and transport hub.

7. Extreme Helium Star

Scientists have identified a peculiar stellar object, A980, belonging to the rare category of Extreme Helium (EHe) stars, notable for its unexpectedly high germanium content—a metal not previously observed in such stars.

About Extreme Helium Stars:

• These are low-mass supergiants almost entirely lacking hydrogen.

• Unlike ordinary stars (like the Sun), they consist mainly of helium.

• Believed to form through the merger of a carbon-oxygen white dwarf and a helium white dwarf.

• So far, only 21 EHe stars have been detected in the Milky Way.

• Their effective temperatures range from 8,000 to 35,000 Kelvin.

• The first EHe star, HD 124448, was discovered in 1942 at McDonald Observatory by Daniel M. Popper.

About Germanium:

• Chemical symbol: Ge, Atomic number: 32

• A silvery-gray metalloid, located in Group 14 of the periodic table between silicon and tin.

• Exhibits a diamond-like crystalline structure and shares similarities with silicon.

• Stable in air and water; resistant to most acids and alkalis except nitric acid.

• Major producers: China (around 60% of global output), followed by Canada, Finland, Russia, and the USA.

8. FASTag Annual Pass Scheme

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways recently introduced a FASTag-based annual pass worth ₹3,000 to facilitate seamless travel on national highways.

About the Scheme:

• FASTag is an electronic toll collection system jointly managed by NPCI and NHAI.

• Launched in 2014 and made mandatory for all toll plazas in 2021.

• The Annual Pass allows private vehicles (cars, jeeps, vans) to travel across National Highways and Expressways without per-trip toll charges for up to 200 trips or one year—whichever comes first.

• Users can re-purchase the pass if the 200 trips are completed before the one-year validity ends.

• It is non-transferable and valid only for the vehicle registered with the FASTag.

• Each toll crossing counts as one trip at point-based plazas; one pair of entry and exit at closed plazas counts as a single trip.

• The pass will be available after eligibility verification, and users can pay via the Rajmargyatra mobile app or NHAI website.

9. Global Drought Outlook Report

The OECD has released the Global Drought Outlook Report, highlighting the increasing impact of droughts and the need for enhanced resilience.

Key Insights from the Report:

• 40% of the global land area is now experiencing more frequent and intense droughts.

• Economic costs of droughts are increasing annually by 3% to 7.5%.

• A 35% rise in drought-related economic losses is projected by 2035.

• Since 1980, 37% of land has suffered significant soil moisture loss, with many rivers and aquifers declining.

• Groundwater levels have also fallen widely in recent decades.

• Although droughts constitute only 6% of natural disasters, they cause 34% of disaster-related deaths and intensify displacement—particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.

10. Agarwood

Rising global demand has led to excessive harvesting of agarwood, endangering its natural populations.

About Agarwood:

• Scientifically known as Aquilaria malaccensis, it belongs to the Thymelaeaceae family.

• The tree produces a fragrant, resinous wood in response to infection by a mold species (Phialophora parasitica).

• Known locally as Oud, Gaharu, or Agar, it is regarded as the world’s most expensive incense.

• In the wild, it takes nearly 10 years for a tree to mature.

• Grows naturally in Northeast India, especially in Assam, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Manipur.

• Agartala, the capital of Tripura, derives its name from agarwood trees.

• Referenced in ancient Ayurvedic texts, including the Charaka Samhita, for its medicinal uses.

• India has submitted a Non-Detriment Finding (NDF) to exclude agarwood from CITES Review of Significant Trade (RST).

Conservation Status:

• IUCN: Critically Endangered

• CITES: Appendix II

• Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule IV