NATIONAL – DIARY OF EVENTS

India orders refiners to boost LPG production

- Context: In the wake of the escalating war in the Middle East, the central government has issued an emergency order to oil refineries to increase LPG production to prevent a shortage of cooking gas in India.

The order has been issued using the emergency powers granted under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.

The central government has instructed all public and private oil refineries to increase LPG production using chemicals like propane and butane.

At the same time, refineries have been banned from using these chemicals to manufacture petrochemicals.

Indian Cities Exceed PM2.5 Limits

Context: 204 out of 238 Indian cities recorded average PM2.5 levels above the Indian standard of 40 µg/m³ during the last winter, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data analysed by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).

- Ghaziabad was the most polluted city with an average PM2.5 level of 172 µg/m³, followed by Noida (166 µg/m³) and Delhi (163 µg/m³).

The analysis used data from Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) of CPCB from October 1, 2025 to February 28, 2026.

No city met the World Health Organization (WHO) PM2.5 standard of 5 µg/m³.
Among major Indian cities, Delhi (163 µg/m³), Kolkata (78 µg/m³), Mumbai (48 µg/m³), and Chennai (44 µg/m³) recorded winter PM2.5 levels above the national standard, while Bengaluru (39 µg/m³) was slightly below the limit.
Chamarajanagar in Karnataka was the cleanest city with an average PM2.5 level of 19 µg/m³.
Among the 10 cleanest cities, eight were from Karnataka, and one each from Madhya Pradesh and Meghalaya.

NITI Aayog – UNICEF Partnership to Improve Maternal and Child Nutrition

Context: NITI Aayog and UNICEF India signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) to strengthen health and nutrition conditions in Aspirational Districts and Aspirational Blocks.

The partnership is aimed at improving the nutritional status of mothers and children in underdeveloped and underserved areas of the country.

- It is intended to speed up development progress under the Aspirational Districts Programme and Aspirational Blocks Programme.

The initiative will focus on upgrading Anganwadi infrastructure, strengthening the capacity of frontline workers, increasing the use of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), and promoting nutrition awareness among communities.

- Through UNICEF’s IMPAct4Nutrition (I4N) platform, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds will be directed towards community-level nutrition programmes.

The collaboration encourages evidence-based nutrition strategies to improve public health and contribute to building a healthy and productive population in line with India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.

Aspirational Districts Programme (2018)

It is launched by the NITI Aayog
It aims to improving key social and economic indicators in 112 districts by ensuring better coordination between central and state government schemes.

Aspirational Blocks Programme (2023)

It is launched by the NITI Aayog on January 7, 2023.
It is a decentralised governance model created to strengthen service delivery and ensure complete access to essential government services in 500 blocks.

India’s first riverine lighthouses

- Context: The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) is indeed constructing India’s first set of riverine lighthouses along the Brahmaputra River in Assam to enhance navigation on National Waterway-2.
- The initiative aims to ensure safe round-the-clock inland navigation and encourage river tourism along the Brahmaputra waterway.

The project is being implemented jointly by the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships and the Inland Waterways Authority of India.

Four lighthouses will be established at Bogibeel, Pandu, and Silghat on the south bank, and Biswanath Ghat on the north bank.
These lighthouses will operate on solar energy and include sensors to monitor weather and river conditions for better navigation safety.
The project will support cargo transport on National Waterway-2 and help lower logistics costs in Northeast India.
National Waterway 2 is situated on the Brahmaputra River in Assam.
It extends for around 891 km from Dhubri to Sadiya.

India’s Commitment to Eliminate Cervical Cancer

- Context : The Union Health Minister reiterated India’s commitment to achieving the World Health Organization 90-70-90 targets for the elimination of Cervical Cancer by 2030.
- The goal is to ensure 90% of girls receive the complete course of the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine before the age of 15.
- It also aims for 70% of women to be screened with a reliable test by age 35 and again by age 45.
- Additionally, 90% of women with precancerous conditions should receive treatment, and 90% of women with invasive cervical cancer should be provided proper medical care.

HPV Vaccination

It is launched on February 28, 2026, aims to immunise around 12 million 14-year-old girls each year.

Under the programme, the Gardasil Quadrivalent will be provided free of cost in a single dose to protect against Human Papillomavirus infection.

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