27 July 2026 - "Daily Current Affairs" Updates

United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL)

WHY IN NEWS?  

India hosted an international conference to commemorate 60 years of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL).

What is UNCITRAL?

• UNCITRAL is the principal legal body of the United Nations dealing with international trade law.

• Its work focuses on modernising, harmonising and unifying international commercial law so that legal barriers to global trade are reduced.

Establishment and Legal Basis

• Established by: United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

• Year of establishment: 1966.

• Legal foundation: UNGA Resolution 2205 (XXI), adopted on 17 December 1966.

Core Mandate

• Advance the progressive harmonisation and unification of international trade law.

• Remove or reduce legal obstacles that hinder international trade.

• Make cross-border commercial transactions more predictable and efficient.

• Strengthen the rule of law in international commerce.

Membership and India

• The Commission has 70 Member States elected by the UNGA.

• Each member serves a six-year term.

• Half of the Commission's membership is renewed every three years.

• India is a founding member of UNCITRAL.

How UNCITRAL Functions

• It serves as the UN's primary legal institution for developing international trade law.

• Its work also contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• Participation is also open to non-member States, intergovernmental organisations, international organisations and observer institutions.

• Sessions are held alternately at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA, and the Vienna International Centre in Vienna, Austria.

Electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) Aircraft

WHY IN NEWS?  

An IIT Madras-incubated startup unveiled India's first eVTOL aircraft prototype, marking an important advance in the country's urban air mobility ecosystem.

What is an eVTOL Aircraft?

• An Electric Vertical Take-off and Landing aircraft is a battery-powered aircraft that can take off and land vertically like a helicopter and then transition into forward flight like a conventional fixed-wing aircraft.

• It is designed mainly for low-altitude Urban Air Mobility (UAM).

• Unlike conventional aircraft, it does not need a long runway.

• Most present-day designs are meant to carry a limited number of passengers, usually around 6–8 seats.

Key Features

• Vertical take-off and landing remove the need for airports or long runways.

• Battery-powered operation results in zero direct tailpipe emissions.

• Multiple electrically powered propellers are used instead of one large rotor.

• The aircraft can operate from compact landing zones known as vertiports.

• Design priorities include lower operational noise, higher energy efficiency and improved urban connectivity.

Technology: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP)

• Most eVTOL aircraft use Distributed Electric Propulsion technology.

– Under DEP, several electric motors are integrated into the aircraft's airframe.

– Multiple propellers collectively generate lift as well as forward thrust.

– The system improves energy efficiency, stability, manoeuvrability and aerodynamic performance.

– Motor redundancy can improve safety because the aircraft is not dependent on a single propulsion unit.

Main Components

• Rechargeable battery packs.

• Multiple electric motors.

• Electrically powered propellers or rotors.

• Flight-control and navigation systems.

• A lightweight composite airframe.

Potential Applications

• Air-taxi services.

• Urban Air Mobility.

• Emergency Medical Services.

• Cargo and parcel delivery.

• Disaster relief and emergency response.

• Tourism and recreational flights.

• Surveillance and special operations.

Advantages

• Reduces reliance on road transport and can help ease urban traffic congestion.

• Produces less noise than conventional helicopters.

• Creates no direct operational emissions.

• Enables faster point-to-point travel within cities.

• Requires comparatively limited infrastructure because it can use vertiports.

Key Challenges

• Limited battery energy density and therefore restricted flight range.

• High costs of development and certification.

• Requirement for dedicated vertiport infrastructure.

• Need for safe and efficient air-traffic management in dense urban spaces.

• Requirement for battery-charging and replacement facilities.

• Regulatory approvals and stringent safety certification.

Why it Matters for India

• Represents a major move towards Advanced Air Mobility (AAM).

• Encourages indigenous aerospace innovation under Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat.

• Supports sustainable, low-emission transport.

• Could transform urban commuting, logistics and emergency response.

• Creates new opportunities across the electric aviation ecosystem.

Hedychium zubeengargianum

WHY IN NEWS?  

Botanists from the Botanical Survey of India discovered a new ginger lily species, Hedychium zubeengargianum, in Shillong, Meghalaya.

About the New Species

• Hedychium zubeengargianum is a newly identified ginger lily belonging to the genus Hedychium.

• It was identified by scientists at the Eastern Regional Centre of the Botanical Survey of India in Shillong, Meghalaya.

• The finding emerged after several years of studying an unusual plant growing inside the institute's botanical garden.

Discovery

• The plant had been growing in the BSI Botanical Garden since at least 2018.

• Its original source could not be established because collection records were unavailable.

• Detailed taxonomic examination confirmed that it was a species not previously described by science.

Why the Name?

• The epithet zubeengargianum honours Zubeen Garg, the Meghalaya-born Assamese singer, composer, lyricist and music director, in recognition of his contribution to art and culture.

About the Genus Hedychium

• Members of Hedychium are popularly called ginger lilies.

• The genus belongs to the family Zingiberaceae, commonly known as the ginger family.

• These plants are valued for attractive ornamental flowers, fragrance and ecological importance.

• India has about 41 taxa of Hedychium.

• Most Indian species occur in Northeast India and the Western Ghats.

Distinctive Features

• Compared with its closest relative, Hedychium gracile, the new species has creamy-white and fragrant flowers.

• It bears yellow anthers.

• Its flowering stalk is densely hairy.

• It flowers earlier, mainly during April–May.

Portfolio Management Service (PMS)

WHY IN NEWS?  

SEBI proposed a comprehensive review of the SEBI (Portfolio Managers) Regulations, 2020 to update the PMS framework in response to the sector's rapid expansion.

What is PMS?

• Portfolio Management Service is a professional investment arrangement in which a qualified portfolio manager manages a client's portfolio of financial securities.

• The portfolio is designed around the investor's financial objectives, risk appetite and investment horizon.

Regulatory Framework

• PMS providers must register under the SEBI (Portfolio Managers) Regulations, 2020.

• The service is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India.

Minimum Investment and Eligible Investors

• SEBI prescribes a minimum investment of ₹50 lakh per client.

• PMS is primarily intended for High Net-Worth Individuals, Non-Resident Indians, Hindu Undivided Families and partnership firms.

• Companies, trusts and other eligible entities may also invest, subject to applicable rules.

Types of PMS

1. Discretionary PMS: The portfolio manager independently takes investment decisions on the client's behalf. It suits investors who want professional management with limited personal involvement.

2. Non-Discretionary PMS: The manager recommends investments, but the client makes the final decision for each transaction.

3. Advisory PMS: The manager provides investment advice, while the investor executes the transactions independently.

Key Features

• Professional management: Experienced and qualified portfolio managers manage the investments.

– Investment universe: Portfolios may include equity, debt instruments, mutual fund units and other eligible securities.

• Customised portfolio: The strategy is tailored to the client's objectives, risk profile, liquidity needs and investment horizon.

• Direct ownership: The investor directly owns the portfolio securities, which are held in the investor's own demat account, unlike units in a mutual fund.

• Transparency: Clients receive regular portfolio statements, performance reports, fee disclosures and risk disclosures.

Advantages

• Professional portfolio management.

• Personalised investment strategies.

• Greater flexibility in asset allocation.

• Direct ownership of securities.

• High transparency with periodic reporting.

Limitations

• High minimum investment requirement.

• Management and performance fees may be higher than those of mutual funds.

• Returns remain exposed to market risk.

• The product is generally better suited to experienced or high-net-worth investors.

National Family Health Survey-6 (NFHS-6)

WHY IN NEWS?  

NFHS-6 recorded notable gains in maternal and child health, while also pointing to a growing burden of lifestyle-related diseases among Indian adults.

About the National Family Health Survey

• NFHS is a large-scale, multi-round survey based on a representative sample of households across India.

• It produces reliable national, State and district-level information on population, health, nutrition and family welfare.

• The survey was launched in 1992–93.

Objectives

• Generate evidence for health-policy formulation.

• Support programme planning and implementation.

• Enable monitoring and evaluation of health and welfare schemes.

• Track India's progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

Nodal Agency

• The International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, is the nodal agency.

• IIPS operates under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for survey coordination and technical guidance.

NFHS-6: Survey Design and Coverage

• Survey period: 2023–24.

• Households surveyed: 6.79 lakh.

• Districts covered: 715.

• Manipur was excluded from the survey.

New Areas Included

• Direct Benefit Transfer.

• Self-Help Groups.

• Digital literacy.

• Digital financial transactions.

• Expanded Clinical, Anthropometric and Biochemical testing, including HIV testing.

Use of Technology

• NFHS-6 fully adopted Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI).

– CAPI enabled real-time validation of responses, improved data accuracy and faster processing and monitoring.

Borophene

WHY IN NEWS?  Indian researchers demonstrated that borophene can serve as a high-performance lubricant additive in castor oil, offering a major advance in sustainable lubrication technology.

What is Borophene?

• Borophene is an allotrope of boron made of a single-atom-thick, two-dimensional sheet of boron atoms.

• Unlike graphene, which has a fixed hexagonal carbon arrangement, borophene is highly polymorphic.

• Its atomic structure can vary with synthesis conditions, producing multiple structural configurations.

Discovery Timeline

• The material was theoretically predicted in the mid-1990s.

• It was experimentally synthesised and confirmed in 2015.

Important Properties

• Ultra-lightweight.

• Highly flexible.

• Exceptional mechanical strength.

• Excellent electrical conductivity.

• High thermal conductivity.

• Metallic character.

• High capacitance.

• A highly reactive surface that interacts strongly with atoms and molecules.

• Anisotropic behaviour, meaning its electrical and mechanical properties vary by direction and can be tuned for specialised uses.

Potential Applications

• Thin-layer electronics.

• Optoelectronics.

• Capacitors.

• Biosensors.

• Energy-storage devices.

• Catalysis.

• Chemical and biological sensors.

• Advanced lubrication systems.

Why Better Lubrication Matters

• Friction and wear are major contributors to energy loss, equipment failure and higher maintenance costs.

• Developing efficient and sustainable lubricants is therefore an important scientific and industrial priority.

Why Castor Oil?

• Castor oil is renewable, biodegradable and environmentally friendly.

• Its lubrication performance, however, can be improved significantly through appropriate additives.

Key Findings of the Study

• Adding only 0.1% borophene by weight to castor oil reduced friction by about 42% compared with pure castor oil.

• The additive improved wear resistance and load-bearing capacity.

• Borophene dispersed evenly in castor oil without requiring chemical modification.

Formation and Role of the Tribofilm

• During operation, borophene forms a durable tribofilm over metal surfaces.

• The tribofilm contains iron oxides, carbon-based compounds and boron-containing compounds.

• It lowers shear stress, protects contact surfaces, reduces wear, improves lubrication efficiency and extends machinery life.

Samudra Pradakshina

WHY IN NEWS?  The Government of India flagged in Samudra Pradakshina, India's first tri-service, all-women circumnavigation sailing expedition.

About the Expedition

• Samudra Pradakshina was India's first all-women circumnavigation voyage involving all three Services.

• Women officers from the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force sailed together on a single mission.

• The expedition demonstrated jointness, women's empowerment, endurance and maritime excellence.

Leadership

• Expedition Leader: Lieutenant Colonel Anuja Varudkar.

• Deputy Expedition Leader: Squadron Leader Shraddha P. Raju.

Voyage Details

• Flagged off: 11 September 2025.

• Starting point: Gateway of India, Mumbai.

• Vessel: Indian Army Sailing Vessel Triveni.

• Flagged in: 22 July 2026 at Mumbai.

• Total duration: 314 days.

• Distance covered: Nearly 25,500 nautical miles.

• Crew: Nine women officers drawn from the three Services.

International Circumnavigation Criteria Achieved

• The crew crossed every meridian of longitude.

• It crossed the Equator twice.

• It crossed the International Date Line.

• It rounded the three Great Capes: Cape Leeuwin in Australia, Cape Horn in South America and the Cape of Good Hope in Africa.

Major Maritime Achievement

• The crew successfully navigated the Drake Passage, one of the most difficult sea routes in the world.

• It also rounded Cape Horn, earning the officers membership of the prestigious Cape Horners fraternity.

• This distinction is reserved for sailors who successfully complete one of the world's most demanding maritime passages.

Factors Behind the Mission's Success

• The mission succeeded because of nearly two years of intensive training, meticulous planning, continuous 24×7 shore-based support and strong coordination among the Army, Navy and Air Force.