State PCS - Haryana (HCS)

• 12 Feb 2026

SARAS Aajeevika Mela-2026 Begins in Gurugram

Why in News? 

The ‘SARAS Aajeevika Mela-2026’ is a grand fair promoting rural crafts and women’s empowerment that commenced in February 2026 in Gurugram. 

Key Points: 

• Inauguration: The fair was inaugurated by Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister of Rural Development and Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare. 
  • Over 900 women entrepreneurs from 28 states affiliated with various self-help groups (SHGs) are participating in the fair. 
  • Stalls and Exhibits: More than 450 stalls display a variety of regional crafts such as Kashmir Pashmina, Tamil Nadu silk, Rajasthan embroidery, and Assam bamboo crafts, offering a “Mini India” experience under one roof. 
• Workshops: Special workshops are being organized daily under the Knowledge Pavilion. 
  • Teaching women entrepreneurs skills in packaging, branding, business proposal preparation, and social media marketing.  
• Market Access: Sessions on logistics and transport are being held to help rural producers expand their reach in domestic and global markets. 
• Impact on SHGs: About 10 crore women are organized under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihood Mission; nearly 2.9 crore Lakhpati Didis are already created towards the target of 3 crore. 
• Empowerment: Self-Help Groups have shown improved financial discipline, with Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) below 2%, demonstrating stronger credit management and repayment behaviour among rural women entrepreneurs. 

Read More:  Women empowerment, SHGs, Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihood Mission,  Lakhpati Didis 

IIT Madras ₹600 Crore Venture Capital Fund for Deep-Tech Startups

Why in News? 

The IIT Madras Research Park has launched a ₹600 crore deep-tech venture capital fund aimed at nurturing early-stage and technology-intensive startups across India’s deep-tech ecosystem. 

Key Points: 

• Fund: The IIT Madras Research Park (IITMRP), in collaboration with Unicorn India Ventures, announced the establishment of a ₹600 crore deep-tech venture capital fund called IITM Unicorn Frontier Fund I. 
  • The fund includes an additional ₹400 crore ‘greenshoe option’, bringing potential total deployment capacity to ₹1,000 crore for investment in deep-tech startups.  
  • The fund targets early-stage deep-tech companies with technologies such as AI, semiconductors, defence tech, robotics, and frontier research. 
• Strategic Vision: It emphasizes technology sovereignty, reducing reliance on imported technologies by supporting ventures building globally competitive solutions from India.  
• Innovation Support: The fund aims to provide patient capital, recognizing that deep-tech startups often require longer gestation periods due to intensive R&D, prototyping, and regulatory challenges. 
• Impact: The initiative is expected to strengthen India’s deep-tech startup ecosystem by enabling growth of intellectual property-led ventures and fostering collaboration between research institutions and industry. 
• IITMRP: It is one of India’s prominent university-based research parks, designed to bridge the gap between academia and industry by incubating startups and hosting R&D entities within its facility.  

Read More:  India’s deep-tech ecosystem, AI, semiconductors,  Intellectual property 

Gujarat Exchanges LoI with Starlink for High-Speed Internet Connectivity

Why in News?

The Government of Gujarat signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with Starlink, a subsidiary of Elon Musk's SpaceX, to expand high-speed satellite internet connectivity across the state. 

Key Points: 

• Signatories: The document was exchanged in Gandhinagar between State Industries Commissioner P. Swaroop and Starlink India Head Prabhakar Jayakumar, in the presence of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy CM Harsh Sanghavi. 
• Target Areas: The initiative specifically focuses on remote, border, tribal, and underserved regions where traditional telecom infrastructure is limited or difficult to deploy. 
• Priority Districts: Special emphasis is placed on "Aspirational Districts" such as Narmada and Dahod. 
• Pilot Project Scope: The initial phase aims to connect key public infrastructure, including: 
  • Education: State schools for smart classrooms. 
  • Healthcare: Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and telemedicine services. 
  • Security: Coastal police outposts and highway safety systems. 
  • Public Services: Common Service Centres (CSCs) and e-Governance hubs. 
  • Logistics & Environment: Ports, GIDC industrial parks, and wildlife sanctuaries.  
• Joint Working Group: A collaborative team comprising representatives from the Gujarat government and Starlink will be established to oversee the pilot assessments and coordinate implementation. 
• Regulatory Standing: While Starlink has been issued an LoI, final commercial rollout remains subject to licensing and security requirements from India's central authorities (DoT/IN-SPACe).  
• Significance: This strategic move is part of Gujarat’s Digital Connectivity Mission aimed at bridging the digital divide where terrestrial telecom networks are weak or unviable due to geography or cost. 

India to Establish Two New Telescopes in Ladakh

Why in News?

In the Union Budget 2026-27, the Indian government approved a major expansion of its ground-based astronomy infrastructure in Ladakh, including the establishment of two new mega-telescopes and the upgrade of an existing facility.

Key Points: 

• New Telescope Projects: Establish the National Large Solar Telescope and the National Large Optical–Near Infrared Telescope. 
• National Large Solar Telescope (NLST): To observe the Sun’s surface and atmosphere with high resolution. 
  • Location: Near Pangong Tso lake, Ladakh. 
  • Scientific Focus: Solar magnetic fields, flares, coronal mass ejections and space-weather phenomena. 
• Significance: Once completed, NLST will be India’s third ground-based solar observatory, complementing existing facilities such as the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory (Tamil Nadu) and Udaipur Solar Observatory (Rajasthan), and augmenting data from India’s Aditya-L1 space observatory. 
• National Large Optical–Near Infrared Telescope (NLOT): A deep-space optical and near-infrared telescope for cutting-edge cosmic research. 
  • Scientific Applications: Studies of exoplanets, stellar and galactic evolution, cosmology, supernovae and distant galaxies. 
• Significance: With its large collecting area and high altitude site, NLOT will be among the most powerful optical telescopes in the region for deep-space observation. 
• Upgradation of Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT):The HCT will be upgraded to a telescope with a 3.7-metre segmented primary mirror, improving its sensitivity and wavelength coverage into optical-infrared regimes. 
  • Scientific Impact: The enhanced HCT will allow deeper observations and complement both international observatories and the new telescopes being built under this programme. 
• Why Ladakh?: Ladakh, located at high altitude with clear, dry skies and low atmospheric disturbance, has been identified as an optimal site for astronomical observations, and is already home to several important optical and high-energy astronomy facilities. 

Himachal Pradesh CM Launches ‘Padhai with AI’ App

Why in News? 

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu launched the ‘Padhai with AI’ digital learning initiative in Bilaspur district. 

Key Points: 

• Objective: The initiative aims to provide a fully digital learning environment with continuous academic counselling, ensuring access to quality study materials and guidance for students preparing for competitive exams. 
  • The initiative is specifically designed for students who are preparing for various competitive examinations and require technology-assisted learning support.  
• Vision: CM emphasised that education is a transformative force that broadens thinking and shapes the future of society, and the state government is committed to strengthening education through innovation and equal opportunities.  
  • The initiative is supported by NTPC, which aids in delivering modern, technology-based and quality educational facilities to students through the platform. 
• Equal Access: The platform is intended to ensure equal access to quality education irrespective of students’ geographical or socio-economic background by leveraging AI-based technology. 
• Significance: This initiative reflects a broader push by the state government to integrate artificial intelligence into public education delivery. 
  • Aiming to address educational disparities and enhance learning outcomes for students in rural and semi-urban areas. 

Read More: AI, NTPC 

Amaravati Quantum Valley Launched under National Quantum Mission

Why in News? 

Union Minister Jitendra Singh laid the foundation stone of the Amaravati Quantum Centre in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh, as a part of India’s ambitious National Quantum Mission. 

Key Points: 

• National Quantum Mission: India’s National Quantum Mission has an allocation of about ₹6,000 crore and spans 43 institutions across 17 states and 2 Union Territories. 
  • Organised under four core areas: Quantum Computing, Quantum Communication, Quantum Sensing and Metrology, and Quantum Materials and Devices. 
• Nodal Ministry: Department of Science & Technology (DST), Ministry of Science & Technology. 
• Vision: Development of intermediate-scale quantum computers in the range of 50–1,000 physical qubits using different technology platforms (superconducting and photonic). 
  • Objective: Establishment of satellite-based secure quantum communication and ground-based quantum networks. 
  • Applications: High-precision timing, navigation, imaging, and detection for defence and space applications. 
• Amaravati Quantum Valley: Envisioned as a dedicated quantum innovation cluster, integrating research institutions, industry, startups, and talent development ecosystems. 
  • Collaboration with global technology companies such as IBM and Indian IT major TCS for quantum cloud access and innovation centres. 
• Strategic Relevance: Quantum technology is considered a critical and emerging technology (CET) globally, with implications for national security and encryption systems. 

Read More: National Quantum Mission, Quantum Computing, Superconducting,  critical and emerging technology (CET)