Spardha IAS
Excellence Through Practice
Wednesday, 04 Feb 2026
Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS)
Budget 2026-27 Update
Outlay of ₹20,000 crore announced for CCUS development over the next 5 years.
CCUS involves capturing $CO_2$ from industrial point sources like power plants, cement factories, and refineries before it reaches the atmosphere.
Net Zero Aim
Key for "hard-to-abate" sectors
Post-combustion
CO₂ is separated from flue gases after fuel is burned. Ideal for existing plants.
Pre-combustion
Fuel is converted to gas ($H_2$ + $CO_2$) before combustion. Used in IGCC plants.
Oxy-fuel
Fuel burned in pure oxygen; resulting flue gas is mostly $CO_2$ and water vapor.
Securities Transaction Tax (STT)
Hike on F&O Trading
Budget 2026-27 proposes an increase of up to 150% in STT on Futures and Options transactions to curb excessive speculation.
What is STT?
A direct tax levied on the purchase and sale of securities (equity, derivatives, units of equity-oriented mutual funds) on recognized stock exchanges.
- Introduced in 2004 via the Finance Act.
- Levied on transaction value, not on gain/loss.
- Collected by the Central Government via exchanges.
Applicable on:
Exemptions:
Off-market transactions, Commodity derivatives, and Currency derivatives are currently not under STT.
PM-POSHAN Scheme
22 States and Union Territories have approached the Centre demanding an increase in the honorarium for cooks and helpers who implement the daily school feeding program.
Children Covered
Schools Reached
Funding Ratio (General)
Aluminium Phosphide (Celphos)
ILE Therapy
PGIMER Chandigarh's life-saving breakthrough
Aluminium phosphide is a highly toxic inorganic compound used as a fumigant pesticide for stored grains. It releases Phosphine ($PH_3$) gas when exposed to moisture.
Moltbook: The Bot-Only Network
Over 32,000 bots have joined Moltbook, a Reddit-style platform where AI agents interact without human control.
Railway Budget: Uttar Pradesh
Total Allocation
Up from ₹19,858 Cr in FY 2025-26
New Bullet Train Corridors:
Delhi - Varanasi
3h 50m Proposed Time
Varanasi - Siliguri
2h 55m (via Patna)
Strategic Significance
-
1
Creates a new economic belt connecting Delhi-UP-Bihar-WB.
-
2
Boosts regional trade, tourism, and healthcare accessibility.
-
3
Major push for station redevelopment and passenger safety.
Quick Facts
World Wetlands Day
"Wetlands & Traditional Knowledge"
Celebrated on Feb 2 to mark the Ramsar Convention. Highlights community-led conservation. 🌊
Kerala: NeophytelD
AI-Powered Citizen Science
Tracks invasive plants using YOLOv11 model. Supports ecosystem planning in local languages. 📱
YES Bank New Leadership
RBI approved Vinay Muralidhar Tonse as MD & CEO. He succeeds Prashant Kumar for a 3-year term. 👔
Effective Feb 3"The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness."
— Dalai Lama
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