Daily Current Affairs 23 May 2026 – IAS Current Affairs

Current Affairs 23 May 2026 focuses on the Prelims-Mains perspective. Major events are :

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Cold-water fisheries in India

Source: PIB
GS III: Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices; Public Distribution System- objectives, functioning, limitations, revamping; issues of buffer stocks and food security; Technology missions; economics of animal-rearing

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Overview

1. News in Brief
2. 2024-25 Status
3. Government Intervention
4. International Collaboration
5. After Read

Why in the News?

India’s cold water fisheries sector is emerging as an important component of the Blue Economy.

News in Brief

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• Blue Economy sector is now generating livelihoods, improving nutrition, promoting eco-tourism, and supporting sustainable mountain development.
• Once limited to traditional fishing in Himalayan streams, the sector has evolved into a modern aquaculture ecosystem supported by scientific farming and advanced infrastructure.

Background

• Cold-water fisheries are practised in high-altitude snow-fed rivers, streams, lakes, and reservoirs.
• The region with temperatures ranging between 5°C and 25°C, dissolved oxygen above 6 mg/L, and pH levels between 6.5 and 8.0.
• Species cultivated
  • Rainbow trout
  • Golden mahseer
  • Snow trout
• Used specialized infrastructure.
  • Hatcheries
  • Raceways,
  • RAS
  • Biofloc systems
  • Cold chain facilities.

Trout farming is generally practiced above 1,500 metres altitude, while mahseer culture is suitable at relatively lower elevations.

• Regional Spread
  • Cold-water fisheries flourish across Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Meghalaya, and Nagaland.
  • Besides the hill districts of West Bengal, Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
  • Together, these ecosystems cover more than 5.33 lakh sq. km of mountainous terrain.
  • India has identified over 278 cold-water fish species, making the sector important for biodiversity conservation and sustainable mountain development.

2024-25 Status

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• Cold-water fisheries contributing nearly 3 percent of inland fish production.
• National cold-water fish production currently stands at around 7,000 metric tonnes.
• Tout production alone has increased nearly 1.8 times over the last decade to about 6,000 metric tonnes in 2024–25.

India’s total fish production reached approximately 197.75 lakh tonnes during 2024–25.

Major Shares from states

• Jammu & Kashmir has emerged as India’s leading trout producing region with around 3,010 MT production in 2024–25, supported by the Kokernag hatchery and over 2,000 private trout units.
• Himachal Pradesh produced around 1,673 MT trout in 2025–26 with 909 trout farmers and 1,739 trout farming units.
• Uttarakhand recorded around 710 MT trout production and total fish production of 10,486 MT during 2024–25, supported by nearly 2,500 raceways across districts such as Pithoragarh, Bageshwar, and Chamoli.
• Ladakh has crossed 50 MT production with 120 raceways and four hatcheries despite its harsh climatic conditions.
• North Eastern states, including Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Meghalaya, and Nagaland, are steadily expanding hatcheries and trout farming.
• Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu are adopting pilot RAS and biofloc systems in hill regions such as Wayanad, Nilgiris, and Uttara Kannada.

RAS (Recirculating Aquaculture System) and Biofloc (BFT) are advanced, high-density farming methods. RAS uses mechanical filtration and UV sterilisation for crystal-clear water, while Biofloc relies on beneficial bacteria suspended in the water to consume waste and act as in-situ fish feed. Both allow for year-round production with minimal water exchange.

Impact on Livelihood

• The sector has generated significant livelihood opportunities.
• Across cold-water states, 23.51 lakh families have received livelihood support
• 33.78 lakh fishers have been covered under insurance schemes.
• Jammu & Kashmir alone has over 31,000 registered fishers and fish farmers.

Government Intervention

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• Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY)
  • During 2020–26, projects worth ₹21,963.48 crore have been approved nationally
  • Including over ₹5,638.76 crore sanctioned specifically for cold-water states.
  • These investments include 5,663 raceways, 54 trout hatcheries, 13 large RAS units, 16 medium RAS units, 36 small RAS units, nearly 4,600 ponds in Himalayan and North Eastern regions, 293 cold storages, and 8,366 transport vehicles.
• State-specific investments
  • ₹317.25 crore for Uttarakhand, ₹155.48 crore for Himachal Pradesh, ₹149.73 crore for Jammu & Kashmir, and ₹33.49 crore for Ladakh.
  • These projects support raceways, trout hatcheries, biofloc systems, fish feed mills, fish kiosks, ornamental fisheries units, refrigerated transport, and reservoir stocking programmes.
• Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF)
  • Approved projects worth ₹7,761.78 crore during 2018–26 for hatcheries, training centres, and fisheries infrastructure.
  • The Blue Revolution Scheme (2015–20) laid the foundation for scientific trout farming through support for raceways, hatcheries, and reservoir stocking.
• PM-MKSSY
  • With an outlay of ₹6,000 crore, support is being provided for aquaculture insurance, performance grants to fisheries startups/microenterprises, and value chain efficiency — directly benefiting cold-water fish farmers.
• Integrated Aqua Parks
  • established at Anantnag (UT of J&K), Udham Singh Nagar (Uttarakhand), Ziro (Arunachal Pradesh), and Mokokchung (Nagaland) are emerging as modern fisheries hubs equipped with hatcheries, processing facilities, cold chain systems, value addition infrastructure, and marketing support.
  • Four Cold Water Fisheries Clusters have also been notified at Anantnag (J&K), Pithoragarh (Uttarakhand), Kullu (Himachal Pradesh), and Kargil (UT of Ladakh).

International Collaboration

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• Strengthening international collaborations with Norway and Iceland for knowledge exchange in hatchery management, disease control, sustainable aquaculture systems, and export strategies.
•  Focus Areas:
  • Hatchery management
  • Disease control
  • Sustainable aquaculture
  • Export strategies

After Read

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Quick Prelims Facts Revision

• India has 278+ cold-water fish species
• Cold-water fisheries contribute around 3% of inland fish production
• India’s trout production: around 6,000 MT
• Largest trout-producing region:
  • Jammu and Kashmir
• Important fisheries clusters:
  • Anantnag
  • Pithoragarh
  • Kullu
  • Kargil

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BHAVYA Scheme Guidelines

Source: PIB
GS III: Effects of liberalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth

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Overview

1. News in Brief
2. BHAVYA Scheme Guidelines
3. About BHAVYA Scheme
4. About National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC)

Why in the News?

Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, has released the detailed operational guidelines for the implementation of the BHAVYA Scheme.

News in Brief

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• The Guidelines provide for the development of both greenfield and eligible brownfield industrial parks.
• The release of the Guidelines marks an important step towards operationalization of BHAVYA
• Creation of globally benchmarked industrial infrastructure capable of
  • Attracting large-scale manufacturing investment
  • Strengthening domestic supply chains
  • Generating employment
  • Enhancing India’s integration with global value chains.

BHAVYA Scheme Guidelines

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• Minimum land requirements have been prescribed at

  

  • 100 acres for non-hilly states
  • 25 acres for hilly states, northeastern states, Union Territories, and smaller states
• The Scheme also permits consideration of larger parks up to 1000 acres.
• The Guidelines provide for the development of both greenfield and eligible brownfield industrial parks.
• The Scheme also permits consideration of larger parks up to 1000 acres.
• Additionally, structured provisions for the participation of private developers in the industrial park. 
• Provide for convergence with relevant Central and State Government initiatives for
  • Logistics, skilling, sustainability
  • Renewable energy, utility infrastructure
  • Industrial development.

About the BHAVYA Scheme

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• BHAVYA Scheme is a landmark Central Sector Scheme aimed at developing investment-ready, world-class industrial parks across the country.
• BHAVYA has been designed to strengthen
  • India’s manufacturing ecosystem through the development of an integrated industrial infrastructure.
  • This infrastructure is to be aligned with the objectives of Make in India and PM Gati Shakti.
  • Government’s broader vision of positioning India as a globally competitive manufacturing destination.
• The Scheme provides for the development of 100 industrial parks over a period of six years
• Targeting from 2026-27 to 2031-32.
• Scheme with a total financial outlay of approximately ₹33,660 crore.
• First phase
  • Up to 50 industrial parks will be taken up through a challenge-based competitive selection process.
• The major focus of the Scheme is
  • Creation of “investment-ready” industrial ecosystems with plug-and-play infrastructure
  • Multimodal logistics connectivity
  • Reliable utility systems
  • Worker-support infrastructure
  • Digital governance systems
  • Sustainable development features.
• The scheme will provide financial assistance in the form of equity contribution linked to the value of land transferred to the SPV and achievement of prescribed project milestones.
• National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC) is the implementation and monitoring agency

National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC)

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• Under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• Aiming to develop new industrial cities as ‘Smart Cities’ and to converge next-generation technologies.
• Government of India is developing various industrial corridor projects as part of the National Industrial Corridor Programme
• Development of futuristic industrial cities in India that can compete with world-level competitors.
• This will create employment opportunities and economic growth, leading to overall socio-economic development.

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3200-Year-Old Settlement Hazaribag

Source: Times of India
GS I: Prelims ;

GS I: Indian Heritage and Culture: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times

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Overview

1. News in Brief
2. Key Findings

Why in the News?

The archaeological site in Hazaribag district of Jharkhand has provided evidence of a layered settlement in the Mohane river basin in Chauparan block.

News in Brief

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• In villages like Dehar, Sohra, Mangarh, and Hathinder, artefacts have been uncovered during foundation excavation and cultivation.
• Recent archaeological findings indicate that the site was part of an ancient settlement dating back nearly 3,200 years.
• Excavation evidence reveals continuous human habitation across multiple historical periods, including habitation layers, debris zones, and buried structural remains.

Key Findings

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• Surveys conducted using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) by researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines)

  

  Dhanbad and Visva-Bharati University

• Identified major subsurface anomalies and buried structures extending over 100 feet in length.
• Archaeologists recovered samples of Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW), a distinctive black-glazed pottery associated with the early historic period in South Asia and often linked with the Mahajanapada and Mauryan phases.
• The site has yielded important religious and cultural artefacts, including statues of:
  • Gautama Buddha
  • Tara
  • Avalokiteshvara
  • Marichi
  • Brahma
  • Vishnu
  • Mahesh
  • Ganesha

Heritage Significance

• A large mound located in Mangarh village has been identified as an ancient Buddhist stupa dating back approximately 2,500–3,000 years.
• Historians and conservationists have urged intervention by the Archaeological Survey of India for scientific excavation, preservation, and heritage protection of the site.

UPSC Relevance

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• Ancient Indian History
• Buddhism and Buddhist architecture
• Archaeological techniques (GPR technology)
• Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW) culture
• Heritage conservation and role of ASI
• Cultural syncretism in ancient India

Focus Mainly on the UPSC Prelims Point of View.

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