1. BEL Mountain Radar Contract — Rs 1,950 Crore
Why in News
The Ministry of Defence signed a contract worth Rs 1,950 crore with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for the procurement of two Mountain Radars with associated equipment for the Indian Air Force (IAF), under the highest-priority indigenous procurement category (Make-I) of the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020.
Key Details
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Contract value | Rs 1,950 crore |
| Vendor | Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) |
| End user | Indian Air Force (IAF) |
| Equipment | 2 Mountain Radars + associated systems |
| Category | Make-I (highest indigenous priority) |
| Purpose | High-altitude surveillance in mountainous terrain |
Why Mountain Radars Matter
Mountain radars provide low-level radar coverage in high-altitude, complex terrain — filling gaps where conventional ground radar cannot see due to intervening mountains. They are critical for:
- Detecting low-flying aircraft, UAVs, and cruise missiles in the Himalayan sector
- Air defence corridor management along LAC and LOC
- Complementing AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) in mountainous conditions
BEL’s Role in Aatmanirbhar Bharat
BEL is a Navratna CPSE under the Ministry of Defence, specialising in advanced electronics — radars, sonars, electronic warfare systems, communications. BEL manufactured:
- AESA radar for Tejas Mk1A
- Electronic voting machines (EVMs)
- Battlefield Surveillance Radar (BSR)
- Electronic Fuzes, missile systems components
DAP 2020 categories: Make-I (Indian design, 50%+ indigenous content, MoD funding) → Make-II (Industry funding) → Buy IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed, Manufactured) → Buy Indian → Buy & Make → Buy Global.
2. Skytrax World Airport Awards 2026
Why in News
The Skytrax World Airport Awards 2026 were announced in March 2026. Singapore Changi Airport retained the top position for the 13th time, followed by Incheon International Airport (South Korea) and Tokyo Haneda Airport (Japan).
Top 10 Airports — 2026
| Rank | Airport | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Singapore Changi | Singapore |
| 2 | Incheon International | South Korea |
| 3 | Tokyo Haneda | Japan |
| 4 | Hong Kong International | China (SAR) |
| 5 | Narita International | Japan |
| 6 | Doha Hamad International | Qatar |
| 7 | Rome Fiumicino | Italy |
| 8 | Istanbul Airport | Turkey |
| 9 | Munich Airport | Germany |
| 10 | Paris Charles de Gaulle | France |
India’s Performance — 5 Airports in Top 100
| Indian Airport | Global Rank | Special Award |
|---|---|---|
| IGI Delhi | 28th (up from 32nd) | Best Airport in India & South Asia (8th consecutive year); 7th Best Layover Airport |
| Bengaluru Kempegowda (KIA) | 41st | Best Regional Airport in India & South Asia (3rd consecutive year) |
| Hyderabad Rajiv Gandhi | 43rd | — |
| Goa Manohar International | 64th | — |
| Mumbai CSIA | 66th | — |
Five Indian airports feature in the global top 100 — a significant improvement reflecting rapid infrastructure expansion under the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and private operators (Adani Airports, GMR). Delhi IGI has retained the “Best Airport in India and South Asia” title for 8 consecutive years, and ranked 7th globally in the Best Layover Airport category. However, no Indian airport has yet broken into the top 20 — a gap attributed to passenger experience metrics (cleanliness, lounge quality, retail, and processing speed) where Asian hub airports like Changi, Incheon, and Haneda set a very high bar.
About Skytrax
Skytrax is a UK-based aviation consultancy that conducts annual passenger surveys across 550+ airports. Its ratings (1–5 stars) and annual awards are considered the “Oscars of the aviation industry”.
3. CMLRE — National Repository for Deep-Sea Fauna
Why in News
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) designated the Bhavasagara Referral Centre of CMLRE (Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology), Kochi, as India’s National Repository for Deep-Sea Fauna.
What it Does
The repository will:
- Preserve DNA data, biological samples, and voucher specimens collected from India’s deep-sea expeditions
- Provide taxonomic identification services for newly discovered deep-sea species
- Serve as the reference library for India’s deep-sea biodiversity under the National Deep Sea Mission
About CMLRE
- Full name: Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology
- Location: Kochi, Kerala
- Parent body: Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES)
- Mandate: Research on marine fisheries, biodiversity, marine ecosystem health
National Deep Sea Mission (NDSM)
Launched in 2021 with a budget of Rs 4,077 crore (over 5 years), NDSM has five verticals:
- Deep-sea mining (polymetallic nodules)
- Ocean climate change advisory services
- Technological innovations for deep-sea exploration
- Deep ocean survey and exploration
- Advanced marine station for ocean biology
The CMLRE repository supports Vertical 4 — deep ocean survey — by archiving specimens from the Samudrayaan mission (India’s manned deep-sea submersible programme, which aims to take scientists to 6,000 m depth in ‘Matsya 6000’).
4. Petrochemical Customs Duty Waiver
The government announced a temporary waiver of basic customs duty on approximately 40 petrochemical products until June 30, 2026. Key points:
- Purpose: Reduce input costs for downstream plastics and polymer industries; stabilise supply chains disrupted by global tariff uncertainty
- Fiscal impact: ~Rs 1,800 crore revenue loss over three months
- Context: India’s petrochemical sector is heavily dependent on imported feedstocks like naphtha, ethylene, and propylene for polymer production
- Policy tension: The waiver runs counter to the broader Aatmanirbhar Bharat push to reduce import dependence, but is justified as a short-term stabilisation measure
UPSC Relevance
GS Paper 3 — Economy, Environment, Science & Technology
- BEL + DAP 2020 — Make-I category, Aatmanirbhar Bharat in defence
- Aviation sector — UDAN scheme, AAI, airport infrastructure
- National Deep Sea Mission — five verticals, Matsya 6000
- Petrochemical industry — import dependence, customs duty as policy tool
Prelims Fast Facts:
- BEL contract value: Rs 1,950 crore (Mountain Radar, IAF)
- BEL status: Navratna CPSE
- Skytrax #1 airport 2026: Singapore Changi (13th time)
- CMLRE location: Kochi; parent: Ministry of Earth Sciences
- NDSM budget: Rs 4,077 crore; deep submersible: Matsya 6000 (6,000 m)
- Petrochemical duty waiver: ~40 products, until June 30, 2026
Facts Corner
- Delhi IGI Airport ranked 28th globally in Skytrax 2026 (up from 32nd) and won “Best Airport in India & South Asia” for the 8th consecutive year — five Indian airports feature in the global top 100
- Singapore Changi Airport won the top Skytrax award every year from 2013 to 2020, lost it in 2021 (COVID year — Doha Hamad won), and reclaimed it in 2022 and has retained since
- BEL is headquartered in Bengaluru and has 9 manufacturing units across India, including Ghaziabad (radar systems), Pune (defence electronics), and Hyderabad (communication systems)
- India’s deepest ocean zone — the Swatch of No Ground in the Bay of Bengal (depth ~2,900 m) — is a key area for CMLRE’s deep-sea fauna research
- The polymetallic nodules that India’s deep-sea mission aims to mine (at 5,000-6,000 m depth in the Central Indian Ocean) contain manganese, nickel, copper, and cobalt — critical minerals for EV batteries and clean energy technology
- India’s customs duty waivers on petrochemicals are notified through Customs (Tariff) Amendment Rules under the Customs Act, 1962 — Parliament does not need to approve short-term duty waivers below a threshold
