Why in news?

US AI company Anthropic is extending access to its restricted cybersecurity programme, Project Glasswing, to select organisations in India — including key government agencies responsible for protecting the country's critical infrastructure.

This follows Anthropic's announcement that it would expand the programme from its initial US and UK participants to over 15 countries, with India being a significant addition.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• What Is Project Glasswing and What Is Mythos?
• Which Indian Agencies Are Getting Access?
• Why India Is Particularly Concerned?
• The Geopolitical Dimension: Anthropic vs. the US Pentagon
• Conclusion

What Is Project Glasswing and What Is Mythos?

• Anthropic is one of the world's leading AI companies, known for its AI model Claude.
• But it has also developed a far more powerful and restricted model called Claude Mythos — described as a frontier AI model capable of identifying critical software vulnerabilities at a level that could "fundamentally alter the balance between cyber attackers and defenders."
• This is a significant claim. Most cybersecurity today depends on human experts finding software weaknesses before attackers do.
• A model that can do this at scale and speed could be a game-changer — but in the wrong hands, it could also be catastrophically dangerous. That is why Anthropic has kept Mythos strictly restricted and not publicly released.
• Project Glasswing is the controlled programme through which Anthropic shares access to Mythos Preview (the testing version) with a carefully vetted set of trusted organisations.
• Each organisation must meet Anthropic's security requirements before gaining access.

Which Indian Agencies Are Getting Access?

• The following Indian government bodies are understood to have received — or are in line to receive — access to Mythos:
  • I4C — Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre
  • CERT-In — Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (the nodal agency for cybersecurity incidents in India)
  • NCIIPC — National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (falls under the National Security Advisor in the Prime Minister's Office)
  • DIP — Department of Telecommunications' Digital Intelligence Platform
• Additionally, some cybersecurity-focused research institutions have received access, and discussions are underway to extend it to cybersecurity and AI teams within India's largest IT services companies.
• The purpose is specific: NCIIPC and CERT-In requested access to use Mythos to identify vulnerabilities within India's banking and power infrastructure — before attackers can find and exploit them.

Why India Is Particularly Concerned?

• India's concern about Mythos is two-sided — both as an opportunity and as a threat.
• The Defensive Opportunity
  • India's critical infrastructure — banking systems, power grids, telecom networks — is a high-value target for cyberattacks.
  • A tool that can proactively find and fix software vulnerabilities in these systems before adversaries exploit them would be enormously valuable.
• The Offensive Threat
  • At the same time, India's government was also worried about what Mythos could do to India's systems in the wrong hands.
  • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in April 2026, held a high-level meeting with IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to assess risks posed by Mythos to India's banking sector.
  • The meeting resulted in concrete directions: the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) was asked to develop a coordinated institutional response mechanism, and banks were directed to engage top cybersecurity professionals to continuously strengthen their defensive and monitoring capabilities.

The Geopolitical Dimension: Anthropic vs. the US Pentagon

• As per various reports, Anthropic is helping the US National Security Agency (NSA) deploy Mythos for offensive cyber operations — specifically to infiltrate networks of countries like China and Iran.
• This creates an awkward contradiction. Anthropic is simultaneously:
  • Providing Mythos to trusted allies (including India) for defensive cybersecurity.
  • Reportedly assisting the NSA with offensive cyber operations.
  • Fighting a legal battle with the US Department of Defense (which includes the NSA) over the boundaries of AI use.
    • The legal dispute arose because Anthropic drew a firm line — it refused to allow its Claude AI models to be used for mass surveillance of US citizens or lethal autonomous drones.
    • The Pentagon responded by labelling Anthropic a "supply-chain risk" — an unprecedented designation for a US company.
    • Anthropic has sued over this label.

Conclusion

• AI is becoming a national security asset. Governments are no longer just regulating AI — they are actively seeking to deploy frontier AI models for defence and cybersecurity. The race to access the most powerful AI tools is becoming part of geopolitical competition.
• Critical infrastructure protection is increasingly about software. Banking systems, power grids, and communications networks all run on software. Identifying and fixing vulnerabilities in that software is now as important as physical security.
• AI companies are navigating unprecedented ethical and geopolitical pressure. Anthropic's tension with the Pentagon illustrates that even safety-focused AI companies face difficult choices about how their models are used — and by whom.

Why in news?

• Recently, the Supreme Court delivered two landmark rulings with major consequences for India's online real-money gaming industry. A bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan:
  • Upheld the constitutional validity of the Centre's retrospective 28% GST levy on online gaming companies.
  • Affirmed the validity of State laws banning real-money gaming platforms.
• These rulings come on top of an already difficult period for the industry, which has been reeling since the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 effectively prohibited real-money gaming in India.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Background: The Two Sets of Cases
• Why the Court Upheld the 28% GST?
• Why the Court Upheld State Bans?
• The Wider Implications: A New Constitutional Question

Background: The Two Sets of Cases

• The two judgments arose from separate but related disputes.
• Case 1: State Bans on Online Betting
  • In 2021, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka enacted laws criminalising online betting, including penalties and imprisonment. Both the Madras and Karnataka High Courts struck down these laws.
  • The state governments then appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that:
    • betting and gambling are State subjects under Entry 34 of List II (State List) of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, and
    • that the restrictions were necessary to address addiction and social harm.
• Case 2: The GST Dispute
  • In August 2023, the GST Council clarified that all online games involving bets or wagers — whether skill-based or chance-based — would attract 28% GST on the full value of money staked by players.
  • The Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) then issued tax demand notices — not just for the period after October 1, 2023 (when the amended rules came into force), but also retrospectively for earlier periods.
  • The total tax demands ran into several lakh crore rupees.
  • Gaming companies challenged this before the Bombay and Karnataka High Courts, which initially ruled in their favour. The Union government then appealed to the Supreme Court.

Why the Court Upheld the 28% GST?

• The industry made two main arguments.
• First, GST should be levied only on the platform's commission — the fee it retains — not on the entire pool of money staked by players.
• Second, online games of skill deserve to be treated differently from gambling, and taxing them at 28% on the full stake was commercially unviable.
• What the Court Said?
  • The Court rejected both arguments. It drew a clear distinction between a skill-based competition and an online gaming platform involving money stakes.
  • In a genuine skill contest, a player pays an entry fee to compete.
  • But online gaming platforms are structured around wagering — they encourage repeated participation through discounts and bonuses, making the activity fundamentally different.
  • More importantly, the Court held that once money is staked on an uncertain outcome, the distinction between skill and chance becomes irrelevant for GST purposes.
  • The Central GST Act already expressly includes actionable claims relating to lottery, betting, and gambling in the tax net.
  • Parliament was therefore competent to levy GST on online gaming involving money stakes.
  • On the retrospective nature of the demand, the Court held that the 2023 amendments did not create a fresh tax — they merely clarified and standardised what the law already said. That is why they could operate retrospectively.

Why the Court Upheld State Bans?

• The Court's reasoning on State bans rested on a foundational legal principle.
• It held that betting and gambling are res extra commercium — a Latin phrase meaning activities that fall outside legitimate commerce.
• Because they sit outside normal trade and business, they do not enjoy the constitutional protections available to commercial activities.
• The Court further held that even if a game is skill-based, the introduction of money stakes imparts the character of wagering to it. Once it becomes a wagering activity, States have full legislative competence to regulate or ban it.
• On fantasy sports — a major segment of the online gaming industry that had long claimed protection as a "game of skill" — the Court was unpersuaded. It noted that even the most sophisticated predictive models cannot forecast sporting outcomes with certainty.
• The Court also made a broader sociological observation: the widespread availability of smartphones and digital payment systems has effectively turned every mobile phone into a virtual gambling house.
• States, it said, can draw legislative support not only from Entry 34 (betting and gambling) but also from Entry 1 (public order) to justify restrictions.

The Wider Implications: A New Constitutional Question

• The ruling has also created an unexpected complication for the Centre. The Supreme Court clearly held that betting and gambling are State subjects under Entry 34, and upheld State laws regulating them.
• But the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 — a Central law — claims legislative competence under Entry 52 of the Union List, which allows Parliament to regulate industries in the public interest.
• There is now a direct tension: if online gaming is a State subject, can Parliament legislate on it under Entry 52?
• The validity of the 2025 Central law is likely to be challenged in court on exactly this ground.
• The outcome will determine whether India's online gaming regulation ultimately rests with the states or the Centre.

About Anusandhan National Research Foundation:

• It was established through the Anusandhan National Research Foundation Act, 2023.
• It is functioning under the Department of Science & Technology (DST).
• The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) has been merged into ANRF.
• Objective: To seed, grow, and promote R&D, and foster a research and innovation culture across universities, colleges, research institutions, and R&D labs in India.
• It acts as an apex body to provide high-level strategic direction of scientific research in the country as per recommendations of the National Education Policy.
• It has been established to promote research and development and foster a culture of research and innovation throughout India’s Universities, Colleges, Research Institutions, and R&D laboratories. 
• Funding Target: It aims to mobilise funds amounting to ₹50,000 crore during 2023–28 through multiple streams including the ANRF Fund, Innovation Fund, Science and Engineering Research Fund, and Special Purpose Funds.
• ANRF forges collaborations among the industry, academia, research institutions and government departments.

About Solar Cycle:

• It describes an approximately 11-year cycle of solar activity driven by the sun’s magnetic field.
• It is indicated by the frequency and intensity of sunspots visible on the surface. 
• Every 11 years or so, the Sun’s magnetic field completely flips.
• This means that the Sun’s north and south poles switch places. Then it takes about another 11 years for the Sun’s north and south poles to flip back again.
• The solar cycle affects activity on the surface of the Sun, such as sunspots, which are caused by the Sun’s magnetic fields.
• As the magnetic fields change, so does the amount of activity on the Sun’s surface.
• It can be tracked by counting the number of sunspots.
• Cycle Stages:
  • Solar minimum: It is the beginning of a solar cycle or when the Sun has the least sunspots.
  • Solar maximum: It is the middle of the solar cycle or when the Sun has the most sunspots.
  • As the cycle ends, it fades back to the solar minimum, and then a new cycle begins.
• Impact: The solar cycle has the potential to impact Earth’s climatic conditions through changes in solar radiation, cosmic rays, and ozone distribution.

What is Sun's supergranulation?

• The Sun's supergranulation refers to a physical pattern covering the surface of the quiet Sun with a typical horizontal scale of approximately 30,000 km and a lifetime of around 1.8 d.
• Supergranulation was discovered by Hart (1954) using Doppler images of the Sun.

About Nilgiri Tahr:

• It is a mountain ungulate endemic to the southern part of the Western Ghats.
• It is also known by the name Nilgiri Ibex or simply Ibex. Locally the animal is called ‘Varayaadu’.
• It is the only mountain ungulate in southern India.
• Habitat: It inhabits the open montane grassland habitat of the southwestern ghats montane rain forests Eco region.
• Distribution: It is found in a roughly 400 km stretch in the Western Ghats, which falls in the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
• The Eravikulam National Park (Kerala) has the highest density and largest surviving population of Nilgiri tahr. 
• Features of Nilgiri Tahr:
  • These are stocky goats with short, coarse fur and a bristly mane. 
  • The males are found to be larger than the females, and have a darker color when mature. 
  • Both sexes have curved horns, which are larger in the males.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN: Endangered 
  • Wildlife (Protection) Act of India, 1972: Schedule I.

Threats: Habitat loss due to rampant deforestation, competition with domestic livestock, hydroelectric projects in Nilgiri tahr habitat, and monoculture plantations.

About Eklavya Model Residential Schools:

• It is a flagship intervention of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs launched in 1998.
• It aims to provide quality residential education to Scheduled Tribes students from Class 6th to 12th in remote areas to enable them to access the best opportunities in education and to bring them at par with the general population.
• The programme was revamped during the year 2018-19 to expand the geographical outreach and enhance the quality of facilities.
• EMRSs to be set up in every block with more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons. 
• Governance: The National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), an autonomous organization, has been set up under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to establish and manage EMRS across the country.
• Features of Eklavya Model Residential Schools:
  • EMRSs are co-educational residential schools from Class VI to XII.
  • Eklavya schools will be on par with Navodaya Vidyalayas and will have special facilities for preserving local art and culture besides providing training in sports and skill development.
  • Infrastructure: The school infrastructure will include classroom, administrative block, hostels, playground.
  • CBSE curriculum is followed in these schools, and education is completely free.
  • Each school has a capacity of 480 students with an equal number of seats for boys and girls.
  • Non-ST students can be admitted in these schools on seats up to 10% of the total seats. And also reservation of 20% of seats under sports quota for deserving ST students who have excelled in the field of sports.

About Software Technology Parks of India:

• It is a premier Science & Technology organization established in 1991 under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
• Objective: STPI’s main objective has been the promotion of software exports from the country. 
• It promotes software exports from the country and has been implementing the Software Technology Park (STP) scheme and Electronics Hardware Technology Park (EHTP) scheme for the promotion of the IT/ITES industry.
• STPI helps in facilitating software development, export, and compliance with regulatory requirements, including customs and foreign exchange rules.
• Further, STPI is nurturing pan India start-up ecosystem through its initiatives like Centres of Entrepreneurship (CoEs) & Next Generation Incubation Scheme (NGIS).
• STPI Services:
  • Infrastructure Support: Provides plug-and-play office space with IT infrastructure for software exporters.
  • Customs Clearances: Facilitates duty-free imports of capital goods, consumables, and other goods necessary for software export.
  • Statutory Compliance: Ensures compliance with export regulations and assists companies in meeting their export obligations.
  • Consultation and Guidance: Offers advice and support on matters related to exports, tax exemptions, and regulatory issues.

About Foraminifera:

• It is a group of single-celled organisms that have inhabited the world’s oceans for over 500 million years.
• The shells have hundreds of tiny holes called foramen, the Latin word for window. 
• They are among the most abundant and ecologically important organisms in the ocean.
• Features of Foraminifera:
  • Size: They are generally sand-grain size, measuring between 500 and 50 µm.
  • Habitat: They live in the open ocean, along the coasts, and in estuaries.
  • Most have shells for protection and either float in the water column (planktonic) or live on the sea floor (benthic). 
  • They construct their intricate shells, called “tests,” from materials they scavenge from their surroundings (agglutinating mineral grains). 
  • The most of foraminifera” ‘crawl around’ using their pseudopodia.
  • They don’t have a wall around their cell membranes, they are extremely flexible and can change shape.
  • The organism pushes extensions of its cytoplasm called pseudopodia (or false feet) through these holes to gather food.
  • Diet: Foraminifera eat detritus on the sea floor and anything smaller than them: diatoms, bacteria, algae, and even small animals such as tiny copepods.
  • They build complex shells, consisting at their simplest of one chamber (like a vase or tube) to many chambers that coil in elaborate ways.

About E85 Fuel:

• It is a high-ethanol blended fuel comprising 80–85 per cent ethanol and 14–19 per cent petrol, specifically designed for use in flex-fuel vehicles.
• The initiative aims to facilitate the adoption of Flex-Fuel Vehicles (FFVs), which are capable of operating on ethanol blends from E20 to E100, without restricting consumers to a single blend.
• Benefits of E85 Fuel:
  • Lower Price: E85 is priced lower than conventional petrol to ensure that the economic benefits of domestically produced ethanol are passed on to consumers.
  • Reduce lifecycle Greenhouse gas: Flex-fuel vehicles operating on E85 can reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by around 61 per cent compared to conventional petrol vehicles.
  • Knock Resistance: With a Research Octane Number (RON) of about 108,  ethanol offers superior knock resistance that allows engines to operate at higher compression ratios and optimized ignition timing.
  • Cleaner Combustion: Higher ethanol blends promote cleaner and more complete combustion, resulting in near-zero particulate matter emissions contributing to improved urban air quality.