Why in the News?

• The Reserve Bank of India's latest State of the Economy report has noted that India's near-term economic outlook is "somewhat clouded" due to supply-side pressures from the West Asia crisis, even as domestic demand remains a key driver of growth.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• State of the Economy Report (Objective, Key Findings of the Latest Report)

About the RBI's State of the Economy Report

• The State of the Economy is a flagship article published as part of the RBI's monthly Bulletin.
• Authored by economists and researchers within the central bank, it provides a comprehensive assessment of:

• Domestic economic activity
• Inflation trends
• Financial conditions
• External sector developments
• Global economic environment

• The report serves as a key reference point for policymakers, analysts, and market participants to gauge the health of the Indian economy and emerging risks.

Key Findings of the Latest Report

• Domestic Demand Remains the Main Growth Driver
  • The RBI noted that domestic demand continues to be the key driver of growth in India.
  • However, the central bank cautioned that the near-term outlook is "somewhat clouded by supply side pressures" caused primarily by the West Asia crisis.
• Inflation Trends

• Headline inflation remains comfortably within the RBI's tolerance band of 2-6%.
• CPI inflation rose to 3.5% in April, driven mainly by food inflation.
• Core inflation remained steady.
• Wholesale Price Index (WPI) inflation surged to 8.3% in April from 3.9% in March, recording a 42-month high.
• The sharp increase in WPI inflation was largely driven by fuel and power, reflecting price pressures from the West Asian conflict.
• High-frequency food price data up to May 19 indicate a marginal uptick in wheat and rice prices.
• The pass-through of underlying cost pressures to domestic prices requires close monitoring, especially given elevated WPI inflation.

• External Sector Challenges

• Financial conditions, crude oil prices, and capital flows continue to pose risks.
• Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) remained net sellers in April and May, though the pace of outflows moderated.
• Net Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) remained positive in March for the second consecutive month.

• Foreign Exchange Reserves
  • Despite external pressures, India's forex reserves remain at comfortable levels:

• Provide cover for goods imports for around 11 months.
• Cover about 90% of the external debt outstanding by the end of December 2025.

• Trade Reconfiguration
  • India is witnessing a trade reconfiguration amid the evolving geopolitical situation:
    • Trade through the Strait of Hormuz had declined sequentially in March but rebounded in April 2026.
    • Exports to China continued to grow in double digits year-on-year since April 2025.
    • Exports to the US grew in April 2026, reversing the contractionary trend witnessed since September 2025 (except in November).

Sectoral Performance

• Agriculture

• Summer sowing has progressed well, supported by above-normal pre-monsoon rainfall and comfortable reservoir levels.
• The acreage has surpassed the full-season normal acreage and is higher than the previous year.
• The acreage under all major crops is higher, except for rice.

• Industry

• E-way bills continued to register double-digit growth, indicating sustained industrial activity.
• Petrol and diesel consumption continued to grow.
• Overall petroleum consumption fell in April due to a sharp decline in the consumption of naphtha, LPG, and other petroleum products.
• Higher temperatures led to a sharp increase in electricity demand.

• Services

• The services sector remained resilient in April.
• Services PMI accelerated, supported by a boost in transportation activity, domestic suppliers, and new business orders.
• Export orders displayed weakness, affected by the war in West Asia and subdued inbound tourism.
• Air passenger traffic declined further in April due to the increase in prices of aviation turbine fuel.

• Rural Demand

• Demand remained broad-based and supported by rural markets.
• Automobile sales in rural areas continued to grow at double digits in April, although showing some sequential moderation.

• Labour Market

• Labour market conditions witnessed some moderation in the January-March 2026 quarter.
• The Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) and Worker-Population Ratio (WPR) declined.
• The unemployment rate rose during this period.

Global Economic Context

• The RBI noted that the global economy continued to be shadowed by uncertainties:

• West Asia conflict continued to exert pressure on commodity markets, global trade flows, and supply chains.
• Heightened geopolitical tensions and elevated energy costs are key concerns.
• Persistent uncertainty surrounding the growth and inflation outlook globally.
• Volatility in financial markets has been contributing factor.

India's Position of Strength

• The RBI highlighted that India has entered this challenging phase from a position of macroeconomic strength. Several factors are likely to cushion the economy against external headwinds:

• Robust services exports
• Positive net FDI flows
• Comfortable foreign exchange reserve buffers
• Proactive policy measures undertaken by the government and the RBI

Implications and Way Forward

• Short-Term Concerns

• Continued vigilance on inflation pass-through, especially from elevated WPI to retail prices.
• Monitoring crude oil price volatility and its impact on the current account deficit.
• Managing capital outflows and exchange rate pressures.
• Addressing supply chain disruptions caused by geopolitical tensions.

• Long-Term Strategy

• Diversifying trade routes beyond the Strait of Hormuz.
• Strengthening services exports as a buffer against goods trade volatility.
• Boosting domestic manufacturing through schemes like PLI and Make in India.
• Promoting renewable energy to reduce crude oil dependence.
• Enhancing labour market flexibility to address rising unemployment.

Context

• The recent rise in global energy prices due to escalating conflict in West Asia has highlighted India’s continuing vulnerability to external energy shocks.
• Despite major investments in renewable energy, nearly half of India’s fossil fuel imports still pass through the Strait of Hormuz, including crude oil from Saudi Arabia and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from Qatar.
• Although India is often recognised as a global leader in the clean energy transition, the country’s electricity system remains heavily dependent on coal.

Growth of Renewable Energy in India

• Expansion of Installed Capacity
  • Since 2017, renewables have contributed the largest share of new power capacity additions.
  • By March 2026, renewable sources accounted for 42.4% of installed power capacity, compared to only 0.72% in 2005.
  • During the same period, coal’s share in installed capacity declined from 58.7% to 42.2%.
  • The rapid expansion of solar energy and wind energy demonstrates India’s commitment to reducing dependence on fossil fuels and achieving long-term energy sustainability.
• Installed Capacity vs Actual Generation
  • Despite impressive capacity growth, renewable energy contributes far less to actual electricity generation.
  • In April 2026, renewables generated only 15.8% of electricity, while coal still accounted for 71.8% of power generation.
  • This gap between installed capacity and actual generation is central to understanding India’s energy system.
  • Renewable energy is being added alongside coal rather than replacing it. As a result, coal continues to dominate India’s electricity supply.

Structural Challenges in India’s Power System

• Intermittent Nature of Renewables
  • The output of solar and wind power depends on weather conditions and time of day, whereas electricity demand remains continuous.
  • In the absence of large-scale battery storage, flexible grids, and efficient balancing systems, renewable sources cannot provide uninterrupted electricity supply.
  • Consequently, coal plants continue to perform the crucial role of ensuring baseload reliability within the power system.
• Continued Dependence on Coal
  • India has added very little new fossil fuel capacity since 2018, but it has also retired very few old coal plants.
  • Gas-based capacity has even declined over time. This has strengthened coal’s position as the primary backup and balancing source in the electricity sector.
  • Coal’s persistence is therefore not merely a policy failure; it reflects the present technological and infrastructural limitations of renewable integration.

Impact of Global Energy Shocks

• Link Between Global Markets and Domestic Prices
  • India’s electricity prices remain closely connected to international fossil fuel markets.
  • Historical trends show domestic electricity tariffs moving alongside Brent crude prices because fossil fuels continue to determine the marginal cost of power generation.
  • As a result, geopolitical instability in West Asia directly affects India’s economy.
  • Rising crude oil prices increase transportation costs, industrial expenses, coal prices, electricity tariffs, inflation, and fiscal pressure.
• India’s Vulnerability Compared to Other Countries
  • Countries such as China and Spain illustrate alternative pathways.
  • China has reduced vulnerability by limiting oil and gas to a small share of its electricity mix and rapidly expanding electric vehicles and hybrid technologies.
  • Spain has weakened the connection between gas prices and electricity prices through extensive renewable integration.
  • India, however, remains vulnerable because its renewable transition has not yet fundamentally transformed electricity generation.

Need for System Transformation

• Beyond Capacity Expansion
  • India’s renewable push remains an important and forward-looking achievement, especially in a period of rising geopolitical uncertainty and fossil fuel volatility.
  • However, the next stage of transition requires deeper system transformation rather than capacity expansion alone.
  • This transformation demands investment in:
    • Storage infrastructure
    • Grid modernisation
    • Improved transmission connectivity
    • Better market mechanisms for renewable integration
  • Without these reforms, renewable energy cannot reliably substitute fossil fuels in actual electricity generation.
• Building a Reliable Green Energy System
  • The ultimate challenge for India is not only producing more green energy but also creating a system where renewables can provide stable and continuous power supply.
  • Until renewable energy achieves this reliability, coal will continue to play a stabilising role in the grid.

Conclusion

• India has made remarkable progress in expanding renewable energy capacity and has emerged as one of the world’s fastest-growing clean energy markets.
• However, the dominance of coal in electricity generation demonstrates that the energy transition remains incomplete.
• The gap between installed renewable capacity and actual electricity generation continues to expose India to global energy shocks, fossil fuel price volatility, and geopolitical instability.
• A successful transition will therefore require not only the expansion of renewable infrastructure but also comprehensive reforms in storage systems, grid management, and electricity markets.

Context

• The renewed restrictions on Russian seaborne oil represent more than a continuation of the Ukraine-related sanctions battle.
• They reveal the growing fragility of the global energy system, where sanctions, geopolitical conflicts and supply disruptions are increasingly interconnected.
• For major importing nations such as India, energy security has become directly linked with economic growth, inflation control and national stability.
• Despite the global push toward renewable energy, the modern economy continues to depend heavily on hydrocarbons, making oil supply disruptions a serious global concern.

Why India Cannot Ignore Sanctions on Russian Energy?

• Rising Energy Demand in India
  • India imports nearly 90% of its crude oil and remains one of the world’s fastest-growing energy consumers.
  • Rapid industrialisation, expanding cities and increasing transportation needs are continuously raising demand for energy.
  • Unlike many developed nations where energy demand has stabilised, India’s consumption is expected to grow for decades.
• Russian Oil as an Economic Stabiliser
  • After 2022, Russian crude became an important economic stabiliser for India.
  • It helped reduce fuel-price pressures, improved refinery economics and diversified import sources during a period of extreme market volatility.
  • This diversification reduced dependence on any single region and strengthened India’s energy flexibility.
• Impact on the Common Economy
  • For developing countries, affordable energy is essential for economic survival.
  • Rising crude prices affect transport costs, food inflation, fertilizer subsidies, manufacturing and household spending.
  • A sustained increase in oil prices spreads across the entire economy and slows growth. Therefore, India’s energy policy reflects practical economic needs rather than ideological alignment.

Sanctions and Market Reality

• Fragile Global Oil Markets
  • Global oil markets are already under pressure due to conflicts in West Asia, attacks on shipping infrastructure and disruptions in maritime trade routes.
  • Growing tensions involving Iran and concerns surrounding the Strait of Hormuz have further intensified uncertainty.
  • The Strait of Hormuz remains especially important because nearly one-fifth of global oil trade passes through it.
  • A large share of India’s crude oil and LPG imports also transit through these waters, making the region strategically critical for India’s energy security.
• Fear and Price Volatility
  • Oil markets react not only to actual shortages but also to the fear of disruption.
  • Even policy announcements from the United States can increase freight rates, insurance premiums and crude-price expectations.
  • This demonstrates how sensitive global energy markets have become.
• Contradictions in Western Sanctions
  • The United States and Europe aim to reduce Russian oil revenues while simultaneously trying to maintain low inflation and stable fuel prices.
  • However, stricter sanctions can tighten global supply and push prices higher. Once prices rise sufficiently, Russia may continue earning large revenues despite exporting lower volumes.
  • This contradiction explains why sanctions policies often shift between aggressive action and strategic flexibility.
  • Temporary waivers and carve-outs reveal that market realities frequently force political pragmatism.

Changing Nature of Energy Security

• Beyond Physical Supply
  • Energy security today extends beyond simply accessing oil reserves.
  • Modern vulnerabilities include shipping restrictions, insurance controls, financial sanctions, tanker blacklisting and payment barriers.
  • Global energy flows are now deeply connected with financial systems and geopolitical rivalries.
• Dependence on Hydrocarbons
  • Although renewable energy is growing rapidly, sectors such as transport, aviation, agriculture and petrochemicals still rely heavily on oil.
  • The global economy may discuss energy transition, but it continues to function primarily through fossil fuels.

India’s Long-Term Energy Strategy

• Need for Diversification
  • India cannot depend indefinitely on discounted Russian crude during geopolitical crises. A stronger and more resilient energy framework is essential.
  • This includes expanding strategic petroleum reserves, diversifying import sources and strengthening domestic exploration.
• Strengthening Infrastructure
  • India must also improve refining flexibility, expand gas infrastructure and accelerate investments in renewable energy.
  • Reducing dependence on vulnerable maritime chokepoints would further strengthen long-term energy security.
• Preserving Strategic Autonomy
  • The global order is becoming increasingly fragmented, with trade shaped by sanctions regimes and geopolitical competition.
  • Excessive dependence on any single geopolitical bloc could create long-term vulnerabilities.
  • India’s approach therefore reflects strategic autonomy and pragmatic national interest rather than neutrality alone.

Conclusion

• The world is entering an era characterised by recurring wars, sanctions, maritime insecurity and supply-chain disruptions.
• In such an environment, resilience becomes more important than ideology and energy systems ultimately operate according to physical and economic realities rather than political slogans.
• For India and other developing nations, the challenge is not merely securing cheaper oil but building a sustainable framework capable of surviving geopolitical shocks.
• In the twenty-first century, national stability and economic strength increasingly depend on the ability to navigate an unstable and fragmented global energy order.

Context:

• Three months into the ongoing West Asia conflict, India has largely avoided severe energy shortages despite rising crude oil prices.
• However, the deeper macroeconomic concern lies not in energy availability but in mounting pressure on the Balance of Payments (BoP) and the depreciation of the Rupee.
• The present external sector stress is fundamentally different from previous crises because it is being driven by weakness in the capital account rather than an unsustainable current account deficit (CAD).

A Different Kind of BoP Crisis:

• Traditionally, India’s external sector crises emerged from a widening CAD financed through volatile capital inflows.
• Once these inflows dried up, the Rupee came under pressure, forcing economic adjustment through import compression and tighter policies.
• The current episode differs in two significant ways -
  • Persistent BoP deficits:
    • For the first time in decades, India’s BoP has remained in deficit for two consecutive years and may continue for a third year.
    • This indicates a structural and chronic weakness rather than a temporary external shock.
  • Capital account stress, not current account stress:
    • India’s CAD has remained relatively moderate, averaging below 1% of GDP over the last three years. The main pressure has arisen from declining capital inflows.
    • Pre-pandemic, capital inflows averaged around 2.5% of GDP, but they have steadily weakened since 2023 and virtually dried up in 2025.
• This distinction is critical because policy responses differ depending on whether the problem originates from excessive imports or insufficient capital inflows.

Collapse in FDI - The Core Concern:

• The collapse in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is the heart of the problem. Net FDI, which previously averaged 1.5% of GDP, has sharply weakened since 2024.
• Global “push factors” dominate:
  • India’s FDI inflows since 2010 have been strongly correlated with US 10-year treasury yields:
    • Low US yields encouraged capital inflows into emerging markets like India.
    • Rising US yields over the last two years have reduced foreign investment appetite.
  • This suggests India’s FDI has depended more on global liquidity conditions than on domestic structural attractiveness.
• Weak domestic “pull factors”:
  • The last major period of strong India-specific investment attraction was between 2005 and 2010, driven by a robust private corporate capex cycle.
  • In contrast, countries such as Vietnam have consistently attracted high FDI irrespective of global conditions due to stronger manufacturing competitiveness and export integration.

West Asia Conflict and the “Pincer Effect”:

• The West Asia crisis has intensified existing vulnerabilities. Even if the Strait of Hormuz reopens quickly, crude oil prices are expected to remain above $100 per barrel.
• This is because global inventories need replenishment while demand remains strong. This could push India’s CAD close to $100 billion this fiscal year.
• India therefore faces a “pincer effect”: Higher global bond yields reducing capital inflows. Higher crude oil prices are worsening the trade balance.
• The root problem remains the sustained slowdown in capital flows, with the oil shock acting as an amplifier.

Rupee Depreciation as the First Line of Defence:

• The government and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) have allowed gradual Rupee depreciation.
• Benefits of a weaker rupee:
  • A depreciated currency discourages imports, improves export competitiveness, narrows the CAD, and boosts domestic production through “expenditure switching.”
  • Theoretically, slowing FDI and rising oil prices justify a weaker equilibrium exchange rate.
• Why may depreciation alone become counterproductive?
  • If the Rupee falls too rapidly foreign investors may increasingly hedge their Indian assets.
  • Hedging demand increases pressure on the Rupee, and further depreciation triggers even more hedging.
  • This creates a destabilising feedback loop that can push the currency away from economic fundamentals.

Why Demand Compression is Risky?

• Contrast with the 2013 crisis: The economy was overheating, and inflation was high. Therefore, tightening policies helped reduce the CAD.
• Today’s conditions are different:
  • Core inflation has remained around 2–3%,
  • Economic slack persists,
  • Private investment recovery remains weak, and
  • Geopolitical uncertainty is delaying the capex cycle.
• Risk of demand compression:
  • In this environment, reducing public expenditure to fund fuel and fertiliser subsidies could weaken growth further and make policy pro-cyclical.
  • Excessive demand compression may also discourage growth-sensitive capital inflows, worsening the underlying problem.

Structural Lesson for India:

• The most important long-term lesson is the urgent need to attract stable and durable FDI. This should be combined with controlled Rupee depreciation.
• Key imperatives:
  • India must undertake sustained structural reforms to improve manufacturing competitiveness, ease of doing business, export integration, logistics and infrastructure, and investment climate.
  • Stable FDI is essential not only for economic growth but also for macroeconomic stability and resilience against external shocks.

Conclusion:

• India requires calibrated foreign capital augmentation measures alongside long-term structural reforms that enhance competitiveness and attract stable investment.
• Resorting prematurely to fiscal and monetary tightening may suppress growth without resolving the underlying capital account weakness.

About Jharia Coalfield:

• It is located in the Dhanbad district of Jharkhand.
• It lies in the Damodar River valley and covers about 280 sq.km.
• It is known for its vast deposits of high-quality coking coal and holds the largest coal reserves in the country, having estimated reserves of 19.4 billion tonnes.
• Coal mining began in Jharia in 1894, and there are now more than 20 underground mines and several large open-cast coal mines
• Underground fires were first noted in Jharia in 1916, and they have continued to spread, destroying properties and killing miners.

What is Coking Coal?

• Coking coal (or metallurgical coal) is a naturally occurring sedimentary rock found within the earth’s crust.
• It typically contains more carbon, less ash, and less moisture than thermal coal, which is used for electricity generation.
• It is a bituminous coal with a suitable quality that allows the production of metallurgical coke, or simply named
• Coke is the main product of the high-temperature carbonisation of coking coal.
• It is an essential input material in steelmaking, as it is used to produce pig iron in blast furnaces, acting as the reducing agent of iron ore and as the support of the furnace charge.
• Major Producers:
  • The largest producers of coking coal were China, Australia, Russia, USA, and Canada.
  • India has an estimated 37.37 billion tonnes of coking coal resources, largely located in Jharkhand, with additional reserves in Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, and Chhattisgarh.

About Stroke:

• It is a medical emergency that occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted, either due to a blockage or bleeding.
• This lack of blood flow can lead to brain cell death and serious complications.
• A stroke can cause lasting brain damage, long-term disability, or even death.
• The types of strokes are:
  • Ischaemic stroke: A blood clot blocks a blood vessel in your brain, leading to loss of blood flow.
  • Haemorrhagic stroke: Intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) by rupture of a blood vessel in the brain leading to bleeding.
  • Transient ischaemic attack (TIA): A short period of symptoms similar to those of a stroke, caused by a brief blockage of blood flow to the brain. A TIA usually lasts only a few minutes and doesn't cause long-term damage.
• Most of the stroke burden is attributable to 10 modifiable risk factors, including high blood pressure, air pollution, smoking, high LDL cholesterol, diet high in sodium, high fasting blood glucose, kidney dysfunction, excess body weight, physical inactivity, and harmful use of alcohol.
• Non‑modifiable risk factors are:
  • Age
  • A prior stroke
  • Pre-existing cardiac conditions (e.g., atrial fibrillation and heart failure) and chronic kidney disease.
• The symptoms of a stroke often happen quickly. They include:
  • Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg (especially on one side of the body).
  • Sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or understanding speech.
  • Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
  • Sudden difficulty walking, dizziness, loss of balance, or coordination.
  • Sudden severe headache with no known cause.
• Treatment:
  • Treatments for stroke include medicines, surgery, and rehabilitation.
  • Prevention of another stroke is also important, since having a stroke increases the risk of getting another one.
    • Prevention may include heart-healthy lifestyle changes and medicines.

About Nereid:

• It is the third-largest moon of Neptune.
• It was discovered by Dutch astronomer Gerard Kuiper, who named the moon after the sea nymphs in Greek mythology.
• It is unique because it has one of the most eccentric orbits of any moon in our solar system.
• It is so far from Neptune that it requires 360 Earth days to make one orbit.
• Like so many other moons in the outer solar system, Nereid was long suspected of migrating to Neptune's neighborhood from the Kuiper Belt.
• But using the Webb telescope, scientists determined that Nereid’s composition was inconsistent with Kuiper Belt objects — it had too much ice.
• That suggests it was part of Neptune's system all along.

What is the Kuiper Belt?

• It is a large, doughnut-shaped cold region of icy bodies located in the outer reaches of our solar system beyond the orbit of Neptune.
• It's sometimes called the "third zone" of the solar system.
• It is similar to the main asteroid belt, found between Mars and Jupiter, in that its objects are composed of material leftover from the formation of the solar system around 4.6 billion years ago.
• However, it is far larger than the main asteroid belt, up to 20 times as wide and 20 to 100 times its mass.
• Like the asteroid belt, it has also been shaped by a giant planet, although it's more of a thick disk (like a donut) than a thin belt.
• The icy bodies in the Kuiper Belt are called "Kuiper Belt Objects", or KBOs for short. Pluto is the best-known KBO.
• In addition to rock and water ice, objects in the Kuiper Belt also contain a variety of other frozen compounds like ammonia and methane.

About Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C):

• I4C has been established under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to act as a nodal point at the National level in the fight against cybercrime.
• It is designed to provide a framework and ecosystem for law enforcement agencies (LEAs) to deal with cybercrime in a coordinated and comprehensive manner.
• I4C brings together academia, industry, public, and government in the prevention, detection, investigation, and prosecution of cybercrimes.
• Headquarters: New Delhi.
• Objectives:
  • To act as a nodal point to curb Cybercrime in the country.
  • To strengthen the fight against Cybercrime committed against women and children.
  • Facilitate easy filing of cybercrime-related complaints and identifying cybercrime trends and patterns.
  • To act as an early warning system for LEAs for proactive cybercrime prevention and detection.
  • Awareness creation among the public about preventing cybercrime.
  • Assist states/UTs in the capacity building of Police Officers, Public Prosecutors and Judicial Officers in the area of cyber forensics, investigation, cyber hygiene, cyber-criminology, etc.
  • Identify the research problems and needs of LEAs and take up R&D activities in developing new technologies and forensic tools in collaboration with academia/research institutes within India and abroad.
  • Suggest amendments, if required, in cyber laws to keep pace with fast-changing technologies and international cooperation.
  • To coordinate all activities related to the implementation of Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLAT) with other countries related to cybercrimes in consultation with the concerned nodal authority in MHA.
• Components:
  • National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit (TAU)
  • National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP)
  • National Cybercrime Training Centre (NCTC)
  • National Cybercrime Research and Innovation Centre
  • Platform for Joint Cyber Crime Coordination Team
  • Cybercrime Ecosystem Management Unit
  • National Cybercrime Forensic Laboratory (Investigation) Ecosystem
• Other Initiatives:
  • Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System: For immediate reporting of financial cyber frauds and preventing the siphoning of funds by cyber criminals on a near-real-time basis.
  • National Toll-Free Helpline number ‘1930’ has been operationalized to provide citizen assistance in lodging online cyber complaints.
  • The social media handle “CyberDost”, which provides cyber safety tips at regular intervals.
  • I4C has envisaged the Cyber Crime Volunteers Program to bring together citizens with a passion to serve the nation on a single platform and contribute to the fight against cybercrime in the country.
  • Pratibimb geospatial crime mapping platform maps locations of criminals and crime infrastructure on a map to give visibility to jurisdictional officers.

What is Phishing?

• It is a type of cyberattack that uses deceptive messages from seemingly reputable sources to trick victims into revealing sensitive information like login credentials, passwords, or financial data for malicious use.
• Attackers utilize various sophisticated methods, including domain spoofing, fake websites, and generative AI, to execute a phishing attack via email, SMS, phone calls, or social media.
• The most common examples of phishing are used to support other malicious actions, such as account takeovers, ransomware attacks, or business email compromise.

About Hutti Gold Mines Company Limited (HGML):

• It is a Government of Karnataka undertaking established in 1947.
• It has the unique distinction of being the only producer of primary gold in the country.
• HGML has been active in the exploration, development, and exploitation of gold deposits occurring in Karnataka.
• The company's corporate office is situated in Bangalore.
• It currently processes the ore from the Hutti Gold mine and two satellite mines, the Uti opencast mine and the Heera-Buddinni exploratory underground mine.
• The Hutti mine is probably one of the most ancient metal mines in the world, dating to the Pre-Ashokan period.

About Himalayan Tricarinate Hill Turtle:

• It is a small, terrestrial turtle species belonging to the family Geoemydidae.
• It derives its name from the three distinct keels on its shell, which provide it with a striking appearance.
• Scientific Name: Melanochelys tricarinata
• Habitat and Distribution:
  • It is found along the narrow sub-Himalayan belt, stretching across northeastern India, southern Nepal, southern Bhutan, and northern Bangladesh.
  • The species primarily inhabits temperate forests, as well as grasslands and foothills of the Himalayas.
• Features:
  • It is characterised by a highly domed carapace with three longitudinal keels.
  • It has a small olive-to-dark coloured head with a narrow snout.
  • It has scaly limbs adapted for terrestrial movement.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Endangered