Legal Current Affairs for 09 January 2026

Pesticides are used to kill, prevent, reduce, destroy or repel a pest. It broadly constitutes insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, bio-pesticides etc.
Herbicides (kill/control the growth of weeds) have the largest market share at 44% (as of 2023)
India’s pesticide consumption is 0.5 kg/hectare (compared to 17 kg/hectare in some countries) (2023)
States with highest Consumption: Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Telangana

The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act, 2023, renames the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. Other key amendments include:
Applicability: Limits the Act to the land that has been declared or notified as a forest in accordance with the provisions of the Indian Forest Act, 1927.
Strategic Exemptions: Removes restrictions on forest land within 100 km of international borders for national security projects.
Permitted Activities: Reclassifies eco-tourism, zoos, and silvicultural operations as “forestry activities,” exempting them from certain non-forest use restrictions.

India’s First Digital Census: Enumerators will primarily use mobile apps for data collection.
Historic Caste Enumeration: This Census will include the first nationwide caste enumeration in independent India (last done in 1931) for all communities (beyond just Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes).
Digital Features:
Self-Enumeration Portal: A secure platform where citizens can independently complete questionnaires;
Census Management and Monitoring System (CMMS): Digital portal allowing supervisors and district officers to track enumeration progress.
Houselisting Block (HLB) Creator:A satellite-based web mapping application that enables Charge Officers to create precise digital enumeration blocks.
Census as a Service (CaaS): Provides ministries with a clean, machine-readable and queryable database to facilitate evidence-based policy planning.

Genesis: British economist Jim O’ Neill in 2001 coined the acronym ‘BRIC’ representing the emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China.
BRIC started functioning as a formal grouping on the margins of the G8 Outreach Summit in 2006. The 1st BRIC Summit was held in Russia in 2009.
BRIC became BRICS with the inclusion of South Africa in 2010.
Aim: To reform global governance and provide alternatives to Western-dominated institutions (IMF, World Bank, UNSC).
Chairmanship: Rotates annually among member countries.
Three pillars of Cooperation of BRICS: Political and security; Economic and financial; and Cultural and people-to-people cooperation.
Represents: Approximately 49.5 % of the global population, around 40% of the global GDP and around 26% of global trade.
Members:
Initial members (BRICS): Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa.
New members (BRICS+): Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry of India visited Liechtenstein to accelerate implementation of India–EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA).
TEPA is India’s first free trade agreement with a developed group of EFTA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland).
Political Features:
It is the only doubly-landlocked country in Europe.
It is not a member of European Union.
Bordering Countries: Austria (North and East) and Switzerland (West and South).

Location: Bengaluru (Karnataka).
Four ranges: Anekal, Bannerghatta, Harohalli and Kodihalli wildlife ranges.
Flora: Medri bamboo.
Fauna: Panther, elephant, sloth bear, spotted deer, grey langur, bonnet macaque, wild boar, jackal etc.