5 February 2026 Current Affairs (With PDF)

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Supreme Court Scrutinises Meta–WhatsApp Privacy Policy

Why in News

The Supreme Court of India questioned Meta Platforms and WhatsApp during hearings on their appeal against a National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) order that upheld a ₹213.14 crore penalty imposed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI).
The penalty relates to WhatsApp’s 2021 Privacy Policy, which altered the manner in which user data is shared within the Meta group.

Background of the Case

• The appeals challenge the CCI’s finding of abuse of dominant position by WhatsApp.
• NCLAT had earlier affirmed that WhatsApp’s policy violated competition law principles by imposing unfair conditions on users.

What is WhatsApp’s 2021 Privacy Policy?

1. Key Provisions

• Allows sharing of user data with Facebook (now Meta) and its group companies.
• Data sharing is primarily for commercial purposes, including advertising and business analytics.

2. Consent Framework

• Operates on a “take-it-or-leave-it” basis: Users must either accept expanded data sharing or Stop using WhatsApp entirely.

Concerns Raised by the Supreme Court

1. Commercial Exploitation of Personal Data:

• User data is analysed to map behavioural patterns, which Meta can leverage across platforms.
• This provides a cross-platform competitive advantage in the digital advertising ecosystem.

2. Abuse of Dominant Market Position:

• WhatsApp’s market dominance leaves users with no meaningful alternative, making consent effectively coerced.
• Imposition of one-sided contractual conditions was flagged as anti-competitive.

3. Dilution of Privacy Rights:

• The policy significantly expanded internal data sharing for advertising and business use.
• This undermines the principle of purpose limitation in data protection.

4. Lack of Informed Consent:

• The Court observed that the language and structure of the policy are overly complex.
• Such opacity makes it incomprehensible for ordinary users, especially economically or digitally vulnerable groups.

India’s Data Protection Framework: Current Status

1. Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023

• Governs the processing of digital personal data.
• Seeks to balance Individual privacy rights, and Legitimate data processing needs of entities.

2. Gaps Highlighted by the Supreme Court

• The DPDP Act does not address “rent sharing”, i.e.
• Whether users are entitled to a share in the economic value generated from their data.

Judicial and Institutional Foundations

• Justice K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2017)
• Recognised the Right to Privacy as a Fundamental Right under Article 21.
• Justice B.N. Srikrishna Committee (2017)
• Recommended a comprehensive data protection law, laying groundwork for later legislation.

Capital Goods as the Backbone of Investment-Led Industrial Growth

Why in News

The Union Budget 2026–27 has identified the capital goods sector as a strategic lever to drive investment-led industrial expansion, strengthen domestic manufacturing capabilities, and reduce import dependence across infrastructure, logistics, and high-technology industries.

What are Capital Goods?

Capital goods refer to plant, machinery, equipment and accessories used for:

• Manufacturing or production of goods
• Delivery of services
• Replacement, modernization and technological upgradation
• Capacity expansion across industries

They form the productive base of the economy and determine long-term industrial competitiveness.

Budget 2026–27: Key Interventions for Capital Goods Sector

1. Infrastructure-Led Demand Creation

• Public capital expenditure increased by ~9% to ₹12.2 lakh crore in FY 2026–27.
• Focus areas include: Expansion of high-speed rail corridors & Strengthening inland waterways and shipping infrastructure
• This creates sustained downstream demand for heavy machinery, construction equipment and industrial tools.

2. Indigenous Manufacturing of Precision Components

• Establishment of CPSE-led hi-tech tool rooms.:
• Domestic design and manufacturing of high-precision industrial components
• Reducing reliance on imported tooling and dies
• Supporting MSMEs and advanced manufacturing clusters

3. CIE Scheme for Infrastructure Equipment

• Launch of the Scheme for Enhancement of Construction and Infrastructure Equipment (CIE).
• Strategic focus on Indigenous production of Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs)
• Reducing dependence on foreign suppliers for critical infrastructure projects
• Enhances self-reliance in large-scale urban and transport infrastructure.

4. Logistics and Container Manufacturing Push

• ₹10,000 crore outlay announced for a new Container Manufacturing Scheme.
• Intended outcomes: Lower logistics costs, Reduced import dependence on shipping containers, Strengthened export competitiveness and supply-chain resilience

5. Trade and Tax Incentives for Capital Goods

(a) Customs Duty Rationalisation:

• Extension of Basic Customs Duty (BCD) exemptions for Capital goods used in Lithium-ion cell manufacturing & Equipment for critical mineral processing
• Supports clean energy transition and strategic minerals ecosystem.

(b) Income Tax Incentives:

• Five-year income tax exemption for non-resident entities supplying: Capital goods, Equipment and tooling
• Applicable when supplied to toll manufacturers operating in bonded zones, encouraging global technology inflows.

Transforming PACS into Multipurpose Rural Growth Engines

Why in News

The Government has announced a plan to establish new multipurpose Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), dairy and fisheries cooperatives to ensure coverage of all panchayats and villages within the next five years, positioning PACS as engines of rural transformation rather than merely credit institutions.

What are Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS)?

• Grass-root institutions of the short-term cooperative credit structure.
• Act as the last-mile financial link between rural borrowers and higher institutions such as Scheduled Commercial Banks, NABARD and RBI.
• Traditionally focused on short-term agricultural credit, now being repositioned as multi-service rural hubs.

Regulatory Framework for PACS

Constitutional Basis

1. Multi-State PACS

• Covered under Entry 44 (Union List).
• Regulated by Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies (CRCS).
• Governed by the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002.

2. Single-State PACS

• Covered under Entry 32 (State List).
• Administered by respective State Registrars of Cooperative Societies (RCS) under State Cooperative Acts.

Key Government Initiatives Supporting PACS

1. PACS Computerisation Project

• Nationwide digitisation under a common ERP-based national software.
• Enables Transparent accounting, Credit history tracking, Integration with banks and DBT systems

2. National Cooperation Policy (NCP), 2025

• Focus on Membership expansion & Leadership roles for women and weaker sections
• Aims to revive the cooperative movement as a people-centric institution.

3. Adoption of Model Bye-laws

• Enables PACS to function as multipurpose service centres, including: PM Kisan Samriddhi Kendras, Common Service Centres, Warehousing and storage facilities, Custom hiring and primary processing units

4. Inclusive Governance Reforms

• Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Act, 2023 mandates: Representation of women and SC/ST members on cooperative boards.
• Inclusion of Self-Help Groups, Small and marginal farmers, Tribal communities

Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS)

Why in News?

• A recent controversy has emerged regarding the utilisation of MPLADS funds.
• Criticisms include Inefficient utilisation of funds, Alleged diversion and weak monitoring, Calls for discontinuation of the scheme

About MPLADS

• Type: Central Sector Scheme
• Launched: 1993
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI)
• To enable Members of Parliament (MPs) to recommend works for the creation of durable community assets based on locally felt developmental needs
• Typical sectors include drinking water, sanitation, roads, health, education, etc.

Implementation Framework

• Implementing Authority: District Authority (DA) / Implementing District Authority (IDA)
• Executing Agencies: Government departments, Trusts, Cooperative societies (Selected by the District Authority)

Fund Allocation & Eligibility

• Annual Allocation: ₹5 crore per MP per year
• Area of Recommendation
  - Lok Sabha MPs: Within their constituency
  - Rajya Sabha MPs: Anywhere within the state of election
  - Nominated MPs: Anywhere in India
• Nature of Funds: Non-lapsable (Unreleased funds are carried forward)

Special Provisions for SC/ST Areas

1. MPs must recommend:

• At least 15% of funds for SC-inhabited areas
• At least 7.5% of funds for ST-inhabited areas

2. Adjustment Clause:

• If a Lok Sabha constituency has insufficient ST population, funds may be used in SC-dominated areas, and vice versa.

Exceptions & Flexibility

• Outside Constituency/State: MPs may recommend works worth up to ₹25 lakh per year outside their normal jurisdiction.
• Disaster Relief: In case of natural calamities, MPs may recommend up to ₹1 crore for an affected district.

New START Treaty

Why in News

• Security experts caution that the impending expiry of the New START Treaty could eliminate the final legally enforceable constraint on the nuclear arsenals of the United States and Russia, the world’s two largest nuclear powers.
• Its lapse may accelerate a renewed strategic arms competition and weaken the global arms control architecture.

About the New START Treaty

• Full Name: New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START)
• Signed: 2010
• Came into Force: 2011
• Parties: United States and Russian Federation

Key Provisions

1. Limits on Nuclear Warheads

• Places a ceiling of 1,550 deployed strategic nuclear warheads for each country.
• Applies only to operationally deployed warheads, not stockpiled or reserve weapons.

2. Restrictions on Delivery Systems

• Imposes quantitative limits on:
  - Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs)
  - Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs)
  - Heavy strategic bombers
• Aims to prevent rapid force expansion and destabilising force postures.

3. Verification and Transparency

• Enables on-site inspections, data exchanges, and notifications.
• Builds mutual confidence and reduces risks of miscalculation.

Strategic Significance

• Cornerstone of Nuclear Arms Control Remains the only surviving bilateral treaty regulating U.S.–Russia strategic nuclear weapons.
• Global Non-Proliferation Impact Reinforces the credibility of the broader nuclear non-proliferation regime, including the NPT.
• Crisis Stability Reduces incentives for arms racing and accidental escalation during geopolitical tensions.

Implications of Expiry

• Removal of binding caps on warheads and delivery systems.
• Increased opacity due to loss of verification mechanisms.
• Potential erosion of norms governing nuclear restraint at the global level.

Gross Value Added (GVA)

Why in News

• As per Provisional Estimates (PE), the agriculture and allied sector recorded a robust GVA growth of 10.4% in 2024–25.
• Reflecting this momentum, the Union Government has enhanced the budgetary allocation for the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) to ₹1.27 lakh crore for 2025–26.

Agriculture Sector Performance

• Scope of Agriculture & Allied Activities: Crops, Livestock, Fisheries, Horticulture
• The sector has shown consistent expansion in GVA at current prices over the last five years, indicating improved output, diversification, and value addition.

What is Gross Value Added (GVA)?

1. Definition:

• GVA measures the economic value generated by a sector by subtracting the value of intermediate inputs from the total value of output.
• It reflects the actual contribution of a sector to the economy.

2. Intermediate Consumption:

• Inputs used up during the production process
• Not meant for final consumption
• Examples: seeds, fertilizers, feed, fuel

GVA at Basic Prices

• Includes: Production taxes (such as land revenue or taxes linked to production)
• Excludes: Product taxes (like GST or excise duty on final goods)

Hence, GVA at basic prices provides a clearer picture of sectoral productivity, unaffected by indirect taxes on final products.

Significance of GVA in Economic Analysis

• Serves as a key indicator for Sectoral growth trends, Policy formulation and budgetary priorities, Assessment of structural changes in the economy
• Forms the basis for calculating GDP when aggregated across sectors.

Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS): 75% Budget Boost

Why in News?

Union Budget 2026–27 increases ECMS outlay by 75% to ₹40,000 crore to deepen India’s electronics manufacturing ecosystem.

Background: Growth of Electronics Sector in India

1. Electronics production:

• Increased from ₹1.9 lakh crore (2014–15) to ₹11.3 lakh crore (2024–25)
• Represents six-fold growth in a decade.

2. Electronics exports:

• Rose from ₹38,000 crore to ₹3.27 lakh crore
• Marks eight-fold expansion, strengthening India’s export profile.

3. Employment generation:

• Around 25 lakh jobs created in electronics manufacturing.

About Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS)

• Aimed at strengthening domestic manufacturing of electronic components.
• Targets creation of a $500 billion electronics manufacturing ecosystem by 2030–31.
• Focuses on reducing import dependence, especially on critical components.

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