BPSC Bihar Special • Current Affairs19 September 2026
Bihar Current Affairs: India's First Hydrogen Train, Pirpainti Thermal Power & Infrastructure Modernization
Source: Information & Public Relations Department (IPRD Bihar) / Official Gazettes•Exam Target: BPSC 71st & 72nd CCE Prelims
BPSC 72nd Special Dossier — Track A, Day 10
1. India's First Hydrogen Train & Green Rail Infrastructure
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Historic Milestone: India's first indigenous hydrogen-powered train is set to commence passenger commercial trials on the Jind–Sonipat broad-gauge route in Haryana.
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Technological Architecture & World Benchmark:
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Configuration: Built on a standard broad-gauge platform with 10 coaches, including two Driving Power Cars (DPC) of 1,200 kW each, delivering a combined power output of 2,400 kW alongside 8 passenger coaches.
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Global Standing: Currently the longest (10 coaches) and most powerful (2,400 kW) broad-gauge hydrogen train operational anywhere in the world.
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Environmental Footprint: 100% zero carbon emission. The only operational by-products are pure water vapor and warm air, eliminating greenhouse gas and particulate emissions.
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Performance Parameters: Designed maximum operating speed of 110 km/h with a seating and standing passenger capacity of 2,638 commuters.
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Strategic Rail Modernization Goals:
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Aligns directly with Indian Railways' commitment to achieve Net Zero Carbon Emissions by 2030.
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Elevates India into an elite league of nations possessing hydrogen rail traction technology (joining Germany, China, and the UK).
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National Rail Plan (NRP) for 2030: Aims to create a future-ready railway system and substantially elevate the modal share of railways in national freight transportation from 27% to 45% by 2030.
2. Pirpainti Ultra-Supercritical Thermal Power Plant, Bhagalpur
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Geographic Location: Located at Pirpainti in Bhagalpur district, Bihar.
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Institutional Joint Venture: Executed as a high-priority joint development between the Bihar State Power Generation Company Limited (BSPGCL) and Coal India Limited (CIL).
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Generation Capacity & Technology:
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Planned total installed generation capacity of 2,400 MW configured through three ultra-supercritical units of 800 MW each (3 × 800 MW).
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Ultra-supercritical steam technology guarantees higher thermodynamic cycle efficiency, significantly lower coal consumption per kWh generated, and reduced carbon dioxide emission intensity.
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Impact on Bihar: Fundamental cornerstone for securing Bihar's base-load electrical self-sufficiency, powering expanding industrial corridors, and catering to agricultural feeder electrification.
3. Solid Waste Management & Bulk Waste Generators (BWG) Framework
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Regulatory Criteria for Bulk Waste Generators:
Under the revised municipal solid waste management governance, an entity is classified as a Bulk Waste Generator (BWG) if it satisfies any of the following operational benchmarks:
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Built-up floor area of 20,000 sq. metres or more.
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Average daily water consumption of 40,000 litres or more.
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Average daily solid waste generation of 100 kilograms or more.
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Operational Mandate: All BWGs are legally obligated to segregate waste at source into distinct streams (wet, dry, domestic hazardous) and establish on-site decentralized processing facilities for biodegradable waste.
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National Solid Waste Metrics (CPCB): India generates approximately 1.85 lakh tonnes of municipal solid waste per day, with BWGs accounting for nearly 30% of total urban generation.
4. Direct Tax Reforms & Income Tax Act 2025
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Legislative Overhaul: Replacement of the six-decade-old Income Tax Act, 1961 with the modern, simplified Income Tax Act, 2025 (effective 1 April 2026).
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Nomenclature Rationalization: Permanently eliminates the confusing terminology of "Assessment Year", replacing it directly with "Tax Year".
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Key Relief Measures:
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Family Pension Relief: Standard deduction on family pensions substantially enhanced to one-third of the pension or ₹25,000 (whichever is less), up from the previous ₹15,000 limit.
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Digital Verification: Complete transition to digital submission of documentation, eliminating physical filings.
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Faceless Assessment & AI Integration: Real-time reconciliations linking bank transaction accounts, GST filings, and income tax statements via automated risk algorithms.
5. Macroeconomic Recalibration: MoSPI Revises GDP Base Year
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New Base Reference: The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has revised India's National Accounts and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) base year from 2011-12 to 2022-23.
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Core Methodological Upgrades:
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Double Deflation Method: Deflating both gross output and intermediate consumption by their specific price deflators to derive accurate real Gross Value Added (GVA), resolving historical distortions in manufacturing measurement.
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Supply and Use Tables (SUT): Systematic integration of annual SUTs to reconcile production, income, and expenditure approaches.
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Capture of Digital Economy: Inclusion of e-commerce, digital public infrastructure (UPI/DPI transactions), gig-platform labor, and formalized MSME datasets.
6. Critical Technology, Governance & Energy Initiatives
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Arbitration Council of India (ACI): Established under the Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Act, 2019 to grade arbitral institutions and establish India as a premier international arbitration hub.
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Dhruv 64 Microprocessor: Indigenous 64-bit multi-core high-performance computing microprocessor architecture developed under MeitY's Microprocessor Development Programme by C-DAC and IIT Madras for strategic and civilian applications.
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Commercial Semiconductor Ecosystem:
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Tata Electronics & PSMC (Taiwan): India's first commercial semiconductor fabrication facility at Dholera SIR, Gujarat (₹91,000 cr investment).
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Micron Technology: Advanced semiconductor packaging and ATMP facility at Sanand, Gujarat.
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Tata Semiconductor Assembly and Test (TSAT): ₹27,000 cr ATMP facility at Morigaon, Assam.
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PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana: Massive clean energy initiative with an investment outlay of ₹75,000 crore aiming to light up 1 crore households by providing up to 300 units of free monthly solar electricity through rooftop installations.
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