BPSC Bihar Special • Current Affairs24 September 2026
Bihar Current Affairs: Bihar Semiconductor Policy 2026, State Food Safety Index & Uniform Civil Code
Source: Information & Public Relations Department (IPRD Bihar) / Official Gazettes•Exam Target: BPSC 71st & 72nd CCE Prelims
BPSC 72nd Special Dossier — Track A, Day 15
1. Bihar Semiconductor Policy 2026: Building an Electronics Manufacturing Ecosystem
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Cabinet Approval & Vision: Formulated by the Department of Industries, Government of Bihar, to attract high-tech semiconductor design, ATMP (Assembly, Testing, Marking, and Packaging), and OSAT (Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test) investments.
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Fiscal Subsidies & Investor Incentives:
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Capital Investment Subsidy: State capital subsidy of up to 50%, seamlessly matching the financial support extended by the central India Semiconductor Mission (ISM).
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Stamp Duty & Land Rebates: 100% exemption on stamp duty and land registration fees for units establishing in approved industrial areas (e.g., Bihta, Fatuha, Begusarai).
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Power Tariff Concession: Power tariff subsidy of ₹2 per unit for a duration of 10 years, guaranteeing uninterrupted dual-circuit industrial power.
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Employment & Skilling Subsidies: Monthly salary reimbursements for local engineering graduates and research stipend matches.
2. State Food Safety Index (SFSI) 2026 & Food Governance
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Publishing Authority: Annually released by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), a statutory body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
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Five Evaluative Parameters:
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Human Resources and Institutional Data (weightage 20%)
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Compliance and Enforcement (weightage 28%)
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Food Testing Infrastructure and Surveillance (weightage 18%)
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Training and Capacity Building (weightage 8%)
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Consumer Empowerment and Grievance Redressal (weightage 26%)
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State Performance: Evaluates large states, small states, and union territories; Bihar has established upgraded microbial food testing laboratories at Agamkuan (Patna) and Muzaffarpur to improve surveillance density.
3. Scientific Breakthrough: The Discovery of 'Dark Oxygen'
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Oceanographic Discovery: Groundbreaking research published in Nature Geoscience revealed that molecular oxygen (O_2) is produced at depths of 4,000 metres in the abyss of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) in the central Pacific Ocean.
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Mechanism of Production:
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Unlike conventional oxygen produced by plants and phytoplankton via sunlight-driven photosynthesis, this oxygen is generated in complete pitch darkness.
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Natural "Geobatteries": Abyssal polymetallic nodules (rich in manganese, nickel, cobalt, and copper) generate electrical voltages of up to 0.95 volts. When clusters of nodules form circuits, the combined electrical potential exceeds 1.5 volts, spontaneously triggering the seawater electrolysis process—splitting seawater into hydrogen and oxygen.
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Ecological Implications: Calls into serious question the ecological safety of planned deep-sea seabed mining, as disrupting polymetallic nodules could collapse abyssal aerobic ecosystems.
4. Digital Public Infrastructure for Education: APAAR ID
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Institutional Mandate: Launched by the Ministry of Education pursuant to the goals of the National Education Policy (NEP 2020).
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Nomenclature: APAAR stands for Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry, hailed as "One Nation, One Student ID".
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Key Architecture:
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Assigns a unique, lifelong 12-digit digital identifier to every enrolled student in India from pre-primary school through doctoral studies.
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Deeply interconnected with the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) and DigiLocker, digitally archiving report cards, credit transfers, sports certificates, and formal degrees.
5. Constitutional Law & Judicial Milestones
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Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Momentum:
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Constitutional Foundation: Article 44 in Part IV (Directive Principles of State Policy) directs the State to secure a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India.
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Uttarakhand: Became the first state in independent India to enact and notify the Uniform Civil Code into law (effective January 2025).
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Key Provisions in Uttarakhand UCC:
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Equal succession and inheritance rights for sons and daughters across all religions.
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Complete prohibition of polygamy, child marriage, and customary practices like Iddat and Halala.
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Mandatory registration of live-in relationships within 1 month with designated registrars; unregistered cohabitation attracts criminal penalties.
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Exemption: Explicitly exempts Scheduled Tribes (STs) under Article 366(25).
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Subsequent State Adoptions: Gujarat and Assam (which passed its UCC legislation in May 2026, becoming the 3rd state).
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Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Act 2026:
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Formalizes self-perceived gender identity certification without requiring mandatory medical/surgical proof; sets up specialized fast-track anti-discrimination tribunals.
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Kanispora (Kashmir) & Buddhist Heritage:
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Kanispora (ancient Kanishkapura) in Baramulla district of Jammu & Kashmir was founded by Kushan Emperor Kanishka I.
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Renowned archaeological locus linked with the Fourth Buddhist Council held in Kashmir under Vasumitra, where the Mahayana tradition was formally codified and the Vibhasha commentaries compiled.
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Mukhya Mantri Divyangjan Udyami Yojana (Bihar):
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Provides financial assistance of ₹10 lakh (comprising ₹5 lakh as 100% grant/subsidy and ₹5 lakh as an interest-free loan) to Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) in Bihar to launch small-scale manufacturing and service enterprises.
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