The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), in its Annual Ground Water Quality Report, 2025, has identified Andhra Pradesh as one of the States facing widespread groundwater contamination based on BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) drinking water norms.
Andhra Pradesh is among several States with serious groundwater quality concerns.
Impact of Monsoon
The report notes that the monsoon season showed some improvement in groundwater quality.
Improvements were particularly observed in areas affected by:
High electrical conductivity (EC)
Fluoride contamination
This suggests seasonal dilution and recharge effects.
Uranium Contamination
Elevated uranium concentrations exceeding 30 parts per billion (ppb) were detected sporadically in Andhra Pradesh and four other States.
Uranium hotspots identified in Andhra Pradesh:
16 villages in Sri Sathya Sai district
3 villages in Tirupati district
These levels exceed the BIS permissible limit for drinking water.
Residual Sodium Carbonate (RSC)
Andhra Pradesh recorded a high incidence of residual sodium carbonate (RSC) beyond permissible limits.
26.87% of groundwater samples analysed in the State exceeded safe RSC levels.
High RSC affects soil permeability and crop productivity, posing risks to agriculture.
Multiple Contaminants Detected
CGWB groundwater quality alerts (June 2024 – March 2025) reported high incidence of:
Nitrate
Iron
Fluoride
Chromium, cobalt, manganese, nickel, zinc
Arsenic, selenium, cadmium, lead
Uranium
Andhra Pradesh and eight other States showed notable contamination concerns.
Arsenic Hotspots
Five villages were identified as arsenic hotspots.
Arsenic concentrations exceeded 10 ppb, the BIS permissible limit for drinking water.
Arsenic exposure poses serious long-term health risks.
Fluoride Contamination
Fluoride levels above 1.50 mg/l were reported in several areas.
The issue was especially severe in hard rock aquifers of Andhra Pradesh.
Over-extraction of groundwater accelerates the mobilisation of fluoride-bearing minerals, worsening contamination.
Seawater Intrusion
Coastal aquifers in Andhra Pradesh and some other States were affected by seawater intrusion.
This was indicated by high electrical conductivity (EC) levels.
Causes include:
Excessive groundwater extraction
Reduced freshwater recharge in coastal zones
Key Drivers of Contamination
Over-extraction of groundwater
Natural geogenic factors (rock–water interaction)
Agricultural runoff (nitrates)
Industrial and anthropogenic pollution
Coastal vulnerability leading to saline intrusion
Indian Army’s Bhairav Battalions
Introduction and Public Debut
The Indian Army’s newly raised Bhairav Battalions, a modern warfare force, will participate in the Army Day parade for the first time.
The parade will be held in Jaipur on January 15.
Units Participating in the Parade
Two Bhairav Battalions will take part:
2 Bhairav Battalion (Southern Command), known as the ‘Desert Falcons’
4 Bhairav Battalion (South Western Command)
The war cry of the 2 Bhairav Battalion is “Raja Ramchandra ki Jai”.
Focus on Unmanned Warfare
The Army is placing strong emphasis on unmanned and drone-based warfare.
Plans are underway to create a pool of over one lakh drone operatives across the force.
These operatives will be trained to operate drones in real combat operations, including strikes on enemy bases and formations deep inside hostile territory.
Rationale Behind Raising Bhairav Battalions
The battalions were raised by Army Headquarters after drawing lessons from:
Global conflicts
India’s operational experience, including Operation Sindoor
They are designed to address the evolving nature of modern and hybrid warfare.
Operational Role and Capabilities
Bhairav Battalions are:
High-speed
Offensive in nature
Capable of executing Special Forces–type tasks
They can operate at multiple levels, from tactical missions to deeper operational roles.
Force Structure and Deployment
15 Bhairav Battalions have already been raised.
These units are deployed across border formations.
The Army plans to raise around 25 Bhairav Battalions in total in the near future.
Bridging Capability Gap
The battalions are intended to bridge the gap between:
Para Special Forces
Regular infantry units
This allows the Army to conduct special operations without over-reliance on elite Special Forces.
Broader Army Transformation
Bhairav Battalions are part of a larger force restructuring initiative.
The restructuring aligns with:
New technologies
Evolving military doctrines
Emerging operational requirements
Creation of Rudra Brigades
The Army has also raised Rudra Brigades, which are integrated all-arms formations.
These brigades combine:
Infantry
Mechanised units
Tanks
Artillery
Special Forces
Unmanned aerial systems
Dedicated logistics and combat-support elements
Modernisation of Other Corps
The Artillery, Mechanised Infantry, and Armoured Corps are being equipped with:
Drones
Advanced battlefield systems
This aims to enhance operational effectiveness in future conflicts.
Overall Significance
The raising of Bhairav Battalions reflects the Indian Army’s shift towards:
Technology-driven warfare
Hybrid conflict preparedness
Greater operational flexibility and speed
It underscores the Army’s efforts to remain combat-ready in rapidly evolving security environments.
FIU’s Updated AML–CFT Guidelines for Cryptocurrency Exchanges
Issuing Authority and Context
The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), under the Union Finance Ministry, issued updated guidelines on January 8, 2026.
The guidelines are part of India’s Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) framework.
They apply to entities providing services related to Virtual Digital Assets (cryptocurrencies).
Regulatory Status of Crypto Exchanges
FIU is the single-point regulator for cryptocurrency exchanges in India under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
All crypto exchanges operating in India must:
Register with FIU as reporting entities
Submit regular reports on suspicious transactions
Maintain detailed customer records
Purpose of Updated Guidelines
To identify, monitor, and mitigate risks related to:
Money laundering
Terrorist financing
Proliferation financing
Addresses risks posed by crypto assets, which are not legal tender in India, though they are taxed under the Income-Tax Act.
Stricter KYC and Client Due Diligence Measures
Mandatory onboarding requirements now include:
Permanent Account Number (PAN)
Selfie with liveness detection
Geographical coordinates (latitude and longitude) of onboarding location
Date and time stamp of onboarding
IP address of the customer
Bank account verification via the ‘penny-drop’ method
These measures aim to prevent identity fraud and anonymous transactions.
Restrictions on High-Risk Crypto Practices
Exchanges are discouraged from facilitating:
Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs)
Initial Token Offerings (ITOs) (crypto equivalents of IPOs)
The guidelines state that transactions involving:
Tumblers
Mixers
Anonymity-enhancing tokens
Anonymity-linked transaction structures should not be facilitated.
Reporting and Compliance Obligations
Exchanges must:
Monitor and report suspicious transactions
Retain customer and transaction records for regulatory scrutiny
Implement internal controls to comply with AML–CFT obligations
Timeline and Evolution
The guidelines were first issued in March 2023.
The January 2025 update comes nearly three years later, reflecting evolving global and domestic crypto risks.
Broader Significance
Marks a tightening of India’s regulatory approach to cryptocurrencies.
Seeks to balance:
Allowing crypto-related activities under oversight
Preventing misuse for illegal financial activities
Aligns India’s crypto governance with international AML–CFT standards.
Implications
Higher compliance costs and operational changes for crypto exchanges
Reduced scope for anonymity in crypto transactions
Enhanced transparency and traceability in India’s crypto ecosystem
Context Window – Artificial Intelligence
Definition and Purpose
The context window in AI refers to the maximum amount of text a large language model (LLM) can process at one time.
It functions as the model’s short-term working memory during response generation.
Token-Based Processing
AI models do not process words directly; they process tokens (chunks of characters).
On average:
1 token ≈ 0.75 words in English
1,000 tokens ≈ 750 words
Therefore:
An 8,000-token context window corresponds to roughly 6,000 words.
What Fills the Context Window
The context window must simultaneously accommodate:
System instructions that define the model’s behavior
Conversation history (prior prompts and responses)
Space for generating the current response
These elements compete for limited space within the window.
Consequences of Limited Context
As conversation history grows, less room remains for new output.
If the total content exceeds the context window:
The model may drop or forget the oldest parts of the conversation.
This can lead to loss of continuity or earlier instructions.
Computational and Cost Implications
The size of the context window is directly tied to computational demand.
Increasing the context window:
2× increase in window size → ~4× increase in compute requirements
Larger context windows are therefore much more expensive to run and maintain.
Performance Limitations: “Lost in the Middle”
Even models with very large context windows (e.g., 100,000 tokens) can struggle to:
Identify or retrieve information located midway through long inputs
This issue is known as the “lost in the middle” phenomenon.
It highlights that larger context does not automatically mean better comprehension.
Broader Implications
The context window places practical limits on:
Long conversations
Large document analysis
Multi-step reasoning over extensive text
Effective AI use requires:
Careful prompt structuring
Context management strategies such as summarization or selective inclusion of information.
Overall Insight
The context window is a fundamental constraint shaping how LLMs remember, reason, and respond.
Balancing context length, cost, and performance is critical for both AI developers and users.
India–Germany Engagement
Overview of the Visit
German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz paid an official visit to India (12–13 January 2026) at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
This was:
Chancellor Merz’s first official visit to India
His first visit to Asia as Federal Chancellor
He was accompanied by a high-level delegation, including 23 leading German CEOs and industry leaders.
The visit reflects Germany’s view of India as a key strategic partner in the Indo-Pacific.
It comes at a symbolic high point:
25 years of India–Germany Strategic Partnership (2025)
75 years of diplomatic relations (2026)
Diplomatic Engagements & Symbolism
PM Modi welcomed Chancellor Merz in Ahmedabad.
Joint activities included:
Floral tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Sabarmati Ashram
Participation in the International Kite Festival
Addressing the India–Germany CEOs Forum
Chancellor Merz’s visit also includes Bengaluru, focusing on technology and business collaboration.
Leaders held:
Restricted talks
Delegation-level discussions
Both reaffirmed:
Shared democratic values
Commitment to a rules-based international order
Mutual respect as the foundation of the Strategic Partnership
Defence and Security Cooperation
Commitment to strengthen defence and security ties reaffirmed.
Welcomed outcomes of the High Defence Committee Meeting (Nov 2025).
Key areas of cooperation:
Institutionalised Service-to-Service Staff Talks
Joint military exercises, training, and senior-level exchanges
Regular naval port calls
Germany’s participation welcomed in:
Exercise MILAN and IONS Conclave of Chiefs (Feb 2026)
Air Combat Exercise TARANG SHAKTI (Sept 2026)
Germany to deploy a Liaison Officer at IFC-IOR.
Ongoing cooperation between DRDO and OCCAR on Eurodrone MALE UAV programme.
Signed Joint Declaration of Intent on a Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap:
Focus on co-development, co-production, and technology partnerships
