DGFT Prohibits Export of Lithium-Ion Battery Black Mass
Context: The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), under the Department of Commerce, has prohibited the export of lithium-ion battery black mass to strengthen domestic recycling capacity and critical mineral security.
Key Highlights
- Export Policy: DGFT changed the export policy under ITC (HS) Code 85491400 from ‘Free’ to ‘Prohibited’, with immediate effect and until further orders.
- Coverage: Includes specified unsorted battery waste and scrap without lead, cadmium or mercury. Transitional arrangements under Para 1.05 of the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP), 2023, will apply.
- Objective: Ensure domestic availability of black mass, addressing feedstock shortages and underutilisation of recycling facilities.
- Significance: Strengthens critical mineral security, reduces import dependence and foreign exchange outgo, and encourages domestic investment and employment.
- Circular Economy: Promotes urban mining and recovery of valuable minerals from discarded batteries.
- Government Initiative: Complements the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) and its ₹1,500-crore Critical Mineral Recycling Incentive Scheme, approved in September 2025, for recovering minerals from secondary sources, including battery and electronic waste.
About Black Mass
- Black mass is a powder-like material generated by shredding end-of-life lithium-ion batteries and battery manufacturing waste.
- It contains recoverable critical minerals, including lithium, cobalt, nickel and manganese, which are essential for electric mobility, advanced chemistry cell batteries, energy storage, electronics and renewable energy technologies.
- It requires further processing, including chemical separation and purification, to recover individual minerals for battery manufacturing.
ECI extends Model Code of Conduct restrictions to retired officials working with State governments
Context: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has extended Model Code of Conduct (MCC) restrictions applicable to serving government employees to retired officials re-employed or re-engaged by State and Union Territory governments.
More on the News
- Political Neutrality: Re-engaged retired officials must maintain political neutrality and cannot participate in election campaigns, canvass or lend their names to political parties or individuals.
- Restrictions on Meetings: They cannot summon election-related officers for official discussions or hold meetings or video conferences with them in constituencies or districts where elections have been announced.
- Coverage: The directions were issued to five poll-bound States: Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
- The ECI warned that violations would be viewed seriously.
About the Model Code of Conduct (MCC)
- Definition: A set of guidelines issued by the ECI, with the consensus of political parties, to regulate the conduct of political parties, candidates and governments during elections.
- Objective: To ensure free and fair elections and maintain a level playing field.
- Legal Status: It is a non-statutory document and is not directly enforceable by law.
- However, violations involving electoral offences and corrupt practices attract penalties under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and other applicable laws.
- Applicability: It applies to Lok Sabha, State Assembly and certain Legislative Council elections.
- Its provisions also cover organisations, committees, corporations and commissions funded wholly or partly by the government, including their employees.
- Constitutional Basis: The ECI enforces the MCC under Article 324 of the Constitution, which empowers it to supervise, direct and control elections.
- Enforcement: It comes into force immediately after the announcement of the election schedule and remains effective until the completion of the election process.
First BIMSTEC Health Ministers’ Meeting
Context: The First BIMSTEC Health Ministers’ Meeting was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, with Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda representing India to strengthen regional cooperation in public health.
Key Highlights of the Meeting
- Joint Ministerial Statement: Member countries unanimously adopted a Joint Ministerial Statement and the Revised BIMSTEC Plan of Action on Public Health (2026–2030).
- Key Areas of Cooperation: The roadmap focuses on disease surveillance, pandemic preparedness, antimicrobial resistance, One Health, traditional medicine and healthcare workforce development.
- Digital Health: Members agreed to explore a BIMSTEC Digital Health Framework covering telemedicine, interoperable electronic health records and Artificial Intelligence in diagnostics.
- India’s Healthcare Initiatives: India offered to share its expertise, highlighting:
- Over 1.85 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.
- AB PM-JAY coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per eligible family.
- Over 50 crore teleconsultations through eSanjeevani.
- Centre of Excellence: India committed to hosting the BIMSTEC Centre of Excellence in Traditional Medicine at the Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda (ITRA), Jamnagar, Gujarat.
- Bilateral Cooperation: India announced support for 100 additional ambulances and 50 Medical Kiosks/Health ATMs in Sri Lanka.
- Future Meetings: Health Ministers’ and Senior Officials’ meetings will be held every two years.
- Thailand offered to host the next ministerial meeting in 2028.
About BIMSTEC
- Established: 6 June 1997 through the Bangkok Declaration.
- Full Form: Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation.
- Nature: A regional organisation connecting South Asia and Southeast Asia through cooperation among countries bordering and adjacent to the Bay of Bengal.
- Membership (7 Countries):
- South Asia (5): Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
- Southeast Asia (2): Myanmar and Thailand.
- Evolution: Initially established as BIST-EC (1997) by Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Myanmar joined in December 1997, while Nepal and Bhutan joined in 2004.
- Secretariat: Dhaka, Bangladesh (established in 2014).
- Objective: Promote regional cooperation in economic development, connectivity, security, technology and sustainable development.
- Priority Areas: Cooperation was reorganised into seven broad sectors in 2021, covering trade, investment, security, environment, agriculture, connectivity, science and technology, and people-to-people contact.
- Public Health: Led by Sri Lanka under the Science, Technology and Innovation sector.
Indian Navy conducts fifth edition of pan-India coastal defence exercise ‘Sea Vigil-26’
Context: The Indian Navy is coordinating the fifth edition of the pan-India Coastal Defence Exercise ‘Sea Vigil-26’ from 11 to 19 November 2026 to assess and strengthen India’s maritime security and coastal defence preparedness.
About Sea Vigil-26
- Conceptualised: 2018, following the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks to validate measures taken to strengthen India’s maritime security.
- Coverage: Entire Indian coastline and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), involving all coastal States and Union Territories.
- Two Phases:
- Coastal Defence and Security Readiness Evaluation (CDSRE): 11–17 November 2026, to assess coastal security installations, surveillance and preparedness.
- Sea Phase: 18–19 November 2026, involving tactical simulations using Red Forces (simulated attackers) and Blue Forces (defending agencies).
- Participation: Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, Coastal Security Police, Customs, other maritime agencies, and fishing and coastal communities.
- Significance: Identifies security gaps and strengthens inter-agency coordination and response mechanisms against maritime threats.
- Linkage: Serves as a precursor to the Navy’s biennial Theatre Level Readiness Operational Exercise (TROPEX). Together, both exercises cover maritime security challenges from coastal defence to high-seas operations.