MEA Revises Passport Validity Rules for Children Below 15 Years

What’s the News?

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has notified the Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026, revising the validity of ordinary passports issued to children below 15 years.

A 36-page ordinary passport issued to a child below 15 will now remain valid for five years from the date of issue or until the child turns 18, whichever is earlier. The amended provisions came into force upon publication in the Official Gazette.

What Changed?

The amendment modifies Rule 12(1A) of the Passports Rules, 1980.

• Earlier provision: A passport issued to a child below 15 was valid for five years or until the child attained 15 years, whichever was earlier.
• New provision: It is valid for five years or until the child attains 18 years, whichever occurs earlier.
• The provision specifically covers a 36-page ordinary passport issued to a child below 15.
• The change can extend passport validity for children approaching 15 and reduce the need for an immediate reissue merely because the holder crosses the age of 15.

Passport Fee Provisions

The amendment also revises Rule 8 of the Passports Rules, 1980, providing that application fees for different passport services will be those specified in Schedule IV.

Passport charges had already been revised earlier in 2026. For minor applicants:

• A 36-page fresh or reissued passport under the normal category costs ₹1,750, compared with ₹1,000 earlier.
• A 10% concession on the basic passport fee continues for fresh applications by children up to eight years of age; it does not apply to reissue applications.

Legal Framework

• Passports Act, 1967: Governs the issue of passports and travel documents and regulates the departure of persons from India.
• Section 24: Empowers the Central Government to make rules through notification in the Official Gazette for implementing the Act, including rules concerning passport validity and fees.
• Passports Rules, 1980: Principal rules framed under the Act.
  • Rule 8: Passport application fees.
  • Rule 12: Duration/validity of passports and travel documents.
  • Schedule IV: Prescribes fees for different passport-related services.

Additional Info

Children aged 15–18 years have separate provisions. Passport Seva guidance allows them to obtain a passport with limited validity or, subject to the applicable requirements, apply for a 10-year-validity passport. Police-verification requirements depend on the category and circumstances of the application.

Passport services are administered by the Ministry of External Affairs through the Passport Seva system, including Passport Offices, Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs) and Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs).

Sources

• The Hindu
• The Economic Times
• India Today

SEMICON India 2026 Unveils Semicon 2.0 Roadmap

What’s the News?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the fifth edition of SEMICON India 2026 at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi, under the theme “Silicon to Systems: Building the Ecosystem.”

The event highlighted India’s transition from establishing semiconductor manufacturing capacity under Semicon 1.0 to developing a complete domestic semiconductor value chain under Semicon 2.0. The Union Cabinet has approved Semicon 2.0 with an outlay of ₹1,27,500 crore.

Semicon 2.0?

Semicon 2.0 is the second phase of India’s semiconductor programme. It seeks to expand support beyond fabrication and packaging to cover the entire ecosystem.

It is structured around six pillars:

• Design: Expand the domestic chip-design ecosystem and semiconductor intellectual property.
• Machines & Materials: Promote domestic production and R&D in semiconductor equipment, chemicals, gases and materials.
• More Fabs: Support additional silicon, compound semiconductor, discrete component and display fabrication facilities.
• Advanced Packaging: Further strengthen ATMP/OSAT capabilities.
• Research & Development: Promote applied R&D and development of more advanced semiconductor technologies.
• Talent Development: Expand skills in chip design, system design, clean-room operations and semiconductor manufacturing.

Investment & Employment

• Around ₹1 lakh crore of investment commitments have been received within the Semicon 2.0 ecosystem.
• These investments are expected to materialise over the next 2–3 years.
• Nearly 1 lakh new employment opportunities are expected across the semiconductor ecosystem.
• The government plans to train 1 lakh technicians over five years for manufacturing, clean-room and related roles.
• The expanded programme targets around 200 semiconductor design start-ups/companies.
• Under the first phase, 105 semiconductor start-ups received support/access to advanced design tools, while 20 subsequently secured venture-capital funding.

SEMICON India 2026

• Edition: 5th
• Venue: Yashobhoomi, New Delhi
• Theme: Silicon to Systems: Building the Ecosystem
• Exhibitors: More than 600, including around 300 international participants
• Country Pavilions: 6
• State Pavilions: 12
• The event also featured a Startup Pavilion and a Workforce Development Zone.

The conference brings together governments, semiconductor companies, equipment and material suppliers, start-ups, investors, academia and technology professionals.

India Semiconductor Mission

The India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) functions under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and is the nodal institutional mechanism for developing India's semiconductor and display ecosystem.

The original Semicon India Programme, launched in 2021, had an outlay of ₹76,000 crore. Under its first phase:

• 12 semiconductor manufacturing projects were approved across multiple states, involving cumulative proposed investment of more than ₹1.64 lakh crore.
• Projects include semiconductor fabrication and ATMP/OSAT facilities.
• 24 semiconductor design projects of start-ups and MSMEs received approval for financial support.
• Indian institutions and start-ups received access to industry-standard Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools.

Semiconductor Ecosystem

Fab (Fabrication Facility):

• A specialised manufacturing plant where semiconductor circuits are fabricated on wafers.
• India’s first major fab under the programme is scheduled for commissioning in 2028.

ATMP – Assembly, Testing, Marking and Packaging:

• Covers the post-fabrication stages in which chips are assembled, tested, marked and packaged for use.

OSAT – Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test:

• Companies that provide semiconductor assembly, packaging and testing services to chip designers/manufacturers.

EDA – Electronic Design Automation:

• Specialised software tools used to design, simulate and verify integrated circuits and semiconductor systems.

Why Semiconductors Matter?

Semiconductors are critical inputs for AI, telecommunications, automobiles and EVs, defence systems, data centres, consumer electronics, industrial automation and 5G/6G technologies.

India’s semiconductor demand is projected to reach around US$110 billion by FY2030 and exceed US$200 billion by FY2035, increasing the importance of domestic manufacturing, design capabilities and resilient supply chains.

Additional Info

Electronics Manufacturing in India

• Electronics production increased from about ₹1.9 lakh crore in 2014–15 to ₹13.11 lakh crore in 2025–26.
• Electronics exports increased from around ₹38,000 crore to ₹4.24 lakh crore over the same period.
• Mobile-phone production increased from around ₹18,000 crore to ₹6.27 lakh crore.
• India manufactures about 99.2% of mobile phones sold domestically and has emerged as a net exporter of mobile phones.

Global Semiconductor Market

The global semiconductor market is projected to reach approximately US$3 trillion by 2035, underscoring the strategic importance of semiconductor manufacturing, technology and supply-chain resilience.

Sources

• IBEF

World Bamboo Day 2026: Bamboo for a Regenerative Future

What’s the News?

World Bamboo Day 2026 was observed on 18 September to raise awareness about the environmental, economic and social importance of bamboo.

The 2026 theme is “Bamboo for a Regenerative Future: A Global Call to Grow, Build and Prosper with Nature.” It highlights bamboo as a strategic renewable resource for climate action, ecosystem restoration, sustainable livelihoods and low-carbon development.

World Bamboo Day

• Observed: 18 September every year
• Established: 2009
• Initiated by: World Bamboo Organization (WBO)
• The observance originated in connection with the 8th World Bamboo Congress held in Bangkok, Thailand, in 2009.
• It seeks to promote wider recognition and sustainable use of bamboo worldwide.

2026 Theme

“Bamboo for a Regenerative Future: A Global Call to Grow, Build and Prosper with Nature”

The theme focuses on moving bamboo from its recognised potential to wider practical deployment through cooperation among governments, communities, researchers, businesses and investors.

Why is Bamboo Important?

Environmental Role

Bamboo is a perennial grass belonging to the family Poaceae rather than a tree in botanical classification.

When sustainably managed, bamboo can support:

• Land restoration and soil conservation
• Carbon sequestration and climate mitigation
• Rehabilitation of degraded ecosystems
• Renewable biomass production
• Reduced dependence on conventional timber and some carbon-intensive materials

Economic Uses

Bamboo has applications in:

• Construction and housing
• Furniture
• Paper and pulp
• Textiles
• Handicrafts
• Food, including bamboo shoots
• Engineered bamboo products
• Energy and other bio-based products

National Bamboo Mission

India promotes bamboo cultivation and its value chain through the National Bamboo Mission (NBM).

• The restructured NBM was launched in 2018-19 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
• It operates under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.
• It focuses mainly on bamboo cultivation on non-forest government and private lands.
• Major interventions include:
  • Quality planting material
  • Expansion of bamboo cultivation
  • Post-harvest management
  • Treatment and seasoning facilities
  • Processing and value addition
  • Market infrastructure
  • Skill development and entrepreneurship
  • Reducing dependence on imports of bamboo and bamboo products.

Funding Pattern

Under the restructured Mission:

• Centre : State = 60:40 for most States
• 90:10 for North-Eastern and Hilly States
• 100% Central funding for Union Territories, Bamboo Technology Support Groups and specified national-level agencies.

Bamboo and the Indian Forest Act

Bamboo was earlier included within the definition of a “tree” under Section 2(7) of the Indian Forest Act, 1927, despite being botanically a grass.

The Indian Forest (Amendment) Act, 2017 omitted the word “bamboos” from this definition. This eased restrictions on the felling and transport of bamboo grown on non-forest land, encouraging farmers and private landholders to undertake bamboo cultivation. Bamboo grown in forest areas, however, remains subject to applicable forest laws and regulations.

Additional Info

World Bamboo Organization

• World Bamboo Organization (WBO) promotes global awareness and sustainable development of bamboo.
• It established World Bamboo Day in 2009.
• Its work connects bamboo with environmental conservation, livelihoods, innovation, sustainable construction and international cooperation.

Sustainable Development Goals

Bamboo-based development has links with several UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly:

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
• SDG 13: Climate Action
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Sources

• World Bamboo Organization

International Equal Pay Day 2026 Highlights Global Gender Pay Gap

What’s the News?

International Equal Pay Day was observed on 18 September to promote the principle of equal pay for work of equal value and highlight the persistent gender pay gap worldwide.

For 2026, the International Labour Organization (ILO) highlighted the message “Equal Pay for Work of Equal Value — For Everyone, Everywhere.” The United Nations does not list a separate official annual theme on its observance page.

International Equal Pay Day

• Observed: 18 September every year
• First observed: 2020
• Established by: United Nations General Assembly
• UN Resolution: A/RES/74/142
• The resolution was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2019 without a vote.
• The observance promotes equal remuneration and draws attention to discrimination and structural inequalities affecting women in labour markets.

Gender Pay Gap

The gender pay gap refers broadly to the difference between the earnings of women and men.

• The UN's International Equal Pay Day page estimates the global gender pay gap at around 20%.
• The ILO's 2026 message states that women globally earn about 18% less than men.
• Women employees globally earn roughly 78 cents for every dollar earned by men, according to current UN material.
• Women also spend more than 2.5 times as many hours as men on unpaid care work.

Differences between headline estimates can arise from the datasets, populations and wage measures used.

Why Does the Pay Gap Persist?

Major factors identified by international organisations are:

• Occupational and sectoral segregation
• Undervaluation of work predominantly performed by women
• Unequal unpaid care responsibilities
• Discriminatory recruitment and promotion practices
• Lower representation of women in higher-paid and leadership positions
• Greater concentration of women, particularly migrant women, in informal and insecure employment
• “Motherhood penalty”, where women's earnings and career progression can be adversely affected after having children.

Equal Pay for Work of Equal Value

The concept goes beyond paying men and women equally for identical jobs.

Under ILO Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (Convention No. 100), men and women should receive equal remuneration for work assessed to be of equal value, even when the jobs themselves are different.

Objective job evaluation can consider factors such as:

• Skills and qualifications
• Responsibility
• Effort
• Working conditions

The Convention was adopted in 1951 and entered into force in 1953. India ratified it in 1958.

Equal Pay International Coalition

The Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) is a global multi-stakeholder initiative aimed at accelerating progress towards equal pay for women and men.

It is led by:

• International Labour Organization (ILO)
• UN Women
• Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

EPIC works with governments, employers, workers' organisations and other stakeholders to promote legislation, pay transparency, objective job evaluation and social dialogue.

India and Equal Pay

Constitutional Provisions

The Constitution provides a broad framework for gender equality:

• Article 14: Equality before law and equal protection of laws
• Article 15: Prohibits discrimination on grounds including sex
• Article 16: Equality of opportunity in public employment
• Article 39(d): Directive Principle requiring the State to secure equal pay for equal work for both men and women.

Code on Wages, 2019

The Code on Wages, 2019 has subsumed the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976, along with three other central wage laws.

It prohibits discrimination on the ground of gender in:

• Wages for the same work or work of a similar nature
• Recruitment for such work, subject to legally permitted restrictions.

The Code on Wages became operational along with the other three Labour Codes from 21 November 2025.

Link with Sustainable Development Goals

Equal pay is particularly linked with:

• SDG 5 – Gender Equality
• SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth
  • Target 8.5: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, and equal pay for work of equal value.
• SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities

Achieving pay equity supports women's economic empowerment, reduces lifetime income disparities and improves access to pensions and social protection.

Sources

• United Nations
• TRVST