SNIPPETS 02 APRIL 2026

Abhilekh Patal Portal: It is a digital archival platform which serves as a gateway to India’s historical legacy+ Developed by – National Archives of India (NAI) under Ministry of Culture+ Meaning – Abhilekh (records of ancient times) and Patal (platform), and also stands for Portal for Access to Archives & Learning+ To digitally preserve and provide easy access to India’s archival heritage+ To make records easily accessible worldwide+ To help researchers, students, and learners explore India’s history through original documents

Additional Tier-1 (AT1) Bonds: Perpetual debt instruments issued by banks to strengthen their capital base+ They have equity-like features; no fixed maturity and higher risk than regular bonds+ Offer higher interest rates (yields) to compensate for higher risk+ Can be written off or converted into equity if the bank faces financial stress+ Rank lowest among debt instruments; investors are paid last in case of bankruptcy+ Considered high-risk instruments, not suitable for conservative investors.

WTO E-Commerce Moratorium: It is a multilateral agreement where WTO members don’t impose customs duties on electronic transmissions like software downloads, streaming media, e-books, video games, and data flows+ initially adopted in 1998 as a temporary measure to promote the emerging digital economy, but has since been renewed+ World Trade Organisation (WTO) e-commerce moratorium expired after members failed to reach consensus at the WTO’s 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14)