1.On the margins with full equality still out of reach Despite judicial verdicts, India’s sexual minorities face discrimination in employment, health issues and personal rights This year, the world woke up to June, pride month, gazing at the Google Doodle of Dr. Frank Kameny (1925-2011), an American astronomer, veteran, and gay rights activist. Kameny, in […]
1.Clues from meteorite to Earth’s mantle The meteorite originated in the asteroid belt, was sucked in by Earth’s gravity On November 13, 2015, a meteorite fell near the town of Kamargaon in Assam, India. It weighed a little over 12 kg and scientists decoded its mineral composition and classified it as a chondrite, a variety […]
1.Prepare the ground for a ‘Naya J&K’ It must capture the best practices of democratic governance globally, yet be reflective of the idea of India It is too early to conclude whether the all-party meeting held at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence to reduce the trust deficit between New Delhi and the leaders of Jammu […]
1.Revenue, fiscal deficits understated in 2018-19: CAG Tamil Nadu’s revenue deficit of ₹23,459.44 crore during 2018-19 was understated by ₹3,757.23 crore and fiscal deficit by ₹1,300.49 crore primarily owing to short transfers totalling ₹1,366 crore towards various reserve funds, such as sinking fund and guarantee redemption fund, according to the Comptroller and Auditor-General’s report on […]
1.The Kashmir outreach and the Afghan storm The Government’s J&K moves may be part of a more complex regional game involving India’s security interests Two years after its dramatic decision to reorganise Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), the Government appears to be rethinking some of the objectives it announced then as Prime Minister Narendra Modi engages […]
1.Countering a political act that has a legal garb With sedition cases rising, often solely based on word usage, people need to have a political and legal defence Aisha Sultana, a film-maker from Lakshadweep, was recently booked for the alleged offences of sedition and statements prejudicial to national integrity. A crime was registered based on […]
1.Nobel laureate in economic advisory panel At the same time, the people had high expectations of the government in terms of delivering on faster economic growth, social justice and equity through new programmes, projects and enhanced service delivery. “In this context, the government requires expert advice from the best economists available globally, who are familiar […]
1.The comrades and their divergent perspectives Russia’s uncritical advocacy of China’s global vision is what seems to be leaving India quite confounded Russian President Vladimir Putin has recently asserted that both the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and the Chinese President, Xi Jinping, are “responsible” enough to solve issues between their countries, while underlining the […]
1.NGT closes proceedings against Mekedatu dam project It finds merit in Karnataka govt.’s submission The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has closed proceedings against the Mekedatu dam project after finding merit in the Karnataka government’s submissions that requisite environmental clearances were pending consideration before the statutory authorities concerned. The observations came when the green panel took […]
1. Cold peace The U.S., Russia must reset their relationship to pragmatic levels and reduce tensions The Geneva summit between U.S. President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, on Wednesday, has set a pragmatic tone for engagement between the two competing powers. Mr.Biden had, in the past, called Mr.Putin “a killer”. Relations have […]
1. A judicial pushback to a draconian legal regime The Delhi court ruling is a way forward in finding a balance between civil rights and the imperatives of anti-terror laws The judgment of the Delhi High Court granting bail to activists Devangana Kalita, Natasha Narwal, and Asif Iqbal Tanha — they have been in jail […]
1. ‘Record’ FDI inflows, yes, cause for celebration, no The inflows during 2020-21 have not been in sync with the Government’s priorities for economic recovery In an otherwise gloomy economic scenario, one area of cheer for the Government has been the numbers on inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI). In a recent press release, the […]
1. Needed: full disclosure on electoral bonds The Supreme Court’s suggestion to ‘match the following’ on political donations is impractical and incorrect In 2014, the Delhi High Court held that both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were guilty of illegally accepting donations from two companies registered in India but whose controlling shareholder […]
1. G7 accommodates Indian stand on need for Internet curbs Open Societies Statement reworked to prioritise national security over freedoms Internet freedoms are subject to national security, said government sources, claiming that India’s tough negotiations on the joint communique issued by G7 and Guest Countries at the session on Open Societies had ensured that the […]
1. A year after Galwan clash, China strengthening base along the LAC PLA has rotated troops, built fresh infrastructure, hospitals in the area A year since the clash between the Armies of India and China in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has built additional accommodation in the depth […]
1. ‘Operation Olivia’ to the rescue of Olive Ridleys The Coast Guard helps enforce laws to protect turtles as they arrive to nest in Odisha Every year, the Indian Coast Guard’s “Operation Olivia”, initiated in the early 1980s, helps protect Olive Ridley turtles as they congregate along the Odisha coast for breeding and nesting from […]
1. Myanmar violence escalating, creating rights catastrophe: UN At least 860 civilians killed, says rights office, citing reports The UN rights chief said on Friday that violence was escalating across Myanmar, warning that the country had plunged into a “human rights catastrophe” since the February 1 coup. Pointing to reported military build-up in several regions […]
1. MEA hints at talks with Taliban ‘In touch with various stakeholders’ India is in contact with “various stakeholders” in Afghanistan, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in response to specific questions about whether the government has opened direct talks with the Taliban. While the MEA did not confirm the talks, which would represent […]
1. Centre announces hike in MSP for paddy, pulses, oilseeds Farmer groups unhappy with the increase in paddy price The Central government has hiked the minimum support price (MSP) for common paddy to ₹1,940 a quintal for the coming kharif season, less than 4% higher than last year’s price of ₹1,868. The decision was taken […]
1. Centre places fresh orders for 44 cr. COVID-19 vaccine doses Govt. also books 30 crore doses of vaccine under trial The Centre has placed fresh orders for 44 crore vaccine doses of Covishield and Covaxin, which will be available from August-December. It has also placed an order for 30 crore doses from Hyderabad-based Biological […]
Current affairs decide a large share of marks in UPSC Prelims, Mains and the Interview, and in TNPSC exams. Every morning our faculty publish the day’s important news from The Hindu, PIB, Indian Express and other sources — explained, organised by GS paper, and linked to the syllabus.
What each daily post includes
The key news of the day, grouped by GS Paper 1, 2, 3 and 4
Background and the static syllabus topic each story connects to
