1. RIC, a triangle that is still important Calls for a westward shift in India’s foreign policy appear misplaced as engagement with Russia and China does matter Last month, on June 23, a few eyebrows were raised when India decided to attend a (virtual) meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Russia, India and China (RIC). […]
1. HC clears OBC quota in AIQ seats in State govt.-run medical colleges Court orders formation of panel to decide quota in future The Madras High Court on Monday ruled that there was no constitutional or legal impediment to extending the benefit of reservation to Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in medical and dental seats contributed […]
1. 200 proposals from China wait for security clearance by MHA New investment policy is aimed at preventing hostile action amid pandemic About 200 investment proposals from China are awaiting security clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) after new rules were notified in April, making prior government approval mandatory for foreign direct investments […]
1. Kashmir saffron now has GI certificate Srinagar The J&K administration on Saturday issued the certificate of geographical indication (GI) registration for saffron grown in the Kashmir Valley, even as the crop sees a decline in its production and shrinking of land under cultivation. Describing it as “a momentous decision of the Centre”, J&K Lieutenant-Governor […]
1. Staying away from political thickets Even under a sovereign Constitution, parliamentary and legislative supremacy in their areas of working must be respected Former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot’s rebellion against Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, has crashlanded in the Rajasthan High Court and the Supreme Court of India. Upon Mr. Pilot’s invitation in […]
1. Women officers can now get permanent commission in Army Defence Ministry issues formal order The Ministry of Defence has issued the formal Government Sanction Letter for grant of permanent commission (PC) to women officers in the Army. “In anticipation, the Army Headquarters had set in motion a series of preparatory actions for conduct of […]
1. Set up a High Court for Puducherry The administration must highlight the need to streamline expenses, the case volume and constitutional rights as factors In 1962, when Puducherry was merged with India, the jurisdiction of the Madras High Court was extended to it. After several decades, in 2017, the Puducherry legislature unanimously resolved to […]
1. ‘Close to limited trade deal with U.S.’ Goyal pushes pact for select goods and services India and the U.S. have “almost” finalised a limited trade deal, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday. “…I believe we have a quick trade deal, which has some of the pending matters built up over the last […]
1. Editorial – Big reform on the wrong track The planned privatisation of some services of the Indian Railways could impact maintenance, operations and welfare & V. Carmelus The Indian Railways is the lifeline of India. With its vast network across the length and breadth of India, it is not just a mere transporter of […]
1. China has crossed its 1960 claims along the LAC Records of 1960 boundary talks show PLA troops at Pangong Tso and Galwan Valley are now beyond Beijing’s own territorial claims Chinese troops are currently present on the north bank of Pangong Lake in Ladakh in an area that is beyond what even China described […]
1. Mobile app KURMA helps save turtles in India Collaborative citizen science initiative provides database, helps identify species and lists rescue centres On May 23, 2020, World Turtle Day, a number of conservation agencies launched a citizen science initiative, a mobile-based application called KURMA, aimed at turtle conservation. The application, developed by the Indian Turtle […]
1. Iran ties need quiet diplomacy India must continue to remain politically engaged with Tehran despite its partnership plan with China Recent reports that Iran’s Transport and Urban Development Minister Mohammed Eslami had launched the track laying programme for the 628 km long rail link between Chabahar and Zahidan last week sparked concerns that India […]
1. India registers a steep decline in maternal mortality ratio Deaths drop from 130 to 113 in 2016-18 The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) in India has declined to 113 in 2016-18 from 122 in 2015-17 and 130 in 2014-2016, according to the special bulletin on Maternal Mortality in India 2016-18, released by the Office of […]
1. India and EU push trade talks; discuss China, Pak. & pandemic NEW DELHI India and the European Union (European Union) committed to a framework for strategic cooperation until 2025, and vowed to cooperate on their response to the coronavirus pandemic and at the United Nations Security Council. The assurances came as Prime Minister Narendra […]
1. SC gives ex-royals right to manage deity’s property But a panel will administer Padmanabhaswamy temple NEW DELHI The Supreme Court on Monday held that the erstwhile Travancore royal family is the “human ministrant” or the shebait (manager) of the properties belonging to Sree Padmanabha, chief deity of the famed and fabulously rich Sree Padmanabhaswamy […]
1. Hardly smart about urban health care Despite the renewed policy focus on cities, the pandemic has exposed the weaknesses in handling a public emergency The novel coronavirus pandemic has largely been an urban crisis so far, with megacities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai accounting for most of the COVID-19 positive cases. Indian […]
1. Assam keelback spotted for the first time in 129 years The team also recorded 400 plants, 270 butterflies, 25 amphibians and 44 reptiles, 239 birds and at least 20 mammals Elusive vertebrate: The female snake was spotted in a muddy stream in the Poba reserve forestAbhijit Das Abhijit Das The Assam keelback snake has […]
1. 14% excess rain in India so far this monsoon 40% of districts have benefited from it Monsoon rainfall since June has been 14% more than what is normal for this time of the year. So far, India has received 28.7 cm rainfall as opposed to the typical 25.2 cm. Only on nine of the […]
1. Govt. ‘watching’ WHO alert on airborne spread of virus We are following the situation closely, says Health Ministry NEW DELHI Continuing to rule out community transmission of COVID-19 in the country, the Union Health Ministry on Thursday said it is “closely watching the dynamic evolution of the virus situation in India, with the World […]
1. Trump starts withdrawal of U.S. from WHO Washington President Donald Trump on Tuesday formally started the withdrawal of the U.S. from the World Health Organization (WHO), making good on threats to deprive the UN body of its top funding source over its response to the coronavirus. Public health advocates and Mr. Trump’s political opponents […]
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
