Syllabus: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests  Why in NEWS CIS-MOA is a foundational agreement that the U.S. signs with its allies and countries with which it wants to maintain close military ties; it provides legal cover for the sale of military equipment. …

Continuation on 2. Argument “How can you say that the Parliament could not have exercised its preliminary amending powers to abrogate Article 370,” Chief Justice Chandrachud questioned senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for petitioners. “Will that not amount to equating Article 370 with the principle of Basic Structure of the …

Syllabus: Constitution of India —historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.  Why in NEWS The Supreme Court on Thursday asked whether Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, is being equated with the Basic Structure of the Constitution. Interpretation A Constitution Bench headed by …

Syllabus: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Why in NEWS The Anjuman INTA zamia Mosque Committee, which manages the Gyan Vapi mosque in Varanasi, on Thursday approached the Supreme Court within hours of the Allahabad High Court giving …

Syllabus: Sustainable Development Why in NEWS Sugar production in the 2023-24 sugar season, which starts in October, is expected to be 317 lakh tonnes as against 328 lakh tonnes during the current season (after diversion of supplies for ethanol). New petrol and ethanol blend ratio The Government of India has …

Syllabus: Indian Economy Development & Employment Context The Great Indian Startup Boom of the last decade, led by young entrepreneurs and catalysed by the government’s Startup India movement, created an environment of entrepreneurship in India. The Startup movement is not limited to metro cities, but has successfully captured the imagination …

Syllabus: Global Relations that affect Indian Interest Saudi Arabia is set to host Ukraine, U.S., some European countries and major developing countries including India and Brazil for peace talks on the Russia-Ukraine war on August 5 and 6 in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah. The development was first …

Why in NEWS The Rajya Sabha passed three Bills on Wednesday unopposed, after Opposition members walked out protesting the denial of an adjournment motion over the violence in Manipur. What are the bills The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill that allows private players to explore for atomic …

Syllabus: Indian Constitution Why in NEWS Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday said they were “hopeful of getting justice” from the Supreme Court, as it began day-to-day hearing of petitions challenging the dilution of provisions of Article 370 in 2019. Why the case …

Syllabus: Bilateral Relations Context Indian PM State visit to Washington on June 22, 2023. Talks on defence trade to emerging technologies, such as in Artificial Intelligence and space exploration A Central Role for trade Trade relationship between the two countries, is growing — surpassing U.S.$120 billion — but it continues …

Post-1957, President retains power to scrap Article 370: SC Syllabus: Indian Constitution Why in NEWS The Supreme Court on Wednesday raised the question whether the President’s power to declare inoperative Article 370 of the Constitution, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, will not continue to hold the field …

Amid vociferous protests by the Opposition members, the Union government on Tuesday introduced a contentious Bill in the Lok Sabha to replace the Ordinance over control of Delhi services. What in NEWS? In the post-lunch session, the government managed to pass the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, the …

The debate on the no-trust motion, moved by the Congress and supported by the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), against the Narendra Modi government in the Lok Sabha will begin on August 8. The Prime Minister is expected to reply on August 10. No Confident motion In India, a …

Why in NEWS Bihar Chief Minister secured a significant relief on Tuesday after the Patna High Court dismissed all petitions filed against the decision of the State government to conduct a caste-based survey. Background A Division Bench of Chief Justice K.V. Chandran and Justice Partha Sarthy upheld the caste-based survey …

The Justice G. Rohini Commission for the sub-categorisation of Other Backward Classes (OBC) caste groups on Monday submitted its report to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, nearly six years after the Union government first assigned the task to it — a task that was initially meant to be …

The government is set to introduce the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Bill in Parliament. The final draft is shrouded in secrecy. Last week, Opposition members walked out of a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee and submitted dissent notes Objecting to the adoption of a report on the DPDP …

Context Seven products from across India, including four from Rajasthan, were given the Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai. GI tags to The Jalesar Dhatu Shilp (metal craft), Goa Mankurad mango, Goan Bebinca, Udaipur Koftgari metal craft, Bikaner Kashidakari craft, Jodhpur Bandhej craft and Bikaner …

Context:  A large object found on the shores of western Australia recently has been confirmed to be the debris of an Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) rocket. Key details: Junk from space objects falling to the earth are not unheard of. Most such incidents involve relatively small fragments from rockets that survive the friction …

Context:  Hybrid EVs present a big opportunity for economically developing countries for the transition to becoming net-zero. What is net-zero for a vehicle? Net-zero for a vehicle includes emissions at both the tailpipe of the vehicle and at the power plant. Making vehicles net-zero requires cutting emissions from both new and existing vehicles. Different types of EVs What …

Context: Recently a mobile application for Ullas was launched. Key details: Full Form:  The ULLAS – Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society Aim: To promote basic literacy. This is a user-friendly and interactive app which will serve as a digital gateway for learners to engage in diverse learning resources through the DIKSHA portal of NCERT. …