Important International Institutions Recently, the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) addressed Members of Parliament at the Central Hall of the Indian Parliament.
About: IPU is an international organisation of national parliaments.
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research–Central Potato Research Institute (ICAR-CPRI) has highlighted Kufri Jamunia, a biofortified purple potato variety rich in antioxidants, Vitamin C, iron and zinc
Achievements of Indians in Science & Technology Recently, the ICAR –Central Potato Research Institute (ICAR-CPRI) highlighted Kufri Jamunia , a biofortified purple potato variety, for its potential to address hidden hun…
About: Kufri Jamunia is a biofortified purple potato variety developed by the ICAR–Central Potato Research Institute (ICAR-CPRI) and officially released in 2024 .
The Zojila Tunnel is set to provide all-weather connectivity between Kashmir and Ladakh, strengthening military mobility, border infrastructure and strategic preparedness against Pakistan and China
Recently, the strategic Zojila Tunnel between Kashmir and Kargil moved closer to completion with its final breakthrough, marking a major milestone in all-weather connectivity to Ladakh.
About: The Zojila Tunnel is a high-altitude road tunnel connecting Jammu & Kashmir with Ladakh and is expected to provide all-weather connectivity between Kashmir, Kargil and Ladakh.
The GANHRI is a group of 16 human rights agencies from different regions that have the Highest Rating (‘A’) for following the Paris Principles
For Prelims: NHRC , GANHRI, Human Rights, United Nations, Paris Principles , Supreme Court For the second time in a decade, Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) deferred the accreditation of Na…
The GANHRI had granted ‘A’ status of accreditation to NHRC in 2017, after deferring it the year before — the first such instance since NHRC was established (1993).
To make the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) more inclusive and efficient, Lok Sabha passes the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2019 which amends the Protection of Human Rights Act,1993.
A person who has been a Judge of the Supreme Court is also made eligible to be appointed as Chairperson of the Commission in addition to the person who has been the Chief Justice of India.
Increasing the members of the commission who have knowledge of human rights issues, from two to three, out of which one must be a woman; Include Chairperson of the National Commission for Backward Classes , Chairperson…
The National Human Rights Commission has directed an inquiry into allegations concerning the participation and alleged mobilisation of children during a political protest in Mumbai.
Government Policies & Interventions Prelims: National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) , Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 , Protection of Human Rights Amendment Act, 2019 , Paris Principles Mains: Role and limitations…
The NHRC faces structural and practical challenges, including limited enforcement powers, concerns over i nstitutional independence, investigative constraints and restricted jurisdiction.
Context: The Central Water Commission (CWC) reported that India’s 178 major reservoirs were 31.42% below full capacity after the 2026 monsoon, with severe water deficits in the Pennar and Cauvery river basins.
An assessment of water availability across India’s 178 major reservoirs, based on the CWC’s Reservoir Storage Bulletin (15 October 2026), highlighting regional water deficits and post-monsoon storage conditions.
Declining National Reservoir Storage: The 178 reservoirs held 126.717 billion cubic metres (BCM), representing 68.58% of usable capacity , down 24.53% year-on-year and 16.44% below normal.
Context: A nearly 450-year-old Mughal painting attributed to master artist Basawan, titled A Family of Cheetahs in a Rocky Landscape , sold at Christie’s in London for £10.245 million from the private collection of Prin…
A preeminent, innovative Indian painter of the 16th century who served as a leading master in the imperial Mughal atelier during the reign of Emperor Akbar .
Active during the flourishing classical era of Mughal art between 1575 and 1580, when Akbar established an expansive royal workshop synthesizing indigenous Indian traditions with refined Persian court styles.
Context: Animal rights organisation PETA India called for the immediate withdrawal of the Centre’s draft Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Control and Supervision of Experiment, Breeding and Trading of Laboratory Animal…
About PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) : A prominent international animal rights and vegan non-profit non-governmental organisation operating under the foundational principle that animals are not ours…
Launched in: Founded internationally in March 1980 by Ingrid Newkirk and Alex Pacheco; its Indian affiliate, PETA India , was officially launched in January 2000 .
Context: The United States is heading toward its high-stakes midterm elections scheduled for November 3, 2026, with all 435 House seats and 35 of the 100 Senate seats up for contest amid a 53–47 Republican Senate majori…
A nationwide federal and state-level election held halfway through a US president’s four-year term (two years after a presidential election) to determine the partisan composition and balance of power in the United State…
Aim: To allow the American electorate to renew, recalibrate, or check legislative power by electing federal lawmakers to pass federal laws, approve national budgets, conduct executive oversight, and confirm key administ…
Context: Union Minister for Culture and Tourism conferred the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for the years 2024 and 2025 upon 106 young performing artists at a special investiture ceremony in New Delhi.
A prestigious national honor presented annually to outstanding young practitioners who have shown conspicuous talent and promise in the performing arts.
Established in: Instituted in 2006 in memory of the legendary Shehnai maestro and Bharat Ratna recipient, Ustad Bismillah Khan.
Context: The Supreme Court of India ruled that internet access is a fundamental right of every individual, explicitly extending this protection to children irrespective of their age.
About Internet Access as a Fundamental Right for Children : It establishes that minors possess a constitutionally protected right under Articles 19(1)(a) (freedom of speech, expression, and information) and Article 21 (…
The court affirmed that digital safety must target the actual sources of harmful material and offenders rather than penalizing or excluding children, noting that barring minors amounts to mistaking the victim for the pr…
Context: The Nordic Council Committee for a Sustainable Nordic Region announced new joint initiatives to combat persistent eutrophication, oxygen-depleted seabeds, and critical fish stock declines in the Baltic Sea.
A semi-enclosed, geologically young inland sea and the largest body of brackish water on Earth, covering approximately 149,000 square miles (386,000 sq km) as an arm of the North Atlantic Ocean .
Location: Located in Northern Europe, extending from southern Denmark toward the Arctic Circle, separating Scandinavia from continental Europe and connecting to the North Sea through the Danish straits.
Context: The IMF’s October 2026 Regional Economic Outlook: Asia and Pacific reported a nearly 10% decline in labour demand for AI-exposed occupations across Asia since November 2022, highlighting growing employment and…
About IMF Report on AI and Employment in Asia 2026 : An assessment of artificial intelligence’s impact on labour demand, employment patterns and workforce skills across Asian economies, published in the IMF’s October 20…
Declining Demand in AI-Exposed Occupations: Employer demand for jobs highly exposed to AI declined by nearly 10% since November 2022, although the decline appears to have stabilised.
Context: The Indian Council of Agricultural Research–Central Potato Research Institute ( ICAR-CPRI ) highlighted Kufri Jamunia , an indigenously developed biofortified purple potato variety, as a major breakthrough in c…
About Kufri Jamunia – Biofortified Purple Potato : A biofortified, nutrient-dense specialty potato variety characterized by dark purple skin and vibrant purple flesh, bred to deliver elevated concentrations of antioxida…
Suitable Growing Conditions: Adapted to the subtropical North Indian plains, Kufri Jamunia thrives in well-drained alluvial and sandy-loam soils under cool winter growing conditions.
Context: The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) disbursed approximately ₹1.19 crore to 29 State Biodiversity Boards and one UT Biodiversity Council under the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanism.
A statutory, autonomous regulatory and advisory body established under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to implement the decentralized provisions of India’s Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
Established in: Established in 2003 by the Central Government, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Context: The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA ) is set to launch the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission aboard its flagship H3 rocket from Tanegashima Space Center.
About The Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) Mission : A robotic sample-return space mission consisting of a 5-ton, three-module spacecraft (propulsion, exploration, and return modules) designed to travel to the Martian sy…
Organisation: Led by JAXA (Japan), in broad international partnership with NASA (USA), the European Space Agency (ESA), CNES (France), and the German Aerospace Center (DLR).
Context: A deadly crowd surge at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata killed at least 19 people and injured 25 others amid sudden heavy rain and a panic-inducing public announcement.
While colloquially termed a “stampede,” experts and the NDMA categorize these disasters as crowd crushes or progressive crowd collapses —situations where pedestrian density exceeds safe thresholds (4 to 5 persons per m2…
Historical Mortality Toll: Data compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reveals that between 2001 and 2022, over 3,000 lives were lost in human stampedes across the country.
Context: A comprehensive study published in PLOS One revealed that Asiatic lions have permanently reclaimed Gujarat’s Barda Wildlife Sanctuary after nearly 144 years.
A protected hilly forest and wildlife sanctuary spanning approximately 192.31 sq.
km, renowned for its exceptional floral diversity and designated as the primary second home for the Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica).
Context: The Vice-President of India inaugurated KAUMARACON-2026 at the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi, and launched several AYUSH digital initiatives to promote research, innovation and child healthc…
The third edition of an international conference on Kaumarabhritya, the branch of Ayurveda concerned with paediatric healthcare, child nutrition, growth, development and disease prevention .
Organisation: Organised by the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi, under the Ministry of AYUSH.
Ramya Anche has been selected as Principal Investigator of NASA’s $20-million PUFFINS space telescope mission , marking a significant achievement for an Indian-origin scientist.
PUFFINS ( P olarimetry in the U ltraviolet to F ind F eatures in IN ter S tellar dust) is a low-Earth orbit small satellite (SmallSat) mission hosting a specialized 10-inch ultraviolet space telescope designed to observ…
Organisation: Funded by NASA’s Astrophysics Pioneers programme, PUFFINS is led by the University of Arizona’s Steward Observatory, in collaboration with the McDonald Observatory, University of Texas.
Context: The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedule for the Special Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls with January 1, 2027 as the qualifying date across 17 States and Union Territories, having…
A routine, annual administrative exercise conducted to update and cleanse the existing electoral roll by enrolling new young voters, updating residential shifts, and deleting entries of deceased or duplicate electors.
Article 324 of the Constitution: Vests the superintendence, direction, and control of the preparation of electoral rolls in the Election Commission of India.
Context: The Indian Navy commissioned INS Samarthak , the lead ship of the indigenously designed Multi-Purpose Vessels (MPVs).
The lead ship of the Samarthak -class Multi-Purpose Vessels (MPVs)—a versatile 107-metre auxiliary platform engineered to absorb non-combat fleet chores, serve as a dedicated weapons-and-sensor testbed, and operate as a…
Built by: Designed and constructed by L&T Shipyard at its Warship Design Centre and shipbuilding facility in Kattupalli .
Context: The National Steering Committee of the Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs ( PM-SETU ) scheme approved five Strategic Investment Plans worth ₹1,194.92 crore to moderni…
A flagship national vocational education initiative designed to modernize government Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) through industry-aligned pedagogy, state-of-the-art infrastructure, advanced workshops, and curr…
Launched in: Formally launched on October 4, 2025 (following Union Cabinet approval on May 7, 2025) with a total financial outlay of ₹60,000 crore over five years .
