Recent U.S.-Israel strikes on Iranian targets raise questions about their legality under the UN Charter's self-defence provisions
Groupings & Agreements Involving India and/or Affecting India's Interests The recent US and Israeli strikes on Iran , including the bombing of a girls' school (Minab, Iran), justified as a "pre-emptive" response to an i…
Furthermore, the torpedoing of the Iranian warship IRIS Dena outside Iran’s nautical boundary (off the coast of Sri Lanka) raises significant questions regarding the freedom of navigation under the UNCLOS (United Nation…
India’s accession to the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA) strengthens its participation in high-seas fisheries governance and sustainable marine resource management
International Treaties & Agreements The Central Government approved India's accession to the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA).
This decision elevates India’s status from a Cooperating Non-Contracting Party (CNCP) to a full Contracting Party, marking a strategic milestone in India's role in global fisheries governance.
Context: The World Bank Group launched its first-ever Digital Strategy , at the inaugural Global AI and Digital Summit in Seoul, South Korea, to expand affordable internet access , digital employment and AI adoption in…
A comprehensive global digital development framework integrating public and private sector financing, digital infrastructure, technological innovation and policy support to accelerate inclusive digital transformation in…
Aim: To bridge the global digital divide, strengthen digital skills, improve public service delivery and promote AI-driven productivity, employment generation and economic inclusion.
Context: The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed the first-ever documented human infection and fatality caused by the Shamonda virus in an immunocompromised patient in Lyon, France.
A vector-borne animal virus belonging to the Simbu serogroup (genus Orthobunyavirus , family Peribunyaviridae )—closely related to the Schmallenberg virus—primarily infecting ruminants and causing fever, acute drop in m…
Origin: First isolated and identified in cattle in Nigeria in 1965 ; for decades it remained largely endemic to pastoral zones across sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia.
Context: The European Parliament announced the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its officials as the collective winners of the 2026 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought on October 22, 2026.
The European Union’s highest honour dedicated to human rights, awarded annually to individuals, groups, or organisations that have made an exceptional contribution to defending human rights, freedom of thought, democrac…
Organisation: Conferred by the European Parliamen t , with the formal investiture ceremony held annually in December during the Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg, France .
Context: Two critical PHP2Shell zero-day vulnerabilities reportedly triggered emergency shutdowns and maintenance across major websites and government portals worldwide, raising cybersecurity concerns.
A collective designation for two severe, high-impact security vulnerabilities (CVE-2026-109618 and CVE-2026-109619) in the core PHP runtime engine that enable unauthenticated remote attackers to execute malicious code (…
Widespread Web Dependency: PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) powers roughly 70% of websites with identifiable server-side languages, including WordPress, which supports over 40% of websites globally.
Context: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) announced plans to restore the well-known headless sandstone idol of Lord Vishnu at Khajuraho’s Javari Temple by re-attaching its long-lost head, recently recovered from…
A monumental ensemble of medieval Hindu and Jain temples representing the pinnacle of Nagara-style temple architecture, celebrated worldwide for their soaring spires (shikharas), mathematical proportions, and intricate…
Located in: Situated in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh , nestled against the backdrop of the Vindhya mountain range.
Context: The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare officially notified 16 newly recognised indigenous breeds of livestock and dogs across 13 states and one Union Territory, following recommendations by the Breed R…
About The Recognition of 16 Breeds of Livestock and Dogs : A statutory, scientific registration and official gazette notification that accords formal national identity and unique accession numbers to distinct native pop…
Nodal Agency: ICAR–National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources ( NBAGR ), Karnal, Notifying Authority: Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
Context: Canada’s oil-rich province of Alberta held a non-binding referendum , with nearly 75% of counted votes favouring continued membership in Canada, delivering a political boost to Prime Minister Mark Carney.
A non-binding provincial referendum seeking public opinion on Alberta’s continued membership in the Canadian federation amid growing separatist demands and disputes over provincial autonomy.
Nation Involved: Canada, particularly its western province of Alberta, which shares an international border with the United States.
Context: Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk visited India, accompanied by a 100-member business delegation, to strengthen the India– Poland Strategic Partnership.
India and Poland share a friendly relationship elevated to a Strategic Partnership during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Warsaw in August 2024.
The engagement is guided by the India-Poland Action Plan (2024–2028) , functioning within the broader framework of the India–EU Strategic Agenda and serving as a key bridge between India and Central and Eastern Europe.
Context: India is hosting the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in New Delhi on October 26–27, 2026, building upon the outcomes of the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit held in September.
The BRICS Parliamentary Forum is the inter-parliamentary institutional wing of the grouping, designed to inject citizen representation, legislative oversight, and democratic legitimacy into multilateral commitments .
Core Mandate: It shifts high-level executive summit declarations into domestic legislative reality, policy design, and budgetary allocations across member states.
Context: A powerful 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Tibet’s high-altitude Nagqu region , killing at least 16 people, injuring dozens, and causing over 300 houses to collapse.
A vast, historic high-altitude plateau and autonomous region of China commonly known as the Roof of the World and the Third Pole , encompassing an area of approximately 1,221,600 sq.
km with an average elevation exceeding 4,500 metres.
The Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 (VB-G RAM G) came into force across rural India on 1st July 2026
Government Policies & Interventions Issues Relating to Development For Prelims: VB-G RAM G, 2025 , Gram Panchayats , 73 rd Constitutional Amendment , 16th Finance Commission For Mains: VB-G RAM G Act, 2025: Objectives,…
The VB-G RAM G Act, 2025 replaces MGNREGA with a restructured rural employment framework that expands guaranteed employment to 125 days , promotes durable rural infrastructure, climate resilience, digital governance, an…
The Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme has emerged as a cornerstone of India's agricultural finance, providing timely, affordable, and comprehensive credit to farmers
Government Policies & Interventions Direct & Indirect Farm Subsidies The Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme , supported by the Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS) , aims to ensure timely, affordable, and collateral-f…
Evolution of KCC : The KCC Scheme , launched in 1998 , provides short-term institutional credit to farmers for crop cultivation, post-harvest needs, and allied activities.
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) provides affordable crop insurance coverage against natural calamities, pests, diseases and weather-related risks
Government Policies & Interventions The Government highlighted the achievements of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) , a crop insurance scheme providing coverage against natural calamities, pests, diseases, p…
With ₹12,200 crore allocated for 2026–27 , PMFBY continues to strengthen farmer resilience, income stability, and climate-resilient agriculture .
The objective of the NMCG is to reduce pollution and ensure the rejuvenation of the Ganga River.
Environmental Pollution & Degradation Important International Institutions For Prelims: National Mission for Clean Ganga , Sustainable Development , Namami Gange Programme , Ganga Action Plan , National River Ganga Basi…
For Mains: National Mission for Clean Ganga, and Related Challenges.
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs’ stance on Gram Sabha consent for forest diversion has triggered a debate over tribal rights, legal safeguards and delays in infrastructure projects
Government Policies & Interventions The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) stated in an official communication to the Ministry of Power that the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 has "no provision for obtaining consent…
Project Delays: The requirement for Gram Sabha consent for forest land diversion has emerged as a major hurdle for large infrastructure projects, particularly hydropower projects of the National Hydroelectric Power Corp…
The Namami Gange Programme (NGP) is promoting advanced wastewater treatment technologies, decentralised sewage management and energy-efficient Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs).
Achievements of Indians in Science & Technology Recently, the Ministry of Jal Shakti highlighted the role of innovative wastewater treatment technologies under the Namami Gange Programme (NGP) in improving sewage manage…
About: The Namami Gange Programme (NGP) is an Integrated Conservation Mission launched by the Government of India in June 2014 to achieve the twin objectives of pollution abatement and conservation and rejuvenation of t…
Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement (MJDA) at Al-Safa Palace in Makkah, Saudi Arabia
Bilateral Groupings & Agreements Groupings & Agreements Involving India and/or Affecting India's Interests Effect of Policies & Politics of Countries on India's Interests International Treaties & Agreements For Prelims:…
Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement (MJDA) at Al-Safa Palace in Makkah, Saudi Arabia .
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) 2026 highlights a decline in global hunger for the third consecutive year but warns that nearly one-third of the world's population still cannot afford a heal…
Government Policies & Interventions For Prelims: United Nations , SDG Target 2 , Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) , International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) , United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)…
SOFI 2026 reports that global hunger declined for the third consecutive year , with the prevalence of undernourishment falling to 7.8% in 2025 .
The Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) has evolved over 2.5 decades from a discretionary gaming component into core infrastructure of the digital economy.
Scientific Innovations & Discoveries The Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) has evolved over 2.5 decades from a discretionary gaming component—originally developed by Nvidia in 1999 as the GeForce 256 to enhance video game…
GPU is now essential for artificial intelligence , machine learning , and high-performance computing due to its unique architecture designed for massive parallel processing.
Qatar, Turkiye, Pakistan and Indonesia signed the Badr Memorandum of Understanding in Doha to strengthen defence manufacturing, technology transfer, joint production and regional security cooperation
Recently, Qatar, Turkiye, Pakistan and Indonesia signed the Badr Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Doha, Qatar , amid growing regional security concerns.
Other friendly countries may join the MoU, subject to criteria agreed upon by the four signatories.
India’s leadership in framing global standards for whole millet grains was recognised at the 88th Codex Executive Committee session (2025) held at FAO headquarters in Rome
Important International Institutions India’s leadership in developing a group standard for whole millet grains was appreciated during the 88 th Session of the Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CA…
About: CAC is an international food standards body established jointly by the FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1963 with the objective of protecting consumer's health and ensuring fair practices in food tr…
