Q. The ₹5 meal scheme launched by the Delhi government is known as:(a) Indira Canteen(b) Annapurna Scheme(c) Atal Canteens(d) Garib Bhojan Yojana
Regional Airlines in India: Four New Carriers Proposed Amid Challenges
Q. After receiving a No-Objection Certificate, an airline must obtain which approval to start operations?(a) Route Dispersal Guidelines(b) Air Operator Certificate(c) Scheduled Operator Permit(d) Bilateral Air Service Agreement
Kimberley Process Chairmanship: India to Lead Conflict-Free Diamond Body
What is Kimberley Process (KP)? Conflict diamonds: Nature of KP: Q. India will chair which international certification mechanism related to diamonds from January 2026?(a) World Diamond Council(b) Kimberley Process(c) United Nations Trade Forum(d) G20 Trade Track
Educational Criteria for Panchayat Elections: Rajasthan Proposal for 2026 Polls
Intelligence Grid and NPR: Population Data of 119 Crore Linked
Q. The intelligence data platform linked with the National Population Register is:(a) Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System(b) National Intelligence Grid(c) National Crime Records Bureau(d) Multi-Agency Centre
ISRO Commercial Satellite Launched Successfully into Orbit
Context The Indian Space Research Organisation successfully launched its largest-ever commercial communication satellite for a U.S. customer, highlighting India’s growing role in the global commercial space market. For Prelims BlueBird Block-2 • Commercial communication satellite.• Placed in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).• Weight: ~6,100 kg (heaviest commercial payload launched by India).• Developed by AST SpaceMobile (USA).• Purpose: Direct space-based broadband connectivity to smartphones.• Significance: ISRO’s first dedicated commercial launch for a U.S. client. LVM3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-3) • India’s heavy-lift launch vehicle (also called Bahubali).• Launched from Sriharikota.• Designed for heavy payloads and human spaceflight (Gaganyaan).• Achieved high-precision orbital injection (error < 2 km).• Establishes India’s credibility in global commercial launches.
Aravalli Protection: Centre Bans Mining and Expands Protected Zone
Summary • The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has directed States to ban all new mining leases across the entire Aravalli Range (from Delhi to Gujarat).• Objective: halt illegal and unregulated mining and protect the Aravallis as a continuous geological–ecological system.• The Centre has tasked Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) to identify additional no-mining zones and prepare a science-based management plan assessing cumulative environmental impact and ecological carrying capacity.• Existing mines may operate only under strict environmental safeguards and Supreme Court directives.• The move aims to expand protected areas and ensure long-term conservation of the Aravalli ecosystem—key for biodiversity, groundwater recharge, and preventing desertification.
Manufacturing in India: Reasons for Slow Growth Explained
Context Despite starting at levels comparable to China and South Korea, India failed to build a strong manufacturing base. Growth shifted toward services and software, while manufacturing neither expanded nor upgraded technologically, leading to stalled structural transformation. Summary 1. Manufacturing stagnation • Manufacturing’s share in GDP remained nearly constant, unlike in China and South Korea.• Growth moved to services, which absorbed labour but delivered limited productivity gains. 2. High public-sector wages • Arvind Subramanian argues that high government salaries raised economy-wide wages, drawing labour away from manufacturing.• This increased costs and reduced manufacturing competitiveness. 3. Policy-induced Dutch disease • Higher wages raised domestic prices, causing real exchange rate appreciation.• Manufactured exports weakened, imports became cheaper, hurting domestic industry. 4. Lack of technological upgrading • Manufacturing failed to respond to cost pressures through productivity-enhancing innovation.• Growth relied on cheap labour, not technology. 5. Unequal growth outcome • Services grew rapidly but benefits remained concentrated.• Manufacturing failed to generate mass employment, wage growth, or productivity, increasing inequality.
Dowry System Is a Cross-Cultural Evil, Says Supreme Court
Context The Supreme Court of India delivered a judgment in a dowry-related death case and used it to make wide-ranging observations on the persistence of dowry in Indian society, despite its legal prohibition. The court addressed dowry as a systemic social problem rather than an isolated criminal act. Summary • The Supreme Court termed dowry a “cross-cultural social evil”, cutting across religions and regions, and held it to be incompatible with constitutional values of equality, dignity, and fraternity, particularly Article 14.• It observed that dowry continues despite the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, as it is often masked as gifts or social customs, weakening enforcement.• The court traced the practice to patriarchy, caste hierarchies, kinship norms, and status competition, where marriage becomes a means of social mobility at the expense of women’s rights.• Dowry was described as a system that reduces women to sources of financial extraction, deepening their economic vulnerability and subordination within marriage.• The judgment noted that even communities with protective practices (such as mehr) have seen these undermined or replaced by dowry, further harming women’s economic security. Directions issued by the Court • Centre and States to consider curriculum reforms emphasising equality between spouses.• Immediate appointment of Dowry Prohibition Officers and public disclosure of their details.• Regular training and sensitisation of police and judicial officers handling dowry cases.• High Courts to monitor pendency and ensure expeditious disposal of dowry-related case
US Economy Growth Continues Despite Trump-Era Tariffs
Context Despite tariffs and trade restrictions, the U.S. economy grew at its fastest pace in two years in the July–September quarter. Why did U.S. GDP grow? 1. People spent more • Consumer spending rose strongly (biggest factor).• Spending on services like healthcare increased. 2. Imports fell, exports rose • Tariffs reduced imports.• Exports rebounded.• Falling imports boosted GDP mathematically. 3. Higher government spending • Defence spending increased, adding to growth. 4. Tariff impact delayed • Full negative effects of tariffs have not yet hit prices and demand. 5. Policy support • Tax cuts and expected interest-rate cuts supported demand.
