UPSC Civil Services Current Affairs Articles

Summary of Weather Alerts and Flooding in Southern India (September 27, 2025)

• Telangana Alerts: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for heavy rainfall in 17 districts and a yellow alert for 16 more. Heavy rains in Hyderabad have caused flooding in low-lying areas, disrupting traffic and necessitating the deployment of the Hyderabad Disaster Response and

• The Indian delegation led by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal engaged in constructive meetings with US officials from September 22-24, 2023, focusing on a trade deal aimed at early conclusion.
• Key officials met included US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Ambassador-designate to India Sergio Gor, discussing possible contours of a mutually beneficial Trade Agreement.
• This visit marked th

NISAR Earth-Observing Satellite Overview:

• Joint Mission: NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) is a partnership between NASA (USA) and ISRO (India), aiming to enhance Earth observation capabilities.
• Launch Date: The spacecraft was launched by ISRO on July 30, 2025.

Technological Features:

• L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR): Developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsi

• Protests in Leh, Ladakh, demand statehood and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, leading to violence that resulted in four deaths and numerous injuries.
• The unrest reflects longstanding frustrations regarding political representation, unemployment, and tribal rights since the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, and the creation of two Union Territories (Jammu

• Qualcomm has introduced the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, a new system-on-a-chip (SoC) aimed at advancing mobile technology and integrating artificial intelligence into smartphones.

• The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is designed for improved performance and efficiency, boasting a neural processing unit that is 37% faster than its predecessor, capable of handling AI queries at 220 tokens per second.

• Agni-P Missile Test: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully tested the Agni-Prime (Agni-P) missile from a rail-based mobile launcher, positioning India among nations with advanced canisterised launch systems including Russia, the US, China, and North Korea.

• Nuclear Doctrine: India follows a "no first use" nuclear doctrine, where it pledges to respond t

• Veteran politicians and environmentalists, including Murli Manohar Joshi and Karan Singh, have urged the Supreme Court to review its 2021 ruling allowing road widening under the Chardham project beyond a width of 5.5 meters.
• The Chardham project, overseen by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), entails widening Himalayan roads, notably in the Bhagirathi Eco Sensitive Zone and n

• Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen formally apologized for the forced sterilization of Inuit women in Greenland, following a two-year investigation that revealed systemic discrimination.
• A report released on September 9 documented 349 cases, 210 of which had health complications, revealing that Danish doctors fitted Greenlandic girls as young as 12 with contraceptive devices without co

Summary Notes on Indian Air Force MiG-21 Retirement and Future Plans

• Retirement of MiG-21: The Indian Air Force (IAF) decommissioned its last two MiG-21 squadrons (No 23 and No 3) on September 26, marking the end of an era for the Soviet-era fighter, which has been in service for over 60 years and involved in notable conflicts like the 1965 India-Pakistan War, the 1971 Bangladesh Libera

• Tariffs and Trade: The U.S. under President Trump has imposed a 25% tariff on Russia as part of sanctions, affecting global economic dynamics, particularly in the Global South, highlighting energy, food, and fertilizer security issues.

• Diplomatic Approach: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar emphasized the necessity of dialogue and diplomacy to mitigate conflicts and improve stabi

Summary of GST Council Meeting Outcomes

• GST Rate Structure Reforms: The 56th GST Council meeting led to the adoption of a two-slab GST rate structure of 5% and 18%, with a special 40% demerit rate for luxury and sin goods effective from September 22, 2025. This marks a significant simplification of the existing rate structure.

• Key Tax Reductions:

  • **Common-use

• The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for several districts in Kerala, including Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, and others, due to predicted thunderstorms and moderate rainfall.
• The alert anticipates wind speeds of up to 40 km/h, with isolated areas in Malappuram and Kozhikode expected to experience wind speeds of 30 km/h.
• The District Collector of Thiruvananthap

• H-1B Visa Fee Increase: A new $100,000 fee on H-1B petitions shifts the U.S. immigration approach, signaling a reduced emphasis on skilled labor from India due to changing economic competition perceptions, particularly regarding China.

• Shifts in U.S. Foreign Policy: The Trump administration perceives global competition primarily through an economic lens rather than geopolitical. This

• India-US Trade Deal Resumption: A high-level Indian delegation led by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has resumed negotiations in Washington over a delayed trade deal, following a previous draft being shelved due to US intervention for further concessions.

• Bilateral Relations Context: The negotiations are framed as an effort to strengthen the strategic bilateral relationship, with the

• The Karnataka High Court dismissed social media platform X's plea against the Central Government's Sahyog portal, emphasizing the regulation of speech on social media is essential and must be adhered to.
• The Court reiterated that foreign judicial concepts cannot be imposed on Indian law, asserting that Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, underpins content regulation to ad

Summary Notes:

• Weather Alerts: The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued high alert warnings for 12 districts in Odisha due to a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal. Expected impacts include thunderstorms, rain, and wind speeds of 30-40 km/h.

• School Closures: Malkangiri district in southern Odisha has closed all government and private schools in anticipation o

Summary of Electromagnetism and Its Historical Development

• Historical Background:

  • In 1752, Benjamin Franklin experimented with electricity, proving that lightning is a form of electrical discharge by flying a kite during a thunderstorm.
  • Franklin’s experiment led to the understanding that both lightning and static electricity are manifestations of the same force.

• **Foundationa

• UNGA Address: President Donald Trump discussed climate change at the United Nations General Assembly, claiming it is a "greatest con job" and criticizing Europe's efforts to reduce carbon footprints.

• Critique of Science: Trump dismissed decades of scientific evidence, mischaracterizing climate science, and suggesting that shifts in climate terminology reflect dishonesty among scient

Summary of AI and Energy Demand

1. Growing Demand for Energy:

   • The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that global demand for data centers will exceed 945 TWh by 2030, mostly driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
   • AI-optimized data centers will need double the capacity built since 2000 within less than 25 years.

2. India's Data Center Expansion:

   • India's data

Summary of Key Facts and Data:

• Unpaid Work Analysis: A recent panel discussion emphasized the need for the Indian government to discern if women engage in unpaid caregiving due to personal preference or societal obligation. This conversation took place at the MoSPI's Time Use Survey data-user conference.

• Time Use Survey (TUS): The TUS aims to assess how Indians allocate time acro

• US-India Trade Relations: Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal highlighted India's intention to enhance energy imports from the US, emphasizing energy security's importance in future collaborations, particularly in nuclear energy.

• Energy Dependency: India relies on imports for about 88% of its crude oil, positioning itself as the world's third-largest consumer, while also significantly dep

• India-US Trade Negotiations: A high-level Indian delegation, led by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, has initiated renewed negotiations for a stalled trade deal with the US. The discussions come after prior unsuccessful attempts derailed by tariff disputes and political interventions from the White House.

• Concessions and Strategic Relations: India is reportedly prepared to offer conce

• The Madras High Court ordered a high-level inquiry into Kancheepuram Principal District and Sessions Judge Pa U Chemmal regarding allegations of misusing his authority to remand a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) due to personal animosity.
• Justice N Sathish Kumar directed that the inquiry report be presented to the Vigilance Committee for disciplinary action and to the transfer committee

• Karnataka High Court Ruling: On September 24, 2025, the Karnataka High Court dismissed a petition by X Corporation against the Indian government's Sahyog portal, citing the need for regulation of social media content.

• Sahyog Portal Overview: Launched in October 2024 by the Union Home Ministry, Sahyog is an automated platform for issuing content takedown notices under Section 79(3)(b)