UPSC Civil Services Current Affairs Articles

Summary of Indian Navy Ship INS Trikand's Visit to Mauritius

• Event Details:

  • INS Trikand concluded its visit to Port Louis, Mauritius on 13 March 2026.
  • Participated in the 58th National Day Parade of Mauritius on 12 March 2026, which included a marching contingent, navy band, and a flypast.

• Significance:

  • The participation of Indian naval vessels and aircraft reflects

Economic Investments and Growth in India (2025-26 Budget Cycle)

1. Budget Allocation:

   • The Union government allocated ₹11.21 lakh crore (approximately $123 billion) for the 2025-26 budget cycle.
   • Focus areas include defence manufacturing, domestic production, and large-scale infrastructure development.

2. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI):

   • India secured FDI of $50.4 billio

Summary of Central Budget 2026-27 on India's Service Exports

Economic Indicators

• Service Exports:
  • Exports for FY 2026 (Apr-Jan) reached $348.4 billion.
  • Service exports contributed 10% to GDP in the first half of FY 2026, up from an average of 9.7% during FY 2023-25.

Key Contributions

• Dominated by Software Services, with **Business and Consulting Ser

Summary of India-Seychelles Joint Military Exercise LAMITIYE-2026

Event Overview:

• Exercise Name: LAMITIYE-2026
• Duration: March 10 to 22, 2026
• Location: Seychelles Defence Academy
• Participants: Indian Army, Navy, Air Force, and Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF)

Key Objectives:

• Strengthen defense cooperation
• Enhance interoperability in sub-conventional operati

Political Context and Recent Developments in Nepal

Election Results:

• The Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP) emerged as a significant player in the recent elections, winning 125 out of 165 first-past-the-post (FPTP) seats and gaining 57 proportional representation (PR) seats, totaling 182 seats, just two short of a two-thirds majority.
• In contrast, traditional political parties like the N

Summary Notes on Balirajgarh Archaeological Site

Overview

• Location: Balirajgarh, Madhubani District, Bihar
• Area: 122.31 acres
• Importance: Site of early urban civilization in Mithila; includes remnants from the Maurya, Sunga, Kushan, Gupta, and Pala periods.

Archaeological Significance

• First Identified: 1884 by George Abraham Grierson.
• Past Excavations:

• Groundwater Table Status: According to a survey by Rain Centre, the groundwater table in many parts of Chennai is within a few feet of the surface, contrary to typical summer conditions where levels often drop significantly.

• Shallow Aquifer Management (SAM 2.0): Rain Centre serves as the nodal agency for the Shallow Aquifer Management initiative, which is part of the Atal Mission for

Summary of India’s Research, Development, and Innovation Landscape

Funding and Government Initiatives

• The Government of India launched a ₹1,00,000 crore (approx. $12 billion) Research, Development, and Innovation (RDI) Fund in 2025.
• In the 2026 Union Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed a ₹20,000 crore corpus for deep-tech startups. Furthermore, Atal Tinkering Labs fun

Summary of Judicial Ruling and Key Elements from Dr. Jaya Thakur v Government of India (2026)

1. Supreme Court Ruling: In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court redefined menstruation as a constitutional issue, framing it as a matter of the right to dignity under Article 21 and right to education under Article 21A of the Constitution.

2. Context of the Ruling: The case highlighted th

International Relations: India and Iran

1. U.S. Actions and Indian Ocean Dynamics:

   • The U.S. torpedoes the Iranian ship IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean, impacting India’s foreign policy stance in West Asia.
   • The ship was within India's sphere of influence and had just conducted joint exercises with the Indian Navy, returning unarmed.

2. India's Foreign Policy Goals:

   • India

Key Points on Mental Health Initiative Partnership

Partnership Overview:

• Parties Involved: Tekion (AI-native automotive platform) and Mind and Matter (NGO).
• Objective: To foster mental health awareness and support among over 10,000 students in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
• Initiative Name: ‘Tekion for Good’ under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) umbrella.

**Target

Summary of Artemis 2 Mission Announcement by NASA

Mission Overview:

• Artemis 2 is the first crewed flyby mission to the Moon in over 50 years, with a targeted launch date as early as April 1.
• The mission is part of NASA’s Artemis program which aims to return humans to the Moon.

Key Dates:

• Planned launch window opens on April 1, 2026, at 6:24 PM (2224 GMT), with up to fo

Summary of Key Information

Environmental Impact in Tehran

• Event: Israeli airstrikes on March 7-8 targeted four oil facilities in Tehran and Alborz Province, resulting in black rain due to toxic pollutants released into the atmosphere.
• Affected Areas: Oil storage sites included the Aghdasieh oil warehouse, Shahran oil depot, and Tehran refinery.
• Black Rain: Resulted from

Key Highlights on India's Earthquake Zoning Revisions

1. Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Zoning Revision:

   • The Indian government's rollback of BIS’s proposed changes to the earthquake zoning framework indicates a response to significant pushback from engineers and policymakers, citing the proposed revisions were too stringent and potentially detrimental to economic development.

Summary of Key Facts and Developments on PureAir Tower™ and related initiatives

1. PureAir Tower™ Overview:

• Location: Installed along the Aerocity highway corridor, New Delhi.
• Technology: First microalgae-based air purification system in India, utilizing photosynthetic microalgae for pollution mitigation.
• Functionality: Converts CO₂, particulate matter (PM), and

• Historical Context and Philosophy: Montesquieu's concept of doux commerce posited that trade fosters civility and peace, suggesting that global interdependence lowers the likelihood of conflict. Historically, the assumption was that economic ties would lead to mutual respect and stability among nations.

• Current Geoeconomic Landscape:

  • The global trading system is undergoing a sh

Exam-Focused Notes on Women in Agriculture and Economic Participation

International Observance

• International Year of the Woman Farmer: Declared by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization to honor the contributions of women in agriculture.

Labour Force Participation

• Rural women's workforce participation rose from 35% in 2011-12 to 46.5% in 2023-24 among

Summary of Firefly Research in India

Research Overview

• First Checklist of Fireflies: Researchers compiled a comprehensive checklist of fireflies in India, covering data from 1881 to 2025.
• Published in Zootaxa: The study titled "A checklist of fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) from India" documents 92 species across 27 genera.
• Endemism: More than 60% of the

Indo-Iranian Cultural and Historical Relations: Key Points

Cultural Interactions & Linguistic Evolution

• The Indo-Iranian ties spanned an extensive contact zone from the Russian steppes to north-western India.
• Archaeological parallels exist between the Indus Valley sites (Mohenjo-Daro, Harappa) and Iranian sites (Susa), indicating shared cultural attributes like painted pottery and po

Key Highlights on Rassundari Devi's Autobiography: "Amar Jiban"

1. Context and Significance:
   • Amar Jiban (My Life) was written in 1876 by Rassundari Devi, providing insights into the socio-cultural dynamics of 19th-century Bengal.
   • This autobiography is considered a pioneering account of women's experiences and silent rebellions in the domestic sphere, predating organized femini

Supreme Court Observations on Uniform Civil Code and Shariat Application Act

1. Case Details:
   • Oral observations were made by the Supreme Court regarding the Shariat Application Act, 1937, which governs inheritance under Islamic law for Indian Muslims.
   • The Act allows Muslim widows with children a share of one-eighth and one-fourth if they have no children, while daughters receiv

Maharashtra’s AI Strategy for Agriculture: Key Highlights

1. AI Initiatives and Partnerships:

   • Maharashtra has initiated a dedicated AI strategy focused on agriculture.
   • Public-private partnerships are piloting AI-driven solutions, including:
     • Crop advisories.
     • Pest diagnostics.
     • Climate-risk prediction models.

2. Role of Women in Agriculture:

   • Women com

Exam-Focused Notes on Demands of Denotified, Nomadic, and Semi-Nomadic Tribes (DNTs)

Context:

• Denotified, Nomadic, and Semi-Nomadic Tribes (DNTs) were classified as "criminal" tribes during colonial rule.
• Currently mobilizing for representation in the upcoming 2027 Census.

Key Organizations:

• **Central Joint Action Committee of Denotified, Nomadic, and Semi-Nomadic Tribes (CJAC-

Summary of Key Points from Article

International Relations and Geopolitical Developments

• U.S. Strategy: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio advocated for a return to a pre-Second World War international order, promoting Western hegemony over the Global South. This reflects an imperialistic approach and signals a desire to counter decolonization efforts.
• Iran Conflict: The U.S