Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, 74, resigned from his post on Monday, citing health reasons, with two years left in his term. His resignation letter, addressed to President Droupadi Murmu, was posted on his official X account. Dhankhar had presided over Rajya Sabha proceedings earlier on the day, including an important intervention regarding a High Court judge's removal motion, making his resignation a surprise to many leaders. He had suffered a cardiac event in March but had reportedly recovered. This decision came on the first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from his office due to health reasons.
He was the 14th Vice-President of India and had two years remaining in his term.
The resignation was submitted to President Droupadi Murmu in accordance with Article 67(a) of the Constitution.
Exam Points
Jagdeep Dhankhar was the 14th Vice-President of India.
He resigned in accordance with Article 67(a) of the Constitution.
Global chess body FIDE confirmed that India will host the Chess World Cup later this year, though the specific venue is yet to be declared. While New Delhi was initially considered, Goa has emerged as a frontrunner. The All India Chess Federation secretary stated that a few cities are under consideration, and an announcement will be made soon. The tournament is scheduled from October 30 to November 27, featuring 206 players competing in a knockout format for spots at the Candidates, a qualifying event for the World Championship. FIDE expressed excitement about bringing the event to India, recognizing the country's deep-rooted passion for chess.
India has been confirmed as the host nation for the upcoming Chess World Cup.
The venue for the tournament is still undecided, with Goa being a strong contender.
The Chess World Cup is a significant event, serving as a qualifier for the World Championship.
Exam Points
FIDE confirmed India as the host.
The tournament will be held from October 30 to November 27.
The Tamil Nadu government has announced the establishment of India's first Centre of Excellence for Hornbill Conservation at the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) in Coimbatore district. Hornbills, known as 'farmers of the forest' for their role as seed dispersers, are threatened by deforestation and climate change. The Department of Environment, Climate Change and Forests has sanctioned ₹1 crore for the Centre, which will focus on four hornbill species found in the Western Ghats. Activities will include habitat mapping, nest monitoring, scientific research, and restoration of degraded forest areas. The initiative emphasizes community participation and collaboration with national and international organizations.
Tamil Nadu is setting up India's first Centre of Excellence for Hornbill Conservation.
The Centre will be located at the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) in Coimbatore.
Hornbills are crucial keystone species for forest regeneration, facing threats from habitat loss and climate change.
Exam Points
India's first Centre of Excellence for Hornbill Conservation.
Located at Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
Sanctioned ₹1 crore under the Endangered Species Conservation Corpus Fund.
As the UK and India move towards a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), Global Capability Centres (GCCs) are emerging as a key area for collaboration. India, already home to over 1,500 GCCs employing 1.9 million people, is seen by British companies not just as a cost-effective back office but as a strategic partner for R&D and digital transformation. The FTA is expected to facilitate deeper engagement by easing regulatory barriers, streamlining professional movement, and harmonizing digital and data governance. From the UK's perspective, the FTA offers access to a fast-growing digital economy, while for India, it aligns with digital economy ambitions and becoming a global hub for high-value services.
The UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is poised to significantly enhance collaboration in Global Capability Centres (GCCs).
India is a leading hub for GCCs, contributing to global innovation and digital transformation.
The FTA aims to ease regulatory barriers, facilitate talent mobility, and harmonize digital standards.
Exam Points
India hosts over 1,500 GCCs, employing over 1.9 million people.
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) formed an industry-led panel to design a national GCC framework.
The article discusses how the potential for a U.S.-Israel-Iran war, despite U.S. President Trump's claims, remains a threat, driven by Israeli politics and neoconservative influence. Such a conflict would be disastrous for India's economic interests and its 'great power' ambitions, cementing U.S.-led unipolarity in West Asia and undermining India's strategic footprint. This clashes with Delhi's vision of a multipolar world order. India's reliance on diverse energy sources and its engagement with various states in West Asia would be compromised. The author argues that India should urge the U.S. to tolerate Iran and accept global multipolarity, emphasizing that this aligns with U.S. security and economic interests in the long run.
A potential U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict poses a significant threat to India's economic interests and its aspiration for 'great power' status.
Such a conflict could lead to U.S.-led unipolarity in West Asia, contradicting India's vision of a multipolar world order.
India's strategic autonomy and ability to engage with diverse partners would be undermined.
Exam Points
Author: Kadira Pethiyagoda, geopolitics expert at the University of Melbourne.
India's External Affairs Minister discussed 'building of a multipolar world order' during Moscow visit.
INS Tamal, a warship manufactured by Russia, was commissioned by India.
The Election Commission (EC) assured the Supreme Court that being found ineligible for electoral roll registration under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar will not lead to citizenship cancellation. The EC clarified that its guidelines are constitutional and aim to maintain the purity of electoral rolls, emphasizing that Article 326 (adult suffrage) ensures the right to vote without discrimination. Voters already on the 2003 rolls are exempt from furnishing documents if they submit a partially pre-filled enumeration form. The EC also stated that Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration cards cannot be accepted as standalone documents for SIR, as Aadhaar is only proof of identity, and bogus ration cards are widespread.
The Election Commission clarified that exclusion from electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar does not equate to citizenship cancellation.
The EC's guidelines are aimed at ensuring the purity of electoral rolls and are constitutional.
Article 326 of the Constitution grants every citizen the right to vote without discrimination.
Exam Points
Article 326 of the Constitution grants universal adult franchise.
The EC's affidavit was in response to allegations of 'citizenship screening' during SIR in poll-bound Bihar.
The final electoral roll will be published on September 30, 2025.
The process to remove Justice Yashwant Varma from office began in Parliament, with members of both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha submitting notices to their presiding officers. 63 Opposition members signed the notice to the Rajya Sabha Chairman, while 152 members, including Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, backed the Lok Sabha notice. The move follows Justice Varma's responsibilities being taken away and his transfer from Delhi High Court to Allahabad High Court after burnt currency notes were found at his residence. According to the Judges (Inquiry) Act, a joint committee comprising a Supreme Court judge, a Chief Justice of a High Court, and a distinguished jurist will be constituted to examine the charges.
The impeachment process for High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma has been initiated in Parliament.
Notices for his removal were submitted to both the Rajya Sabha Chairman and the Lok Sabha Speaker, meeting the required numerical thresholds.
The initiation follows the judge's transfer and the discovery of burnt currency notes at his residence.
Exam Points
Justice Yashwant Varma is a High Court judge.
A notice for removal of a judge requires 50 members in Rajya Sabha or 100 members in Lok Sabha.
The process is governed by the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968.
NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar), the first joint satellite developed by NASA and ISRO, is scheduled for launch on July 30 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The GSLV-F16 rocket will inject the 2,392 kg satellite into a 743-km sun-synchronous orbit. NISAR is a unique earth observation satellite, being the first to observe Earth with a dual-frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar (NASA's L-band and ISRO's S-band). It will use SweepSAR technology to scan the globe, providing all-weather, day-and-night data at 12-day intervals for applications like ground deformation, ice sheet movement, vegetation dynamics, sea ice classification, and disaster response.
NISAR is the first joint satellite mission between NASA and ISRO for earth observation.
It is equipped with a dual-frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar (L-band and S-band) for comprehensive data collection.
The satellite will provide all-weather, day-and-night data at 12-day intervals using SweepSAR technology.
Exam Points
NISAR stands for NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar.
The article highlights that human activities such as mining, groundwater extraction, impounding water behind dams, and injecting fluids into the ground can induce seismic activity, leading to human-induced earthquakes. These activities cause strain accumulation between tectonic plates. A 2021 study linked shallow earthquakes in the National Capital Region to excessive groundwater extraction. Large dams, like the Koyna hydroelectric dam, have also been associated with significant earthquakes. India's growing energy demand, met through hydropower and oil/gas extraction (including fracking), further increases this risk. Scientists emphasize the need for scientific management of groundwater, proper evaluation before dam construction, and strong seismic networks to monitor these activities.
Human activities like groundwater extraction, dam construction, and energy extraction can induce earthquakes.
These activities alter the stress regime in the Earth's crust, leading to seismic events.
Examples include earthquakes linked to groundwater depletion in Delhi-NCR and the Koyna dam.
Exam Points
Over 700 human-induced earthquakes recorded worldwide in the last 150 years.
A 2021 study in Scientific Reports linked Delhi-NCR earthquakes to groundwater extraction.
Koynanagar earthquake (Maharashtra) of 6.3 magnitude in 1967 was blamed on water overloading in Koyna dam.
The article explores the legal status of the 'right to vote' in India, a subject of ongoing debate in the Supreme Court. It distinguishes between natural, fundamental, constitutional, and statutory rights. While natural rights are inherent, fundamental rights (Part III of Constitution) are enforceable in the Supreme Court. Constitutional rights (outside Part III) are operationalized by legislation and enforceable in High Courts. Statutory rights are provided by ordinary laws. Historically, the Supreme Court has mostly held the right to vote as a statutory right, as seen in cases like N.P. Ponnuswami (1952) and Kuldip Nayar (2006). However, Justice Ajay Rastogi, in his partial dissent in Anoop Baranwal (2023), argued it is a fundamental right under Article 19(1)(a) and intrinsic to free and fair elections, suggesting its elevation to a constitutional right.
The legal status of the 'right to vote' in India is debated, oscillating between a statutory and a constitutional right.
The Supreme Court has predominantly classified the right to vote as a statutory right.
Justice Ajay Rastogi, in a dissenting opinion, argued that the right to vote is a fundamental right under Article 19(1)(a).
Exam Points
Article 326 of the Constitution grants universal adult franchise.
Representation of the People Act, 1950 and 1951 govern electoral processes.
Section 62 of RP Act, 1951 defines voting rights and disqualifications.
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