India and the United Kingdom have finalized a £350-million defense agreement for the Indian Army to procure missiles. Additionally, both nations signed an Implementing Arrangement for a £250-million project to develop electric-powered engines for Naval ships. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UK PM Keir Starmer described the partnership as a vital pillar of global stability. The deal is accompanied by significant economic commitments, with 64 Indian firms, including TVS Motor and Cyient, pledging to invest £1.3 billion in the UK, potentially creating 7,000 jobs. Furthermore, UK universities Lancaster and Surrey received approval to establish campuses in India.
The deal establishes a broader complex weapons partnership between India and the UK.
Collaboration on electric-powered engines for Naval ships marks a new milestone in maritime defense technology.
Indian private sector investment in the UK is expanding across engineering, semiconductors, and e-mobility sectors.
Exam Points
£350-million missile deal for the Indian Army.
£250-million deal for Naval ship electric engines.
£1.3 billion investment commitment by 64 Indian firms in the UK.
The Kerala government has introduced the Wild Life Protection (Kerala Amendment) Bill 2025, seeking to devolve powers from the Union to the State regarding wildlife management. The Bill aims to allow the State to declare Schedule II animals, such as wild boars, as 'vermin' to address severe human-wildlife conflict. It also empowers the Chief Wildlife Warden to order the killing or capture of animals that have injured humans. However, critics argue this move challenges federal structures as Wildlife is on the Concurrent List, and any state law repugnant to the Central Act requires Presidential assent.
Wildlife is a subject under the Concurrent List of the Indian Constitution.
Section 62 of the Central Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 currently reserves the power to declare 'vermin' for the Union government.
The amendment seeks to address a 'lived crisis' of human-wildlife conflict in Kerala's agricultural and forest buffer zones.
Exam Points
Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.
Wild Life Protection (Kerala Amendment) Bill 2025.
Section 62 of the Central Act governs 'vermin' status.
India is facing a severe mental health crisis, with the 2023 ADSI report recording 1,71,418 suicides. Despite the Mental Healthcare Act 2017 decriminalizing suicide and guaranteeing the right to care, significant gaps remain. The country has only 0.75 psychiatrists per 1,00,000 people, far below the WHO recommendation of 3. Experts call for increasing the mental health budget to 5% of total health expenditure and establishing a cross-ministerial task force. The economic impact of mental health issues in India is projected to exceed $1 trillion by 2030, necessitating urgent decentralization and community-based interventions.
Suicide is the leading cause of death among Indian youth aged 15-29 years.
The treatment gap for mental disorders in India is estimated between 70% and 92%.
Tele-MANAS and Manodarpan are key government initiatives for digital mental health support and school-based counseling.
Exam Points
1,71,418 suicides reported in the 2023 ADSI report.
0.75 psychiatrists per 1,00,000 population in India.
India is set to conduct its first comprehensive National Red List Assessment of Indian Flora and Fauna to evaluate the extinction risks of nearly 11,000 species. Funded with ₹95 crore, the project aims to publish National Red Data Books by 2030. This initiative aligns with IUCN global standards and fulfills India's commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The assessment will be conducted by the Zoological Survey of India and Botanical Survey of India, providing a science-based system to inform conservation planning and threat mitigation.
The project will move beyond the current 'schedules' system to a more accurate, science-based risk assessment.
It will create a pool of 300 certified assessors within India to enhance local conservation expertise.
The methodology follows the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List standards.
Exam Points
Assessment of nearly 11,000 species of plants and animals.
A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court, led by CJI B.R. Gavai, has ruled that judicial officers who had at least seven years of practice as advocates before joining the subordinate judiciary are eligible for appointment as District Judges. Interpreting Article 233 of the Constitution, the court held that a lawyer does not lose their status as a practitioner simply by joining judicial service. This decision aims to bring young talent into the higher district judiciary. The court also mandated a minimum age of 35 years for both advocates and judicial officers applying for these positions.
Article 233(2) of the Constitution governs the eligibility for appointment as District Judges.
The ruling clarifies that combined experience as an advocate and a judicial officer counts toward the seven-year requirement.
A minimum age limit of 35 years is established to ensure maturity in the upper echelons of the district judiciary.
Exam Points
Article 233 of the Indian Constitution.
Minimum age of 35 years for District Judge application.
Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice B.R. Gavai.
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has ordered a joint audit of cough syrup manufacturers across India. This regulatory action follows the identification of three contaminated syrups—Coldrif, Respifresh, and Re-Life—containing diethylene glycol (DEG), which have been linked to child deaths. While these products were marketed domestically and not exported, the WHO has flagged a 'regulatory gap' in screening for DEG and ethylene glycol (EG) in India. The audit aims to identify manufacturers, stop production of unsafe medical products, and tighten domestic quality control standards in the pharmaceutical industry.
Diethylene glycol (DEG) is a highly toxic contaminant that can cause kidney failure and death.
The CDSCO is working with State governments to create a comprehensive list of all domestic cough syrup makers.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting Indian authorities in investigating the source of contamination.
Exam Points
CDSCO: Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation.
Contaminants: Diethylene glycol (DEG) and Ethylene glycol (EG).
Syrups identified: Coldrif, Respifresh, and Re-Life.
The Supreme Court has ruled that the age limits introduced by the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021, cannot be applied retrospectively to couples who had already initiated the surrogacy process before the law's enactment. The Act stipulates that an intending woman must be aged 23-50 and the man 26-55. The Court held that applying these limits to couples with previously frozen embryos violates their reproductive autonomy. The ruling emphasizes that the law should not unfairly disqualify those who have already undergone medical procedures based on the legal framework existing at the time of initiation.
The Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021, came into force on January 25, 2022.
Reproductive choice is recognized as a fundamental right that cannot be restricted retrospectively.
The exemption applies to cases where embryos were created and frozen before the commencement of the Act.
Exam Points
Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021.
Age limits: Woman (23-50 years), Man (26-55 years).
The Karnataka State Cabinet has approved the 'Karnataka Menstrual Leave Policy-2025,' which grants one day of paid leave per month to women employees. This landmark decision makes Karnataka the first state in India to cover both the government and private sectors under such a policy. While Bihar and Odisha provide menstrual leave for government employees, and Kerala has implemented it in universities, Karnataka's policy is the most inclusive to date. The move is aimed at supporting women's health and promoting a more gender-sensitive work environment across the state.
The policy provides one day of paid leave every month for menstruating employees.
It is applicable to all women working in government offices and private companies in Karnataka.
The decision follows recommendations to improve workplace participation and health outcomes for women.
Exam Points
Karnataka Menstrual Leave Policy-2025.
One day paid leave per month.
First Indian state to cover both public and private sectors.
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is being reframed as a communication crisis rather than just a medical one. Since the 2010 discovery of the NDM-1 enzyme, the focus has been on alarming global statistics, which often leads to public apathy. Experts now advocate for a narrative centered on the 'human microbiome'—the trillions of beneficial microbes that are disrupted by unnecessary antibiotic use. By emphasizing how antibiotics can harm individual health, immunity, and mental well-being, health advocates hope to move from a 'language of war' against bugs to a 'language of wisdom' in preserving life-saving drugs.
NDM-1 (New Delhi Metallo-beta-lactamase) brought global attention to AMR in 2010.
Unnecessary antibiotic use can disrupt the human microbiome for months, affecting long-term health.
Reframing AMR as a solvable, individual health challenge is more effective than using abstract, large-scale statistics.
Exam Points
NDM-1 enzyme named in 2010.
Chennai Declaration: An initiative against AMR.
Microbiome: Trillions of bacteria, viruses, and fungi living in and on the human body.
The Election Commission (EC) has concluded a special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar and plans to expand the process nationwide. Central to this process are various statutory forms under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. Form 6 is used for new voter registration, while Form 6A is for overseas electors. Form 7 handles objections to inclusions, and Form 8 is used for shifting residence or correcting existing entries. The EC emphasizes that clean and accurate electoral rolls are paramount for the conduct of free and fair elections and a healthy democracy.
Form 6 is the primary application for new voters who have attained 18 years of age.
Form 8 is versatile, used for shifting within or outside a constituency and for correcting personal details.
The Representation of the People Act, 1950, provides the legal basis for the preparation and revision of electoral rolls.
Exam Points
Form 6: New voter registration.
Form 8: Shifting of residence/correction of entries.
The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to John Clarke, Michel Devoret, and John Martinis for their pioneering work on macroscopic quantum tunneling. Their research demonstrated that quantum mechanical properties, usually reserved for subatomic particles, can be observed in macroscopic electrical circuits. By showing that an entire circuit can behave as a single quantum object with quantized energy levels, they bridged the gap between the quantum and classical worlds. This discovery is the foundational principle behind 'superconducting qubits,' which are essential components for building scalable and powerful quantum computers.
Quantum tunneling allows particles to pass through energy barriers that would be impassable in classical physics.
The researchers proved that macroscopic systems can exhibit energy quantization and phase coherence.
Superconducting qubits use Josephson junctions to create the '0' and '1' states necessary for quantum computing.
Exam Points
2025 Nobel Prize in Physics winners: John Clarke, Michel Devoret, and John Martinis.
Key concept: Macroscopic quantum tunneling.
Application: Development of superconducting qubits for quantum computers.
Read more
Read it. Retain it. Recall it.
Get spaced-repetition flashcards, daily quizzes and offline access — free on Android.