The India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA), though seemingly small due to New Zealand's economy size, is strategically significant as it's one of eight recent trade deals. India aims to diversify supply chains and export destinations, moving away from reliance on China and mitigating risks from volatile markets like the US. The FTA's strengths include New Zealand immediately removing all goods tariffs and India avoiding concessions on sensitive sectors like dairy. New Zealand also committed to facilitating $20 billion in investments in India over 15 years, similar to the EFTA pact's $100 billion commitment. This deal supports India's goals of increasing exports, creating jobs, and bolstering its capital account.
The India-New Zealand FTA is part of India's broader strategy to diversify trade relations and reduce dependence on specific markets.
New Zealand will immediately remove all goods tariffs upon the agreement's execution, benefiting Indian exporters.
India successfully avoided providing concessions on sensitive sectors, notably dairy, which New Zealand was keen to include.
Exam Points
The India-New Zealand FTA is one of eight trade agreements signed or negotiated by India in the last three and a half years.
New Zealand's economy is one-sixteenth the size of India's.
New Zealand committed to facilitate $20 billion of investments in India over 15 years.
The article, penned by Shashi Tharoor, argues that the war in Iran has devastated the country and shattered the Gulf region's long-held image as a stable haven for capital and trade. This conflict has triggered global economic consequences, including surging fuel prices, LPG/LNG shortages, and disruptions to supply chains, affecting Indian manufacturers and the working class. The Gulf's vulnerability is exposed, with businesses reconsidering expansion, capital flows hesitating, and migrant labour facing uncertainty. The war has undermined confidence in the region's security, impacting trade routes and investments, and highlighting India's deep entanglement with the Gulf's stability.
The war in Iran has caused widespread physical destruction and crippled vital infrastructure within the country.
The conflict has triggered significant global economic repercussions, including rising fuel prices and supply chain disruptions.
The Gulf region's perceived stability and economic resilience have been shattered, leading to uncertainty for capital, businesses, and migrant labour.
Exam Points
Shashi Tharoor is a Fourth-term Member of Parliament for Thiruvananthapuram.
He is the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs.
He is the author of 29 books, including 'Pax Indica' (2012) and 'The New World Disorder' (2020).
The Delhi High Court's observations on "digital vigilantism" highlight the growing use of social media to amplify harassment claims due to a lack of faith in formal justice systems. Authored by Prachi Dutta, the article argues that social media acts as a "crowd source" for retributive action when institutional inaction prevails. It critiques the term "digital vigilantism," stating that social media posts in such contexts don't fit the definition of vigilantism, which implies an established order under threat and assurance of security. Instead, it's a consequence of systemic apathy and delayed justice, where victims resort to social media to bridge the gap between harassment and redress mechanisms.
The Delhi High Court has made observations regarding "digital vigilantism" in the context of public shaming via social media.
Social media is increasingly used by victims to amplify harassment claims due to the perceived failure of formal justice systems.
The article argues that "digital vigilantism" is a misnomer, as these actions arise from a collective failure of processes rather than a threat to an established order.
Exam Points
The Delhi High Court made observations on "digital vigilantism" in a defamation suit related to a domestic flight incident.
Prachi Dutta is a corporate lawyer and Adjunct Professor at Jindal Global Law School and Shiv Nadar University.
Les Johnston defines "vigilantism" as premeditated actions by private citizens, voluntarily engaging with an issue.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 594-km Ganga Expressway in Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh, calling it a "new lifeline" for the state's connectivity and employment. Built at an approximate cost of ₹36,230 crore, the six-lane access-controlled expressway will significantly reduce travel time between Meerut and Prayagraj to about six hours. The project is expected to boost farmers' income by improving market access for their produce and contribute to Uttar Pradesh's goal of becoming a one-trillion-dollar economy. The PM highlighted the state's rapid infrastructure development, including expressways, airports, industrial corridors, and defence manufacturing, making it a key investment destination.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 594-km Ganga Expressway in Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh.
The expressway is a six-lane access-controlled project aimed at significantly reducing travel time between Meerut and Prayagraj.
It is expected to boost Uttar Pradesh's economy by improving market access for farmers and attracting investments.
Exam Points
The Ganga Expressway is 594-km long.
The project was built at an approximate cost of ₹36,230 crore.
The expressway connects Meerut to Prayagraj, passing through districts like Hapur, Bulandshahr, Amroha, Sambhal, Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Rae Bareli, and Pratapgarh.
The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is set to launch E-PRAAPTI (EPF Aadhaar-Based Access Portal for Tracking Inoperative Accounts), a dedicated digital platform. This portal aims to facilitate the identification, tracking, UAN linking, and activation of old EPF accounts. It will provide a streamlined Aadhaar-based authentication mechanism, enabling members to securely access accounts without a linked UAN and initiate profile updates. Initially, it will be member ID-based, reducing manual intervention, documentation, and enhancing transparency. EPFO also settled a record 8.31 crore claims in 2025-26, with 71.11% of advance claims processed in auto mode, demonstrating improved efficiency.
EPFO is launching E-PRAAPTI, a digital platform to manage inoperative EPF accounts.
The portal will use Aadhaar-based authentication to help members access and activate their old accounts.
E-PRAAPTI aims to reduce manual intervention, minimize documentation, and enhance transparency and efficiency in EPF services.
Exam Points
EPFO is launching E-PRAAPTI, which stands for EPF Aadhaar-Based Access Portal for Tracking Inoperative Accounts.
EPFO settled a record 8.31 crore claims in 2025-26, up from 6.01 crore in 2024-25.
71.11% of advance claims were processed in auto mode (within three days) in 2025-26, compared to 59.19% in the previous year.
The latest NSS data (80th round) reveals that despite a significant increase in health insurance coverage, hospitalisation rates haven't risen proportionally, and out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditure has sharply increased, especially in the private sector. Government-funded health insurance (GFHI) schemes like PMJAY have expanded coverage, but more people are shifting to private care, where costs are much higher. The article highlights that GFHI schemes, while targeting backward sections, disproportionately benefit the better-off in terms of service utilization. It argues that these schemes, by subsidizing private care, fail to protect households from financial hardship and suggests a need to strengthen the public healthcare system instead.
Despite increased health insurance coverage, hospitalisation rates have not significantly increased, and OOP expenditure has risen sharply.
A growing proportion of people are opting for private sector healthcare, where costs are considerably higher.
Government-funded health insurance schemes (GFHI) like PMJAY have expanded coverage but are not effectively reducing financial hardship.
Exam Points
The data is from the NSS 80th round on "Household Social Consumption: Health," conducted between January and December 2025.
47.4% of rural households and 44.3% of urban households are covered by some form of health insurance.
Average OOP expenditure on hospitalisation has more than doubled between 2017-18 and 2025.
Fresh petitions before the Supreme Court seek to extend the "creamy layer" principle to SC/ST reservations, based on a misreading of the 2024 Davinder Singh judgment. The article, by Prannv Dhawan and Vignesh Karthik K.R., argues that this revives the debate on whether income can serve as a proxy for caste-based disadvantage. The creamy layer principle, introduced in Indra Sawhney v. Union of India (1992) for OBCs, initially focused on status, not income. Extending it to SC/STs, as Ambedkar warned, is problematic because economic progress does not erase social burdens. The Davinder Singh judgment authorized sub-classification within SC lists to direct benefits to the most marginalized, which is distinct from creamy layer exclusion.
New petitions seek to apply the "creamy layer" principle to SC/ST reservations, citing the 2024 Davinder Singh judgment.
The article argues that using income as a proxy for caste-based disadvantage for SC/STs is constitutionally and sociologically indefensible.
B.R. Ambedkar had warned against excluding wealthy or educated untouchables, stating that economic progress does not remove social discrimination.
Exam Points
The Supreme Court issued notice on March 10 regarding a PIL by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay.
The seven-judge bench decision is in State of Punjab v. Davinder Singh (2024).
The creamy layer principle was introduced in Indra Sawhney v. Union of India (1992).
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