China is pushing forward with its massive 60 GW hydropower project on the Yarlung Zangbro river in Tibet despite safety and ecological concerns highlighted by a recent glacial collapse near the Nepal-China border. The project, including a massive reservoir and a 40-km tunnel, is part of China's 15th Five-Year Plan. India has expressed strong concerns regarding downstream water flows, storage, and broader ecological impacts in the Brahmaputra basin. While China maintains its projects are environmentally sound and beneficial, experts and downstream nations remain wary of hydrological transparency and ecological destabilization.
China is advancing its 60 GW hydropower project on the Yarlung Zangbro river in Tibet.
The mega project involves five power stations, a large reservoir, and a 40-km tunnel through the Great Bend.
India remains deeply concerned about downstream water flows, ecological impact, and a lack of hydrological data sharing.
Exam Points
The Yarlung Zangbro project will comprise five power stations with an estimated 60 GW capacity.
The project includes a 40-km tunnel through the Great Bend.
The total investment for the initial phase was announced at 1.2 trillion yuan.
Voter lists across 17 States and Union Territories have shrunk by 15.7% following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) conducted by the Election Commission. The cumulative electorate in these regions fell significantly from 35.55 crore during the Lok Sabha polls to 29.93 crore in the draft rolls. Maharashtra registered the highest drop in absolute numbers, while Delhi and Chandigarh recorded the sharpest percentage drops. The EC revealed that out of over 6.15 crore deleted voters, a vast majority were marked dead, absent, or had multiple enrolments.
Voter lists in 17 States and UTs shrank by 15.7% following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
Total electors in these regions dropped from 35.55 crore during Lok Sabha polls to 29.93 crore in draft rolls.
Maharashtra recorded the highest drop in absolute numbers, while Delhi saw the sharpest percentage decline.
Exam Points
The cumulative electorate fell by 5,61,50,008 voters during the SIR phase.
Out of 6.15 crore deleted voters, 1.11 crore were marked dead, 4.52 crore absent, and around 49.58 crore had multiple enrolments.
The U.S. military launched strikes against three Iranian oil tankers, describing them as part of a shadow fleet used to fund the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and regional proxies. The action followed reported Iranian attacks on two U.S. Navy ships in the region. U.S. leadership stated its readiness to defend American forces and target Iran's exposed oil infrastructure if provocations continue. The escalation comes despite diplomatic efforts and previous attempts by the U.S. administration to minimize conflict, further aggravating geopolitical instability in the Middle East.
The U.S. military struck three Iranian oil tankers following attacks on U.S. Navy ships.
Washington justified the strikes by claiming the tankers belonged to a shadow fleet funding the IRGC.
The U.S. reiterated its stance to protect its forces and target Iranian oil assets if necessary.
Exam Points
The strikes occurred after U.S. Navy ships were targeted with missiles in the Gulf of Oman.
One tanker was struck off Kharg Island, another near Jask, and a third unladen tanker was destroyed.
Thousands of opposition supporters in Bangladesh launched a nationwide long march, mounting severe pressure on the government over acute shortages of cooking gas, electricity, and fertilizer. Marking the first major street mobilization against the administration that took power six months ago, protesters marched from Dhaka toward Chittagong. Opposition leaders criticized the government's handling of the crisis, emphasizing that the movement aims to secure basic utilities and livelihood stability for every household across the country.
Opposition supporters in Bangladesh began a massive long march over severe utility and energy shortages.
The protests target acute shortages of cooking gas, electricity, and fertilizer affecting households.
This marks the first major street mobilization against the government since it assumed power six months ago.
Exam Points
The protest march spans from Dhaka to the port city of Chittagong.
The current government came to power six months prior to the protests.
The 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit concluded in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, with member states strongly condemning military strikes on Iran and reaffirming support for its sovereignty. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, attending the summit, emphasized multilateral cooperation, counter-terrorism, and regional stability. Leaders also discussed the expansion of the BRICS-SCO nexus, economic connectivity via the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), and diplomatic mechanisms to counter terrorism, separatism, and extremism in the region.
The 26th SCO summit in Bishkek adopted a strong declaration condemning strikes on Iran and backing its sovereignty.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for zero tolerance against terrorism and enhanced regional connectivity.
Discussions highlighted economic corridors like the INSTC and cooperation among member states.
Exam Points
The 26th SCO summit was held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on August 31-September 1.
The SCO currently comprises member states including India, China, Russia, Pakistan, and Central Asian nations.
India is advancing plans to acquire the U.S.-made Javelin anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) system to strengthen its brigade combat teams. The proposed acquisition involves co-production arrangements between Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and Indian defense entities. While the system offers superior 'fire-and-forget' capabilities and proven operational reliability, the deal highlights ongoing debates within India's defense establishment regarding indigenous missile development versus foreign procurement to meet immediate military requirements.
India is moving forward with plans to acquire the U.S. Javelin anti-tank missile system.
The proposed deal includes technology transfer and domestic co-production agreements with Indian firms.
The Javelin is a 'fire-and-forget' ATGM widely used by the U.S. Army and Marine Corps.
Exam Points
The Javelin is developed and made by the Javelin Joint Venture between Raytheon and Lockheed Martin.
The system features an operational readiness rate of 99% and a 94% engagement success rate in service.
The Indian striped hyena remains a critically misunderstood and neglected species despite being protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Often associated with negative folklore and witchcraft, hyenas lack dedicated conservation action plans and official census data in India. However, conservationists emphasize their crucial role as natural scavengers that clean landscapes and water sources by consuming decaying meat, thereby preventing the spread of pathogens and maintaining healthy ecosystems.
Indian striped hyenas face severe neglect and cultural stigma, often being associated with witchcraft in folklore.
Despite enjoying top-tier legal protection, India lacks an official census or unified action plan for striped hyenas.
Hyenas act as vital natural scavengers by consuming decaying meat and preventing pathogen spread.
Exam Points
Estimates suggest around 5,000 to 14,000 striped hyenas worldwide, with 1,000 to 3,000 in India.
Striped hyenas are protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
The Tamil Nadu government allocated ₹14 lakh to conserve striped hyenas.
The Building Opportunities & Driving Hope (BODH) initiative was established to bridge a critical gap in India's research ecosystem by training young scientists in institutional responsibilities, lab management, and professional networking. Founded by experienced researchers from premier institutes like IARI and IIT, BODH uses an activity-based approach to teach leadership, conflict resolution, and grant-writing skills. The program aims to foster collaborative scientific leadership and improve mentorship structures across Indian academic institutions.
The BODH initiative trains young Indian scientists in essential leadership and laboratory management skills.
It addresses the lack of formal training for researchers transitioning into principal investigator roles.
The program utilizes experiential learning, mentoring workshops, and collaborative exercises.
Exam Points
The BODH initiative was founded by Veda Krishnan, Sriparna Chatterjee, Chandra Shekhar Sharma, and Pooja Devi.
Within its first year, BODH conducted 10 leadership workshops across major Indian science institutions.
BRICS nations are actively exploring alternative cross-border payment systems to reduce reliance on the U.S. dollar and mitigate transaction costs associated with Western-dominated networks like SWIFT. Driven by Russia's chairmanship and concerns over financial sanctions, member countries are discussing national currency settlements, digital currencies, and messaging frameworks. While the initiative aims to enhance financial autonomy and trade efficiency among emerging economies, analysts note significant technical, political, and logistical challenges in establishing a unified alternative system.
BRICS nations are discussing alternative cross-border payment systems to reduce global reliance on the U.S. dollar.
Current international transactions heavily rely on SWIFT and correspondent banking, leading to high fees and delays.
Proposals include using central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and bilateral local currency trade settlements.
Exam Points
SWIFT is a Belgium-based cooperative overseen by G-10 central banks, including the U.S. Federal Reserve.
India's official stance emphasizes linking CBDCs for trade and payment transparency without necessarily replacing the dollar entirely.
The Supreme Court sought the Central Government and Election Commission's response on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) advocating for the introduction of 'totalisers' in electronic voting machines (EVMs). Totalisers aggregate votes cast across multiple polling booths to prevent booth-wise voting pattern identification and voter intimidation. While the petitioners argue that totalisers ensure electoral secrecy, the Centre and Election Commission have historically opposed them due to administrative, logistical, and legal challenges in counting processes.
The Supreme Court asked the Centre and EC to respond to a plea for introducing totalisers for EVM vote counting.
Totalisers combine votes from multiple polling booths to prevent booth-wise voter identification and intimidation.
The Election Commission and Centre have previously opposed totalisers citing logistical and legal hurdles.
Exam Points
The PIL was filed by Yogesh Gupta and Imran Khan, seeking totalisers for all 14 polling booths in a constituency.
Totalisers were developed by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL).
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