All posts tagged: upsc civil services exam

Beyond Trending: What is coercive diplomacy? 

Beyond Trending: What is coercive diplomacy? 

Published by Parlour News

3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jun 5, 2026 05:13 PM IST US President Donald Trump’s effort to forge a peace deal with Iran does not seem to yield a desired result, as Israeli attacks continued across Lebanon despite a US-brokered ceasefire announced after talks in Washington, DC.  Iran has made a ceasefire in Lebanon a condition for any peace deal with the US. At the same time, the two sides traded attacks in the Gulf on Wednesday (June 3, 2026) in one of the most intense bouts of fighting since early April, when a ceasefire halted large-scale hostilities, reported Reuters. What explains the prevailing situation in the US-Israel war on Iran, where a combination of military pressure and diplomatic negotiations fails to yield a desired result? The concept of coercive diplomacy, in part, helps understand this.  Coercive diplomacy The notion of coercive diplomacy, which became popular during the Cold War era, denotes the calculated use of threats and force to influence an opponent’s decision. Thomas Schelling and Alexander George, two noted scholars of international relations, are …

Corporate ethics, Infiltration and Bauxite mining

Corporate ethics, Infiltration and Bauxite mining

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Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Main Examination: General Studies IV: Corporate Governance. What’s the ongoing story: When Atanu Chakraborty abruptly resigned on March 18 as chairman of HDFC Bank, the country’s largest private bank, citing “certain happenings and practices within the bank” that were not in “congruence” with his personal values and ethics, it didn’t ring many alarm bells across the banking establishment. Key Points to Ponder: • Who is Atanu Chakraborty? • What is corporate ethics? • What are the five codes of ethics? • There are generally certain business or Corporate ethics principles-What are they? • Why is corporate ethics Important? • Corporate governance and corporate ethics-Connect the dot • Is corporate governance the same as corporate ethics? • What is the role of corporate governance in maintaining financial-system stability? • Know the significance of internal control and vigilance systems in banking institutions. • What are the challenges associated with ensuring ethical governance in banking institutions? Key Takeaways: Story continues below this ad • The bank’s newly appointed interim chairman, Keki Mistry, was quick …

Beyond Trending: What is hegemonic stability? 

Beyond Trending: What is hegemonic stability? 

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3 min readNew DelhiMay 22, 2026 04:51 PM IST Calling for an immediate end to hostilities in West Asia, Chinese President Xi Jinping also warned of “unilateral and hegemonic countercurrents running rampant” in the world, as he held talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. The talks, held during Putin’s two-day visit to Beijing (19-20 May), came less than a week after US President Donald Trump concluded his three-day visit. These visits are seen as underlining China’s emergence not just as a central hub of global diplomacy but also for regional and global stability. The US has long been viewed as the guarantor of global order, but the speculation regarding China’s emergence as an alternative has triggered a debate around the idea of hegemonic stability.  What is hegemony  The word hegemony comes from classical  Greek history, which means supreme command or supremacy. In edited volume Two Hegemonies: Britain 1846-1914 and the United States 1941-2001 (2002), S Ryan Johansson notes that the word hegemony was originally used to describe the relationship of Athens to the other Greek …

Import duty on gold, Storm and Withholding tax

Import duty on gold, Storm and Withholding tax

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Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.   Mains Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment. What’s the ongoing story: AFTER HIKING import duty on gold, the government and the Reserve Bank of India are learnt to be considering multiple measures to attract foreign investment inflows including a cut in the withholding tax rate on government bonds, if not completely eliminating it. Key Points to Ponder: • What is Withholding tax? • What is foreign portfolio investment (FPI)? • What is Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) • What is the difference between FDI and FPI? • What is the primary objective behind reducing withholding tax? • Why does Government wants greater foreign participation in the financial and debt market? • What are the benefits and risks of increased foreign portfolio investment in India? Key Takeaways: • Withholding tax is akin to a tax deducted at source and is paid by foreign investors on interest income they receive on their holding of Indian bonds. At present, …

India’s informal sector, Agni missile with MIRV system, and Labour Codes rules notified

India’s informal sector, Agni missile with MIRV system, and Labour Codes rules notified

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Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social development. Mains Examination: General Studies-III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment.  What’s the ongoing story: India’s informal sector is becoming less indebted, with the interest they paid as well as the amount of loans they need to repay falling sharply, according to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation’s (MoSPI) full report on its Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE) conducted in 2025.  Key Points to Ponder: — What is the informal sector?  — What is the difference between the formal and informal sectors?  — What are the structural constraints of India’s unincorporated sector and their implications for employment quality and productivity? — How declining indebtedness in the informal sector does not necessarily indicate economic strength.  Story continues below this ad — What are the vulnerabilities of small, informal enterprises to input cost shocks, and what measures should be taken to enhance their resilience? — What is the significance of unincorporated enterprises in India’s economy? — What are the government initiatives …

Global ocean conveyor belt, White-bellied Heron and Compensatory afforestation

Global ocean conveyor belt, White-bellied Heron and Compensatory afforestation

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Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc. Mains Examination: General Studies II: Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein Key Points to Ponder: • What is the role of Governor after completion of assembly elections and results? • What is the difference between ‘majority’ and the ‘single largest’ party in the elections? Story continues below this ad • Who makes the government-‘ a majority party ‘ or the ‘single largest’ party? • How governor is important in this scenario? • Can Governor delay the swearing-in of leader of a ‘single largest’ party as Chief Minister? • Can Governor ask to submit proof of support from the majority mark MLAs for the government formation in a state? • What is the precedence set? • Article 164 of the Constitution says what? • What is floor test and why it is required especially for the government formation? • What …

Internationalisation of the Rupee, Panchayat Advancement Index and E-PRAAPTI

Internationalisation of the Rupee, Panchayat Advancement Index and E-PRAAPTI

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Mains Examination: General Studies II: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment. What’s the ongoing story: The war in West Asia has exacerbated a key pain point for the country’s economy: the rupee’s value. • What has been India’s strategy of settling international trade in Indian Rupees (INR)? • How India saved ₹14,000 crore in foreign exchange in February 2026? • Why Reserve Bank of India (RBI) introduced a framework for rupee-based trade? • What is “internationalisation of the rupee”? • What is “depreciation of Rupee”? • Devaluation of Rupee and depreciation of Rupee-compare and contrast • Why settling trade in domestic currency particularly useful during periods of rupee depreciation? • What is Vostro accounts in rupee trade settlement? • What is the difference between Vostro and Nostro account? • What are the key limitations of rupee-based trade settlement? Story continues below this ad • How rupee trade settlement can help reduce external sector vulnerabilities? Key Takeaways: • After closing around 91-per-dollar on February 27, the rupee fell by …

The science behind modern medicine

The science behind modern medicine

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The Delhi High Court permitted the extraction and cryopreservation of the sperm of an Indian Army soldier who is in a persistent vegetative state. His wife had sought permission for the extraction of her husband’s sperm, so that she could proceed with in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment. In this context, the union budget 2026-27 announced a significant push for the biopharma and pharmaceutical sector. The “Biopharma SHAKTI” programme, announced with a total outlay of 10,000 crores over a period of 5 years, is an example.  The programme envisions transforming India into a global biomanufacturing hub through strengthened research programmes by establishing three new National Institutes for Pharmaceuticals Education and Research (NIPERs). It also seeks to strengthen the existing infrastructure, and create a network of 1,000 accredited clinical trial sites.  Hence, the programme signals a shift towards strengthening domestic production of biologics and biosimilars with the already existing strength in small molecule production.  Also, in January 2026, Biologics X 3DCC Summit –  a landmark unified summit that merges two of India’s most influential scientific conferences: the 6th …

UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz (April 05 to 11, 2026) : 15 key questions with detailed answers for Prelims 2026 | UPSC Current Affairs News

UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz (April 05 to 11, 2026) : 15 key questions with detailed answers for Prelims 2026 | UPSC Current Affairs News

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As UPSC CSE Prelims 2026 is just a few months away, current affairs should be your primary focus. UPSC Weekly Quiz is a current affairs–based quiz on relevant topics from the past week, curated for aspirants of competitive examinations. Attempt the weekly quiz every Saturday and find detailed answers to the MCQs with explanations. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for March 2026. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at [email protected]🚨 With reference to the timeline of the Chagos Islands, consider the following statements: 1. In 2009, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion that the UK must hand over the islands to Mauritius “as soon as possible”. 2. In 2015, the UK and Mauritius agreed to begin negotiations on the exercise of sovereignty over the Chagos archipelago. 3. In 2025, the UK signed a formal agreement transferring sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. How many of the statements given above are correct? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) All three (d) None Why this question for UPSC Prelims 2026? …

Himalayan griffon vulture, Hydrofluorocarbons and Land inequality in India

Himalayan griffon vulture, Hydrofluorocarbons and Land inequality in India

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Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc. • General Studies II: Parliament and State legislatures—structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issuesarising out of these. • General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. What’s the ongoing story: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday cleared the proposed Constitutional amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam and a Delimitation Bill to fast-track 33% reservation for women in Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas by using 2011 Census data, sources told The Indian Express. Key Points to Ponder: • What are the proposed Constitutional amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam? Story continues below this ad • What are the proposed Constitutional amendments to the Delimitation Bill? • What is delimitation? • Why delimitation is required for the implementation of women reservation? • How demographic shifts and variations in fertility rates among states influence political representation in India? • What are the impact of population-based representation on …