All posts tagged: Upsc current affairs

US Tariffs, Education Expenditure, OpenAI Copyright

US Tariffs, Education Expenditure, OpenAI Copyright

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance  Mains Examination: General Studies II: Effect of Policies and Politics of Developed and Developing Countries on India’s interests.  What’s the ongoing story: The United States has placed India in a lower 10 per cent tariff category, after the country was initially considered for a steeper 12.5 per cent rate. The lower rate followed what officials called constructive talks with Washington on labour practices. Key Points to Ponder: — What are tariffs? How do they affect international trade? — What is the difference between tariff and non-tariff barriers? — What is forced labour? How is it defined under international law? —  What are the major international conventions and standards against forced labour? — What is Section 301 of the US Trade Act, 1974? —  How can a country unilaterally impose tariffs under its domestic trade laws? — How do unilateral trade measures differ from the WTO dispute settlement mechanism? What challenges do they pose to the rules-based multilateral trading system? — Why are labour standards increasingly being …

Beyond Trending: What is coercive diplomacy? 

Beyond Trending: What is coercive diplomacy? 

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 …

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

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 …

4th April, 2026- INS Aridaman, Jan Vishwas, IBC amendments

4th April, 2026- INS Aridaman, Jan Vishwas, IBC amendments

Mains Examination: General Studies-III: Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology What’s the ongoing story: India Friday inducted its third nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), INS Aridaman, significantly strengthening its sea-based nuclear deterrent capabilities. The Indian Navy also commissioned the advanced stealth frigate INS Taragiri at a separate ceremony. — What is India’s “no first use” policy? — How did the No First Use doctrine come into being? — What are the advantages and disadvantages of the nuclear submarine? — What is the significance of establishing a nuclear triad? — What are the international conventions on use of nuclear weapons? — Which countries possess nuclear weapons? Key Takeaways: — The quiet commissioning of INS Aridhaman, which will significantly strengthen India’s sea-based nuclear deterrent capabilities, is in line with how the previous two indigenous Arihant-class submarines, INS Arihant and INS Arighaat, were inducted in 2016 and 2024 respectively. Story continues below this ad — INS Aridaman, a 7,000-tonne vessel, is believed to have eight vertical launching system tubes — …

India-Seychelles relations, PMKVY, and NUDGE campaign

India-Seychelles relations, PMKVY, and NUDGE campaign

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.  What’s the ongoing story: While stressing that defence and maritime cooperation are important pillars in the relationship between India and Seychelles, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that in the coming days, the two countries would also cooperate in renewable energy and climate solutions. He was addressing a joint press meet in New Delhi along with visiting Seychelles President Patrick Herminie. Key Points to Ponder: — What is the history of India-Seychelles relations? — What are the emerging areas of cooperation between India and Seychelles? — What is the Colombo Security Conclave? — What is India’s MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) Vision? — What is the strategic significance of Seychelles for India? — Map work: Locate Seychelles on world map.  Key Takeaways: — “In the areas of marine research, capacity-building and data-sharing, India will share its expertise with Seychelles. Defence cooperation and …

UPSC Current Affairs Pointers Weekly

UPSC Current Affairs Pointers Weekly

Every Monday, we bring you UPSC Current Affairs Pointers—a concise, exam-focused guide to help you stay ahead in your Prelims and Mains preparation. Report (FYI: The data provided in these reports can be used to substantiate your Mains answer and create a broad understanding of the topic.) — The global economy is forecast to grow by 2.7 per cent in 2026, slightly below the 2.8 per cent estimated for 2025, 40 bps faster than previously anticipated, according to the World Economic Situation and Prospects 2026, released by the United Nations on 8th January 2025. — The report is prepared by the UN’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) in partnership with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the five United Nations regional commissions. — According to the UN report, the increase in global military expenditure in 2024 to $2.7 trillion reflects “the steepest annual increase since at least 1988”. The rise has been driven by the world’s 10 largest spenders, which make up nearly 75 per cent of the total, …

UPSC Current Affairs Weekly from December 29, 2025, to January 4, 2026

UPSC Current Affairs Weekly from December 29, 2025, to January 4, 2026

UPSC Current Affairs Pointers brings you essential current affairs of the past week, every Monday, to aid you in your Prelims and Mains preparation of UPSC, State PCS, and other competitive examinations. International  Government supporters display posters of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, right, and former President Hugo Chávez in downtown Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Maduro had been captured and flown out of the country. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) — US President Donald Trump on 3rd January claimed that Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, had been “captured and flown out of the country” after the US carried out widespread strikes on Venezuela. At least seven explosions were heard in the country’s capital, Caracas. — The US attack marks a significant escalation after months of strikes on Venezuelan “drug boats” and a massive military build-up in the Carribean with the deployment of troops, aircraft and warships. — The US has accused Maduro of drug trafficking and working with gangs designated as terrorist organisations. Maduro has denied these …

COP30, Trump-Xi ceasefire, and Indoor Air Quality

COP30, Trump-Xi ceasefire, and Indoor Air Quality

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies-II, III: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests. Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. Story continues below this ad What’s the ongoing story: The 30th edition of the Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP30), the annual two-week climate talks beginning in Belem, Brazil, on Monday, is as much about restoring the credibility of this UN-mandated negotiating process as it is about saving global climate. Key Points to Ponder: — What is Conference of the Parties or COP? — Read about the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the 2015 Paris Agreement. — What were the major outcomes of the COP29? — What do you understand about Net-zero emissions? — What is climate finance? — What are Nationally-Determined Contributions? — What is the principle of “common but differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities”? — How can India balance its development needs with its increasing global leadership on climate finance …

Knowledge Nugget | Understanding the Readiness for Frontier Technologies Index — A must-know for UPSC Exam

Knowledge Nugget | Understanding the Readiness for Frontier Technologies Index — A must-know for UPSC Exam

Take a look at the essential events, concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here’s your knowledge nugget for today. (Relevance: The UPSC has previously asked questions on various indexes and emerging technologies. For example, in the UPSC CSE Prelims 2020, there were questions related to blockchain technology and artificial intelligence. Therefore, it becomes important to understand not only these technologies but also other frontier technologies for the UPSC exam.) Why in the news? The 2025 Technology and Innovation Report, issued by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), stated that India ranked 36th in 2024 on the ‘Readiness for Frontier Technologies’ index, improving its position from 48th in 2022. Story continues below this ad Key Takeaways : 1. In a world rapidly reshaped by AI and other frontier technologies, it is crucial for developing countries to prepare themselves for these new developments. In this context, a useful measure in assessing national preparedness to use, adopt, and adapt frontier technologies is the UNCTAD Frontier Technologies Readiness Index. 2. The ‘Readiness for Frontier …

UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | January 26 to February 1, 2025 | UPSC Current Affairs News

UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | January 26 to February 1, 2025 | UPSC Current Affairs News

UPSC Weekly Quiz is a current affairs-based quiz on relevant topics from the past week, curated for the aspirants of competitive examinations. Attempt the weekly quiz every Saturday and find answers to the MCQs with explanations. 🚨New Year Special: Click Here to read the January 2025 issue of the UPSC Essential monthly magazine. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at [email protected]🚨 QUESTION 1 Narayan Apte, Vishnu Karkare and Madanlal Pahwa are the names associated with: (a) Revolt of 1857 (b) Salt March in 1930 led by Gandhi.  (c) Swadeshi Movement (d) None of the above Explanation Story continues below this ad On January 30, 1948, at exactly 5.17 pm, Nathuram Godse fired three shots at Mahatma Gandhi from his Beretta M1934. The Mahatma died on the spot. During his trial, Godse tried to take sole responsibility for the crime. But his arguments were rejected. A Bench of the Punjab High Court in Shimla in 1949 upheld the convictions and sentences of five people for the larger conspiracy: Godse, his younger brother Gopal, Narayan Apte, Vishnu Karkare, and Madanlal Pahwa. Therefore, (d) is the …