Relevance (UPSC): GS-III – Economy (Industry, Critical Minerals) | GS-II – International Relations Overview Rare earths are key to everyday technology—phones, wind turbines, medical scanners, missiles, and electric cars. These 17 elements are abundant in the crust but hard to separate, refine, and turn into magnets. China dominates mid-stream steps (separation, metals,…

Relevance (UPSC): GS-III – Science & Technology (Condensed matter, quantum tech) What is the discovery Scientists report a new phase of matter called the intramolecular crystal (IMC). Unlike ordinary solids (ordered in space) or liquids (disordered), the IMC shows a mixed pattern in time: long-term regularity and randomness coexist. Experiments controlling spins…

Relevance (UPSC): GS-II – Polity & Governance (Citizenship, Human Rights, International Relations) Current scenario India hosts people fleeing war, persecution, and disasters from Tibet, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and parts of Africa and West Asia—about two lakh “persons of concern” according to UN counts. Yet India has no single refugee law….

Relevance (UPSC): GS-II – Governance (Sports Policy) | GS-III – Infrastructure & Economy India’s 2030 Games ambition India is poised to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, with discussions centred on a multi-city model anchored by existing stadiums and targeted upgrades. If confirmed, it would be India’s biggest multi-sport event since the 2010…

Relevance (UPSC): GS-III – Indian Economy (External Sector, Balance of Payments) India’s export pulse India’s merchandise exports to the United States fell by around 12% year-on-year, while the services engine—usually India’s cushion—also slowed. Together, they widened the overall trade deficit, even as oil prices and freight costs stayed volatile. What changed Goods…

Relevance (UPSC): GS-III (Environment—biodiversity, species recovery), GS-II (Governance—protected areas) The news in context Fresh field evidence from scrub habitats of Kadapa region has confirmed the continued presence of Jerdon’s courser—a shy, nocturnal, ground-dwelling bird once feared extinct. Earlier rediscovered in 1986, it remains one of India’s rarest birds. Species profile Status: Critically…

Relevance (UPSC): GS-I (Geography—physiography), GS-III (Environment—ecosystems) What and where Theri Kaadu (“red sand forest”) is a striking belt of aeolian red-sand dunes in Thoothukudi district, along the Gulf of Mannar coast. The sands owe their colour to iron-oxide–rich grains (including garnet) that were weathered from inland rocks, carried by rivers to paleo-beaches,…

Relevance (UPSC): GS-II Polity & Governance; GS-III Economy (Urbanisation, Public Finance) Urban India makes almost two-thirds of national output, yet most municipalities control less than one per cent of total tax revenues. This is not because cities are inefficient; it is because the fiscal design gives them tiny, uncertain revenue streams. What…

Relevance (UPSC): GS-II International Relations | GS-III Infrastructure & Economy The India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), unveiled at the G20 Summit 2023, aims to be a sea–rail–digital–energy bridge connecting India, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, and Europe. Despite West Asia’s ongoing conflicts and disruptions in the Red Sea, the corridor’s core logic…

Relevance (UPSC): GS-II Polity & Governance (Judiciary, Inclusion) A judge is not only a decider of law but also a public face of justice. When half the country rarely sees itself on the bench, trust thins. India’s higher judiciary still has very few women: about 14% in High Courts and one woman…

Relevance (UPSC): GS-I Society | GS-II Governance & Ethics | GS-III Disaster Management On a humid evening, a leader climbs a rickety stage. Loudspeakers crackle. The crowd surges for a closer look. A stumble near a narrow exit becomes a wave; within minutes, lives are lost. The script is grimly familiar—from political…