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DAILY • UPSC CSE • PUNJAB PCS • CURRENT AFFAIRS

1. Special Intensive Revision (SIR) & Electoral Rolls

Why in News?

Prominent names, including senior political leaders and an Election Commissioner, appeared on Delhi’s draft electoral roll among electors identified for Election Commission notices under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

UPSC/PCS Importance

Important for Election Commission of India, Article 324, Electoral Rolls, Representation of the People Act, Electoral Administration and Free & Fair Elections.

Prelims Facts

• Article 324 deals with the superintendence, direction and control of elections by the Election Commission.
• Article 325 provides for one general electoral roll for every territorial constituency and prohibits exclusion on specified grounds.
• Article 326 provides for elections to the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies on the basis of adult suffrage.
• Electoral-roll preparation and revision are governed by the constitutional and statutory electoral framework.

Mains Perspective

GS-II: Constitution, Elections and Governance

Revision Note: Electoral-roll revision must balance accuracy and integrity of voter lists with transparency, due process and protection against wrongful exclusion.

2. Supreme Court Calls for Law to Protect Court Deposits

Why in News?

The Supreme Court called for a nationwide legislative framework to protect and standardise the management of money deposited by litigants in courts and tribunals during pending proceedings.

UPSC/PCS Importance

Important for Judicial Administration, Law Commission of India, Tribunal System, Rule of Law, Pendency and Institutional Reforms.

Prelims Facts

• The Supreme Court highlighted the absence of uniform rules for handling court-ordered deposits.
• The Court asked the Law Commission of India to examine the issue.
• Consultation with the Reserve Bank of India, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Law and Justice was suggested.
• The judgment referred to the U.S. Court Registry Investment System (CRIS) as an international model.
• A centralised mechanism can improve transparency, interest accrual and preservation of the value of litigants’ money.

Mains Perspective

GS-II: Judiciary, Governance and Institutional Reforms

Revision Note: Judicial reform is not limited to reducing case pendency; it also requires transparent, uniform and accountable administration of resources held by courts and tribunals.

3. India’s Self-Reliance Paradox & China-Centric Supply Chains

Why in News?

A newspaper data analysis highlighted an “assembly trap” in India’s manufacturing strategy: domestic manufacturing and exports are expanding, but several sectors remain heavily dependent on Chinese intermediate and capital goods.

UPSC/PCS Importance

Important for Atmanirbhar Bharat, Make in India, Global Value Chains, Trade Deficit, Manufacturing, Supply-Chain Resilience and India-China Economic Relations.

Prelims Facts

• India-China bilateral trade reached about $167.6 billion in 2025.
• Imports from China increased from about $87.5 billion in 2021 to $149.5 billion in 2025.
• Nearly 70% of India’s imports from China were intermediate goods.
• Another approximately 22% were capital goods.
• The pattern indicates dependence on Chinese inputs, components and machinery rather than only finished consumer goods.

Mains Perspective

GS-III: Indian Economy, Manufacturing and External Sector

Revision Note: True self-reliance requires not merely assembling final products in India but developing domestic technological capability, component ecosystems and resilient supply chains.

4. Strait of Hormuz Crisis & India’s Energy Security

Why in News?

Iran said that it had conveyed to the United States through mediators its conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, keeping one of the world’s most strategically important energy chokepoints at the centre of West Asian tensions.

UPSC/PCS Importance

Important for West Asia, Maritime Chokepoints, Energy Security, Crude Oil, Persian Gulf, India-Iran Relations and Global Trade.

Prelims Facts

• The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman.
• Iran lies to its north.
• Oman lies on the southern side of the strait.
• It is one of the world’s most important maritime energy chokepoints.
• Disruption can affect global crude-oil and LNG supplies and shipping costs.

Mains Perspective

GS-II: International Relations
GS-III: Energy Security

Revision Note: Instability around Hormuz can transmit directly to India through oil prices, inflation, current-account pressures, shipping costs and energy-security concerns.

5. Nepal Seeks a Reset in Relations with India

Why in News?

Nepal’s government indicated that it wants to reset relations with India, while discussions with Indian leaders have also focused on Nepal’s recovery after devastating floods. Nepal’s Prime Minister is expected to make India his first bilateral visit later in the year.

UPSC/PCS Importance

Important for India-Nepal Relations, Neighbourhood First Policy, Himalayan Geopolitics, Border Issues, Connectivity, Disaster Cooperation and China’s Role in South Asia.

Prelims Facts

• India and Nepal share an open border.
• Nepal is a landlocked Himalayan country.
• India-Nepal cooperation includes trade, connectivity, hydropower, disaster assistance and people-to-people ties.
• The two countries have historically maintained exceptionally close social and economic links.

Mains Perspective

GS-II: India and its Neighbourhood

Revision Note: A stable India-Nepal relationship requires mutual sensitivity, economic integration, connectivity, disaster cooperation and careful management of boundary-related disagreements.

6. Western Ghats & Ecologically Sensitive Areas

Why in News?

Kerala is seeking exclusion of inhabited and agricultural areas from the proposed Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) framework for the Western Ghats. The Centre’s seventh draft ESA notification covers areas across several villages in the State.

UPSC/PCS Importance

Important for Western Ghats, Ecologically Sensitive Areas, Biodiversity Hotspots, Environmental Governance and Conservation vs Development.

Prelims Facts

• The Western Ghats are a globally significant biodiversity hotspot.
• The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel was chaired by Madhav Gadgil.
• The High-Level Working Group on the Western Ghats was chaired by K. Kasturirangan.
• ESA regulation seeks additional protection for ecologically vulnerable landscapes.
• The policy debate involves conservation as well as habitation, agriculture and livelihoods.

Mains Perspective

GS-III: Environment, Biodiversity and Conservation

Revision Note: Western Ghats governance illustrates the challenge of reconciling ecological security with livelihoods, agriculture and sustainable development.

7. Mahanadi Water Dispute & Cooperative Federalism

Why in News?

The Mahanadi water dispute returned to focus after the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister said that Chhattisgarh and Odisha had agreed to accept the Centre’s decision on the issue.

UPSC/PCS Importance

Important for Inter-State River Water Disputes, Federalism, Article 262, River-Water Governance and Centre-State Relations.

Prelims Facts

• Article 262 deals with adjudication of disputes relating to waters of inter-State rivers or river valleys.
• Parliament enacted the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956.
• The Mahanadi dispute primarily involves Chhattisgarh and Odisha.
• The Mahanadi originates in Chhattisgarh and flows through Odisha before entering the Bay of Bengal.
• Inter-State river disputes test India’s mechanisms of cooperative federalism.

Mains Perspective

GS-II: Federalism
GS-III: Water Resources

Revision Note: Sustainable resolution of inter-State water disputes requires scientific river-basin management, reliable data, institutional coordination and cooperative federalism.

8. Exercise Veer Guardian 2026 & India-Japan Defence Cooperation

Why in News?

The Indian Air Force and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force participated in Exercise Veer Guardian 2026 at Air Force Station Jodhpur in Rajasthan.

UPSC/PCS Importance

Important for India-Japan Relations, Defence Diplomacy, Indo-Pacific, Military Exercises and Strategic Partnerships.

Prelims Facts

• Veer Guardian is an air exercise involving India and Japan.
• The 2026 exercise was held at Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
• Japan’s air force is known as the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF).
• India and Japan are members of the Quad along with Australia and the United States.

Mains Perspective

GS-II: International Relations
GS-III: Security

Revision Note: India-Japan defence cooperation forms part of the wider convergence between the two countries on a stable, secure and rules-based Indo-Pacific.

9. U.S. Tariffs & India’s External Trade

Why in News?

The impact of potentially steep U.S. tariffs on India has returned to the political and economic debate, highlighting India’s exposure to protectionism and changing global trade policies.

UPSC/PCS Importance

Important for Tariffs, Protectionism, WTO, India-U.S. Trade, Exports, Manufacturing, Global Trade and Geoeconomics.

Prelims Facts

• A tariff is a tax imposed on imported goods.
• Higher tariffs can reduce the price competitiveness of exporters in the importing country’s market.
• Protectionist measures can alter global supply chains and trade flows.
• The World Trade Organization (WTO) provides the principal multilateral framework governing international trade.

Mains Perspective

GS-II: International Relations
GS-III: Indian Economy and External Sector

Revision Note: Rising protectionism strengthens the case for India to diversify export markets, improve competitiveness and build resilient domestic manufacturing capabilities.

10. Russia-Ukraine War: Drone Warfare & Cybersecurity

Why in News?

Ukraine launched a major drone attack targeting Moscow and surrounding areas while Russian authorities also reported cyberattacks against election infrastructure, highlighting the growing role of technology in modern conflict.

UPSC/PCS Importance

Important for Drone Warfare, Cybersecurity, Critical Infrastructure, Hybrid Warfare, Artificial Intelligence and Russia-Ukraine Conflict.

Prelims Facts

• Unmanned aerial vehicles are increasingly used for surveillance, precision strikes and long-range attacks.
• Cyberattacks can target electoral, financial, communication and other critical infrastructure.
• Modern conflicts increasingly combine conventional warfare, drones, cyber operations and information warfare.
• This combination is often discussed under the broader concept of hybrid warfare.

Mains Perspective

GS-II: International Relations
GS-III: Internal Security, Cybersecurity and Defence Technology

Revision Note: The Russia-Ukraine conflict demonstrates how drones, cyber operations and attacks on economic infrastructure are reshaping the character of modern warfare.

📰 Editorial Focus – The Paradox of Self-Reliance & India’s “Assembly Trap”

Editorial Theme

India’s manufacturing capacity is expanding, but a significant part of that expansion remains embedded in China-centric supply chains. This creates a paradox in which final production may take place in India while critical components, machinery and intermediate inputs continue to be imported.

Key Issues

• Atmanirbhar Bharat
• India-China Trade Deficit
• Intermediate Goods
• Capital Goods
• Global Value Chains
• Technology Dependence
• Domestic Value Addition
• Supply-Chain Resilience
• Make in India
• Manufacturing Competitiveness

Mains Perspective

GS-II: India-China Relations
GS-III: Indian Economy, Industry and Manufacturing

Mains Takeaway: Atmanirbhar Bharat should move beyond final-stage assembly towards greater domestic value addition, technological capability, component manufacturing, R&D and diversified supply chains.

⚡ Prelims Concept – Intermediate Goods vs Capital Goods

Know the Concept

• Intermediate goods are goods used as inputs in producing other goods and services.
• Examples include components, chemicals, electronic parts and semi-processed materials.
• Capital goods are durable goods used to produce other goods and services.
• Examples include industrial machinery and manufacturing equipment.
• A country may manufacture final products domestically while remaining dependent on imported intermediate and capital goods.

Prelims Trap: An increase in domestic assembly does not automatically mean lower import dependence if critical components and machinery continue to be imported.

🔥 Most Important Topics for UPSC/PCS Today

• SIR, Election Commission & Electoral Rolls
• Supreme Court & Management of Court Deposits
• India-China Trade & the “Assembly Trap”
• Strait of Hormuz & India’s Energy Security
• India-Nepal Relations & Neighbourhood First
• Western Ghats & Ecologically Sensitive Areas
• Mahanadi Water Dispute & Article 262
• Exercise Veer Guardian & India-Japan Relations
• U.S. Tariffs, Protectionism & Indian Exports
• Drone Warfare, Cybersecurity & Hybrid Warfare

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