Daily Briefing Current Affairs

GS-3CLIMATE CHANGE & DISASTER VULNERABILITY

Kerala Knew Which Slopes Would Fail - It Regulated Them Anyway

Heavy rain triggered fresh landslides, mudslides and flooding across Kerala on August 2, killing at least six people, two years after the Wayanad landslides. The IMD linked the rainfall to an offshore trough from the south Gujarat coast to Kerala combined with strong southwesterly winds and a north-south pressure gradient. The recurrence in the same Western Ghats districts - Idukki, Wayanad, Kozhikode, among others - has…

Sub TopicWESTERN GHATS ECOLOGICALLY SENSITIVE AREA REGULATION AND…SourceINDIAN EXPRESS
UPSC Relevance9/10
Time to Read3 min read
Total Views43,802
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GS-3CLIMATE CHANGE & EXTREME WEATHER

If Europe's Fire Departments Can Be Overwhelmed, What Does "Preparedness" Actually Mean?

France has recorded 91,209 hectares burnt by wildfires this year, its worst season since at least 1980, with the Bordeaux region fire alone destroying 42,000 hectares, 240 homes and displacing roughly 224,000 people - the largest single disaster displacement in recent European history. Spain has lost around 1.9 lakh hectares since June. The World Weather Attribution network has linked the fires directly to climate change and…

Sub TopicCOMPOUNDING CLIMATE RISK AND DISASTER PREPAREDNESS…SourceTHE HINDU
UPSC Relevance9/10
Time to Read3 min read
Total Views42,915
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GS-3SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTION GOVERNANCE

ISRO's Exodus Isn't About Salaries - It's About Who Gets to Question Authority

Nearly 120 scientists have reportedly resigned from ISRO in recent months, prompting the Department of Space to tighten exit procedures. The scale of departures - spanning mid-career and senior researchers at hubs like the UR Rao Satellite Centre - has drawn attention because it coincides with India's most ambitious space missions, including Gaganyaan, raising questions about institutional culture rather than just…

Sub TopicTALENT RETENTION AND HIERARCHY IN PUBLIC RESEARCH…SourceTHE HINDU
UPSC Relevance9/10
Time to Read3 min read
Total Views46,926
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GS-3STATE FISCAL FEDERALISM

Tamil Nadu Is Getting Richer, But Its Government Isn't

The Tamil Nadu government constituted the Revenue Augmentation Committee headed by Montek Singh Ahluwalia days after releasing a White Paper on state finances that flagged falling own-tax buoyancy and rising committed expenditure, despite the state's economy continuing to expand. Tamil Nadu has appointed a committee under Montek Singh Ahluwalia to address its fiscal paradox, where rapid economic growth has been accompanied…

Sub TopicOWN-TAX REVENUE EFFORT AND COMMITTED EXPENDITURESourceFINANCE DEPARTMENT, GOVERNMENT…
UPSC Relevance9/10
Time to Read3 min read
Total Views44,179
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GS-3CURRENCY & EXTERNAL SECTOR

Rupee at ₹95.4/Dollar: Why a Weaker Currency Isn't Fixing India's Trade Problem

A News Analysis in The Hindu examines why the rupee's steep depreciation - intensified by US tariffs since 2025 and West Asia-driven capital outflows - has failed to deliver the export competitiveness gains classical economics would predict, pointing instead to structural import-dependence in sectors like electronics, pharmaceuticals and chemicals as the reason gains are being offset by rising input costs.

Sub TopicRUPEE DEPRECIATION, REER, IMPORT INTENSITY OF EXPORTSSourceTHE HINDU
UPSC Relevance9/10
Time to Read3 min read
Total Views35,923
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