Daily Briefing Current Affairs

GS-3INTERSTATE WATER RESOURCES & FEDERALISM

Kishau Dam Pact Inked: Six States Sign MoU for Long-Delayed Multipurpose Project

The signing resolves the last unresolved piece of the 1994 Upper Yamuna Basin MoU, under which Lakhwar and Renukaji - the other two storage projects - were already agreed in 2018 and 2019. Kishau alone stayed stuck because Himachal Pradesh refused to bear a power-component cost for a project whose water benefits would flow mainly downstream, until the current cost-shifting formula was worked out.

SourcePIB, THE HINDU, INDIAN EXPRESS…
UPSC Relevance9/10
Time to Read3 min read
Total Views40,838
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GS-3INFRASTRUCTURE & LOGISTICS POLICY

DFCs: The Backbone of India's Logistics Revolution

The Western Dedicated Freight Corridor has become fully operational, completing a 2,843-km dedicated freight rail backbone together with the Eastern DFC. DFC traffic has risen sharply, from 247 trains a day in 2023-24 to 443 in August 2026, with the WDFC alone running at 88% capacity even before full commissioning - placing PM GatiShakti's promised logistics-cost reduction under its first real test.

Sub TopicINFRASTRUCTURE & LOGISTICS POLICY (PM GATISHAKTI)SourceTHE HINDU, NEWS ON AIR, ECONOMIC…
UPSC Relevance9/10
Time to Read3 min read
Total Views24,078
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GS-3INSOLVENCY LAW & CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

ED Flags Bankruptcy Code Frauds, 'Disproportionate' Haircuts as Thrust Areas

At its 36th Quarterly Conference of Zonal Officers in Bengaluru, the ED identified IBC-related fraud as a priority area, directly citing the tension between the Code's Section 14 moratorium and Section 32A immunity on one side and the agency's PMLA attachment powers on the other - against the backdrop of the disputed Subhash Chandra settlement.

Sub TopicCORPORATE GOVERNANCE & INSOLVENCY LAWSourceENFORCEMENT DIRECTORATE, INDIAN…
UPSC Relevance9/10
Time to Read3 min read
Total Views29,974
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GS-3DIGITAL PAYMENTS REGULATION

Merchants Face 0.4% MDR Fee on UPI Payments Above ₹2,000

NPCI issued a circular introducing tiered MDR slabs on UPI merchant payments, a day after the government notified that sub-₹2,000 UPI and RuPay debit transactions cannot be charged. The announcement followed a Finance Ministry statement in Parliament in August denying any MDR decision had been finalised, which the Opposition has used to allege the government misled the House.

Sub TopicDIGITAL PAYMENTS REGULATION & FINTECH POLICYSourceMINISTRY OF FINANCE, THE HINDU…
UPSC Relevance9/10
Time to Read3 min read
Total Views44,878
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