Daily Briefing Current Affairs

GS-2INDIA'S NEIGHBOURHOOD - PAKISTAN

Terror as Pretext: What Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Emergency Means for India's Western Flank

Pakistan placed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under emergency rule and removed its PTI-led government, citing terrorism. Mass detentions, the reported arrest of Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, internet disruption and opposition protests followed. Pakistan's federal government invoked emergency constitutional provisions to dismiss the opposition-led provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, citing an unprecedented rise in terrorism.…

Sub TopicEMERGENCY RULE IN KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA, CIVIL-MILITARY…SourceTHE HINDU, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL…
UPSC Relevance9/10
Time to Read3 min read
Total Views33,420
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GS-2INDIA-WEST ASIA RELATIONS

Two Readouts, One Call: How India Protects Its Seafarers Without Breaking With Iran

NSA Ajit Doval held a phone call with his Iranian counterpart a day after two tankers with Indian crew were attacked near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has enforced a blockade there since February 2026 and the MEA separately condemned the attacks. Following attacks on two merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz that left two Indian sailors missing, NSA Ajit Doval held a phone conversation with his Iranian counterpart to…

Sub TopicINDIA-IRAN DIPLOMACY AFTER ATTACKS ON TANKERS WITH…SourceMINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS…
UPSC Relevance9/10
Time to Read3 min read
Total Views29,710
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GS-2HEALTH GOVERNANCE

The 80% Blind Spot: Why India's Drug Price Control Misses Where Patients Pay Most

Hearing PILs on excessive mark-ups in the pharmaceutical supply chain, the Supreme Court found the Centre's 30% trade-margin cap on cancer drugs insufficient. It directed the government to work out how to cap prices across medicines and devices by the next hearing on 27 October 2026. The Supreme Court criticized the Centre's decision to cap trade margins only on cancer drugs as inadequate, demanding a broader plan by October…

Sub TopicREGULATING TRADE MARGINS ON NON-SCHEDULED DRUGS AND…SourceTHE HINDU, TIMES OF INDIA…
UPSC Relevance9/10
Time to Read3 min read
Total Views30,185
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GS-2RESERVATION AND THE 50% CEILING

Why a Backward Majority Is Not an Extraordinary Situation: Karnataka's 56% Quota Falls

The Karnataka High Court declared unconstitutional the provisions of the State's 2022 Act that raised total reservation to 56%. It held that the increase breached the Indra Sawhney 50% ceiling without any extraordinary situation and violated Articles 14, 15 and 16. The Court also found that the State failed to consult the NCSC and NCST in time.

Sub TopicKARNATAKA HIGH COURT STRIKING DOWN THE 2022 SC/ST QUOTA…SourceTHE HINDU, INDIAN EXPRESS, LAW…
UPSC Relevance9/10
Time to Read3 min read
Total Views40,316
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GS-2RIGHT TO PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY

From Boat Club to Burari: How Delhi Keeps Moving Dissent Away from Power

Delhi Police denotified Jantar Mantar as a protest site and designated three larger grounds instead. The move came days after a Supreme Court bench led by CJI Surya Kant urged the Centre to identify spacious protest sites and amid protests over the SIR and demands for the CEC's resignation. Following a Supreme Court suggestion to find spacious alternative sites, Delhi Police officially denotified Jantar Mantar as a…

Sub TopicDENOTIFICATION OF JANTAR MANTAR AND THE SPATIAL…SourceDELHI POLICE, THE HINDU, INDIAN…
UPSC Relevance9/10
Time to Read3 min read
Total Views37,162
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GS-2ELECTION COMMISSION

One Commission or One Commissioner? The Collegiality Test Behind the SIR Petition

INDIA bloc leaders filed a joint petition in the Supreme Court seeking full disclosure of the ECI's internal records on the SIR. The filing came after an Indian Express investigation reported that two Election Commissioners had recorded objections at least 14 times over ten months. It also came after CJI Surya Kant declined to meet the leaders, citing the separation of powers.

Sub TopicCOLLEGIAL DECISION-MAKING WITHIN THE ECI AND JUDICIAL…SourceTHE HINDU, INDIAN EXPRESS, INDIA…
UPSC Relevance9/10
Time to Read3 min read
Total Views25,983
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