Category: AGRICULTURE
Context: Researchers in Rajasthan successfully grew wheat in desert land using an indigenous bioformulation-based soilification technology, showing potential to stop desertification and boost agriculture in arid regions.
Learning Corner:
Soilification
Source: THE HINDU
Category: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Context : India has formally decommissioned the MiG-21 jets after six decades of service, marking the end of an iconic era in the Indian Air Force.
Learning Corner:
MiG-21 Fighter Aircraft
Source: THE HINDU
Category: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Context: Delhi and nearby cities are witnessing a surge in H3N2 influenza cases, with doctors urging precautions due to rising infections, especially among vulnerable groups.
Learning Corner:
Avian Influenza (Avian Flu)
Major Types / Strains
Source: THE INDIAN EXPRESS
Category: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Context India has signed its largest-ever contract for indigenous fighter jets with HAL to procure 97 Tejas Mk1A aircraft for the IAF.”
Learning Corner:
Tejas Mk1A
Key Features
Operational Role
Source: PIB
Category: ECONOMICS
Context The Indian Rupee has been steadily weakening against the US Dollar in 2025, driven by external factors like exchange rate dependencies and falling foreign investments.
Learning Corner:
Impact of Rupee Sliding on Indian Economy
RBI Tools to Handle Impact
Source: THE INDIAN EXPRESS
The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has recently filed a complaint with the Delhi Police alleging misappropriation of funds at the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).
Skill development is a critical pillar to harness India’s demographic dividend and achieve the vision of a developed India by 2047. However, persistent issues of governance failures, poor accountability, and low-quality outcomes at NSDC threaten this mission. Urgent reforms in governance, quality control, and industry alignment are essential to restore credibility and make skilling a true driver of employment and inclusive growth.
The Supreme Court’s judgment in Vasanta Sampat Dupare v. Union of India (August 2025) marks a watershed moment in India’s death penalty jurisprudence. For the first time, the Court has held that failure to follow death penalty sentencing procedures is not merely an irregularity but a violation of fundamental rights, particularly the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution.
Embodying Justice S B Sinha’s vision in Santosh Bariyar v. State of Maharashtra (May 2009), this judgment anchors the death penalty sentencing process firmly within the constitutional guarantees of equality, fairness, and due process.
The Dupare judgment builds upon these precedents by:
The Dupare ruling is more than a procedural correction—it is a constitutional turning point. By recognising that death penalty sentencing must fully comply with fundamental rights, the Supreme Court has tightened the constitutional noose around capital punishment.
Q The Supreme Court’s Dupare judgment has elevated death penalty sentencing safeguards to the level of fundamental rights. Critically examine (250 words, 15 marks)