UPSC Civil Services Current Affairs Articles

Key Highlights on Narcotics Control in India

Government Initiatives and Roadmap:

• Narcotics Control Roadmap (2026-2029): Launched under the vision of a 'Drug-Free India' by 2029, focusing on four pillars:
  1. Intelligence and Operation-Based Enforcement
  2. Control of Precursors and Synthetic Drugs
  3. Demand and Harm Reduction
  4. Capacity Building and Coordination
• **Narcotics

Key Facts and Updates on Illegal Coal Mining in Meghalaya:

1. Legal Background:

   • The National Green Tribunal (NGT) imposed a ban on hazardous rat-hole coal mining in Meghalaya in April 2014.
   • The Supreme Court upheld this ban but permitted scientific mining under strict statutory compliance.

2. Current Incident:

   • A recent road accident involving a coal

Summary of the 16th National Meeting of State Biodiversity Boards and Union Territory Biodiversity Councils

Key Highlights:

• Event: 16th National Meeting of State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) and Union Territory Biodiversity Councils (UTBCs) held in Chandigarh from September 6-7, 2026.
• Focus: Effective implementation of biodiversity governance frameworks at state and local level

Exam-Focused Notes

Event: 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit
Location: Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic
Dates: August 31 - September 1, 2026

Key Participants:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi (India)
• President Vladimir Putin (Russia)
• President Xi Jinping (China)
• President Masoud Pezeshkian (Iran)
• Leaders from other SCO member states

Background:

• SC

National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) Updates on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS)

1. Financial Distribution:
   • NBA has surpassed ₹200 crore in cumulative distribution for Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS).
   • An amount of ₹8.23 crore will be distributed among states and Union Territories (UTs) from ABS, specifically from four major vegetable crops (bitter gourd, okra, chili, and onion

Summary of Key Points from the Article

International Relations:

• India's Role in Ukraine-Russia Conflict: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar emphasized India's continuous dialogue with both Ukrainian and Russian governments to find ways to mitigate or cease ongoing conflicts, now in its fifth year.

Statements from Leaders:

• Meetings and Discussions: Jaishankar met Ukr

Summary of India-West Asia Relations

Strategic Approach:

• Historically, India maintained a stance of deliberate ambiguity in its West Asia relations, emphasizing balance and non-alignment among key players—Saudi Arabia, Iran, Israel, and the UAE.
• This approach, now termed "multi-alignment," allowed India to manage its foreign policy without committing to security obligations with any s

• National Education Policy (NEP) 2020:

  • Central to the educational framework in India, focusing on placing the learner at the center of the education system.
  • Aims to transform the education landscape by emphasizing critical thinking, creativity, and holistic development.

• Role of Teachers:

  • Teachers are recognized as pivotal in guiding learners from mere information to unders

• Key Themes from President Droupadi Murmu's Article on Teaching:

  • Teaching is described as a sacred task that shapes humanity.
  • Emphasis on the role of teachers in instilling knowledge, skills, values, and motivation in students.
  • Encouragement of independent thinking and curiosity among students.

• Call to Action for Teachers:

  • Teachers are urged to guide students towards be

Exam-Focused Summary of UN Report on Global Warming

Key Findings and Data:

• 1.5°C Limit: Breaching this limit results in irreversible losses, highlighting significant climate action challenges.
• Projected Temperature Increases: If all countries meet current climate pledges, global warming could still reach 1.8°C; with current policies, temperatures may rise to 2.6°C.

Summary of Local Governance and Decentralization in India

1. Constitutional Framework:

• 73rd and 74th Amendments: Established local self-governance through panchayats and municipalities, intended to empower local bodies as true units of self-government.

2. Current Issues in Decentralization:

• Despite existing constitutional provisions, local bodies often lack the real pow

Summary of Key Points Related to the Proposal for Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA) in the Western Ghats:

Protests by Farmers:

• Farmers from Hosanagara taluk, Shivamogga district, are protesting against the draft notification for declaring large parts of the Western Ghats an ESA.
• The protest march of about nine kilometers highlights demands for a physical survey of land to exclude hum

• Healthcare Vulnerability: Over 40 crore Indians are reportedly caught in a healthcare gap, constituting more than a quarter of the population. This group is too wealthy to rely on government subsidies yet not financially secure enough to afford rising private healthcare costs.

• Parliamentary Report: A report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare, titled ‘

Summary of ISRO's GSLV-F17 Launch

1. Event Overview:

   • The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the GSLV-F17 rocket, which carries the EOS-05 satellite.
   • This marks India's first imaging satellite to be placed in geosynchronous orbit.

2. Significance of the Launch:

   • The launch is celebrated as a moment of national pride and reflects India's excel

Geothermal Energy in India: Key Facts and Developments

Overview of Geothermal Energy

• Definition: Geothermal energy is derived from the Earth's internal heat, considered a renewable and low-carbon energy source.
• Significance: Provides a continuous and reliable source of energy, unlike solar and wind, which are weather-dependent.

National Policy on Geothermal Energy

• **O

Summary of the Prime Minister's Participation at the SCO Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

1. Event Overview:

   • Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek, marking the 25th anniversary of the grouping.
   • The summit addressed the economic impacts resulting from the ongoing U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran.

2. **SCO and BRICS

• Supreme Court Ruling: The Supreme Court emphasized the critical role of elementary school teachers in the development of children and the future of the nation during a hearing on September 3, 2026.

• Constitutional Reference: Education for children aged 6 to 14 years is recognized as a fundamental right under Article 21A of the Constitution, which mandates free and compulsory elementary

• Discovery of Artifacts: Sixteen bronze idols and 17 puja utensils valued at Rs. 1 crore recovered from an underground vault in Kalyanasundarar Temple, Nallur, Thanjavur district.

• Authorities Involved: Search conducted by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department and State Directorate of Archaeology, led by Dr. R. Nagaswami.

• Historical Context: The items had been

• Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS): The BIS is a national standards body that formulates and enforces standards for products in India.

• BIS Act 2016: The gold articles were seized for violating provisions of this Act, which mandates that certain products must meet specified quality standards and bear the necessary certification.

• Seizure Details:

  • Location: Ambattur, Chennai.

Summary of Biotechnology Collaboration

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU):

• Parties Involved: Federation of Asian Biotech Associations (FABA) and National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NIAB), Hyderabad.
• Purpose: Strengthen collaboration in biotechnology skill development.

Key Highlights:

• FABA Finishing School Programme:
  • Focuses on providing hands-on training

Decentralized Grain Storage Scheme in Cooperative Sector - Key Facts and Insights

Overview

• Scheme Launch: Initiated in May 2023 under the Ministry of Cooperation.
• Objective: To enhance storage, processing, procurement, and distribution systems via Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS).
• Target: Improve food security and reduce grain wastage.

Capacity and Imp

Summary of Key Facts and Data on Pichavaram Mangrove Ecosystem

Economic Valuation of Ecosystem Services

• Total Economic Value (TEV): ₹2,485.38 crore (approx. $289 million).
• Value per hectare: ₹1.83 crore.
• Breakdown of Economic Value:
  • Provisioning services (Fish, Crab, Shrimp): ₹3.47 crore
  • Coastal protection function: ₹147.17 crore
  • Nutrient cycling: ₹10.53 cro

Summary of Events in Rangoon Regarding Slavery Emancipation

1. Geographical Context:

   • The Hukawng Valley has recently seen the successful emancipation of slaves.
   • An upcoming expedition is planned for a region referred to as "the triangle," located between the Malikha and Nmaikha rivers, north of their confluence with the Irrawaddy River.

2. Slavery Context:

   • The triangle

Summary of the Workshop on Film Preservation and Restoration

Organizers and Dates:

• Organized by: National Film Development Corporation - National Film Archive of India (NFDC-NFAI) in collaboration with the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune.
• Dates: October 5-15, 2026 (excluding weekends).

Workshop Focus:

• The workshop is dedicated to the preservation, ar