Constitutional Amendments

• Part 20, Article 368: Pertains to constitutional amendments, borrowed from the South African Constitution.
• 106 Amendment Acts: Have been passed to date.
• 129th Constitution Amendment Bill: Recently introduced, related to 'One Nation One Election'.
• 1st Amendment (1951): Added Schedule 9 to the Constitution, related to land reforms, under PM Jawaharlal Nehru.
• 7th Amendment (1956): Related to the State Reorganisation Commission.
• 21st Amendment (1967): Added Sindhi as the 15th language to Schedule 8.
• 26th Amendment (1971): Abolished Privy Purses, under PM Indira Gandhi.
• 36th Amendment (1975): Sikkim attained the status of a full state of India.
• 42nd Amendment (1976) (Mini Constitution):
  • First amendment to the Preamble: added words 'Socialist', 'Secular', and 'Integrity'.
  • Added Part IV A (Fundamental Duties) based on the Sardar Swaran Singh Committee's recommendations (Article 51A).
  • Added Article 39A (Free Legal Aid).
  • Added Article 48A (Environmental and Forest Protection).
  • Added Part XIV A (Tribunals) including Articles 323A and 323B.
  • Moved five subjects (Education, Forests, Wild Animals & Birds, Weights & Measures, Administration of Justice) from the State List to the Concurrent List.
• 44th Amendment (1978): Removed the Right to Property from Fundamental Rights (Article 31) and made it a legal right (Article 300A).
• 52nd Amendment (1985): Added Schedule 10 to the Constitution, related to the Anti-defection Law, under PM Rajiv Gandhi.
• 61st Amendment (1989): Reduced the voting age from 21 to 18 years, under PM Rajiv Gandhi.
• 69th Amendment (1991): Granted special status to Delhi, designating it as the National Capital Territory (Article 239AA), and limited the ministerial strength for Delhi to 10%.
• 70th Amendment (1992): Included elected MLAs of Delhi and Puducherry in the Presidential elections.
• 71st Amendment (1992): Added three new languages (Nepali, Manipuri, Konkani) to Schedule 8, bringing the total to 18 languages.
• 73rd Amendment (1992): Added Part IX, Schedule 11, and Articles 243-243O (29 subjects) to the Constitution for Panchayati Raj / Rural Self-Governance. It was implemented on April 24, 1993.
• 74th Amendment (1992): Added Part IX A, Schedule 12 (18 subjects) to the Constitution for Urban Local Bodies.
• 86th Amendment (2002): Added Article 21A, making Right to Education a Fundamental Right, and introduced the 11th Fundamental Duty (Article 51A(k)).
• 89th Amendment (2003): Bifurcated the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (Article 338) to also create the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (Article 338A).
• 91st Amendment (2003): Fixed the size of the Council of Ministers: 15% of the total Lok Sabha strength at the Centre, and 15% of the total Assembly strength in States.
• 92nd Amendment (2003): Added four new languages (Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Santhali) to Schedule 8, bringing the total to 22 languages.
• 97th Amendment (2011): Added Part IX B (Cooperative Societies) and Article 43B to the Constitution.
• 99th Amendment (2014): Established the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC), which was later declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
• 100th Amendment (2015): Related to the India-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement (Tin Bigha Corridor).
• 101st Amendment (2016): Introduced the Goods and Services Tax (GST), implemented on July 1, 2017.
• 102nd Amendment (2018): Granted constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) via Article 338B.
• 103rd Amendment (2019): Provided 10% reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) by adding Articles 15(6) and 16(6).
• 104th Amendment (2020): Extended the reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies for another 10 years, and abolished the reservation for Anglo-Indians (2 seats in Lok Sabha, 1 in State Assemblies).
• 105th Amendment (2021): Restored the power of state governments to identify and specify socially and educationally backward classes (OBC lists).
• 106th Amendment (2023): Introduced the 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam' (Women's Reservation Bill) providing 33% reservation for women in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, to be implemented after delimitation and census.

International Reports and Indices

• Henrich IMD Sustainable Trade Index 2025:
  • UK ranked 1st, New Zealand 2nd.
  • India ranked 23rd among 30 countries with a score of 33.2.
  • The index evaluates economic, social, and environmental protection in trade.
• India's Rankings in various indices:
  • Hunger Index: 102nd
  • Henley Passport Index: 85th
  • Corruption Perception Index: 96th
  • Sustainable Development Goals (SDG): 99th
  • Innovation Index: 38th
  • Competitiveness Index: 41st
  • Gender Gap Index: 131st
  • Peace Index: 115th
  • Happiness Index: 118th
  • Human Development Index (HDI): 131st
  • Press Freedom Index: 151st
  • Energy Transition Index: 71st
• Safest Bank in Asia (Global Finance, New York): DBS Bank (Singapore) was declared the safest for the 17th consecutive time, citing strong credit ratings, a solid balance sheet, better management, and risk resilience.

National News

• Geothermal Plant: India's first fully indigenous 50 kW geothermal plant is being established in Arunachal Pradesh.
• Olympic and Paralympic Gold Medal Prize: Delhi announced a cash prize of ₹7 crore for gold medalists from the state.
• Mining Tourism Project: India's first mining tourism project will be launched in Jharkhand.
• Fighter Jet Retirement: Indian Air Force announced the retirement of the MiG-21 fighter jet in September 2025, which will be replaced by the Tejas LCA.
• Tejas LCA MK1A:
  • The first Tejas LCA MK1A was unveiled by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh in Nashik, Maharashtra.
  • Manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), India's 14th Maharatna company.
  • It is a 4.5 generation fighter jet, promoting 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'.
  • Its F404 IN20 jet engine is supplied by GE (General Electric) from the USA.
• SAIME Model: The Sundarbans Aquatic Agriculture Model (SAIME) received global recognition from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The model aims for mangrove forest conservation and shrimp farming promotion in the Sundarbans region.
  • Sundarbans: Located in India and Bangladesh, forming the delta of the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers, known for its mangrove forests.
  • India's mangrove forest cover is 4991 sq km (0.15% of total area), as per the Indian Forest Survey Report 2023.
  • Sundarbans is India's second largest Tiger Reserve (after Nagarjunasagar Srisailam).
  • West Bengal has the highest mangrove cover in India, known for Sundari trees.
• Ramsar Sites (Review): Gokul Reservoir and Udaipur Lake in Bihar are among India's latest Ramsar sites.
• Ethanol Blending: India achieved its 20% ethanol blending target in petrol five years ahead of schedule.
• Voter List Revision: The Election Commission of India's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of all-India voter lists started in Bihar.
• PESA Act: The Centre of Excellence for PESA (Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas) has been announced in Bhopal. The PESA Act (1996) was based on the recommendations of the Dileep Singh Bhuria Committee.
• SITA Scheme: The 'Scheme for Innovation and Technology Associated with Aadhaar' (SITA) was launched by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
  • UIDAI was established in 2009 and became a statutory body under the Aadhaar Act, 2016.
  • An Aadhaar number consists of 12 digits.
  • The Puttaswamy Case established the Right to Privacy as a Fundamental Right (Article 21), connected to Aadhaar.
• NCERT Curriculum: NCERT announced the inclusion of Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and 'Operation Sindoor' in the school education curriculum.
• Hindi Medium MBBS College: Madhya Pradesh launched India's first Hindi-medium MBBS college.
• Menstruation Leave Policy: Karnataka became the first state in India to launch a menstruation leave policy for both government and private sectors, offering one day of paid leave per month (or 12 days a year).
  • The USSR was the first country globally to implement such a policy.
  • Odisha and Bihar had previously implemented it for the government sector only.
• Sustainable Agriculture Day: Maharashtra announced the celebration of 'Sustainable Agriculture Day' on August 7, in honor of Dr. M.S. Swaminathan.
• "Apna Ghar" Scheme: The Ministry of Petroleum launched a nationwide scheme called "Apna Ghar" (Our Home) for truck drivers.
• Lokmanya Tilak National Award: The 43rd Lokmanya Tilak National Award was conferred upon Nitin Gadkari.
• National Film Awards: The 71st National Film Awards 2023 for Best Feature Film was awarded to '12th Fail'.
• BIMSTEC Traditional Music Festival: The first BIMSTEC Traditional Music Festival was held in Delhi.

International News

• Cold Desert: The Cold Desert in Himachal Pradesh has been included in UNESCO World Biosphere Reserves.
• CETAAgreement: India signed a Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) with England.
• NASA Mission: NASA launched the TRACER Mission to study Earth's magnetic shield.
• India-Central Asia Security Council Meeting:
  • The 3rd India-Central Asia Security Council Meeting was held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, with India represented by National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval.
  • Objectives include promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan, weakening terrorism and extremism, and curbing drug trafficking.
  • Central Asian Countries and Capitals:
    • Kazakhstan: Astana (world's largest landlocked country, home to Balkhash Lake)
    • Uzbekistan: Tashkent (site of the 1966 Tashkent Agreement between India and Pakistan, mediated by the USSR)
    • Turkmenistan: Ashgabat
    • Kyrgyzstan: Bishkek
    • Tajikistan: Dushanbe
  • The Aral Sea is located between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
  • Joint Military Exercises:
    • "Khanjar" between India and Kyrgyzstan.
    • "Kazind" between India and Kazakhstan.
    • "Dustlik" between India and Uzbekistan.
  • The TAPI gas pipeline project involves Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.
• COP 15 (Ramsar Convention): The Conference of the Parties (COP 15) to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands was held in Zimbabwe.
• Palestine Recognition: France became the G7 country to officially announce recognition of the State of Palestine.
• Kamchatka Peninsula Earthquake: An earthquake occurred on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia.
• YouTube Ban: Australia banned YouTube for children under 16 years of age.
• Klyuchevskaya Sopka Volcano: The Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula erupted after 600 years.
• Chess Esports World Cup: Magnus Carlsen won the first Chess Esports World Cup 2025, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
• Mercosur-India Trade Agreement: India and Brazil made a joint declaration to strengthen the Mercosur-India Trade Agreement.
  • Mercosur: A trade bloc established in 1991, comprising Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Its headquarters are in Montevideo, Uruguay.
• India-Ethiopia Defense Meeting: India held its first joint defense meeting with the African country Ethiopia.

Sports News

• World Junior Squash Championship: Anahat Singh won a bronze medal for India in the 2025 World Junior Squash Championship, after 15 years.
• Test Cricket Record: Joe Root became the second-highest run-scorer in Test Cricket.
• ICC Player of the Month (September 2025):
  • Male: Abhishek Sharma (India) for his exceptional T20 rating of 931.
  • Female: Smriti Mandhana (India) for her fastest ODI century (50 balls against Australia) and becoming the first woman to score 1000 runs in a calendar year.
  • Shubman Gill (India) was Player of the Month for July.
• US Kids Golf World Championship (Under 9): Vedika Bansal won this championship.

Other Important Updates

• IRDAI Chairman: Ajay Seth was appointed as the Chairman of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), headquartered in Hyderabad.
• IGNOU Vice-Chancellor: Uma Kanjilal was appointed as the first female Vice-Chancellor of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).
• Operation Mahadev & Shiv Shakti: These operations were launched in Jammu & Kashmir against terrorism.
• Divya Drishti Exercise: The Indian Army conducted the high-altitude technical demonstration exercise 'Divya Drishti' in Sikkim.
• International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2025: Celebrated annually on October 17, focusing on dignity, partnership, and inclusive development.
  • SDG 1 is 'No Poverty'.
  • The concept of 'Poverty Trap' was given by Ragnar Nurkse.
  • Committees in India related to poverty include the Dandekar Rath Formula, Suresh Tendulkar Committee, and Rangarajan Committee.
• Former CM Demise: Former Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Shibu Soren, passed away.
• Mining Ministry: The Ministry of Mines classified Limestone as a major mineral.