Constitutional Amendments

• Constitutional Amendment Process:

  • Mentioned in Part 20, Article 368 of the Constitution.
  • Adopted from the South African Constitution.
  • 106 Constitutional Amendment Acts have been passed to date.
  • The 129th Constitutional Amendment Bill was proposed for "One Nation One Election."

• Key Constitutional Amendments:

  • 1st CAA (1951): Added the 9th Schedule, related to land reforms.
  • 7th CAA (1956): Related to the State Reorganisation Commission.
  • 21st CAA (1967): Added Sindhi as the 15th language to the 8th Schedule.
  • 26th CAA (1971): Abolished Privy Purses.
  • 36th CAA (1975): Sikkim was granted full statehood.
  • 42nd CAA (1976) - "Mini Constitution":
    • Amended the Preamble by adding "Socialist," "Secular," and "Integrity."
    • Added Part IV A (Fundamental Duties), Article 51A, based on the Sardar Swaran Singh Committee recommendations.
    • Added Article 39A (Free Legal Aid).
    • Added Article 48A (Environmental protection and forest conservation).
    • Added Part XIV A (Tribunals), including Articles 323A and 323B.
    • Transferred five subjects (education, forests, wildlife, weights & measures, administration of justice) from the State List to the Concurrent List.
  • 44th CAA (1978): Removed the Right to Property from Fundamental Rights, making it a legal right under Article 300A.
  • 52nd CAA (1985): Added the 10th Schedule, dealing with the anti-defection law.
  • 61st CAA (1989): Reduced the voting age from 21 to 18 years.
  • 69th CAA (1991): Granted special status to Delhi, establishing it as the National Capital Region (NCR) and introducing Article 239AA, including a 10% limit on the Council of Ministers for Delhi.
  • 70th CAA (1992): Included elected MLAs from Delhi and Puducherry in the Electoral College for the Presidential elections.
  • 71st CAA (1992): Added Nepali, Manipuri, and Konkani as three new languages to the 8th Schedule, increasing the total to 18 languages.
  • 73rd CAA (1992): Added Part IX (Panchayati Raj), Articles 243-243O, and the 11th Schedule (29 subjects), which came into effect on April 24, 1993.
  • 74th CAA (1992): Added Part IX A (Urban Local Bodies) and the 12th Schedule (18 subjects).
  • 86th CAA (2002): Added Article 21A, making the Right to Education a Fundamental Right, and added the 11th Fundamental Duty (Article 51A (k)).
  • 89th CAA (2003): Bifurcated the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (Article 338) and established the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (Article 338A).
  • 91st CAA (2003): Limited the size of the Council of Ministers to 15% of the total strength of the Lok Sabha (at the Centre) and 15% of the Legislative Assembly (in States).
  • 92nd CAA (2003): Added Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, and Santhali as four new languages to the 8th Schedule, increasing the total to 22 languages.
  • 97th CAA (2011): Added Part IX B (Cooperative Societies) and Article 43B.
  • 99th CAA (2014): Established the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) but was subsequently declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
  • 100th CAA (2015): Related to the Land Boundary Agreement between India and Bangladesh (Tin Bigha Corridor).
  • 101st CAA (2016): Introduced the Goods and Services Tax (GST), implemented on July 1, 2017.
  • 103rd CAA (2019): Provided 10% reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), by adding Articles 15(6) and 16(6).
  • 104th CAA (2020): Extended reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies by 10 years, and abolished the reservation for Anglo-Indians (two seats in Lok Sabha, one in State Assemblies).
  • 102nd CAA (2018): Established the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) under Article 338B.
  • 105th CAA (2021): Restored the power of state governments to identify and specify Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (OBCs).
  • 106th CAA (2023) - Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam: Aims to provide reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies, to be implemented after delimitation and census.

Daily Current Affairs

• India's Diplomatic Presence:

  • India inaugurated a new Consulate Building in Shanghai, China, after 32 years.
  • Aimed at strengthening economic ties and fostering engagement with the Chinese people.
  • The Indian Ambassador to China is Pradeep Kumar Rawat.
  • Shanghai is located on the Yangtze River (Asia's longest river, home to the Three Gorges Dam).

• International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA):

  • Russia became the 19th member of the International Big Cat Alliance.
  • The IBCA was founded by India, with its headquarters in Delhi.
  • It aims to protect seven big cat species: Tiger, Cheetah, Leopard, Puma, Jaguar, Snow Leopard, and Lion (though not mentioned in species list by speaker, it's typically included).
  • The current Head of IBCA is Dr. Bhupender Yadav, India's Environment Minister.
  • International Tiger Day is observed on July 29, commemorating the 2010 St. Petersburg Declaration.

• New G20 Organisation:

  • The USA announced a "New G20" for its 2026 meeting.
  • South Africa was excluded, and Poland was invited to join this new grouping.
  • The first G20 meeting was held in Washington D.C. in 2008.
  • The 2023 G20 Summit was hosted by India in Bharat Mandap, Delhi, with the theme 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'.
  • The 2025 G20 Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, had the theme 'Unity, Equality, and Stability'.
  • Poland's capital is Warsaw, situated on the Vistula River.

• Washington Agreement (Peace Deal):

  • A peace deal, known as the Washington Agreement, was signed between Rwanda (capital: Kigali) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) (capital: Kinshasa).
  • The agreement, facilitated by the USA, aims to resolve border disputes between the two African nations.

• Wildlife Crime Control:

  • The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) collaborated with the Madhya Pradesh Government and Interpol to make the first-ever arrest of a wildlife criminal under an Interpol Red Notice.
  • The arrested individual was involved in the illegal trade of tiger organs and pangolin scales.
  • Interpol (International Criminal Police Organization) was established on September 7, 1923, with its headquarters in Lyon, France.

• Enforcement Directorate (ED) Notice:

  • The Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued a show cause notice to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
  • The notice pertains to alleged violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA, 1999) and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines regarding "Masala Bonds."
  • Masala Bonds were launched by the Kerala Government in 2014 on the London Stock Exchange to raise foreign funds in Indian Rupee format, leveraging Kerala's identity as the "spice capital."

• Book Launch:

  • The book "Bharat That Is India" authored by Abhijit Jog was launched.
  • The book explores India's cultural identity and heritage.
  • It was launched by Mohammed Arif Khan, the Governor of Bihar.
  • The title draws inspiration from Article 1 of the Indian Constitution, which states "India, that is Bharat."

• Sports Events:

  • Squash World Cup 2025: India, specifically Chennai in Tamil Nadu, will host the Squash World Cup in 2025. India previously hosted the event in 2011 and 2023. The 2023 winner was Egypt. Anahat Singh is a prominent Indian squash player.
  • FIDE Chess World Cup: The FIDE Chess World Cup was mentioned as having taken place in Goa.

• Technology & Innovation:

  • National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with IIT Kanpur.
  • The partnership aims to promote cybersecurity and digital innovation.

• Wildlife Conservation:

  • The second inter-state tiger relocation project will move tigers from Pench Tiger Reserve (Madhya Pradesh) to Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve (Rajasthan).
  • Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve, located in Bundi, Rajasthan, was designated a Tiger Reserve in 2022 (India's 52nd and Rajasthan's 4th Tiger Reserve). The Mej River, a tributary of the Chambal, flows through it.
  • The first inter-state tiger relocation, from Kanha and Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserves to Satkosia Tiger Reserve (Odisha), was unsuccessful.
  • Recent Tiger Reserves in India mentioned:
    • 55th: Karauli-Dholpur (Rajasthan).
    • 56th: Guru Ghasidas (Chhattisgarh).
    • 57th: Ratapani (Madhya Pradesh).
    • 58th: Madhav (Madhya Pradesh).

• Indian Army Expedition:

  • The Indian Army successfully scaled Mount Kangto in Arunachal Pradesh, which has an elevation of 7,042 meters.