• Indian Elections:

  • Arvind Kejriwal's electoral loss cited as an example of the nature of elections.
  • Ojas Sir's electoral defeat noted.

• Forthcoming Book Release:

  • A 56-57 page book summarizing the Economic Survey and Budget will be released soon.
    • Focuses on key tables and chapters.
    • Aims to provide concise information from lengthy official government documents.
  • Availability: Offline market.
  • Price: Approximately ₹35-40.
  • Supplementary online class for review.
  • Potential bundling with other books for free delivery.
  • GS book update: Adding 50 pages; release forthcoming.

• Cities Declaring Begging as a Crime:

  • Bhopal has declared begging a crime, following Indore.

• State Claiming Naxal-Free Status:

  • Karnataka has claimed to be a Naxal-free state.

• International Relations:

  • Panama exited China's Belt and Road Initiative under pressure from the USA.

• Military Developments:

  • Discussion of India's Agni-V ballistic missile.
  • Discussion of India's Ghaddar-380 anti-warship cruise missile.

• International Organizations:

  • WHO held its 15th international meeting of the World Pharmacopoeia in India.
  • Argentina withdrew from the WHO after the USA.

• Economic Developments:

  • USA was India's top export destination in 2023-24.
  • RBI set a new repo rate of 6.25%.
  • Kakao Pay and Y Bank launched "India Bill Pay" for Indian immigrants in Canada.

• Science and Technology:

  • United States tested the Helios laser weapon.
  • UN Global Compact launched a ferret research facility in Haryana.

• Indian Affairs:

  • Vijay Durge command of the Indian Army is located in Kolkata (Fort William).
  • Two new cardamom species, Elettaria feei and Elettaria Tufura, were discovered in Kerala.
  • The 38th Surajkund International Crafts Mela was held in Faridabad, Haryana.
  • India's installed solar energy capacity reached 100 GW.
  • The Nirbhaya Kanya Kalyan Yojana, Kalpana Abhiyan, Swarn Kali, and Veerangana Yojana schemes are in Odisha.

• Appointments:

  • Roscosmos appointed a new director-general.
  • ISRO appointed V. Narayanan as its new chairman.

• Sports: Simona Halep (Romanian tennis player) retired from international tennis.

• Military Exercises: Joint military exercise Tropics 2025 was held in India. Indian Army commenced joint military exercise Aquarian with Maldives.

• Aviation: India ranked first in global domestic air passenger numbers according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). India ranked first in global domestic air freight rankings (International Air Transport Association report).

• Science & Technology:

  • IIT Madras launched India's first breast cancer-related cancer genome database.
  • The Blue Ghost mission, related to the moon, was in the news.

• Awards: Sago Galle is the second Black woman to win the Mrs. World title.

• Religion: BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha inaugurated the Southern Hemisphere's largest Hindu temple in South Africa.

• Education: Namchi PM Aashray School in Sikkim is a Green-rated school. India's first AI university to be established in Maharashtra.

• Archaeology: Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) discovered a large Buddha head in the Diamond Triangle in Odisha's Ratnagiri district.

• Geopolitics:

  • Forbes and the University of Pennsylvania ranked India 12th in their list of the world's 25 most powerful countries.
  • Panama was the first Latin American country to announce its withdrawal from China's Belt and Road Initiative under pressure from the USA.

• Military Technology: The ballistic missile Atma Nirbhar and anti-warship cruise missile Ghaderi 380 were in the news.

• International Organizations: The World Health Organization (WHO) held the 15th International Meeting of the World Pharmacopoeia in India.

• Trade: The USA was India's top export destination in 2023-24.

• International Cooperation: The UN Global Compact launched a ferret research facility in Haryana.

• Military: The Indian Army's Vijay Durga Command is located in Kolkata (Fort William).

• Agriculture: Two new cardamom species, Elettaria cardamomum and Elettaria matthewsii, were discovered in Kerala.

• Defense Technology: The USA tested the Helios laser weapon.

• Sports:

  • India's under-19 women's cricket team won the World Cup for the second consecutive time, defeating South Africa.
  • R. Praggnanandhaa won the Tata Steel Masters 2025 title.
  • The men's Hockey India League 2024-25 was won by the Odisha Juggernauts. Sarachi Rad, Bengal Tigers won the Men's Hockey India League 2024-25.

• Space and Technology:

  • INSV Tarini completed a voyage to Point Nemo in the Pacific Ocean as part of Navika Sagar Parikrama II.
  • Japan launched the Michibiki-6 navigation satellite.
  • Sunita Williams set a new record for the longest spacewalk by a woman (62 hours and 6 minutes).
  • China developed the artificial sun, EAST.

• Awards and Recognition: Chandrika Tandon's album, Triveni, received a Grammy Award in the Best Children's Album category.

• Politics and Governance:

  • Karnataka established a legal framework for the right to die with dignity, as directed by the Supreme Court.
  • The Union Budget 2025-26 allocated ₹2.52 lakh crore for the railways.
  • The Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, launched a six-year mission for self-sufficiency in pulses (arhar, toor, urad, and masoor).
  • A medical board was formed following the Supreme Court's directives on the right to die with dignity.
  • The UK became the first country to declare AI-generated child sexual abuse material a crime. England declared AI-generated child sexual abuse material a crime.
  • Bart De Wever was sworn in as Prime Minister of Belgium.
  • The Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, started the Makhana Board in Bihar. A Makhana board was started in Bihar.
  • Gujarat appointed a panel headed by retired judge Ranjana Desai to draft a Uniform Civil Code.

• Economy:

  • The Union Budget 2025-26 projected a fiscal deficit of 4.4% of GDP.
  • The Union Budget 2025-26 set an investment limit of ₹2.25 crore for micro-enterprises (turnover limit of ₹125 crore).

• Defense: DRDO successfully tested a short-range air defense system, VSHORAD, in Odisha. The Indian Army started a joint military exercise, "Aquarion," with Myanmar.

• Science and Research: Researchers at Banaras Hindu University discovered a new species of fungus, Epicochym indicum.

• International Affairs:

  • The first Global Justice, Peace and Love Summit 2025 was held in the UAE.
  • US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to withdraw from UNHRC.

• Economic Data: India's real GDP growth rate for FY25 is estimated at 6.4%. Personal income tax exemption increased to ₹1 lakh, including standard deduction of ₹75,000.

• Supreme Court Decisions: The Supreme Court allowed appointment of retired judges as ad hoc judges under Article 224A.

• Company News: Tata Steel developed India's first hydrogen transportation pipeline.

• International Affairs: Mount Taranaki, which gained legal rights, is located in New Zealand. Khecheopalri Lake was added to the Ramsar site list (Sikkim); total Ramsar sites in India are now 89. Point Nemo, visited by INSV Tarini under Navika Sagar Parikrama-II, is in the Pacific Ocean.

• Awards and Honors: Sachin Tendulkar received the Colonel C.K. Naidu Lifetime Achievement Award.

• Technology: DRDO successfully tested the short-range air defense system, Ashwa, in Odisha.

• Space Exploration: Shubhanshu Shukla is the Indian astronaut who went to the International Space Station on Ax-1 mission.

• Other Current Events:

  • Niger became the first African country to end the practice of female genital mutilation and the first to eliminate polio.
  • The first Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Summit 2025 and the first Arab-Mediterranean Summit 2025 took place in Abu Dhabi.
  • World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day is celebrated on January 30.
  • Alan Musk partnered with Visa for the digital wallet, X Money.
  • A judicial commission headed by Justice Harsha Kumar was formed to investigate the Maha Kumbh stampede.
  • Russia was the focus country at the World Book Fair.

## Indian Cabinet Ministers (Modi Cabinet 3.0)

*   Jyotiraditya Scindia: Telecom Minister and Minister of Development of North Eastern Region.
*   Bhupendra Yadav: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
*   Gajendra Singh Shekhawat: Minister of Culture and Tourism.
*   Annapurna Devi: Minister of Women and Child Development.
*   Kiran Rijiju: Minister of Minority Affairs and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs.
*   Hardeep Singh Puri: Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
*   Mansukh Mandaviya: Minister of Labour and Employment and Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports.
*   G Kishan Reddy: Minister of Coal and Mines.
*   Chirag Paswan: Minister of Food Processing Industries.
*   C R Patil: Minister of Jal Shakti.

## Modi Cabinet 3.0 Ministerial Appointments

*   **Mahua:** Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs and Power.
*   **H.D. Kumaraswamy:** Minister of Heavy Industries and Steel.
*   **Piyush Goyal:** Minister of Commerce and Industry.
*   **Dharmendra Pradhan:** Minister of Education.
*   **Jitan Ram Manjhi:** Minister of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises.
*   **Lalan Singh:** Minister of Panchayati Raj, Animal Husbandry, Dairying, and Fisheries.
*   **Sarbananda Sonowal:** Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways.
*   **Virendra Kumar:** Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment.
*   **Ram Mohan Naidu:** Minister of Civil Aviation (youngest minister).
*   **Prahlad Joshi:** Minister of Consumer Affairs.
*   **Jual Oram:** Minister of Tribal Affairs (replacing Arjun Munda).
*   **Giriraj Singh:** Minister of Textiles.
*   **Ashwini Vaishnaw:** Minister of Railways and Information and Broadcasting.
*   **Jyotiraditya Scindia:** Minister of Telecommunications and Development of North Eastern Region.
*   **Bhupender Yadav:** Minister of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change.
*   **Gajendra Singh Shekhawat:** Minister of Culture and Tourism.
*   **Annapurna Devi:** Minister of Women and Child Development (replacing Smriti Irani).
*   **Kiren Rijiju:** Minister of Minority Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs.
*   **Hardeep Singh Puri:** Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
*   **Mansukh Mandaviya:** Minister of Labour and Employment and Youth Affairs and Sports.
*   **G Kishan Reddy:** Minister of Coal and Mines.
*   **Chirag Paswan:** Minister of Food Processing Industries.
*   **C.R. Patil:** Minister of Jal Shakti.

## Modi Cabinet 3.0: Ministerial Appointments

*   **Narendra Modi:** Prime Minister, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy, and Space Department.
*   **Rajnath Singh:** Defence Ministry.
*   **Amit Shah:** Home Ministry.
*   **Nitin Gadkari:** Road Transport and Highways Ministry.
*   **J.P. Nadda:** Health Ministry.
*   **Shivraj Singh Chouhan:** Agriculture Ministry.
*   **Nirmala Sitharaman:** Finance Ministry.
*   **S. Jaishankar:** External Affairs Ministry.
*   **Manohar Lal Khattar:** Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry and Power Ministry.
*   **H.D. Kumaraswamy:** Heavy Industries Ministry and Steel Ministry.
*   **Piyush Goyal:** Commerce and Industry Ministry.
*   **Dharmendra Pradhan:** Education Ministry.
*   **Jitendra Singh:** Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Ministry.
*   **Lallan Singh:** Panchayati Raj, Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries Ministries.
*   **Sarbananda Sonowal:** Ports, Shipping and Waterways Ministry.
*   **Virendra Kumar:** Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry.
*   **Ram Mohan Naidu:** Civil Aviation Ministry.
*   **Prahlad Joshi:** Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution Ministry.
*   **Juel Oram:** Tribal Affairs Ministry.
*   **Giriraj Singh:** Textiles Ministry.
*   **Ashwini Vaishnaw:** Railways and Communications Ministry.
*   **Jyotiraditya Scindia:** Telecom Ministry and other responsibilities (details not fully provided in this chunk).

## Indian Polity: Key Constitutional Articles

*   **Supreme Court:** Article 124 (judges, tenure, appointment, removal), Article 129 (court of record), Article 143 (Presidential consultation).
*   **CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General):** Article 148 (Girish Chandra Murmu referenced).
*   **Governors:** Article 153, Article 161 (pardoning power limitations).
*   **Attorney General & Advocate General:** Article 76 (central), Article 165 (state).
*   **High Court:** Article 214, Article 215 (court of record), Article 226 (writ power).
*   **Panchayati Raj:** Articles 243-243O (73rd Constitutional Amendment).
*   **Delhi:** Article 239A (69th Constitutional Amendment).
*   **GST:** Article 246A (concurrent list, 101st Constitutional Amendment).
*   **Interstate Council:** Article 263 (PM as head).
*   **Consolidated Fund:** Article 266.
*   **Contingency Fund:** Article 267 (President's control, natural calamities).
*   **Finance Commission:** Article 280 (N.K. Singh referenced).
*   **Right to Property:** Article 300 (44th Constitutional Amendment).
*   **UPSC:** Article 315.
*   **Election Commission:** Article 324.
*   **National Commission for Scheduled Castes:** Article 338; Article 338A (National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, 89th Amendment).
*   **Official Language:** Article 343 (Hindi).
*   **National Emergency, President's Rule, Financial Emergency:** Articles 352, 356, 360.
*   **Constitutional Amendment:** Article 368.
*   **Jammu & Kashmir:** Article 370 (partially revoked).

## Modi Cabinet 3.0

*   Narendra Modi: Prime Minister, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Atomic Energy, and Space.
*   Rajnath Singh: Defence Minister.
*   Amit Shah: Home Minister.
*   Nitin Gadkari: Road Transport and Highways Minister.
*   J.P. Nadda: Health Minister.
*   Shivraj Singh Chouhan: Agriculture Minister.
*   Nirmala Sitharaman: Finance Minister.
*   S. Jaishankar: External Affairs Minister.
*   Manohar Lal Khattar: (Ministry not specified in this chunk).
``````markdown
- **Indian Presidency:**
    - Article 52:  India shall have a President.
    - Article 53: President holds executive power.
    - Article 54: Presidential election by electoral college.
    - Article 55: Election process via single transferable vote (STV).
    - Article 56: Five-year term.
    - Article 61: Impeachment process mentioned.
    - Article 70: Oath of office.
    - President's pardon power (including death penalty) – Article 72.

- **Indian Vice Presidency:**
    - Article 63:  India shall have a Vice President.
    - Article 64: Vice President is ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha.
    - Article 71: Supreme Court resolves disputes in Presidential/Vice Presidential elections.

- **Other Constitutional Provisions:**
    - Article 76: Attorney General of India.
    - Article 108: Joint sitting of Parliament.
    - Article 110: Definition of Money Bill.
    - Article 112: Annual Financial Statement (budget).
    - Article 123: Presidential Ordinances.
    - Article 124: Supreme Court, including judges' appointment, tenure, and removal.
    - Article 129: Supreme Court as a court of record.
    - Article 130: Supreme Court can advise President.
    - Article 148: Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).
    - Article 153: State Governor.
    - Article 161: State Governor's pardon power (excluding death penalty and martial law).
    - Article 165: Advocate General of the State.
    - Article 213: State Governor's Ordinances.
    - Article 214: High Courts.
    - Article 215: High Courts as courts of record.
    - Article 226: High Courts' power to issue writs.
    - Article 243: 73rd Constitutional Amendment (Panchayati Raj).
    - Article 239A: Provisions related to Delhi.
    - Article 246A: GST (101st Constitutional Amendment).
    - Article 263: Inter-State Council.

 - **Fundamental Rights:**
    - Article 14: Equality before law.
    - Article 17: Abolition of untouchability.
    - Article 19(1)(a): Freedom of speech and expression.
    - Article 21: Right to life and personal liberty.
    - Article 21A (86th Amendment): Right to education as a fundamental right.
    - Article 24: Prohibition of child labor.
    - Article 25: Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion.
    - Article 32: Right to constitutional remedies.

- **Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP):**
    - Article 37: DPSP are not enforceable by courts.
    - Article 38: State to strive to promote the welfare of the people.
    - Article 39A: Equal justice and free legal aid.
    - Article 44: Uniform civil code.
    - Article 47: Duty of the state to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living.

- **Other Constitutional Provisions:**
    - Article 50: Separation of judiciary from the executive.
    - Article 51: Promotion of international peace and security as a part of India's foreign policy.
    - Article 51A: Fundamental duties.
    - Article 240: Formation of gram panchayats (42nd Amendment).
    - Article 52: President of India.
    - Article 53: Executive power of the Union.
    - Article 54: Election of President.
    - Article 55: Manner of election of President.
    - Article 56: Term of office of President (5 years).
    - Article 63: Vice-President of India.
    - Article 64: Vice-President as ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha.
    - Article 70: Oath or affirmation by the President.
    - Article 71: Disputes regarding election of President and Vice-President settled by Supreme Court.
    - Article 72: Power of President to grant pardons, etc.
    - Article 76: Attorney General for India.
    - Article 108: Joint sitting of Parliament.
    - Article 110: Definition of Money Bill.
    - Article 112: Annual Financial Statement (Budget).
    - Article 123: Power of President to promulgate ordinances.
    - Article 213: Power of Governor to promulgate ordinances.

 - **Constitutional Amendments and Scheduled Languages:**

    * 21st Amendment: Added Sindhi language.
    * 71st Amendment: Added Nepali, Manipuri, and Kokborok languages.
    * 92nd Amendment: Added Bodo, Dogri, Santhali, and Maithili languages.
    * Currently, there are 22 languages in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution.


- **Constitutional Schedules and Articles:**

    * 9th Schedule: Added through the first constitutional amendment, related to land reforms.
    * 10th Schedule: Added through the 52nd constitutional amendment, related to anti-defection laws.
    * 11th Schedule: Added through the 73rd constitutional amendment (April 24, 1993), related to Panchayats and local governance; contains 29 subjects.
    * 12th Schedule: Added through the 74th constitutional amendment, related to Municipalities.
    * Article 1: Defines the State and Union Territories.
    * Articles 5-11: Citizenship.
    * Article 14: Equality before the law.
    * Article 17: Abolition of untouchability.
    * Article 19(1)(a): Freedom of speech and expression.
    * Article 21: Right to life and personal liberty.
    * Article 21A (86th Amendment): Right to education as a fundamental right.
    * Article 24: Prohibition of child labor.
    * Article 25: Freedom of religion.
    * Article 32: Right to constitutional remedies.
    * Article 37: Directive Principles of State Policy (non-justiciable).
    * Article 38: Welfare state.
    * Article 39A: Free legal aid.
    * Article 44: Uniform civil code.
    * Article 47: Nutrition.
    * Article 50: Separation of judiciary and executive.
    * Article 51: Promotion of international peace and security.
    * Article 51A (42nd Amendment): Fundamental duties.


 * **Schedules of the Indian Constitution:**

  * **First Schedule:** Lists 28 states and 8 union territories of India.
  * **Second Schedule:** Details salaries, allowances, and pensions.
  * **Third Schedule:** Contains oaths and affirmations.
  * **Fourth Schedule:** Specifies the allocation of seats in the Rajya Sabha (Council of States).
  * **Fifth Schedule:** Addresses the administration of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes areas.
  * **Sixth Schedule:** Deals with the administration of tribal areas in Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, and Mizoram.
  * **Seventh Schedule:** Outlines the distribution of powers between the Union and the States (Union List, Concurrent List, and State List).
  * **Eighth Schedule:** Lists 22 languages recognized by the constitution (initially 14, expanded through constitutional amendments: 21st Amendment added Sindhi; 71st Amendment added Nepali, Manipuri, and Konkani; 92nd Amendment added Bodo, Dogri, Santhali, and Maithili).
  * **Ninth Schedule:** Added by the First Constitutional Amendment (1951), relates to land reforms.
  * **Tenth Schedule:** Added by the 52nd Constitutional Amendment, addresses anti-defection laws.
  * **Eleventh Schedule:** Added by the 73rd Constitutional Amendment (effective April 24, 1993), pertains to Panchayats (local governance) and contains 29 subjects.
  * **Twelfth Schedule:** Added by the 74th Constitutional Amendment, pertains to Municipalities.

* **Important Articles of the Indian Constitution:**

  * **Article 1:** Defines the Union and its territories.
  * **Articles 5-11:** Deal with citizenship.
  * **Article 14:** Guarantees equality before the law and equal protection of the laws.
  * **Article 17:** Abolishes untouchability.