Constitutional Amendments

• Part 20 of the Constitution, adopted from South Africa, deals with constitutional amendments.

• The Parliament can amend the Constitution, as affirmed by the Supreme Court in the Kesavananda Bharati Case (1973), but not the basic structure of the Constitution.

• 106 Constitutional Amendment Acts have been enacted to date.

• 1st CAA (1951):

  • Added 9th Schedule (land reforms).
  • Added Article 15(4), providing for reservations for socially and educationally backward classes.

• 7th CAA (1956):

  • Facilitated State Reorganisation, leading to 14 states and 6 Union Territories.
  • Allowed one Governor to serve for two or more states.
  • Based on the recommendations of the Fazal Ali Commission (1953).

• 15th CAA (1963): Increased the retirement age of High Court judges from 60 to 62 years.

• 21st CAA (1967): Added Sindhi as the 15th language to the 8th Schedule.

• 24th CAA (1971): Affirmed Parliament's power to amend any part of the Constitution, including Fundamental Rights.

• 26th CAA (1971): Abolished Privy Purses (special payments to former rulers of princely states).

• 36th CAA (1975): Made Sikkim the 22nd full-fledged state of India.

• 42nd CAA (1976) – "Mini Constitution":

  • Amended the Preamble by adding the words Socialist, Secular, and Integrity.
  • Added Part IVA (Article 51A), incorporating Fundamental Duties (on the recommendation of the Sardar Swaran Singh Committee).
  • Transferred five subjects (forests, wild animal & bird protection, weights & measures, administration of justice, education) from the State List to the Concurrent List.
  • Added Article 39A (Free Legal Aid) and Article 48A (Environmental Protection).

• 44th CAA (1978):

  • Removed the Right to Property from the list of Fundamental Rights (Article 31) and made it a legal right under Article 300A.
  • Changed the ground for National Emergency from "internal disturbance" to "armed rebellion".
  • Explicitly mentioned the word "Cabinet" for the first time, requiring its written recommendation for National Emergency.

• 52nd CAA (1985): Added the 10th Schedule, introducing the Anti-defection law.

• 56th CAA (1987): Granted full statehood to Goa.

• 61st CAA (1989): Reduced the voting age from 21 to 18 years for Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.

• 69th CAA (1991): Granted special status to Delhi, designating it as the National Capital Region (NCR).

• 70th CAA (1992): Included elected members of the Delhi and Puducherry Legislative Assemblies in the Electoral College for the President's election.

• 71st CAA (1992): Added Nepali, Manipuri, and Konkani languages to the 8th Schedule.

• 73rd CAA (1992):

  • Introduced Panchayati Raj (Rural Local Self-Governance).
  • Added Part IX and the 11th Schedule (29 subjects).
  • Inserted Articles 243 to 243O.
  • Came into force on April 24, 1993.

• 74th CAA (1992):

  • Introduced Urban Local Self-Governance (Municipalities).
  • Added Part IXA and the 12th Schedule (18 subjects).

• 86th CAA (2002):

  • Made education for children aged 6 to 14 years a Fundamental Right (Article 21A).
  • Added the 11th Fundamental Duty (Article 51A(k)).

• 89th CAA (2003): Established the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) by inserting Article 338A.

• 91st CAA (2003): Limited the size of the Council of Ministers to 15% of the total strength of the Lok Sabha (for the Centre) and State Legislative Assemblies (for states).

• 92nd CAA (2003): Added Bodo, Dogri, Santhali, and Maithili languages to the 8th Schedule.

• 97th CAA (2011): Gave constitutional status and protection to Cooperative Societies by adding Part IXB, Article 43B, and amending Article 19(1)(c).

• 99th CAA (2014): Established the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC), which was later declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, thus restoring the Collegium system.

• 100th CAA (2015): Ratified the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) between India and Bangladesh, involving the exchange of enclaves.

• 101st CAA (2016): Introduced the Goods and Services Tax (GST), implemented on July 1, 2017, based on the Vijay Kelkar Committee's recommendations. Inserted Article 246A and Article 279A (for the GST Council).

• 102nd CAA (2018): Granted constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) by inserting Article 338B.

• 103rd CAA (2019): Provided 10% reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in government jobs and educational institutions by inserting Articles 15(6) and 16(6).

• 104th CAA (2019): Abolished the reservation of seats for Anglo-Indians in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies and extended the reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes by 10 years.

• 105th CAA (2021): Restored the power of state governments to identify and specify Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBCs) for their state lists.

• 106th CAA (2023) – Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam:

  • Passed as Bill No. 128.
  • Provides 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.
  • Received Presidential assent on September 28, 2023.
  • Will be implemented after the next delimitation exercise (post-2026).

• 129th CAA Bill (Proposed): Related to "One Nation One Election", based on the recommendations of the Ram Nath Kovind Committee.

Daily Current Affairs

International Relations & Exercises

• India-Thailand Joint Military Exercise Maitree:
  • 14th edition, held from September 1-14, 2025, in Umroi, Meghalaya.
  • Focuses on anti-terrorism operations; commenced in 2006.
  • Thailand: Capital - Bangkok, known as "Land of White Elephants," leading rubber producer.
  • BIMSTEC Summit was recently held in Bangkok, Thailand.
  • INS Kadmatt participated in Papua New Guinea's Independence Day celebrations.
• SCO Summit 2025 (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation):
  • 25th edition, hosted in Tianjin, China. PM Narendra Modi participated.
  • China hosted the summit for the fifth time.
  • Theme: "Upholding Shanghai Spirit and Dynamic SCO."
  • SCO Members: Originally Shanghai Five (1996). Uzbekistan joined (2001). India and Pakistan joined (2017). Iran joined (2021) as 9th member. Belarus is the latest (10th) member.
  • Headquarters: Beijing, China.
• PM Modi's Japan Visit:
  • PM Modi received a Daruma Doll (symbol of good luck) during his visit to Japan.
  • He gifted Japan PM Shigeru Ishiba a Ramen bowl and silver chopsticks.
  • He gifted Japan PM's wife a Pashmina shawl from Ladakh.
  • The visit was for the 15th India-Japan Summit.
  • Japan: Capital - Tokyo, known as "Land of the Rising Sun" or "Nippon." Currency - Yen.
  • Joint Exercises: Dharma Guardian (India-Japan), Malabar (India, Japan, Australia, USA - Quad).
  • Shinzo Abe was a founder of the Quad alliance.
  • Major Islands: Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku.

Security & Law Enforcement

• India's ED Issues First Purple Notice:
  • The Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued its first Purple Notice through INTERPOL.
  • Purpose: To gather information on individuals involved in trade-based money laundering (e.g., under-invoicing imports, using fake documents).
  • ED: Established in 1956, headquartered in Delhi. Derives powers from the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) 2002 and the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) 1999.
  • INTERPOL: Established on September 7, 1923, headquartered in Lyon, France.
  • INTERPOL previously issued its first Silver Notice for locating laundered assets.
• Thailand PM Dismissed:
  • Thailand's Constitutional Court dismissed Prime Minister Sinawatra for "ethics violation."
  • The decision stemmed from a leaked call recording where she referred to a Cambodian leader as "uncle," which was interpreted as compromising national integrity due to a border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia.
  • Deputy PM Phumtham Wechayachai has been appointed as the acting Prime Minister.

Science, Technology & Environment

• Adiwani - AI-based Tribal Language Translator:
  • Adiwani (Beta version) launched, India's first AI-based translator for tribal languages.
  • Objective: Bridge the communication gap between tribal communities and others.
  • Supports languages like Santhali, Bhili, Gond, and Mundari (Jharkhand).
  • Developed with leadership from IIT Delhi.
  • Managed by the Tribal Affairs Ministry. Current Minister: Juel Oram.
• World's Rarest Marine Mammal - Vaquita Porpoise:
  • The Vaquita Porpoise is the world's most critically endangered marine mammal, with only about 10 individuals remaining.
  • Habitat: Gulf of California, Mexico.
  • Primary threat: Entanglement in illegal fishing nets.
  • Known as "Little Cow" in Spanish. Belongs to the Cetacean family (whales, dolphins, porpoises).
• India's First Indigenous Tempered Glass Manufacturing Facility:
  • Established in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
  • Aims to produce high-quality tempered glass for mobile and other device screens.
  • Launched by Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Electronics and Information Technology.
  • Developed by Optimus Electronic in collaboration with Corning Company (USA).
  • Noida is also home to a drone manufacturing company.

Sports

• 25th Commonwealth Senior Weightlifting Championship:
  • Held in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex.
  • India topped the medal table with 13 medals (4 Gold, 6 Silver, 3 Bronze). Mirabai Chanu won a gold medal.
  • This event serves as a qualifying competition for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
• 16th Asian Shooting Championship:
  • Held in Shymkent, Kazakhstan.
  • India topped the medal table with 50 gold medals.
• 33rd Santosh Trophy: Won by Bengal (defeated Kerala).
• Kho Kho World Cup 2025: Mascots were Tara and Tejas. India won both men's and women's titles.
• Australian Open Men's Singles: Won by Jannik Sinner. (French Open: Carlos Alcaraz; Wimbledon: Jannik Sinner).
• Ranji Trophy 2025: Won by Vidarbha.
• Raja Bhalindra Singh Trophy: Awarded to Services for winning the most medals in the National Games.

Other Important News

• UN Theme for 2025: Year of Gaganyaan, Glacier Conservation, Quantum Technology, Peace & Development, and Cooperation.
• ISRO's 100th Mission: Launch of navigation satellite NVH 02 by GSLV-15.
• ISRO's Space Docking Mission (SPADEX): Launched by PSLV-C2.
• National Turmeric Board HQ: Nizamabad, Telangana.
• UNESCO World Heritage Site: Moidam (Assam) received certificate as 43rd site. Latest (44th) site: Maratha Military Landscapes.
• Bhavastra: An anti-drone system designed to counter swarm drone attacks.
• 47th US President: Donald Trump.
• Nari 2025 Report:
  • Issued by the National Commission for Women (NCW).
  • Kohima, Nagaland identified as the safest city for women in India (followed by Visakhapatnam).
  • Jaipur and Patna identified as most unsafe cities.
  • Women feel most unsafe in public transport (50% of reported exploitation).
  • NCW Chairperson: First - Jayanti Patnaik; Current - Vijay Rahatkar.
• Economic Survey 2024-25: Projected real GDP growth for FY25 at 6.4%.
• Axiom Mission Four: Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla (from Lucknow) participated in the mission to the ISS.
• Colonel C K Nayudu Award: Awarded to Sachin Tendulkar.
• "The World After Gaza" Book: Authored by Pankaj Mishra.
• Padma Vibhushan Award (7 recipients): Vasudevan Nair, Osamu Suzuki, Lakshmi Narayan, Kumudini Lakhia, Sharda Sinha, Nageshwar Rao, and Justice Kher.
• AI Summit Co-Chair PM Modi: At the 3rd AI Summit held in Paris (1st in Bletchley, UK; 2nd in Seoul, South Korea).
• Micro Enterprise Investment Limit (Budget 2025-26): Investment up to ₹2.5 crore (Turnover up to ₹10 crore). (Small: ₹25 crore investment, ₹100 crore turnover; Medium: ₹125 crore investment, ₹500 crore turnover).
• Central Government's e-NAM Platform Fruit: Dragon Fruit.
• 100% FDI in Defence Project: SAAB (Sweden) became the first company to avail this.
• Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2024: India ranked 96th.
• President's Rule: Imposed in Manipur by President Droupadi Murmu.
• India's First Bio Bank: Established at Padmaja Naidu Zoological Park in Darjeeling.
• 26th Chief Election Commissioner of India: Gyanesh Kumar.
• NHAI & ICICI Bank Agreement: For India's first multi-lane free-flow tolling system on NH 48 in Gujarat (84 toll plaza), ensuring barrier-free toll collection.