- WILL U.S F-35 STEALTH FIGHTER JETS FIT INTO IAF FUTURE PLAN
SUBJECT: DEFENSE
- Fifth-gen stealth fighter, multi-role, single-engine.
- Variants: F-35A (conventional), F-35B (short take-off), F-35C (carrier based).
- Challenges for India:
- High Cost & Tech Dependence:Impact on indigenous LCA, AMCA projects.
- Operational Fit:IAF prefers twin-seater jets.
- U.S. Restrictions:High-tech threshold may impact procurement.
- Way Forward: India prioritizing indigenous AMCA, LCA Mk2.
- Strategic balancing between U.S. and Russian defense imports
2. TREE HUGGING PROTEST AGAINST PUNE RIVERFRONT PROJECT REIGNITES DEVELOPMENT VS NATURE DEBATE
SUBJECT: ENVIRONMENT
- Project:₹4,727 crore Riverfront Development of Mula, Mutha, and Mula Mutha rivers.
- Environmental Concerns: Tree-cutting & river narrowing impact biodiversity.
- Water ecosystem degradation& fear of future floods.
- Government’s Defense:Plan includes10,800 tree cut & 11,000 replanted
3. VIKATAN WEBSITE TURNS INACCESSIBLE FOR MANY OFFICIALS AT THE CENTRE SAY NO TAKEDOWN ORDERS WERE ISSUED BY MINISTERS
SUBJECT: STATES
- Incident:Tamil magazine Vikatan’s website became inaccessible after publishing a cartoon on PM Modi & Trump.
- Government Stand:No official takedown orders from Ministry of IT & Telecom.
- Concerns Raised: Alleged government control over press freedom & digital censorship.
- Opposition parties condemned the “blocking” of the website.
- Relevance:Article 19 (Freedom of Speech), IT Act, 2000 & Government Censorship.
4. HOW DOES A PRESIDENT’S RULE FUNCTION
SUBJECT : POLITY
- Article 356: Imposed in case of failure of constitutional machinery in a state.
- Recent Case: Imposed in Manipur after CM Biren Singh resigned amid ethnic violence.
- Process: Approval: Needs parliamentary approval within 2 months; max extension of 3 years.
- Impact: Legislature dissolved, administration taken over by the Governor.
- Judicial Oversight: S.R. Bommai Case (1994): Judicial review permitted; arbitrary dismissal of state govts curtailed.
- Misuse & Concerns: Historically used to dismiss opposition govts.
- Used 134 times since 1950, highest in Manipur (11 times).
5. U.K WILL ALWAYS BE INDIA’S RELIABLE PARTNER – MINISTER
SUBJECT: BILATERAL
- Defense Partnership (DP-I): Strengthening bilateral cooperation.
- Joint Ventures:
- Thales-BDL: Laser Beam Riding Missiles.
- MBDA UK-BDL: ASRAAM missiles in Hyderabad.
- GE Vernova: Electric propulsion for next-gen warships.
- Strategic Aim: Self-reliance in defense manufacturing
