- JUSTICE B.R.GAVAI TAKES OVER AS CJI FOR A SIX MONTH TENURE
SUBJECT: NATIONAL
- Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavaiwas sworn in as the52nd Chief Justice of India (CJI)by President Droupadi Murmu.
- He will serve a six-month tenure until November 23, 2025.
- His tenure is expected to include hearings on Places of Worship Act and Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.
- Justice Gavai is the first Chief Justice from the Scheduled Caste Buddhist community.
- Concepts: Article 124(2): Deals with the appointment of Supreme Court judges, including the CJI.
- Doctrine of Constitutional Morality: Often invoked in landmark rulings to uphold inclusive and secular values
2. INDIGENOUS WEAPON SYSTEMS HIGHLY EFFECTIVE SAYS CENTRE
SUBJECT: DEFENCE
- Indian Air Force struck Pakistani targets with minimal losses.
- Used Akash short-range surface-to-air systems.
- Effectiveness: Precision-guided munitions (PGMs)hit targets accurately.
- Cost: ₹3,622 crore (2024-25); ₹686 crore (2013-14).
- Systems: Drones, combat vehicles, missiles (Akash, BrahMos).
- Integrated with Akashteer, IAF networks, Air Command Systems.
- Impact: Neutralised Pakistani tech; border situation calm.
- Army conducted strikes on May 13-14, 2025, without escalation
3. BIRTH RATES IN DELHI KERALA AND T.N DECLINING AT TWICE THE RATE OF NATIONAL AVERAGE : REPORT
SUBJECT: SOCIAL ISSUES
- Data corresponds with Sample Registration System (SRS) 2021andCivil Registration System 2021.
- Indicates regional imbalance in population momentum, with southern states nearing or already at replacement-level fertility. SRS 2021
- All-India crude birth rate: 19.3 (2016) to 1.12% (2021).
- Tamil Nadu: 2.35% decline yearly; Delhi: 2.22%; Kerala: 2.22%.
- Decline Rates: National average decline: 0.48%-1.09% (Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Uttarakhand).
- Southern states declining faster: Andhra Pradesh (1.26%), Telangana (1.67%), Karnataka (1.68%), Kerala, Tamil Nadu.
- Trends: 11 states saw birth rate rise (Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, J&K).
- Total Fertility Rate (TFR) and Gross Reproduction Rate (GRR) above national average in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh.
4. HOW DID INDIA DEVELOP GENOME EDITED RICE
SUBJECT: AGRICULTURE
- India became the first country to develop two rice varieties using genome editing technology.
- The varieties are: DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala)–derived from Samba Mahsuri
- Pusa DSR Rice 1–derived from MTU1010
- Developed under ICAR’s leadership using Site-Directed Nuclease (SDN)-3technology.
- These crops are not GM since no foreign genes are inserted; they are considered non-transgenic.
- What is genome edited rice?
- Genome editing involves precise mutation using technologies likeSDN-1, SDN-2, and SDN-3.
- India usedSDN-3which edits the plant’s own genome without introducing foreign DNA, hence exempt from GM crop regulation in many countries.
- The process enhances desired traits—like yield, early maturity, and resilience—via site-specific genetic edits.
5. ARUNACHAL PRADESH WAS IS AND WILL ALWAYS REMAIN PART OF INDIA
SUBJECT: POLITY
- India rejected China’s renaming of places in Arunachal Pradesh, calling it “creative naming”.
- MEA reaffirmed Arunachal Pradesh is an“inalienable part” of India.
- China’s latest move follows previous attempts to standardize names of locations it calls “Zangnan”.
- What’s been happening? This is the third such naming attempt by China—similar moves were made in April 2023 and April 2024. China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs has repeatedly issued lists renaming places in Arunachal Pradesh as part of its territorial claims.
- India maintains that these symbolic gestures do not change the ground reality or sovereignty.
- The move is viewed as part of China’s assertion policy in disputed border regions, especially amid the ongoing India-China Line of Actual Control (LAC) tensions.
- In all instances, India has issued strong diplomatic protests.
- These renaming efforts often precede or follow military activity, political statements, or infrastructure expansion by China in the region
