Recently, a drone strike targeted the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, setting an external electrical generator ablaze on its perimeter. The incident marks a severe escalation in West Asia, heavily straining the tenuous ceasefire in the ongoing regional conflict. This is the first time the four-reactor Barakah plant—the cornerstone of the UAE’s […]
DRONE STRIKE TARGETS UAE’S BARAKAH NUCLEAR POWER PLANT Read More »
The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighboring Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The declaration was triggered after a sharp spike involving over 300 suspected cases and 88 deaths, raising severe concerns over local and
WHO DECLARES EBOLA OUTBREAK IN DRC AND UGANDA A PHEIC Read More »
Recently, the President of India promulgated the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance, 2026, increasing the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges from 33 to 37 (excluding the Chief Justice of India). With this, the total sanctioned judicial strength of the apex court, including the Chief Justice of India (CJI), rises from 34 to
SUPREME COURT (NUMBER OF JUDGES) AMENDMENT ORDINANCE, 2026 Read More »
On January 29, 2026, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Economic Survey 2025-26 in Parliament. It has been prepared by the Department of Economic Affairs under the guidance of Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) V. Anantha Nageswaran. It projects the Indian economy as a “Macro-Stability Oasis.” State of the Economy Sectoral Drivers of Growth Agriculture
Economic Survey 2025-26 Read More »
Recently, researchers from IIT-Madras and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, published a pathbreaking study in the journal Science. They successfully synthesized the first stable, completely carbon-free inorganic analogue of ferrocene using boron rings and the transition metal osmium. Background: The Significance of Ferrocene For decades, a major holy grail for inorganic chemists was
INDIGENOUS DEVELOPMENTS IN MATERIALS SCIENCE Read More »
In a major fiscal move aimed at stabilizing the Indian Rupee and managing the Current Account Deficit (CAD), the Union Government has doubled the effective import duty on gold and silver. The total tax incidence has jumped from 9.2% to 18.4%, effective from May 13, 2026. The Revised Tax Structure The tax on precious metals
Import Duty Hike on Gold and Silver Read More »
In May 2026, Nepal’s democratic framework faced a significant “real-time test” following a series of executive decisions that have strained the relationship between the government, the presidency, and the judiciary. The core of the controversy lies in the recommendation of a junior judge as the new Chief Justice (CJ), bypassing long-standing traditions, and the issuance
NEPAL’S CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS: EXECUTIVE-JUDICIARY CONFLICT & THE SENIORITY DEBATE Read More »
Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, announced at the CII Annual Business Summit 2026 (May 12, 2026) that the India-Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) is slated for implementation on June 1, 2026. Conversely, negotiations for the India-Chile Free Trade Agreement (FTA) are facing structural hurdles primarily due to the asymmetry in economic
INDIA’S TRADE DIPLOMACY: INDIA-OMAN CEPA AND INDIA-CHILE FTA UPDATES Read More »
In a significant leap toward “Hyper-local” meteorology, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has unveiled a new forecast system designed to provide block-level forecasts for the monsoon’s arrival. Covering approximately 3,196 blocks across 15 States in its initial phase, this system marks a transition from regional/district-level generalizations to granular, actionable data for the agricultural heartland of
IMD’S NEW BLOCK-LEVEL MONSOON FORECAST SYSTEM Read More »
In April 2026, India’s retail inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), touched a 13-month high of 3.5%. While the headline number indicates a quickening of price pressures compared to March (3.4%). The rise is primarily attributed to supply-side shocks emanating from the volatile geopolitical situation in West Asia and emerging climatic risks. Key
RETAIL INFLATION ANALYSIS: APRIL 2026 TRENDS & MACROECONOMIC IMPACT Read More »