Appointment of State DGPs
The Centre has introduced a Single Window System for appointing State DGPs (Heads of Police).
- The process follows the Prakash Singh Vs. Union of India (2006)case followed by UPSC 2009 guidelines.
Appointment Process
- States send a list of eligible officers to UPSC at least 6 months before the current DGP retires.
- Eligibility:
- Minimum 30 years of service, or the rank of police chief (and one below) stipulated for that state
- Officers who have less than 6 months to retire are not eligible.
- UPSC Empanelment Committee selects a panel of 3 officers (or 2 for smaller states) based on merit.
- State government chooses the DGP from this panel
- Tags :
- Prakash Singh Case
- DGPs
Fundamental Right to Safe and Motorable Roads
In the UPP Tollways v. MP Road Development Corp. case, the Supreme Court ruled that the right to safe, motorable roads is a fundamental RIght.
Key highlights of the judgement
- The right to safe, motorable roads is part of the right to life under Article 21 and freedom of movement under Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution.
- The Court also held that road development is a public duty, and the State is responsible for maintaining roads under its control, not private contractors.
- Tags :
- Supreme Court
- Article 21
- Road Safety
- Article 19(1)(g)
- Public Duty
Banking Laws (Amendment) Act, 2025
Central Government notified 1st August 2025 as the date for key provisions of the Banking Laws (Amendment) Act, 2025 to come into force.
- The Act amends five major banking laws (RBI Act, 1934; Banking Regulation Act, 1949; SBI Act, 1955; Banking Companies Acts, 1970 & 1980) to strengthen governance.
Key Changes:
- Substantial Interest Limit raised from ₹5 lakh to ₹2 crore (first update since 1968).
- Cooperative Bank Directors (excluding chairpersons and full-time directors): Tenure increased from 8 to 10 years in line with the 97th Constitutional Amendment
- Public Sector Banks (PSBs):
- Can now transfer unclaimed shares/funds to the Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF).
- Allowed to pay statutory auditors, helping attract better auditors.
- Tags :
- RBI
- SEBI
- Banking Laws (Amendment) Act, 2025
- Baking Reforms
Articles Sources
Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
The government said that loans worth over ₹11 lakh crore have been disbursed to women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) under the DAY-NRLM.
About DAY-NRLM
- Nodal Ministry: Ministry for Rural Development
- Purpose: To organize and uplift rural poor women through SHGs.
- Support mechanism:
- Offers credit support through the Women Enterprise Acceleration Fund (WEAF)
- Encourages both farm and non-farm income generation
- Uses Social Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) to ensure participation of all, including the most marginalised
- Trains SHG women as Banking Correspondent Sakhis
- Outreach Scope: Across the country (except Delhi & Chandigarh)
- Tags :
- Women Empowerment
- DAY-NRLM
- SHG
Articles Sources
UNSC 1267 Committee
A UN Security Council (UNSC) Monitoring Team report under the 1267 Sanctions Committee has confirmed that The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was behind the Pahalgam terror attack.
- The report is significant as it was adopted by consensus by all 15 UNSC members, including Pakistan (a non-permanent member).
About the 1267 Committee
- It monitors sanctions on ISIS (Da’esh), Al-Qaida, and their affiliates.
- Member states must act against listed individuals/groups.
- The committee is currently chaired by Denmark (till Dec 2025).
- Tags :
- UNSC
- UNSC 1267 Committee
Supply and Use Tables (SUTs)
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation Released the Supply and Use Tables (SUTs) for 2020–21 and 2021–22.
- Covers 140 products and 66 industries, based on estimates published in National Accounts Statistics (NAS) 2024, survey data like Annual Survey of Industries (ASI), etc.
About SUTs
- Presented as two interlinked matrices: the Supply Table and Use Table, structured in a product-by-industry matrix.
- Supply Table captures the total supply of goods and services while the Use Table records the utilization of these products.
- Integrates three Gross Domestic Product (GDP) approaches viz. production, income, and expenditure methods.
- Tags :
- GDP
- Supply and Use Tables (SUTs)
Articles Sources
UN Women
Recently UN Women marked its 15th anniversary.
About UN women (Hq: New York, USA)
- Origin: 2010 by a UN General Assembly Resolution.
- Aim: Advance women’s rights, gender equality, and their empowerment.
- Serves as secretariat to UN Commission on the Status of Women.
- Governance: General Assembly, Economic and Social Council and the UN Women Executive Board constitute a multi-tiered intergovernmental governance structure for the operational activities and operational policy guidance.
- UN-Women Executive Board constitutes representatives from 41 Member States elected to three-year term by the UN Economic and Social Council.
- Tags :
- UN
- UN Women
- UN Commission on Status of Women
Articles Sources
Piprahwa Relics
India witnessed the return of Lord Buddha’s sacred Piprahwa Relics.
About Piprahwa Relics
- Discovery: 1898 by British civil engineer William Claxton Peppé in Piprahwa, Siddharthnagar (ancient Kapilavastu), Uttar Pradesh.
- Significance: Associated with the mortal remains (Body relics) of Buddha.
- Key Features: Include bone fragments, soapstone and crystal caskets, a sandstone coffer, and offerings like gold ornaments, etc.
- Enshrined Around: 3rd century BCE.
- A Brahmi script inscription on one of the caskets confirms them as Buddha relics, deposited by the Sakya clan.
- Current Status: Classified as ‘AA’ antiquities under Indian law, prohibiting their removal or sale.
- Tags :
- Buddha
- Piprahwa Relics
- Kapilvastu