News In Short – 26 September, 2025

Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya

Syllabus:GS1/History

In News

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid rich tributes to Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya on his birth anniversary, calling him a guiding force in India’s journey toward a “Viksit Bharat.”

Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya (1916–1968)

• He was  a political thinker, economist, and leader of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh.
• He  was an exceptional scholar and dedicated nationalist. 
• He studied in Kanpur and joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and became a full-time pracharak in 1942.

Ideology 

• He was a visionary thinker, known for his doctrine of Integral Humanism((Ekatma Manav Darshan) which emphasized a balance between spiritual and material development and promoted decentralization and self-reliant village-based economy. 
• He advocated constructive politics — supporting the government when right and opposing it when wrong — always prioritizing national interest.

Contributions 

• He contributed to ideological journalism by starting ‘Rashtra Dharma’ (monthly), ‘Panchajanya’ (weekly), and ‘Swadesh’ (daily).
•  In 1951, he became the first General Secretary of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) in Uttar Pradesh, later serving as All India General Secretary.
• His organizational brilliance and dedication impressed leaders like Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee, who credited him with building the party after Mookerjee’s death in 1953.

Legacy 

• He tragically died under mysterious circumstances on February 1, 1968, while traveling by train. 
• His legacy endures through his call for national unity and upliftment, with his dream of a strong, prosperous, and enlightened Bharatmata continuing to inspire generations.

Source :PIB

Foreigners Tribunals

Syllabus: GS2/Governance

Context

• The Supreme Court of India has recently decided to examine a petition challenging the standard of proof applied by Foreigners Tribunals in Assam.

About Foreigners Tribunals

• Foreigners Act, 1946 empowers the Government to detect, detain, and deport illegal foreigners.
• Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964 was issued under this Act to create tribunals to decide on questions of citizenship.
• Composition & Appointment: 
  • FTs are quasi-judicial bodies.
  • Appointed by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
  • Members can be retired district judges, additional district judges, or advocates with at least 10 years’ experience.
• Jurisdiction & Powers: 
  • Decide whether a person is a foreigner (illegal migrant) under the Foreigners Act, 1946.
  • Have powers similar to a civil court: Summon witnesses, Take evidence on oath, Order production of documents, Issue commissions for witness examination.

Source: TH

Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010

Syllabus: GS2/ Governance, GS3/ Economy

Context

• The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has cancelled the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) licence of the Students Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), founded by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk.

Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010

• FCRA aims to regulate the acceptance and utilization of foreign contributions to prohibit activities detrimental to the national interest.
• Origin: It was first enacted in 1976 but repealed and later replaced with new legislation in 2010.
  • It was further amended in 2020. 

Key Provisions of the FCRA, 2010

• Registration of NGOs: To receive foreign funds, NGOs, trusts, societies, and Section 8 companies must register with the Ministry of Home Affairs and have a valid certificate.
  • Registered groups can receive foreign contributions for social, educational, religious, economic and cultural programmes.
  • The Act prohibits receipt of foreign funds by candidates for elections, journalists or newspaper and media broadcast companies, judges and government servants, members of legislature and political parties or their office-bearers, and organizations of a political nature.
• 2020 Amendment: Prohibiting the transfer of foreign contribution to any other person or organization.
  • Reducing the limit of usage of foreign contribution for administrative expenses from 50% to 20%.
• Validity: The registration is valid for five years, after which the NGO has to apply for a renewal.
• The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) monitors the implementation of the FCRA to ensure that such funds do not adversely affect the country’s internal security. 

Source: TH

Provincial Citizenship

Syllabus :GS2/Governance 

In News 

• A recent study introduces the concept of “provincial citizenship” to explain how domicile-based identity politics in States like Jharkhand challenge India’s constitutional ideal of unified national citizenship.

Provincial Citizenship

• It is  rooted in nativist sentiment and  this form of citizenship gains traction in regional politics, often marginalising internal migrants and complicating democratic adjudication.
• It is a growing political phenomenon in India where domicile status within individual States becomes a key factor in political identity and mobilization, challenging the idea of a singular national citizenship.
• It has evolved into a significant political reality, sparking debates about migration, identity, and citizenship rights within India’s federal structure.

Key Highlights of recent study

• The study highlights how States like Jharkhand, Jammu & Kashmir, and Assam use domicile policies for political leverage, often rooted in nativist and majoritarian sentiments. 
• In Jharkhand, domicile politics serve as a tool to assert regional identity and grievances, undermining the constitutional ideal of “one nation, one citizenship.”

Source :TH

India-Russia Discuss BRICS Grain Exchange Plan

Syllabus: GS2/ International Relations

Context

• India-Russia discussed plans of creating a common agricultural food exchange that will help in boosting agriculture trade among the BRICS member-countries.

About

• At the BRICS Summit in Kazan in 2024, the President of Russia proposed the creation of a BRICS Grain Exchange as a strategic initiative.
• The proposal was subsequently endorsed in the Kazan Declaration, which called for establishing a fair and transparent agricultural trading system.

Objectives

• Create a new pricing index: Establish independent benchmarks for grain pricing to counter the market influence of Western exchanges like the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), where prices are often set in U.S. dollars.
• Facilitate trade in national currencies: Reduce the bloc’s dependence on the U.S. dollar by allowing member countries to settle grain trade in their own currencies.
• Enhance food security: Create a more resilient and reliable supply chain for BRICS members and other countries in the Global South.

Source: TH

Coffee Board of India

Syllabus:GS3/Economy

In News

• The Coffee Board of India is conducting extensive awareness and capacity-building programmes to boost registrations on its mobile app for compliance with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) which requires proof that coffee is not linked to deforestation post-December 2020. 

The Coffee Board 

• It is a statutory organization constituted under Section (4) of the Coffee Act, 1942 and functions under the administrative control of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. 
• The Board has a Central Coffee Research Institute at Balehonnur (Karnataka) .
• The Board comprises 33 Members including the Chairperson. The remaining 32 Members representing various interests are appointed as per provisions under Section 4(2) of the Coffee Act read with Rule 3 of the Coffee Rules, 1955. 
• The Board is mainly focusing its activities in the areas of research, extension, development, market intelligence, external & internal promotion and welfare measures.

Do you know? – India is now the seventh-largest coffee producer globally with exports reaching $1.29 billion in FY 2023-24, almost double the $719.42 million in 2020-21 – India’s coffee is primarily grown in the ecologically rich Western and Eastern Ghats, areas famous for their biodiversity.  – Karnataka leads in production, contributing 248,020 MT in 2022-23, followed by Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Source :TH

UAE’s First Sovereign Mobility Cloud

Syllabus: GS3/ S&T

In News

• The UAE has unveiled its first Sovereign Mobility Cloud at the Dubai World Congress for Self-Driving Transport, marking a significant advancement in the country’s autonomous mobility strategy.

About

• Sovereign Mobility Cloud is a sovereign-enabled platform providing trusted infrastructure for mobility data and autonomous systems, ensuring all data is securely hosted within UAE jurisdiction and governed under national regulations
• Autonomous mobility revolves around autonomous vehicles, which operate with little or no human input using advanced technologies like LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), AI (Artificial Intelligence), and Global Positioning Systems (GPS).
• These technologies enable vehicles to perceive their surroundings, make decisions, and navigate safely without manual control.

Source: AIR

Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND)

Syllabus: GS3/ Internal Security

Context

• The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND) signed a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to prevent financial crimes.

Financial Intelligence Unit-India

• FIU-IND is the central national agency responsible for receiving, processing, analyzing, and disseminating information relating to suspect financial transactions and coordinating efforts against money laundering and financing of terrorism.

Digital Intelligence Unit (DIU)

• Digital Intelligence Unit of Department of Telecom is a specialized wing established to devise comprehensive systems for curbing the misuse of telecom resources for cyber-crime and financial fraud. 
• DIU is credited with implementation of several AI and big data analytics based technological solutions like;
  • ASTR (an indigenous AI tool that identifies multiple SIM cards under varying names or forged KYC documents), 
  • CIOR (real time international spoofed calls detection and blocking system) system, 
  • Sanchar Saathi portal & Mobile App and FRI (Financial Fraud Risk Indicator).

Source: PIB

Agni-Prime Missile

Syllabus: GS3/Defence

Context

• India successfully tested the Intermediate Range Agni-Prime Missile from a rail-based mobile launcher system.

About Agni-Prime (Agni-P)

• Developed by: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• Type: Two-stage, solid-fuel propelled ballistic missile.
• Range: Up to 2000 km.
• Payload: Can carry high explosive, thermobaric, or nuclear warheads.
• Unique Feature: First Indian missile tested from a rail-based mobile launcher – offers mobility, short reaction time, and reduced detectability.
• Significance: Only Russia, US, China, and possibly North Korea had such rail-based launch capability before; India has now joined this group.

Source: TH

Tejas Mark-1A

Syllabus: GS3/Defence

Context

• The Ministry of Defence has signed a contract to buy 97 light combat aircraft, of the Tejas Mark-1A variant, for the Indian Air Force from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
  • This procurement aims to replace the aging MiG-21 fleet soon to be phased out.

Tejas Mk-1A

• Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas is a 4.5 generation, all weather and multi-role fighter aircraft. 
• The aircraft is designed to be a multi-role aircraft capable of taking up offensive air support, close combat and ground attack roles at ease.
• LCA Mk1A is the most advanced version of the LCA Tejas. 
• It is equipped with AESA Radar, EW suite consisting of radar warning and self-protection jamming, Digital Map Generator (DMG), Smart Multi-function Displays (SMFD), Combined Interrogator and Transponder (CIT), Advanced Radio Altimeter and other advances features.

Source: TH

India’s first dugong reserve

Syllabus: GS3/ Species in News

In News

• India’s first Dugong Conservation Reserve in Palk Bay, Tamil Nadu, has received international recognition after the IUCN formally adopted a motion endorsing it at the World Conservation Congress 2025 in Abu Dhabi.

About the Dugong Conservation Reserve

• It was established in 2022 by the Tamil Nadu government under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
• It is home to 12,250 hectares of seagrass meadows, crucial feeding grounds for dugongs.
• Seagrasses support carbon sequestration, prevent coastal erosion, and provide habitat for fish, turtles, and other marine fauna.

About Dugong

• The dugong is a large, herbivorous marine mammal found throughout the Indo-Pacific region, including the warm coastal waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
• In India, dugongs inhabit the Gulf of Mannar, Palk Bay, Gulf of Kachchh, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• They are highly dependent on seagrass meadows, both as habitat and for food, and prefer warm, shallow bays or mangrove channels.
• They are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and in Schedule I of India’s Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
• Major threats include habitat degradation, destructive fishing practices, hunting, and climate change.

Source: TH