News In Short 06-02-2026

Devnimori Relics

Syllabus: GS1/ Culture

In News

• The Exposition of the Holy Devnimori Relics was recently inaugurated at Gangaramaya Temple, marking an important cultural and spiritual event in India–Sri Lanka Buddhist ties.

About Devnimori Relics

• Location: Devnimori is a Buddhist archaeological site located near Shamlaji in Aravalli district of Gujarat.
• Discovery & Excavation: First explored in 1957 by archaeologist Prof. S. N. Chowdhry.
• Excavations revealed significant evidence of early Buddhist worship and monastic traditions.
• Key Archaeological Findings: Sharira Stupa specifically meant for enshrining bodily relics (śarīra) of the Gautama Buddha or eminent monks.
  • Relic Caskets containing sacred ashes, a copper box, gold and silver foil.
• Chronology: Dated to 3rd–4th Century CE, corresponding to the post-Mauryan / early Gupta period.

Source: TH

Rajya Sabha Adopts the Motion of Thanks

Syllabus: GS2/ Polity and Governance

Context

• The Rajya Sabha adopted the Motion of Thanks to President Droupadi Murmu for her Address to the Joint Session of Parliament.

Motion of Thanks

• Article 87 of the Indian Constitution mandates a “Special Address” by the President to both Houses of Parliament assembled together at the commencement of the first session after each general election and at the start of the first session of each year.
  • In this address, the president outlines the policies and programmes of the government in the preceding year and ensuing year. 
• This address of the president, which corresponds to the ‘speech from the Throne in Britain’, is discussed in both the Houses of Parliament on a motion called the ‘Motion of Thanks’. 
• At the end of the discussion, the motion is put to vote and it must be passed in the House. Otherwise, it amounts to the defeat of the government. 

Source: TH

Supreme Court Flags Non-Compliance in DGP Appointments

Syllabus: GS2/ Polity and Governance

Context 

• The Supreme Court has expressed concern over States appointing “Acting” police chiefs of their choice instead of regular Directors-General of Police (DGPs) with a fixed tenure, allegedly in violation of its 2006 judgment in the Prakash Singh vs Union of India case.

Key Directives on DGP Appointment

• The DGP must be selected from among the three senior-most and meritorious officers empanelled by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
• The DGP must be given a minimum fixed tenure of two years, irrespective of the date of superannuation.
  • The concept of “Acting DGP” was rejected by the Court.
• The objective was to ensure that the office of DGP remains free from political or external pressures.

Constitutional and Governance Issues

• Federal Concerns: Police is a State subject (Entry 2, State List) under the Seventh Schedule. However, the Supreme Court’s directions are binding under Articles 141 and 142.
  • The issue highlights tensions between federal autonomy and judicially mandated reforms.
• Rule of Law and Police Independence: Frequent ad-hoc appointments weaken institutional autonomy.
  • Lack of fixed tenure undermines accountability and professional policing.
  • Political influence in appointments can affect impartial law enforcement.

Source: TH

Ad Hoc Judges

Syllabus: GS2/Judiciary

Context

• The Supreme Court Collegium has approved the appointment of five former judges as ad hoc judges in the Allahabad High Court.

About Ad Hoc Judges

• Article 224A of the Indian Constitution provides for the appointment of retired High Court judges as ad hoc judges to address issues such as case pendency and judicial vacancies. However, this provision has been invoked only rarely.
• Ad hoc judges are appointed for a limited period, generally ranging from two to three years, and their appointment does not affect the seniority of High Court judges for elevation as Chief Justices or to the Supreme Court.
• The mechanism is relatively simpler than fresh judicial appointments, as background verification is generally not required for retired judges who have already served on the bench.
• Ad hoc judges exercise the same judicial powers and receive pay and allowances equivalent to permanent High Court judges, excluding pension benefits.

Apex Court’s Guidelines for the Appointment of Ad hoc Judges

• If a high court has vacancies that are more than 20% of its sanctioned strength;
• If over 10% of the high court’s cases are pending for more than five years;
• If the rate of disposal of cases is lower than the rate of institution of cases (‘case clearance rate’).

Do You Know?

• Article 127 of the Constitution deals with the appointment of ad hoc judges in the Supreme Court.

Source: IE

Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority

Syllabus: GS2/ Governance

In News

• The Government of India, the Government of Nagaland, and representatives of the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO) have signed a historic agreement for the creation of the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA).

About Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority

• FNTA will cover six districts—Tuensang, Mon, Kiphire, Longleng, Noklak and Shamator inhabited by eight major Naga tribes represented by ENPO. 
• The agreement provides for devolution of powers over 46 subjects to FNTA, enhancing administrative and developmental autonomy. 
• A Mini-Secretariat, headed by an Additional Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary-level officer, will be established to ensure effective governance.
• FNTA aims to promote balanced regional development, financial autonomy, and participatory decision-making in a historically underdeveloped region. 
• However, the arrangement does not dilute Article 371(A) of the Constitution, which safeguards Naga customary practices, land rights, and social institutions.

Source: TH

Vizhinjam Port

Syllabus: GS3/Economy

In News

• Vizhinjam International Seaport in Kerala has risen to the 83rd position globally in container handling, reflecting the rapid scale-up of India’s newest deep water transshipment hub. 

Vizhinjam port

• Vizhinjam Port is a strategic maritime project near Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala.
• It is strategically located near one of the world’s busiest sea trade routes.
• It boasts a natural deep draft of nearly 20 meters, enabling it to accommodate some of the world’s largest cargo ships.
• It is expected to significantly reduce India’s reliance on foreign ports for trans-shipment, which previously accounted for 75% of such operations, thereby retaining revenue within the country and creating new economic opportunities for Kerala and its people.
• It is set to become a key player in regional trade, potentially serving as a gateway for commerce between Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

Source :Air 

International Space Station (ISS)

Syllabus: GS3/ Space

Context

• The International Space Station (ISS) is scheduled to be de-orbited in 2030, marking the end of nearly three decades of continuous human presence in space.

What is the International Space Station (ISS)?

• The International Space Station (ISS) is a modular, habitable, microgravity laboratory in low Earth orbit, orbiting 400 km above Earth.
• It was launched in 1998, and has been continuously inhabited since 2000, making it one of the longest-running human space missions in history.
• It is operated collaboratively by five major space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (Europe), JAXA (Japan) and CSA (Canada).
• Key Features:
  • It is the largest human-made structure in space, with a mass exceeding 400,000 kg, and a structure nearly 109 meters long.
  • Power is supplied by solar arrays generating tens of kilowatts of electricity.
• The ISS plays a crucial role in studying the effects of long-term space radiation and microgravity on the human body, helping scientists understand bone loss, muscle atrophy, and immune system changes.
• The ISS supports the emerging Low Earth Orbit economy by allowing private companies to test technologies. It also acts as a testing ground for long-duration spaceflight, essential for future missions to the Moon and Mars.

Source: TH

NDMA’s First-ever Guidelines For Identification of Disaster Victims

Syllabus: GS3/Disaster Management 

In News

• Recently, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has released the country’s first-ever Standard Operating Procedure with  guidelines for the identification of victims in the event of “mass fatality incidents”.

National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)

• Headed by the Prime Minister of India, it is the apex body for Disaster Management in India.
• It was established under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. 
• It is responsible for formulating policies, plans, and guidelines for disaster management and promoting an ethos of prevention, mitigation, preparedness, and response. 

Latest guidelines

• The guidelines recommend creating a National Dental Data Registry to use teeth and jaws for victim identification and advocate the use of forensic archaeology for long-term identification. 
• They outline the roles of stakeholders, composition of identification teams, and address challenges like manpower shortages, logistical gaps, coordination issues, and rapid decomposition or body displacement.
• They emphasize humanitarian forensics, ensuring sensitivity to cultural norms and providing emotional support to families.
• The identification process is structured in four stages: recovery of remains, post-mortem data collection, ante-mortem data collection from families, and reconciliation to release remains. 
• NDMA plans to set up specialised teams in each state, train experts across forensic fields, and implement the guidelines nationwide on a war footing.

Source :IE

Bharat GenAI

Syllabus: GS3/ Science & Technology

In News

• The model under the Bharat GenAI initiative would be completed in all 22 Constitutionally recognised Indian languages within this month.

What is Bharat GenAI?

• Bharat GenAI is India’s first government-owned sovereign Large Language Model (LLM).
  • It is a key outcome of the IndiaAI Mission, launched in March 2024.
• It is designed specifically for Indian languages, culture, and societal needs, unlike global AI models largely trained on Western datasets.
• It is a national foundational model, meaning it can support multiple downstream applications.

Source: PIB