हाल ही में यूनाइटेड किंगडम (UK) और यूरोपीय संघ (EU) के बीच समझौते को यूरोप-केंद्रित माना जा रहा है, लेकिन यह भारत के लिए अवसर और चुनौतियाँ दोनों प्रस्तुत करता है, जिन पर तत्काल ध्यान देने की आवश्यकता है।
India has won the Presidency of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS) for the 2025–2028 term.
The International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS)
It is a global federation comprising 31 Member Countries, 20 National Sections, and 15 Academic Research Centres, collaborating on scientific research in public administration.
Key member countries include India, Japan, China, Germany, Italy, Korea, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Switzerland, Mexico, Spain, Qatar, Morocco, and Indonesia, among others.
India has been a Member State of the IIAS since 1998, represented by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances.
It is not a formally affiliated body of the United Nations, it actively engages with the UN’s work in the field of public administration.
A tragic stampede outside Bengaluru's M. Chinnaswamy Stadium resulted in the loss of several lives and significant damage to property.
About Stampede
A stampede is a sudden, uncontrolled rush of people, typically caused by panic, excitement, or fear, leading to trampling and crushing injuries or deaths.
It's often a crowd crush rather than people intentionally pushing or stampeding — people simply get trapped with no space to move or breathe.
Recently, India has witnessed a series of tragic stampedes, resulting in significant loss of life. For example: Hathras (Uttar Pradesh), 2024, New Delhi Railway Station & Mahakumbh stampede (2025) etc.
THDC India Ltd. (under the Ministry of Power) announced the Commercial Operation Declaration (COD) of the first 250 MW unit of India’s first Variable Speed Pumped Storage Plant (PSP) at Tehri, Uttarakhand.
What is a Pumped Storage Plant (PSP)?
A PSP is a type of hydropower storage system where water is pumped from a lower reservoir to an upper reservoir during low demand (off-peak hours) using surplus power.
During high demand (peak hours), water is released from the upper reservoir to generate electricity.
Variable speed PSPs allow flexible and precise control of pump-turbine operations, enabling them to respond to rapid fluctuations in grid demand and renewable energy intermittency.
The Union government announced that the much delayed Census 2021 will be held in two phases beginning October 1, 2026 and March 1, 2027.
About
The census, typically conducted every ten years to update the National Population Register (NPR), was scheduled for 2021 but had to be postponed due to the Covid pandemic.
The delimitation of constituencies for the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies is to be carried out on the basis of the first Census after 2026.
This will be India’s first digital Census and will be the first Census since 1931 to capture granular caste data, beyond the broader classifications of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) that have been enumerated in every post-Independence Census.
The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is drafting a new national policy for senior citizens, considering India’s changing demographics.
Various Schemes
The Integrated Programme for Senior Citizens (IPSrC) provides grant-in-aid to NGOs for running senior citizen homes offering free shelter, food, healthcare, and entertainment.
Elderline: The National Helpline on Toll free number 14567 namely 'Elderline' was launched in 2021 for grievance redressal of Senior Citizens and to generate awareness .
Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY): It is implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, aims to support economically weaker senior citizens (with a monthly income of ₹15,000 or less) who suffer from age-related disabilities or infirmities and provides free assistive devices.
Seniorcare Ageing Growth Engine(SAGE): It supports innovative startups to develop products and services for the elderly, while the Geriatric Caregiver Training Scheme aims to create a professional caregiving workforce.