{"id":82853,"date":"2026-08-24T19:22:24","date_gmt":"2026-08-24T13:52:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=82853"},"modified":"2026-08-24T19:25:18","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T13:55:18","slug":"news-in-short-24-08-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/24-08-2026\/news-in-short-24-08-2026","title":{"rendered":"News In Short 24-08-2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Rajghat Excavations<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS1\/History and Culture&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Banaras Hindu University (BHU) recently opened 22 boxes containing over 10,000 artefacts excavated from Rajghat, Varanasi, in 1957 <strong>\u00a0<\/strong>under the supervision of archaeologist <strong>T.N. Roy.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Discoveries from the 1957 Excavation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The boxes contained more than <strong>10,000 archaeological artefacts, <\/strong>including:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Painted black pottery<\/strong>, nearly 3,000 years old.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ancient sculptures, coins, tools and stamp seals.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Objects made of copper, ivory and bone.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Several inscribed seals, including those bearing the <strong>Brahmi script.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Archaeological Significance of Rajghat<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Rajghat lies on the north-eastern edge of Varanasi, near the confluence of the <strong>Ganga and Varuna rivers.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is an important archaeological site of the <strong>Middle Ganga Valley <\/strong>and formed an important settlement of ancient Varanasi, associated with the<strong> Kashi Mahajanapada.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Seals and sealings<\/strong> bearing the name<strong> \u2018Varanasi\u2019<\/strong> helped establish the site&#8217;s connection with ancient Varanasi.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The earliest archaeological remains at Rajghat were identified in <strong>1939<\/strong> during the expansion of Kashi railway station.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/cities\/lucknow\/banaras-hindu-university-boxes-1957-excavation-10846471\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>IE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Liberia\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS1\/Places in News, GS2\/IR<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A 12-member delegation of Liberian lawmakers visited India to study women\u2019s political participation and gender-responsive governance under the framework of <strong>South-South cooperation.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About Liberia (Capital: Monrovia)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Location: <\/strong>Liberia is a sovereign country on the <strong>west coast of Africa<\/strong> bordered by <strong>Sierra Leone<\/strong> to the west, <strong>Guinea<\/strong> to the north and <strong>C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire<\/strong> to the east, while the <strong>Atlantic Ocean<\/strong> lies to the south and southwest.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>History: <\/strong>Liberia is one of Africa\u2019s two countries that were not formally colonised by a European power; the other is Ethiopia.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Climate:<\/strong> The country has a tropical, humid climate with high temperatures, humidity and heavy seasonal rainfall.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Biodiversity:<\/strong> Liberia has approximately <strong>35\u201340%<\/strong> of the remaining <strong>Upper Guinean rainforest,<\/strong> making it a critical ecological zone for West African biodiversity conservation.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Protected areas such as <strong>Sapo National Park<\/strong> and <strong>Gola Forest National Park <\/strong>safeguard endangered species like the <strong>pygmy hippopotamus<\/strong> and the <strong>Diana monkey.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>International Role:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Liberia was a <strong>founding member of the United Nations in 1945<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It was also a <strong>founding member of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) <\/strong>in 1963, which was later transformed into the <strong>African Union (AU).<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>India\u2019s Contribution to Liberia:<\/strong> In 2007, India deployed the <strong>first-ever all-female police unit in Liberia,<\/strong> which served until 2016, promoting women\u2019s participation in peacekeeping and inspiring more Liberian women to join uniformed services.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"c2c2b6\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"608\" height=\"504\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-217.png\" alt=\"liberia\u00a0\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-82854\" style=\"--dominant-color: #c2c2b6; aspect-ratio:1.2063930055186953;width:431px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-217.png 608w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-217-300x249.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 608px) 100vw, 608px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/india\/india-women-led-development-liberia-lawmakers-10840489\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>IE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Barren-land Fallacy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Environment <\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In News<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Recently, it has been observed that Barren-Land Fallacy can lead to incorrect afforestation\u00a0 and disrupt local ecological balance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Barren-land Fallacy<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is the concept that land which is not a forest is barren, degraded or biologically insufficient and therefore should be transformed into a forest.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It can lead to inappropriate tree-planting drives including planting trees in environments where they do not naturally belong.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For example, growing water-thirsty eucalyptus in water-stressed regions can upset the local ecological equilibrium.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Correct Approach&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Grasslands, savannas, scrublands, marshes and deserts are valuable natural ecosystems, some of which are dependent on low tree cover.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Therefore, the aim of ecological restoration should be to restore the naturally suited environment, not just to increase the tree cover.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/epaper.thehindu.com\/ccidist-ws\/th\/th_delhi\/issues\/200856\/OPS\/G2RGEFGQQ.1+GIDGEFHFQ.1.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Glyphosate Herbicide<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Health; GS3\/Agriculture <\/strong><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In News&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Recently, environmentalists have raised concern over the alleged spraying of <strong>glyphosate<\/strong> on forest department land in parts of Himachal Pradesh.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Glyphosate&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is a <strong>herbicide<\/strong> used to<strong> manage grasses<\/strong>, broadleaf and invasive weeds in a wide variety of agricultural and non-agricultural contexts.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is crucial for growing crops such as corn, soybean, cotton, canola, fruits, vegetables, nuts and sugarcane, especially glyphosate-resistant crops.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Glyphosate is approved in India under the Insecticides Act, 1968 mostly for<strong> weed control in tea plantations<\/strong>, but its usage has apparently been spread illegally to a variety of edible\/non-edible crops, houses and institutions.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Source :<a href=\"https:\/\/www.downtoearth.org.in\/agriculture\/himachal-forest-department-to-file-fir-over-alleged-glyphosate-use-on-forest-land-for-pea-cultivation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DTE<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>National Teachers Awards<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: Miscellaneous<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The President of India will confer National Teachers Awards on 48 school teachers at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About National Teachers Awards<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The awards are conferred every year on <strong>Teachers\u2019 Day (5th September)<\/strong>, which commemorates the <strong>birth anniversary of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan<\/strong>, former President of India and a renowned philosopher-educationist.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Teachers are chosen through a <strong>three-stage transparent, online process <\/strong>at the District, State, and National levels, coordinated by the <strong>Department of School Education &amp; Literacy<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Exclusion:<\/strong>\u00a0 Retired teachers who have not served at least a part of the calendar year &#8211; at least for four months i.e. up to 30th April in the year to which the National Award relates. Teacher\/Headmasters who have indulged in tuitions.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Contractual Teachers and Shiksha Mitras are also not eligible.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Do you know<\/strong><strong>?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>National Education Day<\/strong> is observed on <strong>11th November<\/strong> in honour of <strong>Maulana Abul Kalam Azad<\/strong>, India\u2019s first Education Minister.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pib.gov.in\/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2302212&amp;reg=48&amp;lang=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>PIB<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong> Context <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Banaras Hindu University (BHU) recently opened 22 boxes containing over 10,000 artefacts excavated from Rajghat, Varanasi, in 1957 \u00a0under the supervision of archaeologist T.N. Roy. <\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong> Key Discoveries from the 1957 Excavation <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Painted black pottery, nearly 3,000 years old. <\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Ancient sculptures, coins, tools and stamp seals. <\/li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/24-08-2026\/news-in-short-24-08-2026\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-82853","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82853","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=82853"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82853\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":82860,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82853\/revisions\/82860"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82853"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=82853"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82853"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}