THE CHAGOS ISLANDS
The Chagos Islands are a disputed archipelago of over 60 islands in the Indian Ocean. Officially the British Indian Ocean Territory, the islands are claimed by Mauritius. The territory includes Diego Garcia, which hosts a vital joint US-UK military base
THE COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT (CEPA)
- The India-Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which came into force on June 1, 2026
- The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between India and Oman marks a meaningful step forward in the economic relationship between the two countries. The agreement brings together trade in goods and services, investment, professional mobility, and regulatory cooperation under a single, coherent framework aimed at deepening bilateral economic integration.
- Under the CEPA, India secures 100 per cent duty-free market access for its exports to Oman
- The India–Oman CEPA provides a comprehensive framework covering trade in goods and services, investment, professional mobility, and regulatory cooperation.
- A calibrated liberalisation approach, including an exclusion list, protects sensitive sectors while supporting MSMEs, labour-intensive industries, and region-wide export growth
ALABURAGI AIRPORT
- alaburagi Airport is a domestic airport serving the city of Kalaburagi in Karnataka, India.
- It is greenfield project
INTERNATIONAL PEACE RESEARCH INSTITUTE (SIPRI) YEARBOOK 2026
India is estimated to have modestly expanded its nuclear arsenal in 2025 and continued developing new nuclear delivery systems, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Yearbook 2026
RANDOMNESS AMPLIFICATION
Randomness amplification is a cryptographic and quantum protocol that transforms weak, biased, or partially predictable random numbers into perfectly uniform and private random bits. It is impossible to do this using purely classical methods, so scientists rely on quantum entanglement and loophole-free Bell tests.
ZOJI-LA TUNNEL
Zoji-La Tunnel, the world’s longest single-tube bi-directional road tunnel at the highest altitude, is an under-construction Himalayan tunnel in India under the Zoji La pass between Sonamarg in Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir and Dras in Kargil district of Ladakh.
BRAZIL’S PRESIDENT
Brazil’s president and vice president are elected as a joint ticket using the two-round system.
A candidate who receives more than half of the valid votes in the first round is elected. If this threshold is not met by any candidate, the two most voted candidates in the first round participate in a second round of voting, and the most voted candidate in the second round is elected.
Elections for governors and vice governors of all 26 states and of the Federal District are held on the same dates and with the same two-round system as the presidential election.
THE FOREIGN EXCHANGE MANAGEMENT ACT (FEMA), 1999
The Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999 is the primary Indian law that regulates cross-border financial transactions. Its main goal is to facilitate external trade and payments while promoting orderly growth in the foreign exchange market
A DRAFT RED HERRING PROSPECTUS (DRHP)
A Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) is a preliminary registration document filed by a company with market regulators—such as the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)—before launching an Initial Public Offering (IPO). It provides investors with comprehensive details about the business model, financials, and risks, but omits final pricing
BLACKSOIL CAPITAL
BlackSoil Capital, a part of the BlackSoil Group, is one of India’s leading alternative credit platforms. As an RBI-registered, systemically important NBFC, we offer flexible and innovative credit solutions to SMEs and new-economy enterprises across sectors.
THE COAL CONTROLLER ORGANISATION (CCO)
The Coal Controller Organisation (CCO) is a subordinate regulatory office under the Ministry of Coal, headquartered at SCOPE Minar, Laxmi Nagar, Delhi. It oversees national coal statistics, grades coal, and approves mine closure plans
COAL EXCHANGES
In a significant step towards modernizing India’s coal supply chain, the Government has paved the way for the establishment of Coal Exchanges in the country. The recently enacted Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2025 introduced the concept of a Mineral Exchange and empowered the Central Government to promote transparent and efficient trading of minerals, including coal and its processed forms
INDIA’S DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE (DA&FW)
India’s Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) is the central government body responsible for formulating agricultural policies, managing pricing frameworks, and running nationwide welfare, crop insurance, and infrastructure schemes. The department is headquartered at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi.
BRICS
- A five-day meeting of BRICS member countries began on Tuesday (June 9, 2026) in Indore, Madhya Pradesh focussing on issues such as food security, climate-friendly smart agriculture, agricultural trade, and farmer welfare.
- BRICS is an intergovernmental organisation comprising 11 major emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Indonesia.
- the State government’s declaration of 2026 as the ‘Year of Farmer Welfare’.
- The 13th BRICS Summit was held on 9 September 2021 in New Delhi, India, under the theme “BRICS 15: Intra-BRICS Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus.” Leaders adopted the New Delhi Declaration, which marked the 15th anniversary of BRICS and emphasized reform of the multilateral system.
- BRIC was formalised at the first meeting of BRIC Foreign Ministers on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York in 2006. The inaugural BRIC Summit was convened in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009.
STATEMENT
Congo’s Ebola outbreak rises to 100 deaths
THE MAHUA (IPPA PUVVU) LADDU INITIATIVE
The Mahua (Ippa Puvvu) Laddu initiative is a community-led tribal livelihood and nutrition program in Telangana. Adivasi women’s self-help groups (SHGs) create nutrient-dense laddus from sustainably harvested Mahua (Madhuca indica) flowers, jaggery, sesame, and nuts to combat anemia and boost local incomes
EECHATHALAKENDA INCOGNITA
- Study unveils new fish species in Western Ghats, Eechathalakenda incognita,
- Eechathalakenda incognita is the ninth point-endemic fish species (restricted to a single location in the world) to be identified within the Periyar Tiger Reserve. This discovery also marks the reserve as one of the most critical sanctuaries for freshwater fish conservation