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Daily News & Current Affairs - 31-08-2025

S.NoNews HeadlinePage NumberSubjectSyllabus (Prelims & Mains GS)Beginner Must KnowSource (NCERT / Govt)
1Modi lands in China after 7 years; to meet Xi, Putin1International Relations / Foreign PolicyPrelims: SCO, BRICS, bilateral visits; Mains GS-II: India & its neighbourhood, bilateral/multilateral diplomacy, foreign policy objectives.Why such visits matter: trade, security, regional diplomacy (SCO/BRICS link), brief background on India-China ties and recent high-level meetings (2024 SCO/BRICS summits).No single NCERT chapter on contemporary diplomacy — refer: NCERT Class XI/ XII Political Science (for basics of international relations). Official source: Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) press release for visit details.
2Centre asks Kerala to submit detailed project report on seaplane project3Transport / Regional ConnectivityPrelims: RCS-UDAN scheme basics; Mains GS-3: Infrastructure, transport policy and regional connectivity; governance & implementation issues in GS-2.What is RCS-UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) and UDAN 5.5; why seaplanes are considered (connectivity to remote water-borne regions), environmental and safety considerations.NCERT Class X/ XII chapters on transport & infrastructure (general context). Primary source: Ministry of Civil Aviation (RCS-UDAN guidelines) and state DPR norms.
3Honey on high (First mono-floral lavender honey produced in Pulwama by CSIR-IIIM)4Agriculture / Science & Technology / EconomyPrelims: Agriculture (horticulture, apiculture), Flora & Fauna; Mains GS-3: Agriculture, value addition, biotech interventions, sustainable livelihoods.What is mono-floral honey; relevance of Purple Revolution (lavender farming) and CSIR-IIIM's role; economic value (premium pricing), benefits to farmers, and ecological advantages (pollination).NCERT Class XII Biology (Chapters on Ecology, Biotechnology) and Class XI/ XII Economics (agriculture & diversification). Govt source: CSIR/IIIM publications and Ministry of Agriculture for scheme links.
4‘Low representation of women in higher judiciary cause for concern’6Polity / Judiciary / Social JusticePrelims: Structure of judiciary; Mains GS-2: Judiciary, appointments, representation issues; GS-1: Role of women & social justice.Current representation snapshot (very low numbers of women judges in HC and SC), role of Collegium in appointments, reasons for underrepresentation and its implications for justice delivery.NCERT Class XI Political Science (chapters on Constitutional Design and Judiciary). Supplement with Supreme Court reports and Ministry of Law & Justice statistics where needed.
5Govt. ignored industry calls for phone surveillance safeguards, says RTI reply9Polity / Governance / Internal SecurityPrelims: Telecom Act (Telecommunications Act, 2023) change; Mains GS-2: Transparency, RTI, surveillance laws; GS-3: Internal security and cyber governance.Telecommunications Act, 2023 replaced older Telegraph Act; issues around lawful interception rules (2024), RTI's role in revealing policy gaps — balance between security and privacy.NCERT Class XII Political Science (governance & rights context). Official sources: Telecommunications Act 2023 text, MeitY / Ministry of Home Affairs notifications and RTI reply records.
6U.K. to lend Vrindavani Vastra to Assam for display in 202711Art & Culture / HeritagePrelims: Important cultural artifacts & museums; Mains GS-1: Art Forms, Cultural Heritage, preservation and repatriation debates.Vrindavani Vastra — 16th-century silk textile woven under Srimanta Sankaradeva; significance in Assamese neo-Vaishnavite culture; issues around loans from foreign museums and conditions attached.NCERT Class XI/ XII History (chapters on cultural developments). Govt source for provenance/loan: Ministry of Culture / British Museum communications.
7Adivasi languages translation app to be launched (Aadi Vaani)11Language / Technology / Tribal WelfarePrelims: Tribal Affairs initiatives; Mains GS-2: Welfare schemes for SC/ST, use of technology in governance; GS-1: Society & cultural diversity.Aadi Vaani app aims to translate between Hindi/English and several Adivasi languages (Bhili, Mundari, Gondi, Santali, Kui, Garo); developed with IITs, IIITs, BITS and tribal institutes under Tribal Affairs Ministry (Adi Karmayogi initiative).NCERT Class XI/ XII (Indian Society & Languages context). Official source: Ministry of Tribal Affairs (project brief) and documentation from participating IITs/IIITs.
8Microbes that digest plastic may fuel antibiotic resistance (IISER Kolkata study)13Environment / Science & Technology / Public HealthPrelims: Microplastics, AMR basics; Mains GS-3: Environmental pollution, biotechnology, public health challenges (AMR).Key study finding: plastic-degrading microbes may carry antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs), plastics act as hotspots for gene exchange — benefit for bioremediation but risk for AMR spread.NCERT Class XII Biology (Biotechnology, Environment). Academic source: IISER Kolkata study (journal/preprint) and Ministry of Environment guidelines on plastic pollution.
9What is top court’s order on social media? (Supreme Court asks govt to frame consultative guidelines)14Polity / Free Speech / IT LawPrelims: Article 19(1)(a) & 19(2) provisions; Mains GS-2: Media regulation, digital governance, stakeholder consultation and freedom of speech.Supreme Court urged consultative guidelines for monetised/influencer speech to balance free speech and regulation; key legal contours include reasonable restrictions under Article 19(2).NCERT Political Science Class XI/XII (Fundamental Rights). Official source: Supreme Court order text; Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY) consultations and IT Rules.
10How did Kerala pull off digital literacy feat? (Digi Kerala — Pullampara Model)14Governance / Digital Literacy / Public PolicyPrelims: Digital India initiatives; Mains GS-2: Implementation of public policy, decentralisation & grassroots governance; GS-3: Technology in governance & bridging digital divide.Pullampara pilot scaled via local volunteers (Kudumbashree, NSS), strong community mapping and training; ~1.51 crore surveyed and ~21.87 lakh trained — links to KFON broadband and Digi Kerala 2.0 plans.NCERT Class XI/ XII (Governance & Society sections). Official source: Kerala State Government reports on Digi Kerala and KFON; Ministry of Electronics & IT for Digital India context.

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