Methanol Regulation in Maharashtra: Supreme Court Judgment on Fundamental Rights & Proportionality Methanol Regulation in Maharashtra highlights the Supreme Court’s judgment striking down Rules 18A and 18B of the Maharashtra Poisons Rules, 1972. The judgment reinforces the principle that a legitimate State objective does not by itself make every restriction constitutionally valid. The means adopted

Introduction India–Nepal relations are shaped by geographical proximity, civilisational linkages, an open border and extensive people-to-people ties. The relationship has expanded from traditional cultural and security linkages to cooperation in energy, connectivity, digital payments, disaster management and regional integration. However, boundary disputes, treaty-related concerns and differing geopolitical orientations continue to create friction. 1. Major Areas

India’s Deep Ocean Mission: Ecological Responsibility & Mineral Exploration The deep ocean is simultaneously a frontier of scientific discovery, critical-mineral exploration and ecological uncertainty. India’s Deep Ocean Mission (DOM), launched in 2021, seeks to develop capabilities in deep-sea mining, human submersibles, underwater robotics, biodiversity conservation, ocean observation, energy and marine biology. However, the discovery of

Ethical Issues in Welfare Delivery: Integrity and Probity in Public Administration A recent audit of a welfare scheme for construction workers in Odisha revealed serious discrepancies in the identification of beneficiaries and disbursement of benefits. In several cases, persons recorded as deceased continued to authenticate their identity biometrically and receive subsidised food grains, while death

Compassion and Professionalism in Public Administration: Ethics, Balance and Examples Compassion and professionalism in public administration are complementary rather than contradictory values. Public administration operates at the intersection of rules and human needs. Professionalism provides competence, objectivity, impartiality, accountability and adherence to law, while compassion enables an administrator to understand human suffering and respond with

BRICS Agricultural Cooperation: Building Resilient Agricultural Supply Chains BRICS agricultural cooperation has significant potential to strengthen resilient agricultural supply chains in the face of climate-induced production losses, extreme weather events, fertiliser shortages, geopolitical disruptions and food-price volatility. Introduction Agricultural supply chains are increasingly vulnerable to climate-induced production losses, extreme weather events, fertiliser shortages, geopolitical disruptions

Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in India: Constitutional Basis, Significance & Key Cases Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in India refers to a common set of civil laws governing all citizens, irrespective of their religion, in matters such as marriage, divorce, adoption, maintenance, guardianship and inheritance. At present, several of these matters are governed by different personal

BRICS De-dollarisation: Why It Remains an Aspiration Rather Than an Alternative to Dollar Dominance BRICS de-dollarisation refers to the broader effort to reduce dependence on the US dollar in international trade, cross-border payments, foreign-exchange reserves and development finance. For BRICS, it is part of the broader objective of increasing strategic autonomy and creating a more

Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs): Regulatory & Institutional Challenges in India Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs) occupy an important space in India’s electoral system. Political parties are essential instruments of representative democracy and derive constitutional protection from the freedom to form associations under Article 19(1)(c). Under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act,

APPSC Group-1 PYQs – 2023 APPSC G1 2023 PYQ’S Question paper Part A: History and Culture 1. Consider the following statements on the late Harappan cultures: I. The late Harappan cultures are primarily Chalcolithic in which tools of stone and copper are used. II. They do not show metal objects requiring complicated casting. III. The