The Centre has introduced a Single Window System for appointing State DGPs (Heads of Police).

• The process follows the Prakash Singh Vs. Union of India (2006)case followed by UPSC 2009 guidelines. 

Appointment Process

• States send a list of eligible officers to UPSC at least 6 months before the current DGP retires.
• Eligibility: 
  • Minimum 30 years of service, or the rank of police chief (and one below) stipulated for that state
  • Officers who have less than 6 months to retire are not eligible.
• UPSC Empanelment Committee selects a panel of 3 officers (or 2 for smaller states) based on merit. 
• State government chooses the DGP from this panel

In the UPP Tollways v. MP Road Development Corp. case, the Supreme Court ruled that the right to safe, motorable roads is a fundamental RIght. 

Key highlights of the judgement

• The right to safe, motorable roads is part of the right to life under Article 21 and freedom of movement under Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution. 
• The Court also held that road development is a public duty, and the State is responsible for maintaining roads under its control, not private contractors.

Central Government notified 1st August 2025 as the date for key provisions of the Banking Laws (Amendment) Act, 2025 to come into force. 

• The Act amends five major banking laws (RBI Act, 1934; Banking Regulation Act, 1949; SBI Act, 1955; Banking Companies Acts, 1970 & 1980) to strengthen governance.

Key Changes:

• Substantial Interest Limit raised from ₹5 lakh to ₹2 crore (first update since 1968).
• Cooperative Bank Directors (excluding chairpersons and full-time directors): Tenure increased from 8 to 10 years in line with the 97th Constitutional Amendment
• Public Sector Banks (PSBs):
  • Can now transfer unclaimed shares/funds to the Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF).
  • Allowed to pay statutory auditors, helping attract better auditors.

The government said that loans worth over ₹11 lakh crore have been disbursed to women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) under the DAY-NRLM. 

About DAY-NRLM

• Nodal Ministry: Ministry for Rural Development
• Purpose: To organize and uplift rural poor women through SHGs.
• Support mechanism: 
  • Offers credit support through the Women Enterprise Acceleration Fund (WEAF)
  • Encourages both farm and non-farm income generation
  • Uses Social Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) to ensure participation of all, including the most marginalised
  • Trains SHG women as Banking Correspondent Sakhis
• Outreach Scope: Across the country (except Delhi & Chandigarh)

A UN Security Council (UNSC) Monitoring Team report under the 1267 Sanctions Committee has confirmed that The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was behind the Pahalgam terror attack.

• The report is significant as it was adopted by consensus by all 15 UNSC members, including Pakistan (a non-permanent member).

About the 1267 Committee

• It monitors sanctions on ISIS (Da’esh), Al-Qaida, and their affiliates.
• Member states must act against listed individuals/groups.
• The committee is currently chaired by Denmark (till Dec 2025).

Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation Released the Supply and Use Tables (SUTs) for 2020–21 and 2021–22. 

• Covers 140 products and 66 industries, based on estimates published in National Accounts Statistics (NAS) 2024, survey data like Annual Survey of Industries (ASI), etc. 

About SUTs

• Presented as two interlinked matrices: the Supply Table and Use Table, structured in a product-by-industry matrix. 
  • Supply Table captures the total supply of goods and services while the Use Table records the utilization of these products. 
• Integrates three Gross Domestic Product (GDP) approaches viz. production, income, and expenditure methods.

Recently UN Women marked its 15th anniversary.

About UN women (Hq: New York, USA)

• Origin: 2010 by a UN General Assembly Resolution. 
• Aim: Advance women’s rights, gender equality, and their empowerment. 
• Serves as secretariat to UN Commission on the Status of Women. 
• Governance: General Assembly, Economic and Social Council and the UN Women Executive Board constitute a multi-tiered intergovernmental governance structure for the operational activities and operational policy guidance. 
  • UN-Women Executive Board constitutes  representatives from 41 Member States elected to three-year term by the UN Economic and Social Council. 

India witnessed the return of Lord Buddha’s sacred Piprahwa Relics. 

About Piprahwa Relics

• Discovery: 1898 by British civil engineer William Claxton Peppé in Piprahwa, Siddharthnagar (ancient Kapilavastu), Uttar Pradesh. 
• Significance: Associated with the mortal remains (Body relics) of Buddha. 
• Key Features: Include bone fragments, soapstone and crystal caskets, a sandstone coffer, and offerings like gold ornaments, etc. 
• Enshrined Around: 3rd century BCE. 
  • A Brahmi script inscription on one of the caskets confirms them as Buddha relics, deposited by the Sakya clan.
• Current Status: Classified as ‘AA’ antiquities under Indian law, prohibiting their removal or sale.