News of The Day –  25th July 2026

The Hindu, Indian Express, Live Mint, Business Standard, Economic Times, PIB and AIR, etc

(with Syllabus Relevance)

(GS-1: Geography)

• Black Sea: Inland sea bordered by Türkiye, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Russia and Georgia
• It connects to the Mediterranean through the Bosporus, Sea of Marmara and Dardanelles.
• Strategic Importance: Major route for energy, food grains and maritime trade.

(GS-2: Polity & Governance)

• Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024
• Aims to prevent unfair means and organised cheating in public examinations.
• Key Provisions: Penalises organised cheating and unfair practices, including those involving examination service providers.
• Significance: Seeks to protect examination integrity, merit-based recruitment and public confidence in competitive examinations.

• National Song: Vande Mataram, composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, was adopted as India’s National Song
• Proposed Legislation: Seeks statutory protection against deliberate insult or obstruction relating to the National Song
• Constitutional Context: Article 51A(a) makes it a fundamental duty to respect the National Flag and National Anthem; the National Song does not currently enjoy identical statutory protection under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.

(GS-2: Polity and Governance)

• NFHS: National Family Health Survey provides data on population, health, nutrition and reproductive health.
• Key Findings of NFHS 6
• Health Gains: Improvements in maternal and child health indicators indicate progress in public health interventions.
• Emerging Concern: Rising lifestyle-related diseases highlight the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs)
• Way Forward: Preventive healthcare, nutrition, physical activity and stronger primary healthcare.

• Supreme Court Directions: Unauthorised recording, reproduction, circulation or commercial exploitation of court proceedings may be restricted to protect judicial integrity and privacy.
• Court Proceedings: Live-streaming and recordings are subject to judicial rules and conditions.
• Significance: Balances transparency and public access to justice with privacy, dignity, witness protection and prevention of misinformation.

(GS-2: Polity & Governance)

• Data Localisation: Communication infrastructure providers may be required to keep specified data within India and prevent unauthorised overseas sharing.
• Key Provisions under Telecommunications Act 2023
• India’s broader Digital Personal Data Protection framework and national security concerns.

(GS-2: International Relation)

• About UNCITRAL: A core legal body of the UN system established in 1966 to promote harmonisation and modernisation of international trade law.
• Functions: Develops conventions, model laws and legislative guides for international commercial transactions.
• Significance for India: Supports predictable cross-border trade, arbitration and investment frameworks.

• India-Israel FTA: Negotiations seek to deepen bilateral trade and economic ties.
• Potential Areas: Goods, services, investment, technology and market access.
• Significance: Could expand cooperation in high-tech sectors, defence, agriculture, water management and innovation while diversifying India’s trade partnerships.

(GS-3: Economy)

• Women’s Labour Force Participation: Greater female participation can boost household incomes, productivity and economic growth.
• Challenges: Unpaid care work, safety concerns, social norms, wage gaps, lack of childcare and unequal access to employment.
• Way Forward: Affordable childcare, flexible work, safe transport, skilling, equal pay and formal employment opportunities.

• 5Rs of Tax Governance: Focus on a responsive and taxpayer-centric tax administration based on principles such as Responsiveness, Reform, Reliability, Rationalisation and Revenue.
• Tax Certainty: Predictable tax rules and reduced litigation improve investor confidence and ease of doing business.
• Significance: Emphasises trust-based compliance, simplification and technology-driven tax administration.

(GS-3:Economy )

• US Tariff on Forced-Labour Concerns: Understand the US policy of imposing additional tariffs on imports from countries alleged to use or permit forced labour.
• India-US Trade: Examine implications for bilateral trade, supply chains, export competitiveness and India’s trade diplomacy.
• Forced Labour: Linked to ILO standards, labour rights and ethical global supply chains.

(GS-3: Economy )

• About Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojana Rasayan (BHAVYA Rasayan) Scheme
  • Aims to strengthen India’s chemical and petrochemical sector through the development of modern chemical parks equipped with plug-and-play infrastructure, utilities and robust environmental safeguards.
• Chemical Parks of India.
• Rail Expansion: Cabinet approvals for railway projects aim to improve connectivity, logistics efficiency and regional development.
• Significance: Supports infrastructure-led growth, employment generation, industrialisation and multimodal connectivity.

• Zinc-Air Batteries: Batteries that use zinc as the anode and oxygen from ambient air as the cathode reactant.
• Developed at SASTRA Deemed University with support from the Department of Science and Technology (DST)
• Advantages: Low cost, relatively high energy density and potentially safer than some conventional battery technologies.
• Significance: Improved technology can support energy storage, electric mobility and renewable-energy integration.