GK One-Liners

What: The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), established in 1966 and headquartered in Solna, Sweden, released its annual military expenditure report. India ranked 5th globally with a spend of USD 92.1 billion, representing an 8.9% year-on-year growth and 3.2% of global military expenditure.

How: The global military expenditure reached USD 2,887 billion, marking the 11th consecutive year of growth. The top five spenders were the USA (USD 954 billion), China (USD 336 billion), Russia (USD 190 billion), Germany (USD 114 billion), and India (USD 92.1 billion).

Why: SIPRI rankings are a standard reference in UPSC Prelims, SSC CGL, and state PCS exams under International Relations and Defence topics. India’s consistent rise in defence spending reflects its strategic modernisation and geopolitical posture — a recurring theme in Mains GS-II and GS-III.

What: India and New Zealand signed their first-ever Free Trade Agreement (FTA), marking a historic milestone in bilateral trade relations. India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and New Zealand’s Trade Minister Todd McClay signed the agreement, which grants India 100% duty-free access on 8,284 tariff lines in the New Zealand market.

How: Under the FTA, India has agreed to liberalise 70.03% of its tariff lines, covering 95% of bilateral trade. The agreement sets a bilateral investment target of USD 20 billion, enabling deeper integration across goods, services, and investment between the two economies.

Why: FTAs are a critical topic in UPSC GS-II (International Relations) and GS-III (Economy). This is India’s first FTA with New Zealand, making it highly specific and exam-relevant. Questions may focus on tariff liberalisation percentages, signatory ministers, and the significance of duty-free access for Indian exports.

What: The Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh has been reorganised with 5 new districts — Nubra, Sham, and Changthang (carved from Leh district) and Zanskar and Drass (carved from Kargil district). This brings Ladakh’s total district count from 2 to 7, significantly improving administrative coverage across the strategically vital UT.

How: The reorganisation was approved following a preliminary clearance by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in August 2024. The Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Ladakh, Vinai Kumar Saxena, oversees the UT’s administration under the direct governance model applicable to Ladakh since its bifurcation from Jammu & Kashmir in 2019.

Why: Administrative reorganisation of UTs and states is a recurring theme in UPSC Polity and Current Affairs. The names of new districts, the number of total districts, and the LG’s identity are all direct factual picks for Prelims. Ladakh’s unique status as a UT without a legislature makes it a special case study for governance questions.

What: Google Cloud has announced a USD 15 billion (approximately Rs 1.35 lakh crore) investment in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, making it the largest single Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in India’s history. The project, with a capacity of 1 GW, will be executed through Raiden Infotech (a Google subsidiary) in a joint venture with AdaniConneX and Nxtra by Airtel.

How: The data centre infrastructure will be set up at two locations — Tarluvada/Adavivaram in Visakhapatnam and Rambilli in Anakapalli district of Andhra Pradesh. The joint venture combines Google’s cloud expertise with Adani’s data centre platform (AdaniConneX) and Airtel’s infrastructure arm (Nxtra), forming a consortium for large-scale AI cloud capacity.

Why: FDI figures, landmark investments, and digital infrastructure are core topics in UPSC GS-III (Economy) and state PCS exams. This is the largest single FDI in India ever — a standalone fact likely to appear in Prelims. It also ties into India’s AI readiness, data centre policy, and Make in India narratives relevant to Mains.

What: SkyHop Aviation has launched India’s first commercial seaplane service, initially operating in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep. The service uses a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft (19-seater) to connect five islands through docks at Agatti, Kiltan, and Kavaratti, addressing the connectivity gap in this remote island territory.

How: The service operates under the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme, launched in 2016 by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), which aims to make air travel affordable and to connect underserved regions of India. Seaplane services eliminate the need for traditional runways, making them ideal for island and riverine geographies.

Why: UDAN scheme, regional connectivity, and island development are examined across UPSC Prelims, SSC, and banking exams. The “first commercial seaplane service in India” tag makes this a strong Prelims pick. It also connects to Lakshadweep’s strategic and tourism significance, useful for Mains essays and GS-II governance questions.

What: NITI Aayog has unveiled the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) @2047 Roadmap, a phased plan to expand India’s digital ecosystem through 2047. The roadmap was developed in collaboration with EkStep Foundation and Deloitte, and unveiled by Suman Berry, Vice-Chairperson of NITI Aayog. DPI currently contributes approximately 1% of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with a projection to reach 4% by 2030.

How: The roadmap is structured in two key phases: DPI 2.0 (2025–2035) focuses on scaling livelihood-driven growth through digital platforms, while DPI 3.0 (2035–2047) aims for broad-based prosperity by deeply embedding digital infrastructure across all sectors of the economy. India’s existing DPI stack — including Aadhaar, UPI, and ONDC — forms the foundation for this expansion.

Why: DPI is one of the most prominent topics in UPSC GS-III (Science & Technology, Economy) and Mains Essay papers. India has championed DPI globally, including at the G20 under its presidency. The GDP contribution targets (1% → 4%), the two phases, and the collaborating organisations are all high-probability Prelims facts. This also links to Viksit Bharat @2047 — a theme central to contemporary governance questions.