GK One-Liners

What: India implemented the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules 2025, operationalising the DPDP Act, 2023. The rules establish digital rights for citizens, consent norms for data collection, breach notification protocols, and penalties up to ₹250 crore for non-compliance by data fiduciaries.

How: The DPDP framework requires data fiduciaries (entities collecting personal data) to obtain explicit consent, ensure data minimisation, and notify breaches within 72 hours. A Data Protection Board of India (DPBI) will adjudicate complaints. The rules apply to processing of digital personal data within India and data of Indian residents processed abroad.

Why: Data protection, privacy laws, and IT governance are important for UPSC GS-II (Governance) and GS-III (Science & Tech). Understanding the DPDP Act, comparison with GDPR (EU’s law), Puttaswamy judgment (Right to Privacy), and digital economy regulation helps in technology policy questions.

What: The Sixteenth Finance Commission (XVIFC) submitted its report with recommendations on tax devolution, performance-based grants, and resource sharing between the Centre and States for the period 2026-31. The report addresses vertical (Centre-State) and horizontal (inter-State) distribution of resources.

How: Finance Commissions are constituted under Article 280 of the Constitution every five years. The XVIFC, chaired by Dr. Arvind Panagariya, determines the share of central taxes to be transferred to states, grants-in-aid principles, and measures to augment state finances while ensuring fiscal discipline.

Why: Finance Commission recommendations, fiscal federalism, and Centre-State financial relations are high-frequency topics for UPSC GS-II (Polity). Understanding tax devolution formula, performance-based grants, and comparison across Finance Commissions (14th, 15th, 16th) helps in governance questions.

What: India will establish West Africa’s first Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) at Federal Government Academy (FGA) Suleja in Nigeria. This follows the successful IIT Zanzibar model in Tanzania, advancing the globalisation of Indian higher education under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

How: IIT campuses abroad operate through partnerships with host governments and local institutions. IIT Madras anchors IIT Zanzibar, offering engineering programmes with faculty exchange and joint research. The Nigeria campus will similarly leverage IIT expertise to train African students in STEM disciplines, strengthening India-Africa educational ties.

Why: International education partnerships, NEP 2020, and India’s soft power in Africa are relevant for UPSC GS-II (International Relations). Understanding India-Africa relations, educational diplomacy, and efforts to internationalise Indian institutions helps in foreign policy questions.

What: India topped the medals tally at the Asian Archery Championships 2025 with 10 medals including 6 gold, ending South Korea’s 12-year dominance in recurve events. This marks India’s best-ever performance at the continental championship.

How: Indian archers excelled across compound and recurve categories for both men and women. The success reflects investments in grassroots training through Khelo India, state academies, and the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). Archery Association of India’s systematic approach to international competitions has yielded results.

Why: Sports achievements, Olympic preparations, and sports governance are relevant for UPSC current affairs. Understanding India’s sports ecosystem, government schemes like TOPS and Khelo India, and progress in various disciplines helps in personality and achievement-based questions.

What: India and the United Kingdom conducted Exercise AJEYA WARRIOR-25, a joint military exercise focusing on semi-urban counter-terrorism operations and tactical interoperability. The exercise strengthens defence cooperation between the two Commonwealth nations.

How: AJEYA WARRIOR is an annual bilateral army exercise alternating between India and the UK. It involves infantry units practising close-quarter battle, room intervention techniques, IED detection, and joint command operations. The exercise enhances understanding of each other’s tactics, techniques, and procedures.

Why: Bilateral military exercises, India-UK relations, and defence diplomacy are important for UPSC GS-II (International Relations) and GS-III (Security). Knowing major exercises with different countries (AJEYA WARRIOR-UK, YUDH ABHYAS-USA, MITRA SHAKTI-Sri Lanka) helps in defence questions.

What: India’s gold imports surged to a record USD 14.72 billion, contributing to a historic trade deficit of USD 41.68 billion. Silver imports also spiked sharply, reflecting strong domestic demand for precious metals amid festive and investment buying.

How: Trade deficit (imports exceeding exports) widens when commodity imports like gold, crude oil, and electronics increase faster than export growth. High gold imports are driven by jewellery demand, investment appetite, and import duty adjustments. RBI and government monitor gold imports for their impact on current account deficit (CAD).

Why: Trade deficit, current account balance, and gold imports are frequently tested in banking exams and UPSC GS-III (Economy). Understanding the relationship between gold imports, CAD, forex reserves, and measures like Sovereign Gold Bonds to reduce physical gold imports helps in macroeconomics questions.