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Daily Current Affairs for UPSC

24 June 2026

Complete news analysis

01 · GS-II: Indian Constitution, Parliament & Pro-Tem Speaker

Appointment of the Pro-Tem Speaker: Article 95(1), Seniority Conventions and the Panel of Chairpersons

NEWS PEG
  • Controversy arose during the opening of the 18th Lok Sabha regarding the President's appointment of the Pro-tem Speaker under Article 95(1) of the Constitution.
  • Opposition parties contended that established parliamentary convention requires the senior-most member in terms of cumulative legislative terms to be appointed, whereas the government appointed a senior member with eight unbroken terms.
  • Constitutional experts clarified that while seniority by convention is customary, the Constitution vests the President with discretionary authority to appoint any member of the House of the People to perform the duties of the Speaker until a regular Speaker is chosen.
STATIC FOUNDATION
  • Article 95(1) of the Constitution: While the office of Speaker is vacant, the duties of the office shall be performed by the Deputy Speaker or, if the office of Deputy Speaker is also vacant, by such member of the House of the People as the President may appoint for the purpose.
  • Role of Pro-tem Speaker: Presides over the first sitting of the new Lok Sabha, administers the oath or affirmation to newly elected MPs under Article 99, and oversees the election of the new Speaker.
  • Panel of Chairpersons (Article 95(2)): Appointed by the President to assist the Pro-tem Speaker in administering oaths to all 543 MPs before regular business commences.
  • Article 94 Proviso: Mandates that whenever the House of the People is dissolved, the Speaker shall not vacate his office until immediately before the first meeting of the House of the People after the dissolution.
PRELIMS TRAP & PYQ BRIDGE MAINS ENHANCEMENT
  • Constitutional Conventions vs Textual Discretion: The Pro-tem Speaker Controversy — Evaluating whether established unwritten conventions should be codified into formal Lok Sabha rules.
  • Institutional Impartiality of Presiding Officers: Ensuring Faith in Parliamentary Sittings — Upholding non-partisan traditions during inaugural oath-taking sittings.
  • Smooth Legislative Transition: Article 94 Continuity Provision — Why the Constitution guarantees unbroken continuity in the office of the Speaker between successive parliaments.
02 · GS-III: Digital Economy, Net Neutrality & Telecom Regulation

Net Neutrality and OTT Revenue Sharing: TRAI Consultation, Fair Share Principle and Zero-Rating Prohibitions

NEWS PEG
  • The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) conducted stakeholder consultations on telecom service providers' demands for large Over-the-Top (OTT) streaming and digital platforms to pay a network usage 'fair share' contribution.
  • Telecom companies argued that high-bandwidth OTT video streaming accounts for over 75% of cellular network data traffic, necessitating huge ongoing capex in 5G infrastructure, while digital tech companies contended that mandatory network fees violate the core principle of Net Neutrality.
  • Civil society organizations cautioned that forcing digital platforms to pay telecom operators would lead to cost-shifting onto consumers, anti-competitive 'zero-rating' fast lanes, and fragmentation of the open internet.
STATIC FOUNDATION
  • Net Neutrality Principles (DoT / TRAI 2018 Guidelines): Internet Service Providers (ISPs) must treat all internet data traffic equally without any discrimination, throttling, blocking, or granting preferential fast-lanes for specific content, applications, or websites.
  • Prohibition of Discriminatory Tariffs for Data Services (2016): Landmark TRAI regulation that barred 'zero-rating' platforms (like Facebook Free Basics and Airtel Zero) in India.
  • TRAI Act, 1997: Established TRAI as an independent statutory regulatory authority for the telecommunications sector; recommendations on licensing and spectrum pricing are advisory, but tariff and interconnection regulations are binding.
  • TDSAT (Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal): Adjudicates disputes between licensor and licensee, service providers, and between service providers and consumer groups.
PRELIMS TRAP & PYQ BRIDGE MAINS ENHANCEMENT
  • Preserving the Open Internet: Net Neutrality as Foundation of Innovation — Preventing telecom cartels from creating toll-gates for emerging startups.
  • Telecom Infrastructure Sustainability: Funding High-Speed 5G Capex — Exploring sustainable infrastructure financing models through Digital Bharat Nidhi without compromising net neutrality.
  • Consumer Protection & Market Equity: Preventing Double-Charging — Protecting internet users who already pay retail subscription data charges from indirect content surcharges.
03 · GS-I & GS-II: Ancient History, Cultural Diplomacy & Soft Power

Revival of Ancient Nalanda University: Archaeological Heritage, Buddhist Philosophy and Asian Civilizational Diplomacy

NEWS PEG
  • The Prime Minister inaugurated the new campus of the revived Nalanda University at Rajgir, Bihar, built as a collaborative diplomatic initiative supported by 17 participating partner nations (including ASEAN members, Australia, China, Japan, and South Korea).
  • Historical scholars commemorated Nalanda's legacy as a premier 5th-century Mahavihara ancient university founded under the Gupta Dynasty (Kumaragupta I) that attracted thousands of global scholars (including Xuanzang and Yijing) to study Mahayana Buddhism, Vedic philosophy, logic (Hetuvidya), mathematics, and Ayurveda.
  • India leveraged the revival of Nalanda as a cornerstone of its Buddhist Cultural Diplomacy and 'Act East' policy, reinforcing historical civilizational ties across Southeast and East Asia.
STATIC FOUNDATION
  • Historical Nalanda Mahavihara: Established in 5th century CE by Gupta Emperor Kumaragupta I; patronized by later Gupta rulers, King Harshavardhana of Kannauj, and the Pala Empire (Dharampala, Devapala).
  • Ancient Curriculum: Buddhist theology (Mahayana, Hinayana), Sabdavidya (Grammar), Chikitsavidya (Medicine), Hetuvidya (Logic), Sankhya philosophy, Astronomy, and Metallurgy; famous multi-storey libraries (Ratnasagara, Ratnodadhi, Ratnaranjaka).
  • Destruction of Nalanda: Sacked and destroyed in late 12th century CE (c. 1193) by the Turko-Afghan military commander Bakhtiyar Khilji.
  • Nalanda University Act, 2010: Enacted by Indian Parliament to establish the modern international university based on the decisions of the East Asia Summit (Cebu, 2007).
PRELIMS TRAP & PYQ BRIDGE MAINS ENHANCEMENT
  • Cultural Diplomacy as Strategic Soft Power: Buddhist Circuit & East Asia Integration — Using shared historical heritage to deepen geopolitical trust across the Indo-Pacific.
  • Ancient Indian Knowledge Systems: Interdisciplinary Academic Rigor — Drawing pedagogical insights from ancient residential universities for modern higher education.
  • Sustainable Green Campus Architecture: Net-Zero Carbon Design — How the modern Nalanda campus integrates ancient water management (Ahar-Pyne system) with solar power.
04 · GS-III: Industrial Technology, Critical Minerals & Lithium Extraction

Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) Technologies: Salar Brines, Environmental Footprint and EV Battery Supply Chains

NEWS PEG
  • The Ministry of Mines and CSIR evaluated commercial pilot deployments of Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technologies to process subterranean lithium brine deposits in salt flats and geothermal reservoirs.
  • DLE techniques utilize selective adsorption resins, ion-exchange membranes, and solvent extraction to recover over 90% of dissolved lithium in just 2 hours (compared to 12–18 months for conventional solar evaporative pond processes), while returning 95% of spent brine back to the underground aquifer.
  • Industry analysts noted that adopting DLE will drastically reduce freshwater consumption and land footprint in the 'Lithium Triangle' (Chile, Argentina, Bolivia) where Indian PSU consortium KABIL is acquiring overseas mining concessions.
STATIC FOUNDATION
  • Conventional Evaporative Brine Mining: Subterranean brine is pumped into massive surface evaporation ponds where solar heat concentrates lithium over 12–18 months; consumes ~2 million liters of water per tonne of lithium extracted and leaves vast salt waste piles.
  • Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) Advantages: Faster recovery (hours instead of months), high recovery rates (80–95% vs 40–50%), small geographic footprint, and immediate reinjection of brine preventing ground subsidence and aquifer collapse.
  • Lithium Triangle: Geographic region in South America spanning the salt flats of Chile (Salar de Atacama), Bolivia (Salar de Uyuni), and Argentina (Salar del Hombre Muerto), holding ~60% of the world's known lithium reserves.
  • KABIL (Khanij Bidesh India Limited): Joint venture of NALCO, HCL, and MECL tasked with acquiring critical mineral assets abroad.
PRELIMS TRAP & PYQ BRIDGE MAINS ENHANCEMENT
  • Sustainable Battery Supply Chains: Minimizing Environmental Damage in Mineral Extraction — Adopting closed-loop DLE to avoid depleting fragile desert water resources in South America.
  • Strategic Resource Security: Securing Overseas Lithium Assets through KABIL — Countering supply concentration by establishing equity stakes in South American brine concessions.
  • Domestic Extraction Potential: Tapping Geothermal & Oilfield Brines in India — Applying DLE technologies to recover lithium from thermal springs and oilfield produced water in western India.
05 · GS-II: Indian Constitution, Judicial Independence & Contempt of Court

Contempt of Court Jurisprudence: Civil vs Criminal Contempt, Scandalizing the Court and Freedom of Free Speech (Article 19(1)(a))

NEWS PEG
  • The Supreme Court dismissed frivolous contempt petitions filed against academic critiques of court rulings, reaffirming that bona fide, constructive criticism of judicial decisions does not constitute Criminal Contempt of Court.
  • The Bench reiterated that the judiciary's dignity is protected by public trust and reasoned judgments, not by suppressing fair dissent, referencing Section 5 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 which explicitly protects fair comment on the merits of any case decided.
  • Constitutional scholars debated whether India should follow the United Kingdom's lead in formally abolishing the archaic offence of 'Scandalizing the Court', while retaining civil contempt powers under Articles 129 and 215 to enforce compliance with judicial orders.
STATIC FOUNDATION
  • Constitutional Powers of Contempt: Article 129 declares Supreme Court as a Court of Record with power to punish for contempt of itself; Article 215 confers similar contempt powers on High Courts.
  • Contempt of Courts Act, 1971:
  • Civil Contempt (Section 2(b)): Willful disobedience to any judgment, decree, direction, order, writ or other process of a court, or willful breach of an undertaking given to a court.
  • Criminal Contempt (Section 2(c)): Publication of any matter or doing of any act which scandalizes or lowers the authority of any court, prejudices judicial proceedings, or obstructs the administration of justice.
  • Truth as a Valid Defense (Section 13(b) Amendment, 2006): Court may permit a defense of justification by truth if it is satisfied that it is in public interest and the request for invoking the defense is bona fide.
PRELIMS TRAP & PYQ BRIDGE MAINS ENHANCEMENT
  • Harmonizing Free Speech with Judicial Dignity: Decriminalizing 'Scandalizing the Court' — Reforming archaic colonial contempt provisions to accommodate robust academic critique.
  • Enforcing Court Decrees: Civil Contempt as Judicial Muscle — Ensuring executive authorities comply promptly with constitutional writ directions and human rights remedies.
  • Truth as an Absolute Defense: Section 13(b) Application — Protecting investigative journalists and whistleblowers exposing corruption in judicial administration.
06 · GS-III: Environment, Wildlife Conservation & Translocation

Project Cheetah Assessment: Kuno National Park, Gandhi Sagar Second Habitat and Prey-Base Densities

NEWS PEG
  • The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) released a 2-year progress review on Project Cheetah, confirming that 27 cheetahs (including 14 Indian-born cubs) are thriving in Kuno National Park.
  • The report finalized arrangements for preparing Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh as the second viable habitat to prevent overcrowding in Kuno and de-risk the introduced population against localized disease outbreaks.
  • Wildlife ecologists highlighted that establishing a self-sustaining wild metapopulation requires contiguous scrub forest corridors, artificial prey-base augmentation (Chital, Blackbuck), and community pastoralist coexistence programs.
STATIC FOUNDATION
  • Project Cheetah: World's first inter-continental large wild carnivore translocation project; introduced African Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus) from Namibia and South Africa to revive the species in India (declared extinct in India in 1952).
  • Asiatic vs African Cheetah: Asiatic Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) is Critically Endangered, surviving only in Iran (<40 individuals); African Cheetah is Vulnerable (IUCN Red List).
  • Selected Reintroduction Habitats: Kuno National Park (MP), Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary (MP), Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary (MP), and Shahgarh Bulge in Jaisalmer (Rajasthan).
  • Cheetah Metapopulation Concept: Managing geographically separated sub-populations in different sanctuaries as a single genetic pool through planned periodic translocations.
PRELIMS TRAP & PYQ BRIDGE MAINS ENHANCEMENT
  • Grassland & Scrub Ecology Conservation: Cheetah as an Umbrella Species — Reviving degraded savannah and dry deciduous grasslands through apex predator reintroduction.
  • Managing Human-Wildlife Conflict: Cheetah Mitras & Community Stewardship — Involving local pastoralist communities in ecotourism and fair livestock compensation.
  • Establishing Ecological Corridors: Landscape Connectivity between Kuno and Gandhi Sagar — Enabling natural juvenile dispersal across the Chambal river basin.
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