News Summary · 5 minutes read
Stay ahead in your UPSC CSE preparation with our daily News Summary. Designed to save time, it highlights key national and international events from leading newspapers and government websites.
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Start-up ecosystem of India
- India is the 3rd-largest start-up ecosystem globally with >2 lakh startups.
- 44,000 new start-ups were registered in 2025 → highest annual addition since the Startup India mission.
- Startup India was launched on 16 January 2016 to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and investment-driven growth.
- 16 January is celebrated as National Startup Day.
- Currently, India has 125 active unicorns.
- Fund of Funds for start-ups (FFS), launched in 2016, facilitated the investment ofover ₹25,000 crore.
- FFS 2.0 was approved in 2025 with a corpus of ₹10,000 crore → focuses on deep tech such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, quantum technologies, defence, and aerospace.
Scheme to Promote Registration of Employers/Employees (SPREE)
- Launched by the Union Labour Ministry on 1 July 2025 → to operate till 31 January 2026.
- Part of the reforms in the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) and Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC).
- EPFO: Retirement benefits (EPF, EPS) + life insurance (EDLI).
- ESIC: Health + social security benefits during employment.
- Provides a one-time opportunity for inadvertently uncovered employers/employees to register under the ESI Scheme (under ESIC) without retrospective demands, inspections, or punitive actions.
- Extended the social security net to 1 crore+ workers since its launch.
77th Republic Day highlights
- Chief guests
- Antonio Costa, President of the European Council.
- Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.
- Vande Mataram will be the central focus:
- 90-minute Republic Day Parade along Kartavya Path will be themed around 150 years of Vande Mataram.
- Paintings by artist Tejendra Kumar Mitra illustrating verses of ‘Vande Mataram’ will be displayed at Kartavya Path, while bands will play its tune during the Beating the Retreat ceremony.
- The parade will feature several first-time military showcases, including the Bhairav Battalion, Shaktibaan regiments, Drone Shakti, and a universal rocket launcher.
- For the first time, a European naval contingent will also take part in the parade.
Secretary-General of the Rajya Sabha (SGRS)
- Appointed by the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (Vice President of India).
- Office was created in 1952 → 1st SGRS was S. N. Mukherjee.
- Equivalent to the rank of Cabinet Secretary.
- Administrative head of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat and performs functions such as:
- Summoning Rajya Sabha members to attend parliamentary sessions.
- Preparing a list of business for each day of the Rajya Sabha session.
- Signing messages to be sent from the Rajya Sabha to the Lok Sabha.
- Acting as the returning officer for the elections of President and Vice President → SG of the Lok Sabha can also be appointed for this role.
Recently, in Justice Yashwant Varma’s removal motion case:
- Rajya Sabha Secretariat (under SGRS) noted deficiencies in the motion.
- Deputy Chairman rejected the motion based on this note.
- Supreme Court criticised this, stating that the Secretary-General has only an administrative role and cannot perform quasi-adjudicatory functions, which are for the presiding officer.
Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha (SGLS)
- Appointed by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
- Office was created in 1952 → 1st SGLS was M. N. Kaul.
- Equivalent to the rank of Cabinet Secretary.
- Administrative head of the Lok Sabha Secretariat and performs functions such as:
- Summoning Lok Sabha members to attend parliamentary sessions.
- Preparing a list of business for each day of the Lok Sabha session.
- Signing messages to be sent from the Lok Sabha to the Rajya Sabha.
- Acting as the returning officer for the elections of President and Vice President → SG of the Rajya Sabha can also be appointed for this role.
Removal of High Court Judges
A High Court judge can be removed by a presidential order after following a procedure laid down in the Judges Enquiry Act (1968).
Constitutional provisions
- Article 217(1)(b): states that a High Court Judge may be removed from office by the President in the same manner as a Supreme Court Judge is removed under Article 124(4).
- Article 124(4): specifies the removal process of a Supreme Court Judge via parliamentary address (needs special majority: majority of total membership and 2/3rd present & voting) on the grounds of proved misbehaviour or incapacity, followed by a presidential order.
- Article 218: extends Article 124(4) and Article 124(5) to High Courts.
- Article 124(5): empowers the Parliament to regulate the removal procedure by law → Parliament has enacted the Judges Inquiry Act, 1968.
Process (Judges Inquiry Act, 1968)
- Motion initiation: Signed by 100 LS MPs or 50 RS MPs → submitted to Speaker/Chairman.
- Motion admission: Speaker/Chairman can admit or reject.
- Inquiry committee (3 members)
- Chief Justice or a judge of Supreme Court
- Chief Justice of a High Court
- A distinguished jurist
- Committee report: If guilty, report tabled in both Houses.
- Parliament’s decision: report must be passed with a special majority (2/3rd members present & voting + majority of total membership).
- Presidential order: if Parliament’s address is presented to the President in the same session in which it is passed by both houses, the President issues a removal order.
No judge of a High Court has been removed so far.
Quick Picks for Pre and Mains (QPPM)
- Pasuvula Panduga: a traditional bull-taming event celebrated (despite bans) during Kanuma (Sankranti) in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana → also called Andhra Jallikattu.
- Makoko: world’s largest floating slum → floats on Lagos Lagoon (Atlantic Ocean inlet) in Lagos, Nigeria.
- Shaya Mohsin Zindani: new PM of Yemen.