News Summary · 4 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.
Postal department considers introducing DHRUVA
Department of Posts has released a draft amendment to the Post Office Act, 2023 → aims to introduce a system called the Digital Hub for Reference and Unique Virtual Address (DHRUVA).
Key highlights of DHRUVA framework
- Proposed as a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) along the lines of Aadhaar and UPI → will allow replacing textual addresses with email-like or UPI address-like labels, such as name@entity.
- Based on the Digital Postal Index Number (DIGIPIN).
- Users won’t have to enter their full address each time they need something delivered → UPI address-like label will fetch the full address when required, subject to the user’s authorisation.
- Consent-based data sharing: people tokenising their addresses can regulate when and for how long their address info can be accessed.
- Helpful for customers and service providers (such as e-commerce platforms).
- DHRUVA’s ecosystem envisions entities like:
- Address Service Providers who would generate a proxy address or label (like amit@dhruva).
- Address Validation Agencies who would be able to authenticate addresses.
- Address Information Agents who would act as intermediaries where users would be able to manage consent for providing their addresses.
- A governance entity (similar to NPCI) to oversee the entire framework.
- Expected to promote effective governance, inclusive service delivery, and enhanced user experience.
Digital Postal Index Number (DIGIPIN)
- DIGIPIN is a unique 10-character, geo-tagged alphanumeric code assigned to every 4×4 meter grid across India → launched in May 2025.
- Developed by the Department of Posts (DoP) in collaboration with IIT Hyderabad and ISRO’s National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC).
- Notably, the 6-digit PIN Code system in India was introduced in 1972.
Pending cases and vacancies in courts
- Nearly 4.8 crore cases are pending in lower courts across the country.
- 90,000+ cases are pending in the Supreme Court.
- 4,800+ posts of judges are vacant in district courts across India.
- Nearly 300 posts of judges are vacant in High Courts across India.
- Situation in Uttar Pradesh (UP)
- UP has the highest number of vacancies (1000+) for judicial officers in district and subordinate courts, followed by Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
- Among the High Courts, the Allahabad High Court has the highest number of vacancies (60) and the most pending cases (over 11 lakh).
- Lower courts in UP have (1 crore+) cases pending, the highest in India.
Mahad satyagraha
- Led by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar for asserting Dalits’ right to access public drinking water sources.
- Ambedkar compared the Mahad Satyagraha with French Revolution, invoking the ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity.
Background and Preconditions
- S. K. Bole Resolution: passed by the Bombay Legislative Council in 1923 → recommended allowing Dalits to access all public water sources.
- Goregaon Incident (1926): Ramchandra Chandorkar, a Chambhar leader, entered a public reservoir in Goregaon, triggering violent attacks on Dalits by caste Hindus.
- Reason for choosing Mahad for movement: it held a legacy of anti-caste activism through figures like Gopalbaba Walangkar and local organizations such as the Mahar Seva Sangh.
Two Phases of Mahad Satyagraha
- Mahad Satyagraha 1.0 (March 1927): Ambedkar led Dalits to drink water from the Chavdar Tank.
- Mahad Satyagraha 2.0 (December 1927): Focus shifted to speeches, resolutions, and social reform → Ambedkar emphasized human rights encompassing dignity and equality.
Parallel and subsequent activities by Dr. Ambedkar
- His paper titled Castes in India (1917) linked caste persistence to endogamy and control over women’s mobility and reproduction.
- Bahishkrut Bharat (Marathi Journal): launched in 1927 → critiqued caste oppression, disseminated democratic values, and amplified human rights discourse.
- Ambedkar supported the Ambabai Temple Satyagraha (1927) led by Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh → prompted formation of the Ambedkar Seva Dal (Samata Sainik Dal) in 1927.
- Ambedkar Burned Manusmriti on 25 December 1927 as a symbolic rejection of caste hierarchy.
Quick Picks for Prelims and Mains (QPPM)
- Supreme Court has directed the Bar Council of India to ensure 30% reservation for women in the State Bar Councils → quota would extend not only to elected positions but also to the posts of office-bearers.
- National Electronic Toll Collection programme: launched in 2014 → developed by National Payments Corporation of India.
- Parliament has passed the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025 → aims to amend the Central Excise Act, 1944, specifically to raise excise duties and cess on tobacco products.
- India’s oil purchases from Russia increased from less than 2% of its oil basket before the Ukraine conflict, to 40% in FY25 → drove India-Russia trade from an annual average of $10 bn to over $68 bn in FY25.
- Chennai–Vladivostok Maritime Corridor (CVMC): a sea route covering over 10,000 km, aimed at increasing India-Russia bilateral trade → also known as Eastern Maritime Corridor.
- 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit: being held in New Delhi during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s state visit to India on December 4-5, 2025.
- 1st India-Russia Annual Summit was held in 2000, following the signing of the India-Russia Strategic Partnership Declaration.
- International Cheetah Day: 4 December
- Three countries with the largest automobile industries: USA > China > India → India’s automobile industry is valued at ₹22 lakh crore.
- Arjun Erigaisi has won the Jerusalem Masters 2025 chess tournament by defeating Viswanathan Anand.