UPSC GS 2

INDIA- GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL (GCC) FREE TRADE AGREEMENT(FTA)

In February 2026, India and the GCC finalized the ToR for an FTA under the Act West policy, aiming to expand ties beyond energy into renewables, investment, and diaspora welfare. Backed by $178.56 billion trade, it supports IMEC and targets $300 billion trade by 2030.

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ENVIRONMENTAL DIPLOMACY: INTERNATIONAL BIG CAT ALLIANCE (IBCA)

India will host the first Global Big Cat Summit in 2026, reinforcing leadership in environmental diplomacy through the International Big Cat Alliance. The alliance promotes South-South cooperation to conserve seven big cat species, addressing habitat loss, conflict, and poaching through strong institutions, community-led conservation, and technology-driven solutions.

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CITIES CAN NO LONGER BEAR THE BURDEN OF RURAL MIGRATION

The Economic Survey 2025–26 cautions that unchecked rural–urban migration strains cities and weakens villages through a care drain. Existing schemes fall short. It calls for holistic rural revival by boosting non-farm jobs, local governance, and rural–urban integration to achieve sustainable, inclusive growth.

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India-EU FTA Explained: Opportunities, Challenges like CBAM, and the Way Forward

India and the EU have concluded the BTIA, creating a two-billion-people market. By cutting tariffs and opening services, it boosts Indian exports, global value-chain integration, and IMEC. Despite CBAM and ratification hurdles, it marks a historic strategic and economic compact.

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CRISIS OF GLOBAL RULES-BASED ORDER: CHALLENGES AND WAY FORWARD FOR INDIA

The post-WWII rules-based order is fraying due to great-power unilateralism, UNSC paralysis, and intensifying geopolitics, harming smaller states most. India responds by championing reformed multilateralism, strategic autonomy, and Global South interests, positioning itself as a Vishwa Mitra shaping a fairer, more stable global order.

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Draft IT Rules 2026 Explained: Balancing Free Speech and Online Safety

The draft IT (Digital Code) Rules, 2026 seek to regulate online obscenity using Cable TV norms, age classification, and access controls. While protecting users, concerns over subjectivity, outdated standards, and privacy risks persist. A balanced approach needs consultations, nuanced regulation, and lessons from the EU’s Digital Services Act.

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IICDEM concludes with the adoption of the Delhi Declaration 2026

The ECI-hosted IICDEM led to the Delhi Declaration 2026, uniting 42 EMBs around five pillars to counter disinformation and interference. Through ECINET and IIIDEM, India emerges as a global democratic leader, advancing institutional strength, technology, and South-South cooperation.

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WHY DOES TRUMP WANT GREENLAND ? EXPLAINED

Renewed U.S. interest in Greenland reflects its strategic Arctic location, the Pituffik Space Base, and vast rare earth and energy resources. The push aims to counter Russian militarization and China’s Polar Silk Road, reduce supply chain dependence, and secure emerging sea routes, despite firm opposition from Denmark and Greenland.

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Henley Passport Index 2026: India’s Rank Rises to 80

The Henley Passport Index 2026 shows a widening mobility divide. While Singapore leads, India’s rise to 80th with access to 55 destinations reflects diplomatic gains but persistent gaps. Strengthening passport power needs deeper visa diplomacy, economic leverage, and better security, learning from models like the UAE.

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Coaching Centre Guidelines 2024: Provisions, Challenges, Way Forward

The Union Ministry of Education's 'Guidelines for Regulation of Coaching Center 2024' aims to regulate India's 'shadow education' system by mandating registration, setting age limits for enrolment, ensuring tutor qualifications, and enforcing fair fee policies. These regulations are a response to rising student suicides, financial exploitation, and the undermining of formal education.

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TRUMP IS VIOLATING INTERNATIONAL LAW

The US strike on Venezuela, framed as counter–narco-terrorism, undermines the UN Charter and reflects weakening international law. Economic interests, not drugs, appear central. For India, the episode reinforces the need for strategic autonomy through indigenous defence strength and calibrated multialignment in a fragile global order.

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INDIA-GERMANY RELATIONS: BACKGROUND, SIGNIFICANCE, CHALLENGES, WAY FORWARD

India–Germany ties have matured into a strategic partnership vital for global stability. The 2026 Modi–Merz summit marks a shift toward defence and tech cooperation, spanning green hydrogen and P-75I submarines. Despite trade and geopolitical frictions, shared interests anchor a multipolar Indo-Pacific and Viksit Bharat 2047.

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