Current Affairs

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Tashkent for a two-day visit to deepen India-Uzbekistan bilateral relations. The leadership will focus on expanding cooperation in defence, energy, trade, and digital connectivity, aligning India's 'Viksit Bharat 2047' vision with 'Uzbekistan-2030'.

India and Uzbekistan share centuries-old civilisational ties, primarily linked through the ancient Silk Route. In modern diplomacy, Uzbekistan is a pivotal partner in India's "Connect Central Asia" policy, crucial for regional security, counter-terrorism, and energy needs. The historical bond is profoundly marked by the 1966 Tashkent Agreement, where India's second Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri, signed a peace treaty with Pakistan before his sudden demise in the city.

GS2: International Relations

In a major crackdown on drug trafficking, the Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) seized over 66.8 lakh illicit psychotropic tablets (like Tramadol and Alprazolam) under Operation Vajra 2.0. The interception took place along the Punjab-Himachal Pradesh corridor, exposing an inter-state supply chain.

Drug abuse and trafficking pose a severe threat to national security and the demographic dividend of India. The government actively fights this menace through a dual approach. Legally, the cultivation and distribution of narcotics are strictly regulated under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. Socially, the government relies on initiatives like the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) to reduce drug demand through community awareness, especially among vulnerable youth.

GS2: Governance | GS3: Internal Security

Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his best wishes to all sports enthusiasts on the occasion of National Sports Day. He paid heartfelt tributes to the legendary hockey player Major Dhyan Chand, whose birth anniversary is celebrated on this day, praising the dedication and passion of athletes who bring glory to the nation.

National Sports Day (Rashtriya Khel Divas) is celebrated every year on August 29 in India to commemorate the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand, widely known as the "Wizard of Hockey." Born in Prayagraj (then Allahabad) in 1905, he was instrumental in establishing India's absolute dominance in field hockey on the global stage. The Government of India officially declared this day as National Sports Day in 2012 to spread awareness about physical activity, sports, and overall health. Traditionally, this is the day when the President of India confers the prestigious National Sports Awards—including the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award, and Dronacharya Award—at the Rashtrapati Bhavan to honor exceptional sporting talents and coaches.

GS1: Current events of national and international importance (Sports)

Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan paid glowing tributes to visionary statesman and former Karnataka Chief Minister Ramakrishna Hegde on his birth centenary in Bengaluru. He hailed Hegde as an architect of democratic decentralization and clean governance who transformed Karnataka into a model welfare state.

Ramakrishna Hegde (1926–2004) was a towering political figure who served as the Chief Minister of Karnataka for multiple terms between 1983 and 1988. He is widely celebrated for pioneering grassroots governance reforms long before they were formalized across the country. Hegde enacted the landmark Karnataka Zilla Parishads, Taluk Panchayat Samitis, Mandal Panchayats and Nyaya Panchayats Act, 1985 (based on the Ashok Mehta Committee recommendations), which devolved real political, administrative, and financial powers to local bodies. This groundbreaking initiative served as a vital blueprint for the nationwide 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992, granting constitutional status to Panchayati Raj Institutions. Furthermore, to uphold probity in public life, his administration introduced the robust Karnataka Lokayukta Act, 1984, setting a historic precedent by bringing the Chief Minister under the anti-corruption ombudsman's purview.

GS2: Polity and Governance (Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein)