NATIONAL NEWS

Centre Moves to Streamline 'Creamy Layer' Norms for OBC Reservations Across Sectors

• The government is working to bring uniformity in applying creamy layer rules for OBC reservations across all sectors, including state and central jobs, PSUs, universities, and autonomous bodies.

• This initiative, shaped through consultations with key bodies like NITI Aayog and NCBC, aims to eliminate discrepancies by aligning job roles and salary structures to determine eligibility.

• The creamy layer concept, introduced post the 1992 Indra Sawhney judgment, was meant to exclude the economically advanced among OBCs from reservation benefits.

• Initial guidelines issued in 1993 excluded children of high-ranking officials and wealthy professionals, with the income ceiling later revised to Rs 8 lakh, excluding farm income.

• In 2004, criteria were refined to include income-based assessment for non-government jobs, but enforcement remained inconsistent until stricter checks began from 2015.

• Post-2015, deeper scrutiny of caste certificates led to rejections of OBC claims for some candidates who earlier qualified, reflecting tighter application of updated norms.

• The current effort includes defining equivalent roles across sectors—for example, treating university assistant professors at par with Group A officers—to standardise creamy layer classification.

• Once enforced, the move will ensure fair treatment of similarly placed employees across institutions while continuing to use income as the main yardstick for private sector roles.

SUMMIT AND CONFERENCES

India’s Diplomatic Dilemma After the 2025 Alaska Trump-Putin Summit

• The Trump-Putin Alaska Summit in August 2025 reflected cordiality but yielded no concrete outcomes that aligned with India’s expectations or strategic interests.

• India anticipated a softening of US pressure over its ties with Russia, particularly on oil imports, but the summit failed to deliver any such relief.

• Hopes for lifting of secondary sanctions and revival of stalled trade talks with the US were dashed as Washington maintained its tough position.

• The US continued to enforce 25% secondary sanctions on India for Russian oil purchases, while maintaining reciprocal tariffs that hurt Indian exports.

• These sanctions appear more symbolic than consistent, especially when considering the US’s own dealings with Russia and China’s greater energy imports from Moscow.

• India’s foreign policy, heavily reliant on personal diplomacy under PM Modi, faced setbacks as high-level engagements didn’t translate into tangible gains.

• The summit underscored the limits of ceremonial diplomacy and highlighted the need for India to focus on achieving strategic deliverables.

• Looking ahead, India plans key visits and the Quad Summit, presenting a chance to broaden partnerships and push back against policies affecting its economic autonomy.

Jaishankar’s Moscow Visit Strengthens India-Russia Strategic Cooperation

• External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar co-led the 26th Inter-Governmental Commission with Russia in Moscow on 20 August, focusing on expanding bilateral collaboration.

• The three-day visit from August 19–21 is aimed at enhancing ties in trade, technology, science, economy, and cultural exchange between the two nations.

• India’s Ministry of External Affairs emphasised that the session will further advance the strong India-Russia relationship.

• The visit came in response to an invitation from Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, highlighting the ongoing strength of diplomatic engagement between the two nations.

• He is also expected to hold talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during the trip, adding a strategic layer to the engagement.

• The India-Russia partnership, regarded as robust and enduring, continues to be reinforced through frequent high-level interactions.

• This visit gains significance as it precedes a potential visit by President Vladimir Putin to India, underlining the importance of ongoing diplomatic dialogue.

AWARDS

Manika Vishwakarma Crowned Miss Universe India 2025

• Manika Vishwakarma from Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, has won the Miss Universe India 2025 title at the grand finale held in Jaipur.

• She was crowned by the outgoing titleholder Rhea Singha, marking a proud moment for the state of Rajasthan.

• Tanya Sharma from Uttar Pradesh secured the first runner-up position, while Mehak Dhingra from Haryana was named second runner-up.

• Manika is currently based in Delhi and is pursuing her final year in Political Science and Economics.

• Prior to winning the national title, she had earned the Miss Universe Rajasthan crown.

• She will now represent India at the 74th Miss Universe pageant to be held in Thailand this November.

• Her victory adds to India’s rich legacy in the global pageant, with past winners including Sushmita Sen, Lara Dutta, and Harnaaz Sandhu.

• The achievement highlights India’s continued presence and influence in international beauty competitions.

Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan to Strengthen Farmer-Scientist Connect from October 3

• Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced the launch of the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan starting from 3rd October 2025.

• The campaign aims to build stronger connections between farmers and agricultural scientists across the country.

• It will run till 18th October, with extensive outreach planned in rural areas.

• Thousands of scientists and officials from the agriculture department will visit villages to directly engage with farmers.

• Farmers will be introduced to the latest farming technologies aimed at boosting food production and improving efficiency.

• The initiative highlights the government’s focus on promoting scientific and sustainable agricultural practices.

• This campaign follows a similar effort in May, during which over 1.33 crore farmers were reached through direct interaction.

• The programme is expected to accelerate the adoption of modern farming methods at the grassroots level.

SPORTS

16th Asian Shooting Championship

• Girish Gupta delivered a standout performance in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, clinching gold in the 10m air pistol men’s youth event with a score of 241.3.

• Young shooter Dev Pratap, only 14 years old, earned silver in the same category by finishing just behind with a score of 238.6.

• Haryana’s Kapil Bainsla brought home India’s first gold at the championship after topping the junior men’s 10m air pistol final with 243.0 points.

• In the same final, Uzbekistan’s Ilkhombek Obidjonov took silver, while Indian shooter Jonathan Gavin Antony secured the bronze medal.

• The trio of Kapil, Jonathan, and Vijay Tomar claimed team silver in the junior men’s category, registering a total of 1723 points.

• South Korea emerged as the gold medal winner in this team event with 1734 points, and Kazakhstan finished with bronze.

• India also earned a silver medal in the senior men’s 10m air pistol team event, as Anmol Jain, Aditya Malra, and Saurabh Chaudhary collectively scored 1735 points.

• At the end of the first day, India wrapped up with a total of five medals — two gold and three silver — setting a strong tone for the championship ahead.