Article 48
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Study materialRise of Nazism in GermanyThe rise of Nazism in Germany transformed the Weimar Republic into a totalitarian state under Adolf Hitler and the NSDAP, fueled by economic despair, antisemitism, and hypernationalism between 1919 and 1933. Current affairsCheetah at Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve: India's Third Cheetah Habitat as 'Vyom' and 'Neera' Released in Madhya PradeshMadhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav released two cheetahs — named 'Vyom' (male) and 'Neera' (female) — into the Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve on October 7, 2026, making it India's third cheetah habitat under Project Cheetah. The reserve, spanning ~2,339 sq km across Sagar, Damoh and Narsinghpur districts, joins Kuno National Park (Sheopur) and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary (Mandsaur) as official cheetah sites in Madhya Pradesh. Current affairsGujarat Uniform Civil Code 2026: Presidential Assent and India's Journey Towards a Common Civil LawPresident Droupadi Murmu gave assent to the Gujarat Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, 2026 on September 17, 2026, making Gujarat the second Indian state after Uttarakhand to enact a UCC. The Act governs marriage, divorce, succession and live-in relationships for all residents irrespective of religion, and will come into force on a date to be notified separately by the state government. Current affairsPashudhan Bima Portal: Government Launches Unified Digital Livestock Insurance Platform in 13 Languages under National Livestock MissionUnion Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh launched the Pashudhan Bima Portal (Livestock Insurance Portal) in New Delhi in September 2026 — a digital platform developed under the Livestock Insurance activity of the National Livestock Mission (NLM) by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD). Available in 11 regional languages plus Hindi and English, the portal digitises the full lifecycle of livestock insurance from farmer application to claim payout. Current affairsProject Cheetah: India-Born Cheetah KGP12 Delivers Four Cubs at Kuno National Park — Population Reaches 56On September 18, 2026 — one day after Project Cheetah completed four years — KGP12, an India-born female cheetah and daughter of South African cheetah Gamini, delivered four cubs at Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh. Confirmed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change via PIB, this brings India's total cheetah population to 56, marking continued second-generation breeding success in the world's only cheetah reintroduction programme. Current affairs9th India International Water Week 2026: VP Radhakrishnan Inaugurates at New Delhi, Theme 'Climate Resilient Water Management'Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan on 22 September 2026 inaugurated the 9th India International Water Week (IIWW) at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, themed 'Climate Resilient Water Management'. This is the first edition under the 'International' rebranding — elevating India's flagship water policy platform to global stature, with partner countries Netherlands and Germany and over 5,000 delegates from 100+ nations expected over the five-day event (September 22–26). Current affairsBadri Cattle Conservation: First OPU-IVF Calf Born at GBPUAT Pantnagar — Indigenous Breed MilestoneA healthy female calf of the indigenous Badri cattle breed was born on September 11, 2026 at G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology (GBPUAT), Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, through OPU-IVF (Ovum Pick-Up In Vitro Fertilisation) — a first for this rare Himalayan breed. The milestone, achieved jointly by GBPUAT and ICAR-NDRI Karnal, marks a significant advance in conservation biotechnology for India's indigenous mountain cattle. Current affairsEl Niño 2026 OND Forecast: India's Rabi Crops, Wheat, and Winter Agriculture at RiskThe World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and India Meteorological Department (IMD) have confirmed that El Niño conditions are intensifying and forecast to peak during the October–December (OND) 2026 quarter, with sea surface temperature anomalies in the Niño 3.4 region reaching approximately +3.6°C. This raises significant risks for India's Rabi crop season — particularly wheat, chickpea, mustard, and lentils — through reduced winter rainfall in northwest India and above-normal temperatures. Current affairsGlobal Dryland Congress 2026 and Delhi Declaration on Drylands (3D): Transforming Dryland AgricultureThe Global Dryland Congress 2026 concluded on September 12, 2026, at the NASC Complex, New Delhi, with the adoption of the Delhi Declaration on Drylands (3D). Co-organised by ICRISAT and ICAR on the UN Day for South-South Cooperation, the Congress brought together 800+ experts from global institutions and adopted a shared agenda to transform dryland agriculture through South-South collaboration. Current affairsNBSS&LUP Releases India's First Digital Soil Texture Map at 1-Hectare Resolution: Precision Agriculture Gets a FoundationThe National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning (NBSS&LUP), an ICAR institute headquartered in Nagpur, released India's first digital soil texture map at 1-hectare resolution on 16 July 2026 — coinciding with NBSS&LUP's 50th Foundation Day and ICAR's 97th Foundation Day. The map, available on the Bhoomi Geoportal, uses AI-based analysis of field studies, remote sensing, and satellite imagery to enable farm-level soil characterisation — a critical input for precision agriculture, irrigation planning, and crop-suitability assessment across India. Current affairsHuman-Wildlife Conflict in India 2026: National Portal Launch, Gaj Gaurav Awards, and PMFBY Coverage — Complete UPSC GuideIndia launched the National Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC) Portal on July 10, 2026 — a single digital platform for recording incidents and supporting policy decisions — alongside the establishment of a Centre of Excellence on HWC at Coimbatore. World Elephant Day (August 12, 2026) marked conferral of the Gaj Gaurav Awards and reaffirmation of ₹500 crore government support for elephant corridor conservation and early-warning systems. Animal-related crop losses have been included in PMFBY from the kharif 2026 season. Current affairsVanashakti v. Union of India (2026 INSC 761): Supreme Court Permanently Closes Door on Ex Post Facto Environmental ClearancesIn a landmark judgment on July 29, 2026 (2026 INSC 761), a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court of India headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant quashed the Centre's 2021 Office Memorandum permitting post-facto (retrospective) environmental clearances, ruling that the prior Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) clearance regime under the EIA Notification, 2006 is mandatory and can be modified only through a statutory notification — not an administrative order. Current affairsGOBARdhan National Circular Bioenergy Scheme: Cabinet Approves ₹23,731 Crore for Compressed BiogasThe Union Cabinet on August 6, 2026 approved the National Circular Bioenergy Scheme — GOBARdhan — with a ₹23,731 crore outlay over FY 2026–27 to FY 2035–36. The scheme consolidates India's fragmented biogas policy into a single framework to achieve tenfold growth in compressed biogas (CBG) production, providing guaranteed pricing, capital assistance, and assured offtake for ten years.
In previous-year questions
- Which Directive Principle of State Policy (DPSP) in the Constitution of India directs the State to endeavour to protect and improve the environment and safeguard forests and wildlife?UPSC · Current Affairs
- The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) proposed red hexagonal front-of-pack warning labels in August 2026. Which Article of the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) most directly mandates the State to raise the level of nutrition and improve public health — forming the constitutional foundation for food safety regulation?UPSC · Current Affairs
- As per the AISHE 2023-24 report, India has 17.32 lakh teachers in higher education institutions. Which Article of the Indian Constitution provides for a Directive Principle specifically promoting the educational and economic interests of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and other weaker sections?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Article 48 of the Indian Constitution, which directs the State to organise agriculture and animal husbandry on modern and scientific lines and preserve and improve livestock breeds, is part of which category of constitutional provisions?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which Fundamental Duty under the Indian Constitution requires citizens to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which Directive Principle of State Policy (DPSP) in the Indian Constitution specifically directs the State to organise agriculture and animal husbandry on modern and scientific lines and take steps to preserve and improve breeds?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which Directive Principle of State Policy (DPSP) in the Indian Constitution directs the State to separate the judiciary from the executive in public services — a principle that the National Tribunals Commission (NTC) seeks to implement for quasi-judicial bodies?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which Fundamental Duty under the Indian Constitution directs citizens to protect the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife?UPSC · Current Affairs