Geography 

US-Russia talks begin in Saudi Arabia about Ukraine war, focus on Black Sea ceasefire - Indian Express 

US and Russian officials are in Saudi Arabia and holding talks aimed at making progress towards a broader ceasefire in Ukraine as Washington is also eyeing to secure a separate Black Sea maritime ceasefire deal with the Kremlin.

Black Sea

• Overview: Large inland marginal sea of the Atlantic, in southeastern Europe.

• Area: ~4.36 lakh sq. km.
• Borders:
  • North: Russia, Ukraine
  • South: Turkey
  • West: Bulgaria, Romania
  • East: Georgia
• Key Features:
  • Connected to the Aegean Sea via Bosporus, Sea of Marmara & Dardanelles.
  • Linked to Sea of Azov by Kerch Strait.
  • Lower salinity due to limited exchange with Mediterranean.
  • Rivers: Danube, Dnieper, Dniester, Southern Bug, Rioni.

• Meromictic Basin: Layers don't mix, creating unique ecological zones.
• Anoxic Deep Waters: Low oxygen levels affect marine life.
• Strategic Importance:
  • Key trade route (grain, energy) for Russia and Ukraine.
  • Militarized: Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in Crimea.
  • NATO-Russia tensions.
• Notable Islands: Snake Island, Giresun Island, St. Ivan Island.

Polity 

How is an in-house inquiry conducted? - The Hindu 

The Chief Justice of India (CJI) has constituted an in-house committee to conduct an inquiry into allegations of misconduct against Justice Yashwant Varma. This follows recovery of huge piles of cash at his residence during a fire-control operation.

Current Issue

• A fire at Justice Yashwant Varma’s residence led to discovery of burnt currency notes.
• Delhi HC Chief Justice found prima facie need for deeper probe and informed the CJI.
• A 3-member in-house committee has been set up and judicial work has been withdrawn.
• He has been transferred to Allahabad High Court by the collegium.

In-House Procedure

• Adoption: In 1999, made public in 2014 for probing complaints against judges.
• Committee: CJI may form a 3-member committee after preliminary inquiry.
• Role of the committee: May advise resignation or recommend removal through constitutional process. Details of inquiry remain confidential.

Suggested Reforms

• Increase transparency: Disclosing key inquiry findings.
• Regulation: Establish a permanent judicial conduct body like UK’s JCIO.
• Reconsider NJAC: To ensure transparency in appointments.

Why Kerala has finally opened the door for private universities in the state - Indian Express 

The Kerala State Private Universities (Establishment and Regulation) Bill, 2025, was recently passed after two days of legislative deliberation. It was presented in the assembly earlier this month and referred to a subject committee for review.

Key Provisions of Kerala State Private Universities Bill

• Government Nominees in University Bodies:
  • Governing Council: 3 out of 12 members are government nominees.
  • Executive Council: 1 out of 9 members is a government nominee.
  • Academic Council: 3 government nominees participate in policy-related meetings
• Multi-Campus Universities:
  • Allows establishment of multi-campus universities.
  • Reserves 40% seats for permanent state residents with SC/ST/OBC quotas.
• Students’ Council:
  • Headed by the Pro Vice-Chancellor.
  • Includes 10 elected student members; one SC/ST and two female students mandatory.
• Regulatory Body:
  • To be set up by the government to oversee teaching, research, and training activities.

Comparison with Other States' Private University Laws

• Legislative Approach:
  • States like Haryana, UP, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh have common laws for all private universities.
  • Karnataka enacts a separate law for each university.
• State Quota for Students:
  • Tamil Nadu: 35% state quota.
  • Karnataka: 40% state quota.
  • Haryana: 25% state quota, including 10% for SCs.
• Government Representation:
  • Tamil Nadu: 2 govt reps in executive council.
  • Haryana: 1 govt rep in governing body.
  • Karnataka: Govt rep and nominee on Board of Governors.
  • Kerala: More government nominees than other states.
• Role of Visitor:
  • Present in Haryana and Karnataka (Governor as Visitor), absent in Kerala bill.
• Reason for Allowing Private Universities in Kerala:
  • Recommendation: Based on recommendations of the Shyam Menon Commission (2022) formed post-2021 elections.
  • Rationale: Private institutes (80%) far outnumber government institutions (20%) in the state.
  • Concerns over quality gaps: Gaps in existing private institutes prompted regulatory intervention.
  • Migration of students: Students increasingly seek education abroad or in other states, often taking loans or mortgaging assets.
  • Goal: To retain students within the state by improving private education quality.

World Affairs

What is India’s approach to citizens on death row abroad? - The Hindu 

Recently, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed that the execution of Shahzadi Khan, an Indian national sentenced to death in the UAE for the alleged murder of an infant, was already carried out. The Ministry’s confirmation came as a response to a petition filed by her father Shabbir Khan. In less than a week, the Ministry confirmed that two more Indian nationals, convicted in separate cases, were also executed in the UAE.

Indians on Death Row Abroad

• Total: 49 Indians on death row as per MEA data (March 2024).
  Highest Numbers: UAE (25), Saudi Arabia (11).
• Embassy Role: Provides legal aid, forwards clemency pleas to rulers.
• Three Stages: Arrest & indictment → Judicial process → Pardon appeal to ruler.

• Pardon Process: Filed by family; embassy forwards request.

• Blood Money Option: In Gulf nations, some sentences can be commuted if accepted by the victim's family and state.
• Limitations in Assistance:
  • Authoritarian States: Embassy often uninformed; notified only post-execution.
  • Confession Cases: Limited intervention possible.
  • Open Systems: The Embassy can appoint lawyers and use welfare funds.
• Past Successes:
  • Qatar: Eight Indian navy veterans released (2023).
  • Indonesia: Gurdip Singh spared execution after India’s intervention.

Environment 

How global warming is affecting mountain regions across the world - Indian Express

The ‘The United Nations World Water Development Report 2025 – Mountains and glaciers: Water towers’ was released to mark the first-ever World Day for Glaciers (March 21). As per the report, soaring temperatures are leading to rapid and largely irreversible changes in the mountain ranges of the world.

Glacier Melting and Climate Impact

• Accelerated Glacier Loss: Last three years saw record-high glacier mass loss; over 9,000 billion tonnes lost since 1975 (excluding Greenland & Antarctica).
• 2024 Data: 450 gigatons lost; major losses in Scandinavia, Svalbard, and North Asia.
• Causes: Rising temperatures, wildfires, and dust storms deposit black carbon on ice, increasing solar absorption and melting.

Permafrost Thaw

• Definition: Permanently frozen ground melting due to warming.
• Impacts: Releases stored organic carbon, contributing to climate change.
• Hazards: Destabilizes slopes and increases landslide risks.

Declining Snow Cover & Erratic Snowfall

• Snow Cover Reduction: 7.79% decline globally (1979–2022); worse in spring and summer.
• Rain vs Snow Shift: More rain, less snow in warmer lower elevations.
• Early Melts: Shorter snow duration and reduced coverage observed.

Significance of Glacier Melting

• Freshwater Dependence: 2 billion people rely on mountain glaciers for water; climate change threatens this supply.
• Erratic Water Flow: Melting glaciers disrupt timing, volume, and quality of downstream water, increasing erosion and sediment load.
• Risk of GLOFs: Glacier melting and permafrost thaw heighten glacial lake outburst floods; over 12,000 deaths in 200 years.
• Sea Level Rise: Glacial melt contributes 25–30% of sea-level rise; ~335 billion tonnes ice loss annually (2006–2016), raising sea level ~1 mm/year.
• Wider Impact: Each mm rise may expose ~300,000 people to flooding annually.
• Urgency: Global call for awareness, policy change, and resource mobilisation to address growing climate risks.

Sci and Tech 

HOW SECURE IS SIGNAL, APP TRUMP TEAM USED TO SHARE WAR PLANS? - Indian Express

Top Trump administration officials used the messaging app Signal to share war plans and accidentally included The Atlantic magazine’s Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg in the encrypted group chat.

Signal

• About: A private messaging app offering text, group chat, voice, and video calls with end-to-end encryption.
• Encryption: Only sender and receiver can decrypt messages; third parties can't access content.
• Privacy: It collects minimal data and supports auto-deletion of messages for added privacy.
• Signal’s open-source encryption protocol: Allows public scrutiny for security assurance.
• Hacking capacity: Though highly secure, Signal is not immune to hacking.
• Example: Russian-linked spies tried impersonating trusted contacts to hack Ukrainian military officials.
• Increase in risk: Risk increases when linked to desktop apps, where data isn't stored in secure environments.
• Usage: Not approved for transmitting classified data; sensitive info should be shared via SCIFs.