GS-III: Agriculture | Renewable Energy | Groundwater | Energy Subsidies | Climate Change Context Groundwater concern: Rapid expansion of solar irrigation has raised concerns that almost-free electricity may encourage excessive groundwater pumping. Existing crisis: Subsidised or free electricity has contributed to falling water tables, aquifer depletion and growing fiscal burdens on energy utilities. Central argument:…
UPSC Mains Current Affairs for 20 August 2026
UPSC Mains Current Affairs for 20 August 2026 covers the day’s developments in the form Mains answers need — context, stakeholders, the arguments on either side, and the way forward. Each note is mapped to the General Studies paper and topic it belongs to, so the material is ready to be used in an answer rather than only read.
6 articles
Transmission Constraints Threaten India’s Renewable Energy Push
GS-III: Energy | Renewable Energy | Infrastructure | Power Sector | Climate Change Context Transmission bottleneck: Insufficient transmission lines have emerged as a major obstacle to India’s rapid expansion of renewable energy capacity. Curtailment: Several solar projects are being curtailed during daylight hours because of oversupply and grid congestion. ICRA assessment: Around 37% of renewable…
Why is the Supreme Court examining polygamy again
GS-II: Polity | Judiciary | Personal Laws | Gender Justice | Fundamental Rights Context Supreme Court: The constitutional validity of polygamy among Muslim men is once again before the Supreme Court. Centre’s response: The Court has sought the Centre’s response and asked it to consider legislative steps to abolish polygamy for all citizens, irrespective of…
The myth called ‘perfect victim’
GS-II: Polity | Judiciary | Women and Children | Gender Justice | Criminal Justice Context Tejpal case: On August 6, the Goa Division Bench of the Bombay High Court set aside the 2021 trial court acquittal of Tarun Tejpal and convicted him of rape, sentencing him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. High Court observation:…
Regulating Surrogate Advertising: Celebrity Endorsements and Consumer Protection
GS-III: Economy | Consumer Protection | Public Health | Regulatory Governance | Tobacco Control Context Maharashtra FDA action: Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has targeted celebrities endorsing products suspected of being surrogate advertisements for tobacco. Vimal Elaichi: The FDA argues that Vimal Elaichi, endorsed by Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and…
Election Integrity: Between Clean Electoral Rolls and Voter Inclusion
GS-II: Polity | Elections | Electoral Reforms | Constitutional Bodies | Democratic Governance Context Trump’s appreciation: U.S. President Donald Trump’s appreciation of India’s election mechanism has brought the issue of election integrity into focus in both democracies. SIR-like exercise in U.S.: Mr. Trump is pushing for an SIR-like exercise in the U.S., but its highly…
Ravi Raaz
Hassan Khan
Shadab Ali