7 March 2026

• UPSC results: UPSC CSE 2025 announced. Rank 1: Anuj Agnihotri. 958 recommended, 31 per cent women.
• Economy: Brent crude near $88 a barrel. Russia's oil waiver from the US Treasury gives India 30 days to receive stranded Russian cargoes.
• Nepal: RSP confirmed its landslide. Balen Shah will lead Nepal's first single-party majority government in 27 years.
• Bihar: BJP positioned for its first Bihar CM after Nitish Kumar's Rajya Sabha filing.
• Karnataka: ₹4.48 lakh crore budget for 2026-27 tabled.

GS area: Governance (UPSC, civil services)

The UPSC declared the final results of the Civil Services Examination 2025:

• Recommended: 958 candidates against 1,087 advertised vacancies. Not all vacancies were filled due to shortage of candidates meeting the cut-off in certain categories.
• Rank 1: Anuj Agnihotri (AIIMS Jodhpur, Medical Science optional).
• Rank 2: Rajeshwari Suve (Anna University, Sociology optional).
• Rank 3: Akansh Dhull (Delhi University).
• Gender breakdown: 659 men and 299 women. Women constituted 31.2 per cent of those recommended.
• Category breakdown: General 317, OBC 306, SC 158, EWS 104, ST 73.
• Application to selection ratio: About 0.016 per cent of the 9.37 lakh applicants who appeared were recommended. This is the competitive intensity metric examiners use.
• UPSC's constitutional status: The Union Public Service Commission is a constitutional body under Article 315 to 323. Article 316 governs the appointment of its Chairman and members. The Chairman and members serve for a term of six years or until age 65.

Static linkage: Constitutional bodies, civil services (GS II).

GS area: Economy (energy), International Relations

The US Treasury issued a 30-day waiver on Russian oil sanctions:

• What it does: Allows Indian refineries to receive stranded Russian crude cargoes already en route without triggering CAATSA (Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) penalties.
• Validity: Until April 5, 2026.
• Why it matters: Russia's share in India's crude import had already fallen from 43 per cent (July 2024 peak) to 19.3 per cent by January 2026, as Gulf suppliers reclaimed market share. But several tankers with Russian crude were already in transit when the West Asia war began and the Hormuz closed. The waiver allows those specific cargoes to arrive.
• CAATSA: Passed by the US Congress in 2017. Section 231 specifically targets countries making significant transactions with Russia's defence or intelligence sectors. India's S-400 purchase from Russia triggered a Section 231 waiver in 2021.
• India's current account risk: If Hormuz stays closed, the CAD could reach 1.4 per cent of GDP in extreme scenarios, per analyst estimates.

Static linkage: India-Russia-US relations, energy trade (GS II, International Relations).

GS area: Economy, Governance

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah tabled the Karnataka budget with a ₹4,48,004 crore total outlay:

• Revenue deficit: ₹22,957 crore, which is 2.03 per cent of the state's Gross State Domestic Product.
• Borrowings: ₹1.32 lakh crore. The state's total debt stock is a concern for rating agencies.
• Welfare guarantees: The Congress government's guarantee programmes (free power, bus travel for women, nutrition support) continued.
• Social media for under-16: The budget proposed legislation restricting social media access for those below 16, following Australia's December 2025 ban. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 already requires parental consent for processing children's data.
• Rohith Vemula Act: Proposed legislation to prevent caste discrimination in higher education institutions, named after the Hyderabad University research scholar whose 2016 death sparked national protests.
• Agricultural growth: Karnataka's agricultural sector grew 9.1 per cent in 2025-26.
• AI adoption: Karnataka constituted a Committee on Responsible AI, chaired by Kris Gopalakrishnan (Infosys co-founder), to develop an AI governance framework.

Static linkage: State budgets, fiscal federalism (GS II, GS III).

GS area: International Relations (neighbourhood)

By March 7, Nepal's election result was confirmed:

• RSP seats: Won 121 FPTP seats (final count), with proportional representation seats to follow. The first single-party majority government in Nepal in 27 years.
• PM candidate: Balendra Shah (Balen Shah), 35 years old, former structural engineer and rapper. Defeated K.P. Sharma Oli by 49,614 votes in Oli's home constituency.
• Rabi Lamichhane: RSP party president, likely to be part of the cabinet formation process.
• India's opportunity: Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project revival, trade corridor regularisation, and transit access to Bangladesh via Indian territory are three immediate items India can offer to cement early goodwill with the new government.
• First Madhesi PM: Balen Shah would also be Nepal's first PM from the Madhesi community (the plains population historically marginalised in Nepal's hill-centric politics).

Static linkage: India-Nepal relations, neighbourhood first policy (GS II).

GS area: Polity (governance, technology)

Karnataka's budget proposal joins a global wave:

• Australia (December 2025): Enacted a law prohibiting social media access for those under 16, with civil penalties for platforms that fail to enforce it.
• Indonesia: Announced a ban effective March 28, 2026.
• Andhra Pradesh: Restricting access for those under 13.
• India's legal framework: The DPDP Act, 2023 requires parental consent for processing data of children (defined as under 18). It does not ban social media for children but requires a verified consent mechanism.
• Evidence: The Economic Survey 2025-26 cited research linking heavy social media use to elevated self-harm and suicidal ideation risks among 15 to 29-year-olds. India recorded 1.71 lakh suicides, with this age group most vulnerable.
• ASER 2024: About 90 per cent of Indian adolescents aged 14 to 16 have smartphone access.

Static linkage: Digital rights, DPDP Act, child protection (GS II).

GS area: International Relations, Security

By March 7, India had repatriated approximately 15,000 nationals from Gulf countries:

• MEA coordination: A special task force under the Foreign Secretary coordinated with state governments, airlines, and ground agencies in each Gulf country.
• MADAD portal: The MEA's Overseas Indian Assistance helpline and portal for distressed Indian nationals.
• Emigration Act, 1983: Governs the recruitment and protection of Indian workers in ECR countries. It requires government-approved recruitment agents and imposes conditions on employer contracts.
• Remittances: The Gulf region sends approximately $35 billion in annual remittances to India. A prolonged conflict that displaces workers reduces this inflow, which is India's single-largest external revenue source.

Static linkage: Indian diaspora, MEA functions (GS II).

• Women in governance: The UPSC result showed 31 per cent women among recommended candidates. Bihar's politics showed a different reality. Bihar's 2025 assembly had about 26 per cent women MLAs after affirmative candidate selection by NDA parties. The Women's Reservation Act, when implemented, will change this structurally.
• Lyngdoh Committee guidelines: Karnataka's budget referenced restoring these guidelines on student union elections. The Lyngdoh Committee (2006) recommended transparent election processes in universities.