Archive

1. India placed 54 institutions in QS World University Rankings 2026, including 12 IITs and eight first-time entrants, making India the world’s fourth most represented country overall globally today.

2. Representation rose from 11 ranked Indian institutions in 2015 to 54 in 2026, a five-fold decade increase that positions India as the fastest-rising G20 nation over the decade.

1. FATF, created at the 1989 G7 Paris Summit, is an independent inter-governmental body that sets global standards to combat money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing effectively.

2. FATF standards help authorities trace illicit funds linked to drug trafficking, illicit arms trade, cyber fraud, and other serious crimes, reinforcing coordinated national and international responses globally.

Key Takeaways

PM Narendra Modi visited Jordan on December 15-16, 2025, his first full-fledged visit to the country.
Five MoUs were signed in the areas of renewable energy, water resource management, cultural exchange, digital solution and twinning between Petra and Ellora

Key Takeaways

PM Narendra Modi visited Ethiopia on 16-17 December 2025, on his first bilateral visit.
He was conferred with ‘Great Honor Nishan of Ethiopia’ country’s highest honour during Addis Ababa visit.

1. Overview of the Partnership

India and Russia share an enduring, time-tested relationship strengthened over 78 years. The 2000 “Strategic Partnership” and the 2010 elevation to a “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership” institutionalised cooperation across political, defence, economic, nuclear, space, science, culture and multilateral domains. The Intergovernmental Commission (IRIGC) operates at two levels: IRIGC-TEC (economic, scientific, cultural) and IRIGC-M&MTC (military & technical).