UPSC GK Capsule: From Arvind Kejriwal’s ED custody to Mukhtar Ansari’s death, top events of the week – AyraNews24x7

Current events are an essential component of the curriculum and must be understood well to prepare for any competitive exam. Being familiar with current events can benefit you in the preliminary and main examinations of UPSC CSE and many other government entrance exams. From the validity of NET results to the death of Mukhtar Ansari, let’s take a look at what happened last week.

1) Validity of NET score for PhD admission:

As of the 2024-25 academic year, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has announced that National Eligibility Test (NET) scores will be accepted for PhD admissions. Currently, students have to appear for multiple exams as different universities conduct different PhD entrance exams. The UGC has now decided to make marks obtained in the national level entrance examination NET eligible for PhD admissions, in an effort to streamline the process.

2) Bengaluru cafe blast attacker identified by NIA:

Bengaluru’s famous Rameshwaram Cafe was shaken by an explosion a month ago. The attacker was identified by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The man who detonated the explosives in the restaurant’s waiting room on March 1 was identified by the agency as Musawir Shajib Hussain. NIA also named Abdul Mathin Taha as the main conspirator. According to NIA officials, both are components of the Shivamogga module of ISIS. Taha is also considered the mastermind of the autorickshaw bomb case in Mangaluru.

3) Delhi Court extends Arvind Kejriwal’s ED custody:

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been extended till April 1 by a Delhi court. ED tells Rouse Avenue court that Delhi Chief Minister’s custody should be extended by a week as Kejriwal has not given it. They knew her password, but they had no access to her digital records. The AAP national convenor was detained by the ED on March 21 in connection with the now-canceled Delhi Liquor Policy fraud and a local court had remanded him to the federal agency’s custody till March 28.

4) South India will face water crisis due to decline in reservoir reserves:

Due to record-high temperatures and lack of rain, Bengaluru has been battling severe water shortage for more than a month. Water levels in major dams in the region are dangerously low, which could result in water shortages in many parts of South India this summer, according to the latest weekly bulletin from the Central Water Commission. All reservoirs in the south are filled only 23% of their capacity, about 17% below last year’s level and 9 points below the 10-year average.

5) Mukhtar Ansari died of cardiac arrest:

Jailed gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari died of a heart attack at Banda Medical College in Uttar Pradesh. Relatives of the former Samajwadi Party leader claimed that he was poisoned after the news of his demise leaked. Ansari complained of stomach pain and was sent to the intensive care unit (ICU) of a hospital in Banda. After reaching the hospital, his brother and Ghazipur MP Afzal Ansari claimed that he was poisoned in jail.