Current affairs for KBC

Education Budget in Telangana Post-Bifurcation

Since the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014, Telangana has allocated around 7% to 7.6% of its total state budget to education, which is lower than Andhra Pradesh’s 12.7% allocation and below the national average of ~14%.

The 2025-26 education budget in Telangana is approximately Rs. 23,000 crore, a slight increase over previous years, with a significant plan to establish 58 Young India Integrated Residential Schools at a projected cost of Rs 11,600 crore across assembly constituencies.

Despite increases in allocation, critiques highlight the percentage is still below the recommended 15-20% for education spending by national commissions like the Kothari Commission.

The government spends a substantial portion of the education budget on primary and secondary schooling, but challenges such as vacant posts for education officers and uneven service conditions for teachers persist.

Telangana’s literacy rate was around 66.54% in 2011, below the national average, and improvements have been gradual, with experts pointing out funding and policy implementation gaps post-bifurcation.

In contrast, Andhra Pradesh has seen rapid growth in its education spending, increasing public expenditure on school education from Rs 12,000 crore in 2014-15 to over Rs 31,000 crore in 2024-25, focusing heavily on school education.

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In 2025, the Supreme Court banned the feeding of stray dogs in public spaces and directed that they be vaccinated, sterilised, and cared for in designated shelters or feeding zones, while expanding the scope of Animal Birth Control (ABC) rules across all states and Union Territories.

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President Theodore Roosevelt officially named the building the "White House" in 1901. Before this, it was informally known as the "President’s House" or "Executive Mansion." The popular belief that the building was painted white after the British burned it in 1814 is a myth; it had already been limewashed white in 1798.

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While fingerprints were used for centuries, Sir William Herschel, a British civil servant in mid-19th century India, is credited with pioneering their use for identification. Beginning in 1858, he systematically used fingerprints on contracts and pensions to prevent fraud. Although others later developed scientific classification methods, Herschel is considered a key early figure in the field of fingerprinting.

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India ranks 10th in the Global AI Innovation & Readiness Index (2025) with a score of 24.

The U.S. tops the index with a score of 99, while South Korea scores 54 and Switzerland scores 40.

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Currently, beer contributes to less than 4.5% of alcohol consumption in India, as the country predominantly consumes hard liquor (whisky, brandy, gin, etc.).