SNIPPETS 19 JANUARY 2026

India–Japan Strategic Dialogue: 18th India–Japan Strategic Dialogue held in New Delhi+ To launch the “Japan–India Private-Sector Dialogue on Economic Security” (BtoB) within the first quarter of 2026+ To establish the “Japan–India AI Strategic Dialogue” under the “Japan–India AI Cooperation Initiative (JAI)”+ It will focus in five priority areas – semiconductors, critical minerals, information and communication technology, clean energy and pharmaceuticals.

Removal of Judges: SC upholds LS Speaker’s formation of Inquiry Committee to remove Justice Yashwant Varma +Court observed that rejection of a motion against a judge in one House (i.e. LS or RS) would not render the other House incompetent to proceed with investigation +Article 124 and 218 deals with removal of judges of SC and High Court(HC) respectively  + Grounds for removal: Proven misbehavior and incapacity (Not defined in the Constitution)+ Procedure is regulated by Judges Enquiry Act (1968)+ There is no mention of word impeachment for removal of judges in the constitution. 

Turkman Gate: Turkman Gate was one of the 14 gates of Shahjahanabad+ Shahjahanabad built by – Mughal emperor Shahjahan when he shifted his capital from Agra to Delhi in 1683 CE+ Architectural style – The gateway is rectangular in plan.

Coconut root wilt disease: A debilitating, non-fatal disease of coconut caused by a phytoplasma (phloem-limited pathogen), leading to chronic decline+ Spread is vector-borne, and is accelerated by continuous coconut belts, wind-assisted vector movement, and rising abiotic stress +Transmitted through sap-sucking insect vectors+ Leaves look weak and droopy+ Leaves turn yellow from the tips+ Leaves curl and cup inward+ Poor flowering and nut fall+ Solutions and management: Select and multiply tolerant palms, Good field and crop management, Strengthen palms with organic nutrition