Current Affairs: 6th Sept 2025

GS2: Regional and International Organization

Jaishankar to join BRICS virtual summit of BRICS nations convened by Brazil to discuss U.S. tariffs: MEA New Delhi.

Context: Meeting convened by Brazil President Lula da Silva to discuss tariffs imposed by the U.S. Summit would discuss the impact of U.S. tariffs on global trade, and measures to strengthen multilateralism in order to counter the effects of unilateral economic measures.

• The U.S. has imposed 50% tariffs on goods from Brazil, like India, the two countries with the highest levies worldwide. China and South Africa also face high 30% tariffs, and Indonesian goods are levied 19% tariffs, with a waiver for its most important agricultural exports such as palm oil, cocoa and rubber.
• All other BRICS nations including Russia and Iran, which are among the most heavily sanctioned countries, are on the lowest rung of 10% tariffs.
• BRICS is a 11-member grouping of emerging economies. India is the next Chair of the BRICS grouping, and will host the summit of countries including Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and new members Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

GS2: Union and State relations

Meitei group rejects govt.’s SoO pact with Kuki-Zo outfits

Context: The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), one of the largest Meitei civil society groups in Manipur, has rejected the signing of Suspension of Operations (SoO) pact with the Kuki-Zo insurgent groups.

• It said the decision taken by the Centre “reflects an undemocratic and hegemonic imposition upon the indigenous people and its elected representatives of Manipur”.
• The Home Ministry and the Manipur government signed the pact with the Kuki-Zo groups on Thursday with “re-negotiated terms and conditions or ground rules”. It comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s expected visit to Manipur on September 13.
• This is his first visit to Manipur since ethnic violence between the Kuki-Zo and Meitei people erupted on May 3, 2023.
• The Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), a conglomerate of civil society organisations, agreed to open the National Highway-2 (Imphal-Dimapur) passing through Kangpokpi district “for the free movement of commuters and essential goods,” the MHA said.

• The COCOMI, which has been in talks with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to find a roadmap for peace in Manipur, said the extension of the SoO agreement despite “the series of terrorist and criminal acts” committed by these groups was a decision that ran completely against the interests of the indigenous people of Manipur.
• The COCOMI said the popularly-elected government of Manipur had, through a Cabinet decision on March 10, 2023, unanimously resolved to abrogate the SoO pact. “Under the current President’s Rule, the administration is being run by an authority appointed from New Delhi, which lacks the legitimacy to represent the people of Manipur. The decision to extend the SoO under such circumstances is illegitimate,” COCOMI said in a statement on Friday.
• It said that by extending legitimacy and recognition to the armed groups under the deceptive pact of the SoO, the Government of India had raised serious doubts about its role and responsibility in dealing with narco-terrorism in the region.

HUDCO approves ₹9,303.66 cr. loan for Tunnel Road project

Context: The Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) has issued a loan sanction letter to Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Ltd (B-SMILE), approving a loan of ₹9,303.66 crore for the construction of the first corridor of the Twin Tunnel Road project (North-South corridor).

• HUDCO has instructed the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) B-SMILE to furnish the required supporting documents and execute a formal agreement before the loan is operationalised.
• The North-South corridor, which stretches 16.8 km, is estimated to cost ₹17,780.13 crore.

Interest rate

• According to the sanction letter dated August 4, 2025, reviewed by, the loan will primarily be disbursed on the guarantee of the State government.
• The loan will have an interest rate of 8.95% for the first year,finalised after a rebate of 0.10%.
• The loan has a total tenure of 24 years and 2 months (290 months), which includes a draw period of 4 years and 2 months (50 months), followed by a repayment period of 20 years (240 months). The disbursement of funds will be carried out in mutually agreed phases, according to the letter.

Signboards

• The letter further stipulates that B-SMILE must display signboards at all project sites, particularly in high-visibility locations, clearly acknowledging HUDCO’s financial assistance.

Areca growers upset over 18% GST on copper sulphate

Context: The Union government’s decision not to reduce the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on copper sulphate has upset arecanut growers and cooperatives marketing arecanut.

Only safeguard

• Technical-grade copper sulphate, the key constituent of Bordeaux mixture, is an essential agricultural fungicide used almost entirely by small and marginal growers. It is the only proven effective safeguard against devastating crop diseases such as fruit rot (Mahali/Kole Roga) in arecanut and fungal diseases in other plantation crops like coffee, cardamom, rubber, and pepper.
• “Since as early as 1910, when Dr. Leslie Coleman first investigated fruit rot disease in arecanut, no fungicide other than copper sulphate used in Bordeaux mixture has been found effective. It is a traditional, proven treatment for many diseases, in addition to being a soil health enhancer. In this context, the continued levy of 18% GST on technical-grade copper sulphate is unjust, insensitive, and unbearable for farmers already reeling under the burden of heavy rains, crop losses, and mounting input costs,” A. Kishore Kumar Kodgi, president, Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative (CAMPCO) Ltd, told The Hindu.
• “We fail to understand the rationale behind taxing technical-grade copper sulphate at 18%, while all other major fertilizers and farm inputs are taxed at only 5%,” Mr. Kodgi said.

Confusion

• Mr. Kodgi said that copper sulphate is listed under Chapter 28 with HSN code 28332500 as a sulphate, which attracts 18% GST. It is also categorised under the same chapter as a micro-nutrient, attracting a 5% GST. “This lack of uniformity, coupled with the absence of a distinct HSN Code for agricultural-grade copper sulphate, has opened the doors for confusion, misinterpretation, and ultimately exploitation of farmers,” he said. Mr. Kodgi said that the cooperative has appealed to the government to fix the GST at 5% on all copper sulphate manufactured under C1B/FCO 1985 licences and used for agricultural purposes. “Introduce a separate HSN Code for technical-grade copper sulphate used in agriculture, clearly distinguishing it from industrial-grade copper sulphate,” he said.
• Mahesh Hulkuli, vice-president of the Shivamogga-based Malnad Areca Marketing Cooperative Society (MAMCOS) Ltd, said that leaders from the cooperative and farm sectors will meet Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman again to apprise her of the need to fix the GST on copper sulphate at 5%.

GST on pan masala

• Referring to GST on pan masala fixed at 40%, the CAMPCO president said: “Since arecanut is the principal ingredient in pan masala, such taxation has unfairly reinforced the false and unscientific notion that arecanut itself is carcinogenic.” Mahesh Puchchappady, president, Puttur-based All India Areca Growers’ Association, said that there is an immediate need to reduce GST on copper sulphate to 5%.

Recent recusals in higher courts send mixed signals on upholding transparency

Context: Recent recusals in a top tribunal, a High Court, and finally, the Supreme Court have sent confusing signals about whether judges must reveal why they choose to walk out of cases.

• At the country’s top court, for instance, August 26 witnessed the inexplicable and sudden recusal of Justice M.M. Sundresh from hearing a bail plea filed by activist and advocate Surendra Pundalik Gadling in the Surjagarh iron ore mine arson case of 2016. The bail case had been with Justice Sundresh’s Bench since July 9, 2024. For well over a year, the case had seen a series of 13 adjournments till the day of the judge’s recusal, on August 26.
• The recusal order does not reveal the reason why the judge chose to suddenly recuse after so many adjournments. The one-line order blandly read: “Subject to orders of the Honourable The Chief Justice, post before another Bench, in which one of us, Justice MM Sundresh, is not a member.”

Notable exceptions

• The impenetrable veil thrown over judicial recusals was partially lifted recently when a judicial member of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), Justice Sharad Kumar Sharma, recorded in an order that he was recusing himself from a corporate insolvency appeal as a “revered member of the higher judiciary” had approached him for a favourable order for one of the parties.
• Again, a Madhya Pradesh High Court judge, Justice Vishal Mishra, chose transparency by recording in his recusal order that a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA had “attempted to call him” about an illegal mining case.
• However, these two instances, that of the NCLAT member and the High Court judge, are exceptions. The style of Justice Sundresh’s recusal order, non-explanatory and brief, is the general rule.

No formal rules

• There are no formal rules governing recusals by judges. Judges who choose to opt out of a case can do so without giving any reason.
• Justice Kurian Joseph (now retired), in his separate opinion in the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) judgment, had emphasised the need to frame specific rules for judicial recusal. “It is the constitutional duty, as reflected in one’s oath, to be transparent and accountable, and hence, a judge is required to indicate reasons for his recusal from a particular case,” Justice Kurian had observed.
• He had argued that giving reasons for recusing oneself served the legal principle that “justice must not only be done, but be seen to be done”.

New technology, innovation conclave to ‘replace’ Science Congress to be held in Nov.

Context: Signalling a break from the past, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) is set to organise the first-ever Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) in November.

• The ESTIC may ‘replace’ the Indian Science Congress, the oldest congregation of scientists in India, with a rich history predating Independence. Over the years, it has gone into oblivion, with the last being held in 2023.
• “You could see it as a replacement of the Indian Science Congress,” a senior official.
• Since 2015, the government has nurtured the India International Science Festival (IISF) that is organised by the science-related departments. It has among its organisers Vijnana Bharti — a science popularisation outfit affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
• “The IISF is more of a festival, a ‘mela’ (fair), and meant to popularise science among students and young people. It is not a forum where scientists and technologists can discuss bigger themes of science, technology and innovation,” said the official.
• This year, the IISF is expected to be held at the Panjab University, Chandigarh.
• The IISF does not usually see participation by international Nobel Laureates, nor does Prime Minister Narendra Modi visit it in person. However, he has made virtual appearances or sent video messages for the IISF.
• The ESTIC website says that Mr. Modi is expected to be present at its inaugural session.
• Traditionally, the Indian Science Congress, organised by the Indian Science Congress Association, Kolkata, and funded by the DST and held in the first week of January, has always had the Prime Minister at the inaugural. However, the last time Prime Minister Modi appeared in person was at the 107th Science Congress at Lovely Professional University, Ludhiana, in 2020. The following two years, the event was not held, citing the pandemic.
• In 2023, Mr. Modi made an appearance, but only online, at the 108^th edition. In 2024 and this year, the Science Congress was not held due to a spat between the DST and the ISCA’s executive body over the organisation of the event. The DST has said that it would no longer fund the ISCA.
• The inaugural ESTIC will be held at the Bharat Mandapam here from November 3-4. All the science-related Ministries, ranging from atomic energy to space and information technology, will be involved in it. According to the ESTIC website, there will be 11 thematic technical sessions and 75 exhibition stalls by ‘deep tech’ start-ups at the event. Nobel Laureate Andre Geim (2010, Physics) is expected to make an appearance. Jean-Yves Le Gall, former president of the French Space Agency, and Professor Masaru Tomita, Keio University, Japan, are among the foreign dignitaries expected.
• In a meeting earlier, Science Minister Jitendra Singh said the ESTIC would “showcase cutting-edge research, deep-tech breakthroughs, and thought-provoking discussions, igniting a new era of scientific leadership towards Viksit Bharat 2047”.

India plans to strengthen nuclear deterrence, drone warfare capabilities

Context: India has set out an ambitious plan to reinforce its nuclear deterrence and expand drone warfare capabilities under the Technology Perspective and Capability Roadmap (TPCR-2025), a 15-year blueprint for military preparedness.

• The document highlights measures to sustain credible nuclear deterrence through survivability systems and advanced delivery platforms. While it avoids reference to specific warhead technologies, it outlines future acquisitions such as nuclear command-and-control infrastructure, radiation detection tools, and mobile decontamination units.
• Unmanned ground vehicles for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) reconnaissance are also on the agenda, aimed at strengthening protection against potential nuclear or chemical fallout.
• On the aerial front, the Army has projected requirements for stealth remotely piloted aircraft with ranges of up to 1,500 km and altitudes of 60,000 feet. These drones would carry electronic warfare payloads; nuclear, biological, and chemical detection equipment, and even guide artillery fire.

Loitering munition

• The road map also places emphasis on loitering munitions, designed to carry out precision strikes with artificial intelligence-enabled targeting and reusable warhead systems. In addition, integrated surveillance and targeting drones are expected to boost the battlefield capabilities of mechanised forces.
• India is also preparing for the emerging threat of hostile drone swarms.
• The TPCR-2025 envisages adaptive jamming systems and electronic denial bubbles with a 15 km radius to neutralise such attacks, underscoring the rising importance of electronic warfare in modern combat.
• Officials said the initiatives were closely aligned with the government’s self-reliance push in defence production by reducing dependence on foreign imports.
• With the road map, India has signalled a strategic shift towards integrated deterrence — combining nuclear resilience, electronic warfare, and unmanned strike platforms — to strengthen national security in the coming decades.

Not easy to switch to domestic from global, say exporters

Context: Multiple factors, such as low surplus absorption capacity and different specifications, severely inhibit a shift to the domestic market for exporters struggling to sell in the U.S. because of the 50% tariffs.

• Trade experts and exporters believe international market diversification is a more feasible option, but even that cannot happen overnight and would need active support from the government.

Market stress

• “Diverting export products to the domestic market is not a big possibility as there is oversupply. Already, all domestic players are under stress, as you can see from their heavy discounts. International market diversification is definitely a solution, but it is not an immediate option,” pointed out Sanjay Jain, chairman, ICC National Textiles Committee.
• Rationalisation of GST rates could expand the domestic market for some sectors such as footwear, but not for others like diamonds and jewellery, because for every product, the domestic market’s capacity to absorb will be different, explained Ajay Sahai of FIEO. “For low-value items like some handicrafts, there might be demand in the domestic market, but for high-value items like carpets, the capacity to absorb may be limited due to high price and because it is not a fast-moving item,” he said.

Long-term solution

• Thirukkumaran Natarajan, chairman of Tiruppur-based Esstee Exports India Pvt. Ltd., said diversifying to domestic markets can only be a long-term solution. “The set-up is different for exports and domestic (demand) as markets are different and overheads are also different, said Mr. Natarajan, who is also the Secretary of Tiruppur Exporters Association.
• Exporters need to keep supplying to their foreign markets to retain the major brands that source supplies from them, said Mithileshwar Thakur of AEPC.
• “If exporters stop supplying to major foreign brands, they may just leave. So, exporters will try their best to retain them,” Mr. Thakur said.
• The domestic market cannot substitute the export market for India, pointed out Biswajit Dhar from the Council for Social Development.
• “India is a hugely import-dependent country. We need the foreign exchange,” he said. Mr. Dhar added that the best way to deal with the loss of U.S. market would be to diversify to newer markets in Africa, Latin America and Central Asia and the Centre should provide all support.

‘REITs, InvITs AUM crossed ₹9 lakh cr.’

Context: Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs) instruments are becoming popular in India as their combined assets under management have crossed ₹9 lakh crore in the last nine years, as per industry bodies IRA and BIA.

• The combined AUM of REITs and InvITs are expected to touch ₹25 lakh crore by 2030, as per the projections of The Indian REITs Association (IRA) and Bharat InvITs Association (BIA).
• At present, there are five listed REITs in India – Brookfield India Real Estate Trust, Embassy Office Parks REIT, Mindspace Business Parks REIT, Nexus Select Trust, and Knowledge Realty Trust.
• Currently, there are 27 Sebi-registered InvITs, and out of these, five are publicly listed on the stock exchanges, while 23 are privately listed.
• The first InvIT was registered in 2016, while the first REIT got listed in 2019.
• IRA and BIA, which jointly hosted the first product awareness programme in the national capital, highlighted assets under management (AUM) of InvITS and REITs currently stand at around ₹7 lakh crore and ₹2.25 lakh crore, respectively.