Current Affairs

Current Affairs: 23rd Sept 2025

Jaishankar, Rubio meet amid trade, visa tensions

Context: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in an apparent bid by both sides to repair relations ruptured by a number of U.S. actions, including the 50% tariffs on Indian goods and an increase in H-1B visa fees.

• Talks on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) came even as Indian and U.S. trade negotiators prepared for their next round of talks.
• Mr. Jaishankar and Mr. Rubio: “Our conversation covered a range of bilateral and international issues of current concern. [We] agreed on the importance of sustained engagement to progress on priority areas.
• During his last visit, Mr. Jaishankar and Mr. Rubio had held the Quad Foreign Minister’s Meeting along with their counterparts from Australia and Japan.
• No date has yet been announced for the Quad summit, which would bring U.S. President Donald Trump and other Quad leaders to Delhi for the meeting due in November.
• U.S. President Trump will address the UNGA on Tuesday, while Mr. Jaishankar will address the Assembly on September 27.
• According to media reports, Mr. Trump is expected to repeat claims on “stopping wars”, including conflicts such as India-Pakistan, Egypt-Ethiopia, Rwanda-Congo, Thailand-Cambodia, Israel-Iran, and Azerbaijan-Armenia.

Children in urban slums are suffering from moderate child food poverty: Study

Context: A recently-published study to estimate “child food poverty” among children aged between 2 and 5 in urban slums found that they lacked adequate nutrition in energy and protein. Most children in urban slums were suffering from moderate child food poverty and had poor feeding practices.

• Inadequate dietary intake in early childhood can lead to failure of children reaching their growth potential.
• The study, “A Prospective Observational Study to Determine the Energy and Protein Adequacy in Children Aged Two to Five Years in the Urban Field Practice Area of Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, Bengaluru, India” was published in Cureus, an open access general medical journal.
• Rose Treesa Mathew and Jyothi Jadhav from the Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, Bengaluru, are the main authors.

WHO growth charts

• The study was conducted among 110 children selected using a simple random sampling method, and data were collected using a pretested, semistructured questionnaire from October 2024 to December 2024.
• Malnutrition was assessed by plotting appropriate WHO Growth Charts. Child food poverty was measured using the UNICEF and WHO dietary diversity score. Of 110 participants, the adequacy of nutrition in energy and protein was found in 30 participants (27.27%) and 18 participants (16.36%), respectively.
• The proportion of moderate child food poverty was found to be 71 (64.54%). Unhealthy snacking patterns and poor feeding practices were present. Age, parents’ education, socio-economic status, type of family, and birth order of the child were found to be significantly associated with nutritional adequacy.

Updated evidence

• “The study was needed because malnutrition and food poverty remain high among pre-school children in India, even with long-standing government nutrition programmes. Previous research suggested very low adequacy of energy and protein intake in this age group, but there was limited recent data from urban slum populations. This study aimed to provide updated evidence on the quality of diets and associated risk factors among young children in Bengaluru’s slums,” she said.
• “Fewer than 8.69 % met both energy and protein needs. Around two-thirds faced ‘moderate child food poverty,’ meaning their diets lacked diversity.
• Processed snacks like biscuits and chips were common, while fruits, pulses, and meat were less consumed.
• Children from poorer households, nuclear families, and with less-educated mothers were more at risk. Food restrictions during illness further worsened nutrition,” she said.
• She added that the problem is not unique to Bengaluru and similar patterns of inadequate diets and child food poverty are reported across India and in other low-income settings worldwide.

On policymaking

• What should policymakers take as a lesson from it? “Ensure affordable access to protein-rich and diverse foods, not just calories, use anganwadi and community health workers to deliver nutrition education and support to mothers, counter harmful feeding practices and reduce reliance on ultra-processed snacks, consider taxing ultra-processed and junk foods to reduce their consumption,” she said.
• She further suggested introducing pictorial warnings or labels on packaged foods—similar to the veg/non-veg pictograms—to help parents easily recognise “junk” foods and make healthier choices, as well as address the socio-economic roots of food poverty through subsidies, school/anganwadi meals, and poverty alleviation.

BBMP’s e-Khata wins National Award 2025

Context: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) e-Khata initiative has been conferred with theNational eGovernance Award 2025 at the 28th National eGovernance Awards held in Visakhapatnam.

• Recognised for its transformative impact on digitising property records, enhancing transparency, and improving citizen service delivery.

Basic structure: There can be no restriction in a public event on the basis of religion

Context: The Supreme Court of India recently reaffirmed that secularism is a fundamental principle and part of the basic structure of the Constitution of India.

• While this is a welcome restatement, it is concerning that the Court has to periodically reiterate this foundational aspect of Indian nationhood.
• The need arose from a misguided petition that sought to communalise a moment of celebration for all Indians.
• The Karnataka government had invited International Booker Prize-winning Kannada writer Banu Mushtaq, who is Muslim, to inaugurate the Mysuru Dasara festival at the Chamundeshwari Temple.
• This festival, a State-sponsored cultural event that is not purely religious, serves as an occasion for all communities to come together and share in the joy of the festival.
• The petition filed in the Court alleged that Ms. Mushtaq’s participation violated Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution, which guarantee freedom of religion.
• A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta rightly dismissed the petition, clarifying that the Dasara festival is a State event, not a private religious ceremony.
• The Court emphasised that the State cannot discriminate based on religion when organising public events and questioned whether the petitioner had even read the Constitution’s Preamble, which unambiguously promotes equality and secularism.
• The Karnataka High Court had previously upheld the government’s decision, stating that a person of one faith participating in the events of another does not violate anyone’s constitutional right.
• The constitutional right to practise and profess religion cannot be interpreted as a right to restrict others from participating in a faith’s practices. Restricting participation in any public gathering based on religion is indefensible in a pluralistic society. Although some places of worship still limit access to certain groups, such practices remain a source of legal and ethical debate.
• Those who perceive a threat to their religion from someone who is voluntarily and happily joining its festivities are either cynical or cunning.
• In fact, over many centuries and across different geographies, festivals and pilgrimages have united India’s diverse population, often transcending social barriers.
• The acceptance of this shared, mixed cultural heritage is a common thread among all Indian political parties, even amid their disagreements. However, a new group of political opportunists is exploiting this harmony by creating communal rifts, turning the logic of coexistence on its head. As the Supreme Court has demonstrated, these individuals need to be held accountable.

Supreme Court judge says it’s high time defamation was decriminalised

Context: The remark mirrors the top court’s anxiety over the rampant use of the criminal defamation law, and reopens the question of whether ‘defamation of any person by a private person can be treated as a crime, for it does not serve public interest’.

• A Supreme Court judge voiced his exasperation at the increasing use of criminal defamation law by private individuals and political parties to get even, highlighting the need “to decriminalise” slur.
• “I think time has come to decriminalise this,” Justice M.M. Sundresh remarked
• Less than a decade ago, the Supreme Court upheld the Constitutional validity of criminal defamation, saying it protected reputation, a part of the fundamental right to life.
• The top court, in Subramanian Swamy versus Union of India, in 2016, had concluded that the criminal defamation law was a “reasonable restriction” to the right to free speech and expression enshrined in Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.
• Justice Sundresh’s single remark, mirroring the court’s anxiety over the ramped-up use of the criminal defamation law, reopens the question raised in the Subramanian Swamy case as to whether “defamation of any person by a private person can be treated as a ‘crime’, for it does not serve any public interest”.
• The judge made the oral observation while heading a Bench hearing a petition filed by the Foundation for Independent Journalism, which manages The Wire news website, and a journalist, to quash summons issued to them by a court in a criminal defamation case filed by former Jawarharlal University Professor Amita Singh.
• Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, for the petitioners, referred to the multiple times the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, had approached the top court to stay summons issued against him by trial courts on the basis of criminal defamation complaints filed by private individuals.
• In January, the top court stayed criminal defamation proceedings against Mr. Gandhi for his remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
• In its March 2025 judgment in the Imran Pratapgarhi case, the Supreme Court had quoted that words or acts claimed to be criminally defamatory “must be judged from the standards of reasonable, strong-minded, firm and courageous men, and not those of weak and vacillating minds, nor of those who scent danger in every hostile point of view”.

Justice Kant flags need for evaluation of judges

Context: The Supreme Court judge Justice Surya Kant highlighted the necessity of putting in place a “performance evaluation” mechanism for judges, with specific parameters and guidelines, to gauge and steer workflow on the Bench.

• Justice Kant, who is next in line to be the Chief Justice of India, said he was not trying to be a “school principal” but underscored the value of introspection in every institution.
• The remarks of the judge came while hearing a bail petition in a murder case from Jharkhand.
• “There are judges who work day in and day out. Their disposal rate is outstanding. Unfortunately, there are judges who cannot deliver for reasons good or bad. We do not know. That depends on the circumstances,” Justice Kant noted.
• The judge pointed out the disposal rate for criminal appeals were different from bail cases.
• Disposing one criminal appeal a day after extensive hearing cannot be used as a parameter for deciding on bail pleas. “Judges must know what is the task before them and must deliver. This is the legitimate expectation of the public at large,” Justice Kant said.
• Justice Kant said every jurist must self-evaluate. Cases cannot be allowed to piled up. He also said that adjournments cannot be a solution. Constant adjournments were demoralising, and even dangerous, he added.

54 vessels are being built for Navy; 10 to join fleet this year

Context: India has set a target of expanding naval strength to over 200 warships and submarines by 2035; exercise to enhance maritime security, build partner capabilities, promote regional cooperation.

• The Indian Navy is undertaking its largest-ever shipbuilding programme, with 54 vessels currently under various stages of construction in Indian shipyards.
• The initiative is central to India’s long-term maritime strategy, aimed at safeguarding national interests, and countering regional challenges from China and Pakistan.
• Positioned as a “first responder” and “preferred security partner” in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), the Navy is advancing India’s “SAGAR” (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision.
• The shipbuilding exercise will strengthen the Navy in enhancing maritime security, build partners’ capabilities, and promote regional cooperation.
• According to senior officials, several ships are nearing delivery, with a few to be commissioned this year. All 54 vessels are expected to join the fleet by 2030.
• India has set a target of expanding naval strength to over 200 warships and submarines by 2035, with the possibility of reaching 230 by 2037.
• The indigenous drive is being powered by the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. Each project not only strengthens self-reliance in defence manufacturing, but also generates substantial employment across ancillary industries, an official said.
• “The Indian Navy has transformed from a ‘Buyer’s Navy’ to a ‘Builder’s Navy’, with significant number of warships under construction in Indian shipyards,” the senior official noted.
• The Navy is also set to commission up to 10 domestically built warships by December 2025, marking one of the largest single-phase inductions in recent years.

Transition point

• This year also marks a transition point in India’s naval modernisation. On July 1, the Navy commissioned INS Tamal, a stealth multi-role frigate built in Russia — its last major warship constructed abroad. It was also the eighth Krivak-class frigate inducted over the past two decades.
• At home, momentum in indigenous shipbuilding continues. The recent delivery of INS Androth, the second in a series of eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) being built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, underscores the progress. With more than 80% indigenous content, Androth stands as a testament to India’s growing capabilities, said another senior official.
• The Navy’s expanding shipbuilding programme highlights not just an increase in fleet size, but a strategic leap towards achieving long-term maritime self-reliance.

Number of polluted river sites are showing a slight reduction: CPCB

Context: The number of locations in Indian rivers unfit to bathe saw an incremental dip to 807 in 2023 from 815 in 2022, according to a report by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) made public. There was, however, a reduction in the number of river locations considered “most polluted”.

• The agency monitors and compiles data in two-year phases on river health — specifically measuring a parameter called biological oxygen demand (BOD) of India’s rivers.
• BOD is proxy for organic matter dissolved in water with a low number indicating a healthy river.
• A BOD greater than 3 milligrams per litre indicates rising pollution and is considered unfit for bathing.
• Two continuous locations exceeding the criterion in a single river is counted as a ‘polluted river stretch’ (PRS).

PRS of rivers

• In 2023, there were 296 PRS/locations found in 271 rivers. In 2022, there were 311 PRS/locations in 279 rivers.
• Maharashtra (54) had the highest number of PRS or locations followed by Kerala (31), Madhya Pradesh and Manipur with 18 each, and Karnataka (14). However, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand had the highest number — five — of stretches or locations in ‘Priority 1’.
• In the 2022 assessment, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh had the highest number of ‘Priority 1’ river stretches (6), Maharashtra had the highest number of polluted river stretches at 55, followed by Madhya Pradesh (19), Bihar (18), Kerala (18), Karnataka (17), and Uttar Pradesh (17).
• PRS with a BOD exceeding 30 mg per litre are considered ‘Priority 1’, meaning, the most polluted and thus needing urgent remediation. In the latest assessment, the number of ‘Priority 1’ stretches reduced to 37 from 45 over the 2022 assessment.
• The CPCB network monitors water quality at 4,736 locations across the country including rivers, lakes, creeks, drains and canals.

‘India’s H-1B visa dependence on a decline in last 6-8 years’

Context: Though most Indian IT firms still have considerable dependence on H-1B visas as percentage to staff base in the U.S., this proportion has been on the decline over last 6-8 years, industry observers said.

• For instance, 2016 saw 8,473 H-1B visa approvals for the top six tech providers comprising TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCL Tech, Tech M and LTIMindtree against 43,860 applications while in 2024, these players received 7,105 H1-B visa approvals against 24,269 applications, as per Equirus Securities, a brokerage tracking tech sector.
• Interestingly, so far in CY2025, these firms received 2,144 H-1B visas against a total of 14,056 applications they put in cumulatively, indicating a huge slide in the number of applications from earlier years. Equirus Securities also observed there was a negative growth (CAGR) both in terms of total visa approvals and the total number of applications they submitted between 2016 and 2024 at -2.2% and -7.1%, respectively.
• Avinash Vashistha, chairman and CEO, Tholons, a GCC consulting and IT services firm and former chairman and CEO Accenture India, “The new visa fee structure will force both Indian tech providers and U.S counterparts to tweak talent strategies and talent deployment to reduce dependence on H1-B visas.”

Reassess dependence

• With higher costs and added friction for sponsoring foreign workers, many firms were already reassessing dependence on U.S. visas and leaning more heavily on Global Capability Centres (GCCs) or Dedicated Delivery Centres (DDCs), observed Sachin Alug, CEO, NLB Services, a staffing solutions firm based in Atlanta.
• Atul Gupta, partner- labour and employment, Trilegal, a full-service law firm, said, “Indian service providers and U.S clients will need to think hard about which roles and positions warrant such a steep investment,” Mr. Gupta further said adding, it was quite likely many positions (jobs) would shift to neighbouring countries in the same or similar time zone (like Canada or Mexico) or come back to India.
• Therefore, it opened up additional opportunities for Indian tech firms to boost value proposition in handling more core services from India and strengthening GCC capabilities.
• Prawega Tech Solutions, Founder CEO, Vasishta Haavanur said the $1,00,000 visa regime would only further shrink operating margins of Indian tech firms.
• Meanwhile, several mid-cap tech firms in India such as Mphasis, Hexaware, Persistent Systems, Cyient, said they have been reducing reliance on H-1B visa in the last couple of years by raising local hiring (in the U.S)and deploying AI. The visa fee hike came up even as Indian IT sector is worried about the possible slapping of tariffs on software exports to U.S.
• “Well, tariffs on software exports is the only thing that is left now. If that happens, even if it is 10% or 25%, it would mean the death knell for India’s current tech ecosystem,” cautioned B.S Murthy, CEO, Leadership Capital, a CXO advisory firm.

France and other countries prepare to recognise a Palestinian state at UN

Context: More than 140 world leaders to descend on New York for the annual United Nations General Assembly; one world leader who will miss the gathering is Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian President whom Washington denied a visa, sparking rebuke.

• France and other countries prepared to recognise a Palestinian state as the UN’s centerpiece diplomatic week got underway, following a rash of Western governments in symbolically endorsing statehood and sparking Israel’s wrath.
• Recognition by Britain, Canada, Australia and Portugal on Sunday of a Palestinian state piled pressure on Israel as it intensifies its war in Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands, devastated the enclave and drawn rebukes from allies.
• President Emmanuel Macron has indicated France will follow suit as he prepares to host a meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman on the moribund two-state solution — Palestinian and Israeli co-existence.
• “They want a nation, they want a state, and we should not push them towards Hamas,” Mr. Macron said on Sunday. He also said he would make the release of hostages taken by Hamas during its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel a precondition of opening an embassy to the Palestinian state.
• Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the recognition moves do not “promote peace, but on the contrary further destabilises the region and undermines the chances of achieving a peaceful solution.”
• More than 140 world leaders will descend on New York this week for the annual United Nations General Assembly, which will be dominated by the Palestinian question.

Abbas to speak

• One world leader who will miss the gathering is Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian President whom Washington denied a visa, along with his officials. That earned a rebuke from the General Assembly, which will be the focus of world leaders’ speeches and protest walkouts this week. The assembly voted 145 to five to exceptionally allow Mr. Abbas to speak via video link.

‘Russia to stick to nuclear arms limits for one more year’

Context: Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Moscow will adhere to nuclear arms limits for one more year under the last remaining nuclear pact with the U.S. that expires in February, and he urged Washington to follow suit.

• Mr. Putin declared that the termination of the 2010 New START would be destabilising and could fuel proliferation of nuclear weapons.
• “To avoid provoking a further strategic arms race and to ensure an acceptable level of restraint, we believe it is justified to try to maintain the status quo established by the New START Treaty during the current, rather turbulent period,” Mr. Putin said in televised remarks.
• “Therefore, Russia is prepared to keep adhering to the central quantitative limitations of the New START Treaty for one year after Feb. 5, 2026.” Arms control advocates long have voiced concern about the treaty’s looming expiration and warned that it could fuel a new round of nuclear arms race and increase the risk of a nuclear conflict.

Current Affairs: 22nd Sept 2025

• One-time H-1B visa fee is only for new applicants, says U.S.

Context: White House clarifies that the fee will not be applicable for current visa holders; announcement eases fears that had triggered a surge in last-minute flight bookings to the United States.

• A day after U.S. President Donald Trump hiked H-1B visa fees to $100,000, the White House clarified that the fee will not be an annual feature, but rather a “one-time” payment that will have to be made by companies for fresh H-1B visa applicants, starting with the “next upcoming lottery cycle”.
• The announcement eased the fears that had triggered a surge in last-minute flight bookings to the United States by Indian H-1B visa holders currently outside the country, after U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick’s earlier remarks indicating that the fee would have to be paid every year.
• However, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt contradicted Mr. Lutnick in a social media post early on Sunday.
• “To be clear: This is not an annual fee. It’s a one-time fee that applies only to the petition. Those who already hold H-1B visas and are currently outside of the country right now will not be charged $100,000 to re-enter. H-1B visa holders can leave and re-enter the country to the same extent as they normally would: whatever ability they have to do that is not impacted by yesterday’s proclamation,” the Press Secretary said.
• “This applies only to new visas, not renewals and not current visa holders. It will first apply in the next upcoming lottery cycle,” Ms. Leavitt added, clarifying the way the proclamation will be implemented.

Lutnick’s remarks

• During the signing of the presidential proclamation by Mr. Trump, Mr. Lutnick had said, “No more will these big tech companies or other companies train foreign workers. They have to pay the government a hundred thousand dollars and then they have to pay the employee.
• So it’s just non-economical. If you are going to train somebody, you are going to train one of the recent graduates from one of the great universities across our land.” He added, “A hundred thousand dollars a year for H-1B visas and all of the big companies are onboard.”

Rush for tickets

• In its first response on September 20, the Ministry of External Affairs had cautioned that the order would have “humanitarian consequences” due to family disruptions. Soon after the proclamation, several corporate giants, including Microsoft, JPMorgan and Amazon, instructed their H-1B visa holding employees who were outside the U.S. to return before midnight on Saturday and others to remain in the U.S.
• Mr. Lutnick’s remarks at the signing ceremony created a rush among H-1B visa holders for last minute purchases of air tickets. The Hindu reported on Sunday that travel agents observed a surge in last-minute flight bookings to the U.S. on Saturday as H-1B visa holders attempted to reach the U.S. ahead of the September 20-21 midnight deadline when the proclamation came into effect. Officials also observed the spike in last-minute flight bookings, following which the Indian government instructed its missions and embassies across the world to provide “all possible help” to Indians trying to return to the U.S. before the deadline.

• IAF’s iconic MiG-21 fighter to fly intosunset after six decades of service

Context: The Indian Air Force will officially retire its legendary MiG-21 fighter jets on September 26, marking the end of nearly six decades of service for the aircraft widely hailed as the “workhorse” of India’s air defence.

• A ceremonial flypast and decommissioning event will be held at the IAF base in Chandigarh and will be attended by senior military leaders and veteran pilots who have flown the jet across generations.

• Inducted in 1963, the MiG-21 was India’s first supersonic fighter, with its maiden squadron — the 28 Squadron at Chandigarh — earning the nickname ‘First Supersonics’. Over the years, India inducted more than 700 MiG-21s of different variants, many built domestically by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
• The aircraft was the backbone of the IAF till the mid-2000s, playing crucial roles in the 1965 and 1971 wars, the 1999 Kargil conflict, the 2019 Balakot air strikes, and most recently Operation Sindoor. It was in a MiG-21 that Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman (then Wing Commander) shot down a Pakistani F-16 in 2019 before being captured across the border.
• Besides combat successes, the MiG-21 also boosted India’s aerospace industry, pushing indigenous manufacturing and technological capabilities to new levels.

• As the MiG-21 squadrons are phased out, the IAF’s combat strength will dip to 29 squadrons. However, senior officers have hinted that the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft Mk 1A will step in to replace the ageing fighter in the years to come.

• Embassy flags cases of illegal migration by Indian nationals

Context: The Embassy of India in Guatemala has flagged the problem of Indian nationals illegally entering Central American countries to migrate to Mexico and subsequently to the United States.

• Responding to a set of queries raised under the Right to Information Act, 2005, the Embassy said the illegal entry of Indian nationals to Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras as a pathway to the United States had been a “complex issue”.
• Whenever migrants without a visa or proof of legal entry to Guatemala are arrested by the local police, the Embassy officials help the distressed Indians, providing interpretation and taking care of their well-being, the Public Information Officer (PIO) said.

Illegal entry

• The Embassy did not provide specific figures in response to the RTI query about the number of Indians deported from various prisons and detention centres in Central America and the steps taken by the Embassy against human trafficking from India to Central America.
• The PIO said that one Indian was held in a Guatemala detention centre for eight years on charges of human trafficking. He was released after the Embassy’s intervention and sent back to India in September 2022. Another Indian was arrested in March 2023 for entering El Salvador illegally en route to the United States. The Embassy took steps for his release and deportation to India in June 2023.
• An Indian had died on the Guatemalan border on March 8, 2023, while on his way to enter the U.S. illegally, and was buried by the local authority as an anonymous body. On receiving information from his family in India, his body was exhumed in coordination with the local government and the mortal remains were sent to his family in July 2023 for cremation as per religious rituals.
• Saying there was no shelter operated by the Embassy of India in Guatemala, the PIO said that the mission opened in 2011 with very few consular services provided.
• In 2023, the Embassy organised over 100 cultural and commercial events across Guatemala.

• U.K., Australia and Canada recognise Palestinian state in a seismic shift

Context: Britain, Australia and Canada recognised a Palestinian state in a seismic shift in decades of western foreign policy, triggering swift Israeli anger.

• Portugal was also to recognise Palestinian statehood later on Sunday, as Israel came under huge international pressure over the war in Gaza triggered almost two years ago by the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.
• “Today, to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and a two-state solution, the United Kingdom formally recognises the State of Palestine,” U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a message on X.
• Britain and Canada became the first G-7 countries to take the step, with France and other nations expected to follow at the annual UN General Assembly which opens on Monday in New York.
• “Canada recognises the State of Palestine and offers our partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future for both the State of Palestine and the State of Israel,” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney wrote on X.
• It is a watershed moment for Palestinians and their decades-long ambitions for statehood.
• But the move puts those countries at odds with the U.S. and Israel, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacting angrily and vowing to oppose it at the UN talks.
• Calls for a Palestinian state “would endanger our existence and serve as absurd reward for terrorism,” Mr. Netanyahu said on Sunday.
• Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy acknowledged at the UN in July that “Britain bears a special burden of responsibility to support the two-state solution”.
• Over a century ago, the U.K. was pivotal in laying the groundwork for the creation of the state of Israel through the 1917 Balfour Declaration.

• Can timelines be fixed for Governors?

Context: The Supreme Court is currently hearing a Presidential reference made in May 2025 that has sought the opinion of the Court on 14 questions, primarily surrounding the interpretation of Articles 200 and 201 of the Constitution.

What is the current reference?

• The current reference is a result of a Supreme Court judgment in April 2025 (The State of Tamil Nadu versus the Governor of Tamil Nadu & Anr) that had specified timelines for Governors and the President to act on Bills passed by State legislatures. It had held that if the Governor was to withhold assent or reserve the Bill for consideration of the President, contrary to the advice of the State Council of Ministers, he/she should do so within a period of three months. It further held that if a Bill for which assent has been withheld is again passed by the State legislature, the Governor shall assent to such Bill. It had prescribed a timeline of three months for the President to decide on State Bills reserved for his/her consideration. The court had also held that decisions by Governors and the President on such Bills, including delays beyond the prescribed timelines, will be subject to judicial review.
• The government has raised questions regarding the authority of the Court to prescribe timelines when they are not specified in the Constitution.

What does the Constitution say?

• Article 200 of the Constitution lays down that when a Bill, passed by a State Legislature, is presented to the Governor for his/her assent, he/she has four alternatives: (a) may give assent to the Bill (b) may withhold assent to the Bill, that is, reject the Bill in which case the Bill fails to become law; (c) may return the Bill for reconsideration of the State Legislature; or (d) may reserve the Bill for the consideration of the President.
• As held by the Supreme Court in various cases including the Shamsher Singh case (1974), the Governor does not exercise his/her discretionary powers while withholding assent for a Bill. He/she is required to act as per the advice of the Council of Ministers. The return of any Bill to the State Legislature for reconsideration is also to be done based on ministerial advice. As explained in the Constituent Assembly by T.T. Krishnamachari, this may be done if the Government feels that the Bill needs modifications. The Governor shall assent to such a Bill if it is passed again by the State Legislature.
• As far as reserving any Bill for consideration of the President, the Governor must reserve certain Bills like those which reduce the powers of the High Court. He/she may reserve certain Bills based on the advice of the Council of Ministers like those that relate to a subject enumerated in the Concurrent List, to ensure operation of its provisions despite repugnancy to a Union Law. It is only under rare circumstances that the Governor may exercise his/her discretion and reserve a Bill where he/she feels that the provisions of the Bill contravene any of the provisions of the Constitution and therefore, reserve it for the consideration of the President.
• The Constitution does not lay down any time limit within which the Governor is required to make a decision with respect to any Bill presented for his/her assent. The main part of Article 200 states that once a Bill is presented to the Governor, he/she ‘shall’ declare that he/she assents to the Bill or withholds assent or reserves the Bill for consideration of the President. The proviso to the article adds that the Governor may ‘as soon as possible’ return the Bill for reconsideration of the State legislature.

What are the recommendations?

• The Sarkaria Commission (1987) had stated that only the reservation of Bills for consideration of the President, that too under rare cases of patent unconstitutionality, can be implied as a discretionary power of the Governor. Apart from such exceptional cases, the Governor must discharge his functions under Article 200 as per the advice of Ministers. It further recommended that the President (Central Government) should dispose of such Bills within a maximum period of six months. The Punchhi Commission (2010) had recommended that the Governor should take a decision with respect to a Bill presented for his/her assent within a period of six months.

What are the arguments?

• Article 163(1) of the Constitution requires the Governor to act as per the advice of the Council of Ministers except in so far as he/she is required by or under the Constitution to act as per his/her discretion. Article 163(2) further provides that if any question arises on whether the matter is a matter which the Governor is required to act as per his/her discretion, the decision of the Governor in such cases shall be final and shall not be called into question.
• The Centre has argued that the Governor enjoys discretion as per the above Article which cannot be inquired into by the courts and consequently no timelines can be fixed. It also raised objections to the three-month timeframe that has been stipulated for the President to decide on Bills which have been reserved. Article 201 that deals with this matter does not stipulate any timeline. The Centre has maintained that any issues between the elected government in a State, the Governor and the President need to be resolved politically within the framework of the Constitution and that the courts cannot be an adjudicator for every such impasse.
• However, Opposition-ruled States have argued that the Governors in such States have been selectively delaying assent or reserving Bills, against the advice of the Council of Ministers, for the consideration of the President. They have argued that such deliberate delays cannot be termed as discretion and that it disrespects the popular mandate of the people of the State.

What should be the way forward?

• All the issues stated above are in the nature of symptoms. The underlying disease that has plagued our federal set up has been the politicisation of the gubernatorial post. Many political leaders starting from C.N. Annadurai to Nitish Kumar have called for the abolition of the Governor’s post in the past. However, as per our Constitutional scheme, there is a need for a nominal head of the State executive just like the President for the Union executive.
• Nevertheless, federalism is also a basic feature of our Constitution and the Governor’s office should not undermine the powers of popularly elected governments at the States.
• The Court usually exercises restraint while stipulating timelines for action by constitutional authorities where none is provided in the Constitution. However, when there are unreasonable delays, the Court has stipulated timelines in the past like in K. M. Singh case (2020) where it laid down a three-month timeframe for Speakers to decide on the Tenth Schedule disqualification.
• The Supreme Court has purposively interpreted the words in Article 200 in its judgment in April 2025. It has interpreted that the main part of Article 200 uses the words ‘Governor shall’ and hence it is not a discretionary power. It relied on its own past judgments including the Nabam Rebia case (2006), the recommendations of various commissions as well as the Office Memorandum of the Home Ministry in 2016 to prescribe the timeline of three months for actions by Governors and the President.

The Centre and the Governors should follow the timeline prescribed by the April 2025 judgment to uphold democratic and federal principles. Hopefully, the opinion of the Supreme Court in the Presidential One-time H-1B visa fee is only for new applicants, says U.S.

Context: White House clarifies that the fee will not be applicable for current visa holders; announcement eases fears that had triggered a surge in last-minute flight bookings to the United States.

• A day after U.S. President Donald Trump hiked H-1B visa fees to $100,000, the White House clarified that the fee will not be an annual feature, but rather a “one-time” payment that will have to be made by companies for fresh H-1B visa applicants, starting with the “next upcoming lottery cycle”.
• The announcement eased the fears that had triggered a surge in last-minute flight bookings to the United States by Indian H-1B visa holders currently outside the country, after U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick’s earlier remarks indicating that the fee would have to be paid every year.
• However, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt contradicted Mr. Lutnick in a social media post early on Sunday.
• “To be clear: This is not an annual fee. It’s a one-time fee that applies only to the petition. Those who already hold H-1B visas and are currently outside of the country right now will not be charged $100,000 to re-enter. H-1B visa holders can leave and re-enter the country to the same extent as they normally would: whatever ability they have to do that is not impacted by yesterday’s proclamation,” the Press Secretary said.
• “This applies only to new visas, not renewals and not current visa holders. It will first apply in the next upcoming lottery cycle,” Ms. Leavitt added, clarifying the way the proclamation will be implemented.

Lutnick’s remarks

• During the signing of the presidential proclamation by Mr. Trump, Mr. Lutnick had said, “No more will these big tech companies or other companies train foreign workers. They have to pay the government a hundred thousand dollars and then they have to pay the employee.
• So it’s just non-economical. If you are going to train somebody, you are going to train one of the recent graduates from one of the great universities across our land.” He added, “A hundred thousand dollars a year for H-1B visas and all of the big companies are onboard.”

Rush for tickets

• In its first response on September 20, the Ministry of External Affairs had cautioned that the order would have “humanitarian consequences” due to family disruptions. Soon after the proclamation, several corporate giants, including Microsoft, JPMorgan and Amazon, instructed their H-1B visa holding employees who were outside the U.S. to return before midnight on Saturday and others to remain in the U.S.
• Mr. Lutnick’s remarks at the signing ceremony created a rush among H-1B visa holders for last minute purchases of air tickets. The Hindu reported on Sunday that travel agents observed a surge in last-minute flight bookings to the U.S. on Saturday as H-1B visa holders attempted to reach the U.S. ahead of the September 20-21 midnight deadline when the proclamation came into effect. Officials also observed the spike in last-minute flight bookings, following which the Indian government instructed its missions and embassies across the world to provide “all possible help” to Indians trying to return to the U.S. before the deadline.

• IAF’s iconic MiG-21 fighter to fly intosunset after six decades of service

Context: The Indian Air Force will officially retire its legendary MiG-21 fighter jets on September 26, marking the end of nearly six decades of service for the aircraft widely hailed as the “workhorse” of India’s air defence.

• A ceremonial flypast and decommissioning event will be held at the IAF base in Chandigarh and will be attended by senior military leaders and veteran pilots who have flown the jet across generations.

• Inducted in 1963, the MiG-21 was India’s first supersonic fighter, with its maiden squadron — the 28 Squadron at Chandigarh — earning the nickname ‘First Supersonics’. Over the years, India inducted more than 700 MiG-21s of different variants, many built domestically by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
• The aircraft was the backbone of the IAF till the mid-2000s, playing crucial roles in the 1965 and 1971 wars, the 1999 Kargil conflict, the 2019 Balakot air strikes, and most recently Operation Sindoor. It was in a MiG-21 that Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman (then Wing Commander) shot down a Pakistani F-16 in 2019 before being captured across the border.
• Besides combat successes, the MiG-21 also boosted India’s aerospace industry, pushing indigenous manufacturing and technological capabilities to new levels.

• As the MiG-21 squadrons are phased out, the IAF’s combat strength will dip to 29 squadrons. However, senior officers have hinted that the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft Mk 1A will step in to replace the ageing fighter in the years to come.

• Embassy flags cases of illegal migration by Indian nationals

Context: The Embassy of India in Guatemala has flagged the problem of Indian nationals illegally entering Central American countries to migrate to Mexico and subsequently to the United States.

• Responding to a set of queries raised under the Right to Information Act, 2005, the Embassy said the illegal entry of Indian nationals to Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras as a pathway to the United States had been a “complex issue”.
• Whenever migrants without a visa or proof of legal entry to Guatemala are arrested by the local police, the Embassy officials help the distressed Indians, providing interpretation and taking care of their well-being, the Public Information Officer (PIO) said.

Illegal entry

• The Embassy did not provide specific figures in response to the RTI query about the number of Indians deported from various prisons and detention centres in Central America and the steps taken by the Embassy against human trafficking from India to Central America.
• The PIO said that one Indian was held in a Guatemala detention centre for eight years on charges of human trafficking. He was released after the Embassy’s intervention and sent back to India in September 2022. Another Indian was arrested in March 2023 for entering El Salvador illegally en route to the United States. The Embassy took steps for his release and deportation to India in June 2023.
• An Indian had died on the Guatemalan border on March 8, 2023, while on his way to enter the U.S. illegally, and was buried by the local authority as an anonymous body. On receiving information from his family in India, his body was exhumed in coordination with the local government and the mortal remains were sent to his family in July 2023 for cremation as per religious rituals.
• Saying there was no shelter operated by the Embassy of India in Guatemala, the PIO said that the mission opened in 2011 with very few consular services provided.
• In 2023, the Embassy organised over 100 cultural and commercial events across Guatemala.

• U.K., Australia and Canada recognise Palestinian state in a seismic shift

Context: Britain, Australia and Canada recognised a Palestinian state in a seismic shift in decades of western foreign policy, triggering swift Israeli anger.

• Portugal was also to recognise Palestinian statehood later on Sunday, as Israel came under huge international pressure over the war in Gaza triggered almost two years ago by the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.
• “Today, to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and a two-state solution, the United Kingdom formally recognises the State of Palestine,” U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a message on X.
• Britain and Canada became the first G-7 countries to take the step, with France and other nations expected to follow at the annual UN General Assembly which opens on Monday in New York.
• “Canada recognises the State of Palestine and offers our partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future for both the State of Palestine and the State of Israel,” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney wrote on X.
• It is a watershed moment for Palestinians and their decades-long ambitions for statehood.
• But the move puts those countries at odds with the U.S. and Israel, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacting angrily and vowing to oppose it at the UN talks.
• Calls for a Palestinian state “would endanger our existence and serve as absurd reward for terrorism,” Mr. Netanyahu said on Sunday.
• Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy acknowledged at the UN in July that “Britain bears a special burden of responsibility to support the two-state solution”.
• Over a century ago, the U.K. was pivotal in laying the groundwork for the creation of the state of Israel through the 1917 Balfour Declaration.

• Can timelines be fixed for Governors?

Context: The Supreme Court is currently hearing a Presidential reference made in May 2025 that has sought the opinion of the Court on 14 questions, primarily surrounding the interpretation of Articles 200 and 201 of the Constitution.

What is the current reference?

• The current reference is a result of a Supreme Court judgment in April 2025 (The State of Tamil Nadu versus the Governor of Tamil Nadu & Anr) that had specified timelines for Governors and the President to act on Bills passed by State legislatures. It had held that if the Governor was to withhold assent or reserve the Bill for consideration of the President, contrary to the advice of the State Council of Ministers, he/she should do so within a period of three months. It further held that if a Bill for which assent has been withheld is again passed by the State legislature, the Governor shall assent to such Bill. It had prescribed a timeline of three months for the President to decide on State Bills reserved for his/her consideration. The court had also held that decisions by Governors and the President on such Bills, including delays beyond the prescribed timelines, will be subject to judicial review.
• The government has raised questions regarding the authority of the Court to prescribe timelines when they are not specified in the Constitution.

What does the Constitution say?

• Article 200 of the Constitution lays down that when a Bill, passed by a State Legislature, is presented to the Governor for his/her assent, he/she has four alternatives: (a) may give assent to the Bill (b) may withhold assent to the Bill, that is, reject the Bill in which case the Bill fails to become law; (c) may return the Bill for reconsideration of the State Legislature; or (d) may reserve the Bill for the consideration of the President.
• As held by the Supreme Court in various cases including the Shamsher Singh case (1974), the Governor does not exercise his/her discretionary powers while withholding assent for a Bill. He/she is required to act as per the advice of the Council of Ministers. The return of any Bill to the State Legislature for reconsideration is also to be done based on ministerial advice. As explained in the Constituent Assembly by T.T. Krishnamachari, this may be done if the Government feels that the Bill needs modifications. The Governor shall assent to such a Bill if it is passed again by the State Legislature.
• As far as reserving any Bill for consideration of the President, the Governor must reserve certain Bills like those which reduce the powers of the High Court. He/she may reserve certain Bills based on the advice of the Council of Ministers like those that relate to a subject enumerated in the Concurrent List, to ensure operation of its provisions despite repugnancy to a Union Law. It is only under rare circumstances that the Governor may exercise his/her discretion and reserve a Bill where he/she feels that the provisions of the Bill contravene any of the provisions of the Constitution and therefore, reserve it for the consideration of the President.
• The Constitution does not lay down any time limit within which the Governor is required to make a decision with respect to any Bill presented for his/her assent. The main part of Article 200 states that once a Bill is presented to the Governor, he/she ‘shall’ declare that he/she assents to the Bill or withholds assent or reserves the Bill for consideration of the President. The proviso to the article adds that the Governor may ‘as soon as possible’ return the Bill for reconsideration of the State legislature.

What are the recommendations?

• The Sarkaria Commission (1987) had stated that only the reservation of Bills for consideration of the President, that too under rare cases of patent unconstitutionality, can be implied as a discretionary power of the Governor. Apart from such exceptional cases, the Governor must discharge his functions under Article 200 as per the advice of Ministers. It further recommended that the President (Central Government) should dispose of such Bills within a maximum period of six months. The Punchhi Commission (2010) had recommended that the Governor should take a decision with respect to a Bill presented for his/her assent within a period of six months.

What are the arguments?

• Article 163(1) of the Constitution requires the Governor to act as per the advice of the Council of Ministers except in so far as he/she is required by or under the Constitution to act as per his/her discretion. Article 163(2) further provides that if any question arises on whether the matter is a matter which the Governor is required to act as per his/her discretion, the decision of the Governor in such cases shall be final and shall not be called into question.
• The Centre has argued that the Governor enjoys discretion as per the above Article which cannot be inquired into by the courts and consequently no timelines can be fixed. It also raised objections to the three-month timeframe that has been stipulated for the President to decide on Bills which have been reserved. Article 201 that deals with this matter does not stipulate any timeline. The Centre has maintained that any issues between the elected government in a State, the Governor and the President need to be resolved politically within the framework of the Constitution and that the courts cannot be an adjudicator for every such impasse.
• However, Opposition-ruled States have argued that the Governors in such States have been selectively delaying assent or reserving Bills, against the advice of the Council of Ministers, for the consideration of the President. They have argued that such deliberate delays cannot be termed as discretion and that it disrespects the popular mandate of the people of the State.

What should be the way forward?

• All the issues stated above are in the nature of symptoms. The underlying disease that has plagued our federal set up has been the politicisation of the gubernatorial post. Many political leaders starting from C.N. Annadurai to Nitish Kumar have called for the abolition of the Governor’s post in the past. However, as per our Constitutional scheme, there is a need for a nominal head of the State executive just like the President for the Union executive.
• Nevertheless, federalism is also a basic feature of our Constitution and the Governor’s office should not undermine the powers of popularly elected governments at the States.
• The Court usually exercises restraint while stipulating timelines for action by constitutional authorities where none is provided in the Constitution. However, when there are unreasonable delays, the Court has stipulated timelines in the past like in K. M. Singh case (2020) where it laid down a three-month timeframe for Speakers to decide on the Tenth Schedule disqualification.
• The Supreme Court has purposively interpreted the words in Article 200 in its judgment in April 2025. It has interpreted that the main part of Article 200 uses the words ‘Governor shall’ and hence it is not a discretionary power. It relied on its own past judgments including the Nabam Rebia case (2006), the recommendations of various commissions as well as the Office Memorandum of the Home Ministry in 2016 to prescribe the timeline of three months for actions by Governors and the President.

The Centre and the Governors should follow the timeline prescribed by the April 2025 judgment to uphold democratic and federal principles. Hopefully, the opinion of the Supreme Court in the Presidential One-time H-1B visa fee is only for new applicants, says U.S.

Context: White House clarifies that the fee will not be applicable for current visa holders; announcement eases fears that had triggered a surge in last-minute flight bookings to the United States.

• A day after U.S. President Donald Trump hiked H-1B visa fees to $100,000, the White House clarified that the fee will not be an annual feature, but rather a “one-time” payment that will have to be made by companies for fresh H-1B visa applicants, starting with the “next upcoming lottery cycle”.
• The announcement eased the fears that had triggered a surge in last-minute flight bookings to the United States by Indian H-1B visa holders currently outside the country, after U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick’s earlier remarks indicating that the fee would have to be paid every year.
• However, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt contradicted Mr. Lutnick in a social media post early on Sunday.
• “To be clear: This is not an annual fee. It’s a one-time fee that applies only to the petition. Those who already hold H-1B visas and are currently outside of the country right now will not be charged $100,000 to re-enter. H-1B visa holders can leave and re-enter the country to the same extent as they normally would: whatever ability they have to do that is not impacted by yesterday’s proclamation,” the Press Secretary said.
• “This applies only to new visas, not renewals and not current visa holders. It will first apply in the next upcoming lottery cycle,” Ms. Leavitt added, clarifying the way the proclamation will be implemented.

Lutnick’s remarks

• During the signing of the presidential proclamation by Mr. Trump, Mr. Lutnick had said, “No more will these big tech companies or other companies train foreign workers. They have to pay the government a hundred thousand dollars and then they have to pay the employee.
• So it’s just non-economical. If you are going to train somebody, you are going to train one of the recent graduates from one of the great universities across our land.” He added, “A hundred thousand dollars a year for H-1B visas and all of the big companies are onboard.”

Rush for tickets

• In its first response on September 20, the Ministry of External Affairs had cautioned that the order would have “humanitarian consequences” due to family disruptions. Soon after the proclamation, several corporate giants, including Microsoft, JPMorgan and Amazon, instructed their H-1B visa holding employees who were outside the U.S. to return before midnight on Saturday and others to remain in the U.S.
• Mr. Lutnick’s remarks at the signing ceremony created a rush among H-1B visa holders for last minute purchases of air tickets. The Hindu reported on Sunday that travel agents observed a surge in last-minute flight bookings to the U.S. on Saturday as H-1B visa holders attempted to reach the U.S. ahead of the September 20-21 midnight deadline when the proclamation came into effect. Officials also observed the spike in last-minute flight bookings, following which the Indian government instructed its missions and embassies across the world to provide “all possible help” to Indians trying to return to the U.S. before the deadline.

• IAF’s iconic MiG-21 fighter to fly intosunset after six decades of service

Context: The Indian Air Force will officially retire its legendary MiG-21 fighter jets on September 26, marking the end of nearly six decades of service for the aircraft widely hailed as the “workhorse” of India’s air defence.

• A ceremonial flypast and decommissioning event will be held at the IAF base in Chandigarh and will be attended by senior military leaders and veteran pilots who have flown the jet across generations.

• Inducted in 1963, the MiG-21 was India’s first supersonic fighter, with its maiden squadron — the 28 Squadron at Chandigarh — earning the nickname ‘First Supersonics’. Over the years, India inducted more than 700 MiG-21s of different variants, many built domestically by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
• The aircraft was the backbone of the IAF till the mid-2000s, playing crucial roles in the 1965 and 1971 wars, the 1999 Kargil conflict, the 2019 Balakot air strikes, and most recently Operation Sindoor. It was in a MiG-21 that Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman (then Wing Commander) shot down a Pakistani F-16 in 2019 before being captured across the border.
• Besides combat successes, the MiG-21 also boosted India’s aerospace industry, pushing indigenous manufacturing and technological capabilities to new levels.

• As the MiG-21 squadrons are phased out, the IAF’s combat strength will dip to 29 squadrons. However, senior officers have hinted that the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft Mk 1A will step in to replace the ageing fighter in the years to come.

• Embassy flags cases of illegal migration by Indian nationals

Context: The Embassy of India in Guatemala has flagged the problem of Indian nationals illegally entering Central American countries to migrate to Mexico and subsequently to the United States.

• Responding to a set of queries raised under the Right to Information Act, 2005, the Embassy said the illegal entry of Indian nationals to Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras as a pathway to the United States had been a “complex issue”.
• Whenever migrants without a visa or proof of legal entry to Guatemala are arrested by the local police, the Embassy officials help the distressed Indians, providing interpretation and taking care of their well-being, the Public Information Officer (PIO) said.

Illegal entry

• The Embassy did not provide specific figures in response to the RTI query about the number of Indians deported from various prisons and detention centres in Central America and the steps taken by the Embassy against human trafficking from India to Central America.
• The PIO said that one Indian was held in a Guatemala detention centre for eight years on charges of human trafficking. He was released after the Embassy’s intervention and sent back to India in September 2022. Another Indian was arrested in March 2023 for entering El Salvador illegally en route to the United States. The Embassy took steps for his release and deportation to India in June 2023.
• An Indian had died on the Guatemalan border on March 8, 2023, while on his way to enter the U.S. illegally, and was buried by the local authority as an anonymous body. On receiving information from his family in India, his body was exhumed in coordination with the local government and the mortal remains were sent to his family in July 2023 for cremation as per religious rituals.
• Saying there was no shelter operated by the Embassy of India in Guatemala, the PIO said that the mission opened in 2011 with very few consular services provided.
• In 2023, the Embassy organised over 100 cultural and commercial events across Guatemala.

• U.K., Australia and Canada recognise Palestinian state in a seismic shift

Context: Britain, Australia and Canada recognised a Palestinian state in a seismic shift in decades of western foreign policy, triggering swift Israeli anger.

• Portugal was also to recognise Palestinian statehood later on Sunday, as Israel came under huge international pressure over the war in Gaza triggered almost two years ago by the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.
• “Today, to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and a two-state solution, the United Kingdom formally recognises the State of Palestine,” U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a message on X.
• Britain and Canada became the first G-7 countries to take the step, with France and other nations expected to follow at the annual UN General Assembly which opens on Monday in New York.
• “Canada recognises the State of Palestine and offers our partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future for both the State of Palestine and the State of Israel,” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney wrote on X.
• It is a watershed moment for Palestinians and their decades-long ambitions for statehood.
• But the move puts those countries at odds with the U.S. and Israel, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacting angrily and vowing to oppose it at the UN talks.
• Calls for a Palestinian state “would endanger our existence and serve as absurd reward for terrorism,” Mr. Netanyahu said on Sunday.
• Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy acknowledged at the UN in July that “Britain bears a special burden of responsibility to support the two-state solution”.
• Over a century ago, the U.K. was pivotal in laying the groundwork for the creation of the state of Israel through the 1917 Balfour Declaration.

• Can timelines be fixed for Governors?

Context: The Supreme Court is currently hearing a Presidential reference made in May 2025 that has sought the opinion of the Court on 14 questions, primarily surrounding the interpretation of Articles 200 and 201 of the Constitution.

What is the current reference?

• The current reference is a result of a Supreme Court judgment in April 2025 (The State of Tamil Nadu versus the Governor of Tamil Nadu & Anr) that had specified timelines for Governors and the President to act on Bills passed by State legislatures. It had held that if the Governor was to withhold assent or reserve the Bill for consideration of the President, contrary to the advice of the State Council of Ministers, he/she should do so within a period of three months. It further held that if a Bill for which assent has been withheld is again passed by the State legislature, the Governor shall assent to such Bill. It had prescribed a timeline of three months for the President to decide on State Bills reserved for his/her consideration. The court had also held that decisions by Governors and the President on such Bills, including delays beyond the prescribed timelines, will be subject to judicial review.
• The government has raised questions regarding the authority of the Court to prescribe timelines when they are not specified in the Constitution.

What does the Constitution say?

• Article 200 of the Constitution lays down that when a Bill, passed by a State Legislature, is presented to the Governor for his/her assent, he/she has four alternatives: (a) may give assent to the Bill (b) may withhold assent to the Bill, that is, reject the Bill in which case the Bill fails to become law; (c) may return the Bill for reconsideration of the State Legislature; or (d) may reserve the Bill for the consideration of the President.
• As held by the Supreme Court in various cases including the Shamsher Singh case (1974), the Governor does not exercise his/her discretionary powers while withholding assent for a Bill. He/she is required to act as per the advice of the Council of Ministers. The return of any Bill to the State Legislature for reconsideration is also to be done based on ministerial advice. As explained in the Constituent Assembly by T.T. Krishnamachari, this may be done if the Government feels that the Bill needs modifications. The Governor shall assent to such a Bill if it is passed again by the State Legislature.
• As far as reserving any Bill for consideration of the President, the Governor must reserve certain Bills like those which reduce the powers of the High Court. He/she may reserve certain Bills based on the advice of the Council of Ministers like those that relate to a subject enumerated in the Concurrent List, to ensure operation of its provisions despite repugnancy to a Union Law. It is only under rare circumstances that the Governor may exercise his/her discretion and reserve a Bill where he/she feels that the provisions of the Bill contravene any of the provisions of the Constitution and therefore, reserve it for the consideration of the President.
• The Constitution does not lay down any time limit within which the Governor is required to make a decision with respect to any Bill presented for his/her assent. The main part of Article 200 states that once a Bill is presented to the Governor, he/she ‘shall’ declare that he/she assents to the Bill or withholds assent or reserves the Bill for consideration of the President. The proviso to the article adds that the Governor may ‘as soon as possible’ return the Bill for reconsideration of the State legislature.

What are the recommendations?

• The Sarkaria Commission (1987) had stated that only the reservation of Bills for consideration of the President, that too under rare cases of patent unconstitutionality, can be implied as a discretionary power of the Governor. Apart from such exceptional cases, the Governor must discharge his functions under Article 200 as per the advice of Ministers. It further recommended that the President (Central Government) should dispose of such Bills within a maximum period of six months. The Punchhi Commission (2010) had recommended that the Governor should take a decision with respect to a Bill presented for his/her assent within a period of six months.

What are the arguments?

• Article 163(1) of the Constitution requires the Governor to act as per the advice of the Council of Ministers except in so far as he/she is required by or under the Constitution to act as per his/her discretion. Article 163(2) further provides that if any question arises on whether the matter is a matter which the Governor is required to act as per his/her discretion, the decision of the Governor in such cases shall be final and shall not be called into question.
• The Centre has argued that the Governor enjoys discretion as per the above Article which cannot be inquired into by the courts and consequently no timelines can be fixed. It also raised objections to the three-month timeframe that has been stipulated for the President to decide on Bills which have been reserved. Article 201 that deals with this matter does not stipulate any timeline. The Centre has maintained that any issues between the elected government in a State, the Governor and the President need to be resolved politically within the framework of the Constitution and that the courts cannot be an adjudicator for every such impasse.
• However, Opposition-ruled States have argued that the Governors in such States have been selectively delaying assent or reserving Bills, against the advice of the Council of Ministers, for the consideration of the President. They have argued that such deliberate delays cannot be termed as discretion and that it disrespects the popular mandate of the people of the State.

What should be the way forward?

• All the issues stated above are in the nature of symptoms. The underlying disease that has plagued our federal set up has been the politicisation of the gubernatorial post. Many political leaders starting from C.N. Annadurai to Nitish Kumar have called for the abolition of the Governor’s post in the past. However, as per our Constitutional scheme, there is a need for a nominal head of the State executive just like the President for the Union executive.
• Nevertheless, federalism is also a basic feature of our Constitution and the Governor’s office should not undermine the powers of popularly elected governments at the States.
• The Court usually exercises restraint while stipulating timelines for action by constitutional authorities where none is provided in the Constitution. However, when there are unreasonable delays, the Court has stipulated timelines in the past like in K. M. Singh case (2020) where it laid down a three-month timeframe for Speakers to decide on the Tenth Schedule disqualification.
• The Supreme Court has purposively interpreted the words in Article 200 in its judgment in April 2025. It has interpreted that the main part of Article 200 uses the words ‘Governor shall’ and hence it is not a discretionary power. It relied on its own past judgments including the Nabam Rebia case (2006), the recommendations of various commissions as well as the Office Memorandum of the Home Ministry in 2016 to prescribe the timeline of three months for actions by Governors and the President.

The Centre and the Governors should follow the timeline prescribed by the April 2025 judgment to uphold democratic and federal principles. Hopefully, the opinion of the Supreme Court in the Presidential reference would also reiterate this position.

Current Affairs: 21st Sept 2025

Trump hikes H-1B visa fees to $100,000
Context: In a move that is likely to disrupt the mobility of skilled workers from India to the U.S., U.S. President Donald Trump sharply raised H-1B visa fees, from the current $2,000-$5,000 range to a flat $100,000, or almost ₹90 lakh.

• The presidential proclamation directed the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security to “restrict approvals” for H-1B visa petitions from applicants who are “currently” outside the United States, unless they are accompanied by the new fees.
• “Skilled labour mobility and exchanges have contributed enormously to technology development, innovation, economic growth, competitiveness and wealth creation in the U.S. and India. Policy makers will therefore assess the recent steps, taking into account mutual benefits, which include strong people-to-people ties between the countries.

State government brings 12 services under ESMA
Context: The State government has notified 12 functions in Bengaluru city, essentially solid waste management, water supply, public health, ambulance and crematorium services, among others, under the Karnataka Essential Services Maintenance Act (K-ESMA), 2013.

• “Government of Karnataka is of the opinion that a refusal to work by employees…would prejudicially affect the maintenance of public utility services which are necessary for the life of the community or would result in the infliction of grave hardship on the community”, making a case to bring these services under K-ESMA, 2013.
• The city has seen several strikes by pourakarmikas and garbage collectors over the last decade and a half, which will become difficult henceforth, with this order. “Ironic that a government which can’t ensure even pay is made on time for auto drivers and loaders on contract, which can’t ensure that they have basic equipment wants to ensure that they won’t strike. Why will workers strike if the government treats them fairly? This is meant to make it difficult for workers to fight for their rights,” said Vinay Sreenivasa, a trade union leader working with pourakarmikas for over a decade now.
• The list of 12 services brought under K-ESMA, 2013 include: water, cleaning and sweeping of all streets, door-to-door collection, transportation and processing of waste, management and maintenance of all municipal water works, collection, removal, treatment and disposal of sewage, maintenance of ambulance service and service for conveying dead bodies to crematorium, among others.

India backs resolution to let Palestine President address UNGA
Context: India voted in favour of a UN General Assembly (GA) resolution that allows Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to address its upcoming high-level session through video after the U.S. denied visas to Palestinian officials, preventing their participation in person.

• The 193-member GA adopted the resolution titled ‘Participation by the State of Palestine’ during its 80th session, with 145 nations voting in favour, five against and six abstentions.
• The U.S. and Israel opposed the measure, while India was among those supporting it.
• It decided that Mr. Abbas can address the General Debate of the 80th UNGA session on September 25 via a “pre-recorded statement”, which will be played in the GA Hall after introduction by its representative physically present in the venue.

Meghalaya groups oppose new directive on uranium mining
Context: Several organisations in Meghalaya have expressed concern over a recent office memorandum issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, exempting uranium mining from mandatory public consultations.

• The State has one of the country’s largest uranium reserves in the Domiasiat, Wahkaji, and their adjoining areas in the West Khasi Hills district.
• Locals have resisted attempts to explore and extract the radioactive substance, citing health and environmental reasons.
• The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), which led an anti-uranium movement for decades, reaffirmed its opposition to any move to start mining in Meghalaya. He said the memo excluding atomic, critical, and strategic minerals from public hearings under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, and it was disconcerting. “The exemption of public consultations is an assault on the rights of the indigenous people. We will oppose fresh attempts to explore uranium in Meghalaya,” KSU president Lambokstar Marngar said.
• The Hynniewtrep Youth Council said the office memorandum underlined the Centre’s bid to extract uranium at any cost after failing for decades to convince the local people to give up their land. “This is a new strategy to snatch the people’s right to their land and resources, and to deny their right to live without being exposed to the dangers associated with uranium mining. Our people are aware of how people in Jharkhand’s Jaduguda have been suffering owing to radioactivity caused by uranium mining there,” a spokesperson of the youth body said.

Mohanlal to receive Dadasaheb Phalke Award
Context: The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting on Saturday announced that actor Mohanlal will be presented the country’s highest film honour, the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award, for 2023. The award will be presented at the 71st National Film Awards ceremony on September 23.

• “On the recommendation of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award Selection Committee, the Government of India is pleased to announce that Shri Mohanlal will be conferred the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2023. Mohanlal’s remarkable cinematic journey inspires generations!”
• He has also delivered remarkable performances in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Hindi films. His cinematic and theatrical brilliance across mediums is truly inspiring…may his accomplishments continue to inspire generations to come.”
• “The legendary actor, director, and producer is being honoured for his iconic contribution to Indian Cinema. His unmatched talent, versatility, and relentless hard work have set a golden standard in Indian film history.
• The award will be presented at the 71st National Film Awards ceremony on Sept. 23, 2025,” it said.
• “Outside cinema, he was commissioned as an Honorary Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian Territorial Army in 2009.
• During his career spanning more than four decades, he has worked in about 400 films and bagged five national awards and several Kerala State honours. He was given the Padma Shri in 2001 and the Padma Bhushan in 2019 by the Union government.

El Niño makes India’s heavy rains more intense

• While the El Niño is well known for reducing total rainfall across India, a study that analysed daily data from 1901 to 2020 has reported that it simultaneously increases the intensity of heavy downpours in the wetter parts of central and southwest India. That is, the extremes become more likely even as light and moderate rain events decline. This means El Niño drought years can still bring catastrophic floods, complicating how farmers, city planners, and disaster managers prepare.

Is it feasible to blend isobutanol and diesel?
Context: On September 11, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) was exploring the possibility of blending isobutanol with diesel.

• Isobutanol is an alcoholic compound with inflammable properties and is used as a solvent in several industries, including painting.
• Mr. Gadkari said ARAI was studying the possibility of blending isobutanol with diesel, after efforts to blend ethanol with diesel was unsuccessful.

Is isobutanol better suited for diesel?

• The discussion on the potential use of isobutanol primarily stems from the assumption that the alcoholic compound blends better with diesel, and after the blending experiment with diesel and ethanol failed.
• Ethanol, however, is available in surplus; as a biofuel, it is being seen as an important contributor to the government’s objective of scaling the net zero emission target by 2070.
• “There was no need to add any complement [for efficiency], and isobutanol’s properties are better than ethanol for blending diesel.
• More importantly,the flash point, or the lowest temperature at which isobutanol yields a vapour igniting a momentary flash, is higher than ethanol. A lower flash point was among the reasons that ethanol was not considered ideal for blending with diesel. Fuels with lower flash points are more volatile and entail a higher risk of catching fire.
• The other aspect relates to diverting some of the raw material required to produce ethanol to make isobutanol, as there is already a surplus of ethanol.
• According to an ISMA note, even after catering for industrial use in different States, the potential for ethanol supply is “more than 50% of the requirement” for the one-fifth blending with petrol.
• In addition to this, the sugar manufacturers’ association has also urged the government to revise the procurement prices for ethanol produced from cane juice/syrup or B-heavy molasses.
• The prices have not been changed since Ethanol Supply Year (ESY) 2022-23, while the Fair and Remunerative prices (FRP), or the minimum price sugar mills are required to pay farmers for sugarcane has increased by 16.5% during the period. “This imbalance has eroded economic viability, discouraged ethanol production and risked a build-up of surplus sugar in the domestic market,” it stated. Thus, the proposed blending also opens another avenue for the surplus production to be used.

How economical is it to make isobutanol?

• Isobutanol can be produced from the same feedstock required to produce ethanol, such as sugarcane syrup and molasses and grains, among others.
• “Natural sugars are fermented by specially designed microbes under sterile conditions, unlike conventional yeast that produces ethanol; these engineered microbes are tuned to produce isobutanol.”
• Producing isobutanol from biomass would require retrofitting a fermentation tank, and a distillation tank to separate ethanol from isobutanol. “A plant with a production capacity of 150 kilo litres per day (klp/d) can easily produce 125 klp/d of ethanol and 20 klp/d of isobutanol without a lot of changes to the overall infrastructure,”.

What are some of the issues to consider?

• Isobutanol’s significantly lower cetane number compared with diesel, and about flash points.
• Isobutanol and diesel may have issues on miscibility (ability of two substances to mix to form a homogenous mixture) though it can be sorted out by mixing biodiesel to the blend. The latter refers to the fuel manufactured from non-edible vegetable oils, used cooking oil and/or animal fat.
• The impact of the blend on the cetane number, which is a measure of combustion quality. An ideal combustion translates to rapid ignition and the fuel combusting completely to produce the necessary energy.
• The alcoholic compound’s significantly lower cetane number compared with the base fuel, diesel, would reduce the blend’s overall cetane number.
• Also, a lower cetane number raises concerns about ‘[diesel] knock’ which can result in reduced power and can potentially damage engines. ‘Knocking’ occurs when the fuel burns unevenly and/or prematurely in the vehicle’s fuel cylinder, also generating an audible sound.
• The cetane value can be restored through proper additives which would entail incremental costs.
• The proposed blend would have an impact on reducing emission and help with import substitution, but the riders must be addressed, and proper studies should be initiated encompassing varied vehicle classes and types.
• More importantly, “No more than 10% blending [of isobutanol] should be considered, else it could have an impact on engines.”
• The blending paradigm is still being studied and the pilot project would take about 18 months to complete. If successful, India would be the first country to have blended isobutanol with diesel.

Current Affairs: 20th Sept 2025

• SC cites Preamble to reject plea against Banu Mushtaq opening Dasara in Mysuru

Context: The Supreme Court reminded a petitioner, who did not want “Muslim” Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate the historical Mysuru Dasara festivities, about the Preamble which enshrines secularism, liberty of thought and faith, as well as equality and fraternity as ideals cardinal to national unity.

• Dismissing the petition, a Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta asked the petitioner, Bengaluru resident H.S. Gaurav, whether he had read the Preamble to the Indian Constitution. “What is the Preamble of the Constitution?” Justice Nath asked Mr. Gaurav, represented by senior advocate P.B. Suresh.
• Mr. Suresh said the inauguration of Dasara festivities at Chamundeshwari temple on September 22 had two aspects — the “ribbon-cutting”, which was a secular activity, and then the inaugural pooja before the temple deity, an essentially Hindu religious and spiritual activity. The latter would involve lighting of lamps before the sanctum sanctorum of Goddess Chamundeshwari, along with the offering of flowers and other traditional items to the deity.
• “Inviting her was a purely political act by the State,” the senior counsel argued. The petition contended that having a Hindu dignitary perform the pooja was part of the essential religious practice protected under Article 25 of the Constitution.
• It argued that the Karnataka High Court, while dismissing the case on September 15, erred in not seeing that “Ms. Mushtaq belongs to the Muslim community and is therefore a non-Hindu. As such, she cannot perform rituals before the deity, which is against established Hindu religious and ceremonial practices”.

• But Justice Nath indicated that the event was conducted by the State of Karnataka. The State was secular, and “maintained no religion of its own” as observed by a Constitution Bench in a 1994 judgment in the M. Ismail Faruqui case over the validity of the Ayodhya Act.
• The 1994 judgment had begun by quoting Swami Vivekananda’s “religion is not in doctrines, in dogmas, nor in intellectual argumentation; it is being and becoming, it is realisation”.
• “This is a State event and not a private programme… The State cannot distinguish between A, B or C religion,” Justice Nath emphasised.

• The court refused to oblige the petitioner’s demand to direct the State to give an undertaking that Ms. Mushtaq would not be a part of the pooja. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Karnataka, appreciated the court’s reasoning while dismissing the petition.

• The Supreme Court had in Kesavananda Bharati and S.R. Bommai judgments upheld secularism as a “basic feature of the Constitution”.
• In R.C. Poudyal judgment, the court had observed that although the term ‘secular’ was not present in the Constitution before its insertion in the Preamble through the 42nd Constitution Amendment in 1976, “secularism essentially represented the nation’s commitment to treat persons of all faiths equally and without discrimination”.
• The court had succinctly laid down in a 2024 order in Dr. Balram Singh versus Union of India that the State’s neutral attitude to all religions did not prevent it from intervening to “eliminate attitudes and practices, derived from or connected with religion, which impede development and the right to equality”.

• Pak. to share its nuclear programme with Saudi

Context: Pakistan’s Defence Minister said the country’s nuclear programme “will be made available” to Saudi Arabia if needed, under the countries’ new defence pact, marking the first specific acknowledgment that Islamabad had put the kingdom under its nuclear umbrella.

• Defence Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif’s comments underlined the importance of the pact struck this week between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, which have had military ties for decades.
• Mr. Asif made the comments while answering a question on whether “the deterrence that Pakistan gets from nuclear weapons” will be made available to Saudi Arabia.
• Pakistan’s Defence Minister said the country’s nuclear programme “will be made available” to Saudi Arabia if needed under the countries’ new defence pact, marking the first specific acknowledgment that Islamabad had put the kingdom under its nuclear umbrella. Defence Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif’s comments underlined the importance of the pact struck this week between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, which have had military ties for decades.
• The move is seen by analysts as a signal to Israel, long believed to be West Asia’s only nuclear-armed nation. It comes after Israel’s attack targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar last week killed six persons and sparked new concerns among Gulf Arab nations about their safety amid the Israel-Hamas war that’s devastated the Gaza Strip and set the region on edge.
• Speaking in an interview, Mr. Asif made the comments while answering a question on whether “the deterrence that Pakistan gets from nuclear weapons” will be made available to Saudi Arabia. “Let me make one point clear about Pakistan’s nuclear capability: that capability was established long ago when we conducted tests,” Mr. Asif said. “What we have, and the capabilities we possess, will be made available to (Saudi Arabia) according to this agreement,” he added.
• The two countries signed a defence deal declaring that an attack on one nation would be an attack on both.

• Enrolment to State board schools dips

Context: The enrolment of children in government, aided and private-unaided schools following the State Board curriculum in Karnataka has been declining sharply year-on-year. Compared to the previous year, the enrolment of schoolchildren declined by 5.22 lakh across the State Board schools this year.

• The enrolment in government schools declined by about 2.54 lakh, while in aided schools it decreased by 77,000 and by 1.7 lakh children in unaided, private schools.
• The admission process of schoolchildren from classes 1 to 10 in government, aided and unaided schools across the State for the year 2025-26 was completed on July 31, 2025 and 99,47,261 students enrolled this year. In 2024-25, 1,04,69,944 (1.04 crore) children were enrolled in schools. In 2023-24, 1,05,94,694 (1.05 crore) children had enrolled in schools in the State.
• In 2025-26, 38,20,393 children enrolled in government schools, 11,09,583 in aided schools, 46,66,722 in private unaided schools and 3,50,563 in other schools (run by the social welfare and minorities departments). However, in 2024-25, around 40.74 lakh children were enrolled in government schools, 11.86 lakh in aided and 48.36 lakh in private unaided schools.
• According to data, from 2023-24 to 2025-26, enrolment decreased by about 7.26 lakh in government schools.

Private schools

• The number of students in private schools during the same period decreased by only 31,000.
• Interestingly, although the number of children in private schools in the State increased by 1.39 lakh in 2024-25, compared to 2023-24, there has been a decline of 1.7 lakh children this year.
• Educationists are of the opinion that the decrease in the birth rate and others factors are the main reason for the decrease in the enrolment in schools.
• “The birth rate has decreased due to various factors. At the same time, the decline in enrolment in government schools is a matter of concern. If government schools are to survive, the government should take steps to increase enrolment,” said development educationist V.P. Niranjanaradhya. He stressed on developing basic infrastructure, filling teacher vacancies and providing quality education.

Errors in SATS?

• The Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka (KAMS), an organisation of private school managements, alleged that the number of student enrolment has fallen due to “technical errors” in the Student Achievement Tracking System (SATS)
• K.V. Trilok Chandra, Commissioner of Public Instruction, said, “The decline in enrolment of children in schools is a serious issue. Therefore, emphasis has been placed on the development of basic infrastructure and quality education to attract children to government schools. In this regard, the government has taken steps to increase the number of KPS school and taken other initiatives.”

• ‘Deepika Student Scholarship’ to give ₹30K per year to 37,000 students

Context: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah launched the ‘Deepika Student Scholarship’ programme of the Department of Higher Education, in collaboration with the Azim Premji Foundation, to support higher education of girl students.

• The scholarship provides ₹30,000 per year to girl students who have completed SSLC and Pre-University Course (PUC) in government schools and colleges and have enrolled in any general degree, professional degree, or diploma course.
• It will benefit over 37,000 students starting 2025-26. If more than 37,000 eligible students enroll, the government will provide scholarships to all qualified applicants.
• Chief Minster said, “Azim Premji, a renowned IT guru of our State, has undertaken many public works through the Foundation. He is providing aid for distribution of eggs and banana for government and aided schools children.”

Premji’s dream

• Azim Premji, founder of Azim Premji Foundation, said, “About 25 years ago, when I started the Foundation, my dream was for every child in India to get a good school education. In this period, I have seen more and more children go to school. When I meet school students, they tell me now that they want to go to college. This makes me happy. So I decided to start a scholarship programme for girls who want to go to college.”
• Higher Education Minister M.C. Sudhakar said, “It is highly commendable that Azim Premji, one of India’s most successful entrepreneurs, is using 50% of his earnings for social and educational work through his foundation. The students can apply for this scholarship online. The last date for registration is September 30, 2025.”

• As India and Canada reset ties, NSAs hold talks on security cooperation

Context: Indian and Canadian National Security Advisers (NSAs) and security teams held talks on enhancing bilateral cooperation in Delhi, two years after bilateral ties were ripped apart by Ottawa’s allegation that Indian government officials were linked to the killing of Khalistani activist Harjeet Singh Nijjar.

• “This is part of the regular bilateral security consultations that happen between the two countries,” said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
• “It was also an opportunity and occasion for them to follow up on the discussions that happened between Prime Minister [Narendra Modi] and [Canadian] Prime Minister [Mark] Carney in Kananaskis on the sidelines of G-7 in Alberta [in June this year],” he added.
• The day-long talks between NSA Ajit Doval and Nathalie Drouin, the Canadian National Security and Intelligence Adviser, did not focus on the Nijjar case, which is now in trial court. Instead, they discussed moving ahead on sharing information and counter-terror cooperation, as well as India’s requests for the extradition of a number of Khalistani activists wanted in cases registered in India.

• The Canadian delegation included Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs David Morrison, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commissioner Mike Duheme, and senior diplomats from Global Affairs Canada.
• Significantly, many officials on both sides of the table had been part of the stormy meetings held in 2023, when Canada had claimed it had “credible evidence” that Indian government agents were connected to the assassination of Nijjar who was shot dead outside a Toronto-area gurudwara in June 2023.
• In particular, a meeting in Singapore between Mr. Doval and his previous counterpart had ended with both sides trading charges, and subsequently expelling each other’s diplomats for espionage.
• The repairing of ties began only earlier this year, after Mr. Carney invited Mr. Modi to the G-7 summit, and both sides decided to restore their High Commissioners and restart the trade talks suspended by Canada two years ago.

Khalistani threats

• The talks in Delhi came a day after a Khalistani group laid “siege” to the Indian Consulate in Vancouver, to protest what it called “espionage and surveillance by Indian diplomats” and also targeted the newly arrived Indian High Commissioner to Canada, Dinesh Patnaik, on posters. Mr. Patnaik and Canada’s High Commissioner to India Christopher Cooter took charge of their missions last week, and are expected to present their credentials in Ottawa and Delhi later this month.
• Asked whether India had taken up the latest threats with the visiting Canadian delegation, Mr. Jaiswal said that the security of diplomatic missions is the responsibility of the host government.
• “As and when there is a concern, we do take it up with our [counterparts] in Canada to ensure that there is adequate security of our diplomatic premises,” Mr. Jaiswal said.
• Mr. Morrison also held talks with MEA Secretary (East) P. Kumaran on resuming all dialogue mechanisms suspended since 2023, including on trade, defence and other issues and address the problems for visas due to the downsizing of diplomatic staff strength.

• 474 registered unrecognised parties takenout of EC’s list

Context: A total of 474 more Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPP) have been de-listed for flouting norms, including not contesting elections in the last six years, as part of a comprehensive and continuous strategy to clean up the electoral system, the Election Commission (EC).

• The EC had, in the first phase, de-listed 334 RUPPs on August 9.
• “In continuation, in the second phase, ECI de-listed 474 RUPPs on September 18, based on non-contestation in elections conducted by ECI continuously for 6 years. Thus, 808 RUPPs have been delisted in the last 2 months,” the poll body said in a statement.

• After the de-listing process, at present, 2,046 RUPPs remain. Political parties in the country are registered with the EC under the provisions of Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

• UAPA tribunals uphold ban on J&K Ittihadul Muslimeen, Awami Action Committee

Context: Two tribunals constituted under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) have upheld the Union Home Ministry’s ban of the Awami Action Committee (AAC), headed by Kashmir’s influential cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and Jammu and Kashmir Ittihadul Muslimeen (JKIM), led by Shia leader Masroor Abbas Ansari.

• The tribunals, both headed by Justice Sachin Datta, observed that through the material and evidence placed before them, they found that there was ample justification to declare the two groups unlawful associations under UAPA, 1967.
• “Thus, this Tribunal, having followed the procedure laid down in the UAPA and its Rules and having independently and objectively appreciated and evaluated the material and evidence on record, is of the firm and considered view that there is sufficient cause for declaring the organisation as an unlawful association under Section 3(1) of the UAPA,” the identical order issued by the tribunals read.
• On March 11, while declaring the two groups banned, the Home Ministry said the AAC and the JKIM were indulging in unlawful activities that were threatening the integrity, sovereignty and security of the country. It said the two groups have been involved in mobilising funds for perpetrating unlawful activities, including supporting secessionist, separatist and terrorist activities in J&K.
• These groups show sheer disrespect towards the constitutional authority and constitutional setup of the country through their activities. The outfits were involved in promoting and aiding the secession of J&K from India by involving in anti-national and subversive activities and sowing seeds of disaffection among people, the Ministry said.
• The AAC and the JKIM were exhorting people to destabilise law and order, encouraging the use of arms to separate J&K from India and promoting hatred against the established government, it said.
• The tribunal referred to a chargesheet by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in a case pertaining to terrorist and secessionist activities that have plagued J&K since the late 1980s and the early 1990s.

• Farm machinery firms urged to reduce prices after GST cut

Context: The Union government has asked agricultural machinery manufacturers to reduce their product prices in line with the revised Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates, so that the benefit directly reaches farmers “with full transparency.”

• Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, after a meeting with farm machinery manufacturers here, said the reduction in GST rates was a significant step that would have a widespread impact.

• Representatives from the Tractor and Mechanisation Association, Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Association, All India Combine Manufacturers Association, and Power Tiller Association of India, among others, participated in the meeting.
• Mr. Chouhan said the GST on agricultural machinery, earlier at 12% and 18%, has been reduced to 5%. As a result, tractors will now be cheaper by ₹41,000 to ₹63,000, a four-row paddy transplanter by ₹15,400, and a four-tonne-per-hour multi-crop thresher by ₹14,000.
• He said the measure would promote mechanisation of agriculture. “Suggestions from manufacturer associations will be considered while framing future plans,” he added.

Welcomes move

• According to a government release, the machinery associations welcomed the decision, assured faithful implementation of the Minister’s directions, and reiterated their commitment to farmers’ welfare.

• ‘SEBI, RBI in talks to boost trading in corporate bond index derivatives’

Context: The Securities and Exchange Board of India and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) are in advanced talks to encourage trading in corporate bond index derivatives to deepen the debt market, a top SEBI official.

• “Corporate bond index derivatives trading is another frontier. Good discussions are ongoing between SEBI and the RBI, and we are hopeful that we will see progress soon.”
• Secondary bond trading volumes, at about ₹1.4-lakh crore a month, lag equity markets that trade similar volumes in a single day.
• This is even as bond issuances have picked up pace, with nearly ₹10-lakh crore raised in FY25 and ₹3.5-lakh crore already issued till July this fiscal.
• SEBI had first cleared the way for futures in corporate bond indices in January 2023, by allowing stock exchanges to introduce Cash-Settled Corporate Bond Index Futures (CBIF) contracts on indices of corporate debt securities rated AA+ and above.
• The idea is to renew the push by collaborating with the RBI, as the earlier attempt failed to gain traction. “If we can make bond trading more comparable to equity trading — in settlement, platforms, even trading culture — we might well see this investment class take off,” he said.
• Outstanding corporate bonds have also grown steadily, rising from ₹17.5-lakh crore at the end of FY15 to ₹53.6-lakh crore as of March 2025. “But the market remains dominated by institutional investors — banks, insurers, provident funds, mutual funds. Retail and foreign investors remain on the fringes,” he said. The municipal bond market remains nascent. Since 2017, only 16 issuances worth ₹3,134 crore have been made — equivalent to just 0.02% of GDP.

• Kerala eyes seafood sector partnerships with EU

Context: A two-day blue economy conclave held at scenic Kovalam here where Kerala and the European Union (EU) discussed future partnerships in the marine products sector has grabbed attention just when the prohibitory U.S. import tariffs have been posing stiff challenges to the Indian seafood sector.

• Inaugurating the conclave, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said his State was “embracing the vision of blue economy” and the EU collaboration would help expand opportunities for its fisheries sector.
• ‘Blues Tides – Kerala-European Union Blue Economy Conclave,’ organised by the State Fisheries Department, was attended by the Ambassadors to India of several EU member nations.

‘Exciting area’

• The Kerala-EU partnership, the CM said, would have a strong foundation built on mutual respect and shared values. The seafood sector was one of the most exciting areas where Kerala can collaborate with EU, given the latter’s ‘global leadership’ in marine technologies, ocean governance and sustainability frameworks.
• The Ambassador of European Union to India, Herve Delphin said the EU had suggested to the CM a ‘joint platform and nodal point’ be created for making the collaboration between the regions smooth.
• A survey by a Kerala government-backed think tank showed the three-year average value of marine product exports from Kerala to the U.S. had risen from ₹513 crore during the three fiscals from 2014-15 to 2016-17 to ₹1,093 crore during 2022-23 to 2024-25.

• EU proposes new Russia sanctions, Indian entities likely to be part of list

Context: The European Commission announced that it was proposing a sanctions package, the 19th since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, to member states for approval. The bloc’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, suggested that Indian entities would be impacted. The move comes two days after the EU announced that it was upgrading its relationship with India as a strategic priority.

• “These new sanctions will also squeeze Russia’s access to technologies, including AI and geospatial data, as well as critical resources that feed weapons production.
• This includes those received from foreign suppliers, including China and India,” Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat said on Friday in a televised statement. Indian entities have been subject to Russia-related EU sanctions in previous rounds.
• U.S. President Donald Trump has increased pressure on Europe to stop energy trade with Russia. Last week, Trump administration officials had attempted to persuade the EU to apply tariffs on India and China for their trade with Russia. The EU however has focused on the more traditional sanctions approach and thus far not announced Russia-related tariffs on India or China.
• The Commission , proposed a total ban on imports of Russian LNG by January 2027, according to EU president Ursula Von der Leyen.

• Last Saturday, Mr Trump had said the U.S. would also increase sanctions on Russia if the EU imposes tariffs on China and NATO countries stop buying Russian oil. While EU countries have significantly scaled back their imports of Russian oil in recent years they still import other commodities (for instance iron and steel, fertilizer, nickel) from Russia.
• The new package will also sanction another 118 vessels part of Russia’s “shadow fleet”, i.e., thought to carry out trade, breaking existing sanctions of the EU. It will also include transactions bans on banks in Russia and third parties and sanctions on certain crypto platforms.
• “…When speaking directly with partners that speak to Russians, they say that among the first Russian request is sanction relief. So we know that our sanctions are an effective tool of economic pressure and we will keep using them till Russia comes to the negotiation table with Ukraine for just and lasting peace,” Ms. Von der Leyen said.

• Sports: Jefferson-Wooden completes sprint double; Lyles’ 200m reign continues
• The latter emulates Bolt with fourth straight gold in the event; Pichardo reclaims triple jump crown in dramatic fashion; Benjamin and Bol delight.
• Noah Lyles scorched to a fourth successive World championships 200m gold as he delivered his trademark drive to the line to triumph in 19.52 seconds, pipping compatriot and perennial bridesmaid Kenny Bednarek, who timed 19.58.
• The American held four fingers in the air after crossing the line as he matched Usain Bolt, who won four-in-a-row from 2009-15.
• As Lyles, sporting a new crazy bleached hair look, celebrated, Bednarek looked distraught as he now has two World and two Olympic silvers in the event.
• Bryan Levell took bronze in a personal best 19.64, edging Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo, to win Jamaica’s first medal in the event since Bolt did the sprint double in 2015.
• Later, Lyles’ compatriot Melissa Jefferson-Wooden became the first woman since Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in 2013 to complete the sprint double at the Worlds with victory in 21.68 seconds.
• The 24-year-old American ran the fastest time of the year to cap a brilliant season with another gold to add to the one she won in the 100m. Britain’s Amy Hunt was a distant second to take silver in 22.14, while bronze went to double defending champion Shericka Jackson of Jamaica in 22.18.
• The 2022 champion Pedro Pichardo reclaimed the men’s triple jump after an extraordinary finale as Italy’s Andrea Dallavalle thought he had snatched it with a huge final jump of 17.64m, only for the Tokyo Olympics winner to respond with a massive 17.91 metres. Cuba’s Lazaro Martinez, silver medallist in 2023, finished third with 17.49.
• Femke Bol, who had won eight races in a row, put the seal on a fantastic season by retaining the 400m hurdles crown in emphatic style as the Dutchwoman stormed home in 51.54 seconds. Jasmine Jones of the U.S. took silver in 52.08, while Slovakian Emma Zapletalova got bronze in 53.00.
• Olympic champion Rai Benjamin stormed to victory in the men’s event in 46.52 to finally clinch his first World title after two silvers and a bronze.
• The 28-year-old American had a few nervous moments after initially being disqualified for crashing into the final hurdle and affecting other athletes as he raced for the line. Benjamin’s appeal was upheld, however, and he was restored to the top of the time-sheet. Brazil’s 2022 champion Alison Dos Santos finished second in 46.84 ahead of Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba (47.06s). Norway’s world record holder Karsten Warholm, gunning for a fourth title, finished fifth.

Current Affairs: 19th Sept 2025

Attack on one of us is an attack on both, says Saudi-Pak. pact

Context: Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan have signed a mutual defence pact that defines any attack on either nation as an attack on both — a key accord in the wake of Israel’s strike on Qatar last week.

• The kingdom has long had close economic, religious and security ties to Pakistan, including reportedly providing funding for Islamabad’s nuclear weapons programme as it developed.

Signal to Israel

• But the timing of the pact appeared to be a signal to Israel, West Asia’s only nuclear-armed state, which has conducted a sprawling military offensive since Palestinian nationalist Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel stretching across Iran, Lebanon, the Palestinian territories, Qatar, Syria and Yemen.
• The pact marks the first major defence decision by a Gulf Arab country since the Qatar attack.
• Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman signed the pact with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
• While not specifically discussing the bomb, the agreement states “any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both”, according to statements issued by both Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs Ministry and the state-run Saudi Press Agency. “This agreement… aims to develop aspects of defence cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression,” the statement said.
• A senior Saudi official, speaking on condition of anonymity, seemed to suggest that Pakistan’s nuclear protection was a part of the deal.

Will study pact to protect India’s interests: MEA

Context: Hours after Pakistan signed a defence agreement with Saudi Arabia, India said it was aware that the pact had been under consideration. The External Affairs Ministry said India would study its implications for “our national security” and “regional stability”.

• Hours after Pakistan signed a mutual defence agreement with Saudi Arabia, India has said that it was aware of the development and reiterated its commitment to “comprehensive national security”.
• The Indian response came after Saudi Arabia and Pakistan issued a joint statement during the visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to Riyadh that said, “Any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both.”
• “The government was aware that this development, which formalizes a long-standing arrangement between the two countries, had been under consideration. We will study the implications of this development for our national security as well as for regional and global stability. The government remains committed to protecting India’s national interests and ensuring comprehensive national security in all domains,” said the Ministry of External Affairs in response to the Saudi-Pakistan mutual defence agreement.
• Following talks between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the two sides issued a joint statement on September 17 in which they highlighted bilateral relations over the past nearly eight decades and said, “This agreement which reflects the shared commitment of both nations to enhance their security and to achieving security and peace in the region and the world, aims to develop aspects of defense cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression.” The agreement states that any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both.
• On September 15, Mr. Sharif had participated in the extraordinary Arab-Islamic summit held by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Doha, where Israel’s September 9 bombing of Qatar was condemned.
• Saudi Arabia has close ties with India and had sent Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubair to New Delhi, hours after India targeted locations inside Pakistan under Operation Sindoor on May 7. He also visited Pakistan after his unannounced visit to Delhi.

• Saudi Arabia, one of the top energy suppliers to India, is also a major employer of Indian blue and white collar expat workers in the Gulf and, in recent years, has gradually built military relations as well.

• However, in comparison, the Saudi relations with Pakistan have been marked prominently by the generous support that Riyadh extended to Pakistan, especially after the humiliating defeat in the 1971 India-Pakistan war. Saudi Arabia first came to Pakistan’s rescue with a $300 million assistance that King Faisal extended after meeting Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s Foreign Minister in Riyadh in 1974.
• Over the years, Pakistan has intensified defence cooperation with Saudi Arabia and in recognition of that, Saudi Arabia conferred the prestigious King Abdulaziz Medal of Excellent Class on then Pakistani Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa in 2022.

Award in B. Saroja Devi’s name

• The State government has instituted an award in the name of actor B. Saroja Devi.
• The award titled “Abhinaya Saraswati” will be given to women who have rendered a minimum of 25 years of service in the Kannada cine world. The award will carry a cash prize of ₹1 lakh and a silver plaque.

Approximation exercise to be taken up to identify beneficiaries of ABVV

Context: Karnataka’s Health Department will take up an approximation exercise to identify beneficiaries for the Ayushman Bharat Vay Vandana (ABVV) scheme, which promises free medical treatment to all senior citizens aged 70 and above, regardless of their economic status. A government notification on the rollout of the scheme in the State was issued on September 17.

• The implementation of ABVV was put on hold in Karnataka due to a lack of clarity on fund-sharing between the Centre and the State.

• Under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), the Centre has been providing support to 69 lakh families based on the 2011 Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) data with a 60:40 sharing ratio between the Centre and State.

• With several States already rolling out the ABVV scheme, there has been a growing demand for its implementation in Karnataka as well. Now, following a workshop organised by the Centre last month, officials stated that the Health Department sought the State Cabinet’s approval to conduct an approximation exercise to identify senior citizens through proxy indicators.
• “While the Centre currently supports the SECC-linked 69 lakh families under existing health schemes, there are many eligible families that fall outside this database. Since it is impossible to identify them using outdated SECC identifiers, we are working on an approximation exercise to cover those left out,” Harsh Gupta, Principal Secretary (Health and Family Welfare).

Proxy indicators

• Pointing out that the Centre has also advised other States to use their own methods of identification, Mr. Gupta said: “In Karnataka, we are adopting proxy indicators such as families with children studying in government schools or anganwadis, recipients of widow or disability pensions, MNREGA wage earners, and people who have undergone procedures or availed themselves of treatment at government hospitals. These are practical indicators of identifying the poorest of the poor and most vulnerable in the absence of updated survey data.”
• “We estimate that about 17 lakh additional families [with over 24 lakh senior citizens] will be included through this approximation. Based on past experience, only 7% to 8% of these families will actually seek treatment in a given year,”.

Fund sharing

• On the fund sharing pattern, Mr. Gupta said: “The financial model is likely to follow a 60:40 cost-sharing ratio between the Centre and the State. Based on our calculations, we will submit the data to the Centre, seek their approval, and then begin implementation once the Cabinet gives its clearance. “Once we get clearance, the rollout can begin within weeks,”.
• In November last year, Mr. Gupta wrote to the Union Health Secretary, pointing out that the State is entitled to receive ₹36.58 crore from the Centre for the scheme, as per the existing 60:40 sharing ratio.
• He said the aim is to ensure that senior citizens are not denied healthcare because of financial barriers. “Our approximation method is a step towards covering those who were left out of the SECC framework,” he asserted.

E-cards

• To simplify access, the State will not mandate pre-registration or physical cards. Instead, an electronic health card (e-cards) will be generated instantly at the time of hospital admission, linked to the patient’s mobile number and accessible through WhatsApp. This avoids unnecessary inconvenience to citizens, he added.

‘I believe in true secularism, in all religions,’ CJI says putting the quietus on a controversy

Context: After 48 hours of incessant social media outrage over his oral remarks made in a hearing on a damaged Lord Vishnu idol, Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai broke his silence to clarify in open court that he believes in all religions, visits sites of worship of every faith, and firmly trusts in “true secularism”.

• “Someone told me the other day that the comments I made are being portrayed in social media. I believe in all religions. I respect all…” Chief Justice Gavai said to the assembled courtroom when the Bench re-assembled after the lunch break.
• Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta, who was present, said he had known the Chief Justice for over a decade and knew of his visits to “temples and religious places of all religions”.
• Chief Justice Gavai added to Mr. Mehta’s response by saying that he had visited dargahs and gurdwaras too. “I believe in true secularism, in all religions,” the CJI reiterated.
• On September 16, the court was hearing a petition seeking directions to reconstruct/replace or rejuvenate the seven-foot Lord Vishnu idol at the Javari temple, which forms a part of the Khajuraho group of monuments, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Madhya Pradesh.
• Declining the plea, the CJI, speaking for the Bench with Justice Vinod Chandran, had orally remarked that this was purely public interest litigation.
• “Go and ask the deity himself to do something. If you are saying that you are a strong devotee of Lord Vishnu, then you pray and do some meditation,” the CJI was reported to have told the petitioner, Rakesh Dalal.
• The CJI explained that his remarks were intended to convey that the court could not possibly intervene as the area was a protected monument. He noted that the comments had been taken out of context. “We said it is within the monuments controlled by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), and how can we pass orders,” he explained.
• The Chief Justice said the petition had come up when the waqf case was still fresh in his mind. He referred to an ASI report which had led to the insertion of a provision in the Waqf (Amendment) Act of 2025.

Army scales up induction of drones, aims to make every soldier a drone operator

Context: The Army is rapidly scaling up the induction of drones and counter-drone systems, with multiple units already operational and drone centres established at premier training institutions.

• The Chief of the Army Staff, General Upendra Dwivedi, visited one such facility at Likabali in Arunachal Pradesh, underscoring the Army’s focus on operationalising drone capabilities.
• The initiative aims to make drone operations a standard soldier capability across all arms of the Army. Training institutions include the Indian Military Academy (Dehradun), Infantry School (Mhow), and the Officers Training Academy (Chennai).
• According to officials associated with the training, the concept is captured in the idea of “Eagle in the Arm” — that every soldier should be able to operate a drone just as he carries his weapon. Depending on mission needs, drones will be deployed for combat, surveillance, logistics, and even medical evacuation, while counter-drone systems are being inducted in parallel to create layered protection.
• The Army chief had earlier, during the 26th Kargil Vijay Diwas at Dras (July 26), announced that every infantry battalion will have a drone platoon, artillery regiments will be equipped with counter-drone systems and loiter munitions, and composite Divyastra batteries will be raised to boost precision and survivability. “Our firepower will now increase manifold in the coming days,” Gen. Dwivedi had said.
• This dual thrust — arming soldiers with drones while strengthening counter-drone defences — reflects the Army’s recognition that unmanned systems are no longer niche but essential elements of modern warfare.

U.S. to revoke waiver on Chabahar port sanctions

Context: Decision will hamper India’s plans for regional connectivity, investment of over ₹200 crore in the project in Iran; move comes just days after U.S., India had signalled rapprochement on trade issues

• In yet another harsh measure by the Donald Trump administration, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Thursday that the country was revoking its waiver of sanctions over the Iranian port of Chabahar within 10 days, ending a special waiver given to India in 2018.
• The decision, among a number of other moves by the U.S. to impose “maximum pressure on Iran”, including designating several entities involved in Iran’s oil trade, will affect India’s plans to develop the Shahid Beheshti terminal at the Chabahar port as an alternative trading route for India, circumventing Pakistan, to send cargo to Afghanistan and Central Asia.
• The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) did not respond to requests for a comment on the development, which could severely hamper India’s plans for regional connectivity.
• President Trump had first announced that he planned to end the waiver given to India in his previous term, on February 5 this year, as he signed an executive order mandating Mr. Rubio to “rescind or modify” all such orders that provided any relief to Iran.
• “Consistent with President Trump’s maximum pressure policy to isolate the Iranian regime, the Secretary of State has revoked the sanctions exception issued in 2018 under the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act (IFCA) for Afghanistan reconstruction assistance and economic development, effective September 29, 2025,” the State department said in a statement.
• “Once the revocation is effective, persons who operate the Chabahar port or engage in other activities described in the IFCA may expose themselves to sanctions under the IFCA,” it added.
• Earlier this month, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval had discussed intensifying India’s engagement with Iran on Chabahar during a conversation with Iranian SNSC Secretary Ali Larijani over telephone. According to an Iranian official release issued in Tehran, Mr. Doval discussed “expanding cooperation in economic ties, security and defence relations, and advancing the Chabahar port project,” adding that the two sides would meet in Delhi soon.

• According to a note issued by the Shipping Ministry in 2024, India has spent about ₹200 crore of a total allocation of ₹400 crore on the Chabahar project since 2016.
• “The port recorded a 43% rise in vessel traffic and a 34% increase in container traffic in 2023-24” the note said.

• The imposition of sanctions on Chabahar is the fourth such round of sanctions the Trump administration has passed that directly affects India, and comes just days after the two sides had signalled a rapprochement on trade issues.
• In 2017-18, India had conceded to the U.S.’s demand to end all oil imports from Iran and then from Venezuela. India has not so far agreed to cutting down its imports of oil from Russia this year, despite the U.S.’s demand and imposition of a penalty tariff of 25% on all Indian goods in addition to a 25% “reciprocal tariff” already in place.
• The sanctions will cost India in terms of its investment in the Iranian port, for which the Modi government signed a 10-year lease agreement in May 2024.

‘Weak finances deter municipal bond issue’

Context: The weak balance sheets of municipal bodies are a challenge in the development of municipal bond market in India, said Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Chairperson Tuhin Kanta Pandey.

• “Municipal bonds have been a cornerstone of city-level development, enabling urban local bodies to raise long-term funds for essential projects such as water supply, sanitation, transport, and waste management… challenge lies in project readiness and credibility. Many municipal bodies struggle with weak balance sheets or delayed clearances,” he said at an event here.
• “While the municipal bond market in India is still at a nascent stage, its potential is immense.”
• He called for measures to develop the capital market and make it attractive for institutional and retail investors to invest in municipal and green bonds.

Asset monetisation

• He also emphasised on the need to expand asset monetisation.
• “There is a need to accelerate asset monetisation in various sectors such as roads, railways, ports, airports, energy, petroleum and gas and logistics. State Governments, barring a few, are yet to crystallise asset monetisation plans to provide further boost to infrastructure creation.”
• He highlighted the development of the Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs) into a new asset class.

Switching LPG connections mobile telephony way, PNGRB seeks views

Context: The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) has invited stakeholder and consumer comments on an LPG interoperability framework that would allow households to draw refills from distributors of other PSU oil companies, similar to mobile number portability.

• The move follows more than 17 lakh consumer complaints annually, mainly about refill delays.
• PNGRB noted while oil marketing companies address grievances, consumers cannot migrate to another distributor.
• “While interoperability has been adopted in telephony with much success, the same has not happened in LPG,” the regulator said. Citing reports that highlighted supply disruptions and prolonged delay in refill deliveries, the regulator said safeguarding consumers from service failures and ensuring uninterrupted access to this essential fuel is necessary.
• There may be other reasons too — consumer’s freedom of choice on the LPG company/dealer being one, especially when the cylinder price is same. PNGRB said it was seeking steps to facilitate timely access to refills — by enabling consumers to be served from the nearest available distributor via improved coordination and flexible delivery arrangements within existing network.
• While porting was discussed in the past, the move was given up. Switching distributor or company involves surrendering the equipment and some cost to the consumers.
• When it is done during times of disruption and as a temporary measure there will be practical issues, especially on how refills and pressure regulator, which differ from one company to another, are deposited with the concerned company, sources in the industry said.