Current Affairs: 12th Sept 2025

• SC will not sit idle if a wing of democracy fails to do its duty: CJI

Context: The Supreme Court will not “sit idle” and powerless if a constitutional authority fails to discharge his duties, no matter how high he may be, Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai has said.

• The CJI voiced the court’s firm resolve on the final day of a Presidential Reference hearing, which has brought into sharp focus the schism between non-BJP-ruled States and their Governors over delay in clearing crucial laws.

‘Separation of powers’

• “Howsoever high an authority may be, he is not above the law… I am a strong believer in the doctrine of separation of powers. I believe that judicial activism must not turn into judicial terrorism. But at the same time, if one wing of democracy fails in the discharge of his duties, would the court, which is the custodian of the Constitution, be powerless and forced to sit idle,” the CJI asked the Union government.
• The Union government has used the hearing to criticise the top court for encroaching on the domains of Governors and the President.
• The bone of contention which led to the Presidential Reference is an April 8 judgment of the Supreme Court which imposed a three-month deadline on Governors and the President to deal with Bills placed before them for assent or consideration, respectively.
• The court had, in the judgment, held that whims and fancies of Governors cannot hold up governance by endlessly sitting on important legislation passed by State legislatures for the welfare of their people.
• Representing the Union government, Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta said the court’s attempt to compel a “one-size-fits-all” solution by “imposing” a uniform time frame for all Bills would prove “self-destructive”.

‘Context-based issues’

• “Every Bill has its own context-based issues. Some may require the Governor to have further deliberations and consultations. There are times when a State, while knowing that a Bill may eventually harm the State, is forced to bow to public pressure to pass it. In such cases, the State may tell the Governor to hold the Bills.
• Thus, imposing straitjacket time limits may become self-destructive. Each case turns on its own peculiar facts,” the Solicitor General argued. Mr. Mehta said the top court cannot issue a mandamus to Governors to assent to Bills. Gubernatorial assent was part of legislative process. Courts cannot interfere in law-making.
• “Yes, we cannot ask a Governor to take a decision in a particular manner, but the court can very well ask the Governor to take a decision. A mandamus can be issued to the Governor to decide,” Justice Kant replied pithily.
• Mr. Mehta challenged the narrative that Governors were consistently delaying Bills. He said a majority of Bills, in the last 50 years, were given assent by Governors in a month’s time.
• “Even in the case of Tamil Nadu, except for 10 disputed Bills, assent was usually given in a month. The Governor does not sit over Bills endlessly,” Mr. Mehta submitted.
• Chief Justice Gavai said the Constitution’s framers had envisaged an atmosphere of mutual accord while envisaging the role of the Governors in States. “While the Constitution framers were considering the position of the Governors, the expectation was it would be an existence in harmony. That while appointing Governors, the provincial governments (States now) would be taken on board…” the Chief Justice remarked.
• Mr. Mehta reacted that State-Governor relationships had seen decades of harmony before the Delhi government, during the Aam Aadmi Party regime, started filing writ petitions under Article 32 of the Constitution against the Lieutenant-Governor.
• Attorney-General R. Venkataramani said the Governor should be given the discretion to either assent or withhold a Bill after testing its constitutionality.
• “There is nothing wrong in a Governor deciding to withhold assent to a Bill and sending back a message to the State Assembly about his decision. The question here is whether a Governor can withhold endlessly without sending any message,” Chief Justice Gavai observed. The Presidential Reference was reserved for judgment.

• ‘Project Khushi’ for police personnel

Context: The Bengaluru city police, in association with Happiest Health,launched ‘Project Khushi,’ a health and wellness programme designed to help police personnel prevent and manage lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and metabolic disorders.

• According to a release, the proposed project includes in-person expert-led classes and digital learning modules with six live sessions over three months led by specialists in endocrinology, nutrition, ayurveda, yoga, and mindfulness .
• Weekly digital modules are delivered via web stories, articles, videos and tips and a dedicated WhatsApp support group offering daily nudges, exercise prompts, and nutrition tips.
• It includes comprehensive health assessments at the start and conclusion of the programme, including tests for glycaemic control, organ function, thyroid health, vitamin levels.
• Participants will undergo a comprehensive health test at the start and end of the program.

• ETM upgrade key to rollout of Shakti scheme smart cards in State

Context: More than two years after the launch of Karnataka’s flagship Shakti Scheme, smart cards promised to women beneficiaries are yet to be distributed. The Transport Department has attributed the delay to the lack of compatible electronic ticketing machines (ETMs) across the four State-run road transport corporations.

• While the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has already upgraded its ETMs, the rollout of uniform machines across the other corporations is yet to be completed.

• The Shakti scheme, introduced on June 11, 2023, as the first of the Congress government’s five guarantees, allows women, including transgender persons and students, to travel for free on non-premium State-run buses. The scheme has been immensely popular, recently earning a place in the Golden Book of World Records for ferrying the highest number of women passengers under a free-travel programme. As of July 31, 2025, over 516.95 crore trips were completed under the scheme.

• Despite this success, the smart card system envisioned to streamline ticketing and data collection remains in the pipeline. Currently, female passengers can show any valid government-issued identity card to avail of a ‘zero ticket’ from conductors.

Why the delay

• Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said that the smart card plan is still on the table, but has been delayed. “The issuance of smart cards has been stalled because not all our ETMs can read and validate them. KSRTC has upgraded its machines, but similar ETMs need to be introduced across all four corporations for uniformity,”.
• Earlier, the Transport Department, in collaboration with the Centre for e-Governance (CeG), developed prototypes of the cards. These cards, built on ‘tap-and-travel’ technology, would allow women passengers to tap their card on a conductor’s ETM to validate their journey. The backend system has already been designed to handle registration, data collection, card procurement, and linking to central servers.
• “The technology part is largely ready, including systems for registration, issuing, and linking data. What remains is ensuring that all four RTCs adopt the same ETMs, so that the cards can work seamlessly across the State,” Mr. Reddy explained.

Cabinet approval

• To address these issues, the Transport Department conducted a Technical Advisory Panel (TAP) meeting with officials from all four RTCs on August 2, 2024. The meeting highlighted the incompatibility of existing ETMs as the primary hurdle.
• “Based on the suggestions at the meeting, KSRTC introduced new ETMs capable of reading smart cards. The procurement process for upgrading ETMs in the other corporations is underway. Once completed, smart cards can be rolled out,” Mr. Reddy said.
• The proposal to distribute the cards will soon be placed before the State Cabinet. “After Cabinet approval, the smart cards will be issued without delay,” he assured.
• While the scheme currently functions smoothly with the use of identity cards, officials admit that smart cards could improve efficiency. At present, conductors issue tickets after manually verifying ID cards of passengers, which often leads to longer boarding times.

Benefits

• “Smart cards will save time for both conductors and passengers. More importantly, they will allow the government to generate accurate data on usage patterns, routes, and beneficiary profiles. This data could also guide policy decisions on public transport planning,” a senior Transport Department official said.
• At the time of the scheme’s launch, women were asked to register on the official portal and provide a valid government-issued ID to receive Shakti smart cards. However, due to the ETM issues, the smart card distribution has not taken place. Instead, the temporary arrangement of showing ID cards continues to this day.
• Meanwhile, a recent study titled ‘Beyond Free Rides: A Multi-State Assessment of Women’s Bus Fare Subsidy Schemes in Urban India’, commissioned by the Sustainable Mobility Network and conducted by Nikore Associates, found that the Shakti Scheme in Karnataka has led to a 23% rise in women’s employment in Bengaluru and a 21% increase in Hubballi-Dharwad.

• HAL gets 3rd engine for LCA Mk1A

Context: The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) said that it has received the third GE 404 engine from General Electric (GE) Aerospace for Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk1A.

• The Bengaluru-headquartered defence PSU said that while the third GE 404 engine has been received, the fourth will be delivered by the U.S. firm by the end of the month.
• “HAL has received the third GE 404 engine for LCA Mk1A. One more engine is scheduled to be delivered by the end of September. Engine supply chain improvement will pave the way for LCA Mk1A deliveries,” HAL said in a statement. In January 2021, the Cabinet Committee on Security had approved the procurement of 73 LCA Tejas Mk1A fighter aircraft and 10 LCA Tejas Mk1 trainer aircraft at the cost of ₹ 45,696 crore, along with design and development of infrastructure sanctions worth ₹1,202 crore.
• As per the plan, the deliveries of all 83 aircraft would have to be completed in eight years.
• “HAL will be delivering the first three aircraft in the third year and 16 aircraft per year for the five subsequent years,” the Ministry of Defence had said in February 2021.
• However, there have been delays in the deliveries of LCA Mk1As by HAL.
• Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, during the Aero India 2025 in February, had criticised the PSU over the delays and said he was “just not confident” of HAL. HAL, however, had said that the delays in handing over of the aircraft to Indian Air Force (IAF) were due to supply chain issues of GE.
• “When the IAF Chief made the mention (about delays), we did not have a single engine from GE, though the airframe was ready. The first engine came in April and we are now getting the second one. This is the primary reason why the deliveries have been held up,” HAL Chairman and Managing Director D.K. Sunil.
• Mr. Sunil said that if GE delivers 12 engines as assured, HAL will be able to have 12 aircraft ready by the end of this financial year.

• Special Cabinet meeting on Sept. 16 to discuss UKP-III

Context: In a bid to give a push to the third phase of the Upper Krishna Project (UKP-III), which is currently mired in controversy and in limbo due to the land acquisition issue, the State government has scheduled a special Cabinet meeting for September 16 to arrive at a decision on the land acquisition issue.

• “Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar have been holding consultations with the leaders and farmers’ representatives from the region. To complete the project, we need to take the farmers into confidence since over 75,000 acres that will be submerged have to be acquired,” Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil told presspersons in his post-Cabinet briefing.
• Stating that the government intends to provide justice to the farmers, he said that technical and legal issues are to be sorted out, after which a decision could be taken. Though land acquisition rates were informally discussed, no decision was arrived at, he said.
• Meanwhile, government sources stated that farmers could be offered solatium for relinquishing their lands to help irrigate others’ lands, and that the huge compensation could be met through bonds, as the government does not have the necessary funds.

Protocol changed

• Changing the protocol procedures in the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR), the State government also decided to restrict the number of persons to be invited and seated on the dais in public functions to a maximum of nine in ordinary circumstances.
• “We have brought changes to the protocol to bring discipline. Earlier, there was no limit. Only in unavoidable circumstances, the maximum number of persons to be invited and seated on the dais will be 13. Respective district in-charge Ministers and Cabinet Ministers will decide on the people whose names are to be included in the invitation and those to be seated on the dais,” Mr. Patil said.
• On fears that the Opposition party members could be ignored in the new protocols, he said that no one would be ignored. Asked what would happen if the protocols are violated, he said that it would be construed as ‘indiscipline’.
• Among other decisions, the Cabinet approved a ₹160 crore package for 11 tribal communities, including Soliga, Hasalaru, Gowdalu, Siddi, Kudiya, Malekudiya, Kadukuruba, Iruliga, Betta Kuruba, Yarava, Paniyan and others, for a housing scheme to 6,856 households under the Chief Minister’s Adivasi Gruha Bhagya scheme and ₹150 crore for Karnataka -Global Information System.
• The Cabinet also approved Karnataka Minor Minerals Concessions (Amendment) Rules, 2025, which seeks to simplify permit fees and bring convenience to farmers and the public.

• State govt. unlikely to take Ordinance route on ballot papers

Context: The State government said that it had recommended to the State Election Commission to use ballot papers instead of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and was contemplating promulgating an ordinance to amend the legislation, but may not take the Ordinance route.

SC judgment

• Government sources stated that the government is also considering not taking the Ordinance route, as the Supreme Court, in one of its judgments, has ruled that the choice between ballot paper and EVM in local bodies is left to the State. “Taking the ordinance route may trigger political debate,” said the sources.

• Cyber Command Centre should be made robust: Karnataka High Court

Context: Observing that the Cyber Command Centre (CCC) should not be a mere edifice of bureaucracy but a beacon heralding a new dawn in the fight against cybercrime, the High Court of Karnataka said that officials posted to the CCC should not face frequent transfers.

Directive

• Also, the court directed that it is imperative that the cybercrime helpline 1930 be integrated with the Police Information Technology application that is subsisting and all this to be a part of the CCC besides integration of the system of jurisdictional police station and the CCC for every cybercrime to be brought under the umbrella of the CCC, whether the crime is registered with jurisdictional police or the Cyber, Economic and Narcotic (CEN) police stations.
• Justice M. Nagaprasanna issued the directions while monitoring the progress made in making the CCC operational as per the directions issued by the court in April this year.
• Stating that the CCC must be insulated from external intrusion, the court said the officers, particularly the head of CCC, should not be frequently moved out of the centre, unless warranted at least until a year or two, till the teething problems of CCC or the birth pangs of the establishment do not get obviated.
• “The head of the CCC and his team working in the CCC must not be overnight de-positioned, without the consultation of the head of the CCC. I make it clear that it is consultation and not information, as any investigation by the CCC under way, should not be thwarted by repeated change of officers of the CCC,” Justice Nagaprasanna observed.

Transparency

• The court also made it clear that it would be the duty of the CCC to ensure transparency in its functioning and take steps towards such transparency, including alleged corruption within the CCC.

1930 helpline

• Pointing out that police officers, who act on complaints received on loss of money from bank accounts, take steps for freezing and de-freezing accounts to secure return of lost money without any documents, the court made it clear that it is necessary that the conversation of 1930 helpline should be recorded as part of the police/information technology system.
• If necessary, draw up a zero FIR against each of the complaints received by the helpline, said the court.
• The State government is expected to make the CCC robust, people-friendly, deft and iron-handed to handle cybercrimes, the court said, while directing the head of the CCC to submit a status report by September 24 on the progress in the investigation of cybercrimes or integration of information and technology cases to be done under one roof i.e. CCC.

• Kerala to initiate SIR of electoral rolls soon: CEO

Context: After Bihar, it is Kerala’s turn for the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls as the southern State moves towards 2026 Assembly elections.

• Chief Electoral Officer, Kerala, Rathan U. Kelkar, said that his office was awaiting a formal announcement of the SIR schedule for Kerala by the Election Commission of India (EC), but indicated that the roll-out could likely be in October.
• Mr. Kelkar said his office had been laying the groundwork for the exercise and had uploaded the rolls prepared under the 2002 intensive revision, the last time it was held in Kerala, on the CEO Kerala’s website. The SIR arrangements in Kerala were presented at a review held by the EC in New Delhi on the preparedness of States.
• “We have been asked to be ready. I feel it may happen sometime in October,” Mr. Kelkar said, adding that he was planning to meet political parties in the State on September 20.
• Mr. Kelkar sought to allay fears saying that no eligible voter would be left out of the rolls.
• “We don’t feel that SIR will affect any eligible citizen in Kerala. Complaints regarding the electoral roll will be settled once and for all when the SIR is done,” he said, adding that the SIR would make the rolls more “sanitised and healthier” and keep out non-citizens.

• Postal ballots for NRI voters may turn a reality
• Postal ballots for overseas electors may soon become a reality with the Election Commission of India exploring its feasibility.
• Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U. Kelkar said that his office had urged the EC to introduce the facility for the upcoming Assembly elections in Kerala.

• Govt. contemplates raising civil border guards along China border

Context: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is contemplating raising the Border Wing Home Guards (BWHG) along the China border, on the lines of the force patrolling the India-Pakistan border.

• The BWHGs drawn from the civilian population which lives in the border areas act as an ancillary to border guarding forces and the Indian Army during emergencies.
• There are seven States authorised to have BWHGs — Meghalaya, Tripura, Assam, West Bengal, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat.
• They are now operational only in Rajasthan and their utility was realised during the recent Operation Sindoor when their services were required to collect or disseminate information among the border population.
• As many as 2,279 BWHGs are presently active in Rajasthan. “It is a voluntary force and Rajasthan is the only State which has BWHGs in the present times. They perform the responsibilities of a constable and are usually enlisted for three or four years; 25% cost of training and financial support is borne by the Government of India.
• The usual pay compares to ₹800-900 per day equivalent to that of a constable’s salary,” said the official. The Ministry held a meeting recently on raising the strength of BWHGs for its active engagement with border guarding forces, including the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), which is deployed along the 3,488-km border with China.
• Since 2020, more than 50,000 Army and ITBP personnel have been deployed in eastern Ladakh and the raising of BWHGs will help in augmenting the presence and collection of intelligence, a senior government official said.
• Twenty Indian personnel, including a Colonel, were killed in violent clashes with Chinese troops on June 20, 2020 along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, in what is possibly the worst incident between the two countries in decades.
• After several rounds of talks, there are 26 patrolling points, out of 65 PPs in eastern Ladakh that are not being patrolled by Indian troops since April-May 2020. The areas being patrolled earlier have been turned into “buffer zones” with the Chinese also not sending troops. PPs are often used to assert territorial claims along the undefined border.

• Police officials must shed all personal biases when they don uniform, says SC

Context: The Supreme Court, in a judgment, warned against communal colours seeping into the khakhi of the police.

• The court issued an unprecedented order that a special investigation team (SIT), comprising an equal number of Muslim and Hindu officers, be formed by the Maharashtra government to investigate allegations of murder and assault made by a 17-year-old Muslim boy during the Akola communal riots of 2023.
• “When members of the police force don their uniforms, they are required to shed their personal predilections and biases, be they religious, racial, casteist or otherwise. They must be true to the call of duty attached to their office and their uniform with absolute and total integrity. Unfortunately, in the case on hand, this did not happen,” Justice Sanjay Kumar observed in the ruling, issued by a Bench which also included Justice Satish Chandra Sharma.
• The case concerned the complaints made by a teenager, Mohammad Afzal Mohammad Sharif, who allegedly witnessed four men — including one who was later identified to have political connections — fatally attacking a man in an autorickshaw during the riots. The men assaulted the boy, leaving him with head injuries.
• Afzal and his father then went to the police station to file a complaint about the murder he witnessed and the assault on himself, but the police took no notice. A subsequent appeal to the Superintendent of Police of Akola came to no avail.
• The murder victim was identified as Vilas Mahadevrao Gaikwad. Afzal had stated that Gaikwad was killed under the mistaken impression that he was a Muslim. “It was for the police to investigate the truth or otherwise of the specific allegations made by the appellant, a 17-year-old boy, who asserted that he was an eyewitness to the murder of Vilas Mahadevrao Gaikwad and was himself assaulted by the very same assailants… If, in fact, the deceased was really murdered under the impression that he belonged to Muslim community and the assailants were not of that community, that was a fact that had to be ascertained after thorough and proper investigation,” Justice Kumar said.
• The State Home Secretary was directed to initiate appropriate disciplinary action against erring police officials for their “patent dereliction of duties”.

• India and Mauritius not just partners but a family: Modi

Context: India and Mauritius are not just partners but a family, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Varanasi, at the signing of agreements to deepen ties between the two countries.

• Following bilateral discussions with his counterpart from Mauritius, Navinchandra Ramgoolam, Mr. Modi said that a stable, prosperous, free, open and secure Indian Ocean was a joint priority of both countries.
• “Centuries ago, our culture and traditions travelled from India to Mauritius, and became a part of everyday life there. Just like the eternal flow of Maa Ganga in Kashi, the continuous stream of Indian culture has enriched Mauritius. And today, when we are welcoming friends from Mauritius in Kashi, it is not just a formality but a spiritual union. That is why I proudly say that India and Mauritius are not just partners but a family,” said Mr. Modi.

• The Prime Minister said Mauritius is an integral part of India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy.

• At a press conference, Mr. Modi said, “Today, we have announced a special economic package designed to support Mauritius’s needs and priorities. This will strengthen infrastructure, create new employment opportunities, and further enhance healthcare facilities.

• The first Jan Aushadhi Kendra outside India has now been established in Mauritius.”

AYUSH centre

• India also announced that it would extend cooperation in establishing an AYUSH Centre of Excellence, a 500-bed Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam National Hospital, as well as a veterinary school and animal hospital in Mauritius.
• The two countries also signed memorandums of understanding to enhance cooperation in science and technology, oceanographic research, power sector and implementation of Phase 2 of small development projects.
• In a proposed hydrography project, the countries will work together on joint surveys, navigation charts, and hydrographic data of the exclusive economic zones of Mauritius.
• “Very soon, we will also launch the training modules of Mission Karmayogi [capacity building for government officials] in Mauritius.
• The Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, and the Indian Institute of Plantation Management have entered into agreements with the University of Mauritius. These agreements will elevate our partnership in research, education, and innovation to new heights,” added Mr. Modi, lauding the unique “civilisational ties” between the two countries.
• Mr. Ramgoolam, who arrived in Varanasi, witnessed the Ganga Aarti from a cruise in the evening. On Friday morning, he is scheduled to offer prayers at Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham before leaving for Ayodhya.

• Standard of debates should improve: Speaker Om Birla

Context: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla expressed concern over the lack of meaningful discussions in the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, and State legislatures, and said the standard of debates in the House should improve.

• Speaking at the inaugural function of a three-day Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), India Region, Mr. Birla, who is also the Chairman of the CPA,said the debates in the State legislatures and Parliament should be of high quality to ensure meaningful discussion of laws.
• He expressed concern that the dignity of the debates were getting lowered due to disruptions in the proceedings of the Houses owing to petty political reasons. He urged lawmakers to rise above party lines on issues of national interest and meet the aspirations of people.
• The programme, held at the Vidhana Soudha, was attended by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh, and presiding officers of Legislative Assemblies.
• Mr. Siddaramaiah said “a culture of dialogue, commitment to equality, and a willingness to listen, deliberate, and decide together is the true spirit of democracy”.
• He said the Parliament and State legislatures were laboratories of federal democracy, where diversity was debated, dissent was respected, and unity was forged.

• Home Minister launches faster immigration clearance at 5 airports

Context: Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the Fast Track Immigration-Trusted Traveller Programme (FTI-TTP), which accelerates the immigration process for preverified Indian nationals and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders, at five more airports.

• After launching the FTI-TTP at Lucknow, Thiruvananthapuram, Tiruchirappalli, Kozhikode and Amritsar airports, Mr. Shah said travellers would no longer experience long queues or manual checking and would receive immigration clearance in just 30 seconds without delays.
• He said the programme had been launched in alignment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “speed, scale and scope”. The special initiative was first rolled out at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in July 2024, and two months later, extended to Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Cochin and Ahmedabad.
• Mr. Shah said the facility would not only enhance the convenience of travellers but also provide an opportunity to introduce them to the changes taking place in the country.
• Mr. Shah said with the FTI-TTP, seamless immigration facilities would be available at the designated airports and emphasised that merely providing convenience was not enough, action must be taken to ensure that the maximum number of travellers benefited from it.
• “To achieve this, efforts should be made to enable registration at the time of issuing passports and OCI cards,” he said, adding that if this could be implemented, travellers did not need to return for fingerprinting or documentation and they could travel using their passports whenever they wished.
• “OCI cardholders will benefit the most,” he said, adding that the Home Ministry has planned to integrate this programme with the upcoming Navi Mumbai and Jewar airports.
• About three lakh travellers have registered on this portal, of which 2.65 lakh have utilised it and efforts should be made to increase this number, he said. The FTI-TTP will eventually be launched at 21 major airports in the country.

• First tri-service all-women circumnavigation sailing expedition flagged off

Context: Commemorating women power and the vision of a developed India, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh virtually flagged off a historic tri-service all-women circumnavigation sailing expedition — Samudra Pradakshina — from the Gateway of India in Mumbai.

• The expedition is the first of its kind in the world. Addressing the gathering from South Block in New Delhi, Mr. Singh described the initiative, a first of its kind, as a glowing symbol of nari shakti (women power), the jointness of the armed forces, self-reliant India (Aatmanirbhar Bharat) and India’s global vision.

The route

• According to the Ministry of Defence, over the next nine months, 10 women officers from the Army, Navy and Air Force will sail onboard the indigenously-built Indian Army Sailing Vessel (IASV) Triveni, a 50-foot yacht.
• They will follow an easterly route covering nearly 26,000 nautical miles, crossing the Equator twice and rounding the three great Capes — Leeuwin, Horn and Good Hope. They will return to Mumbai in May 2026.

• Centre to conduct 2 key surveys on household finances from July 2026

Context: The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation is all set to conduct two key economic surveys — to measure household finances and to gauge the economic situation of India’s farmers — between July 2026 and June 2027, the Ministry.

• These are the All-India Debt and Investment Survey (AIDIS) and the Situation Assessment Survey (SAS) of Agricultural Households.
• “Both of these nationally representative surveys are scheduled to be conducted from July 2026 to June 2027,” MoSPI said in a press release. “The AIDIS is one of India’s most significant surveys on household finance,” it added. “The SAS of Agricultural Households, first launched in 2003, is designed to assess the economic conditions of farming communities.”
• According to MoSPI, the AIDIS provides “critical” data on household indebtedness and asset ownership across both rural and urban areas. “Its findings are instrumental in shaping national accounts, assessing inequality in asset distribution, understanding credit markets, and informing policies of the RBI, MoSPI, and other government institutions,” it said.
• The SAS of Agricultural Households, on the other hand, includes data on agricultural household income and expenditure, indebtedness and access to credit, land and livestock ownership, crop and livestock production, farming practices and the use of technology, and access to government schemes and crop insurance.
• “The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, NITI Aayog, researchers, and financial institutions utilise the survey findings to shape policies and programmes aimed at agriculture and rural development,” MoSPI noted.

• U.S., Paraguay question India’s hiking of support price for rice

Context: The U.S. and Paraguay, in a joint submission at the WTO, have questioned India’s decision to raise Minimum Support Price (MSP) for rice in 2025 despite “record harvests, exports, stocks, and offloading of stocks for ethanol production”.

• The countries asked India to explain the rationale for increasing the MSP for rice in 2025, while it has been claiming benefits under the ‘Bali Interim Decision’ (that allows WTO subsidy limits to be breached), given India’s record harvests, exports, and stocks exceeding what is necessary to meet domestic food aid needs.
• “While the MSP scheme may be part of India’s domestic public food distribution system, the scheme’s effects on exports and disposal of stocks for non-food purposes appear to go far beyond food security,” the U.S. and Paraguay submitted to the Committee of Agriculture (CoA).

CoA review

• The submission will be taken up for detailed discussions at the CoA review meeting on September 25-26, together with other questions from different members about each other’s policies.

• ‘Working to blend isobutanol with diesel after ethanol blending failed’

Context: The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) is working to explore the possibility of blending 10% isobutanol with diesel, Union Minister for Transport Nitin Gadkari.

• At the annual conclave of the India Sugar and Bio-Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA), Mr. Gadkari said whilst trials of blending one-tenth ethanol with diesel was not successful, other than the isobutanol blend, it was also being explored for a potential standalone use.

• Isobutanol is an alcoholic compound with flammable properties, and is commonly used as a solvent in many industries including paints and coating.

• Mr. Gadkari’s announcement comes amid the backlash the government received for petrol blended with ethanol at 20%.
• He also said that tractor companies and agricultural equipment manufacturers had expressed eagerness to explore a flex fuel combination of CNG and isobutanol at a recent meeting.
• Mr. Gadkari said using corn to create an ethanol blend was a success, adding farmers had earned more than ₹42,000 crore, with prices spiking from ₹1,200/quintal to “ ₹2,600-2,800/quintal” since they commenced blending.
• Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi urged biofuel producers to increase production and look to enter the global market to export ethanol.
• ISMA president Gautam Goel urged the government to consider, among other things, aligning the fair and remunerative price (FRP) of sugarcane in line with the rising (procurement) costs of cane.
• The industry body chief also sought the government to consider revision in the minimum support price of sugarcane, and increasing the permissible export quota in the sugar season 2025-26.

‘Healthy harvests’

• Sugar production in 2025-2026 season (October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026) is likely to be 349 lakh tonnes, which will be significantly more than the production in the current year (2024-25).

• ISMA said that with a favourable monsoon and healthy growth, the crops in Maharashtra and Karnataka are expected to yield healthy harvests.