Current Affairs: 6th October 2025

• Tiger deaths trigger demand to reject mini-hydel proposals in M.M. Hills, ESZ of Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary

Context: Consequent to a spate of tiger deaths in the M.M. Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, the State government has been petitioned to reject forest diversion proposals that will pave the way for mini-hydel projects along the river Cauvery in the M.M. Hills Wildlife Division and the Eco-Sensitive Zone of the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.

• Wildlife conservationist Giridhar Kulkarni has red-flagged the issue on grounds that the proposed projects for which forestland diversion has been sought would further fragment the habitat which was already witnessing an increase in conflict situations, and drew attention to the recent poisoning of six tigers in M.M. Hills Wildlife Sanctuary during the last four months.
• Mr. Kulkarni has written a letter to Eshwar B. Khandre, Minister for Forest, Ecology, and Environment, and stated that the three proposals involve the Ranganathaswamy Mini Hydel Project by Pioneer Power Corporation, the Barachukki 2×2.5 MW Mini Hydel Project by Madhyaranga Energy Pvt. Ltd., and a 24.5 MW Hydroelectric Project by Balaji Cauvery Power Pvt. Ltd. — all of which are located near Shivanasamudra and Sathegala in Kollegal taluk.
• Mr. Kulkarni cited the death of five tigers in June 2025 in the Hoogyam range of M.M. Hills Wildlife Sanctuary and another tiger death reported on October 3, all of which were allegedly poisoned, and said that these incidents could be attributed to shrinking habitats and disruption in the predator-prey dynamics.
• He cautioned that the proposed project involving tree felling, blasting, tunnelling, and construction near the river would obstruct wildlife movement and escalate conflict in the adjoining villages.

Ecological importance

• Underlining the ecological importance of the Cauvery-M.M. Hills landscape, Mr. Kulkarni said that the Cauvery riverine belt and the adjoining forests form a vital elephant habitat which is recognised by the Karnataka Elephant Task Force, 2012. The petitioner pointed out that the mini hydel projects create physical barriers for elephant and wildlife movement leading to disruption of migration and ranging patterns, increased crop depredation in nearby villages, and an escalation of conflict situations resulting in retaliatory killing of wild animals.
• Mr. Kulkarni said that the significance of the M.M. Hills-Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) as a connectivity zone linking CWS, M.M. Hills and the BRT Tiger Reserve are well documented.
• He pointed out that an earlier expert committee, which had suggested that one of these projects may be permitted with “minimum intervention and safeguards”, was misleading and no longer relevant. This was because tiger mortality due to conflict has drastically increased in recent years and human-elephant conflicts across Chamarajanagar and Kollegal have intensified.
• Mr. Kulkarni said that these projects, if approved, would fragment crucial habitats of tigers and elephants, and exacerbate human–wildlife conflict. The petition, he said, underscores the serious ecological consequences of these projects and added that the consequent habitat fragmentation could lead to further tragic incidents.

• Telangana tops States in UPI transaction intensity: RBI paper

Context: Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi and Maharashtra also recorded high UPI usage intensity.

• The usage intensity of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions — measured in per capita volume terms — is highest in Telangana among all the States, according to a recent paper published in the Reserve Bank of India’s bulletin. The study used PhonePe transaction data as a proxy to assess UPI intensity. Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi and Maharashtra also recorded high UPI usage intensity.

• The rise of UPI is likely a major factor driving the decline in cash demand in the economy, the paper notes. This shift is evident in the steady fall in ATM cash withdrawals as a percentage of GDP (Chart 1). The growing use of UPI for low-value, everyday transactions is reflected in the rising share of peer-to-merchant (P2M) payments, while the average value of a single UPI transaction — or the ‘ticket size’ — has been declining over time (Chart 2). The bulk of peer-to-merchant (P2M) transactions by volume fall within the sub-₹500 value range (Chart 3).
• The RBI paper used data from PhonePe — a payment service that accounts for 58% of total UPI transaction volume (Chart 4) and 53% of the total transaction value (Chart 5). As noted earlier, UPI usage intensity is highest in several southern and western States, and in Delhi. The paper attributes this to the presence of urban centres, economic hubs, and high levels of employment-driven migration in these regions.
• Cash withdrawal intensity remains higher in many northeastern States, as well as in Kerala and Goa. Delhi features on this list too.
• According to the paper, this could be due to factors such as tourism and service-led cash usage, remittance inflows, the continued cash dependence of rural areas, and limited digital infrastructure.

• British and Indian warships begin four-day maritime exercise Konkan in Indian Ocean

Context: The United Kingdom’s Carrier Strike Group (CSG), led by the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, commenced Exercise Konkan with the Indian Navy in the Western Indian Ocean.

• The four-day maritime drill aims to enhance combined maritime and air capabilities between the two navies. First held in 2004, Exercise.

• Konkan has traditionally been a biennial engagement. This edition, however, marks the first-ever exercise involving the CSG of both nations — the U.K.’s HMS Prince of Wales and India’s INS Vikrant.
• The U.K. CSG, currently on an eight-month global deployment dubbed Operation Highmast, has linked up with the Indian Navy’s carrier task force for complex multi-domain operations, including anti-submarine warfare, cross-deck flying operations, and air defence drills.
• Following the exercise, the British warships will make port calls in Mumbai and Goa, highlighting deepening defence ties while showcasing British trade and industry and the strong “living bridge” of people and culture between the U.K. and India.
• British High Commissioner to India Lindy Cameron said, “The U.K. and India believe in an Indo-Pacific that is free and open. We share an ambition for a modern defence and security partnership, a fundamental pillar of U.K.-India Vision 2035, agreed by our Prime Ministers this year. The engagements between the CSG of our two navies demonstrate our commitment to maintaining the rules-based international order in the region and lay the groundwork for future cooperation.”
• Commodore James Blackmore, Commander of the U.K. CSG, added that the partnership reinforces shared commitments to security and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

Aerial defence exercise

• Upon completion of the port visits, the U.K. CSG will conduct an aerial defence exercise with the Indian Air Force, allowing both forces to test tactics and strengthen interoperability.
• Operation Highmast is a multinational deployment led by the U.K. CSG, providing an opportunity for the U.K.’s Armed Forces to conduct a major global deployment and exercise complex operations alongside allies in the region, with 12 other nations supporting the deployment with ships or personnel.
• Indian Navy to commission INS Androth on October 6

Context: The Indian Navy is set to commission INS Androth, the second Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam.

• The ceremony will be presided over by Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command.
• Built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, INS Androth signifies a key step in India’s pursuit of maritime self-reliance. The commissioning of Androth follows the recent induction of warships such as Arnala, Nistar, Udaygiri, and Nilgiri, showing the Navy’s balanced modernisation across platforms.

• Drug makers must comply with revised norms: govt.

Context: Schedule M mandates enhanced quality systems; Centre warns licences of non-compliant units will be cancelled; move follows deaths of children in M.P., Rajasthan due to a ‘toxic’ cough syrup.

• The Union Health Ministry has sought strict compliance by drug manufacturers with the revised Schedule M norms for pharmaceutical products in India. Licences of non-compliant units would be cancelled, it has warned.
• The direction comes after an emergency meeting with officials of the States and Union Territories on Sunday evening, following a report by the Tamil Nadu Drugs Control Department, which found above permissible levels of diethylene glycol (DEG) in samples of Coldrif, a cough syrup brand.
• The revised Schedule M is an updated set of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and regulations for pharmaceutical products in India, a part of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
• It mandates enhanced quality systems, including the Pharmaceutical Quality System and Quality Risk Management, with a compliance deadline of December 31, 2025. The revisions align Indian standards with international GMP guidelines, emphasising product quality and safety, and require new infrastructure, including computerised storage systems and equipment validation.

Children’s death

• Testing of cough syrup brands was initiated following the death of more than 10 children in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
• Preliminary findings in the past week have ruled out common infectious diseases, except for one positive case of leptospirosis. Nineteen medicine samples consumed by the children were collected from private medical practitioners and nearby retail stores. The chemical analysis so far indicates that out of the 10 samples analysed till date, nine met quality standards.
• However, one of them, namely, the cough syrup Coldrif, contained DEG beyond the permissible limit.
• Subsequently, regulatory action has been taken by the Tamil Nadu Food and Drugs Administration against the unit, which is located in Kancheepuram. Cancellation of the manufacturing licence has been recommended by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation based on findings upon inspection. Criminal proceedings have also been initiated, the Ministry.
• Tamil Nadu’s Drugs Control Department issued an immediate stop production order to the manufacturer of the Coldrif cough syrup following an analysis by a government drug testing laboratory, which found a batch to be “not of standard quality” and “adulterated with diethylene glycol”.
• “The report from the Madhya Pradesh drug regulatory authority is still awaited,’’ a senior Health Ministry official said.
• Speaking on the outcomes of Sunday’s emergency meeting called by the Union Health Ministry, sources in the Ministry said that maintaining quality and rational use of cough syrup had been reiterated.

• Why is ADR crucial for India’s courts?

Context: The Minister of Law and Justice recently reaffirmed the government’s commitment to legal reforms rooted in India’s civilisational ethos.

• Citing the doctrine of Panch Parmeshwar, which embodies the principle of collective consensus in dispute resolution, Arjun Ram Meghwal emphasised the need for global cooperation to strengthen Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms.
• The India Justice Report 2025 highlights significant challenges in India’s justice system, particularly including access, delays, and accountability. According to the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG), the total number of pending cases in India is 4,57,96,239. In the Supreme Court, the number of pending cases is 81,768, and in the High Courts, it is approximately 62.9 lakh. These delays often result in injustice, increasing the focus on ADR as a faster, cost-effective, and socially inclusive way to deliver justice.

What is the constitutional basis of ADR?

• The constitutional basis of ADR in India is enshrined in Article 39A, which mandates the state to provide equal justice and free legal aid.
• Various ADR processes, such as arbitration, conciliation, mediation, and judicial settlement (Lok Adalat), are recognised under Section 89 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908.
• To regulate processes, these have been incorporated into law. For example, under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996 (amended in 2021), civil and compoundable offences like theft, criminal trespass, and adultery are resolved through a binding award or resolution, respectively. The Arbitration Act, 2021, also mentions the establishment of an Indian Arbitration Council, giving legal backing to arbitration agreements.
• The law fixes a maximum period of 180 days for dispute resolution, ensuring faster justice.
• On many occasions, even after such a solution, if a party is dissatisfied, they can exit the process after two sessions of mediation. Pre-litigation mediation for resolving civil and commercial disputes will not increase the number of pending cases; it will also strengthen interpersonal relationships by increasing interaction at the social level.

How do Lok Adalats function?

• Lok Adalats are governed by the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, inspired by Article 39A. Apart from Permanent Lok Adalat (Section 22-B of the Act), provisions of the National Lok Adalat and e-Lok Adalat are directly helpful in strengthening the justice system, provided awareness about such a system is made effective and widespread.
• The first Lok Adalat in India was organised in Gujarat in 1999. The biggest feature of Lok Adalats is that their decisions shall be final and there is no possibility of appeal. This does not mean that the powers of these courts are absolute.
• The reason for no appeal is that these courts resolve disputes before litigation. In order to prevent any possible absoluteness, it is provided that the dissatisfied party can file a suit in a court.

Why is strengthening ADR crucial?

• According to former Chief Justice of India Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, mediation is a tool for social change, where social norms are brought in line with constitutional values through the exchange of views and flow of information. Solutions arrived at through invaluable discussions during mediation ensure true justice for individuals and groups on their terms, in a language they understand, and provide a platform that protects their sentiments.
• The India Justice Report also highlights inter-State disparities in terms of the backlog of cases. The report says that pending cases have exceeded five crore, and High Courts and district courts are facing vacancy rates of 33% and 21% respectively. Judges in Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala have workloads exceeding 4,000 cases.
• A substantial number of cases in High Courts and subordinate courts have been pending for over 10 years. The NJDG provides real-time data on case pendency and disposal, offering a comprehensive view of the judicial system’s performance across States and courts.
• The India Justice Report ranks States based on their performance on various aspects of the justice system, including case pendency, with other factors like court infrastructure and judge availability.
• States like Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar have a considerable number of pending cases. This urgently demands rapid disposal and necessitates the strengthening of the ADR for effective per capita justice delivery.