Current Affairs: 8th Sept 2025

‘Sri Lankan Tamil refugees not eligible for long-term visas’

Context: Undocumented Sri Lankan Tamil refugees who were exempted from penal provisions by a Union Home Ministry order last week are not eligible to apply for long-term visas (LTVs), a senior government.

• The official, however, did not elaborate on the reason for the ineligibility.
• Though the order removes the tag of an “illegal migrant” from registered Sri Lankan Tamil nationals who entered India before January 9, 2015, it willnot immediately help in the grant of Indian citizenship.
• The LTVs, a precursor to citizenship, are issued for a period of one to five years.
• The official said that Sri Lankan Tamils are not eligible to apply for LTVs but foreigners can apply for Indian citizenship under the Citizenship Act, 1955.
• On March 17, 2021, the Ministry informed the Rajya Sabha that “Any foreigner, including a Sri Lankan citizen, may acquire Indian citizenship by registration or naturalisation after fulfilling the eligibility criteria laid down in the Citizenship Act, 1955, and the rules made thereunder.”
• A 1986 letter by the Ministry to Chief Secretaries asks the States to not “entertain the applications of Sri Lanka refugees for the grant of Indian citizenship”. It states that the Government of India received enquiries regarding “national status of these Sri Lanka nationals who came to India as refugees”.
• “After careful consideration, the GoI have come to the conclusion that no Sri Lanka refugees who came to India in July 1983 or after should be naturalised/registered under the provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955, and Citizenship Rules, 1956,” it says.
• The directions are still operational. On September 2, the MHA notified the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 that was passed by the Parliament in April to repeal and replace four laws which governed the entry, stay, and exit of foreigners, and immigration and passport rules, including the Passport Act and Foreigners Act. The notified order exempted “registered Sri Lankan Tamil nationals who have taken shelter in India upto the 9th January, 2015” from the provisions of sub-sections (1), (2) and (3) of Section 3 (requirement of passport or other travel document or visa) of the 2025 Act.
• The September 2 notification also exempted undocumented members of six minority communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan from penal provisions and possible deportation if they entered India without passports or visas, or with expired travel documents, before December 31, 2024.
• While the six communities will be able to apply for LTVs, making them eligible to apply for citizenship after at least 11 years of continuous stay in India, Sri Lankan Tamils will not be eligible for the same.
• Members of six minority communities — Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians — from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, who enter India on valid travel documents “seeking permanent settlement in India with a view to acquire Indian citizenship” are eligible for LTVs.
• Antony Arulraj, an activist closely associated with issues faced by Sri Lankan Tamils since 1990, said that the MHA had been lenient in setting January 9, 2015 as the cut-off date, close to six years after the end of civil war in Sri Lanka.“The notification makes India a safe haven for Sri Lankan Tamils who took refuge before 2015. Those who wish to stay back can do so without fear of being branded as illegal immigrants,” he said.
• According to the MHA’s report of 2023-24, 3,04,269 Sri Lankan refugees entered India in various phases between July 1983 and August 2012.

IAA astronomers make breakthrough in understanding how cosmic dust grains line up

Context: A team of astronomers led by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) and their collaborators have made a breakthrough in understanding how cosmic dust grains line up with the galaxy’s magnetic field.

• Dust grains, typically a few micrometers in size and composed primarily of silicates and carbonaceous material, are found throughout the interstellar medium in the Milky Way and other galaxies.

These tiny particles play a crucial role in a wide range of astrophysical processes, including the formation of stars and planets.

• The Department of Science and Technology said that this breakthrough by the astronomers provides the strongest observational evidence yet for the long-theorised ways in which dust aligns itself with magnetic fields in our Galaxy.
• They focused on the massive star-forming infrared dark cloud G34.43+0.24, located around 12,000 light-years away in the Milky Way.
• Using the POL-2 polarimeter on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope in Hawaii, the researchers mapped how dust in this star-forming nursery aligned with magnetic fields.

Observational evidence

• The study found observational evidence for three different alignment mechanisms acting in a single cosmic cloud namely RAT-A, RAT-D and M-RAT.
• RAT-A, implies RAdiative Torque Alignment in which non-spherical grains exposed to anisotropic radiation fields experience RAdiative Torques—RATs, that cause them to spin up and align with the direction of the surrounding magnetic fields.

Polarisation fraction

• RAT-D is Radiative Torque Disruption in which large dust grains spin so rapidly under strong radiation from the massive and luminous protostars embedded inside the cores that they are disrupted into smaller fragments, reducing the grain alignment efficiency and thereby lowering the polarisation fraction.
• M-RAT implies Magnetically-enhanced RAdiative Torque alignment mechanism in which alignment efficiency of grains is enhanced by strong magnetic relaxation strength of grains, resulting in higher polarization percentages.

Environment

• “This shows that the grains respond differently depending on their environment—sometimes aligning perfectly, sometimes shattering under stress, and sometimes becoming super-efficient at tracing magnetic fields,” the department said.
• It added that by proving how these mechanisms play out in real space, astronomers now have stronger tools to map magnetic fields across the galaxy.

As per revised pact, future talks will focus on U.T. with legislature: Kuki-Zo groups

Context: The Kuki-Zo insurgent groups that signed a suspension of operations (SoO) pact with the Manipur government and the Union Home Ministry on September 2 accused the Press Information Bureau (PIB) of putting a spin on the signed official agreement, which has caused confusion among the people.

• It said that following the renewed SoO agreement, future talks between the SoO group and government’s representatives would focus on the demand for Union Territory (UT) with legislature for the Kuki-Zo areas in Manipur.
• The two groups — Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and United Peoples Front (UPF) — said in a statement on Sunday that the PIB’s aberration has seriously upset the Kuki-Zo sentiments to a point of affecting the mood over the much-awaited Prime Minister’s visit to Churachandpur on September 13.
• “The recently concluded MHA and SoO extension agreement for one year, effective from the date signed September 4, 2025, at New Delhi clearly states, ‘SoO Agreement shall be followed by tripartite dialogue with KNO and UPF to pave the way for a negotiated political settlement under the Constitution of India in a time bound manner.’ The PIB has put a spin on the signed official agreement as follows: “Among other provisions, the revised ground rules reiterated: Need for a negotiated solution to bring peace and stability to the State of Manipur.” This twist by the PIB does not figure anywhere in the SoO agreement signed between the Home Ministry and the SoO group, the statement by the groups said.
• The statement said that before May 3, 2023, when ethnic violence erupted in the State, the SoO group’s demand was local autonomy by way of Territorial Council within Manipur. Post-violence, the demand changed to UT with legislature, which was submitted at the SoO meeting on September 1, 2023.

Russia, India, China aware of mutual interests: Lavrov

Context: Russia, India and China are aware of their common interests in several sectors and there is an overt trend of developing mutual partnership, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

• Mr. Lavrov was referring to the recent bonhomie displayed by the leaders of the three countries at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin last week. Triple handshake and huddle of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the summit hogged headlines.
• It even prompted U.S. President Donald Trump, in a social media post, to lament the loss of India and Russia to “deepest and darkest” China.
• “It is a demonstration that three great powers, representing three great civilisations, are aware of their common interests in a number of areas,” Mr. Lavrov said.
• According to Mr. Lavrov, the common interests of the three countries lie in developing the economy, solving social problems, and improving the living standards of the population.

India and Bangladesh to hold talks on water sharing

Context: The India-Bangladesh Joint River Commission is set to meet in Delhi on Tuesday, sources said, amid ongoing tensions between the two countries. Dhaka plans to send a 10-member team to raise its concerns about water sharing of 14 cross-border rivers.

• Sources said that Bangladesh plans to use the discussion as a warm-up for talks on the Ganga Waters Agreement of 1996 that will come up for renewal next year, when Bangladesh will also hold its first election since the overthrow of the Sheikh Hasina government in August 2024.
• The treaty was signed during Ms. Hasina’s first term in power in 1996, when it was decided that the treaty would be considered for renewal 30 years later. It is understood that Bangladesh will now demand a longer time frame before the next renewal of the treaty. It is also seeking some changes in the use of the river’s water on the Indian side.
• Diplomatic sources said that Dhaka is expected to ask for a specialvehicle to manage the waters of 14 rivers, including the Muhuri, Khowai, Gomti, Dharla, and Doodhkumar.
• Bangladesh also wants India’s support to create a joint flood forecasting mechanism, sources said.

Anuparna Roy wins best director award at Venice festival

Context: Filmmaker Anuparna Roy, who made her debut with Songs of Forgotten Trees, has bagged the best director award at the Venice International Film Festival.

• Presented by filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, the film premiered in the festival’s prestigious Orizzonti Competition section, an international competition for films that highlight new trends, with a focus on debut works, young talent, indie features, and less-known cinema, on September 1.
• “This film is a tribute to every woman who’s ever been silenced, overlooked, or underestimated. May this win inspire more voices, more stories, and more power for women in cinema and beyond,” Ms. Roy said in a statement.
• Songs of Forgotten Trees follows the story of Thooya, a migrant and aspiring actor, who survives the city by leveraging beauty and wit, occasionally trading intimacy for opportunity.

Stand by Palestine

• During her acceptance speech, the filmmaker spoke on the ongoing Israel and Palestine conflict. “Every child deserves peace, freedom, liberation, and Palestinians are no exception… it’s a responsibility at the moment to stand by Palestine. I might upset my country but it doesn’t matter to me anymore,” she said, according to the entertainment news outlet Variety.
• Produced by Bibhanshu Rai, Romil Modi, and Ranjan Singh, the cast includes Bhushan Shimpi, Ravi Maan, Pritam Pilania, and Lovely Singh.
• The Venice International Film Festival concluded on Saturday.

Current Affairs: 7th Sept 2025

GS2: Health; Birth & Death Rates

Malappuram delivers in its fight against home births

Context: Home births rates in Malappuram district of Kerala have come down drastically from 253 in 2023-24 to 191 in 2024-25. Only four cases were reported in June, as remarkable to targeted interventions by the State health authorities.

• Case Study: Death of a 35-year-old woman during home birth at Padapparamba, near Malappuram, in April that prompted a series of interventions from the State health authorities, with the support of the district administration and the police. Religious and socio-cultural leaders were also roped in.

• The practice of home births is not restricted to any religion or community. The trend is largely influenced by certain naturopathy and acupuncture groups and driven by a desire to avoid medical procedures such as epidurals or pain medication; labour induction or delivery assisted with forceps or other instruments.
• Efforts by health officials have led to a substantial decline in home births among the tribespeople in the district’s remote areas of Nilambur, where such cases were once common.
• “Home births have a higher risk of infant or maternal death and other complications than hospital births,”.

GS2: Health; Birth & Death Rates

State’s fertility rate declines further to 1.5, well below replacement level

According to the Sample Registration Survey 2023, released this week, the Crude Birth Rate in Karnataka fell to 15.2 in 2023, down from 15.8 in 2022. However, the sex ratio at birth at 931 stood higher than the national average of 917.

• Karnataka has recorded a steady decline in its birth rate, with the State’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) at 1.5 in 2023, well below the replacement level fertility rate of 2.1. It was 1.6 in 2022.
• Karnataka is in the group of other southern States such as Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, all of which have fertility levels lower than replacement rate.
• Replacement level TFR denotes the average number of children each woman needs to give birth for one generation to replace the other.
• According to the Sample Registration Survey (SRS) 2023, released this week by the Office of the Registrar General of India, the Crude Birth Rate (CBR) in Karnataka fell to 15.2 in 2023, down from 15.8 in 2022.
• At the national level, India’s CBR declined from 19.1 in 2022 to 18.4 in 2023, while the country’s TFR fell for the first time in two years to 1.9. Bihar recorded the highest CBR at 25.8 and the highest TFR at 2.8, while Tamil Nadu reported the lowest CBR at 12 with a TFR of 1.3.
• At 931, Karnataka’s sex ratio at birth (SRB) stood higher than the national average of 917, denoting that 931 girls are born for every 1,000 boys in the population. The sex ratio is higher in rural areas in Karnataka at 936 compared to 922 in urban areas.
• The data showed that Chhattisgarh and Kerala reported the highest SRB at 974 and 971, respectively, while Uttarakhand reported the lowest at 868. Bihar’s SRB remained among the lowest in the country, despite slightly improving to 897 in 2023. Delhi, Maharashtra, and Haryana were among some of the States and UTs reporting SRB below 900 in 2023.

GS2: Health; Birth & Death Rates

State’s infant mortality rate falls by one point

Highlighting improved health indicators in Karnataka, the State’s infant mortality rate (IMR) fell from 15 in 2022 to 14 in 2023, according to the Sample Registration Survey (SRS), 2023, released this week by the office of the Registrar-General of India.

• IMR is defined as infant (less than one year) deaths per thousand live births in a given time period and for a given region.
• Karnataka’s IMR has seen a reduction of 21 points since 2011. From 35 in 2011, the State successfully reduced the IMR to 24 in 2016. Although this vital parameter again went up and touched 25 in 2017, it has fallen by two points every year since then, touching 19 in 2020 and 14 in 2023.
• However, a matter of concern is that rural areas continue to report a higher number of infant deaths compared to urban areas. Also, the death rate is high in female babies. While 16 female infant deaths per thousand live births were reported in rural areas in Karnataka in 2023, the rate is 14 in urban regions.
• Karnataka’s IMR is far better than the national average that dropped to 25 in 2023 from 26 in 2022. In the last 10 years, the national IMR has witnessed a decline of about 37.5% from 40 to 25 in the last decade. The corresponding decline in rural areas is 44 to 28, and for urban areas it is from 27 to 18, thereby exhibiting about 36% and 33% decadal decline, respectively.
• Despite the decline in IMR over the last decades, one in every 40 infants die within the first year of their life at the national level (irrespective of rural-urban), stated the SRS bulletin.

What Interventions helped achieve this feat?

• Substantially improving the community and facility based services.
• Regularly conducting death audits and the causes are addressed.
• Infectious diseases, including pneumonia, diarrhoea, and hypothermia, have come down drastically owing to general hygiene measures, awareness, and education of mothers by ASHAs.
• However, preterm birth complications, birth asphyxia, and low birth weight apart from congenital anomalies are challenges that need to be addressed continuously.

GS2: International Organizations; UNGA

PM to skip key UNGA session later this month
Context: United nations Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not address the General Debate at the annual high-level session of the United Nations General Assembly from September 23 to 29. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will address the session on September 27.

• Modi was scheduled to speak on September 26; Trump will address world leaders on Sept. 23; theme for session is ‘Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development, human rights’
• The 80th session of the U.N. General Assembly will open on September 9. The General Debate will run from September 23-29, with Brazil as the traditional first speaker of the session, followed by the U.S.
• According to a previous list issued in July, Mr. Modi was scheduled to address on September 26. The heads of government of Israel, China, Pakistan and Bangladesh were scheduled to address the UNGA General Debate on the same date.
• Mr. Trump has imposed tariffs totalling 50% on India, including 25% for Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil.
• The session this year comes amid the continued Israel-Hamas war as well as the Ukraine conflict.
• The theme for the 80th session is ‘Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights’.
• The session will open with a meeting to ‘Commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the United Nations’ on September 22.

GS2: Higher Education; Medical Education;

State introduces 15% NRI quota seats in government medical colleges

In a first, Karnataka is introducing 15% NRI quota seats in government medical colleges.

• The development follows the National Medical Commission (NMC) sanctioning 450 additional medical seats for the State, fulfilling a long-standing demand.
• Of the 450 newly approved seats, 15% had been earmarked for NRI quota, with a fixed fee of ₹25 lakh per seat. “This will help government medical colleges become more financially self-reliant instead of depending heavily on State grants,”.
• These seats will be available from the academic year 2025–26, raising the total seats in the State to 9,663.
• After NMC chairman Abhijit Chandrakant Seth announced the addition of 8,000 seats nationwide, Karnataka had submitted a proposal for additional seats in government medical colleges. “The number of students aspiring for medical education increases every year. Many meritorious students cannot afford the high fees of private colleges.

GS2: Election Commission of India; Special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls;

EC to hold State CEOs’ meet over SIR on Sept. 10

The Election Commission will hold a conference of Chief Electoral Officers (CEO) of all States and Union Territories on September 10 to take stock of preparedness for rolling out a nationwide special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

• This will be the third meeting of CEOs since Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar took over in February.
• A senior EC official said though this was a routine meeting, special focus would be on the preparations under way to roll out the SIR across the country. The controversial exercise is currently on in Bihar.
• All CEOs would be making presentations on the number of voters and details of the last intensive revision, the official said.
• Though the rolls are summarily revised every year and before each election, through the SIR the EC has sought a list of 11 eligibility documents.
• This has been challenged in the Supreme Court, which has asked the commission to consider Aadhaar as an eligibility document in case a voter is unable to furnish any of the 11 indicative documents and is facing deletions from the voter list.

Two new judges appointed to Allahabad High Court

The Union government on Saturday cleared the appointment of two advocates as judges of the Allahabad High Court. Sharing the information, Minister of Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal wrote on X, “In exercise of the power conferred by the Constitution of India, the President of India, after consultation with Chief Justice of India, is pleased to appoint Amitabh Kumar Rai and Rajiv Lochan Shukla, advocates, as judges of the Allahabad High Court.” The appointment follows a recommendation made by the Supreme Court Collegium in March. The High Court now has 86 judges against 160 sanctioned.

GI tag push for traditional items reshapes Bodoland poll narrative

The registration of 21 items, including local textiles and traditional alcoholic beverages, has enthused 26 communities of the Bodoland Territorial Region to have their cultural artefacts GI-tagged; a youth- led initiative helped in gaining GI registration.

Assam’s poll-bound Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) has the usual issues. It also has a new topic of discussion — Geographical Indication or GI tags for its traditional products, crafts, and agricultural items.

Elections in the 8,970- sq. km BTR, governed by the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), are scheduled for September 22. The council has 40 constituencies across five districts bordering Bhutan.

A team of Bodo youth undertook an initiative that helped the BTR government get GI registration for 21 items, including local textiles and traditional alcoholic beverages. Awareness about the inherent benefits of such tagging virtually triggered a race among 26 indigenous communities to register their cultural artefacts.

The core members of the team are biotechnologist Ling Narzihary, artist Swapna Muchahary, social worker Kansai Brahma, and entrepreneurs Nachani Brahma, Pulak Basumatary, and Ranjila Mohilary.

“A GI tag fuels economic growth through higher market value and export potential, legal protection against unauthorised use and imitation, cultural preservation, and enhanced consumer trust by assuring quality and authenticity. It also fosters rural development,” Mr. Narzihary said.

The team began collecting data in 2021 and identified more than 50 items that qualified for GI tagging. The registration for 21 of these was secured between November 2023 and May 2024. A few months ago, the BTR government launched a special drive to secure the GI tag for the remaining and more traditional items of all 26 communities living in the BTR. Apart from the dominant Bodos, the communities include Adivasis, Gurkhas, Koch-Rajbongshis, Hajongs, Kurukhs, Madahi Kacharis, Hiras, and Patnis.

Recently, the Delhi-based Gandhi Hindustani Sahitya Sabha was roped in to provide expert guidance through a series of workshops, and help various community scholars and leaders to identify and document their respective cultural items for filing GI tag applications.

The goal is to create “GI villages”, where clusters of artisans and farmers will be supported with training, infrastructure, and direct market linkages.

ABSU resolution

About a decade ago, the All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) adopted a resolution to seek GI tags for items unique to the BTR. The union was then headed by Pramod Boro, one of the key architects of the Bodo Peace Accord in January 2020. The push for GI tagging came after Mr. Boro, who left the ABSU to join the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL), became the Chief Executive Member of the BTC in December 2020. The UPPL rules the BTR in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the regional Gana Suraksha Party. The UPPL and the BJP are locked in a three-cornered contest along with the Bodoland People’s Front.

One of the priorities of the BTR government, headed by Mr. Boro, was to ensure the recognition and protection of indigenous heritage. The government’s objective was similar to that of the team headed by Mr. Narzihary, leading to their collaboration. Among 21 items that received the GI tag are Aronai, Dokhona, and Zwmgra (motif-rich textiles); Kham, Serza, and Siphung (musical instruments); Maibra Zwu Bidwi and Zwu Gisi (alcoholic beverages); Gwkha Gwkhwi and Napham (cuisine) and Gongar Dundia and Khera Daphini (rare medicinal plants).

‘Declining Central allocation for MGNREGS affects rural women’

There is a direct correlation between declining Central allocation for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and the reduced income of rural women, activists of the NREGA Sangharsh Morcha, said at a press conference in Delhi to mark the 20th anniversary of the governing law.

Ram Beti, NREGA Sangharsh Morcha activist from Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh, said that prior to the implementation of the rural employment guarantee scheme, men used to be paid double that of women for agricultural work and blue collar jobs. “With MGNREGS, for the first time, we got the same pay for the same work as men,” she said. While the number of workers have increased, the budget for the programme has remained the same, she said, slowly starving the welfare programme.

“We are back to the pre-2006 situation since the work under the scheme is no longer available due to a fund shortage,” she said.

Women constitute more than 50% of the workforce for MGNREGS projects. This year, out of the total person-days (defined under MGNREGS as the total number of work days by a person registered under the scheme in a financial year), 56% was completed by women.

On the move with green hydrogen

The Indian Railways recently announced that a hydrogen-powered train, developed at the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, has successfully completed all tests. This is a welcome sign of progress for the National Green Hydrogen Mission, which aims to produce at least five million metric tonnes of green hydrogen per year by the year 2030, a milestone on the way to achieving nationwide net zero emissions by 2070.

The train will soon be carrying passengers between Jind and Sonipat on an 89-km route in Haryana. This project will rely on hydrogen produced in Jind by a 1-MW polymer electrolyte membrane electrolyser that produces 430 kg of hydrogen every day. The hydrogen will refill fuel tanks on the train, where fuel cells will convert the hydrogen to electricity that runs the train’s electric motors.

The principle is quite simple. An electrolyser splits a water molecule into oxygen, protons, and electrons. In an electrochemical reaction at the negative electrode (called the anode), molecular oxygen is released, and the electrons liberated are conducted to the cathode via an external circuit. The polymer electrolyte membrane between the cathode and the anode is selective and only allows protons to pass through to the cathode, where they unite with the electrons to form hydrogen molecules. These rise as a gas and are collected, compressed, and stored. The membrane, typically a fluoropolymer such as Nafion (related to Teflon) is an excellent insulator, and electrons will not pass. The hydrogen and oxygen formed are clearly separated.

Inthe locomotive, as in a hydrogen-powered automobile, the above reaction is reversed in the hydrogen fuel cell. Hydrogen is brought to the anode, where each molecule is catalytically split into two protons and two electrons. The protons pass through the membrane to the cathode, where they meet oxygen in air and the electrons that are brought through an external circuit from the anode. Water is formed. The electrons flowing through the external circuit constitute the electric current that powers the locomotive.

There is a key difference between the chemical reactions in the fuel cell and in the electrolyser. The chemistry between hydrogen and oxygen is spontaneous, a reaction waiting to happen. Water, however, will not split into the two elements by itself. Electrical current must be supplied to provide the energy for this electrochemical reaction.

To produce green hydrogen, the electricity for the electrolysers has to come from renewable sources, such as solar panels or wind turbines. New sources of renewable energy will be needed to meet the goals of the National Green Hydrogen Mission. Also under way are exciting attempts to produce hydrogen in microbial electrolytic cells, where electrochemically active microbes grow on anodes and oxidize organic matter — agricultural residues, even wastewater — and pass the electrons generated to the anode (Current Science, vol. 128, p. 133, 2025).

The catalysis steps require expensive materials such as platinum, iridium, etc. Ongoing research is aimed at replacing these with inexpensive nickel, cobalt, or even iron. In early work towards cheap hydrogen generation, the group of C.N.R. Rao at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research designed nickel-nickel hydroxide-graphite electrodes with a water-splitting capability comparable to platinum electrodes (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., USA, vol. 114, 2017). Combining such developments with solar and microbe-driven processes can produce a fuel that is both green and inexpensive.

Blood moon

Sky gazers in India and in other parts of the world will be able to witness a blood moon on September 7 during a total lunar eclipse. The moon will take on a dark red-copper hue. This is the result of a physical effect called Rayleigh scattering.

During a total lunar eclipse, the earth comes between the sun and the moon, blocking direct sunlight from striking the lunar surface. However, not all sunlight is blocked. Only the bluer light is filtered out; the redder light is scattered by the earth’s atmosphere, giving the moon its striking colour. This phenomenon is called Rayleigh scattering. When light interacts with particles smaller than its wavelength, the intensity of the scattered light is inversely proportional to its wavelength. This is why earthsky appears blue: it has the shortest wavelength in visible light.

During a blood moon, however, the bluer light is absorbed by the earth’s atmosphere while the redder light is refracted towards the moon. The precise hue depends on dust and smoke levels in the atmosphere.

A flashpoint in the Palk Strait

The Gist

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s recent visit to Katchatheevu, said to be the first by a head of state, drew attention on both sides of the Palk Strait.

Attired in smart casuals — his trademark double-pocket shirt — the 56-year-old leftist leader, elected to office a year ago, is seen on a naval boat, flanked by Fisheries Minister and Jaffna MP Ramalingam Chandrasekar and other officials. He smiles gently before setting foot on the tiny, uninhabited island, 33 nautical miles off the Jaffna peninsula, on September 1. Seated in the shade of palm trees, Mr. Dissanayake listens intently while a Naval officer describes the 1.15 sq. km outcrop, pointing to a map.

Walking around briskly with officials in tow, Mr. Dissanayake pays respects at the St. Anthony’s Catholic Shrine, the only permanent structure there, before returning to Jaffna, where at a public meeting earlier that day he pledged to safeguard Sri Lankan territory, resisting any “external force”. The symbolism of the visit, with the accompanying visuals and messaging played well in Sri Lanka, comes days after Tamil actor-politician Vijay’s demand in a political rally that India must retrieve Katchatheevu from Sri Lanka. The government subsequently announced it is also exploring the tourism potential of Katchatheevu, by making it more accessible from nearby Delft island, one of Jaffna’s off-track tourist destinations.

The competing claims made from India [Madras Presidency, specifically] and Ceylon to Katchatheevu date back to the 1920s, during British colonial times. The neighbours settled the matter some five decades later, through two bilateral agreements signed in 1974 and 1976, delineating an International Maritime Boundary Line, whereby Katchatheevu is firmly on the Sri Lankan side. In return, New Delhi got sovereign rights over Wadge Bank, located near Kanniyakumari, known for its rich resources.

Katchatheevu is a barren island, with no drinking water or sanitation. Every March, Sri Lanka waives visa controls to allow fishermen from India to worship along with their Sri Lankan counterparts at the St. Anthony’s festival. Around the annual two-day event, mobile toilets and drinking water booths are put up for pilgrims.

Political calculation

Bizarrely, though, half a century since India gave up its claim to Katchatheevu and recognised Sri Lanka’s sovereignty over it, politicians in India periodically rake up the issue. The political calculation driving the frequent call is the assumption that it could boost voter support if pitched as a solution to the enduring fisheries conflict affecting Tamil Nadu’s fishermen, a sizeable electoral constituency.

The fact that the Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) were in power, respectively at the Centre and in Tamil Nadu, in the 1970s has offered political ammunition to their rivals, especially on the eve of State polls next year. Ahead of general elections last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Congress of “callously giving away” the island to Sri Lanka. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar swiftly amplified this by blaming the two BJP rivals for compromising Indian fishermen’s rights in the Palk Strait.

Both Dravidian parties [DMK and Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, or AIADMK], have demanded its retrieval. In 2008, former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Jayalalithaa, as General Secretary of the AIADMK, petitioned the Supreme Court seeking a declaration that the 1974 and 1976 agreements were unconstitutional. Ahead of Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka in April 2025, the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution, urging the Union government to take steps to retrieve the Katchatheevu island. Subsequently, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said the island’s retrieval was “the only permanent solution” to the issues faced by the fishermen in the State.

Everyone calling for the island’s retrieval in India must know well that it is a far-fetched ask from a mostly friendly neighbour. In 2013, the Union government informed the Supreme Court that the question of gaining Katchatheevu from Sri Lanka did not arise, as “no territory belonging to India was ceded nor sovereignty relinquished since the area in question was in dispute and had never been demarcated”. In 2014, then Attorney-General Mukul Rohatgi submitted before the Supreme Court that if India had to retrieve an island belonging to Sri Lanka, “we have to go to war”. The factors that keep the issue alive, despite diplomatic and legal resolution, are chiefly political, and in fact to do with the political economy of a depleting catch in a narrow stretch of water.

Fishermen of south India and northern Sri Lanka rely heavily on the resource-rich Palk Strait. However, with Tamil Nadu fishermen relentlessly resorting to bottom-trawling, a destructive fishing method that scoops out the seabed to maximise the catch and profits, this has severely affected the marine ecosystem. With the catch on the Indian side of the International Maritime Boundary Line diminishing over time, the Tamil Nadu fishing boats ventured into the Sri Lankan side, targeting a heavier net. Daily wage fishermen, working for wealthy boat owners in Tamil Nadu, periodically court arrest by the Sri Lankan Navy — over 230 arrests so far this year— a risk they take to secure their day’s earnings.

Bottom-trawling

Tamil fishermen in northern Sri Lanka, still reeling from the impact of the civil war that ended 16 years ago, contend they have no real chance of rebuilding their destroyed livelihoods, unless their counterparts across the Palk Strait give up bottom-trawling — a practice banned in Sri Lanka.

In bilateral talks with fisher leaders through the years, or petitions to politicians in India and Sri Lanka, all they have been asking their fellow, Tamil-speaking brothers is that they stop the practice. In ministerial level talks between India and Sri Lanka in 2016, New Delhi acknowledged this and agreed to expedite the transition towards ending the practice of bottom trawling “at the earliest”. But the practice continues.

Decades ago, fishermen from both sides used Katchatheevu as a resting point and a spot to dry out their nets. But in recent history, most arrests of Indian fishermen are made well past Katchatheevu, very close to Sri Lanka’s northern shores. Policymakers on the Indian side know where the problem lies. And politicians know that Katchatheevu offers no real solution to it. But unwilling to confront a key electorate with a difficult question, they habitually invoke it to divert attention from their own failure to resolve the festering fisheries conflict.

The competing claims made from India [Madras Presidency, specifically] and Ceylon to Katchatheevu date back to the 1920s, during British colonial times

The neighbours settled the matter some five decades later, through two bilateral agreements signed in 1974 and 1976, delineating an International Maritime Boundary Line, whereby Katchatheevu is firmly on the Sri Lankan side

In return, New Delhi got sovereign rights over Wadge Bank, located near Kanniyakumari, known for its rich resources.

Current Affairs: 6th Sept 2025

GS2: Regional and International Organization

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

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

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

GS2: Union and State relations

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Interest rate

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

Signboards

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

Areca growers upset over 18% GST on copper sulphate

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

Only safeguard

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

Confusion

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

GST on pan masala

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

Recent recusals in higher courts send mixed signals on upholding transparency

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

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

Notable exceptions

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

No formal rules

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

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

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

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

India plans to strengthen nuclear deterrence, drone warfare capabilities

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

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

Loitering munition

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

Not easy to switch to domestic from global, say exporters

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

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

Market stress

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

Long-term solution

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

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

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

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

Current Affairs: 5th Sept 2025

GS3: Economy; Indirect Taxes; GST

Auto, pharma sectors cheer GST slabs; airlines say wings clipped

Context: While the goods and services tax (GST) rate changes authorised by the GST Council night brought cheer to the auto, insurance, consumer appliances, pharmaceuticals, and renewable energy sectors, among others, some of that was tinged with reproach. A few sectors are outright upset with the tax changes.

• Airlines: Higher GST on non-economy seats.

• Vegetable oil producers called for the resolution of the inverted duty structure on edible oils, which means that the GST rate on raw materials in their industry is higher than the rate on the finished product. This mismatch was something that the Council corrected for the fertilizer and man-made textiles industries.

• The increase in the GST rate for labour charges, from 12% to 18%, has also led to some resistance, with small entrepreneurs saying that they would be hit hard by the change.

Mixed response

• While the textile industry has welcomed the revision of GST rates for both man-made fibre and cotton sectors, it has also expressed its disappointment over the 18% duty for garments priced above ₹2,500 each.

• The Cloth Manufacturers Association of India pointed out that such garments are also consumed in large numbers by the common man, especially in the form of woollens, wedding wear, traditional clothing, handlooms, and embroidered clothes. Charging 18% GST on these will make them significantly more costly, it said.

• This nuanced cheer can be seen in the auto sector as well. Auto manufacturers have welcomed the rate rationalisation for the sector, along with the removal of the GST Compensation Cess applicable on cars. As per the new rates, entry-level and mid-segment cars priced up to ₹14 lakh will see a tax reduction of up to 13 percentage points, while high-end cars with engines above 1200 cc too are set to see an 8 to 10 percentage point cut in their tax rate. Auto dealers, however, have voiced some worries about consumers postponing their purchases until September 22, when the new rates come into force, and have called for greater clarity on what happens to the cess on vehicles they have already bought from manufacturers but not yet sold to customers.

• The healthcare industry’s reaction has been more unequivocally positive, saying that the decision to reduce GST from 12% to 5% on a wide range of medical products.

• Consumer appliance makers were also upbeat about the GST rate cuts, saying they would boost demand, especially in the run-up to the festive season.

Sources: TH

GS2: Polity; Union-State relation

Centre and Manipur govt. ink peace pact with Kuki-Zo groups

Context: The Union Home Ministry and the Manipur government signed a Suspension of Operations (SoO) pact with the Kuki-Zo insurgent groups with “re-negotiated terms and conditions or ground rules”, the Ministry.

• Security forces will conduct verification of cadres and de-list foreign nationals, if any, the Ministry said.
• A government official said once identified, the foreign nationals would be deported.
• The revised ground rules reiterate territorial integrity of Manipur and relocation of camps of insurgent groups.

• Prior to May 3, 2023, the SoO groups demanded autonomous territorial councils within Manipur, but post-violence the demands changed.
• Asked if the SoO groups have given up their demand for a separate administration or Union Territory with a legislature, Seilen Haokip, spokesperson Kuki National Organisation (KNO), one of the signatories, told The Hindu, “Though the agreement speaks about territorial integrity of Manipur, it also mentions political settlement within the Constitution of India. The Constitution speaks about the integrity of the country, not a district or a State.”
• He added that “negotiated political settlement within Constitution of India” is a new inclusion in the agreement as it was not there in the 2008 text when the demand was for territorial councils in Manipur.
• The Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), a conglomerate of civil society organisations, agreed to open the National Highway-2 (Imphal-Dimapur) passing through Kangpokpi district “for the free movement of commuters and essential goods”, the Ministry said.

Revised SoO pact tightens norms for Kuki-Zo groups

Context: The revised Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement signed between the Ministry of Home Affairs, Manipur government and 24 Kuki-Zo insurgent groups lays down the mechanism to monitor activities of cadres, and requires them to obtain Aadhaar cards.

• According to the 2008 SoO pact, signed in the aftermath of the Kuki-Naga clashes in the 1990s, around 2,200 cadres under the umbrella of the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and United People’s Front (UPF) were entitled to a stipend of ₹6,000 per month, which was stopped since ethnic violence erupted in the State on May 3, 2023.
• The revised pact, stipend will be paid only through Aadhaar-linked bank accounts to those members who are present in camps during inspection. Photo identity cards shall be provided by the Manipur Police, it says.

Six camps each

• The agreement states that the KNO and UPF shall have six camps each, instead of the 14 they operate presently and the camps shall not be located close to populated areas, National Highways and within areas vulnerable to conflict. The camps are to be located at reasonable distance from the Myanmar border as well.
• A complete list of the cadres will be prepared by the government with name, date of birth, and other details along with latest photographs. Foreign nationals, if any, shall be deleted from the list of leaders and cadres, the pact says.
• The preamble of the pact states that it was mutually agreed to review the implementation of the ground rules, and KNO and UPF shall “completely abjure the path of violence and abide by the Constitution of India, laws of the land, and territorial integrity of Manipur”. “SoO agreement shall be followed by tripartite dialogue with KNO and UPF to pave the way for a negotiated political settlement under the Constitution of India in a time-bound manner,” it says.
• The pact bars groups from having association with any other armed group, within the country or outside; from recruiting new cadres; and carrying out offensive operations against security forces, other groups, and the public. The Army, Assam Rifles, Central Armed Police Forces and the the State Police shall not launch operations against the groups “as long as they abide” by the agreement.

State govt. for use of ballot papers in local body polls in future

Context: Amidst allegations of “vote theft” by the Congress, the State government on Thursday recommended to the State Election Commission (SEC) to revert to using ballot papers instead of EVMs in future elections to local bodies, citing the “erosion of confidence” in EVMs.

• The Cabinet also recommended revision of voters’ list for such elections. There has been much anticipation in political circles over the long-delayed elections to the taluk and zilla panchayats, besides the newly formed five city corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority.
• The State government plans to bring in suitable amendments to various provisions of law to bring back ballot papers in local body polls.
• Amendments would be brought to Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj Act, 1993, Karnataka Municipalities Act, 1964, and Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, 2024, that govern the conduct of elections. He also acknowledged that the State Election Commission (SEC) is an independent body under Articles 243 (K) and 243 (ZA) of the Indian Constitution.

Binding on SEC

• “At this point in time, the Cabinet has made recommendations, which may be accepted or not. However, once we make suitable changes in the laws and rules, it will be binding on the SEC,”.

Power to prepare rolls

• In the light of “vote chori” allegations, Mr. Patil also said that the Cabinet has decided to recommend to the SEC to consider revision of voters list for the elections to the local bodies. “Till now, the voters list prepared for the Assembly constituencies were being considered. We are seeking changes in the light of ‘vote theft’ discussions. There have been discrepancies in in the voters list.” The recommendation is to consider revising or redoing the voters list, he added.
• Government sources said that the recommendations for the voters list had come after the SEC sought necessary amendments based on the provisions in the GBA Act. Seeking necessary amendments to the GBA act, the SEC has said that the if the State government did not intend to adopt the Assembly electoral rolls, the SEC may be given power to prepare the electoral rolls for the elections of councillors under GBA Act.
• It pointed out that the GBA Act is silent with respect to preparation of electoral rolls by the SEC or adopting the Assembly electoral roll. The SEC Commissioner G.S. Sangreshi, in his letter, has also said that the constitutional provisions do not direct the SECs to adopt the Legislative Assembly electoral rolls.
• He has sought framing of rules related to Registration of Electoral Rolls by the SEC itself similar to that of Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, framed under The Representation of People’s Act, 1950, or bring amendment to Section 35 of Greater Bengaluru Governance Act regarding preparation of electoral rolls similar to provisions in Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj Act, 1993, Karnataka Municipalities Act, 1964, and Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act, 1976.

SEC ready to revert to ballot papers

Context: Following the State Cabinet’s recommendation, the State Election Commission (SEC) has said that it is ready to revert to ballot papers for the panchayat and urban local body (ULB) polls, as per rules.

• The commission will conduct the polls by revising the electoral rolls as per recommended rules. “We have been using ballot papers for gram panchayat polls so far. EVMs were used in ZP/TP and urban local body polls. Now we are ready to use ballot papers for both gram panchayat and ZP/TP polls,” he said.
• Stating that elections to the five corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) will most likely be held in February next year, Mr. Sangreshi said the conduct of Zilla Panchayat (ZP)/ Taluk Panchayat (TP) polls will depend on revision of the electoral rolls. “We will have to see how much time the revision of rolls will take. These elections will be announced after the State government fixes reservations for various constituencies,” he said.
• The ZP/TP elections in Karnataka have been pending since May 2021 owing to a delay in the delimitation of panchayat constituencies and notifying reservation.
• The State government in 2022 divested the State Election Commission of its powers to carry out the delimitation exercise and draw up the reservation.
• However, the State government failed to carry out these two exercises in time and thus delayed the polls. After much persuasion, it did complete the delimitation process in December 2023 but it is yet to notify reservation of seats.

IIT-Madras tops NIRF rankings; Pradhan criticises ‘peer perception’ parameter

Context: For the seventh straight year, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras claimed the top overall position in the higher education rankings announced by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). It also remained the country’s best engineering college for the tenth straight year.

• The NIRF’s methodology, however, came in for some criticism from Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who presented the India Rankings 2025 awards. He was especially skeptical about the ‘peer perception’ parameter, that carries 10% of marks for the ranking, and suggested that the NIRF should ensure that government-funded institutions do not fall behind because of this yardstick.
• After the 2024 rankings, States and State-run educational institutions had alleged that the rankings reflected “regional bias” as metropolitan education institutions score higher on the ‘peer perception’ criteria, in comparison to suburban or State-run higher education institutions.
• The other parameters that the NIRF considers are teaching, learning, and resources; research and professional practice; graduation outcomes; and research and inclusivity.
• Mr. Pradhan said he was confident that the NIRF would evolve into one of the best accreditation frameworks by including more parameters such as entrepreneurs created by an institution, involving more data-driven approaches, and including more categories and institutions in the future.
• The top 100 institutions in the overall category comprised 24 State universities, 22 private deemed universities, 19 IITs and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), nine private universities, eight National Institutes of Technology, seven Central universities, five medical institutions, four Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research, one college, and the Indian Agriculture Research Institute.
• IISc, Bengaluru topped the universities category for the tenth consecutive year and also stood first in the research institutions category for the fifth consecutive year. IIM Ahmedabad was the best institution for management studies for the sixth consecutive year. The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi occupied the top slot among medical institutions for the eighth consecutive year and also topped the rankings in the dental category for the first time.

IISc retains second rank among top 100 HEIs

Context: Several Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) from Karnataka including premiere institutes, figure among India’s top 100 institutions in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF)-2025 list released by the Union Ministry of Education.

• Institutions, including the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIMB), National Institute of Technology Surathkal (NITK), National Institute for Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, and Mysore and Bangalore universities are on the list.
• IISc has retained its second rank among the top 100 HEIs across the country and best university, and also tops as the best research institute in the country.
• While NITK has got the 54th rank, NIMHANS has secured 60th place among top 100 HEIs.
• Three private institutions Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), JSS Academy for Higher Education and Research and CHRIST (Deemed to be University) have secured 14th, 38th and 96th places, respectively.
• But, among top 100 universities, even as IISc leads, it is followed by MAHE ranked third, JSS Academy for Higher Education and Research at 21st rank, Bangalore University at 65, Jain (Deemed-to-be University) at 62, CHRIST (Deemed to be University) at 63, University of Mysore at 71, NITTE University at 80, and University of Agriculture Sciences Bengaluru (UAS-B) at 95th rank.
• Bangalore University, which ranked 81 among all HEIs in 2024, has improved its ranking to 65 this year.
• “This is a significant achievement which will motivate us to continue striving for academic excellence and to further enhance the quality of education and research at our university,” said Dr. Jayakara S.M., Vice-Chancellor, Bangalore University.
• Despite having 32 State-run universities, only four universities managed to rank in the top 50 public universities in the list.
• The University of Mysore (UoM) has secured 20th rank, Bangalore University (BU) 26th rank, UAS-B 37 and Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) 50th rank.

Degree colleges

• Meanwhile, four degree colleges — Kristu Jayanti College, Bengaluru has ranked 34, M.S. Ramaiah Arts, Science and Commerce College, Bengaluru 67, St. Aloysius College, Mangaluru 73, and St. Joseph’s Commerce College Bengaluru has secured 98th rank — figure in the top 100 colleges category. No government-run colleges are on the list.
• While NLSIU, Bengaluru, has retained its first rank in NIRF Law Rankings-2025 for the eighth consecutive year, IIMB has been ranked second among management colleges in the country.

UAS-B ranked 11th in India, no. 1 in State in agri and allied sectors

Context: The University of Agricultural Sciences-Bangalore (UAS-B) stands 11th among the total of 75 institutes of higher education and research in agriculture and allied sectors in the country as per the ranking under the National Institutional Ranking Framework.

• While the UAS-B, the oldest agricultural university in the State, is ranked 11th nationally, it tops the State among the agricultural, horticultural, and veterinary universities as well as research institutes. Karnataka has a total of seven universities in agriculture and allied sectors.
• University of Agricultural Sciences-Dharwad, which has been ranked 35 nationally, is the only other agricultural university from Karnataka to figure in the list that has identified the top 30 institutes. Though the State has a slew of ICAR research institutes in the sectors of horticulture, veterinary, and entomology, none of them have figured in the list of 30 best institutes of the country. For the UAS-B, it has been a status quo as it had been ranked 11th in the previous year’s ranking too. Incidentally, the UAS-B has secured A+ rating this year from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).

Kristu Jayanti secures 34th rank in NIRF 2025

Context: Kristu Jayanti (Deemed to be University) has been ranked 34th in the Colleges category of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2025 released by the Ministry of Education. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced the rankings.

• This marks the highest position achieved by a college from Karnataka in this category, according to the university release. The institution received evaluation across six NIRF parameters, including Teaching, Learning and Resources, Research and Professional Practice, Graduation Outcomes, Outreach and Inclusivity, and Perception. The university has aligned its efforts with national development goals under Viksit Bharat @ 2047.

GS3: Urban Infrastructure & Artificial Intelligence Technology

Bidadi township will be developed into India’s first AI-powered township: DKS

Context: The long-delayed Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township (GBIT) will be developed as India’s first and largest Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered integrated township, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.

• Spread across 8,493 acres, preliminary notification for which was issued in March earlier this year, the “work-live-play” model township at Bidadi, about 30 km from Bengaluru, is envisioned as Karnataka’s second central business hub, estimated to cost over ₹20,000 crore and will be completed over the next three years, Mr. Shivakumar said.
• “Over 2,000 acres have been earmarked for AI-based industries and ancillaries. The project is expected to create lakhs of new jobs across IT, AI, start-ups, and service sectors. Dedicated skilling centres will train the workforce for AI-driven and future-ready industries,” he said.
• GBIT will include residential spaces, healthcare, education, and cultural facilities. More than 1,100 acres will be reserved for parks and open spaces, making it one of India’s most sustainable green cities.

Compensation package

• Since the project requires 6,731 acres of private land across nine villages, the government has planned compensation under a framework aligned with the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RFCTLARR) Act, 2013.
• In a first-of-its-kind measure, the government will provide livelihood support from the date of the final notification until monetary compensation is paid or developed sites are handed over.
• Under the plan, Kushki landowners will receive ₹30,000 per acre annually, Tari landowners ₹40,000, Bhagait landowners ₹50,000, and landless families ₹25,000 per year. The Deputy Chief Minister also assured that habitations in the notified township area will be retained and not acquired.

Better connectivity

• The township will be located 9 km from STRR Road, 11 km from NICE Road, 5 km from the Mysuru–Bengaluru Highway, and 2.2 km from the Bengaluru–Dindigul Highway.
• Financial resources for the project have been secured in advance. Internal funding of ₹2,950 crore has been set aside from Bengaluru Metropolitan Region Development Authority’s existing funds, while ₹17,500 crore will be raised externally through financial institutions, backed by government surety.
• In total, the authority has over ₹20,000 crore at its disposal and will begin disbursing compensation once the land acquisition process is completed.

GS3: Transportation; Civil Aviation; UDAN scheme

Seven airports operationalised under UDAN scheme connecting 118 routes

Context: Of the nine airports in Karnataka, seven have been operationalised under the Regional Connectivity Scheme — Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (RCS-UDAN).

• As per information by Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol to a question in the Rajya Sabha during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, airports at Bidar, Mysuru, Vidyanagar, Hubballi, Kalaburagi, Belagavi, and Shivamogga have been developed under RCS-UDAN, and 118 routes have been operationalised under the scheme.
• “An amount of ₹146.89 crore has been utilised under the UDAN scheme for this purpose. All the seven airports are currently operational. Bidar airport is connected to Bengaluru by Star Air,” he said.
• He added that most of the routes under the scheme, which completed their RCS tenure, have demonstrated financial viability and continue commercial operations.
• “Flight operations on a few routes were discontinued after the expiry of the RCS tenure. To revive these routes, special bidding rounds are conducted to operationalise them,” he added.
• In reply to another question on current status of development of airports in Ballari, Kolar, Kushalnagar, Raichur, and Hassan under the scheme, the Minister said, “Under UDAN 5.2, bids have been received for small aircraft operations (less than 20 seats) for Ballari and Kolar airstrips”.
• No bids have been received for Kushalnagar, Raichur, and Hassan airstrips. “The Ministry of Civil Aviation has requested the State government to provide consent, and confirm the availability of land for the development of these airports. This includes ensuring that the land is provided free of cost and free from encumbrances, and is suitable for operating small aircraft (2B) initially, with the potential for future expansion to category 3C,” he said.
• The Minister added said that the actual timelines for airport projects depend upon various factors, such as land acquisition, mandatory clearances, and removal of obstacles.

GS2: Health; Birth Rate; Total Fertility Rate

‘India’s birth rate down, first dip in TFR in 2 years’

Context: India’s Crude Birth Rate (CBR), the number of children born per 1,000 people in the population in a year, has declined 0.7-points from 19.1 in 2022 to 18.4 in 2023.

• The country’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has fallen for the first time in two years to 1.9 in 2023, according to the latest Sample Registration Survey Statistical Report for 2023. In 2021 and 2022, India’s TFR remained constant at 2.0.
• The report, released by the Office of the Registrar General of India this week, revealed that the highest CBR was in Bihar at 25.8, and the lowest was in Tamil Nadu at 12. Bihar reported the highest TFR (2.8) among the bigger States and Union Territories (UTs), and Delhi reported the lowest (1.2).
• The report pointed out that 18 States and UTs had reported a TFR of below the replacement level TFR of 2.1. Replacement level TFR denotes the average number of children each woman needs to give birth for one generation to replace the other.
• The RGI released the Civil Registration System (CRS), Sample Registration System (SRS), and Medical Certification of Cause of Death (MCCD) reports for 2021 after a four-year delay in May this year, and in June, the SRS, CRS, and MCCD data for 2022 were released. While the SRS for 2023 has been made public, the corresponding CRS and MCCD datasets are yet to appear on the Census website.
• The SRS 2023 datasets showed that the proportion of the elderly in the country (people above 60) rose by 0.7 percentage points in a year to 9.7% of the population. Kerala has the highest proportion of elderly population at 15%. Assam (7.6%), Delhi (7.7%), and Jharkhand (7.6%) reported the lowest proportion of their respective populations to be above 60.
• The TFR data, which denotes the average number of children expected to be born per woman during her entire span of reproductive period, further showed that all States reporting TFR that is higher than replacement level were in northern India – Bihar (2.8), Uttar Pradesh (2.6), Madhya Pradesh (2.4), Rajasthan (2.3), and Chhattisgarh (2.2). The States and UTs reporting the lowest TFR included Delhi (1.2), West Bengal (1.3), Tamil Nadu (1.3), and Maharashtra (1.4).

GS3: Defence; Maritime Security

Singapore backs India on patrolling Malacca Straits

Context: Singapore acknowledged India’s plans to patrol the strategically important Malacca Straits.

• The discussion was part of the agenda when Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at Hyderabad House where the two sides signed five agreements, including one to export green energy from India to Singapore through dedicated ports.
• Our cooperation will not remain confined to traditional areas. In keeping with the needs of changing times, advanced manufacturing, green shipping, skilling, civil nuclear energy, and urban water management will also emerge as focus points of our collaboration,” said Mr. Modi welcoming his Singaporean counterpart who paid a three-day visit to India.
• A joint statement said the two sides will deepen defence technology cooperation in “quantum computing, AI, automation and unmanned vessels”. Both sides will cooperate to enhance maritime security, “submarine rescue” in the “Indo-Pacific” and the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, said the statement, adding that “Singapore acknowledges with appreciation India’s interest in the Malacca Straits Patrol”.
• India is interested in patrolling the Malacca Straits as it is next to the Andaman Sea and said that talks are on. Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore patrol the Straits and India is expecting some kind of synergy among member countries.

GS3:

Cars get cheaper, festive sales likely to hit top gear

Context: The Goods and Services Tax (GST) overhaul will make cars cheaper this festive season across segments. Entry-level and mid-segment cars priced ₹14 lakh and below will see a reduction up to 13% in GST and cess, making them more attractive to a price-sensitive customer base. High-end cars with engines above 1,200 cc are set to become 5–10% cheaper.

• Small cars that run on petrol, LPG and CNG with engines below 1,200 cc, and diesel cars of up to 1,500 cc and with a length under 4 metres will attract a GST of 18% instead of 28%. The cess of 1% and 3% will no longer be applicable.
• “The benefit is greater for entry and mid-level segment as there is price sensitivity. The news will definitely bring cheer to buyers, and we expect more footfall at showrooms,” said Vinkesh Gulati, vice-president, Automotive Skill Development Council, and former president of the Federation of Automobile Dealers Association.
• Unsoo Kim, managing director of Hyundai Motor India Ltd., called the GST revision a move that will “strengthen consumer confidence”. The company has 60% of its internal combustion engine portfolio under the 18% slab rate, with the remainder at 40%. All mid-sized and large cars, up to and above 1,500 cc and over 4 metres in length, will attract a higher GST of 40% instead of 28%. But the net savings of 5-10% come from a complete removal of cess, which stood at 17% for passenger vehicles with up to 1,500 cc engines, 20% with over 1,500 cc engines, and 22% for SUVs.
• “Government listened to the automotive industry’s long-standing wish list of rationalising GST rates. This will induce the much-needed impetus by boosting consumption and bring momentum to the automotive industry which essentially remains the pulse of the Indian economy,” said Santosh Iyer, managing director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, in a press statement.
• The flat GST on electric vehicles remains unchanged at 5%.
• Higher GST for bikes: However, motorbike enthusiasts have been left disappointed as high-end two-wheelers with bigger engines will invite a higher GST of 40% instead of the prevalent 31% rate that includes 28% GST and 3% cess for bikes with engines above 350 cc.
• There is also small relief expected in vehicle servicing and repair costs as the GST on spare parts has been brought down to 18% from 28%, but due to the varying taxation for different items such as rubber and fibre, the eventual benefit will accrue where there is a net drop.
• The GST on commercial vehicles such as buses and trucks has dropped from 28% to 18%. “This will not only reduce logistics costs for the economy, but encourage customers to upgrade their fleets with modern, fuel efficient and safer trucks and buses,” said Vinod Aggarwal, vice-chairman, EML, and managing director & CEO of VE Commercial Vehicles.
• But dealerships rue that the implementation of the new rates comes into effect three weeks later on September 22. They fear that this will result in some buyers postponing their purchase. Also, due to the removal of cess, dealerships are staring at a loss of ₹2,500 crore because of credit payments made on the cess for the inventory already purchased from automakers.
• Dealers deposit the cess as a credit item at the time of their purchase and make the actual deposit on the GST portal once they sell the car to a buyer.
• There is a lowering of tax on farm equipment too from 18% to 5% for tractors and parts. “These GST reforms will accelerate mechanisation by making tractors, harvesters, balers and implements more affordable, while lowering overall operating costs for farmers,” said tractor and construction equipment maker CNH India’s president & managing director, Narinder Mittal.

GS3:

White goods makers anticipate a cracker of a festive season

Context: The consumer appliances industry welcomed with enthusiasm the reduction of GST rates on air conditioners and dishwashers and the standardisation of rates for all television variants, especially ahead of the festive season.

• The GST Council slashed rates on air-conditioners and dishwashers from 28% to 18%, while it standardised the rate on all types of televisions to a lower 18%. Previously, the purchase of televisions housed two tax rates — 18% and 28% — depending on the screen size being within or more than 32 inches.

No change for phones

• The council, however, did not alter the GST on smartphones, tablets and laptops. While welcoming the revision for consumer appliances, Pankaj Mohindroo, Chairman at the India Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA), said, “We also remain hopeful that the rationalisation of GST on smartphones and laptops will be considered in the future, given its potential to improve affordability and strengthen digital inclusion.”

GS3:

Zero GST is expected to increase penetration of health, life insurance

Context: The healthcare industry has welcomed the zero GST on individual health and life insurance policies, calling it a master stroke.

• The GST Council’s decision to bring down the GST on individual life and health insurance policies from 18% to zero will make more families opt for medical cover, said analysts and industry executives.
• An insurance cover will ease burden on families when medical inflation is rising sharply and is unchecked, they said.
• The move made health protection a right, not a privilege.
• “This progressive reform will directly benefit patients by lowering treatment costs, improving affordability, and expanding access to essential medical technologies,”.
• Scrapping the tax on insurance services would mean that insurers would lose access to input tax credits on expenses linked to such policies. Insurers will be required to reverse input tax credits relating to these exempt outputs. This embedded tax could eventually feed into the costing structure, impacting the profits of the companies, they said.
• “The exemption also extends to the reinsurance of these individual policies, ensuring tax neutrality across the risk management chain. However, the benefit is limited to individual covers. Group insurance policies, such as employer-sponsored health or life schemes, will continue to attract 18% GST with no input tax credit available to the employers,”.
• “This makes it clear that the policy intent is to directly ease costs for households rather than institutional buyers,”.
• While healthcare services by doctors, hospitals, and diagnostic centres were exempt under the GST regime, the government has announced a series of GST rationalisation measures to promote a health-positive tax regime, the Health Ministry.

GS3:

Premium air travel to become costlier; industry anguished

Context: The airline industry has termed the Centre’s decision to raise goods and services tax on premium air travel, including premium economy and business class flight tickets, from 12% to 18% “disappointing”.

• The revised taxes will come into effect from September 22 and apply both for domestic and international flights offered by Indian and foreign carriers.
• “Aviation has tremendous potential to contribute to India’s economic growth, both directly as Indian airlines grow, and indirectly through increased connectivity for travellers and businesses alike. It is therefore disappointing to hear of a decision to increase the GST on non-economy travel with no clear justification,” said International Air Transport Association’s regional vice-president, Asia Pacific, Sheldon Hee.
• Over the years, this component of tax had more than doubled, growing from the 8.6% rate in 2017 under the service tax regime to 18%, he added.

‘Must consider risks’

• While first-, business- and premium economy-class travel is offered by foreign carriers, among Indian airlines, Air India offers business and premium economy travel on domestic and international flights. IndiGo too has introduced business-class seats on flights to Mumbai and Bengaluru from New Delhi as well as to Singapore, Bangkok and Dubai, which will grow to 12 total routes by the end of 2025.

GS3:

18% GST on labour charges alarms MSMEs

Context: The GST rate for labour charges (job work) has been increased from 12% to 18% and it is expected to hit hard the Micro, Small, and Medium-scale Enterprises (MSMEs).

• The long-pending demands of the job working/sub-contract industries in the manufacturing sector is the reduction of GST on job work to 5% from 12%. However, the government has increased it to 18%. This will create several challenges for the job working in micro and small-scale industries.
• The Coimbatore District Small Industries Association has urged the government to have a relook at the rates for job work. The government should put in place a system so that lower GST rates for job work benefit the MSMEs that are vendors to larger industries and get only labour charges. The 18% duty will block the liquidity for the MSMEs, it said.

GS3:

Centre approves creation of new, independent class of ‘environment auditors’

Context: The Environment Ministry has authorised the creation of a new, independent class of “environment auditors” to supplement the work of State pollution control Boards in inspecting and verifying projects for compliance with environmental laws. Private, accredited agencies can also undertake environment impact assessment studies that will then be appraised by expert committees.

• Under the new rules, called the Environment Audit Rules, 2025, private agencies can get themselves accredited as auditors. Environment auditors can get licences and be authorised to evaluate project compliance with environmental laws and adherence to best practices in prevention, control, and abatement of pollution.
• “The overall framework for monitoring and compliance within the existing environmental framework is presently supported by the Central Pollution Control Board, the Regional Offices of the Ministry, and the State PCBs/Pollution Control Committees, which are facing constraints in terms of manpower, resources, capacity, and infrastructure.
• These limitations hamper their ability to monitor and enforce environmental compliance across the vast number of projects and industries operating,” said a press statement by the Ministry.
• “This scheme aims to bridge the manpower and infrastructure deficits, thereby strengthening the effective implementation of environmental compliance mechanisms. Furthermore, the scheme is designed to ensure greater transparency, accountability, and credibility in the compliance monitoring process, fostering trust among stakeholders and promoting sustainable environmental governance.”
• Audits undertaken can be used for compliance with Green Credit Rules, under which individuals and organisations can gain tradeable “credits” for afforestation, sustainable water management, and waste management, among other activities.

GS3:

Renewable energy industry sees boost to domestic manufacturing

Context: The GST Council’s recommendation to reduce the taxation rate on renewable energy devices relating to solar, wind and biogas, and on parts required to manufacture them, from 12% to 5%, has been welcomed by the industry as a step towards spurring domestic manufacturing by easing capital expenditure.

• Furthermore, industry associations stipulate this may translate to potentially lower tariffs for consumers.
• National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI) said the move was a “positive step” and adhered to a long-standing request of the industry for a return to status quo.