Current Affairs: 4th Sept 2025

GST Council approves two-rate tax slab effective September 22

Context: The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council, during its 56th meeting, decided to revamp the tax structure into a primarily two-rate system, as proposed by the Central government, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

• Apart from the two rates of 5% and 18%, the new GST system would also include a 40% “special rate” on sin goods such as tobacco and luxury items such as large cars, yachts, and helicopters.
• The decisions will come into effect from September 22 for most items, she said. Only tobacco and tobacco-related products will move to the new structure at a date to be specified by the Finance Minister.
• The government also calculated that the net fiscal implication of the rate cuts, based on consumption patterns in 2023-24, would be ₹48,000 crore. However, the officials clarified that the real implication would be known on the basis of current consumption, and that the rate rationalisation was expected to result in a buoyancy effect, and improved compliance.
• “These reforms have been carried out with a focus on the common man,” Ms. Sitharaman said. “Every tax levied on the common man has gone through a rigorous looking into, and in most cases, the rates have come down. Labour-intensive industries have been given good support.
• Farmers and agriculture will benefit from the decisions. Health-related sectors will also benefit.”
• She said common-use and middle-class items will see a reduction, with products such as hair oil, soap, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, bicycle, table and kitchen ware, and other household articles being moved to 5% from either 18% or 12%. The other items moving down to the 5% rate include namkeens, sauces, pasta, instant noodles, chocolates, coffee, and butter.
• Twelve specified bio-pesticides, bio-menthol, and labour-intensive items such as handicrafts, marble, travertine blocks, granite blocks, and intermediate leather goods would move from 12% to 5%. Notably, cement will move from 28% to 18%.
• No tax on Indian bread: The Finance Minister further said that items such as ultra-high temperature milk, paneer, and all Indian bread, including rotis, chapatis, and parathas would see their tax rate fall to 0% from the earlier 5%.
• On insurance services, individual life insurance policies and individual health policies will move to 0% from 18%. A total of 33 life-saving medicines will move from 12% to 0%, The tax on electric vehicles has been retained at 5%.
• Products such as air-conditioners, all TVs, dishwashers, small cars, and motorcycles of engine capacity less than or equal to 350cc would see their tax reduced from 28% to 18%.
• Buses, trucks and ambulances, as well as all auto parts, would also attract a GST rate of 18%. Spectacles to correct vision would move from the 28% slab to 5%.
• “The long-pending inverted duty structure is being rectified for the manmade textile sector by reducing the GST rate on manmade fibre from 18% to 5% and manmade yarn from 12% to 5%,” Ms. Sitharaman said.
• The inverted duty structure regarding the fertiliser will also be rectified, with the duty on sulphuric acid, nitric acid and ammonia being reduced from 18% to 5%.
• The special rate of 40% will apply only on particular sin and super-luxury goods such as pan masala, cigarettes, gutka, chewable tobacco, zarda, unmanufactured tobacco and beedi, as well as goods such as aerated water, caffeinated beverages, mid-size or large cars, motorcycles of engines exceeding 350cc, among others.
• On insurance services, individual life insurance policies and individual health policies will move to 0% from 18%.
• Ms. Sitharaman said that the GST rate on pan masala, gutka, cigarettes, chewable and unmanufactured tobacco, and beedi would remain at 28%, in addition to a compensation cess. Once the Centre discharges the loans it had borrowed to compensate States, these tobacco and tobacco-related items will move to the 40% slab.

Governors must act ‘forthwith’ on Bills, States argue in SC

Context: States ruled by non-BJP parties argued in the Supreme Court on Wednesday that even a three-month deadline given in the Tamil Nadu Governor case judgment may be too long, and State Bills presented to Governors must be assented to by these “titular heads” forthwith.

• West Bengal, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh said the will of the people, which the proposed laws manifest, cannot be sacrificed on the altar of the whims and fancies of Governors. They said sitting over Bills was a quiet disguise for denying assent, but without necessarily having to return the proposed laws to the legislature for reconsideration.
• The three States said that if the Centre wanted them to presume that a high constitutional authority like the Governor would act with integrity while dealing with Bills, the same courtesy must be extended to State legislatures, which also happened to be high constitutional authorities.
• Appearing before a five-judge Presidential Reference Bench headed by Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, for West Bengal, said Article 200 required the Governor to return a Bill to a State Legislature “as soon as possible” in case he disagreed with it.
• Mr. Sibal interpreted “as soon as possible” to mean “forthwith or immediately”. “‘Forthwith’ must apply to Governors and President, who is actually the Union government, while dealing with grant of assent.
• Bills cannot wait,” he submitted. The Governor had no business questioning the constitutionality of Bills. He was bound to grant assent if the legislature re-passed them. Later, once the Bills are notified as laws, citizens could test their constitutionality in court, he said.
• He drew attention to Article 167, which made it the Chief Minister’s duty to apprise the Governor of laws being contemplated by the State Cabinet. This was done as a part of the pre-legislative process.
• The senior lawyer said the Chief Minister would meet the Governor for an informal interaction to discuss the crafting of a law and taking in suggestions. Later, once the Bill was passed by the legislature, the Governor was expected to give his assent.
• Besides, Mr. Sibal pointed to the proviso of Article 254(2) of the Constitution that allowed Parliament to neutralise a repugnant State law by “adding to, amending, varying or repealing” it.
• Justice Surya Kant observed the proviso acted as a “second filter” on State Bills.
• “But prevention is better than cure, no?” Justice Vikram Nath interjected.
• Mr. Sibal replied there was a presumption of constitutionality associated with Bills passed by the legislature. References to the President by Governors were once rare instances. “Now, Governors create conflict by sitting over Bills for years together. Their doubts about the constitutionality of Bills, especially in the case of re-passed Bills, is bogey… The power given to Governors to assent, withhold assent or refer State Bills to the President under Article 200 are not discretionary choices, but constitutional routes,” he responded.
• Karnataka, represented by senior advocate Gopal Subramanium, said State Legislatures cannot allow other constitutional authorities to invade upon their legislative powers. He noted that the Centre’s argument that the President and Governors have wide discretionary powers was “fundamentally flawed”.
• “In the parliamentary form of democracy, the aid and advice of the Cabinet is central. There cannot be a dyarchy within a State. Governors have to act under the aid and advice of the State government. Governance cannot happen in a constant state of conflict or threat of conflict,” Mr. Subramanium submitted.
• Advocate Anand Sharma, a former Union Minister, said neither the President nor Governors have any role in lawmaking.

Every fourth adult in State is hypertensive as per NFHS, says Health Minister

Context: Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a significant health concern in Karnataka, with the NFHS-5 report indicating a prevalence of around 25% for women and 26.9% for men in the above-15 age group, higher than the national average, said Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao.

‘Silent epidemic’

• The Minister, who inaugurated a sensitisation workshop on hypertension and other non-communicable diseases, said hypertension is a silent epidemic and if left unchecked, it leads to strokes, heart attacks, kidney failure, and premature deaths.

• “NFHS-5 findings show that every fourth adult in Karnataka is hypertensive. This means lakhs of people in our State are living at high risk of chronic illness and sudden medical emergencies, often without being aware of it. The economic burden is also significant – rising hospitalisations, loss of productivity, and financial strain on families,” the Minister said.
• Stating that it calls for urgent collective action – early detection, healthy lifestyle choices, and reliable treatment services, the Health Minister said, “Our government is committed to expanding screening, ensuring medicines at every Health and Wellness Centre, and driving community awareness campaigns.”
• He said the community-level screening under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) will be expanded. “Lifestyle interventions such as diet, exercise, and reduced salt intake will be promoted through awareness campaigns. Besides, we will ensure the availability of essential medicines and diagnostics for hypertension management at all Health and Wellness Centres,” he said.

In childhood

• Oncologist U.S. Vishal Rao, who spoke on childhood hypertension, said no State government is screening children for hypertension in schools. “Studies show a rising trend of hypertension in children, in both urban and rural areas. Factors such as obesity, consumption of oily and junk food, lack of awareness about disease status and sedentary lifestyle contribute to the high burden,” he added.

Total lunar eclipse on the intervening night of September 7 and 8

Context: A total lunar eclipse will occur on the intervening night of September 7 and 8, which will be visible from all parts of the country between 8.58 p.m. and 2.25 a.m.

• According to the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium, the penumbral eclipse will begin at 8.58 p.m. followed by the partial eclipse, which will commence at 9.57 p.m on September 7. It added that the total eclipse will begin at 11 p.m.
• While the maximum eclipse is at 11.41 p.m., the total eclipse will end at 12.22 a.m., the partial eclipse and penumbral eclipse will end at 1.26 a.m. and 2.25 a.m. respectively.
• Lunar eclipses occur on a full moon day when the Earth comes in between the Sun and the Moon and when all the three objects are aligned. There are three types of lunar eclipses: total, partial and penumbral.
• A total lunar eclipse will occur when the whole Moon comes under the umbral shadow of the Earth and the partial lunar eclipse occurs only when a part of the Moon comes under shadow of the Earth.

No special equipment

• The Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium said that no special equipment is needed to view the lunar eclipse.
• “It is safe to view through the unaided eye. The public can view this eclipse from their respective places, provided the sky is clear. This eclipse is visible all over India,” it said.
• It further said that demonstration lectures about the lunar eclipse will be organised late in the evening of September 7 at the planetarium. “Any eclipse viewing activity will be subjected to sky conditions during the monsoon period,” it said.

Packaging of sugar in jute bags: HC declines to interfere with policy

Context: Observing that “a judge, based on inputs, cannot assume the role of a supreme adviser to the administration of policies governing innumerable activities of the State”, the High Court of Karnataka has declined to examine the issue on whether the presence of jute batching oil in jute bags, used for packing sugar, leads to any serious health hazard, as well as the correctness of the policy decision to use jute bags.

• The court stated that it is the Standing Advisory Committee (SAC), operating under the provisions of the Jute Packaging Materials (Compulsory Use in Packing Commodities) Act, 1987, and the experts who will examine the claim regarding the alleged presence of carcinogenic material in jute batching oil.

Not arbitrary

• Also, the High Court said that making sugar industries compulsorily use 20% jute bags for packing sugar cannot be termed as arbitrary when the apex court, several years ago, had upheld the legality of this policy when the sugar industry was mandated to use 100% jute bags for packing sugar.
• Justice M. Nagaprasanna made these observations while dismissing a petition filed by the South Indian Sugar Mills Association-Karnataka, Bengaluru, and the Indian Sugar Mills Association, New Delhi.
• The associations had questioned the notifications issued by the Ministry of Textiles under the 1987 Act, which mandated the use of 20% jute bags for packing sugar.
• Pointing out that it is for the first time that the petitioners have claimed before the court about certain reports with regard to the alleged presence of carcinogenic material in jute batching oil, the High Court said that it is not inclined to examine these reports as they have to be looked into by the SAC, which meets annually to decide on the use of jute bags.
• Justice Nagaprasanna said that “the jute batching oil, after its usage, is again covered by another thin layer to block perforation and pilferage of sugar or dropping out of sugar, causing moisture of sugar owing to its hygroscopic nature. Since this has been in usage, all of which can be analysed for the ensuing year by the SAC”.
• “By taking oath of office as a judge, an ordinary man turns himself into a man with magic wand and qualifies himself to be an unquestionable authority to advise on policies is inconceivable. It is further trite that the court would not sit in the armchair of those experts who have promulgated such policies and overrule them…,” the High Court observed while declining to accept that the policy on usage of jute bags effected the right of sugar industry to carry on their trade.

Jaishankar meets German Foreign Minister, pushes for EU-India FTA

Context: India and Germany committed on Wednesday to doubling trade and expediting efforts to complete the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement under negotiation, amid uncertainty over whether Europe would follow the U.S. in imposing secondary sanctions on countries for buying Russian oil.

• After talks with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said the two sides discussed the “twin challenges” of economic volatility and political uncertainty, a reference to the U.S. imposition of 50% tariffs and sanctions.
• Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, Mr. Wadephul called Russia and China the two biggest challenges to the international world order.
• “We would like the [India-EU FTA talks] to move to a decisive conclusion in the coming days,” Mr. Jaishankar said, referring to the next round of talks between trade negotiators. He added that an FTA would help stabilise the global economy as a “ballast which today the world economy really needs”.
• Indian and EU negotiators have fast-tracked their talks and expect to meet more regularly, possibly every month in order to reach the year-end deadline set by EU President Ursula Von der Leyen and Prime Minister Narendra Modi when they met in February this year. However, as with the India-U.S. trade negotiations, the two sides have differences over issues such as agricultural market access for food and dairy products.
• Another major issue may arise between the two sides if the EU leadership follows U.S. President Donald Trump in imposing secondary sanctions on Indian companies due to the purchase of Russian oil. On Friday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that Germany and France would push for the U.S. and the EU to enforce sanctions on “other nations whose purchases of oil and gas finance a large part of Russia’s war economy”.
• In New Delhi, Mr. Wadephul did not respond directly to a question about whether Germany would endorse the penalty tariffs against India, but said their intention was to ensure Russia would come to the negotiating table with Ukraine.
• “We have not used tariffs but sanctions that we have imposed on Russia so as to ensure that Russia which has to fund its war will be less able to do so”, he said, adding that while the EU countries did not want to stop countries from accessing the oil they need, Russia should not be able to use “detours” to sell its oil to Europe. In the last round of sanctions, the EU had banned trade with Nayara Energy, a consortium of Russian oil major Rosneft and other companies in India.
• The German Foreign Minister, who arrived in India a day after Mr. Modi’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping made international headlines, also lashed out at Russian and Chinese “aggression”, and said he welcomed Mr. Modi’s call for a ceasefire in Ukraine during his meetings.
• “China’s increasingly aggressive behaviour in the Indo-Pacific is cause for concern for both our countries,” Mr. Wadephul said, adding, “Security in the Indo Pacific is closely linked to security in Europe.
• Russia’s war of aggression, for us in Germany and Europe, remains the biggest challenge to our security policy.”

• Mr. Jaishankar sidestepped the comments by the German Minister, saying India believed that a “multi-polar world with strategic autonomy can best respond [to economic and political challenges] through more intensive consultations and cooperation among key member states”.

SC has championed the right to dignity through multiple judgments: CJI

Context: Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai on Wednesday described human dignity as the “soul of the Constitution” which sources and binds together core values such as personal liberty, freedom to choose, equality and fraternity.

• The Supreme Court has championed the right to dignity through multiple judgments to better the lives of women, prisoners, ordinary workers, persons with disabilities, and other marginalised and minority groups over the decades, he said.
• Through its interpretations of the value of dignity, the Supreme Court has ensured that the Constitution remained a living instrument, capable of responding to evolving societal challenges while remaining faithful to its foundational values, the CJI said.
• Chief Justice Gavai was delivering the keynote address at the 11th Dr. L.M. Singhvi Memorial Lecture on “Human dignity as the soul of the Constitution: judicial reflections in the 21st century”.
• Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla; senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, MP; and Vice-Chancellor of the O.P. Jindal Global University C. Raj Kumar spoke on the occasion.
• The CJI said the court had intervened to declare human dignity as a “Constitutional value that remains inviolable, even within the confines of incarceration”.

‘Not just physical survival’

• Thus, the court’s interventions were not limited to ensuring physical survival of the affected persons, but its verdicts had touched upon broader conditions which would enable the aggrieved and disempowered sections of society to lead a life of self-respect, freedom, and opportunity, he said.
• “Human dignity is intrinsically connected to an individual’s autonomy and capacity to make decisions about their own life. It encompasses the freedom to exercise choice, personal agency, and self-determination,” Chief Justice Gavai said.

• India, EFTA trade pact to come into force from Oct. 1
• The free trade agreement between India and four-European nation bloc EFTA, which will come into force from October 1, will have legally binding provisions, Switzerland.
•  “For the first time, India has laid down legally binding provisions on trade and sustainable development in a free trade agreement,” it said in a statement.
• The European Free Trade Association members are Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

Cabinet approves ₹1,500 cr. scheme for critical minerals recycling

Context: The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi  approved a ₹1,500-crore incentive scheme to develop recycling capacity in the country for the separation and production of critical minerals from secondary sources.

• Recycling of critical minerals entails recovery of critical minerals from end-of-life products such as copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements.
• The incentive would form part of the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM), which seeks to build domestic capacity and supply chain resilience in critical minerals.
• Set with a tenure of six years from FY2025-26 to 2030-31, e-waste, lithium-ion battery (LIB) scrap, and other stock as catalytic convertors in end-of-life vehicles would qualify as eligible feedstock.
• The scheme earmarks one-third of the total outlay to small and new beneficiaries although beneficiaries may include both large and established recyclers.
• The government has specified that incentives would be accorded to eligible entities for investments in new units as well as for expansion, modernisation or diversification of existing units.

At least 21,000 children disabled in Gaza war: UN

Context: At least 21,000 children in Gaza have been disabled since the war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, 2023, a United Nations committee.

• Around 40,500 children have suffered “new war-related injuries” in the nearly two years since the war erupted, with more than half of them left disabled, said the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
• Reviewing the situation in the Palestinian territories, it said Israeli evacuation orders during the Army’s offensive in Gaza were “often inaccessible” to people with hearing or visual impairments, “rendering evacuation impossible”.
• “Reports also described people with disabilities being forced to flee in unsafe and undignified conditions, such as crawling through mud without mobility assistance,” it said.
• Meanwhile the committee said the restrictions on humanitarian aid being brought into the Gaza Strip were disproportionately impacting the disabled. “People with disabilities faced severe disruptions in assistance, leaving many without food, clean water, or sanitation and dependent on others for survival,” it said.
• The committee said 83% of disabled people had lost their assistive devices, with most unable to afford alternatives such as donkey carts.

• Iran increased uranium stock before Israeli strikes: IAEA

Context: A confidential report by the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog circulated to member states said on Wednesday that Iran increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels before Israel launched its military attack on June 13.

• The report said that as of June 13, Iran had 440.9 kg of uranium enriched up to 60%, an increase of 32.3 kg since the IAEA’s last report in May. The report stated that this figure is “based on the information provided by Iran, agency verification activities between 17 May 2025 and 12 June 2025, and estimates based on the past operation.”

Should reservations exceed the 50% cap?

Context:

• The leader of the opposition in Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav, has declared that if voted to power, their alliance would increase reservation to 85%.
• In another development, the Supreme Court has issued notice to the Union government on a petition demanding the introduction of a ‘system’ similar to the ‘creamy layer’ for reservations among the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST)

What are constitutional provisions?

• Articles 15 and 16 guarantee equality to all citizens in any action by the state (including admissions to educational institutions) and public employment respectively. In order to achieve social justice, these Articles also enable the state to make special provisions for the advancement of socially and educationally backward classes or Other Backward Classes (OBCs), SCs and STs. A brief summary of important developments with respect to reservations at the central level is provided in the Table. The reservation in the Centre at present stands as follows — OBCs (27%), SCs (15%), STs (7.5%) and for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS), 10%, resulting in a total reservation of 59.5%. The reservation percentages vary from State to State according to their demographic profile and policies.

What have courts ruled?

• The issue arises due to two ostensibly competing aspects of equality — formal and substantive. The Supreme Court in Balaji versus State of Mysore (1962) noted that reservations under Articles 15 and 16 for backward classes should be ‘within reasonable limits’ and should be adjusted with the interests of the community as a whole. The court further ruled that such special provisions for reservation should not exceed 50%. This is seen as an endorsement of formal equality where reservations are seen as an exception to equality of opportunity and hence cannot exceed 50%.
• Substantive equality on the other hand is based on the belief that formal equality is not sufficient to redress the difference between groups that have enjoyed privileges in the past and groups that have been historically underprivileged and underrepresented. A seven-judge Bench in State of Kerala versus N. M. Thomas (1975) have broached the aspect of substantive equality. The court in this case opined that reservation for backward classes is not an exception to equality of opportunity but is an assertion and continuation of the same. However, since the 50% ceiling was not a question before the court, it did not give a binding judgment on this aspect in the case.
• In the Indra Sawhney case (1992), a nine-judge Bench upheld the 27% reservation for OBCs. It opined that caste is a determinant of class in the Indian context. Further, in order to uphold the equality of opportunity, it reaffirmed the cap of 50% for reservation as held in the Balaji case, unless there are exceptional circumstances. The court also provided for the exclusion of a creamy layer within OBCs. In the Janhit Abhiyan case (2022), the court by a majority of 3:2 upheld the constitutional validity of the EWS reservation. It held that economic criteria could be a basis for reservation and opined that the 50% limit set in the Indra Sawhney case was meant for backward classes while the EWS reservation of 10% is for a different category among unreserved communities.

What are the competing arguments?

• Dr. B. R. Ambedkar in his Constituent Assembly speech in November 1948 justified the need to have reservations for backward communities that have been left out in the past. He also opined that reservations should be confined to a minority in order to uphold the guaranteed right of ‘equality of opportunity.’
• However, there has been a growing demand for increasing the reservation percentage beyond the judicial cap of 50% to reflect the proportion of backward classes in the population. The demand for a caste census has been strong in order to have actual data about this proportion rather than mere estimates. It must also be noted that as per various government replies in Parliament, 40-50% of seats reserved for OBCs, SCs and STs in the Central government remain unfilled.
• Another contentious issue relates to the concentration of reservation benefits. The Rohini Commission, set up for providing recommendations on the sub-categorisation among OBC castes, has estimated that 97% of reserved jobs and seats in educational institutions have been garnered by just around 25% of the OBC castes/sub-castes at the central level.
• Close to 1,000 of around 2,600 communities under the OBC category have had zero representation in jobs and educational institutes.
• A similar issue of concentration of reservation benefits persist in SC and ST categories as well. There is no exclusion of ‘creamy layer’ for these communities. In State of Punjab versus Davinder Singh (2024), four judges of a seven-judge Bench impressed upon the Central government the need to frame suitable policies for the exclusion of ‘creamy layer’ in SC and ST reservations. However, the Central government in a cabinet meeting in August 2024 reaffirmed that the ‘creamy layer’ does not apply to reservations for SCs and STs.
• Critiques who are against the extension of a ‘creamy layer’ to SCs and STs argue that the vacancies for these communities are anyway not fully filled. Therefore, the question of a ‘creamy layer’ within such communities usurping the opportunities of even more marginalized castes does not arise. It is also likely that the exclusion of a ‘creamy layer’ based on any criteria will result in an even more increased backlog of vacancies. There is also a fear that such backlog vacancies may be converted in the long run to unreserved seats thereby depriving the SCs and STs of their rightful share of opportunities.

What can be the way forward?

• Right to equality of opportunity is a fundamental right and an increase in reservation up to 85% may be seen as violating such right.
• Nevertheless, substantive equality through affirmative action is required to uplift the underprivileged. Based on empirical data of the ensuing Census in 2027, which will also enumerate backward castes, there must be wide ranging discussions with all stakeholders to arrive at a suitable level of reservation. Equally important is to implement sub-categorisation among the OBCs as per the Rohini Commission report based on Census data. With respect to SCs and STs, as demanded in the plea before the Supreme Court, a ‘two-tier’ reservation system may be considered. Under such a scheme, priority would be given to more marginalised sections before extending it to those who are relatively well-off within those communities. These measures would ensure that benefits of reservation reach the more marginalised among the underprivileged in successive generations.
• It must also be borne in mind that considering the opportunities available in the public sector and the young population of our country, any scheme of reservation would not meet the aspirations of large sections of the society. There must be sincere efforts to provide suitable skill development mechanisms that would enable our youth to be gainfully employed.

Current Affairs: 3rd Sept 2025

GS2: Governor

Governors can’t sit over Bills endlessly: SC judges

Context: Three of the five judges on the Presidential Reference Bench orally observed along with the States of Tamil Nadu and West Bengal that Governors could not sit endlessly over Bills placed before them for assent.

• Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai and Justices Vikram Nath and P.S. Narasimha separately remarked that Governors could neither delay the wisdom of the legislature indefinitely nor impede the functioning of the Constitution. “No organ can impair the functioning of the Constitution,” Justice Narasimha said.
• Tamil Nadu, represented by senior advocates A.M. Singhvi and P. Wilson, said Governors “cannot assume to be royalty in a Republic”.
• Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, for West Bengal, submitted that high offices under the Constitution must work collaboratively and not combatively with each other.
• “When the Constitution is clear that a Governor should act with immediacy, why should he hold back Bills? There is a sense of urgency associated with the Governor’s assent. Legislation is a sovereign act. It cannot wait,” Mr. Sibal emphasised.
• Mr. Singhvi said that Bills were meant to realise the felt necessity of the times.
• Mr. Sibal argued that “absurdity” would follow if the court agreed with the Centre’s argument that Governors had absolute power to withhold State Bills under Article 200 (Governors’ power to assent to Bills).
• Countering the Centre, he said States cannot go in search of political solutions to coax Governors’ assent. Gubernatorial delay thwarts the constitutional scheme, he said. “This Constitution has its genesis in history, but its alignment is with the future… And who decides the future of this country? You five in this case. The future of India is at stake if you give such absurd powers to the Governor,” Mr. Sibal submitted.
• The Bench is hearing a Presidential Reference of May questioning time limits placed on the Governors and the President to deal with State Bills.
• The Reference followed an April 8 judgment pronounced by a two-judge Bench of the apex court in the case of the Tamil Nadu Governor, who had delayed assent to 10 State Bills since 2020. The Division Bench had imposed a three-month deadline for the President and Governors to decide the fate of the Bills. If the Bills were left pending beyond three months, they would be “deemed” to have received assent and become laws.
• The Bench, however, expressed doubts about the court imposing “general” time limits on the President and Governors and granting “deemed assent” to Bills. “What happens if the time limit of three months set by the Supreme Court [in the TN Governor judgment] is not followed by the President or Governors,” Justice Nath asked. He queried why it was “deemed assent” alone. “Why cannot the other options —withholding assent or reference to the President — also be “deemed”.
• Justice Narasimha said time limits could be prescribed in individual cases after considering the peculiar facts and circumstances of each.
• Chief Justice Gavai said a broad brushstroke of a “general” timeline applicable to all cases of delay may amount to overreaching by the judiciary. “Timelines help in maintaining discipline and immediacy. This dispute began with individual cases. Kerala and Tamil Nadu came with their own cases. However, the problem [gubernatorial delay] has proven to be endemic and repetitive,” Mr. Singhvi said explaining the reason for the Tamil Nadu Governor case judgment fixing a “general” three-month deadline.
• Mr. Sibal said the sovereign act of the legislation cannot be impaired by a recalcitrant Governor. “He cannot say ‘I choose to sit back and do nothing’. The Governor is not a postman. He has certain play in the joints. If he feels a Bill requires consideration by the President, the Governor can consult lawyers, etc, and refer it…,” he said.

Sources: TH

GS2: Welfare of Backward classes

Maharashtra forms panel for Maratha quota; protest ends

Context: The Maharashtra government issued a Government Resolution (GR) announcing the formation of a special committee to facilitate the issuance of Kunbi caste certificates to eligible members of the Maratha community.

• The decision followed marathon negotiations between State Ministers and activist Manoj Jarange-Patil, who had been on a hunger strike at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan for five days, demanding reservation for the Marathas under the Other Backward Classes category. Following the announcement, Mr. Jarange-Patil ended his fast.
• “In accordance with the historical references contained in the Hyderabad gazetteer, a dedicated scrutiny process shall be conducted to verify documents and establish eligibility of persons from the Maratha community for Kunbi caste certificates. The committee shall ensure that every claim is assessed in a time-bound and transparent manner,” the GR stated.
• Shortly after the announcement, celebrations erupted at the Azad Maidan and the CSMT Square, where thousands of protesters had gathered.
• Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis hailed the resolution and thanked Mr. Jarange-Patil for calling off the protest. “My government has always worked for the welfare of the Maratha community. The Kunbi certification process ensures that eligible individuals can benefit lawfully while maintaining balance with OBC reservation,” Mr. Fadnavis said.

Sources: TH

GS2: Polity; Foreigners Tribunals

FTs can issue arrest warrants, send ‘foreigners’ to detention centres

Context: The Union Home Ministry has given the Foreigners Tribunals (FT), so far unique to Assam, powers of a first class judicial magistrate. The fresh Immigration and Foreigners Order, 2025, notified paves the way to send persons to a detention or a holding centre if they fail to produce any proof that they are “not a foreigner”. This was earlier enforced through executive orders.

• The 2025 order, which replaces the Foreigners (Tribunal) Order, 1964, empowers the FTs to issue arrest warrants if a person whose nationality has been contested fails to appear in person. The order has been notified under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, passed by Parliament in April repealing four other laws.
• According to Assam’s Home Department, there were 11 Illegal Migrant Determination Tribunals (IMDT) in the State that were converted to tribunals after the Supreme Court scrapped the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act, 1983, in 2005. In total, 100 FTs are currently operational in the State.
• The number of FTs was increased after the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was published in 2019 in Assam on the orders of the Supreme Court. The NRC, again unique to Assam, excluded 19 lakh out of 3.29 crore applicants and FTs were to give adequate opportunity to the those excluded from NRC to present their case.
• Though the order is applicable across the country, FTs are functional only in Assam.
• In other States, an illegal migrant is produced before a local court.

Curbs on employment

• The order also bars employing foreigners in private undertakings that are engaged in the supply of power or water, in the petroleum sector, in the fields of defence, space technology, nuclear energy and human rights without the Central government’s nod.
• “The designated Border Guarding Forces or the Coast Guard shall take steps to prevent illegal migrants attempting to enter into India by sending them back after capturing their biometric information and available demographic details on the designated portal of the Central Government,” the order said. It added that matters related to detection and deportation of illegal migrants settled in the country shall be closely monitored by a nodal officer designated for this purpose by the State government.
• The order states that a foreigner may be refused entry or stay in India, “if he is convicted on charges of anti-national activities, espionage, rape and murder, crime against humanity, terrorist and subversive activity… human trafficking, racketeering in fake travel document and currency (including crypto currency), cyber crime, child abuse or found involved in such offences.”
• The Ministry notified the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order, 2025 exempting Nepal and Bhutan citizens , Tibetans, and Sri Lankan Tamils from the Act.

Sources: TH

GS3: Economy; GST

SJM seeks lower rate of GST on beedi and plastic waste

• The Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), the economic wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, on Tuesday requested Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to reconsider the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on beedi and plastic waste, saying higher tax will affect the people working in this sector.
• In a letter to the Finance Minister, the SJM said that the beedi industry is a major source of employment, especially for women in more than nine States of India.
• Similarly, millions of ragpickers are engaged in collection of plastic waste and an 18% GST reduces incentives for rag-pickers who collect and recycle plastic waste, the SJM said. The GST council is set to meet on September 3 and 4.

Sources: TH

GS3: Environment; Climate Change

COP-30 to focus on known solutions, says its President

Context: Instead of big-ticket announcements, the forthcoming edition of the UN climate summit is expected to focus on “well-known solutions”, with the host country, Brazil, moving to cleave the “negotiations” aspect of climate talks from the “implementation” of agreements.

• The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will hold its 30th Conference of Parties (COP-30) in November, in the Brazilian port city of Belem, a gateway to the Amazonian rainforest.
• With U.S. President Donald Trump having withdrawn his country from the UNFCCC’s Paris Agreement for the second time and casting global trade into flux with his tariffs, diplomats and seasoned climate negotiators said that this was a “difficult year and things could go bad” for the COP process.
• However, COP-30 president André Corrêa do Lago, a Brazilian Minister, insisted that there are also “grounds for optimism”. Addressing a conclave organised here by the Council on Energy Environment and Water (CEEW), he said: “In the run-up to COP-30, we are trying to de-couple the process of negotiation – and agreements like the UNFCCC are designed for negotiation – from that of implementation.”
• The typical process of climate negotiations in most COPs focusses on creating a “text”, said Mr. Lago, noting that it was “horribly difficult” to assemble all countries and have them agree on one.

COP-21 Paris Agreement

• The Paris Agreement ironed out at COP-21 in 2015 is considered historic as it committed all countries, not just developed countries, to take action to contain greenhouse gas emissions to keep the increase in average global temperatures from exceeding 2 degrees Celsius and “as far as possible below 1.5C” by the turn of the century. However, scientific assessments suggest that the impact of all countries’ current commitments, even if implemented, will still lead to an increase of more than 2.6 C.

Sources: TH

GS3: Polity; Public Accounts Committee

Parliament panel seeks better rural mobile services

Context: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament, headed by Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal, has directed India’s leading telecom service providers to share details of steps taken to improve the network.

• Expressing concern over poor connectivity of mobile networks in rural areas, the PAC, at a meeting, discussed the subject of “Levy and regulation of fees, tariffs, user charges, etc. on public infrastructure and other public utilities”.
• “Today, the Public Accounts Committee deliberated over the audit report that flagged the delay of payments by private providers to the Telecommunications Department due to various reasons. We thoroughly examined the issue,” Mr. Venugopal said at the conclusion of the meeting. The members pointed out that the problem was pronounced in border districts, especially in the northeastern States, sources said.

• Connectivity is extremely poor in villages on the India-Nepal border that many residents opted for Nepal networks, one of the members said.
• The four service providers were asked by the panel to take more care to expand their networks in such remote districts.The members also flagged the lukewarm progress made by the National Broadband Mission.

Sources: TH

GS3: Science & Technology; Semiconductor

PM Modi receives first Made in India Vikram 32-bit chip       

Context: Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw presented Prime Minister Narendra Modi a memento containing the ‘Made in India’ Vikram 32-bit Processor Launch Vehicle Grade chip at the Semicon India 2025.

• The microprocessor chips were designed and developed by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL), Chandigarh.
• Utilised for space flights, it is an advanced refurbished version of the indigenously designed 16-bit VIKRAM1601 microprocessor, which has been used in the Avionics system of ISRO’s launch vehicles since 2009.
• Other than the ‘Made in India’ chip, the memento also contained 31 more prototype chips created by academic institutions including IIT Jammu, IIT Roorkee, IIT Dhanbad, NIT Durgapur, NIT Calicut and IIT Ropar, among others.
• In his address at the annual semiconductor conference, the Union Minister overseeing technology observed that in the three-and-a-half years since the inauguration of the Indian Semiconductor Mission “the world is looking at India with confidence”.
• Elaborating on India’s progress in the realm, Mr. Vaishnaw said construction of five semi-conductor units was going on at a rapid pace, with the pilot line of one unit completed.
• Two more units are expected to start production “in a few months from now”, he said. “Overall, foundation of the foundational industry is laid very well,” he observed.
• Pitching India as a potential manufacturing hub to the participants from the semiconductor ecosystem on Tuesday, Mr. Vaishnaw said, “In these uncertain times, you should come to India because our policies are stable, we have attempted to cover all important aspects of the manufacturing sector.”

Sources: TH

Current Affairs: 2nd Sept 2025

General Studies 1: Geography; Rainfall patterns in Karnataka

Karnataka received more than normal rainfall between June 1 and September 1

Context: Karnataka between this June 1 and September 1 received 786 mm rainfall as against a normal of 675.6 mm during the south-west monsoon. However, seven districts, including Kodagu, Shivamogga, Bengaluru South (formerly Ramanagara) and Hassan, have reported deficient rainfall.

Departure of 16%

• According to India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) seasonal cumulative rainfall data, there was a departure of 16% rain during this period.
• The three meteorological sub-divisions in the State [coastal, north Interior and south interior] also saw a departure in rainfall during this period.
• Coastal Karnataka received 3,103.6 mm rain as against a normal of 2,790.5 mm with a departure of 11%. Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Uttara Kannada saw a departure of 5%, 5%, and 18%, respectively.
• North interior Karnataka received 508.8mm rain as against the normal of 344.8 mm with a departure of 48%. The 11 districts in this sub-division [Bagalkot, Belagavi, Bidar, Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri, Kalaburagi, Koppal, Raichur, Vijayapura, and Yadgir] received more than normal rainfall. Vijayapura topped the list with 450.9 mm as against a normal of 246.6 mm with a departure of 83%, followed by Gadag which received 427.3 mm rainfall as against a normal of 236 mm with a departure of 81%.
• South interior Karnataka received 561.8 mm rain as against the normal 534.4 mm with a departure of 5%. Ballari (departure of 61%), Chickballapur (29%), Chikkamagaluru (34%), Chitradurga (98%), Davangere (57%), Kolar (25%), Mandya (47%), Mysuru (3%), Tumakuru (31%), and Vijayanagara (61%) received more than the normal rainfall during the three months.

Deficient rainfall

• However, Bengaluru Rural (departure of -9%), Bengaluru Urban (-10%), Chamarajanagar (-2%), Hassan (-30%), Kodagu (-12%), Bengaluru South (-40%), and Shivamogga (-27%) recorded deficient rainfall.
• This year (2025), the south-west monsoon arrived earlier than expected in the last week of May.

Sources: TH

General Studies 2: Polity; Governance reforms in Metroplitan corporation

Three-tier governance structure ushers in a new era in Bengaluru

Context: The Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, 2024, that has already come into effect is gradually being implemented. While the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) has already been constituted, the last step – the formation of five corporations replacing Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) – is expected to be notified.

• The GBG Act, 2024 will bring in a three-tier structure to governance in Bengaluru with the Chief Minister-led GBA at the pan city level, which, for the first time, brings together all parastatals in the city on one platform along with five city corporations and ward committees.
• GBG Act, 2024 has retained certain provisions of the BBMP Act, 2020 which are criticised as perpetuating the stranglehold of MLAs on city governance and councillors over ward committees.
• The law provides for a coordination committee headed by the MLA at the Assembly constituency level, which, though has only advisory powers, brings together councillors, officers of all agencies and gives the committee powers to oversee the implementation of projects and select beneficiaries of welfare schemes.
• Meanwhile, the ward committee of 15, is led by the councillor, has seven members nominated by the corporation, giving them a majority. Over and above this, the councillor has been given a veto power over any decision.

Sources: TH

General Studies 2: Polity; Remission of sentence

Convicts are entitled for remission even if sentence is for specified term: High Court

Context: Convicts are entitled to being considered for remission even if the sentence is beyond 20 years or for a specified term, unless the order of sentence makes it clear that the convict shall not be entitled for premature release or remission or parole or the like, said the High Court of Karnataka.

Judement

• The court pointed out that Rule 164 of Karnataka Prisons and Correctional Services Manual, 2021, is clear that there is no particular embargo on the convict being entitled for remission if the sentence is for 20 years or more, or even for a particular period beyond 20 years.
• Justice Suraj Govindaraj passed the order while allowing a petition filed by Deepa Angadi, who had questioned the rejection of plea for remission of her husband, brother-in-law, and mother-in-law, who were sentenced to 21 years in 2013 in a murder case.
• A trial court in Belagavi in 2008 imposed the death penalty on Siddappa, husband, Siddalingappa, brother-in-law, and Mallavva, mother-in-law of the petitioner, and the High Court in 2013 modified it to imprisonment for 21 years with the benefit of remission.
• Their application for remission of sentence was rejected by the prison authorities for the reason that the imprisonment is for a specific period of 21 years.
• However, the High Court clarified that there was no condition in the 2013 order that the convicts would not be entitled for remission or parole.
• Pointing out that the remission system, which comes with some conditions, aims at the reformation of prisoners, the court said that “remission is held out as a carrot for the detenu so that they behave properly with discipline and good conduct with the hope of being released early by remitting the sentence”, though remission is not a right for any prisoner.
• Citing a Supreme Court’s order which stated that convicts sentenced to life are entitled for remission only after 14 years of imprisonment, the High Court said that the petitioner’s relatives are entitled to be considered for remission as they had completed over 14 years.

Sources: TH

GS3: Environment; Fuels; Ethanol blending

SC refuses to entertain plea against roll-out of 20% ethanol-blended petrol nationwide

Context: The Supreme Court dismissed a petition challenging the nationwide roll-out of 20% ethanol-blended petrol (E20) which alleged that millions of motorists were being compelled to use fuel unsuited to their vehicles without the option of getting ethanol-free petrol.

• A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran refused to entertain the petition after the Union government defended the ethanol-blending programme as a measure to bolster the income of sugar cane farmers and conserve foreign exchange.
• Senior advocate Shadan Farasat, appearing for petitioner Akshay Malhotra, cited NITI Aayog’s 2021 report “Roadmap for ethanol blending in India 2020-25”, which noted that blending ethanol up to 20% could cut fuel efficiency by 6-7% in four-wheelers and 3-4% in two-wheelers. He clarified that the petitioner was not opposing ethanol blending as a policy, but only sought the continued availability of ethanol-free petrol for vehicles manufactured before April 2023, which are not compatible with E20 fuel.
• Attorney-General R. Venkataramani, representing the Centre, questioned the bona fides of the plea, alleging that the petitioner was merely a “name-lender” and that the challenge reflected the interests of a larger lobby intent on obstructing India’s clean fuel transition.
• “The policy benefits our sugar cane farmers and saves precious foreign exchange.
• E20 fuel has been gradually introduced since 2023, replacing earlier blends such as E5 and E10, which were regarded as more compatible with older vehicles. These alternatives have now been phased out from almost all of the country’s 90,000 fuel stations. The ethanol-blending programme is central to India’s strategy to lower carbon emissions and reduce dependence on crude oil imports.
• Last month, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas endorsed the use of E20, claiming it offers “better acceleration and improved ride quality” in addition to supporting the livelihoods of farmers.
• The validity of vehicle insurance policies remains unaffected by the use of E20.

‘Consumer choice’

• The petition contended that the policy violated the fundamental rights of vehicle owners whose automobiles are incompatible with E20, as it left them with no option to purchase ethanol-free petrol.
• It further argued that the absence of public awareness and proper labelling of fuel pumps breached the right to informed consumer choice under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
• “It is also relevant to mention that as the vehicles are not compatible with ethanol-blended petrol, which will result in damage to the said vehicles, the claim raised in this regard will not be covered by the manufacturers or the insurance companies, as the consumers have violated the terms specified by the manufacturers/insurance companies,” the petition said.
• It sought directions to the authorities to mandate ethanol labelling at all petrol pumps and dispensing units, and to conduct a “nationwide impact study on mechanical degradation and efficiency loss due to ethanol blended fuel to the extent of 20% usage in non-compliant vehicles.”

Sources: TH

GS3: Infrastructure; Transportation; Railways

New Bairabi-Sairang rail line set to improve connectivity in Mizoram

Context: Mizoram will soon be connected to the national railway network when Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates the 51.38-km Bairabi-Sairang broad-gauge line, constructed at an estimated ₹5,021 crore, in the second week of September.

• The new line terminating at Sairang will connect Aizawl, the State capital about 20 km away, with the rest of the country.
• The line links Silchar in Assam via Bhodahpur Junction, integrating the network with Assam, Tripura, and Arunachal Pradesh.
• Indian Railways has big plans to connect the other northeastern States of Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, and Sikkim with the national network by 2030, Northeast Frontier Railway official.
• While access by road took long hours of travel, flying was expensive. Travel by train would provide an affordable options to all categories of people, besides boosting economic activities in the region with a special focus on tourism.
• The new line has 48 tunnels with a total length of 12.85 km, the longest being about 1.37 km; 55 major bridges with the longest being about 1.3 km and the tallest, Krung Bridge at Sairang, being 114 m from the base; 87 minor bridges; five road overbridges; and six road underbridges.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually laid the foundation stone for the project on November 29, 2014. He virtually flagged off the first passenger train between Bairabi and Silchar on May 27, 2016.
• Almost all essential items to Mizoram were brought from Silchar in Assam, a journey of about 10 hours by road. With the new line, the travel time gets reduced to about three hours.

GS3: Environment; Air Pollution. Air Quality Index

All of India breathes bad air, AQLI 2025 report says

Context: While north Indian cities such as Delhi, Ghaziabad, and Kanpur are notorious for their air pollution, almost everyone living in India breathes air dirtier than what the World Health Organisation (WHO) has deemed safe.

• According to the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) 2025 annual update, all of India lives in areas where the annual average particulate pollution level (PM2.5) exceeds the WHO annual average limit of 5 g/m³.
• The country’s northern plains, however, remain the greater offenders, exposing an estimated 544.4 million people to bad air.
• The AQLI report is based on global pollution data from 2023. Atmospheric pollution levels rose planet wide in 2023 following two relatively quiescent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The report was put together by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago.
  • The air quality in India is also bad by its own standards, which are more lenient than those of the WHO. According to the report, 46% of India’s people live in areas where the national annual PM2.5 standard of 40 g/m3 has been breached.
  • The report also said Delhi will experience the greatest benefit among India’s cities by lowering particulate pollution to the WHO’s recommendation, adding 8.2 years to life expectancy.
  • Because the whole country currently breathes subpar air, even those in the cleanest areas could live 9.4 months more if their air is cleaned up, the report found.
• The problem transcends borders, of course. Emissions from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan have together blanketed a big swath of South Asia with polluted air.
• Bangladesh in particular has consistently been the most polluted country in the region for years. In 2023, the country’s air had 12x greater PM2.5 concentration than the WHO guidelines — and improving it could add 5.5 years on average to resident Bangladeshis’ lives. The report estimated the potential gain to be highest in Gazipur, where residents could live 7.1 years longer.
• China noted a consistent decrease in pollution over the last decade. China, however, has been somewhat of a notable exception: while the concentration of harmful particles in its air grew by 2.8% in 2023, the air quality has been improving for a decade. This is not accidental. Even with the 2.8% increase in 2023, the particulate concentration was still 40.8% lower than what it was in 2014. Among other policies, the country has restricted the number of cars on the roads in large cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou; cut its iron- and steel-making capacity; banned new coal plants in specific regions; and replaced coal-based home heating solutions with gas or electric heaters, the AQLI report noted. Then again, a lot remains to be done. Even if China’s air is cleaner than India’s, the people of China are also exposed to more PM2.5 levels than the WHO’s threshold.
• Worldwide, the global PM2.5 concentration in 2023 was 1.5% higher than in 2022 and almost 5x times over the WHO limit. Indeed, the report identified particulate pollution as the “greatest external threat to human life expectancy” in 2023.

Sources: TH

Few liner facts:

State secures spot on National Quantum Mission board

• In a significant move towards cooperative federalism and deep-tech development, Karnataka has secured representation in the Hub Governing Board (HGB) of the National Quantum Mission (NQM).

• Following a prompt from G. Kumar Naik, Lok Sabha member from Raichur, the Union government acknowledged the need for State participation.

Indian Navy ships conclude Saudi visit with joint exercise

• Indian Navy warships INS Tamal and INS Surat (in picture) concluded their port call at Jeddah in Saudi Arabia on August 30, with a passage exercise alongside the Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF) corvette HMS Jazan, before proceeding on deployment.
• The ships engaged extensively with the RSNF and Saudi Border Guard through sports fixtures and interactions with personnel.
• On August 28, the vessels hosted India’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan, onboard.
• The visit underscored India’s commitment to strengthening defence cooperation with Saudi Arabia while offering both navies opportunities to share best practices and explore future engagements.

Centre launches ‘Adi Vaani’ to translate Adivasi languages

• The Ministry of Tribal Affairs launched the beta version of its Adi Vaani Adivasi language translation application and website at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi.
• It will “help bridge communication gaps for tribal communities in remote areas and empower tribal youth digitally”.
• It is a “landmark initiative towards inclusive tribal empowerment and linguistic preservation”.
• The app, which has been in development for over a year now, has capabilities to translate Adivasi languages to and from Hindi and English.
• In its first phase, the supported languages include Gondi, Bhili, Mundari, Santali, Kui, and Garo.

Sources: TH

Current Affairs: 1st Sept 2025

General Studies 1: Geography; Indian Rainfall patterns

‘Mini-cloudbursts’ are on the rise: IMD chief

Context: There is no “increasing trend” in cloudbursts — 10 cm of rain in an hour or more over 20-30 square km — over India in recent years and they remain “impossible” to forecast. However, there has been an increase in “mini-cloudbursts” — 5 cm of rain per hour, India Meteorological Department (IMD).

• Rainfall in September — the last official monsoon month — is, as in the previous months, expected to be “above normal”, or 9% more than the usual average of 16.7 cm, Except the northeastern States and parts of “extreme” southern India, the rest of the country is expected to get above normal rainfall.
• The three monsoon months so far have seen “above normal” rainfall, in line with what the IMD forecast in May.
• Rainfall during June 1 to August 31 was 6% above the 70 cm usual for the three months.

Less rain in the east

• Northwest India — comprising Uttarakhand, most parts of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Jammu, Kashmir, Rajasthan, Delhi — got 26% more rainfall than what is typical for the three months.
• Central India and the southern peninsula saw 8.6% and 9.3% more rainfall than usual with only the eastern and northeastern India — which receives the most rain as a bloc during the monsoon — getting 17% less than normal.
• August rainfall in northern India, at 26.5 cm, was the highest since 2001, IMD data.
• Rainfall over the southern peninsula, at 25 cm, was the third highest since 2001.
• There were more than 700 instances of heavy rain (20 cm or more in a day) in August 2025, the second highest since 2021 behind the 800-plus in 2024.

Series of disturbances

• The extremely active monsoon in northern India — that saw large-scale destruction of lives and property in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Uttarakhand — was due to a confluence of several western disturbances (storms that travel to India from the Mediterranean) and storms from the Bay of Bengal moving northwards leading to several episodes of intense rain.
• “This is likely to prevail during September too…since 1980 we have noticed an increasing trend in the rainfall India receives during September,”.
• The IMD had a strict definition of a ‘cloudburst’, 10 cm of rain in an hour or more over 20-30 square km, and while there was rising trend in India overall, ‘mini cloudbursts,’ — or 5 cm of rain per hour — were on the rise, referring to a 2018 research study by climate researchers at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune. In that data set, there were only 28 cloudbursts reported from 1969-2015. IMD did not have updated data on this aspect since 2015.
  • “IMD issue reports of cloudbursts within 24 hours of the event. For instance, there have been cloudbursts reported in Chennai the previous night.
  • Challenges: It is not possible to categorise this in certain regions because of lack of meteorological stations where the cloudbursts occur.
  • Even with satellite imagery, we can warn of intense clouding or heavy rains a few hours before but cannot predict if it will result in a cloudburst,”.
  • “It is well known that landslides can occur even with 2-5 cm of rainfall.”

Sources: TH

General Studies2: India and its Neighbours

Where: Meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin.

Outcome:

• Agreed on the need to strengthen people-to-people ties through direct flights and visa facilitation, building on the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and tourist visas.
• Expressed commitment to a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable resolution of the boundary question,”.
• Mutual support in combating terrorism.
• Exchanged views on balanced bilateral trade, recognising that their economies could stabilise world trade.
• Agreed to facilitate trade and investment ties while reducing their trade deficit.

Tianjin Declaration:

• The Tianjin Declaration stressed that terrorism, separatism, and extremism cannot be justified or used for political purposes. “The Member States strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on 22 April 2025,”.
• The declaration also highlighted India’s contribution to regional cooperation under the theme “One Earth, One Family and One Future.”

Myanmar:

• The Prime Minister also met with Myanmar’s Senior General Min Aung Hlain and noted that India attaches importance to its ties with Myanmar as part of its ‘Neighborhood First’, ‘Act East’, and Indo-Pacific policies.

About SCO:

• The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a permanent intergovernmental international organization established on June 15, 2001 in Shanghai (PRC) by the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People’s Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan. Its predecessor was the mechanism of the Shanghai Five.

The goals of the SCO are:

• to strengthen mutual trust, friendship and good-neighborliness between the Member States;
• to encourage the effective cooperation between the Member States in such spheres as politics, trade, economy, science and technology, culture, education, energy, transport, tourism, environmental protection, etc;

Currently, the SCO countries includes:

• 10 Member States — the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People’s Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, the Republic of Uzbekistan;

• 2 Observer states – the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Mongolia;

• 14 Dialogue Partners – the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Armenia, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, the Republic of Maldives, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Republic of Turkey, the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

Sources: TH, BS

General Studies2: Welfare of the weaker sections;

Launch of ‘Annapoorna Scheme’ for sanitation workers today

Context: In what is being touted as a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is set to roll out the ‘Annapoorna Scheme’ for its sanitation workforce.

• “Bengaluru will be the first city to provide direct financial assistance for daily breakfast to sanitation workers.

• Under the scheme, more than 700 sanitation workers will be provided smart cards powered by Axis Bank. Each card will be credited with ₹1,500 per month, which workers can use at food outlets of their choice, giving them the flexibility in choosing their meals.

• BWSSB has described the scheme as a “Smart city with a humane touch” initiative and hopes it will serve as a model for other metropolitan cities across India. The board has also indicated plans to bring in more welfare measures for sanitation staff.

Sources: TH

General Studies2: Constitution; Fundamental Rights; Reservation, Welfare of backward classes;

Telangana passes Bills for 42% quota for BCs

Context: The Telangana government has paved the way for implementation of the 42% reservation to Backward Classes in the elections to local bodies by passing two Bills.

• The Legislative Assembly has passed the Telangana Municipalities (Third Amendment) Bill, 2025 and the Telangana Panchayat Raj (Third Amendment) Act 2025.
• The Bills have been passed at a time when two Bills and an Ordinance to the same effect has been awaiting assent of the President.

• While the reservation for SC and ST communities was proportionate to their population, reservation for Backward Classes was subject to the condition that total reservation for SC, ST and Backward Classes should not exceed 50%.
• The government conducted the socio-economic, education, employment, political and caste survey to obtain comprehensive scientific data covering all households in the State.
• The survey was followed by constitution of a dedicated commission to conduct a contemporaneous and rigorous enquiry into the nature and extent of backwardness among BCs, particularly with reference to their representation in local bodies with a view to determining the proportion of reservation to be provided on a local body wise basis.

Sources: TH

General Studies 2: NGO’s and their role in welfare of weaker sections, women empowerment

• Announcing the award for Educate Girls, also known as Foundation to Educate Girls Globally, the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation said that it was “an Indian organisation whose groundbreaking work in addressing gender injustice in education in India’s most rural and remote areas creates a ripple effect that uplifts families, communities, and entire societies”.
• “Starting out in Rajasthan, Educate Girls identified the neediest communities in terms of girls’ education, brought unschooled or out-of-school girls into the classroom, and worked to keep them there until they were able to acquire credentials for higher education and gainful employment,”.
• Safeena Husain, the founder of Educate Girls, “Being the first Indian non-profit to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award is a historic moment for Educate Girls and for the country.
• This recognition places a global spotlight on India’s people-powered movement for girls’ education, one that began with a single girl in the remotest village and grew to reshape entire communities, challenging traditions and shifting mindsets.

Thrilling news

• “Educate Girls is the first Indian organisation to win the Ramon Magsaysay Award. It is an absolutely thrilling news for us and this award belongs to our teams across the country — our preraks, our team balika, the government, our donors and partners. But mostly this award belongs to our girls. Our girls who work tirelessly to get education,” said Ms. Lobo in a video statement while congratulating environmental activist Shaahina Ali of the Maldives and Fr. Flaviano Antonio L. Villanueva of the Philippines, who shot to fame for opposing former President Rodrigo Duterte’s infamous drug war which led to widespread human rights abuse.

About:

• The Ramon Magsaysay Award was started in 1958 to celebrate “greatness of spirit and transformative leadership in Asia”.
• Since 1958, over 300 achievers and organisations from Asia have received this award.

Sources: TH

General Studies3: Leather Industry; GI Tag Products

Kolhapuri footwear makers seek PRADA’s support

Context: Kolhapuri footwear makers in Athani have appealed to PRADA, a Italian fashion house that is facing allegations of “stealing” design ideas from India, to set up a training centre for artisans in Athani in Belagavi district.

• The European company had faced criticism after one of its footwears had a striking resemblance to Kolhapuri footwear.
• “Most of the production of Kolhapuri footwear happens in Karnataka, while most of the sale is in Maharashtra. They are named after the city they are sold in, not made in.

About:

Kolhapuri chappals or Kolhapuris are Indian hand-crafted hand-crafted braided leather slip-on sandals that are locally tanned using vegetable dyes, and hand-decorated with patterns.

The origin of Kolhapuri chappals dates back to the 12th century when King Bijjala and his prime minister Basavanna encouraged Kolhapuri chappal production to support local cordwainers.

GI tag

• In July 2019, Kolhapuri chappals received a geographical indication tag from the Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trade Marks.

• These chappals were first made in Kolhapur, but artisans from Karnataka have also been making Kolhapuri chappals for centuries.
• Districts such as Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara and Solapur districts of Maharashtra as well as Bagalkot, Belgavi, Dharwad and Bijapur district of Karnataka will only be able to carry the tag of “Kolhapuri chappal”.

Sources: TH, Wikipedia

Few liner facts:

Launch of Nandini Ghee in U.S.

• Karnataka Milk Federation launched its signature products, Nandini Ghee and Sweets, in the U.S. at the 8th NAVIKA World Kannada Summit 2025 in Lakeland, Florida.
• The event, organised by Naavu Vishwa Kannadigaru (NAVIKA), witnessed participation from the Kannadiga community and international delegates.

Sources: TH