Current Affairs

Current Affairs: 18th Sept 2025

ECI to roll out SIR in State after September 25

Context: Amid the row over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is gearing up to launch an SIR of voter lists in Karnataka, anytime after September 25.

• Commission expects the voting percentage in urban centres such as Bengaluru to go up in future polls after the completion of the exercise; SIR was last conducted in State in 2002; notification for 2025 SIR is expected shortly; number of voters is expected to increase from 3.5 crore to 5.5 crore.

• In Karnataka, the SIR was last conducted in 2002, and the notification for the 2025 SIR is expected shortly.
• After conducting the SIR exercise to remove dead, migrated, and duplicate voters from the electoral roll, the voting percentage in urban centres like Bengaluru, which is significantly lower compared to the State average, is expected to increase in future elections. While there were approximately 3.5 crore voters in 2002, the ECI estimated the number to increase to around 5.5 crore in 2025.

• During the SIR exercise, the updating of electoral rolls, including additions, transfers, and deletions to the electoral rolls through Forms 6, 7, and 8, will be frozen.
• The BLOs to be roped in include school teachers, Anganwadi workers, and State and Central government officials.

SEC voter list

• While the Karnataka government has allowed the State Election Commission (SEC) to draw up a voter list of its own for the local bodies election, the Election Commission sources said that the matter did not concern them.
• “The SEC is also a constitutional body and if they decided to have one, they can have one. Kerala has a voter list of its own. Till now, the SEC in Karnataka has been taking our rolls: ECI.

Panchamasalis to go with ‘Hindu’ for religion

Context: The Lingayat Panchamasali community, which has now three religious Peethas in Karnataka, has decided to go with “Lingayat Panchamasali” nomenclature during the socio-educational survey (caste census) in the State.

• The demographically-strong Lingayat Panchamasali community, which has now three religious Peethas in Karnataka, has decided to go with “Lingayat Panchamasali” nomenclature during the forthcoming socio, economic and educational survey (caste census) in the State. And despite differences on the issue of how to name the religion, the community has decided to stick with “Hindu” in the religion column “for the time being.”

Amid U.S. tariffs row, PM pushes local production

Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to buy only made-in-India products and traders to sell only indigenously manufactured goods as he laid the foundation stone for the country’s first PM Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) park in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district.

• His remarks came a day after the latest round of talks on an India-U.S. trade agreement, amid tensions over U.S. tariffs on Indian products.
• “Whatever our businesspersons sell must be made in our country. Now we must make Swadeshi the foundation of a developed India.

Those in age group of 70 and above to get AB-ArK benefits

Context: The Karnataka government has provided the necessary clearances for extending the benefits of Ayushman Bharat Arogya Karnataka (AB-ArK) health insurance scheme to senior citizens aged 70 and above. A notification regarding this was issued.

• The notification states that the benefits of this scheme will be provided to all individuals aged 70 years and above, without considering any income ceilings.
• However, these beneficiaries cannot enrol under other free medical schemes of the government, barring ESIS.
• While those in this age group can enrol themselves by submitting an application to the authorities, the process of receiving applications will continue throughout the year, states the notification.
• There is a separate module for registering beneficiaries in this age group in the mobile phone application (Ayushman application) and the web portal (beneficiary.nha.gov.in).
• Upon registration, they would also be given a unique Ayushman card, the notification states.

EU-India partnership set for upgrade

Context: EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas releases strategic agenda on trade, technology, security, defence and climate; however, India’s military exercises with Russia and its continued purchase of Russian oil are seen in Brussels as potential obstacles to the deepening of the relationship with New Delhi.

• The European Union has set out a plan to upgrade its strategic ties with India, even as it warned that India’s military exercises with Russia and its purchase of Russian oil are risks to the growing strategic ties between Brussels and New Delhi.
• The European Commission and the EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas released ‘A New Strategic EU-India Agenda’ in Brussels, and urged the European Parliament and Council (i.e., the heads of member states) to adopt it.
• Ms. Kallas called India a “crucial” partner for the EU, as she outlined the strategy that encompassed trade, technology, security, defence and climate. She was speaking at a televised press conference in Brussels.
• The document declared that “the EU and India have the potential and determination to shape one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century”.
• Brussels and New Delhi are in the midst of negotiating a free trade agreement (FTA), with the EU’s trade chief Maroš Šefčovič visiting New Delhi last week for talks with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal.
• “We are also negotiating an agreement of exchange of classified information and deepening ties between defence industry [sic],” Ms. Kallas said, adding that there were hesitations here among the College of Commissioners (comprised of Commissioners from the 27 EU countries).
• With Russia escalating its attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks, the Europeans are grappling with how to navigate New Delhi’s closeness to Moscow.
• “India’s participation in Russia’s military exercises and its purchase of Russian oil stand in the way of closer ties, because ultimately, our partnership is not only about trade, but also about defending rules-based international order,” Ms. Kallas said.
• “It is of utmost importance to the EU that any enablement of the war be curtailed,” the strategy document says.
• The negotiations with New Delhi would address these challenges with the aim of adopting a joint roadmap at the next EU-India summit in early 2026, according to Ms. Kallas.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “delighted” by the adoption of the new strategic document. “We remain committed to an early and peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict,” he said, reflecting on his phone call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
• India and the EU have been seeking to bolster ties in the face of increasing geopolitical uncertainty and challenges in their trade relationships with the U.S.
• Trade between India and the EU has grown over 90% in the last decade, Mr. Šefčovič said , but the two sides had just “scratched the surface”, according to the Commissioner. Brussels and New Delhi are hoping to conclude a trade deal by the end of the year.
• Mr. Šefčovič said he was in frequent touch with Mr. Goyal but wished that there had been “more progress” on talks during his visit to New Delhi last week. He also said that Indian trade negotiators have a reputation for being “tough”.

Tariff barriers

• On the question of agricultural tariffs, Mr. Šefčovič said that the issue was not about numbers but rather about whether what was being offered was commercially meaningful, after taking into account tariff and non-tariff barriers. He cited India’s Qualitative Control Orders (QCOs) as an example and said they were something the EU should consider in its negotiations.
• The 14th round of trade talks is due to take place in Brussels from October 6-10.
• Quizzed specifically on India’s participation in the recent Zapad-2025 military exercises led by Russia, Ms. Kallas said she had spoken to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. She reiterated that exercises with Russia and buying oil were issues to the relationship.
• “The question is always whether we leave this void to be filled by somebody else. So we try to fill it ourselves,” she said in response to the question on cooperation with India. She responded similarly, when quizzed on India’s apparent détente with China.
• The College of Commissioners had agreed that the EU should deepen ties with India to “not really push them into Russia’s corner”.
• Ms. Kallas cited the principle of ‘nothing is agreed until everything is agreed’ several times, including when asked about how the trade talks would be impacted if India did not take on board the EU’s concerns regarding Russia.

EVMs to have colour photos of candidates soon, says EC

Context: Beginning with the Bihar Assembly election, ballot papers on the electronic voting machines will display colour photographs of the candidates, the Election Commission.

• The revised guidelines for EVM ballot papers issued by the EC mandated that the serial numbers of candidates be displayed more prominently.
• The guidelines have been revised under Rule 49B of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961 — pertaining to the design and printing of EVM ballot papers — to enhance their clarity and readability.
• The new guidelines say, “Henceforth, photographs of candidates will be printed in colour on the EVM Ballot Paper. The candidate’s face will occupy three-fourths of the photo space for better visibility.”
• “The upgraded EVM Ballot Papers will be used in the upcoming elections, starting with Bihar,” the EC added in a statement.
• In a note issued to the Chief Electoral Officers of all States and Union Territories, the EC said the photographs of the candidates shall be printed in colour, unless the candidate has provided only black and white photographs. The photograph printed on the ballot paper will measure 2 cm in breadth and 2.5 cm in height.
• The serial numbers of candidates/NOTA will be printed in the international form of Indian numerals. The font will be in bold, and its size will be 30.
• For Assembly elections, pink-coloured paper of specified RGB values shall be used.
• The note said the names of not more than 15 candidates shall be arranged on one sheet of a ballot paper and NOTA option will be placed after the last name of the panel. If the number of contesting candidates together with the NOTA option is fewer than 16, the space below the panel after this shall be kept blank, the EC.

Government press

• Printing of EVM ballot paper shall be done preferably at a government or semi-government printing press.
• However, in case a government/semi-government press is not available or does not have the required capacity, private printing press(es) with required capacity can be selected after following due procedure and adequate provision and safety of the process shall be ensured as per the existing instructions, the note said.

Despite issues, onlineRTI queries may cross one million in 2025

Context: The Union government may have made it cumbersome to file Right to Information (RTI) applications online, but that has not deterred transparency activists and the general public from seeking information.

• Every month, thousands of RTI applications, sometimes more than one lakh, are being filed with the Union government and other public authorities, show data provided by the Department of Personnel and Training, which runs the RTI online portal.
• This has come even as the website deals with increased failure rates, besides adding a ‘speed-breaker’ in the form of a one-time passcode before an application is filed.
• The number of applications filed are growing each year, with 7,09,323 requests in 2022, 8,44,262 in 2023, and 9,64,813 applications in 2024, representing a 14-19% yearly growth. Already, 7,66,167 requests have been filed so far in 2025, and the numbers could exceed one million this year. These numbers do not represent all RTI applications sent to the Central government, as many are filed physically. Besides, the State governments and the Election Commission maintain separate portals.
• The RTI portal was launched in 2013, and in recent years users have complained of lengthy downtimes and payment failures. Users have also reported long wait times for receiving OTPs.

CAG to launch AI system for auditing and efficiency

Context: The Comptroller and Auditor-General (CAG) is developing a large language model (LLM) to help auditors access decades of institutional knowledge, thereby improving efficiency and consistency in audit analysis using the system powered by artificial Intelligence.

• The system’s first version is expected to be ready by November.
• Previous inspection reports will be used to train the model. The LLM will strengthen institutional capabilities in analysing large datasets, generating documents, including inspection reports,and assisting auditors in preparing comprehensive reports.
• Digitisation process at the Centre and States will soon facilitate remote or hybrid audits of most government agencies and departments.
• The CAG has also developed the ‘Connect Portal’. The site will provide 10 lakh audit entities with a unified digital interface to directly respond to audit queries, observations, and inspection reports, making the entire process transparent.
• It will be launched during the annual conference of State Finance Secretaries.

COP30 talks loom as major emitters dither on updating climate goals

Context: Ahead of the 30th edition of the climate talks scheduled in Belem, Brazil, in November, major emitters appear to be dithering on declaring updated climate goals.

• Only 29 out of 195 countries have so far submitted their updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). These are voluntary targets, updated every five years by countries to regulate fossil fuel emissions. So far, all countries that are signatory to the United Nations climate convention have submitted NDCs detailing emission targets upto 2030.
• The European Union, a bloc of 27 member nations, and historically the group that has been a leader in advocating that countries undertake ambitious cuts to fossil fuel production, is yet to evolve a consensus among its member countries on what their NDCs should be.
• EU members are set to vote this week on two climate agreements. One of them is an internal, legally binding commitment to reduce emissions by 90% by 2040, and be on the path to carbon neutrality by 2050. The other is to agree on a 2035 target, to time with the NDC requirements of COP30 (30th Conference of Parties).
• EU’s climate negotiations: That there was “disagreement” among its member countries that were yet to be ironed out, with some major EU member countries, including France and Germany, preferring that a vote on the matter be postponed.
• They indicated, however, that the EU would announce its updated NDC before COP30 commences on November 10.
• Andre Lago, COP President and veteran Brazilian diplomat, said that this would be an “implementation” COP rather than stressing on a headline-grabbing cover text to signal forward movement on ambition. New coalitions on a leadership role appear to be forming.

• The 2015 Paris Agreement, which 195 countries have ratified, requires countries to submit updated NDCs every five years to show the steps undertaken by them to keep average temperatures from rising, “as far as possible”, above 1.5 degree Celsius by the end of the century, and certainly below 2 degree Celsius.

Top court seeks CBI probe into tiger poaching ring

Context: The Supreme Court asked the Union government, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and State of Maharashtra to explain the presence of a well-organised, transnational poaching syndicate threatening the survival of India’s tigers in their own heartlands of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

• A Bench of Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai took serious note of a writ petition filed by petitioner-advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal who highlighted the report of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Maharashtra government which has unearthed the existence of a well-oiled network of tiger poachers and international traffickers in the big cat’s body parts and wildlife trophies in violation of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• India is home to more than 70% of the world’s wild tiger population. Both Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh host some of the most critical tiger reserves and corridors. The court has also issued formal notice to the National Tiger Conservation Authority.
• The petition referred to media reports of poaching gangs in central India catering to clientele in Southeast Asian countries, including Myanmar, and providing illegal products such as ‘bone glue’ made by pressure-cooking tiger bones and prized in Southeast Asia as a traditional remedy. Mr. Bansal has sought a CBI investigation into the inter-State menace of poaching.
• “The case reveals a massive financial trail involving hawala operations and cross-border smuggling, thereby raising issues not only of environmental concern but also of national security and international obligations. By its very nature, the case goes beyond the jurisdiction of any single State or forest department and calls for the involvement of investigative agencies,” the petition submitted.
• The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, a Central government agency, had issued a “red alert” in February to field directors of tiger reserves across the country, urging them to intensify patrolling to stop poaching of big cats.

‘First round of FTA talks with Russia bloc EAEU likely in Nov.’

Context: The first round of negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which includes Russia, is likely to take place in early November, according to the Russian embassy. However, this is yet to be confirmed by the Indian government.

• In addition, the next two months are going to see rounds of FTA talks between India and the EU, Chile, Peru, and a review of the FTA with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
• In a statement, the Embassy of Russia in India said Minister in charge of Trade of the Eurasian Economic Commission Andrey Slepnev met Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on September 15.
• “The Ministers agreed on an approach under which the first round of negotiations is set to take place in early November this year in India and focus on discussing the core aspects of the future deal,” the statement said. “It will be preceded by intensive consultations between the Commission, Indian partners, and the EAEU Member States.” The Indian government, however, has not confirmed the date of the first round of negotiations.

India to start pilot projects in Venezuela

Context: India will start pilot projects in Venezuela in “priority areas” such as agriculture, pharmaceuticals and digital public infrastructure, officials here conveyed to Raul Hernandez, Vice-Minister for the Development of Information and Communication Technologies of Venezuela, who paid a four-day visit to India.

• “Both sides agreed to carry out pilot projects in the priority areas of Venezuela. Training and capacity building in the AI and related areas were also discussed, with Venezuela showing keenness to send its technical personnel for courses in India.
• Discussions were also held on other bilateral issues of mutual interests such as space, pharmaceuticals and tourism among others,” said an official source about Mr. Hernandez’s visit which coincided with rising tension between the U.S. and Venezuela after President Donald Trump accused Caracas of sending narcotics into the U.S.
• Mr. Hernandez met Secretary (East) P. Kumaran of the Ministry of External Affairs and also met heads of prominent institutions including National Institute of Smart Governance (NISG), UIDAI for AADHAR Digital identity system, NeGD for DigiLocker, AI BHASHINI.
• The discussions held here coincided with consultation that Indian Ambassador P.K. Ashok Babu held with Venezuela’s Minister of People’s Power for Agriculture and Lands, Julio Leon Heredia where India-Venezuela cooperation in agriculture and livestock sectors were discussed.
• According to the Ministry of External Affairs, in 2024-25, India-Venezuela bilateral trade was around $1.8 billion, with Indian exports at $216 million and imports at $1.6 billion.

Current Affairs: 17th Sept 2025

Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, says UN commission

Context: United Nations investigators concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza in a bid to “destroy the Palestinians”, accusing Israel’s Prime Minister and other top officials of incitement.

• The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry, which does not speak on behalf of the world body, found that “genocide is occurring in Gaza”, commission chief Navi Pillay said. “The responsibility lies with the State of Israel.” The report, immediately slammed by Israel, marks the first time a UN-mandated investigative body has concluded the country is committing genocide.
• Israel has since the start of the war in Gaza faced genocide accusations from NGOs and independent UN experts. Ms. Pillay said she believed the facts presented by the commission should prompt “high-level leaders at the UN also to call this what it is, the genocide”.
• Israel “categorically” rejected the report, with the Foreign Ministry describing it as “distorted and false” and calling “for the immediate abolition of this Commission of Inquiry”.
• After the report was published, UN rights chief Volker Turk said it was up to the courts to determine whether genocide was taking place, but warned: “We see the evidence mounting.”
• The commission published its latest report nearly two years after the war erupted in Gaza following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack inside Israel. Israel’s retaliatory campaign has displaced virtually the entire Gaza population and has killed nearly 65,000 people, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza that the UN considers reliable.
• The report came as Israel launched a ground assault on Gaza City, where the UN has declared a full-blown famine.
• The commission concluded that Israeli authorities and forces had since October 2023 committed “four of the five genocidal acts” listed in the 1948 Genocide Convention.
• These are “killing members of the group, causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group, deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part, and imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group”.
• The investigators said explicit statements by Israeli civilian and military authorities and their patterns of military action “indicated that the genocidal acts were committed with intent to destroy… Palestinians in the Gaza Strip as a group”.
• They concluded that Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant have “incited the commission of genocide and that Israeli authorities have failed to take action against them to punish this incitement”.

India, U.S. to push for early conclusion of a trade deal

Context: India and the U.S. held “positive and forward looking” discussions here on the proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement between the two countries, the Commerce and Industry Ministry.

• The Ministry added that the two sides decided to “intensify efforts” towards an early conclusion of a “mutually beneficial” trade agreement.
• A team of officials from the office of the United States Trade Representative, led by Brendan Lynch, the chief U.S. negotiator, held discussions with the Indian side, led by Rajesh Agrawal, Special Secretary in the Department of Commerce.

The meeting lasted for about seven hours.

• In a separate statement, the U.S. Embassy spokesperson said that Mr. Lynch had a “positive meeting” in Delhi with Mr. Agrawal to “discuss next steps in bilateral trade negotiations”.
• “Acknowledging the enduring importance of bilateral trade between India and the U.S., the discussions were positive and forward looking covering various aspects of the trade deal,” the Commerce Ministry said in a statement. “It was decided to intensify efforts to achieve early conclusion of a mutually beneficial Trade Agreement,” it added.
• The statement, however, stopped short of disclosing the date of the next round of formal negotiations.
• The meeting, Mr. Agrawal had clarified, was not an official round of negotiations, but a meeting to discuss how to take the talks forward.
• According to sources in the Commerce and Industry Ministry, the talks will now continue virtually once the U.S. team returns home.

Gehlot returns KTCDA (Amendment) Bill, 2025; seeks clarification from govt.

Context: Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot has returned the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2025, seeking clarification from the State government on its proposal to reduce the size of buffer zones for smaller waterbodies. The Bill was passed in the Monsoon Session of the legislature.

• Mr. Gehlot said that he has received objections from the Bengaluru Town Hall Association with a request not to give his assent to the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
• As per the Bill, the buffer zone is sought to be removed for tanks spread across less than five guntas while setting a three-metre buffer for tanks with an area between five guntas and one acre, six metres for tanks between one acre and 10 acres, 13m for tanks between 10 acres and 25 acres, 24m for tanks between 25 acres and 100 acres, and 30m for tanks that are bigger than 100 acres.
• For primary canals, the government has proposed to bring down the buffer zone from the current 30m to 15m. And for secondary canals from 15m to 10m and for tertiary canals from 10m to five metres.
• Mr. Gehlot told the government, “As per the expert’s opinion, the existing lake buffer zone of 30m is itself insufficient, and the real requirement is nearly 300 metres to achieve ecosystem balance. If anything, the buffer zone should be increased, not decreased.”
• He added that the government had not consulted an expert committee and people about the implication of this amendment.
• “It is in violation of the Constitution and settled law, and is harmful for every citizen, affects the citizens’ right to water security and a healthy environment,” he said.
• It is necessary to get clarifications from the State government about the issues raised by Bengaluru Town Hall and ‘also know whether this amendment will result in a really adverse effect’, he stated while returning the file to the government and directing it to re-submit the file along with clarifications.
• Bengaluru Town Hall stated that the association is pleased to learn that the Governor has returned the amendment, which, it claims, ‘threatens the 45,000 lakes in Karnataka’.
• “That the State government could so frivolously attempt to make amendments that have such large-scale apocalypse-like consequences for both nature and the population of the State shows that the government is not working in the interests of the people of the State. This needs to change immediately. The government needs to be held accountable,“ said Sandeep Anirudhan, convenor for Bengaluru Town Hall.

Constitutional clarity: Presidential Reference proceedings boost case against delays by Governors

Context: The hearings on the Presidential Reference that followed the Supreme Court judgment on April 8, 2025, clarifying the constitutional position on the powers of the Governor and the President in providing assent to Bills passed by State Assemblies, have largely confirmed that Governors should not indefinitely withhold assent to such Bills.

• Addressing the 14 questions posed in the Presidential Reference, the observations of the five-judge Bench largely converged on the constitutional principles elucidated in April.
• The question by the Chief Justice of India, B.R. Gavai, on whether the Court should “sit powerless” while Governors make “competent State legislatures defunct” echoed the core concern in the April judgment — that constitutional offices cannot paralyse democratic governance through inaction.
• While States’ counsel largely argued along political lines based on which parties governed them, this did not detract from the thorough examination of Articles 200 and 201 during the proceedings.
• The argument that the Constitution’s silence on specific timelines in these Articles does not grant unlimited discretion to Governors remains compelling.
• When the Solicitor-General argued that Governors serve as a “check on hasty legislation”, the Bench’s response also indicated the tension between this position and democratic principles. Justice Vikram Nath’s observation, that Governors “cannot sit over the wisdom of the legislature indefinitely”, was succinct.
• That only Opposition-ruled States have faced prolonged delays, as pointed out by Kerala’s counsel, suggests the constitutional framework itself is not ambiguous but that its application has become selective.
• The Bench’s examination of why judicial review applies to Governors’ recommendations under Article 356 (President’s Rule) but supposedly not to actions under Article 200 (assent to Bills) highlighted potential inconsistencies in arguments defending unlimited discretion for Governors.
• The proceedings related to the questions posed in the Presidential Reference demonstrate why the April judgment’s framework remains constitutionally sound and necessary to maintain the balance between federal cooperation and State autonomy.
• The question from these hearings is on why the Centre chose this unusual route. As scholars have established, an advisory opinion by the Court under Article 143 does not override a binding judgment under Article 141.
• If the Centre genuinely sought clarity on the April judgment, well-established judicial procedures such as review petitions or curative petitions were available. When the Court’s final reply to the Reference is received, the Centre should accept the constitutional boundaries that the April judgment and these proceedings have reinforced, rather than continuing to pursue powers that would alter the delicate federal balance that the Constitution has established.

Foodgrain, fruit, and vegetable yield rose this year: Agriculture Minister

Context: Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that foodgrain output as well as fruit and vegetable production had seen a significant rise this year from those of the previous year.

• He was speaking to presspersons after a two-day National Conference on Agriculture – Rabi Campaign, a joint meeting between the Union and State Agriculture Departments to prepare the road map for the upcoming winter seasonal crops.
• “The Central government has set a production target of 362.5 million tonnes for 2025-26, up from 341.55 million tonnes last year. The country’s total foodgrain production reached 353.96 million tonnes in 2024-25, an increase of 21.66 million tonnes (6.5%) over the previous year. The country achieved a record harvest in key crops such as rice, wheat, maize, groundnut, and soybean. This output was 12.41 million tonnes higher than the set target of 341.55 million tonnes,” Mr. Chouhan said.
• The conference discussed topics such as climate resilience; quality seeds, fertilizers, pesticides; horticulture, and natural farming. It also decided to boost pulses and oilseeds productivity and focus on integrated farming systems.
• He said the Centre and States will continue their coordinated efforts to ensure agricultural growth and farmers’ welfare.
• On the flood situation, he said the government is making every possible effort to assist those affected in States such as Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Assam, and parts of Haryana. “The Centre will leave no stone unturned in supporting the States/Union Territories,” the Minister said, adding that efforts are being made to ensure timely and adequate disbursal of insurance benefits to farmers covered under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.

Committee on simultaneous polls to meet economists

Context: The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on reviewing legislation aimed at introducing simultaneous polls will be meeting economists Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Arvind Panagariya, and Surjit S. Bhalla in its next meeting scheduled for September 24.

• The panel chairman and senior BJP leader, P.P. Chaudhary, said that the panel wanted to review the economic implications of simultaneous elections.
• Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman saidin April that India’s GDP would increase by 1.5% with simultaneous polls.
• Former President Ram Nath Kovind, who chaired the high-level committee on simultaneous elections, quoted similar figures.

Top court asks who will decide that a religious conversion is ‘deceitful’

Context: Petitioner-advocate seeks a ban on such conversion; NGO’s counsel seeks a stay of ‘Freedom of Religion’ Acts, which, he says, are getting more and more strident as courts grant bail and bring relief to persons accused and arrested under them

• The Supreme Court asked a petitioner seeking a complete ban on “deceitful” religious conversions who exactly will decide whether an inter-faith marriage is fraudulent or not.
• Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai agreed with senior advocate C.U. Singh, appearing for an NGO questioning the validity of the increasingly stringent anti-religious conversion laws across 10 States, that the court sits to examine the constitutionality of laws, and not to make laws.
• Petitioner-advocate Ashwini Upadhyay said his petition was against religious conversion through allurement and duplicity. Mr. Upadhyay argued that one had the right to propagate religion under Article 25 of the Constitution, but not to convert through fraud or force.
• Highlighting the risk his plea posed to the freedom of conscience enshrined in the Constitution, Chief Justice Gavai pointedly asked, “But who would find out that a religious conversion was deceitful or not?”
• Mr. Singh, appearing in the case along with senior advocate Indira Jaising and advocate Vrinda Grover, said that States such as Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jharkhand, and Karnataka had enacted copycat “Freedom of Religion” Acts one after the other, with Rajasthan recently coming up with one.
• “The batch of laws are characterised as Freedom of Religion Acts, but they contain everything but freedom. They are virtually anti-conversion laws,” Mr. Singh submitted.
• He sought a stay of these laws, which were getting more and more strident as courts grant bail and bring relief to persons accused and arrested under them.
• The court scheduled the case after six weeks to consider the question of stay of the implementation of the Acts.

Frivolous complaint

• Mr. Singh said recent amendments made in these Acts empowered third parties to file criminal complaints against couples in inter-faith marriage. The punishment under these laws included a “minimum 20-year sentence or a maximum of life imprisonment”. The bail conditions were on a par with the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The burden of proof was on the convert to prove that he or she was not forced or “allured” to change faith, senior counsel argued.
• “For anybody who marries inter-faith, bail becomes impossible. These are Constitutional challenges… It is not just marriages but any normal church observances or festivals, mobs may come…” Mr. Singh submitted.
• Additional Solicitor-General K.M. Nataraj said the case was coming up for hearing after three years, “and suddenly they [the petitioners] are asking for stay”.
• In 2023, while hearing the case, the court had refused to refer to the Law Commission the question whether “forcible conversion” should be made a separate offence relating to religion under the Indian Penal Code.
• The government had even opposed the locus standi of the NGO, Citizens for Justice and Peace, represented by Mr. Singh, to move the court against these laws.
• Mr. Singh had, however, argued that these State laws amounted to undue interference in a person’s right of choice of faith and life partner. He said each State’s law was used by the other as a “building block” to make a more “virulent” law for itself.
• The petitions have argued that these State laws have a “chilling effect” on the right to profess and propagate one’s religion, enshrined in Article 25.

On WHO essential medicines list, GLP-1 drugs for diabetes, weight loss may become cheaper

Context: With the World Health Organization (WHO) updating its Model Lists of Essential Medicines (EML) to add the GLP-1 class of drugs for diabetes with associated comorbidities such as obesity, access to these drugs might just become easier. Listing a medicine on the EML is one step in a series of actions that can lead to lower costs, better affordability, and greater access.

• The 25th meeting of the WHO Expert Committee on the Selection and Use of Essential Medicines was held from May 5 to 9. It reviewedscientific evidence showing that a group of medicines called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists can help people with type 2 diabetes — especially those who also have heart or kidney disease — and concluded that semaglutide, dulaglutide, liraglutide, and tirzepatide would be added to the EML. These drugs are used as glucose-lowering therapy for adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease or chronic kidney disease and obesity.

High price

• According to the WHO, the rationale for including these drugs is very clear: diabetes and obesity are two of the most urgent health challenges facing the world today.
• According to statistics from 2022, over 800 million people live with diabetes, with half going untreated. At the same time, more than one billion people worldwide are affected by obesity, and rates are rising fast especially in low- and middle-income countries.
• The prices of these drugs are so high that access is limited. “A large share of out-of-pocket spending on non-communicable diseases goes toward medicines, including those classified as essential and that, in principle, should be financially accessible to everyone,” Deusdedit Mubangizi, WHO Director of Policy and Standards for Medicines and Health Products, says.

Good step forward

• While appreciating the move, Anoop Mishra, head, Fortis C-DOC Hospital for Diabetes and Allied Sciences, New Delhi, lends a reality check: “It is a good move; however, in India these types of drugs will benefit only a small number of people, while other life-saving, low-cost essential medicines for diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease, applicable to a large number of people, remain largely unavailable.”
• On the other hand, V. Mohan, chairman, Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialties Centre (DMDSC), provides an energetic response: “I’m very happy that WHO has included the GLP-1 class of drugs. The fact that even a conservative organisation like the WHO has included these rather expensive drugs in their EML, shows how compelling the evidenceis.Apart from the glucose lowering effect, they have tremendous effect on weight reduction and obesity management.” He points out that recently, injectible semaglutide has been approved for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, associated with weight, and for improving cardio-metabolic health.
• R.M. Anjana, managing director, DMDSC, says: “It will surely help improve access and affordability. But will it be useful as a first line drug? This maybe not for everyone…as there are various subtypes of diabetes. But for those in whom it is indicated, it’s a good step forward.”

At UNHRC, India condemns violation of Qatar’s sovereignty

Context: India defended Qatar’s sovereignty at the UN Human Rights Council. Addressing a UNHRC session in Geneva, India’s Permanent Representative Arindam Bagchi referred to the September 9 Israeli bombing of Doha, and said India “unequivocally” condemned the attack.

• “India is deeply concerned about the recent attacks in Doha and their impact on the security situation in the region. We unequivocally condemn the violation of the sovereignty of Qatar. Such actions threaten peace, stability, and security not only in the region but across the world,” said Mr. Bagchi in his statement, which, however, did not name Israel.
• India’s reiteration of its position on the Israeli strike on Qatar came days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he had called Qatar’s ruler Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani and said, “India condemns the violation of the sovereignty of the brotherly state of Qatar. We support resolution of issues through dialogue and diplomacy, and avoiding escalation.”
• In India’s first response, the External Affairs Ministry, in a statement, took note of the “Israeli strikes” and said India was “deeply concerned by this development”.

To cut imports, govt. to pick 100 items for local manufacture

Context: The government is in the process of finalising a list of 100 products that India imports in large amounts but has domestic capacity to manufacture, a Commerce Ministry official said.

• The aim is to support these sectors — which include engineering goods, plastics, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals, among others — and encourage the private sector to expand its capacity so as to substitute imports with domestic production.
• “We are focussing on reducing the dependency on certain geographies so that supply-chain disruptions would not happen,” the official said, on the condition of anonymity as this exercise has not yet been completed.
• “We are trying to see that our dependency regarding critical items should not be adversely impacted,” the official said.
• “We have identified about 100 products where we have huge imports and at the same time we have some domestic capacity,” he added. “We feel that those imports could be replaced by the domestic capacity by improving the capacity utilisation of those manufacturing facilities within the country.”
• The idea, he added, was to focus on the concepts of ‘Swadeshi’ and ‘Atmanirbharta’.

‘More crude coming from Western Hemisphere’

Context: India has developed resilience to navigate global turbulences, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said, adding this has been bolstered by “more and more” crude oil coming into the globalmarket from the Western Hemisphere and more gas expected to enter the market from 2026-27.

• Referring to the geopolitical scenario, Mr. Puri, speaking at KPMG’s annual energy conclave ENRich 2025, stated while the world was undergoing turbulence, “we [India] deal with the issues that we have direct control over but today we have resilience to navigate them partly because there is enough oil available in the world”.
• India and its oil sector have been facing headwinds triggered by U.S. President Donald Trump’s 50% tariffs imposed on Indian products.

Simple Energy makes country’s first rare earth free motors

• Initial public offering-bound electric scooter maker Simple Energy on Tuesday said it has started commercially manufacturing the country’s first rare earth-free motors at its Hosur, Tamil Nadu, production facility.

DRL introduces new acidity drug

• Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL) introduced South Korean firm HK inno.N Corporation’s acid peptic diseases drug Tegoprazan in India.

Current Affairs: 16th Sept 2025

• SC stays ‘arbitrary’ Waqf changes, but upholds Act

Context: Court says judgment based on only a prima facie consideration of the 2025 law, its observations will not prevent parties from making future submissions about the validity of provisions in the Act.

• The Supreme Court struck a balance by staying crucial portions of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, which it found “prima facie arbitrary” while refusing to freeze the law in its entirety.
• In a judgment on a plea for a interim stay of the law, a Bench of Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai and Justice A.G. Masih reasoned that parliamentary legislation was naturally presumed to be constitutional as the lawmakers would only have the public’s best interests in mind, so much so that even discrimination woven into the statute would be based on adequate grounds.
• However, this reasoning did not stop the court from staying key provisions of the 2025 Act, including the one which required a person intending to create a Waqf to prove that he had been practising Islam for five years.
• The court clarified that the judgment was based on a prima facie consideration of the 2025 law.
• The observations in the judgment would not prevent parties from making future submissions about the validity of provisions in the Act.
• The court said there was nothing wrong in requiring a person to prove that he had been practising the faith for at least five years, considering that Waqf endowments were misused as a “clever device to tie up property in order to defeat creditors and generally to evade the law under the cloak of a plausible dedication to the Almighty”.
• However, the Bench found it arbitrary that the law failed to provide a basic mechanism or procedure to ascertain whether the person had indeed been practising Islam for at least five years. Chief Justice Gavai directed the provision to be shelved until the government came up with a mechanism.
• The court found “totally unconstitutional” a proviso in Section 3C, which mandated that a Waqf would lose its character the moment someone raised a doubt that it was government property.
• Chief Justice Gavai said though any government property was public asset, and a designated officer had every reason to conduct an inquiry, it could not suddenly cease to be one before the designated officer completes the probe and submits the report.
• The court stayed parts of Section 3C that allowed the designated officer and a State government to unilaterally alter revenue and Waqf Board records, respectively, changing the status of a Waqf property into a government property. Chief Justice Gavai held that determination of the title (ownership) of a property came within the ambit of the judiciary, and the executive would be breaching the fundamental principle of separation of powers by one-sidedly depriving citizens possession of a Waqf property.
• “It is directed that unless the issue with regard to title of the Waqf property in terms of Section 3C of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 is not finally decided in proceedings under Section 83 before the Waqf Tribunal, and subject to further orders by the State High Court, neither the Waqfs will be dispossessed of the property nor the entry in the revenue records and the records of the Waqf Board shall be affected,” the court said. To balance the equities and protect valuable government properties, the court said it was imperative that Mutawallis (managers) of these disputed Waqfs did not create any third-party rights until the final decision of the competent tribunal on the status of property.
• The Bench further directed that Central Waqf Council would not have more than four non-Muslims out of a total 22. State Waqf Boards would limit the number of its non-Muslim members to three out of a total 11. The court ordered that the Chief Executive Officers of State Waqf Boards must be picked from the Muslim community “as far as possible”.
• “Right from 1923, in all the Waqf enactments we have referred to, there was a requirement of registration of Waqfs. We are, therefore, of the view that if Mutawallis for a period of 102 years could not get the Waqf registered, as required under the earlier provisions, they cannot claim that they be allowed to continue with the Waqf even if they are not registered,” Chief Justice Gavai said.
• The court noted that the Waqf Act, 1995, had allowed registration without any requirement to provide a formal deed. “If for 30 long years, the Mutawallis had chosen not to make an application for registration, they cannot be heard to say that the provision which now requires the application to be accompanied by a copy of the Waqf deed is arbitrary,” the court reasoned.
• The judgment prima facie refused to accept an argument by the petitioners that a Waqf property would lose its status if it was notified as a “protected monument”.

• Amid an export surge, trade deficit comes down by 54%

Context:  India’s trade deficit contracted by more than 54% to $9.9 billion in August, driven by a surge in merchandise exports, a continued strong performance in services exports, and a significant reduction in merchandise imports.

• The trade deficit stood at $21.7 billion in August last year. The data released by the Commerce and Industry Ministry showed that exports to the U.S. increased to about $6.86 billion in August 2025, from $6.7 billion in August last year.
• This is despite the 25% tariffs imposed on Indian exports to the U.S. for most of that month, and 50% for a few days at the month-end.
• “Despite the global uncertainties and the trade policy uncertainties, India’s exporters have done extremely well,” Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal said at a press meet. “It shows that the policies of the Government of India have paid off well.”
• India’s total exports increased to $69.2 billion in August 2025, up 9.3% over its level in August last year. Within this, merchandise exports increased to $35.1 billion in August 2025, compared with $32.9 billion in August last year, a growth of 6.7%. Services exports increased to $34.1 billion in August 2025, compared with $30.4 billion in August last year.
• On the import side, India’s total imports fell to $79 billion in August 2025, compared with $85 billion in August last year, a contraction of 7%. This was driven by a 10.1% contraction in merchandise imports to $61.6 billion.
• Services imports increased marginally to $17.45 billion in August 2025 from $16.5 billion in August last year. The relatively strong export performance has meant that the trade deficit in April-August of this financial year stood at $41.4 billion, down 20.1% over its level in the April-August 2024 period.

• Aadhaar is part of statute, can be used by voters, says SC

Context: Section 23(4) of the Representation of the People Act allows use of Aadhaar to authenticate entries

• The Supreme Court said Aadhaar was part of the right-to-vote statute, and voters were permitted to utilise the unique identity proof to the extent permitted by the law.
• A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi was responding to submissions intended to portray Aadhaar as inferior to the 11 documents listed by the Election Commission for voter verification during the special intensive revision of Bihar electoral rolls.
• This has come barely a week after the court declared Aadhaar as the “12th document” aggrieved voters could attach in their claims and objections for including or excluding names on the voter list.

Plea against order

• Petitioner-advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, who wants the court to rethink its August 8 order listing Aadhaar as the 12th document, said any person could get an Aadhaar, and that they need not necessarily be a citizen.
• “Aadhaar is not proof of age, citizenship, residence, or domicile,” Mr. Upadhyay said.
• Justice Bagchi asked then what Aadhaar was meant to prove. Mr. Upadhyay said it was merely a “simple” proof of identity.
• Referring to Section 23(4) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, Justice Bagchi asked if Aadhaar was not part of the statute which governed the EC with regard to the right to vote and inclusion on the rolls.
• The Section permits EC officials to use Aadhaar to authenticate entries on the electoral rolls.
• To this, Mr. Upadhyay argued that Aadhaar could not be equated with any of the other 11 documents. “So, are you saying that a land record (one of the 11 documents) is more relevant than Aadhaar?” Justice Bagchi queried.
• The court issued notice on Mr. Upadhyay’s plea, and fixed October 7 to hear arguments on the legality of the special intensive revision. It said its judgment would prevail over anything that may happen.
• Mr. Upadhyay argued the SIR order of June 24 envisaged not only a proof of identity but also supporting evidence of eligibility, including place of birth or residence as per the 1950 Act. Consequently, acceptance of Aadhaar alone, without accompanying proof of place of birth or other eligibility criteria, diluted the intended scheme of the order.
• He also argued in favour of a “pan-India” SIR to root out “foreign infiltrators” who had sneaked their way into the electoral rolls. “Bihar has lakhs of Bangladesh nationals and Rohingyas…” the petitioner-advocate submitted.
• To this, Justice Surya Kant responded that the EC knew the law, and could distinguish between citizens and infiltrators on the voter list.
• Senior advocates A.M. Singhvi and Gopal Sankaranaraynan urged the court to hear their petitions on the validity of the SIR exercise itself. They said the EC was well into conducting SIRs in other parts of the country.

• Devadasi survey begins amid confusion over documents

Context: The third survey of devadasis in Karnataka commenced on Monday amid confusion over the list of documents sought by the government to establish the identity. Activists claim many are not even aware that a survey is under way, given inadequate publicity.

• A number of devadasis who went to their respective taluk office of the Women and Child Welfare Department on Monday had to return home without completing the survey, since they lacked documents that included the family tree. In some places, server issues slowed down the registration.
• The government has mandated over a dozen documents from those devadasis and their family members who have been left out of the previous surveys or from the families of the deceased devadasis. Confusion seems to prevail in the taluk offices since a self declaration is also accepted, according to officials.
• Shobha S. Gasthi, a former devadasi and a member of the government-appointed Belagavi district committee, felt that the insistence on the family tree would prevent many from getting benefits. The family tree may take over a fortnight to just apply for and the survey process may be over before people get it, she said.
• She also pointed out that though the survey started, the district committee was yet to meet even once.
• Yamanurappa Halavagli, son of a devadasi and State coordinator of the Karnataka Vimuktha Devadasi Mahila Matthu Makkala Vedike, said: “The survey is not being done transparently. District committees have not been trained before the survey. In fact, in several districts committee itself has not been formed”.
• The survey of devadasis is being conducted in 15 North and Central Karnataka districts where the system of dedicating women to temple services has been found to be prevailing even after the Karnataka Devadasis (Prohibition of Dedication) Act, 1982, was enacted.
• While the first two surveys conducted in 1993-1994 and 2008-2009 identified 23,630 and 46,660 devadasis, respectively, several thousands had been left out since an age criteria of 45 and above had been imposed.
• The current survey follows the State Human Rights Commission direction to the government to conduct a fresh survey before October 24.

• State govt. extends deadline for receiving applications for start-up programmes

Context: The Department of Electronics, IT and BT has extended the deadline for receiving applications for its flagship start-up programmes: ELEVATE 2025, ELEVATE Unnati 2025, and ELEVATE Minorities 2025.

• In the light of good response from innovators and entrepreneurs across Karnataka, the submission deadline has been extended from September 15 to 17, until 11.59 p.m., according to an official release from the department. Applications must be submitted through the official portal:https://eitbt.karnataka.gov.in/
• The ELEVATE programme is designed to identify and support innovative, early-stage start-ups by providing them with essential resources, including grant-in-aid, according to a press release.

• SC backs move to rid ‘waqf by user’ of statutory recognition

Context: Top court did not prima facie find any substance in the argument that centuries-old lands, graveyards, dargahs and mosques, recognised as Waqfs through long and consistent usage over the years, will be ‘grabbed’ by the government.

• The Supreme Court said legislative action to rid ‘Waqf by user’ of statutory recognition and make registration of Waqfs mandatory cannot be termed “arbitrary”, considering the “menace” of encroachment on “huge government properties” over the years.
• “We are of the view that if the legislature in 2025 finds that on account of the concept of ‘Waqf by user’, huge government properties have been encroached upon, and to stop the menace, it takes steps for deletion of the provision, the amendment, prima facie, cannot be said to be arbitrary,” Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai, heading a Division Bench, observed in a judgment refusing to stay the entirety of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.
• The SC verdict referred to how the Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board had notified thousands of acres of land belonging to the government as Waqf property.
• The Andhra Pradesh government had failed to get the land back in the High Court, and had to finally appeal to the Supreme Court, which set aside the notification and had held that the lands were vested with the State.
• “After noticing such instances of misuse, if the legislature finds that the concept of ‘waqf by user’ has to be abolished and that too prospectively, in our view, the same cannot prima facie be said to be arbitrary,” the court reiterated.
• Clause (i) of Section 3(r) of the Waqf Act of 1995 had recognised “Waqf by user”, which meant a property used for religious or charitable purposes but without any formal written declaration or deed stating its character.

Formal deed must

• The 2025 Amendment Act omitted the concept of “waqf by user” and insisted on a formal Waqf deed.
• The court noted that mandatory registration of Waqfs was not a new concept. It had been part of the 1995 Waqf law.
• “We are, therefore, of the view that if for 30 long years, the Mutawallis [managers of Waqfs] had chosen not to make an application for registration, they cannot be heard to say that the provision which now requires the application to be accompanied by a copy of the Waqf deed is arbitrary,” the Chief Justice, who authored the judgment, observed.
• The apex court did not prima facie find any substance in the petitioners’ argument that centuries’ old lands, graveyards, dargahs and mosques, which have been recognised as Waqfs through long and consistent usage over the years, would be “grabbed” by the government.
• In this regard, the court recorded the assurance given by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the Centre, that the deletion of clause (i) of Section 3(r) of the original 1995 Waqf Act would only come into effect prospectively, when the 2025 amendments came into effect.

• The Amendment Act was notified on April 8, 2025.

‘Misuse of provisions’

• The Union government, also represented by advocate Kanu Agrawal, had earlier informed the apex court that “shocking” misuse of Waqf provisions had led to “rampant encroachments” on private and government properties.
• The Centre had submitted that encroachments had led to a 116% rise in Waqf lands from 2013 to 2024, a phenomenal high unmatched even in the Mughal period.
• “It is submitted that right before even Mughal era, pre-Independence and post-independence eras, the total of Waqfs created was 18,29,163.896 acres of land in India. Shockingly after 2013, in just 11 years, the addition of Waqf land is 20,92,072.536 acres… The figure of 20 lakh acres is additional and not the total figure. The total comes to 39,21,236.459 acres of land,” the Minority Affairs Ministry affidavit had submitted in the court in April.

Centre’s take

• The government had argued that removing the concept of ‘waqf by user’ in the 2025 amendments did not deprive a Muslim his right to create a Waqf.
• “Under the proviso to Section 3[1][r], no trust, deed or any documentary proof has been insisted upon in the amendment or even prior thereto. The only mandatory requirement for being protected under the proviso is that such ‘waqf by user’ must be registered as on April 8, 2025, as registration has always been mandatory as per the statute governing waqfs since last 100 years,” the Centre had said.
• Only those who evaded registration to avoid being accountable under a statutory regime or reveal transactions of land dealings would be in trouble, the government had maintained in court.

• ‘Animal acquisitions as per law’: SIT formed by top court gives clean chit to Vantara

Context: A Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted to conduct an “independent factual appraisal” of complaints against Reliance-owned Vantara, a zoological rescue and rehabilitation centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat, has found no statutory irregularities in the acquisition of animals.

• The SIT, headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice J. Chelameswar, concluded that the acquisitions were in accordance with regulatory laws and recorded the satisfaction of authorities on all statutory compliance.
• A Bench of Justices Pankaj Mithal and Prasanna B. Varale noted that the SIT had undertaken a “thorough and extensive investigation” into the complaints and said it had “no hesitation in accepting the conclusion so drawn in the report”.
• “The imports of the animals have been made only after issuance of valid permits. Once the imports of animals is fully documented and supported by valid permits, it is not open for anyone to go beyond the said permits and to dispute the validity attached to such permits or official acts,” the court said. The Bench further said that on a perusal of the SIT report, it was “satisfied” with Vantara’s practices.
• Addressing allegations of misuse of carbon credits, water resources, and financial impropriety, the court said the SIT had found them to be baseless, relying upon responses from agencies such as the CBI, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, and ED.
• The court was hearing two petitions filed by advocates C.R. Jaya Sukin and Dev Sharma, who had alleged irregularities at Vantara on the basis of media reports, social media posts, and complaints from NGOs and wildlife organisations regarding alleged violations of law and the acquisition of animals from India and abroad, particularly elephants.
• The court had instructed the special team to look into grievances raised about the “creation of a vanity or private collection, breeding, conservation programmes and use of biodiversity resources, misutilisation of water and carbon credits, breach of laws of trade in animals or animal articles, wildlife smuggling and money laundering.”

• PM to launch campaign for women and child healthcare

Context: In an effort to improve healthcare service, the Centre is set to launch the ‘Swasth Nari, Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan’ (healthy woman, strong family campaign), along with the eighth ‘Poshan Maah’(nutrition month) on September 17.

• Prime Minister Modi will launch the initiative jointly led by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

• India gets licence to scour Indian Ocean for precious metals

Context: India has bagged an exploration contract from the International Seabed Authority (ISA) to look for a class of precious metals in the northwest Indian Ocean.

• This is the first licence granted globally for exploring polymetallic sulphur nodules in the Carlsberg Ridge, M. Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences.
• The agreement with the Jamaica-based ISA was signed in Delhi.

• These nodules are concentrations of rock found in the deep ocean and said to be rich in manganese, cobalt, nickel, and copper.

• The Carlsberg Ridge is a 3,00,000-sq.km stretch that lies in the Indian Ocean, specifically in the Arabian Sea and northwest Indian Ocean. It forms the boundary between the Indian and Arabian tectonic plates, extending from near Rodrigues Island to the Owen fracture zone.

• For exploration in areas part of the ‘high seas’ or part of the ocean that is so far away from any country, that it is not part of their territories, countries must obtain permission from the ISA. Currently, 19 countries have such exploration rights.
• India too had applied in January 2024 for exploration rights in two regions of the Indian Ocean. While one in the Carlsberg Ridge has been granted, the second – the Afanasy-Nikitin Sea (ANS) mount – is yet to be approved. The ANS is located in the Central Indian Ocean, and the territory has been claimed by Sri Lanka for exploration rights. While countries can claim up to 350 nautical miles from their coasts as their ‘continental shelf’, those in the Bay of Bengal can, in theory, claim up to 500 nautical miles as per the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Earlier exploration

• Previously, India had obtained such exploratory rights from the ISA in the Central Indian Ocean Basin. The first was signed in March 2002 and is set to expire on March 24, 2027, after two extensions. The second was for polymetallic sulphides in the Indian Ocean Ridge. It was signed on September 26, 2016, with validity till September 2031.

• ‘PhonePe’s Indus Appstore installed in 10 crore devices’

Context: PhonePe’s Indus Appstore, the firm’s domestic alternative to Google Play and Apple’s App Store, is installed on 10 crore devices, the company announced.

• The milestone has been possible due to agreements the firm struck with phone makers like Xiaomi and Alcatel, which allowed it to be pre-installed on handsets. Since its unveiling, the store has been able to offer apps distributed elsewhere, as it relies on aggregators authorised by most app developers.

• ‘AI-led efficiencies can contribute to 8% GDP growth target’

Context: Skilling workers whose roles are threatened by AI is key, NITI Aayog said in the report Artificial Intelligence-led efficiencies in industries could be key in contributing to an annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of 8% in the coming years, NITI Aayog said in a report.

• “Accelerating AI adoption across industries to improve productivity and efficiency could bridge 30-35% of the gap between the current rate of growth and the 8% target,” the public policy think tank said in the report.
• Individual industries must leverage AI to introduce efficiencies; candidates that are primed for this include pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, automobiles and financial services, it said.
• “AI has reduced the cost of producing the next molecule [for the pharmaceutical industry] by approximately 10 times and crashed the time that it takes — roughly 10 years — by roughly 50%,” Koshir Daka, a senior partner at McKinsey said at the report unveiling, adding that this could give India an opening to invent a clutch of drugs at a global stage in the near future.
• The unveiling is among a series of events building up to February 2026’s AI Impact Summit, to be hosted by India.
• “The impact that AI can have, not just on India’s economy but the global economy, is so profound and so significant that we need to take the leadership position in this area,” IT Secretary S. Krishnan said.
• Skilling workers whose roles are threatened by AI is key, the report said, recommending “mapping job shifts annually, embedding lifelong learning into career pathways, scaling MSME digital upskilling, and protecting gig and platform workers.”

• Vaishali retains Grand Swiss title, qualifies for Candidates

Context: R. Vaishali is the champion once again at the FIDE Grand Swiss. In one of the most prestigious events in the chess calendar, the 24-year-old from Chennai showed her class.

• She was a surprise winner in the women’s section of the last edition of the tournament on the Isle of Man in 2023. This time around, in the Uzbek city of Samarkand, she retained her title, and thus booked a ticket for next year’s Candidates tournament, the qualifying event for the World championship.
• She has ensured that at least three of those eight female Candidates would be Indian. That is quite a feat. (Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh are the others).
• In the last Grand Swiss, the male champion was also from Indian – Vidit Gujrathi — but this time around, there was disappointment for the country. The two Candidates slots have been won by Anish Giri and Matthias Bluebaum, by finishing as the champion and runner-up in the open section. Nihal Sarin was in a good position to take one of those spots for much of the tournament, but he faltered towards the end.
• But Vaishali’s brilliant effort should bring joy to Indian chess, which is continuing to rise and rise. And it is another great boost to the women’s game, coming as it does less than two months after Divya’s World Cup triumph.

Divya rightly chose to compete in the open section of the Grand Swiss – as she had already qualified for the Candidates – and played above her strength. She and Vaishali should inspire the Indian girls.

Current Affairs: 15th Sept 2025

• Centre reopens PLI scheme for white goods till Oct. 14, cites market growth

Context: The Union government has reopened the application window for the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for white goods, it said on Sunday, citing market growth and growing industry confidence following the success of earlier rounds of the scheme.

• “The application window for the PLI Scheme for white goods (Air Conditioners and LED lights) is being reopened based on the appetite of the industry to invest more under the scheme, which is an outcome of the growing market and confidence generated due to manufacturing of key components of ACs and LED lights in India under the PLI for white goods scheme,” the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

More investments

• The application window for the scheme will remain open between September 15 and October 14.
• The release further said that in order to avoid any discrimination, both new applicants as well as existing beneficiaries of the scheme who want to invest more would be eligible to apply, subject to the guidelines.
• So far, the Ministry said, 83 applicants with committed investment of ₹10,406 crore have been selected as beneficiaries under the scheme. “The investments will lead to manufacturing of components of Air Conditioners and LED lights across the complete value chain including components which are not manufactured in India presently with sufficient quantity,” it said.
• The Union Cabinet had given its approval for the PLI scheme for white goods for the manufacture of components and sub-assemblies of ACs and LED lights in April 2021. The scheme was to be implemented over seven years, from the financial year 2021-22 to 2028-29, with an outlay of ₹6,238 crore.

• House panel says govt. must explore feasibility of licensing requirements for AI content creators

Context: A parliamentary committee has recommended that the government explore the feasibility of licensing requirements for AI content creators and making labelling of AI-generated videos and content mandatory, as part of efforts to combat the spread of fake news.

• The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, chaired by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey, also asked the government to devise legal and technological measures to identify and prosecute individuals and organisations disseminating such content.
• The committee’s draft report was recently submitted to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and will be tabled in Parliament during the next session. It also called for “close coordination between the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), and other Ministries and departments”.
• While the committee’s suggestions are not binding, its recommendations are often accepted by the government.
• The panel noted that MeitY has already constituted a nine-member body to examine challenges arising from “the issue of deepfakes”.
• Two ongoing projects in this regard include fake speech detection using a deep learning framework and the design and development of software to identify deepfake videos and images, it said.
• The report observed that advances in technology, particularly in AI, could provide tools to address concerns over fake news. However, the Ministries concerned had conveyed that AI, in its current form, cannot be used for fact-checking as it relies on pre-existing information available online. Instead, AI could help flag potentially fake or misleading content for human review, the committee said.
• “AI and machine learning (ML) technologies are increasingly being employed to enhance the ability to detect, verify, and prevent the spread of misinformation and disinformation,” the committee noted, adding that several research projects and initiatives are exploring such uses.
• Calling fake news a “serious threat” to public order and the democratic process, the committee recommended amending penal provisions, increasing fines, and fixing accountability. It also favoured the mandatory presence of fact-checking mechanisms and internal ombudsmen in all print, digital, and electronic media organisations.
• At the same time, it stressed that such measures should evolve through consensus-building among media bodies and other stakeholders.

• 99% of goods in 12% GST bracket moved to 5%, says Sitharaman

Context: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said here on Sunday that the GST regime had benefited both the people and the State governments.

• Speaking on “Tax reforms for rising Bharat” at a joint conclave of the Trade and Industries Association, she said that in the latest GST reforms, 99% of all the goods in the 12% GST bracket had come under the 5% bracket. “This is a reform which touches the lives of all 140 crore people. The GST rate cuts in the range of 10-13% will reduce the expenses for people and they can use that extra savings elsewhere,” Ms. Sitharaman said.
• She expressed confidence that the companies would pass on the benefits to the consumers.
• “When the GST was introduced in 2017, there were 65 lakh taxpayers. Today there are 1.51 crore taxpayers,” she said.
• “The gross GST receipts which were ₹7.19 lakh crore in 2017 has now touched ₹22 lakh crore. On average, per-month GST collection is ₹1.9 lakh crore or ₹2 lakh crore for Central and State governments which is divided in the ratio of 50:50. If the monthly GST collection is ₹1.8 lakh crore, ₹90,000 crore goes to the States and ₹90,000 crore comes to the Centre. Out of the Centre’s ₹90,000 crore, 41% goes to the States.”
• Ms. Sitharaman said that almost eight months of work had gone into the GST 2.0 reforms and the rate rationalisation had been effected with the cooperation of the Finance Ministers of all States in the GST Council. “GST rates for over 350 items have been reduced,” she noted.
• “Systems have been simplified so that GST registration can be done in three days,” Ms. Sitharaman said. “Another major step is addressing the product classification problems in GST 2.0,” she said.
• “Now we have brought all food items at 5% or 0%. So there is no classification problem. We have brought similar classification for one type of goods. We worked on it for eight months looking into each item and what category it should be classified,” Ms. Sitharaman said.
• She said the cut in personal income tax rates, bringing in the new Income Tax Act and the GST reforms had all been done in a span of eight months.
• Speaking at the event, A.R. Unnikrishnan, chairman of the CII Tamil Nadu State Council, and G.S.K. Velu, chairman, Federation of Indian Chambers Of Commerce and Industry and Tamil Nadu State Council, welcomed the GST reforms.
• Linesh Sanatkumar, president, Hindustan Chamber of Commerce, said the increase in GST rate of paper and paperboard to 18% from 12% had come as a major shock.
• Tamil Nadu Traders Association president A.M. Vikramaraja flagged the issue of harassment of traders by some GST officials and sought formation of a committee to address the issue.

• PM inaugurates India’s first bamboo-based ethanol plant

Context: Golaghat facility billed as world’s first green bamboo bioethanol plant; ₹7,230-crore polypropylene project also initiated at Numaligarh Refinery; the facility aims to reduce dependence on fossil fuels

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi underscored the need for India to be self-sufficient in energy. He was speaking after inaugurating the country’s first bamboo-based ethanol plant in eastern Assam’s Golaghat district.
• He laid the foundation stone for a ₹7,230-crore polypropylene plant at the Numaligarh Refinery. The project will be established near the ₹5,000-crore bioethanol plant, a “zero-waste” facility described as the world’s first to produce ethanol from green bamboo.
• Terming the bioethanol plant a step toward ensuring energy security, Mr. Modi said the facility aimed to promote clean energy and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

• “Assam is a land that supports India’s energy efficiency. The petroleum products from Assam are accelerating the development of India.
• “India is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world now. Our energy needs have been increasing with our Viksit Bharat dream. We spend crores of rupees on imports as we are dependent on other countries for energy. We want to change this by trying to achieve self-sufficiency in energy,” the Prime Minister said.

Deep-water exploration

• “While we are focusing on hydrocarbon exploration, we are also laying stress on green energy like solar,” he said, highlighting the country’s national deep-water exploration mission to look for hydrocarbons under the sea. Referring to the bioethanol plant, Mr. Modi said it would benefit local farmers and tribal communities.
• “The government will help them grow and procure the products to ensure a win-win situation,” he said. He criticised the erstwhile Congress governments for penalising people for cutting bamboo, which was earlier categorised as a tree. He said the BJP government removed the ban on bamboo cutting and stressed that the decision was helping the locals in this part of the country.
• Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) officials said five lakh tonnes of green bamboo would be sourced yearly from four northeastern States, including Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, to produce 48,900 tonnes of ethanol, 11,000 tonnes of acetic acid, 19,000 tonnes of furfural, and 31,000 tonnes of food-grade liquid carbon dioxide. A joint venture of NRL and Finland’s Fortum and Chempolis OY, the plant is expected to give a ₹200-crore boost to Assam’s rural economy.

• India must invest more in accelerating diversification of food production: FAO Chief Economist Maximo Cullen

Context: About 40.4% of the Indian population (approximately 60 crore people) are unable to afford a healthy meal, says Maximo Torero Cullen, Chief Economist, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

• Dr. Cullen said the number was a significant decrease from the FAO’s assessment in 2023 that 74.1% of India’s population was unable to afford a healthy diet in 2021.
• He said India needed to start to invest more in accelerating the diversification of food production.
• Dr. Cullen said India played a crucial role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of zero hunger by 2030 because of the level, size, and population of the country.
• “Reduction of hunger in India affects the world and affects, of course, South Asia. So India, I think, has a huge role to play. That’s why we believe it’s so important that they continue and accelerate the transformation. India needs to move to the higher level — that is access to healthy diets, which right now is 40.4% of the population. So we need to improve that even more and also to find ways to assure this today and tomorrow,” he said.

• “The Green Revolution played its role, but now it’s time to do more. So don’t forget about it, but do more. We need to do more,” Dr. Cullen said.
• On the FAO’s assessment in 2023 that 74.1% of India’s population was unable to afford a healthy diet in 2021, he said that in 2024, the percentage of the population that could not afford a healthy meal was 40.4.
• “The methodology is improved. So yes, there is an important decrease. So the number to compare is basically to look at the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World [SOFI] of this year to look at the previous year’s number. But yes, there is a significant improvement, but still it’s too high. Healthy diet is diversity. It means fruits and vegetables, proteins, and also means cereals. More than 40% of the country’s population cannot afford a healthy diet. So it’s a minimum cost to healthy diet,” the FAO Chief Economist said.

Address the situation

• Dr. Cullen added that the immediate step the Indian government should take to address the situation was diversification.
• “India needs to start to invest more in accelerating the diversification of production. To move from cereals to high-value commodities. Pulses could be an option because they are more nutritious, they also have proteins. So pulses is an option and this is very consistent with your culture. But India should move more to fruits and vegetables and that requires an effort because you will need to substitute at some point,” he said.

Tariff war

• On the tariff war, he said the first problem of tariffs was inefficiencies.
• “You will be more inefficient in the way you move commodities. Because before you were optimising the world, now the world is segmented. The world that wants low tariffs, but the world that has now high tariffs. The second issue is uncertainty. The changes of tariffs every day has created a lot of uncertainty and that complicates markets. Although markets have already learned how to manage this uncertainty, so things don’t change too much,” he said.
• He, however, said the impact of food insecurity due to tariffs was not so high, but inefficiencies would be high.
• “But assume they get into a situation where you play tit-for-tat, then this could be very dangerous. It’s not happening at this point, countries are not responding. So let’s see how it evolves, but uncertainty and inefficiencies will make us less resilient for sure, because we will have less places where to have food access because of the tariffs. It will affect farmers, it will affect the smallholders, especially will affect the farmers who are more linked to the markets. But what will happen at the end is that you will have a segmented trade,” he said.

Current Affairs: 14th Sept 2025

EC claims ‘exclusive’ power to decide how and when to hold SIR

The Election Commission (EC) has, in no uncertain terms, told the Supreme Court to leave alone its “exclusive jurisdiction” to decide when and how to conduct Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The EC was responding to a petition seeking a judicial direction from the top court to the panel to conduct SIR at “regular intervals” across the country to identify and expel foreign infiltrators enrolled as voters. The EC said its power to decide if a revision exercise would be intensive or summary would “depend on the situation”. The call was entirely its own and outside the judicial ambit.

“The decision to conduct a summary or an intensive revision of the electoral roll is left to the discretion of the EC. The EC has complete discretion over the policy of revision to the exclusion of any other authority,” it submitted.

Provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and the Registration of Electoral Rules, 1960 gave the EC “complete discretion on the timing of the revisional exercise”. “The obligation to conduct a revision is not couched within a timeline,” the EC noted. It said the law allowed it power to hold a special revision of the rolls of any constituency or part of it “in such a manner as it may think fit”.

The petitioner, Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, said periodic SIR before every general, State and local body elections was necessary to protect the purity of the electoral process. But the panel would brook no interference from the courts.

“A direction to conduct SIR at ‘regular intervals’ throughout the country would encroach the exclusive jurisdiction of the Election Commission,” the poll body said.

The exchange has come in the middle of an ongoing dispute over the Bihar SIR exercise, which petitioners, including Opposition political parties, have claimed to be “citizenship screening” in the guise of a revisional exercise of the State’s electoral roll.

The poll body assured that it was “fully cognisant of its statutory duty to maintain the purity and integrity of the electoral rolls”.

The EC confirmed there would be a nationwide SIR with January 1, 2026 as the qualifying date.

“There is a letter of July 5 to all Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of States and UTs to initiate immediate pre-revision activities for the SIR of electoral rolls with reference to January 1, 2026 as the qualifying date on a nationwide basis,” the EC informed the court.

The poll body said it had convened a conference of all the CEOs of the States and Union Territories in New Delhi on September 10 to “further strengthen and coordinate preparatory measures for conducting SIR” nationwide.

‘Impose tariffs on Russian oil buyers’

The U.S. has asked G7 countries to impose tariffs on countries purchasing oil from Russia, asserting that only “unified efforts” that cut off funding to Moscow’s war machine at source can apply sufficient pressure to end “the senseless killing” in Ukraine.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer were on a call with G7 Finance Ministers when they reiterated Donald Trump’s call for imposing tariffs.

The U.S. has asked G7 members to impose tariffs on countries purchasing oil from Russia, asserting that only “unified efforts” that cut off funding to Moscow’s war machine at source can apply sufficient pressure to end “the senseless killing”.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and the U.S. Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, were on a call with G7 Finance Ministers on Friday when they reiterated President Donald Trump’s call to the bloc’s partners about imposing tariffs on countries purchasing oil from Russia.

G7 is an intergovernmental bloc of rich, industrialised countries comprising the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the U.K.

Meanwhile, Mr. Trump said he was ready to sanction Moscow, but on the condition that all NATO allies agree to completely halt purchases of Russian oil and implement their own sanctions.

He also suggested members of the transatlantic alliance consider slapping tariffs of 50% to 100% on China as a way to help end Russia’s war in Ukraine. “I am ready to do major Sanctions on Russia when all NATO Nations have agreed, and started, to do the same thing, and when all NATO Nations STOP BUYING OIL FROM RUSSIA,” Mr. Trump said in a social media post, which he described as a letter to all NATO nations and the world.

The U.S. has imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods, including a 25% additional duty for India’s purchase of Russian crude oil.

Mr. Trump branded NATO nations’ purchase of Russian oil “shocking” and said it weakens their bargaining power over Moscow. “Anyway, I am ready to ‘go’ when you are. Just say when?”

“I believe that (NATO sanctions on Russia), plus NATO, as a group, placing 50% to 100% TARIFFS ON CHINA, to be fully withdrawn after the WAR with Russia and Ukraine is ended, will also be of great help in ENDING this deadly, but RIDICULOUS, WAR,” Mr. Trump added.

Confusion over clearances for Great Nicobar project persists

Months before seeking a report from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands administration on alleged violations of forest rights while executing the ₹81,000-crore Great Nicobar Islands development and infrastructure project, the Tribal Affairs Ministry had told a Bench of the Calcutta High Court that it should be dropped as a party in a petition that challenged the project’s clearances on the same grounds.

The court is hearing a batch of petitions challenging the forest clearance. The petitions, filed by the former official Meena Gupta, argue that provisions of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 were violated in obtaining the consent of the tribespeople to divert about 13,000 hectares of forestland for the project, which includes a transshipment port, an airport, a power plant, and a township.

Earlier this week, the Ministry sought a “factual report” from the islands administration on a fresh complaint from the Tribal Council of Little and Great Nicobar that processes under the Act had not even been initiated in Nicobar, contrary to what the Deputy Commissioner of Nicobar certified in August 2022, claiming that all rights under the legislation had been identified and settled and consent obtained for diversion.

The Union Environment and Tribal Affairs Ministries and the islands administration had filed pleadings before the court between January and February. In these affidavits, the Environment Ministry said it was yet to receive a compliance report from the islands administration on the completion of all 37 conditions imposed in its Stage I clearance for the project, of which one is the FRA compliance.

In defending itself and insisting that all procedures under the FRA were followed, the islands administration has accused the petitioner of “cloaking” a “private interest litigation” petition as a public interest litigation petition.

FRA is State domain

However, the Tribal Affairs Ministry, the nodal Ministry for the FRA, has submitted that it should be “removed from the list of respondents”, arguing that the implementation of the law falls upon the respective State or Union Territory. In its February 19 affidavit, the Ministry denied and disputed all assertions made in the petition.

Notably, with regard to the no-objection certificate issued by it in 2020 for the project, mandating FRA compliance, the Ministry said the NOC was “given on the basis of facts given by the Andaman and Nicobar Administration in the denotification proposal”.

This comes even as Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram told The Hindu in 2024 that his Ministry would look into the clearances obtained for the project. Earlier this year, Mr. Oram had said at a public event that the Ministry was looking into the concerns raised about the project.

Land a State subject

In its complaint, the Tribal Council for Little and Great Nicobar alleged that this certificate amounted to a “false” representation as the process for recognising and vesting rights under the FRA had not even been initiated on the Nicobar islands.

However, in submissions to the High Court, the Environment Ministry has not mentioned this certificate.

It has said that land is a State subject, further asserting that the Ministry of Tribal Affairs is the nodal Ministry for the Forest Rights Act, 2006. In its affidavit, dated January 14, it went on to submit that no provisions of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Rules, 2023, “abrogate” any part of the FRA.

SC restores Rajasthan royal estates to Khetri Trust

The Supreme Court has restored the ₹3,000-crore historic estates of a Constituent Assembly member and former parliamentarian, Raja Bahadur Sardar Singh, to a trust he created for charitable purposes after a nearly four-decade-old litigation with the State of Rajasthan over his will.

The court’s recent order, published on Saturday, would act as a precedent against the government interfering in or caveating private wills without first proving intestacy (absence of a will) and a complete absence of heirs. A Bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma realised Singh’s instruction in his 1985 will to bequeath his assets to the Khetri Trust, an organisation founded by the former Rajasthan royal, who played a part in the framing of the Constitution, to promote education and advance the study of science, literature and the arts in India.

The Khetri Trust website shows the chairman as Maharaja Gaj Singh, a former Rajya Sabha member and former Indian High Commissioner. The trustees include Prithvi Raj Singh; Lord Northbrook (Francis Thomas Baring), a British Conservative politician; Ajit Singh, Additional Director-General of Police of Rajasthan; and Kanupriya Harish, a development specialist. The estates include landed properties and palaces in Jaipur, Khetri, Chiwara, Singhana, Kotputli, and Mount Abu in Rajasthan.

The estates had been locked in a dispute with the State of Rajasthan, which had claimed them on the principle of escheat (heirless property devolving to the state). The State had contested the will, claiming Mr. Singh had died ‘intestate’ or without a will.

The State had refused to give up the litigation even after a Division Bench of the Delhi High Court probated or validated the authenticity of Singh’s will. Upholding the High Court decision, the top court Bench observed the State government was a “stranger” which had no locus standi (the right to bring a dispute to court) whatsoever to challenge the former royal’s will.

“Only when there is failure of heirs that the estate of an intestate Hindu would devolve on the Government under Section 29 (principle of escheat) of the Hindu Succession Act. This means that till that stage arrives, the government is a stranger to the probate proceedings and any proceeding regarding succession under the personal law,” the Bench said.

The court further noted that a grant of probate by a competent court of law could be challenged only by likely heirs of the testator either through an appeal or by seeking revocation of the probate. The State cannot presume locus standi by merely invoking the Rajasthan Escheat Regulation Act of 1956, the court said.

About 60% of India’s outward FDI goes to ‘tax havens’

An analysis of RBI data by The Hindu shows that nearly 56% of such investments in 2024-25 were

in low tax jurisdictions such as Singapore, Mauritius, UAE, the Netherlands, U.K. and Switzerland

Indian companies are increasingly leveraging low-tax jurisdictions abroad to channel their foreign investments in a bid to increase their global presence, according to data as well as tax and investment experts.

An analysis by The Hindu of data from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), which closely tracks outward investments by Indian companies, shows that nearly 56% of such investments in 2024-25 were in low tax jurisdictions (commonly called tax havens) such as Singapore, Mauritius, the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland.

In other words, out of the total ₹3,488.5 crore of outward foreign direct investment (FDI) by India in 2024-25, about ₹1,946 crore went to these low tax jurisdictions.

In fact, just three of these countries — Singapore (22.6%), Mauritius (10.9%), and the UAE (9.1%) — accounted for more than 40% of India’s outward FDI in 2024-25.

Further, this trend seems to have increased in intensity in the current financial year. In the first quarter, these low tax jurisdictions accounted for 63% of India’s total outward FDI. However, while countries around the world, including India, have sought to crack down on the trend of companies shifting profits to these tax havens, experts have said that choosing these low tax jurisdictions is also a strategic imperative for Indian companies, and not just a tax issue.

“If Indian companies are making investments outside India, then having them through a company set up in one of these jurisdictions makes a lot of sense,” according to Riaz Thingna, Partner, Grant Thornton Bharat.

He said that, if an Indian company is looking to set up a subsidiary in Europe, the US, or any other country, then doing it through a special purpose vehicle in Singapore or a similar jurisdiction will help them in getting strategic investors, and in providing better tax positioning at the time of stake dilution.

“These jurisdictions are also more flexible in transferring funds and investments on a day-to-day basis,” Mr. Thingna explained. So, very often, these investments are not being made only to evade, avoid or reduce tax. They are often made because these jurisdictions form platforms for investment in third countries.”

First level

Vaibhav Luthra, Tax Partner at EY India, too, explained that the RBI data does not provide the ultimate investment destination, but only shows the first level of outward investments.

According to Luthra, these low-tax or “tax efficient” jurisdictions not only provide a tax advantage, but also offer tax stability. Apart from this, they also come with other advantages for Indian companies looking to invest abroad.

“A lot of the time, for things like fund raising, or for an investor coming in, they usually like coming in at these intermediate jurisdictions,” he explained. Also, having an entity in the middle also protects the Indian parent company.”

Mr. Thingna also pointed to the propensity of foreign companies to choose a low-tax jurisdiction to form a joint venture rather than in India.

“If the Indian company is looking for a strategic partner, a strategic partner from any other country will be happier investing into the Singapore entity, or one in a similar jurisdiction, than into the Indian entity because of our FDI regulations, our taxation and various other elements,” Mr. Thingna explained.

The RBI data also points to this trend.

The data for July 2025, the latest available data on outward investment, shows that joint ventures accounted for almost 60% of the investments made by Indian companies in the low-tax jurisdictions.

Tariff outcome

Mr. Thingna was also of the belief that the high tariffs imposed by the U.S. on imports from India could induce Indian companies to invest abroad, if they continue.

“There could be a lot of companies who will set up subsidiaries and other entities outside India, where the value addition is done, and accordingly escape the harsher tariffs on India,” Mr. Thingna said.

“This has not happened yet, as the tariffs are recent, but it could happen.”

Corteva launches 

pesticides for use 

on potato, grapes

The Hindu Bureau 

New Delhi

Global pesticides company Corteva Agriscience has launched two pesticides against diseases like ‘Downy Mildew’ in grapes and ‘Late Blight’ in potatoes.

The company claimed that both the chemicals will transform potato, grapes cultivation in India.

A release from Corteva said building on the globally successful Zorvec technology, this advanced solution offers growers protection against the devastating diseases and will lead to healthier crops, higher yields and superior quality produce.

“Zorvec Entecta delivers a unique combination of advanced chemistry and powerful performance. Its active ingredients provide strong and reliable control against oomycetes plant diseases,” it said.

The release added that the chemical is secure and protected from wash-off just 20 minutes after application.

What are Foreigners Tribunals’ new powers?

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) recently notified Rules, Order and Exemption Order, which made the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 operational. Parliament passed the legislation to regulate all matters relating to foreigners and immigration in April. It repealed and replaced several Acts, the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920; the Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939; the Foreigners Act, 1946 and the Immigration (Carriers’ Liability) Act, 2000.

What was the rationale?

The Government said a new legislation was required to avoid multiplicity and overlapping of laws on passports or other travel documents in respect of persons entering and exiting from India, and to regulate matters related to foreigners’ visa, registration and immigration issues. Though most provisions in the newly notified Rules, Order and Exemption Order were there in past notifications, certain new clauses and conditions have been added, considering the vast changes that have occurred after the original pre-Independence Acts came into existence.

What does the Immigration and Foreigners Rules say?

For the first time, the Rules legally designate the Bureau of Immigration (BOI) to “examine cases of immigration fraud” and co-ordinate with the States to identify, deport or restrict the movement of foreigners and collate and maintain an immigration database among others. Though the BOI earlier also performed similar functions, its role was regulatory and not mentioned in the law. In another first, the Rules insert legal provision for recording of biometric information of all foreigners, earlier restricted to a few visa categories and enforceable through executive orders of the MHA.

Educational institutes will have to inform the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) about all foreign students and even provide semester-wise “academic performance” summary such as attendance details and “general conduct” report. While earlier, the “civil authority” could direct to shut down any premise such as a resort, club or an entertainment place if it was frequented by foreigners who are “undesirable”, involved in crime or members of an unlawful group, the new Rules add “illegal migrant” to the list too.

The Rules define the role of an “immigration officer”, who will be officers provided by the Intelligence Bureau.

What does the Immigration and Foreigners Order, 2025 entail?

Foreigners Tribunals (FT), so far unique to Assam, have been given the powers of a first class judicial magistrate. It paves the way to send a person to a detention or a holding centre if he or she fails to produce any proof that they are “not a foreigner”. The 2025 Order that replaces the Foreigners (Tribunal) Order, 1964 empowers FTs to issue arrest warrants if an individual whose nationality has been contested fails to appear in person.

According to Assam’s Home Department, there were 11 Illegal Migrant Determination Tribunals (IMDT) in the State which were converted to tribunals after the Supreme Court scrapped the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act, 1983 in 2005. A total of 100 FTs is currently operational in Assam. The number of FTs were enhanced after the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was published in 2019 in Assam on the orders of the top court. The NRC, again unique to Assam, excluded 19 lakh out of 3.29 crore applicants and FTs were to give adequate opportunity to those excluded to present their case. The State government has challenged the NRC in its current form and the final register is yet to be printed. Those excluded are yet to be provided with rejection slips.

Earlier, the FTs could have unspecified number of members, now the number of members has been capped at three, and the ex-parte orders can be set aside if the appellant files the review within 30 days. FTs are functional only in Assam. In other States, an illegal migrant is produced before a local court.

The order also legally allows border guarding forces or the coast guard 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 Border Security Force (BSF) and the Assam Rifles (AR) posted along the Bangladesh and Myanmar borders had been practising this through executive orders of the MHA — now, it has been stipulated under law.

What is the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order, 2025?

The Order exempts Nepalese, Bhutanese and Tibetans from the provisions of the Act. It has, however, added two other categories. Registered Sri Lankan Tamil nationals who have taken shelter in India up to January 9, 2015 have been exempted 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 notification also exempts undocumented members of six minority communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan from penal provisions and deportation if they entered India without passports or visas, or with expired travel documents, before December 31, 2024. MHA officials clarified that while minorities from the three countries could apply for long-term visas (LTVs), a precursor to citizenship, this is not applicable for Sri Lankan Tamils.