Current Affairs – August 07, 2025

{GS2 – Polity – IC – Federal Structure} Extension of President’s Rule in Manipur

Context (TH): Recently, Parliament has approved the second extension of President’s Rule in Manipur, till February 2026.

Constitutional Framework

President’s Rule: Article 356 allows the imposition of President’s Rule when the constitutional machinery in a state fails.
- Both Houses of Parliament must approve any such proclamation within two months.
Extension: It can be extended every six months, up to a maximum of three years. Each extension requires fresh approval by both Houses of Parliament.
Beyond One Year: Extension beyond one year is allowed only if
- A National Emergency (Article 352) is in operation in the whole or any part of India, or
- The Election Commission certifies that it is not possible to hold elections in the concerned state.

Broader Governance Issues

Security vs. Federalism: Repeated use of Article 356 raises concerns about eroding cooperative federalism and state autonomy.
Democratic Deficit: Prolonged President’s Rule undermines democratic legitimacy and sets a troubling precedent for central overreach.

{GS2 – Governance – Initiatives} Technocratic Shift in India’s Welfare State

Context (TH): India’s shift to digital, data-driven welfare has improved efficiency, but raises concerns about less democratic accountability and reduced rights-based entitlements.

The Technocratic Shift

Justice to Efficiency: The emphasis has moved from deliberating “who rightfully deserves support and why” to a more technocratic concern of “how to minimise leakages and maximise coverage”.
Democratic Invisibility: Welfare delivery is increasingly guided by metrics like speed, accuracy, and scale; often at the expense of citizen participation and democratic dialogue.

Reflects Habermas’ concept of “Technocratic Consciousness”, where technical expertise supersedes public reasoning in shaping policies.

Loss of Political Agency: Citizens are often reduced to data points or “auditable beneficiaries,” rather than active participants in their governance.

Echoes Foucault’s idea of “Governmentality”, wherein power operates through subtle mechanisms of surveillance, classification, and control—producing governable subjects.

Democratic Deficit and Political Accountability

Social Sector Spending: Dropped to 17% in 2024-25, from a 10-year average of 21%.
- Welfare of minorities, labour, employment, nutrition, and social security declined from 11% pre-COVID to just 3% post-COVID.
RTI in Crisis: As of June 2024, over 4 lakh pending cases in Information Commissions, while 8 Chief Information Commissioner posts are vacant, weakening transparency in governance.
Grievance Redress: The Centralised Public Grievance Redress & Monitoring System resolves lakhs of complaints but centralises visibility without responsibility.

Way Forward

Democratic Antifragility: India’s welfare state must adopt “democratic antifragility”, systems that withstand stress while preserving human dignity.
Federal Empowerment: States must be empowered to design context-sensitive welfare systems by revitalising tools like Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan and Gram Panchayat Development Plans.
Rights-Based Safeguards: Embed “right to explanation and appeal” in algorithmic welfare governance (as proposed by UN Human Rights Council).
Political Education: Invest in political education and local legal aid clinics to strengthen grassroots accountability and revive participatory democracy.

{GS2 – Governance – Issues} Domicile-Based Recruitment in Bihar

Context (TH | IE): Recently, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar announced that teacher recruitment exams will prioritise domicile candidates.

This follows the July 2025 move to reserve 35% of state government jobs for Bihar-native women, tightening earlier rules that allowed women from other states.

Implications of the Move

The decision to prioritise domicile-based recruitment carries both strategic advantages and constitutional challenges, making it a deeply debated policy with multi-dimensional implications.

Positive Impact

May boost local employment and reduce out-migration by benefiting Bihar’s unemployed youth.
Reflects growing federal assertion, allowing states to frame policies suited to local needs.
Could set a precedent for other states facing similar unemployment and domicile-related tensions.

Concerns and Limitations

Risk of exclusion of meritorious candidates from other states, possibly reducing overall quality.
Article 16 of the Constitution ensures equal opportunity in public employment; restricting jobs to locals must withstand legal scrutiny.
Seen as an election-driven populist move rather than a long-term solution.

Domicile-Based Reservation

Article 16(2): Prohibits discrimination in public employment on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth, or residence.
Article 16(3): Empowers Parliament (not states) to make exceptions allowing residence-based conditions for particular public employment.

Judicial Interpretation

The Supreme Court in Dr. Pradeep Jain v. Union of India (1984) upheld limited regional preference in education but ruled that blanket domicile-based job reservations violate Article 16.
SC in multiple cases held that domicile-based job reservations may violate Articles 14, 15, and 19(1)(g) of the Constitution
The Court also clarified that India has only one domicile, “Domicile of India” and not state-specific domiciles.

Way Forward

Complementary Policies: Alongside domicile preference, Bihar must invest in skills, infrastructure, and public sector capacity to ensure sustainable employment.
Balanced Approach: Consider affirmative action within constitutional boundaries to ensure inclusivity without alienating other communities.
Youth-Centric Planning: Link reservation with skill development and economic planning to address root causes of unemployment.

Context (IE): WHO classified Hepatitis D as a high-risk carcinogen due to its aggressive progression, immune evasion, and cancer-linked viral pathology.

About Hepatitis D

Hepatitis D is a circular, single-stranded RNA virus with limited protein-coding capacity.
Virus Dependency: It requires co-infection with Hepatitis B for viral replication and survival.
Infection Types: It causes coinfection or superinfection with HBV, leading to severe hepatitis cases.
Transmission Route: Transmitted through blood, shared needles, unprotected sex, or, rarely, via perinatal exposure.
Clinical Progression: Can progress to chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, or acute liver failure.
Treatment Status: No specific antiviral exists; pegylated interferon shows modest benefit in a few cases.
Preventive Measure: Universal Hepatitis B vaccination indirectly protects against Hepatitis D infection.
Global Burden: Affects ~10 million people globally, with the highest prevalence in Central Asia & Africa.
India Prevalence: Official prevalence is low but likely underreported due to inadequate testing coverage.

Why is Hepatitis D Carcinogenic?

Higher Risk: Patients face a 2-to-6-fold increased risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma.
Cirrhosis Link: Chronic HDV accelerates fibrosis, promoting a cancer-prone hepatic environment.
Genomic Instability: Persistent liver inflammation fosters DNA damage and genetic mutations.
Immune Disruption: HDV impairs antiviral surveillance, allowing unchecked malignant transformation.

Read More> Hepatitis

{GS2 – IR – India-New Zealand} India-New Zealand Defence Strategic Dialogue

Context (PIB): The inaugural Defence Strategic Dialogue between India and New Zealand in New Delhi marked a formal shift towards structured maritime and defence collaboration.

About the Defence Strategic Dialogue

Defence diplomacy through Strategic Dialogue marks a shift from episodic ties to formalised cooperation.
Objective: Institutionalised defence ties aim to address shared Indo-Pacific security threats.
Multilateral Focus: Dialogue fosters coordination in regional forums to advance collective security goals.
Joint Capacity: Defence training and exercises were proposed to improve operational interoperability.
Global Commons: Dialogue prioritised rules-based maritime order and freedom of global sea lanes.
Maritime Surveillance: The white shipping data exchange will enhance real-time domain awareness.

Strategic Leverage of New Zealand Partnership

New Zealand offers niche capabilities across Pacific access, intelligence and multilateral values.

Strategic Fit: NZ’s open Indo-Pacific approach complements India’s SAGAR and IPOI initiatives.
South–Pacific: NZ provides India access to South Pacific and Pacific Island engagement channels.
Intelligence Access: NZ’s Five Eyes role enhances India’s access to shared threat assessments.
UNSC Backing: NZ endorses India’s permanent seat in a reformed United Nations Security Council.
Shared Norms: Both nations support nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation, and anti-terrorism norms.

Constraints in India-NZ Defence Alignment

Asymmetries and third-party linkages create friction in deepening bilateral defence cooperation.

China Dependence: NZ’s deep China trade ties limit strategic alignment with India.
Military Constraints: NZ’s limited defence force restricts the scale and frequency of joint operations.
Extremist Concerns: India raised concerns over Khalistan-linked extremist activity in the NZ diaspora.
Low Continuity: Defence ties remain episodic, relying on leadership over institutional continuity.
Alliance Boundaries: NZ’s Five Eyes role and Pacific neutrality constrain Indo-Pacific convergence.

Read More> Indo-New Zealand Bilateral Relations

{GS3 – Envi – Pollution} Sulphur Dioxide Emissions

Context (IE): Recently, the government relaxed the 2015 mandate requiring coal plants to install flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) units, citing high costs despite the significant role of SO₂ in air pollution.

About Sulphur Dioxide Emissions

India’s Status: India was the largest SO₂ emitter globally in 2022, contributing over 20% of anthropogenic emissions (CERA).
Sources: Major emissions come from coal-fired power plants, heavy industries, & minor natural sources.
Regulations: Governed under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981; limits – 80 µg/m³ (24-hour, all areas), 50 µg/m³ (annual, urban), 20 µg/m³ (annual, sensitive zones).

Out of 537 coal-based power plants in India, only 39 have so far installed Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) units, reflecting slow compliance with emission norms.

Sulphur Dioxide Impact

Health Impacts: Short-term triggers asthma, coughing, and breathing issues, and long-term exposure leads to lung disease and early mortality.
Environmental Damage: SO₂ causes acid rain, harming crops, soils, and water bodies, and sulphate aerosols reduce visibility and damage ecosystems.

Controlling Method of Sulphur Dioxide

Pre-Combustion Control: Fuel switching, coal washing, and Fluidised Bed Combustion (FBC) can significantly reduce SO₂ emissions by using cleaner fuels and in-situ removal techniques.
Post-Combustion Control: Dry and wet FGD systems use limestone to remove SO₂, producing gypsum as a reusable by-product.
- Regenerative and biotech methods recover or convert sulphur into cleaner, sustainable forms like elemental sulphur.

{GS3 – Envi – Issues} SC Allows Pollution Boards to Impose Damages

Context (IE | DH): The Supreme Court ruled that Pollution Control Boards can impose environmental compensation for past damages and demand bank guarantees to prevent future harm.

Key Highlights of the SC Ruling

The SC judgment drew on landmark cases like the Vellore Citizens Welfare Forum (1996) and Indian Council for Enviro-Legal Action (1996), reaffirming the polluter pays principle.
Statutory Powers: PCBs can impose penalties under Section 33A of the Water Act, 1974 and Section 31A of the Air Act, 1981.
Constitutional Link: Court held PCB enforcement supports fundamental duties under Article 51A(g).
Imposition Condition: PCBs can only impose compensation if environmental harm is clear or imminent.

The Polluter Pays Principle requires polluters to bear the costs of repairing environmental damage.

About Pollution Control Boards (PCBs)

CPCB: Central Pollution Control Board, a statutory body under the Water Act, 1974, and the Air Act, 1981; sets standards, monitors pollution, and advises the Centre.
SPCBs: State Pollution Control Boards, formed under the same Acts to enforce laws, issue permits, and monitor compliance at the state level.

{GS3 – S&T – Tech} India’s Growing Battery Waste Challenge

Context (TH): India’s electrification drive toward Net Zero 2070 through EVs and BESS accelerates battery waste growth, necessitating urgent policy interventions.

Battery Storage Systems (BESS) store electricity chemically and release it on demand for grid stability.

Scale and Nature of Emerging Battery Waste Crisis

Demand Surge Forecast: Lithium battery demand may rise from 4 GWh (2023) to 139 GWh by 2035.
Battery Waste Share: Lithium batteries formed 700,000 MT of India’s e-waste in 2022.
Metal Leaching: Heavy metals like cobalt and lithium contaminate soil and water.
Health Hazards: Informal recycling exposes workers to carcinogens and heavy metal dust.
Economic Loss: Ineffective recycling could cost India $1 billion in forex losses by 2030.

Challenges in the Existing Battery Waste Management Framework

The government introduced Extended Producer Responsibility under the Battery Waste Management Rules 2022 to promote sustainable battery recycling, but institutional gaps hinder enforcement.
EPR Pricing: Floor price fails to cover recycling costs, discouraging formal recyclers.
Recycling Inefficiency: India recycles only 1% of lithium-ion batteries into reusable materials (ICEA).
Certification Loophole: Weak audits allow false EPR certificates and illegal waste dumping.
Processing Gap: Recycling units operate at 30–35% capacity, insufficient for 2030 waste volumes.

EPR Price Floor is the minimum amount producers are required to pay registered recyclers to ensure safe battery recycling under EPR obligations.

Strategic Interventions for Battery Waste Management

Global Alignment: Adopt EPR pricing models like the UK’s ₹600/kg for viability and parity.
Recycler Integration: Integrate informal recyclers to increase capacity and minimise unsafe practices.
Digital Oversight: Establish a national battery registry and track EPR compliance in real time.
PLI Support: Expand battery recycling infrastructure via PLI-linked investments and incentives.

Read More > E-Waste Management in India

{Prelims – Envi – Species} Krill Fishery in Antarctica

Context (IE): Record-breaking industrial krill harvest near Antarctica triggered early fishery shutdown, raising global concerns over marine sustainability and ecosystem stress.

About Krill

Krill are small, shrimp-like pelagic (open sea) crustaceans found mainly in polar marine ecosystems.
Habitat: They thrive in cold nutrient-rich waters of the Southern Ocean & sub-Antarctic zones.
Range: Populations are concentrated in the Antarctic, North Atlantic, and North Pacific Oceans.
Diet: They filter-feed on phytoplankton, algae, and occasionally zooplankton.
Swarms: Krill aggregate into massive swarms, visible as reddish-brown patches in the sea.
Light Emission: Bioluminescent krill use photophores for camouflage or species-level signalling.
Commercial Use: Krill are harvested for omega-3 oil, livestock feed, and aquaculture fishmeal.
Threats: Warming seas, sea ice loss, acidification, and overfishing reduce populations.
IUCN Status: Most krill species, including Antarctic Krill (Euphausia superba), are listed as Least Concern.

Ecological Role of Krill

Food Web: They are keystone species feeding whales, seals, penguins, squid, and seabirds.
Nutrient Cycling: Vertical movement and excretion help recycle surface nutrients in polar waters.
Carbon Sequestration: Faecal pellets and exoskeletons sink, transporting carbon to ocean depths.

Credit: IUCN

{Prelims – In News} Ayurveda Aahara

Context (TH): The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has notified Ayurveda Aahara as a regulatory food category to integrate classical Ayurvedic nutrition into mainstream policy.

About Ayurveda Aahara

Ayurveda Aahara refers to foods aligned with Ayurvedic principles for promoting health and wellbeing.
It is governed under the Food Safety and Standards (Ayurveda Aahara) Regulations, 2022.
FSSAI formulated it in consultation with the Ayush Ministry and National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur.
It emphasises seasonal suitability, therapeutic ingredients, & dosha-balancing dietary principles.
Recipes only from Ayurvedic texts listed in Schedule A of the 2022 regulations are permitted.
The initiative institutionalises traditional food wisdom & fosters consumer trust in Ayurvedic diets.

Source: PIB

{Prelims – In News} 11^th National Handloom Day

Context (PIB): The Ministry of Textiles celebrated the 11^th National Handloom Day on August 7, with national weaver awards presented to the skilled weavers.

Recently, the Union Minister of Textiles inaugurated the Exclusive Handloom Expo & the “Haat on Wheels” at Handloom Haat, New Delhi.

Celebrated on 7^th Aug since 2015 to mark Swadeshi Movement 1905, promoting handlooms & indigenous industry.
Cultural Heritage: Banarasi, Pochampally, and Kanchipuram sarees are renowned globally.
Mass Employment: The handloom sector is the second-largest employer after agriculture, providing livelihoods to over 35 lakh people, with 70% being women.

Read More > Handloom Industry in India

{Prelims – In News} Uranium Hexafluoride

Context (FE): Responding to US criticism over Russian oil, India highlighted the US’s continued import of Russian UF₆ for its nuclear energy needs.

About Uranium Hexafluoride (UF₆)

Uranium Hexafluoride (UF₆) is a chemical compound used in the uranium enrichment process, a key step in nuclear fuel production.
Uranium hexafluoride (UF₆) is used to convert uranium into a gaseous form, which allows the separation of the fissile isotope U-235 from the more abundant U-238.

Natural Composition of Uranium

U-238 (99.284%): Non-fissile but fertile; cannot sustain a chain reaction with thermal neutrons but can be converted into fissile Pu-239.
U-235 (0.711%): The only naturally occurring fissile isotope; capable of sustaining a chain reaction with slow (thermal) neutrons.