Current Affairs – August 09, 2025

{GS2 – Polity – IC – Parliament} Parliament Passes Landmark Maritime Bills

Context (TH): Parliament passed the Merchant Shipping Bill, 2024, and the Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2025, modernising India’s shipping laws.

The Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, & the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, 1925, which have long been central to maritime regulation, were outdated & only partly aligned with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) convention.

Key Features of the New Legislation

New laws aim to modernise maritime regulation, align with global norms, & boost ease of doing business.

Merchant Shipping Bill, 2024

Alignment with IMO conventions on safety, emergency response, and environmental protection.
Ease of doing business by easing compliance & attracting shipping investment.
Seafarer welfare and ship safety through enhanced rights and improved working conditions.

Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2025

Adopts the Hague-Visby Rules (followed by the UK & other maritime nations) as global standards.
Simplifies cargo movement regulations, reducing litigation risks.
Promotes transparency and standardisation in maritime trade contracts.

Significance for India

Global Competitiveness: Positions India as a trusted maritime hub and strengthens credibility in shipping governance.
Economic Impact: With over 90% of trade by sea, modern laws lower transaction costs and support Maritime India Vision 2030 and the Blue Economy strategy.
Environmental & Safety Standards: Stronger provisions for pollution control and environmental protection align with Sustainable Development Goal 14.
Geopolitical Leverage: Strengthens India’s role in Indo-Pacific maritime governance, aligning with the SAGAR vision.

Context (PIB): India has become a leading global hub for medical tourism, which involves travelling abroad to receive affordable or locally unavailable specialised medical care.

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Current State of Medical Tourism in India

India ranked 10^th among 46 countries in the Medical Tourism Index 2020–21.
Medical tourism increased over three times from 1.8 lakh in 2020 to 6.6 lakh in 2023.
Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) reached 1,31,856 between January and April 2025, 4.1% of total FTAs.
Bangladesh is the top source country, followed by Iraq, Somalia, Oman, and Uzbekistan.
India accounts for 8% of the global medical tourism market, valued at $7.69 billion.

Government Initiatives to Promote Medical Tourism

Strategic Roadmap: The 2022 National Strategy and Roadmap for Medical and Wellness Tourism provides a framework and brand positioning.
Heal in India Campaign: Promotes India via public-private partnerships and digital patient facilitation.
Visa Facilitation: E-medical and E-medical Attendant visas are available for 171 countries.
Digital Platform: Medical Value Travel portal offers single-window services in multiple languages.
AYUSH Visa: Introduced in 2023 for foreigners seeking traditional Indian medicine treatments.
Gujarat Model: First to integrate medical tourism, it collaborates with regional wellness retreats.
Financial Assistance: The Market Development Assistance Scheme aids wellness tourism providers.

Why is India a popular choice for medical tourism?

Cost Advantage: Treatments cost 60–80% less than in Western countries, including the US & Europe.
Medical Expertise: English-speaking, often Western-trained doctors ensure quality communication.
Advanced Equipment: Supports cardiology, oncology, orthopaedics, and other specialities.
AYUSH Systems: Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy attract wellness tourists.
Shorter Wait Times: Patients access specialised treatments faster than in many developed countries.

{GS2 – Governance – Issues} India Needs Smart Policies for E-Commerce & Retail

Context (BS): India’s retail sector faces challenges from fast-growing e-commerce and intensifying competition for traditional retailers.

Brief Overview of India’s Evolving Retail Landscape

E-Commerce Expansion: Backed by digital infrastructure, e-commerce is rapidly spreading across urban, rural, and tier-III/IV areas, helping small businesses access larger markets.
Traditional Retail Resilience: Though unorganised and low-margin, it thrives on trust, personal service, and credit, and remains resilient during shocks like demonetisation and COVID-19.

Emerging Retail Synergies and Conflicts

Converging Models: Both sectors innovate to meet evolving consumer demands (E.g., Kirana Home Delivery vs. Quick Commerce).
Power Imbalance: Traditional retail remains fragmented, while e-commerce is dominated by a few major players with greater capital and pricing power, raising concerns over predatory practices.

Oligopolistic means a market dominated by a small number of big players who hold most of the market share and can influence prices and competition.

Policy Options for a Hybrid Model

Curb Predatory Pricing: Tax or levy penalties on below-cost pricing that eliminates competition.
Fair & Balanced Competition: If competition is genuine, frame regulations that promote innovation, jobs, and consumer price benefits in both e-commerce and traditional retail.
Protect Small Retailers: Keep entry barriers low, ensure uniform consumer protection, and provide credit, retail space, and protection from municipal harassment.

Collaboration: Help local retailers join e-commerce supply chains to access cheaper merchandise.

Predatory pricing is when a company sells goods below cost to drive competitors out of the market, then raises prices once competition is reduced.

{GS2 – IR – Issues} Russia-India-China (RIC) Troika

Context (TD): Russia aims to revive the dormant RIC Troika, citing eased India-China tensions and shifting geopolitics amid increasing Western strategic pressures.

About the RIC Troika

Nature: Informal trilateral strategic grouping proposed by Russia in the late 1990s.
Purpose: Seeks to counter Western dominance by fostering Eurasian political & economic cooperation.
Formation: Institutionalised in 2002, holding over 20 ministerial-level consultations since inception.
Scope: Focuses on coordinated stances in foreign policy, trade, and multilateral reform.
Dormancy: Became largely inactive following the India-China Galwan border confrontation in 2020.

Key Drivers Behind the Revival

US Protectionism: Renewed US tariffs push members to counter rising trade barriers.
Sanctions Impact: Western sanctions on Russia accelerate its alignment with Asian economies.
Financial Autonomy: Dollar weaponisation fuels push for non-Western payment systems.
Connectivity Gains: INSTC cargo growth showcases value of coordinated Eurasian corridors.
Trade Diversification: Global supply disruptions drive search for secure intra-RIC trade channels.
Institutional Reform: Members seek more decisive influence in UN, IMF, and WTO reforms.

Strategic Significance of the RIC Grouping

Eurasian Weight: Three major powers collectively influence Eurasia’s strategic and economic balance.
Economic Share: Over one-third of global GDP gives RIC substantial negotiating leverage.
Multipolarity: Promotes balanced global governance, challenging dominance of single power blocs.
UNSC Leverage: Joint backing from Russia and China strengthens India’s membership prospects.
Security Platform: Facilitates crisis dialogue and conflict management in regional hotspots.
Integration Synergy: Advances coordination of Eurasian connectivity, trade, & infrastructure initiatives.

Challenges to RIC Cooperation

Border Disputes: Ongoing India-China tensions obstruct deeper political and strategic trust.
Trust Deficit: Historical rivalries constrain meaningful defence and intelligence collaboration.
Western Engagements: India’s growing Western ties dilute trilateral cohesion.

Quad Factor: Indo-Pacific security commitments complicate India’s role in RIC.
Neutrality Concerns: Intra-member rivalries undermine RIC’s credibility in mediating disputes.

{GS3 – IE – Employment} Labour Mobility as a Diplomatic Tool

Context (ORF): India’s strategic use of labour mobility as a diplomatic tool can enhance economic integration, leverage demographic advantage, & strengthen global partnerships for mutual growth.

Mechanisms of Labour Mobility Diplomacy

Strategic labour mobility strengthens bilateral economic integration and diplomatic leverage.
Mobility Partnerships: Formal agreements regulate labour flows, enhancing legal and safe migration.
Bilateral Corridors: Designated pathways ensure orderly recruitment & mutually beneficial movement.
Occupational Mapping: Skill alignment matches migrants’ abilities with host country labour demands.
Mutual Recognition: Qualification equivalence removes barriers, accelerating migrant employment.
Data Portability: Cross-border data exchange improves migrant credential verification & governance.
Worker Protections: Rights frameworks reduce exploitation, reinforcing diplomatic credibility & trust.

Strategic Advantages for India

Remittance: Migrant flows provide countercyclical remittances, supporting economic resilience.
Negotiating Leverage: Skilled migration strengthens India’s bargaining power in trade talks.
Soft Power: Diaspora networks expand cultural influence and diplomatic outreach worldwide.
Demographic Alignment: Labour supply matches global shortages, optimising workforce utilisation.
Brain Circulation: Circular migration fosters knowledge exchange and innovation domestically.
Minilateral Alignment: Regional labour pacts enhance India’s strategic partnerships & global influence.

Structural and Operational Challenges

Skill Mismatch: Overseas labour demand often diverges from the Indian migrant skills supply.
Visa Bottlenecks: Outdated frameworks restrict timely migrant access and bilateral mobility.
Informal Recruitment: Unregulated agents expose migrants to abuse and illegal practices.
Qualification Gaps: Non-aligned certifications delay migrants’ labour market integration abroad.
Social Coverage: Migrants suffer from weak social security in destination countries.
Data Deficiency: Opaque migration data obstructs policy planning and migrant support.

Government Interventions

Country Pacts: India signs targeted bilateral mobility agreements to regulate workforce flow.
Skill Councils: Sector councils design demand-driven training linked to foreign markets.
Migrant Registry: e-Migrate & e-Shram centralise migrant data for effective governance and aid.
Returnee Mapping: SWADES Initiative profiles returnee skills for reintegration and utilisation.
Pre-Departure Training: PKVY’s PDOT module imparts cultural, legal, and safety awareness.
Global Linkages: NSDC partners with foreign employers to facilitate direct hiring.
Labour Attachés: Posted abroad, attachés provide migrant welfare and diplomatic liaison.

Pre-Departure Orientation (PDOT): Pravasi Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PKVY) delivers PDOT to equip outbound workers with country-specific skills and migration safeguards.

Way Forward

Regional Frameworks: Develop South-South mobility pacts to reduce dependence on limited corridors.
Skills Foresight: Establish a national migration observatory for real-time overseas demand forecasting.
Integrated Governance: Create a single inter-ministerial body to align migration, trade, & policy.
Protection Protocols: Secure host-country social security and pension access for migrants.
Evidence Diplomacy: Use migration data to strengthen trade-labour negotiation leverage.

India’s Demographic Leverage for Labour Mobility Diplomacy

Youth Majority: Over half the workforce under 30 strengthens India’s global labour supply credibility.
Median Age: Young median age (~28) aligns with long-term foreign workforce demand.
Education Rise: Higher tertiary enrolment improves international employability & skills recognition.
Digital Workforce: Tech-fluent youth drive India’s competitiveness in global digital job markets.
Female Gap: Low female participation limits India’s exportable talent and soft-power potential.

{GS3 – Envi – Degradation} Record Coral Loss in the Great Barrier Reef

Context (TH): The Great Barrier Reef suffered its most significant annual coral loss in 39 years due to severe, prolonged marine heatwaves and environmental stressors.

About the Great Barrier Reef

UNESCO WHS: Designated in 1981, it is the largest global coral ecosystem covering 344,400 km².
Location: Located in Coral Sea off northeast Australia, extending north-south below the Torres Strait. Composition: The reef spans 2,300 km, containing about 2,500 reefs and 900 islands.
Geological Basis: Formed on a submerged continental shelf, providing a foundation for reef growth.
Ecological Role: Supports biodiversity, stores carbon, protects coasts, and sustains fisheries & tourism.

Key Findings

Record Decline: Largest coral cover loss in four decades signals escalating ecosystem vulnerability.
Disparity: The Southern sector saw the steepest decline, followed by the central and northern sectors.
Prior Growth: Above-average coral growth last year reflects a temporary recovery amid ongoing stress.
Bleaching Impact: Repeated mass bleaching events this decade weakened the reef’s structural integrity.
Baseline Status: Near-average overall coral cover conceals significant localized reef degradation.
Trend Variability: Rising annual fluctuations increase uncertainty for effective reef conservation.

Drivers of Loss

Marine Heat: Recent ocean heatwaves triggered severe coral bleaching and mortality events.
Algae Loss: Symbiotic algae loss in affected reefs starved corals, hindering recovery.
Cyclone Impact: Cyclone Jasper caused localized physical destruction of coral structures.
Flood Sediment: River plumes reduced sunlight in adjacent reefs, impairing coral growth.
Predator Outbreak: Crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks devastated specific coral areas.
Disease Vulnerability: Elevated water temperatures increased disease incidence and coral tissue loss.

Ecological and Economic Impacts

Structural Loss: Reef framework collapse reduces coastal storm protection and increases erosion risks.
Habitat Decline: Loss of diverse reef habitats endangers marine biodiversity and dependent species.
Fishery Decline: Reduced fish stocks threaten food security and fishing livelihoods.
Tourism Decline: Coral degradation diminishes reef attractiveness, impacting tourism revenue.
Carbon Sink Loss: Declining coral cover reduces carbon sequestration, worsening climate impacts.

Read More> Coral Reef Bleaching

{GS4 – Ethics in Governance} Necropolitics

Context (TH): The killing of a Gaza civilian seeking food aid reignited debate on Necropolitics.

About Necropolitics

Necropolitics refers to the exercise of political power to decide who may live and who must die, often by normalising death through systemic violence, neglect, and abandonment.
The term was coined by Achille Mbembe, a Cameroonian philosopher, who expanded on Michel Foucault’s concept of biopolitics, which focuses on the governance of life.

Biopolitics Versus Necropolitics: Biopolitics manages life and populations; necropolitics governs death and ignores suffering.

Key Features of Necropolitics

Zones of Death: States create war-torn or neglected areas where death is normalised (E.g., Israeli bombings destroying Gaza hospitals).
State Terror: Dissent is crushed through killings or surveillance (E.g., use of militants against opposition).
Enemy Construction: Minorities are labelled as internal threats to justify violence (E.g., apartheid South Africa legalised killings under emergency laws).
Structural Abandonment: Marginalised communities are denied basic rights and left to suffer (E.g., tribal displacement due to mining in India).
Slow Violence: Long-term suffering is inflicted through systemic neglect (E.g., the 1943 Bengal famine and the COVID-induced migrant crisis).
Selective Mourning: Global outrage varies based on victim identity and geography (E.g., Paris attacks vs. muted response to Kashmir/Yemen deaths).

{Prelims – In News} India’s First Underwater Museum

Context (NOA): India’s first underwater museum and artificial coral reef is being developed around the decommissioned warship INS Guldar in Maharashtra.

Objective: It aims to conserve naval heritage, enhance tourism, and promote marine biodiversity.
Implementation Agency: Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation, supported by the Ministry of Tourism.

INS Guldar was a Kumbhir-class landing ship tank for amphibious operations, built in Poland, commissioned in 1985 and decommissioned in 2024.

Read More > Artificial Reefs