Current Affairs – April 23, 2025

{GS2 – Governance – Issues} Google’s Ad Tech Monopoly

• Context (IE): Google has been found guilty of operating an illegal monopoly in the digital advertising technology (adtech) market, in an antitrust case filed by the US Justice Department (DOJ) in 2023.

The AdTech Stack

• Adtech is the behind-the-scenes technology that powers digital advertising on websites, apps, and social media platforms. Key components include:
  • Ad Servers (e.g. DoubleClick for Publishers): Platforms for publishers to manage and sell ad space. DFP dominates the market, with high entry barriers for rivals.
  • Ad Exchanges (e.g. Google Ad Manager): Real-time digital marketplaces matching advertisers with publishers. AdX charges ~20% commission on transactions.
  • Ad Buying Tools (e.g., DV360/DoubleClick Bid Manager): Demand-side platforms (DSPs) used by advertisers to purchase ad slots.

Key Highlights of the Ruling against Google

• Illegal monopoly confirmed: Found guilty of maintaining an unlawful monopoly over the digital AdTech.
• Control over multiple layers: Unfairly controlled all key parts of the AdTech supply chain – ad server, ad exchange, and ad buying tools.
• Conflict of interest: Running the auction and bidding in it (like owning stock exchange & trading in it).
• Harm to competition: Reduced transparency, blocked rivals, and harmed publishers financially.
• Market manipulation: Manipulated auction outcomes and preferred its tools and services.
• Call for structural remedies: Seeks to break up parts of Google’s ad business to restore fair competition.

Steps Taken by India in Digital Market & Adtech Regulation Investigations by CCI (Competition Commission of India): CCI has launched multiple probes into Google’s dominance in digital ads, Android OS, and Play Store billing practices. In 2022, CCI fined Google ₹1,337 crore for anti-competitive practices in the Android ecosystem. Digital Competition Law Proposal: A Draft Digital Competition Bill (2024) is under discussion to proactively regulate Big Tech and prevent market abuse before it occurs. Recommends ex-ante regulations for “Systemically Significant Digital Enterprises” (SSDEs). Personal Data Protection Act (2023): To regulate personal data collection & use by digital platforms. Aims to ensure user privacy, data transparency, and consent-based advertising. Digital India Act (Upcoming): Proposed law to replace the IT Act, 2000. Will address platform accountability, competition, and ad transparency in the digital space. Push for Platform Neutrality: Ongoing debates and policy pushes for algorithmic transparency and non-discriminatory practices by dominant platforms.

Implications for India

• Boost to CCI’s role: Strengthens the Competition Commission of India’s position in ongoing probes against Google’s AdTech practices.
• Guidance for policy & regulation: Offers a legal reference point for framing India’s Digital Competition Law (under discussion by the Parliamentary Committee).
• Support for Indian startups: Helps ensure a level playing field for smaller digital firms and ad platforms.
• Encourages market transparency: May lead to greater ad pricing clarity and revenue fairness.
• Consumer and data protection push: Reinforces the importance of user data transparency and ethical ad practices under India’s evolving digital policies.
• Global alignment: Allows India to align its digital market regulation with global best practices (EU, US).
• Wider Tech Policy Debate: May reignite the debate on platform neutrality, data localization, and the need for ex-ante regulations for digital markets in India.

{GS2 – IR – Bangladesh} India Ends Transhipment Facility for Bangladesh *

• Context (IE): India has officially terminated the transhipment facility that allowed Bangladesh to export goods to third countries via the Petrapole Land Port. This facility was granted in 2020.

• The decision comes after a Bangladeshi advisor’s remark that Northeast India, being “landlocked,” made Dhaka the “only guardian of the ocean” for the region.
  • It was seen as Bangladesh’s attempt to assert strategic leverage over India’s northeastern access.
• Additionally, the advisor’s efforts to position China as a key strategic partner have further strained the delicate relationship between India and Bangladesh.

Petrapole Land Port

• The largest land port in South Asia, situated on the Indo-Bangladesh border.
• Bangladesh first transports the consignments to Petrapole, where they are checked by the land port and customs authorities. Indian trucks then transport them to Kolkata or Delhi airports.
• Nearly 30% of land-based trade between India and Bangladesh occurs through the Land Port Petrapole.

{GS2 – MoJS – Schemes} Jal Jeevan Mission *

• Context (IE | PIB): Jal Shakti Ministry has sought ₹2.79 lakh crore more to complete Jal Jeevan Mission.

About the Scheme

• Launched on August 15, 2019, it is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme to provide Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) to all rural households by 2024 with a 50:50 fund-sharing model between Centre and States (90:10 for Himalayan and North-Eastern States and 100% for UTs).
• Governing Ministry: Ministry of Jal Shakti.
• Key Target: “Har Ghar Jal”, ensuring 55 litres per capita per day (lpcd) of safe, adequate drinking water to every rural household.
• Key Features and Approach:
  • Emphasises conjunctive use of conserved water; drinking water source augmentation, drinking water supply system, greywater reuse, and local water resource management.
  • Creation of local infrastructure for source sustainability, like rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge, is undertaken in convergence with other government schemes.
  • Community Involvement: Formation of Pani Samitis (Village Water & Sanitation Committees) and Village Action Plans (VAPs) for decentralised implementation and monitoring.
  • Transparency: Includes a real-time mission dashboard, third-party audits, and public reporting.

Progress and Achievements (As of March 2025)

• Tap Connections Provided: 14.56 crore rural households have received tap water connections (around 75% coverage).
• Certified Villages: Over 2.12 lakh villages have been declared “Har Ghar Jal certified”.
• 100% Coverage: Goa, Haryana, Telangana, Gujarat, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Daman & Diu.

Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban)

• Launched in Budget 2021-22 under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to ensure universal water tap connections in all statutory towns, aligning with SDG-6.
• Complementary Scheme: Complements Jal Jeevan Mission (Rural).
• Key Objectives: Focuses on providing tap and sewer connections, rejuvenating water bodies, and promoting a circular water economy.

{GS3 – Envi – CC} Europe’s Accelerated Warming

• Context (EC | IE): The 2024 European State of the Climate Report highlights that Europe is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, with distinct regional disparities.
• It is compiled by EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service & World Meteorological Organisation.

Report Highlights

• Warmest Year on Record: 2024 was the warmest year for Europe and the planet.
  • Glaciers in Scandinavia and Svalbard saw their highest recorded annual mass loss rates.
• East-West Climate Contrast: Eastern Europe was warmer and sunnier, while Western Europe saw cloudier, wetter conditions.
• Record Heatwave in Southeastern Europe: Countries like Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, and Croatia experienced their most prolonged recorded heatwave.
• Decline in Cold Days: Europe recorded the fewest ever ‘cold stress days’ (when the minimum temperature falls below 10°C and causes thermal discomfort or health risks) and the largest area with fewer than 90 below-freezing days.
• Temperature Rise Since Pre-Industrial Times: Europe’s average annual temperature has increased by 2.4°C, compared to 1.3°C globally.
• Impact of Higher Warming: More frequent and intense heatwaves, floods, and rainfall events; shorter and milder winters.

Primary Causes of Faster Warming

• Arctic Amplification Effect: The Arctic is warming 3-4 times faster than the global average, intensifying heat over nearby Europe.
• Albedo Effect: Melting ice reduces reflectivity, making land and water absorb more heat and worsening warming in Arctic-adjacent areas.
• Reduction in Aerosols: Cleaner European air allows more sunlight to reach the surface, increasing regional heat absorption.
• Land-Based Warming Over Oceans: Land warms faster than oceans; land-heavy Europe accelerates its temperature rise.
• Urban Heat Island Effect: Increased urbanisation retains heat, especially in densely built European cities, raising local temperatures.
• Atmospheric Circulation Shifts: Changes in wind and pressure systems now favour recurring summer heatwaves in Europe.
• Sea Surface Temperature Rise: Surrounding seas have warmed above average, influencing coastal weather patterns and amplifying heat.
• Glacier Melting: European glaciers are melting, which, like the Arctic ice loss, reduces reflectivity and increases warming.

Broader Climate Change Implications

• Not Uniform Across the Globe: Land regions and higher latitudes (like Europe) are warming faster than tropical areas and oceans.
  • Eg- India has warmed by only 0.7°C from pre-industrial levels, much lower than Europe’s 2.4°C.

{GS3 – Envi – Pollution} Global Nitrogen Threat **

• Context (TH): United Nations’ Global Nitrous Oxide Assessment warns that nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions are increasing rapidly, demanding urgent mitigation.

Nitrogen and its Significance

• Nitrogen is a colourless, odourless, and non-metallic gas that constitutes around 78% of the Earth’s atmosphere and is foundational in ecological and physiological systems.
• Biological Importance: It is a key element in the building blocks of life, including DNA, proteins, and ATP (adenosine triphosphate), and is critical for nerve transmission and immune responses.
  • Structural Role: Found in the nitrogenous bases of DNA (adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine) and in synovial fluid that lubricates joints in the human body.
    • Knuckle-cracking pop results from the synovial fluid between your joints releasing a small nitrogen bubble when fingers or toes are twisted or compressed.
  • Cellular Energy: Acts as a core component of ATP, essential for cellular metabolism and energy transfer in all living organisms.
• Nitrogen Cycle: It supports the entire food web by cycling through soil, plants, animals, and back to the atmosphere via microbial processes.
• Essential for plant growth as it enables the synthesis of key biomolecules like chlorophyll and proteins.
• Lightning Contribution: High-energy lightning strikes convert nitrogen and oxygen into nitric acid, enriching soils naturally.

Industrialisation of Nitrogen

• Haber-Bosch Process: This landmark industrial method enabled the mass production of ammonia from atmospheric nitrogen for fertilisers and explosives.
• Saltpetre Mining: Historical extraction of nitrates for gunpowder and fertilizers contributed to a sharp anthropogenic increase in nitrogen circulation.
  • Saltpetre: Known as Nitre, or potassium nitrate (KNO₃), it is a white, salty compound used in fertilizers, gunpowder, explosives, and food preservation.
• Explosives: Industrial nitrogen compounds are extensively used to manufacture explosives like trinitrotoluene (TNT) and nitroglycerine.

Causes of Rising N₂O Emissions

• Agriculture Dominance: Nearly 70% of nitrous oxide emissions stem from agricultural soils, primarily due to excessive use of synthetic urea-based fertilizers.
• Fertiliser Inefficiency: Up to 80% of the nitrogen applied through fertilisers is lost to leaching, volatilisation, and runoff, contributing to pollution.
• Monoculture Practices: Intensive cereal farming has largely replaced traditional legume cultivation, reducing natural nitrogen fixation.
• Fossil Fuels: Burning fossil fuels releases nitrogen oxides (NO and NO₂), further intensifying atmospheric nitrogen loading.
• Animal Waste & Bones: Historical and contemporary use of manure and bone-based inputs continues to increase reactive nitrogen in ecosystems.

Greenhouse Gas Potential of Nitrogen

• Greenhouse Warming Potential: It lingers in the atmosphere for ~120 years and contributes nearly 10% of global warming effects.
• N₂O Profile: Nitrous oxide is the third most significant greenhouse gas globally and has nearly 300 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide.
• Stratospheric Damage: N₂O reacts destructively with ozone molecules, accelerating the depletion of the protective ozone layer.

Concerns Associated with Nitrogen

• Water Pollution: Excess nitrogen runoff leads to eutrophication, causing algal blooms and dead zones in aquatic systems.
• Health Hazards: Nitrogen oxides are linked to respiratory illnesses and conditions like methemoglobinemia or “blue baby syndrome.”

Methaemoglobin is a form of the oxygen-carrying metalloprotein haemoglobin. It cannot bind oxygen, unlike oxyhaemoglobin.

• Air Quality: Reactive nitrogen compounds contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone and acid rain, degrading air quality.
• Economic Burden: Global nitrogen-related pollution causes environmental damage and health expenses that range from $340 billion to $3.4 trillion annually.

Global Response and Way Forward

• Essential for Abiding by the Paris Agreement: Reducing nitrous oxide emissions is essential for staying within the 1.5°C global warming threshold set by the Paris Accord.
• Mitigation Potential: Effective reduction strategies could prevent the emission of approximately 235 billion tonnes of CO2-equivalent by the end of the century.
• Agricultural Reform: Encourage adoption of precision farming techniques, promote legume cultivation, and enhance nitrogen-use efficiency.
• Tech. Use: Advocate for using slow-release fertilizers & nitrification inhibitors to reduce nitrogen losses.
• Policy Interventions: Establish a global nitrogen governance framework modelled after successful treaties like the Montreal Protocol.
• Research and Awareness: Expand scientific studies on nitrogen’s ecological impact and educate stakeholders about sustainable nitrogen management.

{GS3 – Envi – RE} Green Recycling of Perovskite Solar Cells

• Context (TH): A study reveals a water-based recycling method for perovskite solar cells.

Perovskite Solar Cells (PSCs)

• PSCs are thin-film photovoltaic cells using perovskite-structured crystals to convert sunlight into electricity for high-efficiency, low-cost electricity generation.
• Consists of a perovskite layer sandwiched between conducting materials (metal electrodes and glass).
• Material Composition: Metal-halide perovskites made of lead, iodide, and organic molecules.
• Carbon-Based Perovskite Solar Cells (CPSCs)
  • They are India’s first indigenous perovskite solar product designed for better stability and lower fabrication cost.
  • Enhanced thermal and moisture resistance achieved using Guanidinium iodide (GuI) and 5-aminovaleric acid iodide (5-AVAI).

• Key Benefits: Tunable optical, electrical and semiconducting properties; High light absorption, charge transport properties, and tunability make PSCs ideal for solar applications.

Issues Involved

• Stability Issues: PSCs have a shorter lifespan compared to silicon solar panels, limiting their sustainability in the long term.
• Key Concern: Contains toxic lead, posing environmental risks during disposal and recycling.
  • Previous Methods: Traditional recycling involved toxic organic solvents like dimethylformamide, increasing environmental hazards.

Green Recycling Method

• Water-Based Solution: A newly introduced water-based method avoids harmful organic solvents.
• Key Chemicals
  • Sodium acetate: Binds lead ions, forming lead acetate that dissolves in water.
  • Sodium iodide & Hypophosphorous acid: Regenerate pure perovskite crystals, enhancing quality.
• Recovery Rate: It recovers 99% of materials, maintaining efficiency over multiple recycling cycles.
• Efficiency: Even after five cycles, recycled cells demonstrate nearly identical efficiency to fresh materials.

Environmental and Economic Impact

• Circular Economy: The recycling process promotes a circular economy by reusing components, minimizing waste, and reducing the environmental impact.
• Reduced Environmental Footprint: The water-based method lowers emissions and operational costs, improving solar energy sustainability.
• Impact on Cost and Waste: The approach could make solar energy more affordable and efficient by reusing materials in new solar cells.
• Impact on India’s Goals: This green recycling method aligns with India’s commitment to renewable energy and could significantly enhance solar cell lifecycle sustainability, reducing solar waste.

Relevance to India’s Solar Energy Sector

• Current Solar Capacity: As of April 2025, India’s solar capacity stands at 105.65 GW, with a target of 100 GW by 2030.
• Government Initiatives: India’s solar programs, including PM-KUSUM and PM Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan, aim to expand solar energy and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

Also read > Solar Park Scheme; PM Suryodaya Yojna.

{GS3 – IS – Issues – Terrorism} Terror Attack in Pahalgam (J&K)

• Context (IE): Terror attack at Baisaran valley in Pahalgam.

• The Resistance Front (TRF), a Pakistan-backed terror outfit, has claimed responsibility for the attack.
• The Resistance Front came into existence in the year 2019 as a proxy outfit of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a proscribed terrorist organisation listed under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
• The deadliest attack on civilians before this incident was 25 years ago in March 2000, when 36 Indians were killed.

About Baisaran Valley Baisaran Valley, often referred to as the “Mini Switzerland of India,” is located just 5 km from Pahalgam. It is accessible only on foot or by pony ride. Famous for its scenic meadows, dense pine forests, and panoramic views of snow-capped mountains.

Recent Terror Attacks in J&K

• 2019 Pulwama Attack: The convoy of vehicles carrying Indian security personnel on the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway was attacked by a vehicle-borne suicide bomber.
  • The attack killed 40 Indian Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel.
• 2023 Rajouri Attacks: Shooting by terrorists led to the deaths of 7 persons.
• 2024 Reasi Attack: Militants opened fire on a passenger bus transporting Hindu pilgrims from the Shiv Khori cave to Katra. Nine people were killed in the attack, and an additional 41 were injured.
• Apart from it, several attacks had occurred in J&K, and many infiltration attempts and attacks were foiled by security forces.

Nature of Terrorism in J&K

• Cross-Border Terrorism: Pakistan-based terror groups like LeT carry out attacks in J&K with backing from Pakistan’s military and ISI.
• Home-Grown Militancy: Local youth are radicalised and recruited into terror groups due to propaganda, unemployment, or alienation.
• Hybrid Militants: Civilians who commit a single terror act and blend back into everyday life, making them hard to detect.

Reasons for Terror Attacks in J&K

• State-Sponsored Terrorism: Pakistan has long been accused of actively supporting terrorism in J&K as using terrorism as a proxy tool to destabilise the region without direct military engagement.
  • It is providing safe havens to terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed and offering logistical support, training camps, and weapons.
• Porous and Challenging Borders: The Line of Control (LoC) is characterised by rugged mountains, forests, and snow-covered terrain, which makes monitoring and patrolling extremely difficult. This geographical complexity allows for frequent infiltration of militants
• Over Ground Workers (OGWs): OGWs play a crucial but covert role in sustaining militancy in the region. They provide logistical support, intelligence, shelter, and communication assistance to active militants.
• Radicalisation Through Social Media and Online Platforms: Extremist groups effectively use social media, messaging apps, and encrypted networks to radicalise youth and coordinate activities.
• Alienation: Frequent curfews, crackdowns, and surveillance are often seen as oppressive, leading to alienation, especially among youth.

India’s Counter Terrorism Initiatives in J&K

• Operation All-Out: Military offensive launched in 2017 to eliminate top militants across Kashmir.
• Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA): Groups like Hizbul Mujahideen, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Lashkar-e-Taiba are banned under UAPA.
• Back to Village (B2V) Program: A unique rural outreach initiative where officers visit villages to assess public grievances and ensure development at the grassroots level.
• Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System: Aimed at modernising border security, especially along sensitive stretches like the India-Pakistan border in Jammu & Kashmir.
• Crackdown on Terror Finance: Such as seizure/attachment of properties belonging to terrorists and their associates under relevant section of Law and banning of anti-national organizations.
• Preventive Operations: Identifying the strategic supporters of terrorism and initiating investigations to expose their mechanisms of aiding and abetting terrorism.

Also Read> Militancy in J&K.

{GS3 – S&T – Defence – Missile} Sapsan Ballistic Missile

• Context (EAT): Russia has officially acknowledged the threat posed by Ukraine’s domestically developed Sapsan ballistic missile.

Key Features

• Also known as Grom-2, it is a short-range ballistic missile. An export variant, Hrim-2, was developed with Saudi Arabian funding. To comply with the MTCR, its range is limited to 280 km.
• Includes a 10-wheeled Transporter-Erector-Launcher (TEL) carrying two containerised missiles.

MTCR (Missile Technology Control Regime) is an informal political understanding among 35 countries aimed at limiting the proliferation of missile and drone technology capable of delivering weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The regime seeks to restrict the spread of missiles and related technologies, specifically those that could be used to produce nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons.

Capabilities:

• Range: 50 km to 400–500 km (reports suggest up to 700 km, which is faster than traditional drones, which have a speed of 150-200 km/hr).
• Warhead: 500 kg, capable of precision strikes on military targets, airfields, and command centres.
• Propulsion: Single-stage solid-fuel engine.
  • Engineered to evade air defence systems with an aeroballistic flight path, allowing it to alter its trajectory mid-flight, evading advanced Russian defences like S-300 and S-400.
• Accuracy: Circular error probable (CEP) of approximately 20 meters.
• Weight: Approx. 21 tons.

• Equipped with hybrid guidance (inertial navigation and GPS), providing high accuracy.
• Superior to the Iskander missile in terms of precision.

Also refer > Ballistic Missile vs. Cruise Missile, India’s Missile Systems, IGMDP.

{GS3 – S&T – Space} Lyrid Meteor Shower *

• Context (LM): The Lyrid meteor shower is set to peak during the early morning hours of April 22.
• Under clear, dark skies, observers in India may witness up to 20 meteors per hour, particularly between 3:00 AM and 5:00 AM, without telescopes or special equipment.

Credit: TOI

About Lyrid Meteor Shower

Origin and Mechanism

• Originates from Comet Thatcher, a long-period comet with an orbital period of around 415 years.
• As the comet moves through the solar system, it sheds a trail of dust and rocky particles along its orbit.
• Every year in mid to late April, Earth intersects this debris trail.
• When Earth passes through this region, meteoroids from the trail enter our atmosphere at high speeds and burn up due to friction, producing visible light streaks — meteors or “shooting stars”.

Physical Characteristics

• Global Visibility: Best seen in the Northern Hemisphere.
  • It radiates from the constellation Lyra, near Vega, with peak visibility varying by region:
    • Higher northern latitudes like Russia enjoy longer visibility due to better radiant positioning.
    • Tropical regions like India still get good views under clear, dark skies.
    • Southern Hemisphere visibility is limited due to the radiant’s low altitude.
• Entry Speed: Will enter Earth’s atmosphere at about 49 km/s.
• Size: Usually grain-sized, still produces bright fireballs and persistent glowing trails (also known as trains).
• Frequency: Though typically modest (10–20 meteors/hour), also known for sudden outbursts, such as the 1982 surge to 90 meteors/hour, making them unpredictable and scientifically intriguing.
• Duration of Peak: Have relatively short and sharp peaks, unlike some meteor showers that last longer.

Also refer > Asteroids, Asteroid Belt, Kuiper Belt, Comets, Meteoroid, Meteor and Meteorite.

{Prelims – PIN} Kumudini Lakhia (1930-2025)

• Context (IE): Kathak dancer Kumudini Lakhia recently passed away.

Credit: Wikipedia

• She was an Indian Kathak dancer and choreographer in Gujarat. She was particularly known for her multi-person choreographies.
• Lakhia started her Kathak from the Bikaner Gharana. Ashiq Hussain of Benaras Gharana and Sunder Prasad of the Jaipur school followed this.
• She founded Kadamb School of Dance and Music, an institute of Indian dance and music, in 1967.
• She also choreographed for the Hindi film Umrao Jaan (1981).
• Awards and Honours:
  • Padma Vibhushan (2025)
  • Padma Shri (1987)
  • Padma Bhushan (2010)
  • Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1982)
  • Kalidas Samman for the year 2002-03