Current Affairs – August 24-25, 2025

{GS2 – Governance – Issues} Supreme Court’s Modified Directions on Stray Dog Management **

Context (IE): The Supreme Court revised its earlier order on stray dogs, linking humane population control with public safety through sterilisation, regulated feeding, & municipal accountability.

Revised Judicial Mandates

Release Post-Sterilisation: Stray dogs to be returned after sterilisation, vaccination, and deworming.
Rabies Exclusion: Rabid or aggressive dogs must remain confined in separate shelters permanently.
Feeding Enforcement: Municipalities must designate feeding zones & penalise unsafe street feeding.

Mandated Administrative Measures

Helpline & Enforcement: Municipalities to set up helplines, enabling swift action against violations.
Adoption & Responsibility: Citizens/NGOs may adopt tagged dogs under municipal supervision.
Compliance Oversight: Authorities must file periodic statistics aligning with ABC Rules.

Governance Implications

Humane Regulation: Judicial directives ensure population control without indefinite confinement.
Accountability Shift: Feeding and adoption responsibilities moved under municipal oversight.
Unified Jurisdiction: Case expanded nationwide, consolidating pending High Court petitions.

Context (TH): Artificial Intelligence (AI) is enhancing care in healthcare through tools like eSanjeevani and TB screening. However, without inclusivity, it may deepen disparities.

Key Challenges for Health AI Systems

Digital Literacy Gaps: AI tools often assume tech and health literacy, which many rural or low-literacy users lack, leading to mistrust, misuse, or care delays.
Representation Gaps: Male-biased datasets can result in misdiagnoses for women. A 2024 McKinsey study found that women are up to 7 times more likely to be misdiagnosed for heart conditions.
Systemic Exclusion: AI may provide accurate advice, but it often overlooks cultural realities. In conservative settings, women may overlook their health unless advice reflects their lived reality.

Solutions for Better-Informed Health AI

Inclusive Data: Assess AI performance across demographics; retrain biased systems with diverse data to ensure clarity and accessibility for all users.
Community Partnerships: Involve diverse community panels in AI design and testing to ensure cultural relevance and local validation.
Clear Logic: Clearly explain AI decisions and limitations; publicly share dataset details and bias testing to promote trust.
Equity Checks: Monitor real-world outcomes and access equity and enable independent audits to identify and correct new disparities quickly.

{GS3 – IE – Inclusive Growth} Gender Equality in India **

Context (DH): As per NITI Aayog’s 2023-24 report, India remains an aspirant in SDG 5 (gender equality).

World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Report 2025 ranks India 131 out of 148, behind Bangladesh and Nepal.

Key Highlights

Education

Kerala leads with 95.2% female literacy, followed by Tamil Nadu (80.1%). Bihar (63.8%) and Rajasthan (65.3%) lag.
Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have crossed 80%, matching southern states.

Female Labour Force Participation (FLFP)

Himachal Pradesh (56.2%) tops, followed by Chhattisgarh (46.1%) and Tamil Nadu (35.2%).
Karnataka & Andhra Pradesh show a decline due to the loss of rural jobs and inadequate support systems.

Health Outcomes

Kerala and Tamil Nadu record institutional delivery rates above 98% and the lowest maternal mortality ratios (MMR).
Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh face high MMR (118-173) due to poor infrastructure.

Political Representation

Chhattisgarh (21%) and Uttar Pradesh (15%) lead in women’s assembly representation.
Southern states average around 12-13%, while Telangana (5%) and Himachal Pradesh (1%) report the lowest.
Despite a 33% quota in local bodies, party-level reluctance limits women’s presence in legislatures.

Emerging Trends and Insights

Shifting Divide: The north-south gender divide is becoming less binary, with smaller northern states making gains and some southern states facing new challenges.
Drivers: Local strategies, cultural change, and state reforms are driving progress.
Rapid Gains: States with historically excluded populations may now be seeing faster gender equity gains.
Growth Gap: Economic growth alone doesn’t ensure inclusion; southern states must refocus on women’s participation.

{GS3 – IE – Taxes} Rising Senior Citizen Tax Contributions **

Context (IE): Ministry of Finance reports a 28% increase in income tax from citizens over 70 in Assessment Year 2024-25 compared to the previous year.

Assessment Year is the year after the financial year during which income earned is assessed and taxed.

Senior Citizens’ Income Tax Contribution Trends

Overall income tax collections increased by 25% in FY 2023-24, indicating improved compliance.
Between FY 2019-20 and 2022-23, senior citizens consistently contributed around 5.3%–5.8% of total collections, with 2020-21 showing 8% growth despite an overall 1% decline.

In FY 2023-24, income tax collections hit ₹10.45 lakh crore, with citizens over 70 contributing 5.9%.

Key Drivers of the Trend

Digital filing, stricter reporting, and simplified regimes improved compliance and income reporting.
Pensions, deposits, dividends, rentals, & capital gains diversified income and expanded taxable bases.
Wider tax deduction at source (TDS) on deposits and capital gains increased upfront collections.

Rising life expectancy expanded the population above 70, increasing seniors’ overall tax contributions.

Life expectancy rose from 59.4 to 68.6 years for males and 60.4 to 71.4 for females between 1990-94 and 2016-20.

Read More > New Income-Tax Bill | India’s Taxation System

{GS3 – IE – Taxes} GST 2.0 Reform *

Context (TH | MC): The Group of Ministers (GoM) has approved the Centre’s proposal for a simplified two-rate structure under GST 2.0. reforms.

Key Provisions of GST 2.0

The current 12% and 28% GST slabs will be replaced by two slabs, 5% and 18%.
99% of items under the 12% slab shifted down to 5%.
90% of items under the 28% slab shifted down to 18%.
A new 40% slab is proposed for sin and ultra-luxury goods (e.g., tobacco, pan masala, high-end cars).

Read More About> Next-Generation GST Reforms

Objectives of the Reform

To create a simpler, pro-people, and transparent GST regime.
Reduce classification disputes and litigation.
To provide relief to consumers, farmers, MSMEs, and the middle class while safeguarding state revenues.

Understanding Sin Goods

Sin goods are items harmful to health or society, taxed heavily to discourage consumption.
Includes tobacco, pan masala, sugary drinks, gambling, luxury cars, and junk food.
The tax serves both revenue and public health goals.

Items Under 40% GST Slab: Tobacco products, sugary drinks, gambling & betting, luxury vehicles, and junk/processed foods (high in sugar, salt, or trans fats).

{GS3 – Envi – Species} Four Distinct Species of Giraffe *

Context (BBC): IUCN confirmed genetic evidence for four giraffe species, revising earlier taxonomy.

Recognised Species: Southern, Northern, Reticulated, and Masai giraffes are now distinct species.
Taxonomic Basis: Species separation is based on skull size, head shape, and genetic diversity.

Species	Distribution	Distinctive Feature	Note
Southern Giraffe	Southern Africa	Pale coat with rounded patches	Most numerous
Northern Giraffe	Central–Northeast Africa	Lighter coat with fewer patches	Most threatened
Reticulated Giraffe	Horn of Africa	Net-like polygonal patchwork	Most distinct
Masai Giraffe	East Africa	Irregular vine-leaf patches	Largest-bodied

From Left to Right: Southern, Northern, Reticulated & Masai Giraffe | Source: BBC

About Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis)

Tallest Animal: Giraffes are the tallest land mammals, reaching about 5.5 metres.
Habitat: Inhabit savannahs, open woodlands, and dry shrublands with scattered trees.
Range: Native across sub-Saharan Africa with fragmented local populations.
Diet: Herbivores; feeding mainly on acacia leaves and other thorny tree foliage.
Ecological Role: Act as landscape engineers by pruning trees and dispersing seeds.
Threats: Poaching, habitat loss, civil conflicts, and climate-driven droughts threaten survival.
Conservation Status: IUCN: Vulnerable| CITES: Appendix II

Source: IUCN

{GS3 – Envi – Conservation} Haryana’s Official Forest Definition **

Context (IE): The Haryana government officially defined the “dictionary meaning of forest” following the Supreme Court’s directive.

Supreme Court March 2025 Directives

In reviewing the FCA 2023, the SC directed states to define forests and create expert committees.
Committees must survey forests within six months using GIS-based Lafarge guidelines.
The court reaffirmed Godavarman’s broad scope, directing interim use until records are finalised.

Haryana’s Forest Definition

The Haryana Government defined forest as a patch of land with at least five hectares (if isolated) or two hectares (if in contiguity with notified forests), and a canopy density of 40%.
Explicit Exclusions: Linear, compact, agroforestry plantations and orchards outside notified forests.

Issues With Haryana’s Definition

Canopy Threshold: A 40% canopy density leaves drought-adapted Aravallis areas unprotected by FCA.
Area Threshold: Minimum of 2-5 hectares, ignores smaller but ecologically essential patches.
Encroachment Risk: Excluded areas remain prone to illegal mining &unchecked real estate expansion.

Forest Definitions in India

India lacks a uniform legal definition, leaving states to interpret the 1996 Godavarman ruling.
FCA 1980: Defines Forest land as areas recorded as forest, including reserved and protected lands.
FSI: Any land over 1 hectare with at least 10% canopy cover is forest, regardless of ownership.
T.N. Godavarman Case: “forest” includes all government-recorded forest areas, regardless of ownership.
FCA 2023 Amendment: Law limited to notified and recorded forests, narrowing Godavarman’s scope.

{GS3 – Envi – Conservation} Tiger Corridor Definition **

Context (IE): The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has limited the definition of tiger corridors to 32 “least cost pathways” identified in its 2014 report.

This will make obtaining mining clearances easier but may threaten tiger connectivity and survival.

Least Cost Pathways are GIS-based routes showing the easiest, least resistant paths for tiger movement.

Tiger Corridors

Tiger corridors are natural pathways that connect habitats fragmented by human settlements and infrastructure, enabling safe tiger movement and gene flow.
Tiger corridors are established under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, and require SC-NBWL (Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife) clearance for projects within them.
The previous NTCA definition included WII studies, Tiger Conservation Plans, All-India Tiger Estimates, and 2014 least-cost pathways.

Read More > About Tiger (Panthera tigris)

{GS3 – S&T – Defence} DRDO’s IADWS Test Success *

Context (IE): Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted the maiden flight test of the Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS).

What is IADWS?

It is a multi-layered, networked air defence system designed to neutralise a range of airborne threats.
Key Components:
- Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missiles (QRSAM), mid-range interception capability.
- Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS), designed for low-altitude, close-in threats.
- Directed Energy Weapon (DEW), a high-energy laser system to neutralise UAVs and drones.

Mission Sudarshan Chakra (Vision 2035)

It aims to build a comprehensive, networked national defence shield.
Integrates air defence, cybersecurity, and surveillance systems, and focuses on protecting borders and critical infrastructure and promotes self-reliance.

{GS3 – S&T – Space} Lunar Module Launch Vehicle (LMLV) *

Context (IE): ISRO is developing its heaviest rocket, the Lunar Module Launch Vehicle (LMLV), for lunar missions, including India’s first crewed Moon landing by 2040.

It replaces the Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV) and is approximately 40 stories tall.
Payload Capacity: It can carry 27 tonnes to the Moon and 80 tonnes to Low Earth Orbit (200-2000 km).
Propulsion System: Three stages; liquid propellants for the first two, and cryogenic for the third.
Timeline: It is expected to be completed and operational by the year 2035.

{Prelims – Bio – Diseases} Screwworm *

Context (DH): The US confirmed its first human case of New World screwworm, linked to international travel, raising concerns for the cattle and beef industry.

Screwworms are parasitic insects whose larvae feed on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals.
Major Species: New World Screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) is native to the Americas, while Old World Screwworm (Chrysomya bezziana) is native to Asia, Africa, and the Pacific.
Transmission: Female flies lay eggs in wounds, and larvae burrow through flesh in a screw-like motion.
Disease: Screwworm infestation, known as myiasis, is a WOAH-notifiable transboundary animal disease.
Impacts: Outbreaks cause livestock deaths, disrupt trade, and necessitate sterile insect control.

WOAH: The World Organisation for Animal Health, based in Paris, establishes global animal health standards and tracks transboundary diseases.
Global Spread: New World Screwworm eradicated in the 1960s, resurging northward since 2023.
India Prevalence: Old World Screwworm causes most myiasis cases, peaking during the monsoon.

Credit: Reuters

{Prelims – Envi – Species} Nature’s Architects *

Context (TOI): Wild species build remarkably complex and sustainable homes, often more advanced than human designs.

Species with Remarkable Home-Building Skills

Beavers

Semi-aquatic mammals from the genus Castor.
Build dams using wood, mud, and stones to flood areas and form ponds.
Construct dome-shaped lodges with underwater entrances, multiple chambers.
Their damming creates wetlands, supporting fish, amphibians, birds, and aquatic plants.

Prairie Dogs

Construct extensive tunnel networks with nurseries, sleeping areas, waste zones, & listening chambers.
Mounds prevent flooding and serve as lookout points.
Include secret escape routes for added safety.

Termites

Build towering mounds (up to 10 feet tall) in Africa and Australia.
Structures include nurseries, fungus gardens, queen’s chambers, and ventilation shafts for climate control.