Current Affairs – August 30, 2025

{GS2 – MoRD – Schemes} MGNREGS Funding Constraints **

• Context (TH): MGNREGS faces funding shortages as the first-quarter funds for FY 2025-26 are nearly exhausted, necessitating reallocation.

• The Ministry of Finance had limited MGNREGS spending to 60% of its annual budget for the first half of FY 2025-26, aligning with Monthly/Quarterly Expenditure Plans (MEP/QEP) to manage cash flows.

Also Refer> MGNREGA

Current Issues with MGNREGS

• Liability Burden: Nearly 38% of the 2025–26 funds were allocated to cover arrears from FY 2024–25.
• Employment Deficit: Households averaged 47–52 workdays out of the 100-day statutory guarantee.
• Wage Liabilities: Pending dues of ₹17,259 crore in April 2025 delayed the timely disbursal of wages.
• Governance Gaps: Inspections revealed misappropriation of funds, but only seven states submitted Action Taken Reports (ATRs).

Read More> Revising NREGA Wage Rates

{GS2 – Governance – Issues} Rajasthan First State with Stray Dog Rules

• Context (LM): Rajasthan issued India’s first stray dog management rules under the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules 2023, following the Supreme Court directive on humane stray management.

• Local bodies must enforce rules within 30 days and establish feeding points after consulting residents.
• Municipalities must provide care and aftercare facilities with CCTV and a transparency mechanism.
• Only trained staff may humanely catch strays; puppies ≤ six months & lactating mothers are exempt.

Read More> Supreme Court’s Modified Direction on Stray Dog Management

{GS2 – Social Sector – Education} UDISE+ 2024–25 Report

• Context (PIB): The Ministry of Education released the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) 2024–25 report on India’s school education.

• Teacher Milestone: Teacher strength exceeded one crore for the first time, a 6.7% rise since 2022–23.
• Instructional Equity: The Pupil–Teacher Ratio improved at all levels, surpassing the NEP benchmark.
• Systemic Progress: Dropout rates declined, and retention rose to 98.9% at the foundational level.
• Educational Inclusion: The Gross Enrolment Ratio increased from 89.5% to 90.3% (Middle level), and from 66.5% to 68.5% (Secondary level).
• Gender Equity: Female teachers increased to 54.2%, and girls’ enrolment reached 48.3%.
• Infrastructure Progress: Nearly universal access to safe drinking water was achieved; improved computer and internet facilities enhanced digital learning.

{GS2 – Social Sector – Education} NIRF Rankings Under Scrutiny

• Context (TH): The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) faces criticism for manipulation and lack of transparency, with cases from Andhra University and IIM Mumbai.

Key Issues

• Andhra University: Claimed 702 faculty in NIRF, but RTI shows only 192, over 60% posts vacant.
• IIM Mumbai: Jumped from 27th to 6th (2019-2024) by allegedly inflating faculty and financial data.
• Methodology: One-third of score based on self-reported faculty data, prone to misuse.

Recommendations

• Random audits and surprise field visits to verify faculty and course delivery.
• Mandatory disclosure of course-faculty mapping.
• Release of raw NIRF data in open-access format for independent analysis.

{GS2 – IR – Issues} Famine in Gaza

• Context (TH): The United Nations-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has declared a famine in Gaza Governorate, the first officially declared famine in West Asia.

What is a Famine?

• A famine is the most severe level of acute food insecurity. For an area to be classified (IPC Phase 5), all three criteria must be met:
  1. Food Access: At least 20% of households face extreme food shortages, unable to meet basic needs.
  2. Child Malnutrition: Acute malnutrition affects ≥30% of children (6-59 months), measured by weight-for-height, arm circumference, or oedema.
  3. Death Rate: Crude mortality rate is ≥2 deaths per 10,000 people/day, or ≥4 under-five deaths per 10,000 children/day.

{GS3 – IE – Industry} Industry 5.0 **

• Context (IE): India is embracing Industry 5.0, focusing on human-machine collaboration and putting people at the centre of industrial innovation.

Preparing for Industry 5.0

• Skill Development: Workers need proficiency in AI, robotics, data analytics, IoT, and cybersecurity, along with creativity, adaptability, and critical thinking.
• Policy Support: A national Industry 5.0 roadmap and stronger innovation clusters are essential for sustainable growth.
  • AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education) Initiatives like 2025 declared “Year of AI” with training for 40 million students, hackathons, faculty programs.

Way Forward

• Smart Manufacturing: Invest in digital twins, cobots (collaborative robots), and AI on factory floors.
• Regional Innovation: Strengthen innovation clusters in Tier 2/3 cities, leveraging the skilled yet underutilised youth workforce.
• Ethical Governance: Enact strong governance for ethical AI deployment and data security, to avoid digital divides & IP risks.
• Sustainable Exports: Mainstream sustainability and mass customisation in export-facing sectors (textiles, pharma, automotive), to stay globally competitive.

Read More> India Entering the Fourth Industrial Revolution

{GS3 – S&T – Tech} ISRO Tech Transfer to Boost Self-Reliance **

• Context (TH): IN-SPACe transferred five ISRO technologies to private firms to lower imports, enhance self-reliance, and support applications in automotive, biomedical, and industrial sectors.
• IN-SPACe is an independent, single-window agency within the Department of Space (DOS) that facilitates private sector participation in space.

Key Technologies Transferred

• Ceramic Module: Low-Temperature Co-Fired Ceramic (LTCC) module integrates semiconductor chips.
• Solar Adhesive: Room Temperature Vulcanising (RTV) Single-Part Adhesive bonds solar panels.
• Film Adhesives: Epoxy film adhesives improve the strength of aerospace composite structures.
• Power Converter: 30W Hybrid Micro-Circuit DC-DC converter ensures satellite power regulation.
• 3D Alloy: Anodization of 3D-printed Al-10Si-Mg alloy improves aerospace applications durability.

{GS3 – S&T – Tech} Rare Quadruple Star System Discovered *

• Context (IE): Astronomers have discovered a rare quadruple star system, UPM J1040−3551, with two brown dwarfs orbiting two red dwarfs, a first of its kind.

Brown Dwarfs

• Known as “failed stars”, they form like stars but lack mass to sustain hydrogen fusion.
• Have planet-like atmospheres (E.g., water vapour clouds).
• Can be up to 70 times the mass of Jupiter.
• Brown dwarfs are cold and faint, emitting little visible light.

Red Dwarfs

• Red dwarfs are the faintest main-sequence stars, less than 1/1000^th as bright as the Sun.
• Due to their low luminosity, they are not visible to the naked eye.
• Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to the Sun, is a red dwarf.

Read More> Star Formation (Stellar Evolution or Life Cycle of A Star)

{Prelims – Envi – Air Pollution} Toxic Air Quality in India

• Context (DH): A recent study (Air Quality Life Index, EPIC) shows India’s PM2.5 levels average eight times higher than the WHO safe limit of 5 µg/m³.

Extent of the Crisis

• On average, air pollution reduces life expectancy by 3.5 years nationwide, while in Delhi, this figure rises to 8.2 years.
• Approximately 46% of the population lives in areas with PM2.5 levels exceeding India’s limit of 40 µg/m³.
• Meeting WHO standards could extend lives by up to 7.8 years in the cleanest regions.

Read More> Air Pollution

{Prelims} One Liners

• India-Bangladesh Border Cooperation (NOA): India and Bangladesh have agreed to intensify joint efforts in combating trans-border crimes. Focus: Coordinated border plan, awareness campaigns, zero tolerance for terrorism, fencing, and riverbank protection.
• Aadhaar Biometric Update (NOA): UIDAI asked schools to complete timely Aadhaar biometric updates for children aged 5–15 through the UDISE+ platform. UDISE+: A centralised platform collecting and monitoring nationwide school and student data for planning.