Current Affairs – July 31, 2025

{GS2 – IR – India-US} India–U.S. Trade Tensions

• Context (IE | HT | IE): U.S. President Donald Trump has proposed a 25% tariff on Indian goods starting August 1, 2025, citing India’s trade alignment with Russia and protectionist tendencies.

What Triggered the Trade Tensions?

• Trade Deficit Concerns: Trump slammed India’s “obnoxious” trade practices and high tariffs, citing a large U.S.-India trade deficit.
• Russia Factor: India’s continued oil purchases and defence ties with Russia post-Ukraine war remain key irritants.
• Stalled Trade Deal: Previous trade talks showed promise and a possible deal, with a potential agreement in sight, but the tariffs suggest strategic posturing.

Economic and Strategic Implications

Strains on Global Trade Norms

• WTO Bypass: Imposing tariffs without prior consultation undermines the multilateral spirit of WTO rules.
• Rise of Geoeconomics: Reflects how strategic interests are overtaking rule-based trade norms, weakening the post-WWII global trade architecture.

India’s Trade Policy Dilemma

• Balancing Act: India must uphold strategic autonomy in sectors like defence and energy while managing rising U.S. pressure.
• Trigger for Reform: The tariff shock may accelerate efforts to expand export destinations and strengthen domestic manufacturing.

India–U.S. Relations

• Strategic Continuity: Despite short-term friction, cooperation on QUAD, Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), and G20 signals long-term alignment.
• Trust Deficit: Unilateral moves like these could stall progress on a comprehensive trade pact and strain overall India–U.S. relations, weakening confidence.

The U.S. retained its position as India’s largest trading partner for the fourth consecutive year (2024–25), with bilateral trade valued at $131.84 billion, reflecting deepening economic and strategic ties.

Impact on Indian Exports

• Vulnerable Sectors: Exports of textiles, pharmaceuticals, auto parts, engineering goods, and IT services may face disruption based on final tariff lists.
• India’s Exposure: A 25-26% tariff puts India at a disadvantage compared to Indonesia (19%) and Vietnam (20-40%), though better than China (30-34%) & Bangladesh (35%).
• Dependency Risk: Pharma, electronics, and engineering may be hit by trans-shipment clauses, as many inputs are imported from China.
• Additional Pressures: A proposed 10% BRICS tariff on Russian oil buyers and extra duties on steel & aluminium could add to trade strain.
• MSMEs & Jobs: Smaller exporters may struggle to absorb costs, risking job losses and reduced global competitiveness.

Way Forward

• Trade Diplomacy: Pursue high-level bilateral talks through the Trade Policy Forum and explore an interim sector-specific deal (pharma, digital services, agriculture) to stabilise relations.
• Export Diversification: Fast-track FTAs with the EU, ASEAN, Africa, and Latin America while exploring rupee-based trade and regional supply chain integration to reduce U.S. dependency.
• Domestic Competitiveness: Scale up PLI schemes, modernise logistics, and provide MSMEs with targeted credit, export insurance, and digital trade tools to absorb external shocks.

Read More> India-US Relations

{GS2 – IR – Issues} Iran’s GPS Exit and Tech Cold War

• Context (AZ): Iran’s shift from US-controlled GPS to China’s BeiDou during the US-Israel conflict reflects an evolving global ‘tech cold war’.

Rationale Behind Iran’s Exit from GPS

• GPS disruptions during conflict revealed Iran’s reliance on US systems, triggering national security concerns.
• Iran linked the assassinations of its nuclear scientists to telecom infiltration, raising fears of surveillance through Western apps like WhatsApp.
• BeiDou provides an alternative that supports Iran’s push for digital independence and secure communications.

Broader Technological Realignment

• Western Hegemony: The West’s long-held tech dominance, from operating systems to satellite networks, is now facing growing challenges.
• Rise of Regional Systems: Navigation systems like China’s BeiDou, Russia’s GLONASS, and Europe’s Galileo offer sovereign alternatives to GPS.
• Technological Multipolarity: China’s Belt and Road Initiative is expanding digital infrastructure, building a tech ecosystem that promotes political defiance & strategic ties beyond the West.
• Emerging Tech Blocs: A new “tech cold war” is unfolding where infrastructure choices reflect political alignment over technological superiority.

Way Forward

• Global Tech Governance: Establish international norms on digital sovereignty, platform neutrality, and cross-border data protection to curb digital fragmentation.
• Strategic Adaptation: Nations must treat digital infrastructure as a critical element of national security and adjust their foreign policy frameworks accordingly.
• India’s Balanced Tech Diplomacy: India should fast-track indigenous systems like NavIC while building diversified global tech partnerships to maintain strategic autonomy.

{GS3 – IE – Urbanization} Slums in Flood-Prone Zones

• Context (TH): A recent study found that India has over 158 million slum dwellers in floodplain settlements, the highest in the world.

Findings of the Study

India-Specific Findings

• India’s Exposure: India hosts 158 million slum dwellers in floodplains, the highest globally.
• Ganga Delta: Most flood-prone slum settlements lie concentrated in the Ganga delta.
• Urban Share: 40% of Indian slum dwellers live in vulnerable urban flood zones.
• Northern Cluster: Northern India holds the world’s densest floodplain slum population.

Global & Comparative Findings

• Global South: 33% of Global South slum settlements lie in flood-exposed areas.
• Cluster Scale: 67,568 clusters worldwide have faced flooding, housing 445 million residents.
• Hotspot Spread: South Asia, Rwanda, Morocco, and Brazil‘s coast have dense flood-prone slums.
• Urban Contrast: Latin America’s flood risk is urban; Africa’s includes high rural exposure zones.
• Risk Gradient: Slum households are 32% more likely than others to settle in floodplains.
• Africa Concentration: Sub-Saharan Africa has the world’s highest floodplain slum share at 80%.

Drivers of Floodplain Slum Settlement

• Cheaper Land: Floodplains offer low-cost land, attracting informal settlement growth.
• Job Access: Urban flood zones offer job access, despite high disaster exposure.
• Forced Displacement: Gentrification pushes poor migrants into flood-prone slum clusters.
• Housing Deficit: Formal housing shortage fuels encroachment into flood-sensitive marginal zones.
• Zoning Failure: Weak enforcement allows slum spread on drainage and canal lands.
• Survival Trade-off: Slum settlers knowingly accept flood risk in exchange for immediate shelter.

Challenges Faced by Flood-prone Slums

• Asset Loss: Recurring floods trap slum households in intergenerational poverty cycles.
• Sanitation Deficit: Poor drainage and toilets worsen waterlogging and contamination post-floods.
• Health Risk: Stagnant water spreads dengue, malaria, and diarrhoeal disease outbreaks.
• Service Breakdown: Floods sever access to water, power, schools, and healthcare.
• Insurance Gap: Most slum dwellers lack access to flood insurance or compensation.
• Awareness Deficit: Low literacy and poor alerts reduce disaster preparedness capacity.
• Rescue Challenge: Dense clusters hinder evacuation and amplify flood-related damage.

Way Forward

• Targeted Planning: Prioritise slum zones in flood resilience and adaptation strategies.
• Local Infrastructure: Build flood-resilient drains, soak pits, and sanitation in informal settlements.
• Community Planning: Involve slum residents in flood alerts and relief planning.
• Risk Protection: Promote slum-accessible micro-insurance and post-flood social safety nets.
• Data Tools: Use ML & satellite tools to map and monitor slum flood vulnerability.
• SDG Integration: Integrate slum flood resilience strategies with Sustainable Development Goals.
  • Particularly SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 13 (Climate Action), to ensure inclusive, climate-resilient urban development.

{GS3 – Agri – Sustainability} Farming as a Career Option

• Context (PIB): The Government of India has launched targeted skilling and extension initiatives to promote farming as a viable career for rural youth.

Key Trends in Agriculture Employment Agrifood Employment: In 2025, 44% of working youth relied on agrifood systems. Rural Youth Base: Two-thirds of youth live rurally; ~70% are agriculture-linked by work or income. Interest Gap: Nearly 80% show interest, but only ~5% pursue farming careers. Workforce Shift: Agricultural workforce rose from 42.4% in 2019 to 45.4% in 2022.

Significance of Farming as a Career

• Farming offers rooted livelihoods with autonomy, startup potential, and rural relevance.

• Food Security: Youth engagement in farming strengthens food security and production continuity.
• Local Livelihood: Farming enables dignified income and reduces distress-driven urban migration.
• Technology Uptake: Youth are more likely to adopt agri-tech tools for precision and digital farming.
• Work Flexibility: Farming provides autonomy over time, crop, and income decisions.
• Social Identity: Farming connects youth to land, tradition, and community-based rootedness.

Challenges in Attracting Youth to Agriculture

• Farming suffers from a perception trap, policy volatility, and pipeline-to-enterprise gaps.

• Land Inaccessibility: Informal tenancy and landlessness limit youth entry into farming.
• Credit Barriers: Lack of collateral and startup capital blocks agri-enterprises for youth.
• Skill Gaps: Skilling schemes lack follow-up support, such as market or credit linkages.
• Market Instability: Poor price discovery and logistics reduce income reliability.
• Climate Risk: Weather shocks and weak insurance deter new farm entrants.
• Social Perception: Farming is viewed as low-prestige and unsuitable for educated youth.

Government Initiatives to Promote Farming Careers

• India’s agri-policy is shifting from subsidy delivery to fostering ‘Agripreneurship’ in Agriculture 2.0.
• KVKs: Krishi Vigyan Kendras train rural youth at the district level through agri-skilling & demonstrations.
• ARYA: Attracting and Retaining Youth in Agriculture (ARYA) trains youth in farm micro-enterprises.
• STRY: Skill Training of Rural Youth (STRY) provides 7-day training in agriculture and allied sectors.
• ATMA: Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) offers ICT-enabled agri-training.
• ACABC: Agri-Clinics and Agri-Business Centres (ACABC) support agri-graduates with credit linkage.
• KVK–FPO Linkage: KVKs link trained youth to FPOs for collective procurement and market linkage.
• SVEP: Start-Up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP) under DAY-NRLM funds rural enterprises.

Reforms Needed to Make Farming a Viable Vocation

• To unlock youth retention, farming needs scale, credibility, and assured returns.
• Diversification: Scale high-value farming like horticulture, fishery, & processing to widen farm income.
• Finance Access: Provide soft loans, insurance, and startup grants to young farm entrepreneurs.
• Skill Linkage: Link skilling programs to FPOs, incubation, and local market networks.
• Tech Integration: Use mobile apps and drones to modernise youth farm operations.
• Tenancy Reform: Legalise leases and earmark land for trained youth farmers.
• Mentorship Support: Develop agri-mentorship programs that pair youth with farm entrepreneurs.
• Perception Shift: Promote agri-careers through targeted curricula, success stories, & youth fairs.

{GS3 – Envi – Pollution} Environment Protection (Management of Contaminated Sites) Rules, 2025

• Context (TH): The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has notified the Environment Protection (Management of Contaminated Sites) Rules, 2025.

• These rules aim to provide a legal framework for identifying, assessing, and remediating chemically contaminated sites across India.

As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), contaminated sites are areas where hazardous waste was historically dumped, leading to soil, groundwater, & surface water contamination.

Key Provisions of the New Rules

• Legal Framework: Codifies the identification, assessment, and clean-up of chemically contaminated sites under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, enacted after the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, is a central law that serves as the umbrella legislation for environmental protection. It forms the basis for key rules like the EIA Notification, Hazardous Waste Rules, Coastal Regulation Zone Rules, & the Contaminated Sites Rules, 2025.

• Local-Level Reporting: District administrations must submit half-yearly reports on “suspected contaminated sites.”

• Tiered Assessment Process:
  • Preliminary Assessment: Conducted by the State Pollution Control Board or designated agency within 90 days.
  • Detailed Survey: Completed within the next 90 days to assess contamination by 189 hazardous chemicals as per Hazardous Waste Rules, 2016.
• Site Restrictions: Sites exceeding safety limits will be publicly declared and access restricted.
• Polluter Pays Principle: Clean-up is the polluter’s responsibility; if defunct or unable to pay, the Centre and States will intervene.
• Criminal Liability: Loss of life or property will be adjudicated under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

• Exclusions: The new rules do not apply to radioactive contamination, mining waste, oil pollution at sea, or municipal solid waste from dumpsites.

Structural Limitations

• Remediation Capacity: Only 7 of 103 sites cleaned, highlighting technical and financial bottlenecks.
• Coordination Gaps: Involvement of multiple agencies hampers smooth implementation.
• Remediation Timelines: Identification is time-bound, but clean-up durations remain undefined.

Way Forward

• Establish a centralised digital registry to map contaminated sites with real-time remediation updates.
• Promote green, low-cost remediation technologies via PPPs and global collaborations.
• Create a dedicated “Hazardous Site Remediation Fund” under the National Clean Energy & Environment Fund for timely clean-up in polluter-default cases.

{GS3 – IS – Issues} UN Validates India’s Terror Charges

• Context (TOI): The recent report by the UN Security Council’s 1267 Monitoring Team named The Resistance Front (TRF) for its role in the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu & Kashmir.

The Resistance Front (TRF) is a proxy terror group affiliated with the Lashkar-e-Taiba. Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) is a terror organisation based in Pakistan and listed by the UN. The UNSC’s 1267 Committee enforces sanctions on designated terrorists, groups, and entities.

Significance of the UN Report for India

• UN Recognition: Marks the first official UN acknowledgement of TRF’s role in terrorism.
• Validates India’s Claims: Reaffirms India’s stance on Pakistan-backed proxy terror groups in Kashmir.
• Boosts Sanctions Push: Strengthens India’s effort to list TRF under the UN 1267 sanctions regime.

Read More > Global Fight Against Terrorism

{GS3 – DM – Floods} Flash Floods in India

• Context (IE): Flash floods in India are now claiming hundreds of lives annually, as seen in recent tragedies across Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim, highlighting the growing climate crisis.

About Flash Floods

• Meaning: Sudden increases in water levels that occur during or immediately after intense rainfall.
  • These are highly localised events of short duration with a very high peak, typically occurring within six hours of the rainfall.
• Annual Impact: Flash floods cause over 5,000 deaths each year in India.
• Rising Frequency: The number of flash flood events increased from 132 to 184 between 2020 & 2022.

Driving Factors of Flash Floods

Natural Factors

• Extreme Rainfall Events: Only 25% of flash floods are due solely to extreme precipitation.
• Soil Saturation: Wet or saturated soil before rainfall reduces water absorption, causing immediate runoff and floods.
• Topography & Slope: Steep slopes and high-relief areas, especially in the Himalayas, accelerate water flow, increasing flood risk.

Anthropogenic Factors

• Changing Hydrology: Dam operations, canal systems, & water diversion alter natural river flow.
• Encroachment: Construction on floodplains, loss of wetlands, & poor drainage obstructs water flow.
• Climate Change: Rising temperatures intensify rainfall, increasing both frequency & intensity of floods.

Climate-Driven Flash Floods Heat Humidification: A 1°C rise in global temperature increases atmospheric moisture by 7%, intensifying rainfall & elevating flash flood risks. Flood Intensification: Extreme rainfall events during India’s pre-monsoon season doubled between 1981 & 2020. Climate Flooding: Flash floods surged in the Brahmaputra, Ganga, & Krishna basins, with even non-prone sub-basins now showing increased wet hours and precipitation. Melting Glaciers: In mountainous regions, glacial melt due to warming triggers flash floods. E.g., Uttarakhand flash floods in 2021.

Impacts of Flash Floods

• Property Damage: Homes, infrastructure, & agricultural lands can be severely damaged or destroyed.
• Economic Losses: The destruction of infrastructure & properties leads to significant economic losses and livelihood disruptions.
• Environmental Impact: Flash floods cause soil erosion, sediment deposition & contamination of water.
• Human Lives: Flash floods can lead to loss of life due to their sudden onset and high velocity.

Adaptation Strategies for Flash Floods

• Localised Planning: Develop adaptation strategies based on regional factors like topography and soil, not solely based on rainfall intensity.
• Proactive Readiness: Improve localised early warning systems and disaster preparedness mechanisms for timely response.
• Resilient Infrastructure: Recognise emerging flash flood hotspots & invest in resilient infrastructure.
• Holistic Zoning: Adapt land-use & flood management policies in response to changing rainfall patterns.
• Zoning Declaration: Designate vulnerable areas as official flash flood zones.

Read More > Flash Floods

{Prelims – Envi – Species} Rediscovery of the World’s Smallest Snake

• Context (TH): The Barbados threadsnake, the world’s smallest-known snake, has been rediscovered on the island after nearly 20 years of being considered extinct.

About the Species

• Scientific Name: Tetracheilostoma carlae.
• Size: Up to 10 cm long; fits comfortably on a coin.
• Habitat: Subterranean, found under rocks and leaf litter.
• Ecological Role: Feeds on ants and termites; lays a single slender egg.
• Identification: Pale yellow dorsal lines.

Credit: TH

{Prelims – In News} Gold Remains Solid Beyond Melting Point

• Context (TH): Study finds that gold can stay solid at nearly 14 times its melting point when rapidly heated, challenging existing assumptions on material limits.

Understanding the Breakthrough

• Superheating Phenomenon: When a solid remains intact even after surpassing its melting point, usually only slightly before melting occurs. It was assumed to be limited by an “entropy catastrophe.”
• The Experiment: Researchers used ultrashort laser pulses (45 femtoseconds) to rapidly heat 50 nm gold nanofilms, leaving no time for melting or relaxation.
  • High-resolution inelastic X-ray scattering confirmed gold stayed solid for a few trillionths of a second, a notable duration at the nanoscale.

Entropy Catastrophe is the theoretical limit where a solid becomes thermodynamically unstable & must melt.

Significance

• Heat-Resistant Materials: Helps design materials for rocket engines, fusion reactors, etc.
• Planetary Science: Explains matter behaviour in planetary or stellar cores.
• Thermodynamic Insights: Refines understanding of phase change and entropy limits.
• Advanced Material Control: Enables precise control in nanotech and ultrafast processes.

{Prelims – In News} POLNET

• Context (LM): India is upgrading Police Network (POLNET), a secure satellite system that offers real-time communication for police and security forces, especially in remote and border areas.

• Original Launch: POLNET was launched in 2002 and commissioned nationwide in 2006.
• Developed by: Directorate of Coordination Police Wireless (DCPW) under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• POLNET 2.0: An upgraded version launched in 2020 with advanced features.
  • Multimedia Capability: It introduced video conferencing and sharing.
  • Remote Connectivity: POLNET 2.0 connects remote and border police stations to central systems.
  • Emergency Deployment: It uses portable flyaway VSAT terminals for disaster or urgent field use.

Flyaway VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) is a portable, compact satellite communication system that provides instant two-way communication in remote or disaster-affected areas.