Current Affairs – June 07, 2025
{GS2 – IR – India-China} China’s Brahmaputra Dams & Implications on India
- Context (IE): China has planned Medog (or Motuo) Hydropower Project, in Medog County near the ‘Great Bend’ where Brahmaputra (Yarlung Tsangpo) makes a U-turn and plunges into a canyon before entering Arunachal Pradesh.
- The planned 60,000-MW Medog project will be the world’s largest hydropower facility, with a generation capacity three times that of Three Gorges Dam, currently the world’s largest hydropower station.
Credits: India Today
Other Projects on the Brahmaputra River by China
| Dam Name | Capacity (MW) (Approx.) | Status |
| Zangmu | 510 | Operational |
| Jiacha | 360 | Operational |
| Dagu | 660 | Operational |
| Jiexu | 510 | Under construction |
| Bayu | 800 | Proposed |
| Lengda | 320 | Work likely to begin this year |
| Zhongda | 320 | Proposed |
| Langzhen | 340 | Proposed |
Impact of China’s upstream interventions on India
- Hydrological Risks: Most Chinese dams are run-of-the-river projects with minimal water storage, but they can still affect river flow impacting hydropower projects in Assam and downstream states.
- Agricultural Impact: Large dams may trap silt and sediments, which normally enrich the fertile floodplains. This can lead to reduced soil fertility in agricultural regions of Assam and West Bengal.
- Ecological impact: Disruption of fragile Himalayan ecosystem due to altered water flow & habitat changes. Sudden release of stored water can lead to flash floods, threatening flood-prone areas like Assam.
- Increased risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), potentially triggered by dam-induced changes.
- Seismic Risks: Construction of large dams and reservoirs increases the risk of earthquake-induced dam failure or landslides, aggravating disaster vulnerability.
- Geopolitical & Strategic Concerns: China has used water control as a geopolitical tool, withholding critical hydrological data during tense moments (e.g., 2017 Doklam standoff).
- Due to the absence of binding water-sharing treaty between India and China for Brahmaputra, control over upstream water flow gives China strategic leverage in regional politics and security.
Steps taken by India
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Hydropower Projects:
- Upper Siang Project: A multipurpose dam aimed at regulating water flow and generating clean hydroelectric power to balance upstream interventions.
- Dibang Valley Project (10 GW capacity): One of India’s largest hydropower initiatives designed to counterbalance China’s infrastructure build-up on the Brahmaputra.
- River-Linking Projects: Manas–Sankosh–Teesta–Ganga Link and Jogighopa–Teesta–Farakka Link
Both projects aim to transfer surplus water from Brahmaputra tributaries to the Ganga basin. -
Data Sharing Mechanisms:
- Expert Level Mechanism: Established in 2006 to facilitate hydrological data sharing, although effectiveness is limited.
- MoUs on Brahmaputra & Sutlej: The Brahmaputra MoU lapsed in 2023 (renewable every 5 years), raising concerns over transparency. An Umbrella MoU signed in 2013 remains valid but lacks binding enforcement.
Way Forward
- Scientific & Strategic Monitoring: Conduct continuous assessment of flow variations, sedimentation, and seismic risks linked to upstream dams.
- Hydro-Diplomacy: Advocate for a treaty-based, legally binding water-sharing agreement with China to ensure transparency and equitable usage. Promote multilateral cooperation involving India, China, Bangladesh, and Bhutan to manage Brahmaputra basin resources jointly.
- Disaster Preparedness: Strengthen early-warning systems for floods & dam-related emergencies. Develop flood-resilient infrastructure in flood-prone Assam & northeastern states to mitigate risks.
- Ecological Safeguards: Preserve riverine biodiversity, wetlands, and forests to maintain ecological balance. Monitor environmental changes like desertification in Tibet, which could worsen water scarcity downstream.
{GS3 – Envi – Plastic Pollution} Nanoplastics making E. Coli more virulent
- Context (TH): Nanoplastics could make Escherichia coli (E. Coli), a foodborne pathogen, more virulent.
Credit: TH
Key Findings
- E. coli has negatively charged cell membranes that attract positively charged nanoplastics, thus increasing bacterial stress, causing E. coli to produce more harmful toxins, such as Shiga-like toxins.
- Nanoplastics impair immune responses by reducing the ability of immune cells to kill bacteria. Also promote antimicrobial resistance by carrying resistance genes & induce genetic changes that enhance survival & pathogenicity of E. coli.
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About Escherichia coli (E. coli)
- E. coli is a type of bacteria that belongs to the larger group called faecal coliforms, which are commonly found in the intestines of humans and animals.
- They benefit their hosts by producing Vitamin K2 and preventing pathogenic bacteria from colonising the intestine, forming a symbiotic relationship.
- However, if these bacteria penetrate the kidney or other parts of the body, they can cause gastroenteritis, urinary tract infections, neonatal meningitis, hemorrhagic colitis, and Crohn’s disease.
Nanoplastics
- Tiny plastic particles measuring between 1 nanometer (nm) and 1000 nm in size. They consist of synthetic polymers or heavily modified natural polymers.
- Types of Nanoplastics:
- Primary Nanoplastics: Manufactured intentionally for industrial, medical, or consumer applications.
- Secondary Nanoplastics: Formed unintentionally through the breakdown and fragmentation of larger plastic debris due to UV radiation, mechanical abrasion, or biodegradation.
- Applications: Used in cosmetics, medicine (drug delivery), manufacturing for durability and lightweight material, and potential environmental cleanup.
- Concerns: They accumulate in ecosystems and food chains, disrupt microbes and aquatic life, increase bacterial virulence, and pose potential risks of toxicity and inflammation in humans.
Also Read > Micro and nano-plastics in bottled water
{GS3 – IE – Industry} Issue of Sustainability in India’s Textile Industry
- Context (DTE | TH): India’s textile boom is causing massive waste. A circular economy with Extended producers responsibility (EPR), innovation, and mindful consumption is key to sustainability.
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Textile Waste: Status
- Textile industry generates approx. 7,800 kilotonnes of waste every year, 8.5% of the world’s annual textile waste. It is the 3rd largest contributor to dry municipal solid waste.
- Only 34% of textile waste is reused, often through informal repair/upcycling. Only 25% is recycled. Remaining waste is either incinerated, downcycled into lower-value products, or dumped in landfills.
- India is the 2nd largest producer of Man-Made Fibres (MMFs) globally, with polyester and viscose making up 94% of the total. MMFs are non-biodegradable and release microplastics into water bodies during washing.
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Factors Responsible for soaring Textile waste
- Lack of Standardisation: No national mechanism to quantify or classify textile waste systematically.
- Resource inefficiency: Low recovery — a large share fails to re-enter the textile production cycle.
- Unorganised chain: Fragmented recycling infrastructure, informal waste sector (~4 million informal workers involved in textile waste handling, lacking formal training, safety nets), low technology uptake.
- Landfill overload: Most textile waste is dumped in landfills, release methane (a potent GHG) and toxic leachate, contaminating soil & groundwater.
- E.g. Noyyal river (Tamil Nadu) polluted due to untreated textile effluents from Tirupur. Bandi River (Rajasthan) polluted by textile units in Pali, Rajasthan.
- Technological Challenges: Blended fibres (cotton + polyester) are hard to recycle due to differing properties. Only 25% of textile waste recycled, mostly into low-grade yarns.
Steps taken towards sustainability
- Government Initiatives: Government e-Marketplace–SCOPE MoU promotes the use of recycled textiles in government procurement.
- Private Sector Responses: Brands like H&M and Zara follow “vertical sustainability” — integrating eco-friendly practices in sourcing, production, and design.
- Several brands now mandate 20–30% sustainable fabric use in their collections to meet ESG goals.
- Research Innovations: NITRA–NBRI collaboration developed milkweed-based fibre, a biodegradable alternative to synthetic fabrics.
- Spinnova (Finland) produces fabric from wood pulp and textile waste using a chemical-free process, showcasing circular textile innovation.
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Way Forward
- Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): Make brands accountable for the entire lifecycle of textiles — from eco-friendly design to end-of-life disposal. Enforce standards for durability, recyclability, and reduced environmental impact.
- Waste Infrastructure & Technology: Set up urban textile recovery centres and invest in modern technologies like RFID tagging, automated sorting, and chemical recycling to improve efficiency and reduce landfill dependency.
- Formalise Informal Sector: Integrate ~4 million informal waste workers through PPP models, offering them social security and training to professionalise recycling and improve last-mile implementation.
- E.g.: Swachh Pune model integrates waste pickers into formal systems via cooperatives.
- Promote Sustainable Habits: Advance LiFE mission to encourage thrift, reuse, and conscious consumption. Run campaigns to popularise second-hand markets & responsible textile disposal.
{GS3 – IE – Insolvency} Effectiveness of IBC as a resolution tool
- Context (TH): IBC has strengthened debt recovery and credit discipline in India, but judicial delays and legal uncertainties still challenge its effectiveness.
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC)
- IBC seeks to create a unified framework to resolve insolvency and bankruptcy in India.
- Objective: To resolve the bankruptcy crisis in the corporate sector, consolidate insolvency and bankruptcy proceedings, and revive the company in a time-bound manner.
- Applicability: Individuals, Corporates, Partnerships, Limited Liability Partnerships, & personal guarantors to corporate debtors.
- Adjudicating authority: National Companies Law Tribunal (NCLT) for companies and LLPs and Debt Recovery Tribunals (DRTs) for individuals and Partnership firms.
- It provides for a time-bound process for resolving the insolvency of corporate debtors called the corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP).
Successes of IBC
- Dominant Recovery Channel: IBC accounted for 48% of total bank recoveries (SARFAESI (32%), Debt Recovery Tribunals (17%), & Lok Adalats (3%)) in FY 2023–24, making it the largest recovery mechanism for banks. Also, realisation exceeds 170% of the liquidation value.
- High Pre-admission Settlements: 30,310 cases were settled before formal admission to insolvency proceedings (Dec 2024), covering defaults worth ₹13.78 lakh crore, reflecting the deterrent effect of IBC.
Significance of IBC
- Shift in Borrower Behaviour: Promoters now avoid defaults to prevent insolvency, preserving control and reputation.
- Improved Credit Discipline: Enhanced repayment and early resolution have helped reduce Gross NPAs from 11.2% (FY18) to 2.8% (FY24).
- Better Corporate Governance: Resolved firms show more independent directors, professional management, and improved compliance (IIM-B study).
- Lower Cost of Credit: Clean balance sheets and restructuring post-IBC reduce lenders’ risk, leading to a 3% average drop in borrowing costs for stressed firms.
Challenges
- Delayed resolution: Despite Committee of Creditors (CoC) approval, resolution is often delayed due to insufficient judicial capacity.
- 78% of ongoing Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP) cases exceeded the mandated 270-day timeline as of March 2025 (ICRA report).
- Post-resolution legal uncertainty: Even after the resolution plan is approved and implemented, stakeholders often initiate legal challenges.
- Framework gaps for emerging business models: IBC lacks provisions to handle complexities in new-age firms, resulting in poor resolution outcomes for start-ups and tech-driven enterprises.
- Unaddressed aspects: Valuation and transfer of IPR, treatment of employee dues, and ensuring technology continuity (e.g., licenses, data access) remain unresolved in the IBC framework for start-ups.
Way Forward
- Expand NCLT/NCLAT capacity: Appoint more members, digitise operations, & modernise case handling.
- Legal Finality & Predictability: Codify safeguards to protect approved resolution plans from endless litigation. Build judicial consensus on upholding commercial decisions of Committee of Creditors (CoC).
- Pre-Packaged Insolvency & Sectoral Frameworks: Promote pre-packs for MSMEs and startups. Introduce sector-specific norms for resolution of IPR-based and tech-intensive firms.
- Investor Assurance Mechanisms: Provide legal clarity and regulatory assurance to boost investor confidence in resolution outcomes.
Read more> Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC)
{GS3 – S&T – BioTech} Thermophilic Bacteria in Rajgir Hot Spring
- Context (TH): Researchers have discovered antibiotic producing thermophilic bacteria, i.e. Actinobacteria at Rajgir Hot Spring lake, in Nalanda, Bihar.
- Bacteria belonging to this group are known producers of antimicrobial compounds. Well-known drugs like streptomycin and tetracycline were 1st discovered as the products of Actinobacteria.
What are Thermophilic Bacteria?
- Thermophiles are heat loving micro-organisms that have been known to tolerate 45° to 70° C of heat.
- Inhabit a variety of extreme ecological sites like hot springs, hydrothermal vents found under the deep sea, tectonically active fault lines of the earth, volcanic sites, and decomposition sites.
- Their cell membrane contains abundant saturated fatty acids which provide a hydrophobic environment for the cell and keep the cell membrane rigid enough for the cell to survive at elevated temperatures.
- Examples: Thermococcus kodakarensis, Bacillus stearothermophilus, Thermus aquaticus.
Applications of Thermophiles
- Industrial uses: Manufacturing of biological washing powder, clean up oil spills, textile & paper industry for starch removal, etc.
- Environmental: Waste treatment, immobilization of heavy metals in the soil,
- Biofuel production: Used in bioethasynthesisenol and biogas production.
- Medicinal: Thermophilic enzymes are used to synthesize drug intermediaries and active pharmaceutical ingredients with high specificity and stability.
{GS3 – S&T – Nuclear Energy} Proton Emission & Astatine
- Context (TH): IIT Roorkee researchers have successfully detected and measured proton emission from Astatine-188 (¹⁸⁸At), marking it as the heaviest proton emitter observed to date.
- Its detection marks the first observation of ground-state proton radioactivity in such a heavy isotope.
About Astatine (At)
- At is a rare, highly radioactive element classified under the halogen group (Group 17) of periodic table.
- Unlike other halogens, Astatine has no stable isotopes.
- Dark-coloured solid at room temperature, but its extreme rarity & radioactivity limit direct observation.
- Rarest naturally occurring element in Earth’s crust. Exists only in trace amounts as a short-lived decay product in the uranium and thorium decay chains.
- Chemically similar to iodine, though it exhibits more metallic behaviour than other halogens.
- Astatine-188 undergoes proton emission to form Polonium-187, which has a half-life of approximately 1.4 milliseconds. Polonium-187 then decays into Lead-183, continuing through further decay steps toward a stable nucleus.
Credit: cl
Understanding Proton Emission
- Proton emission is a type of radioactive decay where an unstable, proton-rich nucleus ejects a proton to become more stable.
- Occurs when the nucleus is beyond the proton drip line—the boundary beyond which nuclei cannot retain additional protons, causing instability.
- The proton escapes via quantum tunnelling, enabled by negative proton separation energy.
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- Types of Proton Emission:
- Direct Proton Emission: From the ground state or low-lying isomer of an unstable nucleus.
- Beta-delayed Proton Emission: Follows beta-plus decay, which excites nucleus before proton release.
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Significance:
- Maps the limits of nuclear stability.
- Reveals insights into nuclear shape, structure, and shell closures in exotic nuclei.
{GS3 – S&T – Nuclear Energy} Uranium Enrichment
- Context (IE): Iran’s growing stockpile of highly enriched uranium has renewed global focus on uranium enrichment—a process vital for both nuclear energy and weapons.
What is Uranium Enrichment?
- It is the process of increasing the percentage of Uranium-235 (U-235) in natural uranium.
- Uses of enriched uranium: Nuclear reactors (for electricity generation) and Nuclear weapons (for military applications).
Natural Composition of Uranium
- U-238 (99.284%): Non-fissile, cannot sustain a chain reaction.
- U-235 (0.711%): Fissile, can sustain a chain reaction and is thus useful in nuclear applications.
- U-234 (0.005%): Minor isotope.
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Need for Uranium Enrichment
- Natural uranium has too little U-235 to be useful in nuclear reactors or for electricity or plutonium production. Hence, enrichment is essential.
Types of Enriched Uranium
| Type | U-235 Percentage | Use |
| Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) | <20% (typically 3-5%) | Civilian nuclear reactors |
| Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) | ≥20% (especially ~90%) | Nuclear weapons |
| Very Highly Enriched Uranium | ~90% | Directly weapons-grade |
Methods of Enrichment
- Gas Centrifuge Method (most widely used): Uses rapidly spinning centrifuges to separate U-235 from U-238 based on slight mass differences. It is highly efficient & consumes less energy.
- Gaseous Diffusion (older, phased out): Here, uranium hexafluoride gas is forced through porous membranes, allowing the lighter U-235 to pass through slightly faster. It is energy–intensive.
- Laser Isotope Separation (under development): Uses lasers to selectively excite or ionize U-235 atoms for separation. It is energy-efficient and precise.
Chain Reaction
- A U-235 atom absorbs a neutron, becomes unstable, and splits. Releases 2–3 more neutrons and energy.
- If these neutrons strike other U-235 atoms, an exponential chain reaction ensues — this is the basis of nuclear power and weapons.
Credits: MIT Nuclear Reactor Lab
Significance of Uranium Enrichment
- Nuclear Power Generation: Without enrichment, natural uranium cannot sustain a controlled chain reaction efficiently in light-water reactors.
- Medical and Research Applications: Research reactors, which support nuclear medicine and scientific experiments, often require highly enriched uranium (HEU).
- Strategic & Military Use: This makes enrichment technology a dual-use capability—central to both civil energy and nuclear weapons development—raising global non-proliferation concerns.
- Geopolitical & Strategic Control: Control over enrichment technology gives a country greater energy independence and strategic leverage.
International Frameworks on Uranium Enrichment
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA): Global watchdog for nuclear activities. It monitors compliance to prevent the misuse of nuclear materials and promotes the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
- Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT): Aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to foster the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and to further the goal of disarmament
{GS3 – S&T – Tech} Advanced Cooling Methods Can Cut Data Centre Emissions
- Context (TH): A team of researchers from Microsoft and WSP Global has published a groundbreaking study demonstrating that advanced cooling method can cut data centre emissions.
Challenge of Heat in Data Centres
- Data centres are energy-intensive facilities. A data center, housing thousands of interconnected servers, generates an immense amount of heat, akin to a large bonfire.
- Microscopic switches, known as transistors, which rapidly process data, generate immense heat as they operate, posing a significant threat to electronic components.
- It impedes the flow of electrons, leading to a decline in performance and potentially causing malfunctions or complete system failures.
- Effective cooling is thus crucial for maintaining optimal operational efficiency, ensuring a longer lifespan for the hardware, and preventing heat-induced damage.
- Traditionally, data centres have relied on air cooling, essentially giant fans and ACs, to manage this heat. But this method is inefficient, wasteful, and water-intensive.
Need for Greening Data Centres
- To curb climate change, the ICT industry needs to cut emissions by 42% by 2030 (from its 2015 levels).
- Data centres need greener designs that use less energy and water, and have lower greenhouse gas emissions to help meet global climate goals and keep warming below 1.5°C.
Advanced Cooling Technologies to Cut Data Centre Emissions
- Cold plates, also known as direct-to-chip cooling, are small heat exchange modules equipped with microchannels to enhance heat transfer. This method is more efficient than fans.
- Immersion cooling: This technique can be likened to submerging a hot object into a liquid specifically designed to absorb and dissipate heat, rather than relying on air circulation. The specialized fluid efficiently draws 100% of the heat away from the components, preventing overheating.
Their Benefits
- Advanced cooling methods like cold plates and immersion cooling can cut data centre emissions by 15-21%, energy use by 15-20%, and water consumption by 31-52% compared to traditional air cooling.
- Switching to renewables slashes emissions by 85-90%, energy use by 6-7%, and water demand by 55–85%, regardless of cooling tech.
- Reducing data centre energy use through advanced liquid-cooling technologies will lead to marked reductions in data centre environmental impacts.
