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Current Affairs – June 08-09, 2025
{GS1 – Geo – EG – Water Resources} Inefficient Agriculture Water Use in India
- Context (IE): India needs to reimagine its agricultural water use to achieve food security.
Agriculture Water Use in India
- India has achieved remarkable agricultural success leading globally in milk and spice production and ranking 2nd in fruits, vegetables, and fish. However, water use is inefficient and unsustainable.
- India is home to 18% of the world’s population; however, it holds just 4% of its freshwater. Agriculture consumes 78–90% of this limited resource, threatening long-term sustainability.
Extent of Water Use in Agriculture
- Groundwater Dependence: Around 65% of irrigated areas in India depend on groundwater.
- Over-Extraction: 78% of Punjab’s administrative blocks are now over-exploited, driven by the expansion of paddy cultivation and free electricity (Central Ground Water Board).
- Crop Mismatch: Water-intensive crops like paddy and sugarcane, grown in water-scarce regions, consume disproportionate resources.
- Alarming Groundwater Depletion: In Maharashtra, sugarcane grown on 4% of land consumes over 70% of irrigation water, impacting drought-prone areas like Solapur.
Reasons Behind Inefficient Water Use
- Inappropriate Cropping Patterns: Paddy in Punjab, Sugarcane in Maharashtra, and Wheat in Haryana are grown due to policy and subsidy distortions, not climatic suitability.
- Policy Distortions: Free electricity encourages excessive groundwater pumping without accountability.
- Policy Misalignment: Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) favor rice and wheat, discouraging farmers from shifting to less water-intensive crops like millets, pulses, and oilseeds.
- The Green Revolution amplified these distortions, especially in northwestern India.
- Low Adoption of Micro-Irrigation: Of the 74 million hectares under irrigation, only about 12% uses efficient systems like drip or sprinkler irrigation.
- Weak Extension Services and Water Literacy: Many farmers are unaware of the long-term consequences of over-irrigation.
Food Security
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Initiatives for Efficient Water Management
- Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY): Aims to expand irrigation coverage and improve water use efficiency through components like AIBP, Watershed Development, and Per Drop More Crop.
- National Water Policy (2012): Promotes water conservation and the protection of water resources, emphasising rainwater harvesting.
- Atal Bhujal Yojana: Encourages community participation in sustainable groundwater management in water-stressed areas.
- Jal Shakti Abhiyan: A campaign-based initiative focusing on rainwater harvesting, water conservation, and rejuvenation of water bodies.
- PM-KUSUM Scheme: Promotes solar-powered irrigation pumps to reduce reliance on grid electricity and prevent groundwater over-extraction.
- National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA): Supports climate-resilient farming with efficient water resource management.
State Level Interventions
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Way Forward
- Two-Pronged Reform Strategy:
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Supply-Side Interventions:
- Enhance water infrastructure and access in underutilized regions like eastern India.
- Promote rainwater harvesting, watershed development, and surface water systems.
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Demand-Side Management:
- Realign MSPs with ecological and nutritional needs.
- Promote climate-smart crops like millets with sustained fiscal and procurement support.
- Implement smart pricing of water and electricity to discourage overuse as seen in Andhra Pradesh’s pilot with prepaid meters.
- Expand micro-irrigation: Currently at only 12% coverage, despite huge potential savings of 30–70% water.
- Encourage public-private partnerships, equipment leasing, and targeted subsidies for small and marginal farmers.
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- Smart Farming: IoT and sensor-based drip systems can boost water productivity significantly
- Community and Awareness: Local water user groups, audits, and rainwater harvesting schemes like Jalyukt Shivar and revived dams need supportive policy and funding
- Revival of Traditional Water Systems: Reviving traditional water management systems like Ahar Pynes (Bihar), Johads (Rajasthan), and Kudimaramath (Tamil Nadu) etc.
{GS2 – IR – India-Central Asia} 4th India-Central Asia Dialogue Concluded
- Context (HT): The 4th meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue was held in New Delhi under the chairship of the External Affairs Minister of India.
- Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan participated in the meeting.
Key Highlights of 4th India-Central Asia Dialogue
- Strengthening Economic Cooperation: Agreed on Focusing on untapped trade potential in sectors like pharma, IT, textiles, energy, and agriculture.
- Cooperation in Science, Technology, and Digital Public Infrastructure: Agreement to collaborate on DPI, innovation, and research; establishment of India-Central Asia Digital Partnership Forum.
- Critical Minerals Exploration: Appreciating the outcomes of the 1st India-Central Asia Rare Earth Forum held in 2024, Ministers expressed interest in joint exploration of rare earth and critical minerals.
- India’s Global Platforms: India invited Central Asian Countries to join International Solar Alliance (ISA), Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA), International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) etc.
- UN Reforms & Global South Cooperation: Central Asian countries reiterated support for India’s permanent UNSC membership and collaboration through India’s Global South Centre “DAKSHIN.”
- Condemned the Terrorist attack in Pahalgam: Their unanimous condemnation of the attack in Jammu and Kashmir reflected a common understanding of the security threats posed by terrorism.
- It reiterated the urgent call for cooperation to combat the terrorism in all manifestations and also strongly advocated for the early adoption of the UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT), which was first proposed by India in 1996.
- Peace in Afghanistan: India and Central Asian countries reaffirmed their commitment for regional cooperation on Afghanistan by supporting a peaceful, terror-free, and drug-free country.
- Cooperation in Health: It expressed their desire to deepen cooperation in the health-care sector, including medical tourism. Following India’s “One Earth, One Health” vision.
- Enhanced Connectivity through INSTC: Emphasis on International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and interest in Chabahar Port development.
- Other: Ministers welcomed the designation of 2025 as the “International Year of Peace and Trust“.
Central Asia Region
- Location: Located at the heart of the Eurasian landmass, bounded by Russia (north), China (east), Iran and Afghanistan (south), and the Caspian Sea (west).
- Members: Comprises 5 landlocked countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
Credits: AIC
India-Central Asia Relations
- India and Central Asia, in each other’s ‘Extended Neighbourhood’, enjoy close and cordial contemporary diplomatic relations underpinned by millennia old cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
- India has several millennia old historical, cultural and civilisational links with Central Asia.
- 2015: India’s Central Asia policy gained momentum in 2015 when, for the 1st time, the Indian PM visited all five Central Asian nations in a single trip.
- 2017: India’s inclusion as a permanent member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) further indicated its intent to engage more actively with Central Asia.
- 2020: The India-Central Asia Business Council was established to promote trade and investment between the regions.
- 2022: The 1st India-Central Asia Summit was held virtually in January 2022, and the mechanism of the India-Central Asia Dialogue, at the level of Foreign Ministers, has substantially advanced this relationship.
Significance of CAR for India
- Energy Security: India is an energy deficit country and Central Asian Region is extremely well endowed with energy resources and other mineral and natural resources.
- Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline is an initiative in this regard.
- Counter-Terrorism: Peace and security in Central Asia is critical to peace and stability in India. This is inextricably linked to peace in Afghanistan.
- Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan share borders with Afghanistan.
- Cultural Links: India and Central Asian countries are secular, pluralistic, diverse and peaceful societies. They are natural allies and partners to promote inter-ethnic, inter-religious and inter-cultural harmony.
Key Challenges
- Lack of Direct Land Access: India does not share a direct land border with Central Asia, making trade routes dependent on third countries like Iran, Afghanistan, or Pakistan.
- Geopolitical Competition: Central Asia is a region of strategic interest for major powers like China (through its Belt and Road Initiative), Russia, Turkey, and the EU.
- Low Trade Volume: Trade between India and Central Asia lies at a measly US $2 billion compared to China’s US $100 billion trade.
- Regional Security Concerns: Terrorism, radicalization, drug trafficking and instability in neighboring Afghanistan.
- Drug and Arms Trafficking: The proximity to the “Golden Crescent” (Iran-Pakistan-Afghanistan) makes Central Asia susceptible to drug and arms trafficking, which can fuel instability and corruption.
- Bureaucratic and Regulatory Hurdles: Difficulties in visa issuance, customs clearances, and investment regulations.
Way Forward For Deepening Engagement With CAR
- Connectivity: Focus on developing and upgrading transportation and logistics infrastructure that connects India with Central Asia. Investing in transport corridors, such as the INSTC.
- Regular Dialogue: Increase the frequency of high-level visits and diplomatic exchanges. Regular dialogues can help maintain momentum in bilateral relations.
- Establish Trade Facilitation Agreements: To reduce barriers and improve market access. Creating a Central Asia-India Free Trade Agreement could help bolster economic ties, promote investments.
- Promote Cultural Diplomacy: Through scholarships, academic partnerships, and cultural festivals to foster people-to-people connections.
- Engage In Energy Partnerships with Central Asian Nations involving investments in renewable energy, green energy, and energy resource exploration.
- Establishing A Cooperative Security Framework: Through joint exercises and intelligence-sharing will strengthen mutual trust and create an effective mechanism for both bilateral and multilateral efforts.
{GS2 – MoMA – Initiatives} UMEED Portal
- Context (PIB): The Ministry for Minority Affairs launched the UMEED Central Portal.
- UMEED stands for Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency & Development. It is a centralized digital platform for real-time uploading, verification, & monitoring of Waqf properties.
- Launched under the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, with legal mandate for digitization.
- State Waqf Boards will oversee the registration drive.
- Features: Creation of a digital inventory with geo-tagging of all Waqf properties, online grievance redressal system, GIS Mapping.
{GS2 – Polity – IC – Elections} Index Cards
- Context (TH): Election Commission of India (ECI) has modernized its system for generating Index Cards.
- Index Cards are a non-statutory, post-election statistical reporting format developed suo motu by the Election Commission. They serve as the basis for Statistical Reports for Lok Sabha elections and State Assembly elections.
- Objective: To improve transparency & data accessibility at the constituency level for researchers, policymakers, journalists, and the public.
- Data included: Candidate- and party-wise vote shares, votes polled and counted, elector demographics, gender-based voting patterns, regional variations, and political party performances, including Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs).
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- Earlier, the data was manually recorded on physical Index Cards and later digitised. Now, an automated, integrated digital system has replaced manual entry.
- Significance: Promotes transparency, research, and informed policymaking while enhancing timely, accurate election data and strengthening democratic accountability.
{GS2 – Social Sector – Poverty} Declining Extreme Poverty in India
- Context (IE | PIB | TH): India’s extreme poverty rate fell sharply from 27.1% in 2011-12 to 5.3% in 2022-23, under the World Bank’s updated global poverty line to $3/day (2021 PPP).
Revised Global Poverty Thresholds
- Increase in Extreme Poverty Line: In 2022, the World Bank raised the global extreme poverty line from $2.15 to $3 per day (2021 PPP) to reflect rising living costs and changing consumption patterns.
- The updated thresholds better align with current economic conditions and prices, enhancing the precision of poverty estimates.
- For Lower Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), the poverty line increased from $3.65 to $4.20 per day. For Upper-Middle-Income Countries, it is $8.30.
- Capturing Inflation & Realities: Using the latest PPP data, the revised lines reflect inflation and economic changes, ensuring poverty is measured realistically without underestimation.
India’s Progress
- Poverty at $3/day (2021 PPP) dropped from 27.1% (2011-12) to 5.3% (2022-23), driven by rapid growth, rural infrastructure, and programs like PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana.
Source: PIB
- At the older $2.15/day threshold, poverty fell from 16.2% to 2.3%, showing near elimination of extreme poverty and lasting gains in consumption and welfare.
- Under the LMIC poverty line ($4.20/day), poverty fell from 57.7% to 23.9%, reflecting greater resilience and income mobility among lower-middle-class households.
- Number of poor fell from 344 million to 75 million, reflecting strong economic growth & social welfare.
Demographic and Educational Inequalities
- Rural-Urban divide in Poverty: Rural poverty declined from 18.4% to 2.8%; Urban poverty from 10.7% to 1.1%. This reflects the success of rural-centric welfare schemes such as MGNREGA, PMAY-Gramin, etc.
- Educational disparities remain stark: 35.1% of individuals with no formal education remain poor, while only 14.9% with post-secondary education are in poverty.
Multidimensional Poverty Indicators
- Decline in MPI: MPI fell from 53.8% in 2005–06 to 15.5% in 2022–23, highlighting improvements in non-income aspects of poverty like health, education, and living standards.
- NITI Aayog data shows reduction from 29.17% to 11.28%.
- Implication: Poverty reduction in India is not just monetary, but also multidimensional: This reflects inclusive development and improved basic services for the underprivileged.
Consumption Trends
- Rural Monthly Per Capita Expenditure (MPCE) rose from ₹1,430 (2011–12) to ₹2,079 (2023–24); urban MPCE from ₹2,630 to ₹3,632.
- Rising consumption levels reflect improved purchasing power and quality of life.
Also Read > Poverty Line Estimation in India, Poverty Reduction in India: Factors Responsible, Govt Initiatives.
{GS3 – Envi – CC} Stratospheric Aerosol Injection
- Context (TH): Stratospheric Aerosol Injection is feasible, but global risks and ecological concerns remain.
What is Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI)?
Source: The Hindu
- SAI is a solar geoengineering technique proposed to combat global warming by artificially cooling the Earth’s surface.
- Involves deliberate injection of reflective aerosols, such as sulphur dioxide (SO₂), into the stratosphere, where they reflect a portion of incoming solar radiation back into space.
- This technique mimics the natural cooling effect observed after major volcanic eruptions, offering a short-term strategy to offset rising temperatures caused by greenhouse gas emissions.
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Cooling Mechanism:
- Chemical Conversion: Injected SO2 reacts with water vapor in the stratosphere forming sulfuric acid aerosols (H₂SO₄). These aerosols do not fall quickly and linger for months to years.
- Radiative Forcing Reduction: The aerosols increase Earth’s albedo (measure of solar energy reflected by Earth). Enhanced albedo leads to reduced solar radiation reaching the Earth’s surface.
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Significance
- Climate Cooling Potential: Injecting 12 million tonnes of SO₂ annually at 13 km altitude could cool Earth by ~0.6°C; 21 million tonnes needed for 1°C cooling (2025 study).
- Aerosol Behaviour: Higher-altitude aerosols stay longer (months to years), enhancing cooling, especially near the equator where the stratosphere is higher.
Challenges
- Environmental Risks: May disrupt monsoon patterns, hydrological cycles, delay ozone recovery (increasing UV and acid rain), and mask global warming, reducing urgency for emission cuts.
- Unequal Climate Effects: More cooling in polar regions than tropics, raising fairness concerns.
- Global Governance Challenges: Aerosol injection affects all nations, creating geopolitical risks amid lacking global regulation.
- Scientific Uncertainties: Cooling requires continuous injection—sudden stop risks rapid warming (“termination shock”).
Learn in depth about > Geoengineering techniques and their ethical desirability.
{GS3 – Envi – Conservation} Kerala’s demand for Amendment in Wildlife Act
- Context (IE): Kerala’s Assembly passed a resolution seeking amendments to the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, citing rising human-animal conflicts.
Vermins
- Vermin are animals considered harmful or nuisance-causing due to damage to crops, threats to livestock, or risks to human life and property.
- Common Examples: Rats, mice, common crows, fruit bats.
- Legal Impact: Classified vermin lose legal protection and are exempt from wildlife conservation laws.
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Process of Declaring Vermin:
- State Initiation: The respective state government submits a formal request to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
- Central Declaration: Upon verification, the Centre issues a notification declaring the species as vermin for a specified region and duration.
- Temporary Nature: The vermin status is temporary and limited to the stated area and time period.
Amendment to Section 11 of the WPA
- Current Provision: Section 11(1)(A) allows the Chief Wildlife Warden (CWLW) to permit the hunting/killing of wild animals that pose a threat to human life or are diseased/disabled.
- Kerala’s Proposal: Transfer these powers to the Chief Conservators of Forests (CCFs) to ensure faster, region-specific decision-making. Kerala has five CCFs, each responsible for a different region.
{GS3 – Envi – Reports} EnviStats India 2025
- Context (PIB | DTE): Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the 8th edition of “EnviStats India 2025: Environment Statistics”.
- EnviStat is published by the National Statistics Office (NSO) annually since 2018.
- Aligns with the UN’s Framework for the Development of Environment Statistics (FDES) 2013, ensuring global comparability and structured reporting.
- Data presented in the publication are organised into six components, each corresponding to components of FDES 2013.
Credit: mospi.gov.in
Key Highlights of EnviStats India 2025
- Climate Trends: Annual Mean Temperature rose from 25.05°C (2001) to 25.74°C (2024).
- Both maximum and minimum temperatures showed consistent upward trends, reflecting climate warming.
- Rainfall Patterns: Marked by high inter-annual variability, but no long-term trend detected—underscoring erratic monsoonal behaviour.
- Energy: Thermal power generation has increased from 7.92 lakh GWh (2013–14) to 13.26 lakh GWh (2023–24). Renewable energy jumped from 65,520 GWh to 2.25 lakh GWh during the same period.
- Fisheries: Inland Fish Production nearly doubled from 61.36 lakh tonnes to 139.07 lakh tonnes (2013–2024). Marine Fish Production reached 44.95 lakh tonnes in 2023–24, highlighting growing blue economy significance.
- Biodiversity: India is home to 1,04,561 faunal species, including 22,404 soil species, 9,436 freshwater species and 5,023 mangrove species.
- Environmental Sector Expenditure (2021–22): The highest allocation is ₹2,433 crore to the Environment Sustainability Sector.
- Lowest Allocation is in agroforestry, indicating funding imbalance across subsectors.
- New indicators, including expanded coverage, now include data on Ramsar sites, sanitation, transport, and electricity access, aimed at a more integrated view of environmental and developmental linkages.
Significance
- Establishes a data-driven foundation for:
- Policy planning, climate action, and sustainable development.
- Monitoring India’s performance on SDGs, especially those related to climate, biodiversity, and energy.
- Facilitates international reporting under key multilateral environmental agreements, such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), as well as periodic reviews of SDGs.
{GS3 – S&T – Defence} Arnala – 1st Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft
- Context (PIB): Indian Navy is all set to commission the 1st Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), Arnala, on 18 Jun 2025.
- Arnala’s commissioning will mark the formal induction of 1st of 16 ASW-SWC ships into the Indian Navy.
Key Features
- Arnala is the largest Indian naval warship to be propelled by a diesel-engine–waterjet combination. Its length is about 77.6 m.
- Named after the historic Arnala Fort in Vasai, Maharashtra, it is equipped for a range of anti-submarine warfare operations like underwater surveillance, search & rescue operations. It is capable of undertaking ASW operations in coastal waters, along with advanced mine-laying capabilities.
- Designed and Constructed: By Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, under a Public–Private Partnership with L&T Shipbuilders.
- The project has engaged over 55 Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), promoting domestic industry and generating related economic activity.
- Indigenous Content: It incorporates more than 80% indigenous content and integrates advanced systems from leading Indian defence firms, including Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), L&T, etc.
- Significance: The commissioning of Arnala will mark a transformative moment in India’s naval capabilities, strengthening coastal defence and reaffiliate India’s position as a self-reliant maritime power in the strategically vital Indian Ocean Region.
{Prelims – In News} DRUM App
- Context (TH): IIT Kharagpur created the Dynamic Route Planning for Urban Green Mobility (or DRUM) web app.
- It is like Google Maps but with the added feature of allowing users to pick routes based on air quality and energy efficiency.
- DRUM gives users five route options: shortest, fastest, least exposure to air pollution (LEAP), least energy consumption route (LECR), and a combination of all four factors called the suggested route.
- DRUM determines routes using GraphHopper, a Java-based routing library that generates multiple options, while fetching real-time traffic updates from Mapbox.
- This setup allows the system to handle different vehicles and adapt to cities beyond Delhi.
{Prelims – Sci – Bio} Bacteriophages
- Context (TH): Bacteriophages are re-emerging as alternatives to antibiotics.
- Bacteriophages are viruses that infect and destroy specific bacteria, hence called “good viruses.” Structurally, it consists of nucleic acid (DNA or RNA; single- or double-stranded) enclosed in a protein shell.
- Found widely in nature—soil, water, and the human microbiome.
- Key Characteristics:
- High specificity: Infect only select bacterial strains, preserving beneficial microbiota—unlike broad-spectrum antibiotics.
- Self-limiting action: Multiply only in the presence of their target bacteria and degrade once the infection is cleared, reducing overdose risk.
- Evolutionary adaptability: Capable of co-evolving with bacteria, allowing them to overcome bacterial resistance—a dynamic feature absent in conventional drugs.
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Therapeutic Strategies:
- Natural Phage Therapy: The infecting bacteria are isolated and tested against a phage library.
- The effective phage is then cultured and administered to the patient.
- Phages are sourced from domestic or international phage banks.
- Genetically Engineered Phages: Modified in labs to expand host range, enhance effectiveness, or target dormant bacteria.
- They may carry enzymes to break biofilms or bypass bacterial defence mechanisms.
- Natural Phage Therapy: The infecting bacteria are isolated and tested against a phage library.
- Uses: Used in treating burns and diabetic foot ulcers, urinary tract infections, respiratory tract and gastrointestinal infections, and Multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacterial infections where antibiotics fail.
- Limitations: Each phage is specific to a particular bacterial strain; therefore, treatment requires matching and personalisation.
Also Read > Antimicrobial Resistance.
{Species – Discovery} Losgna Occidentalis
- Context (TH): A new species of wasp, Losgna occidentalis has been discovered in an urban dry scrub forest in Chandigarh. It marks the first formally described insect species from Chandigarh
Credit: TH
- Belongs to the Ichneumonidae (parasitic wasps) family.
- Parasitic wasps are known for laying eggs inside/on arthropod hosts.
- It is named occidentalis to indicate its westernmost known distribution; earlier records were limited to Northeast India and Southeast Asia.
- It was last recorded in India in Heinrich’s 1965 monograph. No Indian records or specimens existed post-1965, indicating a presumed local extinction.
- Existing Losgna specimens are preserved only in historical collections in museums in London, Oxford, and Munich.
