Current Affairs – May 30, 2025

{GS2 – MoAFW – Initiatives} Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan

• Context (PIB): The Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan is launched to transform Indian agriculture by promoting scientific innovation, grassroots engagement, and climate-resilient farming practices.

About the Abhiyan

• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
• Implementation: Jointly executed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), State Agriculture Departments, and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs).
• Type: National-level outreach campaign launched in 2025.
• Frequency: Conducted biannually before the Kharif and Rabi seasons.
• Objective: Promote climate-resilient and sustainable farming.
  • Strengthen field-level scientific advisory for crop, soil, and water management.
  • Facilitate direct engagement between farmers and agricultural experts.
• Key Features:
  • Focus areas include natural farming, cultivation of pulses and oilseeds, region-specific crop advisory services, and field data collection to inform ICAR’s future research priorities.
  • Field-level activities include demonstrations, interactive sessions, and the collection of feedback.
  • State governments ensure coordination and localised execution under a mission-mode approach.
• Technology Integration: Supports the Digital Agriculture Mission for technology-driven farming.
  • Linked with AgriStack (a digital platform with unique Farmer IDs).
  • Promotes drone use through the NaMo Drone Didi initiative.
  • Encourages the use of digital tools such as the Kisan Suvidha app and AI-based irrigation systems under the Per Drop More Crop scheme for efficient water use.

{GS2 – Social Sector – Poverty} Poverty Trends in India **

• Context (IE): The Household Consumption Expenditure Surveys (HCES) conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO) for 2022–23 and 2023–24, along with a World Bank assessment, reflect a significant reduction in poverty levels in India.

Key Insights: Decline in Poverty and Emerging Policy Priorities

• Sharp Decline in Poverty Ratios: India’s all-India poverty rate dropped from 29.5% in 2011–12 to 4.9% in 2023–24, indicating near eradication of extreme poverty.
  • According to the World Bank’s $2.15/day (Purchasing Power Parity-PPP) benchmark, poverty declined from 16.2% to 2.3% between 2011–12 and 2022–23.
• Updated Poverty Lines (Rangarajan Committee Methodology):
  • Rural poverty line: Raised from ₹972 (2011–12) to ₹1,940 (2023–24)
  • Urban poverty line: Increased from ₹1,407 to ₹2,736
  • Reflects adjustments for inflation and changing consumption needs.
• Improved Living Standards and Equity: The share of population below $3.65/day (PPP) (lower-middle-income line) dropped from 61.8% to 28.1%, indicating rising consumption levels.
• Falling Inequality: Gini coefficient (measuring consumption inequality) improved from 0.310 to 0.253, suggesting more equitable distribution of resources.
• Key Drivers of Poverty Reduction:
  • Strong economic growth: Real GDP grew by 9.2% in 2023–24, generating employment and income.
  • Moderated inflation: Consumer Price Index (CPI) eased to 5.4%, increasing real purchasing power, especially for the bottom 40%.
  • Enhanced survey methodology: The NSO adopted modern sampling techniques, expanded sectoral coverage, and updated consumption classifications, thereby improving data accuracy.
  • Improved Welfare Delivery: Expansion of Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT), JAM trinity (Jan Dhan–Aadhaar–Mobile), and food security schemes enhanced last-mile service delivery.

Credit: IE

Policy Priority: Targeting the ‘Near Poor’

• Over 50% of poor households lie within 75–100% of the poverty line, making them vulnerable to minor shocks such as illness, job loss, or climate events.
• Strategic policy window:
  • Deploy timely cash transfers.
  • Expand portable entitlements (e.g., ration cards, health benefits).
  • Strengthen social safety nets to ensure sustained upliftment and prevent reversals into poverty.

Persisting Challenges

• Economic and Climate Vulnerability: Large populations remain one shock away from falling back into poverty. Health crises, climate shocks, and employment disruptions pose ongoing risks.
• Urban Welfare Gaps: Informal workers, gig economy participants & migrants in cities often remain underserved or excluded from social welfare schemes, including PDS, health insurance & housing support.
  • Portability of entitlements (e.g., ration cards) remains limited and uneven across states.
• High Food Inflation: Despite CPI moderation, food inflation (7.5% in 2023–24) continues to erode real incomes, particularly affecting the nutrition security of poor households.
• Regional Disparities: States such as Bihar, Odisha, and Jharkhand continue to report above-average poverty rates, underscoring the need for region-specific poverty alleviation, targeted investments, and infrastructure-led inclusive growth.
• Data Gaps in Urban Informality: Urban informal sector and gig workers are often undercounted in household surveys, potentially underestimating the scale of urban poverty.

{GS3 – DM – Laws} State Disaster

• Context (TH): After the Liberian-flagged container ship MSC Elsa-3 sank off Kochi due to heavy weather, Kerala declared it a State-specific disaster due to significant environmental, social, and economic risks.

What is a State Disaster?

• Event officially recognized by the state government as causing significant harm or threat within its territory, necessitating urgent, coordinated relief and mitigation measures.
• Declaring a State Disaster empowers the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) to mobilise resources swiftly—personnel, funds—from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to manage relief operations effectively

About State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF)

• Legal basis: Established under Section 48(1)(a) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
• Purpose: Principal fund for States to provide immediate relief to disaster-affected populations.
• Central government contribution: 75% for general category States/UTs; 90% for special category States/UTs (Northeast States, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir).
• Fund release: Annual allocation in two instalments as per Finance Commission recommendations.
• Usage: Exclusively for immediate relief expenditure during notified disasters.
• Disasters covered: Cyclone, drought, earthquake, fire, flood, tsunami, hailstorm, landslide, avalanche, cloudburst, pest attack, frost, cold waves.
• Local disasters: Up to 10% of SDRF can be used for state-specific natural disasters not on the central list, subject to prior approval and clear guidelines by the State Executive Committee (SEC).

Also Read > Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024, National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF)

{GS3 – Envi – Conservation} India’s Approach of Wildlife Conservation

• Context (IE): India’s wildlife conservation has often been reactive, saving species only when they are on the brink of extinction. This pattern highlights the urgent need for proactive measures to protect biodiversity before crises emerge.

Species Allowed To Approach Extinction Before Decisive Action

• Asiatic Lion: In the late 19^th century, just around a dozen remained in the wild, confined to the Nawab of Junagadh’s hunting reserve in Gujarat. Today, their population has increased to over 650, all within a single, tightly packed geographical area, namely the Gir Forest.
  • This concentration leaves them vulnerable to diseases like canine distemper.
  • Despite such warnings, there are strong political and administrative hesitations about expanding their range to other states, reflecting a reluctance to address the root problem of limited habitat and population isolation.
• Asiatic Cheetah: The Asiatic cheetah was declared extinct in India by 1947, leading to recent efforts to reintroduce African cheetahs.
  • While breeding success is celebrated, the fact remains that the original species was lost due to delayed conservation action.
• Tigers: At the start of the 20^th century, there were an estimated 40,000 tigers in India. By independence, rampant hunting and habitat degradation had drastically reduced this number.
  • The Wildlife Protection Act (1972) and Project Tiger initiated a conservation turnaround, yet poaching and habitat fragmentation kept tiger numbers dangerously low, leading to crises in reserves like Panna and Sariska where tigers disappeared due to unchecked poaching.
• Great Indian Bustard: Once widespread across India’s grasslands, this critically endangered bird now has just over 100 individuals left. Captive breeding is now a last resort, highlighting failure in habitat preservation and threat mitigation.

Concerns of Reactive Approach

• India’s conservation efforts reveal a disturbing pattern of ignoring early signs until species are perilously close to extinction. This “wait for the siren to go off” approach is risky and inefficient.
• Reactive approach also risks the collapse of entire ecosystems, as the loss of key species can disrupt ecological balance and biodiversity.
• Habitat fragmentation and loss become harder to reverse, making recovery slow and expensive.
• Once a species reaches near-extinction, reintroduction or captive breeding programs become necessary, which are resource-intensive and not always successful.
• It increases the risk of inbreeding, disease outbreaks, and genetic bottlenecks due to small, isolated populations.

Way Forward

• Early detection and monitoring of species populations and threats
• Habitat preservation and expansion before fragmentation becomes severe
• Community participation and political will to act on warnings
• Balancing development with ecological sustainability, especially in biodiversity hotspots
• Investing in scientific research and preventive policy rather than reactive rescue missions

{GS3 – Envi – Pollutants} Nurdles *

• Context (TH): After the Liberian-flagged container ship MSC ELSA-3 sank off Kochi, plastic pellets (nurdles) have been washing ashore, posing serious environmental and public health concerns.

Credit: TH

About Nurdles

• Microplastic pellets or nurdles are small plastic pellets, 1–5 mm in size, used as raw materials in plastic manufacturing processes like molding and extrusion.
• Classification: They are primary microplastics, manufactured at micro size, not formed by degradation of larger plastics.
• Composition: Commonly made of low-density polyethylene (LDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
• Uses: Raw material for producing plastic bags, toys, pipes, electronics, textiles, packaging, and more.

Environmental and Ecological Impact

• Pollution Risk: Although chemically inert, nurdles pose a significant pollution risk. They contaminate coastlines and oceans, especially after shipwrecks or spills.
• Micro/Nano Plastic Conversion: They are non-biodegradable and can persist in marine and coastal environments for decades.
• Bioaccumulation: These absorb hazardous chemicals like PCBs (Polychlorinated Biphenyls) and DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane), leading to biomagnification up the food chain, posing threats to marine biodiversity and human health through seafood consumption.
• Human Health Risk: Indirect exposure through seafood contaminated with microplastics and associated toxins may have long-term health consequences.

{GS3 – Envi – Species} Bats *

• Context (TH): The wildlife researchers highlight that Bats are among the most misunderstood creatures, despite playing a vital role in maintaining the balance of our ecosystem.

Key Characteristics of Bats

• Number of Species: There are over 1487 species of bats in the world. India has 134 species of bats. Most Bats are nocturnal.
• Distribution: They are the 2^nd most diverse group of mammals after rodents and are present on every continent except Antarctica.
• Habitat: Caves, hollow trees, crevices, old buildings, bridges, and even abandoned mines.
  • Bracken Cave is the world’s largest bat colony. Located near San Antonio, Texas, USA.
• Physical Description: With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are warm-blooded, have fur, and give birth to live young.
  • Many bat species use echolocation to navigate and find prey in the dark. They emit high-frequency sounds that bounce off objects, allowing them to “see” with sound.
  • Echolocation is a technique used by bats, dolphins and other animals to determine the location of objects using reflected sound.
• Size: The world’s smallest bat is the Bumblebee Bat measuring up to 29-33 mm in length. The world’s largest bat is the Giant Golden-crowned Flying Fox with a wingspan up to 6 ft.
• Diet: Bats have highly diverse diets. Majority of bat species (especially in temperate regions) are insectivores. They feed on mosquitoes, moths, beetles, and other night-flying insects. A few species feed on small vertebrates such as frogs, fish, birds, or rodents.
  • Of the total bat species in the world, only 3 are vampire bats that drink blood.

Critical Role of Bats

• Pollination: Bats are among the most effective pollinators in our ecosystem. According to research, bats contribute an estimated $200 billion to the global economy through their pollination services.
  • While bees and butterflies take charge during the day, bats silently take over this vital role at night. Several plant species depend exclusively on bats for both pollination and seed dispersal.
• Seed dispersal: Bats travel longer distances every day. Travelling between 50 and 80 kilometres each day, often far from their roosts, bats help carry seeds far from the parent tree.
  • This dispersal ensures that seeds reach new areas, promoting forest regeneration and biodiversity.
• Pest Control: Bats are nature’s own pest control agents. A single bat can eat thousands of insects in one night, including mosquitoes and crop-damaging pests.
  • This helps reduce the need for chemical pesticides that cost farmers, benefiting both human health and the environment.

Threats

• White-nose Syndrome: It is a devastating fungal disease that has caused the death of millions of bats across North America. It is caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, which thrives in cold, damp environments such as caves and mines places where many bats hibernate.
• Proliferation Of Harmful Myths: Bats have long suffered from a negative image whether through old myths, religious symbolism, or popular culture, they are often portrayed as omens of darkness and evil.
• Association with Zoonotic Diseases: Bats are considered as natural reservoirs for several zoonotic viruses which can cause diseases such as Nipah, Ebola etc. But these viruses become active only when the bats undergo some sort of stress.
  • These stresses are human made, such as heat stress due to climate change, loss of habitat due to deforestation etc.

Conservation Measures

• IUCN Status: 23 Bat species are critically endangered (face imminent risk of extinction), 85 Bat species are endangered and 113 Bat species are considered vulnerable.
• International Bat Appreciation Day: Observed on April 17^th every year.

{GS3 – IE – RBI} Changing Dynamics of India’s Remittance Landscape **

• Context (TH): The RBI released its Sixth Round of the Remittances Survey, revealing a historic $118.7 billion in inward remittances in 2023–24, maintaining India’s position as the top global recipient.

Structural Changes in India’s Remittance Patterns

• Shifts in source countries: Remittance sources have shifted from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations to Advanced Economies (AEs) such as the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and Singapore.
  • AE share rose to 51.2% in 2023–24, surpassing GCC’s 37.9%.
  • The US alone contributed 27.7%, up from 23.4% in 2020–21.
  • Reflects a migration trend from low-skilled, temporary Gulf workers to high-skilled professionals and students settling long-term in AEs.
• Changing Migrant Profile: High-skilled migrants send larger, more regular remittances, increasing flow stability.
  • However, long-term settlement, citizenship acquisition, and family relocation may reduce future remittance volumes.
  • Transactions above ₹5 lakh make up 29% of remittance value, though they represent only 1.4% of total transactions — indicating the dominance of wealthy, professionally mobile migrants.
• Rise of Digital Remittances: 73.5% of remittances use digital platforms (fintech apps, online banking).
  • Average cost of sending $200 to India is 4.9%, lower than the global average (6.65%) but still above the SDG target of 3%.
  • Digital adoption is high in Saudi Arabia (92.7%) and UAE (76.1%), but low in Canada (40%), Germany (55.1%), and Italy (35%)
  • Policy Focus: Expand cross-border digital infrastructure, simplify regulations, and reduce transfer costs to enhance formal flows and financial inclusion.
• Regional Disparity: Kerala, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu receive over 51% of total remittances.
  • Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan — with large migrant populations — receive less than 6%.
  • Due to unequal access to migration enablers, such as language training, skill certification, employer networks, and infrastructure.
  • Policy Need: Launch state-specific skill development and migration support programs (e.g., under Skill India Mission) to avoid the creation of “remittance elite” regions.

Missing Dimensions: Household Usage and Development Impact

• Survey does not track use of remittances — whether for consumption, education, or asset creation.
• Limits understanding of the role of remittances in poverty alleviation, financial resilience, and long-term development.
• Policy Suggestions: Introduce savings-linked remittance products, financial literacy programs, and investment incentives for recipient households to ensure remittances fund long-term growth rather than just consumption.

Why do Remittances Matter for India?

• Stable & counter-cyclical source of foreign exchange, often exceeding FDI inflows.
• In 2023–24, remittances financed over 50% of India’s merchandise trade deficit.
• Remittances are resilient during global downturns, unlike volatile capital flows.
• Understanding changing patterns is key to formulating inclusive, resilient, and future-ready migration and remittance policies.

Also Read > India’s Remittances Landscape.

{GS3 – S&T – Biotech} India’s First Gene-Edited Sheep

• Context (LM | IE): India has achieved a significant milestone in animal biotechnology with the development of its first gene-edited sheep.

Details of India’s First Gene-Edited Sheep

• Developed by researchers from Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), Kashmir, in collaboration with ICAR sponsorship.
• Scientific Achievement: Edited the myostatin gene, which naturally limits muscle growth, resulting in a ~30% increase in muscle mass, a trait common in European Texel sheep but absent in Indian breeds.
• Non-Transgenic Nature: No foreign DNA introduced; distinguishes it from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and aligns with India’s 2022 Environment Protection Act notification exempting such edits (SDN-1 and SDN-2) from GMO classification.
• Adherence to Biosafety: Research followed international biosafety protocols ensuring safety and regulatory compliance.

Comparative Advances

• Earlier Developments: SKUAST previously cloned India’s first Pashmina goat (‘Noori’) in 2012, contributing to India’s success in animal reproductive biotechnology.
• Parallel Achievements: This breakthrough follows India’s release of its first gene-edited rice variety, marking steady progress in genomics across agriculture and livestock sectors.

Ethical and Safety Concerns

• Ethical Concerns: Potential misuse includes creating designer traits/eugenics, raising social equity issues.
• Animal Welfare: Ethical implications of genetic manipulation and associated procedures require scrutiny.
• Technical Risks: Off-target edits and mosaicism may cause unintended mutations or health risks.

Gene Editing Technology

• Gene Editing enables precise modifications in an organism’s DNA by adding, deleting, or altering specific gene sequences using advanced biotechnological tools.
• CRISPR-Cas9 is a revolutionary gene-editing technique awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, involving a protein (Cas9) acting as molecular scissors, guided by RNA to cut DNA at targeted locations.
  • DNA is then repaired by the cell’s natural mechanisms, enabling gene knockout or insertion without foreign DNA.

Other Gene Editing Tools

• Zinc Finger Nucleases (ZFNs): Engineered proteins combining zinc finger DNA-binding domains with FokI nuclease to cut DNA at specific sites for gene modification.
• Transcription Activator-Like Effector Nucleases (TALENs): Similar to ZFNs, TALENs use TALE DNA-binding domains fused to nucleases to target and cleave specific DNA sequences for editing.

Significance

• Unlike transgenics, these tools edit existing genes, making organisms non-transgenic and potentially more acceptable to regulators and consumers.

• Advantages: Precise, efficient, and avoids introducing foreign DNA sequences, minimising ethical and biosafety concerns compared to traditional genetic engineering.

Regulatory Framework

In India

• GMOs & gene-edited organisms are regulated under the 1989 rules under the Environment Protection Act 1986.
• Genome edits categorized into SDN-1/SDN-2 (small edits without foreign DNA) exempt from stringent GMO regulations, while SDN-3 (transgenic) faces tight controls.
• Oversight bodies include Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation (RCGM), and Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBSCs).

International Bioethics

• UNESCO’s International Bioethics Committee monitors ethical implication of genome editing globally.

Significance and Applications of the Research

• Livestock Genetic Improvement: Opens pathways to produce animals with traits like increased muscle mass, disease resistance, vaccine development & improved reproductive efficiency (twinning).
• Scaling Potential: The gene-editing technique can be expanded to other livestock species for better productivity and resilience.
• Economic and Agricultural Impact: Boosts India’s position in global precision breeding and supports initiatives like Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat in biotechnology.
• Regulatory Advantage: Non-transgenic nature reduces regulatory hurdles and increases consumer and regulatory acceptance.

Broader Applications of Gene Editing Technology

• Human Medicine: Correcting genetic disorders and tailoring personalized therapies.
• Agriculture: Developing disease-resistant and high-yield crops.
• Scientific Research: Modelling diseases, understanding gene function, and studying biological processes with high precision.

Also refer to First Personalised Gene-Editing Therapy.

{Prelims – PIN India} Palghat Gap *

• Context (TH | TH): Palghat Gap (also known as Palakkad Gap) in the southern Western Ghats holds geographical, ecological, climatic and historical significance.

• Located between Tamil Nadu & Kerala, 30 km wide natural break in the southern Western Ghats.
• Topographic Features: Three ranges radiate in different directions from Anai Mudi. These ranges are the Anaimalai (1800-2000 m) to the north, the Palani (900-1,200 m) to the north-east and the Cardamom Hills or the Ealaimalai to the south.
  • South of the Pal ghat Gap, there is an intricate system of steep and rugged slopes on both the eastern and western sides of the Ghats.

  

• Geological Origin: A rift valley and east-west shear zone formed before the India–Madagascar split (~100 million years ago), linked to Gondwana continental drift.
  • Being a shear zone, it occasionally experiences seismic tremors, especially around Coimbatore.
• Transport Corridor: Acts as a crucial gateway for roads, railways, and rivers, connecting Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu with Palakkad in Kerala.
• River System: The Bharathappuzha River, Kerala’s second longest, flows through the Palghat Gap.
• Climatic Role: Allows moisture-laden south-west monsoon winds to penetrate inland, bringing rainfall to Tamil Nadu and the Mysore plateau.
• Rainfall Distribution: Though the northern Western Ghats receive more total rainfall, the southern side of the Gap enjoys more evenly spread rain throughout the year.
• Vegetation Contrast: Western Ghats have tropical rainforests, while the Palghat Gap features dry evergreen forests due to its distinct climate.
• Biogeographic Barrier: Species differ sharply on either side; distinct frog populations, genetically separate elephant groups, and variations in the White-bellied Shortwing bird.
• Biodiversity Hotspot: South of the Gap has high species richness and phylogenetic diversity, including over 450 tree species and ancient flora like Magnolia champaca (130+ million years old).
• Ecological Stability: The southern Western Ghats served as a refuge during past climatic extremes (ice ages, droughts), preserving diverse evolutionary lineages.

{Prelims – Sports} Seven Summits Challenge

• Context (TH): Vishwanath Karthikey Padakanti, a 16-year-old from Hyderabad, became the youngest Indian and the second youngest in the world to complete the Seven Summits Challenge by successfully climbing Mount Everest as his final peak.

About Seven Summits Challenge

• The Seven Summits are the highest mountains on each of the seven continents. The challenge is to achieve the mountaineering goal of climbing the highest mountain on each of the seven continents.
• First completed by Richard Bass (US) in 1985.
• There are two versions of the challenge:
  • Bass List: Includes Mount Kosciuszko in Australia (easier). Most people complete the Bass list first.
  • Messner List: Replaces Mount Kosciuszko with Puncak Jaya (also known as Carstensz Pyramid) in Indonesia, and is considered far more difficult and technically challenging.
• The Seven Mountains in the Bass List: