Current Affairs – September 12, 2025

{GS2 – Polity – IC – Elections} Nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) **

• Context (DDN): Election Commission of India (ECI) assessed nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) readiness during the third Conference of Chief Electoral Officers in New Delhi.

About Special Intensive Revision (SIR)

• Special Intensive Revision (SIR) refers to ECI-directed voter roll updates in exceptional situations like mass errors, omissions, or political exigencies.
• Objective: It aims to correct flawed rolls, address migrant duplication, and ensure inclusive, accurate enrolment in complex electoral environments.
• Legal Basis: Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, empowers ECI with discretionary powers to revise electoral rolls in any manner it deems fit.
• Methodology: SIR typically uses house-to-house verification, involving physical enumeration to validate voter identity, address, and document authenticity at the door level.
• Prior SIRs: SIRs were earlier conducted in 1952-2004 across multiple states. The 2025 exercise is India’s first such nationwide revision in 20 years.

Rationale for Nationwide SIR

• Roll Synchronisation: A centralised revision cycle under Nationwide SIR ensures uniformity across States and UTs, reducing procedural inconsistencies.
• Duplicate Removal: Nationwide SIR links voter details to updated residence patterns, helping prevent multiple enrolments across constituencies.
• Migrant Mapping: By mapping internal migration, it helps prevent duplication and ensures voters are matched with the correct constituencies.
• Booth Rationalisation: SIR allows capping polling stations at 1,200 voters, improving booth management & reducing travel distance in tribal & remote areas.
• Digital Transparency: Using the ECINET platform to integrate over 40 electoral tools, SIR facilitates real-time updates and enhances public trust in electoral processes.

Operational and Inclusion Challenges

• Document Exclusion: Voters lacking birth or citizenship documents are excluded earlier, even if they possess Aadhaar, ration cards, or voter ID.
• Staff Constraints: Shortage of field officers delays verification cycles. ECI faces significant Booth Level Officer vacancies nationwide.
• Digital Access: Portal-based verification may exclude rural voters who lack smartphones, internet access, or digital and functional literacy. Nearly 20% of rural households lack internet access.
• Migrant Complexity: India’s ~400 million internal migrants complicate address mapping. This skews constituency-wise voter alignment and accuracy.
• Awareness Deficit: Poor outreach on deadlines and procedures reduces timely enrolment, especially among rural migrants and illiterate citizens.

Way Forward

• Proof Expansion: Include Aadhaar, ration cards, caste certificates, job cards, or employer verification letters as accepted proofs for migrant verification.
• Field Reinforcement: Recruit additional BLOs and equip them with local language aides and transport support for remote and tribal coverage.
• Mobile Booths: Set up mobile enrolment units at construction sites, industrial hubs, and railway stations where migrant density is high.
• Awareness Outreach: Utilise vernacular radio, community WhatsApp groups, and NGO partnerships to keep citizens informed about deadlines, documents, and appeal mechanisms.
• Population Registry: Adopt Sweden’s model, where electoral rolls auto-extract from civil databases ahead of elections, reducing manual duplication.

Read More > Special Intensive Revision

{GS2 – Social Sector – Education} Himachal Pradesh Declared “Fully Literate” State *

• Context (IE): Himachal Pradesh has been declared the 5^th ‘fully literate’ region of India following Ladakh, Goa, Mizoram & Tripura.

• The ULLAS Scheme defines full literacy as 95%+ adult literacy among the 15+ population.

About Literacy in India

• Census Definition: A person aged 7+ who can both read & write with understanding, in any language.
• Functional literacy: Includes digital, financial, & health skills with reading & numeracy competency.
• NIPUN Bharat: Mission targets Universal Grade 3 literacy by 2027, extending the earlier 2025 deadline.
• NEP 2020: Targets 100% youth and adult literacy by 2030, supported by the ULLAS programme.

Literacy Trend in India

• Overall Rise: National literacy increased to 80.9% from 74.04% in 2011, showing steady gains.
• Gender Gap: Males at 87.2% outperformed females at 74.6%, highlighting equity challenges.
• Regional Divide: Urban rate reached 88.9%, while rural lagged behind at 77.5%.
• Top States: Mizoram, Lakshadweep, & Nagaland demonstrated sustained literacy gains.
• Bottom States: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh warrant urgent literacy efforts.
• Adult Gains: ULLAS enrolled ~2.43 crore adults with a pass rate of ~90% in FLNAT.

About Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society (ULLAS) Scheme

• It is a centrally sponsored scheme by the Ministry of Education under the New India Literacy Programme.
• Target Group: ULLAS aims to educate adults aged 15 and above who lack formal education.
• Objective: Operational from 2022 to 2027, it supports NEP’s goal of universal literacy by 2030.
• Five pillars: Include foundational literacy, life skills, education, vocational skills, and continuing learning.
• Civic Model: Based on Kartavya Bodh, it mobilises volunteers for outreach & learning delivery.
• Learning Platform: DIKSHA portal, hosted by NCERT, provides structured e-content to learners.
• Certification: Literacy is assessed through FLNAT, and NIOS issues certificates to the qualifiers.

{GS2 – IR – International Organisations} United Nations Human Rights Council *

• Context (ET): At the recent United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session, India criticised Switzerland, which holds the 2025 presidency, for comments on Indian minorities.

• The UNHRC is an intergovernmental body within the UN mandated to promote and protect universal human rights worldwide.
• It was formed in 2006, replacing the UN Commission on Human Rights, & is headquartered in Geneva.
• India’s Role: Served as a member for the 2019–2021 and 2022–2024 terms, engaging in key resolutions.

Structure and Membership

• UNHRC has 47 seats divided regionally: 13 for Africa, 13 for Asia-Pacific, 8 for Latin America & the Caribbean, 7 for Western Europe & Others, and 6 for Eastern Europe.
• The UN General Assembly elects members for three-year terms, with a limit of two consecutive terms.
• A two-thirds vote in the General Assembly can suspend a member for gross human rights violations.
• Non-members may attend Council sessions as observer states but do not have voting rights.

Working and Mechanisms

• Universal Periodic Review: It evaluates the human rights situation in all UN member states through reports from states and stakeholders.
• Advisory Committee: Serves as the Council’s think tank, offering insights on studies and expert advice.

{GS2 – IR – Issues} Israel’s Airstrike on Doha

• Context (IE): Israeli jets struck Doha targeting Hamas leaders hosted by Qatar, marking the first direct Israeli attack on a Gulf Arab state.

• Strategic Aim: Disrupt US-led ceasefire talks in Qatar, preventing any pause that could halt Israel’s offensive in Gaza.

Global and Regional Impact

• Israel’s strike on Qatar, a US ally, shows its growing unilateral power in West Asia.
• Arab states that earlier focused on balancing Iran may now see Israel as the main power to counter.
• Compared to Israel’s June 2025 attack on Iran during US nuclear negotiations, Israel’s attack was direct, damaging, and involved higher risk.
• International criticism is growing, with countries like Spain calling for sanctions against Israel.

Implications for India

• Energy Security: Instability in Qatar, a major LNG supplier to India, could impact energy flows and prices.
• Diaspora Concerns: Over 7 lakh Indians live and work in Qatar, escalations could affect their safety and remittances.
• Diplomatic Balancing: India, which condemned the attack, must balance ties with Israel (defence partner), Qatar (energy partner), and the U.S. (strategic partner).

Read More > Israel-Palestine Conflict | India Qatar Relations

{GS3 – IE – Globalisation} De-Dollarisation **

• Context (FE): Recent trends show a steady diversification of reserves, indicating a gradual de-dollarisation, even though U.S. Treasuries are considered the safest forex asset.

Key Global Reserve Diversification Trends

• Debt Shift: Foreign U.S. Treasury holdings decreased from 34% (2015) to 24.9% (2025), with domestic investors filling the gap.
• Eroding Dollar Share: Dollar’s global reserve share fell from 65.5% (2016) to 57.7% (2025).
• Rising Alternatives: Euro, pound, yen, and renminbi gained reserve space, signalling diversification.
• Gold Surge: Central banks increased gold shares: India from 5.9% to 13.1%, China from 1.7% to 6.7%.

Key Drivers of the De-Dollarisation

• Sanctions Risk: Financial sanctions and SWIFT exclusions raised sovereign concerns over dollar reliance.
• Fiscal Strains: Repeated U.S. debt-ceiling standoffs undermined Treasuries’ absolute safe-haven image.
• Trade Shifts: Tariff disputes and U.S. interventions pushed diversification away from dollar assets.
• Gold Demand: The pandemic and wars have boosted central banks’ preference for gold reserves.
• Alternatives: Regional blocs and payment networks like BRICS Pay emerged as substitutes to SWIFT.

Read in Depth > De-dollarisation

{GS3 – Infra – Transportation} India’s Shipbuilding Vision **

• Context (TH): India aims to move from its current 16^th rank to be among the top 5 shipbuilding nations by 2047 under the Maritime India Vision.

Key Targets

• 2030 Goal: Enter the top 10 maritime nations.
• 2047 Goal: Secure position among the top 5 shipbuilding nations.
• GDP Contribution: Raise the maritime sector’s share from 4% to 12% of India’s GDP.
• Global Workforce: Increase Indian seafarers’ share in the global workforce from 12% to 25%.

Government Initiatives for the Blue Economy

• Financial Support: Shipbuilding Finance Assistance Scheme and Maritime Development Fund ($3 billion), with 45% for shipbuilding and repair.
• Mission Framework:
  • National Shipbuilding Mission: Long-term strategic push.
  • Shipbreaking Credit Note Scheme: Incentivising recycling and sustainability.
  • Upfront Subsidies: Up to 30% for building non-conventional/green ships.
• Policy Reforms: 100% FDI under the automatic route in shipping and shipbuilding.
• Infrastructure Expansion: $82 billion investment plan by 2035 to expand port capacity.

Challenges in India’s Shipbuilding Growth

• Low Share: India holds less than 1% of the global shipbuilding market, demanding rapid scale-up.
• Key Hurdles: High capital costs, tech gaps, and strong competition from China, South Korea, and Japan.
• R&D Need: Push for domestic green shipping research and stronger private sector participation.

Read More> Recent Maritime Initiatives

{GS3 – Envi – Conservation} Rising Tiger Count in Chhattisgarh

• Context (TOI): Chhattisgarh’s tiger count doubled from 17 in 2022 to 35 in 2025, indicating recovery.

• Achanakmar Tiger Reserve hosts the highest tiger population among Chhattisgarh’s four reserves.
• Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla, declared the 56^th tiger reserve in 2024, is the 3^rd largest reserve in India.
• Translocation: NTCA recently approved the tiger relocation from Madhya Pradesh to revive populations in Udanti-Sitanadi and Guru Ghasidas tiger reserves.

Read More > Chhattisgarh Protected Areas

{GS3 – Envi – Species} Designer Clownfish *

• Context (TH): Scientists at the National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR) developed designer clownfish through cross-breeding for the ornamental trade and community aquaculture.

About Clownfish

• Clownfish, also called anemonefish, are small marine fish with bright orange-white stripes.
• Habitat: Inhabit shallow coral reefs across the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans.
• Global Distribution: Extends from the Red Sea to French Polynesia via Japan & Australia.
  • India Range: Found in the Andaman-Nicobar, Lakshadweep, and Gulf of Mannar-Palk Bay regions.
• Symbiosis: They form symbiosis with sea anemones, gaining shelter while defending the anemones.
• Hermaphroditism: All clownfish are born male; dominant males hormonally transform into females.
• Social Order: Groups follow a strict hierarchy led by a dominant female and breeding male.
• Threats: The aquarium trade and coral bleaching pose significant threats to local populations.
• Heatwave Adaptation: Adults can adjust body size, enabling survival during marine heatwaves.
• Ecological Role: Recycle nutrients and deter predators, thereby sustaining reef resilience.
  • Link Species: Act as link species, bridging fishes and invertebrates in food webs.
• Conservation Status: IUCN: Least Concern.

Source: IUCN

{GS3 – Envi – RE} India’s Solar Energy Indigenisation Push **

• Context (PIB): India is moving towards a fully Swadeshi solar value chain, aiming for indigenous solar cell manufacturing by 2028 as announced by the Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy.

Rationale for Solar Energy Indigenisation

• Import Resilience: China supplies 60% of solar modules and cells, posing energy security risks.
• Financial Stability: Domestic production mitigates $30 billion annual solar equipment import bill.
• Employment Impact: The PLI scheme created about 12,000 jobs, strengthening India’s skilled workforce.
• Commitments: Indigenisation aids India’s 2030 goal of 500 GW renewable energy and net-zero by 2070.
• Rising Energy Demand: Projected at 73 exajoules by 2050, necessitates solar expansion.

Achievements in Solar Expansion

• India crossed 100 GW solar capacity in 2025, boosting its global standing.
• According to IRENA RE Statistics 2025, India now ranks third globally in solar energy generation.
• India’s non-fossil capacity exceeded 50%, meeting COP26 goal five years ahead of schedule.
• Rajasthan hosts the world’s largest solar park, reinforcing India’s solar leadership.
• Establishing a 2 GW ingot-wafer facility marked progress in manufacturing self-reliance.

Bottlenecks in Solar Development

• Land Trade-offs: Solar expansion requires vast land, raising food security and environmental concerns.
• Grid Deficit: Transmission losses at 16.4% persist, with costly storage hindering integration.
• Manufacturing Gaps: Limited R&D and infrastructure constrain local production, increasing imports.
• Cost Barriers: Rooftop solar costs ₹2.2–3.5 lakh, restricting household adoption.
• Mineral Burden: Lithium, cobalt, and nickel mining impose ecological and carbon costs.
• Waste Challenge: Absence of solar recycling norms risks mounting future environmental burden.

Strategic Pathways for Reform

• Value Chain Expansion: Build polysilicon, wafer, and ingot capacity to strengthen the ecosystem.
• Storage Roadmap: Launch National Storage Policy to scale battery and hydro capacity.
• Grid Upgrades: Invest in smart grids and transmission modernisation for renewable integration.
• Global Partnerships: Leverage the International Solar Alliance for finance, technology, and cooperation.
• Technological Innovation: Promote agrivoltaics and perovskite R&D, enhancing land use and efficiency.

{GS3 – S&T – ISRO} ISRO Technology Transfer

• Context (TH): ISRO signed a technology transfer agreement with HAL for production of the SSLV, marking the 100^th transfer facilitated by the INSPACe.

• The agreement between ISRO, NSIL, INSPACe, and HAL involves a 24-month technology transfer, after which HAL will independently produce SSLVs for domestic and international markets.
• Significance: The partnership enhances industry participation, promotes Atmanirbhar Bharat, and aids India’s goal to become a global hub for affordable, reliable launch services.

{GS3 – S&T – Defence} India-France Joint Project for Jet Engines *

• Context (HT): Indian Govt. may soon approve the joint project by French firm Safran and the DRDO to develop and produce 120-140 kilo-Newton jet engines.

• The proposed engines will power India’s upcoming twin-engine Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) stealth fighter.
• Engines will be developed under Indian IPR with 100% French technology transfer, including that of advanced single-crystal blade systems.
  • Single-Crystal Blade: Built from a single super-alloy crystal, it can withstand extreme heat & stress.
• With this capability, India will join the US, Russia, UK, and France as the fifth jet engine-producing nation.

About Jet Engines

• A jet engine is a reaction engine that expels high-speed exhaust gases to produce forward thrust, which propels the aircraft.
  • Air-Breathing: It uses atmospheric oxygen for combustion, preventing scope in the outer space.

• Advantages: High thrust-to-weight ratio allows faster speeds, longer ranges, and heavier payloads.
• Types: Turbojets, turbofans, and turboprops for conventional aviation; ramjets, scramjets, and pulsejets for supersonic performances.