Current Affairs – September 24, 2025

{GS1 – A&C – Sites} Konkan Coast Geoglyphs

• Context (TOI): The prehistoric geoglyphs of the Konkan coast, nominated for UNESCO World Heritage status, may date back 24,000 years, ranking among the world’s oldest rock art traditions.

Key Discoveries

• Earlier estimates dated them to 10,000 years, but new evidence from Koloshi caves excavations indicates much older cultural layers, nearly 38,000 years.
• Evidence suggests geoglyphs span from the late Pleistocene to the historical period.
• Panels depict extinct fauna such as rhinoceros and hippopotamus, pointing to a very ancient timeline.
• The official report compares Konkan geoglyphs with Peru’s Nazca Lines, Chile’s Atacama Giant, and California’s Blythe intaglios.
  • Unlike desert engravings, Konkan geoglyphs are smaller but more intricate.
• Sites Identified: Nine major sites, Kasheli, Barsu, Jambharun, Ukshi, Rundhye Tali, Devache Gothane, Devi Hasol, Kudopi (Maharashtra), and Phansaymal (Goa).

Unique Features Discovered

• At Barsu, a human figure flanked by two tigers resembles motifs found on Harappan seals.
• At Kasheli, microliths found near a carved elephant link the site to the terminal Pleistocene period.
• At Devi Hasol, carvings continue to be used in rituals at the Aryadurga temple, showing ritual continuity.
• At Devache Gothane, a standing human figure is associated with magnetic anomalies.

{GS2 – Polity – IC – Judiciary} Decriminalising Defamation

• Context (IE): The Supreme Court’s remark to reconsider decriminalising defamation revives debate on balancing free speech under Article 19 with reputation as dignity under Article 21.

What is Defamation?

• Defamation refers to false spoken, written, or published communication that unjustly harms the reputation of individuals, groups, or relatives.
• Types: It is broadly divided into libel, covering written or published material, and slander, covering oral statements causing reputational injury.
• Dual Remedies: Indian law recognises defamation both as a civil wrong allowing compensation, and as a criminal offence prescribing punitive sanctions.
• Statutory Basis: The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 defines defamation and prescribes punishment under Section 356, replacing IPC Sections 499 and 500.
  • Punishments: Provides imprisonment up to two years, a fine, or both, with community service added as an alternative option.

• Procedural Nature: Classified as non-cognisable, bailable, and compoundable, cases are filed before magistrates rather than being registered directly by police.

Why Defamation Should Be Criminalised?

• Reputational Sanctity: Reputation under Article 21 is essential to dignity and societal respect, requiring criminal sanctions along with civil remedies for effective protection.
• Deterrence Shield: Criminal penalties deter malicious defamation, protecting marginalised groups unable to pursue lengthy, costly civil litigation against powerful offenders.
• Public Order: False defamatory statements can provoke communal discord and unrest, and criminalisation remains vital for preserving societal stability and democratic confidence.

Why Defamation Should Not Be Criminalised?

• Free Speech Risks: Fear of arrest under criminal defamation discourages citizens from exercising their right to free speech under Article 19(1)(a), even for legitimate, constitutionally protected criticism.
• Misuse & Burden: Powerful actors often weaponize defamation through SLAPP suits, shifting the burden of proof onto the accused.
• Disproportionate Penalty: Treating reputational harm with imprisonment is disproportionate, while prolonged criminal trials clog courts and serve as punishment before an actual conviction.

{GS2 – MoFPI – Initiative} World Food India 2025

• Context (PIB): The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) will host the 4^th edition of World Food India (WFI) 2025 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, to exhibit India’s food processing potential.

• Objective: To provide a transformative platform to position India as a global hub for food innovation and sustainability, while fostering international collaboration and partnerships.
• Global Participation: The event will involve delegates from more than 100 countries and various Indian States and UTs, making it the biggest stakeholder gathering in India’s food processing sector.
• Partner Nations: WFI 2025 will include New Zealand and Saudi Arabia as partner countries, while Japan, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam are the focus countries.

Read More > India’s Food Processing Industry

{GS2 – IR – India-US} US Withdraws Sanctions Waiver for Chabahar Port

• Context (IE): The United States has revoked the sanctions waiver for Iran’s Chabahar Port, which India has been developing since 2002.

Why Has the Waiver Been Withdrawn?

• Linked to the US’s “maximum pressure” policy to isolate Iran.
• Recent Escalation: US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities (June 2025).
• Waiver revoked under Iran Freedom & Counter-Proliferation Act (IFCA), effective September 29, 2025.

Implications for India

• Connectivity Setback: Disrupts India’s access to Afghanistan and Central Asia, undermining years of investment and limiting its ability to counterbalance China’s Gwadar port.
• Economic Impact: India’s planned wheat and humanitarian shipments to Afghanistan may face hurdles, while projects under INSTC could be delayed, raising trade costs with Eurasia.
• Geopolitical Challenge: Strains India’s balancing act between the US (strategic partner) and Iran (vital for connectivity and energy security), and may push Iran closer to China and Russia.
• Regional Security: Weakens India’s presence in Afghanistan, already diminished after 2021, and reduces its strategic leverage in West and Central Asia.

{GS2 – IR – India-Pakistan} Sawalkote Hydroelectric Project

• Context (IE): Following the suspension of Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in 2025, the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) is now reviewing environmental clearance for the Sawalkote Dam on the Chenab River.

About the Sawalkote Hydroelectric Project

• Sawalkote is a 1,856 MW run-of-river hydroelectric project featuring a concrete gravity dam, poised to become the largest in Jammu & Kashmir.
• It is under construction on the Chenab River in the Ramban district, featuring a 550 MCM reservoir.
• The project is being carried out in two phases by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).
• Originally conceived in the 1980s, it was delayed for years due to limitations imposed by the IWT.

Source: IE

Significance of the Project

• Energy Security: The project will generate about 7,000 million units annually, reducing J&K’s winter shortages and supplying surplus electricity to India’s northern grid.
• Strategic Leverage: After the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, it reinforces India’s control over the Chenab waters and bolsters its stance in transboundary water disputes.
• Water Management: By controlling the Chenab’s flow, the reservoir mitigates downstream flooding while improving irrigation and domestic water availability.

Issues and Concerns

• Ecological Impact: The project will divert 846 hectares of forest and require felling over 2.22 lakh trees, threatening biodiversity and fragile Himalayan ecosystems.
• Classification Dispute: Although described as run-of-river, its large reservoir alters natural flows, disrupting sediment movement, fish migration, and ecological balance in the Chenab basin.
• Regulatory Challenges: Delays arise from centre-state disputes, outdated environmental data, forest clearance hurdles, seismic risks, and the displacement of local communities.

{GS2 – IR – International Organisations} Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger Withdraw from the International Criminal Court

• Context (TH): Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, three West African countries, announced withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), citing selective justice.

International Criminal Court (ICC)

• The International Criminal Court is a Permanent judicial body based in The Hague, Netherlands, established under the 1998 Rome Statute and operational since 1 July 2002.
• Purpose: Court of last resort to prosecute crimes that would otherwise go unpunished.
• Membership: It has 125 member countries, with Ukraine becoming the 125^th member in 2025.
  • India is not a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
• Relationship with UN: ICC has a separate agreement with the UN.
• Structure: The Court is organised into four main organs — the Presidency, the Judicial Chambers, the Office of the Prosecutor, and the Registry. The Assembly of States Parties supervises its functioning.

Read In-depth About ICC | Difference between ICJ and ICC

{GS3 – IS – Initiatives} India’s Mega Drone Drill ‘Cold Start’

• Context (TH): India will conduct a tri-service exercise called the ‘Cold Start’ in Madhya Pradesh to evaluate the drones and counter-drone systems.

• It is the largest such drill since Operation Sindoor, aimed at developing and refining drone technology and improving readiness for emerging aerial threats.
• Participants: The Army, Navy, Air Force, industry partners, research and development agencies, academia, and other stakeholders will participate in the exercise.
• Significance: It strengthens India’s integrated defence system, often compared to the Sudarshan Chakra, offering protection in multiple directions and a strategic edge.

Read More > Drones as the New Face of Warfare | BSF School of Drone Warfare

{GS3 – S&T – Tech} India’s SMR-led Nuclear Push

• Context (IE | PIB): The Government of India is considering Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) to power the rapidly growing data centre ecosystem, driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications.

Need for Nuclear Power in Data Centres

• Rising Demand: According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global data centre electricity demand could double by 2026.
• High Energy Costs: In India, electricity accounts for 65% of operational costs, with setting up 1 MW capacity costing ₹60-70 crore.
• Sector Growth: India’s data centre market is valued at $10 billion, with capacity projected to reach 1.8 GW by 2027.
• Limitations of Renewables: Solar and wind face intermittency and storage challenges, making nuclear a stable alternative.

Policy and Legal Reforms in the Nuclear Sector

• The government plans to amend the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010, to enable private and foreign participation through joint ventures.
• These reforms are intended to attract investment, promote technology transfer, and encourage private sector innovation, similar to space sector liberalisation.
• Union Budget 2025-26 has allocated ₹20,000 crore for the Nuclear Energy Mission.

Strategic Implications

• Energy Security: Reduces dependence on fossil fuels and volatile imports.
• Geopolitical Leverage: SMR deployment could position India as a supplier of nuclear solutions to developing economies.

Read More > Nuclear Energy

{Prelims – Bio – Diseases} WHO Rejects Claim Linking Vaccines and Autism

• Context (IE): The World Health Organization dismissed claims that vaccines or paracetamol during pregnancy cause autism, reaffirming the scientific consensus on vaccine safety.

About Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

• ASD is a neurodevelopmental condition characterised by differences in social communication, interaction, and repetitive behaviours. It manifests before age 3 & persists lifelong.
• Factors: Genetic predisposition (E.g., family history, older parental age) and environmental influences (E.g., prenatal pollution, prematurity) jointly elevate risk without direct causation.
• Co-Morbidities: Individuals with ASD often experience concurrent conditions such as epilepsy, anxiety, and sleep disorders, thus requiring holistic care.
• Interventions: ASD has no cure. But early evidence-based behavioural, speech-language, occupational, and play-based therapies can improve long-term quality of life.
• Prevalence: Globally, ~1 in 100 children has ASD (WHO); in India, estimates vary from 1 in 68 to 1.12% among children aged 2 to 9.

India’s ASD Policy Framework

• Legal Recognition: The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, explicitly recognises ADS as one of the 21 disabilities, ensuring legal entitlements and safeguards against discrimination.
• Guardianship: The National Trust Act, 1999, provides a legal framework for guardianship and lifelong care for individuals with autism, cerebral palsy, and intellectual disabilities.
• Early Intervention: The DISHA scheme offers early intervention and school readiness for children with autism aged 0 to 10.
• Community Support: Through the Sahyogi scheme, trained Care Associates provide expert, community-based support for autistic individuals.

{Prelims – Awards} Booker Prize 2025

• Context (TH): Kiran Desai, who previously won the Booker Prize in 2006, has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2025 for her novel ‘The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny’.

• The Booker Prize is a renowned global literary award given annually to writers of any nationality for the best English fiction novel published in the UK or Ireland.
• It was referred to as the “Man Booker Prize” until 2019, when it was changed to “The Booker Prize.”
• The UK-based Booker Prize Foundation manages and funds the award; they also present the International Booker Prize annually for the best fiction translated into English.
• Prize Money: The winner gets a £50,000 cash prize and international publishing recognition.
• Notable Winners: The first winner of Indian origin was V. S. Naipaul, while the first Indian citizen to win was Arundhati Roy.
  • Recent laureates include Samantha Harvey (UK, 2024) and Paul Lynch (Ireland, 2023).

Read More > How is the Booker Prize different?

{Prelims} One Liners

• In News – Typhoon Ragasa (DDN): Super Typhoon Ragasa, the strongest tropical cyclone of the year, has made landfall in the Philippines and is heading toward Taiwan, Hong Kong, & southern China. Super Typhoon: Wind speeds above 220 km/hour.
• IR Events – France Recognises Palestine (TH): France, joined by Australia, Canada, the U.K., and Portugal, has formally recognised Palestinian statehood, defying U.S. and Israeli opposition and reviving calls for a two-state solution.