National Affairs
- Supreme Court flagged states for poor compliance in updating bonded labour rescue data; Centre asked to review relief disbursement under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act.
- FCRA licensing norms may get tighter after a new audit flagged misuse of foreign donations by NGOs.
- Odisha’s new mining policy mandates GPS tagging of trucks to curb illegal ore transport.
- Bihar & Assam’s fresh monsoon flood alerts triggered extra NDMA teams and repair funds.
- Delhi set up a pilot for AI-based traffic violation detection using number plate recognition.
- Urban Local Bodies face deadline gaps on solid waste segregation under Swachh Bharat 2.0.
- Railway Board to issue revised land lease guidelines to fast-track freight corridor expansion.
- Central push for state-level Anti-Narcotics Task Forces as synthetic drug cases spike.
- Madhya Pradesh HC ruled on the Enemy Property Act — properties belonging to enemy nations or heirs to be vested with the Custodian.
Economy & Infrastructure
- June trade deficit widened due to higher crude oil prices; non-oil exports held steady.
- GST collections crossed ₹1.6 lakh crore for 6th straight month — shows robust domestic spending.
- Coal India expands captive renewable plants to lower carbon intensity.
- Gati Shakti corridors to add bulk commodity freight capacity — key for cement, coal, fertilizers.
- RBI flagged mounting unsecured retail credit — stricter lending norms likely soon.
- SEBI working on tighter small-cap fund disclosures to protect retail investors.
- Maize Summit highlighted India’s ‘queen of cereals’ status — high demand for ethanol blending, feed.
- Industry 4.0 in food processing to reduce post-harvest loss; uses AI, blockchain for traceability.
International & Strategic Affairs
- India & Japan deepen green hydrogen pilot projects under Indo-Pacific climate security.
- Navy expands joint maritime exercises with ASEAN to counter regional piracy and boost MDA (Maritime Domain Awareness).
- India reiterated African Union-led peace plan for Sudan amid worsening conflict.
- Brazil–India co-production plan for Akash missiles — boost to South-South defence exports.
- BRICS New Development Bank admitted Colombia and Uzbekistan — expands funding base.
Environment & Science
- India’s mangrove cover rose marginally due to coastal afforestation drives — Odisha, Sundarbans lead.
- States to use drones and satellites for real-time monitoring of illegal forest encroachment.
- Rajasthan invites bids for mega solar park expansions — supports India’s 500 GW renewables goal.
- SECI’s total green power deals crossed 60 GW — includes solar, wind, and hybrid.
- CSIR to roll out affordable genome kits to diagnose rare genetic conditions locally.
- Kerala upgraded Nipah surveillance protocols — fruit bats confirmed as reservoir species.
Social & Welfare
- Jal Jeevan Mission flagged funding delays; target: tap water to every rural home by 2028.
- PM-POSHAN kitchens in states asked to adopt local menus and digitised fund tracking.
- WHO pushes for new ‘health taxes’ on tobacco, sugary drinks to fight non-communicable diseases.
- NITI Aayog’s SDG Index 2023–24 ranks NE districts — Mizoram leads ‘front-runner’ group.
Culture & Places in the News
- Odisha temple find linked to Somavamshi dynasty may rewrite local art history.
- Seine River, Paris — reopened for public swimming after 100 years ahead of the Olympics.
- Penico ruins in Peru hint at pre-Inca coastal–Andean cultural ties.
- Bulgaria will join the eurozone as 21st member from Jan 2026. Danube, Black Sea coast, Balkan mountains, all prelims-worthy.
- Namibia: PM’s visit planned — mineral-rich, with the Namib desert & Kalahari, the Tropic of Capricorn runs through it.
The 35% reservation for women
Context: The Bihar Cabinet has made domicile status mandatory for availing the 35% reservation for women in State government jobs, tightening eligibility norms for this progressive policy introduced in 2016.
Key Highlights
- Bihar’s 35% reservation for women in State government jobs was launched in 2016 to boost women’s workforce participation.
- Earlier, women from outside Bihar could apply under this quota if they qualified for the job.
- Now, only women with Bihar domicile certificates will be eligible for the reservation.
- The decision was cleared by the State Cabinet chaired by CM Nitish Kumar.
- The move aims to ensure that local women get maximum benefit from government job opportunities.
- The step aligns with sons-of-the-soil policies seen in several States for jobs and education.
- This also connects with debates on domicile-based quotas, affirmative action, and regional employment rights.
Trade deal with the U.S.
Context: India expects to finalise a ‘mini’ trade deal with the U.S. soon, even as President Trump has extended the tariff pause to August 1 and threatened higher duties on 14 countries to push for favourable trade terms.
Key Highlights
- India says a trade agreement with the U.S. is “imminent” and could be announced within a day or two, but only if it aligns with India’s national interest.
- President Trump has warned that higher tariffs (including a 26% tariff on Indian imports) will take effect from August 1 if no deals are finalised.
- India has not received a formal warning letter, unlike 14 other countries such as Japan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, etc.
- The U.S. wants India to relax norms for GM crops imports (soybean meal, DDGS) and U.S. dairy imports — both contentious for India.
- India’s final proposals have been given; the ball is now in the U.S. court.
- The new U.S. tariff deadline was extended to August 1 by an executive order signed by Mr. Trump.
- Indian negotiators, led by the Special Secretary (Commerce), have already made two trips to the U.S.; the U.S. team has also visited India twice recently.
- The deal is critical to avoid extra tariffs and maintain stable trade amid Trump’s protectionist stance.
Code on Social Security
Context: Uber India aims to implement the Code on Social Security for its gig workers by the end of 2025, aligning with the Centre’s directive to ensure welfare benefits for gig, informal, and platform workers.
Key Highlights
- Background: The Code on Social Security, 2020, was passed to cover gig workers, platform workers, and informal sector workers with provisions like life, health, maternity, and old-age benefits.
- Uber is in talks with the Union Government to finalise the funding structure, cost-sharing, and benefit specifics for its drivers.
- Once implemented, drivers’ social security will be interoperable, allowing them to carry benefits if they switch to other platforms like Ola or Rapido.
- The Code mandates contributions from the Centre, States, and aggregators like Uber to fund the welfare schemes.
- A National Social Security Board will oversee implementation, with representation from aggregators, gig workers, EPFO, ESIC, and experts.
- The Supreme Court in February 2025 directed the government to expedite implementation due to prolonged delays since the Code was passed in September 2020.
- Uber has also launched new features — rides for pets, teens with extra safety, and prepaid subscriptions to stabilise prices during peak demand.
India’s Auto Industry
Context: India’s auto component industry is facing a critical shortage of rare earth magnets, crucial for EV production, prompting calls for a national strategy on critical minerals and new sourcing partnerships, including with Australia.
Key Highlights
- The Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) flagged supply chain risks due to China’s export restrictions on rare earth magnets since April.
- Rare earth magnets are essential for electric vehicle motors, making their shortage a threat to India’s EV goals.
- ACMA President Shradha Suri Marwah said the industry is exploring alternative sources and stressed self-reliance in critical materials.
- India is discussing rare earth mineral sourcing with Australia to reduce dependency on China.
- Australia has offered India early-stage rare earth blocks for mining and partnership with private firms.
- India is also eyeing copper mining opportunities in Australia to secure supply for the electrical and auto sectors.
- Companies like Adani have invested heavily in domestic copper smelting capacity, but raw material security remains a gap.
The National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR)
Context: The National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR) has developed gene-edited rice using CRISPR-Cas9, which enhances phosphate uptake and yield, potentially reducing fertilizer use and promoting sustainable agriculture in India.
Key Highlights
- Why phosphorus matters:
- Phosphorus is vital for plant growth but plants absorb only 15–20% of phosphate fertilizers; the rest is wasted through leaching or runoff.
- What was done:
- Scientists used CRISPR-Cas9 to precisely remove the binding site of a repressor gene (OsWRKY6) that limits the function of a key phosphate transporter (OsPHO1;2) in japonica rice.
- Main result:
- This increased phosphate transfer from root to shoot, raising yields by 20% with normal fertilizer and by 40% with just 10% of recommended fertilizer.
- Benefit:
- Improved phosphate use efficiency means lower fertilizer use, lower input costs, and less environmental runoff.
- Testing & safety:
- Verified no off-target gene edits using DNA tests and computational tools.
- Foreign DNA from Cas9 protein and bacterial vector is removed by Mendelian segregation in the next generation.
- Significance:
- Could cut India’s dependence on costly phosphate fertilizer imports.
- Research is done on japonica rice; next step is to adapt it to indica varieties, which are widely grown in India.
- Broader context:
- Links to topics like CRISPR-Cas9 tech, food security, soil nutrient management, Atmanirbhar Bharat, and India’s biotech policy.
- Highlights India’s push for sustainable agriculture and cutting input costs for farmers.
Nyangai Island
Context: Nyangai Island in Sierra Leone’s Turtle Islands is losing land rapidly due to climate change-induced sea-level rise, displacing its inhabitants despite their negligible contribution to global warming.
Key Highlights
- Location & impact:
- Nyangai Island, part of the Turtle Islands off southern Sierra Leone, is one of the country’s first communities displaced by climate change.
- Cause:
- Rising global temperatures → melting ice caps → sea-level rise → coastal erosion.
- Extent of loss:
- In 10 years, Nyangai has lost two-thirds of its surface area.
- Now only 200 m x 100 m is left — overcrowded and shrinking further.
- Population impact:
- Population dropped from ~1,000 to <300 residents.
- Houses, trees, football field, and farmland lost to the ocean.
- Living conditions:
- No potable water (salty soil), toilets, electricity, or health facilities.
- Families rebuild homes repeatedly as the sea advances.
- Wider significance:
- Sierra Leone’s 2 million+ coastal residents are threatened by sea-level rise (National Disaster Management Agency report 2024).
- No major help:
- No concrete relocation or adaptation measures yet; local people feel abandoned.