2025

UPSC/KPSC Current Affairs: 18th December 2025

• LS passes nuclear energy Bill allowing privatisation

Context: Congress protests SHANTI Bill which removes clause holding equipment supplier responsible for failure, questions its timing and interest shown by a ‘conglomerate house’; Centre defends the Bill.

• The Lok Sabha passed the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, 2025, despite demands by several Opposition parliamentarians for referring the legislation to a parliamentary panel.
• The Bill, which aims at incentivising private sector participation, both Indian and foreign, into nuclear power production, now moves to the Rajya Sabha for discussion.
• Congress MP Manish Tewari, who opened discussions on the Bill following introductory remarks by Science Minister Jitendra Singh, sought to know if it was a “coincidence” that a legislation enabling private sector participation in the nuclear sector coincided with interest expressed by the “conglomerate house… Adani” in November to enter the nuclear sector.
• Mr. Singh, amidst uproar in the House following this, retorted that the Bill had nothing to do with any specific company and such an aspersion “brought disrepute to the House.”
• Mr. Tewari also burrowed into what is perhaps the most significant element of the Bill: the removal of a clause in the existing Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010, that allows the operator of a nuclear power plant to claim recourse from suppliers if their equipment was found being responsible in case of an accident.
• In 2008, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had moved a no-confidence motion against the Manmohan Singh government for, among other things, the absence of such a clause. Later, this was also a reason for the lack of foreign participation in India’s nuclear sector despite the U.S.-India nuclear deal that granted India a waiver from Nuclear Suppliers Group sanction as it opened foreign companies to potentially unlimited liability.
• “I now see that there is no reference to suppliers… god forbid if there is an accident… shouldn’t a foreign supplier be liable?” Mr. Tewari questioned.

‘Times have changed’

• Mr. Singh acknowledged that the BJP had voiced opposition in the past and said that the existence of the clause “had caused reservations in collaborators” but the scenario today was different from 2010. “Times have changed… technology has changed. We are now into small modular reactors which didn’t exist as a technology at that time. There will now be reactors – following the just announced Nuclear Mission – that will give power in dense areas. The risk of catastrophe has now changed. This Bill is coming in because the scenario has changed,” he said.
• Aditya Yadav of the Samajwadi Party accused the government of bringing in the Bill by “sacrificing the old laws… that kept public interest first” because the government faced with a “dollar that has crossed ₹90” and “unable to attract foreign investment” was “desperately trying to throw a red carpet to American companies” under pressure from the “prevailing Trump tariffs”.
• Supriya Sule, MP from the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar), asked how it was possible to cap the liability of plant operators at ₹3,000 crore. “How can you put a cap on that… how have you calculated this magic number?” she asked.

• 11 Bills passed in Council

Context: The Karnataka Legislative Council passed 11 Bills that were earlier passed by the Karnataka Legislative Assembly.

• They were Chandraguthi Shree RenukambaKshetra Development Authority Bill, 2025; The Karnataka Rent (Amendment) Bill 2025; Shree Chamundeshwari Kshetra Development Authority (Amendment) Bill 2025; the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments (Amendment) Bill 2025; Karnataka Cine and Cultural Activists (Welfare) (Amendment) Bill 2025; Malnad Area Development Board (Amendment) Bill 2025; Karnataka Land Revenue (Amendment) Bill 2025; Bayaluseeme Development Board (Amendment) Bill 2025; Sri Malai Mahadeswaraswamy Kshethra Development Authority (Amendment) 2025: Karnataka Labour Welfare Fund (Amendment) 2025, and the Karnataka State Universities (Amendment) Bill 2025.

• Bill on sub-classification of SCs for reservation tabled in Assembly

Context: The Karnataka Scheduled Castes (Sub-classification) Bill, 2025, that seeks to provide legality to the government orders related to sub-classification of the 101 Scheduled Castes with a reservation share of 17% was tabled in the Legislative Assembly.

• The one-man commission led by retired Justice H.N. Nagamohan Das had submitted its report to the government on August 4 this year with specific recommendations on sub-classification of Scheduled Castes among various sub-groups of SCs.
• The government approved the recommendations of the commission with some modifications to implement the sub-classification among the SCs for ensuring a fair and equitable distribution of reservation benefits, and accordingly sub-categorised 101 Scheduled Castes with a share of 17% of reservation.
• As per the Bill, Category-A, which has 16 castes, and Category-B, with 19 castes, will get reservation of 6% each, while Category-C, comprising 63 castes, will get reservation of 5%. Similarly, the Bill has three non-categorised Scheduled Castes – Adi Andhra, Adi Dravida and Adi Karnataka – that are eligible to opt for reservation under Category-A or Category-B, based on caste certificates.
• The Karnataka State Commission for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Amendment) Bill, 2025, too was tabled in the Assembly on Wednesday.
• The Bill seeks to nominate a person belonging to the ST and a woman as the members of the Karnataka State Commission for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. It also seeks to empower the Karnataka State Commission for the SC and ST to make necessary modifications in the reservation percentage of sub-classification to the members of SCs on the receipt of new data or information from the government.

Other Bills

• The Assembly also adopted six Bills, including the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and Drugs and Cosmetics (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2025.

• CAG highlights inadequate preparedness in State’s disaster management

Context: The report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has highlighted the vulnerabilities, inadequate preparedness in disaster management system of Karnataka, amid increasing natural disasters.

• Analysing the efforts from 2017-18 to 2022-23 in managing calamities and risk reduction, the report pointed out that although Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) was established in 2008, the State Disaster Management Policy was published after 12 years, only in 2020.
• It said that the State Emergency Operation Centre was under-equipped in terms of human resources and infrastructure, which affected its functioning. The Disaster Response Force Units had huge vacancies — ranging from 67% to 96% — of the sanctioned strength resulting in the units facing difficulties in carrying out duties and rescue operations.

Defective TWSs

• KSNMDC had installed Telemetric Rain Guages (TRGs) and Telemetric Weather Stations (TWSs) in a phased manner between 2009 and 2015, but as of December 2023, it was found that 43% of TRGs and 52% of TWSs were defective, the report said.
• It has also pointed out that the funds released by the State were not calamity-specific, complicating monitoring of NDRF/SDRF grants. The CAG has found misappropriation of ₹18.59 lakh at Chintamani in Chikkaballapura district, unutilised funds of ₹7.69 crore in Fire Emergency Department, and taluks of Haveri district spending ₹1.81 crore out of SDRF for reasons not related to natural calamities/disasters.
• The CAG has pointed out that although the State Action Plan for Flood Risk was established in 2021, it lacked preparation for flood management in critical sectors. It found that 49 out of the 100 Water Level Sensors installed in Bengaluru remained non-functional as on December 2023. The State has not established a legal framework for flood infrastructure.
• On the compensation front also, CAG has found discrepancies. It has said that compensation for damages was inconsistent and the verification processes were inadequate. It also found that there were 22,496 cases of house damage reconstruction pending despite ₹213.94 crore disbursed.
• The CAG has recommended revamping Emergency Operation Centre and enhancing training for officials, among other things.

• Funds meant for welfare of mining areas spent violating guidelines: CAG report

Context: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has taken note of irregular expenditure of funds under the Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY), violating the guidelines.

• The CAG has audited the money spent towards the welfare of areas affected by the mining, utilising funds collected by the District Mineral Foundation Trusts (DMFTs), between 2015 and 2023.
• The trusts collected ₹4,003.51 crore during the period and incurred an expenditure of ₹1,826.46 crore.
• The CAG report was tabled in the Legislative Assembly in Belagavi on Wednesday.
• The CAG, in its findings, noted that the Deputy Commissioner of Ballari utilised ₹68 lakh to purchase 12 vehicles, utilising the DMFT fund in 2021, violating the guidelines. Similarly, the report noted that ₹1.26 crore was spent towards the salary of Home Guards and the improvement of roads in the Deputy Commissioner’s office premises in Ballari between 2020 and 2023.
• When the CAG sought reply for the expenditure, in violation of the guidelines, the State government maintained that it was spent as per the approval of the Finance Department. However, the CAG reported that the government’s response was not acceptable.
• “The reply was not acceptable as the Finance Department has no powers to sanction expenditure as per the DMFT rules,” the report stated.

FDI inflow grows

• Karnataka has recorded a remarkable year on year growth of 149.3 % in FDI equity inflows in the first quarter of 2025-2026 compared to 2024-2025. In the first quarter this fiscal, the FDI equity inflows to Karnataka reached $5.6 billion out if $ 18.6 billion received by the country.
• In 2024-2025, State received $ 6.6 billion, representing 13.2 % of the nation’s total FDI equity inflows.

• GST rate rationalisation to further hit revenues

Context: The State estimates the revenue shortfall of ₹9,000 crore in addition to the revenue loss of about ₹9,500 crore due to non -merger of cess.

• Karnataka, which estimated a revenue deficit of ₹19,262 crore at the commencement of 2025-26 financial year, is now expecting the deficit to further increase following the GST rate rationalisation and non-realisation of tax on mines.
• The revenue deficit — primarily caused by the five guarantee schemes — in 2025-26 budget had come down to 0.63% from 0.96% of the 2024-2025 budget. Considering the growth rate, the government was estimated to overcome revenue deficit by 2027-28.
• The Mid Year Assessment of Medium Term Fiscal Plan (MTFP) 2025-2029 tabled in the Winter Session of the Legislature here, estimates an expected lower revenue collections compared to the estimated targets — potentially increasing the revenue deficit in the current financial year. Due to GST rate rationalisation, the State estimates the revenue shortfall of ₹9,000 crore in addition to the revenue loss of about ₹9,500 crore due to non-merger of Cess.
• The 2025-26 budget estimated a revenue expenditure of about ₹3.11 lakh crore against the estimated revenue receipts of about ₹2.92 lakh crore in the total budget size of ₹4.09 lakh crore. The first half of this fiscal, the State, however, has recorded a revenue surplus of ₹68 crore with revenue expenditure of ₹1,28,924 crore against revenue receipts of ₹1,28,987 crore. By the end of September, total spending was 36.4%. The capital expenditure increased by 32.3% in the first half of 2025-2026 over 2024-2025. The Union Finance Ministry has projected the State’s GSDP to be around ₹30.91 lakh crores for 2025-2026.
• The assessment noted that the increase in committed expenditure, including the State’s spending on guarantees and various welfare schemes, has increased the revenue expenditure, and the GST rationalisation has further constrained the State’s fiscal position.
• Stating that the GST rate rationalisation will have significant impact on the State’s finances, it said any reduction in SGST or other own tax revenue for States directly reduces fiscal capacity, potentially forcing them to either borrow more or cut essential services. The cessation of GST compensation mechanism has left States fully responsible for any revenue shortfall when the compensation period ended in 2022. State’s GST to GSDP ratio fell sharply from 3.5 % in 2020 to 2.4 % in 2024. The GST revenue as percentage of GSDP has still not surpassed the levels recorded in the pre -GST era, it noted.

SC order on mines

• The assessment also noted the negative IGST settlement of ₹2,074 crore in April, 2025, that has moderated the overall revenue growth during the first half of the current fiscal year. While Karnataka expected a tax revenue of ₹3,000 crore from mines after it enacted the Karnataka Mineral Rights and Mineral Bearing Lands Tax bill, 2024, following Supreme Court direction, the Bill is still pending Presidential assent, it said.
• Meanwhile, the non -tax revenue has increased to ₹9,827 crore in the first six months of 2025-26 from ₹6,624 crore in the corresponding period last year. The own tax revenue has also increased from ₹84,945 crore in 2024-25 to ₹ 90,981 crore in 2025-26. The assessment noted that the revenue collections had shown a 7.7% increase over the corresponding period last year.

Centre’s aid falls

• However, the grant in aid from the Centre has decreased by 38.2 % in 2025-2026 from ₹8,309 crore in first half of last year to ₹5,139 crore received in the first six months of this fiscal. The assessment noted that the transfers from the Centre have shown no growth.

• Navy commissions second MH-60R copter squadron, the ‘Ospreys’, at INS Hansa

Context: INAS 335, the Ospreys, the second Indian Naval Air Squadron to operate MH-60R helicopters, was commissioned at INS Hansa, Goa. The ceremony was presided over by Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), marking another major milestone in the modernisation of Indian naval aviation.

• The commissioning follows the induction of the first MH-60R helicopter squadron at Kochi, Kerala, in March 2024. With the induction of the versatile, multi-role MH-60R helicopter on the western seaboard as the first operational squadron, the Navy has significantly enhanced its rotary wing combat and surveillance capabilities.
• Addressing the gathering, Admiral Tripathi said the commissioning assumes special significance as 2025 marks 75 years since the Government of India approved the formation of the Fleet Air Arm, a historic decision that gave wings to naval aviation.
• Recalling earlier capability additions at INS Hansa, the CNS noted that the Navy had commissioned its second P-8I maritime patrol aircraft squadron at the same airbase in 2022. Complementing the P-8I fleet, the Navy is going ahead with the acquisition of 15 MQ-9B Sea Guardian remotely piloted aircraft.

• Uttarakhand Governor returns UCC, religious conversion Bills

Context: In a setback to the Pushkar Singh Dhami-led Uttarakhand government, Governor Lt. Gen. Gurmit Singh (retd.) has returned the amendment Bills related to the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and the State’s Freedom of Religion and Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion Act, citing technical flaws.

• Sources in the government confirmed that the Governor’s office has returned the Bills.
• “Apart from some grammatical and technical errors, the Governor has also raised issues with the punishment term for a couple of offences in the new legislations,” an official involved in the drafting of the Bills told The Hindu.
• He added that since the Bills have now come back from the Governor’s office, they will have to be redrafted, removing the mistakes pointed out and addressing other technical glitches. “The government then will be left with two options, either pass the amendments by bringing an ordinance or get them passed again in the State Assembly and send them again for the Governor’s consideration,” the official added.
• Although the State government has claimed that the Governor’s office returned the Bills due to minor faults, the Congress termed the move a tactic to keep the issues alive in public memory ahead of the Assembly elections due in 2027.
• “If they were just minor flaws, the Governor’s office could have unofficially sent them back for corrections. …it is just a tactic of the government to recall the Bills and once again pass them in the Assembly sometime around the elections which are due in early 2027 because the BJP has already used all its divisive tactics to win elections and now they are left with nothing new,” Uttarakhand Congress vice-president Suryakant Dhasmana said.

• Suggest measures to prevent attacks on judges: SC to Centre

Context: The Supreme Court asked the Centre and the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) to suggest measures to prevent a repeat of incidents such as the one in October when a lawyer threw an object at the then Chief Justice of India’s Bench.

• On October 6, advocate Rakesh Kishore hurled an object at a Bench led by then Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai and shouted slogans before he was escorted out of the court room.
• The SCBA, represented by senior advocate Vikas Singh, has sought contempt action against Mr. Kishore.
• However, the Bench led by the current Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kant, had steered the trajectory of the petition away from the contempt jurisdiction to framing guidelines to prevent such incidents from happening in the future. On Wednesday, the court impleaded the Centre, represented by the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, in the case.
• Besides, preventive measures, the Bench directed the lawyers’ body and the Centre to propose protocol that has to be followed by “everyone” in “publicising, reporting” such incidents.
• The SCBA has contended that Mr. Kishore’s act was “contempt on the face of the court”.

• Prasar Bharati drafts policy to monetise television, OTT content

Context: Prasar Bharati, the government-owned national broadcaster, has uploaded a draft Content Syndication Policy, 2025 on its website for public consultation.

• The policy seeks to promote cultural outreach and monetise content, while also upholding its public service mandate, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L. Murugan said in the Lok Sabha.
• A structured industry consultation had been carried out with key stakeholders across the media ecosystem, including OTT (Over-The-Top) platforms, linear TV broadcasters, radio networks, telecom carriers, IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) operators, and content aggregators, Mr. Murugan said in response to questions by T.M. Selvaganapathi, Salem MP.
• The policy aims to monetise content produced by Doordarshan and Akashvani; archived national and regional content; digital-first content published on Prasar Bharati’s OTT platform; and live coverage of government events, festivals, and sports, among others.
• It calls for “strategic collaborations” with domestic and international platforms to expand the reach of Prasar Bharati’s content, and strengthen India’s cultural presence globally.
• RS passes Bill for 100% FDI in insurance sector

Context: During debate, Opposition says Bill should be sent to a Select Committee of Parliament givenits far-reaching impact; House passes Repealing and Amending Bill that annuls 71 obsolete laws.

• A day after the Lok Sabha passed the Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Bill, the Rajya Sabha passed the legislation which allows 100% foreign direct investment in the insurance sector.
• The Upper House also cleared the Repealing and Amending Bill that repeals 71 obsolete laws. The Bill was also passed by the Lok Sabha.
• The structure of insurance regulation is very clearly laid out in the Bill, and the premium collected from Indians by foreign insurance companies will be kept in the country, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, replying to a debate on the Bill. Private sector insurance companies were participating in all welfare schemes of the Union government, and the Bill would ensure that foreign companies would also participate in social sector-related activities and government schemes, Ms. Sitharaman said. “We are not giving them any room to get away from that responsibility,” she said.
• The increase in the FDI limit to 100% would ensure more foreign companies invest in India as, in many cases, they did not find joint venture partners for various reasons, she said. With more companies, the competition would increase, and premiums should drop, she said.
• Earlier, during the debate, the Opposition demanded that the Bill be sent to a Select Committee of Parliament given the far-reaching impact it has on the insurance sector.

‘Threat to data privacy’

• Initiating the debate, senior Congress MP Shaktisinh Gohil said the Bill posed a threat to data privacy as foreign companies would demand PAN and Aadhaar of their customers, which may lead to digital frauds. The Centre should learn from the experience of privatising the civil aviation sector, Mr. Gohil said. He demanded that the Bill be sent to a Select Committee.
• Questioning the use of both Hindi and English in the name of the Bill, Saket Gokhale of the All India Trinamool Congress said the Bill opened the door to profit extraction by foreign companies.
• A market share of $600 billion would go to foreign investors once the Bill was implemented, Kanimozhi N.V.N. Somu of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam said. “This is daylight robbery. The government should not squander opportunities to promote and strengthen its own PSUs (public sector undertakings), but this government through this Bill is favouring foreign investors and burdening our own insurance companies,” Ms. Kanimozhi said.
• The Rajya Sabha passed the Repealing and Amending Bill. The Bill would remove 71 outdated laws, correcting errors that had crept in during the law-making process, and removing discriminatory aspects of certain laws, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said.
• “We give priority to ease of living along with ease of doing business,” he said. “These reforms are a step towards liberation from a colonial mindset,” he added. It seeks to repeal Acts, including the Indian Tramways Act, 1886; the Levy Sugar Price Equalisation Fund Act, 1976; the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (Determination of Conditions of Service of Employees) Act, 1988; the General Clauses Act, 1897; the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908; and the Indian Succession Act, 1925.

• Harvard economist backs simultaneous polls, flags challenges

Context: Holding simultaneous elections to legislatures at the State and Union levels will be a “positive step” from an economic standpoint, according to Harvard economist Gita Gopinath, a former Chief Economist and First Deputy Managing Director at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). However, she cautioned that the implementation of the proposed reform will require careful planning to address logistical complexities, according to sources.

• Ms. Gopinath was briefing the Parliamentary Joint Committee reviewing the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, which aims to introduce simultaneous elections. The panel also met Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, who backed simultaneous elections.

‘Could spur investment’

• In a written submission to the panel, Ms. Gopinath reportedly said that synchronising the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections could reduce prolonged periods of policy uncertainty and spur economic activity.
• “International research shows that pre-election uncertainty slows investment. In India, this is compounded by the Model Code of Conduct, which freezes new projects during staggered polls,” she noted. States that hold simultaneous elections had recorded stronger post-election growth, she said.
• The economist argued that fewer election cycles could shift public spending towards long-term infrastructure projects. Synchronisation, she said, could help governments prioritise infrastructure, boosting growth prospects.

Uncertain cost impact

• Noting that the synchronised elections could generate efficiency and gains, she warned that international experience, notably Indonesia’s 2024 election, underscored the risks of fully simultaneous polls. “Indonesia faced record spending, heavy logistical pressures and unusually high staffing needs, prompting its Constitutional Court to partially separate elections from 2029,” she said.
• While India’s administrative strengths may mitigate some challenges, the net cost impact remains uncertain.
• Arguing on similar lines, Mr. Sanyal said that simultaneous elections would reduce expenditure, adding that is not the primary reason to bring in this reform.
• The staggered elections impose “significant economic costs due to repeated disruptions in policy continuity”, he said.
• He said that synchronised polls could enhance governmental stability, thereby strengthening long-term decision-making and policy planning.

• Vaishnaw says anti-collision system installed on 2,00O km of rail network

Context: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Lok Sabha that the indigenous anti-collision Kavach safety system had been fully commissioned on over 2,000 km of the rail network.

• In a reply during Question Hour, Mr. Vaishnaw said that Kavach was a highly complex Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system comprising five major components. It required continuous laying of optical fibre cable (OFC) along tracks and the installation of telecom towers.
• The Minister said the Railways had so far laid 7,129 km of OFC, installed 860 telecom towers, connected 767 stations to data centres, deployed track-side equipment along 3,413 km, and equipped 4,154 locomotives with the system. “Complete commissioning has crossed 2,000 km,” he said, adding that the pace of work was “very fast”.
• The Minister said around 40,000 technicians and operators had been trained, underlining that Kavach was a “totally new and very complex” system.

On rail accidents

• Responding to a supplementary by DMK MP Kalanidhi Veeraswamy on rail accidents, Mr. Vaishnaw said consequential accidents had fallen by nearly 90% — from 135 in 2014 to 11 now.
• In response to another supplementary question, he said redeveloping railway stations without disrupting train services was a “complex task”.
• He noted that several countries suspended rail operations for three to four years during station redevelopment. “In India, where 7.5 crore passengers travel by train, this is simply not possible,” Mr. Vaishnaw said.
• He said stations were being upgraded under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, which adopts a long-term, phased approach based on master plans.

• ICG Ship Sarthak makes first port call at Iran’s Chabahar

Context: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Ship Sarthak, an offshore patrol vessel, entered the Chabahar port in Iran on December 16 for a four-day visit till December 19.

• According to the Defence Ministry, the port call, marking the first-ever visit of an Indian Coast Guard ship to Chabahar, underscored India’s growing maritime engagement in the region and its ability to support secure supply lines to Afghanistan and Central Asia.
• The visit is aligned with India’s SAGAR and MAHASAGAR vision of fostering secure and inclusive maritime engagements. ICG Ship Sarthak will engage in a range of professional and community-oriented activities.
• Indian Army leaves for Desert Cyclone-II military exercise

Context: An Indian Army contingent has departed for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to participate in the second edition of the India–UAE Joint Military Exercise DESERT CYCLONE–II, scheduled to be held at Abu Dhabi from December 18 to 30.

• According to the Defence Ministry, the Indian contingent comprised 45 personnel, primarily drawn from a battalion of the Mechanised Infantry Regiment.
• The UAE Land Forces will be represented by a contingent of similar strength from the 53 Mechanised Infantry Battalion.
• Aim of the exercise is to enhance interoperability and further strengthen defence cooperation between the Indian Army and the UAE Land Forces.

• SEBI reviews decades’ old brokerage norms

Context: Decides to cut maximum expense ratio by up to 15 bps; cap on brokerage segment cut to 6 bps for cash market, 2 bps on derivative transactions.

• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on Wednesday revised the total expense ratio charged by mutual funds (MFs), reviewed the two-decade-old brokerage regulations, and proposed to discuss public comments on the high-level committee (HLC) regarding its report on conflict of interest.
• The markets regulator, in its board meeting, also announced measures for simplification of IPO documents for the benefit of investors, and allowed credit rating agencies (CRAs) to carry out ratings for unlisted debt instruments.
• SEBI decided to cut the maximum expense ratio charged on investors by up to 15 basis points as part of a comprehensive review of the MF regulations.
• The changes have been applied on slabs determined by the assets under management of the mutual funds.
• According to the new regulations, expense ratio will now be called ‘Base Expense Ratio’ (BER), which will exclude stamp duty, GST, and STT among other levies. The total exchange ratio will be a sum of BER, brokerage, regulatory levies and statutory levies.
• The cap on brokerage segment has now been cut to 6 bps for cash market and 2 bps on derivative transactions. In the consultation paper on MF regulations, the regulator proposed that the cash market brokerage may be capped at 2 bps and derivatives at 1 bps. One bps is one hundredth of a percentage.
• In line with the proposals, the additional exit load of 5 bps, usually charged in the event of a premature redemption, has been completely done away with. “It was very clearly brought to our notice that the sell side research is a bundled cost. We were trying to propose that they can unbundle it and can pay brokerage at a lower level and pay for research separately, [but] that business model is not available today,” SEBI Chairperson Tuhin Kanta Pandey said while addressing a press conference.
• He added that attempts to unbundle sell side research cost and brokerage charges were not successful in Europe and the U.K.
• Sell side research are brokerage reports that are given by securities brokerage companies. Brokerage includes cost for research and the brokerage commission.
• The mutual fund regulation reviews also included simplification of old rules, reorganisation of roles and responsibilities of AMCs, and reorganisation of provisions related to the prudential investment limits and valuation of securities.
• SEBI also revamped the stock brokers regulations to simplify language, updating contemporary changes among other changes. Both mutual fund and brokerage regulations were more than two decades’ old.
• The regulator also simplified norms for public issue by doing away with the need for an offer document summary and instead replaced it with the abridged prospectus. The document will be made available to the investor in the form of a QR code.
• SEBI also said that it had reviewed the high level committee report on conflict of interest.

• India, Oman to sign free trade pact today: Goyal

Context: Confirming India and Oman will be signing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said the FTA offers “immense opportunities” in a number of sectors, including textiles, footwear, automobiles, gems and jewellery, renewable energy, and auto components.

• Speaking at the India-Oman Business Forum in Muscat, Mr. Goyal added India stood to gain in terms of the access Oman provides to markets such as the GCC, eastern Europe, central Asia, and Africa.
• India and Oman began talks on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in 2023. Mr. Goyal said he and his Omani counterpart would sign the FTA in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sultan Haitham bin Tarik.
• “The sky is the limit in terms of potential, particularly with Oman opening the doors as a gateway to the Gulf Cooperation Council region, eastern Europe, central Asia, and to Africa,” said Mr. Goyal.
• He added there were four broad areas in which the two countries can collaborate with each other.

Energy transition

• “One is in the energy transition that both are committed to, whether it’s renewable sources of energy, battery storage, green hydrogen, that whole ecosystem can open up between Oman and India,” he said.
• The second area was infrastructure, multi-modal logistics and export warehouses.
• “Another area would be food security. We can help Oman ensure food security,” he said, adding “there was a lot of potential in this area.”
• The fourth area, which India and Oman could work together, was to develop startup ecosystems.
• “The startups can engage with each other, build bridges, work on deep tech or smarter ways to work on logistics software services, artificial intelligence, there is tremendous potential to leverage this area as a hub,” Mr. Goyal said.