UPSC/KPSC Current Affairs: 8th November 2025

State enhances sugarcane FRP by ₹100; farmers call off strike

Context: Farmers will now get ₹3,300 per tonne, excluding harvesting and transportation cost, against the FRP of ₹3,200 fixed by the Centre. State government and sugar mills will contribute ₹50 each.

• The Karnataka government announced an enhancement in the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugarcane by ₹100 per tonne. Following this, farmers withdrew their protest.

• The farmers will now get ₹3,300 per tonne (excluding harvesting and transportation cost) as against the FRP of ₹3,200 per tonne that has been fixed by the Centre.
• In the increased amount, the State government and the sugar mills will contribute ₹50 each.

All-party delegation

• The State government also decided to take an all-party delegation, which will also include farmers and sugar mill representatives, to the Centre to press for increasing the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for sugar, the FRP for sugarcane, the limit for export of sugar and ethanol production and distribution.
• The farmers have been protesting since October 30 seeking an increase in the FRP across sugarcane growing districts of Belagavi, Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Haveri, and Kalaburagi.

• In May, the Centre announced a FRP of ₹3,550 per tonne at the sugar recovery rate of 10.5%.

• As many as 81 mills operate in Karnataka, of which one is in the public sector, while 11 are in the cooperative sector, and the rest are in the private sector.
• The State government estimates that about 6 crore tonnes of cane will be crushed this year as against the 5.6 crore tonnes last year.
• “Both farmer leaders and sugar mill representatives have explained their problem owing to the Centre’s policy.
• The farmers are opposed to the FRP fixed at ₹3,100 for sugar recovery rate at 10.25% and ₹3,200 at the rate of 11.25%. We have decided to take a delegation to the Centre to discuss the issue.
• Though the sugarcane yield differs from district to district, the ₹100 hike per tonne will be implemented uniformly,” the Chief Minister told presspersons.

• The sugar mills have agreed to pay ₹3,250 per tonne as the FRP, and that the government will contribute another ₹50 per tonne. “Based on recovery rate, the FRP will be fixed in different districts.
• The sugar mills have asked the government to revisit the proposal to impose 60 paise tax per unit on the power being sold by them, and will consider it.
• Farmers have urged the government to open a laboratory to check the recovery rate in front of sugar mills.
• They have also pointed out dues towards farmers by some factories.

Comparison Table: MSP vs FRP vs SAP

‘T.N.’s vision for inclusive economywill make blueprint for nation’

Context: In 2047, when India marks its centenary year of Independence, Tamil Nadu’s vision for sustainability and an inclusive economy will also become the blueprint for the nation.

• The State has been at the forefront of renewable energy for many years. “At present, its third in terms of the total renewable energy [capacity] in the country.
• The State is first in terms of wind capacity. It could continue to focus on this sector, and this will [benefit] the manufacturing ecosystem,”.
• Southern States are advancing in tandem. “We can make significant progress by working on sustainability and towards enabling future growth. Sustainability is a profitable venture, something that is not spoken about,”.

10 Bills reserved for President, 170 granted assent: Raj Bhavan

Context: Clarification seeks to counter ‘unfounded and factually incorrect’ claims that the Tamil Nadu Governor has been delaying assent to Bills passed by State Assembly.

• The Raj Bhavan said Governor R.N. Ravi had reserved 10 Bills for consideration by the President, as they were contrary to the provisions of the University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations framed under an Act of Parliament. They were “considered beyond the remit of the State Legislature”.
• The Governor had granted assent to 81% of the 211 Bills received as of October 31, 2025.
• The 10 Bills were initially withheld by the Governor, and the decisions were conveyed to the State government. However, they were adopted again by the Assembly and submitted to the Governor.
• The clarification was issued after “certain unfounded and factually incorrect allegations” were made in the public domain that the Governor was delaying assent to Bills passed by the Assembly.
• Between September 18, 2021, and October 31, 2025, a total of 211 Bills were received by the Governor, of which 170 were granted assent, while 27 were reserved for the President’s consideration.
• Of the 27 Bills, 16 were reserved for the President’s consideration “at the request of the State government”. While four Bills were returned, two were withdrawn by the government.

• Of the 170 Bills cleared, 73 were granted assent within a week; 61 within a month; 27 within three months; and nine after three months. Eight Bills were received in the last week of October this year, and they were under consideration, the Raj Bhavan said.
• The Governor had examined every Bill with due diligence to uphold the rule of law and protect the interests of the people of Tamil Nadu, the Raj Bhavan said. He had always acted in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, and had been performing his constitutional duties with “utmost sincerity, transparency, and commitment, and with complete fairness, diligence, and respect for democratic processes”, it added.

Trump hints at possible India visit next year, calls Modi a ‘great man’

Quad summit: India will host leaders from Australia, Japan, and the United States for the Quad summit in New Delhi after the 2024 summit was held in the U.S. However, the dates for the summit are yet to be announced.

• Meanwhile, President Trump once again claimed that India has stopped buying from Russia.
• Mr. Trump imposed 25% reciprocal tariffs and an additional 25% levies for New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil, bringing the total duties imposed on India to 50%. India had described the U.S. action as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable”.
• Mr. Trump also reiterated his claim that he stopped the war between India and Pakistan in May using trade.

HAL inks $1-billion deal with GE Aerospace for 113 fighter jet engines

Context: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) sealed a $1-billion deal with American defence major GE Aerospace to procure 113 jet engines for its Tejas light combat aircraft programme.

• The firming up of the deal came notwithstanding a downturn in India-U.S. relations after the Trump administration slapped a 50% tariff on Indian goods.
• Under the deal, the delivery of the F404-GE-IN20 engines will begin from 2027 and the supplies will have to be completed by 2032.
• The size of the deal is learnt to be close to $1 billion (approximately ₹8,870 crore). HAL said it has entered into an agreement with General Electric Company to acquire the engines and support package for execution of 97 Light Combat Aircraft Mk1A programme.
• The Defence Ministry in September had finalised a ₹62,370-crore deal with the state-owned aerospace major to procure 97 Tejas MK-1A light combat aircraft for the Indian Air Force.