December

FSSAI bars food firms from terming herbal infusions „tea‟

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a stern warning to food business operators against using the word „tea‟ for herbal infusions and plantbased blends not derived from Camellia sinensis, terming it a case of misbranding and misleading practices under the law.

The directive comes after the regulator found several food business operators (FBOs) marketing products, such as „herbal tea‟ and „flower tea‟, none of which are obtained from the Camellia sinensis plant. According to FSSAI regulations, the term „tea‟ can only be used on packaging and labelling if the beverage is derived from Camellia sinensis.

Source: The Hindu

Constitution of India released in Santhali language

Context: Constitution of India in the Santhali language.

The Santhali language is spoken by a significant number of tribal people in Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, and Bihar.

The President said it is a matter of pride for all the Santhali people that the Constitution of India is now available in their language, written in the Ol Chiki script.

Army relaxes social media policy,allows „passive participation‟

Context: After years of stringent restrictions on social media use, the Indian Army has revised its policy to allow “passive participation” by its personnel on select platforms, while maintaining strict safeguards to protect operational security.

According to an Army Headquarters order accessed by, personnel are now permitted to access platforms such as Instagram and X solely for viewing and monitoring content.

Any form of active engagement, including posting, commenting, sharing, reacting or sending messages, remains strictly prohibited.

The revised guidelines, issued by the Army Headquarters through the Directorate General of Military Intelligence (DGMI), have come into effect immediately.

As part of the update, Instagram has been formally included in the list of restricteduse social media platforms.

The policy allows access to applications such as Instagram only for “purposes of viewing and monitoring”. “No comments or views will be communicated on Instagram,” the order stated, reiterating the Army‟s emphasis on protecting sensitive information.

The guidelines further permit limited use of communication platforms such as Skype, Telegram, WhatsApp and Signal, but only for the exchange of unclassified information of a general nature. Such communication is allowed exclusively with known individuals, with the responsibility of verifying the recipient resting entirely with the user.

For platforms including YouTube, X, Quora and Instagram, only passive use to access information or gain knowledge has been authorised. Uploading user-generated content or engaging in any form of active participation remains prohibited. LinkedIn may be used only for professional purposes such as uploading résumés or seeking information related to prospective employers or employees.

The revised policy also advises personnel to avoid generic websites, portals offering cracked or pirated software, free movie platforms, torrent and VPN services, web proxies, anonymised websites, chat rooms and file-sharing platforms. It further cautions that cloud-based data storage services should be used only with extreme care.

In July 2020, amid heightened security concerns, the Indian Army had directed all officers and soldiers to delete their Facebook and Instagram accounts, along with 89 mobile applications, warning of strict action for non-compliance. The banned list included 59 applications with links to China, which were also prohibited by the Union government at the time.

Source: TH

Intel grid linked to NPR with details of 119 crore residents

Context: The National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID), a secure platform for the police and other investigating agencies to access government and private databases in real-time, has been linked to the National Population Register (NPR), which has the family-wise details of 119 crore residents in India, government officials have said.

The Union Home Ministry has been pushing for the enhanced use of NATGRID by the State police forces and Central law and security agencies for intelligence gathering and speedy investigation of criminal cases through indigenous and secure platforms.

An Organised Crime Network Database was being developed on NATGRID‟s IT platform to facilitate secure data-sharing between the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the State AntiTerror Squads (ATS), upgraded NATGRID tools, particularly “Gandiva”, are supporting multi-source data collection and analysis.

NATGRID is, on an average, getting nearly 45,000 requests a month. The platform, accessible only to security agencies, became operational last year after being conceptualised in 2009 in the aftermath of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

The data for NPR, which stores information family wise, were first collected in 2010 with the first phase of the 2011 Census and was last updated in 2015 through doorto-door enumeration. It was to be updated further during the 2021 Census, which has been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

When the Union Cabinet approved the proposal for conducting Census 2027 at a cost of ₹11,718 crore, there was no separate allocation for the NPR. Earlier on July 29, the government informed the Lok Sabha that no decision had been taken to update the NPR during the forthcoming Census exercise.

The NPR is the first step for the creation of a countrywide National Register of Citizens (NRC). “Gandiva”, the details of all family members of a suspect or a person of interest if available in NPR could be accessed through the platform. Gandiva can be used for facial recognition and entity resolution. “If the image of a suspect is available, it can be fed into Gandiva. If any photo identity document such as telecom KYC or vehicle registration or driving licence matches with the photo, Gandiva can provide the details, thereby saving time and resources of an investigator,”.

Source: TH

CA 1

UPSC/KPSC Current Affairs: 21st & 22nd December 2025

UPSC/KPSC Current Affairs: 20th December 2025

• CM flags off 81 ‘Arogya Sethu’ mobile health units

Context: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah flagged off 81 ‘Arogya Sethu’ Mobile Health Units (MHUs) aimed at delivering primary healthcare services to people living in remote, inaccessible, forest and hilly regions of Karnataka.

• Launching the units in front of the grand steps of the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi, the Chief Minister said the initiative was intended to ensure that quality healthcare reaches citizens who have so far remained outside the formal health system.
• The mobile units, rolled out under the theme “Healthcare at the remotest village”, will provide doorstep healthcare services in hard-to-reach areas, including 32 Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST)-reserved constituencies. Of the total 81 units, 49 are being implemented under the National Health Mission (NHM), while 32 are funded through the State government’s Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan (SCSP/TSP) allocations.
• Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said each mobile health unit will be staffed with an MBBS doctor, a nurse and a laboratory technician. The services offered will include outpatient consultations, basic diagnostic tests using rapid diagnostic kits, free medicines, referral services and community health monitoring. The units will also support the implementation of national and State health programmes in remote regions, the Minister said.
• The MHUs will be implemented at the district level with decentralised monitoring and supervision, enabling flexibility based on local needs and geographical conditions.
• Officials said the units would also be deployed during medical emergencies and disasters.
• As per the operational plan, each unit will ​conduct medical camps in two to three villages a day on fixed schedules, with prior intimation to residents. The vehicles have been procured on an outsourcing basis, while human resources will be engaged on a contractual basis.
• Officials said the ​operational cost has been pegged at ₹1.92 lakh per unit per month, with an annual expenditure of ₹1,686.24 lakh for all 81 units. Of the total, 41 vehicles have been allotted to the North Karnataka region.
• Raichur has been allotted the highest number of mobile health units (eight), followed by Uttara Kannada (six), Kalaburagi and Dakshina Kannada (five each). Belagavi, Chamarajanagar, Kodagu, Mysuru, Udupi and Vijayanagara districts have been allotted four units each.
• Hate speech Bill passed in Council after oversix hours of debate

Context: After over six hours of debate, an adjournment and protest by the BJP in the Well of the House, The Karnataka Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill, 2025, was passed by the Karnataka Legislative Council.

• Dr. Parameshwara quoted the Supreme Court observation in Vishal Tiwari vs Union of India and others, which said, “Hate speech cannot be tolerated as it leads to loss of dignity and self-worth of the targeted group members, contributes to disharmony amongst groups, and erodes tolerance and open-mindedness.” The Minister also placed some data on increasing cases of hate speech  before the House emphasising the need for a new law.

• Govinda Rao panel report on regional imbalances will be implemented: CM

Context: Stating that the government was committed to removing regional imbalances through development, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah declared that it would implement the report of M. Govinda Rao High Power Committee for Reddressal of Regional Imbalances which is expected to be submitted in January, 2026.

Debate on issues

• “Whatever may be the requirement of funds, we will implement the committee’s recommendations fully,” the Chief Minister told the Legislative Assembly while replying to a debate on issues related to development of North Karnataka.
• The government would take measures to focus on taluks that would be identified by the Govinda Rao committee as backward, the Chief Minister said.

Backward taluks

• He pointed out that earlier measures had been taken to provide funds to the tune of ₹31,000 crore over the period of eight years to 114 taluks that had been identified as most backward, more backward and backward taluks in the State.
• However, the Govinda Rao committee had been formed later to know if regional imbalances still prevailed and the measures to be taken to tackle them, he noted.
• The disparities in terms of development were clearly visible with about 10 districts of the total 31 in Karnataka, particularly those from the northern region, having a per capita income of less than ₹2 lakh as against the State’s average per capita income of ₹3,39,813, Mr. Siddaramaiah noted.

Guarantee schemes

• He termed the guarantee schemes too as tools for removing regional imbalances. As much as 43.63% per cent of the funds meant for guarantee schemes had been spent in North Karnataka region, he pointed out.
• Of the total population of 6.95 crore in the State, North Karnataka accounted for 2.96 crore (42%). Geographically, the northern region accounted for 14 districts of the total 31 districts in the State and 97 Assembly constituencies of the total 224 in the State, he explained.
• Citing lack of dairy development in North Karnataka as one of the reasons for its backwardness, particularly in rural areas, he pointed out that as against the State’s milk production of over one crore litres a day, the northern milk unions accounted for just 10 lakh litres a day.
• Accusing the Centre of indulging in non-cooperation with the State, he alleged that the Centre had failed to keep its promise of providing assistance of ₹5,300 crore to Upper Bhadra Project as listed in its Budget a few years ago.
• Similarly, it had put a stumbling block in the path of development of North Karnataka by not notifying the award of Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-2 and by not providing clearances to the Mahadayi drinking water project, he alleged.
• The Centre was yet to provide the State’s share of ₹13,000 crore towards Jal Jeevan Mission and ₹3,000 crore towards peripheral ring road in Bengaluru, he said, and reiterated that Karnataka had suffered a loss of ₹ 1.5 lakh crore in the last five years in terms of devolution of funds, grants and its share of Central taxes though it contributed a tax amount of ₹4.5 lakh crore a year.
• He agreed to bring out a White Paper on the status of promises made for the development of North Karnataka.

• ISRO’s launch of U.S. satellite scheduled on December 24

Context: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch the 6,500 kg BlueBird communications satellite on December 24 from Sriharikota.

• The national space agency announced that the communication satellite developed by the U.S.-based AST SpaceMobile will be launched as part of the LVM3-M6 mission.
• “The launch of LVM3-M6 is scheduled on 24 December 2025 at 8.54 am IST from the Second Launch Pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre,” it said. The satellite was initially scheduled to be launched on December 15, but was postponed.

• Centre plans portal to provide all forest rights services online

Context: The Union government is developing a national web portal to try and take the entire process of forest rights recognition and management online, senior officials told.

• According to a presentation prepared by the Tribal Affairs Ministry, this new portal is proposed to act as a single window for all Forest Rights Act (FRA) processes, which include filing and processing of claims (from the Gram Sabhas’ Forest Rights Committee to State-Level Monitoring Committees), issuing digital title deeds, storing legacy data on titles granted, and mapping potential forest areas over which FRA rights could be claimed in the future in the form of an FRA Atlas.
• The Ministry’s pitch came at a national consultative workshop organised by the National Tribal Research Institute in New Delhi on Friday on the challenges in implementing the 2006 Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, popularly known as the Forest Rights Act or FRA, meant to recognise generationally held and exercised rights of STs and other forest dwellers on forest land across the country.
• The law recognises various rights of forest dwellers on these lands, such as individual, community, the right to use resources, habitation, etc.
• On the sidelines of the workshop, senior officials said this portal would be part of the overarching FRA road map, which the Ministry was working to finalise by the first half of 2026. One of them said this was part of the government’s larger plans to use FRA records to identify beneficiaries for the saturation of existing government welfare schemes.

Beta version

• A beta version of the portal has been developed, and it is being called TARANG for the time being, an official said.
• At the workshop, while Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram stressed how FRA rights were “fundamental” to ensuring sustainable livelihoods, Tribal Affairs Secretary Ranjana Chopra spoke of the need to geotag all recognised types of forest rights and called for solutions on livelihood promotion and digitising records.
• Officials from various States where recognition of forest rights has been high are likely to be invited for a demonstration of the portal in January, according to government officials.

• Child trafficking a deeply disturbing reality, says SC

Context: SC judgment emphasises that courts must not disbelieve the testimony of a trafficked child just because of minor inconsistencies in her evidence; says she must be treated as an injured witness.

• The Supreme Court, in a judgment, observed that child trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of children by organised cartels is a “deeply disturbing reality” in India which continues to flourish despite protective laws.
• The court said child trafficking networks have a complex and layered structure which operate at various levels of recruiting, transporting, harbouring, and exploiting minor victims.
• The judgment, which laid down guidelines for appreciating evidence in child trafficking cases, said courts must not disbelieve the testimony of a trafficked child just because of minor inconsistencies in her evidence.
• “Such organised crime activities operate as apparently independent verticals whose insidious intersections are conveniently veiled through subterfuge and deception to hoodwink innocent victims,” a Bench of Justices Manoj Misra and Joymalya Bagchi said.
• A victim’s sole testimony must suffice if her version appeared to be credible and convincing. A trafficked child must not be treated as an accomplice by the courts. “Her deposition is to be given due regard and credence as that of an injured witness,” the court directed.
• Justice Bagchi, who authored the judgment, termed child trafficking and sexual exploitation as an offence that struck at the very foundations of dignity and bodily integrity.
• The judgment concerned a minor who was forcibly pushed into illicit sexual intercourse by a gang of traffickers in Bengaluru. Her persistent refusal to consent had led her to be confined in a rental apartment, until she was rescued by the police in November 2010.
• The top court, while upholding the conviction of the gang members under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, said the case laid bare the “moral and material abandonment” of a child whom the state was constitutionally obliged to protect from harm’s way.
• Justice Bagchi said courts must not discard a trafficked victim’s version as improbable or “against ordinary human conduct” solely on the ground of her failure to promptly protest against the “ostensibly innocuous yet ominous agenda of the trafficker”.
• “Diffused and apparently disjoint manner in which the crime verticals operate in areas of recruitment, transportation, harbouring and exploitation make it difficult, if not impossible, for the victim to narrate with precision and clarity the interplay of these processes…,” Justice Bagchi observed.

Recognise vulnerability

• In the present case, the victim’s testimony about the topography of the rented apartment was rebutted by two prosecution witnesses, prompting the defence to attempt to discredit her evidence.
• The Bench underscored that courts must bear in mind, while examining a victim, her “inherent socio-economic and, at times, cultural vulnerability when the minor belongs to a marginalised or socially and culturally backward community”.
• Judicial appreciation of the victim’s evidence must be marked by sensitivity and realism, it said.

• WHO meet boosts collaboration on global health: PM

Context: The second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine facilitated dialogues among Health Ministers and representatives of various countries, opening up new avenues for promoting joint research, simplifying regulations, and advancing training and knowledge sharing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the closing ceremony of the summit at Bharat Mandapam. 

• He said that over the past three days, experts in the field of traditional medicine from across the world engaged in serious and meaningful discussions.   “It is India’s privilege and a matter of pride that the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine has been established in Jamnagar,” said the Prime Minister.

Digital technology

• He said the summit gave an opportunity to showcase digital health technology, AI-based tools, research innovations, and modern wellness infrastructure, which together showed a new collaboration between tradition and technology.
• “When tradition and technology come together, the capacity to make global health more effective increases significantly, and therefore the success of this summit holds great importance from a global perspective,” he said.
• He highlighted the launch of the Traditional Medicine Global Library as an international platform aimed at preserving scientific data and policy documents related to traditional medicine in one place. 
• Emphasising India’s focus on “partnerships of healing” globally, Mr. Modi shared two key collaborations: the establishment of a Centre of Excellence for BIMSTEC countries, covering South and South-East Asia, and a collaboration with Japan aimed at integrating science, traditional practices, and health. 

• Corporates have fundamental duty to protect the ecosystem, asserts SC

Context: The Supreme Court interpreted ‘corporate social responsibility’ or CSR to inherently include environmental responsibility, holding that the legal person of a corporation has a fundamental duty to protect the environment as a key organ of society.

• “The corporate duty must evolve from merely protecting the shareholders to protecting the ecosystem that we all inhabit. Therefore, the corporate definition of ‘social responsibility’ must inherently include ‘environmental responsibility’,” a Bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Atul S. Chandurkar held in a judgment.
• The judgment was based on petitions highlighting the cause of a near-extinct bird species — the Great Indian Bustard, “one of the heaviest flying birds in the world and a flagship species of the arid and semi-arid grasslands of the Indian subcontinent”, primarily located in and around the Great Thar desert.
• The court brought companies under the ambit of Article 51A(g) of the Constitution, which imposes a fundamental duty on every citizen “to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife, and to have compassion for living creatures”.
• “Companies cannot assert to be socially responsible while ignoring equal claims of the environment and other beings of the ecosystem…,” Justice Narasimha, who authored the judgment, reasoned.
• The court explained that allocation of CSR funds by companies for the protection of the environment cannot be seen as “a voluntary act of charity”, but a fulfilment of a Constitutional obligation.

Shared environment

• “The obligation to protect endangered species is paramount… Where corporate activities such as mining, power generation, or infrastructure threaten the habitat of endangered species, the ‘polluter pays’ principle mandates that the company bears the cost of species recovery. CSR funds must, therefore, be directed towards ex-situ and in-situ conservation efforts to prevent extinction,” the court said.
• Non-renewable power generators operating near the habitats of the Great Indian Bustard in Rajasthan and Gujarat must always remember that they share the environment with the bird and must undertake their activities as if they were “guests in its abode”, Justice Narasimha said.
• The court also upheld an expert committee’s recommendations to revise the priority areas to 14,013 sq. km and 740 sq km for Rajasthan and Gujarat, respectively.

• ‘Too low an inflationa cause for concern’

Context: Prevailing low inflation will squeeze profit margins, increase real valueof debt and interest rates for private sector, says MPC’s external member.

• Although low inflation rate and high growth led the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to reduce repo rate by 25 basis points (bps) earlier this month to support growth, the drastic fall in inflation numbers remained a cause for concern, the minutes of the MPC released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) indicate.
• “The current inflation rate is actually too low, breaching the lower bound in the flexible inflation targeting regime, especially if precious metals like gold are excluded. Besides, too low an inflation rate is not healthy for a developing country like India, suggesting a demand deficit,” external MPC member Nagesh Kumar wrote.
• He said inflation not only continued to remain benign, the headline CPI too declined further to 0.3% in October 2025, largely driven by decreasing food prices. “It is in contrast to FY25: Q2, when the growth was slowing, but inflation was at relatively high levels,” he pointed out.
• Stating that inflation had continued to undershoot forecasts, external MPC member Saugata Bhattacharya said while the low prints had largely emanated from a small set of components, the broader basket of “underlying” inflation too was likely to undershoot the inflation target for many months.
• “In addition, there is little to signal a risk of potential overheating of capacity even if growth momentum were to sustain. Household inflation expectations remain well anchored and have responded to the recent sharp drop in inflation,” he stated.
• External member Prof. Ram Singh said in his statement that the prevailing low inflation would squeeze profit margins and increase the real value of debt and interest rates for the private sector.
• “Disinflationary expectations running across several quarters can dampen and defer private-sector investment even in the short run. As MSMEs’ businesses operate in highly competitive markets and have limited ability to raise prices through the market power channel but the wages tend to be downward sticky, low inflation is detrimental to their interests as well,” he emphasised.
• Deputy Governor Poonam Gupta stated that inflation had been below the 4% target for the last nine months averaging 2.3% and was likely to remain well contained for at least nine more months. “The average inflation for 2025-26 is projected to be 2.0%, down by 60 bps from the October policy.
• The most crucial recent development from the perspective of monetary policy has been the faster than anticipated moderation in CPI headline inflation,” she wrote.
• “Going ahead, good agricultural production, low food prices and exceptionally benign international commodity price outlook suggest that headline inflation for the full year (2025-26) is likely to be around 2%, half of what was projected at the beginning of the year, RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra wrote in his statement.

• RBI Board approves risk-based deposit insurance for banks

Context: The Central Board of Directors of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved a risk-based deposit insurance framework for banks at its meeting in Hyderabad.

• The approval follows the Central Bank’s statement in October, in which it had proposed a risk-based premium model.
• Mooted as an alternative to the existing flat rate premium-based deposit insurance scheme, the framework is expected to help banks that are more sound financially to save significantly on the premium paid.
• Detailed notification will be issued shortly and the framework will be effective from next financial year, RBI had then said.

• China requests WTO consultations with India over ICT tariffs

Context: China filed a petition with the World Trade Organisation (WTO), requesting consultations with India over New Delhi’s tariffs on information and communication technology (ICT) products and solar sector subsidies.

• A statement issued by the spokesman of the Ministry of Commerce here said India’s measures allegedly violate multiple WTO obligations, including the principle of national treatment, and constitute import substitution subsidies explicitly prohibited under WTO rules.

‘Unfair advantages’

• “They grant unfair competitive advantages to India’s domestic industries while undermining China’s interests,” the statement said. It urged India to honour its WTO commitments and promptly adjust these measures.
• This is the second petition filed by China at the WTO against India this year.

• UN rights chief calls for an end to revenge attacks in Bangladesh

Context: Soon after the return of the mortal remains of Sharif Osman Hadi, the upcoming leader of Inquilab Mancha, UN Human Rights chief Volker Turk has called for a “transparent investigation” into the killing and urged “everyone to refrain from violence”.

• “Retaliation and revenge will only deepen divisions and undermine the rights of all. I urge the authorities to conduct a prompt, impartial, thorough and transparent investigation into the attack that led to Hadi’s death, and to ensure due process and accountability for those responsible,” Mr. Turk said.
• Chief Adviser to the interim government Mohammad Yunus announced that funeral prayers for Hadi would be held at 2 p.m. at the South Plaza of the National Parliament of Bangladesh in Dhaka.

UPSC/KPSC Current Affairs: 19th December 2025

• Assembly nod for hate speech Bill

Context: The Legislative Assembly, on December 18, passed the Bill on preventing hate speech and hate crimes, while members of the Opposition were on a protest over a Minister’s remark on members from coastal Karnataka.

• The Assembly took up the Karnataka Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill for discussion after Home Minister introduced it and briefed the members about its features.
• Dr. Parameshwara sought the support of the House for the Bill, while the Opposition was staging a protest. Members of the BJP were in for a surprise as the Bill was passed, without they being able to join the discussion. The Speaker adjourned the House for lunch, declaring that the Bill had been passed.

• India signs trade pact with Oman for duty-free exports

Context: India and Oman signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) on Thursday, under which Oman will provide India duty-free access to 98.08% of its tariff lines, covering 99.38% of India’s exports to Oman.

• India, on the other hand, has offered liberalised tariffs on 77.79% of its total tariff lines, covering 94.81% of what India imports from Oman. Apart from tariff removal on merchandise exports, the deal also includes several concessions that are expected to benefit India’s service sector, including in terms of mobility of workers.
• The deal was signed in Muscat by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Oman’s Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, Qais bin Mohammed Al Yousef, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sultan Haitham bin Tarik.

• India exported $4.06 billion worth of merchandise to Oman in 2024-25, which made up 0.93% of India’s total exports that financial year. It imported $6.5 billion worth of goods from Oman, comprising 0.91% of India’s total imports.

• “The CEPA will infuse the India-Oman partnership in the 21st Century with renewed faith and energy,” Mr. Modi said earlier in the day while speaking at the India-Oman Business Forum. “This is a blueprint for our future. It will give our trade new vigour and new trust for investments and will open the doors of new opportunities in every sector.”
• This is the first bilateral agreement that Oman has signed with any country since it signed a deal with the U.S. in 2006. It is also the second deal India has signed with a country in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the first being with the United Arab Emirates in February 2022.
• Mr. Goyal had also pointed out that a trade deal with Oman also serves as a gateway for India to the GCC region, eastern Europe, central Asia, and to Africa.

Benefit to labour-intensive sectors

• The Prime Minister added that the CEPA will create new opportunities for growth, employment and innovation for the youth of both countries.
• Taking to X soon after the signing of the deal, Mr. Goyal said that the deal would “significantly benefit” labour-intensive sectors, generating employment and strengthening Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), artisans, and women-led enterprises.

• CAG recommends to State govt. to ensure Escoms reduce AT&C losses

Context: The Comptroller and Auditor-General of India which audited the Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) in Karnataka has recommended that the State government ensure that the Electricity Supply Companies (Escoms) reduce the Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses as per the trajectory fixed by the Union Ministry of Power (MoP).

Subsidy

• The CAG has also recommended ensuring timely release of subsidy for irrigation pumpsets as per metered consumption.
• The CAG found that while the approved cost (including PMA charges of ₹6.87 crore) of the IPDS was ₹1,378.44 crore and the awarded cost was ₹1,721.19 crore., the Escoms incurred the actual expenditure of ₹ 1,489.33 crore (as of March 2023), i.e., Escoms incurred excess expenditure of ₹ 110.89 crore than the sanctioned cost in implementing the scheme, which included additional expenditure to the extent of ₹ 38.52 crore due to non-procurement of materials at Central Procurement Prices discovered by MoP.
• It also pointed out that non-compliance of various requirements for securing additional grants resulted in loss of opportunity to receive additional grant of 15% of the project.

Better billing

• At the same time, CAG acknowledged that the billing efficiency of Hescoms had generally improved during the scheme period contribution to reduction in billing losses.
• The CAG found that while in August 2015, in-principle approval to DPRs of all five Escoms valued at ₹1,138.75 crore was granted and works were to be awarded within six months and completed within 24 months, Escoms took took 11 to 27 months to award works, leading to significant delays.
• In the report it is mentioned that the Escoms awarded contracts in violation of KTPP Act and Rules by providing less time for submission of tenders, ranging from 15 days to 54 days against the stipulated minimum time of 60 days and by awarding works at high tender premiums exceeding the estimated cost by 5% to 34%.
• CAG audit also recommended that the State government may ensure that Escoms may devise a suitable mechanism to issue tenders in time, to take up works without delay and to ensure completion of works in time to achieve the envisaged objectives.
• Further Escoms may follow time frames as per KTPP Act and Rules to ensure adequate competition and to allow market discovery for most economical rates.
• The Escoms may ensure that comprehensive feasibility surveys were conducted before project execution and may include conditions of standard bid documents in invitation to bids and ensure adherence to the same while executing works, the report said.

• Bill adopted in Assembly to impose punishment for social boycott

Context: The Legislative Assembly adopted the Karnataka Social Boycott (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Bill 2025 that seeks to prevent the evil practices of imposing social boycott, social discrimination and social disabilities at various levels by caste or community panchayats or by its members.

• Any person who imposes or causes to impose or practises any social boycott on any member of his community, will on conviction, be punished with imprisonment, which may extend to three years, or with fine which may extend to ₹1 lakh, or with both, according to the provisions of the Bill.
• The Bill, which was piloted by Social Welfare Minister H.C. Mahadevappa, also seeks to appoint a social boycott prohibition officer.
• The House also adopted the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which seeks to replace an Ordinance.
• The Bill seeks to include the term “mental health establishment” within the definition of  “private medical establishment” and nominate one member from the Indian Medical Association and one member representing the Association of Registered Medical Establishments or Ayush Medical Practitioners as member of Registration and Grievances Redressal Authority.

• Assembly passes internal reservation Bill amid debate on Alemari and EWS quota

Context: Amid demand to increase the reservation for Scheduled Castes (SCs) to accommodate the interests of 59 Alemari (nomadic) communities, the Karnataka Legislative Assembly unanimously passed.

• The Karnataka Scheduled Castes (Sub-Classification) Bill, 2025, that provides legislation cover to internal reservation in 17 % reservation for 101 Scheduled Castes.
• The government was under pressure from the Dalit Left groups to legislate the internal reservation matrix.
• Social Welfare Minister H.C. Mahadevappa, who moved the Bill, said, “Internal reservation was a promise made during the 2023 Assembly elections and we have kept it.”

Legislative cover

• The Bill seeks to provide legislative cover to the GO that apportioned 17% reservation. Of this, 6% reservation has been provided to 16 castes in Category A (Dalit Left), 6% to 19 castes in Category B (Dalit Right) and 5% to 63 castes, including 59 Alemari castes in Category C (Lambani, Korama, Koracha and Bhovi).
• During the discussion on the Bill, Deputy Leader of Opposition Arvind Bellad said that Alemari communities could not compete with other castes and inequality would continue. The Chief Minister’s Economic Adviser Basavaraj Rayaraddi suggested that the State could explore possibility of increasing the total reservation for SCs to 18% to include 1% reservation to Alemari communities.

• India and the Netherlands reaffirm defence ties

Context: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met the Foreign Minister of the Netherlands, David van Weel, in New Delhi, reaffirming the steadily expanding defence partnership between the two nations.

• During the meeting, they held wide-ranging discussions on bilateral security and defence cooperation, including priority areas for the co-development and co-production of defence equipment, the Ministry of Defence stated.
• The two countries reiterated their commitment to strengthening military-to-military engagement, and developing defence cooperation as a key pillar of the India-Netherlands Strategic Partnership.
• The talks also underscored the shared commitment of India and the Netherlands to a free and rules-based Indo-Pacific region. Emphasising the need for closer defence ties, the Ministers highlighted the importance of connecting the defence industries of both countries, particularly in niche and emerging technologies.

• Retired judges don’t want to sit as junior ad hoc judges: CJI

Context: Chief Justice of India Surya Kant revealed that retired High Court judges are reluctant to return to the Bench as ad hoc judges to clear the massive pendency of criminal cases for a simple reason: they are “embarrassed” to sit as junior judges alongside younger colleagues.

• The High Courts across the country are burdened by mounting arrears, particularly in criminal cases.
• Data from the National Judicial Data Grid shows that 18,98,833 criminal cases are pending in the 25 High Courts.
• Of these, 68.27% or 12,96,374 cases have been pending for over a year. Against a sanctioned strength of 1,122 judges, there are 298 vacancies in the High Courts as of December 15.

Based on SC verdict

• Alarmed by the backlog, the Supreme Court in a judgment in January activated Article 224A of the Constitution, allowing the Chief Justices of the High Courts to appoint retired former judges as ad hoc judges to clear criminal appeals.
• However, the response from the High Courts has been lukewarm, with several courts not sending names to the Supreme Court for appointment as ad hoc judges.
• “In my travels to the various High Courts, I spoke to the Chief Justices. They said there were many former judges who were keen and willing to return to the Bench and work… But they feel very embarrassed to sit as a junior judge with a serving judge on Division Benches,” Chief Justice Kant told Attorney-General R. Venkataramani during a special hearing. He pointed out that most criminal appeals were pending before Division Benches or two-judge Benches in the High Courts.
• The Chief Justice, accompanied by Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi, noted that a large number of cases were pending in the Allahabad, Punjab and Haryana, and Patna High Courts.
• The Chief Justice said the problem existed from the other end as well. “The serving judges would ask why they should sit with a retired person heading the Bench… Can we persuade a sitting judge to be a Bench partner with a retired judge heading the Bench?” he said.
• Amicus curiae and senior advocate K. Parameshwar referred to an April 2021 judgment on the appointment of ad hoc judges.

• LS passes rural jobs Bill amid protests

Context: The Lok Sabha passed the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, replacing the 20-year-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), amid loud protests from Opposition MPs who stormed the well of the House, tore copies of the Bill, and raised slogans.

• Responding to the debate in the Lower House, Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the MGNREGA was riddled with “problems” and “corruption was rampant”. He also accused State governments of “misusing” funds.
• “Funds were not allotted as expected. As per the Act, 60% of the funds were to be spent on labour and 40% on material. But only 26% was spent on material and funds were siphoned off,” he said.

• Sculptor Ram Sutar passes away at 100      
• Ram V. Sutar, the legendary sculptor whose creations, including the Statue of Unity, defined the country’s public art landscape, was instrumental in giving Indian memorial sculpture global recognition.
• Among his vast body of work are statues of Mahatma Gandhi at the Parliament complex, and Dr B.R. Ambedkar.

• Rajya Sabha passes Bill to allow private firms in nuclear sector

Context: Amendments to SHANTI Bill and proposal to send it to a panel, moved by Opposition MPs, defeated in a voice vote; Jairam Ramesh warns against relaxation of any liability norms while Jitendra Singh says there will be no compromise with safety.

• With the Rajya Sabha also clearing the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill on Thursday, the Union government said the Bill seeks to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels and increase the capacity of India’s atomic energy sector.
• Senior Congress MP Jairam Ramesh, who initiated a debate, claimed that the Bill was brought with the intention of increasing the contribution of private companies in the nuclear sector. Mr. Ramesh warned the Centre against any relaxation in liability norms and cited the example of France, where all nuclear reactors are under government control.
• The amendments to the Bill and the proposal to send the Bill to a Select Committee, moved by Opposition MPs, were defeated in a voice vote.
• Countering the Opposition charges, Minister of State for Department of Atomic Energy Jitendra Singh said that nuclear power is a reliable source of energy, unlike other renewable energy options. He said there will be no compromise with safety. Mr. Singh said there has been no report of any radiation-related hazards to the public from any Indian reactors.
• Mr. Ramesh said, “The Narendra Modi government has the habit of ignoring the milestones achieved by past governments.” He said the BJP opposed the nuclear deal between India and America in 2008. “The BJP had then said that there is not much future in nuclear energy. It is because of the nuclear deal that happened in 2008 that now the BJP can think of such a Bill,” he said.
• “Our country has the capacity — we have installed plants of 220 megawatts and 540 megawatts. Utilise that capacity. Similarly, the government had brought farm laws to benefit the private sector, which had to be withdrawn. This Bill should not be vendor-driven. We are self-reliant in the matter of nuclear power. So, promote indigenous technology,” Mr. Ramesh said. He said the private sector will bring capital, not technology.

‘Will shape sector’

• Harsh Vardhan Shringla, MP, said the country stands at a decisive juncture in its energy journey and the SHANTI Bill will shape the civil nuclear sector for generations, ending fragmented governance and creating an investment-ready framework. “This is not privatisation; this is partnership with accountability,” he said.
• Trinamool Congress MP Sagarika Ghose said the Bill is fundamentally dangerous. “This Bill brings neither Shanti nor security… we are not debating whether India should pursue nuclear energy, India has always pursued nuclear energy responsibly for decades…” she said.
• DMK MP P. Wilson said the Bill was a “nuclear bomb which threatens the country’s peace and security”. “There is nothing peaceful, nothing sustainable, nothing transformative about this legislation. On the contrary, it is a reckless, dangerous and deeply flawed attempt to privatise one of the most sensitive and high-risk sectors of a nation — the nuclear energy sector,” he said.

• SC considers passive euthanasia for 31-year-old

Context: The Supreme Court asked to meet the parents of a 31-year-old man lying in a comatose condition for 13 years while contemplating their plea for passive euthanasia by withdrawing artificial life support for him.

• “It is a very sad report. We cannot keep this boy in this stage,” Justice J.B. Pardiwala, accompanied by Justice K.V. Viswanathan, addressed the family’s counsel, advocate Rashmi Nandakumar, and Additional Solicitor-General Aishwarya Bhati.
• The court’s comment came after perusing the report of a secondary medical board, headed by an AIIMS team of doctors, containing 31-year-old Harish Rana’s medical history.

• ‘900 million people will have diabetes by 2050, strong steps needed to slow progression’

Context: In its projections for 2050, the 11th edition of the International Diabetes Federation’s Diabetes Atlas has calculated that from around 500 million people living with diabetes in 2024, the number will grow to nearly 900 million people between the ages of 20 and 79.

• Publishing the key results as an article in the peer-reviewed journal Lancet Diabetes Endocrinal 2025, the authors, who are scientists collaborating accross the world, pointed out that in 2024, that figure was 11.11% of the population and just over 580 million adults.
• As per their projections, diabetes will affect 12.96% of the population — over 850 million people — in 2050.
• In the paper, Irini Genitsaridi and other researchers say, “As the diabetes epidemic has continued unchecked since the turn of the millenium, stronger efforts are needed to slow down progression.” A total of 210 countries and five territories were included in the study.
• In 2024, more people with diabetes were living in urban areas (400 million) than in rural areas (189 million). The authors state that this trend would continue with the projection for 2050 for urban centres (655 million), but in rural areas, it is likely to remain almost the same (198 million) in 2050.
• Ramachandran, one of the authors of the paper, from the India Diabetes Research Foundation, says “one of the unique features of this year’s Atlas, is the table listing the top 10 countries of the world with diabetes load. China is right at the top of the table with about 148 million people with diabetes, and India comes up second on the table, with nearly 90 million. The United States comes third, and Pakistan, fourth.
• In 2050, while China and India will maintain their top positions on the table, it is projected that Pakistan will climb to the third slot.

• FinMin unveils new logofor Regional Rural Banks
• The Finance Ministry unveiled a new logo for Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) to signify a single and unified brand identity.

• On the principle of ‘One State One RRB’, the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, has consolidated 26 Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) across 11 States/Union Territories, effective from May 1, 2025.
• The reform marks a crucial step toward building stronger and more efficient RRBs.
• FM tables Securities Market Code Bill 2025 in Lok Sabha

Context: The Bill, which seeks to unify three laws governing the securities market, has been referred to the Standing Committee on Finance for review.

• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the Securities Market Code Bill 2025 in the Lok Sabha.
• The Bill, which seeks to unify three laws governing securities market, was referred to the Standing Committee on Finance for review.
• The Bill proposes to consolidate the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Act, 1992, and the Depositories Act, 1996.
• The move was announced in the Union Budget in 2021-22 and the Bill has now been tabled to rationalise and consolidate the existing provisions, and provides a modern regulatory framework for investor protection and capital mobilisation at scale, according to the statement of objectives in the Bill.
• As per the Bill, the government proposes to increase the number of members in SEBI to 15 from the current nine, including the Chairperson.
• This will include the Chairperson, two officers appointed by the Central Government and one from the RBI as ex-officio members, and 11 others, of whom at least five will be whole-time members. Currently there are three whole-time members.
• In another significant change, Union Government also proposed to decriminalise violations of “minor, procedural and technical nature” into civil penalties to “facilitate the ease of doing business and to reduce the compliance burden.”

Civil penalties

• The Bill, if enacted in its current form, would bring “unlawful gains or losses” under civil penalties and limit punishments only to cases of market abuse such as insider trading or trading while in possession of material or non-public information.
• Further, in the case of contravention of any rules or provisions of the code, no inspection can be done if eight years had passed from the date of contravention. The Bill also mandates that the members of the board disclose any direct or indirect interests before making a decision to eliminate conflict of interest.
• “These changes appear to be made in keeping with extant requirements balancing faster adjudication processes with the need for better deterrence,” said Paras Parekh, Partner at CMS INDUSLAW.
• Even as the Bill was being introduced, DMK MP Arun Nehru and Congress’ Manish Tewari opposed it saying it gave excessive powers to a single body, which was against the principle of the separation of powers.
• Responding to this, Ms. Sitharaman said that since the government was referring it to the standing committee, such details could be discussed by the panel.

• Exporters to gain on near duty-free access to Oman, says FIEO

Context: The India–Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) would strengthen India’s export competitiveness across goods and services, enhance professional mobility, and support inclusive and employment-led growth, The Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) said in its initial comment after signing of the deal.

• “The CEPA secures unprecedented market access for Indian exports, with zero-duty access on 98.08% of Oman’s tariff lines, covering 99.38% of India’s exports by value,” said S. C. Ralhan, President, FIEO.
• “This will significantly enhance the competitiveness of Indian goods and benefit key labour-intensive sectors such as textiles and apparel, leather and footwear, gems and jewellery and sports goods.”