Current Affairs: 8th October 2025

• SC tells EC to be open onnames in final Bihar rolls

Context: It says there is confusion about whether names added in final list are those deleted from draft roll; it asks if the poll panel individually informed the excluded voters, to facilitate their right to appeal

• The Supreme Court reminded the Election Commission that “the degree of transparency and access to information form the hallmarks of an open democracy”.
• It also questioned the top poll body about the individual details of voters added to the final list of voters in Bihar after the special intensive revision (SIR) of the State’s electoral roll.
• Over 21.5 lakh voters have been added in the final roll, and 3.66 lakh removed.
• “There is a confusion about the names added on in the final list… What is the identity of the people added on? Is it an add-on of names taken from the 65 lakh voters deleted in the draft roll or are they new and independent names? The final list shows an appreciation of the number of voters… This exercise we want you to do is in aid of the electoral process, to maintain intact the faith in the electoral process,” Justice Joymalya Bagchi, who was part of the Bench headed by Justice Surya Kant, asked the poll body.

Final list

• The final list shows that there are 7.42 crore eligible voters in the State. This was higher than the 7.24 crore voters listed in the draft electoral roll published after the first phase of the SIR, which had seen the removal of 65 lakh names, given that Bihar had 7.89 crore voters on June 24, the date of notification of the SIR exercise.
• The court asked the EC whether the 3.66 lakh voters deleted from the final list were individually informed through a formal order of deletion to facilitate the filing of appeals against their exclusion. “They have a right to appeal,” Justice Kant told the poll body.
• The Bench also asked whether a separate list of the names and details of the 3.66 lakh excluded voters had been published and made easily accessible at the grass roots level.
• Justice Bagchi referred to Rule 21A of the Registration of Electors’ Rules, 1960, which requires poll authorities to display the names and details of deleted voters on the notice boards of district electoral offices.
• Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, for the EC, said the disaggregated data was still being collected from ground-level officers and processed. However, there has not been a single complaint against any exclusion of names in the final list, he said, noting that the final electoral roll has already been shared with political parties.
• “Who is deleted and who is not requires only a basic comparison between the draft roll and the final list,” Mr. Dwivedi argued.
• Justice Kant, at one point in the hearing, threw the EC’s line of argument at the petitioners’ lawyers, advocates Prashant Bhushan and Neha Rathi.
• “Mr. Bhushan, but where are the aggrieved people? The draft voter list is available on the EC website, the final voter list is also available. You could compare and identify the excluded names. Show us specific cases in the 3.66 lakh deleted voters whose names were deleted without any communication… This cannot be a roving enquiry… For whom are you doing this? They may be illegals who were deleted from the voter list, would they come out and complain?” Justice Kant asked them.

‘Population estimate mismatch’

• Mr. Bhushan said the SIR, instead of cleaning up the electoral process, has only compounded the problems due to the EC’s opacity.
• The court asked the EC to address the issues raised in Mr. Bhushan’s written submissions on Thursday.
• These submissions contended that though the official estimate of the adult population in Bihar for September 2025 was 8.22 crore, the number of electors in the final rolls was only 7.42 crore.
• “Thus, 80 lakh, that is, approximately 10% of the total adult population of Bihar has been denied their right to vote. Such a sharp fall in the adult population to electors’ ratio is a record for India and for Bihar,” the written submissions said.

Missing women, Muslims

• In no State of the country previously have as much as 10% of the electorate been excluded from the electoral roll, Mr. Bhushan said. He added that lakhs of women were ‘missing’ from Bihar’s electoral rolls.
• “After SIR, while Bihar’s gender ratio is 934 in September 2025, the gender ratio in the final electoral rolls has fallen sharply to 892. This translates into 17 lakh missing women… SIR has wiped out a whole decade’s gains in the gender ratio of electoral rolls,” said the submissions presented in court.
• The SIR exercise has also resulted in the disproportionate exclusion of Muslims, Mr. Bhushan claimed.
• “Our analysis based on name recognition software, shows that Muslims were 25% among the 65 lakh voters excluded from the draft rolls and 34% among the 3.66 lakh deleted electors from the final rolls… This disproportionate exclusion accounts for the reduction of about six lakh Muslim voters,” he submitted.

‘Respond to analysis’

• The court asked the EC to respond to Mr. Bhushan’s analysis that at least 5.17 lakh names on the final rolls appear to be duplicates. “There are over 2.5 lakh cases of blank or junk households numbers, over 25,000 electors with gibberish names and nearly 60,000 entries with invalid gender or relation or gender relations mismatch,” the written submissions alleged.

• Bigg Boss Kannada 12 gets KSPCB notice for violation of norms

Context: KSPCB order says Vels Studio and Entertainment Limited, the amusement park where the reality show is being shot, was operating without obtaining valid consent from the pollution control board.

• The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has ordered the closure of M/s. Vels Studio and Entertainment Limited located in Bidadi Industrial Area, Bengaluru South district, for non-compliance of environmental norms.
• M/s. Vels Studio and Entertainment Limited (M/s. Jolly Wood Studios and Adventures) is where the current edition of the Bigg Boss Kannada reality television show is being shot.
• According to a KSPCB order issued on October 6, 2025, M/s. Vels Studio and Entertainment Limited is an amusement park established and operating without obtaining valid consent from the board which falls under Green Category.

Waste water

• It added that during inspection it was found that waste water generated from different domains of the amusement park was discharged outside the premises without any treatment and causing pollution to the surrounding environment.
• It further said that the park authorities have provided a Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP) of 250 kilo liters per day (KLD). “However, no sewer, no inflow of sewerage to STP was observed, all STP units installed were empty and discharging the waste water outside the premises without any treatment,” it said.
• During inspection it was also found that the housekeeping near STP is very poor and there is no flowchart displayed.
• Diesel Generating sets of capacity 625 KVA and 500 KVA were also installed and operating in the premises.
• “The park authorities have disposed of the solid waste generated viz., disposable paper plates, cups, and plastic waste near STP area without any segregation in an unscientific manner,” it added.

• KSPCB has issued closure orders under Section 33(A) of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, read with Rule 34 of Karnataka Board for the Prevention and Control of Water Pollution (Procedure for Transaction of Business), and the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Rules, 1976.

In 2024

• Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre said the KSPCB Regional Office in Ramanagara had issued notices to the studio twice in 2024, which its ​promoters did not comply with. He said that the studio was operating without obtaining permission under the Water Act and Air Act.

• SWR begins phased rollout of Kavach train protection system

Context: The South Western Railway (SWR) has initiated the process of implementing the indigenously developed Kavach, an electronic rail safety mechanism system, across its network, covering a total of 3,692 route km (RKM). Developed by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in collaboration with the Indian industry, Kavach is an Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system designed to significantly enhance safety of the railways.

In two stages

• According to SWR officials, the project will be executed in two stages. The first phase will cover 1,568 RKM at an estimated cost of ₹628.63 crore, while the second phase will extend the system to the remaining 2,124 RKM.
• Officials explained that Kavach is a state-of-the-art electronic safety mechanism built to Safety Integrity Level-4 (SIL-4) standards, the highest benchmark in railway safety.
• “Its primary function is to prevent trains from passing signals set at danger (red) and to avert collisions. If a loco pilot fails to slow down as per prescribed speed restrictions, Kavach automatically triggers the braking system. It also ensures that two locomotives fitted with functional Kavach systems do not collide. Another crucial feature is the ​automatic relay of SoS messages during emergencies, along with live centralised monitoring of train movements via the Network Monitor System,” the official said.
• The system functions as a Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), using on-board equipment and transmission towers at stations linked through Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags.
• “This facilitates two-way communication between the station master and the loco pilot during emergencies. Inside the locomotive cabin, an instrument panel provides advance signal information, permissible speed limits, and warnings. In cases where a red signal is ignored, or trains are on a collision course, the system intervenes instantly by applying emergency brakes. Kavach also automatically activates a hooter while approaching level crossings, aiding loco-pilots in low-visibility conditions such as fog,” official added.
• Meanwhile, the Railways has sanctioned work to equip 299 locomotives under SWR with Loco Kavach. Officials said the detailed project estimate is currently under vetting by the accounts department.

• PRADA delegation meets Kolhapuri chappal artisans

Context: A delegation from PRADA, the European fashion house that faced allegations of copying the design of the Kolhapuri chappal, visited Athani in Belagavi district recently and interacted with artisans.

• The team led by Gautam Mehra, PRADA’s Indian representative, visited the houses of some artisans and spoke to them. It also visited the Kolhapuri chappal cluster in Athani and documented the working styles of the artisans and took pictures of their portfolio. “They told us that they are willing to work with the government and cooperate with the artisans. They offered to train batches of five to 10 artisans in their design centres in India,” Shivaraj Soudagar, cluster coordinator, told The Hindu.
• “We asked the officers to give us some orders so that we could access a bigger market and get better prices for our product. They agreed to consider our demand,” Mr. Soudagar said.
• Another round of meeting between artisans, LIDKAR officers, and PRADA designers has been scheduled in Bengaluru this week.
• ZP CEO Rahul Shinde said that the district administration had planned a series of actions for the Athani artisans.
• “We want to organise a series of workshops for artisans, in association with agencies like EXIM bank and National Institute of Design. They will not only be aimed at training them in understanding market trends, but also in new designs and use of diverse materials. We will also train them in using e-commerce portals for boosting their sales, standard methods and processes of packing and logistics management. Another set of resource persons will provide soft skills training, and consumer relations. We will also tie up with legal experts to help our artisans better understand the implications of the Geographical Indication and other laws,” Mr Shinde said.
• MP for Chikkodi Priyanka Jarkiholi said that she would urge the State government and LIDKAR to work with PRADA and find a solution in which the artisans get assured orders and remunerative wages. She said she would speak to LIDKAR officers and artisans in Karnataka and Maharashtra to find a common solution.

• India edges closer to recognising Taliban as Muttaqi to arrive in Delhi for a five-day visit

Context: Two days before the visit of Amir Khan Muttaqi, Acting Foreign Minister of the Taliban regime ruling Afghanistan, the Indian government came one step closer to formally recognising the Taliban, as a regional grouping that India is a part of admitted Mr. Muttaqi as a “member” for the first time.

• Mr. Muttaqi, who is on the UN Security Council’s list of banned terrorists, was given special permission to travel to India, and officials said he would arrive in for a five-day visit.
• According to sources, Mr. Muttaqi will be accorded full protocol as a visiting Foreign Minister, including being hosted by the government. He will be received at the official venue, Hyderabad House, by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar for talks on October 10.
• India’s Ambassador to Russia Vinay Kumar attended the 10-nation Moscow Format Consultations hosted by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Others in attendance were Pakistan’s special envoy on Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq and other representatives from China, Iran and Central Asian countries.
• Apart from Russia, no country has recognised the Taliban government thus far, and since the Taliban takeover of Kabul in August 2021, representatives of the ‘Acting government’ in Afghanistan have attended the meeting as observers only. However, a photograph released after the meeting on Tuesday showed Mr. Muttaqi amongst the delegates.
• “For the first time the Afghan delegation headed by Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi participated in the meeting as a member,” said a joint statement issued by all the participants at the meeting, calling for more economic exchanges, provision of humanitarian assistance, and regional connectivity initiatives with Afghanistan, as well as steps to strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation.
• Mr. Muttaqi is expected to travel next to India, arriving on October 9. It is unclear whether Mr. Muttaqi would also call on Mr. Modi later in the visit, the first such official visit by a senior Taliban Minister since 2021. During the five-day visit, Mr. Muttaqi, who received special permission to travel from the UN Sanctions committee on September 30, is expected to meet a number of officials and interact with business groups and Afghan nationals living in India.
• Former diplomats said that inviting Mr. Muttaqi to India was a pragmatic move, given India’s interests in Afghanistan, but warned against giving the Taliban regime full recognition until the United Nations decides to do so.
• “India should await international consensus,” said Vivek Katju, who has managed Afghanistan relations at the MEA in the past. However, he added that India should post a more senior Charge d’Affaires at its Embassy in Kabul, which currently runs as a “technical mission”.
• Former Ambassador to Afghanistan Gautam Mukhopadhyay said that the move to invite Mr. Muttaqi reflects a “convergence of security interests at the expense of certain values and internal security concerns that held the relationship in check”.
• However, Afghanistan’s former Foreign Minister and National Security Adviser Rangin Dadfar Spanta said, “India’s current policy towards Afghanistan is mainly determined by an anti-Pakistan approach. Both Pakistan and the government in Delhi are looking for proxies. This is not about good neighbourliness or peace in our region. Unfortunately, the opposite is true.”

• Trio wins Physics Nobel for building device showing ‘quantum tunnelling’

Context: The Nobel Prize for Physics this year will be awarded to three scientists — John Clarke, Michel Devoret and John Martinis, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

• The scientists worked together and devised experiments to tease greater insight into the workings of the quantum world: the realm of the ultra-small when objects, broken down to single, constituent particles, cease to behave in the way we ordinarily expect them to.
• One of the mind-boggling behaviours that particles are capable of here is “tunnelling”, literally, the ability of particles to pass through physical walls.
• It is as if a cricket ball hitting the pitch will surely bounce up, but the odd cricket-ball particle will simply burrow into the ground. Such behaviour cannot be observed at the macroscopic level but the scientists showed that it was possible to organise a multitude of single particles and coerce them to exhibit “tunnelling” properties in a system, big enough to be held in the hand.

Electrical circuit

• Much like early insight into quantum mechanics paved the way for transistors and silicon chips in the 1950s, the three scientists devised an electrical circuit with two superconductors, components that can conduct a current without any electrical resistance.
• They separated these with a thin layer of material — called a Josephson junction — that did not conduct any current at all.
• In this experiment, they showed that they could control and investigate a phenomenon in which all the charged particles in the superconductor behave in unison, as if they are a single ‘particle’ that fills the entire circuit.
• Following this, they were able to demonstrate that such a particle could be made to behave simulating the flow of electricity even without voltage, a prerequisite for the flow of current.
• These were akin to the first ‘super-conducting circuits’ that could potentially realise practical, useful quantum computers and quantum sensors.
• Quantum computers, unlike contemporary computers, deal in ‘qubits’, rather than binary bits. This allows them to perform calculations exponentially faster but also threaten all kinds of encryption systems that are premised on bit-based computers.

• ‘No State has fully complied with key drug quality norms’

Context: While 18 State drug control authorities across the country have adopted the Online National Drugs Licensing System (ONDLS) for processing drug-related licences, no State has yet fully complied with the Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) guidelines, confirmed a source in the Union Health Ministry.

• Both the ONDLS and CAPA are provisions under the Central government’s revised Schedule M, which is a critical update to India’s pharmaceutical manufacturing regulations.

Safety standards

• “CAPA is crucial for ensuring safety and maintaining high standards in regulated industries such as pharmaceuticals.  It is a universal quality management methodology for process improvement,’’ the official said.
• Voluntary compliance [with CAPA] is crucial for quality maintenance, he said, while speaking about the recent deaths of children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan due to consumption of adulterated cough syrup.
• CAPA also focuses on systematically investigating and resolving problems in managment issues.  “Compliance with CAPA will ensure that drug violation is registered and corrective action is taken,’’ the official said.
• The ONDLS is a digital, single-window platform for processing various drug-related licences in India and has been developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing in coordination with the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO).
• “The system is designed to create a uniform, transparent, and accountable process for drug licensing across all States and Union Territories. It handles applications for manufacturing and sales licences, blood banks, and various certificates, such as WHO-GMP,’’ said the official.
• Data shared show that of the total 5,308 MSME pharma companiesin India, 3,838 have already complied with the revised Schedule M GMP.

• Waiting for other countries to unveil digital currency: RBI

Context: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is waiting for other countries to launch digital currency and is in no hurry to roll out Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) nation wide for retail, said Deputy Governor Rabi Sankar.

• “We’re in no hurry because, you see, for this system to launch, you also have to have other countries launching it simultaneously,” Mr. Sankar said on the sidelines of Global Fintech Fest on Tuesday. He said the most appropriate use-case for a CBDC was cross border payments, although he did not rule out a retail unveiling.

Use UPI with biometrics

• Mr. Sankar’s comments assume significance in light of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s recent observation that it was time for nations to prepare for adoption of stable coins.
• The Global Fintech Fest saw the unveiling of biometric authentication for UPI payments by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). The biometric authentication on-device can be used in place of the PIN that has been in use since UPI was launched in 2016.
• Secretary to the Department of Financial Services at the Ministry of Finance M. Nagaraju unveiled the feature. The facility will be made available to customers who choose to opt, giving them control over their preferred mode of authentication, the announcement said. “Each transaction is independently verified by the issuing bank using robust cryptographic checks, ensuring the highest level of safety while keeping the experience simple and seamless,” the NPCI said.
• The biometric system is expected to widely benefit senior citizens and first-time users.

• World Bank raises India’s FY26 growth outlook to 6.5%

Context: The World Bank has upgraded its growth outlook for India to 6.5% in 2025-26, from the earlier 6.3%, citing stronger domestic conditions and also the impact of the GST rate cuts. However, it has revised downward its forecast for 2026-27 to 6.3%, saying the impact of the U.S. tariffs will dampen growth.

• In its South Asia Development Update released, the World Bank said India’s real GDP growth “exceeded expectations” in the April-June 2025 quarter, accelerating to 7.8%. It noted that growth was bolstered by strong private consumption and investment and boosted by lower-than-expected prices.
• For the current financial year, the World Bank said India’s growth has been revised upwards to 6.5% from the earlier prediction of 6.3%.
• “India is expected to remain the world’s fastest growing major economy, underpinned by continued strength in consumption growth,” the report said. “Domestic conditions, particularly agricultural output and rural wage growth, have been better than expected.”
• “The government’s reforms to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) — reducing the number of tax brackets and simplifying compliance — are expected to support activity,” it added.
• However, it said that the forecast for 2026-27 has been downgraded from 6.5% to 6.3% as a result of the imposition of the 50% tariff on about three-quarters of India’s goods exports to the U.S.

• Modernisation of financial architecture: how India is adopting stablecoins

Context: Stablecoins are blockchain-based digital assets designed to maintain a consistent value over time. Until recently, India’s approach to stablecoins was cautious. But now Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has stated that India needs to be ready to engage with crypto assets such as stablecoins

• Stablecoins are a category of crypto assets that aim to maintain a stable value relative to a specified asset, or basket of assets, providing perceived stability. Various definitions of stablecoins exist, with different countries; standard-setting bodies such as the Financial Stability Board, Bank for International Settlements and International Monetary Fund; and many central banks contributing to these definitions.
• Largely, stablecoins are blockchain-based digital assets designed to maintain a consistent value over time. They achieve this by being backed by reserves such as fiat currencies, commodities, or other crypto assets. They are a distinct class of Virtual Digital Assets (VDAs) backed by fiat currencies, commodities, or other assets. They aim to maintain a stable value, thereby distinguishing them from other VDAs.

Broadly, there are three types of stablecoins:

• Fiat-backed stablecoins — these are backed by reserves of traditional currencies such as the U.S. dollar or Euro, held in banks or regulated institutions. Examples include the USDT and USDC.
• Crypto-backed stablecoins — these are collateralised by other crypto assets. DAI, backed by Ethereum, is a leading example.
• Algorithmic stablecoins — these maintain stability through automated algorithms that adjust supply and demand, without relying on reserves. They are more experimental and risk-prone, as seen with projects like TerraUSD.

New financial plumbing

• In the traditional financial world, cross-border payments are expensive, slow, and fragmented. Stablecoins are digital tokens backed by fiat reserves and powered by blockchain rails which are rewriting that equation.
• According to Visa’s 2025 report Making Crypto Real, over $220 billion worth of stablecoins are already in circulation, with transactions settling in seconds rather than days, and at a fraction of traditional costs. The average remittance via stablecoin costs as little as $0.01, compared to $44 through conventional banking routes.
• This efficiency is not just a technical feat; it’s economic evolution. In the same way that HTTP allowed information to flow seamlessly across the web, stablecoins could enable value to flow over digital rails in real time. The emerging vision, often described as “agentic payments,” imagines a world where AI systems autonomously initiate transactions paying cloud providers, renewing subscriptions, or even reallocating treasury funds over stablecoin protocols.

A maturing global order

• Stablecoins have outgrown their niche origins. Institutional finance has taken notice. BlackRock, Fidelity, and Bank of America have each announced or launched stablecoin initiatives, while Societe Generale became the first major European bank to issue a dollar-pegged coin in 2025.
• Regulators, once sceptical, are now codifying legitimacy. The EU’s MiCA framework and the U.S. GENIUS Act provide clear definitions, reserve standards, and consumer protections, transforming stablecoins into regulated financial instruments.
• In effect, what we are witnessing is not the replacement of traditional money but its modernisation. A new three-layered structure is emerging— the blockchain base layer which is decentralised, auditable, and interoperable; the reserve layer which includes regulated institutions backing stablecoins with transparent fiat or treasury reserves; and the interface layer where payment cards, APIs, and digital wallets are making stablecoins usable in everyday commerce.
• Visa and Mastercard’s moves to support stablecoin settlement on Ethereum and Solana are not experiments; they are strategic recalibrations.
• Stablecoins are fast emerging as a new settlement layer for global finance. Value can now move as seamlessly as information flows online. By bypassing legacy rails like SWIFT, they transform cross-border transfers from days to seconds, creating a real-time, programmable foundation for the internet economy.

India’s evolving stance

• Until recently, India’s approach to stablecoins was cautious. But the global tide is shifting, and so is New Delhi’s calculus. Recently, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has stated that India needs to be ready to engage with crypto assets, like stablecoins.
• The maturation of stablecoins mirrors the path the Internet itself once took: from anarchic experimentation to institutional adoption. What was once a tool for traders is now morphing into a universal payment backbone. In emerging markets, stablecoins are filling gaps that banks find tough to reach; in developed markets, they are cutting inefficiencies that banks long tolerated.
• In Visa’s language, stablecoins are “crypto’s superpower.” Their functional advantages, that is, speed, low cost, and transparency are undeniable. But their real promise lies in what they can enable. In an AI-driven, hyper-connected economy, money must move at machine speed.

The road ahead

• India’s digital infrastructure built on UPI, Aadhaar, and account aggregators has already redefined inclusion. The next leap is interoperability: not just between banks, but between blockchains, currencies, and algorithms. Stablecoins, with clear regulation and institutional backing, could provide that bridge.
• The debate, then, is no longer whether stablecoins will shape the future of finance but how India chooses to shape stablecoins. As the world’s financial plumbing gets rewired, nations that embrace stable, programmable, and globally interoperable money will define the rules of the new digital economy. Stablecoins will not replace fiat but they will redefine what fiat feels like in an Internet-operated world.

Current Affairs: 7th October 2025

• Converted SCs can identify as Buddhists

Context: The State Government issued orders to allow persons from Scheduled Castes to identify themselves as “Buddhist” in the religion column that is part of the Scheduled Castes certificate.

• Order issued by the Social Welfare Department enables those from 101 Scheduled Castes who have converted to Buddhism to declare their religion in the caste certificate, it also allows the families to declare their religion as “Buddhism” in the religion column in the documents of schools coming under Department of Education and Literacy, private schools and other educational institutions.
• The latest GO has been issued under the Karnataka Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes (Reservation in appointments) Act 1990 which has been amended in 2024.
• The order said that though a circular had been issued earlier, several organisations and associations had sought clarification on the issue and petitioned the government to issue an order in this regard. The order quoted directions issued by the Union government’s Ministry of Welfare in November 1990, order by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, 2016 and 2017, which were based on the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Orders (Amendment) Act, 1990.

• SC rejects petition against Telangana order for 67% quota

Context: The Supreme Court declined to entertain a petition challenging a Telangana government order enhancing the Backward Classes’ quota in municipalities and panchayats to 42%, leading to the total reservation of seats in local bodies in the State to touch 67%.

• A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, however, gave the petitioner, Vanga Gopal Reddy, liberty to approach the Telangana High Court against the September 26 order of the State government.
• The Bench had queried why Mr. Vanga Gopal had moved the top court in the first instance and not the High Court. The petition, filed through advocate Somiran Sharma, raised the question whether States could increase the total reservation of seats in local bodies to breach the 50% ceiling. 
• Mr. Somiran pointed out the enhancement in the OBC quota had come prior to a notification issued by the Telangana State Election Commission announcing that the panchayat election process in the State would commence from October 9.
• Polling for the local bodies’ election in Telangana would happen in two phases on October 23 and October 27.

Breaching limit

• “Together with the existing 15% for Scheduled Castes and 10% for Scheduled Tribes, the aggregate reservation exceeds 67%, directly violating the 50% ceiling judicially prescribed by the Supreme Court,” the petition had argued. The 50% ceiling rule in reservation was established by a nine-judge Bench of the Supreme Court in the Mandal Commission case judgment of 1992.
• The September 26 order issued by Telangana had followed an attempt by the State to enact a law, the Telangana Backward Classes (Reservations of Seats in Rural and Urban Local Bodies) Bill, 2025, to enhance OBC seats in local bodies by 42%.
• However, the petition said, the Bill had been neither assented to by the Governor nor by the President.
• Mr. Vanga Gopal had said the Telangana government’s order augmenting OBC quota in local bodies violated Section 285A of the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, 2018, which expressly codified the 50% ceiling in reservation in local bodies’ seats.
• Kerala govt. tables Malayalam Language Bill in Assembly to conserve linguistic rights. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government tabled the Malayalam Language Bill, 2025, in the Assembly on Monday.
• Law Minister P. Rajeeve said the Bill aimed to enshrine the Malayalam language at the heart of official communications in the State. It also sought to render it the legal language in courts trying lesser offences under the respective District and Sessions Courts.
• Mr. Rajeeve said the Bill also sought to protect the rights of linguistic minorities, including citizens who considered Tamil, Kannada, Tulu, and Kongu their mother tongues.
• “The Bill conserves their right to use their respective language or English for their communications with the government,” he added.
• He said the Bill sought to render Malayalam as Kerala’s sole official language. The State now recognised English and Malayalam as official languages. The draft law also proposed to make Malayalam the first language in schools.
• The Bill proposed the creation of a Malayalam Language Development Directorate under the aegis of the Official Language Wing for Personnel and Administrative Reforms.
• Mr. Rajeeve said the Bill rendered Malayalam as the official language of ordinances promulgated by the Kerala Governor, bills introduced in the Assembly, Acts passed by the legislature, and also rules, orders, regulations, and bylaws of the government, with English translations provided.
• Mr. Rajeeve said that earlier versions of the Bill, aimed at preserving, nurturing, and developing Malayalam against the backdrop of the global march of foreign languages, chiefly English, had failed to receive gubernatorial and presidential assent.
• He said the Union government had raised objections regarding provisions concerned with the rights of linguistic minorities, trilingual education in compliance with the national curriculum and the Right to Education Act, 2009.
• Mr. Rajeeve said the Bill sought to rectify the anomalies while safeguarding and promoting the Malayalam language and culture.

• India, Australia to sign joint defence and security cooperation declaration

Context:  Australia has acknowledged India’s growing capabilities in producing high-end defence equipment, signalling potential for greater engagement with Indian defence manufacturers in the future. While Canberra has traditionally relied on American and other Western systems, sources said that they see India as an emerging and reliable partner in defence production.

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s upcoming visit to Australia underscores the growing momentum in the defence partnership and its pivotal role in ensuring stability across the Indo-Pacific, an official said.
• Mr. Singh will be on a two-day visit on October 9 and 10, during which he will meet Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles in Sydney and observe live air-to-air refuelling activities aboard a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) KC-30A multi-role tanker.
• Hinting at broader strategic discussions, the senior official said deliberations during the visit are expected to cover major bilateral and regional issues, including countries of mutual concern.

Maritime strategy

• Australia and India are also developing a Maritime Security Road Map to enhance collaboration on maritime domain awareness in the Indian Ocean.
• According to sources, both countries are working toward a new Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation to set the parameters for future engagement.
• This year also marks the fifth anniversary of the India–Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which has witnessed unprecedented progress across diverse sectors — from trade and investment to education, sports, and renewable energy.
• “Defence and security cooperation now stand as one of the strongest pillars of our partnership. Australia and India have emerged as top-tier security partners, with defence engagements more than tripling in the past decade — from 11 activities in 2014 to 33 in 2024,” said a source. “Our partnership enhances each other’s strategic autonomy, options, and capabilities. The Air-to-Air Refuelling Implementing Arrangement – India’s first with any partner – exemplifies growing interoperability,” the source added.
• Australia is also a strong supporter of India’s defence industry ambitions.

• Jaishankar says India’s interests are best secured by strategic autonomy

Context:  India has always exerted its strategic autonomy, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Monday, referring to the country’s decision to sign a friendship pact with the Soviet Union in 1971 as a “necessary” choice, given the triangular threats India faced from the other big powers, the United States and China.

• Speaking at the launch of the Aravalli Summit, organised by the Jawaharlal Nehru University’s School of International Studies, marking its 70th anniversary, Mr. Jaishankar, an alumnus of the school himself, said that it was necessary for students of foreign policy to factor in a future of multi-alignment and multipolarity. Mr. Jaishankar said recent global volatility, including the imposition of tariffs by the U.S., had made the case for multi-alignment, more than allying with any one power, much stronger.
• “Imagine if [India were] not today adopting strategic autonomy. Please tell me, which country in the world would you like to join up with and put [India’s] future in their hands,” he asked. “I can’t think of anybody. [India’s] interest is best secured by maximising its options, maintaining [its] freedom of choices,” he said.
• Mr. Jaishankar’s comments came a day after he said that trade negotiations with the U.S. would have to respect India’s “red-lines”.

National interest

• The government has also been facing increased pressure from the U.S. over the issue of Russian oil imports. While Mr. Jaishankar did not refer directly to India’s position, amidst reports that Russian oil imports in September have been considerably reduced, he praised India’s stand during the 1971 war with Pakistan and Liberation of Bangladesh, when India signed a Friendship Treaty with Soviet Union.
• “What we did was in our national interest — we were dealing with a U.S.-China triangle and we had to find a way out of this,” Mr. Jaishankar said, answering questions from students at the event, which was co-hosted by the Ministry of External Affairs, and the newly launched Delhi-based Adani Group-owned think tank Chintan Research Foundation. “So, the decision we took in the midst of an acute national security crisis, was necessary,” he added, addressing the audience, which included a number of diplomats, including the Ambassador of Russia to India Denis Alipov, and Bangladesh High Commissioner Riaz Hamidullah.
• Asked about India’s neighbourhood first policy amid signs of strains with a number of neighbours including Bangladesh, and protest-led regime changes in Sri Lanka and Nepal, Mr. Jaishankar said India has to be prepared to unilaterally “underwrite the infrastructure for cooperation” with countries in the region, and should become the “go-to option” for neighbouring countries when in need.

Managing relations

• “Every country has problematic neighbours, and every big country has more problematic neighbours,” the External Affairs Minister said, stressing that the purpose of India’s policy was not merely to solve problems, but to “manage relationships to national advantage”. Without directly naming Pakistan, he said that barring one country, India has effected “transformational change” in projects with neighbouring countries, in the areas of energy, roads, railway lines, and the movement of people.
• Asked about the “re-hyphenation” of India with Pakistan, post Operation Sindoor, and a reference to recent developments where the U.S., Saudi Arabia, China, Turkiye, and other countries have forged closer ties with Islamabad, Mr. Jaishankar said India “cannot wish away a difficult neighbour”, as that is a “reality”. But he said that other countries no longer draw an equivalence between India and Pakistan.

• Navy commissions its second ASW-class ship INS Androth
• The Indian Navy commissioned INS Androth, the second Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam.
• The first ship to be commissioned in this category was INS Arnala in June. The ceremony was presided over by Vice-Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command. Senior naval officers and representatives of Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers were present.
• The ship has a length of 77m and displaces 1,500 tonnes. It is designed to undertake anti-submarine operations in coastal and shallow waters. The vessel is equipped with advanced machinery and control systems.

• Deliberations continue on proposed nuclear Bill

Context:  Questions on private sector’s role, radioactive waste disposal yet to be settled; Finance Minister said in Feb. that govt. intends to amend Atomic Energy Act, Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act.

• Deliberations within the government continue on bringing in new legislation to allow the private sector to operate nuclear plants in India with questions regarding management of nuclear waste and determining if private players can conduct core research into nuclear technologies still being ironed out.
• Drafts of the proposed new Bill were still being deliberated upon by an intergovernmental committee of experts as well as the Law Ministry though there was a “good chance” of it being introduced in the forthcoming Winter Session of Parliament, an official privy to the proceedings told The Hindu on condition of anonymity.
• Currently, only Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL), Bhartiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Ltd. (BHAVINI), and NPCIL-NTPC joint venture Anushakti Vidhyut Nigam Limited (ASHVINI) can build and operate nuclear power plants in the country.
• In February, however, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in her Budget speech that the government intended to amend two Acts — the Atomic Energy Act and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act — to enable private companies, including foreign companies, to form partnerships, and build and operate nuclear plants in India.
• Despite the India-U.S. nuclear deal of 2008 formally allowing sale of nuclear technologies to India, though with built-in periodic checks and scrutiny by the International Atomic Energy Agency, clauses in India’s Atomic Energy Act and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act (2010) have been impediments since they impose practically unlimited liability on foreign suppliers of nuclear equipment in case of an accident.

Alignment of laws

• “The effort is to align India’s laws on liability with that of conventions such as the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (CSC),” the official noted. “However, we also have to bring clarity on questions such as who will be responsible, whether it is the private sector or the government power plant operators, for safe disposal of nuclear waste as well as the re-processing of spent nuclear fuel. There is also discussion on enabling research and development of core nuclear technologies.”
• The government’s thrust to encourage greater private sector participation is with the larger objective of installing 100 GW of nuclear capacity by 2047. This is premised not only on importing foreign reactors but also developing Bharat Small Reactors (BSRs) and exploring partnerships with the private sector. BSRs are 220 MW Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs). These reactors are being upgraded to reduce land requirements, making them suitable for deployment near industries such as steel, aluminium, and metals units, serving as captive power plants to aid in decarbonisation efforts.
• The plan involves private entities providing land, cooling water, and capital, while the NPCIL handles design, quality assurance, and operation and maintenance. This initiative aligns with India’s commitment to achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel-based energy generation and meeting 50% of requirements from renewable energy by 2030.

• Fisheries sector hopes to beatU.S. curbs with sustainability label

Context:  About 10 Indian marine and saline fish and shrimp varieties are set to get the global Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification soon. The first batch is set to be submitted for the certification in 2026.

• According to experts, the certification is likely to increase the revenue of the fisheries sector by 30% and help fishermen and traders find new markets other than the U.S. in the event of further trade restrictions due to the higher tariffs.
• The certification will also help fishing communities begin ecologically sustainable fishing practices and ensure steady incomes.
• Fisheries Development Commissioner K. Mohammed Koya told The Hindu that the Union Government, under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), would subsidise the certification process, which is done by third-party auditors.
• Mr. Koya said that global affluent markets, such as European and Japanese ones, are looking for sustainably sourced fish.
• “Sustainability is part of our fisheries. Some of our fish varieties may not immediately qualify for sustainable segregations, but many of the varieties are amenable to certification. Once we re-certify the fish, the advantages that we get include access to the best markets. It is a way of certifying the fish so that it gets a better price,” he said.
• Experts said the certification process is in its final stages and they are addressing the technical gaps, including stock assessments for shrimp, squid, cuttlefish and octopus, which are part of the varieties that await MSC certification.
• It is primarily based on the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) Code of Conduct for Responsible Fishing and Guidelines for the Eco-labelling of Fish and Fishery Products from Marine Capture Fisheries.

Advanced stages

• Speaking recently at a technical session jointly hosted by the MSC and the Sustainable Seafood Network India (SSNI) and the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI), MSC’s India head Ranjit Suseelan said the prioritised fisheries are in the advanced stages of assessment, raising expectations of MSC certification in the next year.

• SC to decide on securities transaction tax’s constitutionality

Context: Petition contends that the direct tax on securities transactions violates fundamental rights to equality and to trade or earn a livelihood.

• The Supreme Court of India decided to examine a plea challenging the constitutional validity of the Securities Transaction Tax (STT), a direct tax levied on securities transactions through a listed stock exchange, as imposed under the Finance Act, 2004.
• A Bench headed by Justice J.B. Pardiwala issued formal notice to the Union Government, through the Ministry of Finance, on the petition filed by Aseem Juneja, represented by advocate Siddhartha K. Garg, who contended that the STT violated fundamental rights to equality and to trade or earn a livelihood and the basic right to live with dignity.
• The petition clarified that the challenge to the STT was not because the taxation on the stock market participants had increased or that the taxation was currently high.
• “The current petition is instead questioning the legality of the tax imposed in the form of STT… Firstly, it violates the principle of double taxation as the petitioner (a stock market trader) pays capital gains tax on the profit made in the market and then also has to pay STT, over and above this capital gains tax already paid on the same transaction,” the plea submitted.
• Secondly, Mr. Juneja contended that STT was the only tax in India which was imposed on the “sheer act of carrying out a profession and has to be paid irrespective of whether there is a profit made or not, which makes it almost punitive or deterrent in nature.”
• “Every tax in India is on the profit at the year-end but STT is applicable even if the stock market trader is operating in a loss. STT was introduced in 2004 to combat tax evasion in the stock market. This means that STT to stock market participants is what TDS is to salaried individuals. But the problem is that the TDS is refunded at the end of the year or adjusted with the income tax but no such provision is made for STT and the trader has to pay both,” Mr. Juneja noted.
• SC issues notice on plea for portal on financial holdings

Context: The Supreme Court issued notices to the Union Government and several financial regulators on a public interest litigation petition seeking the creation of an integrated digital platform that would allow citizens to access information about all their financial holdings, whether operational, inactive, or unclaimed, across entities regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI).

• A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta sought responses from the Union of India, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, the RBI, SEBI, IRDAI, the National Savings Institute, the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), and the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).

• Sonowal accords ceremonial welcome to ‘Very Large Gas Carrier’ Shivalik

Context: Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal accorded a ceremonial welcome to the nation’s first Very Large Gas Carrier (VLGC) Shivalik at the Visakhapatnam port, on its maiden call to the nation.

• Shivalik, recently inducted under the Indian flag by the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) Ltd. on September 10, represents a significant leap in India’s maritime and energy logistics capability.
• Mr. Sonowal congratulated the SCI team and lauded the Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA) for facilitating the vessel’s smooth handling during its inaugural LPG consignment operation, at the port’s LPG terminal.

Other projects

• Mr. Sonowal also inaugurated several developmental projects at Visakhapatnam Port Authority at Sagarmala Conventions, Saligrampuram.
• These included the Operation & Maintenance of East Quay (EQ)-1A Terminal, awarded to M/s Green Energy Resources with an investment of ₹130 crore.
• The project includes deployment of two 120-tonne Harbour Mobile Cranes (HMCs) and connected infrastructure for a 5+1 year period, enhancing capacity by 3 MMTPA.
• The initiative is expected to generate around 150 jobs, reduce logistics costs, and strengthen Visakhapatnam Port’s position as a key cargo hub on the East Coast.
• The Minister also inaugurated the Smart Video Surveillance Project, valued at ₹37.53 crore, executed by M/s RailTel Corporation of India Ltd., Hyderabad. The initiative integrates AI/ML-based Video Analytics, IoT technologies, and an Integrated Command Control Centre (ICCC) with five years of O&M support.
• Designed to be implemented within 12 months, the project enhances port security, operational efficiency, and compliance while enabling real-time monitoring, asset tracking, and predictive analytics —making VPA a future-ready ‘smart port.’
• Another major project inaugurated was the Digital Health Card System, implemented by M/s Triunfador Pvt. Ltd., Visakhapatnam, at a cost of ₹1 crore.
• The project, to be completed in three months, enables digital access to health records for employees, pensioners, and dependents through QR/Aadhaar-linked smart health cards. Visakhapatnam MP M. Sribharat accompanied Mr. Sonowal, among others.

• India’s services PMI easesto 60.9 in September

Context: The growth of India’s services sector eased in September from the recent high in August, as new business and activity expanded at slower rates, according to a private monthly survey released.

• The seasonally adjusted HSBC India Services PMI Business Activity Index fell to 60.9 in September, from a 15-year high of 62.9 in August, amid competitive conditions and cost-control measures.
• Notwithstanding the moderation, the September Services PMI index was well above the neutral mark of 50 to signal another substantial upturn in output.

• India ‘firm’ on ‘free and fair’ election in Bangladesh: Misri

Context: Bangladesh should hold the next general election “without delay” and that India is in favour of “free, fair, inclusive and participatory” election in the country, said Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.

• Speaking to a group of visiting journalists from Bangladesh, Mr. Misri described the scheduled February 2026 election in Bangladesh as a “globally” important event and said India will engage with “any government” that is chosen by the people of Bangladesh. He added that the election will have to acquire both “domestic” and “external” legitimacy.
• “I want to be very very clear in this one matter – if there is any doubt in anybody’s mind – that India is firmly in favour of free, fair, inclusive and participatory elections in Bangladesh and it is in favour of these elections being held at the earliest possible,” said Mr. Misri.
• The election in Bangladesh was announced earlier this year, and Chief Adviser of the interim government of Muhammad Yunus reiterated on multiple occasions that the election would be held in February.
• However, there have been questions about how inclusive would the election be as the Awami League, the party that governed Bangladesh between 2009 and 2024 remains banned, with its leader and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina staying in India.
• Bangladesh has been demanding the extradition of Ms. Hasina to face trial in the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) for the killing of protesters in July-August 2024 when Ms. Hasina faced a student-led uprising that overthrew her government.

• Medicine Nobel for scientists who demystified the immune system

Context: The annual Nobel Week — when the world’s most prestigious prizes for scientific achievement are announced — kicked off with three scientists, two Americans and one Japanese, sharing the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for unravelling tantalising aspects of the human immune system.

• Their discovery has helped blaze new paths into treating cancer as well as auto-immune disease — a condition by which the immune system ends up harming healthy cells they are meant to protect.
• Human immune system is a complex of several cells — B cells, T cells, neutrophils and macrophages — that have a role in identifying and eliminating foreign bodies that may bring with it disease. This year’s prize to Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi was for discovering the mechanism and key constituents of the so-called ‘peripheral immune tolerance’.
• The laureates identified the immune system’s security guards, regulatory T cells, which prevent immune cells from attacking our own body.
• “Their discoveries have been decisive for our understanding of how the immune system functions and why we do not all develop serious autoimmune diseases,” Olle Kämpe, chair of the Nobel Committee, said in a statement.
• Shimon Sakaguchi made the first key discovery in 1995. At the time, many researchers were convinced that immune tolerance only developed due to potentially harmful immune cells being eliminated through a process called central tolerance. Mr. Sakaguchi showed that the immune system is more complex and discovered a previously unknown class of immune cells, which protects the body from autoimmune diseases.
• Mary Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell made the other key discovery in 2001, when they presented the explanation for why a specific mouse strain was particularly vulnerable to autoimmune diseases. They had discovered that mice have a mutation in a gene that they named Foxp3. They also showed that mutations in the human equivalent of this gene triggered a serious autoimmune disease, IPEX.
• Two years after this, Mr. Sakaguchi was able to link these discoveries. He proved that the Foxp3 gene governs the development of the cells he identified in 1995. These cells, now known as ‘regulatory T cells’, monitor other immune cells and ensure that our immune system tolerates our own tissues.
• The laureates’ discoveries launched the field of peripheral tolerance, spurring the development of medical treatments for cancer and autoimmune diseases. This may also lead to more successful transplantations. Several of these treatments are now undergoing clinical trials.

• UN to probe human rights violations in Afghanistan

Context: The UN Human Rights Council decided to launch a probe into serious rights violations in Afghanistan, amid growing alarm over the Taliban’s measures targeting women and girls.

• The United Nations’ top rights body decided to set up an investigation to gather and preserve evidence of international crimes. A draft resolution brought forward by the European Union was adopted without a vote in Geneva.
• “Four years since the Taliban takeover by force, the human rights situation has only deteriorated amid a deepening humanitarian crisis,” said Denmark’s ambassador Ib Petersen, introducing the resolution on behalf of the EU. The scope of the probe notably includes violations and abuses against women and girls.
• The resolution “deplores the Taliban’s institutionalisation of its system of discrimination, segregation, domination, disrespect for human dignity and exclusion of women and girls”.
• Council member China disassociated itself from the consensus, saying the resolution “fails to acknowledge the positive progress achieved” in Afghanistan.

Current Affairs: 6th October 2025

• Tiger deaths trigger demand to reject mini-hydel proposals in M.M. Hills, ESZ of Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary

Context: Consequent to a spate of tiger deaths in the M.M. Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, the State government has been petitioned to reject forest diversion proposals that will pave the way for mini-hydel projects along the river Cauvery in the M.M. Hills Wildlife Division and the Eco-Sensitive Zone of the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.

• Wildlife conservationist Giridhar Kulkarni has red-flagged the issue on grounds that the proposed projects for which forestland diversion has been sought would further fragment the habitat which was already witnessing an increase in conflict situations, and drew attention to the recent poisoning of six tigers in M.M. Hills Wildlife Sanctuary during the last four months.
• Mr. Kulkarni has written a letter to Eshwar B. Khandre, Minister for Forest, Ecology, and Environment, and stated that the three proposals involve the Ranganathaswamy Mini Hydel Project by Pioneer Power Corporation, the Barachukki 2×2.5 MW Mini Hydel Project by Madhyaranga Energy Pvt. Ltd., and a 24.5 MW Hydroelectric Project by Balaji Cauvery Power Pvt. Ltd. — all of which are located near Shivanasamudra and Sathegala in Kollegal taluk.
• Mr. Kulkarni cited the death of five tigers in June 2025 in the Hoogyam range of M.M. Hills Wildlife Sanctuary and another tiger death reported on October 3, all of which were allegedly poisoned, and said that these incidents could be attributed to shrinking habitats and disruption in the predator-prey dynamics.
• He cautioned that the proposed project involving tree felling, blasting, tunnelling, and construction near the river would obstruct wildlife movement and escalate conflict in the adjoining villages.

Ecological importance

• Underlining the ecological importance of the Cauvery-M.M. Hills landscape, Mr. Kulkarni said that the Cauvery riverine belt and the adjoining forests form a vital elephant habitat which is recognised by the Karnataka Elephant Task Force, 2012. The petitioner pointed out that the mini hydel projects create physical barriers for elephant and wildlife movement leading to disruption of migration and ranging patterns, increased crop depredation in nearby villages, and an escalation of conflict situations resulting in retaliatory killing of wild animals.
• Mr. Kulkarni said that the significance of the M.M. Hills-Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) as a connectivity zone linking CWS, M.M. Hills and the BRT Tiger Reserve are well documented.
• He pointed out that an earlier expert committee, which had suggested that one of these projects may be permitted with “minimum intervention and safeguards”, was misleading and no longer relevant. This was because tiger mortality due to conflict has drastically increased in recent years and human-elephant conflicts across Chamarajanagar and Kollegal have intensified.
• Mr. Kulkarni said that these projects, if approved, would fragment crucial habitats of tigers and elephants, and exacerbate human–wildlife conflict. The petition, he said, underscores the serious ecological consequences of these projects and added that the consequent habitat fragmentation could lead to further tragic incidents.

• Telangana tops States in UPI transaction intensity: RBI paper

Context: Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi and Maharashtra also recorded high UPI usage intensity.

• The usage intensity of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions — measured in per capita volume terms — is highest in Telangana among all the States, according to a recent paper published in the Reserve Bank of India’s bulletin. The study used PhonePe transaction data as a proxy to assess UPI intensity. Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi and Maharashtra also recorded high UPI usage intensity.

• The rise of UPI is likely a major factor driving the decline in cash demand in the economy, the paper notes. This shift is evident in the steady fall in ATM cash withdrawals as a percentage of GDP (Chart 1). The growing use of UPI for low-value, everyday transactions is reflected in the rising share of peer-to-merchant (P2M) payments, while the average value of a single UPI transaction — or the ‘ticket size’ — has been declining over time (Chart 2). The bulk of peer-to-merchant (P2M) transactions by volume fall within the sub-₹500 value range (Chart 3).
• The RBI paper used data from PhonePe — a payment service that accounts for 58% of total UPI transaction volume (Chart 4) and 53% of the total transaction value (Chart 5). As noted earlier, UPI usage intensity is highest in several southern and western States, and in Delhi. The paper attributes this to the presence of urban centres, economic hubs, and high levels of employment-driven migration in these regions.
• Cash withdrawal intensity remains higher in many northeastern States, as well as in Kerala and Goa. Delhi features on this list too.
• According to the paper, this could be due to factors such as tourism and service-led cash usage, remittance inflows, the continued cash dependence of rural areas, and limited digital infrastructure.

• British and Indian warships begin four-day maritime exercise Konkan in Indian Ocean

Context: The United Kingdom’s Carrier Strike Group (CSG), led by the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, commenced Exercise Konkan with the Indian Navy in the Western Indian Ocean.

• The four-day maritime drill aims to enhance combined maritime and air capabilities between the two navies. First held in 2004, Exercise.

• Konkan has traditionally been a biennial engagement. This edition, however, marks the first-ever exercise involving the CSG of both nations — the U.K.’s HMS Prince of Wales and India’s INS Vikrant.
• The U.K. CSG, currently on an eight-month global deployment dubbed Operation Highmast, has linked up with the Indian Navy’s carrier task force for complex multi-domain operations, including anti-submarine warfare, cross-deck flying operations, and air defence drills.
• Following the exercise, the British warships will make port calls in Mumbai and Goa, highlighting deepening defence ties while showcasing British trade and industry and the strong “living bridge” of people and culture between the U.K. and India.
• British High Commissioner to India Lindy Cameron said, “The U.K. and India believe in an Indo-Pacific that is free and open. We share an ambition for a modern defence and security partnership, a fundamental pillar of U.K.-India Vision 2035, agreed by our Prime Ministers this year. The engagements between the CSG of our two navies demonstrate our commitment to maintaining the rules-based international order in the region and lay the groundwork for future cooperation.”
• Commodore James Blackmore, Commander of the U.K. CSG, added that the partnership reinforces shared commitments to security and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

Aerial defence exercise

• Upon completion of the port visits, the U.K. CSG will conduct an aerial defence exercise with the Indian Air Force, allowing both forces to test tactics and strengthen interoperability.
• Operation Highmast is a multinational deployment led by the U.K. CSG, providing an opportunity for the U.K.’s Armed Forces to conduct a major global deployment and exercise complex operations alongside allies in the region, with 12 other nations supporting the deployment with ships or personnel.
• Indian Navy to commission INS Androth on October 6

Context: The Indian Navy is set to commission INS Androth, the second Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam.

• The ceremony will be presided over by Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command.
• Built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, INS Androth signifies a key step in India’s pursuit of maritime self-reliance. The commissioning of Androth follows the recent induction of warships such as Arnala, Nistar, Udaygiri, and Nilgiri, showing the Navy’s balanced modernisation across platforms.

• Drug makers must comply with revised norms: govt.

Context: Schedule M mandates enhanced quality systems; Centre warns licences of non-compliant units will be cancelled; move follows deaths of children in M.P., Rajasthan due to a ‘toxic’ cough syrup.

• The Union Health Ministry has sought strict compliance by drug manufacturers with the revised Schedule M norms for pharmaceutical products in India. Licences of non-compliant units would be cancelled, it has warned.
• The direction comes after an emergency meeting with officials of the States and Union Territories on Sunday evening, following a report by the Tamil Nadu Drugs Control Department, which found above permissible levels of diethylene glycol (DEG) in samples of Coldrif, a cough syrup brand.
• The revised Schedule M is an updated set of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and regulations for pharmaceutical products in India, a part of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
• It mandates enhanced quality systems, including the Pharmaceutical Quality System and Quality Risk Management, with a compliance deadline of December 31, 2025. The revisions align Indian standards with international GMP guidelines, emphasising product quality and safety, and require new infrastructure, including computerised storage systems and equipment validation.

Children’s death

• Testing of cough syrup brands was initiated following the death of more than 10 children in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
• Preliminary findings in the past week have ruled out common infectious diseases, except for one positive case of leptospirosis. Nineteen medicine samples consumed by the children were collected from private medical practitioners and nearby retail stores. The chemical analysis so far indicates that out of the 10 samples analysed till date, nine met quality standards.
• However, one of them, namely, the cough syrup Coldrif, contained DEG beyond the permissible limit.
• Subsequently, regulatory action has been taken by the Tamil Nadu Food and Drugs Administration against the unit, which is located in Kancheepuram. Cancellation of the manufacturing licence has been recommended by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation based on findings upon inspection. Criminal proceedings have also been initiated, the Ministry.
• Tamil Nadu’s Drugs Control Department issued an immediate stop production order to the manufacturer of the Coldrif cough syrup following an analysis by a government drug testing laboratory, which found a batch to be “not of standard quality” and “adulterated with diethylene glycol”.
• “The report from the Madhya Pradesh drug regulatory authority is still awaited,’’ a senior Health Ministry official said.
• Speaking on the outcomes of Sunday’s emergency meeting called by the Union Health Ministry, sources in the Ministry said that maintaining quality and rational use of cough syrup had been reiterated.

• Why is ADR crucial for India’s courts?

Context: The Minister of Law and Justice recently reaffirmed the government’s commitment to legal reforms rooted in India’s civilisational ethos.

• Citing the doctrine of Panch Parmeshwar, which embodies the principle of collective consensus in dispute resolution, Arjun Ram Meghwal emphasised the need for global cooperation to strengthen Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms.
• The India Justice Report 2025 highlights significant challenges in India’s justice system, particularly including access, delays, and accountability. According to the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG), the total number of pending cases in India is 4,57,96,239. In the Supreme Court, the number of pending cases is 81,768, and in the High Courts, it is approximately 62.9 lakh. These delays often result in injustice, increasing the focus on ADR as a faster, cost-effective, and socially inclusive way to deliver justice.

What is the constitutional basis of ADR?

• The constitutional basis of ADR in India is enshrined in Article 39A, which mandates the state to provide equal justice and free legal aid.
• Various ADR processes, such as arbitration, conciliation, mediation, and judicial settlement (Lok Adalat), are recognised under Section 89 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908.
• To regulate processes, these have been incorporated into law. For example, under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996 (amended in 2021), civil and compoundable offences like theft, criminal trespass, and adultery are resolved through a binding award or resolution, respectively. The Arbitration Act, 2021, also mentions the establishment of an Indian Arbitration Council, giving legal backing to arbitration agreements.
• The law fixes a maximum period of 180 days for dispute resolution, ensuring faster justice.
• On many occasions, even after such a solution, if a party is dissatisfied, they can exit the process after two sessions of mediation. Pre-litigation mediation for resolving civil and commercial disputes will not increase the number of pending cases; it will also strengthen interpersonal relationships by increasing interaction at the social level.

How do Lok Adalats function?

• Lok Adalats are governed by the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, inspired by Article 39A. Apart from Permanent Lok Adalat (Section 22-B of the Act), provisions of the National Lok Adalat and e-Lok Adalat are directly helpful in strengthening the justice system, provided awareness about such a system is made effective and widespread.
• The first Lok Adalat in India was organised in Gujarat in 1999. The biggest feature of Lok Adalats is that their decisions shall be final and there is no possibility of appeal. This does not mean that the powers of these courts are absolute.
• The reason for no appeal is that these courts resolve disputes before litigation. In order to prevent any possible absoluteness, it is provided that the dissatisfied party can file a suit in a court.

Why is strengthening ADR crucial?

• According to former Chief Justice of India Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, mediation is a tool for social change, where social norms are brought in line with constitutional values through the exchange of views and flow of information. Solutions arrived at through invaluable discussions during mediation ensure true justice for individuals and groups on their terms, in a language they understand, and provide a platform that protects their sentiments.
• The India Justice Report also highlights inter-State disparities in terms of the backlog of cases. The report says that pending cases have exceeded five crore, and High Courts and district courts are facing vacancy rates of 33% and 21% respectively. Judges in Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala have workloads exceeding 4,000 cases.
• A substantial number of cases in High Courts and subordinate courts have been pending for over 10 years. The NJDG provides real-time data on case pendency and disposal, offering a comprehensive view of the judicial system’s performance across States and courts.
• The India Justice Report ranks States based on their performance on various aspects of the justice system, including case pendency, with other factors like court infrastructure and judge availability.
• States like Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar have a considerable number of pending cases. This urgently demands rapid disposal and necessitates the strengthening of the ADR for effective per capita justice delivery.

Current Affairs: 5th October 2025

M.P. and Kerala ban cough syrup brand; Centre starts inspection of pharma units
The Union Health Ministry has initiated a risk-based inspection at the manufacturing units of 19 drugs sampled across six States after the Tamil Nadu Drugs Control Department found diethylene glycol (DEG) above permissible limits in samples of the Coldrif brand of cough syrup, Ministry officials said on Saturday.

An investigation is on into the deaths of at least 10 children linked to the consumption of cough syrups in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. “This move will help find out the gaps leading to quality failure of drug samples and suggest process improvement to avoid such incidents in future,” the Ministry said in a statement.

In an order on Saturday, the Madhya Pradesh government prohibited the sale and distribution of Coldrif in the State.

Sale banned

The State’s Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) banned the sale of Coldrif and all other products from its manufacturer — Sresan Pharmaceuticals based in Kancheepuram district in Tamil Nadu. The decision comes a day after the Tamil Nadu Drugs Control Department ordered the manufacturer to stop its production after an analysis found a batch to be “not of standard quality” and “adulterated with diethylene glycol”.

The Kerala government has also ordered a ban on the distribution and sale of Coldrif.

However, the Union Health Ministry had on Friday ruled out that the syrup samples contained DEG or ethylene glycol (EG).

The Ministry said that six samples were collected by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and testing found that all six were found to be free of DEG and EG. Simultaneously, the Madhya Pradesh FDA had said that out of 13 samples collected by their team, three were analysed and found to be free of DEG/EG.

Additionally, the multidisciplinary team comprising of experts from the National Institute of Virology, the Indian Council of Medical Research, the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, the CDSCO and the All India Institute Of Medical Sciences, Nagpur, are still analysing the various samples and studying the cause of deaths in and around Chhindwara in M.P..

The order by the M.P. government, issued by Dinesh Kumar Maurya, Food and Drugs Administration Controller, cited the test report from T.N. and said the samples were found to contain 48.6% of DEG, “which is a poisonous substance that may render contents injurious to health”. The order asked officials to seize batches of the syrup available in the market and send samples for testing.

DEG and EG are industrial solvents used in antifreeze, paints, brake fluids, and plastics. Sometimes, they contaminate pharmaceutical ingredients such as glycerine, often due to poor oversight or suppliers using cheaper industrial-grade material.

Takaichi set to be Japan’s first woman PM
Conservative Sanae Takaichi hailed a “new era” on Saturday after becoming head of Japan’s ruling party, putting her on course to become the country’s first woman Prime Minister.

The 64-year-old from the Liberal Democratic Party will almost certainly be approved by parliament later this month as Japan’s fifth Prime Minister.

Conservative Sanae Takaichi hailed a “new era” on Saturday after becoming head of Japan’s ruling party, putting her on course to become the country’s first woman Prime Minister.

The 64-year-old, whose hero is Margaret Thatcher, said that a “mountain of work” lay ahead to restore the fortunes of her ailing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

The LDP has governed Japan almost uninterrupted for decades but it has been haemorrhaging support as backing grows for smaller parties, including the anti-immigration Sanseito.

Ms. Takaichi will almost certainly be approved by Parliament later this month as Japan’s fifth Prime Minister in as many years. She is set to face a host of complex issues including an ageing population, geopolitical upheaval, a faltering economy and growing unease about immigration.

“Together with so many of you, we have carved a new era for the LDP,” Ms. Takaichi said at LDP headquarters after winning a run-off vote against the telegenic and more socially progressive Shinjiro Koizumi.

“We must all pull together across all generations and work as one to rebuild [the LDP]… Everyone will have to work like a horse,” she said to applause.

Ms. Koizumi, 44, would have been Japan’s youngest Prime Minister in the modern era and represented a generational change for the LDP.

One of Ms. Takaichi’s first official duties as premier will be receiving U.S. President Donald Trump, who is reportedly set to make a stopover in Japan in late October.

Ms. Takaichi said on Saturday that she had no plans to overturn Tokyo’s recent trade deal — over which questions remain X— with Washington.

Ms. Takaichi has been a strident critic of China’s military build-up, and as a regular visitor to the Yasukuni war shrine, her appointment may irk Beijing as well as Seoul.

Beijing’s Foreign Ministry reacted to her win by saying “it is hoped that Japan will abide by… its political commitments on major issues such as history and Taiwan, (and) pursue a positive and rational policy toward China”.

Outgoing premier Shigeru Ishiba took the reins last year but his LDP-led coalition lost its majority in both Houses of Parliament, in part because of voter anger at inflation and an LDP slush fund scandal.

Vision group formed for developing‘C’ category temples
The Hindu Bureau BENGALURU
The Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Department has set up a vision group for making recommendations for developing infrastructure at 34,165 ‘C’ category historical and ancient temples in the State.

The seven-member group consists members from diverse backgrounds, including K.E. Radhakrishna (educationist), K.C. Ramamurthy (former MP), and Shankuntala Shetty (former MLA).

The Budget for 2024-25 announced the constitution of the vision group to provide basic facilities to ‘C’ category historical temples without any income.

Minister for Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Department Ramalinga Reddy said the vision group would suggest to the department type of infrastructure required at temples which are in a dilapidated condition.

The group will also suggest ways to collect funds from donors for the renovation of temples, preparing a plan for renovation, mobilising funds under the CSR from various companies, and establishing coordination among various departments.

Modi lauds Trump leadership in Gaza, Hamas response on truce
PM’s welcome of U.S. proposal is part of efforts to improve India-U.S. ties, say experts; the 20-point proposal wants Hamas to release hostages, return remains of those who died in captivity, while Israel will call ceasefire, release about 2,000 Palestinians
Praising U.S. President Donald Trump for his “leadership”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday welcomed signs that the U.S.’s Gaza peace proposal may make headway on hostage release.

The Prime Minister was reacting to a statement by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, shared by Mr. Trump, that said it was willing to discuss the release of all remaining hostages held since October 2023. Mr. Modi’s statement came a few hours after Mr. Trump released a video thanking Arab and Islamic countries who had helped mediate the discussions and called upon Israel to “stop the bombing of Gaza”.

“We welcome President Trump’s leadership as peace efforts in Gaza make decisive progress. Indications of the release of hostages mark a significant step forward,” Mr. Modi posted on Saturday morning, adding that India would continue to “strongly support all efforts towards a durable and just peace”, while tagging Mr. Trump’s social media accounts.

This is Mr. Modi’s second statement on the U.S. proposal. On September 30, he had also welcomed the announcement of Mr. Trump’s “Comprehensive Plan to end the Gaza Conflict”, calling it a “viable pathway to long-term and sustainable peace, security and development for the Palestinian and Israeli people, as also for the larger West Asian region”.

He had also issued the statement over social media in all official UN languages — Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish, as well as Hebrew, in a move aimed at maximising its reach.

The Ministry of External Affairs declined to comment on whether India had been taken into confidence over the U.S.’s proposal or has discussed taking part in the Gaza reconstruction project thus far.

On Friday, the MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal responded to specific questions on the issues by referring to Mr. Modi’s posts.

“We would, like other stakeholders, [want] all concerned to come together and strengthen this effort, so that the conflict comes to an end and there is enduring peace in place,” Mr. Jaiswal said.

Experts said that Mr. Modi’s vigorous welcome of the proposal, and praise of Mr. Trump have as much to do with Gaza as they are an effort to improve India-U.S. relations that have been under a strain for months over a number of issues, including tariffs and the trade agreement.

Mr. Trump was also visibly upset when the Modi government countered his claims on mediating an end to the India-Pakistan conflict in May, and unlike Pakistan, has not nominated the U.S. President for a Nobel peace prize, as Mr. Trump has repeatedly said he deserves the honour for ending a number of global conflicts.

New Delhi has also watched with unease the growing role of Pakistan in the West Asian arena, including the Saudi-Pakistan defence pact announced last month, and Mr. Trump’s inclusion of Pakistan along with Indonesia, Turkiye, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and other countries that he consulted with on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, before announcing his peace proposal.

Indian companies could also be invited to take part in the reconstruction process, Israel’s Ambassador to India Reuven Azar has suggested, and New Delhi would not want to seem remiss in praising the U.S. effort, the experts, who did not want to be named, said.

The U.S.’s 20-point proposal, released along with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stipulates that Hamas would release all hostages and return the remains of those who died in captivity, while Israel will call a ceasefire and release about 2,000 Palestinians, including women and children, detained since October 2023.

It then goes on to propose the transfer of power from Hamas to a transitional government made up of Palestinian technocrats, and International Stabilisation Force (ISF) to take over security in Gaza, and a “Board of Peace” headed by Mr. Trump to oversee the reconstruction.

While the Hamas statement issued on Friday said it was prepared to begin talks for the process of hostage release, and it would hand over power to a Palestinian transitional government, it has not responded to the other proposals so far.

UIDAI waives charges for biometric updates of children
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has waived all charges for the mandatory biometric updates of children aged seven to 15, a move that is expected to benefit about six crore minors. The waiver is already in effect from October 1 and will be in force for a period of one year. “The first and second MBUs [Mandatory Biometric Update], if performed between 5-7 and 15-17 years of age, respectively, are thus free of cost. Thereafter, a prescribed fee of ₹125 per MBU is charged. With this decision, MBU is now effectively free for all children in the age group of 5-17,” said a release from the Press Information Bureau.

The case to rethink India’s influenza vaccination strategy
In India, the burden of influenza is substantial but often underestimated; current vaccines provide only short-lived protection; experts suggest a biannual vaccination schedule and government-backed policy could reduce cases
For most of us, influenza, or “the flu”, is dismissed as a seasonal nuisance that causes fever, cough, and body aches for a week or so before disappearing. Influenza is far from harmless, however. Worldwide, it’s a major cause of respiratory illness, hospitalisation, and deaths, especially among children, older adults, and people with underlying medical conditions.

In India, the burden of influenza is substantial but often underestimated. While the government tracks seasonal influenza through its national surveillance system, official focus remains largely on the H1N1 strain, a.k.a. “swine flu”. Yet recently, the winter months of 2024-2025 saw an unexpectedly severe outbreak of influenza B, a strain that usually causes milder illness in children. And as the post-monsoon season unfolded, the H3N2 strain drove a fresh surge.

Two vaccines’ quirks

Recent surveillance data show India’s influenza outbreaks have two distinct peaks: during the winter months (January-March) and in the post-monsoon period (July-September). This pattern, together with the short-lived protection provided by existing influenza vaccines, forces us to consider whether our current approach to flu vaccination is sufficiently protective. The influenza virus constantly undergoes genetic changes known as antigenic drift. They allow it to escape the body’s immune defenses as well as force vaccines to be updated regularly. Unlike measles or polio vaccines, which provide long-lasting immunity, flu vaccines only offer moderate protection and are reformulated every year. Around the world, multiple strains of flu, such as H1N1, H3N2, and influenza B, circulate simultaneously, and matching vaccine strains with circulating viruses is quite challenging.

The two main types of vaccines available in India are inactivated influenza vaccines, administered by injection, and live attenuated vaccines, given as a nasal spray. Both types can reduce the risk of influenza but their effectiveness varies greatly depending on the strain and the vaccinee’s age. The protection is typically strongest against H1N1, moderate against influenza B, and weakest against H3N2.

A major concern with these vaccines is their limited duration of protection. Antibody levels increase after vaccination, peak within a few weeks, and gradually decline. Several studies have shown that vaccine effectiveness drops significantly within three to six months, with some evidence suggesting protection may almost completely fade within only 90 days. For countries with a single influenza season, this decline is less of an issue because one well-timed annual dose can adequately protect people during the peak period. In India, however, where the virus strikes twice a year, the short-lived immunity leaves large segments of the population vulnerable during the second peak.

Thus, an annual influenza vaccine doesn’t fit India’s reality. A shot before the monsoon may protect against outbreaks in July-September, but by the time the winter wave arrives in January, much of that immunity has waned. Similarly, a shot before winter might shield people until March but won’t hold up through the next monsoon season. So whichever dose is chosen, half of the year’s influenza burden remains unaddressed.

Less than 5%

The logical alternative is to introduce a biannual influenza vaccination schedule for India. Under this system, people would receive one dose in May or June, just before the onset of the monsoon, and another dose in November or December, ahead of the winter wave. This approach could ensure more consistent protection across both peaks, dramatically reducing the number of influenza cases, hospitalisations, and deaths.

While the idea of two flu shots a year may seem demanding, the health benefits could be significant, particularly for children, who account for the largest share of influenza-related hospitalisations and deaths in India.

Despite flu vaccines having been available for over a decade now, less than 5% of Indians receive them. This lack of acceptance stems partly from a perception that influenza is a minor illness, partly from limited public awareness, and partly from an absence of government policy support. Currently, influenza vaccines aren’t part of the Universal Immunisation Program (UIP). They are instead left to the private market and are often seen as optional. For a disease that causes lakhs of severe cases every year, this indifference is surprising and costly.

Biannual vaccination, if backed by government policy, could be a turning point. By including it in the UIP, India could leverage its strong domestic vaccine production capacity to make vaccines more affordable and accessible. Coupled with public awareness campaigns, such a move could raise coverage and normalise influenza vaccination in the public mind.

Vipin M. Vashishtha is director and paediatrician, Mangla Hospital and Research Center, Bijnor. Puneet Kumar is a clinician, Kumar Child Clinic, New Delhi.

How is India responding to crowding disasters?

Why did things get out of hand at actor Vijay’s political rally in Tamil Nadu? What are the crowd control protocols in place? Are these measures statutory? Where have the most enforceable initiatives emerged? Should responsibility of managing crowds be fixed on organisers?
On September 27, a political rally by actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) founder Vijay in Tamil Nadu’s Karur district ended in a fatal crowd crush in which 41 people were killed. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin appointed a one-person commission headed by retired judge Aruna Jagadeesan to examine the tragedy’s causes. He said rules for public events would be framed once the commission submitted its report.

What happened in Karur?

The event was part of Mr. Vijay’s first State-wide political tour. TVK organisers initially presented a list of four central business locations in Karur for the rally, but the police rejected them as they were too congested and instead granted permission for Velusamypuram on the Karur-Erode road, where other political parties had previously held events. The organisers said Mr. Vijay would speak at 12 p.m., and supporters began assembling from 9 a.m. He was delayed however, and as the day wore on, the crowd grew steadily, with several thousands gathering in the evening. By the time Mr. Vijay reached Karur from Namakkal around 6 p.m., his convoy could not access the meeting spot because of the crowd. The congestion worsened when the gathering was forced to make way for his vehicles. Witnesses described having no space to move. Residents also recalled younger people climbing poles and transformers to get a glimpse of the actor while others said the event’s timing coincided with evening wage disbursals for textile workers, adding to congestion in the area.

As the programme began around 7.20 p.m., people started fainting in the crowd. When the situation deteriorated further, Mr. Vijay departed from the spot and ambulances began to arrive soon after, taking injured people to government hospitals in Karur, Namakkal, and Tiruchi. By nightfall, dozens were reported dead and scores injured. Many of the 41 people who died were young adults aged 18-30.

What has India done to manage crowds?

At the national level, the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) published its most recent Comprehensive Guidelines on Crowd Control and Mass Gathering Management in June 2025. These guidelines, intended for police and other law enforcement agencies, emphasise scientific crowd management practices. The National Disaster Management Authority has maintained its “Managing crowd at events and venues of mass gathering” guide since 2020 alongside “suggestive frameworks” for crowd management plans. These documents recommend advance risk assessment, detailed site layout plans, predetermined ingress and egress routes, real-time monitoring, and communication protocols. The National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) has run training modules to handle large congregations as part of its capacity-building programmes.

After the crowd crush at a New Delhi railway station in February, the Indian Railways updated its manuals for around 60 stations with high footfall by introducing holding areas, better dispersal zones and crowd monitoring, among others. These measures are mostly advisory, however, and not statutory.

What measures have States introduced?

Following a deadly stampede outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru in June 2025, the Karnataka government tabled the Crowd Control (Managing Crowd at Events and Venues of Mass Gathering) Bill, 2025. This instrument covers political rallies, conferences, cultural programmes, and other events, and fixes responsibility on organisers. It also empowers district magistrates to cancel or redirect events, regulate the use of loudspeakers, and impose fines and imprisonment for violations.

The Uttar Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority issued the Guidelines for Managing Crowd at Events of Mass Gathering, 2023 — a document that formalises measures for religious and cultural events. The Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management prepared training materials that include technical instructions on calculating site capacity, planning exits, training volunteers, and ensuring first aid and fire safety. After a stampede at the Mansa Devi temple in Haridwar in July, the Uttarakhand government ordered safety arrangements at major temples to be updated and directed authorities to remove encroachments around shrines.

The Maharashtra government introduced a Bill in 2025 empowering the Nasik-Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority to authorise temporary townships and bypass certain urban planning norms so that facilities can be created for large gatherings.

Local enforcement agencies have supplemented these steps with operating protocols. After the Bengaluru incident, for instance, the Karnataka police circulated a new Standard Operating Procedure to control crowds at public functions and detailed responsibilities for coordination between departments, medical preparedness, and fire safety.

In many districts across States, the police have also directed organisers of large religious or political gatherings to prepare crowd management plans, limit crowd size, deploy medical teams, set up temporary barricades, and divert routes. These orders are still only administrative and aren’t backed by a law. Most State-level initiatives have also been introduced after specific accidents: the Uttarakhand directives followed the Haridwar stampede; Tamil Nadu’s announcement after the Karur rally deaths; Karnataka’s Bill after the stadium incident; and Maharashtra’s Bill after incidents related to the Prayagraj Kumbh Mela.

What is scientific crowd control?

According to prevailing scientific wisdom, safely navigating a crowd depends on controlling its density and sidestepping hazardous flow patterns. Modelling studies have shown that the risk of a deadly crush escalates when crowd density approaches 5 persons per sq. m. Since cameras on drones linked to computers on the ground can continuously monitor crowd density, not using such technologies to manage crowds is seen as a shortcoming.

Second, crowds should never be channelled into bottlenecks, slopes or counter-flows because they magnify pressure and destabilise movement. In a moving crowd, individuals are advised to move diagonally, towards the less dense edges, and to avoid resisting the flow. Because compressive asphyxia rather than trampling is the main cause of fatalities, individuals should keep their forearms across the chest to protect their breathing space and maintain balance with staggered footing. If one is knocked down, rolling to the side and shielding the head and neck while attempting to rise quickly is recommended.

Finally, people should avoid rigid barriers such as fences, walls or stages where pressures against the body can rise dangerously. Stopping to retrieve dropped items or to film in dense flows must be avoided since even brief obstructions can create waves of turbulence.

Current Affairs: 4th October 2025

• Nations must prepare to deal with stablecoins: FM

Context: Innovations in cryptocurrency are transforming landscape of money and capital flows, and they may force nations to adapt to new monetary architectures or risk exclusion, says Sitharaman.

• Hinting at a possible shift in India’s cryptocurrency policy, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said countries would have to “prepare to engage” with stablecoins whether they welcome the change or not.
• “Innovations like stablecoins are transforming the landscape of money and capital flows,” Ms. Sitharaman said in her inaugural address at the Kautilya Economic Conclave here.
• “These shifts may force nations to make binary choices: adapt to new monetary architectures or risk exclusion,” she said.
• “Such developments underscore the scale of the transformation under way. They also remind us that no nation can insulate itself from systemic change. Whether we welcome these shifts or not, we must prepare to engage with them.”
• Stablecoins are a type of cryptocurrency that attempt to maintain stable prices as they are pegged to an underlying asset, such as a basket of currencies or precious metals.
• The remarks come at a time when the Finance Ministry and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) have both voiced their reservations about private cryptocurrencies, also referred to as virtual digital assets. India has not legalised these products in terms of regulation, but it does tax transactions that involve them.
• The RBI, on the other hand, has lobbied hard to ban virtual digital assets outright, while simultaneously launching pilot projects of its own Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC).

Legal backing

• CBDCs are cryptocurrencies issued by central banks and have the same legal backing as official currency.
• The Finance Minister said India’s capacity to absorb external shocks was strong and that its economic leverage was evolving. “Wars and strategic rivalries are redrawing the boundaries of cooperation and conflict,” Ms. Sitharaman said.
• “Alliances that once appeared solid are being tested, and new coalitions are emerging. For India, these dynamics highlight both vulnerability and resilience.”
• However, despite this reliance, she also cautioned that there was no time for complacency. “Just as eternal vigilance is the price of liberty, eternal performance is the price of strategic independence,” she said.
• “There is no room for complacency or self-congratulation beyond a quiet confidence in our abilities to take the right decisions and execute them,” the Finance Minister added.

• NK region gets surplus rainwhile it was deficient in south

Context: The south-west monsoon, which spans from June 1 to September 30, has withdrawn, leaving deficient rain in the south and surplus in north, presenting a picture of contrast. It averaged out as ‘’normal’’ overall in Karnataka.

• Mysuru and Chamarajanagar are the only two of the 31 districts in the State to record deficient rain during the season, while in the rest of Karnataka, the rains were higher than the seasonal average.
• Reflective of the uneven spatial distribution of rains, several districts of North Karnataka, which were on the deficient side till the first week of September, ended the season with excess, according to Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC).
• Mysuru received 324 mm of rainfall from June 1 to September 30, which was 23% below seasonal average for the district. Similarly, Chamarajanagar district received 211 mm of rainfall, which is 34% below normal. Even Kodagu, which is the catchment area for the river Cauvery, received 2,176 mm of rainfall this year which is 1% below the long period average.
• However, any rainfall which is up to 19% above long period average and 19% below long period average is categorised as normal and, hence, Kodagu is under green or normal category.

Copious rains

• In sharp contrast, several districts in North Karnataka received copious rains, resulting in swollen rivers and extensive flooding.
• The downpour in districts such as Vijayapura, Kalaburagi Bidar, Yadgir, etc., was higher than normal over the four-month monsoon period.
• But both Vijayapura and Kalaburagi districts received heavy rains in September, and not only was the shortfall of the earlier weeks bridged, but these districts were categorised under “large excess” category, the only two in the State.
• While Vijayapura received 239 mm of rain in September, it was 61% higher than long period average. Kalaburagi received 285 mm and it was 63% higher than the long-term average for the month, according to KSNDMC.
• Only two districts, Mysuru and Chamarajanagar, were under deficient category, as per KSNDMC while 23 districts were under ‘’normal’’, and 6 districts under ‘’excess’’ category.

• Shakti scheme gets world recognition

Context: Shakti scheme, the flagship women-empowerment initiative of the State government, has achieved another global milestone by entering the International Book of Records – World Record of Excellence. Over 500 crore free tickets have been issued since the launch of the scheme, which offers free bus travel for women.

• This recognition comes close on the heels of the scheme being listed in the Golden Book of World Records. Launched on June 11, 2023, as the first of the Congress government’s five guarantees, the Shakti scheme allows women, including transgender persons and students, to travel free of cost on non-premium State-run buses.
• Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy expressed gratitude to the officers, employees, and labour union leaders of the four State Road Transport Corporations for their role in this achievement. He said, “The scheme has empowered women not just economically but also socially and professionally, providing them greater mobility and opportunities.”
• Mr. Reddy noted that the successful implementation of the initiative across the State highlights its wide impact. “It is a matter of pride that the scheme has now another world record to its credit. I extend my congratulations to all women passengers,” he said.

• Doddahatti Bore Gowda is best film; Rakshit Shetty, Archana Jois are best actor and actress

Context: The Karnataka government has announced the State Film Awards for 2021, with Doddahatti Bore Gowda winning the best film and Rakshit Shetty taking home the best actor award for his performance in Charlie 777. KGF-fame Archana Jois was named best actress for her role in Mute.

• Produced by Rajarajeshwari Combines and directed by Raghukesh M., Doddahatti Bore Gowda was chosen for the top honour by a jury headed by senior journalist Sadashiva Shenoy.
• Charlie 777, produced by Paramvah Studios and directed by Kiranraj K., has been declared second best film, while Bisilu Kudure, directed by Hridaya Shiva, won the third best film award. The award for best social concern film went to Bharatada Prajegalaada Naavu, directed and produced by Krishnamurthy Chamaram.
• Puneeth Rajkumar’s Yuvarathna has been adjudged best popular entertaining film. Pramod won the best supporting actor for Ratnan Prapancha, while Umashree was named best supporting actress for the same film.
• Ravi Santhehaklu received the award for best art direction for Bhajarangi 2 and Nagarjuna Sharma has been honoured as best lyricist for his song in Charlie 777. The best playback singer (Male) award went to Aneesh Keshav Rao for Sri Jagannatha Dasaru, while Sahana M. Bharadwaj was recognised as best playback singer (Female) for Dandi.
• The jury also made special mentions, with Bhairavi recognised as a film of merit; Yogi G. Raju being awarded for costume design in Bhajarangi 2, and Shivakumar honoured for his make-up work in Thayi Kastur Gandhi. Shivakumar S. has been named the best production executive for his work in Pogaru.

• Amid tensions with Russia, Poland to join NATO fuel network

Context: A quarter of a century after it joined NATO and amid rising tension on its eastern frontier, Poland will finally join the alliance‘s fuel pipeline network.

• The Western allies operate a 10,000-km network of European pipelines, bringing fuel and lubricants for tanks and aircraft to where troops might need them in time of war.
• But the system was set up during the Cold War, when Poland was still a member of the opposing Warsaw Pact, and NATO’s pipelines still do not reach its bases closer to the borders with Russia and Belarus.
• Poland has been considering joining the NATO Pipeline System (NPS) for many years, and, the Defence Ministry and national pipeline operator PERN unveiled a €4.7-billion-euro to do so.
• “This is one of the largest investments in the security of the Polish state in the last 30 years,” Deputy Defence Minister Cezary Tomczyk told reporters at the signing ceremony.
• Warsaw, plans to build a 300-km pipeline from Germany to its military base in Bydgoszcz, in north-central Poland and home to NATO’s “joint force training centre” and several support units.

• Mullally appointed first woman to lead the Church of England

Context: A 63-year-old former nurse, Sarah Mullally, was named as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury, pledging to improve safety at the Church of England following an abuse scandal that ousted her predecessor.

• The former midwife becomes the first woman to lead the centuries-old mother church of the world’s 85-million strong Anglican community.
• Her nomination by a committee tasked with finding a successor to Justin Welby, who stepped down earlier this year, was approved by King Charles III, the U.K. government said.
• Ms. Mullally acknowledged the “huge responsibility” of her new role and vowed to “confront the dynamics of power” that had led the church to cover up the abuse of dozens of boys and young men several decades ago.
• She cautioned that it would “not be easy”, due to a “history of safeguarding failures” that has “left a legacy of deep harm and mistrust” in the Church of England. “We must all be willing to have light shone on our actions, regardless of our role in the church,” she said during an appearance at Canterbury Cathedral in southeast England.
• The Church of England became the country’s state establishment church following King Henry VIII’s split from the Roman Catholic Church in the 1530s.

WEIGHTLIFTING: Mirabai braves thumb issue to claim silver

Despite a right thumb issue, a resilient Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu landed her third World championships medal as she claimed a silver in the new 48kg weight class in Forde, Norway.

The Tokyo Olympics silver medallist, who finished fourth in Paris 2024, lifted 84kg in snatch while failing twice in her attempt for 87kg. Mirabai, who had managed 111kg in Paris, registered 115kg — preceded by efforts of 109kg and 112kg — in clean and jerk to total 199kg. She was third in snatch and second in clean and jerk.

North Korean gold medallist Ri Song Gum aggregated 213kg. Thai Thanyathon Sukcharoen was third with 198kg in a field featuring two inexperienced Chinese.

Mirabai, the 2017 champion in 48kg, was delighted with her second Worlds silver, including one in 49kg in 2022.

“It was a big challenge to compete in the new weight without knowing much about the opponents. I had problems in controlling my body weight,” Mirabai, who lifted 193kg in the Commonwealth championships in late August, told The Hindu.

“This performance has given me confidence for the Asian Games. My snatch needs some work.”

Coach Vijay Sharma said Mirabai’s Worlds experience would help her in the Asian Games, where she would like to open her account next year.

“It was a preparatory event for the Asian Games as top seven were from our continent. We had a target of a 200kg-plus total. The thumb issue has been troubling her for two months. Still it was good. With this clean and jerk effort, she would have won a medal in Paris,” said Sharma.

“Mirabai should increase 10kg, including seven-eight kg in snatch, to ensure an Asiad medal. The thumb is not a big issue. She needs to de-load and take it easy for two months,” he added.

PARA ATHLETICS:

Nishad, Simran make it a golden day for India

The former breaks the jinx by winning the high jump T47 while the latter retains her 100m T12 title with a new personal best of 11.95 seconds; Preethi, Pradeep bag bronze

Nishad Kumar broke the jinx, winning his maiden world title after a series of second-placed finishes in style with a new Asian record of 2.14m, on a productive day seven of the World Para Athletics Championships here on Friday. On the track, Simran Sharma retained her title in the 100m T12 with a new personal best (PB) of 11.95 seconds.

On a day stray dog attacks on athletes and officials took the spotlight, Nishad, runner-up in the high jump T47 at the Tokyo and Paris Paralympics and the last two World championships in 2023 and 2024, looked assured every time he took off and had little trouble clearing all the pre-set marks in his first attempt itself. Once the gold was assured, he aimed for the world record but faltered at 2.18m.

In the process, he finally got the better of three-time world and paralympic champion Roderick Townsend of USA, who started at 2.03m but that was the only mark he cleared here to finish third behind Turkey’s Abdullah Ilgaz.

Simran, meanwhile, had little competition improving on her PB, going under the 12-second mark for the first time ever. Running with a new guide in Umar Saifi in their first international competition together, Simran became India’s sixth gold and 15th medallist in the ongoing competition.

Preethi Pal, however, could only manage a season’s best of 30.03s for a second world bronze in the 200m T35 while Pardeep Kumar finished third in the discus throw F64. Swiss Catherine Debrunner completed her quintet of world titles in the 400m T53, winning her fifth gold in as many events here.

The results: Men: 100m T11: Athanasios Ghavelas with guide Dimitrios Chrysafis (Gre, 10.96s); 100m T36: Kirill Glazyrin (NPA, 11.73s); 100m T54: Athiwat Paeng-Nuea (Tha, 13.66s); 400m T12: Fakhriddin Khamraev (Uzb, 50.11s); 400 T13: Max Marzillier (Ger, 49s); 800 T53: Pongsakorn Paeyo (Tha, 1:35.76); Long Jump T37: Brian Impellizzeri (Arg, 6.63m); Long Jump T64: Markus Rehm (Ger, 8.43m); High Jump T47: Nishad Kumar (2.14m), Ram Pal (5th, 1.94m).

Discus Throw F11: Hassan Bajoulvand (Iri, 41.70m), Monu Ghangas (9th, 32.65m); Discus Throw F44: Andres Neira (Col, 60.26m), Sagar Thayat (4th, 51.93m), Devender Kumar (6th, 50.12m), Pardeep (8th, 46.14m); Discus Throw F64: Ivan Katanusic (Cro, 55.12m), Pardeep Kumar (3rd, 46.23m), Sharvan Kumar (5th, 44.11m); Shot Put F35: Seyed Javanmardi (Iri, 17.17m); Shot Put F46: Greg Stewart (Can, 16.68m), Sachin Khilari (4th, 15.03m), Mohd. Yasser (6th, 14.73m), Parveen (8th, 14.24m).

Women: 100m T12: Simran Sharma with guide Umar Saifi (11.95s); 200m T35: Qianqian Guo (Chn, 29.50s), Preeti Pal (3rd, 30.03s) SB; 200m T36: Danielle Aitchison (Nzl, 27.18s).

400m T53: Catherine Debrunner (Sui, 50.58s); 400m T54: Lea Bayekula (Bel, 50.99s); Long Jump T64: Fleur Jong (Ned, 6.81m); Shot Put F33: Svetlana Krivenok (NPA, 8.14m) new CR.

Shot Put F44: Arelle Middleton (USA, 12.95m); Shot Put F64: Faustyna Kotlowska (Pol, 10,88m), Dayawanti (6th, 7.90m) PB; Discus Throw F41: Raoua Tlili (Tun, 33.81m).