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).

Current Affairs: 3rd October 2025

• Private project plans in first half of fiscalare at a 15-year high

Context: Indian firms alone account for 94% of the ₹9.95 lakh crore announcedby the sector; government and foreign investment proposals slump.

• The value of new project announcements by the Indian private sector surged to nearly a 15-year high in the first half of the current financial year, even as new government projects and those by foreign companies slumped.

• The value of such announcements by the Union government and those of the States fell to at least a 15-year low during the period, while those by foreign companies were at a five-year low.
• Data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) shows that the private sector announced projects estimated at ₹9.95 lakh crore in the April-September 2025 period, up 30.4% over the first half of the previous financial year. Of this, it was the Indian private sector that did the heavy lifting. It announced projects estimated at ₹9.35 lakh crore, 94% of the value of the new project announcements in the first half and up 37.5% over the corresponding period of 2024-25. The value was the second highest in the corresponding period of the past 15 years. The highest was in the first half of 2023-24, when it touched ₹9.54 lakh crore.
• However, the data also showed that India’s attractiveness as an investment destination for foreign companies might be diminishing. New project announcements by foreign companies fell to about ₹0.6 lakh crore in the April-September 2025 period, down nearly 28% from the corresponding period of last year.
• This also marks the third consecutive year where foreign announcements have slumped in the first half of the year, and a five-year low for the figure.
• New project announcements by foreign companies had risen to a peak of ₹1.9 lakh crore in the first six months of 2022-23 before declining subsequently.
• The slump in new project announcements in India by foreign companies is not in line with global trends. Data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development show that global foreign direct investment grew by 11% in 2024 over its level in 2023, which itself was 3% higher than in 2022.
• New project announcements by governments — both Central and State — slumped to ₹1.51 lakh crore in the first six months of financial year 2025-26, down more than 71% over their level in the corresponding period of the previous year.
• This level of investment intention was the lowest in at least 15 years, the period for which there is data.
• India’s first helicopter final assembly line in the private sector will come up at Vemagal in Kolar district of Karnataka. The assembly line will be established by Tata Advanced Systems Ltd. (TASL) to build the Airbus H125 helicopters.
• According to Airbus and TASL, the “Made in India” H125 helicopter will help develop new civil and para-public market segments, and also meet the Indian armed forces’ requirement for a light multi-role helicopter, especially on the icy heights of the country’s Himalayan frontiers. technologies,” according to Airbus and TASL. The delivery of the first “Made in India” H125 is expected in early 2027.

• ANRF’s SARAL to simplify scientific research papers

Context: As part of outreach to make scientific research more accessible, the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) — India’s newest science funding agency — has developed a tool called SARAL (Simplified and Automated Research Amplification and Learning).

• This tool, the organisation’s CEO, Shivkumar Kalyanaraman said, would help generate layperson summaries of complex scientific research.
• This meant using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to extract information from research publications to generate “videos, podcasts, posters and presentation”, he said at a meeting organised earlier this week by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. The ANRF would focus on harnessing “deep science and engineering” to create “deep tech products and start-ups”, Mr. Kalyanaraman said.
• The organisation would be developing an “AI Science and Engineering Open India Stack” that would significantly influence “drug and chemical discovery, aerospace design, climate and weather and advanced materials and design”, he said.

Funds allotted

• In July, the Union Cabinet approved a ₹1 lakh crore Research Development and Innovation Scheme that intends to provide low interest, long tenure loans to private companies for investment in core research and development.
• The Foundation’s governing council is expected to play a critical role in evaluating which sectors could receive such funds. The ANRF is envisaged as a single-window clearance mechanism for funding research and development for universities and academic institutions. It is also expected to receive about 70% of its budget from private sources. In function, it has absorbed much of the role the erstwhile Science and Engineering Research Board had played in funding scientific research.

• Musk is first to hit $500 billion net worth, Forbes list shows
• Tesla CEO Elon Musk became the first person ever to achieve a net worth of almost $500 billion, propelled by a rebound in the EV firm’s shares and surging valuations of the tech entrepreneur’s other start-ups this year.
• His net worth stood at $500.1 billion as of 4:15 p.m. E.T., as per Forbes’ billionaires index. His fortunes are tied closely to Tesla, where he held a more than 12.4% stake as of September 15. The stock has risen more than 14% so far this year.

• PLI scheme for textile sector likelyto be revised

Context: The textile industry is expecting an announcement soon on a revised Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the sector, with focus on manmade fibre (MMF) textiles.

• Union Minister for Textiles Giriraj Singh recently posted on X, “From expanding opportunities to smoother implementation, the PLI Scheme is now more dynamic than ever.
• “With new reforms, the Ministry of Textiles has made it more flexible, industry-friendly and geared towards ease of doing business, which will help in driving growth in MMF & Technical Textiles to the next level.”
• As per the post, the scheme will include eight new HSN codes for MMF apparel and nine new codes for MMF fabrics. The unit can be set up within an existing firm and the investment criteria is revised to ₹150 crore (part IA) and ₹50 crore (part 2A). Further the incremental turnover needed for sops is 10%.
• Chairman of Confederation of Indian Textile Industry Ashwin Chandran said in a release the significant lowering of investment thresholds and changes in the turnover-linked sop structure would prove pivotal in fast-tracking the growth of Indian textile and apparel sector.
• Durai Palanisamy, chairman, Southern India Mills’ Association, said the scheme will attract investments from MSMEs.

• OpenAI hits $500 billion valuation after share sale to SoftBank, others, sources say

Context: OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has reached a valuation of $500 billion, following a deal in which current and former employees sold roughly $6.6 billion worth of shares, a source familiar with the matter.

• This represents a bump-up from its current valuation of $300 billion, underscoring OpenAI’s rapid gains in both users and revenue.

Sale to consortium

• As part of the deal, OpenAI employees sold shares to a consortium of investors including Thrive Capital, SoftBank, Dragoneer Investment Group, Abu Dhabi’s MGX and T. Rowe Price, according to the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media.
• The company had authorized sales of $10-billion-plus worth of stock on the secondary market, the source added. Thrive Capital, SoftBank, Dragoneer, MGX and T. Rowe Price did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment. The share sale adds to SoftBank’s earlier investment in OpenAI’s $40 billion primary funding round.
• The company generated around $4.3 billion in revenue in the first half of 2025, about 16% more than it generated all of last year, the Information reported earlier this week. The sale comes at a time when tech giants are competing aggressively for AI talent with lucrative compensation packages. Meta is notably investing billions in Scale AI and poached its 28-year-old CEO, Alexandr Wang, to lead its new super intelligence unit.

• Indian-made H125 helicopters to roll out from Kolar in 2027

Context: India’s first helicopter final assembly line in the private sector will come up at Vemagal in Kolar district of Karnataka. The assembly line will be established by Tata Advanced Systems Ltd. (TASL) to build the Airbus H125 helicopters.

• According to Airbus and TASL, the “Made in India” H125 helicopter will help develop new civil and para-public market segments, and also meet the Indian armed forces’ requirement for a light multi-role helicopter, especially on the icy heights of the country’s Himalayan frontiers. technologies,” according to Airbus and TASL. The delivery of the first “Made in India” H125 is expected in early 2027.

Current Affairs: 1st October 2025

7.42 crore voters on Bihar’s final electoral rolls at the end of SIR

EC says physical, digital copies of rolls being shared with parties; electors with complaints can appeal before the District Magistrate and State CEO

Ahead of the Assembly election in Bihar, the Election Commission on Tuesday released the final electoral rolls in the State with nearly 7.42 crore names on the completion of the special intensive revision of the list.

Prior to the revision, the State had 7.89 crore voters as on June 24. When the draft list was released on August 1, there were 7.24 crore names with 65 lakh removed. On the final list, 21.53 lakh names were added and 3.66 lakh removed, a press statement from the commission said.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar thanked the electors, officials, booth-level agents and leaders of political parties in Bihar for the completion of the special revision in the State after a gap of 22 Years today.

Bihar’s Chief Electoral Officer Vinod Singh Gunjiyal said voters could check their details on voters.eci.gov.in/

download-eroll.

“If any eligible person still wishes to apply for inclusion of their name in the electoral roll, they can submit an application up to 10 days before the last date for filing nominations for election,” Apurva Kumar Singh, Assistant Director, EC, said in the statement.

Mr. Singh said if any person was not satisfied with the decision of the electoral registration officer on entry on the electoral rolls, they may, under Section 24 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, file a first appeal before the District Magistrate and a second appeal before the CEO.

Mr. Singh said the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) and district-, constituency-, and block-level election officers had shared, with political parties, the booth-level lists of electors who were reported as deceased, whose enumeration forms were not received, who had permanently migrated, or who could not be traced, with the objective of identifying eligible voters.

The draft electoral rolls were shared with all political parties, while the list of names not included on the draft rolls was displayed by the district election officers and district magistrates, as well as on the website of the Bihar CEO.

He said the SIR exercise was carried out in line with Article 326 of the Constitution. “This large-scale exercise was made successful through the sincere efforts of Chief Electoral Officer Bihar, District Election Officers of all 38 districts, 243 Electoral Registration Officers, 2.976 Assistant Electoral Registration Officers, around 1 lakh Booth Level Officers, lakhs of volunteers and the full involvement of all the 12 major Political Parties, including their district presidents and over 1.6 lakh Booth Level Agents appointed by them,” Mr. Singh said.

Ruling parties welcome SIR-vetted list

Bihar’s ruling parties welcomed the final electoral rolls. “We welcome the final voter list of Bihar after SIR has been completed successfully. This is certainly a step towards strengthening democracy and will increase transparency in elections,” BJP State spokesperson Niraj Kumar said.

Janata Dal(U) MLC and spokesperson Neeraj Kumar slammed the Opposition for questioning the EC’s credibility. “The Opposition parties were raising a finger against the EC with the slogan of ‘Vote chori (vote theft)’ and now the final list has been published in which more than 21 lakh names have been added. In Bihar, the maximum population is of marginalised section and their names have been added. The Opposition is exposed now,” he said.

Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal spokesperson Chitranjan Gagan said that the party would give its official statement on the completion of SIR after reviewing it with booth-level agents and panchayat representatives.

CM announces more relief for rain-hit farmers

After an aerial survey of flood-hit areas in Kalyana Karnataka, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday announced that the State government would provide an additional ₹8,500 per hectare over and above the Union government’s crop loss compensation under Nationalk Disaster Response Fund norms, across all three crop categories – rainfed, irrigated, and perennial.

After an aerial survey of flood-hit areas in Kalyana Karnataka, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday announced that the State government would provide an additional ₹8,500 per hectare over and above the Union government’s crop loss compensation under NDRF norms, across all three crop categories — rainfed, irrigated, and perennial.

He made the announcement at a media conference in Kalaburagi after an aerial survey of Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, Bidar, and Yadgir districts and chairing a review meeting.

“As per NDRF norms, rainfed, irrigated, and perennial crops are entitled to ₹8,500, ₹17,000, and ₹22,500 per hectare, respectively. The State government will add ₹8,500 across the board, raising compensation to ₹17,000 for rainfed, ₹25,500 for irrigated, and ₹31,000 for perennial crops,” Mr. Siddaramaiah said.

Extent of damage

The Chief Minister said that over 9.6 lakh hectares of crops have been damaged across the State, of which 9.03 lakh hectares were in just eight northern districts of Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, Yadgir, Bidar, Bagalkot, Belagavi, Raichur, and Gadag, accounting for 95% of the State’s total loss.

“As per preliminary estimates, nearly 10 lakh hectares of standing crops have been affected. But we have managed to survey only about 50% so far. With fields still waterlogged and soil too wet, the final figures may go up once the water recedes,” he said.

The flooding has claimed 52 lives and 422 heads of cattle, apart from fully damaging 547 houses. “We have already released compensation for human casualties. Relief for 407 cattle deaths has also been paid. In all, 80 relief centres have been set up, housing more than 10,500 people,” Mr. Siddaramaiah said.

Excess rainfall

Between June 1 and September 29 this year, Karnataka recorded 879 mm of rainfall – 4% above normal. But the surge was much higher in northern districts: Vijayapura 615 mm (+58%), Kalaburagi 768 mm (+34%), Yadgir 659 mm (+29%), and Bidar 750 mm (+16%).

“This year, North Karnataka has seen rainfall levels not witnessed in many years. Coupled with the massive inflow from Maharashtra’s reservoirs, it has created one of the worst flood disasters in recent memory,” he observed.

Stressing the Centre’s role in disaster response, he said his government would submit a memorandum seeking additional funds.

“I will send a delegation to meet the Prime Minister and Union Ministers of Home, Finance and Agriculture to demand more funds for flood relief,” Mr. Siddaramaiah said.

Aerial survey

Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister, accompanied by Ministers M.B. Patil, Krishna Byre Gowda, and Priyank Kharge, undertook the aerial survey of flood-affected areas.

The first round focused on villages in Kalaburagi and Vijayapura, followed by Bidar and Yadgir in the second.

After the aerial inspection, the Chief Minister held a detailed review with elected representatives and senior officers.

He noted that crop losses had occurred in two phases – in August and later in September – and insisted on a single-phase compensation drive.

Five city corporations to have 368 wards, up from 198

As anticipated, the East Corporation, with the lowest population, has the least number of wards at 50, the West Corporation, with the highest population, has the highest number of wards at 111

The State government on Tuesday published a draft of the new wards within the five city corporations in Bengaluru, taking the total number of wards in the city to 368, up from 198.

As anticipated, the East Corporation, with the lowest population, has the least number of wards at 50, the West Corporation, with the highest population, has the highest number of wards at 111. While North and South corporations have 72 wards each, the Central Corporation will have 63 wards, as per the draft notification.

The draft notification gives ward boundaries and prominent areas in the ward, but gives neither a map nor the population and size of the wards.

Ward sizes

While the ward delimitation was carried out based on the 2011 Census, the average ward size as per projected population for 2023 varies in the range of 26,000 in the East Corporation to over 43,000 in the North Corporation.

This ward size is definitely an improvement from the situation under the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) where the population of many wards crossed 1 lakh.

But given that the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, 2024, provides up to 150 wards in each corporation taking the total to 750 in the city, and Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D.K. Shivakumar had hinted at 500 wards, many argue there was room to carve out much smaller wards.

There was an excitement over smaller wards, not only in terms of service delivery, but also over its potential to encourage non-traditional political formations to contest and win wards, said N.S. Mukunda of Bengaluru Praja Vedike. “But these ward sizes kill that possibility and further entrench the stranglehold of traditional parties in the city’s politics and governance, for which there will obviously be a bipartisan approval among the traditional parties. This is against the spirit of decentralisation, which Congress claimed to be at the heart of restructuring governance in Bengaluru,” he said.

Outdated on arrival

The guidelines for the Delimitation Commission mandated that each ward should represent around 20,000 residents, with a leeway for 25% variance to ensure balanced representation, as per the 2011 Census, the latest census available, based on which ward delimitation has to be done.

While, as per the 2011 Census, the city’s population was around 85 lakh, it is projected to be 1.44 crore in 2023, which essentially means the new wards are outdated on arrival.

M. Maheshwar Rao, Chief Commissioner, Greater Bengaluru Authority and Chairman of the Ward Delimitation Commission, said that the wards have been carved out based on the 2011 Census within the guidelines issued to the Commission. Citizens can submit their objections to the draft by writing to the Additional Chief Secretary, Urban Development Department by October 15. The final notification of the ward boundaries is expected to be published by November 1.

India got 8% more monsoon rainfall this year, says IMD

India this year received 8% more monsoon rainfall than normal, the fifth-highest since 2001 and the 38th highest since 1901, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday.

The IMD considers only the rainfall from June 1 to September 30 to calculate monsoon data.

While the southwest monsoon season largely boded well for agriculture by boosting storage in reservoirs, it wreaked havoc in several parts of the country — particularly in North India — leading to loss of life and property.

Seasonal rainfall over northwest India, central India, and south peninsula was 27%, 15% and 10% more than their seasonal averages. However, rainfall in eastern and northeastern India was 80% of what those regions usually get.

The rainfall over northwest India was 74.79 cm, the highest since 2001 and sixth highest since 1901, while that over east and northeast India was 108.9 cm, the second lowest since 1901. Overall, the monsoon rainfall was 93.7 cm.

The monsoon season saw extremely heavy spells in several parts of northern and southern India, thanks to the conjoining of storms that originated in the Mediterranean region, along with the monsoon trough that hovers over the Indian landmass during the monsoon season. When parsed by months, rainfall was 9% more than what is usual in June, 5% more in both July and August, and 15% excess in September.

The southwest monsoon advanced over the south Andaman Sea and Nicobar Islands on May 13, 2025, nearly nine days ahead of the normal schedule. It arrived in Kerala on May 24, ahead of the usual onset date of June 1, and covered the entire country by June 29.

There were seven monsoon depressions, or sub-cyclonic storms that form in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, during the season. Of the seven, one intensified into a deep depression. Storms falling in this category last an average of 69 days against a normal of 55, contributing to the extended spells of heavy rain.

Though the monsoon system has not fully withdrawn and will prevail over the next couple of weeks, the IMD does not count that rain in its quota of monsoon rainfall. For October, the agency has forecast ‘above normal’ rain in the country, except for parts of north and northwest India.

While a La Nina is expected to form in the central equatorial Pacific Ocean and it usually means a stronger winter, IMD Director-General M. Mohapatra said this was not always the case.

A forecast for winter (December, January and February) will be available around November, he added.

Centre directs NGOs to seek FCRA renewal 4 months before expiry

The Hindu Bureau New Delhi

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday directed non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to submit applications for renewal of their Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) registration at least four months before expiry.

FCRA registration, which is mandatory for NGOs and associations to receive foreign funds, is renewed every five years. In a communication, the Ministry noted that several associations had been submitting renewal applications less than 90 days before the expiry of their certificates.

“Such delayed submissions do not allow sufficient time for scrutiny and for obtaining inputs from security agencies,” the Ministry said. It stated that NGOs are “strictly advised to submit their renewal applications well in advance and, in any case, not later than four months before the validity expires.

Maharashtra, Karnataka report most number of farmer suicides

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has said in its report that 10,786 farmers and agricultural workers committed suicide in 2023. The most number of cases was from Maharashtra (38.5%), followed by Karnataka (22.5%).

The organisations of farmers blamed the Narendra Modi government’s policies for the situation, and said the decision to waive off import duty on cotton would vitiate the situation as most of the suicides were still from the cotton belts of the country.

Of the 10,786 suicides from the farming sector, 4,690 were farmers or cultivators, and 6,096 were agricultural workers. The farm suicides accounted for 6.3% of total suicides (1,71,418 suicides in 2023) in the country.

Out of the 4,690 farmers who committed suicide, 4,553 were male and 137 were female, and out of the 6,096 suicides by farm workers, 5,433 were male and 663 were female.

After Maharashtra and Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh (8.6%), Madhya Pradesh (7.2%), and Tamil Nadu (5.9%) registered the most number of suicides. West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Chandigarh, Delhi, and Lakshadweep reported no suicides from the farm belt.

Commenting on the NCRB data, the president of the All India Kisan Sabha, Ashok Dhawale, said more than 10,000 suicides had been reported from the farm sector in 2021, 2022 and 2023, and it showed the systemic crisis that the Modi government could not grasp or combat.

“This crisis is going to aggravate as a large number of farmer suicides take place in the cotton and soybean belt. Maharashtra has turned out to be the graveyard of farmers. The Marathwada and Vidarbha region are cotton and soybean belts. In spite of this, the Union government is bowing to the pressure to sign Free Trade Agreements, and to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff terrorism. The government cancelled the 11% import duty on cotton. This means that American cotton is going to come here. Agriculture will be finished by these treaties,” Mr. Dhawale said, adding that the NCRB data could not be trusted.

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Over 1.73 lakh killed in road accidents in 2023, 1.6% rise: NCRB

More than 1.73 lakh people were killed and 4.47 lakh injured in road accidents across the country in 2023 with nearly 46% of the victims being two-wheeler riders, according to a report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

Speeding and careless driving were found to be the two major causes of road accidents.

A total of 4,64,029 road accidents took place in the country in 2023, 17,261 more than in 2022 — with a 1.6% increase in fatalities, from 1,71,100 in 2022 to 1,73,826 in 2023.

The highest number of accidents (20.7% of total) were reported between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Two-wheelers accounted for the highest number of fatal road accidents, causing 79,533 deaths, or 45.8% of total deaths, followed by pedestrians at 27,586 (15.9%) and SUV/car/jeep at 24,776 (14.3%).

Most of the deaths in two-wheeler accidents were reported in Tamil Nadu (11,490) and Uttar Pradesh (8,370). A large number of deaths due to SUV/car/jeep accidents were reported in Uttar Pradesh (19.2% of total ) and a large number of deaths due to trucks/lorries/mini truck accidents were also reported in the State (29.9% of total).

The NCRB said cause-wise analysis of fatal road accidents revealed that 58.6% (1,01,841) and 23.6% (41,035) of fatalities were due to speeding and dangerous/careless driving or overtaking, respectively.

Poor weather conditions, driving under influence of drug/alcohol and animal crossing caused 4,952 deaths.

The highest number of deaths were reported on the National Highways accounting for 34.6%, followed by State Highways at 23.4%.

Crime against children records 9.2% rise in 2023

Press Trust of India New Delhi

A total of 1,77,335 cases of crime against children were registered in 2023, showing an increase of 9.2% over the 2022 figure, according to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report.

The data compiled by the NCRB showed that the crime rate in 2023 stood at 39.9 per 1,00,000 child population in comparison to 36.6 in 2022.

The major crime heads in 2023 were “Kidnapping and abduction of children” (79,884 cases, 45%) and “Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act” (67,694 cases, 38.2%).

Madhya Pradesh topped the list with 22,393 total cases, followed by Maharashtra (22,390) and Uttar Pradesh (18,852).

Vinay wins trap bronze; Indian pairs make it a 1-2 in mixed air rifle

Vinay Pratap Chandrawat fought his way to the trap bronze, even as the Indian mixed air rifle teams clinched the gold and silver, in the Junior World Cup on Tuesday.

The 20-year-old Vinay first topped the shoot-off when five competed for the last three spots in the final, on being tied at 118 in qualification. In fact, Vinay shot a perfect fifth round of 25 to stay in the reckoning for the final.

After having missed four of the first 15 in the final, Vinay was at his best, as he missed only two hits over the next 25 birds to secure the bronze ahead of compatriot Arjun.

Toni Gudelj of Croatia beat Isaac Hernandez of Spain 44-41 for the gold.

In women’s trap, Sabeera Haris shot 112 and lost the shoot-off for the last berth in the final to Lucy Myers of USA.

In mixed air rifle, Isha Taksale and Himanshu pipped qualification toppers Shambhavi Kshirsagar and Naraen Pranav by 0.2 point for the gold, after the two teams were tied at 15-15. It was the second gold for Himanshu as he had won the individual air rifle event on Monday.

India was on top of the medals table with seven gold, nine silver and seven bronze. Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) was second with four gold, two silver and four bronze. Italy was third with two gold and two silver, while Croatia and Czechia were joint fourth with a gold medal each. The World Cup will conclude with the junior women’s sports pistol and mixed trap events on Wednesday.

Srihari wins his fifth medal, Rohit claims silver in 50m butterfly

Star Indian swimmer Srihari Nataraj once again stood tall, bagging a bronze in the 100m freestyle to extend his personal haul to five medals at the 11th Asian aquatics championships here on Tuesday.

Also making his mark was Rohit B. Benedicton, who claimed a silver in men’s 50m butterfly and took India’s medal tally to nine.

Smart move

Drawn in lane five, Srihari paced his race smartly.

The Indian swimmer turned third at the 50m mark with China’s Haoyu Wang (49.19) and Qatar’s Ali Tamer Hassan (49.46) ahead of him while Akash Mani (50.45) was close on his heels. In the second lap, Srihari maintained his rhythm to hold off the chasing pack and secure a bronze in 49.96s.

Good season

“The training has been going really well and I have had a good season this year. I was fast in the heats and with the way my training has been going, I thought I’d be faster here.

“But the others swam a brilliant race as well and I’m just glad I got my hand on the wall to be on the podium,” Srihari said after the race.

“The energy is amazing. Usually in swimming, you can’t hear anything while racing, but in the last 50m of the relay on Monday, I don’t know who it was, I could hear people screaming and cheering us the whole time. A great feeling,” he added.

In men’s 50m butterfly, Rohit started well and went on the clinch the silver medal with a time of 23.89, finishing close behind Kazakhstan’s Adilbek Mussin (23.74).

Faltering

Meanwhile, Dhinidhi Desinghu and Shashidhara Rujula booked their places in the women’s 100m freestyle final but could not break through the top half of the field, finishing sixth and eighth respectively.

IISc researchers developnew system to transform seawater into drinking water

This is said to carry out the process in a faster and cost effective manner compared to the existing methods; the desalination unit is low-cost, scalable, and sustainable

Researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed a new siphon-based thermal desalination system which can transform salty seawater into clean drinking water. This system is said to carry out the process in a faster and cost effective manner compared to the existing methods.

According to the Department of Science and Technology, traditional solar stills, which mimic nature’s water cycle, have long been promoted as simple water purifiers.

Two challenges

However, the department said that this method faces two persistent challenges which are salt buildup, where crusts form on evaporator surfaces resulting in blocking water flow.

The second challenge with this method is scaling limits where wicking materials can only lift water about 10–15 cm, restricting system size and output.

The department said that the IISc team of researchers have addressed both challenges using the principle of siphonage. The siphon-based thermal desalination system developed by the researchers uses a composite siphon which is a fabric wick paired with a grooved metallic surface. The fabric draws salty water from a reservoir, while gravity ensures a smooth, continuous flow. Instead of allowing salt to crystallize, the siphon flushes it away before buildup occurs.

“The water spreads as a thin film across the heated metal surface, evaporates, and then condenses just two millimeters away onto a cooler surface. This ultra-narrow air gap significantly enhances efficiency, producing more than six liters of clean water per square meter per hour under sunlight which is several times higher than conventional solar stills,” the department said.

By stacking multiple evaporator–condenser pairs, the device recycles heat repeatedly, squeezing maximum output from each ray of sunshine.

The department said that the desalination unit is low-cost, scalable, and sustainable, relying only on simple materials such as aluminum and fabric.

The system can run on solar energy or waste heat, making it suitable for off-grid communities, disaster zones, and arid coastal regions. It can also handle extremely salty water (up to 20% salt) without clogging which is a major advance in brine treatment.

The department said that this system could help secure safe drinking water for millions in water-stressed regions.

“From small villages to island nations, the siphon-powered desalination system may finally make the ocean a dependable source of fresh drinking water,” it said.

ADB cuts India’sFY26 growthforecast to 6.5% on U.S. tariff impact

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has downgraded India’s growth outlook for the current financial year to 6.5% from the 6.7% predicted in April, on account of the impact of the 50% tariffs imposed by the U.S. on imports from India.

The outlook for 2026-27 has also been revised downwards to 6.5% from the earlier prediction of 6.8%.

The ADB, in its Asian Development Outlook September 2025, released on Tuesday, also reduced its growth forecast for developing Asia to 4.8% for the current year 2025 from its forecast in April of 4.9%. Similarly, the forecast for 2026 has been cut to 4.5% from 4.7%.

“The revisions reflect downgrades for India, hit by steep tariff hikes, and Southeast Asia, driven by a worse and more uncertain global environment,” the report said. India faces the steepest tariff hikes among developing Asian economies, prompting a downgrade in its growth outlook.”

The report further said that, despite strong growth in the first quarter of the current financial year, driven by consumption and public investment, the elevated U.S. tariffs, which it said affected about 60% of goods exported to the U.S., will weigh on growth starting in the second half of 2025-26 and in 2026-27.

“Merchandise exports are expected to grow only modestly, constrained by US tariffs on key exports, while exports of services are expected to remain robust and a key driver of growth,” it said. “Investment growth is expected to be lower than previously forecast, with corporate investment still subdued by global trade uncertainty.”

The escalation in tariffs is expected to weigh heavily on key export sectors such as textiles, ready-made garments, jewellery, shrimp, and chemicals, the report noted. On the other hand, however, it noted that consumption demand is expected to grow more than previously expected, aided by lower food prices and cuts to consumption and income taxes.

“The 2025-26 inflation projection for India is revised downward to 3.1%, reflecting subdued global oil prices and a faster-than-expected decline in food prices due to higher agricultural production,” the report said.

However, it added that food prices are expected to normalise in 2026-27, leading to an upward revision of the inflation forecast to 4.2% for that year.

Centre extends RoDTEP export sop plan till March 2026

The Government has extended the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) incentive scheme for exporters until March 31, 2026. Exporters welcomed the move, saying it removes substantial uncertainty and comes when Indian exports are facing significant headwinds.

Started in 2021, the RoDTEP scheme provides refunds to exporters for any embedded duties, taxes, and levies incurred by them not already refunded under other schemes.

The scheme had earlier been available until February 5 this year. In May, following significant lobbying by exporters, the government restored the RoDTEP scheme for exporters done by Advance Authorisation (AA) holders, Export-Oriented Units (EOUs), and units in Special Economic Zones (SEZs).

“The timely extension of RoDTEP has removed the uncertainty that was weighing on the exporting community,” said S.C. Ralhan, president of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations.

NASA’s IMAP will show how solar particles are energised and shield us

IMAP, which was launched on September 24, will map the heliosphere’s boundary, trace energetic particles, and improve space weather forecasting

Space isn’t empty. The sun issues a continuous stream of charged particles called the solar wind, which creates a vast region around our solar system called the heliosphere. This region acts like a protective bubble that shields the planets from cosmic rays and interstellar particles. Yet the structure, dynamics, and boundary of the heliosphere are still poorly understood. Scientists want to know how particles are accelerated in the solar wind and how they interact with the space between stars. Changes in the solar wind and its particles also affect space weather, which can damage satellites, harm astronauts, and disrupt communication systems on earth.

To address these questions, NASA launched the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) on September 24. Its goal is to map the heliosphere’s boundary, trace energetic particles, and improve space weather forecasting.

IMAP is equipped with 10 scientific instruments, each designed to detect different types of particles or phenomena in space. Some of them are energetic neutral-atom detectors (IMAP-Lo, IMAP-Hi, IMAP-Ultra), which capture neutral atoms that were once charged ions but were changed by acquiring electrons. Other instruments detect charged particles directly, magnetic fields, interstellar dust, and solar-wind structures.

After launch, IMAP will travel to the sun-earth Lagrange point 1 (L1), about 1.6 million km from the earth toward the sun, where gravitational forces balance in a way that allows the spacecraft to remain in a stable orbit with minimal fuel use. Once there, IMAP will continuously observe incoming solar wind and energetic particles from a fixed vantage point. IMAP will also send data in near real-time to help scientists monitor space weather conditions.

Based on mission design and early operations, scientists expect IMAP will produce the most detailed maps yet of the heliosphere’s boundary, revealing how the solar wind collides with the interstellar medium. It will also trace how particles accelerate from the sun, move out, or are energised in the heliosphere. In more specialised research, IMAP-Lo is expected to be able to observe interstellar neutral hydrogen and deuterium, possibly distinguishing primary versus secondary populations of these atoms at the heliopause, which is the outermost layer of the heliosphere.

IMAP data are expected to have profound implications. By revealing the structure and dynamics of the heliosphere, physicists can deepen their understanding of how our solar system is protected against cosmic radiation. That is relevant to understanding the earth’s habitability and that of exoplanets as well. Second, better data on solar wind behaviour will strengthen physicists’ ability to forecast space weather, in turn helping protect satellites, communications networks, power grids, and orbital crews.

For future human exploration beyond the earth, IMAP’s measurements of how particles travel and are accelerated will help plan safer routes and design better shielding for spacecraft.