Daily Current Affairs and News Analysis 01-07-2025

• Telephone connections rose to 120 crore, tele-density to 84.49%.
• Internet users grew by 285%, broadband by 1,452%.
• 5G rollout is rapid, with 4.74 lakh towers installed and data costs significantly reduced.
• BharatNet connected 2.18 lakh Gram Panchayats and extended 4G to over 6 lakh villages.

• UPI facilitated massive transactions, accounting for nearly half of global real-time transactions.
• Aadhaar and DBT have enabled substantial direct benefit transfers, curbing fraud in ration cards and LPG connections.
• ONDC and GeM have onboarded millions of sellers and government buyers.

• Digital Divide: Significant gaps in rural internet penetration and digital literacy persist.
• Cybersecurity: A shortage of professionals and increasing cyber incidents pose risks.
• Data Privacy: Concerns remain over enforcement of the DPDP Act and data misuse.
• Infrastructure: Issues like low broadband speeds and patchy 5G coverage hinder access.
• Environmental Impact: E-waste generation has increased significantly.

• Why in News: It highlights national recognition of tribal contributions to India’s history.

• Why in News: It emphasizes the early and significant role of tribal revolts against colonial rule, predating the 1857 revolt.

• Why in News: It underscores the importance of remembering and celebrating the specific tribal leaders and their sacrifices.

• Why in News: It explains the socio-economic causes behind the tribal revolt, demonstrating its deep-rooted nature.

• Why in News: It shows the direct and lasting legal impact of tribal resistance on safeguarding tribal land rights.

• Why in News: It provides context about the community at the heart of the uprising and their distinct identity.

• Why in News: This demonstrates inclusivity and respect for tribal languages and cultures at the highest level.

Inauguration of National Turmeric Board in Nizamabad: The Union Home Minister inaugurated the board’s headquarters in Nizamabad, Telangana. This fulfills a 40-year-old dream and a promise by the Prime Minister.

Develops Complete Value Chain: The board aims to create a full value chain for turmeric, covering packaging, branding, marketing, and export.

Reduces Middlemen & Boosts Farmer Income: By establishing the entire value chain, the board will eliminate middlemen, allowing farmers to earn an additional ₹6,000-₹7,000 per quintal.

Promotes GI-Tagged Organic Turmeric: The initiative will focus on marketing GI-certified organic turmeric varieties, like Lakadong, Kandhamal, and Erode.

Farmer Training and Skill Development: Farmers will receive training in best practices to meet export standards.

Ambitious Export Target: India, already the largest producer and exporter, aims to increase turmeric exports to $1 billion by 2030.

“Wonder Drug” Status: Turmeric, with its high curcumin content, is recognized for antiviral, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Supportive Infrastructure: Branch offices of Bharat Organic Cooperative Limited and Bharat Cooperative Exports Limited will also be opened in Nizamabad.

Fulfills Farmer Demand: The inauguration addresses a long-pending demand from turmeric farmers in Telangana.

Digital Fossil-Mining Uncovers Hidden Squid History: Scientists used advanced digital techniques (3D scanning, CT imaging, AI) to analyze fossils within rocks without damaging them. This method revealed previously undiscovered squid fossils.

Squids Dominated Oceans Earlier Than Thought: The study found evidence of at least 40 squid species from two modern groups (deep-sea and coastal) in 110-70 million-year-old rocks. This suggests squids were prevalent 30 million years earlier than previously believed.

Rapid Squid Diversification: Within a short period (around 6 million years), most known squid families had evolved, indicating rapid diversification early in their history.

Squids Replaced Other Cephalopods: By the Late Cretaceous period, squids were so abundant that their fossils outnumbered ammonites and bony fish, suggesting they were already replacing shelled cephalopods like belemnites and ammonites in marine ecosystems.

Early Pioneers of Modern Ocean Life: The findings suggest squids were early, intelligent, and agile animals that became significant components of marine ecosystems before the rise of marine mammals.

New Method Revolutionizes Paleontology: The digital fossil-mining technique, involving grinding rocks while taking detailed photographs to create 3D models, is a breakthrough for studying fragile fossils, particularly soft-bodied creatures like squids whose traditional fossilization is rare. This method successfully identified small squid beaks, a key hard part for identification.

• Why: This significantly expands our understanding of India’s animal diversity. Insects and fish were prominent in these discoveries.

• Why: This updates the national flora and highlights the ongoing discoveries in plant life.

• Why: This provides a comprehensive reference for researchers and policymakers, crucial for conservation efforts.

• Why: India houses 7-8% of the world’s documented species, making it vital for global conservation.

• Why: The ZSI is the primary organization for documenting India’s animal diversity, highlighting its ongoing contribution to science and conservation.

• Why: This indicates specific regions within India are exceptionally rich in undiscovered biodiversity.

• Why: It’s proposed as a more realistic and relatable measure of poverty than traditional calorie-based methods, reflecting actual consumption and regional price variations.

• Why: They fail to account for nutritional quality, non-food needs (health, education, housing), changing lifestyles, and significant urban-rural cost differences.

• Why: It directly links food costs to livelihood realities, making it a practical tool for policy decisions.

• Why: Critics argue for caution, as many citizens still rely on subsidies, and policy changes should be informed by more realistic, consumption-linked assessments like the Thali Index, rather than abstract statistics.

• Why: This reflects a growing understanding that poverty is multidimensional and requires a more comprehensive assessment.

Introduction of ‘Secular’ in Preamble: The word ‘secular’ was added to the Preamble by the 42nd Amendment in 1976 during the Emergency. This addition aimed to explicitly uphold India’s pluralistic society and ensure unity amidst religious diversity, protecting fundamental rights irrespective of faith.

Inherent Secularism: Secularism is considered an inherent feature of the Indian Constitution, not merely an addition.

Meaning of Secularism in India:

• Separation of religion from the State.
• No religious community dominates another.
• No group within a religion dominates others.
• The State does not enforce any religion or curtail religious freedom.

Constitutional Provisions:

• Preamble: Declares India as a ‘Secular’ nation.
• Article 14: Equality before the law.
• Articles 15-16: Prohibit religious discrimination.
• Article 25: Freedom of conscience and to practice/propagate religion.
• Article 26: Freedom to manage religious affairs.
• Article 27: No taxes for promoting any religion.
• Article 28: No religious instruction in state-funded institutions.

Key Supreme Court Judgments:

• Kesavananda Bharati (1973): Declared secularism a basic feature of the Constitution, unamendable.
• S.R. Bommai (1994): Reaffirmed secularism as a basic feature, stating no government can violate the secular fabric.
• Writ Petitions Dismissal (Nov 2024): Dismissed challenges to ‘secularism’ in the Preamble, noting it hasn’t impeded legislation as long as fundamental rights and basic structure are not violated.

Indian State’s Approach to Secularism:

• Maintains distance from religion, remaining neutral.
• Ensures neutral public spaces.
• Intervenes in religious practices to end discrimination and uphold fundamental rights.
• Accommodates religious practices without official promotion.
• Allows religious communities to establish educational institutions, potentially with non-preferential aid.

Difference from USA Secularism:

• USA: Strict separation of State and religion (non-interference).
• India: Principled intervention; State maintains distance but can intervene to uphold constitutional ideals like equality and justice, not strict non-interference.

Secondary Pollutants Drive PM2.5: Nearly one-third of India’s PM2.5 pollution is caused by secondary pollutants, primarily ammonium sulphate, formed from sulphur dioxide (SO₂) and ammonia (NH₃).

Coal Plants are Major SO₂ Source: Over 60% of India’s SO₂ emissions originate from coal-fired power plants.

FGD Implementation Lags: Despite being mandatory, only about 8% of Indian coal thermal plants have installed Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) systems, crucial for controlling SO₂ emissions and subsequent secondary PM2.5.

Widespread Impact: Ammonium sulphate is found across many Indian cities, indicating the trans-boundary nature of air pollution, with higher concentrations near coal plants.

NCAP Cities Affected: In 114 out of 130 cities targeted by the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), ammonium sulphate constituted over 30% of total PM2.5 levels.

Need for Controls: The findings highlight the urgent need for enhanced air pollution controls, focusing on reducing SO₂ and NH₃ emissions.

Other Secondary Pollutants: Ammonium nitrate also significantly contributes to PM2.5, sometimes up to 50%.

Comprehensive Solutions Needed: Tackling secondary PM2.5 requires targeted strategies like FGD deployment and efficient fertilizer management, alongside full compliance with existing emission norms across all polluting sectors.

Nature of the Bill: A 940-page Republican tax and spending package for the US Senate, aimed at fiscal conservatism and national security.

Core Aims:

• Expand Trump’s 2017 tax cuts to the wealthy and introduce new tax breaks.
• Cut federal spending (except defence) and increase defense spending.
• Raise the debt ceiling by up to $5 trillion.
• Fund mass deportations of undocumented immigrants.

Key Provisions & Impacts:

• Medicaid Cuts: Stricter eligibility (work requirements for childless adults) and re-enrollment, potentially impacting low-income, elderly, and disabled individuals.
• Social Security: Modest temporary increases in standard deduction for those 65+.
• Extended Trump Tax Cuts: Permanently extends individual tax cuts, benefiting higher earners and the wealthy.
• SALT Tax: Temporarily raises the State and Local Tax deduction limit, benefiting higher-income taxpayers in high-tax states.
• SNAP Reforms: Reduces federal share and adds work requirements, potentially shifting burden to states and impacting food security.
• Clean Energy Rollback: Phases out Biden-era clean energy tax credits, potentially slowing climate action.
• Overtime/Tips Tax: Ends taxes on tips and overtime pay (with income limits), benefiting middle-class earners.
• Child Tax Credit: Proposes revisions to the credit.
• Immigration Crackdown: Significant allocation for border wall, fortifications, and detention centers.
• Defence Bolstering: Substantial funding for munitions, supply chains, shipbuilding, missile defense, and space capabilities.

Critical Analysis:

• Fiscal Concerns: Adds $3.3 trillion to federal debt, raising concerns about long-term economic stability and intergenerational equity.
• Social Sector Impact: Cuts to Medicaid and SNAP may disproportionately harm vulnerable populations and increase state burdens.
• Economic Equity: Permanent tax cuts for the wealthy, alongside potential reductions in social safety nets, could worsen income inequality.
• Clean Energy: Weakens US commitment to renewable energy and climate change mitigation.
• Prioritization: Critics argue the bill prioritizes immigration enforcement and defense over social welfare needs.

Impact on India:

• Global Economy: Potential impact on the US dollar, global interest rates, and India’s trade and investments.
• Clean Energy Markets: Slowdown in global climate action and technology sharing.
• Defence Policies: May lead to increased arms sales and defense partnerships with India.
• Trade Relations: Reduced US demand for imports could affect Indian service exports.

“Secular” Added Later, but Inherent: The term “secular” was formally added to the Preamble via the 42nd Constitutional Amendment in 1976. However, the Constitution, even before this, enshrined secularism through provisions like Articles 14, 15, and 16, ensuring equal treatment of all religions and prohibiting discrimination.

Basic Structure Doctrine Affirms Secularism: The Supreme Court, in landmark cases like Kesavananda Bharati (1973), declared secularism a part of the Constitution’s “basic structure.” This means it cannot be amended or diluted by Parliament, as reaffirmed in later rulings like SR Bommai and the 2024 Khanna ruling.

Preamble as a Vision, Not Source of Power: The Supreme Court has stated that while the Preamble outlines the Constitution’s vision, it’s not a direct source of governmental power, as seen in the Berubari Union case (1960).

Judicial Alignment with DPSPs: The Minerva Mills case (1980) linked “socialism” (also added in the 42nd Amendment) with the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSPs), highlighting their constitutional importance in promoting socio-economic welfare.

India as a Secular State: The Constitution establishes India as a secular state with no official religion, guaranteeing equal respect and protection to all faiths through Articles 25-28. This principle is a foundational aspect of India’s governance and legal framework.

What it is: The ‘QUAD At Sea Ship Observer Mission’ is a new maritime cooperation initiative launched by the Coast Guards of India, Japan, the United States, and Australia.

Why in News: It was launched following the Wilmington Declaration (2024) adopted at the 6th QUAD Summit, signifying a concrete step in implementing QUAD maritime security goals.

Key Feature: It involves a cross-embarkation of officers, including women officers, aboard partner nations’ Coast Guard vessels. Two officers from each QUAD nation are currently on board the USCGC Stratton, heading to Guam.

Objectives:

• Strengthen interoperability and operational coordination among QUAD Coast Guards.
• Enhance maritime domain awareness (MDA) in the Indo-Pacific.
• Uphold a rules-based order in the region.
• Conduct joint training in Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), patrolling, and search and rescue (SAR).
• Promote maritime diplomacy and gender inclusion.

Alignment: The mission aligns with India’s SAGAR Vision, MAHASAGAR Doctrine, and the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI).

Significance: It marks a significant stride in QUAD Coast Guard collaboration, boosting joint readiness and fostering stronger trust and resilience to address evolving maritime challenges. It is seen as laying the foundation for a ‘QUAD Coast Guard Handshake’.