Daily Current Affairs and News Analysis 07-03-2025

Ecotourism Initiative: The Jammu and Kashmir government announced new rules to develop Bangus Valley as an ecotourism destination. This is driven by the need to avoid over-construction and maintain ecological balance, unlike the developments in popular spots like Pahalgam, Gulmarg, and Sonamarg.

Location and Features: Bangus Valley is located in the Kupwara district, near the Line of Control (LoC). It comprises a unique ecological combination including a grassland biome with flora and a Taiga or Coniferous forest. The valley has level green meadows surrounded by low-lying mountains covered with dense Coniferous forests (budloo) and a stream flowing through them.

Focus on Basic Facilities: The government will concentrate on providing essential recreational amenities, rain shelters, public conveniences, signage, lighting, and waste disposal facilities to improve the visitor experience.

Local Livelihood Support: To protect the livelihoods of local communities, the Tourism Department will register paying guest houses.

Actions Against Unauthorised Construction: Measures are being taken to curb illegal construction. Notices were issued against 269 unauthorized constructions in Pahalgam in the past two years.

Supreme Court Reaffirms Strictness: The Supreme Court emphasized the need for strict adherence to constitutional and legal safeguards in preventive detention cases.

“Draconian Measure”: Preventive detention, being a severe measure, cannot override fundamental rights without strict procedural protections.

Case Background: The ruling concerned the preventive detention of two individuals (Ashraf Hussain Choudhary and his wife) by the Nagaland government under the PITNDPS Act (Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988). They were detained after a drug seizure based on police allegations without proper justification.

Violation of Law: The detention orders were struck down for violating Section 6 of the PITNDPS Act due to the absence of separate, specific grounds for detention.

Oral Communication Insufficient: The court ruled that informing detainees orally in Nagamese about the grounds for detention was inadequate, referencing the Harikisan vs. State of Maharashtra (1962) ruling.

Impact on Rights: The court highlighted that preventive detention significantly affects fundamental rights and requires strict compliance with statutory norms.

Preventive Detention Definition: It’s the detention of an individual without trial to prevent anticipated unlawful activities, based on suspicion rather than conviction. Article 22(3) of the Constitution allows for preventive detention, excluding protections against arrest under Articles 22(1) and 22(2).

Dwindling Population in India, Thriving in Brazil: The Ongole cattle breed, native to India, faces extinction threats at home while experiencing immense popularity and value in Brazil.

Record-Breaking Sale in Brazil: An Ongole purebred cow was sold for $4.38 million USD in Brazil, highlighting the breed’s high value in the country’s beef industry.

Key Characteristics: Ongole cattle are known for their strength, adaptability to tropical climates, and disease resistance, making them suitable for harsh environments. They are also known for their docile temperament.

Historical Significance and Utility: Ongole cattle were traditionally used for draught purposes and provide moderate milk production. They are linked to India’s agrarian revolution and culture.

Breeding and Conservation Efforts in India: Government schemes like the Rashtriya Gokul Mission aim to conserve desi breeds, but farmers often prefer crossbred cattle for higher milk yields. The LAM Farm in Guntur is actively involved in breeding and preserving the breed.

Reasons for Decline in India: Mechanization, preference for crossbred cattle, and changing breeding practices have contributed to the decline in Ongole cattle numbers in India.

Comparison between India and Brazil: In Brazil, Ongoles are bred for meat and have become a key part of the economy and culture. In India, the breed struggles to survive due to market preferences, and the historical focus on draught capabilities over milk production.

Modern Breeding Technologies: The LAM farm uses advanced technologies like IVF and embryo transfer to maintain breed purity and produce superior calves.

What is a “D-Voter”? In Assam, “D-voters” are individuals whose Indian citizenship is under question. This includes those who couldn’t provide proof of citizenship or have been declared foreigners by Foreigners Tribunals (FTs).

Origin: The Election Commission of India introduced the “D-voter” category in 1997.

Consequences: D-voters are barred from voting or running for office.

Legal Ambiguity: The terms “doubtful voter” and “doubtful citizenship” aren’t defined in the Citizenship Act, 1955, or the Citizenship Rules, 2003.

Process of identification: Local Registrars mark individuals with citizenship doubts in the National Population Register (NPR) and further investigate. Affected individuals get notified and have a chance to be heard. The Registrar has 90 days for a decision.

Temporary Status: Marking someone as a D-voter is temporary. A decision needs to be made within a timeframe.

Possible Outcomes: If deemed a non-citizen, individuals may face deportation or detention.

NRC Inclusion: D-voters can apply for inclusion in the National Register of Citizens (NRC), but only after clearance from the Foreigners Tribunals and removal from the electoral rolls under the “D” category.

Political Context: Opposition parties recently raised concerns over D-voters in Assam, demanding closure of detention centers and tabling of the NRC report.

Sashakt Panchayat-Netri Abhiyan Launched: The Ministry of Panchayati Raj initiated a nationwide capacity-building program aimed at enhancing the leadership skills, decision-making abilities, and active participation of Women Elected Representatives (WERs) in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).

• Why: This initiative aims to empower women leaders at the grassroots level, strengthening democracy and promoting inclusive development.

Model Women-Friendly Gram Panchayats (MWFGP): The program seeks to establish at least one MWFGP in each district to showcase gender-sensitive governance practices.

• Why: To set a standard for promoting women-friendly policies and creating a more equitable environment.

Addressing Gender Violence: A “Primer on Law Addressing Gender Based Violence and Harmful Practices” was introduced for panchayat representatives.

• Why: To equip them with the knowledge and tools to address gender-based violence and harmful practices effectively.

Empowering Women in PRIs: Over 1.4 million women are elected in PRIs, with some states like Bihar exceeding the 33% quota. The ministry is working to eliminate the “Mukhiya Pati” culture.

• Why: To ensure women have the agency to exercise their authority independently, strengthening their leadership role and promoting fair governance.

Government Commitment: The government, under the leadership of the Prime Minister, is committed to boosting women’s leadership.

• Why: To further empower women and achieve inclusive development.

Focus on Capacity Building: Capacity building is recognized as essential for empowering women leaders to excel in their roles.

• Why: It builds confidence and equips women to drive positive change at the grassroots level.

ACC Slowdown: The Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), the world’s strongest ocean current, is slowing down. This is due to the melting of Antarctic ice sheets.

Global Impact: The ACC’s slowdown is significant because it plays a crucial role in regulating Earth’s climate.

Climate Regulation: A slowing ACC could trigger more extreme climate events and change global weather patterns.

Ocean Connection: The ACC connects the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, distributing heat, water, and nutrients worldwide. It is essential for global climate and marine ecosystems.

Ecosystem Disruption: Changes in the ACC can disrupt nutrient distribution, affecting marine biodiversity and fisheries.

Carbon Cycle Impact: The ACC’s slowdown could reduce the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide, possibly accelerating global warming.

Natural Barrier: The ACC serves as a natural barrier, safeguarding Antarctica from non-native marine species.

Shift from Democracy to “Emocracy”: Vice President highlights the risk of emotion-driven policies over reasoned governance, urging national debate.

Populism’s Nature: Populism prioritizes the “common people” against perceived elites, often using charisma, simplified solutions, and anti-establishment stances.

Types of Populism: Includes left-wing (wealth redistribution, state intervention) and right-wing (nationalism, anti-immigration) variations.

Good Governance Defined: Emphasizes transparency,

Conflict Points: Populism can undermine institutional strength, leading to short-term gains over long-term stability, erosion of institutional autonomy, unsustainable fiscal policies, and bypassing expert opinions.

Potential Benefits: Populism can boost political participation, focus on marginalized groups, and sometimes spur policy innovation.

Way Forward: Strengthening checks and balances, relying on data-driven policymaking, promoting democratic norms (media freedom, civil society), ensuring fiscal responsibility, and raising public awareness about populist policy impacts.

• Warmer Temperatures and Rainfall: Less snowfall, more rain, leading to unstable snow conditions.
• Global Warming: Causes frequent freeze-thaw cycles, increasing avalanche risks.
• Melting Permafrost: Water accumulation at the base of ice layers.
• Increased Wind Speeds: Make fresh snow layers unstable.
• Steep Terrain and Seismic Activity: The Himalayas’ geography increases risks.

• Early Warning Systems (EWS) to monitor snow conditions.
• Snow tests to assess snowpack stability.
• Defensive Structures (snow sheds, wall reinforcement).
• Controlled avalanche triggering.
• Afforestation.

• Why: To democratize AI access, enabling AI innovation, and strengthening India’s AI leadership.

• Over 300 datasets and 80+ AI models from 12 organizations.
• AI Sandbox capabilities with integrated development environments, tools and tutorials
• Data security features like encryption, secure APIs, and firewalls
• Content discoverability and AI readiness scoring of datasets
• Why: To foster the development of India-centric AI solutions, making AI development accessible to students, startups, researchers, and government departments.

• Why: To facilitate affordable access to high-end GPUs and support AI development for startups, researchers, and enterprises.

• Why: These initiatives aim to strengthen AI research, innovation, skill development, and overall AI ecosystem.

• Why: To drive nationwide AI adoption and realize the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047 by providing structured funding and framework for AI development

What is Pashu Aushadhi Initiative? It’s a new government program modeled after the Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) for humans. It aims to provide affordable generic veterinary medicines for livestock, similar to how PMBJKs offer affordable medicines for people.

Key Benefits:

• Reduced Costs: Offers cheaper, generic medicines, lessening the financial burden on farmers.
• Improved Animal Health: The initiative supports better animal health management.
• Focus on Disease Prevention: Part of the Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme (LHDCP), aiming to reduce livestock losses through immunization.
• Wide Impact: Designed to benefit India’s large livestock population (535.78 million in 2019).
• Ethnoveterinary Medicines: Will also sell traditional medicines based on indigenous knowledge.

Implementation & Funding:

• The Pashu Aushadhi stores will be run by cooperative societies and Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samriddhi Kendras (PMKSK).
• Rs 75 crore has been allocated for good quality and affordable generic veterinary medicine.
• The LHDCP, which includes Pashu Aushadhi, has an overall outlay of Rs 3,880 crore for 2024-25 and 2025-26.

Why It Matters: The initiative addresses the issue of high medicine costs for farmers and the impact of diseases like Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and others. The move will potentially reduce the economic burden on livestock farmers.

RERA’s Disappointing Performance: The Supreme Court has strongly criticized the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA), describing its functioning as “disappointing.” This mirrors previous criticisms.

Failure of Implementation: Senior advocate K. Parameshwar argued that the RERA Act has largely failed in its implementation.

Impact of Project Failures: The court recognized the “domino effect” where a builder’s project failure can negatively impact the entire real estate sector and other ongoing projects.

Need for Stronger Regulatory Mechanisms: The court acknowledges that there is a critical need to strengthen regulatory mechanisms for real estate projects. The Supreme Court has acknowledged the situation and asked to strengthen regulatory mechanism.

RERA’s Purpose: RERA, established under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, aims to regulate the sector, ensure transparency, protect buyers, and promote timely project completion.

Key Objectives & Provisions: RERA’s objectives include regulating the sector, promoting transparency, and protecting buyers’ rights. Key provisions cover project registration, escrow accounts (70% of funds), timely completion, and grievance redressal.

Viatina-19’s Record Price: An Ongole cow, Viatina-19, sold for a staggering $4.38 million (approx. INR 40 crore) in Brazil in February 2025. This is the most expensive cow in the world.

Nelore Breed & Superior Genetics: Viatina-19 is a Nelore breed, originating from India (Ongole cattle) and known for its exceptional genetic qualities, including size, muscle mass, heat resistance, and disease resistance. These traits make them ideal for meat production and are highly sought after globally.

Brazil’s Beef Industry Boom: Brazil’s cattle industry is a major economic driver. Breeders are seeking “supercows” like Viatina-19 to improve beef production and expand into new markets.

Threat to Ongole Breed in India: While the Ongole breed thrives in Brazil (80% of cattle), it faces extinction in India. Their numbers have drastically decreased, and the price is significantly lower compared to Brazil.

Government Efforts & Farmer Preferences: Despite government initiatives to conserve indigenous breeds in India, farmers often favor exotic or crossbred cattle for higher milk yields.

LAM Farm’s Conservation Efforts: In India, the LAM Farm is conserving the Ongole breed using advanced breeding technologies like IVF-embryo transfer to maintain purity.

NBFC Stress & Systemic Risk: The IMF report highlights that NBFCs are facing stress, particularly those involved in infrastructure financing. A significant 63% of power sector loans in FY24 came from the three largest infrastructure financing NBFCs (up from 55% in 2019-20), indicating a high concentration of risk. A large portion of NBFC lending is financed by market instruments, making them vulnerable to market fluctuations. State-owned NBFCs, such as IREDA, are at higher risk due to their exposure to power projects, which often face delays and financial difficulties. NBFCs’ lack of access to demand deposits, deposit insurance, and direct RBI liquidity further increases their vulnerability.

Stagflation Risk & Impact on PSBs: The IMF warns that geopolitical risks and potential missteps in monetary policies by major central banks could lead to stagflation (slow growth coupled with high inflation). Stress tests reveal that Public Sector Banks (PSBs) might struggle to maintain their required Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) of 9% under stagflation scenarios. PSBs are relatively more vulnerable because they have lower initial CARs and are more sensitive to credit risk,

Financial Inclusion Growth: India has made significant strides in financial inclusion, with nearly 80% of adults having financial accounts, supported by an extensive banking network and digital infrastructure, such as UPI.

Recommendations for Financial Stability: The IMF recommends that PSBs retain their earnings instead of paying dividends to the government to bolster their capital reserves. It also suggests improved data sharing regarding NBFC credit and exposure to better assess risks and that state-owned NBFCs should face the same regulatory burdens as private sector NBFCs to level the playing field. The IMF emphasizes prioritizing financial stability over aggressive lending for economic development.

Vitiligo Defined: An autoimmune disease causing loss of skin color in patches due to the destruction of melanocytes (cells producing melanin). It’s not life-threatening or contagious.

New Research Hope: Studies show gut-friendly bacteria-derived compounds may slow vitiligo progression and potentially restore pigmentation.

Study Findings: In mice, weekly administration of a microbial compound suppressed disease progression by 74%, reducing killer T cells and increasing protective T cells.

Impact: The condition can cause cosmetic issues and emotional distress. It impacts all races and sexes equally, but is more visible in darker skin tones.

Prevalence: Affects about 1% of the global population. In India, the prevalence is between 0.25% and 4% among dermatology outpatients.

Treatment Outlook: Current treatments may restore color but don’t prevent further loss or recurrence. The new research aims for standalone or combined treatments.

Rare Celestial Event: A planetary parade, where seven planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) align in the night sky, is a rare phenomenon.

Date and Visibility: The next planetary parade will occur on February 28, 2025, visible worldwide, particularly in the USA after sunset. Five planets can be seen with the naked eye; Uranus and Neptune require telescopes.

Rarity and Significance: Such alignments happen infrequently, with the next similar event after 2025 expected in 2040. It offers a unique opportunity to study planetary motion.

Viewing Tips: Best viewing is shortly after sunset (6:30 PM – 9:00 PM local time in the USA) from dark locations away from light pollution. Utilize star map apps and weather forecasts.

Best Viewing Locations: National parks, observatories, and dark sky reserves offer ideal stargazing conditions.

What to look for: Mercury and Venus low on horizon, Mars and Jupiter easily visible, Saturn may be harder to spot.

Why it matters: A once-in-a-lifetime event for astronomy enthusiasts, or those interested in stargazing, and a fascinating view of the solar system.

Key Finding: Endogamy in India, the practice of marrying within specific communities, leads to a higher prevalence of genetic disorders and variations in drug metabolism.

Evidence: The study, analyzing data from multiple populations, highlighted inbreeding’s impact, identifying a high incidence of ankylosing spondylitis in the Reddy community of Andhra Pradesh.

Impact on Health: Endogamy results in limited gene pools, decreasing adaptability and increasing the risk of population-specific genetic diseases.

Drug Metabolism: Research revealed novel genetic variants influencing drug response, like tacrolimus and warfarin, with variations across populations, which affects how different drugs are metabolized by different populations.

Implications: The findings emphasize the need for genetic screening, counselling, and tailored clinical care for vulnerable communities to improve diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

Study Scope: The study targeted communities with limited medical records, contributing to understanding India’s unique genetic structure.

Future Direction: The research serves as a foundation for further studies to develop more effective strategies in personalized medicine and improve health outcomes.