14.07.25

• Reason: Public backlash and systemic challenges, including technological integration issues and lack of inter-state coordination, made implementation infeasible.

• Request to CAQM: The minister wrote to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) requesting a hold on the directive.

• CAQM’s directive mandated fuel denial to ELVs via ANPR cameras from July 1, 2025.
• NGT banned diesel vehicles over 10 years and petrol vehicles over 15 years in NCR in 2015.
• Supreme Court upheld NGT orders in 2018.
• Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, govern vehicle registration validity and fitness.
• Environment Protection (End-of-Life Vehicles) Rules, 2025, mandate scrapping after registration expiry.

Yamuna Clean-up Aligns with National Goals: Delhi’s prioritized Yamuna river pollution clean-up is linked to the national Namami Gange Programme (NGP), integrating local efforts with broader objectives for Ganga basin rejuvenation.

Major Causes of River Pollution:

• Industrial Effluents: Toxic discharge from industries like textiles and chemicals, with many factories bypassing treatment plants.
• Agricultural Runoff: Fertilizers and pesticides leading to nutrient pollution, harming aquatic life. Stubble burning ash also contributes.
• Religious & Cultural Practices: Idol immersion and cremation practices introduce materials like plastic and toxic paints.
• Solid Waste & Plastic Dumping: India’s high plastic emission results in significant river clogging; landfill runoff contaminates water.
• Thermal & Radioactive Pollution: Discharges from thermal plants and uranium mining introduce heat and radioactive waste.
• Climate-Related Stress: Erratic rainfall concentrates pollutants during low-flow periods and flushes contaminants during storms.

Namami Gange Programme (NGP): A flagship initiative to rejuvenate the Ganga and its tributaries through pollution reduction and ecosystem restoration. It features a five-tier implementation structure from national to district levels.

Key NGP Pillars & Interventions: Include sewerage treatment, river surface cleaning, afforestation, industrial effluent monitoring, river-front development, biodiversity conservation, public awareness, and village development. Efforts focus on pollution abatement (Nirmal Ganga), improving ecology and flow (Aviral Ganga), strengthening people-river connect (Jan Ganga), and facilitating research (Gyan Ganga).

NGP Achievements: Significant increase in sewage treatment capacity, notable improvements in water quality (reduced BOD), and growth in Gangetic river dolphin populations. The program received global recognition from the UN.

Mitigation Steps: Strict industrial regulations (Zero Liquid Discharge, ETPs), managing agricultural runoff (organic farming, buffer zones), improving solid waste management (segregation, bans on single-use plastics), restoring river ecosystems, and leveraging technology and innovation (AI, IoT, GIS).

Monsoon Session to Begin: Parliament’s Monsoon Session starts July 21.

• Why: Ahead of the session, the Congress is strategizing for upcoming discussions.

Key Issues for Discussion:

• Bihar’s electoral roll revision.
• Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.
• US tariffs on India.
• Economy, inflation, and unemployment.
• Why: These are critical national issues demanding parliamentary attention.

Opposition Demands Deputy Speaker Post: Congress-led opposition likely to demand the Deputy Speaker post in Lok Sabha.

• Why: Kodikunnil Suresh is a strong contender, signaling the opposition’s intent to claim this position.

Parliamentary Sessions Overview:

• Summoned under Article 85 of the Constitution.
• Government, via Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs and President, decides session timings.
• Maximum six-month gap between sessions, requiring at least two meetings annually.
• Why: These constitutional provisions ensure regular parliamentary functioning.

Parliamentary Session Cycle: India has three customary sessions: Budget, Monsoon, and Winter.

• Why: This structure facilitates legislative business and government oversight throughout the year.

Why in News: The Mahisagar River Bridge collapse, killing 20, highlights critical infrastructure quality issues nationwide.

Reasons for Poor Infrastructure:

• Corruption & Substandard Materials: Kickbacks allow politically linked firms to use cheap materials, leading to weak structures (e.g., Bihar’s illegal ghost bridge).
• Poor Maintenance & Overloading: Neglect and lack of inspection cause collapses (e.g., Morbi, Indrayani River bridges). Overloading, with unchecked heavy vehicles, also leads to failures (e.g., Assam’s Harang Bridge).
• Engineering Flaws: Poor planning and lack of expert oversight result in unsafe designs (e.g., Bhopal, Indore bridges).
• Lack of Accountability: Officials and contractors are rarely punished after disasters; lax regulations allow unsafe structures to remain in use.
• Climate & Environmental Factors: Floods and erosion weaken foundations without preventive action (e.g., Assam, Bihar). Unplanned urbanization stresses existing infrastructure.
• Political Interference: Rushed inaugurations of incomplete projects bypass safety checks; state-centre mismanagement and fund disputes cause delays.

Current Infrastructure State:

• Highways: Second-largest road network globally.
• Railways: Bullet train project progressing; decline in consequential accidents despite some crashes.
• Civil Aviation: Third-largest domestic market; significant increase in operational airports.
• Maritime: Aiming for top shipbuilding nations status; mega port and economic corridor projects underway.
• Urban Metro: Substantial expansion in network and cities served.
• Ropeways: Projects planned under the Parvatmala Pariyojana.

How to Improve Infrastructure:

• Strict Quality Control: Independent audits (e.g., IITs), lifetime bans for non-compliant firms, real-time fund tracking via blockchain.
• Advanced Engineering & Materials: Use of high-quality, durable materials; AI/IoT sensors for real-time monitoring.
• Shift to Maintenance: Proactive maintenance approach with dedicated budgets and structured policies.
• Strengthen Planning: Integrated, data-driven planning using GIS and AI tools.
• Deepen Financing: Maintain public capital expenditure, encourage PPP, monetize assets, promote municipal bonds and InvITs.

Presidential Nominations: President Droupadi Murmu nominated Harsh Vardhan Shringla (former Foreign Secretary), Ujjwal Nikam (26/11 prosecutor), C. Sadanandan Master (Kerala BJP leader), and Meenakshi Jain (historian) to the Rajya Sabha.

• Why: To fill vacancies caused by the retirement of nominated members, as per Article 80 of the Constitution. These nominations are made from individuals with special knowledge or practical experience in art, literature, science, and social service.

Notable Nominees and their Backgrounds:

• Harsh Vardhan Shringla: Praised for diplomatic, intellectual, and strategic contributions, and G20 Presidency coordination.
• Ujjwal Nikam: Recognized for exemplary legal contributions and seeking justice in important cases. He was previously the BJP’s Lok Sabha candidate.
• Meenakshi Jain: A Padma Shri awardee, academic, and historian known for her books on Indian history and indigenous education.
• C. Sadanandan Master: A former teacher and BJP candidate known for his resilience after violence and commitment to national development and youth empowerment.

Context of Nominations:

• Prime Minister Modi welcomed each nomination, highlighting their specific achievements.
• The nomination of Sadanandan Master is seen as significant given upcoming Assembly polls in Kerala.

Rajya Sabha Nomination Process:

• The President nominates 12 members to the Rajya Sabha, representing expertise in various fields. Four seats were vacant and have now been filled.

Criticism of Nominated Members (General Context):

• Past criticism has focused on poor attendance and lack of engagement in legislative work by some nominated members.
• Concerns exist about ruling dispensations using nominations to increase party numbers or reward loyalists.

Lithuania Launches Grey Seal Rehabilitation Effort: Why: To support the survival and restore population balance of grey seals in the Baltic Sea, which are threatened by climate change, pollution, and overfishing.

Grey Seals Threatened by Environmental Issues: Why: Baltic Sea grey seals face threats from receding ice cover, pollution, shrinking fish stocks, and disease, impacting their survival.

Grey Seals as Marine Ecosystem Indicators: Why: As apex predators, they absorb high levels of pollutants, making them indicators of marine ecosystem health.

Grey Seal Habitat and Characteristics: Why: They live in North Atlantic coastal waters, haul out on coasts, islands, sandbars, and ice. Males can reach 10 feet, and pups are born with white fur.

Grey Seal Behavior, Diet, and Lifespan: Why: They gather for mating/molting but are often solitary. They eat fish, squid, and seabirds. They live 25–35 years and females have one pup annually.

Conservation Status: Why: The Baltic Sea subpopulation of grey seals is currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, despite facing significant threats.

India’s Growing Energy Demand & Transition Goals: India’s energy demand is doubling by 2030, necessitating a sustainable transition to meet targets of 500 GW non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030 and net-zero by 2070, aligning with Paris Agreement.

AI’s Transformative Role: AI can enhance energy sector efficiency, optimize grid management, and facilitate renewable energy integration by:

• Predicting generation/demand fluctuations for grid balance.
• Enabling smart grids to detect faults and reduce transmission losses.
• Optimizing energy supply based on real-time usage to reduce wastage.
• Promoting consumer-side energy efficiency.

Key Energy Statistics & Sector Lacunas:

• Total electricity generation is approx. 15,20,000 GWh (FY 2023-24).
• Significant renewable energy potential exists (21,09,655 MW).
• However, 20-30% of electricity is lost in transmission/distribution.
• Coal dominates (75%), leading to high GHG emissions.
• Infrastructure gaps (outdated grids, outages, theft) persist, especially in smaller cities.

Challenges in AI Implementation:

• Outdated infrastructure and recurring issues like outages and theft.
• Fragmented data systems hindering AI analysis.
• Financial barriers (high upfront costs, limited support) for utilities.
• Lack of supportive policy frameworks and guidelines.
• Shortage of AI/data analytics experts and cybersecurity risks.

Global Best Practices: Examples include smart meters (Barcelona), cloud analytics (LA), specialized training (Germany), retraining programs (UK), consumer empowerment (Copenhagen), and cybersecurity protocols (New York).

Way Forward:

• Invest in smart grids, meters, and cloud platforms.
• Develop clear AI adoption guidelines and incentives.
• Build a skilled AI/data analytics workforce.
• Protect energy data systems from cyber threats.
• Address ethical concerns, ensure community engagement, and reskill workers.

• Why: This is a significant inclusion as it aims to gather crucial demographic data for these often isolated communities.

• Why: These are the primary indigenous groups of the islands, with most being classified as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), highlighting their unique needs and vulnerability.

• Why: This classification underscores their extreme vulnerability and the need for targeted government interventions and protections, making their accurate enumeration vital for scheme delivery like PM-JANMAN.

• Why: This indicates that the government’s welfare measures are fostering trust, which is expected to facilitate better cooperation during the census. It also demonstrates the positive impact of targeted interventions on tribal health and survival.

• Why: This acknowledges the difficulties in reaching and counting highly isolated groups and points to the evolving methodologies employed by the government for more reliable data.

• Why: This demonstrates the success of a sensitive approach to tribal healthcare, which respects their practices while supplementing them, leading to improved well-being and population stability.

• Why: This highlights the ongoing tension between development infrastructure and the need to protect tribal populations from unwanted external influences, crucial for their continued existence and well-being during and after the census.

• Why: Physician Ratan Chandra Kar, who has worked with the Jarawa since 1998 and combatted a measles outbreak in 1999, highlighted the existing relationship.

• Why: The next census has not yet been conducted, making it hard to gather precise demographic data for scheme implementation.

• Why: Understanding their lifestyle and historical context is crucial for effective welfare and census operations.

• Why: This marked a significant shift in their interaction with the outside world.

• Why: Provides a baseline population figure for the tribe.

Sierra Leone’s Tiwai Island Added to World Heritage List: This is significant as it’s Sierra Leone’s first UNESCO World Heritage site, recognizing its global importance.

Pioneering Conservation Efforts by Tommy Garnett: Activist Tommy Garnett’s decades of work, including founding a conservation group, were crucial in preserving Tiwai island, which faced near destruction during the civil war. This highlights the impact of dedicated individuals on heritage preservation.

Exceptional Biodiversity in Gola-Tiwai Complex: The site is a “treasure chest of biodiversity,” home to endangered primates like the western chimpanzee and king colobus monkey, as well as animals like the pygmy hippopotamus and African forest elephant. This emphasizes the site’s natural value.

Threats to Biodiversity: The spectacular biodiversity has been imperilled by threats like deforestation, underscoring the ongoing challenges in protecting such sites.

UNESCO World Heritage Designation Explained: World Heritage Sites are recognized by UNESCO for “outstanding universal value” under the World Heritage Convention, categorized as Cultural, Natural, or Mixed heritage. This provides context for the designation.

Maharashtra Special Public Security (MSPS) Bill Passed: The state Assembly passed a stringent bill to effectively prevent unlawful activities of left-wing extremist (LWE) organizations.

Concept of Urban Naxalism: This refers to Maoist strategy of using urban areas for leadership, mass organization, and providing personnel and infrastructure for their movement.

• Why it’s a concern: Maoists aim to organize urban populations like workers, students, intellectuals, and minorities, and use front organizations for logistics and safe havens, bolstering rural insurgency.

Naxalism Defined: It’s a serious internal security challenge in India, driven by Maoist ideology stemming from socio-economic inequalities, aiming to undermine the state through armed rebellion and parallel governance.

• Origin: Naxalbari movement (1967).
• Affected Areas: Primarily the “Red Corridor” (Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, etc.).
• Methods: Armed violence, extortion, infrastructure destruction, child recruitment.

Impact of Urban Naxalism:

• Provides ideological, logistical, and financial support to rural cadres.
• Influences universities, media, and civil society to spread extremist narratives.
• Radicalizes urban youth and facilitates planning/recruitment in urban safe havens.
• Creates public dissent through misinformation and legal activism supporting extremist causes.

Bill’s Provisions:

• Empowers government to declare organizations “unlawful.”
• Punishes membership in unlawful organizations, fundraising, managing them, and “unlawful activity” (2-7 years jail, Rs 2-5 lakh fine).
• “Unlawful activity” includes interfering with public order/law administration, propagating violence/fear, disrupting communications, and encouraging disobedience to law.
• Allows District Magistrate/Police Commissioner to evict individuals from places used for unlawful purposes.

Concerns Raised:

• Broad definitions and wide police powers could be misused.
• Criminalizes a wide range of actions, including influencing public order and disobedience to law.
• Allows property forfeiture before guilt is established, potentially diluting principles like presumption of innocence.

Context: The bill is a response to the evolving threat of LWE spreading into urban networks. Special laws can sometimes dilute constitutional safeguards present in ordinary criminal laws.

• Why in News: This is a significant leadership change for the apex regulatory body of medical education.

• Why in News: It upholds the highest standards in healthcare education and ensures quality medical training nationwide.

• Why in News: This marks a generational shift in medical regulation, moving away from the older MCI which governed since 1934.

• Why in News: Highlights the comprehensive structure designed to govern medical education effectively.

Why in News: India’s household savings are declining while liabilities are rising, signaling potential risks to long-term economic stability and domestic capital formation.

Current Trends:

• Falling Gross Savings: India’s gross domestic savings rate is at a four-decade low.
• Declining Household Net Savings: The proportion of savings from households has also decreased.
• Rising Household Debt: Household liabilities have reached a near-record high, driven by consumption, housing, and education loans.
• Shift to Physical Savings: Households are increasingly saving in physical assets like gold and real estate, with a decline in financial savings.
• Reduced Bank Deposits: Savings in bank deposits have fallen significantly.
• Increased Equity/MF Investment: Investments in equities and mutual funds have nearly doubled.
• Urban-Rural Divide: Urban households are more inclined towards financial instruments, while rural households prefer physical assets.
• Post-Pandemic Impact: Reduced spending during Covid-19 initially boosted savings, but high inflation and low real interest rates have reversed this trend.

Implications:

• Reduced Capital Formation: Lower savings can slow GDP growth and increase reliance on foreign capital.
• Consumption-Driven Growth Risks: Over-reliance on consumption can lead to debt-fueled growth bubbles.
• Fiscal & Monetary Policy Pressure: Governments may need to cut spending or raise taxes, while the RBI faces interest rate trade-offs.
• Household Debt Stress: Increased risk of defaults and debt traps, potentially leading to higher NPAs.
• Social & Inequality Concerns: Weakened household resilience, increased reliance on borrowing, and retirement insecurity.

Strategies:

• Boost Financial Literacy: Improve education on saving habits, investment risks, and debt management.
• Incentivize Savings: Offer tax deductions and inflation-indexed bonds.
• Strengthen Social Security: Expand pension coverage for informal workers.
• Regulate Lending: Implement stricter norms on unsecured loans.
• Encourage Productive Investments: Promote gold monetization schemes and affordable housing.