Daily Current Affair 23-September-2025

GS2 – Polity – Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT)

• Established under Article 323A by the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985 as a quasi-judicial body for service matters of central government employees and notified PSUs.
  
• Created to ensure speedy, specialised, and cost-effective justice; reduces burden on regular courts.
  
• Composition includes a Chairperson (normally a retired/sitting High Court judge), Judicial Members (similar qualification to High Court judges), and Administrative Members (senior service experience); presently 69 members – 34 Judicial, 35 Administrative.
  
• Jurisdiction covers recruitment, service conditions, promotions, transfers, pay, pensions, and disciplinary issues for central services and 215+ notified bodies; excludes armed forces, Supreme Court staff, and Parliament secretariat employees.
  
• Functions on principles of natural justice, not bound by Civil Procedure Code; has contempt powers similar to High Court.
  
• Principal Bench in New Delhi; 18 outlying benches; wide geographic coverage for accessibility.
  
• Appeals from CAT go to High Courts under Articles 226/227, further to Supreme Court under Article 136.
  
• Achieved 92.9% disposal rate of cases from 1985–July 2025.
  
• Essential for the timely redressal of service grievances and efficient governance.
  

GS2 – Social Sector – Out-of-Pocket Expenditure (OOPE) in India

• OOPE is direct household payment for health services at the point of care, excluding insurance or reimbursement; it drives medical impoverishment and blocks Universal Health Coverage.
  
• As of 2021-22, OOPE was 39.4% of Total Health Expenditure, down from 62.6% in 2014-15 due to increase in government health spending.
  
• India’s OOPE is nearly double the global average (~18-20%); signals ongoing gaps in financial risk protection.
  
• Data quality issues exist: NHA still depends on old NSS (2017-18), ignores cost surges due to COVID-19, and may not match National Income Accounts.
  
• Key factors: Low public spending (~2% GDP vs WHO’s 5%), heavy reliance on private care (70% OPD, 60% IPD), costly drugs (~60% of outpatient OOPE), and weak PHCs.
  
• An estimated 40 crore people (the “missing middle”) lack insurance, making them highly vulnerable to medical costs.
  
• Consequences: 17% households spend >10% income on health, 55 million pushed into poverty annually, cycles of debt, and denial of care, worsening inequity.
  
• Way forward: Better data integration (NSS, CES, CMIE), raise public health spending (target 2.5% GDP), holistic insurance (Ayushman Bharat OPD), PHC strengthening, and stronger price regulation for medicines.
  

GS2 – Governance – CAG Deploys AI for Welfare Scheme Audit

• Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) is a constitutional authority under Article 148, appointed by the President for six years or up to 65 years.
  
• CAG audits finances of Union, States, and PSUs under Article 149, reporting to Parliament/legislature via Article 151.
  
• CAG recently adopted AI/ML-based audits for welfare schemes, leading to detection of widespread beneficiary fraud, prevention of fund misuse, and expansion of remote audit capabilities.
  
• Remote audits analyze digital departmental records in GST, DBT, procurement, enhancing transparency and oversight.
  
• Independence ensured: Tenure, expenses charged on Consolidated Fund, and prohibition on future office being held.
  

GS2 – Governance – Facial Recognition in Anganwadis

• Facial Recognition Software (FRS) mandated for beneficiary verification in Anganwadis, integrated with Poshan Tracker app.
  
• Aim is to prevent fraud in distribution of welfare benefits under ICDS (1975); Anganwadis provide preschool, health, and nutrition for 1.4 million centres.
  
• Issues: Phone/internet constraints, mismatched Aadhaar, exclusions of genuine cases, tech overburdens workers, and risk of stigmatization and dignity loss.
  
• FRS implementation conflicts with principles of natural justice by presuming guilt and risking violation of rights.
  
• Alternatives proposed: Manual registry, SHG/community monitoring, stronger training and reliable technology for workers, decentralised supply reforms.
  

GS2 – Governance – NITI Aayog Manufacturing & Infrastructure Index

• NITI Aayog developing a new index to evaluate states on manufacturing ecosystem, infrastructure, logistics, and approvals.
  
• Purpose: Competitive–cooperative federalism by benchmarking states to drive industrial growth.
  
• Exploring Indian Ocean Region community for resilient metals/minerals supply chains, modeled after EU Coal and Steel Community.
  
• Index will provide a unified scorecard integrating policies and infrastructure for targeted improvements in manufacturing.
  

 

 

GS2 – IR – International Recognition of Palestinian Statehood

• Australia, Canada, UK, France, and Portugal have recently recognized the State of Palestine; total recognitions now 147/193 UN member states.
  
• For Palestine, recognition improves diplomatic legitimacy and increases pressure on Israel for aid and peace talks.
  
• For Israel, signals diplomatic isolation among former allies and concerns over security threats.
  
• Marks a turning point in Western diplomatic stances, reactivating debates around the two-state solution and US role as mediator.
  

GS3 – Indian Economy – CAG Report on Rising Public Debt of States

• CAG report (2023) shows state public debt tripled in 10 years: ₹17.57 lakh crore (2013-14) to ₹59.60 lakh crore (2022-23), reaching 22.17% of GDP.
  
• Debt-to-GSDP increased from 16.66% to 22.96%; highest ratios: Punjab (40.35%), Nagaland (37.15%), West Bengal (33.70%), Odisha lowest (8.45%).
  
• Debt burden now between 128–191% of revenue receipts; 11 states breached “golden rule” by using debt for revenue spending, not capital expenditure.
  
• Fiscal gap signals unsustainable practices and demand for compliance with FRBM Act and prudent borrowing.
  

GS3 – Infrastructure – Samudra Se Samriddhi Maritime Initiative

• PM inaugurated maritime projects worth ₹34,200 crore in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, under the ‘Samudra se Samriddhi’ scheme.
  
• Reforms include ‘One Nation, One Document’ and ‘One Nation, One Port’ to simplify maritime procedures.
  
• Investment push: ₹70,000 crore in shipbuilding, adoption of modern tech, improved standards; port development in key locations.
  
• Challenges: Fall in trade share via Indian-built ships (40% to 5%), high foreign freight payments, loss of local jobs.
  
• Strategic goal: Tripling India’s maritime trade share by 2047.
  

GS3 – Environment – Morocco Ratifies UN High Seas Treaty

• Morocco’s ratification makes it the 60th country enabling global enforcement of the UN High Seas Treaty (from Jan 2026)
  
• Treaty covers areas beyond national jurisdiction, aiming at conservation and sustainable marine biodiversity management
  
• Provides first legally binding rules for overfishing, deep-sea mining, benefit sharing, and protected areas in international waters
  
• India signed in 2024, supporting its “blue economy” goals; enforcement challenges remain due to non-ratification by major powers
  

Prelims – Bharat International Rice Conference (BIRC) 2025

• World’s largest rice-focused event; to be held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, Oct 30-31, 2025
  
• Showcases India’s rice diversity, innovation, B2B and B2G linkages for global trade
  
• India: Largest rice exporter (40% of global share); 2025 export projection: 22.5 million tonnes; expected record domestic output of 149 million tonnes
  

Prelims – Tri-Services Academia Technology Symposium (T-SATS)

• First-ever symposium convened in New Delhi to foster defence–academia collaboration for indigenous technology innovation
  
• Hosted by Indian Army, HQ IDS; theme: “Victory Through Wisdom and Innovation” for national defence modernization
  

Prelims – One-Liners

• Japan’s R&I upgraded India’s sovereign rating to BBB+.
  
• PM laid foundation of first PM MITRA Park (Dhar, MP); launched Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar Abhiyan
  
• Supreme Court proposes AI-based control rooms for police CCTVs against custodial deaths.
  
• India’s official Oscar entry 2025: “Homebound” by Neeraj Ghaywan