News at a Glance
| No. | Topic | GS Paper(s) | Why in News (July 31, 2025) |
| 1 | India–U.S. Trade Tensions | GS-2 (IR, Economy) | U.S. imposes 25% tariff citing Russia ties/protectionism, risks export/jobs |
| 2 | Iran’s GPS Exit & Tech Cold War | GS-2 (IR, Tech) | Iran shifts to BeiDou, tech blocs/sovereignty, “tech cold war” trend |
| 3 | Slums in Flood-Prone Zones | GS-3 (Urbanization, SDG) | India has 158M+ slum dwellers in floodplains; urban risk and policy focus |
| 4 | Farming as a Career Option | GS-3 (Agriculture, Rural) | Govt pushes agri-skill/career for youth; reforms for agri-preneurship |
| 5 | Contaminated Sites Rules, 2025 | GS-3 (Environment) | MoEFCC notifies rules for assessing, cleaning hazardous chemical sites |
| 6 | UN Validates India’s Terror Charges | GS-3 (Internal Security) | UN names TRF as terror proxy in J&K, boosts India’s sanctions efforts |
| 7 | Flash Floods in India | GS-3 (Disaster Mgmt) | Flash floods killing thousands, climate and manmade risks on the rise |
| 8 | Rediscovery: World’s Smallest Snake | Prelims (Biodiversity) | Barbados threadsnake, once thought extinct, found alive after 20 years |
| 9 | Gold Superheating Breakthrough | Prelims (S&T, Materials) | Gold stays solid at 14x melting point in nanofilms; impacts tech and physics |
| 10 | POLNET Satellite Network Upgrade | Prelims (Internal Security) | Upgraded satellite comms for police, border, and disaster response |
1. India–U.S. Trade Tensions
Why in News:
The U.S. President announced a 25% tariff on Indian goods, effective August 1, 2025, citing India’s Russia alignment and protectionist policy.
Context and Details:
- Trigger: U.S. accuses India of “obnoxious” trade barriers, high tariffs, and continued oil/defence ties with Russia post-Ukraine war.
- Trade Deficit: U.S. cites a large deficit and India’s reluctance to finalize a broader trade deal.
- Strategic Implications:
- Tariffs imposed unilaterally undermine WTO norms; geoeconomic objectives are outweighing established rule-based trade.
- May spur India to diversify export markets and further boost manufacturing (Make in India).
- Tariffs imposed unilaterally undermine WTO norms; geoeconomic objectives are outweighing established rule-based trade.
- Impact:
- Vulnerable Indian sectors: textiles, pharma, auto components, engineering, IT.
- Tariff puts India at a disadvantage (25%) versus Indonesia (19%), Vietnam (20-40%), but below China (30-34%), Bangladesh (35%).
- MSMEs could be hit hard, risking global competitiveness and jobs.
- Additional strains: threatened BRICS oil tariffs, higher steel/aluminium duties, and trans-shipment restrictions (esp. pharma/electronics).
- Vulnerable Indian sectors: textiles, pharma, auto components, engineering, IT.
- Way Forward:
- High-level diplomatic talks (Trade Policy Forum), interim deals (e.g., pharma, digital, agri), FTA fast-tracking with EU, ASEAN, Africa, Latin America.
- Reduce reliance on the U.S. by building rupee trade and integrating regional supply chains.
- Modernize logistics, strengthen PLI, and bolster support for MSME exporters.
- High-level diplomatic talks (Trade Policy Forum), interim deals (e.g., pharma, digital, agri), FTA fast-tracking with EU, ASEAN, Africa, Latin America.
2. Iran’s GPS Exit and the Tech Cold War
Why in News:
Iran switched from U.S.-controlled GPS to China’s BeiDou during the U.S.-Israel conflict, highlighting global tech-block rivalries.
Context and Details:
- Security Concern: U.S. GPS disruptions raised fears of espionage and telecom infiltration (esp. after nuclear scientist assassinations).
- BeiDou Adoption: Seen as a push for digital sovereignty and secure, non-Western communications.
- Wider Significance:
- The “tech cold war”: Western dominance in digital infrastructure is now challenged by China’s BeiDou, Russia’s GLONASS, Europe’s Galileo.
- BRI nations adopting digital alternatives as part of global multipolarity.
- The “tech cold war”: Western dominance in digital infrastructure is now challenged by China’s BeiDou, Russia’s GLONASS, Europe’s Galileo.
- India Angle & Way Forward:
- Strengthen indigenous systems (NavIC) and adopt diversified digital infrastructure partnerships.
- Build international norms on data protection, platform neutrality, and avoid digital fragmentation.
- Digital infrastructure must be seen as strategic, requiring policy and security integration.
- Strengthen indigenous systems (NavIC) and adopt diversified digital infrastructure partnerships.
3. Slums in Flood-Prone Zones
Why in News:
A new study highlights that India has the world’s largest population (158 million) of slum dwellers living in floodplain zones.
Context and Details:
- Findings:
- Major concentration in the Ganga delta and north India; 40% of urban slum dwellers exposed to severe flood risk.
- Global South: 33% of slum settlements exposed to floods; sub-Saharan Africa (80% of slums in floodplains).
- Major concentration in the Ganga delta and north India; 40% of urban slum dwellers exposed to severe flood risk.
- Drivers:
- Cheaper land, job access, forced displacement, housing shortage, weak zoning.
- Settlers knowingly accept flood risk due to lack of alternatives.
- Impacts and Challenges:
- Intergenerational poverty, asset loss, sanitation and health crises, service breakdowns, insurance gaps, poor disaster preparedness.
- Intergenerational poverty, asset loss, sanitation and health crises, service breakdowns, insurance gaps, poor disaster preparedness.
- Way Forward:
- Target flood resilience in slum-adaptation strategies.
- Improve local drainage, sanitation and involve community in planning/alerts.
- Promote micro-insurance/social nets, utilize remote sensing/ML for vulnerability mapping.
- Integrate with SDGs 1, 11, and 13 for resilient, inclusive urban development.
- Target flood resilience in slum-adaptation strategies.
4. Farming as a Career Option
Why in News:
Government efforts focus on promoting farming as a dignified, tech-enabled career path for rural youth.
Context and Details:
- Benefits: Stable livelihoods, food security, dignity, reduced urban migration; youth more likely to use tech/precision farming.
- Challenges:
- Social perception is low; land access difficult, credit/starters limited, support programs lack market/investment linkage, climate risks reduce appeal.
- Social perception is low; land access difficult, credit/starters limited, support programs lack market/investment linkage, climate risks reduce appeal.
- Schemes:
- KVKs (district-level agri-skilling); ARYA (startups); STRY (short trainings); ATMA (ICT agri-training), ACABC (credit + incubation), KVK-FPO linkages, SVEP (funds rural enterprises).
- KVKs (district-level agri-skilling); ARYA (startups); STRY (short trainings); ATMA (ICT agri-training), ACABC (credit + incubation), KVK-FPO linkages, SVEP (funds rural enterprises).
- Needed Reforms:
- Diversify to high-value crops, provide soft loans/insurance/startup grants; legal reforms to enable land leasing, tech/mobile app integration, foster agri-mentorship and perception-shifting curricula.
- Diversify to high-value crops, provide soft loans/insurance/startup grants; legal reforms to enable land leasing, tech/mobile app integration, foster agri-mentorship and perception-shifting curricula.
5. Environment Protection (Management of Contaminated Sites) Rules, 2025
Why in News:
India notified new rules under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, for systematic remediation of chemically contaminated sites.
Context and Details:
- Provisions:
- Districts must report suspected sites biannually.
- Tiered process: state boards/agency prelim survey (90 days), then detailed survey (next 90 days).
- Sites exceeding thresholds: publicly notified, entry restricted.
- “Polluter pays”; if defunct, Centre/State bear cleanup. Criminal charges for deaths/losses.
- Excludes: Radioactive, mine, oil, and regular dumpsite waste.
- Districts must report suspected sites biannually.
- Limitations:
- Only 7 of 103 high-risk sites cleaned.
- Multiple agencies = implementation bottlenecks; timelines for cleanup not fixed.
- Only 7 of 103 high-risk sites cleaned.
- Way Forward:
- Central digital site registry, PPP for green remediation tech, “remediation fund” for emergencies.
- Central digital site registry, PPP for green remediation tech, “remediation fund” for emergencies.
6. UN Validates India’s Terror Charges
Why in News:
A UN Security Council report named The Resistance Front (TRF), validating India’s claim of Pakistan-backed proxy terror in Kashmir.
Context and Details:
- Importance:
- First UN acknowledgment of the TRF’s terror role, post-Pahalgam attack.
- Strengthens India’s push for UN 1267 sanctions on proxy groups and counters Pakistan’s denial narrative.
- First UN acknowledgment of the TRF’s terror role, post-Pahalgam attack.
7. Flash Floods in India
Why in News:
Flash floods—seen in Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim—are killing thousands annually, with frequency increasing due to climate change.
Context and Details:
- Nature: Sudden, short, high-volume floods, usually within 6 hours of rainfall.
- Stats: 5,000+ deaths/year; events rose from 132 (2020) to 184 (2022).
- Drivers:
- Only 25% caused by rainfall alone.
- Soil saturation, steep terrain, and Himalayan topography worsen the risk.
- Dams, canals, wetland loss, poor drainage; climate change increases rainfall intensity.
- Only 25% caused by rainfall alone.
- Impacts:
- Lives, homes, agriculture lost; major economic damage; erosion, contamination, infectious disease outbreaks.
- Lives, homes, agriculture lost; major economic damage; erosion, contamination, infectious disease outbreaks.
- Adaptation:
- Regional adaptation (not just rainfall criteria), robust alert systems, resilient infrastructure, “flood zone” zoning, ongoing preparedness.
- Regional adaptation (not just rainfall criteria), robust alert systems, resilient infrastructure, “flood zone” zoning, ongoing preparedness.
8. Rediscovery of the World’s Smallest Snake
Why in News:
The Barbados threadsnake (Tetracheilostoma carlae), once considered extinct, has been rediscovered after 20 years.
Context and Details:
- Features: Only 10cm long, coin-sized, subterranean, feeds on ants/termites; single-egg layer, yellow dorsal stripes.
- Significance:
- Demonstrates the ongoing importance of re-surveys for biodiversity and conservation management.
- Demonstrates the ongoing importance of re-surveys for biodiversity and conservation management.
9. Gold Remains Solid Beyond Melting Point
Why in News:
Researchers find gold can stay solid at nearly 14× its melting point when rapidly laser-heated (ultrafast, nanoscale regime).
Context and Details:
- Breakthrough:
- “Superheating” phenomenon challenged previous limits (entropy catastrophe).
- Confirmed for trillionths of a second by x-ray scattering.
- “Superheating” phenomenon challenged previous limits (entropy catastrophe).
- Technology Applications:
- Heat-resistant materials, planetary core science, advanced nanotech, ultrafast process engineering improvements.
- Heat-resistant materials, planetary core science, advanced nanotech, ultrafast process engineering improvements.
10. POLNET Upgrade
Why in News:
India is upgrading its secure POLNET satellite network for police/security communications, especially in remote/border areas.
Context and Details:
- Systems: Launched in 2002, nationwide in 2006, upgraded as POLNET 2.0 in 2020 with video and data features.
- Functions: Connects police remotely to central systems; uses flyaway VSAT terminals for disasters/field operations.