News at a Glance
| No. | Topic | GS Paper(s) | Why in News (Aug 2, 2025) |
| 1 | Legal Aid Capacity (Article 39A, NALSA/SLSA) | GS-2 (Polity, DPSP) | Underfunded, poorly deployed; reforms essential for just, effective access for poor |
| 2 | Doctor-led Medical Innovation | GS-2 (Health), GS-3 (Tech) | Doctors lack medtech leadership; push for culture, curriculum, regulatory reforms |
| 3 | Cost of Free UPI | GS-3 (Economy) | UPI zero MDR model unsustainable; fiscal strain demands rethink/subsidy alternatives |
| 4 | Police Reform & Ethics | GS-2, GS-4 | Custodial deaths, systemic deficits; long-awaited anti-torture, professional reforms |
| 5 | IMF World Economic Outlook | GS-3 (Economy) | India fastest in growth; factors, comparisons, new challenges in global headwinds |
| 6 | Contract Labour in Manufacturing | GS-3 (Economy, Labour) | Contract work hits 40.7%; policy, productivity, social and formalisation concerns |
| 7 | ICJ Climate Action Opinion | GS-2, GS-3 | Advisory: climate duties now binding, not voluntary; legal claims may arise |
| 8 | Ambrosia Beetle in Kerala | GS-3 (Envi, Agri) | Invasive outbreak, deep crop loss, resilient management lessons for farm policy |
| 9 | Kalaburagi Fort & Jama Masjid | Prelims (Hist, Arch) | PM focus on neglected Deccan fort and Indo-Islamic architectural heritage |
| 10 | Apna Ghar for Truckers | Prelims (Society, Welfare) | Welfare, hygiene, digital rest stops for logistics-sector workforce |
| 11 | Shaheed Udham Singh | Prelims (History) | Martyrdom day; legacy as revolutionary in India’s freedom movement |
1. Strengthening Legal Aid Capacity in India (GS-2: Polity, DPSP)
Context & Why in News:
Despite Article 39A mandating free legal aid, India’s system struggles due to chronic underfunding, underutilization, and governance issues, hindering access for the poor and marginalized.
Comprehensive Details & Key Facts:
- Legal Aid Framework:
- Institutions: NALSA (national apex), SLSAs/DLSAs (state/district), plus legal aid clinics in rural/remote areas.
- Services: Free legal counsel, representation, court mediation, Lok Adalats, legal literacy campaigns, and para-legal volunteer (PLV) deployment.
- Eligibility: ~80% of India’s population is legally entitled to free legal aid, including women, SC/ST, children, victims of trafficking, and those below poverty line.
- Institutions: NALSA (national apex), SLSAs/DLSAs (state/district), plus legal aid clinics in rural/remote areas.
- Performance Gap:
- Between Apr 2023–Mar 2024, services reached just 15.5 lakh (up 28% from last year), still a fraction of eligible population.
- Per capita legal aid spending doubled in 5 years, but remains low—₹3 to ₹7.
- <1% of justice sector budget spent on legal aid; SLSA fund utilization <50%.
- Between Apr 2023–Mar 2024, services reached just 15.5 lakh (up 28% from last year), still a fraction of eligible population.
- Human Resource & Coverage Issues:
- Paralegal volunteer numbers dropped 38% (2019–24); low/unstable honorarium, poor retention.
- Only 1 in 127–163 villages has a legal aid clinic; only 1/3 of listed PLVs are actually deployed.
- LADC (Legal Aid Defence Counsel) Scheme, modelled on public defender system, has uneven funding and rollout.
- Paralegal volunteer numbers dropped 38% (2019–24); low/unstable honorarium, poor retention.
- Bottlenecks:
- Fund inflexibility restricts reallocation, SLSAs lack operational autonomy, cumbersome permissions for staffing/equipments.
- Bureaucratic delays, digital divide, and lack of auditable impact assessment.
- Fund inflexibility restricts reallocation, SLSAs lack operational autonomy, cumbersome permissions for staffing/equipments.
- Way Forward:
- Raise legal aid to at least 2% of justice budget, remove SLSA fund use barriers, ensure fair/standardized PLV honoraria.
- Raise legal aid to at least 2% of justice budget, remove SLSA fund use barriers, ensure fair/standardized PLV honoraria.
2. Empowering Doctors to Drive Healthcare Innovation (GS-2: Health, GS-3: S&T)
Context & Why in News:
Only a fraction of India’s 13 lakh doctors lead innovation in MedTech despite their invaluable insights; engineers still dominate leadership of Indian health startups.
Comprehensive Details & Key Facts:
- <10% of MedTech startups have physician co-founders; <5% of medical colleges offer innovation or entrepreneurship courses.
- Doctors are the closest to real healthcare challenges but don’t get time, exposure, or encouragement to innovate; risk-averse mindset due to clinical tradition.
- Key Barriers:
- Long hours and administrative work, little training in finance/product development, few mentors, bureaucratic regulatory hurdles, social stigma in case of failure.
- Long hours and administrative work, little training in finance/product development, few mentors, bureaucratic regulatory hurdles, social stigma in case of failure.
- Policy/Initiative Gaps:
- Most innovation support (BIRAC, Atal Innovation Mission, Startup India) is accessed by tech grads, not clinicians.
- Reforms & Solutions:
- Integrate entrepreneurship and biodesign in medical training, foster interdisciplinary medical-engineering collaboration, set up hospital-based hubs, and promote short skill courses for doctors in medtech.
- Integrate entrepreneurship and biodesign in medical training, foster interdisciplinary medical-engineering collaboration, set up hospital-based hubs, and promote short skill courses for doctors in medtech.
3. Hidden Cost of Free UPI—Fiscal Impact (GS-3: Economy)
Context & Why in News:
Zero MDR (merchant discount rate) on UPI and RuPay, once central to digital payment adoption, is now fiscally straining the exchequer.
Comprehensive Details & Key Facts:
- Policy:
- Since 2020, UPI and RuPay debit MDRs waived for users/merchants. Banks/NPCI compensated via direct government subsidy (₹2,000 crore for FY25, up from ₹1,500 crore).
- 83% of all Indian fund transfer volumes now via UPI; enabled mass financial inclusion for small traders and citizens.
- Since 2020, UPI and RuPay debit MDRs waived for users/merchants. Banks/NPCI compensated via direct government subsidy (₹2,000 crore for FY25, up from ₹1,500 crore).
- Design & Coverage:
- P2M incentive is capped (0.15%), covers only up to ₹2,000 per transaction for micro-merchants/small outlets.
- 80% of payout unconditional, 20% tied to system uptime and low declines.
- P2M incentive is capped (0.15%), covers only up to ₹2,000 per transaction for micro-merchants/small outlets.
- Fiscal/Structural Challenge:
- Running UPI isn’t free—backend settlement, bank infra, network/app costs persist.
- Continued growth risks ballooning subsidies; moving to user/merchant charges could reverse digital adoption/financial inclusion gains or push users back to cash.
- Running UPI isn’t free—backend settlement, bank infra, network/app costs persist.
- Alternatives:
4. Reforming Policing and Ethical Issues (GS-2: Governance & Ethics, GS-4)
Context & Why in News:
Custodial deaths, archaic colonial policing structures, and lack of professionalization undermine rights and justice; recent deaths rekindle debate over institutional reform.
Comprehensive Details & Key Facts:
- Systemic Flaws:
- Police still governed by colonial 1861 Police Act; slow to adopt Prakash Singh SC guidelines (2006).
- 90% staff are constables with minimal training; reports of 2–3 custodial deaths per week (687 from 2018–2023).
- Deep social biases (Status of Policing India Report 2025): profiling, discrimination, normalization of violence.
- Police still governed by colonial 1861 Police Act; slow to adopt Prakash Singh SC guidelines (2006).
- Institutional Weakness:
- Rare disciplinary and criminal convictions for misconduct.
- Weak oversight (Police Complaint Authorities/Security Commissions not operational in most states).
- Cumbersome, politicized transfers; poor separation of law/order and investigation.
- Rare disciplinary and criminal convictions for misconduct.
- Ethical Analysis:
- Torture directly violates Kantian ethics (“ends vs means”), public service values (accountability, justice), yields unreliable confessions.
- Torture directly violates Kantian ethics (“ends vs means”), public service values (accountability, justice), yields unreliable confessions.
- Way Forward:
5. IMF World Economic Outlook—India’s Growth Outlook (GS-3: Economy)
Context & Why in News:
IMF’s July 2025 World Economic Outlook revises India’s GDP growth to 6.4% for 2025 and 2026; India remains the world’s fastest-growing major economy.
Comprehensive Details & Key Facts:
- Global Context:
- World GDP growth at 3% (2025), 3.1% (2026); “slowbalisation” as trade/GDP share to fall to 53% by 2030.
- Global inflation forecast for 2025: 4.2%.
- Fragility due to high global public debt, risk of “fragmentation,” supply shocks and tariff hikes.
- World GDP growth at 3% (2025), 3.1% (2026); “slowbalisation” as trade/GDP share to fall to 53% by 2030.
- India-Specific Positives:
- India’s nominal GDP to rise to $4.19 trillion (2025), expected to surpass Japan’s $4.18 trillion; pace far outstrips China (forecast: 4%).
- Growth drivers: Rural consumption, robust domestic demand, policy reforms, low inflation.
- India’s reforms (GST, Insolvency Code, digitalization) strengthen the macro framework even in an uncertain global environment.
- India’s nominal GDP to rise to $4.19 trillion (2025), expected to surpass Japan’s $4.18 trillion; pace far outstrips China (forecast: 4%).
6. Contractualisation in Manufacturing (GS-3: Economy, Labour)
Context & Why in News:
Rise in contract labour in formal sector industries—now 40.7% (2022–2023)—has doubled in two decades, presenting multiple challenges.
Comprehensive Details & Key Facts:
- Trends & Productivity:
- Contractual employment is flexible and allows quick scale-up/down in demand cycles, but CLI firms have 31% lower productivity; capital-intensive CLI fared better than labour-based.
- Contractual employment is flexible and allows quick scale-up/down in demand cycles, but CLI firms have 31% lower productivity; capital-intensive CLI fared better than labour-based.
- Problems:
- Widespread wage gaps and lower social security for contract workers; higher attrition makes employers reluctant to invest in training.
- Contractors focus on cutting costs over quality—“principal–agent” dilemma.
- IR Code, 2020 leaves gaps in effective protection; most collective bargaining is rendered weak in a fragmented workforce.
- Widespread wage gaps and lower social security for contract workers; higher attrition makes employers reluctant to invest in training.
- Policy Directions:
- Amend IR Code to include contract workers; introduce stable, fixed-term employment and wage subsidies (PMRPY); subsidise skilling via NAPS and cluster-based models.
- Amend IR Code to include contract workers; introduce stable, fixed-term employment and wage subsidies (PMRPY); subsidise skilling via NAPS and cluster-based models.
7. ICJ Advisory Opinion on Climate Action (GS-2, GS-3: International Law, Environment)
Context & Why in News:
ICJ’s July 2025 advisory: States may be held legally responsible for climate inaction—transforming climate targets from voluntary to actionable international law.
Comprehensive Details & Key Facts:
- Key Legal Points:
- Mitigation/adaptation now interpreted as binding international obligations, under UNFCCC, Paris, Montreal, CBD, UNCLOS, and customary law.
- Failure to act = “internationally wrongful act,” with risk of claims for compensation, cessation, guarantees of non-repetition (“loss and damage” funding reinforced).
- Mitigation/adaptation now interpreted as binding international obligations, under UNFCCC, Paris, Montreal, CBD, UNCLOS, and customary law.
- Global Duties:
- Obligations are owed universally (erga omnes), including to future generations; developed countries retain lead responsibilities.
- Significance for India: NDCs/policies are now legally scrutable; neighbours may invoke cross-border “harm” to claim reparations.
- Obligations are owed universally (erga omnes), including to future generations; developed countries retain lead responsibilities.
- IPCC & COP Influence:
- ICJ’s 1.5°C emphasis draws from COP-26/28 consensus but is criticized for little attention to equity/capacity differences.
- ICJ’s 1.5°C emphasis draws from COP-26/28 consensus but is criticized for little attention to equity/capacity differences.
8. Ambrosia Beetle Outbreak in Kerala (GS-3: Environment, Impact on Agriculture)
Context & Why in News:
Euplatypus parallelus, the ambrosia beetle, and its fungal symbionts (Fusarium) are devastating Kerala’s rubber plantations, threatening livelihoods and output.
Comprehensive Details & Key Facts:
- Beetle is native to Central/South America, introduced to India in 2012 (first on cashew in Goa).
- Attacks >80 broadleaf species (cashew, rubber, teak, coffee, coconut); targets stressed/dying trees by sensing ethanol.
- Bores galleries into trunk, introduces harmful fungi; fungi deprive wood/xylem of water, causing drying, leaf drop, latex loss.
- Fusarium fungi spread rapidly because beetles transmit spores without mycangial sacs, compounding attack.
- Impact:
- Major latex shortfall, tree deaths, long recovery periods, and economic/livelihood setback for small farmers.
- Fungicides/insecticides ineffective against deep-seated fungi—requires vigilant surveillance and bio-control strategies .
- Major latex shortfall, tree deaths, long recovery periods, and economic/livelihood setback for small farmers.
9. Kalaburagi Fort & Jama Masjid (Prelims: History, Art and Culture)
Context & Why in News:
Prime Minister highlighted neglect of Kalaburagi Fort (Karnataka)—famed for its Bara Gazi Toph (29-foot cannon) and Jama Masjid, Asia’s second-largest mosque.
Comprehensive Details & Key Facts:
- Kalaburagi Fort: Built by Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah (Bahmani Sultanate founder, 1347–58 CE). Fort defenses include double-walls, wide moat, and iconic Hathi Darwaza (gateway).
- Bara Gazi Toph: One of the world’s largest cannons (five-metal alloy), symbolizing medieval military engineering.
- Jama Masjid: Built by Muhammad Shah I, inspired by Cordoba Mosque (Spain); famous for its Persian, Moorish, and Indian blend—example of Indo-Islamic architecture.
- Historical Value: Fort and mosque witnessed numerous historical events in Deccan polity; now part of culture, tourism, and restoration debates.
10. Apna Ghar Initiative for Truck Drivers (Prelims: Welfare, Economy)
Context & Why in News:
‘Apna Ghar’—government/Oil Marketing Company scheme—aims to give long-haul truckers better rest, hygiene, safety en route.
Comprehensive Details & Key Facts:
- Chain of rest facilities with dorms (10–30 beds), eateries, self-cooking space, clean toilets/baths, purified water, all bookable via mobile app.
- Tackles occupational hazards—driver fatigue, health, dignity, and road safety.
- Policy push for logistics sector welfare; integrates with India’s focus on Ease of Doing Business and transport modernization.
11. Shaheed Udham Singh (Prelims: Modern Indian History)
Context & Why in News:
Tributes paid to Shaheed Udham Singh, freedom fighter who avenged the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, on his martyrdom day (31 July).
Comprehensive Details & Key Facts:
- Born Sunam, Punjab, 1899; orphaned young, radicalized by Jallianwala tragedy (1919).
- Assassinated Michael O’Dwyer (former Lt. Governor of Punjab, responsible for Jallianwala) in London, 1940.
- Tried and executed by hanging; became a symbol of India’s overseas revolutionary struggle and anti-colonial justice.