News at a Glance
| Topic | GS Paper(s) | Why in News |
| Supreme Court – Stray Dog Removal | GS2 – Governance – Issues | SC orders permanent removal and sheltering of stray dogs in Delhi-NCR to curb child dog-bite incidents. |
| Consumer Dispute Redressal System | GS2 – Governance – Issues | 5.8 lakh+ cases pending; commissions face huge backlog, delays, and vacancies, weakening consumer protection. |
| PM E‑DRIVE Scheme Extended | GS2 – MoHI – Schemes | EV incentive scheme extended by 2 years (to 2027–28) due to slow fund utilization and policy focus shift. |
| Russian Territorial Control in Ukraine | GS2 – IR – Issues | Russia currently holds ~20% of Ukrainian territory, affecting Europe’s security and global economic dynamics. |
| Ethanol Blending Challenges | GS3 – Environment – RE | India addresses food–fuel, engine, and efficiency issues as blending rises to E20/E100; highlights Brazil model. |
| World Elephant Day 2025 | GS3 – Environment – Species | Observed in Coimbatore to address Asian elephant conservation, corridors, and human–elephant conflict. |
| Kerala – New Freshwater Crab Genus & Species | GS3 – Environment – Species | Discovery of genus Kasaragodina and species Pilarta vaman in Kerala’s Western Ghats signals high endemism. |
| Narrow-Banded Rain Snake Discovery (Mizoram) | GS3 – Environment – Species | New species Smithophis leptofasciatus found in Mizoram, highlighting riparian biodiversity and conservation need. |
| Monsoon-Driven Disasters (Uttarakhand, Delhi) | GS3 – Disaster Mgmt – Issues | Recent flash floods/waterlogging reveal risks from climate, deforestation, unplanned development, governance gap. |
| Animal Stem Cell Biobank (NIAB) | Prelims – Sci – Bio | India’s first animal stem cell biobank launched for regenerative veterinary medicine and ‘One Health’ approach. |
| Udaygiri & Himgiri Stealth Frigates (Navy) | Prelims – S&T – Defence | Indian Navy to simultaneously induct 2 Project 17A stealth frigates, a first for domestic shipyards. |
| First Freight Train to Kashmir | Prelims – In News | First freight train reaches Anantnag (Kashmir) via USBRL, marking full rail connectivity and engineering feat. |
| Kerala Draft Anti-Ragging Bill | GS2 – Social Sector – Education | Proposed law expands, strengthens anti-ragging rules, includes digital/cyber forms, raises penalties, cuts delays. |
| Lung Cancer in India | GS2 – Health | Second-most common cancer in Indian men; non-smoker cases rising; regional hotspots like Mizoram observed. |
| Age of Consent Reassessment (POCSO) | GS2 – Vulnerable Sections | SC reviews whether to lower age of consent from 18, balancing child protection and adolescent rights. |
| India’s Tibet Policy & Dalai Lama Succession | GS2 – IR – India–China | Dalai Lama’s reincarnation debate spotlights the strategic and security stakes in India–China–Tibet relations. |
| Israel Plan to Control Gaza | GS2 – IR – West Asia | Israel plans indefinite security control in Gaza post-war, seeking to dismantle Hamas; impacts regional balance. |
| India–US Agriculture Dispute | GS2 – IR, GS3 – Agriculture | US–India trade talks stall over GM, dairy, ethanol imports; 50% tariffs imposed as talks falter. |
| ASEAN Centrality & Indo-Pacific | GS2 – IR – Groupings | Challenges to ASEAN centrality in the Indo-Pacific from great-power rivalry, minilaterals, and trade frictions. |
| HpNPV Biocontrol for Teak Defoliator | GS3 – Environment – Issues | Host-specific viral biocontrol for teak pests mass-produced by KFRI, reducing chemical use in forestry. |
| Forest Cover Loss in India | GS3 – Environment – Degradation | Study finds ongoing net forest and core loss (2015–19), fragmentation, and declining ecological connectivity. |
Supreme Court Order on Stray Dog Removal (GS2 – Governance – Issues)
Context:
Amid a surge in serious child dog-bite cases, the Supreme Court directed Delhi-NCR authorities to permanently remove stray dogs from public areas and house them in shelters, marking a sharp deviation from the previous capture–neuter–release approach.
Key Facts:
- Permanent Removal: All stray dogs, sterilised or not, must be relocated to shelters; priority is given to those in high-risk localities.
- Quick Action: Strays must be captured within four hours of a complaint; special focus on child safety.
- Shelter Infrastructure: Authorities must build shelters for at least 5,000 dogs within eight weeks and continually expand capacity as needed. Shelters require 24/7 CCTV surveillance.
- Health and Records: Captured dogs must be sterilised and vaccinated against rabies; regular logs of capture and welfare maintained for court monitoring.
- Public Safety: Helplines for reporting attacks; provision of immediate medical assistance for bite victims.
- Oversight and Compliance: Any obstruction attracts contempt of court; the order ensures judicial monitoring and prioritizes civic compliance.
- Policy Tension: Contradicts prior Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, spurring debate on effectiveness, municipal cost, and animal welfare ethics.
- International Models: Gives context to global methods (Netherlands CNVR, Singapore microchipping, Italy’s adoption incentives, Turkey’s sterilisation requirements).
- Challenges: Budget strain, quality of animal care in shelters, operational execution, and harmonising public health needs with animal welfare.
India’s Consumer Dispute Redressal System (GS2 – Governance – Issues)
Context:
Despite the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 (CPA), and Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), slow resolution of cases, rampant vacancies, and low public awareness hinder effective grievance redress for consumers.
Key Facts:
- Backlog: Over 5.8 lakh consumer cases pending nationwide; average case resolution is ~2 years versus mandated 3–5 months.
- Vacancies: 18 state and 218 district president posts, and hundreds of member posts, remain unfilled, reducing capacity.
- System Design: Three-tier commission architecture (District, State, National); CCPA empowered for inquiries, protection orders, investigation, and recall.
- Low Uptake: Delhi, for example, sees fewer than 5,000 new filings per year; low awareness and process complexity discourage use.
- Reform Needs: Appoint specialist members, increase digital/ODR access, summary procedures for simpler complaints, and rigorous information-education campaigns.
- Public Trust: Delays and inaccessible remedies erode faith in “consumer is king” ethos.
- Significance: Effective consumer redress is crucial for market discipline, citizen confidence, and ease of doing business.
PM E-DRIVE Scheme Extended (GS2 – MoHI – Schemes)
Context:
The core EV adoption incentive scheme (PM E-DRIVE) is extended by two years (till 2027–28), as much of its budget remains unused due to slower uptake.
Key Facts:
- Scope: Initially focused on 2- and 3-wheeler incentives (now ending after 2025–26), the scheme pivots to larger vehicles, depot/charging infra, and technology adoption.
- Funding: Centrally sponsored; aligns with FAME-II, PLI for EVs/cells, and state-specific EV policies.
- Infrastructure: Funds public charging, fleet solutions, and e-truck integration in logistics.
- Objectives: Lower oil import dependency, boost clean mobility jobs, and create a robust national charging network.
- Challenges: Consumer range anxiety, charger uptime, interoperability of vehicles/chargers, and standards harmonization.
- Way Forward: Focus shifts to institutional fleets, heavier segments, and supporting supply chains (battery manufacturing, recycling infrastructure).
Russian Territorial Control in Ukraine (GS2 – IR – Issues)
Context:
Russia currently occupies roughly 20% of Ukraine, including key industrial, agricultural, and strategic sites significantly impacting European security and the global economy.
Key Facts:
- Areas Controlled: Crimea (seized 2014), all of Luhansk, most of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia (site of Europe’s largest nuclear plant), large parts of Kherson, plus pockets in Kharkiv and Sumy.
- Significance: Control forms a “land bridge” linking Russia to Crimea, consolidates military logistics, and endangers regional nuclear safety.
- Implications: Stalemate prolongs conflict, triggers energy/food disruptions, strains NATO/EU resolve, and influences arms and security realignments.
- India Angle: India balances diplomacy, G20 activism, and energy imports, upholding “strategic autonomy” amid US–EU sanctions pressure.
Mitigating Ethanol Blending Challenges (GS3 – Environment – RE)
Context:
On World Biofuels Day, India highlighted its efforts to address the issues in ethanol blending: food–fuel conflict, vehicle damage, and efficiency loss, especially as E20/E100 comes to market.
Key Facts:
- Feedstock Policy: Shift from food stocks to B-/C–heavy molasses, surplus grains, agri-residues, and trials with energy crops (maize, seaweed, bamboo).
- Vehicle Compatibility: Newer vehicles designed for E20; E100 pilots at >400 fuel stations; hybrid flex-fuel model encouraged.
- Economic/Environmental: Second-generation (2G) biofuels and CBG blending target GHG reduction; pricing adjustments needed for real incentives.
- International Benchmark: Brazil’s flex-fuel policy ensured vehicle and fuel compatibility, price stability, and consumer choice phased adoption protected older vehicle stock.
- Policy Challenges: Need for clear disclosure at pumps; avoid efficiency loss and warranty voiding for non-compatible vehicles.
World Elephant Day 2025 (GS3 – Environment – Species)
Context:
Celebrated in Coimbatore, World Elephant Day drew focus to conservation, matriarchal herd leadership, and the crucial challenge of human–elephant conflict (HEC) as populations and habitats shrink.
Key Facts:
- Species Status: Asian elephant Endangered (IUCN), Schedule I WPA, Appendix I CITES; India retains ~60% of global wild population.
- Demographics: Karnataka leads, then Assam and Kerala; population declined by ~20% since 2017, indicating slow attrition.
- Role: Elephants are keystone ecosystem engineers aiding biodiversity (seed dispersal, forest maintenance); matriarch-led social structure; important in tribal cultures.
- Threats: Habitat fragmentation, urban expansion, infrastructure barriers, poaching, and rising HEC.
- Conservation: 33 Elephant Reserves, 150+ corridors, crop damage mitigation, Project Elephant (since 1992), and participatory community conservation.
New Freshwater Crab Genus & Species (Kerala) (GS3 – Environment – Species)
Context:
Kerala University researchers discovered Kasaragodina (a new genus) and Pilarta vaman (a new species) in headwaters of Western Ghats, emphasizing the region’s rich endemic aquatic diversity.
Key Facts:
- Habitat: Kasaragodina found in shaded stream zones in Kasaragod; Pilarta vaman in gravel-bed streams in Gavi.
- Ecology: Important for leaf-litter decomposition, nutrient cycling, and maintaining riparian health; key indicators for pristine habitats.
- Unique Features: Both have distinct morphology (carapace color, shape); high sensitivity to habitat alteration.
- Conservation: Signal the urgent need to protect riparian buffers, regulate sand mining, implement catchment-scale preservation of hill streams.
Narrow-Banded Rain Snake (Mizoram) (GS3 – Environment – Species)
Context:
A new species, Smithophis leptofasciatus, was discovered in Mizoram’s montane forests, expanding India’s known herpetofauna.
Key Facts:
- Identification: Shiny black with narrow, cream–lime colored bands; semi-aquatic and nocturnal, most active during monsoon.
- Habitat: Restricted to 900–1,200 m shaded, humid forests along perennial streams; highly sensitive to deforestation and stream pollution.
- Ecological Significance: Acts as a bioindicator for intact riparian environments and healthy montane ecosystems.
- Implication: Highlights the need for microhabitat preservation in biodiversity hotspots of Northeast India.
Monsoon-Driven Disasters (GS3 – Disaster Management – Issues)
Context:
Recent flash floods in Uttarakhand and acute waterlogging in Delhi underscore the vulnerability resulting from climate change, unplanned development, and weakened ecological buffers.
Key Facts:
- Triggers: Extreme rainfall, deforestation (e.g., Bhagirathi ESZ), urban encroachment, reduced natural drainage, slope instability.
- Landscapes: Hill regions like Uttarkashi, Sikkim face GLOFs, landslides; urban areas suffer from reduced water permeability.
- Losses: North India floods (2023), Sikkim floods (2024), Dharali disaster (2025) exemplify massive human and economic costs.
- Policy Gaps: Weak zoning, disregard for ecological reports (e.g., Gadgil/Western Ghats), poor drainage investments.
- Resilience Strategies: Enforce blue–green infrastructure, urban hazard mapping, protection of natural water channels, and community capacity-building.
India’s First Animal Stem Cell Biobank
Context:
NIAB in Hyderabad launched India’s first dedicated animal stem cell biobank, a major step for regenerative veterinary medicine and research.
Key Facts:
- Functions: Storage and documentation of animal stem cell lines for disease modeling, regenerative therapies, reproductive R&D.
- Significance: Aids vaccine/treatment development, enhances livestock productivity, and advances ‘One Health’ by linking animal and human biomedical progress.
- Policy Link: Aligned with BioE3 policy and the National Biopharma Mission for biotechnology-driven agricultural growth.
Simultaneous Commissioning: Udaygiri & Himgiri
Context:
For the first time, Indian Navy inducts two frontline Project 17A stealth frigates Udaygiri and Himgiri simultaneously, highlighting domestic shipbuilding progress.
Key Facts:
- Features: Project 17A frigates are advanced, multi-role with stealth hulls, CODOG propulsion, integrated combat management, and state-of-the-art sensors (BrahMos, Barak-8).
- Industrial Milestone: Built at GRSE (Himgiri) and MDL (Udaygiri), showcasing parallel capability and domestic design (Navy’s 100th ship).
- Strategic Role: Anti-air, anti-surface, anti-sub operations; improve blue-water and littoral security posture.
First Freight Train to Kashmir (Prelims – In News)
Context:
First freight train reached Anantnag (J&K) via the USBRL Project, fully connecting Kashmir with India’s rail network, after crossing the world’s highest railway arch bridge.
Key Facts:
- Project Details: USBRL features engineering marvels Chenab bridge (highest railway arch globally), dozens of tunnels/bridges in Himalayan terrain.
- Impact: Enhances supply, market access, disaster logistics, and strategic mobility for both civilians and defence; strengthens integration with national economy