News at a Glance
Supreme Court’s Modified Directions on Stray Dog Management
Context:
In August 2025, the Supreme Court revised its earlier strict order on stray dogs (requiring mass sheltering), opting instead for a humane approach mandating sterilisation, vaccination, and regulated release, while ensuring public safety and national uniformity.
Key Facts:
- Stray dogs are to be sterilised, vaccinated, dewormed, and then released back to their original localities as per Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023.
- Rabid/aggressive dogs are not to be released back; instead, they must be confined in separate shelters after proper treatment.
- Municipal authorities must set up dedicated feeding zones, prohibit street feeding, enforce penalties for violations, and maintain compliance records.
- Citizens/NGOs can adopt stray dogs (with tagging/municipal supervision); municipalities must set up helplines and report implementation statistics.
- Expanded nationwide: Petitions consolidated, policies to apply across all states/UTs, for a unified, enforceable strategy.
- The revised order balances the right to compassion with the protection of citizens, acknowledging infrastructure limitations and the spirit of the ABC Rules.
Inclusive AI in Healthcare
Context:
AI is transforming Indian healthcare via platforms like eSanjeevani, but there is a risk that lack of inclusivity in design and data can worsen inequalities[TH].
Key Facts:
- Digital divides: AI-based healthcare often presumes user literacy and digital skills, leaving out rural and less literate users.
- Gender/data skew: Male-centric data and underrepresentation lead to misdiagnoses e.g., up to 7x more missed heart issues in women.
- Cultural/context gaps: AI not adapted for local realities can cause women and marginalised groups to ignore vital advice.
- Solutions: Diversify training datasets, involve community panels, open-source decision logic, and enable equity audits to ensure fair outcomes for all users.
Gender Equality in India
Context:
NITI Aayog’s SDG report and the Global Gender Gap Report 2025 show India ranks poorly (131/148), with persistent gaps in education, labour force participation, health, and politics[DH].
Key Facts:
- Literacy: Kerala leads at 95.2% female literacy; Bihar and Rajasthan lag below 66%.
- FLFP: High in Himachal (56.2%), low in southern states trending down due to loss of rural work.
- Health: Kerala, TN have >98% institutional deliveries, lowest MMR. U.P., Bihar, and MP face highest MMR due to infrastructure gaps.
- Politics: Chhattisgarh, U.P. show some progress in assembly seats for women, but party-level quotas remain rare.
- Regional divide: North/south gap is narrowing, with exceptions on both sides; progress now depends more on local strategies and inclusive governance than geography alone.
Rising Senior Citizen Tax Contributions
Context:
Senior citizens (70+) contributed 5.9% of India’s rising income-tax collection in FY24, up 28% year-on-year, reflecting better reporting, compliance, and changing economic demographics[IE].
Key Facts:
- FY24 saw ₹10.45 lakh crore in total income-tax; seniors’ share rising with TDS, digital filings, diversified income, and longer life expectancy.
- Senior contributions: 5.3–5.9% in recent years, even when overall collections fluctuated.
- Drivers: Financial inclusion, expanded pensions, asset growth, and stricter income-reporting requirements.
- Policy implication: Catering to seniors’ needs and encouraging voluntary compliance are increasingly relevant for revenue and welfare design.
GST 2.0 Reform
Context:
A Group of Ministers has cleared a shift from four GST rates to a simplified two-rate structure, with a proposed 40% “sin goods” slab for harmful or luxury items[TH|MC].
Key Facts:
- The 12% and 28% slabs would be replaced by 5% and 18%; 99% of 12% items drop to 5%, 90% of 28% items drop to 18%.
- Sin/ultra-luxury goods (tobacco, pan masala, high-end cars, sugary drinks, junk food) to be taxed at 40%.
- Objectives: Make GST simpler, increase public acceptance, reduce disputes, and ensure consumer/MSME relief while protecting state revenues.
Four Distinct Species of Giraffe
Context:
IUCN confirmed genetic and morphological evidence for four giraffe species (Southern, Northern, Reticulated, Masai), revising the old single-species view[BBC].
Key Facts:
- All found in Africa, each with unique markings, range, and conservation challenges.
- Southern: Most common; pale, rounded patches.
- Northern: Most threatened.
- Reticulated: Nets of polygons (distinctive).
- Masai: Vine-leaf shapes; largest-bodied.
- Conservation: All “Vulnerable” (IUCN), under new taxonomy face differentiated extinction risks.
Haryana’s Official Forest Definition
Context:
Prompted by SC directives, Haryana notified a new state forest definition, but its high area and canopy thresholds have sparked expert criticism[IE].
Key Facts:
- Forest now means 5 ha (isolated) or 2 ha (adjacent), with ≥40% canopy; excludes linear/compact/agroforestry plantations.
- Ignores small, drought-prone Aravalli patches critical for ecological and groundwater security.
- Risks: Narrow definition may exclude ecologically key areas, enabling encroachment and mining.
- Broader issue: No uniform “forest” definition at the national level; conflicting criteria (FCA, Godavarman, FSI).
Tiger Corridor Definition
Context:
NTCA now limits “tiger corridor” status to 32 least-cost pathways (GIS-based), potentially easing mining clearances but risking habitat fragmentation and genetic isolation.
Key Facts:
- Corridors connect reserves, enable safe movement, gene flow, and buffer against population bottlenecks.
- New definition drops earlier, broader criteria from WII-conservation plans; now only “least cost pathways” are protected.
- Risks: Legal protection shrinks, mining/infrastructure may fragment vital non-corridor habitats.
- Legal base: Wildlife Protection Act/SC-NBWL oversight applies only to officially defined corridors, not all tiger-use areas.
DRDO’s IADWS Test Success
Context:
DRDO successfully flight-tested the Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS), demonstrating indigenous multi-layered air defence capability[IE].
Key Facts:
- IADWS features: QRSAMs, VSHORADS, and Directed Energy (laser) weapons for neutralising varied air threats (missiles, drones, aircraft).
- Part of Mission Sudarshan Chakra: Aims for a comprehensive, networked defence shield protecting critical infrastructure and promoting self-reliance.
Lunar Module Launch Vehicle (LMLV)
Context:
ISRO is developing India’s heaviest rocket LMLV to support future lunar missions, including India’s first Moon crew landing by 2040[IE].
Key Facts:
- Payload: 27 tonnes to the Moon, 80 tonnes to LEO; three-stage vehicle (liquid/cryogenic propellants).
- Timeline: Completion and operational readiness expected by 2035; replaces the NGLV design.
Screwworm
Context:
US reported its first case of New World screwworm (parasitic fly larvae,myiasis), raising alarm due to risks to livestock and potential disease spread[DH].
Key Facts:
- Old World: Chrysomya bezziana (Asia/Africa), New World: Cochliomyia hominivorax (Americas).
- Transmission: Females lay eggs in wounds; larvae feed on living tissue, can cause severe myiasis.
- Impact: Major veterinary, trade, and food security issue; control via sterile insect releases and surveillance.
Nature’s Architects
Context:
From beavers to termites, wild animal “engineers” build sustainable, climate-adaptive homes more advanced than many human structures[TOI].
Key Facts:
- Beavers: Build dams/lodges, create wetlands vital for ecosystem health.
- Prairie dogs: Multi-chamber, escape-route burrows for social and environmental benefits.
- Termites: Towering, climate-controlled mounds with nurseries, fungus gardens, and complex ventilation.