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Daily Archives: July 24, 2025

News In Short 24-07-2025

In News

  • The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has paid tributes to Chandra Shekhar Azad on his birth anniversary. 

    • Chandra Shekhar Azad

  • He was  born in 1906 in present-day Madhya Pradesh, grew up in poverty and became involved in the freedom struggle as a teenager during the Non-Cooperation Movement. 
  • He was Arrested for protest activities, he famously declared his name as “Azad” and vowed never to be captured alive. 
  • He was Disillusioned by Gandhi’s withdrawal of the movement in 1922

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    Study on GST Burden on Indian Households

    In Context

  • A recent study analysing India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime using the 2022–23 Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) has revealed that the bottom 50% of consumers bear the same GST burden as the middle 30%, raising important questions about the tax system’s progressivity and equity.

    • How Is GST Intended to Work?

  • GST is a consumption-based indirect tax and is designed for simplicity and broad-based collection.
  • In theory, if the tax were truly progressive, higher-income groups would bear a significantly larger share of GST relative to their consumption.
  • However, above findings indicate that the GST is only mildly progressive by international standards, as measured by various indices (Kakwani Index, Reynolds-Smolensky Index, etc.), and its redistributive effect is positive yet limited.

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    Drop in Net Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) 

    In News

  • Net FDI inflows in India dropped by 98.2% to about $40 million in May 2025, compared to $2.2 billion in May 2024.

    • Reasons for Decline

  • Increased repatriation and divestment by foreign investors.
  • Higher outward FDI by Indian companies.
  • Gross FDI inflows also dipped somewhat to $7.2 billion from $8.1 billion year-on-year.

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    India-South Africa Maritime Partnership

    Context

  • India and South Africa signed two agreements on submarine cooperation during the 9th Joint Defence Committee meeting in Johannesburg.

    • Significance of Cooperation Between two Countries

  • Blue‑Water Collaboration: For India’s goal to bolster blue-water naval presence, cooperation with South Africa enhances reach across the Indian and Atlantic Oceans.
  • Shared Security Beyond Submarines: These agreements bolster not just rescue, but also training, surveillance, and joint R&D—a key to addressing threats like piracy, trafficking, and strategic rivalries.
  • Defence Industrial Growth: India’s defence manufacturing prowess, highlighted by Defence Secretary, aligns well with South Africa’s naval modernization ambitions.
  • Regional & Historical Significance: Rooted in shared anti-colonial histories, this partnership extends diplomatic convergence into deeper defence integration.

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    Judicial Accountability and Debate over In-House Inquiry Mechanism

    Context

  • The Chief Justice of India has agreed to constitute a Bench to hear a petition filed on behalf of Justice Yashwant Varma (Allahabad High Court), challenging the constitutional validity of the in-house inquiry mechanism.

    • Background

  • In March 2025, unaccounted cash was allegedly found at Justice Yashwant Varma’s residence, prompting an in-house committee to recommend his removal without granting him a personal hearing.
  • After he refused to resign, a removal motion was initiated in Parliament.
  • The case has triggered a serious debate over judicial independence, the doctrine of separation of powers, and the limits of internal judicial oversight.

    • Read More

    Can Presidential Reference Change a Judgment?

    Context

  • The Supreme Court has issued notices to the Union Government and all States on Presidential reference on the President and Governor’s powers.

    • Background

  • Recently, the Supreme Court verdict laid down a timeline for the President and governors to decide on state bills.
  • Generally, the Governor is not bound by any time limit to act on a Bill.
  • This creates a situation where the Governor can simply not act on a Bill indefinitely this is referred to as a “Pocket Veto”, although the term is not officially used in the Constitution. 
  • The Supreme Court ruled that Governors cannot delay or withhold assent to Bills indefinitely once they are passed or re-passed by the state Assembly.

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    Paika Rebellion 

    In News

  • Former Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik criticized the exclusion of the 1817 Paika Rebellion from NCERT’s new Class VIII history textbook, calling it a “huge dishonour” to the Paikas.

    • Who were Paikas?

  • The Paikas (pronounced “paiko”, literally “foot soldiers”) were a class of military retainers who had been recruited from various social groups by the Gajapati rulers of Odisha since the 16th century. 
  • They would render martial services to the king in return for hereditary rent-free land (nish-kar jagirs) which they would cultivate during peacetime.
  • Paika Rebellion was an armed uprising in Odisha against British rule, led by Bakshi Jagabandhu, a military chief of King Mukund Dev II.
  • Paika Rebellion was an armed uprising in Odisha against British rule, led by Bakshi Jagabandhu, a military chief of King Mukund Dev II.

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    भारत के लिए रणनीतिक परिसंपत्ति के रूप में महत्वपूर्ण खनिज

    भारत को वैश्विक आपूर्ति श्रृंखला में अपने प्रयासों में तीव्रता लाने की आवश्यकता है, क्योंकि महत्वपूर्ण खनिज 21वीं सदी की निर्णायक भू-आर्थिक धुरी के रूप में उभर रहे हैं।

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