- Recently, the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, 2025 was introduced in the Lok Sabha and subsequently referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) following intense opposition protests.
- Presumption of Innocence Undermined: The Bill allows removal based on detention, not conviction, which contradicts the principle of ‘innocent until proven guilty’.
- It is argued that the Bill could violate Article 14 (Right to Equality) and Article 21 (Right to Life and Liberty).
- Scope for Political Misuse: Opposition argue the provision could be weaponized by the Union government through investigative agencies like the CBI and ED.
- Threat to Federalism: Bill centralizes power and weakens the autonomy of state governments. Read More
Home / Daily Current Affairs / 21-08-2025
Daily Current Affairs – 21 August, 2025
PDF - The Lok Sabha has passed The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025.
- Lack of Framework: The lack of a legal framework has hindered the sector’s structured development and the promotion of responsible gaming practices, requiring urgent policy intervention and support mechanisms.
- Major Concerns: The proliferation of online money games through mobile phones, computers and the internet, and offering monetary returns has led to serious social, financial, psychological and public health harms. Read More
The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025
Context
Need for the Bill
- The foreign ministers of Afghanistan, China and Pakistan agreed to expand their cooperation in multiple fields, including extension of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Kabul.
- The China–Pakistan–Afghanistan trilateral reflects China’s bid to secure its economic and security interests in South Asia.
- India must carefully calibrate its diplomacy—balancing engagement with global and regional powers, while advancing alternative connectivity and security frameworks that safeguard its national interests. Read More
Pakistan, China and Afghanistan agree to extend CPEC to Kabul
Context
Concluding remarks
- India’s External Affairs Minister visited Moscow for the 26th Session of the India–Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC).
- EAM is on a three-day visit to Russia, taking place against the backdrop of strained India-US relations following tariffs on Indian goods.
- The visit comes amid the possibility of a meeting between Prime Minister Modi and the Russian President during the SCO Summit in Tianjin, China.
- Additionally, discussions are ongoing about a potential visit by the Russian President to India later this year. Read More
India-Russia Deepen Partnership Amid US Tariffs
Context
About
- Recently, experts stressed the urgent need for strong national space laws for India to support exploration, innovation, and commercialisation in space.
- India’s space legislation follows a deliberate, phased approach, focusing first on technical regulations to enable commercial space operations in compliance with Article VI of the Outer Space Treaty.
- This has led to key regulatory instruments such as the Catalogue of Indian Standards for Space Industry, the Indian Space Policy (2023), and the IN-SPACe Norms, Guidelines and Procedures, which collectively facilitate the authorisation of non-governmental space activities.
- India has ratified the key UN space treaties but it is still in the process of enacting comprehensive national space legislation. Read More
India Needs a National Space Law
In News
India’s approach to space legislation
- The Union Ministry of Power, under the Energy Conservation Act (2001), has released a revised draft notification introducing the Renewable Consumption Obligation (RCO).
- Shift from Procurement to Consumption: Ensures actual renewable energy use rather than symbolic compliance.
- Distributed Energy Emphasis: Targets for rooftop solar and small-scale projects to rise from 1.5% in 2024-25 to 4.5% by 2029-30, potentially democratising energy production by involving households, local communities, and smaller developers.
- Investment Certainty: Creates predictable demand for renewable developers, likely to attract investment.
- Climate Commitments: Aligned with India’s target of achieving 50% cumulative electric power from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030. Read More
Renewable Consumption Obligation Framework
Context
Significance of the RCO Framework
- The BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led Opposition parties have announced their respective candidates for the post of the Vice-President of India.
- Article 66 of the Indian Constitution deals with the election of the Vice-President overseen by the Election Commission.
- The Vice-President is elected by an Electoral College comprising members of both Houses of Parliament, including nominated members. State legislatures play no role in this election.
- Procedure: The election is conducted by secret ballot, using the single transferable vote (STV) system of proportional representation. Each MP ranks the candidates in order of preference (1, 2, 3, etc).
- A candidate must secure a majority quota (more than half the total valid votes) to win. Read More
