- 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.
- 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. Read More
Home / Daily Current Affairs / 24-07-2025
Daily Current Affairs – 24 July, 2025
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- The Supreme Court has issued notices to the Union Government and all States on Presidential reference on the President and Governor’s powers.
- 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. Read More
Can Presidential Reference Change a Judgment?
Context
Background
- 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.
- 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
Judicial Accountability and Debate over In-House Inquiry Mechanism
Context
Background
- India and South Africa signed two agreements on submarine cooperation during the 9th Joint Defence Committee meeting in Johannesburg.
- 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. Read More
India-South Africa Maritime Partnership
Context
Significance of Cooperation Between two Countries
- Net FDI inflows in India dropped by 98.2% to about $40 million in May 2025, compared to $2.2 billion in May 2024.
- 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. Read More
Drop in Net Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
In News
Reasons for Decline
- 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.
- 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. Read More
Study on GST Burden on Indian Households
In Context
How Is GST Intended to Work?
- The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has paid tributes to Chandra Shekhar Azad on his birth anniversary.
- 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 Read More
