- The Supreme Court of India recently clarified that commercial and prohibited speeches do not enjoy protection under the Fundamental Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression (Article 19(1)(a)).
- Commercial speech: E.g., advertisements, profit-driven promotions do not automatically get the same fundamental protection as political or social speech.
- Prohibited/Hate Speech: Expressions promoting enmity, hatred, or violence against any group based on inherent characteristics are not constitutionally protected.
- Accountability of Influencers: Influencers with large audiences must exercise responsibility and caution, as irresponsible speech causes harm or ridicule to specific communities—especially vulnerable ones like the disabled.
- Social Media Guidelines: The Supreme Court directed the government to frame comprehensive guidelines for regulating online content to curb harm and ensure accountability. Read More
Home / Daily Current Affairs / 26-08-2025
Daily Current Affairs – 26 August, 2025
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- India and Fiji unveiled initiatives to bolster defence and maritime security cooperation, including the creation of a Defence Attache post at the High Commission of India in Suva, which will also cover the Pacific Islands.
- Historical Relations: The India-Fiji relations began in 1879. Over the next four decades, approximately 60,553 Indians were brought to work on sugarcane plantations, laying the foundation for a vibrant Indian diaspora known as Girmitiyas.
- FIPIC: In 2014, the Indian Prime Minister visited Fiji; this visit, coinciding with the inaugural Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Summit, cemented India’s commitment to the Pacific region.
- The Forum saw participation of 14 Pacific Island Countries.
- Trade Relations: The bilateral trade stood at approximately US$68 million in 2024-2025, which includes US$65.05 million in exports to Fiji from India. Read More
India- Fiji Islands Relation
Context
India-Fiji Ties
- The Ministry of Labour and Employment has emphasized that Women’s employment rate in India has nearly doubled between 2017-18 to 2023-24.
- As per the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2023-24 the women’s employment rate (WPR) has increased from 22% in 2017-18 to 40.3% in 2023-24, and unemployment dropping from 5.6% to 3.2%.
- Rural female employment surged by 96%, and urban by 43%.
- Employment in the formal Sector: As per EPFO, over 1.56 crore women joined the formal sector via EPFO in 7 years, and 16.69 crore women are registered on e-Shram for access to welfare schemes.
- Rise in Entrepreneurship: The share of women-owned establishments rose from 17.4% in 2010–11 to 26.2% in 2023–24, while the number of women-led MSMEs nearly doubled from 1 crore to 1.92 crore in the same period. Read More
Women Leading India’s Economic Transformation Story
In News
Recent Trend in Women’s Labour Participation
- An analysis of MPs and MLAs across India shows that 31% of Members of Parliament (MPs) and 29% of Members of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) have declared serious criminal charges against them.
- Criminalisation of politics refers to the growing participation of individuals with criminal backgrounds in electoral politics.
- A serious criminal charge includes offences where the maximum punishment is five years or more, or those that are non-bailable.
- In the Lok Sabha, the share of MPs facing serious criminal cases has more than doubled, from 14% in 2009 to 31% in 2024.
- In the Assemblies, the share was 29% in 2024, which accounts for more than 1,200 MLAs. Read More
30% of MPs and MLAs Face Serious Criminal Cases
Context
Criminalisation of politics
- The concept of being a ‘foreigner or videshi’ typically reserved for international migrants, is increasingly used by internal migrants in India to describe their experience of cultural displacement.
- The term ‘diaspora’ has become central in policy and academic discussions after the High-Level Committee on the Indian Diaspora published its report in 2001–02.
- It has been defined through national borders, and evokes images of overseas communities — Punjabis in Canada, Tamils in Malaysia, Gujaratis in East Africa etc.
- It was then estimated at over 20 million and is now pegged at over 30 million. Read More
Understanding India’s Internal Diasporas
Context
Defining Diaspora
- There is a growing consensus that India must transition from being primarily a service-driven economy to a product nation amid US punitive tariff action.
- India must enhance R&D investment, strengthen IP protection, and nurture deep-tech talent to build globally competitive products.
- Greater access to risk capital, world-class infrastructure, and innovation clusters is essential.
- A “Made in India, Designed for the World” approach, supported by simplified policies and global branding, will accelerate India’s transition into a true Product Nation. Read More
Call For India to Transform Into ‘a product nation’
Context
Way Ahead
- A recent study highlights a global shift towards younger forests, disrupting the carbon balance as older, carbon-rich forests decline.
- Young Forests grow rapidly and can absorb up to 20 times more CO₂ than older forests, especially less than 20 years old. However, they store much less carbon compared to old-growth forests.
- Old Forests act as long-term carbon reservoirs and provide irreplaceable ecological services like biodiversity conservation, water regulation, and climate resilience.
- Carbon Balance Disturbance: Replacement of old forests by younger ones reduces the planet’s overall carbon storage capacity, pushing some regions from carbon sinks to carbon sources (e.g., eastern Amazon). Read More
Global Shift Towards Younger Forests
Context
Importance of Forest Age
- India recently warned Pakistan of a potential flood in the Tawi River as a humanitarian gesture.
- Origin: Kailash Kund glacier (Kali Kund) near Bhaderwah in Doda district, J&K.
- Tributary: Left bank tributary of the Chenab River.
- Importance: Known as the “Lifeline of Jammu city”, flows through Jammu before joining Chenab.
- Provides water for drinking, irrigation, and is culturally revered. Read More
