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    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.
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    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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