News of The Day: 21st August 2025

News of The Day – 21st August 2025

SOURCES: The Hindu, Indian Express, Live Mint, Business Standard, Economic Times, PIB and AIR, etc

(Syllabus Relevance)

(Static + Dynamic Linkage)

(GS1: Geography)

• Gun attack at  mosque in Katsina state.
• About Katsina state: location and Geography.

(GS 2: Polity and Governance)

• About Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, 2025.
• Criticism: Termed ‘assault on federalism’ and ‘targeting Oppn states’. 
• Significance: Aims to curb corruption but raises misuse concerns.
• Challenges: Federal tensions, procedural hurdles.
• Representation of People Act.

(GS 2: Polity and Governance)

• Lok Sabha passes Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025.
• Voice vote approval amid industry protests over job losses. 
• Significance: Protects youth from addiction, regulates esports. 
• Challenges: Impact on $2.5 billion industry, legal appeals.

(GS 3: Economy)

• Reforming the GST regime to simplify slabs to 5% and 18% (excluding zero-rated), with 40% demerit rate on sin goods like cigarettes.
• Significance: Enhances economic efficiency, aligns with Viksit Bharat.
• Challenges: Rate rationalization impacts inflation, state revenue sharing.
• Constitution (101st Amendment) Act, 2016 

(GS 3: Economy)

• India and EAEU (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia) sign a ToR in Moscow to launch FTA talks. 
• Trade at $69 billion in 2024. 
• Significance: Diversifies markets, boosts exports in pharma, machinery. 

• About Integrated Manufacturing Cluster at Hisar.
• About Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC).
• About National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC).
• Significance: Boosts manufacturing, smart cities. Challenges: Land acquisition.
• Make in India and export goals.

(GS 3: Environment)

• References debates on forest definitions in laws, potentially allowing deforestation under guise of development.
• Significance: Calls for precise lexicon to protect ecosystems. Challenges: Balancing development and conservation.
• About Forest Conservation Act, 1980.
• Recent amendments and Supreme Court rulings on forest classification amid climate goals.

(GS 3: Security)

• About Agni-5 IRBM 
• Features and Significance.
• Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme.

(GS 3: Science and Technology)

• Discovery of bistable glpD gene in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
• Potential for targeted therapies. Significance: Combats hospital infections. 
• AMR crisis and India’s biotech research.

• Contribution of National Supercomputing Mission Powers India’s Research Ecosystem.
• Deployment of 37 supercomputers totaling 40 Petaflops, supporting 10,000+ researchers in AI, climate modeling, and drug discovery.
• About  NSM.
• Significance: Boosts innovation, self-reliance in tech.
• Challenges: Expanding access to academia, industry. Static 

• About New Disaster  Management  Tech Platforms.
• Launch of ICR-ER, NDEM Mobile App, and enhanced SACHET 2.0. 
• Significance: Improves response speed, precision. Challenges: Rural connectivity. 
• About NDMA Act, 2005