Daily Current Affairs 2025  

08/08/2025

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Punjab’s Land Pooling Policy 2025 is a government initiative to promote planned urban development by pooling agricultural land and providing landowners with developed residential and commercial plots in return for their contributed land. The scheme aims to avoid compulsory acquisition, make landowners partners in development, and facilitate the consolidation of fragmented land parcels.
 
Why in news?
 
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday stayed the Punjab land pooling policy after the state government refused to withdraw it. 
 
Key features:

• Compensation: For each acre (8 kanals) pooled, landowners receive 1,000 sq yards of developed residential land and 200 sq yards of commercial land.
• For smaller holdings, the policy offers proportionate developed land:

• 1 kanal: 125 sq yd residential + 25 sq yd commercial plot
• 2 kanals: 250 sq yd residential + 50 sq yd commercial plot
• 3 kanals: 375 sq yd residential + 75 sq yd commercial plot
• Details scale upward to 8 kanals, with more residential and commercial plots as the holding increases.

• The policy has been amended to include annual compensation, raised from ?30,000 to ?50,000 per acre, and further increased to ?1 lakh per acre after government possession of land. A livelihood allowance of ?1 lakh annually is provided until land is developed.
• Letters of intent for compensation are to be issued within 21 days of pooling.
• Landowners with smaller parcels (1–7 kanals) are now eligible for both residential and commercial allotments, a change from previous schemes.

Objectives:

• Promote planned development in 27 cities, including Ludhiana, Mohali, and Amritsar.
• Avoid lengthy legal battles from forced acquisition.
• Raise funds for welfare schemes, with the government targeting ?20,000–25,000 crore.

Criticism and legal status:

• The policy faces protests from small farmers, who feel it devalues their compensation and threatens livelihoods by reducing fertile agricultural land.
• Stakeholders argue that the policy bypasses key safeguards of the central Land Acquisition Act, 2013, such as social and environmental impact assessments and fair compensation.
• Activists and opposition parties have challenged the policy in court, leading to an interim stay by the Punjab and Haryana High Court as of August 2025. The matter is currently under judicial review, and further hearings are scheduled.
• Farmer opposition centres on loss of farmland, exclusion from fair returns for small holdings, and lack of statutory transparency.

The Punjab Land Pooling Policy 2025 is designed to accelerate urban growth by incentivizing landowners with developed property and cash allowances, but its implementation is paused due to ongoing litigation and widespread criticism regarding its impact on farmers and environmental safeguards.
 

   
Why in news?
Uttar Pradesh has initiated a sweeping process to merge—officially termed "pairing"—over 10,000 government-run primary and upper primary schools that have low student attendance, specifically those with fewer than 50 students.
 
Key Details

• Scope: The directive issued on June 16, 2025, affected approximately 10,000 schools in the first phase, with a larger restructuring plan targeting all 27,764 schools in the state with enrolment below 50.

• Method & Rationale: Schools with low enrolment are being merged into nearby institutions within a feasible distance, generally aligning with the Right to Education Act's mandate that primary schools be within 1km of a child’s residence. The aim is to maximize teaching staff, infrastructure, and resources, offering better academic facilities such as smart classes and safer, more vibrant environments.

• Parental Concerns: Some parents report practical difficulties, such as children—especially girls—having to travel farther, which raises safety concerns and may increase the risk of dropouts. For example, students now face journeys of up to 2–3km in some rural areas, which is a challenge for many families.

• Protests and Criticism: The policy has sparked protests from opposition parties, teachers' unions, and civil society organizations, arguing it threatens access to education for marginalized children and could increase dropout and illiteracy rates. Critics also worry about potential impacts on teacher employment.

• Government Response: Officials state that no teaching posts will be abolished in this process; new appointments will be made as required to maintain the prescribed pupil-teacher ratio (one teacher per 30 pre-primary students and one per 35 upper primary students). Vacated school buildings will be repurposed as “bal vatikas” (pre-primary centres) starting August 15, 2025.

• Outcomes & Next Steps: The merged schools will continue operating under valid UDISE codes, and the government pledges to address stakeholder concerns, including transportation difficulties or overcrowding by possibly reversing mergers when necessary. The final tally and details of merged schools will be publicly shared in August after completing stakeholder consultations.

Key points of justification:

• The Uttar Pradesh government justifies merging schools without reducing staff by emphasizing better utilization of resources and teachers, rather than staff elimination.
• Officials state that the policy aims to enhance the quality and accessibility of education by grouping students into better-equipped, more vibrant school environments.

• No Loss of Jobs: The government assures that no teacher or cook posts will be cut. staff from under-enrolled schools are transferred to paired institutions to ensure every class has a teacher.
• Maintaining Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Schools with up to 50 students will have at least three appointed teachers, and those with higher enrolment will be staffed according to official standards.
• Flexible, Reversible Process: If enrolments recover or infrastructures can accommodate more students, original schools (with unchanged UDISE codes) may be reopened, meaning staff can also be reassigned back.
• Repurposing Vacant Campuses: Rather than closure, vacated school buildings are being converted to “Bal Vatikas” (pre-primary centres), continuing staff roles in these facilities.
• Alignment with NEP 2020: The state claims that merging schools fulfills its obligations under the National Education Policy 2020, which encourages school complexes and shared resources, not permanent shutdown or staff reduction.

This trend of merging or rationalizing schools with declining enrolment is not unique to Uttar Pradesh; similar measures have been taken in states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Punjab, aiming to improve resource utilization.
 

   
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Monetary Policy Report for August 2025 highlights the following key points:

• The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decided unanimously to keep the policy repo rate unchanged at 5.50%, following cumulative cuts totaling 100 basis points since February 2025.
• The policy stance remains "neutral," allowing flexibility to either increase or decrease rates depending on incoming inflation and growth data.
• Inflation (CPI) projection for FY26 has been revised downward to 3.1% from 3.7% in the June 2025 report, reflecting moderation in headline inflation.
• The real GDP growth forecast for FY26 was retained at 6.5%, indicating stable growth expectations.
• The cut in the cash reserve ratio (CRR), announced earlier, will begin in September 2025 in four steps of 25 basis points each to support liquidity and credit growth.
• The Indian banking sector continues to be robust, with strong capital, liquidity, and profitability metrics. Bank credit grew by 12.1% in 2024-25, above the decade average.
• Despite easing inflation, some upside risks persist including rising core inflation, uneven monsoons, and global uncertainties such as US trade tariffs and rupee volatility.
• The MPC’s pause in rate changes signals a "wait and watch" approach to allow previous rate cuts to fully impact the economy. Further rate adjustments will depend on evolving economic data.
• The weighted average lending rates and deposit rates have moderated, reflecting transmission of the policy rate cuts to the market.

RBI’s latest monetary policy approach balances inflation control with support for economic growth, maintaining a neutral stance and stable key rates while carefully monitoring inflation risks and economic conditions.
 

   
Why in news?
 
The Manipur Appropriation Bill, 2025 was passed by the Lok Sabha to authorize the payment and appropriation of certain sums from the Consolidated Fund of the State of Manipur for the financial year 2025-26.
 
Key details about the bill:

• It authorizes the withdrawal and appropriation of funds for Manipur's state services during 2025-26.
• An additional fund allocation of approximately Rs 2,898 crore has been announced, with Rs 1,667 crore under the Capital Head and Rs 1,231 crore under the Revenue Head.
• The funds are intended to support rehabilitation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), security expenditure, deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), prepayment of high-interest loans, and additional support under SASCI (Security Related Expenditure).
• The bill was introduced and moved by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
• The passing of the bill in Parliament is necessary as Manipur is under President's Rule, meaning fiscal matters are approved by the Parliament rather than the state's elected government.

The Manipur Appropriation Bill, 2025 facilitates the financial administration of Manipur under President's rule by allowing Parliament to approve state expenditures for the current fiscal year, ensuring funds for critical developmental and security needs.
 

   
Why in news?
The Coastal Shipping Bill, 2025 is a landmark legislation passed by the Parliament aimed at simplifying and modernizing the legal framework governing coastal shipping in country.

• It replaces the outdated Part XIV of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, and introduces a progressive, dedicated law aligned with global cabotage norms to boost India’s coastal and inland shipping sector.

 
Key features of the Coastal Shipping Bill, 2025:

• Simplified Licensing System: The Bill removes the requirement of a general trading license for Indian ships and introduces a structured licensing system for foreign vessels engaged in coasting trade. The Director General of Shipping is empowered to regulate and enforce compliance, thereby enhancing ease of doing business.
• National Strategic Plan and Database: It mandates the formulation of a National Coastal and Inland Shipping Strategic Plan, revised biennially, to guide infrastructure development, integration with inland waterways, and route planning. A National Database for Coastal Shipping is also established for real-time, transparent data to support evidence-based policy and investor confidence.
• Expansion of Coastal Trade: The Bill expands the definition of coastal trade to include carriage of goods, passengers, and certain services such as research and exploration (excluding fishing). It also allows chartering of vessels by NRIs, OCIs, and LLPs, promoting private sector participation.
• Environmental and Economic Goals: The Bill aims to reduce India’s reliance on road and rail transport (which dominate freight movement) by promoting coastal shipping, which is more energy efficient and eco-friendly.

• This supports India’s goals of lowering logistics costs, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and boosting the maritime economy in line with the "Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047".

• Penalties and Compliance: The Bill introduces civil penalties for various offences related to licensing and operations and allows detention of vessels for violations. It replaces older criminal penalties with more streamlined enforcement measures.
• Economic Impact: The legislation is expected to boost India’s coastal cargo share to 230 million metric tonnes by 2030, generate employment in shipbuilding and port services, reduce foreign exchange outflow by increasing domestic vessel participation, and strengthen the overall maritime ecosystem contributing to Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat visions.

Overall, the Coastal Shipping Bill, 2025 is designed to unlock the vast potential of India’s 11,098 km coastline by making coastal shipping more competitive, transparent, and effectively integrated with national logistics infrastructure, thereby fostering sustainable economic growth.
 

   
Why in news?

The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) has experienced its sharpest and most extensive coral loss in nearly 40 years, driven primarily by climate change-related factors such as record marine heatwaves, cyclones, and outbreaks of coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish.
The 2024 mass bleaching event was the fifth on the GBR since 2016 and had the largest spatial footprint ever recorded in the reef's 39-year monitoring program.
 
Key details on coral loss in the Great Barrier Reef:

• The average hard coral cover has declined significantly across all three regions of the reef. The southern GBR saw the steepest decline, with coral cover falling from about 38.9% to 26.9% in 2025, a 30.6% drop.
• The northern GBR also experienced its largest single-year decline since monitoring began in 1986, with coral cover dropping from 39.8% to 30.0%, nearly a 25% loss.
• In some areas, coral loss reached as high as 70%, particularly where heat stress, cyclones, and starfish outbreaks combined in impact.
• Surveys carried out on 124 reefs across northern, central, and southern regions from August 2024 to May 2025 showed 48% of reefs lost coral cover, 42% remained stable, and only 10% showed increases.
• Fast-growing and heat-sensitive coral species such as Acropora, which had showed recovery in previous years, were among the hardest hit in the bleaching event.
• Repeated bleaching events and climate stress are increasingly leaving the reef with little time to recover, leading to greater fluctuations in coral cover and rising concerns about the reef's ability to sustain itself.
• The 2024 event coincided with record heat stress levels, two cyclones, freshwater flooding, and increased predation by crown-of-thorns starfish, all worsening coral mortality.
• The unprecedented frequency and severity of these mass bleaching events are attributed mainly to anthropogenic climate change causing ocean warming.

 
The effects of coral loss are profound:

• Ecological impact: Loss of coral reefs reduces biodiversity since reefs shelter many marine species. At least 63% of coral-reef-associated biodiversity has declined with coral loss.

• Economic impact: Coral reefs provide ecosystem services worth trillions globally, including fisheries and tourism revenue. Their decline threatens food security and livelihoods for millions.

Overall, coral loss in the Great Barrier Reef in recent years has reached record-breaking levels with losses up to 70% in some places due to extreme heat stress from climate change, compounded by storms and predator outbreaks. This highlights the urgent need to address global warming and local stressors to preserve this iconic ecosystem.
 

 
 

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