Daily Current Affairs 2025  

06/09/2025

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CA-06/09/2025

• The focus is on enhancing production, productivity, and export promotion in the fisheries sector to align with the vision of becoming Viksit Bharat by 2047.
• Emphasis on unlocking untapped export potential of inland states to diversify and strengthen India's seafood export portfolio.
• The target to increase fish productivity from 5 to 7 tons per hectare to maintain global competitiveness.
• Discussions included export market diversification, certification of produce, technology integration in fish processing, cold chain infrastructure, processing capabilities, and traceability systems to meet global benchmarks.
• The sector supports over 8 crore livelihoods directly and indirectly.

• GST on fish oils, fish extracts, prepared or preserved fish and shrimp products, and essential inputs like diesel engines, pumps, aerators, chemicals, and micronutrients used in aquaculture has been reduced from 12-18% to 5%, effective from September 22, 2025.

• Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY): A transformative scheme focusing on boosting fish production, infrastructure development, welfare of fishers, and post-harvest management.
• National Fisheries Policy 2020: Emphasizes sustainable development, resource conservation, improved production, and fisher welfare.
• Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF): Provides subsidized credit facilities for infrastructure improvements.

• Emphasis on export market diversification, certification of produce, technology integration, cold chain infrastructure, and improving processing capabilities.
• Targeting growth in deep-sea fishing, seaweed cultivation, ornamental fisheries, and development of coastal fishermen villages.
• India is the second-largest fish producer globally with increased seafood exports valued over Rs. 60,000 crores in 2023-24.

• Introduction of digital platforms like National Fisheries Development Program Portal for stakeholder registration and service access.
• Use of drones for fish transportation and monitoring inland fisheries.
• Development of genetically improved fish varieties and specialized clusters for pearl cultivation, seaweed, and ornamental fisheries.

• Organic fisheries cluster development in states like Sikkim.
• Promotion of eco-friendly pond management through reduced GST on composting machines.
• Special support for small-scale fishers and women’s groups.

• Regulatory assets are deferred costs representing the revenue gap between the Average Cost of Supply (ACS) and the Annual Revenue Requirement (ARR) of a DISCOM.
• The ACS is the actual cost incurred by a DISCOM to supply one unit of electricity, including power purchase, transmission, and distribution costs.
• The ARR is the total revenue a DISCOM is authorized to recover through tariffs and government subsidies.
• When ACS exceeds ARR, DISCOMs incur losses per unit supplied, creating a shortfall.
• This shortfall is recorded as regulatory assets instead of being charged immediately to consumers, to avoid sudden tariff hikes.
• Regulatory assets are recoverable in the future, usually through higher tariffs, often with interest.
• Common reasons for the ACS-ARR gap include non-cost reflective tariffs (political reasons for low tariffs), delayed subsidy payments by states, fuel price volatility, and operational inefficiencies like transmission losses.
• Regulatory assets help to prevent immediate tariff shocks to consumers but lead to a deferred burden with eventual steep hikes and interest costs.
• Regulatory assets create a financial burden on DISCOMs, affecting their ability to pay power generators timely, invest in grid modernization, and increasing their debt levels.
• States like Tamil Nadu and Delhi have reported huge regulatory asset liabilities running into tens of thousands of crores of rupees due to persistent ACS-ARR gaps.

• Promote cutting-edge technologies and innovation in biomanufacturing.
• Enhance production of bio-based chemicals, enzymes, functional foods, precision biotherapeutics, climate-resilient agriculture, carbon capture/utilization, and marine and space biotechnology.
• Facilitate commercialization of bio-based products through Bio-Enablers and expanding India’s skilled biotech workforce.
• Support India’s vision for green growth, 'Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE),' and a circular bio-economy.
• Establish bio-manufacturing hubs across academia and industry with infrastructure for pilot and pre-commercial scale production.
• Drive employment growth, especially in less developed cities, using local biomass and resources.
• Encourage Public-Private Partnerships and international collaborations to create a globally competitive biotech ecosystem.
• Aspires to achieve a US $300 billion bioeconomy by 2030.

1. Bio-based chemicals and enzymes
2. Functional foods and smart proteins
3. Precision biotherapeutics
4. Climate resilient agriculture
5. Carbon capture and utilization
6. Futuristic marine and space research