Daily Current Affairs- 18th May 2025

Daily Current Affairs- 18th May 2025

Haryana YouTuber Booked Under Official Secrets Act for ‘Spying for Pakistan’: What Exactly Has Jyoti Rani Been Charged With

In the News: On May 17, 2025, Haryana Police arrested 33-year-old travel vlogger Jyoti Malhotra, also known as Jyoti Rani, from Hisar. She is accused of espionage for allegedly sharing sensitive information with Pakistani intelligence operatives. Malhotra, who runs the YouTube channel "Travel with Jo" with over 377,000 subscribers, has been charged under Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertains to acts endangering India's sovereignty and integrity.

Key Details:

• Alleged Espionage Activities: Authorities allege that Malhotra maintained consistent contact with Pakistani intelligence operatives and transmitted sensitive information via social media apps including WhatsApp, Telegram, and Snapchat. She is accused of sharing details about Indian Army movements in Haryana and Punjab, and of promoting a positive image of Pakistan through her content.
• Connections with Pakistani Officials: During preliminary interrogation, Malhotra reportedly confessed to meeting a Pakistani national named Ahsan-ur-Rahim, also known as “Danish,” at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi in 2023 while applying for a visa. Following this meeting, she allegedly traveled to Pakistan twice, where she met individuals connected to Pakistani intelligence agencies. 

Supreme Court Strikes Down Centre’s Orders on Retrospective Green Clearances

In the News: On May 16, 2025, the Supreme Court of India invalidated the Centre's 2017 notification and 2021 office memorandum that permitted retrospective (ex post facto) environmental clearances for projects initiated without prior approval. The Court deemed these measures illegal, emphasizing that such clearances violate the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification of 2006 and infringe upon citizens' fundamental right to a pollution-free environment under Article 21 of the Constitution. This landmark judgment arose from a petition filed by the NGO Vanashakti.

Key Details:

• Violation of Environmental Jurisprudence: The Court held that granting ex post facto environmental clearances is "completely alien to environmental jurisprudence" and undermines the precautionary principle, which mandates prior assessment of potential environmental impacts before project initiation.
• Illegal Regularization of Projects: The 2017 notification and 2021 office memorandum attempted to regularize projects that had commenced without mandatory prior environmental clearance. The Court found this approach illegal, stating that it effectively condoned violations of environmental laws.
• Reinforcement of EIA 2006 Requirements: The judgment reaffirmed that the EIA Notification of 2006 requires mandatory prior environmental clearance for specific categories of projects. The Court emphasized that this requirement is non-negotiable and essential for safeguarding environmental and public health.
• Implications for Ongoing and Future Projects: While the Court allowed existing clearances granted under the 2017 and 2021 provisions to remain valid, it barred the Centre from issuing any future notifications or orders permitting retrospective clearances. This decision impacts numerous projects across sectors, including infrastructure, mining, and irrigation, particularly those that commenced without prior environmental approval.
• Upholding Fundamental Rights: The Court underscored that the right to a clean and healthy environment is integral to the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution. It criticized the Centre for attempting to protect entities that had caused environmental harm, stating that development should not come at the expense of environmental conservation. 

Government Forms 7 All-Party Teams, 3 Headed by Opposition Leaders, to Mobilize Global Support

In the News: On May 17, 2025, the Indian government announced the formation of seven all-party parliamentary delegations comprising 51 Members of Parliament (MPs) to visit over 30 countries. This initiative aims to present a united national front and garner international support against terrorism, particularly in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. Notably, three of these delegations are led by Opposition leaders, including Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, NCP's Supriya Sule, and DMK's Kanimozhi.

Key Details:

• Objective: The delegations are tasked with conveying India's zero-tolerance stance on terrorism to key global partners, countering disinformation, and reinforcing the country's commitment to combating cross-border terrorism.
• Delegation Leadership:
  • Shashi Tharoor (Congress): Leading the delegation to the United States, Panama, Guyana, Brazil, and Colombia.
  • Supriya Sule (NCP): Heading the team visiting South Africa, Qatar, Egypt, and Ethiopia.
  • Other delegations are led by BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad and Baijayant Panda, JD(U)'s Sanjay Kumar Jha, and Shiv Sena's Shrikant Eknath Shinde.
• Composition: Each delegation comprises six to seven MPs from various political parties, including members from the ruling NDA and the Opposition INDIA bloc. The teams are accompanied by diplomats and liaison officers to facilitate engagements with foreign governments, media, academia, and opinion makers.
• Timeline: The delegations are scheduled to depart from New Delhi on May 22-23, 2025, embarking on a 10-day mission to engage with international stakeholders and present India's position on terrorism. 

PM Modi to Launch Gyan Bharatam Mission

In the News: On June 9, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to launch the Gyan Bharatam Mission, a comprehensive initiative aimed at preserving and promoting India's rich manuscript heritage. Announced in the Union Budget 2025-26, this mission seeks to digitize, conserve, and make accessible over one crore (10 million) manuscripts, thereby safeguarding the nation's intellectual legacy and integrating ancient wisdom with modern education and technology.

Key Details:

• Objective: The mission aims to systematically survey, document, conserve, and digitize over one crore manuscripts housed in academic institutions, museums, libraries, and private collections across India.
• Revamping the National Manuscripts Mission (NMM): Originally launched in 2003 under the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), the NMM faced challenges in scaling up due to institutional constraints. The Gyan Bharatam Mission revamps this initiative with a standalone structure, allowing for greater efficiency and agility.
• Budget Allocation: The Union Government has significantly increased the financial allocation for the manuscripts initiative from ₹3.5 crore to ₹60 crore, with a total outlay of ₹482.85 crore for 2024-31.
• National Digital Repository: A centralized digital platform will be established to house the digitized manuscripts, promoting knowledge sharing and research. This repository will integrate AI-driven archiving, metadata tagging, and translation tools to facilitate wider access for scholars, researchers, and the general public. 

Sharp Decline in Government School Enrolment and PM-POSHAN Coverage Raises Alarm

In the News: In the 2024–25 academic year, the Ministry of Education (MoE) reported a significant drop in student enrolment in government and government-aided schools across 23 Indian states and Union Territories. This decline has raised concerns about the effectiveness of foundational education and child nutrition programs, notably the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM-POSHAN) scheme, formerly known as the Midday Meal Scheme. The MoE has requested affected states to investigate the causes and submit remedial action plans by June 30, 2025.

Key Details:

• Enrolment Decline:
  • Uttar Pradesh experienced the most significant drop, with over 21.83 lakh fewer students enrolled.
  • Other states with notable declines include Bihar (6.14 lakh), Rajasthan (5.63 lakh), and West Bengal (4.01 lakh).
• PM-POSHAN Scheme Coverage:
  • The PM-POSHAN scheme aims to provide nutritious meals to children from pre-primary to Class 8 in government and aided schools.
  • Despite its objectives, several states have reported decreased coverage:
    • Uttar Pradesh: 5.41 lakh fewer children covered.
    • Rajasthan: 3.27 lakh fewer.

West Bengal: 8.04 lakh fewer.

• Delhi: 97,000 fewer.

Possible Causes:

• Stricter data verification processes have eliminated duplicate and "ghost" entries, leading to more accurate but lower enrolment figures.
• Post-COVID shifts, with students returning to private schools perceived to offer better quality education.
• In some areas, students are bringing their own meals, indicating possible issues with the PM-POSHAN scheme's implementation.

Government Response:

• The MoE has expressed deep concern over these trends and has asked states to identify underlying causes and propose corrective measures.
• States are expected to submit detailed reports by June 30, 2025. 

ISRO’s 101st Satellite Launch Fails: Recalling the Only Two Other Instances When ‘Workhorse’ PSLV Failed

In the News: On May 18, 2025, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) faced a significant setback when its 101st mission, involving the launch of the Earth observation satellite EOS-09 aboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C61), failed. The launch commenced successfully at 5:59 AM IST from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. However, an anomaly in the third stage of the rocket led to mission failure. ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan reported a drop in chamber pressure during the third stage, preventing the satellite from reaching its intended orbit. A Failure Analysis Committee has been established to investigate the cause of the malfunction.

Key Details:

• Mission Overview: The PSLV-C61 mission aimed to deploy EOS-09 (also known as RISAT-1B), a C-band synthetic aperture radar satellite designed for high-resolution Earth imaging under all weather conditions, day or night. The satellite was intended to enhance India's surveillance capabilities and contribute to disaster management and resource monitoring.
• Cause of Failure: The first and second stages of the PSLV-C61 performed nominally. However, during the third stage, a drop in chamber pressure was observed, leading to the mission's failure. Preliminary analyses suggest a possible malfunction in the flex nozzle system of the third-stage motor, which is critical for steering during flight.
• Historical Context: This incident marks only the third failure in the PSLV's history:
  • PSLV-D1 (1993): The inaugural flight failed due to a software error in the guidance and control processor, leading to loss of attitude control and mission failure.
  • PSLV-C39 (2017): The mission failed when the payload fairing did not separate, leaving the IRNSS-1H satellite trapped and unable to reach orbit.
• ISRO's Track Record: Despite this setback, ISRO's PSLV has a commendable success rate, with 60 successful missions out of 63 launches. The PSLV has been instrumental in deploying satellites for various applications, including navigation, Earth observation, and interplanetary missions.