Daily Current Affairs- 1st August 2025

Daily Current Affairs- 1st August 2025

NHAI Sustainability Report 2023-24

In the News: The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, led by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, released the National Highways Authority of India’s (NHAI) second Sustainability Report for FY 2023‑24, showcasing key ESG milestones, including a reduction of carbon intensity even amid record highway expansion and a robust adoption of circular economy practices.

Key Points:

• Second Annual ESG Report: NHAI’s Sustainability Report 2023‑24 is its second consecutive public ESG report, aligning highways expansion with Mission LiFE and India’s circular economy goals.
• Greener Construction Growth: Despite a 20 % increase in highway project length in FY 2023‑24, NHAI reduced its GHG emissions intensity from 1.0 to 0.8 MT CO₂e per km, marking a strategic decoupling of growth from emissions.
•  Circular‐Economy Inputs: In FY 2023‑24, NHAI used over 631 lakh tonnes of recycled materials—fly ash, waste plastic, reclaimed asphalt—as road‑building inputs, significantly lowering raw material demand and landfill burden. 
• Roadside Afforestation: Under the Green Highways Policy (2015), NHAI planted ≈ 56 lakh saplings in FY 2023‑24 (and 67.47 lakh in early 2024‑25), bringing the total plantation tally to 4.69 crore trees to date.
• Water‑Body Rejuvenation & Soil Recovery: Through the Amrit Sarovar Mission, NHAI restored 467 water bodies, recovering 2.4 crore m³ of soil for reuse—resulting in estimated savings of ₹16,690 crore.
• Water‑Use Reduction: In water‑stressed regions, water use per unit of construction declined by 74 %, illustrating operational efficiencies. 
• Worker Safety & Inclusion: The report notes 100 % of direct and contract workers are covered under NHAI’s Occupational Health & Safety framework, with zero reported discrimination incidents, highlighting the Authority’s commitment to workplace equity.
• AI in Dispute Resolution: The implementation of Data Lake 3.0, an AI‑powered project‑management platform, helped resolve 155 conciliation claims—delivering estimated cost savings of ₹25,680 crore.
•  High FASTag Penetration: With 98.5 % FASTag adoption, toll congestion and associated vehicular emissions have declined, improving air quality around toll plazas. 
• Wildlife‑Sensitive Design: NHAI digitised its ‘Best Practice Guidance on Eco‑friendly Measures’ — promoting wildlife underpasses, ecoducts, vegetated buffers along linear corridors to minimise man‑animal conflict.

Project 17A Frigate Himgiri

In the News : Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) formally delivered Himgiri (Yard 3022)—the third ship of the Nilgiri‑class (Project 17A) of stealth guided‑missile frigates—to the Indian Navy at its Kolkata shipyard, marking a milestone in Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) in naval design and construction.

Key Points :

• Ship & Yard Details : Himgiri (Hull 3022) is the third vessel in the Nilgiri‑class (P‑17A) series and the very first P‑17A frigate assembled at GRSE, joining its sister ships Nilgiri and Udaygiri.
• Namesake & Legacy : Named after the original INS Himgiri, a Leander‑class frigate decommissioned in May 2005 after 30 years of distinguished service, Himgiri reincarnates its legacy with modern stealth, weapons and automation.
• Design & Construction : Conceived by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau and overseen by its Warship Overseeing Team (Kolkata), Himgiri was built using the Integrated Modular Construction model, aiding efficiency and timeline adherence.
• Indigenous Content & Ecosystem Development : With ≈ 75 % indigenisation, the project mobilised 200+ MSMEs at GRSE, created employment for ~4,000 personnel directly and ~10,000 indirectly—with an overall contract value of ₹21,833 crore.
• Strategic Milestone for Atmanirbharta : The delivery exemplifies India’s shift toward self-reliance in warship design, engineering and production, reducing dependence on foreign platforms and technologies.
• Weapon & Sensor Suite : Equipped with vertically‑launched BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, Barak 8 MR-SAM, plus 76 mm SRGM main gun and dual CIWS (30 mm & 12.7 mm), alongside MF-STAR radar, HUMSA-NG sonar and Shakti EW systems for comprehensive 3-domain combat capability.
• Propulsion & Integrated Systems ; Features a CODOG propulsion system (diesel + gas turbine) driving Controllable‑Pitch‑Propellers, managed in real-time by an advanced Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS).
• Specifications & Performance : At ≈ 149 m length, beam ~16.9 m, Himgiri displaces 6,342–6,670 t, capable of 30 knots top speed and full aviation operations via its enclosed helicopter hangar.
•  Fleet Expansion & Indo-Pacific Role : The induction aids India’s ambition to field a Navy of 170–175 warships by 2035, reinforcing its maritime posture in the Indian Ocean and broader Indo-Pacific region.

Renowned Economist and Author Meghnad Desai Passes Away at 85

In the News : Lord Meghnad Desai, the Indian‑born British economist, author and Labour peer, passed away at the age of 85, marking the end of a celebrated intellectual journey bridging India and the UK. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences on X, calling him a “distinguished thinker, writer and economist” who helped deepen India–UK ties.

Key Points :

• Passing & Date: Lord Meghnad Desai died on 29 July 2025, aged 85. While The Economic Times and Wikipedia report his place of death as London, The Indian Express cites sources indicating he passed in a Gurugram hospital prior to reports confirming it.
• Early Life & Education: Born in Vadodara on 10 July 1940, Desai earned his BA (1958) and MA in Economics (1960) from the University of Mumbai, before completing his PhD at the University of Pennsylvania in 1963 on a scholarship.
• Academic Leadership at LSE: Desai joined the London School of Economics in 1965, became Professor of Economics in 1983, and Professor Emeritus upon retirement in 2003. He taught Marxian, development & macro‑economics and founded LSE’s Centre for the Study of Global Governance in 1992.
• Political & Peerage Career: Desai created Baron Desai of St Clement Danes in June 1991, becoming the first Indian-origin UK life peer. He served in the House of Lords, initially as a Labour peer, and resigned in 2020 over the party’s failure to address antisemitism, choosing the crossbenches thereafter.  
• Publications & Recognition: Author of 25+ books and 200+ academic articles, Desai’s notable works include Marx’s Revenge, The Poverty of Political Economy (2022), and his film‑biography Nehru’s Hero: Dilip Kumar in the Life of India. He received India's Padma Bhushan in 2008. India–UK Bridge & Global Impact: Desai was a prominent voice in strengthening India–UK intellectual and diplomatic ties. He chaired the Gandhi Memorial Statue Trust (London’s Parliament Square Gandhi statue) and frequently commented on Indian policy reforms in global media
• . Personal Attributes & Legacy: He was known for his fearless opinions, clarity of thought, and passion for cross-cultural dialogue. Friends and former students remember him as an engaging mentor and thinker who blended storytelling with scholarship.
• Tributes from Leaders: Condolences poured in from across academia and public life. PM Modi, Raghuram Rajan, and the British High Commission in India lauded his contributions to economics, public policy and international relations.

Central Empowered Committee Report on CAMPA

In the News : The Supreme Court‑mandated Central Empowered Committee (CEC) submitted its annual impact assessment of the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management & Planning Authority (CAMPA), highlighting that while India fulfilled 85 % of its afforestation target, only 67.5 % of CAMPA funds were actually spent.

Key Points :

• Afforestation Outcome Still Short of Aim: Between FY 2019‑20 and FY 2023‑24, India raised 1,78,261 hectares of compensatory afforestation, reaching about 85 % of its 2,09,297 hectare national goal.
• Funds Underutilised Despite Availability: Out of approximately ₹38,516 crore approved, only 67.5 % of CAMPA allocations were put to use.
• Major Inter-State Disparities :
      • Gujarat, Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, and Chandigarh achieved 100 % afforestation and nearly full fund use.
      • Tamil Nadu utilised just 67.9 % of its allocation, while Delhi managed only 26.9 %.
• Statutory & Historical Background: CAMPA was institutionalised via the CAF Act, 2016 and CAF Rules, 2018, stemming from the 2002 Supreme Court directive in T.N. Godavarman v. Union of India (1995), which first set up CEC and CAMPA as oversight mechanisms.
• Funding Structure & Oversight: CAMPA guidelines stipulate 90 % allocation to States/UTs, with the Centre retaining 10 % for capacity building. Both state and national CAMPA boards are subject to annual CAG audit.
• Operational Chokepoints: Delays in annual plan submission, phased fund releases, inconsistent monitoring (including sapling survival), and absence of dedicated CAMPA offices are flagged as key hurdles.
• Ecological & Equity Concerns: A shift toward monocultures, fund diversions to schemes like the Green India Mission, and sidelining of tribal and forest community participation pose risks to both biodiversity and social justice.
•  Recommendations for Strengthening CAMPA: The CEC urges structural reforms:
      – A central, ecologically viable land bank for better afforestation siting
      – Tighter timelines and public disclosure of fund flows
      – Civil‑society and tribal‑led third‑party monitoring for accountability
      – Alignment with IPCC guidance to avoid “net ecological loss.”

Environment Protection (Management of Contaminated Sites) Rules, 2025

In the New: The Union Environment Ministry, under a notification (G.S.R. 3401 (E)), issued the Environment Protection (Management of Contaminated Sites) Rules, 2025 under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986—marking India’s first binding legal framework for identifying, assessing, and remediating chemically contaminated sites across the country.

Key Points:

• Legal Basis & Objective: Notified under Section 3 of the EPA, 1986, these Rules codify a mandatory, science‑based process for locating, classifying, assessing, and cleaning up legacy chemical‑contaminated sites that threaten soil, groundwater and ecosystems.
• Scope & Contaminants Covered: Schedule I lists 189 hazardous substances (e.g. halogenated aromatics, PAHs, pesticides, certain metals and PFAS) with land‑use‑based response levels for agricultural, residential, commercial and industrial zones.
•  Exclusions: The Rules do not apply to contamination from radioactive waste (Atomic Energy Act), mining‑related pollution, marine oil spills, or authorised municipal solid‑waste dumps—unless a hazardous substance listed under Schedule I exceeds its response level.
• Identification Mechanism: Local bodies or District Administrations must bi‑annually upload suspected contaminated sites to the CPCB’s online portal, based on industrial history, public complaints or dump‑site memories. SPCBs (or reference bodies) must complete preliminary assessment within 90 days, followed by a detailed survey within the next 90 days before confirming contamination.
• Public Disclosure & Consultation: Once a site is preliminarily classified, SPCBs must issue public notices, impose land‑use restrictions and invite stakeholder comments within 60 days. The final list is published on the portal and in local media.
• Responsible Person & Liability: Within 90 days of confirmation, SPCBs must designate the ‘responsible person’—including transferees—who must prepare (“polluter pays”) and fund a remediation plan. Where the polluter is untraceable or insolvent, the SPCB or State/Union government must manage cleanup.
• Remediation Plan & Timeline: A reference organisation (empanelled by CPCB and meeting eligibility criteria) must draft a site‑specific remediation plan. SPCBs must approve it within 90 days and forward it to the CPCB. If no responsible person is found, SPCBs must prepare and implement the plan within 6 months.
• Oversight Structure: A Central Remediation Committee chaired by CPCB with representatives from key ministries, SPCBs and independent experts reviews remediation progress. State‑level committees must mirror its functions. CPCB maintains a geospatial, publicly accessible portal tracking all phases of each site. Financing & Cost Recovery: The Environmental Relief Fund (under the Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991) and state governments initially finance assessment; polluters must reimburse costs within 3 months.
• Post‑remediation Certification & Compensation: SPCBs or CPCB‑appointed reference organisations verify site cleanup; SPCB issues the Remediation Completion Order only after Central Remediation Committee approval. Environmental compensation may be levied separately if the responsible party fails to act or poses health or environmental risk.

Digital Payments Index Surges

In the News : The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released its semi‑annual Digital Payments Index (DPI), reporting a score of 493.22 for March 2025. This reflects a 10.7 % year‑on‑year growth over the 445.50 recorded in March 2024, signaling strong momentum in India’s digital payment ecosystem.

Key Points:

• Index Value & Growth: The RBI‑DPI stood at 493.22 as of March 2025—up from 465.33 in September 2024 and 445.50 in March 2024, representing a +10.7 % YoY increase.
• Base‑Year & Publication Schedule: Launched on 1 January 2021, the DPI uses March 2018 as its base year (DPI = 100) and is published twice annually (March & September), with a lag of approximately four months.
•  Index Framework & Weightage: The composite DPI aggregates five broad dimensions:
  • Payment Enablers (25 %)
  • Payment Infrastructure – Demand‑side (10 %)
  • Payment Infrastructure – Supply‑side (15 %)
  • Payment Performance (45 %)
  • Consumer Centricity (5 %)
    Each dimension comprises a suite of sub‑indicators—such as merchant acceptance, unique users, and fraud resolution.
•  Key Growth Drivers: The March 2025 rise was fuelled especially by strong improvements in Supply‑side Infrastructure (e.g. merchant PoS/QRs, payment intermediaries) and Payment Performance metrics (volume, value, active usage).
• Steady Seven‑Year Upswing: Since the base score of 100 in March 2018, the index has risen through:
  • 153.47 in March 2019
  • 207.84 in March 2020
  • 349.30 in March 2022
    Reinforcing more than a four‑fold increase in payment digitisation over seven years.
• Complemented by Transaction Trends: The DPI surge echoes broader fintech adoption: UPI transaction values and volume continue to scale, while QR‑based and merchant‑led payments deepen rural and MSME outreach.

Banking Laws Amendment Act 2025

In the News: The Ministry of Finance issued a Gazette Notification (S.O. 3494(E)) appointing 1 August 2025 as the date on which major provisions of the Banking Laws (Amendment) Act, 2025 will come into force. The Act itself had been granted Presidential assent on 15 April 2025, marking it as a key reform in India’s banking governance framework.

Key Points

• Enactment & Legislative Chronology: First introduced in August 2024, the Bill was passed by Lok Sabha in December 2024 and approved by Rajya Sabha in March 2025. The Act received presidential assent on 15 April 2025, and selective provisions—including Sections 3, 4, 5, 15–20—came into effect on 1 August 2025.
• Scope of Reform: 19 Amendments. 5 Acts :The Amendment contains 19 distinct changes to five central legislations—the RBI Act 1934, Banking Regulation Act 1949, State Bank of India Act 1955, and the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Acts of 1970 & 1980.
• Redefined ‘Substantial Interest’ : The outdated 1968-era ₹5 lakh limit for “substantial interest” in a banking company is raised to ₹2 crore, empowering the regulator to align governance norms with modern financial realities.
• Eligibility Tenure for Cooperative Bank Boards Increased : The maximum continuous term of non–whole-time directors in co‑operative banks has been extended from 8 to 10 years, in line with the 97th Constitutional Amendment, enhancing leadership stability.
• Nomination Rights Expanded: Up to 4 Nominees Allowed : Individuals holding bank deposits, fixed deposits, or lockers may now appoint up to four nominees, either simultaneously (in fixed proportion) or successively. Previously, only one nominee was permitted. These rights mirror those in the Companies Act and insurance contracts.
• PSBs Now Obliged to Transfer Unclaimed Assets to IEPF : Public Sector Banks (PSBs) must now transfer unclaimed shares, interest, redeems, bond proceeds, and fixed‑deposit amounts to the Investor Education & Protection Fund (IEPF) after the statutory dormancy period.
• Statutory Audit Overhaul for PSBs : PSBs are empowered to pay remuneration directly to statutory auditors, opening the door to hiring top-tier independent audit firms and strengthening financial transparency.
• Streamlined Reserve Reporting: Revised ‘Fortnight’ Structure : The meaning of “fortnight” for Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) and SLR reporting under the RBI Act is redefined as 1–15 and 16–month-end, replacing the previous Saturday to Friday definition. Additionally, reporting timelines are relaxed from weekly (alternate Fridays) to fortnight/month/quarter-end.
• Anti‑Related‑Party & Board Conflict Norms Strengthened : Amendments to Sections 10A and 16 of the Banking Regulation Act exclude common directorships—other than RBI‑nominees or overlapping board positions between state and central co‑operative banks. This lowers conflict-of-interest risks across institutions.
• Why It Matters: Modernised Governance, Improved Deposit-Consumer Safety The Act updates half-century-old rules, promotes depositor confidence through investor protection via IEPF, brings cooperative bodies into constitutional compliance, and enhances audit integrity in public banks — collectively reflecting India’s move toward global best practices in banking regulation.