Daily Current Affairs- 30th August 2025

Daily Current Affairs- 30th August 2025

Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana

In the News: On August 29, 2025, the Bihar Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, approved the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana (Chief Minister Women's Employment Scheme), aiming to empower women by providing financial assistance for self-employment ventures.

Key Points:

• Initial Financial Aid: One woman from each household in Bihar will receive ₹10,000 as a grant to start an income-generating activity of her choice.
• Additional Support After 6 Months: After six months, an assessment will be conducted. Eligible women may receive additional financial assistance of up to ₹2 lakh to scale and sustain their ventures.
• Disbursement Timeline & Process: The application process is set to begin soon, with funds transferred directly via DBT starting September 2025. The Rural Development Department will be the nodal agency, assisted by the Urban Development and Housing Department for urban outreach.
• Haat Bazaars for Market Access: To support women entrepreneurs, the government will establish haat bazaars (local markets) in both rural and urban areas for marketing and selling women-made products.
• Objective & Broader Context: The scheme is positioned to boost women’s economic independence, raise household incomes, reduce out-migration, and provide better local employment opportunities.
• Legacy of Women’s Empowerment: The initiative builds on a longstanding agenda of empowering women since 2005, including: 50% reservation for women in local self-governance (Panchayati Raj and municipal bodies), Liquor prohibition (2016) and Higher pensions benefiting over 1.12 crore women.

Maharashtra, AP Lead in Energy Efficiency: SEEI 2024

In the News: The Ministry of Power released the sixth edition of the State Energy Efficiency Index (SEEI) 2024, covering the fiscal year 2023–24. The report, prepared by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) in collaboration with the Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE), identified Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh as top performers in energy efficiency in their respective consumption groups, with scores of 80.5 % and 79.3 % respectively.

Key Points:

• Release & Purpose: The SEEI 2024, launched by BEE Director General Akash Tripathi (also Additional Secretary, Ministry of Power), uses a robust 66-indicator, implementation-focused framework to evaluate states across various sectors — buildings, industry, transport, agriculture, municipal services, distribution companies, and cross-sector initiatives.
• Top Performers by Energy Consumption Group:
  • Group 1 (>15 MToE) – Maharashtra led the pack.
  • Group 2 (5–15 MToE) – Andhra Pradesh emerged as the leader.
  • Group 3 (1–5 MToE) – Assam topped this segment.
  • Group 4 (<1 MToE) – Tripura took the lead.
• Performance Categories: States were classified into: Front Runners (>60%), Achievers (50–60%), Contenders (30–50%) and Aspirants (<30%).
• Front Runner States: The number of front runners dropped from seven in the previous year to five in SEEI 2024—these include Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu.
• Sectoral Highlights:
  • Buildings: 24 states have notified the Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) 2017.
  • Electric Mobility: 31 states adopted EV policies.
  • Solar Pumps: 13 states promoted solar-powered agricultural pumps, with Kerala achieving the highest adoption at 74%.
  • State Energy Efficiency Action Plans (SEEAPs): Prepared by all 36 States/UTs, and 31 have established State-Level Steering Committees on Energy Transition.
• Strategic Significance: The SEEI serves as a key policy tool guiding energy efficiency efforts, facilitating best-practice sharing, and supporting India’s climate objectives  including a 45% reduction in emissions intensity by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2070.

Reliance to Build Solar Project Three Times the Size of Singapore

In the News: During Reliance Industries’ 48th Annual General Meeting on August 29, 2025, the company unveiled its plan to develop a mega solar project in Kutch, Gujarat spanning 550,000 acres, which is approximately three times the size of Singapore. This initiative forms part of a fully integrated clean energy ecosystem under the Dhirubhai Ambani Green Energy Giga Complex in Jamnagar and Kutch.

Key Points:

• Scale of the Project: The solar project covers a vast 550,000 acres, making it one of the world’s largest single-site solar initiatives—about three times the land area of Singapore.
• Capacity and Impact: At peak capacity, the project is expected to deploy 55 MW of solar modules and 150 MWh of battery containers daily. Within a decade, it has the potential to meet nearly 10% of India’s electricity demand.
• Integrated Clean Energy Ecosystem: This project is a component of the Dhirubhai Ambani Green Energy Giga Complex, envisioned as the world’s most integrated clean energy hub. The complex includes: Solar module manufacturing with 20 GW per annum capacity, Battery giga-factory, Electrolyser facility, Green hydrogen production (aiming for 3 million tonnes equivalent per annum by 2032).
• Strategic Significance: Reliance aims to transform its traditional oil and petrochemicals-led model into a sustainable new-energy portfolio. The Giga Complex, centered at Jamnagar, will link solar, storage, and hydrogen production—setting a template for scale, cost-efficiency, and resilience in clean energy supply chains

India’s Economy Grows Robust 7.8% in Q1 FY26

In the News: The National Statistics Office (NSO) released data showing that India’s real GDP growth jumped to 7.8% in the April–June quarter of FY 2025–26 (Q1 FY26)—marking a five-quarter high and exceeding both the Reserve Bank of India’s forecast of 6.5% and economists’ expectations of around 6.7%–7.0%.

Key Points:

• Surprise Upside: The 7.8% growth rate represents the strongest quarterly expansion in five quarters, underscoring sustained economic momentum.
• Main Growth Drivers: Expansion was fueled by robust performance in key sectors—services, manufacturing, construction, agriculture, and substantial government capital expenditure.
• Services Sector Leads: The services/GVA sector recorded particularly strong growth (~9.3%), reinforcing its role as the principal engine of GDP expansion.
• Demand-Side Strength: Private Final Consumption Expenditure (PFCE) rose by approximately 7%, matching or exceeding public investment growth—reflecting buoyant domestic consumption.
• Low Inflation—A Double-Edged Sword: Deflators were unusually low, leading to technical inflation in real GDP estimation—though boosting headline growth, it raises questions about sustainability
• Future Uncertainties: Economists caution that incoming 50% U.S. tariffs could dampen exports, slow private investment, and ultimately temper growth in upcoming quarters.

15th India-Japan Annual Summit Joint Statement

In the News: Minister Narendra Modi of India visited Japan for the 15th India‑Japan Annual Summit. During the summit, he and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba adopted a Joint Statement titled "Partnership for Security and Prosperity of our Next Generation", along with a Joint Vision for the Next Decade, a Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation, and a Human Resource Exchange Action Pla.

Key Points:

• Historical Context & Summit Overview The summit reaffirmed the long-standing civilizational ties, shared values, and mutual respect between India and Japan. It marked a new chapter in their Special Strategic and Global Partnership, with a commitment to strengthen cooperation across three priority domains: defense and security, economic partnership, and people-to-people exchanges.
• Strategic Documents Launched
  • Joint Vision for the Next Decade: Encompasses eight pillars, including economy, economic security, mobility, environment, technology and innovation, health, people-to-people ties, and state-to-prefecture engagement.
  • Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation: Upgrades their defense and security collaboration to address contemporary regional geopolitical realities.
  • Action Plan for Human Resource Exchange: Aims to facilitate the exchange of 500,000 people over five years, including 50,000 skilled professionals and promising talent from India to Japan.
  • Economic Security Initiative: Launches mechanisms to strengthen critical supply chains and economic security cooperation.
• Economic & Investment Goals: Japan pledged to mobilize 10 trillion yen (approx. USD 68 billion) in private-sector investments in India over the coming decade—doubling its previous investment target. The partnership includes major initiatives like Digital Partnership 2.0, AI cooperation, high-speed rail, clean energy (hydrogen and ammonia), Joint Crediting Mechanism for emission reduction, and next-generation mobility covering smart technologies, disaster resilience, and infrastructure.
• Defense & Security Enhancements: Strengthened security cooperation, including cybersecurity, counter-terrorism, and defense-industrial collaboration, reflecting a multidimensional and modern security agenda. Expansion of defense collaboration through joint exercises and shared strategic frameworks, aligned with Quad and Indo-Pacific security goals.

International Day of Enforced Disappearances 2025

In the News: On 30 August 2025, the world observes the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances also referred to as International Day of the Disappeared to raise awareness about people abducted or detained in undisclosed locations without acknowledgment by authorities and to highlight their families’ suffering and their pursuit for justice.

Key Points:

• Date & Observation: This is an annual international observance held on 30 August each year. The next observance falls on 30 August 2025.
• Purpose: The day shines light on enforced disappearances—when people are taken by state agents (or with their acquiescence), then withheld from their families and legal systems. It draws attention to the human rights violations these practices entail, including the right to liberty, security, and recognition before the law.
• Statistics & Worldwide Impact: Since the adoption of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, the UN has recorded nearly 61,500 cases across 115 countries; between May 2024 and May 2025, 1,278 new cases were reported in 38 countries.
• Country Spotlight – Syria: To mark the day, the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) released its 14th annual report:
  • Documents at least 177,057 enforced disappearances in Syria (including 4,536 children and 8,984 women) between March 2011 and August 2025.
  • Attributes approximately 90% of these cases to the regime of Bashar al‑Assad, highlighting the systematic nature of this crime.
• Legal Framework – International Convention: Adopted in December 2006 and entered into force in December 2010, the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED) is a UN treaty that:
  • Defines enforced disappearance as a serious violation and possibly a crime against humanity
  • Requires signatories to criminalize the act, investigate it, ensure jurisdiction, facilitate extradition, and provide reparations
  • As of August 2024, 98 states signed and 76 ratified or acceded to the convention.