• Thirteen years after the Supreme Court of India ordered immediate rehabilitation and reclamation (R&R) of mining-affected regions in Ballari, Vijayanagara, Chitradurga, and Tumakuru in Karnataka, little progress has been made. The 2012 directive followed extensive environmental damage due to illegal mining, with the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) setting guidelines that included pollution control, afforestation, soil conservation, and infrastructure development. However, a 2025 CEC report reveals that many Category B (partly illegal) mines have not completed R&R despite recovering guarantee money from 45 out of 64 leaseholders, while 19 leaseholders haven’t paid at all. Escalated costs have rendered the guarantees inadequate, prompting the CEC to recommend banning ore sales from non-compliant leases and recovering R&R costs through government-controlled ore sales. Additionally, Category A (legal) mines that haven’t resumed operations have also failed to start R&R, and post-auction Category C (illegal) mines continue operations without any rehabilitation. Despite legal attempts by mining companies to sell low- and sub-grade ore, the CEC opposes sales without executing R&R or recovering its cost.
• The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has directed the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) to implement a new regulatory framework for brick kilns within one month to tackle pollution and unregulated soil mining. Brick kilns, especially in Karnataka where they are predominantly small-scale and manually operated, are major contributors to air pollution due to the use of traditional fuels like firewood and agricultural residue. The CPCB guidelines require technological upgrades, including the mandatory adoption of zigzag or vertical shaft kiln technologies, which enhance combustion efficiency and reduce fuel use, and promote the use of piped natural gas (PNG). Although the initial compliance deadline is February 2025, recent amendments by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) have extended the deadline for chimneys. Brick kilns must now publicly display critical operational data such as kiln layout, soil mining locations, annual soil use, groundwater permissions, and emission monitoring records. Karnataka has an estimated 6,000–10,000 kilns, primarily located in Kolar, Chikkaballapur, and Bengaluru Rural, with many lacking environmental oversight. KSPCB is required to submit a compliance report within 30 days, as CPCB aims to enhance environmental accountability through this directive.
• The position of Deputy Speaker in the Lok Sabha, mandated under Article 93 of the Indian Constitution, remains vacant since June 2019 despite the beginning of Prime Minister Modi’s third term, raising concerns about adherence to constitutional and parliamentary norms. Article 178 similarly mandates the election of a Deputy Speaker in State Legislative Assemblies, yet eight states are currently without one. Jharkhand holds the record for the longest vacancy, having last appointed a Deputy Speaker in March 2005. Other states such as Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir also reflect long-standing lapses. The Deputy Speaker plays a critical role by presiding over the House in the Speaker’s absence, handling no-confidence motions, and ensuring procedural neutrality. The opposition, especially the I.N.D.I.A bloc, has criticized the continued delay, interpreting it as a deliberate move to bypass power-sharing norms, notably raising the issue during the Budget Session and symbolically fielding Congress MP Kodikkunnil Suresh for the Speaker’s post.
• The Tsarap Chu Conservation Reserve, notified on May 7, 2025, in the Spiti Valley of Himachal Pradesh, has been declared India’s largest conservation reserve, covering an area of 1,585 sq km. Established under Section 36A(1) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, it is the fifth such reserve in the state. Geographically, it is bordered by the Union Territory of Ladakh to the north, Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary to the east, Kabjima Nala to the south, and Chandratal Wildlife Sanctuary to the west, with the confluence of the Unam River and Charap Nala lying within its extent. Ecologically, the reserve is a critical habitat for the elusive snow leopard, often called the “ghost of the mountains,” and serves as a key wildlife corridor between Kibber and Chandratal sanctuaries, facilitating species movement and genetic diversity. Located at an altitude of 3,000–5,000 metres, the region also supports other rare fauna such as the Tibetan wolf, Himalayan ibex, Bharal (blue sheep), Tibetan argali, and kiang (Tibetan wild ass), along with notable bird species like the Tibetan raven, rose finch, and yellow-billed chough. The area is also a significant catchment for the Charap Nala, maintaining ecological and hydrological balance. The declaration of the reserve followed a consultative process involving local gram panchayats and scientific surveys. Its management is overseen by a Conservation Reserve Management Committee that includes local representatives, and it promotes eco-tourism, wildlife photography, and trekking to boost community livelihoods.
• Former Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar is UPSC Chairman
• The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) has introduced a new system that automatically converts financial cybercrime complaints with a fraud value above ₹10 lakh, and registered on the 1930 helpline or cybercrime.gov.in portal, into first information reports (FIRs). The e-Zero FIR initiative has been launched on a pilot basis first in Delhi
• Seventeen MPs, including Bhartruhari Mahtab and Ravi Kishan, and two Parliamentary Standing Committees, have been selected for the Sansad Ratna Award 2025. The awards, instituted by the Prime Point Foundation, are given to MPs for their contribution to Parliament. The awardees were selected by the Jury Committee, chaired by Hansraj Ahir, Chairman of the National Commission for Backwards Classes. Mr. Mahtab, Supriya Sule (NCP-SP), N.K. Premachandran (RSP) and Shrirang Appa Barne (Shiv Sena) will receive the awards for “outstanding and consistent contribution to parliamentary democracy”
• expanded the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS), which was launched in 2022 to provide credit guarantees to loans extended by Scheduled Commercial Banks, NBFCs, and SEBI-registered AIFs to eligible startups, as defined in DPIIT notifications. The scheme is implemented by the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Limited (NCGTC) and offers guarantees on various debt instruments such as venture debt, working capital, subordinated debt, debentures, and convertible debt, promoting lending to startups. Notably, the guarantee cover is transaction-based, offering individual borrower guarantees, and umbrella-based, covering Venture Debt Funds. The recent enhancements increased the maximum guarantee limit from ₹10 crore to ₹20 crore per borrower, with guarantee coverage now at 85% for loans up to ₹10 crore and 75% for loans above ₹10 crore. Additionally, the Annual Guarantee Fee for startups in 27 Champion Sectors was reduced from 2% to 1% per annum, facilitating easier access to credit for startups across these sectors.
• Bihar secured first position in the country for successfully implementing the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises(PMFME) scheme in the financial year 2024-25, said the industries minister recently.