The Lok Sabha has passed the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, 2025. This landmark legislation aims to incentivize private sector participation, both domestic and foreign, in nuclear power production. It repeals existing restrictive legislation to open up the civil nuclear sector. Key provisions include enabling private companies to run nuclear plants, limiting operator liability to plant capacity, and ensuring the government retains control over nuclear waste management. The Bill also removes clauses holding equipment suppliers responsible for failures, a move that has faced significant opposition from several political parties.
The SHANTI Bill allows private and foreign companies to participate in India's civil nuclear energy production.
It shifts the responsibility of managing nuclear plants to the 'operator' of the facility.
Operator liability is now limited to the specific capacity of the nuclear plants rather than unlimited.
Exam Points
Bill Name: Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, 2025.
The Bill amends provisions of the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010.
The Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), or VB-GRAM G Bill, was tabled in the Lok Sabha to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The Bill changes the scheme's character from a demand-based to a supply-driven framework with capped allocations. A significant shift is the funding pattern, moving from the Centre bearing the full cost of unskilled wages to a 60:40 sharing ratio between the Centre and States. Critics argue this undermines the special status of the scheme and places a heavy financial burden on states already struggling with GST restructuring.
The VB-GRAM G Bill transforms MGNREGS from a demand-based legal guarantee to a supply-driven scheme.
Funding for unskilled manual labor wages will shift from 100% Central funding to a 60:40 Centre-State split.
The Union government becomes the sole decision-maker, potentially reducing the development space for States.
Exam Points
Bill Name: Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-GRAM G Bill).
Proposed funding sharing pattern between Centre and States for unskilled wages: 60:40.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) is conducting a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to address challenges posed by large-scale migration. Migration often leads to individuals being registered in multiple locations or losing their vote in their place of origin. The ECI's initiative, starting with Bihar, aims to clean up voter lists and ensure 'one person, one vote.' This comes as international migration has doubled in three decades, reaching 300 million by mid-2024. The article also discusses the political implications of changing demographics in cities like Mumbai and the impact of nativist politics on national policies.
The ECI's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) aims to eliminate duplicate entries in electoral rolls caused by migration.
International migration has grown significantly, with the number of people living outside their country of birth doubling since 1990.
Internal migration in India is reshaping urban politics, leading to the rise of nativist movements in states like Maharashtra.
Exam Points
The ECI's pilot project for SIR begins with the State of Bihar.
Global international migrant population reached over 300 million by mid-2024.
The Representation of the People (Amendment) Act, 2010 allows NRIs to enroll in electoral rolls.
Northern India is facing its annual cycle of severe air pollution and dense fog, leading to accidents and health crises. While fog itself doesn't increase toxicity, it traps residual emissions and reduces visibility, causing fatal road accidents and flight cancellations. In Delhi, the Air Quality Index (AQI) frequently enters the 'severe+' category (400+), triggering emergency restrictions under GRAP-4. These include bans on construction and shifting schools online. The editorial argues that the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) must move beyond reactive 'meetings' and implement year-round strategies to keep AQI below 350 regardless of weather conditions.
Fog exacerbates the pollution crisis by trapping moisture and residual emissions close to the ground.
The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-4) is the highest level of emergency restriction for air pollution in Delhi.
Poor visibility due to fog has led to significant casualties on expressways and massive disruptions in aviation.
Indian student migration has evolved from an elite phenomenon to a mass middle-class aspiration, with over 13.35 lakh students enrolled abroad in 2024. The US, Canada, UK, and Australia remain top destinations. However, this trend is increasingly characterized by 'reverse remittance,' where Indian households subsidize foreign economies through high fees and living costs, often funded by debt. Many students end up in low-tier institutions or unskilled jobs due to restrictive visa rules and lack of placement support. The article highlights the need for better regulation, pre-departure counseling, and bilateral frameworks to protect students from exploitation.
India is a top sender of international students, with numbers projected to reach 13.8 lakh in 2025.
'Reverse remittance' occurs when Indian families mortgage assets to fund education abroad, often leading to debt traps.
Many students face 'deskilling,' where they transition from potential skilled workers to low-wage unskilled laborers abroad.
Exam Points
Number of Indian students enrolled abroad in 2024: 13.35 lakh.
Top destinations: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and Germany.
Student migration from Kerala doubled in five years, from 1.29 lakh in 2018 to 2.5 lakh in 2023.
The Overseas Mobility (Facilitation and Welfare) Bill, 2025, intended to upgrade the 1983 Emigration Act, is facing criticism for prioritizing bureaucratic efficiency over worker rights. Critics argue the Bill removes enforceable rights and fails to address human trafficking or the specific vulnerabilities of women migrants. It replaces the 2021 draft's vision of holding recruitment agencies accountable with a more deregulated framework. The Bill is seen as centralizing power in Delhi, sidelining migrant-sending states like Kerala and Bihar, and lacking provisions for the reintegration of returning workers, potentially leaving them vulnerable to exploitation.
The Bill replaces the Emigration Act of 1983 but is criticized as a 'Trojan horse of deregulation.'
It removes many of the legal safeguards for migrant workers that were proposed in the 2021 draft Bill.
The legislation centralizes control, potentially ignoring the specific needs and experiences of major migrant-sending states.
Exam Points
Legislation Name: Overseas Mobility (Facilitation and Welfare) Bill, 2025.
Data indicates that 3,258 Indian nationals were deported from the U.S. to India in 2025, the highest annual figure since at least 2009. This represents more than a two-fold increase compared to 2024. The deportations involve individuals who entered illegally, overstayed visas, or had criminal convictions. Public sentiment in the U.S. regarding these deportations is polarized; while many Republicans support stricter enforcement, a growing number of Democrats also believe some undocumented immigrants should be deported. The data highlights a significant shift in U.S. immigration enforcement and its impact on the Indian diaspora.
Deportations of Indians from the U.S. reached a record high of 3,258 in 2025 (as of November 28).
The 2025 figure is more than double the total number of deportations recorded in 2024.
U.S. public opinion shows increasing support for deportations across partisan lines, though intensity varies.
Exam Points
Number of Indians deported from U.S. in 2025 (as of Nov 28): 3,258.
The Indian Navy commissioned its second MH-60R helicopter squadron, INAS 335 (known as 'The Ospreys'), at INS Hansa in Goa. This marks a significant milestone in the modernization of Indian naval aviation. The MH-60R is a versatile, multi-role helicopter designed for anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, and search and rescue operations. This commissioning follows the first squadron established in Kochi in March 2024. The move significantly enhances the Navy's rotary-wing combat and surveillance capabilities on the western seaboard, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the Fleet Air Arm's formation.
INAS 335 'The Ospreys' is the second squadron to operate the advanced MH-60R multi-role helicopters.
The MH-60R helicopters are equipped for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare.
The commissioning strengthens India's naval presence and surveillance capabilities on the western seaboard.
The Rajya Sabha passed the Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Bill, which allows 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the insurance sector. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that this move would attract more foreign capital, especially where domestic joint venture partners are unavailable. The Bill also allows for the merger of non-insurance and insurance companies and mandates data collection in compliance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act. Additionally, the House passed the Repealing and Amending Bill, which annuls 71 obsolete laws, including the Indian Tramways Act, 1886, to improve the ease of doing business.
The Bill increases the FDI limit in the insurance sector from the previous cap to 100%.
It aims to increase insurance penetration and competition, potentially lowering premiums for consumers.
The legislation allows for the merger of different types of insurance entities (life and non-life).
Exam Points
Bill Name: Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Bill.
Number of obsolete laws repealed: 71 (including Indian Tramways Act, 1886 and Sugar Price Equalisation Fund Act, 1976).
An Indian Army contingent has departed for the United Arab Emirates to participate in the second edition of the joint military exercise 'DESERT CYCLONE-II'. Scheduled from December 18 to 30 in Abu Dhabi, the exercise involves 45 personnel from India's Mechanised Infantry Regiment and a similar contingent from the UAE's 53 Mechanised Infantry Battalion. The primary objective is to enhance interoperability and strengthen defense cooperation between the land forces of both nations. This exercise underscores the growing strategic partnership between India and the UAE in the defense sector.
Desert Cyclone-II is a bilateral joint military exercise between the Indian Army and the UAE Land Forces.
The exercise focuses on enhancing interoperability in desert warfare and mechanized operations.
It reflects the deepening defense and security ties between India and the United Arab Emirates.
Tensions have flared again along the Thailand-Cambodia border, specifically around the 11th-century Hindu temple of Preah Vihear. Despite a 1962 International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling awarding the temple to Cambodia, the surrounding 4.6 sq km of land remains contested. Recent clashes involving airstrikes and artillery have displaced thousands. A U.S.-brokered ceasefire in October was recently breached, leading to renewed hostilities. The dispute is rooted in colonial-era treaties and nationalist sentiments in both countries. De-escalation efforts now focus on troop withdrawals and direct military communication to prevent further conflict.
The core of the dispute is the sovereignty over un-demarcated land surrounding the Preah Vihear temple.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in 1962 that the temple belongs to Cambodia.
Recent escalations involve heavy weaponry and have caused significant civilian displacement on both sides.
Exam Points
Temple Name: Preah Vihear (11th-century Hindu temple).
International body involved: International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Disputed land area: 4.6 sq km.
Read more
Read it. Retain it. Recall it.
Get spaced-repetition flashcards, daily quizzes and offline access — free on Android.