Current Affairs 26 July 2025

Content

1. 185 Pak. Refugees Get Indian Citizenship Under CAA
2. In Bihar, a Matter of Life and Debt
3. Modi Overtakes Indira, Clocks Second-Longest Continuous Stint as PM
4. States Can’t Seek Delimitation Claiming Parity with J&K: SC
5. NSG Bill 2025 Will Safeguard Women Athletes

185 Pak. refugees get Indian citizenship under CAA

Background of the CAA, 2019

• CAA Objective: The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 amends the Citizenship Act, 1955, to provide fast-track Indian citizenship to non-Muslim minorities — Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians — from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, who entered India on or before 31 December 2014, citing religious persecution.
• Exemption from Illegal Migrant Tag: These individuals will not be treated as illegal migrants even if they entered India without valid documents or overstayed their visa.
• Reduced Residency Requirement: Normal requirement for citizenship by naturalization (11 years) reduced to 5 years for these groups.
• Applicability: Applies only to migrants from three neighboring Muslim-majority countries and six specified religions, excluding Muslims, drawing criticism as discriminatory.

Relevance : GS 1(Society ) ,GS 2(Social Issues ,Governance )

Recent Development: Citizenship to 185 Displaced Persons in Gujarat

• Date of Event: July 2025
• Place: Rajkot, Gujarat
• Total Beneficiaries: 185 individuals
  • From districts: Rajkot, Morbi, Kutch
  • Religious communities: Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist
  • Demographics: Included women doctors, daily wage workers, elderly, homemakers, children

Scale of Displacement from Pakistan

• Pakistani Hindu migrants in India (mostly in Rajasthan and Gujarat): ~25,000–30,000 (per Lok Sabha Q&A and NGOs)
• Asylum Seekers from Pakistan in India (UNHCR): ~14,000–18,000
• Religious Persecution in Pakistan:
  • Hindus constitute <2% of Pakistan’s population (1947: ~12–15%)
  • HRCP reports frequent abductions and forced conversions of Hindu and Christian girls
  • Annual migration out of Pakistan due to persecution: ~1000 families/year (NGO estimates)

Key Significance of This Move

• Protection Against Statelessness
• Many had lived in India for decades without legal identity, rendering them ineligible for education, healthcare, or formal work.
• Citizenship ends this limbo and restores human dignity, particularly for women and children.

1. Access to Rights & Schemes
2. Post-citizenship, beneficiaries become eligible for:
   1. PMAY (Housing)
   1. Ayushman Bharat (Health Insurance)
   1. Education Schemes like RTE, scholarships
   1. PDS access, ration cards, Aadhaar, electoral participation

• Case of Woman Doctor: A Highlight
• Reflects brain drain due to persecution: Trained professionals seeking dignity and security.
• Showcases India as a humanitarian refuge and rights protector.

1. Administrative Preparedness
2. Government machinery activated to:
   1. Enroll new citizens into official records
   1. Ensure smooth access to social services
   1. Facilitate property rights and documentation

• Emotional & Symbolic Closure
• Public distribution of citizenship certificates carries emotional weight — chants of “Bharat Mata ki Jai” reflect restored identity and sense of belonging.

Geopolitical and Domestic Context

• Domestic
• Gujarat has a large number of long-settled Hindu migrants, especially in Bhuj, Gandhidham, and Rajkot.
• State has historically facilitated citizenship applications for refugees from Pakistan post-Partition and post-1971.

1. International
2. Religious minorities in Pakistan continue to face:
   1. Blasphemy charges
   1. Forced conversions of minor girls
   1. Mob violence and temple desecration

CAA Implementation Update (As of July 2025)

• Online application portal launched: March 2024
• Total applications filed nationwide: ~20,000+
• Citizenship granted so far under CAA: Estimated ~1,100–1,200 individuals (as per MHA sources and state-level press briefings)
• Major states processing CAA cases:
  • Gujarat
  • Rajasthan
  • Madhya Pradesh
  • Delhi
  • Chhattisgarh

Way Forward

• Transparent and time-bound processing of pending applications
• Sensitization of local officials to support integration of new citizens
• Ensure no disruption to communal harmony
• Greater inter-ministerial coordination to roll out welfare benefits

In Bihar, a matter of life and debt

Background: Bihar’s Debt Burden Landscape

• High Dependence on Loans:
  • Bihar has the highest share of households (18%) in India borrowing from non-institutional sources, as per Piramal Enterprises’ 2025 study based on CMIE data.
  • The proportion of EWS (₹1-2 lakh/year) households using formal credit fell by 4.2% (2018-19 to 2022-23), while informal borrowing rose by 5.8%.

• Low Household Income:
  • According to Bihar’s 2022 Caste Survey, 34% of households earn ₹6,000 or less per month—barely enough to service any sustained debt.

• Push Factors Driving Borrowing:
  • Weddings, medical emergencies, and dowry demands are key reasons women take multiple loans.
  • Many women borrow from 3–5 microfinance institutions (MFIs) plus local moneylenders (mahajans).

Relevance : GS 1(Society) ,GS 3(Economy , Borrowings)

Microfinance Model: Promise and Peril

• Microfinance Loans in India:
  • Defined by RBI as collateral-free credit to households earning up to ₹3 lakh/year.
  • 224 MFIs operate under the RBI-approved body Sa-Dhan.
  • While group lending increases access, it amplifies peer pressure and spreads liability among borrowers.

• Inadequate Oversight:
  • Despite 2022 RBI guidelines, rampant violations of repayment norms and interest caps continue.
  • Interest rates often disguised — women quoted 2% monthly interest that translated to 25-28% per annum.
  • Loan purpose misclassified (e.g., wedding loans shown as agriculture/poultry).

Debt Trap Cycle and Psychological Toll

• Multiple Loans → High Installments:
  • Borrowers like Somini Devi paid ₹7,000/month against ₹1.35 lakh debt — unsustainable on low rural incomes.
  • Punam Devi paid fortnightly installments for loans taken for hospital care (interest up to 28%).

• Harassment by Recovery Agents:
  • Frequent house visits, public shaming, confiscation of household items (beds, gas cylinders, Aadhaar cards).
  • Verbal abuse includes suggestions to “sell body” or beg to repay loans.

• Evading Recovery:
  • Recovery agent Mahesh Kumar Roy tracks 1,100 households, of which ~450 have fled to avoid harassment.
  • Women like Pawan Devi fled to Punjab for over a year to escape lenders.

Regulatory Vacuum in Bihar

• RBI Guidelines (2022):
  • Cap EMIs to ≤50% of household income.
  • Agents must not harass, intimidate, or publicly shame borrowers.
  • Borrowers must have repayment flexibility.

• Poor Enforcement:
  • Despite clear directives, Bihar’s lack of regulatory enforcement renders RBI guidelines ineffective.
  • Women report routine harassment, even when default is minimal (e.g., ₹50 shortfall).

• State-level Legislative Gaps:
  • Unlike Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Assam, Bihar has no state law regulating MFIs or recovery practices.
  • Several States (Kerala, Gujarat, TN, MP, Maharashtra) have moneylender laws that indirectly cover MFIs.

Social and Caste Dimensions

• Marginalised Communities Bear the Brunt:
  • Most borrowers are from Musahar (Mahadalit) community — among the poorest and most socially excluded in Bihar.
  • Low literacy, lack of documentation, and no legal awareness make them easy prey for mis-selling and coercion.

• Women as Primary Borrowers:
  • Due to SHG-centric lending and male migration, women shoulder the loan burden, facing agents alone.

• Dowry Economy’s Debt Footprint:
  • Weddings involve motorcycles and gold as dowry items — compelling families to borrow large sums.
  • Link between patriarchal expectations and inter-generational debt.

Political Apathy Ahead of Elections

• No Political Party Addressing the Crisis:
  • Bihar Assembly elections due Oct 2025 — yet no political push for a Microfinance Regulation Bill.
  • Silence attributed to lack of urban media attention, low political cost, and invisible suffering of women in remote villages.

• Expert Warning:
  • Prof. Jayati Ghosh warns of “fundamental flaws in microfinance” — no income monitoring, high interest, no borrower protection.
  • She calls for income-linked SHG-bank models, like Kerala’s Kudumbashree, which generate cooperative-based income.

Policy Implications & Way Forward

• Strengthen Enforcement:
  • Empower RBI to audit and suspend MFIs flouting repayment or harassment norms.
  • Create a real-time grievance redressal platform for micro-borrowers, especially women.

• Bihar-Specific Legislation:
  • Draft and pass a Bihar Moneylender and Microfinance Regulation Act.
  • Borrow from models like Telangana’s MFI Act (2011) which mandates licensing and agent accountability.

• Promote Income-Supportive Credit:
  • Revive and upscale SHG-Bank Linkage (SBL) schemes.
  • Invest in rural livelihood generation, e.g., MGNREGA, Skill India, agri-value chains.

• Public Financial Literacy Campaigns:
  • Use Panchayats and SHGs to run credit literacy programs.
  • Make loan terms transparent via visual formats (e.g., pictograms) for low-literacy borrowers.

Conclusion: India’s Broken Microfinance Model in Bihar

The Bihar case exposes the deep contradictions of India’s microfinance revolution — what was meant to be empowering has turned into a trap of humiliation and destitution for thousands of women. Unless regulation, enforcement, and socio-economic safeguards go hand-in-hand, the cycle of multiple loans, coercive recovery, and debt migration will continue to undermine both financial inclusion and women’s dignity.

Modi overtakes Indira, clocks second-longest continuous stint as PM

Key Milestone (As of July 25, 2025)

• Tenure Completed: 4,078 days of uninterrupted service as Prime Minister since May 26, 2014.
• Surpassed: Indira Gandhi’s record of 4,077 days of consecutive service (Jan 24, 1966 – Mar 24, 1977).
• Matched: Jawaharlal Nehru’s feat of winning three consecutive Lok Sabha mandates (1952, 1957, 1962 | Modi: 2014, 2019, 2024).

Relevance : Facts for Prelims

Background: Top 5 Longest-Serving Indian PMs (Consecutively)

*As of July 25, 2025

Comparative Highlights & Governance Benchmarks

• Longest-Serving Non-Congress PM
• Modi is the first non-Congress leader to serve more than one full term as PM.
• Vajpayee’s longest complete tenure was from 1999–2004.

• Dual-Level Governance Experience
• CM of Gujarat: 7,545 days (Oct 7, 2001 – May 26, 2014)
• PM of India: 4,078+ days
• Total Continuous Executive Tenure: ~11,623 days (over 31 years)—longest in Indian history for any elected head of government.

What Makes Modi’s Tenure Stand Out?

• Mandate-Driven Legitimacy
• Unlike Nehru or Indira Gandhi (whose early tenures followed turbulent nation-building phases), Modi’s ascent was through massive electoral mandates:
  • 2014: Absolute majority (282 seats – first time for BJP)
  • 2019: Bigger majority (303 seats)
  • 2024: Retained power via NDA alliance (~293 seats), despite BJP falling short of solo majority.

• Hyper-Incumbency in Modern Democracy
• Sustaining high approval for over a decade in a social media-driven, anti-incumbency-prone democracy is unprecedented.
• A 2024 CVoter-Lokniti survey placed Modi’s personal approval rating above 60%, even during economic and geopolitical pressures.

• Global Visibility
• Modi is now among the top 5 longest-serving elected leaders globally (among democracies), alongside:
  • Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (Turkey)
  • Vladimir Putin (Russia – hybrid regime)
  • Hun Sen (Cambodia – stepped down 2023)
  • Sheikh Hasina (Bangladesh)

States can’t seek delimitation claiming parity with J&K: SC

Background: What is Delimitation?

• Delimitation refers to the redrawing of boundaries of parliamentary or assembly constituencies to reflect population changes.
• Conducted by the Delimitation Commission, constituted under the Delimitation Act (latest in 2002).
• The objective is to ensure equal representation to equal segments of the population.

Relevance : GS 2(Polity and Constitution)

The Supreme Court Verdict (July 2025): Key Highlights

• Case: Petition filed by Prof. K. Purushottam Reddy seeking delimitation in Andhra Pradesh & Telangana, arguing discrimination vis-à-vis the 2022 J&K delimitation.
• Verdict: Dismissed the plea; ruled that the Centre’s action in J&K was constitutionally valid and not discriminatory.
• Bench: Justices Surya Kant and N. Kotiswar Singh.

Key Judicial Observations

1. No Parity Between States and UTs
   1. Article 170(3) freezes delimitation in States till the first Census post-2026.
   1. Jammu & Kashmir, being a Union Territory with Legislature, falls outside the scope of this freeze.
2. Delimitation in J&K is Constitutional
   1. Conducted under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 and Delimitation Commission Act, 2002.
   1. Based on 2011 Census (as mandated).
3. Avoidance of Disruption
   1. Allowing selective delimitation would cause inter-State imbalance and judicial overreach.
   1. Would trigger similar demands from Northeastern states, which were also excluded via a 2021 MHA notification.

Constitutional Basis

Data & Context

Why Was J&K Treated Separately?

• Post-abrogation of Article 370 (August 2019), J&K became a UT with a separate legislative framework.
• As per the J&K Reorganisation Act, the Centre was empowered to redraw Assembly constituencies.
• A new Delimitation Commission (2020) was constituted for J&K under Justice Ranjana Desai.

Implications of the Verdict

• Judicial Clarity: Reinforces the idea that States and UTs have distinct constitutional treatment.
• Electoral Uniformity: Prevents piecemeal delimitation which could undermine electoral equity.
• Curb on Political Litigation: Limits judicial intervention in delimitation as a political and administrative function.
• Preserves Federal Balance: Avoids precedence that could trigger competitive claims among States.

Why This Verdict Matters for India

• Upholds constitutional sanctity of electoral representation.
• Clarifies separation of powers—delimitation is not for courts to dictate but for a statutory body.
• Highlights India’s federal asymmetry, where States and UTs can be treated differently for valid reasons.

NSG Bill 2025 will safeguard women athletes

Background: Indian Sports Governance & Urgency of Reform

• Lack of Central Sports Legislation: India has historically lacked a dedicated central legislation governing sports federations — most function under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 or as private associations with limited transparency and accountability.
• Repeated SC Interventions: Multiple Supreme Court interventions in BCCI (e.g., Lodha Committee, 2016) and other federations pointed out systemic lack of athlete welfare, financial transparency, and gender equity.
• Athlete Harassment Crisis: India witnessed alarming incidents such as:
  • Wrestlers’ protests (2023) against WFI chief over sexual harassment allegations.
  • 56% of Indian female athletes reported facing harassment during careers (based on 2022 Safesport India Survey).
  • Lack of effective redressal mechanisms at grassroots levels, especially for rural minors.

Relevance : GS 2(Governance)

National Sports Governance Bill 2025 – Key Provisions

1. Safe Sport Policy (Aligned with POSH Act, 2013)

• Mandatory Complaint Redressal Mechanism:
  • Every NSF must establish internal committees (ICs) to address sexual harassment complaints.
  • Rural athletes and minors now get accessible institutional routes for grievance redressal.

• Accountability Mandate:
  • Coaches, administrators, and officials will face strict action if complicit or negligent.
  • Encourages zero-tolerance towards abuse irrespective of gender, rank, or federation.

• Data-Driven Significance:
  • India has ~1.5 lakh registered sportspersons under Khelo India (2024 data), many from rural belts where social stigma silences victims.

2. Gender Equity in Governance

• Minimum 4 Women Mandate:
  • Executive Committees and governing bodies of all NSFs must include at least four women members.
  • Aligns India with IOC’s global target of 30% gender representation (India was at ~10% before 2023).

• Why It Matters:
  • Women can better understand gender-specific safety, psychological and logistical concerns.
  • Diverse leadership correlates with athlete welfare, better grievance responsiveness, and performance sustainability (UN Women, 2023).

Khelo Bharat Niti + ASMITA Leagues: Complementary Reform Engine

• Khelo Bharat Niti 2025 Highlights:
  • Framework to make India one of the top 10 sporting nations by 2036.
  • Unified athlete ID, robust sports infrastructure at district/block levels.
  • Focus on sports science, performance analytics, and inclusivity.

• ASMITA Leagues:
  • Target women athletes from rural belts with structured, recurring grassroots-level competitions.
  • Visibility + safety = performance enhancement + retention in sports.

Athlete-Centric Reflections (Voices like Anjum Moudgil)

• Need for Institutional Support:
  • Earlier, athletes could only confide informally in peers or committees without structured recourse.
  • Safe spaces now institutionalised through grievance cells, mentorship models, and athlete commissions.

• Psychological Impact:
  • Female athletes often carry trauma due to harassment, unsafe environments, or discriminatory behaviour.
  • Confidence to speak up without fear of retaliation is a game-changer for long-term careers.

• Inclusive Redressal Culture:
  • Harassment is not gender-specific — male, female, or minor athletes must be equally protected.
  • Mental health, dignity, and post-incident care are embedded in the Safe Sport Policy framework.

Implementation Challenges & Road Ahead

• Grievance Redressal Access in Rural India:
  • Connectivity, literacy, and awareness gaps must be bridged for athletes from Tier-2, Tier-3, and rural belts.

• Monitoring & Enforcement:
  • MoYAS (Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports) must set up an independent Sports Regulatory Authority to monitor implementation, review IC performance, and audit NSF compliance.

• Integration with Digital Tools:
  • Use of Digital India stack: grievance portals, video-recorded complaint hearings, anonymised redressal dashboards.

Strategic National Significance

• Global Sporting Reputation:
  • India eyes top-10 Olympic finish by 2036; foundational governance must be athlete-centric.
  • Safety and equality are not fringe issues but performance prerequisites.

• Link with Viksit Bharat 2047:
  • Sports policy is now not just about medals, but dignity, jobs, health, and nation-building.
  • The Modi government’s approach integrates sports into national development, governance, and women-led growth models.

 Conclusion: A Turning Point for Indian Sports

• The National Sports Governance Bill 2025 is not merely a legal reform — it’s a cultural shift.
• It prioritises respect, safety, and inclusion, creating a trustworthy ecosystem where talent is not held back by fear or abuse.
• For every aspiring athlete, especially from rural and marginalised backgrounds, this bill offers a promise: a safer, fairer, and more dignified sporting journey.