Current Affairs 14 June 2025

Content :

1. Black box recovered from roof of hostel; Modi visits crash site
2. India abstains from UNGA resolution for Gaza ceasefire
3. In a first, Centre sanctions over 300 FRA cells to ‘facilitate’ implementation of Forest Rights Act across 18 States, UTs
4. Israel-Iran conflict may impact oil supply to India, spike export costs
5. Why Israel attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities

Black box recovered from roof of hostel; Modi visits crash site

Relevance : GS 3(Disaster Management)

Background:

• Flight Details: Air India Flight AI-171 was operating on an international route when it crashed during descent near Meghaninagar, Ahmedabad.
• Aircraft Type: The flight was operated using a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, a long-haul wide-body aircraft.
• Crash Timing: The crash occurred shortly before landing, with early reports suggesting a possible technical failure or structural malfunction.
• Mayday Signal: Reports indicate the crew issued a Mayday distress call, hinting at a rapid emergency or system failure.
• First Major Crash Involving 787 in India: This incident marks the first fatal crash involving a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner in Indian aviation history.
• High Casualty Event: With over 240 onboard fatalities, it ranks among the deadliest air crashes in Indian civil aviation in recent years.
• Survivor: Only one onboard survivor, Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, has been confirmed so far, currently undergoing treatment.

Crash & Investigation Status

• Crash Incident: Air India flight AI-171 crashed in Ahmedabad, killing at least 241 people on board.
• Ground Casualties: No confirmed data yet on casualties on the ground.
• Black Box Recovered: Found on the roof of a hostel; will aid in determining the cause of the crash.
• AAIB Action: Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has launched a formal probe.
• Police FIR: Ahmedabad police registered a case of accidental death.

Political & Administrative Response

• PM Modi’s Visit: Visited the crash site and chaired a review meeting at Ahmedabad airport.
• Public Statement: Expressed grief, calling the devastation “saddening”.
• Interaction with Victims: PM spoke to Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, the only onboard survivor, and met other injured individuals.
• UK-India Coordination: British High Commissioner Lindy Cameron met PM; both countries collaborating to establish crash facts.

Casualty Management

• Bodies Retrieved: 265 bodies sent to Ahmedabad Civil Hospital.
• Identifications Made: Only 6 bodies identified so far and handed over to families.
• DNA Profiling Underway: Due to severe charring, DNA matching is being used.
  • Process expected to take 72 hours.
  • Remaining bodies will be released post-confirmation.

Security & Surveillance

• Central Agency Involvement: NIA and other central agencies visited the crash site, indicating deeper investigation angles (security/sabotage not ruled out).

India abstains from UNGA resolution for Gaza ceasefire

India’s UNGA Abstention: Context & Implications

• India abstained from a UNGA resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza on June 13, 2025 — 4th abstention in 3 years.
• Marks a shift from India’s earlier vote in favour of ceasefire (December 2024), indicating a changing diplomatic posture.
• India cited consistency with past votes (Dec 2022, Oct 2023, early 2024) where it abstained on resolutions critical of Israel.

Relevance : GS 2(International Relations)

Diplomatic Significance

• India was the only abstaining country among BRICS, SCO, and South Asia, isolating it from its traditional groupings.
• Abstention came while EAM Jaishankar was in Paris; France and Saudi Arabia are hosting a conference on the two-state solution (June 17–20).
• Uncertainty over India’s participation in this upcoming conference; MEA has not yet confirmed delegation.

UNGA Vote Details

• Resolution title: “Protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations”.
• Introduced by Spain, passed with 149 in favour, 11 against, and 19 abstentions.
• India abstained along with countries like Albania, Malawi, Kiribati, Ecuador, and Dominica.
• The US and Israel opposed the resolution, citing lack of criticism toward Hamas.

India’s Stated Reason

• India’s UN envoy Parvathaneni Harish stated that India remains “deeply concerned” about Gaza but abstained to promote dialogue and diplomacy.
• Maintained that only peaceful negotiations can resolve the conflict.

Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

• Death toll in Gaza stands at ~55,000, with half the population facing catastrophic hunger and health crises.
• WHO and other UN bodies report dozens of child deaths from malnutrition since the ceasefire collapse.
• Resolution called for:
  • Immediate and permanent humanitarian aid access.
  • Return of hostages.
  • Compliance with international humanitarian law by both Israel and Hamas.

Global Responses

• US criticism: Resolution doesn’t condemn Hamas directly.
• Russia’s stance: Ceasefire is essential; Israel’s blockade is leading to mass starvation and death.
• Broader international consensus coalescing around need for humanitarian ceasefire and revival of peace talks.

In a first, Centre sanctions over 300 FRA cells to ‘facilitate’ implementation of Forest Rights Act across 18 States, UTs

Background Context

• Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006: Recognizes rights of Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs) over forest land and resources.
• Responsibility till now: Implementation has been the responsibility of State and UT governments.

Relevance : GS 3(Environment and Ecology)

Key Development

• First-ever Central Structural Support: The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) has sanctioned 324 district-level FRA cells and 17 State-level cells in 18 States/UTs.
• Under DAJGUA Scheme: The initiative is part of the Dharti Aba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyaan, launched in October 2024, aimed at tribal welfare.

Purpose and Role of FRA Cells

• Supportive Role Only:
  • Assist Gram Sabhas and claimants in paperwork for FRA claims.
  • Help in data management and documentation.
  • Aid in “quick disposal” of pending claims, especially post-DLC approval.
• No decision-making power: Cells will not interfere with decisions of Gram Sabhas, SDLCs, DLCs, or State departments.

Concerns Raised

• Activists’ Criticism:
  • Fears of a “parallel mechanism” being created outside the statutory framework of FRA.
  • Risk of undermining community-based structures like Gram Sabhas.

• Governance Conflict:
  • Cells are framed under DAJGUA rules, not under FRA 2006, raising questions about legal sanctity and overlap.

Funding and Structure

• Funding by Centre:
  • Through Grants-in-aid General.
  • ₹8.67 lakh per district FRA cell.
  • ₹25.85 lakh per State-level cell.
• Operational Control: FRA cells are expected to function within State government systems.

Current Status of FRA Claims

• Total claims filed: ~51.11 lakh across 21 States/UTs (as of March 2025).
• Claims disposed: ~43 lakh.
  • Rejected claims: Over 42%.
• Pending claims: 14.45% overall.
  • High pendency in Assam (60%+) and Telangana (~50.27%).

State-wise FRA Cell Sanctions (Top States)

Significance

• Policy Shift: Marks a departure from earlier Union stance of passive encouragement to States.
• Potential Impact:
  • Could improve speed and quality of claim processing.
  • May help tackle persistent pendency and high rejection rates.
• Caution Required: Must not bypass or dilute democratic community institutions enshrined under FRA.

Israel-Iran conflict may impact oil supply to India, spike export costs

Macro-Economic Risks for India

• Oil Dependency:
  • India imports ~80% of its crude oil needs.
  • A global oil price spike (~8% in a single day) due to the Israel-Iran conflict poses inflationary risks.
  • Even though India does not directly import much from Iran, supply chain disruptions can raise overall crude import costs.

Relevance : GS 2(International Relations)

• Key Trade Route at Risk:
  • Strait of Hormuz:
    • ~20% of global oil trade passes through it.
    • Disruption could affect supply from Iraq, Saudi Arabia, UAE — all major suppliers to India.

• Suez Canal & Red Sea:Conflict escalation could restrict access.Exports may be forced to reroute via the Cape of Good Hope, increasing travel time by 15–20 days and cost by $500–$1,000 per container.Leads to 40–50% rise in export shipping costs.

Sectoral Impacts

• Fuel & Inflation:
  • Higher crude costs = Higher fuel prices, transport costs, and CPI inflation.
  • Impacts household budgets and may affect RBI’s monetary stance.

• Export Sector:
  • Engineering exports and others could suffer due to delayed timelines and higher freight costs.
  • India’s competitiveness in global markets may reduce.

• Precious Metals:
  • Gold prices surged past ₹1 lakh/10 grams amid uncertainty.
  • Reflects its role as a safe-haven asset in geopolitical crises.
  • Central bank gold accumulation and inflation concerns further driving demand.

Expert Insights

• Amit Kumar (Grant Thornton):
  • Even indirect effects from the Strait of Hormuz could impact India’s oil imports due to interlinked global supply chains.
• Pankaj Chadha (EEPC India):
  • Closure of Suez Canal = serious blow to export sector, especially time-sensitive or heavy goods.
• Norbert Rücker (Julius Baer):
  • Views oil price surge as temporary; expects prices to stabilize, following past patterns of conflict.
• Amit Jain (Ashika Global):
  • Rise in gold demand part of a long-term structural trend, not merely a reactionary spike.

Overall Implications for India

• Short-term risks:
  • Inflation, rising current account deficit (CAD), and fiscal pressure on oil subsidies.
• Medium-term:
  • Export sector may lose margins.
  • Potential need to reassess strategic oil reserves and diversify energy sources.
• Geopolitical dimension:
  • Underscores India’s strategic vulnerability due to heavy oil dependence and trade route reliance.

Why Israel attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities

 Nature and Scale of the Attack

• June 13, 2025: Israel carried out massive airstrikes targeting:
  • Iranian nuclear facilities (e.g., Natanz).
  • Ballistic missile sites.
  • Residences of top Generals.
  • Over two dozen nuclear scientists.
• Heaviest military strike on Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
• Seen as culmination of years of clandestine operations, including the 2020 assassination of nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh and the 2014 bombing of the Iranian embassy in Damascus.

Relevance : GS 2(International Relations)’

Strategic Shifts Enabling the Attack

• Long-standing Israeli objective: Neutralize Iran’s nuclear programme, deemed an “existential threat.”
• Earlier, U.S. administrations vetoed direct strikes due to fear of escalation.
• However, the regional and global strategic context has changed:
  • Collapse of Iran’s regional deterrent post-October 7, 2023 (Hamas attack on Israel).
  • Fall of Assad’s regime in Syria (Dec 2024): Broke Iran–Hezbollah–Syria connectivity, weakening Iran’s regional “axis of resistance.”
  • Israel exploited this vacuum to increase pressure on Iran.

 Israel’s Escalatory Trajectory

• Launched a “mini regional war” targeting:
  • Hamas in Gaza.
  • Hezbollah in Lebanon.
  • Syrian regime positions.
• Follow-up attacks in October 2024 targeted Iran’s missile defense systems, exposing nuclear sites to future strikes.

 Role of the U.S. & Trump’s Diplomacy

• Donald Trump, now President, initially signaled interest in diplomacy, stalling an Israeli strike in May 2025.
• Trump’s diplomacy was coercive: Pressuring Iran to completely dismantle its nuclear programme (beyond the 2015 deal).
• After failed talks, Trump appeared to greenlight Israeli strikes as pressure tactics.
• Trump’s Truth Social posts suggested:
  • More attacks are “already planned”.
  • Iran must accept the deal or face destruction.
  • Talks could still resume in Muscat, implying diplomacy under duress.

 Iran’s Strategic Dilemma

• Three stark choices before Tehran:
  • Escalate militarily:
    • Risks full-scale war and possible U.S. intervention.
  • Accept U.S. deal under pressure:
    • Politically humiliating; undermines sovereignty and strategic leverage.
  • Continue limited engagement/deterrence:
    • May not deter future Israeli strikes; could be perceived as weak.

Implications for the Region and the World

• Risk of wider war: Any misstep could drag the U.S., Gulf states, and global powers into direct confrontation.
• Global economic fallout:
  • Especially through oil supply disruptions (via Strait of Hormuz).
  • Possible surge in commodity prices and increased geopolitical uncertainty.
• Diplomatic vacuum: Absence of effective international mediation risks prolonged conflict and regional instability.

 Conclusion

• The Israel-Iran clash has moved from proxy battles to direct confrontation.
• The collapse of Iran’s regional alliances, U.S. backing under Trump, and internal Iranian vulnerabilities have emboldened Israel.
• Iran’s response will define the course of West Asian geopolitics — whether through diplomacy, deterrence, or escalation.