Current Affairs 17 April 2025

Content :

1. Waqf-by-user denotification would be ‘huge problem’: SC
2. Call for permanent settlement for tribals
3. Five military personnel get MacGregor medals
4. Urdu is the finest specimen of composite cultural ethos of India, says Supreme Court
5. India’s trade deficit with China widens to record $99.2 billion
6. Does AI still hallucinate or is it becoming more reliable?

Waqf-by-user denotification would be ‘huge problem’: SC

Background Context

• Waqf refers to a permanent dedication of property by a Muslim for religious, pious, or charitable purposes recognized under Islamic law.
• Waqf-by-user is a long-standing category where usage and public perception over centuries determine Waqf status, even without formal registration or title deeds.

Relevance : GS 2(Governance)

Key Provisions of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 Under Challenge

• Denotification of Waqf-by-user: Act removes legal recognition for Waqf-by-user category.
• Non-Muslims in Waqf bodies: Permits appointment of non-Muslims to administrative bodies like Central Waqf Council.
• State authority: Empowers state officials to determine whether a property is Waqf or government-owned.

Supreme Court Proceedings Highlights (April 16, 2025)

• Around 100 petitions heard together.
• Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna led a 3-judge Bench.

Three-Point Interim Relief Proposed by the CJI

Protection of Judicially Recognised Waqf Properties

• Properties already declared as Waqf by courts (including Waqf-by-user) not to be denotified temporarily.
  • Covers those without registration or deed (e.g., Jama Masjid, Delhi).

Review of Property Status Can Continue

• Government officers may continue to assess Waqf vs. government property.
  • But freeze on using such properties as non-Waqf in the meantime may be stayed.

Conditional Inclusion of Non-Muslims

• Non-Muslims maybeincluded as ex-officio members in Waqf bodies.
  • Provided majority of other members remain Muslims, preserving religious representation.

Judicial Philosophy

• General Non-Intervention in Legislation:
  • Court respects Parliament’s law-making power.
  • But exceptional circumstances (e.g., rights, historical injustice) allow judicial scrutiny.

Current Status

• No interim order passed yet.
• Government requested more time for arguments.
• Next hearing scheduled for April 17, 2025 (2 PM).

Broader Implications

• Raises questions on constitutional protection of religious and minority rights.
• Balancing secular state administration with religious autonomy.
• Legal debate on retrospective invalidation of community-accepted property usage.

Call for permanent settlement for tribals

Historical Background of Displacement

• In 2005, ~50,000 Gond tribals were displaced from Chhattisgarh due to the ‘strategic hamleting’ programme (modeled on Vietnam war tactics) to combat Maoists.
• These tribals were relocated to roadside camps in then-Andhra Pradesh (now Andhra Pradesh and Telangana).
• This tactic had colonial echoes, having been used in 1949 in Telangana to fight communist revolutionaries by forming “special police constables” from tribals.

Relevance : GS 1(Society ,Tribes)

Militarisation and Tribal Agency

• Many displaced tribals, unable to return due to Maoist threats, later joined security forces.
• Their deep knowledge of terrain, language, and culture made them highly effective — even outperforming paramilitary and non-tribal police.
• Several Maoists surrendered and also joined these forces.
• Their contribution is seen as crucial to recent military gains against Maoists in Bastar, aligning with Home Minister Amit Shah’s 2026 deadline to end the insurgency.

Lack of Rehabilitation and State Support

• Despite their role in the state’s counter-insurgency success, these tribals continue to live in legal limbo:
  • No rehabilitation policy, no land rights, and no tribal recognition in the host states.
• Repeated efforts to secure Forest Rights under Clause 3.1(m) of FRA (2006) have been stalled for years.
  • This clause mandates alternative forest land for those displaced before the cut-off date (Dec 13, 2005).
• Chhattisgarh government has not processed applications or raised the issue with the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
• Andhra Pradesh and Telangana governments refuse to grant tribal status, viewing them as migrants.

Bureaucratic and Political Apathy

• National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) ordered a survey of displaced tribals in 2019 — still incomplete, with excuses like COVID-19.
• Earlier statements from Chhattisgarh even denied displacement entirely, illustrating official denialism.
• Unlike the Bru Reang case (2019), where the government offered options and resettlement support, the Gutti Koya tribals have been ignored by both State and Centre.

Human Rights Violations and Social Discrimination

• Displaced tribals face:
  • Atrocities from forest officials and police.
  • Rejection by local tribals, who see them as encroachers.
  • Violent demolitions of homes built in forests.
  • Exclusion from PDS, healthcare, education, and job quotas due to lack of tribal recognition.

Inter-generational Crisis

• Over two decades, a new generation has grown up in AP & Telangana:
  • They are integrated into local economies, prefer staying due to better livelihood opportunities.
  • However, they live without identity security, land tenure, or legal recognition.

Pushback by Host States

• Telangana has taken over tribal farmlands, planting trees to reclaim forest cover.
• Andhra Pradesh has destroyed shelters built by tribals, effectively pushing them back to Chhattisgarh.
• Both states provide minimal humanitarian aid, citing lack of legal mandate.

Urgent Need for a National Policy on IDPs

• India lacks a national/international legal framework for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
• Displaced tribals are stuck in a stateless existence within the Union.
• There is a growing call for:
  • Permanent resettlement in host states.
  • Tribal recognition and rights under the Constitution and FRA.
  • Intervention by the Union Government, similar to past instances (e.g., Mizoram, Bru crisis).

Key Takeaways

• Strategic militarisation has ironically relied on displaced tribals, yet offered them no socio-legal settlement.
• The issue highlights deep contradictions in India’s tribal policy — valorising tribals in security discourse but ignoring their civil rights.
• Permanent rehabilitation is essential not just for justice, but for long-term peace and development in the Red Corridor.

Five military personnel get MacGregor medals

About the MacGregor Memorial Medal

• Instituted in 1888 in memory of Maj. Gen. Sir Charles Metcalfe MacGregor, a British military officer known for his reconnaissance and geographical contributions in British India.
• Awarded annually by the United Service Institution of India (USI).
• Recognizes exceptional achievements in military reconnaissance, exploration, and adventure.

Relevance : GS 3 (Internal Security / Defence)

Event Overview

• Date of Conferment: April 17, 2024.
• Presenter: General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).
• Venue: Likely under the aegis of the USI, New Delhi.
• Honoured a total of five military personnel for 2023 and 2024.

Awardees for 2023

• Wing Commander D. Panda (Indian Air Force)
  • Likely recognized for aerial reconnaissance or high-altitude operations.

• Electrical Artificer (Radio) Rahul Kumar Pandey (Indian Navy)
  • Highlights technological or communication-related exploration efforts in naval contexts.

Awardees for 2024

• Chief Electrical Aircraft Artificer (Radio) Ram Ratan Jat (Indian Navy)
  • Likely recognized for sustained or pioneering technical contributions in naval aviation or maritime missions.

• Sergeant Jhumar Ram Poonia (Indian Air Force)
  • Recognition possibly related to field communication, surveillance, or remote area operations.

Special Mention: Col. Ranvir Singh Jamwal

• Position: Director, National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS), Arunachal Pradesh.
• Current Activity: On an expedition to Kangchenjunga (3rd highest mountain in the world).
• Profile:
  • Veteran mountaineer, known for multiple successful summits of Everest, Lhotse, and other peaks.
  • His recognition underlines the synergy of military service and adventure sports as tools of soft power and morale-building.

Significance of the Awards

• Reinforces the Indian military’s commitment to non-combat excellence — mapping, exploration, and national prestige.
• Encourages technical and physical excellence in challenging terrains — land, sea, and air.
• Promotes India’s strategic interest in high-altitude warfare training, Arctic/Antarctic expeditions, and border area familiarity.
• Acts as a morale-booster and showcases the diversity of talent in technical and field roles.

Broader Context

• Comes at a time of increasing emphasis on:
  • High-altitude defence preparedness (LAC tensions with China).
  • Technological integration in field operations (e.g., drones, AI, communication tech).
  • Civil-military synergy in adventure training and national pride.
• Also reflects India’s increasing participation in global mountaineering circuits and strategic reconnaissance efforts.

Urdu is the finest specimen of composite cultural ethos of India, says Supreme Court

Context of the Case

• Case Origin: Appeal was filed against the use of Urdu on the signboard of the Municipal Council, Patur in Akola, Maharashtra.
• Appellant’s Claim: Urdu signage was “wrong” since Marathi is the official state language.
• SC Bench: Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Vinod Chandran delivered the judgment.

Relevance : GS 2(Governance)

Key Observations by the Supreme Court

Language ≠ Religion

• It is a “pitiable digression from reality” to associate Hindi with Hindus and Urdu with Muslims.
• Language is secular in nature: A medium of communication, not a marker of faith.
• Language represents communities, regions, and cultures, not religions.

Cultural and Civilizational Value of Language

• Language is a yardstick to measure civilisational progress and the evolution of a community.
• Urdu is the finest example of Ganga-Jamuni tahzeeb — a symbol of India’s composite culture.
• Ganga-Jamuni tahzeeb: Refers to the syncretic Hindu-Muslim cultural traditions of northern India.

Urdu’s Indigenous Roots

• Urdu is not alien; it was born and nurtured in India.
• It evolved within the subcontinent’s linguistic ecosystem, alongside Hindi and Marathi.
• Urdu is a part of the Indo-Aryan language family, like Hindi and Marathi.

 Linguistic Similarities between Hindi & Urdu

• Common Phonology, Syntax, and Grammar: Despite script differences (Devanagari vs Nastaliq), the spoken form is largely the same.
• Script ≠ Language: Scripts are writing systems, not language identities.
• The divergence between Hindi and Urdu came from purist influences:
  • Hindi leaned toward Sanskritisation.
  • Urdu absorbed more Persian and Arabic vocabulary.
• Everyday Hindi spoken by the common man is rich with Urdu terms.

Judgment’s Cultural Message

Composite Heritage

• Urdu symbolizes the fusion and harmony between communities.
• The judgment reasserts India’s pluralistic ethos and linguistic inclusivity.

Rejection of Prejudice

• Misconception of Urdu being foreign is a product of cultural ignorance.
• Condemns the linguistic prejudices that alienate Urdu from its Indian roots.

Wider Implications

Policy and Governance

• Encouragement for inclusive use of regional and minority languages in official domains.
• Boosts the constitutional values of linguistic diversity under Article 29 and Article 350.

Social Harmony

• Reinforces the idea that language can be a bridge, not a divider.
• Encourages recognition and respect for shared cultural contributions across communities.

Conclusion

• The Supreme Court’s remarks go beyond legal technicalities and affirm India’s syncretic identity.
• The judgment upholds constitutional secularism and celebrates linguistic heritage as a unifying cultural force.

India’s trade deficit with China widens to record $99.2 billion

Context : Magnitude of the Trade Deficit

• India’s trade deficit with China reached an all-time high of $99.2 billion in FY 2024-25.
• This marks a sharp increase from previous years, reflecting rising imports and stagnant exports.

Relevance : GS 2(International Relations) ,GS 3(Indian Economy)

Composition of Imports from China

• Electronics & Consumer Durables were the major drivers of imports.
  • Includes smartphones, telecom equipment, laptops, televisions, etc.
• Other key import items:
  • Machinery, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), chemicals, and auto components.
• Reflects continued dependency on Chinese manufacturing despite efforts like Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Stagnant Indian Exports

• Indian exports to China have not kept pace with rising imports.
  • Major exports include iron ore, organic chemicals, cotton, and seafood.
• Limited value-added products in export basket limits India’s leverage.
• China’s non-tariff barriers and selective import practices further restrict Indian access to Chinese markets.

Geopolitical Context

• Comes amid U.S. tariff hikes on Chinese goods under President Trump’s policy.
• The 90-day pause on tariffs for countries like India may cause:
  • Trade diversion: Chinese firms redirecting goods to Indian and other Asian markets.
  • Flooding of cheap Chinese products into India, further worsening the deficit.
• Raises concerns over dumping practices and economic over-dependence.

Economic and Strategic Implications for India

• Widening trade imbalance puts pressure on India’s current account deficit (CAD).
• Heightens the urgency to:
  • Boost domestic manufacturing through PLI schemes.
  • Reduce critical import dependency, especially in tech and pharma sectors.
• Strategic concerns: High import reliance on an adversarial neighbor weakens economic resilience.

Policy Response and Way Forward

• Need for targeted trade diversification:
  • Strengthen ties with ASEAN, EU, Africa, and Latin America.
• Enhance domestic supply chains and infrastructure to attract investments.
• Consider tariff and non-tariff barriers to prevent unfair dumping.
• Promote export competitiveness via innovation, branding, and trade facilitation.

Does AI still hallucinate or is it becoming more reliable?

Current State of AI Hallucination

• Hallucination persists: Despite improvements, AI models like ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overviews still hallucinate—i.e., produce factually incorrect or absurd outputs.
• Example incidents:
  • Google’s AI told users to add glue to pizza sauce or eat rocks—clearly fabricated answers.
  • DALL-E generated images with elephants when explicitly asked for a room with no elephants.

Relevance : GS 3(Technology)

Why Do AI Models Hallucinate?

• Statistical reasoning, not understanding: AI doesn’t “understand” language. It uses statistical associations, so it struggles with abstract concepts like negation (e.g., “no elephants”).
• Data limitation: Lack of training data on rare or negative queries contributes to these failures.
• Conceptual connections: Hallucinations arise with queries needing complex reasoning or novel concept connections.
• Training-testing gap: AI may perform well during testing but fail in real-world scenarios if it was never exposed to similar queries during training.

Defining AI Reliability

• Two criteria:
  • Consistency: Ability to give similar outputs for similar inputs.
  • Factuality: Providing accurate information, including acknowledging ignorance when unsure.
• Hallucination compromises factuality: AI may confidently state false information instead of admitting uncertainty.

 Empirical Evidence of Hallucination

• A 2023 study showed:
  • ChatGPT-3.5 had 55% hallucinated references.
  • ChatGPT-4 reduced this to 18%, but hallucinations remained.

Challenges to AI Reliability

• Benchmark manipulation: Some AI models might perform better on benchmarks by being trained on test data (“data leakage”).
• Real-world drop: Good performance in benchmarks doesn’t always translate to real-life accuracy.

Strategies to Reduce Hallucinations

1. Band-aid training:
   1. Newer models are trained with more examples where earlier models failed.
   1. Example: Spotting failure patterns and fine-tuning with better data.
   1. Limitation: Reactive, not preventive.

• Specialised AI models:
  • Small Language Models (SLMs) are trained for specific tasks.
  • Example: Microsoft’s Orca 2 excels at math, reasoning, and summarisation.

• Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG):
  • AI refers to specific external sources (e.g., Wikipedia) for factual queries.
  • Reduces hallucinations by anchoring outputs to trusted databases.

• Curriculum learning:
  • AI is trained from simple to complex problems, mimicking human learning.
  • Helps improve performance over random data exposure.

Limitations of Current Solutions

• No absolute fix: Even the best techniques can’t guarantee hallucination-free AI.
• Need for verification: Ongoing necessity of human oversight and fact-checking systems to ensure output reliability.

Trend: Becoming More Reliable (But Not Fully)

• Reduced hallucination in newer versions:
  • Especially for common queries due to expanded training data.
• Persistent problem for uncommon/complex inputs.

Expert Opinion Summary

• Sarawagi (IIT-B): AI’s hallucination is like a “band-aid” fix; models still can’t say “I don’t know.”
• Chatterjee (IIT-D): AI can’t be fully reliable without real-time global knowledge access.
• Kar (IIT-D): General models like ChatGPT may never eliminate hallucination entirely.
• Consensus: Targeted models and smarter training help, but verification systems are crucial.

Conclusion

 AI is becoming more reliable, especially for routine and common queries.
 But hallucinations still exist, especially in complex, negative, or niche queries.
 The field is progressing, but perfect reliability requires structural changes—and human oversight remains essential.