Current Affairs 18 June 2025

Content :

1. ED officials are evolving by expanding their powers day by day, says Madras HC
2. The third nuclear age
3. Hydraulic systems: their functioning and myriad applications
4. India increased its nuclear warhead count to 180 in 2024: SIPRI report
5. Just 70% of IPOs listed at a premium in CY2025’
6. Rice reveals surprise ability to adapt to cold faster than evolution

ED officials are evolving by expanding their powers day by day, says Madras HC

Issue at Core

• Allegation: ED sealed private premises (residence + office) when locked, during a search attempt.
• Legal Question: Does the PMLA empower ED to bar access to private property in absence of actual search or seizure?

Relevance : GS 2(Separation of Powers), GS 4(Ethics – Probity ,Transparency)

Judicial Concerns

• Judicial Satire on Executive Expansion:
  Justice M.S. Ramesh noted that it is ED officials who are “evolving“, not just the law (PMLA).
  
  
• Lack of Statutory Basis:
  • Court questioned which provision of PMLA permits “sealing” of locked premises.
  • Notices pasted by ED amounted to de facto sealing – citizens couldn’t re-enter their homes without fear of action.

• Violation of Rights:
  • Right to Residence & Livelihood (Art. 21) under threat when access to private premises is restricted without due process.

Legal & Constitutional Principles

• PMLA, 2002 – Section 17:
  • Permits search and seizure; breaking open locks is allowed.
  • But no explicit provision for sealing locked premises without executing a search.

• Due Process Doctrine:
  • Any infringement of property or liberty must be just, fair, and reasonable.
  • Notices threatening re-entry without permission fail the test of procedural fairness.

Governance & Accountability Angle

• Executive Overreach:
  • Raises red flags about the unchecked discretionary powers of investigative agencies.
• Need for Institutional Boundaries:
  • Agencies must operate within legislative limits; judicial oversight acts as a vital safeguard.
• Public Trust in Rule of Law:
  • Arbitrary sealing or coercive tactics may erode faith in legal institutions.

Quick Revision on ED:

Enforcement Directorate (ED) – Key Points

• Established: 1956 (as ‘Enforcement Unit’ under Department of Economic Affairs).
• Current Parent Ministry: Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance.
• Mandate: Enforces economic laws and combats financial crimes.

Major Laws Administered

1. Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999 – civil law.
2. Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 – criminal law.

Functions

• Investigation of offences related to:
  • Money laundering
  • Foreign exchange violations
• Attachment/confiscation of property derived from crime.
• Prosecution of offenders under PMLA.

Powers under PMLA

• Search, seizure, arrest, and attachment of property.
• Can conduct raids, freeze assets, and file prosecution complaints in special PMLA courts.
• Needs “reasons to believe” recorded in writing.

The third nuclear age

Introduction :

The Third Nuclear Age marks a shift from traditional deterrence-based stability to a more unpredictable era where nuclear weapons are used as tools of coercion and strategic signalling.

This phase reflects global power realignment, weakening of nuclear norms, and rising risk of nuclear use, unlike the structured bipolarity of the Cold War or the disarmament hopes of the post-Cold War period.

Relevance : GS 2(International Relations ), GS 3(Internal and External Security)

Framework of Nuclear Ages

First Nuclear Age (Cold War era)

• Bipolar deterrence: US vs USSR; logic of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)
  • Peak: ~70,000 warheads combined
  • Arms control: Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT), New START (expires 2026)
  • Goal: Stability through bilateral treaties

Second Nuclear Age (Post-Cold War optimism)

• Belief in eventual disarmament (e.g. Global Zero, CTBT, NPT extensions)
  • Rise of regional nuclear powers (India, Pakistan)
  • Cynical stability: Nuclear possession accepted; disarmament deferred
  • Result: NPT inequality entrenched; modernisation began despite disarmament talk

Third Nuclear Age (Present)

• Messy multipolarity with rising insecurity
  • Key shifts:
    • China’s strategic nuclear expansion (now ~600 warheads)
    • Russia’s tactical nuclear weapon movement to Belarus
    • NATO allies reconsidering independent deterrents
    • Israel’s unsanctioned strike on Iran breaks norms
  • Trend: From deterrence to coercion

Violation of International Norms

• Israel’s action against Iran:
  • Contravenes NPT framework and international diplomatic norms
  • No major global power condemned it → norm erosion

• Russia’s nuclear posturing over Ukraine:
  • Nuclear coercion replacing deterrence
  • Use of nukes to alter, not preserve, the status quo

Geopolitical Drivers

• China: Seeks “strategic counterbalance” to shift global power structures
• Russia: Uses nuclear threats for geopolitical leverage
• U.S. under Trump: Retreat from leadership; NATO’s internal recalibration
• Europe: France and UK re-arming and planning for independent deterrence
• Nuclear Modernisation: Across all major powers (US: $1.5–2 trillion programme)

Security & Deterrence Concerns

• Shift from passive deterrence to active threat usage
• Tactical nukes being re-deployed → Increased risk of actual use
• End of Arms Control Era:
  • New START expires in 2026
  • No successor treaty with Russia or China in sight
• Possibility of proliferation spillover to West Asia and East Asia

Hydraulic systems: their functioning and myriad applications

Introduction & Conceptual Foundation

• Hydraulic systems convert input mechanical energy into pressurized fluid energy to perform mechanical tasks.
• Pascal’s Law is the foundational principle: pressure applied to an incompressible fluid is transmitted equally in all directions.

Relevance : GS 3(Science and Technology)

Working Principle

• Small force over a small area → transmitted as pressure → can generate large force on a larger area.
• The system enables amplification of force without changing pressure, offering efficiency and mechanical advantage.

Components of a Hydraulic System

1. Pumps – Generate fluid pressure (mechanical to hydraulic energy).
2. Pipes – Convey hydraulic fluid to and from components.
3. Valves – Regulate pressure, flow, and direction.
4. Actuators – Perform output tasks (linear or rotary motion).
5. Tanks & Filters – Store and clean hydraulic fluid.
6. Sensors/Switches – Enhance safety and automation.

Note: Pumps, valves, and actuators are the core dynamic components.

Types of Actuators

• Linear Actuator (Hydraulic Cylinder): Moves in/out to exert force — common in cranes and excavators.
• Rotary Actuator (Hydraulic Motor): Converts fluid pressure into rotational motion — used in winches, motors.

Advantages over Mechanical Systems

• High power-to-weight ratio.
• Precision control and smooth movement.
• Efficient heat dissipation.
• Effective in large-scale and heavy-duty operations.

Applications

• Mobile Equipment: Cranes, excavators, aircraft landing gear.
• Static Equipment: Presses, wind turbines, industrial automation.
• Sectoral Reach: Agriculture, waste management, manufacturing, defence, aerospace.

Technological Advancements

• Integration with electronics and sensors (temperature, flow, contamination).
• Enabled predictive maintenance, real-time monitoring, and automation.
• Increasing shift toward smart hydraulics.

Challenges & Way Forward

• Low overall efficiency (30-40%) — significant energy loss from source to endpoint.
• Environmental concerns and energy regulations call for more sustainable systems.
• Electric alternatives are emerging but limited in capacity; hydraulics remain dominant for large-scale operations.

India increased its nuclear warhead count to 180 in 2024: SIPRI report

Context & Global Background

• SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) 2025 report flags a renewed global nuclear arms race amid weakening arms control frameworks.
• Nine nuclear-armed nations (U.S., Russia, China, France, U.K., India, Pakistan, Israel, North Korea) continued nuclear modernisation in 2024.

Relevance : GS 2(International Relations) ,GS 3(Technology ,Science)

India’s Nuclear Status (as of Jan 2025)

• India’s nuclear warhead stockpile rose to 180 from 172 in 2024.
• Continued development of new delivery systems, including:
  • Canisterised missiles: Enable faster deployment and may be peacetime-ready, carrying mated warheads.
  • Potential future capability for Multiple Independently-targetable Re-entry Vehicles (MIRVs).

Pakistan’s Parallel Developments

• Maintained warhead count at 170, but accumulated fissile material and developed new delivery systems.
• Indicates likely expansion of arsenal in coming years.
• SIPRI notes that early 2025 saw India-Pakistan armed tensions, with risks of escalation to nuclear confrontation.

Strategic Risks & Emerging Concerns

• Armed strikes on nuclear-related military infrastructure and third-party disinformation risked turning conventional conflict into nuclear crisis.
• Experts warn against increased dependence on nuclear deterrence in volatile regions like South Asia.

Global Nuclear Inventory (Jan 2025 SIPRI Estimates)

Remaining warheads are in central storage (non-deployed).

Key Treaty-Related Warning

• The New START treaty (U.S.-Russia) expires in Feb 2026; no successor agreement in sight.
• Without a new arms control deal, deployed warheads on strategic missiles may increase, heightening instability.

‘Just 70% of IPOs listed at a premium in CY2025’

Key Highlights & Market Trends

• Only 70% of IPOs listed at a premium in Calendar Year (CY) 2025 — lowest since 2017 (78%).
• CY2024 saw 85% IPOs list at a premium, indicating a significant fall in investor confidence in 2025.

Relevance : GS 3(Indian Economy)

Performance of Newly Listed Companies (CY2025)

• Of 17 mainboard IPOs listed so far:
  • Data available for 15.
  • 8 out of 15 are trading below their issue price.
  • 6 companies lost over 80% of their value post listing.
  • Some stocks are now priced below ₹1/share — indicating severe erosion in investor wealth.

Fall in Listing Gains

• Average listing gains fell from 45–49% in 2024 to just ~7% in 2025.
• Reflects subdued post-listing performance and weak speculative interest.

Factors Behind Weak IPO Performance

• High market volatility triggered by:
  • U.S. tariff actions.
  • Israel-Iran conflict.
  • India-Pakistan tensions.
  • General correction after a 4-year post-COVID bull run.
• Resulting tepid market sentiment and investor nervousness.

Decline in IPO Activity

• Number of IPOs declined sharply:
  • CY2024: 32 IPOs raised ₹46,500 crore.
  • CY2025 (till June): Only 17 IPOs raised ₹29,000 crore.
• Indicates fundraising environment has weakened and investor appetite is subdued.

Rice reveals surprise ability to adapt to cold faster than evolution

Scientific Discovery

• A landmark 2024 study published inCell showed that rice plants (Oryza sativa) can adapt to cold via epigenetic changes, not DNA mutations.
• This cold tolerance was induced by environmental exposure and passed down for five generations.
• Suggests that inheritance can happen without changes in DNA sequence, giving credence to Lamarck’s theory of acquired traits.

Relevance : GS 1(Environment and Ecology)

Mechanism: Epigenetics & ACT1 Gene

• The gene ACT1 (involved in growth and development) is normally highly expressed.
• Cold exposure leads to epigenetic silencing of ACT1 in normal rice via methylation (adding a methyl group to DNA).
• Cold-adapted rice did not methylate ACT1, maintaining its expression and enabling survival in low temperatures.
• These epigenetic marks were heritable, improving seed quality from 2nd generation onwards, and persisted across 5 generations.

Experimental Details

• Researchers assessed adaptation by tracking seed quantity and quality over generations.
• Whole genome sequencing of cold-adapted vs. normal rice revealed:
  • No clear DNA mutations explaining the trait.
  • 12,380+ epigenetic differences, especially near ACT1.
• Confirms that gene expression, not gene sequence, underlies the observed adaptation.

Historical Context & Theoretical Implications

• Lamarck’s theory (1809): Traits acquired during life can be inherited.
• Darwin’s theory (1859): Traits evolve via natural selection of random mutations.
• Epigenetics bridges both: traits can be inherited without DNA changes, via chemical tags regulating gene activity.
• Previous evidence was weak or inconclusive—this rice study provides robust proof in a natural organism.

Significance for Evolutionary Biology

• Reopens debate on Lamarckian inheritance in the molecular era.
• Suggests that environmental stress can directly influence heredity in ways beyond Darwinian mutation and selection.
• Offers new insights into crop resilience, climate adaptation, and non-genetic inheritance.