Current Affairs 22 May 2025

Content :

1. Heart Lamp Glows: Banu and Deepa’s Historic Booker Prize Win
2. Narrating the Nation Abroad: India’s Diplomatic Outreach
3. Analysing Poverty Levels in India: A Survey-Based Perspective
4. Lion Count Surges by 32%: Expanding Beyond Protected Areas
5. Navy Revives 5th-Century Stitched Ship from Ajanta Paintings
6. Warming Intensifies Cyclones: A Growing Threat to Ecosystems

Heart Lamp glows, story collection wins the Booker Prize for Banu and Deepa

Historic Win

• First win for Kannada at the International Booker Prize.
• First-ever short story collection to win the prestigious award in the prize’s history.
• Marks a significant moment for Indian regional literature on the global stage.

Relevance : GS 1(Culture , Literature)

About Banu Mushtaq

• 77-year-old Kannada writer, lawyer, and activist from Hassan, Karnataka.
• Writing since the 1970s, focusing on lives, struggles, and inner worlds of Muslim women.
• Known for empathetic storytelling rooted in social realities and gender issues.
• Her language is noted for its resilience, depth, and cultural specificity.

About Heart Lamp

• A collection of 12 short stories selected from works written between 1990 and 2023.
• Stories reflect the lived experiences of Muslim women, exploring patriarchy, pain, and hope.
• Represents five decades of literary commitment to the marginalized and unheard.

About the Prize

• The International Booker recognizes works translated into English, spotlighting both author and translator.
• The 2025 shortlist featured works in French, Italian, Danish, and Japanese, indicating stiff global competition.

About Deepa Bhasthi (Translator)

• Described as offering a “radical translation” that reshapes English to accommodate the original’s depth.
• Praised for creating a “plurality of Englishes”, respecting the source’s cultural and emotional textures.
• Her work impressed Jury Chair Max Porter with its linguistic innovation and emotional fidelity.

Wider Significance for India

• Comes three years after Geetanjali Shree’s win for Tomb of Sand (translated from Hindi).
• Highlights the richness of Indian vernacular literature and its growing global recognition.
• Encourages translation efforts for regional Indian languages, often underrepresented globally.

Narrating the nation abroad

Context :

• India’s decision to send diplomatic delegations to explain its stance on the conflict with Pakistan reflects proactive diplomacy.
• It signals strategic intent to shape international perception and assert moral legitimacy.
• Raises a key dilemma: Is this a show of strength or a reassurance amid vulnerability?

Relevance : GS 2(International Relations)

Global Performance of Legitimacy

• In today’s media-saturated world, actions must be explained, justified, and performed for international approval.
• India wants to emphasize that its actions target non-state actors, not escalate a historical rivalry.
• This is aimed at presenting India as a rational, responsible actor in the global arena.

Narrative Control vs. Legitimacy Deficit

• The very need for international explanation reveals a narrative crisis .
• Suggests that international trust cannot be assumed; it must be constantly earned and performed.
• Legitimacy today is fragile and subject to emotional and media manipulation.

Crisis of Credibility in the Information Age

• Misinformation spreads faster than official narratives — old videos, fake footage, and AI-generated content create confused realities.
• Social media users on both sides actively shape and share falsehoods, turning war into digital spectacle.
• Reflects Jean Baudrillard’s concept of simulation — reality displaced by mediated representations.

Collapse of Verifiable News

• The public no longer seeks verifiable truth; instead, they embrace emotionally affirming narratives.
• This creates a philosophical crisis — shared facts no longer exist, making meaningful debate impossible.
• Truth becomes subjective, and the distinction between fact and illusion blurs.

Battle for the Grounds of Persuasion

• India’s diplomatic campaign isn’t just about facts — it’s about restoring the conditions for facts to matter.
• Without a shared reality, persuasion loses its meaning, and authenticity becomes irrelevant.
• The campaign becomes a fight to maintain the idea of a truthful, communicable nation.

Key Takeaway

• The real question is not whether India can justify its actions, but whether the global audience is still capable of recognizing truth.
• Losing that ability leads to disorientation, not just disagreement — and undermines the very foundation of diplomacy and authenticity.

Analysing poverty levels in India by comparing various surveys

General Trend in Poverty Reduction

• Sharp decline (2004–05 to 2011–12): Poverty fell from 37% to 22%.
• Slowdown (2011–12 to 2022–23): Further decline only to 18%, despite economic growth.
• Absolute poor: Fell marginally from 250 million to 225 million over the last decade.

Relevance : GS 2(Governance ,Poverty)

Methodological Categories Used for Estimating Post-2011 Poverty

1. UMPCE (Usual Monthly Per Capita Consumption Expenditure) Method
   1. Derived from a single-question consumption measure in NSS surveys.
   1. Limited comparability with previous surveys due to vague definitions.
   1. Estimated poverty: 26–30% for 2019–20.

• PFCE (Private Final Consumption Expenditure) Approach
  • Used national accounts data to scale up 2011–12 HCES.
  • Adopted by Surjit Bhalla et al. in 2022.
  • Criticised for disconnect from ground-level distribution data.

• Survey-to-Survey Imputation Method (Used in this paper)
  • Fills gaps between HCES and newer datasets using compatible companion surveys.
  • Favoured by World Bank for international poverty tracking.
  • The authors improve it by:
    • Using Tendulkar poverty lines (India-specific).
    • Employing EUS and PLFS (employment surveys) for imputation.
    • Estimating at state level with fixed effects to improve accuracy.

Regional Variations in Poverty Trends

• Uttar Pradesh: Significant reduction in poverty.
• Jharkhand & Bihar: Sluggish progress.
• Maharashtra & Andhra Pradesh: Poverty decline has stagnated.

Macroeconomic Correlates Supporting Slowdown

• GDP growth deceleration: From 6.9% (2004–11) to 5.7% (2011–22).
• Real wage growth slowdown: From 4.13% to 2.3% annually in rural India.
• Agricultural workforce reversal:
  • 33 million moved out (2004–17), but 68 million re-entered post-2017.
  • Linked to stagnant agricultural productivity and rising rural distress.

Data Gaps and Need for Official Estimates

• No official poverty data since 2011–12 CES.
• 2017–18 HCES scrapped, 2022–23 survey still awaits detailed release.
• Authors stress that without comparable official data, debate on poverty levels will persist.

Key Takeaways

• Poverty reduction in India has slowed since 2011–12.
• New estimates using improved survey matching methods indicate only marginal gains.
• Economic and employment data corroborate the trend.
• Urgent need for reliable, frequent, and comparable poverty data to inform policymaking.

Lion count grows by 32% in 5 years, expands beyond protected areas

Population Growth & Distribution

• 32% rise in lion population from 2020 to 2025 → total 891 lions.
• Adult females up by 27% → 330 individuals, indicating a strong future breeding base.
• More lions now live outside protected areas than within (Gir & Paniya), signaling range expansion.

Relevance : GS 3(Environment and Ecology)

Habitat Expansion

• Core area (Gir NP + Paniya WS) hosts 394 lions – still the primary source population.
• Territorial range increased from:
  • 30,000 sq. km in 2020 → 35,000 sq. km in 2025 (16.67% growth in range).
• Trend: Lions are increasingly moving into human-dominated landscapes.

Conservation Concerns

• Increased human-lion interaction risks rising conflict and ecological stress.
• Expansion into human areas raises challenges in conflict mitigation and safety of both humans and lions.

Expert Insights

• Y.V. Jhala (WII):
  • Gujarat could host up to 2,000 lions based on prey base.
  • Cattle carcasses rising indicate pressure on prey species and potential human-lion conflict.
  • Urges need for new habitats, preferably outside Gujarat.

Policy & Action

• Kuno National Park (MP) was originally intended as an alternative lion habitat but is now hosting cheetahs.
• Project Lion (₹2,900 crore) approved in March 2025:
  • Aims to improve existing lion habitats.
  • Plans to develop new habitats within Gujarat.

Way Forward

• Diversifying lion habitats is essential to:
  • Ensure genetic diversity.
  • Reduce human-wildlife conflict.
  • Mitigate risks from disease outbreaks or natural disasters.
• Need to balance conservation success with sustainable coexistence strategies and community engagement.

Navy recreates stitched ship based on 5th century Ajanta paintings

Project Overview

• INSV Kaundinya, a stitched sail ship, has been formally inducted by the Indian Navy at Karwar Naval Base.
• It is a recreation of a 5th-century vessel depicted in Ajanta cave paintings.
• Project executed under a tripartite agreement (July 2023) between:
  • Union Culture Ministry (funding),
  • Indian Navy (technical oversight),
  • Hodi Innovations (construction agency).

Relevance : GS 1(Culture ,Heritage)

Construction Details

• Traditional ‘stitching’ method used:
  • Wooden planks stitched with coir rope, coconut fibre, and natural resin.
  • Team led by master shipwright Babu Sankaran from Kerala.
• Keel laid in Sept 2023, launched in Feb 2025 (Goa).
• Fully handcrafted, reflecting ancient Indian shipbuilding skills.

Historical & Cultural Significance

• Named after Kaundinya, a legendary Indian mariner, symbolising India’s maritime heritage.
• Aimed at reviving ancient shipbuilding techniques and showcasing India’s cultural legacy in naval craftsmanship.
• Art-to-vessel transformation: Based solely on 2D Ajanta iconography, as no physical blueprints or models exist.

Technological Innovation

• Features square sails and steering oars, uncommon in modern ships.
• Hull geometry, rigging, and sail mechanics were developed from first principles.
• Design and performance validated through hydrodynamic testing at IIT-Madras (Ocean Engineering Dept.).

Upcoming Voyage

• A transoceanicexpedition is planned along ancient trade routes:
  • Route: Gujarat → Oman.
  • Purpose: Recreate historic maritime links and demonstrate seaworthiness of traditional Indian ships.

Strategic and Symbolic Importance

• Highlights India’s soft power through cultural diplomacy.
• Enhances the Navy’s role as custodian of maritime heritage.
• Serves as a platform to educate and inspire on India’s ancient seafaring achievements.

Warming likely to make cyclones more destructive than ever before

Core Findings

• Climate change is intensifying cyclones: Both in intensity and geographic spread (into new, previously unaffected areas).
• SSP5-8.5 scenario predicts severe global warming with radiative forcing of 8.5 W/m² by 2100, leading to unprecedented cyclone impacts.

Relevance : GS 1(Geography) ,GS 3(Disaster Management)

Cyclone Impacts on Ecosystems

• Tropical cyclone belts may shift poleward, exposing unadapted ecosystems in higher latitudes.
• 844 ecoregions analyzed:
  • 290 already affected by cyclones
  • 200 more projected to become vulnerable
  • 26 considered resilient
• Recovery time between high-intensity storms may reduce drastically (e.g., from 19 years → 12 years in resilient areas).

Ecosystem Risk Categories (Based on Exposure & Recovery Ability)

• Resilient: Often exposed, recovers fast
• Dependent: Ecosystem shaped by regular cyclones
• Vulnerable: Rare exposure, slow recovery

Mangroves at Risk

• Mangroves store 4-5x more carbon than terrestrial forests.
• Under SSP5-8.5:
  • Up to 56% of mangroves globally at high to severe risk by 2100.
  • Southeast Asia: 52–78% at high risk.
• Even in SSP3-7.0 (moderate emissions), 97–98% of Southeast Asia’s mangroves threatened.
• Mangroves’ ecosystem services — coastal protection, carbon storage, fish stocks — are at risk.

Modelling and Methodology

• CLIMADA risk platform and Holland model used for cyclone simulation.
• STORM-B & STORM-C datasets provided synthetic cyclone tracks.
• Cyclone intensity categorized:
  • Low (33–49 m/s)
  • Medium (50–70 m/s)
  • High (>70 m/s)
• Sea-level rise categorized:
  • Low (0–4 mm/year)
  • Medium (4–7 mm/year)
  • High (>7 mm/year)

Broader Implications

• Madagascar, Oceania, East Asia, Central America & Caribbean at increasing cyclone risk.
• Cyclones may strike places like the Philippines with unprecedented frequency.
• Recovery time and resilience must be factored into future conservation planning.
• Some ecosystems may permanently shift to new states, with no chance of full recovery.

Policy and Risk Recommendations

• Include long-term ecosystem recovery time in climate risk assessments.
• Implement risk-sensitive conservation planning that acknowledges shifting cyclone patterns.
• Urgent global emission cuts and commitment to the Paris Agreement are vital to avoid SSP5-8.5 trajectory.