Current Affairs 25 July 2025

Content:

1. Lakshadweep coral cover fell by 50% in 24 years
2. Tughlaqabad: A fort misunderstood
3. Humpy ousts Lei, sets up all-Indian final against Divya
4. India–UK Free Trade Agreement (CETA): Deal’s Done
5. ICJ’s Climate Ruling

24-year survey reveals that coral cover in Lakshadweep saw a 50% reduction

Key Findings of the Study

• Coral Cover Decline: Coral cover in Lakshadweep declined from 37.24% in 1998 to 19.6% in 2022, a ~50% reduction over 24 years.
• Three Major ENSO-linked Bleaching Events:
  • 1998, 2010, 2016 – each event led to mass coral bleaching.
  • Despite decreasing coral mortality with each successive event, recovery rates slowed.
• Delayed Recovery Trend:
  • Recovery picked up only after 6 years of bleaching-free conditions, suggesting a critical minimum recovery window.
• Local Factors Matter:
  • Wave exposure and depth act as local environmental filters influencing reef vulnerability and resilience.

Relevance : GS 3(Environment and Ecology)

Scientific Contribution

• Predictive Framework Proposed:
  • Based on long-term monitoring of Agatti, Kadmat, and Kavaratti atolls.
  • Can help identify reefs at higher risk vs. those with recovery potential.
• Published In: Diversity and Distributions, emphasizes interplay of local environmental filtering and marine heatwave frequency.

Climate Change Linkages

• Anthropogenic Warming:
  • Ocean temperature anomalies have become more frequent and intense, driven by global climate change.
• ENSO Amplification:
  • ENSO-related events are occurring more often, increasing cumulative stress on coral ecosystems.

Retrospective Linkages

• 1998 Baseline: First major ENSO event led to widespread bleaching globally and marked the beginning of long-term degradation.
• Policy Gaps in the 2000s:
  • Limited reef restoration or marine protected area (MPA) implementation in Lakshadweep.
  • Poor climate adaptation integration into reef management strategies.

Concerns & Risks

• Future ENSO & Heatwaves:
  • IPCC projects more frequent marine heatwaves, risking even the remaining 19.6% coral cover.
• Loss of Ecosystem Services:
  • Coral reefs provide coastal protection, fisheries, and tourism income — all under threat.
• Biodiversity Collapse: Lakshadweep reefs host diverse marine species, many endemic — bleaching threatens their survival.

Way Ahead (Policy + Scientific)

• Establish Coral Resilience Zones:
  • Protect areas with better depth/wave exposure which act as natural refuges.
• Early Warning Systems:
  • Integrate remote sensing & thermal anomaly forecasting for timely reef management.
• Community-Based Monitoring:
  • Involve island communities in reef stewardship, using traditional ecological knowledge.
• Urgent Climate Action:
  • India’s commitment to net zero by 2070 must integrate marine climate resilience.
• Marine Protected Areas (MPAs):
  • Expand MPAs in Lakshadweep with enforceable no-fishing zones to allow recovery.

Tughlaqabad: A fort misunderstood

Historical Significance

• Built in 1320 AD by Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, founder of the Tughlaq dynasty.
• Designed as a military fortress to repel Mongol invasions.
• Served briefly as the capital under Ghiyasuddin before being abandoned after the capital shifted to Daulatabad under Muhammad bin Tughlaq.

Relevance : GS 1(Culture ,History and Heritage)

Architectural and Strategic Genius

• Located in the Aravalli hills — built into the natural terrain.
• Featured:
  • 15-metre-high walls
  • Granaries, escape tunnels, water reservoirs
  • Multiple defensive perimeters with surrounding water bodies.
• Considered more militarily sound than even the Red Fort or Agra Fort, according to historian SM Azizuddin Husain.

Cultural and Spiritual Dimensions

• Site of a historicmehfil where Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya defended the practice of Sama (spiritual music).
  • Resulted in qawwali being formally accepted in the Indian Sufi tradition.
• Symbolisestensions between spiritual and political authority:
  • Sultan Ghiyasuddin vs. Sufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya.
  • Saint’s “curse” (“May it remain desolate”) allegedly followed the Sultan’s diversion of labour from the saint’s baoli.

Debunking the “Curse”

• Historians argue:
  • No factual basis for the “curse” — legends grew later to explain abandonment.
  • Abandonment linked to political irrelevance, not supernatural punishment.
• Ghiyasuddin’s death in a pavilion collapse post-Bengal campaign fuelled myth-making, but could also reflect political intrigue.

Myth vs Reality: Governance Implications

• Heritage activist Sohail Hashmi:
  • Myths distract from its real political and architectural value.
  • Tughlaqabad should be viewed as a “classroom under the sky”.
• Current under-visited state contrasts with monuments like Qutub Minar or Red Fort.
• Reflects heritage management challenges:
  • Lack of interpretation centres, tourism promotion, community engagement.

Retrospective Linkages

• Tughlaq architectural style: Fort reflects early Indo-Islamic military architecture.
• Nizamuddin Auliya’s role: Integral to Delhi’s spiritual history; represents Sufi influence on Indian syncretism.
• Urban planning under the Delhi Sultanate: Tughlaqabad was part of the third historic city of Delhi.

Cultural Policy Lessons

• Reviving Tughlaqabad:
  • Can be integrated into Delhi’s heritage tourism circuit.
  • Use of digital reconstruction, AR/VR, and guided trails.
• Curricular inclusion:
  • Fort can serve as a pedagogical site to teach military history, Sufism, urban planning.
• Need for better ASI funding and multi-stakeholder conservation models.
• Countering ‘curse narratives’ with historical literacy and community storytelling.

Humpy ousts Lei, sets up all-Indian final against Divya

Core Developments

• Koneru Humpy defeats China’s Lei Tingjie in a dramatic multi-tier tiebreaker.
• Sets up an all-Indian final against teenager Divya Deshmukh — a first in Women’s World Cup history.
• Both qualify for the 2026 FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament, a gateway to the World Championship.

Relevance :Facts for Prelims

Game Strategy & Psychological Strength

• Stalemate in regulation: Two classical games and initial tiebreaks drawn.
• Comeback under pressure: Humpy lost in second tiebreak, bounced back with a must-win game using the Queen’s Pawn Opening.
• Decisive third tiebreak: Dominated with White, then sealed the win with Black — showing technical precision and mental composure.

Significance for India

• Chess as a soft power asset: Highlights India’s emerging leadership in global mind sports.
• Women-led achievement: Symbolizes the growing stature of Indian women in international competitive arenas.
• Legacy and pipeline:
  • Humpy: India’s senior-most active female Grandmaster.
  • Divya: Product of India’s post-2010 chess ecosystem, trained under newer support schemes.

Policy and Governance Linkages

• Schemes supporting chess:
  • Khelo India, TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme), and National Centre of Excellence (NCoEs) aid elite training.
  • Chess is increasingly supported despite being a non-Olympic sport — sign of evolving sports policy orientation.
• Federation Role: All India Chess Federation (AICF) plays a growing role in gender-inclusive chess promotion.

Background

• Humpy’s Legacy:
  • First Indian woman to cross 2600 Elo.
  • Made comeback after motherhood — case of gender resilience in sports.
• India’s Chess Resurgence:
  • Follows successes of Gukesh D, Praggnanandhaa, and Vaishali at global level.
  • Consistent improvement since Viswanathan Anand’s world titles in 2000s.

Future Implications

• 2026 Women’s Candidates:
  • Both Humpy and Divya will be in the 8-player tournament to challenge reigning world champion.
• Future policy shift:
  • Likely increase in CSR and public-private funding for chess.
  • Boost to women’s chess leagues and junior girl participation.

India–UK Free Trade Agreement (CETA): Deal’s Done

Core Agreement Highlights

• Signed on July 24, the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) aims to:
  • Double bilateral trade by 2030 (from $56B in 2020).
  • Cut/eliminate tariffs on 99% of Indian exports to UK.
  • Provide labour-intensive sector access (textiles, leather, seafood, gems).
  • Remove social security double payments for temporary Indian workers.

Relevance : GS 2(International Relations) ,GS 3(Economy -Import & Export)

India’s Key Economic Gains

• Zero tariffs on:
  • Textiles (earlier up to 12%)
  • Tea and coffee (earlier up to 10%)
  • Footwear, gems, leather goods
• Liquor tariff halved from 150% → 75%, to fall to 40% in 10 years.
• Auto tariffs down from 70–110% to 10% (after 10 years, for limited vehicles).
• Scotch import duties halved: Enhances consumer access and revenue.

Relief on Social Security Contributions

• Through the Double Contributions Convention:
  • Indian professionals temporarily working in UK (up to 10 years) will no longer pay into both UK and Indian social security systems.
  • Benefits ~75,000 Indian workers.
  • Reduces costs for Indian employers and raises net salary for workers.

Broader Trade & Investment Impacts

• Merchandise trade projections:
  • India’s exports to UK to rise 12.6% by 2024–25 to $14.5B
  • Imports from UK to grow 2.3% to $8.6B
• FTA aims to increase bilateral trade volume by nearly $34.5B annually by 2040.
• Sectors gaining access:
  • Dairy, machinery, pharmaceuticals, IT services, processed food.

Movement of People & Services

• UK side gains:
  • Professional access in legal, financial, education, and consulting services.
• UK has created an annual quota of 1,800 short-term work visas (e.g. chefs, yoga teachers, classical musicians).
• Faster mobility for UK service professionals in India — with simplified regulatory framework.

 Strategic & Defence Roadmap (Vision 2035)

• Both nations launch Vision 2035:
  • Focus on defence, AI, education, climate, cyber, and clean energy.
  • Aligns with India’s technology sovereignty and national security goals.
• Joint Defence Industrial Roadmap to:
  • Facilitate co-production
  • Share critical mineral access
  • Boost cyber security cooperation

Retrospective Linkages

• First major UK FTA after Brexit (2016).
• Builds on India’s shift toward bilateralism after RCEP exit (2019).
• Similar to India’s FTAs with Australia (ECTA, 2022), UAE (CEPA, 2022), ASEAN.

Future Implications

• Can become a template for India–EU FTA negotiations.
• Promotes India’s goal of $1 trillion goods exports by 2030.
• Boosts India’s global reputation as a trade partner amid de-risking from China.

ICJ’s Climate Ruling

Context

• The International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion stating that countries are under a legal obligation to take steps to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and address climate change.
• Though non-binding, it could shape international climate litigation and increase pressure on states.

Relevance : GS 3(Environment and Ecology)

Background

• Request came from the UN General Assembly (2023), led by Vanuatu.
• Part of broader efforts to bring climate justice into international law.
• ICJ was asked to clarify obligations of states regarding GHG emissions and responsibilities for harm caused.

ICJ’s Observations

• Climate action is not optional or a matter of policy choice; it is a legal obligation.
• Countries must:
  • Prevent harm to other states (under no-harm principle).
  • Act in line with human rights obligations.
  • Ensure adequate mitigation/adaptation efforts.
• Failure to act may invoke international legal consequences.

Ruling’s Relevance

• Could be used to support future climate lawsuits.
• Likely to influence domestic court decisions, especially in countries with strong public interest litigation (PIL) cultures like India.

Implications