Daily Current Affairs

June 16, 2025

Current Affairs

What is Black Box? 

Context: In the aftermath of the deadly plane crash in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, officials have confirmed the recovery of the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR) from the plane crash site.

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts about Black Box.

What is Black Box?

  • A black box is a flight recording device used in aircraft to record flight data and cockpit conversations.
  • It consists of two main components:
    • Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR): record radio transmissions and other sounds in the cockpit such as the pilot conversations and engine noises. 
    • Flight Data Recorder (FDR): record crucial flight information like altitude, speed, heading, engine performance, and more.
  • These devices help investigators reconstruct the sequence of events before a crash and determine its causes.
  • Modern black boxes are actually orange in colour to make them easier to spot in wreckage. The term "black box" comes from early versions of data recorders that were kept in light proof boxes, making them appear "black" from the outside.
  • The recording devices are stored inside a unit generally made out of strong substances such as steel or titanium and are also insulated from factors such as extreme heat, cold or wetness. They are placed at the back of the plane, where damage is usually less in a crash.
  • For crashes over water bodies, Black Boxes are equipped with beacons that send out ultrasound signals for 30 days, although this does not guarantee their discovery.
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History: 

  • Black boxes were the brainchild of Dr. David Warren, an Australian jet fuel expert.
  • In 1963, Australia became the first country to make black boxes mandatory on all aircraft.

New AC Temperature Control Guidelines

Context: The Union Ministry of Power is planning to mandate a fixed temperature range (20°C to 28°C) for air conditioners in India to reduce energy consumption and promote public health.

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: WHO Housing and Health Guidelines (2018), Rationale for New AC guidelines from the Centre; Common refrigerants used in ACs. 

New AC guidelines from the Centre: 

  • The new directive will cap the operational temperature range of all new air conditioners (ACs) in India between 20°C and 28°C, whether in homes or commercial settings. 
  • Currently, many air conditioners available in the market allow temperatures as low as 16°C or 18°C, and heating settings going up to 30°C. 
  • Rationale: To reduce energy consumption and mitigate health risks associated with excessive cooling.

Why is this being proposed?

To Save Electricity: 

  • A study by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) predicted that by 2030, India’s total AC load could reach 200 GW, putting stress on energy supply.
  • According to the Power Minister, every 1°C increase in an AC’s temperature setting can save 6% of the electricity it uses.
  • Mandating optimal temperature off AC to 24°C, the country could save 20 billion units of electricity per year.

To Improve Public Health: 

  • Many people set their ACs at very low temperatures (like 18-21°C), but this is not only uncomfortable for most, it is also unhealthy.
  • Low indoor temperatures are linked to:
    • Increased blood pressure due to vasoconstriction (narrowing of blood vessels and stress on the heart).
    • Higher risk of hypertension and respiratory issues like asthma and infections.
    • Poor sleep, especially in children and the elderly.
    • Reduce lung function in children.
    • Mental health issues like anxiety and depression, especially in persistently cold homes.
  • WHO’s 2018 Housing and Health Guidelines recommend using 18 degrees Celsius as the minimum safe living-room temperature in temperate or cooler climates because cardiovascular and respiratory admissions were found to climb steeply below that threshold.
  • A longitudinal study found that 16% of individuals over the age of 50, living in environments cooled to below 18°C, experienced higher blood pressure, lower vitamin D levels and reduced lung function.
  • Standards like ASHRAE-55 and ISO 7730 recommend maintaining minimum indoor temperatures for comfort and safety. A lightly clothed person can comfortably release body heat at 20-24°C.

How do Air Conditioners Work?

  • An AC works by removing heat from inside a room and dumping it outside.
  • It uses a refrigerant that evaporates and absorbs heat, then gets compressed (which uses most of the power), and finally releases the heat through a condenser.
  • The colder the temperature one sets, the harder the AC has to work and the more electricity it uses.
  • ACs are most efficient when operating in a temperature range suited to their refrigerant, typically 20°C to 28°C.

What is a refrigerant?

  • A refrigerant or coolant used in ACs takes out the heat of a room and throws it outside into the atmosphere. 
  • A refrigerant has to undergo phase changes to absorb and compress the heat to distribute cold fresh air into the room. It changes from a liquid to gas when it absorbs a room’s heat and then again gets back to its liquid form when the compressor compresses it. 
  • The ideal refrigerant can be selected considering certain factors like -- favourable thermodynamic properties, non-corrosive nature and safety features like its toxicity and inflammability. 

Common refrigerants used in ACs:

  • Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs): phased out due to Ozone depletion. 
  • Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs): less harmful but still risks Ozone depletion. Indian government plans to phase out the HCFC refrigerants by 2030.
  • Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs): Ozone-safe but have high global warning potential. 
  • Hydrocarbons (Propane and Iso-Butane): ozone-friendly, completely halogen-free and have the least global warming potential but flammable. 

Thus, the case for moving towards a fixed temperature range on ACs is clear-  supported by public health benefits as well as energy savings.

C. Sankaran Nair

Context: The recent film Kesari Chapter 2: The Untold Story of Jallianwala Bagh is based on Sir C. Sankaran Nair.

Relevance of the Topic : Prelims: About C Sankaran Nair and his key Contributions.

About C. Sankaran Nair

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  • Born in the year 1857 in Malabar, Kerala.
  • He was a liberal constitutionalist, social reformer, and a fierce critic of both British imperialism and reactionary elements within Indian society.
  • He was a staunch advocate of universal liberty and equality.
  • He was a brilliant jurist, being appointed as Advocate General of the Madras Presidency and later a judge of the Madras High Court.
  • Author of book “Gandhi and Anarchy” (1922)- a critique of Gandhi’s political methods, especially non-cooperation and Khilafat movement. Despite his disagreements with Gandhi, Nair acknowledged his global stature.
  • Nair firmly believed in constitutional methods and rejected political fanaticism. This conviction led him to oppose Gandhi’s non-cooperation movement as well as the Khilafat agitation.
  • Critic of extreme nationalism, religious mobilisations, and political fanaticism.

Key Achievements: 

  • He was the first Malayali and the only Keralite to preside over the Indian National Congress (Amaravati Session, 1897).
  • Nair was among the first Indian members of the Viceroy’s Executive Council, overseeing portfolios like education and health.
  • He was a member of London’s National Liberal Club.

Key Contributions: 

  • Vision of Secular India: 
    • At the 1897 Amravati Congress, Nair advanced a vision of secular India, advocating education for lower castes, upliftment of women, and the dismantling of caste-based barriers. 
    • He opposed the creation of sectarian institutions like Banaras Hindu University, fearing they would breed communalism.
  • Resignation over Jallianwala Bagh Massacre: He resigned from Viceroy Executive Council in protest against the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
  • Champion of Social Reforms: 
    • He campaigned for the abolition of caste, equality of women, and reform of the matrilineal system among the Nairs of Kerala. 
    • He was associated with the Social Reform Conference and believed political freedom was meaningless without social emancipation. 
    • He resisted the Village Cess Bill in the Madras Legislative Council, which threatened traditional self-governing village systems.
  • Protector of Free Speech and Education: 
    • As a Viceroy’s Council member, he refused to allow a church prayer supporting Allied victory during WWI, stating : “Christ does not take sides in war.” 
    • He advocated English education as a means of women’s empowerment, political awakening, and rational public discourse.He envisioned an India where reason triumphed over dogma.
  • Political Realism: For Nair, India was not a romantic ideal but a land bound by social evils. He remarked: “India was a land of millions- ignorant, illiterate, half-starved, superstitious, and shackled by caste.” He did not glorify a mystical past, unlike many contemporaries. Instead, he offered a rational, reformist blueprint for a modern India.

 

FRA Cells to speed up Forest Rights Implementation

Context: The Central government has sanctioned over 300 FRA Cells to facilitate the implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 across 18 states and UTs. 

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key Features of FRA Cells, FRA 2006, DAJGUA.

Pending Forest Rights Claims

  • According to the March 2025 progress report, about 14.45% of the 51.11 lakh forest rights claims filed under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 across 21 States/UTs still remain pending. 
  • Even among the 43 lakh disposed claims, over 42% have been rejected indicating serious issues in the implementation process.

To address these long-standing delays and rejections, the Union government has sanctioned over 300 FRA Cells across 18 states & UTs. 

About Forest Right Act 2006

  • Also known as Schedule Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers Act.
  • The act recognises and vests the forest rights and occupation in Forest land in Forest Dwelling Scheduled Tribes (FDST) and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFD) who have been residing in such forests for generations.

The Act identifies Four Types of Rights: 

  • Title rights: Gives FDST and OTFD, the right to ownership of land farmed by tribals or forest dwellers subject to a maximum of 4 hectares. Ownership is only for land that is being cultivated by the concerned family and no new lands will be granted. It also provides for Community rights over minor forest produce and other resources.
  • Use rights: The rights of the dwellers extend to extracting Minor Forest Produce, grazing areas, pastoralist routes, etc.
  • Relief and development rights: To rehabilitation in case of illegal eviction or forced displacement and to basic amenities, subject to restrictions for forest protection.
  • Forest management rights: It includes the right to protect, regenerate or conserve or manage any community forest resource  which they have been traditionally protecting and conserving for sustainable use.

Key Facts: 

  • The Act recognises both individuals and community rights. 
  • The decision and declaration of Habitat rights under FRA is in the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
  • The claim needs to be approved by the Gram Sabha. The decision of the Gram Sabha to reject or allow the claim can be appealed before court.

About FRA Cells

  • FRA Cells are created in districts and states to assist in implementing the Forest Rights Act, 2006, law meant to give forest rights to Scheduled Tribes and forest-dwelling communities.
  • This is being done under a new scheme called Dharti Aba Janjati Gram Utkarsh Abhiyaan (DAJGUA ). 

Key details about FRA Cells: 

  • Until now, implementation of the FRA, has been the domain of State and Union Territory governments who were supposed to form local committees like Gram Sabhas, Sub-Divisional Level Committees (SDLCs), District Level Committees (DLCs), etc., to process land claims.
  • Now, under DAJGUA, 324 district-level FRA cells and 17 state-level FRA cells have been approved. The rules governing the operation of these cells flow from the DAJGUA programme and not the principal legislation of the FRA. 
  • FRA Cells are meant to help tribal people and Gram Sabhas prepare documents, manage data, and push pending claims, not to interfere in decision-making. 
  • The highest number of district FRA cells are sanctioned in Madhya Pradesh (55), followed by Chhattisgarh (30), Telangana, Maharashtra, Assam, and Jharkhand. 
  • Though FRA cells function under state machinery as per DAJGUA rules, they are centrally funded through Grants-in-Aid General, as seen in sanction orders for states like Assam, Himachal Pradesh, and Odisha. The guidelines provide a budget of ₹8.67 lakh for each FRA cell at the district level, and ₹25.85 lakh for each State-level FRA cell.

Dharti Aba Janjati Gram Utkarsh Abhiyaan (DAJGUA): 

  • A central sector scheme launched in October 2024. 
  • Purpose: To Improve tribal welfare across 68,000 tribal-dominated villages by bringing together 25 interventions of 17 line ministries. 
  • One component of the DAJGUA programme is to speed up FRA implementation.

Concerns: Forest rights activists and experts have raised concerns of FRA Cells being a parallel FRA mechanism outside of FRA’s purview and that it could weaken community control.

Reframing Religious Freedom: USCIRF Annual Report 

Context: The recently released USCIRF annual report has placed India on its list of “Countries of Particular Concern (CPC)” which highlights a Eurocentric bias.

Relevance of the Topic: Mains: Religious Freedom.  

United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Controversial Annual Report:

  • USCIRF's annual report recently placed India on its list of “Countries of Particular Concern (CPC)”.
  • The commission was created under the International Religious Freedom Act passed by US Congress in 1998. It monitors, analyses,and reports on violations of religious freedom worldwide.
  • India strongly rejected this, calling the body an “entity of concern” and refusing to acknowledge its findings.

Freedom of Religion in India

  • Freedom of Religion is a Fundamental Right enshrined in Articles 25 to 28 of the Indian Constitution.
  • Articles 25 to 30 of the Indian Constitution offer various freedoms to religions including the freedom of conscience, the right to freely profess, practice, and propagate, and the freedom to manage their affairs without state intervention.
  • India ensures religious freedom while allowing the state to impose reasonable restrictions to protect public order, health, and morality.
  • Minority religions enjoy positive discrimination by way of special rights to run educational and cultural institutions. The same rights are not available to the majority Hindu religion.
  • India is the only country where people of all religions, including several Christian denominations and Muslim sects, coexist in harmony.
  • Despite its vast diversity and historical religious strife, India has largely succeeded in maintaining religious harmony, showcasing its strong commitment to religious freedom.  

Freedom of Religion in India

  • Article 25: Grants all individuals the right to freely profess, practice, and propagate their religion, subject to public order, morality, and health.
    • However forced religious conversions are not allowed. 
    • In a landmark judgment in Rev. Stainislaus vs State of Madhya Pradesh (1977), the Supreme Court held that the right to “propagate” does not include the right to proselytise, and hence there is no fundamental right to convert another person.
  • Article 26: Allows every religious group to establish and manage religious institutions, own property, and handle religious affairs independently.
  • Article 27: No person can be forced to pay taxes that are used specifically for the promotion of any religion.
  • Article 28: Prohibits religious teaching in state-funded educational institutions, but allows it in privately managed or trust-based institutions, with certain conditions.
  • Article 29: Protects the right of any group with a distinct language, script, or culture to conserve it; also prohibits discrimination in state-funded educational institutions.
  • Article 30: Gives religious and linguistic minorities the right to establish and administer their own educational institutions, with protection from state discrimination in aid.

India’s Response: 

  • Despite India's constitutional commitment to religious freedom, it continues to face criticism from USCIRF due to its Eurocentric lens and reliance on allegedly biased scholars, ignoring India’s unique cultural and societal context.
  • Global bodies like USCIRF need to reassess their approach to religious freedom by moving beyond Eurocentric frameworks and embracing culturally rooted models like the concept of Integral Humanism. USCIRF must adopt a more nuanced, locally sensitive perspective when evaluating religious freedom in a pluralistic democracy like India.

Integral Humanism: 

  • Inspired by thinkers like Jacques Maritain and Deendayal Upadhyaya. It emphasises rising above religious divisions to ensure the material, ethical, moral, and spiritual well-being of all, rooted in India’s pluralistic and civilisational ethos.

Old Continent Rises: India-Europe Relations in a Shifting World Order

Context: India is deepening strategic ties with Europe amidst Trump-era volatility, enhancing prospects for a multipolar world. 

Relevance of the Topic: Mains: Significance of Europe for India in a changing world order.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s visit to Europe, along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation in the 2025 G7 summit in Canada, and his upcoming visits to Croatia and Cyprus, highlights India’s renewed emphasis on deepening strategic ties with Europe. 

India’s recalibrated approach acknowledges Europe's emerging role as a potential swing state amid the shifting power equations among the US, Russia, and China.

Why does Europe matter to India now?

Europe, once on the periphery of India’s foreign policy, is now emerging as a strategic partner due to three key global shifts: 

  • Trump-era volatility: Trump’s “America First” doctrine and his transactional approach to alliances like NATO and G7 has created uncertainty in the west, pushing India to diversify ties with Europe.
  • Europe as a Swing State: As the US-China rivalry intensifies, Europe is emerging as a strategic swing state, it gives India a chance to build balanced, independent partnerships in trade, defence, and technology, supporting India’s vision of a multipolar world.
  • Shared Outlook on Multipolarity: Europe’s push for strategic autonomy aligns with India’s vision of a multipolar, de-hyphenated world order. 
  • Security Realignments: Post-Ukraine war, European nations like Germany, France, and Poland are taking more responsibility for their own security. This opens space for India to collaborate on defence, especially in the Indo-Pacific.

The strategic alignment grounded in shared economic interests, democratic values, and the pursuit of enhanced national security.

How India is deepening ties with Europe?

  • High Level Engagements: Indian PM’s visit to the G7 Summit presents an opportunity to strengthen links with the broader Western bloc, and engage with the G7 on global issues like climate change, digital governance, and economic resilience. External Affairs Minister’s frequent visits to Europe.
  • Trade and Tech cooperation:  
    • The EU-India Trade and Technology Council (TTC), established in 2023, advances cooperation in AI, quantum computing, outer space, and green technologies.
    • The once unlikely India-EU Free Trade Agreement is now back on track, reflecting growing mutual interest in deeper economic integration.
  • Connectivity Initiatives: India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) aims to create alternative trade routes and reduce supply chain dependency on China.
  • Defence Collaboration: Joint military exercises (E.g., with France), co-development talks, and Europe’s €800 billion ReArm 2030 plan offer scope for defence industrial partnerships.

Challenges:

  • Russia remains a sensitive factor in India-EU relations. India maintains long-standing defence ties with Russia and has refrained from criticising Russia’s war in Ukraine. Europe is at the receiving end of Russia’s ambitions to rearrange the regional order. However, both India and the EU have prioritised pragmatic engagement over ideological arguments. 

As the West grapples with internal divisions and the US-China rivalry grows, Europe offers India a reliable partner for balanced cooperation in trade, defence, and technology. Together, both can play a key role in shaping a stable, multipolar world order.

About G-7: 

  • A group of 7 advanced economies- the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan that meet annually to discuss global economic and political issues.
  • India is not a member, and is regularly invited as a guest member. 
  • G7 Summit 2025 is being hosted by Canada.

Navy to Commission up to 10 Naval warships in 2025

Context: Indian Navy is set to commission up to 10 domestically built warships by December 2025. This move marks one of the largest single-phase inductions in recent years, and highlights India’s growing emphasis on indigenous defence manufacturing and strategic autonomy in naval strength.  

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts about recent naval inductions, ship classes, and defence manufacturing initiatives, Indigenisation efforts.

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Key details of the Induction: 

  • The commissioning phase will begin with the induction of INS Arnala, the first of sixteen Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow-Water Craft (ASW-SWC). 
  • Alongside Arnala, the Navy is expected to induct INS Tamal, the second Talwar-class stealth frigate. 
  • A second Nilgiri-class frigate may also be commissioned before the year-end.

INS Arnala

  • Built by: Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) Kolkata in partnership with L&T Shipbuilders.
  • It is designed to perform critical roles such as subsurface surveillance, search-and-rescue missions, and anti-submarine operations in coastal and shallow waters.
  • Arnala is the largest Indian naval warship propelled by a diesel-engine and waterjet combination.

INS Tamal: Krivak-class Frigates

  • Krivak-class frigates are a series of multi-role warships originally designed by Russia. India operates its variant called the Talwar-class frigates, customised for the Indian Navy. 
  • In 2016, under Project 1135.6 (Talwar-class) Follow-on Frigates, India and Russia signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement to procure four additional Krivak-class frigates.
    • Two were to be imported from Russia, while two were to be built in India at GSL, Goa under technology transfer. 
    • Built in Russia: INS Tushil (commissioned 2024), INS Tamal (to be commissioned in 2025)
    • Built in India: INS Triput (launched 2024), INS Tavasya (launched 2025). 

With the aim to become a 175-ship by 2035 the Indian Navy has taken many strategic steps like:

  • Advancements in technology, stronger indigenisation efforts, and close Navy involvement in the design and manufacturing process  have shortened the time from ship design to delivery.
  • Recently, the Navy also commissioned INS Vagsheer, a diesel-electric Kalvari-class submarine under Project 75, which operates quietly for coastal patrols.
  • Furthermore, the Navy is progressing with Project 75I, which aims to build six advanced conventional attack submarines, with evaluations and cost negotiations underway.
  • On the aviation side, the Navy is also receiving MH-60R Seahawk helicopters from the U.S., with 13 of 24 orders already delivered.

Voyager Tardigrades Experiment

Context: During Axiom Mission-4, Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will conduct experiments on tardigrades’ revival, survival, and reproduction during his two-week stay on the International Space Station (ISS).  

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts about Tardigrades; Voyager Tardigrades experiment. 

What are Tardigrades?

  • Tardigrades or water bears/moss piglets are microscopic aquatic animals (about 0.5 mm long) discovered in 1773.
  • They are Earth's most durable organisms that have existed for around 600 million years, 400 million years before dinosaurs walked the planet, and survived all the five major mass extinction events.
  • They have four pairs of legs, each ending in 4-6 claws, and a specialised mouth to extract nutrients from plant cells, algae, and small invertebrates.
  • Tardigrades are ubiquitous, from the highest mountains to the deepest oceans, but are most commonly found in the thin water film on mosses and lichens. 
  • They can survive extreme conditions including temperatures as low as minus 272.95 degrees Celsius or as high as 150 degrees Celsius; endure ultraviolet radiation of space, and pressures of 40,000 kilopascals (equivalent to what can be experienced at a depth of 4 km under the ocean’s surface); and live after being stored in a freezer for 30 years.
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Why are Tardigrades so resilient?

Both anhydrobiosis and cryptobiosis result in the emergence of a durable shrunken state, called tun, in which tardigrades are able to withstand extreme conditions.

  • Cryptobiosis: Tardigrades owe their incredible resilience to cryptobiosis. It is a state in which organisms bring their metabolism to a near-complete standstill in the face of adverse environmental conditions.
  • Anhydrobiosis: Tardigrades can reduce their metabolism to less than 0.01% of normal, and drop their water levels by more than 95%, a state called anhydrobiosis.
  • They produce unique proteins such as cytoplasmic-abundant heat soluble (CAHS) proteins which are key to their resilience. These proteins form a gel-like matrix within their cells, vitrifying and protecting essential cellular components from destruction. This allows them to withstand extreme temperatures, radiation, and the vacuum of space.

Why do scientists study Tardigrades in space?

  • Tardigrades have been a part of space missions since 2007. European Space Agency’s Foton-M3 mission, carried 3,000 tardigrades in tun state and the post-return analysis confirmed that many survived space vacuum, and some successfully reproduced despite UV exposure, making them the first animals to survive open space.
  • In the ongoing Voyager Tardigrades Experiment, scientists will examine the effects of space radiation and microgravity on tardigrades' biological processes. The primary objective is to identify the genes responsible for making tardigrades resilient. This will help scientists develop strategies to protect astronauts during long-duration space missions, and preserve biological materials for extended space travel.

A better understanding of tardigrades’ survival mechanisms can potentially have several applications: from helping scientists develop more resilient crops to creating advanced sunscreens to preserving human tissues and organs for transplantation.

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