Daily Current Affairs

July 20, 2025

Current Affairs

India-EU FTA: Disagreements over Food Safety Rules 

Context: India and the European Union (EU) are negotiating a Free Trade Agreement. The progress is stalled due to disagreements over food safety norms under Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures.

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: About Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures; EU-India FTAMains: India - EU relations.  

India-EU Trade and Investment Agreement

  • India and the European Union (EU) are negotiating a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA), officially known as the India-EU Trade and Investment Agreement.
  • Despite 12 rounds of talks, key differences over Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) continue to hinder progress.

Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures: 

  • The Agreement on the Applications of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures came into force on 1 January 1995 with the establishment of World Trade Organisation (WTO). It set out the basic rules for food safety and animal and plant health standards.
  • The Agreement allows countries to set their own standards. However, the regulations must be based on science.
    • They should be applied only to the extent necessary to protect human, animal or plant life or health. 
    • They should not arbitrarily or unjustifiably discriminate between countries where identical or similar conditions prevail.

Countries can set higher standards based on appropriate assessment of risks so long as the approach is consistent, not arbitrary.

Indian Concerns

  • EU’s Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) exceed global norms, often being stricter than WHO Codex guidelines.
  • The EU regularly rejects Indian shipments citing differences in standards, including restrictions on the use of methyl bromide fumigation for certain plant products.
  • As per the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) report in 2022, the EU enforces stringent aflatoxin limits. E.g.,
    • For direct human consumption, the EU permits a maximum of 2 µg/kg for aflatoxin B1 and 4 µg/kg for total aflatoxins.
    • Codex Alimentarius (International food standards body under WHO) has set a more lenient general limit of 15 µg/kg (or 15 parts per billion) for total aflatoxins in peanuts, meant for human consumption.
  • This divergence in standards often leads to trade disruptions and additional compliance burdens for Indian exporters targeting the EU market.

India - EU Trade

  • EU is India’s largest and most premium export destination for agricultural items, particularly coffee, tea, spices and rice. 
  • However, India’s exports to the EU have seen limited growth over the years, rising from $3.02 billion in FY19 to $4.54 billion in FY25, largely due to the stringent standards imposed by the EU on foreign agricultural products.

Aflatoxins: 

  • Aflatoxins are a group of poisonous carcinogens and mutagens produced by certain moulds (fungi), particularly Aspergillus species, that grow on various food crops and agricultural commodities. 
  • The toxins are commonly found on agricultural crops such as peanuts, maize (corn), rice and tree nuts, especially in warm and humid climates.
  • When consumed, they can have severe health implications including acute toxicity, liver cancer, immune system suppression and growth impairments.

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

Swachh Survekshan Awards 2024-25

Context: The President of India conferred Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 Awards at Vigyan Bhagwan, New Delhi hosted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).

In total, 78 Awards were presented, recognising cities, cantonments, and institutions for their exemplary performance across a range of sanitation parameters. 

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key Highlights of Swachh Survekshan 2024-25.

About Swachh Survekshan

  • Launched: 2016
  • Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA)
  • Instituted under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U)
  • 73 cities covered initially (2016), now covering 4589 Cities. 
  • Assessment Criteria:
    • Waste collection, segregation and processing
    • Sanitation and public toilet coverage
    • Citizen feedback and awareness campaigns
    • Innovation in urban cleanliness

Key Highlights of Swachh Survekshan 2024-25: 

  • Top Cleanest Cities (Population >10 Lakh)
    • 1st: Ahmedabad
    • 2nd: Bhopal
    • 3rd: Lucknow
  • Top Cities (Population 3-10 Lakh)
    • 1st: Mira Bhayandar
    • 2nd: Bilaspur
    • 3rd: Jamshedpur
  • Special Recognition : Super Swachh League:
    • New elite category introduced to honour consistently top-performing cities over the past three years.
    • Top 4 cities ( Population > 10 lakh): Indore, Surat, Navi Mumbai, Vijayawada.
    • Top Cities (Population 3-10 Lakh Noida): Chandigarh, Mysuru, Ujjain, Gandhinagar.
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Other Awards:  

  • Best Ganga Town: Prayagraj.
  • Best Cantonment Board: Secunderabad Cantonment for its exemplary sanitation efforts. 
  • Best SaifaiMitra Surakshit Shehar: GVMC Visakhapatnam, Jabalpur, and Gorakhpur for their outstanding commitment to the safety and dignity of sanitation workers. 
  • A special award was given to Uttar Pradesh government and Prayagraj Municipal Corporation, for its exceptional urban waste management during the Mahakumbh.
  • Lucknow was honoured with the prestigious Presidential Award for becoming the first city in Uttar Pradesh to receive a 7-star Garbage Free City (GFC) rating.

Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs launched

  • Swachh City Partnership Initiative: All 78 top performing cities across all population categories will adopt & mentor 1 poor performing city each from the respective States.
  • Accelerated Dumpsite Remediation Program: 
    • 1-year special program starting from Aug 15, 2025.
    • Aims to fast-track remediation of legacy waste dumpsites across urban areas and to push the scientific waste processing capacity.
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Offshore Area Atomic Minerals Concession Rules 2025

Context: The Ministry of Mines, in coordination with the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), have notified the Offshore Area Atomic Minerals Concession Rules, 2025. The new rules seek to regulate offshore atomic mineral mining for energy security and strategic control.

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: About Offshore Area Atomic Minerals Concession Rules, 2025. 

Offshore Area Atomic Minerals Concession Rules 2025

  • Purpose: To regulate the award of exploration licences and production leases for atomic minerals such as Uranium, Thorium, and other radioactive elements in the country’s offshore areas, including its territorial waters and exclusive economic zones (EEZs)
  • Nodal Authority: The DAE and the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board will serve as the nodal oversight agencies, ensuring compliance with radiological safety and strategic protocols.

Key Highlights: Offshore Area Atomic Minerals Concession Rules 2025

  • Only Central Government Agencies, State-owned enterprises, or government-nominated companies can be awarded composite licences or mining leases.
  • Foreign firms barred from exploration activities unless subcontracted under highly-restrictive guidelines, and only with prior security clearance from Ministries, including Defence, Home and Environment.
  • Exploration will be allowed without a licence, but only for notified government agencies.
  • Any later discovery of Atomic Minerals above threshold grades, as defined in alignment with the Atomic Mineral Concession Rules, 2016, must be reported to the Directorate of Atomic Minerals Exploration and Research. Upon reporting a significant discovery, the government may immediately reserve the block for National use.
  • The government reserves the right to revoke or deny licences if discoveries are deemed strategically sensitive or exceed the threshold grade. The Central Government can directly acquire such sites if needed for strategic reasons.
  • Explorers may be compensated only for actual expenses incurred, discouraging speculative private activity.
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Stem Cell Therapy ‘ ZIMISLECEL’ shows promise in Type-1 Diabetes

Context: ZIMISLECEL, a new allogeneic stem cell-derived islet cell therapy, has shown promise in a recent study involving people with Type-1 Diabetes. 

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: ZIMISLECEL; Type-1 DiabetesMains: Potential use cases of Stem Cell Therapy. 

About Diabetes

  • Diabetes is a lifelong condition that causes a person's blood glucose (sugar) level to become too high. The hormone insulin (produced by the pancreas) is responsible for controlling the amount of glucose in the blood.
  • Type-1 Diabetes (insulin-dependent) is an autoimmune condition in which the body’s immune system mistakenly destroys insulin-making cells (islets cells) in the pancreas. It is characterised by deficient insulin production, and the person requires daily administration of insulin. For decades, managing T-1D has relied on insulin therapy alone. 

 ZIMISLECEL: Stem Cell-derived Islet Cell Therapy

  • Zimislecel is an investigational stem cell-derived islet therapy for Type-1 Diabetes.
  • Scientists made Zimislecel by growing islets from pluripotent stem cells in the lab. These stem cells were matured into functioning islets and infused into the liver in the patients with severe, long-standing Type-1 Diabetes. 
  • Early trials show that these stem cell-derived islet cells began producing insulin again, improving blood sugar control and preventing dangerous lows. 
image 35

Results of the Trials:

  • The early-stage trial aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of Zimislecel in restoring islet function in affected individuals.
    • Within 90 days, all participants were producing C-peptide, a marker of insulin production, with levels more than doubling by day 365. 
    • Blood sugar control improved and 83% of participants treated no longer required insulin after one year.
    • To prevent their bodies from rejecting the transplanted cells, they were placed on an immunosuppressive regimen. 
  • Phase 3 trials of Zimislecel are underway with 50 participants from around the world and will be followed for five years.

The therapy is still underdevelopment and may have cost considerations and the side-effects related to life-long immunosuppression.

What are Stem Cells?

  • Stem cells are undifferentiated cells with the potential to develop into specialised cell types in the body. They can self-renew which makes them valuable for therapeutic applications. 
  • Stem cell therapy utilises stem cells to promote the repair, regeneration, or replacement of damaged or diseased tissues within the body.
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Types of Stem Cells:

  • Totipotent: Most versatile, with potential to differentiate into all different cell types of an organism and extraembryonic cells (including placenta and umbilical cord). Only found in fertilised eggs (zygote).
  • Pluripotent: Derived from inner cell mass of a blastocyst (an early-stage embryo). Can give rise to all different cell types in the body (except extraembryonic cells). E.g., Embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells (genetically reprogrammed to the pluripotent state from adult cells). 
  • Multipotent: More specialised than pluripotent stem cells and can differentiate into limited range of cell types within a specific tissue or organ. E.g., Hematopoietic stem cells (give rise to various blood cell types), mesenchymal stem cells (can differentiate into bone, cartilage, fat cell etc.) 

Unipotent: Most specialised type of stem cells, can only renew themselves and differentiate into one specific cell type. E.g., Stem cells in skin that can only differentiate into another skin cell.

Also Read: HC permits Stem Cell Therapy for two kids with autism 

African Kingdom of Eswatini

Context: The United States has deported few foreign nationals convicted of serious crimes to Eswatini, a small southern African kingdom ruled by Africa’s last absolute monarch.

Relevance of the Topic:Prelims: Location of Kingdom of Eswatini. 

African Kingdom of Eswatini

  • Eswatini, formally Swaziland, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is situated between South Africa and Mozambique.
  • It is one of the world's last remaining absolute monarchies and the last in Africa. King Mswati III, who has ruled since 1986, holds full control of government functions and rules by decree. 
  • Political parties are banned from participating in the electoral process. Protests calling for democratic reforms have grown. The government has been widely accused of using security forces to suppress dissent. 
  • Social Issues: Over half of its 1.2 million population lives on less than $4 a day. The country has the world’s highest HIV prevalence rate, with roughly 26% of adults living with the virus.
image 33

US deportation of Foreign Nationals

  • The deportation to Eswatini is part of a wider US strategy to expand third-country deportations. Earlier, the US had sent deportees to South Sudan. Other nations reportedly approached for similar deals include- Rwanda, Benin, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, and Moldova. 
  • The deportees are flown to the the-world countries, as their home countries refuse to take them back. The convicts are held in isolation at correctional facilities, while arrangements are made for their eventual return to their countries of origin.
  • Rationale: The deportations are part of a wider effort by the US administration to ensure that people who terrorised American communities are removed. 

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