Germany to extend border controls in migration crackdown
Germany's conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz has vowed a tough crackdown on irregular immigration, saying this is the only way to stem rising support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. A spate of deadly attacks blamed on asylum seekers and other foreign nationals fuelled public fears during the campaign for the February election, in which the AfD scored a record 20 percent."We will continue to maintain the border controls" beyond the September 15 deadline, Dobrindt said about the measures first launched last year under the previous government of Olaf Scholz and extended by six months in March."We are in agreement with our European partners that this is a necessary measure until the (EU) external border protection system is fully operational," he said.Members of Europe's Schengen area are allowed to temporarily reintroduce border controls for up to two years in response to serious threats such as terrorism or large-scale unauthorised migration.Merz's government further tightened the border checks when it took power in early May, moving to also reject most asylum seekers -- a step that sparked an outcry from human rights groups.Federal police numbers deployed daily at the borders were stepped up to 14,000 from 11,000.According to ministry data, 9,254 people were turned back at German land borders between May 8 and July 31 -- with most recorded cases from Afghanistan followed by Algeria, Eritrea and Somalia. Germany's border with France saw the most rejections, at more than 2,000 in that period, followed by Poland, Switzerland and Austria. Germany has also twice deported migrants convicted of offences to Afghanistan, most recently last month when 81 were sent back -- a move Dobrindt said "cannot remain a one-off measure".Amnesty International criticised the deportations, saying the situation in Afghanistan was "catastrophic" and that "extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances and torture are commonplace".Dobrindt also said Berlin was working to organise deportation flights to Syria, where an Islamist-led offensive toppled longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad in December.
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Indian Express
28 minutes ago
- Indian Express
UPSC Key: Alaska summit, GST reforms and Eco-sensitive Western Ghats
Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for August 17, 2025. If you missed the August 16, 2025, UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here. Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests. What's the ongoing story: U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Ukraine should make a deal to end the war with Russia because 'Russia is a very big power, and they're not', after a summit where Vladimir Putin was reported to have demanded more Ukrainian land. Key Points to Ponder: — Know about the Russia-Ukraine war and its impact. — Read about Alaska. — What is the geopolitical significance of the Alaska summit? — What is the history of India's bilateral relations with Russia and the US? — What are the areas of cooperation between India and Russia? — What are the areas of cooperation between India and the US? — What is India's stand in the Russia-Ukraine war? — Map work: Locate Alaska, Ukraine, Russia and other places in the news in the context of the Russia-Ukraine war on map. Key Takeaways: — In a subsequent briefing with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a source familiar with the discussion cited Trump as saying the Russian leader had offered to freeze most front lines if Kyiv's forces ceded all of Donetsk, the industrial region that is one of Moscow's main targets. — Zelenskyy rejected the demand, the source said. Russia already controls a fifth of Ukraine, including about three-quarters of Donetsk province, which it first entered in also said he had agreed with Putin that a peace deal should be sought without the prior ceasefire that Ukraine and its European allies, until now with US support, have demanded. — Zelenskyy said he would meet Trump in Washington on Monday, while Kyiv's European allies welcomed Trump's efforts but vowed to back Ukraine and tighten sanctions on Russia. The source said European leaders had also been invited to those talks. From Economy Page- 'No deal or ceasefire: What the 'failed' Trump-Putin Alaska summit could mean for India' — US President Donald Trump's push for a ceasefire in Ukraine did not yield results, with Russian President Vladimir Putin clearly not yielding. — The apparent failure of the talks may come as a relief for Ukrainian and European leaders, who were worried that Trump would yield to Putin's demands and follow up on his earlier talk of swapping land. New Delhi too had one eye on America's frigid outpost over 15,000 kilometers away, to see if anything came out of the spectacle that could impact India's prospects. — There was some hope in India that if Trump and Putin reached a deal of some kind, that outcome would provide relief to New Delhi with respect to the secondary tariffs imposed on India. There was a belief here that the 25 per cent additional punitive tariff could possibly go away if the Trump administration believed that it was making some kind of progress with Putin on stopping the war. — That hope, although relatively diminished, may still be there to some extent as both Trump and Putin—while saying there was no deal yet—indicated some progress in the Alaska talks. New Delhi would still be hoping for the best-case scenario—rollback of the 25 per cent additional tariff, or at least the postponement of the August 27 deadline when the extra tariff is slated to take effect. Do You Know: — New Delhi has called the targeting of India over the purchase of Russian oil 'unjustified and unreasonable' and said these imports began as its traditional supplies were diverted to Europe, with the US having 'actively encouraged such imports by India for strengthening global energy markets stability'. — India has maintained over the years that as a country that depends on energy imports, it will buy oil from wherever it gets a good deal, as long as the oil is not under sanctions. To be sure, Russian oil is not under sanctions, and is only subject to a price cap imposed by the US and its allies that applies if Western shipping and insurance services are used for transporting the oil. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Caught in the Trump-Putin game of chicken: India's Russian oil imports' future and options 📍An Expert Explains: Russia-Ukraine war Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: What is the significance of Indo-US defence deals over Indo-Russian defence deals? Discuss with reference to stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (UPSC CSE 2020) Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national importance, Economic and Social Development, Indian Polity and Governance Mains Examination: General Studies-II, III: Powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies. Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation, of resources, growth, development, and employment. What's the ongoing story: The Group of Ministers (GoM) on Rate Rationalisation is set to meet in the coming week to discuss the proposal on next-generation GST reforms Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Friday. The GoM has ministers from six states: Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Bihar and Karnataka. Key Points to Ponder: — What is Goods and Services Tax (GST), and how does it work? — What are the different types of GST? (Thought Process: Know the differences between Central GST (CGST), State GST (SGST), Union Territory GST (UTGST) and Integrated GST (IGST). — What is the purpose of introducing GST? How is it an example of cooperative federalism? — GST Reforms – What do you know so far? — What is the GST Council? (Thought Process: Know the Key Provisions of Article 279A of the Constitution, the composition and role of the GST council) — What are the issues associated with the GST? — What does the term 'rate rationalisation' in the context of GST in India refer to? — How does the process of GST rate rationalisation align with the principle of cooperative federalism in India? Key Takeaways: — While the proposal was shared with the ministers from the six states a day before the PM's Independence Day address, the Department of Revenue in the Union Ministry of Finance will make a presentation to the GoM when it meets, sources said. — Sources in the Union Finance Ministry said they were confident the GoM and later the GST Council would find merit in the proposal. Internal calculations by the Department of Revenue in the Finance Ministry suggest that gross GST revenues under the proposed two-pillar rate structure of 5 per cent and 18 per cent will not be lower than what it is now. — Giving a broad idea of the proposal, sources said most of the products and services would be placed in either of the two rates — 5 per cent or 18 per cent. Goods and services used by the common man, or as inputs by farmers, small entrepreneurs and MSMEs, will attract the lower 5 per cent duty. This will reduce the tax burden and is expected to drive consumption. Most other goods and services will attract the 18 per cent rate, they said. — At present, there are multiple rate slabs — 5 per cent, 12 per cent, 18 per cent and 28 per cent — and a compensation cess ranging from 1 per cent to 290 per cent that is levied on sin and luxury goods such as cars, refrigerators, air conditioners, pan masala, tobacco and cigarettes. — With loans taken by the Centre to pay compensation cess to states getting recouped and fully repaid by November-December, the cess rates on goods are proposed to be subsumed at this special rate of 40 per cent, sources said. But on some goods like tobacco, the tax incidence is substantially higher than 40 per cent; the government is aware of this, and a separate mechanism may be arrived at in due course, the sources said. — Though there might be an initial impact on revenues, the gains from higher compliance and consumption are expected to offset the losses, they said. — Against a tight timeline, the Centre is learnt to have factored in at least three meetings of the GoM before a final proposal is put before the GST Council, the apex decision-making authority on aspects of the indirect tax regime that was introduced in 2017. Indications are that a rollout is being targeted well ahead of Diwali, since the industry needs time to reconcile to the new rate structure and any disruption ahead of the festive season would need to be avoided. — The Centre, sources said, is convinced of the buoyancy from the rate rationalisation taking care of the worries stemming from revenue loss, unlike an earlier attempt in 2018 when rate cuts did not result in revenue gains. Do You Know: — GST, the biggest indirect tax reform in recent years, came into force after the Constitutional (122nd Amendment) Bill was passed by both Houses of Parliament in 2016. More than 15 Indian states then ratified it in their state Assemblies, after which then-President Pranab Mukherjee gave his assent. — It came into effect in 2017 and was billed as an attempt to simplify the existing tax structure in India, where both the Centre and states levied multiple taxes, and to make it uniform. — The President set up the GST Council as a joint forum of the Centre and the states, under Article 279A (1) of the amended Constitution. It said that members of the Council include the Union Finance Minister (chairperson), and the Union Minister of State (Finance) from the Centre. Each state can nominate a minister in charge of finance or taxation or any other minister, as a member. — According to Article 279, the GST council is meant to 'make recommendations to the Union and the states on important issues related to GST, like the goods and services that may be subjected or exempted from GST, model GST Laws'. It also decides on various rate slabs of GST, whether they need to be modified for certain product categories, and so on. — The proposed rationalisation of GST rates and doing away with multiple rates will ease compliance and lower the tax burden on ordinary people. As the complexity of the GST structure has made its administration unwieldy. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Explained: What is the GST Council, and what does it do? 📍Next-gen GST reforms by Diwali, says PM Modi; just two rates: 5% & 18% Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: (1) What is/are the most likely advantages of implementing 'Goods and Services Tax (GST)'? (UPSC CSE 2017) 1. It will replace multiple taxes collected by multiple authorities and will thus create a single market in India. 2. It will drastically reduce the 'Current Account Deficit' of India and will enable it to increase its foreign exchange reserves. 3. It will enormously increase the growth and size of the economy of India and will enable it to overtake China in the near future. Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: Enumerate the indirect taxes which have been subsumed in the goods and services tax (GST) in India. Also, comment on the revenue implications of the GST introduced in India since July 2017. (UPSC CSE 2017) Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, separation of powers between various organs dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions. What's the ongoing story: Opposing the Supreme Court's decision to fix a timeline for the President and Governors to act on Bills forwarded by State Legislatures, the Centre has underlined the separation of powers between the executive, legislature and judiciary, and said the order has the potential to 'destabilise the constitutional balance between (the) organs of State'. It has emphasised that 'gubernatorial assent is a high prerogative, plenary, non-justiciable power'. Key Points to Ponder: — In Tamil Nadu v. Governor case, what specifically has the Supreme Court said about the president's and governor's power? — What is the doctrine of separation of powers? — What are the constitutional provisions with regard to the office of President and Governor? — Read about Articles 200 and 201. — What is Article 142? What are the limitations to Article 142? — Can the Supreme Court undermine the President's powers? — What are judicial encroachment and judicial overreach? — Administrative Reforms Commission of 1968, the Rajamanar Committee of 1969, the Sarkaria commission of 1988 and Punchhi Commission-What were their recommendations in the context of role of Governor? Key Takeaways: — In a written submission to the court on August 12 — a five-judge bench is hearing a reference made by the President on whether timelines can be fixed for the actions of the President or Governors — Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the judiciary does not hold answers to all problems in a democracy, and 'if any organ is permitted to arrogate to itself the functions of another, the consequence would be a constitutional disorder not envisaged by (Constitution) framers.' — In April, a two-judge bench had set a timeline for Governors to act on pending Bills, and, for the first time, prescribed that the President should take a decision on the Bills reserved for consideration by the Governor within three months from the date on which such reference is received. In a reference to the Supreme Court in May, President Droupadi Murmu had posed 14 crucial questions on the verdict. — Mehta, in his submission, said though separation of powers is part of the constitutional framework, 'over the years, a certain degree of overlap and checks and balances or fusion of powers have come to form…in practical application.' Despite this, he said, 'there are certain zones which remain exclusive to either of the three organs…and cannot be trenched upon by the others. The high plenary positions of Governors and President fall within that zone. While they are political positions, they are also representations of democratic will.' — He said Governors 'are thus not to be treated as alien/ foreigner in the federating units of the Union. Governors are not just emissaries of the Centre, (but) rather representatives of the entire nation in each and every federating unit. They represent national interest and national democratic will in the States as part of the larger Indian constitutional brotherhood.' — Mehta said 'despite the expanding contours of judicial review, there are some zones like assent that remain non-justiciable. The classical notion of judicial review cannot be lifted and applied to assent as the factors at play during the grant or withholding of an assent have no legal or constitutional parallel.' — 'Each organ of the State in the Constitution has certain core functions, one organ interfering with the core functions of another would breach the separation of powers which is a fundamental feature of Indian Constitution.' he said. — 'Exercise of Article 142 is not a supervening judicial power which can override the constitutional provisions or run contrary to them. The apex court, even under Article 142, is bound by constitutional provisions and principles,' he said. Do You Know: — Article 163 of the Constitution deals with the powers of the Governor generally. Article 200 specifically deals with the issue of granting assent to Bills. Both provisions are read together to determine the contours of the Governor's power on this issue. — When a Bill passed by the legislature of a state is presented to the Governor, the Governor has four options: (1) grant assent to the Bill; (2) withhold assent to the Bill; (3) return the Bill for reconsideration; or (4) reserve the Bill for the consideration of the President. — Article 200 reads: 'When a Bill has been passed by the Legislative Assembly of a State or, in the case of a State having a Legislative Council, has been passed by both Houses… it shall be presented to the Governor and the Governor shall declare either that he assents to the Bill or that he withholds assent therefrom or that he reserves the Bill for the consideration of the President.' — Under Article 201 of the Constitution, the Governor has the power to reserve a Bill – passed by both Houses of the State Legislature – for the consideration of the President. — In its ruling, the apex court invoked its special power under Article 142 and called for a decision within three months and added, 'in case of any delay beyond this period, appropriate reasons would have to be recorded and conveyed' to the state concerned. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Governor vs. State: Supreme Court draws the line 📍Knowledge Nugget: SC Verdict on TN Governor — Why it matters for UPSC Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: (2) Which one of the following suggested that the Governor should be an eminent person from outside the State and should be a detached figure without intense political links or should not have taken part in politics in the recent past? (UPSC CSE 2019) (a) First Administrative Reforms Commission (1966) (b) Rajamannar Committee (1969) (c) Sarkaria Commission (1983) (d) National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution (2000) (3) Which one of the following statements is correct? (UPSC CSE 2013) (a) In India, the same person cannot be appointed as Governor for two or more States at the same time (b) The Judges of the High Court of the States in India are appointed by the Governor of the State just as the Judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President (c) No procedure has been laid down in the Constitution of India for the removal of a Governor from his/her post (d) In the case of a Union Territory having a legislative setup, the Chief Minister is appointed by the Lt. Governor on the basis of majority support Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests. What's the ongoing story: C. Raja Mohan writes- 'If India was counting on a clear and positive outcome from the Alaska summit to avert the additional 25 per cent US tariff on Indian exports, it will be disappointed by the inability of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin to deliver last night.' Key Points to Ponder: — What is the significance of the Alaska summit for India? — What are tariffs? Why are tariffs imposed? — Why the U.S. imposition of a 25% tariff plus penalty against India represented a significant departure from prior U.S. trade strategy regarding tariff differentials. — What can be the implications of the higher tariff imposed by the US on India? — What strategies is India using to navigate potential trade negotiations with the U.S.? — What can be the implications of the reset of US-Russia ties for India? — Know about the status of India's relations with the US and Russia. Key Takeaways: — 'The unfinished US-Russian talks in Alaska leave a cloud of uncertainty over India's trade negotiations with Washington. On the upside, though, there was no breakdown of engagement, and the two leaders remain hopeful of an accommodation. As the details of the summit conversations come into public view, India will have to look beyond the tariff question at the implications of a potential reset in Russia's relations with the US and the West.' — 'At their joint press appearance, Putin spoke of the 'agreement' between the two leaders that 'will pave the path toward peace in Ukraine'. — 'While the initial assessments of the summit focused on the lack of an agreement on ceasefire in Ukraine, Trump and Putin appear to have elevated their ambitions to sketch out the terms of a broader peace deal. As Trump said in a social media post on Saturday, 'the best way to end the horrific war in Ukraine is to go directly to Peace Agreement' and not a mere pause or a ceasefire.' — 'Putin put special emphasis on improving bilateral ties with Washington. He noted that Russia and the US are neighbours across the Northern Pacific, evoked their wartime cooperation during the Second World War, and highlighted the potential for broad commercial and strategic engagement – including in the areas of high tech, outer space and Arctic.' — ' Delhi's immediate concern is centred on the punitive measures against India that Trump has inserted into his Ukraine strategy. As part of the effort to pressure Putin into accepting a peace deal, Washington announced an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian exports — explicitly linked to Delhi's continued purchase of Russian oil.' — 'Since the 2022 invasion, India has become a major buyer of discounted Russian crude, a move that has improved its energy security but drawn sharp criticism from the West. The US administration argues that targeting India, among other large importers, will cut into Moscow's revenues and push it toward compromise in Ukraine.' — 'For now, Delhi must await greater clarity on the summit's outcome, the future trajectory of the Ukraine talks, and the next steps from the US and Europe. One conclusion though is hard to avoid: India's big turn to discounted Russian oil over the last three years has tied it, if indirectly and unwittingly, to the geopolitics of war and peace in Ukraine.' — 'The Modi government will hope that Washington and Moscow will arrive at a final agreement on how to deal with Ukraine, sooner than later, and Trump will discard the 25 per cent additional tariff. At the minimum, Delhi would want Trump, who continues to be optimistic about a breakthrough, to postpone the deadline of August 27 for implementing the additional tariffs against India.' Do You Know: — US President Donald Trump's announcement of a 25 per cent tariff on Indian imports, along with a penalty for procuring military equipment and energy from Russia, has key consequences. — One, it puts India at a disadvantage in comparison to competitors. Two, it put the onus back on the Indian side to fast-track its negotiations for an interim deal with the US. Indications are that the outer limit for a deal, currently pegged at around October from New Delhi's perspective, might need to be brought forward. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Alaska Summit: Trump and Putin call for deeper economic ties despite 25% US tariff on India over Russian oil imports 📍The Alaska Report Card: First assessment of who won what, and how 📍UPSC Issue at a Glance | Tariff war: 4 Key Questions You Must Know for Prelims and Mains Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies III: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, biotechnology and issues relating to intellectual property rights. What's the ongoing story: The gigantic antenna reflector on earth observation satellite NISAR, a joint Isro-Nasa mission, has successfully 'bloomed' in space, marking a significant milestone in the satellite's deployment phase. Confirming the successful antenna deployment, Nasa said in a statement that the step-wise unfurling of the antenna reflector with a diameter of 39 feet was completed Friday. Key Points to Ponder: — Know about the NISAR mission in detail. — What is the significance of the NASA–ISRO collaborative model in the NISAR mission? — How does NISAR complement India's existing earth observation systems? — What are the advantages of dual frequency SAR (L band and S band) in studying Earth surface processes? — What are the geopolitical and scientific significance of the ISRO-NASA collaboration on NISAR? Key Takeaways: — NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) is the first collaboration satellite of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the United State's National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). NISAR is the most expensive earth observation satellite ever built, weighing over 2.8 tonnes and costing $1.3 billion. — ISRO launched NISAR on July 30 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota, and it was later successfully inserted into a sun-synchronous orbit. NISAR is the first-of-its-kind space mission, which will study the earth's solid, liquid and frozen landforms. It is designed to track even the smallest changes in ice sheets, glaciers, forest coverage, oceans, soil moisture, earthquakes, and volcanic activity. — NISAR is equipped with high-end dual radars that will be used to image the earth, once every twelve days. The onboard sophisticated radar systems form a combination of two synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems: an L-band system and an S-band system, capable of peering through clouds and facilitating an all-weather imaging of the earth. — Both the ISRO and NASA teams are currently focusing on fine-tuning the antenna and other components of the satellite. — After the deployment of the antenna, NISAR will continue to remain in its calibration and testing phase. NISAR will remain under a 65-day engineering phase, during which the preliminary tests and calibration will be performed. On day 65 (tentatively early October), the first, full-frame scientific data will be taken and the science teams will check for its quality and other parameters. Do You Know: — NISAR will be the first satellite ever to observe the Earth in two frequencies — NASA's L-band and ISRO's S-band. Putting two radar systems on a single satellite is a unique engineering feat because the two systems require different sets of hardware, and yet have to function in a complementary fashion without interfering with one another. — This would mean that the satellite would be able to provide very high-resolution data, in all types of weather conditions, and both during the day and the night. The satellite is powerful enough to capture changes as small as one centimetre in size during its repeated observations over the same terrain. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Knowledge Nugget | NISAR in focus: Why is this NASA-ISRO mission relevant for UPSC Exam UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme: (4) With reference to the NISAR satellite, consider the following statements: 1. This satellite is developed by the Indian Space and Research Organisation in partnership with NASA. 2. It will measure the motion of the entire planet's land and ice-covered surface every 28 days. 3. The satellite will work only during the daytime. 4. The satellite will be able to predict earthquakes. How many of the statements given above are correct? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialisation. Mains Examination: General Studies-II, III: Government policies and interventions, Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. What's the ongoing story: The Environment Ministry's Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) has, for now, declined Stage-II or final approval for Hindalco Industries Ltd's bauxite mine in Maharashtra's Kolhapur, as it falls under the eco-sensitive areas (ESA) of the Western Ghats, according to the minutes of the FAC meeting. Key Points to Ponder: — Read about the Western Ghats. — What are eco-sensitive areas (ESA)? — What is the purpose of demarcating the ESAs? — What is the significance of ESAs in the context of wildlife conservation in India? — What is the Kasturirangan Committee Report? — Know the 2011 guidelines on eco-sensitive zones? — What are the challenges faced by states in implementing the ESZ guidelines?. Key Takeaways: — The committee also noted that no valid mine lease exists for the proposal as of now, and it is a part of a conservation reserve that was declared in March 2021. Elephants, Indian gaur, sambhar, deer, porcupine, leopard, and tiger 'are found in this patch', the ministry's regional office in Nagpur submitted to the FAC. — The mining project was granted in-principle forest approval in 2009 and environmental clearance from the Centre in January 2014. However, since the company had not obtained the Rights of Forest Resources certificate, it got delayed in seeking final approval for the forest diversion of about 16 hectares. The company has not commenced any mining activity yet on the lease. — The committee noted in the minutes of its July 30 meeting that it had a detailed discussion and deliberation with the deputy director general of forest, regional office, Nagpur and nodal officer, Government of Maharashtra, on the proposal. The FAC cited the issue of the mining lease validity, prohibition of mining proposed in the Western Ghats eco-sensitive areas, and the location of the mining lease in a conservation reserve as the reasons for not considering the proposal at this stage. — As per the Environment Ministry's 2024 draft notification on protection of Western Ghats, 'there shall be a complete ban on mining, quarrying and sand mining' in ESAs, and all existing mines have to be phased out from the date of final notification or on expiry of the mining lease. — In 2024, the Centre had issued a sixth iteration of a draft notification declaring 56,825.7 sq km of the Western Ghats as an ecologically sensitive area across the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Do You Know: — The Western Ghats are a 1,600-km-long mountain chain running the western coast of the country covering six states — Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. It has been accorded the World Heritage status by UNESCO. — In August 2012, then Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan constituted a High-Level Working Group on Western Ghats under former Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) chief Dr K Kasturirangan. — While the Gadgil panel recommended 64 percent area in the Western Ghats, a report by a panel led by Dr K Kasturirangan notified only 37 percent of the area as ecologically sensitive. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Western Ghats: States' submission on ESAs to Centre's committee based on old surveys Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: (5) 'Gadgil Committee Report' and 'Kasturirangan Committee Report', sometimes seen in the news, are related to (UPSC CSE 2016) (a) constitutional reforms (b) Ganga Action Plan (c) linking of rivers (d) protection of Western Ghats ALSO IN NEWS Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – Indian Express UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for July 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at
Hans India
28 minutes ago
- Hans India
Upbeat over bypoll win, CM Naidu may go aggressively against Jagan in Pulivendula
Buoyed by the Telugu Desam Party's clean sweep in the by-elections to two ZPTC seats in YSR Congress Party president Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy's home constituency, Pulivendula, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu may go aggressively against him in the YSR family's traditional stronghold. Four years ago, it was Jagan Mohan Reddy who had stormed the TDP president and Chief Minister Naidu's constituency, Kuppam, by winning rural and urban local body polls. Now, the results of the by-elections to two Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTCs) show that CM Naidu has taken the battle to Jagan's home turf. More than a year after wresting power from YSRCP along with its allies Jana Sena and BJP, TDP made a huge dent in Jagan's fortress by wresting Pulivendula and Ontimitta ZPTCs from YSRCP. Political analysts say the outcome has sent the alarm bells ringing in the YSRCP camp a year ahead of the local body polls. Pulivendula in YSR Kadapa district were seen as an impregnable fortress of the YSR family for nearly five decades. The family never lost an election in Pulivendula since 1978 when Jagan's father and former Chief Minister Y. Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR) scored his first victory from here. Though the TDP-led alliance stormed to power last year with a whopping 164 seats in the 175-member Assembly, Pulivendula was among 11 seats the YSRCP could manage to retain. The significance of the ZPTC by-elections can be gauged from the fact that there was a contest for Pulivendula ZPTC for the first time in 30 years. Even before the polling, the TDP tried to project this as what it called "restoration of democracy". Though these were by-elections for local bodies, they created an environment of Assembly polls with some ministers and senior leaders from TDP hitting the campaign trail. Jagan also deployed key leaders, including Kadapa MP and his cousin Y. S. Avinash Reddy, to retain his political domination in the home district. The high-voltage campaign triggered tension and clashes between the two groups. Even before the polling, Jagan accused CM Naidu of conspiring to hijack the polls with manipulations by misusing the police and the State Election Commission. The TDP fielded Latha Reddy, wife of former MLC and TDP's Pulivendula constituency in-charge, Mareddy Ravindranath Reddy, who is popularly known as BTech Ravi. In Pulivendula, TDP candidate Latha Reddy defeated Hemanth Reddy of YSRCP by a margin of 6,035 votes. She polled 6,716 votes while the YSRCP candidate forfeited the deposit by securing only 683 votes The TDP also won the Ontimitta ZPTC seat by a margin of 6,267 votes. TDP's Muddu Krishna Reddy polled 12,780 votes while YSRCP's Iragamreddy Subbareddy secured 6,513 votes. The YSRCP's allegations of large-scale irregularities and misuse of the police and election machinery in the recent by-elections are the same allegations levelled by the TDP in 2021 after the latter suffered a humiliating defeat in urban and local body polls in Chandrababu Naidu's home turf, Kuppam. In November 2021, the TDP chief faced huge embarrassment when he suffered a humiliating defeat in the election to the Kuppam Municipality, the only urban civic body in Kuppam. The YSRCP bagged 19 out of 25 wards in the municipality. The defeat in Kuppam Municipality came a few months after TDP also lost the gram panchayats, MPTC and ZPTC elections in Naidu's constituency. This was the first time the TDP suffered defeat in Kuppam, considered a bastion of Chandrababu Naidu, who has been representing the constituency in the Assembly since 1989. Though YSR and TDP chief Naidu were bitter political rivals and the former often taunted the latter for running away from Chandragiri constituency after the defeat in 1983, the Congress leader never tried anything like what Jagan did in 2021. Upbeat over the victory in local body polls, Jagan had even formulated plans to wrest the Kuppam Assembly seat in last year's elections. He gave the slogan 'why not 175' to inspire the YSRCP cadres to win all 175 Assembly seats. Jagan, who had campaigned in Kuppam, also promised that if YSRCP candidate KRJ Bharath wins the seat, he would be made a minister. Jagan miserably failed as the tally of YSRCP in the Assembly slumped to just 11 from 151 it had won in the 2019 elections. After returning as the Chief Minister, Chandra Babu Naidu started focusing on Pulivendula to hit back at Jagan. The victory in ZPTC by-polls is seen as just the beginning of this counter-offensive. "After successfully denting Jagan's bastion, the TDP will look to consolidate itself with the target to capture Zilla Parishad. This may pose a challenge to huge to the YSRCP chief's political supremacy in Pulivendula," says political analyst P. Pavan. The TDP may also try to corner Jagan over the issue of assigned lands at Idupulapaya, where the YSR family has its estate. The TDP alleged in the past that the YSR family has been enjoying 700 acres of assigned lands (lands allotted to landless poor) for decades. TDP leaders say YSR, as the then Chief Minister of the combined State, had diluted the Assigned Lands (POT) Act through an ordinance in 2007 only to benefit his near and dear ones. TDP leader K. Atchannaidu alleged in 2021 that when the issue came to light, YSR returned only 300 acres. He had also claimed that Jagan constructed a house on the assigned lands. The TDP is also likely to cash in on the "split" in the YSR family to break Jagan's stranglehold on Pulivendula and Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency. Jagan's sister and state Congress president Y. S. Sharmila had challenged his political supremacy by contesting from Kadapa against their cousin Y. S. Avinash Reddy, who had held the seat in 2014. Like Pulivendula, the YSR family has been holding the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat since 1989. In a huge embarrassment to Jagan, Sharmila not only called up on people to defeat him but also targeted him for what he called shielding Avinash Reddy, an accused in the murder of their uncle Y. S. Vivekananda Reddy.
Mint
28 minutes ago
- Mint
Zelensky-Trump meeting: European leaders to join Ukraine President in Washington for talks
Securing a ceasefire in the continent has taken centre stage among European leaders, as they are set to join Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on his visit to Washington on August 17, seeking to push talks with United States President Donald Trump on the matter, according to an AFP report. This comes after Donald Trump ruled out any immediate breakthrough on a ceasefire in Ukraine, after holding a summit in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin, that did not include Ukraine or other European countries, it added. The peace deal had been a core issue before the summit. The AFP report added that Ukraine and its European allies have criticised the pause on ceasefire talks as a way to buy time and allow for Russia's battlefield advances. Among those who have expressed their displeasure include European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and others. Posting on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), von der Leyen said she would welcome Zelensky for a meeting in Brussels on August 16. The meet will also see participation from other European leaders, who will then join the Ukrainian leader on his trip to the US, at his 'request'. This was confirmed by the German government, which stated that Merz is among the European contingent bound to Washington, who will try to emphasise 'interest in a swift peace agreement in Ukraine'. Further, the government of Finland also confirmed that its president, Alexander Stubb, would be among the crew. In a post on Truth Social, Donald Trump wrote that ceasefire agreements 'often times do not hold up'. The report added that after meeting with Putin, Donald Trump briefed Zelensky and other European leaders that 'it was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a peace agreement which would end the war'. However, Zelensky appeared unconvinced, posting on X that this development 'complicates the situation' and that if Moscow lacks 'the will to carry out a simple order to stop the strikes, it may take a lot of effort to get Russia to have the will to implement far greater — peaceful coexistence with its neighbours for decades'. An official told AFP that Donald Trump extended support for Putin's proposal to Zelensky and the other European leaders on call. The demand includes: Full control of two largely Russian-held Ukrainian regions in exchange for freezing the frontline in two others. Putin 'de facto demands that Ukraine leave Donbas', an area consisting of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions in eastern Ukraine, the source added. In exchange, Russian forces would halt their offensive in the Black Sea port region of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine, where the main cities are still under Ukrainian control. The main diplomatic focus now switches to Zelensky's talks at the White House on August 17. The last time when he was in the Oval Office in February, the meeting ended in an extraordinary shouting match, with Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly berating Zelensky for not showing enough gratitude for US aid. In an interview with broadcaster Fox News after his sit-down with Putin, the US president suggested that the onus was now on Zelensky to secure a peace deal as they work towards an eventual trilateral summit with Putin. 'It's really up to President Zelensky to get it done,' Donald Trump said. In an earlier statement, European leaders welcomed the plan for a Trump-Putin-Zelensky summit but added that they would maintain pressure on Russia in the absence of a ceasefire. Meanwhile, the conflict in Ukraine raged on, with both Kyiv and Moscow launching attack drones at each other August 16. Back in Moscow, Putin said his summit talks with Trump had been 'timely' and 'very useful'. In his post-summit statement in Alaska, Putin had warned Ukraine and European countries not to engage in any 'behind-the-scenes intrigues' that could disrupt what he called 'this emerging progress'.
