9 April 2025

• Polity: The Supreme Court ruled that the Tamil Nadu Governor unconstitutionally delayed assent to 10 re-passed Bills. The Court invoked Article 142 to treat the Bills as assented. Clear timelines for Governor assent were set.
• Environment: Three waves of environmentalism in India were analysed: the colonial-era intellectual critique, the 1970s-80s mass movements, and the contemporary climate-centric activism.
• Economy: The UN-ESCAP Economic and Social Survey 2025 warned that climate shocks could cause annual losses of over 6 per cent of GDP in one-third of Asia-Pacific countries.
• Skills: India and the World Economic Forum launched the India Skills Accelerator Initiative, focused on AI, robotics, and advanced manufacturing.

GS area: Polity, Constitutional Law

The Supreme Court delivered a landmark ruling in the case State of Tamil Nadu v. The Governor of Tamil Nadu on 9 April 2025. The Tamil Nadu Governor had delayed or withheld assent to 10 Bills that the Assembly had re-passed.

• Constitutional provision: Article 200 governs Governor assent. When a Bill is presented, the Governor may assent, withhold assent, return it for reconsideration, or reserve it for the President.
• Article 163: The Governor acts on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers except where the Constitution requires the exercise of discretion. Assent decisions are not discretionary.
• Ruling: The Court declared the Governor's delays unconstitutional. It invoked Article 142 to deem the Bills as having received assent, effectively overriding the Governor's inaction.
• Time-bound framework established:
  • 1 month for the Governor to decide on initial assent or reservation.
  • 3 months if the Governor proposes to withhold assent against Cabinet advice.
  • 1 month to assent to re-enacted Bills after reconsideration.
  • 3 months maximum to reserve a Bill for the President.
• Significance: Strengthens cooperative federalism by preventing gubernatorial misuse of delay as a veto tool.

The ruling is important for mains as well as prelims. It draws on Nabam Rebia (2016) which held that the Governor cannot act against Cabinet advice on most matters.

Static linkage: Indian federalism, Governor's role (Polity GS-2).

GS area: Environment, Social Movements

Scholar Ramachandra Guha's framework of three historical waves of environmentalism entered UPSC current affairs discussion in April 2025.

• First wave (early 20th century): Colonial-era intellectual critique of resource extraction. Figures like Albert Howard advocated organic farming. Patrick Geddes influenced urban planning. Gandhian sustainability and village-centred economics.
• Second wave (1970s-1980s): Mass grassroots movements.
  • Chipko Movement (1973) in Uttarakhand: forest protection through non-violent embrace of trees against logging.
  • Silent Valley Movement (1978) in Kerala: halted a hydroelectric project in primary rainforest.
  • Outcome: Led to the creation of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in 1980.
  • Character: Livelihood-centric environmentalism where forests and rivers are subsistence resources.
• Third wave (21st century): Climate-centric youth activism. Digital mobilisation (Fridays for Future India). Urban focus on air pollution and e-waste. Examples: Aarey Colony protests in Mumbai, Chennai water crisis (2019).

Static linkage: Environmental movements, social movements (GS-1 Society, GS-3 Environment).

GS area: Economy, Environment

The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific released its 2025 survey with stark climate-economic projections.

• Climate losses: Climate shocks could cause annual losses exceeding 6 per cent of GDP in one-third of Asia-Pacific countries.
• Growth contribution: The Asia-Pacific region contributed 60 per cent of global economic growth in 2024.
• Average Annual Loss: Across 30 surveyed countries, the Average Annual Loss from climate events is 4.8 per cent of GDP.
• Most vulnerable nations: Afghanistan, Cambodia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam are classified as the 11 most vulnerable of the 30.
• Root causes: Infrastructure deficits, agricultural dependence, unregulated urbanisation, and poor disaster management systems.

Static linkage: Climate change, international reports (GS-3 Environment, GS-2 IR).

GS area: Economy, Governance

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and the World Economic Forum jointly launched the India Skills Accelerator Initiative.

• Focus sectors: Artificial intelligence, robotics, advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and Global Capability Centers.
• Features: Sectoral skills mapping, lifelong learning frameworks, data-led governance, and identification of 10 to 12 high-impact priority areas.
• Purpose: Building a future-ready workforce that matches the pace of technological change rather than retraining workers after displacement.

Static linkage: Skill development, employability (GS-3 Economy).

GS area: Social Issues, Governance

The Palna Scheme for crèche services emerged in April 2025 discussions on childcare policy.

• Type: Centrally Sponsored Scheme providing crèche services.
• Age group: Six months to six years.
• Launch: 2022, restructuring the earlier National Crèche Scheme.
• Ministry: Women and Child Development.
• Funding ratio: 60:40 (Centre:State). For Northeast and special category states: 90:10.
• Service models: Standalone crèches and Anganwadi-cum-Crèches (AWCCs).
• Capacity: 25 children per crèche unit.
• Services: Nutrition, growth monitoring, early childhood stimulation, pre-school education, and immunisation support.

Static linkage: Women and child welfare schemes (GS-2 Governance).

GS area: Science and Technology, Environment

Colossal Biosciences in the United States claimed the genetic engineering of three wolf pups carrying dire wolf (Aenocyon dirus) traits, describing it as a step toward de-extinction.

• Dire wolf: Extinct approximately 12,500 years ago. Native to Pleistocene grasslands and forests of North America.
• Characteristics: Larger and more muscular than modern grey wolves, with a stronger bite force adapted for hunting megafauna such as bison and horses.
• Technologies used: CRISPR gene editing, ancient DNA sequencing, and synthetic biology.
• Controversy: Scientists debate whether editing a grey wolf genome with dire wolf genes constitutes true de-extinction or a chimeric organism. The dire wolf was a separate species, not a grey wolf subspecies.

Static linkage: Biotechnology, biodiversity (GS-3 Science and Technology).

• Bandipur National Park: Located in Karnataka's Chamarajanagar district. Area: 868.63 sq km. Established in 1931 as Venugopala Wildlife Park. Tiger Reserve status since 1973 and part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve since 1986. NH-766 passes through its core area. The Supreme Court upheld a 9 PM to 6 AM traffic ban in 2019 following documented reductions in wildlife mortality.
• One State One RRB policy: Takes effect from 1 May 2025. Merges 26 Regional Rural Banks across 10 states and one UT, reducing total RRBs to 28. Based on Vyas Committee (2005) recommendations.