{"id":1726,"date":"2025-09-30T07:27:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-30T07:27:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/?p=1726"},"modified":"2025-10-21T13:41:05","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T13:41:05","slug":"current-affairs-16th-september-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/2025\/09\/30\/current-affairs-16th-september-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Current Affairs 16th September 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><u>1. Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 \u2013 Constitutional Issues and SC Interim Order<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>GS Paper II \u2013 Polity &amp; Governance (Separation of Powers, Judicial Review, Minority Rights, Secularism) with linkages to GS I (Society \u2013 Secularism, Communalism).<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Context: <\/strong>The Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 sought to expand government and Waqf Board control over religious endowments, raising concerns about minority autonomy. Multiple petitions challenged its provisions in the Supreme Court, questioning excessive state intervention.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Supreme Court of India issued an interim order on September 15, 2025, regarding the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. While the Court declined to stay the entire Act, it temporarily suspended certain provisions pending further examination.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>Provisions Stayed:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>District Collector&#8217;s Authority:<\/strong> A provision granting District Collectors the authority to adjudicate disputes over waqf properties was stayed. The Court found this to potentially violate the separation of powers by encroaching on judicial functions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Five-Year Islamic Practice Requirement:<\/strong> The Act required individuals to have been practicing Muslims for at least five years to dedicate property as waqf. This provision was stayed until rules clarify its application.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>Provisions Not Stayed:<\/strong><br \/>\nOther provisions, including those related to the composition of waqf boards and registration of waqf properties, remain in force.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>Implications:<\/strong><br \/>\nThe interim order highlights tensions between state regulation and religious autonomy. The final judgment will have a significant impact on the governance and protection of waqf properties in India.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Constitutional Concerns<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Freedom of Religion (Arts. 25\u201326):<\/strong> Defining \u201cpractising Muslim\u201d = state interference in faith.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Equality &amp; Non-Discrimination (Arts. 14\u201315):<\/strong> Excluding non-Muslims violates <em>equality before law<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Right to Property (Art. 300A):<\/strong> Abolition of waqf by user \u2192 dispossession without <em>due process<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Separation of Powers:<\/strong> Collector\u2019s role struck down \u2192 only courts can adjudicate disputes.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Judicial Review:<\/strong> SC acted as constitutional guardian, ensuring laws remain within limits.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Broader Implications<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Secularism:<\/strong> Selective intervention challenges India\u2019s model of <em>principled distance<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Minority Rights:<\/strong> Over-regulation risks alienating communities.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Governance:<\/strong> Centralization aids efficiency but risks <em>bureaucratic overreach<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Judicial Oversight:<\/strong> Interim order shows courts\u2019 role in maintaining <em>Rule of Law<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Way Forward<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Clear, non-intrusive definitions to avoid state policing of faith.<\/li>\n<li>Allow non-Muslims to create waqf for secular purposes \u2192 inclusive secularism.<\/li>\n<li>Protect \u201cwaqf by user\u201d with safeguards instead of abolition.<\/li>\n<li>Ensure <em>judicial supremacy<\/em> in property disputes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Act and SC\u2019s interim order reflect enduring tensions between <strong>regulation and religious autonomy<\/strong>. By striking down the <strong>Collector\u2019s powers<\/strong>, the Court upheld <em>Separation of Powers<\/em> and <em>Judicial Review<\/em>, but left unresolved questions on <em>Equality, Minority Rights,<\/em> and <em>Secularism<\/em>. The final verdict will shape India\u2019s constitutional approach to managing religious endowments.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>2. Rising Overweight &amp; Obesity in India \u2013 UNICEF Report<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>GS-2\/GS-3 (Health, Nutrition, Human Resource Development)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Context<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>UNICEF warns of a <strong>sharp rise in obesity across all age groups<\/strong> in India. While undernutrition persists, India now faces a <strong>triple burden of malnutrition<\/strong>: undernutrition, micronutrient deficiency, and overweight\/obesity.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Trends (Anchor Data)<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Children under 5:<\/strong> Overweight doubled from <em>1.5% (2005-06)<\/em> to <em>3.4% (2019-21)<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Adolescents (10\u201319 yrs):<\/strong> Obesity\/overweight <em>2.4% \u2192 5.4%<\/em> (girls), <em>1.7% \u2192 6.6%<\/em> (boys).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Adults:<\/strong> Women <em>12.6% \u2192 24%<\/em>; Men <em>9.3% \u2192 22.9%<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Projection:<\/strong> By 2030, <strong>27 million (11% global burden)<\/strong> Indian children\/adolescents may be obese.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Economic cost:<\/strong> $29 bn in 2019 \u2192 projected $839 bn by 2060 (~2.5% of GDP).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Structural Causes<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Nutrition Transition:<\/strong> Rise of <em>ultra-processed foods (UPFs)<\/em> displacing traditional diets.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Lifestyle Shifts:<\/strong> Urbanisation \u2192 sedentary jobs, increased screen time, reduced physical activity.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Food Environment:<\/strong> Aggressive marketing of unhealthy foods, weak consumer protections.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Social Factors:<\/strong> Poor maternal nutrition &amp; gender norms (women\/girls eat last\/least) heighten risks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Implications<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Public Health:<\/strong> Spike in <em>NCDs<\/em> (diabetes, hypertension, heart disease) \u2192 long-term burden.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Economic Costs:<\/strong> Productivity losses + rising healthcare expenditure.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Equity:<\/strong> Obesity coexists with stunting in same communities \u2192 worsens <em>inter-generational poverty<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Governance:<\/strong> Nutrition policies skewed towards undernutrition; obesity prevention remains weak.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Policy Dimensions<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Existing measures:<\/strong> <em>POSHAN Abhiyaan 2.0, Eat Right India, Fit India Movement<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Gaps:<\/strong> Limited regulation of UPFs, weak school-level nutrition\/lifestyle interventions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Needed shift:<\/strong> From calorie sufficiency to <em>diet quality &amp; balanced nutrition<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Way Forward<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Regulation:<\/strong> Front-of-pack labelling, higher taxes on sugary\/processed foods, curb junk-food marketing to children.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Behaviour Change:<\/strong> Scale up <em>nutrition literacy<\/em> and physical activity campaigns in schools.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Integration:<\/strong> Adopt <em>double-duty actions<\/em> \u2192 ICDS &amp; PM-POSHAN to address both undernutrition &amp; obesity.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Urban Design:<\/strong> Safer spaces for exercise; reduce obesogenic environments.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Whole-of-Government approach:<\/strong> Health + Education + Food Processing + Urban ministries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>UPSC Keywords<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Triple burden of malnutrition<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Non-communicable diseases (NCDs)<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Ultra-processed foods (UPFs)<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Food environment<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Double-duty nutrition interventions<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>India\u2019s rising obesity is a <strong>silent epidemic<\/strong>, threatening health, productivity, and economic stability. Select data already signal a looming crisis. The way forward lies in <strong>multi-sectoral governance, effective regulation, and nutrition-sensitive policies<\/strong> to ensure India\u2019s demographic dividend does not turn into a health liability.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>3. PLFS (Periodic Labour Force Survey)<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Context \u2013 Rise of female youth unemployment<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Launched by:<\/strong> National Statistical Office (NSO), MoSPI, in <strong>2017<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Replaced:<\/strong> Earlier Employment\u2013Unemployment Survey (EUS) of NSSO.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Objective:<\/strong> Provide estimates of employment &amp; unemployment at <strong>national and state level<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Frequency:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Annual Report<\/strong> (July\u2013June) \u2192 for rural &amp; urban.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Quarterly Report<\/strong> \u2192 for urban areas only.<\/li>\n<li>From 2022 \u2192 <strong>monthly estimates<\/strong> also introduced.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Indicators Measured:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>LFPR (Labour Force Participation Rate)<\/strong> = % of population in labour force.<\/li>\n<li><strong>WPR (Worker Population Ratio)<\/strong> = % of employed persons in population.<\/li>\n<li><strong>UR (Unemployment Rate)<\/strong> = % of unemployed in labour force.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reference Periods:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Usual Status (365 days)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Current Weekly Status (7 days)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Latest (Aug 2025):<\/strong> UR fell to <strong>5.1%<\/strong> (rural 4.3%, urban 6.7%).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>4. WPI (Wholesale Price Index)<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Context- WPI Inflation hits 4 months high.<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Released by:<\/strong> Office of Economic Adviser, DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce &amp; Industry.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Base Year:<\/strong> <strong>2011\u201312 = 100<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Coverage:<\/strong> Prices at wholesale\/producer level (earlier than retail stage).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Major Groups (weights):<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Primary Articles \u2013 <strong>22.62%<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Fuel &amp; Power \u2013 <strong>13.15%<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Manufactured Products \u2013 <strong>64.23%<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Excludes:<\/strong> Services sector.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Difference from CPI:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>WPI \u2192 wholesale\/producer level; broader basket of manufactured goods.<\/li>\n<li>CPI \u2192 retail level, more representative of consumer impact.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use:<\/strong> Key indicator for tracking inflation, monetary policy, price stability.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Latest (Aug 2025):<\/strong> WPI inflation turned <strong>positive at 0.52%<\/strong>, after 2 months of deflation (driven by food &amp; manufactured goods).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Quick UPSC Pointers<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>PLFS<\/strong> = NSO, labour market, monthly\/annual\/quarterly data, <em>LFPR-WPR-UR<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>WPI<\/strong> = DPIIT, base 2011\u201312, wholesale stage, 3 groups (Primary, Fuel, Manufacturing).<\/li>\n<li><strong>CPI vs WPI<\/strong> = Consumer vs Producer level.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Current Trend<\/strong> = Falling unemployment (PLFS), mild positive inflation after deflation (WPI).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>5. Fertilizer Shortage in the country (GS 3 \u2013 Agriculture, Prelims facts) <\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Fertilizer Control Order (FCO), 1985<\/strong> \u2013 regulates quality, distribution, prices.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Types of Fertilizers<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Urea<\/strong> \u2013 only controlled fertilizer (subsidised), 45 kg bag fixed at \u20b9266.5.<\/li>\n<li><strong>DAP (Di-ammonium Phosphate)<\/strong> \u2013 key non-urea fertilizer, subsidy under <strong>Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) Scheme<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>MOP (Muriate of Potash)<\/strong> \u2013 100% imported.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Complex fertilizers<\/strong> \u2013 NPK blends.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Nutrient Content<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Urea \u2192 46% Nitrogen.<\/li>\n<li>DAP \u2192 18% N, 46% P.<\/li>\n<li>MOP \u2192 60% K.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>India\u2019s dependency:<\/strong> ~25% urea, 90% phosphate, 100% potash imports.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Top suppliers:<\/strong> Russia, China, Jordan, Oman, Morocco.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Schemes:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Neem-coated Urea<\/strong> \u2013 prevents diversion, enhances efficiency.<\/li>\n<li><strong>PM-PRANAM (2023)<\/strong> \u2013 incentivises states to reduce chemical fertilizer use.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Nano Urea<\/strong> \u2013 IFFCO innovation to cut import bills.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Mains Points (Analytical)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Issues in Fertilizer Shortage<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Import Dependence<\/strong> \u2192 high vulnerability to global prices &amp; supply shocks.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Subsidy Burden<\/strong> \u2192 \u20b92.1 lakh crore in FY24, fiscally unsustainable.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Inefficient Usage<\/strong> \u2192 skewed NPK ratio (urea overuse, soil degradation).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Leakages &amp; Diversion<\/strong> \u2192 subsidised fertilizers diverted to industries\/other countries.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Distribution Challenges<\/strong> \u2192 delays in DBT payments, uneven regional supply.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Implications<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Agriculture Productivity<\/strong> \u2192 crop yields at risk.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Farmer Distress<\/strong> \u2192 higher input costs, reduced profitability.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Food Security<\/strong> \u2192 shortage may impact grain production.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Environmental Impact<\/strong> \u2192 overuse worsens soil fertility, groundwater contamination, GHG emissions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Way Forward<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Diversify import sources &amp; boost domestic production capacity.<\/li>\n<li>Promote <strong>balanced fertilization<\/strong> (NPK + micronutrients + organic).<\/li>\n<li>Expand <strong>Nano-fertilizers &amp; bio-fertilizers<\/strong> adoption.<\/li>\n<li>Rationalise subsidies, link to direct benefit to farmers.<\/li>\n<li>Strengthen soil health card usage &amp; awareness.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>1. Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 \u2013 Constitutional Issues and SC Interim Order GS Paper II \u2013 Polity &amp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2510,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1726","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-current-affairs"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/generated-image-33.jpg",2048,2048,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/generated-image-33-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/generated-image-33-300x300.jpg",300,300,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/generated-image-33-768x768.jpg",640,640,true],"large":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/generated-image-33-1024x1024.jpg",640,640,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/generated-image-33-1536x1536.jpg",1536,1536,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/generated-image-33.jpg",2048,2048,false],"morenews-large":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/generated-image-33-825x575.jpg",825,575,true],"morenews-medium":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/generated-image-33-590x410.jpg",590,410,true]},"author_info":{"display_name":"ArkReflections","author_link":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/author\/arkreflectionsiaspost\/"},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/category\/daily-current-affairs\/\" rel=\"category tag\">DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS<\/a>","tag_info":"DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1726","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1726"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1726\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1727,"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1726\/revisions\/1727"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2510"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1726"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1726"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1726"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}