Praveen Sir Classes: Daily Current Affairs

Date: August 22, 2025

Today, let's dive into the key national, international, and state-level issues, prominent personalities, awards, books, and sports news from August 22, 2025.

Yesterday's Question Answered

Punjab: First State to Appoint Sign Language Interpreters in Judiciary

The question was about the first state in India to officially appoint Sign Language Interpreters and Special Educators into its judicial system under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. The correct answer is Punjab.

This initiative makes Punjab the first state in India to take such a step.
Ruling Party: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)
Chief Minister: Bhagwant Singh Mann
Objective: To make the judicial system and legal services accessible to all sections of society, especially for children with special needs (Divyangjan), particularly those with hearing and speech impairments (deaf and dumb). This historic decision ensures they can effectively communicate their issues in court.

National Affairs

GST Reforms: Centre Proposes Two-Slab Structure

Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement during his 79th Independence Day speech, the Union Cabinet on August 21, 2025, approved a proposal for major GST reforms. The plan is to simplify the current multi-slab structure into just two slabs.

Current Slabs: 5%, 12%, 18%, 28% (plus a 0% category).
Proposed Change: The 12% and 28% slabs will be eliminated, leaving only the 5% and 18% slabs.
Rationale: To make the GST system simpler and easier to understand. Most essential goods and services will fall under the 5% slab, while luxury items will be taxed at 18%.
Next Step: The final decision and official implementation will be made by the GST Council, chaired by the Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman.
Background: GST, an indirect tax, was implemented in India on July 1, 2017, through the 101st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2016. The GST Council is a constitutional body established under Article 279A.

Parliament's Monsoon Session Adjourned 'Sine Die'

The Monsoon Session of the Parliament, which began on July 21, 2025, concluded on August 21, 2025, and was adjourned 'sine die' by the presiding officers of both houses (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha).

Adjourn Sine Die: A parliamentary term meaning to adjourn the house without appointing a day for its next meeting. This power rests with the presiding officer (Speaker in Lok Sabha, Chairman in Rajya Sabha).

The formal end of the session, known as 'Prorogation', will be officially announced by the President of India under Article 85.
Productivity: During this session, the Lok Sabha passed 12 bills and the Rajya Sabha passed 14 bills.

Three Controversial Bills Referred to Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC)

Towards the end of the session, three significant and controversial bills were introduced and subsequently referred to a JPC for further study.

The 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2025: Aims to automatically disqualify any minister (including the Prime Minister or Chief Ministers) if they are held in custody for over 30 days in a criminal case with a potential punishment of five years or more.
The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2025: Proposes the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
The Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2025: Seeks to temporarily suspend Chief Ministers and ministers of UTs with assemblies (like Delhi, Puducherry, J&K) if they face criminal charges.

POCSO Act is Gender-Neutral, Rules Karnataka High Court

In a landmark judgment, the Karnataka High Court has clarified that the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, is gender-neutral. This means that women can also be prosecuted under this law for committing sexual offenses against children. The court stated that the crime is what matters, not the gender of the perpetrator. This ruling came in a case involving a 45-year-old female teacher accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old male student.

'Breaking Barriers Fellowship' for Persons with Disabilities

A new initiative, the "Breaking Barriers Fellowship," has been launched to empower Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan). This is a collaborative effort between:

Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan)
NIPMAN Foundation
Young Leaders for Active Citizenship (YLAC)

The fellowship aims to involve young professionals in policymaking and strengthen the implementation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.

Environment & Energy

Pamba River to be Included in National River Conservation Plan

The Central Government has initiated steps to include Kerala's sacred Pamba River in the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP). Also known as 'Dakshina Bhagirathi' and 'Kerala's Ganga', the Pamba River is deeply associated with the Sabarimala temple. The NRCP, launched in 1985, is a centrally funded program to prevent pollution and conserve major rivers across the country.

Centre Increases Thermal Power Target

The Union Power Ministry has revised its target for coal and lignite-based thermal power capacity. The new goal is to add another 97 Gigawatts (GW) of thermal capacity by the financial year 2034-35. This is an increase from the previous target of 90 GW by 2032. This will take the country's total installed thermal capacity to 307 GW.

Economy & International Relations

India to Become Automobile Hub in 5 Years: Nitin Gadkari

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, stated that India is on track to become the world's number one automobile manufacturing hub within the next five years. Currently, India is the third-largest auto market, with an industry value of ₹22 lakh crore, a significant jump from ₹7.5 lakh crore in 2014.

India-China Trade Deficit Crosses $100 Billion

According to a report by the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), India's trade deficit with China has surpassed $100 billion. This is primarily due to a significant increase in imports from China, especially in sectors like electronics, machinery, and chemicals. The GTRI has advised reducing this dependence and strengthening domestic manufacturing under initiatives like 'Make in India' and 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'.

Science, Technology & Defense

IIT Madras and FedEx Launch SMART Center

IIT Madras has collaborated with American logistics giant FedEx to launch the 'FedEx SMART Center'. SMART stands for Supply Chain Modelling, Algorithms, Research, and Technology. The center will focus on developing AI-driven solutions to create more efficient and sustainable logistics and supply chains.

US & South Korea Conduct 'Ulchi Freedom Shield' Exercise

The United States and South Korea have commenced their annual joint military drill, named "Ulchi Freedom Shield." The 11-day exercise is aimed at enhancing their combined defense posture and readiness against potential threats from North Korea.

Uranus's 29th Moon Discovered

Scientists using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope have discovered a new moon orbiting Uranus, making it the planet's 29th known satellite. The newly found moon has been provisionally named S/2025 U 1.

Quick Recap

Sports: Brazilian goalkeeper Fábio set a Guinness World Record for playing the most official football matches (1,391).
Telangana: The 'Naa Pustakam, Naa Katha' (My Book, My Story) reading campaign was launched by the Room to Read India Trust to foster reading habits among students.
International Olympiad: India won 7 medals at the 18th International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO) held in Jining, China.
Defense MoU: Centum Electronics and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) signed an MoU for cooperation in defense electronics.
Finance: India's EXIM Bank signed a $40 million loan agreement with the ECOWAS Bank to fund projects in West Africa.
Delhi: The Delhi government launched the 'Delhi Mitra' app for public grievance redressal.

Today's Question

For self-reliance in the defense sector, the Indian Army, in collaboration with which IIT, has launched a special research center named 'Agnishodh', and where is it located?

Please post your answers in the comments section!

Saturday, August 23, 2025