Read Current Affairs
- Why in News?
- The Supreme Court’s September 1, 2025, order on Bihar’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) offers a vital reprieve to voters wrongly excluded from draft rolls.
- Key Provisions:-
- By allowing claims and objections beyond the deadline, and with the Election Commission of India (ECI) confirming they will be processed until the last date for nominations, the ruling ensures meaningful redress. Yet, discrepancies persist: while 15 lakh new voters registered via Form 6, only about 33,000 sought re-inclusion from an estimated 65 lakh excluded names—despite both processes using the same form, raising data clarity concerns. Political parties and the ECI trade blame over assistance to excluded voters. Acknowledging systemic gaps, the Court directed para-legal volunteers to help affected citizens. Reports, including from The Hindu, highlight anomalies in exclusion lists, urging robust reforms. The ECI must treat Aadhaar as standalone proof and adopt longer, thorough revision drives to prioritise voter rights over administrative expediency.
- Why in News?
- India’s GDP data for Q1 FY2025–26, released on August 29, showed a surprising 7.8% growth, exceeding the RBI’s August forecast of 6.5%.
- Key Provisions:-
- Manufacturing grew 7.7% on a high base, prompting debate over the drivers—advance exports before U.S. tariffs or domestic demand. Yet, export growth was just 1.6%, and supporting indicators tell a mixed story: IIP manufacturing rose 3.3%, steel consumption slowed, vehicle sales contracted, and freight growth weakened. This divergence raises questions about the manufacturing surge. Services remained the main growth engine.
- Chief Economic Adviser V. Anantha Nageswaran retained a 6.3%-6.8% annual growth estimate, implying slower performance in the remaining quarters. Nominal GDP growth of 8.8% suggests just 1% inflation—likely an underestimation—casting doubt on statistical accuracy. Lower nominal growth could strain fiscal deficit targets amid GST rate cuts. While the headline figure offers optimism, underlying trends demand closer scrutiny.
- Why in News?
- The Union Government has extended the Export Obligation Period for products under the Advance Authorisation Scheme (AAS), offering much-needed relief to textile exporters facing delays in fulfilling export commitments.
- About Advance Authorisation Scheme
- The AAS is a key export promotion program that allows manufacturers and merchant exporters to import inputs duty-free, provided these materials are physically incorporated into export products, with reasonable allowances for wastage. Unlike standard import procedures, there is no requirement for Quality Control Order (QCO) compliance for the imported inputs.
- Eligibility extends to manufacturer-exporters as well as merchant exporters linked with supporting manufacturers. The scheme specifies the quantity of inputs that can be imported for each export product based on established norms, ensuring that exporters have adequate material to meet international orders.
- The extension of the Export Obligation Period is aimed at mitigating operational pressures, enhancing competitiveness, and supporting India’s textile sector in sustaining export growth amid global uncertainties.