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Daily Current Affairs for UPSC

13 July 2026

Complete news analysis

01 · GS-II: Internal Security, Criminal Law & PMLA Jurisprudence

Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA): Section 45 Twin Bail Conditions, Reverse Burden of Proof and Vijay Madanlal Precedents

NEWS PEG
  • A Supreme Court bench clarified the application of Section 45 twin bail conditions under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), emphasizing that statutory restrictions cannot override the constitutional right to speedy trial under Article 21 when trials are indefinitely delayed.
  • The Court addressed concerns regarding the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) low conviction rate (under 0.5% of cases registered since 2014) alongside long pre-trial incarcerations.
  • Legal scholars analyzed the operational balance between rigorous statutory anti-money laundering measures under FATF obligations and fundamental due process safeguards against arbitrary executive detention.
STATIC FOUNDATION
  • Section 45 of PMLA, 2002: Imposes stringent 'twin conditions' for bail: (1) The Public Prosecutor must be given an opportunity to oppose bail, and (2) The Court must be satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for believing that the accused is not guilty of the offence and is not likely to commit any offence while on bail.
  • Section 24 of PMLA: Presumption in inter-connected transactions; places the reverse burden of proof on the accused to prove that the alleged proceeds of crime are untainted property.
  • Vijay Madanlal Choudhary v. Union of India (2022): Upheld the constitutional validity of PMLA provisions including twin bail conditions, power of arrest (Section 19), search and seizure, and admissibility of statements recorded before ED officers (Section 50).
PRELIMS TRAP & PYQ BRIDGE MAINS ENHANCEMENT
  • Constitutional Bail Doctrine: Article 21 vs Statutory Bail Bars — When prolonged pre-trial detention violates the constitutional right to speedy trial, fundamental rights supersede Section 45 restrictions.
  • Institutional Accountability: Mandatory Time-Bound Investigations — Requiring ED to file comprehensive chargesheets within statutory timelines to prevent endless custody.
  • Global AML Alignment: FATF Mutual Evaluation Compliance — Balancing rigorous anti-money laundering frameworks with robust judicial oversight.
02 · GS-III: Environment, Plastic Pollution & Circular Economy

Plastic Waste Management Rules: Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Portals, Recycled Content Mandates and Microplastics

NEWS PEG
  • The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) issued formal notices to over 2,500 brand owners and plastic packaging manufacturers for failing to meet mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) recycling targets under the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.
  • The framework mandates that Producers, Importers, and Brand Owners (PIBOs) must ensure 100% collection and recycling of plastic packaging alongside incorporating a minimum of 30% recycled plastic content in rigid plastic containers.
  • Environmental researchers detected microplastic particles in 90% of tested urban tap water and commercial salt samples, urging strict enforcement of bans on single-use plastics (SUP) and the promotion of compostable seaweed-based bioplastics.
STATIC FOUNDATION
  • Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): Environmental policy approach in which a producer's responsibility for a product is extended to the post-consumer stage of a product's life cycle (collection, recycling, end-of-life disposal).
  • Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022: Established 4 categories of plastic packaging: Category I (Rigid plastics), Category II (Flexible plastic packaging of single/multi-layer), Category III (Multi-layered plastic packaging with at least one non-plastic layer), Category IV (Plastic sheets used for packaging and carry bags made of compostable plastics).
  • Single-Use Plastic Ban (July 2022): Prohibited 19 identified single-use plastic items having low utility and high littering potential (plastic cutlery, straws, thermocol decor, candy sticks).
PRELIMS TRAP & PYQ BRIDGE MAINS ENHANCEMENT
  • Circular Economy Market Design: Digital EPR Certificate Trading — Establishing transparent price discovery and eliminating fraudulent recycling credit claims.
  • Informal Sector Integration: Formalizing Waste Pickers — Incorporating India's 4-million informal waste pickers into municipal authorized recovery facilities.
  • Alternative Material R&D: Scaling Bio-Degradable & PHA Bioplastics — Subsidizing industrial-scale composting infrastructure for starch and cellulose alternatives.
03 · GS-III: Green Shipping, Ports Modernization & Maritime Decarbonization

Green Tug Transition Programme (GTTP): Electric-Hybrid Harbour Vessels, Green Hydrogen Bunkering and Maritime Amrit Kaal

NEWS PEG
  • The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways launched the Green Tug Transition Programme (GTTP), mandating all major Indian ports to replace conventional diesel harbour tugboats with Green Hybrid and All-Electric Tugs by 2030.
  • The initiative aims to convert at least 50% of all tugs operating at major ports to green fuel propulsion (green methanol, green hydrogen, battery-electric) by 2030, scaling to 100% by 2040 under the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047.
  • The National Centre of Excellence in Green Port & Shipping (NCoEGPS) and Cochin Shipyard developed indigenous 60-tonne bollard pull electric-hybrid tug designs to achieve zero carbon emissions during harbour berthing operations.
STATIC FOUNDATION
  • Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047: Long-term strategic masterplan aiming to elevate India into the top 5 global shipbuilding nations, achieve 100% green energy at major ports, and develop 4 mega-ports with capacity >300 MTPA.
  • Harbour Tugboat: Specialized high-powered vessel used to maneuver, tow, push, and berth massive container ships and bulk carriers in narrow port basins and shipping channels.
  • International Maritime Organization (IMO) 2023 GHG Strategy: Aims to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping by or around 2050, with indicative checkpoints of at least 20–30% reduction by 2030 and 70–80% by 2040.
PRELIMS TRAP & PYQ BRIDGE MAINS ENHANCEMENT
  • Decarbonizing Port Ecosystems: Harbour Craft Electrification as First Mover — Achieving immediate local air quality improvements and diesel displacement in port cities.
  • Indigenous Shipbuilding Capacity: Make in India in Specialised Vessels — Building domestic standard operating procedures for complex battery-hybrid and fuel-cell tug manufacturing.
  • Global Bunkering Hub: Green Fuel Infrastructure at Major Ports — Equipping JNPA, Paradip, and Deendayal ports with green ammonia and methanol supply chains to attract international shipping liners.
04 · GS-II & GS-III: Public Health, One Health & Bio-Safety

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR): Over-the-Counter Antibiotic Abuses, Hospital-Acquired Infections and One Health Action Plan

NEWS PEG
  • The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) released its annual Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance report, warning of escalating resistance rates to high-end carbapenems and third-generation cephalosporins in common pathogens (E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii).
  • The data showed that carbapenem resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae crossed 60% in intensive care units (ICUs), rendering standard antibiotic lines ineffective and increasing hospital mortality from sepsis.
  • The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) initiated nationwide inspections to enforce the red-line prescription mandate under Schedule H1 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, curbing OTC antibiotic sales without prescription.
STATIC FOUNDATION
  • Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR): Occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines, making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness, and death.
  • One Health Approach: Collaborative, multisectoral, and transdisciplinary approach recognizing that human health is inextricably linked to animal health and the shared environment (especially antibiotic use in poultry/livestock and effluent discharge from pharma manufacturing).
  • WHO AWaRe Classification: Categorizes antibiotics into Access (first/second choice for common infections), Watch (higher resistance potential, monitored use), and Reserve (last-resort options for multi-drug resistant pathogens).
  • Schedule H1 of Drugs & Cosmetics Rules: Contains 46 third/fourth generation antibiotics, anti-TB drugs, and habit-forming drugs; requires chemists to maintain a separate register recording patient name, doctor, and quantity for 3 years.
PRELIMS TRAP & PYQ BRIDGE MAINS ENHANCEMENT
  • Regulatory Enforcement: Strict Prescription Auditing (Schedule H1) — Eliminating over-the-counter dispensing of reserve antibiotics through digital pharmacy track-and-trace.
  • Pharma Effluent Standards: Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) in Bulk Drug Parks — Setting strict antibiotic concentration discharge limits to prevent industrial rivers from becoming AMR breeding grounds.
  • Veterinary Stewardship: Banning Non-Therapeutic Antibiotics in Poultry — Prohibiting growth-promoter antibiotic feeds in livestock to curb zoonotic resistant strains.
05 · GS-II: Indian Constitution, Parliament & Disqualification

The Office of Profit Disqualification: Articles 102(1)(a) & 191(1)(a), Executive Patronage and the Jaya Bachchan Precedent

NEWS PEG
  • The Joint Committee on Offices of Profit reviewed requests from several statutory boards and advisory councils seeking exemption from disqualification under the Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Act, 1959.
  • Constitutional scholars reiterated that the fundamental rationale behind the 'Office of Profit' disqualification under Articles 102(1)(a) and 191(1)(a) is to protect the independence of legislators from executive inducements and patronage.
  • The Supreme Court in Jaya Bachchan v. Union of India (2006) established that whether an office is an 'office of profit' depends on whether it is capable of yielding pecuniary gain or profit, regardless of whether the holder actually receives remuneration.
STATIC FOUNDATION
  • Article 102(1)(a): A person shall be disqualified for being chosen as, and for being, a member of either House of Parliament if he holds any office of profit under the Government of India or the Government of any State, other than an office declared by Parliament by law not to disqualify its holder.
  • Article 191(1)(a): Corresponding disqualification provision for members of State Legislative Assemblies and Legislative Councils.
  • Supreme Court 5-Point Test (Shivamurthy Swami Inamdar Case): (1) Whether the government makes the appointment; (2) Whether government has power to dismiss; (3) Whether government pays remuneration; (4) What functions are performed; (5) How much control government exercises over the office.
  • Article 103: Questions regarding disqualification of MPs are referred to the President, who acts according to the binding opinion of the Election Commission of India.
PRELIMS TRAP & PYQ BRIDGE MAINS ENHANCEMENT
  • Democratic Separation of Powers: Legislative Independence from Executive Domination — Preventing executive co-option of MPs/MLAs through lucrative committee posts and board directorships.
  • Judicial Consistency: 'Capability to Yield Profit' Test — Maintaining the Jaya Bachchan standard to avoid loopholes where legislators waive formal salaries while retaining executive perquisites.
  • Statutory Rationalization: Revising the 1959 Exemption List — Replacing ad-hoc political amendments with principled criteria based on purely advisory versus executive functions.
06 · GS-III: Renewable Energy, Agriculture & Decentralized Solar

Decentralized Agricultural Solarization: PM-KUSUM Component-C Feeder Solarization and Solar Water Pumps

NEWS PEG
  • The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) reported that under the PM-KUSUM Scheme, over 5.2 lakh standalone solar agricultural pumps have been installed, with feeder-level solarization gaining momentum across Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.
  • Under Component-C (Feeder-Level Solarization), agricultural electricity distribution feeders are connected directly to centralized 1–2 MW solar plants, providing reliable daytime irrigation power to thousands of farmers without requiring individual pump conversions.
  • Energy economics data showed that agricultural feeder solarization reduces State DISCOM subsidy burdens by ₹3.50 per unit while enabling farmers to sell surplus daytime electricity back to the grid.
STATIC FOUNDATION
  • PM-KUSUM (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan): Flagship scheme aiming to add solar capacity of 34.8 GW by 2026 across three components:
  • Component A: Setting up 10,000 MW of small grid-connected solar/biomass plants (up to 2 MW) on barren/fallow agricultural land.
  • Component B: Installation of 14 lakh standalone off-grid solar agriculture pumps (up to 7.5 HP).
  • Component C: Solarization of 35 lakh grid-connected agriculture pumps, including Feeder Level Solarization (FLS).
PRELIMS TRAP & PYQ BRIDGE MAINS ENHANCEMENT
  • Agrarian Daytime Power: Eliminating Night-Time Irrigation Hazards — Providing predictable 8-hour daytime electricity to prevent snakebites and electrical accidents during midnight irrigation.
  • DISCOM Financial Recovery: Eliminating Cross-Subsidies — Reducing agricultural power subsidy leakages and unmetered distribution losses.
  • Groundwater Governance Linkage: Incentivizing Water Conservation — Pairing solar pump feed-in tariffs with micro-irrigation to prevent over-pumping of unpriced groundwater.
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