28 May 2025 Current Affairs

Padma Awards 2024 – Civil Investiture Ceremony (Second Round)

(a) Date: April 30, 2024
(b) Location: Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi
(c) Presented by: President Droupadi Murmu

Key Highlights

1. Total Awardees in 2024: 139 personalities

• First Investiture Ceremony (April 28): 71 awardees
• Second Investiture Ceremony (April 30): 68 awardees

2. Dignitaries Present: Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah

Padma Vibhushan (2nd Highest Civilian Award) - Cram all the Names

• Justice J.S. Khehar (Retd. Chief Justice of India)
• Sharda Sinha (Legendary folk singer – posthumous)
• Kumudini Rajnikant Lakhia (Kathak exponent – posthumous)

Padma Bhushan (3rd Highest Civilian Award) - Not to Cram all the Names

• Shobana Chandrakumar – Dancer and actor
• Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti – Businessman
• Kailash Nath Dikshit – Archaeologist
• Jatin Goswami – Satteiah dance exponent
• Anant Nag – Film actor
• Sadhvi Ritambhara – Religious leader
• Bibek Debroy – Economist (posthumous)
• Manohar Joshi – Former Lok Sabha Speaker (posthumous)

Padma Shri (4th Highest Civilian Award) – Not to Cram all the Names

• Soniya Nityanand – Immunologist & VC, King George’s Medical University
• I.M. Vijayan – Former Indian footballer
• Ashwini Bhide Deshpande – Classical vocalist
• Ashok Laxman Saraf – Marathi actor
• Reba Kanta Mahanta – Traditional Assamese mask maker
• Ricky Kej – Music composer
• Barry John – Theatre personality
• Mamata Shankar Ghosh – Dancer and choreographer
• Velu Aasan – Parai player
• Sajjan Bhajanka – Businessman
• Sant Ram Deswal – Writer
• Farooq Ahmad Mir – Community leader

Static GK – Padma Awards

Extra Tip:

• Always connect current Padma awardees with their fields.
• Learn the hierarchy and constitutional status (not enshrined, but recognized).
• Past recipients and their controversies are often asked.

Political Crisis in Bangladesh & Role of Muhammad Yunus

Current Context (May 2025)

1. Interim Government: Muhammad Yunus became Chief Adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government on August 8, 2024, three days after the fall of the Hasina administration.

2. Promise: He pledged a transition to democratic rule after years of semi-authoritarian governance under the Awami League.

3. Current Situation:

• Rising tensions between the civilian government and the Bangladesh Army.
• Army Chief Gen. Waker-Uz-Zaman raised concerns over:

- A humanitarian corridor to Myanmar’s Rakhine State for Rohingya aid.

- Foreign management of Chattogram Port.

- The rollout of Starlink internet services (Elon Musk’s venture).

• Army has publicly urged for early elections and questioned the interim government's ability to manage national security.

Key Issues

1. Suppression of Awami League:

• The party has been banned officially.
• Top leaders are in exile or hiding, with hundreds of workers killed.

2. Uncertain Elections:

• Yunus and allies say elections will be delayed until mid-2025, citing need for reforms.
• Draws protests from Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and military criticism.

3. New Political Actors:

• Emergence of the National Citizen Party, backed by student leaders.

4. Instability & Violence:

• Mobs continue to act unchecked; the country is politically fragmented and economically fragile.

Inference-Based Analysis

• The delay of elections, the ban on opposition, and military unease suggest that Bangladesh is on the brink of authoritarianism under the guise of reform.
• Yunus’s global reputation contrasts sharply with the domestic political reality, where his governance is increasingly viewed as autocratic.
• There is an urgent need for inclusive, legitimate elections involving all major parties to restore public trust and constitutional order.

Static GK: Muhammad Yunus (Economist & Political Leader)

Static GK: Brief History of Bangladesh

Here is a structured and factual oriented brief based on the passage about India’s energy efficiency and power consumption, along with relevant static GK facts for examination purposes.

India’s Power Demand & the Push for Energy Efficiency

Current Context (As of January 2025)

1. Power Supply vs. Demand

• Despite significant growth in electricity generation, India failed to meet its peak power demand, with deficits increasing:

- FY20: Power deficit at 0.69%

- FY24: Power deficit widened to 5%

• India is the 3rd largest power consumer in the world, after China and the United States.
• Peak power demand touched 250 GW in 2024, driven by urbanisation and rising cooling needs due to hotter summers.

2. Challenges

• Building new power plants (especially coal-based) is time-consuming and capital-intensive.
• Integration of renewable energy (solar, wind) into the national grid is progressing but not yet sufficient.
• 70% of India’s energy still comes from coal, and India plans to add 90 GW more coal-based capacity by 2032.

Energy Efficiency: The Key Solution

1. Why Energy Efficiency Matters

It’s the quickest, cheapest, and most climate-friendly solution to:

• Reduce power demand
• Cut greenhouse gas emissions
• Avoid high infrastructure costs of new power plants

2. Successful Schemes: UJALA and SLNP

a. UJALA Scheme (2015–2025):

• Reduced cost of LED bulbs from ₹500 to ₹70
• 37 crore LED bulbs distributed by the government
• 407 crore LED bulbs sold via market channels
• Resulted in over $10 billion in savings
• Avoided building 9,500 MW of generation capacity (≈ 19 coal plants of 500 MW each)

b. Street Lighting National Programme (SLNP):

• Installed 1.34 crore LED street lights
• Reduced peak demand by 1,500 MW

Static GK: Key Energy & Efficiency Facts

Inference-Based Insights

• Energy efficiency is not just an environmental concern-it has economic and infrastructure benefits.
• The success of UJALA shows that well-targeted, scalable public schemes can have huge impacts.
• Delays in renewable integration and continued reliance on coal suggest that India must urgently adopt stricter efficiency mandates in: Buildings; Home appliances and MSME (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) sector.

Centre Restores RoDTEP Scheme for Exporters (2025)

Current News Context (As of May 2025)

1. What Happened?

The Government of India has restored the RoDTEP scheme benefits for:

• Advance Authorisation (AA) holders
• Export-Oriented Units (EOUs)
• Units in Special Economic Zones (SEZs)

2. Timeline

• Scheme originally ended on February 5, 2025
• Restoration announced: May 2025
• Effective from: June 1, 2025
• Export bodies have requested backdating the benefits to February 7, 2025 for continuity

3. Objective of Restoration

• To boost export competitiveness
• To incentivize and support exporters by reimbursing taxes/duties not covered under other schemes

About RoDTEP Scheme

Stakeholder Views

S.C. Ralhan (President, FIEO):

• Welcomed the move as a recognition of SEZs, EOUs, and AA units in India’s export ecosystem
• Urged the government to apply benefits retroactively from February 7 for a smoother transition

Static GK: Exports & Trade Ecosystem

Why This Matters

1. Understanding schemes like RoDTEP is crucial for Legal Reasoning, GK, and Current Affairs.

2. Government policy changes like these are often tested in:

• Legal aptitude (rights of industries under law and trade)
• Public policy (relation to WTO norms)
• Indian economy (boosting exports, trade facilitation)

Protesters Lock Central Government Offices in Manipur (May 2025)

Current News Context

1. What Happened?

• Civil disobedience movement escalated in Imphal Valley, Manipur.
• Protesters locked offices of: Geological Survey of India (GSI) and Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Manipur

2. Trigger Incident

• May 20, 2025: Central armed forces allegedly masked "Manipur State Transport" signage on a state-run bus heading to the Shirui Lily Festival in Ukhrul.
• The bus carried media and state information officials.
• Protesters claimed this act insulted Manipur’s identity.

Key Stakeholders & Actions

Location

• Imphal, the state capital, spread across 2 of 5 districts of the Imphal Valley.
• Incident occurred 25 km from Imphal at a checkpoint.

Timeline of Events

Legal & Constitutional Angle (Static GK)

Why This Matters

• Involves Constitutional Law (President’s Rule, Governor's powers)
• Relevant for Legal GK: civil rights, protests, centre-state relations
• Current Affairs: ethno-political tensions, governance issues