News Summary · 5 minutes read
Stay ahead in your UPSC CSE preparation with our daily News Summary. Designed to save time, it highlights key national and international events from leading newspapers and government websites.
Why is low inflation harmful?
While low inflation benefits consumers in the short term by stabilising living costs, prolonged episodes risk a deflationary spiral if not addressed through policy easing.
Negative impacts of low inflation
- Signals weak demand: persistently low inflation often reflects sluggish aggregate demand.
- Delayed investment: firms postpone capex when demand and pricing power are weak.
- Slower job creation: downward nominal wage rigidity raises real wages relative to conditions, dampening hiring.
- Subdued wage growth: weak demand and low inflation restrain nominal pay gains.
- Reduced profit margins: firms struggle to raise prices while some costs are sticky, compressing profit margins.
- Increased debt-servicing costs: low inflation raises the real value of fixed nominal payments.
India’s CPI inflation fell to a record low of 0.25% in October 2025, raising the aforementioned concerns. This is why RBI targets 4% inflation (with ±2% band) to balance growth and stability.
Bureau of Port Security (BoPS)
- To be constituted as a statutory body under the Merchant Shipping Act, 2025 → being modelled on the lines of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).
- BoPS will:
- Oversee the security of vessels and port facilities.
- Ensure timely analysis, collection and exchange of security-related information, with a special focus on cybersecurity.
- Have a dedicated division to safeguard the port’s IT infrastructure from digital threats.
- Function under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and shall be responsible for regulatory.
- Be headed by an IPS officer.
- Earlier, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) was designated as a Recognised Security Organisation (RSO) for seaport facilities.
‘Support to Poor Prisoners’ scheme
- Launched in 2023 → seeks to provide financial assistance to indigent prisoners whose release was stalled solely due to their inability to pay court-imposed fines or furnish bail sureties.
- Implementation across many States/UTs has been inadequate → Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has recently issued the revised guidelines for effective execution of the scheme.
Key highlights of the scheme
- Excludes persons accused/convicted of:
- Offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, Prevention of Money Laundering Act, the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and any other laws that may be notified later.
- Heinous crimes, including acts of terrorism, offences affecting national security, dowry deaths, rape, human trafficking, and offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
- If a prisoner is unable to secure release due to non-payment of a fine, the Jail Superintendent must inform the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) within a week → DLSA will recommend the case to the District-level Empowered Committee (DEC), which may sanction financial assistance to the prisoner.
- DEC composition:
- District Collector (DC)/District Magistrate (DM) – Chairperson
- Secretary, District Legal Services Authority (DLSA)
- Superintendent of Police (SP)
- Superintendent/Dy. Superintendent of the concerned Prison
- Judge in charge of the concerned Prison (District Judge’s nominee)
MHA has urged the States/UTs to implement the scheme properly, as it can not only reduce the hardships faced by poor prisoners but also reduce overcrowding in prisons.
Parliament’s winter session passes 8 Bills
During the recently concluded winter session, 8 Bills have been passed by both Houses of Parliament. The three most highlighted Bills are as follows:
- The Health Security Se National Security Cess Bill, 2025
- Introduces a capacity-based special excise cess on machinery/processes for manufacturing pan masala (and potentially other notified goods).
- Proceeds shall be used to support public health and national security initiatives.
- The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill, 2025
- Replaces the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010.
- Allows private sector entities, joint ventures, and notified companies to construct, own, and operate nuclear power plants, fuel fabrication, and related facilities under Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) oversight.
- Grants statutory status to AERB and establishes the Atomic Energy Redressal Advisory Council for appeals on safety and regulatory orders.
- The Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB – G RAM G Bill, 2025
- Replaces MGNREGA, 2005, with enhanced rural employment guarantees up to 125 days per household annually, including seasonal pauses up to 60 days.
- Introduces digitised monitoring via biometrics, AI, and Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans integrated with PM Gati Shakti for durable assets like water security and rural infrastructure.
Quick Picks for Pre and Mains (QPPM)
- India is developing a web portal to take the entire process of forest rights recognition and management under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006 online → portal’s beta version, named TARANG, has been developed.
- Supreme Court has ruled that corporate social responsibility (CSR) includes environmental responsibility → brought companies (legal persons) under the ambit of Article 51A(g), which imposes a fundamental duty on every citizen to protect the environment.
- ISRO will launch BlueBird communications satellite, developed by the U.S.-based AST SpaceMobile, as part of the LVM3-M6 mission on December 24 from Sriharikota.
- China has filed a petition with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against India →alleged that India’s tariffs on information and communication technology (ICT) products violate the principle of national treatment, and India’s subsidies in the solar sector constitute import substitution subsidies, prohibited under WTO rules.
- Indus Water Treaty (1960): brokered by World Bank → India has control over the eastern rivers of Ravi, Sutlej, and Beas, and Pakistan controls the western rivers of Jhelum, Chenab, and Indus → suspended by India in April, 2025, following the Pahalgam terror attack.