CURRENT AFFAIRS

The Supreme Court has delivered a split verdict on the constitutional validity of Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, which mandates prior government approval before investigating certain corruption allegations against public servants.

India is likely to be invited to join the U.S.-led Pax Silica initiative, a multilateral framework aimed at securing global supply chains of semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), and critical minerals.

The development reflects growing international efforts to reduce strategic vulnerabilities arising from over-concentration of key technology inputs and to build resilient, trusted, and diversified technology ecosystems.

Recently, in a significant initiative regarding language policy in Kerala, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government introduced the Malayalam Language Bill, 2025 in the Legislative Assembly.

PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation) is an innovative and integrated digital platform of the Government of India developed for monitoring, reviewing, and resolving major government programs, projects, and public grievances.

The Central Government has begun taking concrete steps against digital arrest cases. These scams were depriving ordinary citizens, especially the elderly and vulnerable, of their earnings. To curb this, an Inter-Departmental Committee (IDC) was formed under the chairmanship of the Special Secretary (Internal Security) of the Ministry of Home Affairs, which has held several meetings so far. Representatives from online platforms such as Google, WhatsApp, Telegram, and Microsoft attended the recent meeting.

The Prime Minister’s flagship governance platform PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation) recently achieved a significant milestone with the successful conduct of its 50th meeting, underlining its growing role in monitoring projects, resolving grievances, and ensuring administrative accountability.

The Union Government has initiated nationwide consultations with States, Union Territories, and key stakeholders to prepare a roadmap for Samagra Shiksha 3.0, scheduled to be rolled out from the 2026–27 academic cycle.

India has notified a new taxation regime for tobacco and related sin goods, effective 1 February, following legislative changes approved by Parliament. The reform restructures GST slabs, excise duties, and cess mechanisms for tobacco products, marking a significant shift in India’s approach to public health-oriented taxation.

The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 came into force on 20 July 2020, replacing the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. The new law aims to empower consumers, strengthen grievance redressal mechanisms, and address emerging challenges such as e-commerce, misleading advertisements, and product liability, making consumer justice faster and more effective.

At the 5th Chief Secretaries’ Conference, the Prime Minister urged States to replicate the Centre’s PRAGATI system to strengthen technology-driven governance, improve project monitoring, and accelerate the implementation of key reforms.