Fourth National Lok Adalat of 2025 successfully resolved 2.59 crore disputes

• From 2022-23 to 2024-25, more than 23.5 crore cases have been resolved in various Lok Adalats across India.

Lok Adalat Framework

• Established: under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 to provide speedy and cost-effective justice as an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism.
• Objective:  Reduce pendency (e.g. more than 4.7 crore pendency as per NJDG), promote consensual settlements, and strengthen access to justice.
• Authority:  Organised by the NALSA with the CJI as Patron-in-Chief.
• Enforcement: Awards are final, binding, equivalent to a civil court decree, with no appeal provision.
• Scope:  Covers pre-litigation and pending cases, excluding non-compoundable offences and divorce matters.

Types of Lok Adalats

• National Lok Adalat (NLA): Involve simultaneous, nationwide sittings on a single day at all levels of the judiciary, from the Supreme Court down to the Taluk Levels, aiming to clear a large volume of cases.
• Permanent Lok Adalat (PLA): Organized for cases related to Public Utility Services (e.g., transport, postal, telegraph, electricity, water supply) up to ₹ 1 Crore.

E-Lok Adalats and Mobile Lok Adalats:

• E-Lok Adalats allow for remote participation and bring justice through digital platforms.
• Mobile Lok Adalats are organized to travel from one location to another to resolve disputes.

NCAER Report on Employment

The National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) released a report titled “India’s Employment Prospects: Pathways to Jobs.”

• It highlights skilling and small enterprises as key drivers of job creation to sustain the 8% GDP growth.
• The report underlines the role of skilling and small enterprises as key drivers of job creation in the country.
• The NCAER is India’s oldest and largest independent, non-profit think tank. Established in New Delhi in 1956, it conducts evidence-based economic research to guide public policy.

Key Findings of the Report

• Employment Pattern: India’s recent employment growth is driven mainly by necessity-based self-employment in low-technology, subsistence household enterprises.
• Income Level: Despite economic growth, India’s per capita GDP is relatively low, ranking 128th globally.
• Skill Deficit: Transition to skilled labour has been slow; only 4.1% workers had vocational training in 2024, much less than in countries like Germany, Singapore, and Canada.
• Job Potential: A 9% rise in skilled workers could generate about 9.3 million jobs by 2030.
• Multiplier Effects: Moderate growth of labour-intensive sub-sectors could increase employment in manufacturing by 53% and in services by 79%.

Policy Recommendations for Job Creation

• PLI Reorientation: Redirect Production-Linked Incentives toward labour-intensive sectors like textiles, garments, footwear, and food processing.
• Service Sectors: Increase support for tourism, education, and healthcare to generate large-scale, employment-intensive job opportunities.
• Digital Adoption: Improve access to digital technologies and credit, as enterprises using digital technologies hire 78% more workers than non-digital firms.

Empanel Heritage Conservation Architects

• The Ministry of Culture has initiated a process to empanel heritage conservation architects for the upkeep, conservation, and restoration of ASI-protected monuments.

About Empanel Heritage Conservation Architects:

• A heritage (conservation) architect is a specialised professional trained in the restoration, conservation, and management of historic structures, ensuring preservation of architectural integrity, materials, and cultural value in line with established conservation norms.

The Initiative

• The Ministry of Culture has begun empanelling qualified conservation architects to form a national pool approved by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
• This allows donors, corporates, and private entities to directly engage ASI-approved professionals for conservation works funded through the National Cultural Fund (NCF).
• Key Features of the Initiative
• Donor flexibility: Donors can choose architects from the ASI-approved panel for monuments of their choice.
• ASI oversight mandatory: ASI will continue to monitor all projects to ensure compliance with scientific conservation standards.
• Defined responsibilities: Empanelled architects will prepare Detailed Project Reports (DPRs), design conservation methods, provide project management support, and supervise execution.
• Execution mechanism: Actual restoration work will be carried out by agencies selected by donors, subject to ASI approval.
• Eligibility criteria: Architects must have prior experience in conserving or restoring heritage structures over 100 years old.
• Tenure: Empanelment valid for three years, with annual performance review.

New Insurance Bill, 2025

• The Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Bill, 2025, aims to modernise India’s insurance framework in line with Insurance for All by 2047.
• It has amended the Insurance Act 1938, the LIC Act 1956, and the IRDAI Act 1999 to expand the insurance coverage.

Status of Insurance Sector in India

• Insurance Market (Global): India’s overall insurance market is ranked the 10th largest in the world in terms of total premium volume.
• Life Insurance Sector: India also ranks 10th globally in the life insurance business.
• LIC Global Ranking: The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) is ranked among the 3rd strongest insurance brands globally according to Brand Finance’s 2025 report.
• Market Size: The Indian insurance market was valued at approximately USD 303.3 billion (₹25 lakh crore) in 2024 and is expected to grow substantially in the coming decade.
• Penetration: Insurance penetration in India stood at around 3.7% of GDP (latest for FY24), with life insurance accounting for ~2.8% and non-life for ~0.9%.

Need for the New Insurance Bill

• Low Insurance Penetration: Insurance penetration in India is only ~4% of GDP, compared to the global average of ~7%, leaving large populations uninsured.
• Capital & Investment Deficit: Long-term insurance requires deep capital, but restricted inflows limited expansion. E.g. Raising FDI to 100% can attract global insurers into a market with a 1.4 billion population.
• Reinsurance Concentration Risk: India’s reinsurance market is dominated by GIC Re (General Insurance Corporation of India Reinsurance), limiting risk diversification.
• Weak Consumer Protection: Earlier regulatory tools had limited deterrence against unfair practices.

Key Provisions of the Bill

• FDI Liberalisation: Raises insurance FDI cap from 74% to 100%, enabling global capital inflows.
• Reinsurance Entry: Cuts Net Owned Funds for foreign reinsurers from ₹5,000 crore to ₹1,000 crore.
• Equity Flexibility: Raises IRDAI approval threshold for share transfer from 1% to 5%.
• Autonomy: Allows LIC to open zonal offices and restructure overseas operations without prior approvals.
• IRDAI Empowerment: Grants powers for disgorgement, penalties and one-time registration.
• Disgorgement: A regulatory enforcement tool that requires entities to return unlawfully gained profits, preventing unjust enrichment and deterring violations.

Key Issues Within the Bill

• Composite Licensing: No provision allowing insurers to operate across life and non-life segments.
• Entry Barriers: ₹100 crore minimum paid-up capital for insurance companies (life and general insurers) and ₹200 crore for reinsurance companies, remaining unchanged under the Bill
• Limited Inclusion: Missed opportunity for niche, regional, health-only, or micro-insurers.
• Product Silos: No permission for bundled insurance or cross-financial product distribution.
• Risk Innovation: Absence of a framework for captive insurance for large corporations.
• Captive Insurance: A risk-management arrangement where a company creates its own subsidiary insurer to cover internal risks and reduce dependence on external insurance markets.

Way Forward

• Composite Licensing: Allow single insurers to operate across life, health and general insurance; E.g. global markets like the UK and Australia permit composite insurers.
• Capital Rationalisation: Reduce minimum paid-up capital to enable niche and regional players; E.g. micro-insurance models in ASEAN markets expanded coverage among low-income households.
• Inclusive Insurance: Promote health-only, micro and rural insurers to reach underserved groups; E.g. PMFBY and Ayushman Bharat show targeted schemes improve last-mile coverage.
• Regulatory Safeguards: Strengthen IRDAI’s supervision alongside liberalisation to protect policyholders; E.g. SEBI-style disgorgement powers ensure market discipline.

National Blood Transfusion Bill, 2025

• Thalassaemia patient groups welcomed the National Blood Transfusion Bill, 2025, introduced in Parliament.
• The Bill proposes a National Blood Transfusion Authority to enforce uniform statutory blood management standards, to consolidate the fragmented regulation framework.
• Blood regulation in India currently operates under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940; the National Blood Transfusion Council, created by a Supreme Court directive, issues non-statutory guidelines.

About Thalassaemia

• Thalassemia is an inherited genetic blood disorder in which defective haemoglobin production leads to chronic anaemia.
• Types: There are two main types based on the haemoglobin protein affected.
• Alpha thalassaemia: Insufficient production of the Alpha globin chain of haemoglobin; disease severity increases as more genes are affected.
• Beta thalassaemia: Insufficient production of the Beta globin chain; one affected gene causes beta-thalassaemia minor (mild), while two affected genes cause beta-thalassaemia major (severe).
• Globin chains are the protein building blocks of haemoglobin that enable red blood cells (RBCs) to carry oxygen throughout the body.
• Treatment: Severe cases need regular blood transfusions coupled with Iron Chelation Therapy; a Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) or Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) is the only cure.
• India’s Burden: India accounts for about 25% of the global beta-thalassaemia burden; it affects around 3–4% of the population.

Govt Initiatives for Thalassemia Control

• Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana: A Coal India Limited CSR initiative providing up to ₹10 lakh for bone marrow transplants of underprivileged children with thalassaemia major or aplastic anaemia.
• NHM Support: The National Health Mission supports states with blood banks, transfusion day-care centres, free blood products, iron chelation drugs, diagnostics, and trained healthcare personnel.
• National Guidelines 2016: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued guidelines for the prevention and control of haemoglobinopathies, including thalassaemia.
• e-RaktKosh Platform: A national digital platform linking licensed blood banks to provide real-time blood availability for patients needing regular transfusions.
• Legal Recognition: Thalassaemia is recognised as a disability under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD Act), 2016, enabling access to welfare benefits.

Emperor Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar II

• Prime Minister of India has welcomed the release of a commemorative postage-stamp honouring Emperor Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar II (Suvaran Maran), recognising his administrative excellence and patronage of Tamil culture.

About Emperor Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar II:

• Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar II, also known as Suvaran Maran or Shatrubhayankar, was a prominent ruler of the Mutharaiyar lineage who ruled during c. 705–745 CE.
• Belonged to the Mutharaiyar dynasty, a powerful Tamil ruling lineage.
• Functioned as feudatories of the Pallavas, particularly under Pallava king Nandivarman II.
• Controlled the central Cauvery region, including Thanjavur, Tiruchirappalli, Pudukkottai, Perambalur, and surrounding areas.
• Ruled primarily from Tiruchirappalli, exercising authority for nearly four decades.

Key Contributions

Administrative & Military Achievements:

• Known as a formidable administrator with strategic foresight and governance stability.
• Fought several battles alongside Pallava forces, helping maintain regional order during Pallava decline.

Temple Building & Architecture:

• The Mutharaiyars were among the early temple builders of Tamil Nadu, contributing to rock-cut and structural temples.
• Their architectural innovations influenced the early Chola temple tradition, even before the rise of Vijayalaya Chola.

Cultural & Religious Patronage:

• Patronised Shaivism, while also hosting philosophical debates involving Jain scholars such as Acharya Vimalachandra, reflecting religious pluralism.
• Supported Tamil language, literature, and religious institutions, as evidenced by inscriptions.

Public Works:

• Inscriptions attest to his contributions to temple endowments, irrigation systems, and agrarian infrastructure, strengthening the Cauvery delta economy.

Significance

• Historical significance: Represents the rise of powerful regional chieftains during the weakening of imperial Pallava authority.
• Cultural legacy: Acts as a bridge between Pallava and Chola traditions, especially in temple architecture and governance.
• Social relevance: Revered as an icon by the Mutharaiyar community, classified among Most Backward Classes (MBCs) in Tamil Nadu.

Dandami Maria Tribe

• The Bison Horn Maria dance of the Dandami Madia (Maria) tribe of Bastar, Chhattisgarh, has drawn attention for its enduring cultural vitality despite modern influences.

Dandami Maria Tribe:

• The Dandami Maria, also known as Bison Horn Maria or Khalpati Maria, are a tribal community belonging to the broader Gond (Koytorias) ethnic group.
• They are recognised for their distinctive ceremonial dance and headgear resembling bison horns, which has become a cultural marker of their identity.

Origin:

• The Dandami Maria trace their lineage to the ancient Gondwana region, once spread across central India.
• They identify as part of the Gond tribal tradition, one of the oldest indigenous groups of the Deccan plateau.
• Linguistically, they speak Dandami Maria, with many also using Gondi dialects, an oral language of Dravidian origin.

Habitat and Distribution:

• Predominantly inhabit the Bastar region of southern Chhattisgarh, especially in Darbha, Tokapal, Lohandiguda, Dantewada, and surrounding forested tracts.
• Their settlements are closely integrated with dense forests, shaping their subsistence patterns, rituals, and worldview.
• They practice agriculture, supplemented by hunting and fishing.

Key Cultural Characteristics

Bison Horn Maria Dance:

• Performed by both men and women during festivals, rituals, and communal gatherings.
• Men wear horn-shaped bamboo headgear decorated with bison or cattle horns, feathers, cowries, and cloth strips, along with bead necklaces and ankle bells.
• Women wear handwoven saris, heavy silver and brass jewellery, coin ornaments, and ceremonial crowns.

Social and Cultural Life:

• The ghotul (youth dormitory) plays a vital role in socialisation, cultural transmission, and community cohesion.
• Distinct hairstyles, traditional ornaments, and ceremonial objects such as tobacco boxes and combs are culturally significant.
• They permit divorce and widow remarriage, reflecting flexible social norms.

Significance

• Represents a living tribal heritage that preserves Gond identity and pre-Aryan cultural traditions.
• Embodies a nature-centric worldview, celebrating hunting traditions, seasonal cycles, and forest deities like Budhadev and Danteshwari Mai.

Bondi Beach attack

• Australia was shaken by a deadly terror-linked mass shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach during a Jewish festival, prompting the government to consider tougher gun laws.

About Bondi Beach:

• Bondi Beach is a world-famous ocean beach and adjoining suburb in Sydney, known for its surf culture, tourism, and public recreation. It is among the most visited beaches in Australia and a major symbol of the country’s coastal lifestyle.

Location:

• Situated 7 km east of Sydney’s Central Business District (CBD).
• Lies in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney within the Waverley Council local government area.
• Neighbouring suburbs include North Bondi, Bondi Junction, Rose Bay, and Bellevue Hill.

Key features

• Natural setting: Crescent-shaped sandy beach facing the Tasman Sea, popular for surfing and swimming.
• Cultural prominence: Featured in global TV series such as Bondi Rescue and Bondi Vet.
• Demographics: Historically multicultural, with a strong Jewish community and migrant heritage.
• Indigenous heritage: Traditionally inhabited by Bidjigal, Birrabirragal, and Gadigal Aboriginal peoples.
• Name origin: Derived from the Dharawal word “Bondi”, meaning a loud thud, like waves crashing on rocks.

Significance

• Tourism & economy: A key contributor to Sydney’s tourism-driven economy and international image.
• Cultural history: Site of major social movements, including early 20th-century debates on public decency and beach culture.
• Public safety relevance: The recent attack highlights challenges of urban security, counter-terrorism, and public space safety.

National Energy Conservation Awards

• The President of India felicitated the winners of the National Energy Conservation Awards (NECA) 2025 on National Energy Conservation Day at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

About National Energy Conservation Awards:

• The National Energy Conservation Awards (NECA) are annual national-level awards that recognise industries, institutions, establishments, and innovators for outstanding achievements in energy efficiency and reduction of energy consumption while maintaining or improving productivity.

Launched in:

• Instituted in 1991 (under the Energy Conservation framework)
• Presented annually on 14 December, observed as National Energy Conservation Day
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Power
• Implementing Agency: Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)
• BEE was established under the Energy Conservation Act, 2001

Aim:

• Promote energy conservation and efficiency across sectors of the economy.
• Encourage adoption of energy-efficient technologies and practices.

Key Features of NECA 2025

• Wide sectoral coverage: Industry, Buildings, Transport, Institutions, Appliances, Innovation, and Professionals
• High participation: 558 applications received across categories
• New category introduced: Social Media Influencers & Digital Content Creators to promote behavioural change through digital outreach

Transparent selection process:

• Technical Committee (headed by Member–Thermal, CEA)
• Award Committee chaired by Secretary (Power)

Significance of NECA

• Energy security: Promotes “energy saved = energy produced” approach without resource depletion.
• Climate action: Supports India’s decoupling of GDP growth from GHG emissions.
• Policy alignment: Complements schemes like PAT, Standards & Labelling, RCO, and ADEETIE.

Preah Vihear Temple

• India expressed concern over reported damage to conservation facilities at the Preah Vihear temple amid ongoing Thailand-Cambodia border clashes.

About Preah Vihear Temple

• It is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, located in Preah Vihear province, northern Cambodia, situated atop a cliff in the Dangrek Mountains along the Cambodia-Thailand border.
• It was constructed during the Khmer Empire in the 11th-12th centuries CE, initially built under Suryavarman I (1002-1050 CE) and later expanded by Suryavarman II (1113-1150 CE).

• It embodies the Khmer temple architecture, aligned along an ~800-metre axial processional path with a sequence of five gopuras connected by stairways and pavements.
• It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (2008) for its architectural significance and outstanding testimony to the Khmer civilisation.