Enhancing Alternative Dispute Resolution in India

• Amid over 4.57 crore pending cases (NJDG, 2025), ADR mechanisms such as arbitration, mediation, and Lok Adalats are seen as essential for faster and inclusive justice delivery.

Need for Strengthening ADR in India

• Case Pendency: Over 4.5 crore cases pending; High Courts face a 33% vacancy rate.
• Constitutional Backing: Article 39A ensures equal justice and free legal aid.
• Efficiency: The Arbitration & Conciliation (Amendment) Act, 2021, mandates resolution within 180 days.
• Social Cohesion: Mediation fosters harmony, aligns with Gandhian principles of reconciliation.

Way Forward

• Institutionalisation of ADR: Establish a National Mediation Authority for Standardisation as recommended by Justice B.N. Srikrishna Committee (2017).
• ADR Education: Integrate ADR techniques into judicial academies and law schools to promote a pre-litigation mediation culture. E.g. UK Judicial College conducts certified mediation modules for judges.
• Leverage Technology: Justice A.K. Sikri Committee (2020) on ODR (Online Dispute Resolution) recommended a standard framework for online mediation and data governance.
• Inclusive Dispute Resolution: Gram Nyayalayas Scheme (2008) provides mobile village courts designed for quick, affordable justice. E.g. Rwanda’s Gacaca Courts resolving 90% of rural disputes locally.

ECI Measures for Bihar Elections

• The Election Commission of India announced two-phase Bihar Assembly elections and 17 new initiatives to make the election process more efficient, transparent, and voter-friendly.

• Major Initiatives: The number of voters per polling station has been lowered to reduce crowding. An update to the voter list was carried out after 22 years, and revised guidelines were issued to enhance the readability of ballot papers.

Election Commission of India

• The Election Commission of India (ECI) is a permanent, independent constitutional body established in 1950 to conduct free and fair elections.
• Part XV and Articles 324–329 of the Indian Constitution deal with elections and outline its structure, powers, and jurisdiction.
• ECI administers elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies, State Legislative Councils and the offices of the President and Vice President of the country.

Critical Mineral Recycling Incentive Scheme (CMRIS)

• The Ministry of Mines has issued guidelines for implementing the ₹1,500 crore Critical Mineral Recycling Incentive Scheme (CMRIS) under the National Critical Minerals Mission (NCMM).

Critical Mineral Recycling Incentive Scheme (CMRIS)

• CMRIS is a central sector scheme under the National Critical Minerals Mission (NCMM) to promote recycling of critical minerals from secondary sources (e.g., e-waste, spent lithium-ion batteries, etc).
• Nodal Agency: The Ministry of Mines serves as the implementing body.
• Objective: It aims to establish a secondary domestic supply chain for critical minerals, thereby reducing India’s dependence on imports.
• Output Target: An annual recycling capacity of 270 kilotons, along with 40 kilotons of recovered critical minerals each year by FY 2031.
• Scheme Tenure: It will operate for six financial years, from FY 2025–26 to FY 2030–31, with a total outlay of ₹1,500 crore.
• Incentive Structure: Incentives are provided on a reimbursement basis for both capital expenditure (Capex) and operational expenditure (Opex) components.
• Coverage Focus: CMRIS covers all stages of recycling, from collection and processing to extraction and purification, ensuring full and transparent mineral recovery.
• Feedstock Sources: Eligible raw materials include e-waste, spent lithium-ion batteries, catalytic converters, and other secondary metal waste.
• Process Eligibility: The scheme is open to entities engaged in the extraction, separation, and purification of critical minerals; Those engaged solely in black-mass production are excluded.
• It applies to both new investments and the expansion, modernisation, or diversification of existing recycling operations.

Classification of Beneficiaries

1. Beneficiary Group A: Large recyclers with annual revenues above ₹200 crore, investing at least ₹100 crore, and maintaining 10,000-tonne capacity.
2. Beneficiary Group B: Smaller recyclers and startups with revenues under ₹200 crore, investing at least ₹25 crore, and maintaining 5,000-tonne capacity.

• Incentive Caps: Financial assistance is capped at ₹50 crore for Group A entities and ₹25 crore for Group B entities, covering both Capex and Opex.
• Outlay Reservation: One-third of the total ₹1,500 crore outlay is reserved exclusively for Group B startups and smaller recyclers.

Low Altitude Economy

• Tamil Nadu is preparing a roadmap to become India’s low-altitude economy hub, leveraging drone technology, advanced air mobility, and liberalised regulations.

Low Altitude Economy (LAE)

• The low‑altitude economy (LAE) is an emerging economic sector that utilises the airspace below 3,000 metres for commercial and industrial purposes.
• Component Ecosystem: It is driven by an interconnected ecosystem involving drones, eVTOLs, vertiports, charging stations, and digital Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) systems.
• Market Outlook: The global LAE market is projected to reach $150-200 billion by 2030; India’s market is projected to reach $5 billion by 2030, growing annually at about 30%.

Key Applications of the Low Altitude Economy

• Logistics: Employing UAVs for last‑mile and long‑distance cargo deliveries.
• Urban Mobility: eVTOL air taxis offering quicker, congestion-free passenger transportation.
• Agriculture: Using drones for precision spraying, crop monitoring, and livestock management.
• Emergency Response: Drones supporting disaster response, firefighting, search, and medical missions.
• Critical Infrastructure: Deploying UAVs to inspect power lines, bridges, and other vital infrastructure.

RBI Measures to Boost Rupee Internationalisation

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced reforms to deepen financial markets, expand banks’ role in corporate growth, and strengthen the rupee’s global standing.

Key Measures Taken by RBI

Financing Corporate Acquisitions

• Banks will be allowed to finance mergers and acquisitions (M&As) for the first time.
• Previously, takeover financing was restricted to Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFC) and bond markets, making acquisitions cumbersome.
• Aim: To help corporates access structured, low-cost funding and scale globally.
• Safeguards: RBI will take risk-control measures to ensure that takeover funds are used productively.

Rupee Lending to Neighbouring Countries

• Indian banks and their overseas branches are permitted to lend in rupees to residents and institutions in Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and other select neighbours.
• Aim: This is a step towards rupee internationalisation, reducing dollar dependence in regional trade and settlement.

IPO and Share Financing

• Initial Public Offer (IPO) financing limit raised to ₹25 lakh from ₹10 lakh.
• Loan against shares limit hiked to ₹1 crore from ₹20 lakh (last revised in 1998).
• RBI has also proposed removing the cap on lending against listed debt securities, giving banks greater flexibility to offer larger loans using corporate bonds.

Wider Currency Benchmarking

• Financial Benchmarks India Limited (FBIL) will expand currency coverage beyond USD, Euro, & Yen.
• Aim: To reduce transaction costs, deepen forex markets, and gradually strengthen the rupee’s role in regional trade.
• Context: This announcement comes amid the US President’s warnings against BRICS currency plans and the global debate on dollar dominance.

Special Rupee Vostro Accounts (SRVA)

• Surplus balances in SRVAs can now be invested in corporate bonds and commercial papers, not just government securities.
• Aim: To enhance liquidity options for foreign partners and strengthen corporate bond markets.

Implications

• For Corporations: Easier access to structured takeover financing; faster consolidation and competitiveness.
• For Rupee: A step towards being a settlement and investment currency in South Asia.
• For Financial Markets: Strengthened IPO and bond markets; increased liquidity and depth.
• Risks: Potential for reckless borrowing in M&As, exposure to external shocks if rupee credibility weakens.

India’s First Cooperative Compressed Biogas (CBG) Plant

• The Ministry of Cooperation inaugurated India’s first cooperative multi-feed Compressed Biogas (CBG) plant in Maharashtra.

Key Highlights

• Capacity: It will produce 12 tonnes of CBG and 75 tonnes of potash per day using jaggery and molasses as feedstock.
• Aim: To reduce India’s import dependence on potash and biogas, while promoting sustainable energy and waste-to-wealth practices.
• Circular Economy Model: Converts sugarcane by-products into energy and fertiliser, maximising resource efficiency.

Policy Push for Cooperative and Agricultural Self-Reliance

Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses

• The government launched the ₹11,340 crore Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses to boost domestic pulse production and cut import dependence.
• Farmers registered with NAFED and the National Cooperative Consumers Federation (NCCF) will have their pulses procured at 100% of MSP.
• Recently, the govt announced a moderate hike in MSPs for key rabi crops. Also, over the past decade, MSPs for major crops such as jowar, bajra, tur, and moong have nearly doubled.

Farmer Support and Cooperative Strengthening

• GST on key farm inputs, including tractors, sprinklers, drip systems, and organic pesticides, has been reduced to 5% to lower production costs.
• The Ministry of Cooperation, established in 2021, has revived confidence in India’s cooperative sector, now emerging as a key pillar of the rural economy.
• The Sanjeevani Group model, a successful cooperative initiative in Maharashtra, includes:
• Integration of 100 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS).
• Sanjeevani University, training 20,000 students in agri-cooperative management.

India to Release Its First Red List at IUCN World Congress

• India will unveil its first Red List of Endangered Species at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress 2025 in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

IUCN World Conservation Congress

• The IUCN World Conservation Congress is a quadrennial (held every 4 years) global summit organised by the IUCN to set priorities for nature conservation and sustainable development.
• It is considered the world’s largest environmental policy forum, uniting governments, scientists, civil society, indigenous peoples, and private sector leaders.
• Previous Congress: The last congress held in Marseille, France, in 2021, adopted the Marseille Manifesto, focusing on post-COVID recovery, the biodiversity crisis, and the climate emergency.
• Congress 2025: It will focus on five core themes – Resilient Conservation Action, Climate Overshoot Risks, Equity, Nature-Positive Economies, and Disruptive Innovation for Conservation.

Philippines Coral Larvae Cryobank

• Philippines to host Southeast Asia’s first coral larvae cryobank to freeze and preserve coral larvae for reef restoration.

• According to the report Status of Coral Reefs of the World 2020, 14% of corals were lost (2009–18) and up to 90% could vanish by 2050 if global warming exceeds 1.5°C.

Coral Cryobank Initiative

• The initiative involves research institutions from Philippines, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, & Thailand.
• It aims to ensure long-term protection of coral genetic diversity and strengthen reef resilience against environmental threats.

Coral Triangle

• Geographic Spread: Covers six countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste.
• Significance:
• Marine Richness: Known as the “Amazon of the seas,” it harbours 76% of all coral species.
• Human Reliance: Sustains over 120 million people through fishing, tourism, and other livelihoods.
• Major Threats: Overfishing, habitat loss, pollution, and climate-induced coral bleaching.
• Conservation Actions: The Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) advances sustainable fisheries, marine protection, and climate adaptation.

National Camel Sustainability Initiative (NCSI)

• The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying aims to launch the National Camel Sustainability Initiative (NCSI) to address the steep decline in India’s camel population.
• NCSI is a multi-ministerial initiative involving the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, the Ministries of Environment, Rural Development, and Tourism, along with State governments, to conserve the camel population.
• Collaboration: It was developed in consultation with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
• Rationale: India’s camel population has declined by over 75% since 1977 (20^th Livestock Census), and current measures remain fragmented and underfunded.
• Key Proposals: Reform legal barriers and promote regulated trade, launch a nationwide camel awareness campaign, and celebrate World Camel Day (June 22) to enhance camel culture and conservation.

Camels

• Camels, called the “ship of the desert,” sustain desert ecosystems by providing mobility and economic support to pastoralist communities like the Raikas, Rabaris, & Fakirani Jats in western India.
• India hosts two types of camels — single-humped (Camelus dromedarius) in Rajasthan and Gujarat, and double-humped (Camelus bactrianus) in Ladakh and Nubra Valley.
• Population: Around 90% of India’s camels live in Rajasthan and Gujarat (20^th Livestock Census).
• Causes of Decline: Mechanisation of transport, destruction of habitat, environmental stress, restrictive legal frameworks and weak veterinary coverage have caused a decline in the population.
• Conservation Efforts: Include the National Livestock Mission, the ICAR–National Research Centre on Camel (NRCC), and financial assistance from the AHIDF for dairy infrastructure (includes camel milk).

Exercise Konkan 2025

Exercise Konkan 2025, an annual bilateral naval drill between the Indian Navy and the UK’s Royal Navy, commenced off the western coast of India.

• Objective: To enhance military cooperation, improve interoperability, and reaffirm both nations’ commitment to a rules-based international maritime order.
• Participants: The exercise featured the first-ever participation of carrier strike groups (CSGs) from both navies, led by the Indian aircraft carrier INS Vikrant and the UK fleet’s HMS Prince of Wales.
• Key Feature: It was conducted in two phases, harbour and sea. The harbour phase involved professional interactions, while the sea phase focused on advanced maritime and aviation drills.
• Significance: It highlights the deepening strategic cooperation between the two nations, aligning with the ‘India–UK Vision 2035’ roadmap.

World’s Highest Motorable Pass

• Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has opened the Mig La Pass in Ladakh at an altitude of 19,400 feet, making it the world’s highest motorable pass, surpassing Umling La.

• Key Highlights:
• Mig La Pass is part of the Likaru-Mig La-Fukche road alignment under BRO’s Project Himank.
• This strategic route strengthens India’s connectivity in the eastern Ladakh sector, enhancing border accessibility near the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

• The Ministry of Coal and Mines inaugurated Arunachal Pradesh’s first commercial coal mine at Namchik Namphuk in Changlang district.

Key Highlights

• The mine has been operationalised under Coal Projects Private Limited (CPPL) with the formal handing over of the mining lease and deployment of equipment.
• The mine, with reserves of around 1.5 crore tonnes, is expected to generate over ₹100 crore annually.
• It will create significant direct and indirect employment, supporting ancillary industries such as transport, logistics, and equipment supply.
• It supports the National Coal Gasification Mission and the Make in India initiative.