TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS (ENGLSIH) – 06.05.2025

SUBJECT: ENVIRONMENT

Conservation laws often displace Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs); “fortress model” displaced 10-20 million globally.
India’s FRA (2006):
Recognizes land, livelihood, governance rights of forest dwellers (Scheduled Tribes, traditional communities).
Grants Community Forest Resource Rights (CFRR); promotes decentralized decision-making.
Demographics: 8.6% of India’s population are Scheduled Tribes (2011 Census), mostly in forested areas.
International Alignment: Supports Convention on Biological Diversity(Article 8(j)), UNDRIP (2007), Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework(2022).

2. GOVT ONLINE COMPANIES SPAR IN SC OVER GST ON GAMES OF SKILL CHANCE

SUBJECT: ECONOMY

Dispute over GST applicability on online gaming (skill vs. chance). Government Stance(ASG N. Venkataraman):
Betting/wagering on any game (skill or chance) is gambling; attracts 28% GST on the entire contest entry amount (prize pool).
Gaming Companies’ Argument(Sr. Adv. A.M. Singhvi):
Games of skill (e.g., rummy, chess) historically exempt; GST should apply only on platform fees/commissions, not prize pool.
SC precedents (five/seven-judge benches) classify games of skill as distinct from chance-based games.
Legal Context:
SC stayed ₹1.12 lakh crore GST show-cause notices to 50 online gaming firms (Jan 2024).
Transferred 27 writ petitions from nine High Courts to SC; includes Karnataka HC ruling quashing ₹21,000 crore notice on Gameskraft (online rummy not gambling).

3. REDRAWING THE NOT – SO – PRETTY ENERGY FOOTPRINT OF AI

SUBJECT: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT) consumes significant electricity due to high computational demands.
Projections: AI could account for a substantial share of global electricity consumption by 2030, worsening environmental issues.
Proposed Solution: Small Modular Reactors (SMRs):Smaller, flexible nuclear reactors; low carbon energy source for AI data centers.
SMR Benefits:Enhanced safety, passive systems, deployable in remote areas; decentralizes energy production.
Challenges: High energy use across AI lifecycle (hardware manufacturing, data centers).
SMR adoption hurdles: Public perception, waste management, regulatory gaps, high initial costs.

4. CASTE CENSUS PRESENTS BOTH CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

SUBJECT: SOCIAL ISSUES

First caste census since 1931; aims to enhance affirmative action through targeted data.
Legal Momentum: Supreme Court (2023):Allowed sub-categorisation within SCs/STs for equitable benefit distribution.
Justice G. Rohini Commission (2023):Examined OBC sub-categorisation; report completed but undisclosed.
Historical Context: SECC 2011:Identified 46 lakh+ caste names, mostly unstandardised.
Post-independence censuses only recorded SC/ST data; OBCs relied on estimates.
Challenges: Classification Issues: Difficulty distinguishing caste vs. sub-caste, clan vs. tribe; linguistic/regional variations.
No Central List: Lack of standardized caste lists; leads to inclusion/exclusion disputes (court petitions).
Representational Inequity: Dominant sub-groups within SC/ST/OBCs may exclude more marginalized sections.
Political Sensitivity: Fierce debates in states like Bihar, Karnataka, Telangana post-enumeration

5. HOME MINISTRY DIRECTS STATES TO CONDUCT CIVIL DEFENCE DRILLS

SUBJECT: NATIONAL

Union Home Ministry has directed States to conduct civil defence drills at the village level in 244 districts, focusing on preparedness for hostile attacks.
Drills include air-raid sirens,blackout measures, evacuation plans, and camouflaging vital installations.
States asked to clean and activate bunkers, particularly in border areas of Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab.
What is Civil Defence? Civil Defence refers to organized non-military efforts to protect citizens from military attacks or emergencies.
It includes training civilians,mock drills, sheltering mechanisms, public warning systems, and disaster response coordination.
Governed under the Civil Defence Act, 1968, updated post-2001 to include responses to natural and man-made disasters.
Background Context: Follows the Pahalgam terror attack(April 22) and increased Indo-Pakistan tensions.
India has closed Chenab dam ahead of schedule—a rare hydro-political step tied to the Indus Waters Treaty, signaling strategic posturing.