1. Farmer Suicides and Agrarian Distress in NCRB Report
SUBJECT: National Issues
- The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) 2023 report, released on October 1, 2025, documented over 10,700 suicides among farmers and agricultural workers, with Maharashtra reporting the highest at 4,248 cases, highlighting chronic debt, crop failures, and climate impacts affecting India’s rural economy.
- Karnataka recorded 3,000 farmer suicides, while states like Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu showed rates of 8.6%, 7.2%, and 5.9% respectively, underscoring regional disparities in agricultural support systems.
- Notably, West Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha reported zero cases, raising concerns about data underreporting and the need for standardized national surveillance to address hidden vulnerabilities in agrarian communities.
- Cultivators accounted for 4,690 suicides (predominantly male), and agricultural laborers for 6,096, emphasizing the plight of landless workers amid stagnant incomes and inadequate insurance coverage.
- The government responded by announcing expansions to the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) to cover 5 crore more farmers by 2026, focusing on premium subsidies in high-risk districts like those in Tamil Nadu’s delta regions.
- In Tamil Nadu, the report prompted the state to allocate ₹500 crore for distress relief, including debt waivers for smallholders in Thanjavur and Nagapattinam, aligning with Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam for family support.
- Concepts: Article 21 – Protects right to life and livelihood, framing farmer suicides as a human rights crisis; Article 48 – Directs state policy towards modernizing agriculture to ensure economic viability and social justice.
2. Supreme Court Verdict on Tamil Nadu Governor’s Bill Assent Delays
SUBJECT: Polity
- The Supreme Court, in a ruling on October 3, 2025, rebuked Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi for undue delays in assenting to 10 state bills under Article 200, deeming it an overreach that undermines federal structure and state legislative autonomy.
- The verdict mandates Governors to process bills within three months, invoking constitutional morality to prevent partisan interference, and directs immediate clearance of pending legislations on education and land reforms in Tamil Nadu.
- Chief Minister M.K. Stalin termed the judgment a triumph for cooperative federalism, accusing the Centre of weaponizing Raj Bhavan against opposition-led states, with implications for similar disputes in Kerala and West Bengal.
- The case originated from petitions challenging the Governor’s referral of bills to the President, highlighting tensions in Centre-state relations and the judiciary’s role as a federal arbiter.
- In Tamil Nadu, the ruling accelerates implementation of bills on university vice-chancellor appointments and women’s reservation, bolstering the DMK government’s agenda ahead of 2026 assembly elections.
- The decision also addresses broader ECI announcements for eight assembly bypolls alongside Bihar elections, ensuring uniform electoral oversight without gubernatorial vetoes.
- Concepts: Article 200 – Outlines Governor’s powers on state bills, emphasizing timely assent over discretionary delays; Doctrine of Constitutional Morality – Ensures executive actions align with egalitarian and federal values.
3. India-Russia Strategic Partnership Reaffirmed on Putin’s Birthday
SUBJECT: International
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended birthday greetings to Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 7, 2025, reaffirming the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership, with focus on deepening defense co-production and energy supplies amid global geopolitical shifts.
- The call emphasized BRICS expansion and joint ventures like S-400 deliveries, positioning India as a counterbalance to Western sanctions while advancing the India-Russia-UAE economic corridor for Eurasian connectivity.
- India also urged Bangladesh for expeditious free elections in bilateral talks, stressing South Asian democratic stability and minority safeguards post-Interim government’s formation.
- An Indian parliamentary delegation, led by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, attended the 68th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Barbados, advocating for climate finance reforms and decolonization agendas for small island states.
- External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar highlighted India’s strategic autonomy at a QUAD meeting, navigating US-China rivalries through enhanced maritime security pacts in the Indo-Pacific.
- The engagements align with the India-EFTA TEPA’s entry into force on October 1, 2025, projecting $100 billion investments and 1 million jobs via tariff concessions on 82.7% of EFTA goods.
- Concepts: Article 51 – Promotes international peace through bilateral and multilateral diplomacy; Panchsheel Principles – Underpin non-aligned ties with Russia, balancing QUAD commitments and Commonwealth reforms.
4. India’s GDP Growth Moderates Amid Private Sector Surge
SUBJECT: Economy
- India’s Q2 FY 2025-26 GDP growth eased to 6.5% from 7.1% in the previous quarter, per RBI data released on October 1, 2025, attributed to manufacturing slowdowns and global trade barriers, though services exports provided resilience.
- Private sector project announcements reached a 15-year high of ₹12 lakh crore in H1 FY 2025-26, propelled by green energy and infrastructure outlays, offsetting moderated government capex for fiscal prudence under FRBM targets.
- The UN downgraded India’s 2025 growth forecast to 6.3% from 6.8%, citing robust domestic consumption but risks from US tariffs impacting 20% of bilateral trade volumes.
- In Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin secured ₹75,000 crore commitments in aerospace and defense at AeroDefCon’25 in Chennai, targeting 50,000 jobs by 2032 in manufacturing clusters like Hosur.
- Union Minister Piyush Goyal launched UPI services at Lulu Mall in Doha, Qatar, on October 7, 2025, enabling instant remittances for 3 million Indian expatriates and amplifying fintech exports to the Gulf.
- The RBI hinted at cryptocurrency policy evolution, preparing stablecoin frameworks for UPI integration to attract $50 billion in digital inflows while curbing volatility.
- Concepts: Article 266 – Regulates Consolidated Fund for balanced fiscal management in growth moderation; Atmanirbhar Bharat – Drives self-reliance via private investments and UPI’s global expansion.
5. Mission Sudarshan Chakra Advances Multilayered Air Defence Shield
SUBJECT: Defence
- Mission Sudarshan Chakra progressed with DRDO unveiling indigenous prototypes on October 7, 2025, targeting a nationwide multilayered air defence system by 2035 to intercept drones, missiles, and hypersonic threats using integrated radars.
- The initiative incorporates Akashteer command systems and Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missiles (QRSAM), achieving 90% indigenization under DAP 2020 to enhance Army and Air Force interoperability.
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the project at DefConnect 4.0, emphasizing private sector R&D with over 100 startups contributing AI-driven surveillance for multi-domain warfare.
- Exercise Konkan 2025, a bilateral naval drill with the UK, commenced off the western coast, focusing on anti-submarine tactics and joint maneuvers to secure Indian Ocean sea lanes.
- In Tamil Nadu, the Defence Industrial Corridor attracted ₹10,000 crore for UAV and satellite tech at AeroDefCon’25, positioning Coimbatore as a hub for 15,000 jobs in indigenous defence production.
- INS Sahyadri’s port call at Kemaman, Malaysia, bolstered maritime ties, enabling joint patrols in the Malacca Strait amid rising Indo-Pacific tensions.
- Concepts: Article 355 – Imposes Union’s duty to defend states from external aggression, central to air defence expansions; Make in India – Fosters strategic autonomy through Sudarshan Chakra’s indigenous integrations.
