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Current Edge Daily Brief 10th September 2025
Quote of the Day
“The revolution is not an apple that falls when it is ripe. You have to make it fall.” – CHE GUEVARA
What the Others Say
“The young folks, or members of Gen Z, are gathering today at Maitighar Mandal in Kathmandu to say ‘enough is enough’. They will no more silently tolerate one after another injustice heaped upon them. The government would be foolish to take them lightly.” – THE KATHMANDU POST, NEPAL
Table of Contents
THE BIG PICTURE
- TH Frontpage: C. P. Radhakrishnan elected Vice-President (Sobhana K Nair)
- IE Explained: Nepal PM resigns: Apart from social media ban, what led to the ‘GenZ’ agitation (Yashee , Yubaraj Ghimire)
- TH Text & Context: Why was Indonesia rocked by protests? (Joan Sony Cherian)
NEWS IN SHORT
- Himachal declared ‘fully literate state’, achieves 99.30% literacy
The Big Picture
TH Frontpage: C. P. Radhakrishnan elected Vice-President
Syllabus: Pre/Mains – Polity
Why in News?
NDA nominee C.P. Radhakrishnan elected Vice-President of India, defeating Opposition candidate B. Sudershan Reddy by 152 first-preference votes.
Results & key numbers
- Votes (first preferences): Radhakrishnan 452 — Reddy 300.
- Margin: 152 votes.
- Electoral college full strength 788; reduced to 781 due to vacancies; 767 MPs voted.
- Ballots: 15 invalid; 14 abstentions; valid votes 752 (turnout ≈ 98.2%).
Cross-voting, claims & arithmetic
- Opposition short of its own estimate (≈324), suggesting defections/cross-voting.
- BJP claims at least 15 (some say ≈40) Opposition MPs voted for NDA candidate; Opposition rejects the scale of cross-voting.
- Some invalid votes possibly include ballots from dissenting MPs.
Reactions & immediate implications
- Radhakrishnan: called result a victory of “nationalistic ideology”; emphasised development and Viksit Bharat-2047.
- PM Modi and BJP leaders congratulated; BJP frames outcome as broader acceptance beyond party lines.
- Opposition: Congress thanked its candidate, called result a “moral” fight and warned against erosion of Opposition space; Jairam Ramesh highlighted 40% vote share for their candidate.
- Political read: signals limited Opposition unity/discipline, potential impact on parliamentary tone and state-level electoral arithmetic ahead.
Vice President Election 2025
Why in News?
C.P. Radhakrishnan elected Vice-President of India in the 2025 poll, defeating Opposition nominee B. Sudershan Reddy.
Office & constitutional powers
- Ex-officio Chairperson of Rajya Sabha.
- Acts as President on vacancy/absence/illness; enjoys full Presidential powers and emoluments while so acting.
- Ranks second in order of precedence.
Electoral college & voting method
- Composition: 233 elected Rajya Sabha members, 12 nominated Rajya Sabha members, 543 elected Lok Sabha members — total 788 (subject to vacancies).
- System: Proportional representation by single transferable vote; secret ballot.
- Ballot rules: First preference mandatory for validity; further preferences optional; preferences may be in Indian/roman numerals or recognised Indian languages.
- If an MP is elected Vice-President, seat in Parliament vacated on assuming office.
Eligibility, term & removal
- Eligibility: Indian citizen; minimum age 35; qualified for Council of States; must not hold an office of profit.
- Term: 5 years; continues until successor assumes office.
- Exit: Resignation to President; removal by Rajya Sabha resolution (majority of all then members) and agreement by Lok Sabha.
Disputes & legal finality
- Election disputes decided by Supreme Court; its decision final.
- Acts done before a voiding judgment remain valid
IE Explained: Nepal PM resigns: Apart from social media ban, what led to the ‘GenZ’ agitation
Syllabus: Pre/Mains – International Relations
Why in News?
Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli resigned after mass “Gen Z” street protests — sparked by a government ban on 26 social media platforms — that turned deadly and forced a political collapse.
Immediate trigger
- Government blocked 26 platforms (Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, X, YouTube etc.).
- Youth-organised rallies (mostly under 28) mobilised online → mass street turnout.
- Police crackdown on Monday’s rallies → at least 19 protesters killed, hundreds injured.
Deeper, simmering causes
- Chronic corruption allegations across senior leadership; culture of impunity.
- Limited quality job creation; large informal workforce; youth unemployment/under-opportunity (Unemployment 20%, Remittances 33% of GDP).
- Perceived nepotism/“Nepo Babies” — visible elite wealth + few new political faces.
- Social-media-enabled political rise of younger leaders → youth expectations of change.
Latest updates & immediate consequences
- Social-media ban withdrawn; major platforms restored.
- PM Oli resigned; Home Minister also quit on moral grounds.
- Protesters set fire to parliament and other political offices; Kathmandu airport affected / curfew imposed; army/police deployed.
- President called for dialogue; government announced probe / compensation measures amid demands for deeper political reform.
Bottom line
Social-media ban ignited a pre-existing youth anger — over corruption, jobs and elite privilege — producing a Gen-Z street movement that toppled the PM and left Nepal in acute political crisis.
TH Text & Context: Why was Indonesia rocked by protests?
Syllabus: Pre/Mains – International Relations
Why in News?
Nationwide protests erupted after parliamentarians’ large housing allowance sparked anger and then escalated into violent unrest when a police armoured vehicle ran over and killed 21-year-old delivery driver Affan Kurniawan on 28 Aug 2025.
How it started & escalated?
- 25 Aug 2025: student and labour protests outside Parliament over MPs’ perks, wages, education cuts.
- 28 Aug: killing of Affan during crowd dispersal; footage circulated, inflamed public outrage.
- Rapid spread to multiple cities: attacks on public buildings, arson/looting of officials’ houses (including Finance Minister’s residence).
Scale, casualties & detentions
- Arrested/detained: more than 3,000 nationwide.
- Deaths: around 10 reported (including Affan and several civilians).
- Missing/incommunicado: ~20 people reported missing in several cities.
- Injuries: hundreds, including police personnel; numerous campuses and offices disrupted.
Government response & key official actions
- President Prabowo: ordered “strongest possible action” against looting/rioting, said some actions bordered on “terrorism and treason.”
- Accountability steps: probe into Affan’s death, at least one officer fired/demoted; Parliament agreed to reduce housing allowance and suspend overseas visits for MPs.
- Cabinet change (latest): 5 ministers removed/replaced (including Finance Minister Sri Mulyani) in a reshuffle to calm unrest and stabilise markets.
- Rights watchdogs: called out mass detentions and urged investigations into excessive force.
Root causes that fuelled the anger
- Visible elite perks vs. precarious livelihoods for youth/gig workers.
- Recent fiscal austerity: large budget cuts to public works, education and investment; local tax hikes increasing living costs.
- High inequality and insecure, low-paid gig work (motorbike taxi/delivery drivers common).
- Pre-existing student movements earlier in 2025 over cuts, pointing to simmering discontent.
Immediate consequences & outlook
- Market and credit risk: stock and rupiah volatility; rating agencies warning on sovereign risk.
- Social ripple: international solidarity actions (food orders for drivers), sustained campus activism, nationwide security lockdowns.
- Near term: criminal prosecutions of some protesters, investigations into police violence, political recalibrations after cabinet reshuffle.
News in Short
Himachal declared ‘fully literate state’, achieves 99.30% literacy
Why in News?
- Himachal Pradesh was in the news because it has been declared a “fully literate state” after reaching a 99.30% literacy rate.
- Under the ULLAS (Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society) programme, a region qualifies as fully literate once at least 95% of people aged 15 + can read, write and handle basic numeracy.
- With this feat Himachal joins Tripura, Mizoram, Goa and Ladakh in the elite group of states/UTs that have crossed the full-literacy threshold.
- The state’s literacy has risen from just 7% in 1947 to 99.3% in 2025, a change driven by community volunteerism and sustained government campaigns
- Himachal also now ranks first in the country for its student-teacher ratio, illustrating the education infrastructure that supported the jump to full literacy.
About ULLAS (Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society) Programme
Programme Overview
- Centrally Sponsored Scheme launched by Ministry of Education for FY 2022-27 (5 years duration)
- Also known as Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram (New India Literacy Programme)
- Financial outlay: 1,037.90 crore (Central share: Rs. 700 crore, State share: Rs. 337.90 crore)
Target & Objective
- Target group: Adults aged 15 years and above who missed formal schooling opportunities
- Goal: Cover 5 crore learners (1 crore per year) across all states/UTs
- Focus on females and educationally backward states
Full Literacy Definition
- Literacy: Ability to read, write, and compute with comprehension plus critical life skills like digital and financial literacy
- Full Literacy: Achieving 95% literacy rate in a State/UT is considered equivalent to being fully literate
Programme Components
- Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN)
- Critical Life Skills (health, hygiene, nutrition, environment, gender equality)
- Basic Education (equivalent to Class 3, 5, or 8 level)
- Vocational Skills Development
- Continuing Education
Implementation Method
- Volunteer-based teaching through students, community members, and educators
- Uses schools as implementation units and community infrastructure
- Online Teaching, Learning and Assessment System (OTLAS) in collaboration with NIC, NCERT, and NIOS
Assessment & Certification
- FLNAT (Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Test) – 150-mark test
- Certification provided by National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS)
- 90% average pass rate nationally, with 1.03 crore people certified so far
