Kalam IAS Academy was founded by a team of committed individuals who believe that the traditional way of UPSC preparation needs to be changed.
Current Edge Daily Brief 25th October 2025
Quote of the Day
“A state in the grip of neo-colonialism is not master of its own destiny.” – KWAME NKRUMAH
What the Others Say
“Israeli control of the West Bank is the darkest curse hanging over the nation. Without efforts to establish a Palestinian state, Israel won’t recover from the calamities that have befallen it under the current government.” – HAARETZ, ISRAEL
Table of Contents
THE BIG PICTURE
- IE Explained: Story of Rani Chennamma, Kittur queen who stood up to the British
- IE Explained: The other massive pendency in Indian courts: Why it can take years to obtain ‘execution petitions’ (Vineet Bhalla)
- IE Explained: On countries becoming more debt-ridden, and why that has far-reaching consequences (Udit Misra)
NEWS IN SHORT
- Strong push for critical mineral extraction from recycling – Ministry of Mines (PIB)
- National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) releases ₹18.3 lakh to Biodiversity Management Committees in UP & Sikkim
The Big Picture
IE Explained: Story of Rani Chennamma, Kittur queen who stood up to the British
Syllabus: Pre/Mains – History, Art & Culture
Why in News?
✦ The annual festival Kittur Rani Chennamma Utsav begins (Oct 23, 2025) to honour her 1824 revolt against the East India Company.
Expanded Profile & Context
- Born: 23 Oct 1778 (some sources 14 Nov) in Kagati (present Belagavi district, Karnataka).
- Family: Lingayat merchant/desai background; trained in horse-riding, archery, sword-fighting from early age.
- Married at age ~15 to Raja Mallasarja of Kittur.
- Became Regent after husband’s death (1816) and young son’s death (1824). Adopted Shivalingappa as heir.
- British pressure: demand to accept Company rule & tribute; refusal triggered war.
The Revolt & Battles
- First clash: Oct 1824 – British official John Thackeray killed in Kittur on 23 Oct.
- Forces: British amassed ~20,000 men + 1,400 guns vs Kittur’s smaller army.
- Initial victory for Chennamma’s side; British retreated.
- Second assault: 3–4 Dec 1824, British captured Kittur Fort; Chennamma arrested.
- Imprisonment & death: Held at Bailhongal; died in 1829 (some sources say Feb 21).
Administration & Strategy
- Role: Actively administered Kittur as Queen-Regent, handled petitions to British authorities.
- Military tactics: Utilised local terrain, fort defences, and resolute leadership despite inferior weaponry.
- Succession issue: British rejection of adopted heir mirrored later Doctrine of Lapse.
Legacy & Cultural Impact
- Recognised as one of India’s earliest women leaders to lead armed resistance vs British.
- Memorials & namesakes:
- → Rani Chennamma Express (Bengaluru–Sangli) named after her.
→ Statues, fort museum at Kittur, anniversaries of revolt. - Symbolism:
→ Feminist icon – defied patriarchal norms.
→ Regional pride (Kannada, Lingayat community).
→ Inspiration for local self-governance & resistance movements. - In folklore: Many janapada songs/ballads immortalise her, often filling gaps in colonial records.
Test Your Knowledge 01
Q. Arrange the following events in the correct chronological order:
- Revolt of Rani Chennamma of Kittur
- Revolt of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi
- Revolt of Velu Nachiyar of Sivaganga
- Revolt of Begum Hazrat Mahal of Awadh
Select the correct code:
(a) 3 → 1 → 2 → 4
(b) 1 → 3 → 2 → 4
(c) 3 → 2 → 1 → 4
(d) 1 → 2 → 3 → 4
Hint: Velu Nachiyar (1780s) → Chennamma (1824) → Lakshmibai (1857) → Hazrat Mahal (1857).
IE Explained: The other massive pendency in Indian courts: Why it can take years to obtain ‘execution petitions’
Syllabus: Pre/Mains – Polity & Governance
Why in News?
→ SC (Oct 16, 2025) flagged alarming pendency of 8.82 lakh execution petitions in district courts; termed delay a “travesty of justice.”
What is an Execution Petition?
What is an Execution Petition?- Final stage of civil case → enforcement of decree (money, property, rights)
- Tool to “reap fruits of decree” → ensures judgment implemented
- Filed by decree-holder → against judgment-debtor for compliance
Scale of Pendency
Scale of Pendency- 8.82 lakh pending execution petitions across India (as per SC data)
- Avg civil suit: 4.91 yrs → Execution adds ≈ 3.97 yrs (NJDG data)
- 47.2% filed before 2020 → long-term backlog
- Highest pendency: Bombay HC (3.4L) → Madras (86k) → Kerala (83k)
Causes of Delay
Causes of Delay- Counsel unavailability → 38.9% cases
- Court stay orders → 17%
- Awaiting documents → 12%
- Procedural delays → repeated notices, objections under CPC
- Poor case-type data → hinders targeted reforms
- Regional disparities → e.g., Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu ↑ due to high commercial load
- Judicial infrastructure & staffing gaps
SC’s Interventions
- 2021 (CJI SA Bobde bench) → 14 directions + 6-month disposal target
- Mar 2025 (Pardiwala–Mithal bench) → Pan-India monitoring order → data collection by all HCs
- Quoted 1998 case: litigant “passes same terrain again” post-judgment
- Aim → systemic accountability + timely execution
Findings from SC Review (Oct 2025)
Findings from SC Review (Oct 2025)- 3.38L petitions disposed post-March order → pendency still 8.82L
- Detailed HC-wise pendency list → Bombay, Madras, Kerala top backlog
- Karnataka HC pulled up → failure to submit data
What Next
What Next- SC → granted 6 more months to all HCs for expedited disposal
- Registrar General (Karnataka HC) to explain non-compliance (2 weeks)
- Next review: April 10, 2026 → SC to monitor progress.
Test Your Knowledge 02
Q. Under the Civil Procedure Code (CPC), the execution petition primarily relates to:
(a) Filing a new civil case after appeal disposal
(b) Enforcement of a decree passed by a civil court
(c) Review of an earlier court judgment
(d) Transfer of a case from one court to anothee
Hint: Enforcement of a decree passed by a civil court
IE Explained: On countries becoming more debt-ridden, and why that has far-reaching consequences
Syllabus: Pre/Mains – Economy
Why in News?
→ IMF Fiscal Monitor (Oct 2025) warns: 
global public debt ↑ → projected >100% of GDP by 2029 (↑ from 93% in 2024) → highest since 1948 (post-WWII rebuild).
Global Debt Scenario: IMF Fiscal Monitor
- Global avg debt → 93% (2024) → 100%+ by 2029 (IMF)
- Advanced economies → avg 112% of GDP; Japan 230%, US 123%, Italy 137%
- Emerging markets → avg 69%; India ≈ 81%, Brazil 88%, China 84%
- Low-income nations → avg 50–55%, but 40% already in debt distress (World Bank)
- Fiscal divergence → ageing, welfare states, slow growth in AEs → structural ↑ in debt ratios
230%, US 
123%, Italy 
137%
≈ 81%, Brazil 
88%, China 
84%
Causes of Rising Debt
- Persistent fiscal deficits → global avg ≈ 5.3% of GDP (IMF 2024)
- ↑ Defence outlays → NATO target 2% GDP; US defence spend $850B (↑10%)
- Climate finance → $4T/year needed by 2030 (IEA) → govt-led funding ↑
- AI & automation → job disruption → ↑ reskilling + social safety nets (OECD)
- Pandemic legacy → avg debt ↑ by 9% of GDP (2020–23) due to stimulus
- Ageing societies → OECD pension outlays projected ↑ by 2.5% of GDP (2030)
- Political cycle → populist spending (subsidies, farm waivers, wage hikes) → fiscal slippage
Cost of Debt & Interest Rate Shift
- Global avg govt bond yields → ↑ from 1.5% (2019) → ~4% (2025)
- US 10-yr Treasury → 4.7% (2025) vs 0.6% (2020)
- EU avg borrowing cost → tripled since 2021 (ECB data)
- Roll-over dependency → >60% of global debt short-term refinanced (IMF)
- Interest payments → now ~10% of govt revenue (vs 6% pre-COVID)
- India’s interest outgo → ₹11.9 lakh crore (2025–26 BE) → 39% of revenue receipts
Consequences & Risks
- Fiscal rigidity → limited room for stimulus during shocks (e.g. pandemic, wars)
- ↑ taxpayer burden → VAT hikes (UK, Japan), subsidy cuts (Argentina, Egypt)
- ↓ dev. expenditure → infrastructure & health squeezed
- Credit downgrades → e.g. Fitch downgraded US (2023), Italy (2024)
- Financial stability risk → high debt → market volatility (UK gilt crisis 2022)
- IMF warning → “Unsustainable path → threatens global fiscal & monetary stability”
Way Forward
- IMF urges fiscal consolidation → target: ↓ debt-to-GDP by 1% annually (avg)
- Structural reforms → broaden tax base (GST digitalisation, property tax), rationalise subsidies
- Green & digital growth → diversify revenue, ↓ carbon debt load
- Emerging economies → improve debt transparency & domestic bond markets
- Lesson → Fiscal prudence + medium-term frameworks = key to stability amid high-rate era.
Test Your Knowledge 03
Q. Consider the following statements:
- Advanced Economies (AEs) on average have a lower debt-to-GDP ratio than Emerging Market Economies (EMEs).
- Low-Income Developing Countries (LIDCs) have the lowest debt ratios but highest debt distress risk.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Hint: AEs have higher debt ratios (~112%), but LIDCs face distress due to low revenue base & weak currencies.
News in Short
Strong push for critical mineral extraction from recycling – Ministry of Mines (PIB)
Why in News?
→Govt launched ₹1,500 cr incentive scheme under National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) to promote extraction of critical minerals from recycled sources like e-waste & spent batteries.
Critical Minerals & India’s Recycling Push
- Critical minerals = key for EVs, renewables, electronics, defence (e.g., Li, Co, Ni, graphite, REEs).
- India identified 30 critical minerals (2023); import-dependence > 90 % for Li, Co, Ni.
- India generated ~1.75 Mt e-waste (2023); spent Li-ion battery waste ~60 kt /yr → huge recycling potential.
- Recycling = low-carbon, resource-efficient alternative to virgin mining; aids Atmanirbhar Bharat & Circular Economy Mission.
⚙️ Incentive Scheme – Features & Implementation
- Cabinet approval: Sept 2025 → Scheme operational Oct 2025 under NCMM.
- Outlay ₹1,500 cr (FY 2025-26 → 2029-30).
- Target → Extract ~40 kt critical minerals (Li, Co, Ni, REE) from secondary sources.
- Incentives up to ₹50 cr (large), ₹25 cr (SMEs) → for actual mineral recovery (not mere black-mass).
- Feedstock: e-waste, spent Li-ion batteries, catalytic converters, end-of-life vehicles.
- Customs duty ✦ removed on imported battery scrap (Budget 2025-26).
- Preference to recyclers using hydro/ pyrometallurgical tech → purity > 95 %.
- Applications opened 2 Oct 2025 via Ministry of Mines portal.
National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) releases ₹18.3 lakh to Biodiversity Management Committees in UP & Sikkim
Why in News?
→National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) disbursed ₹18.3 lakh as Access & Benefit Sharing (ABS) funds to local BMCs in Uttar Pradesh & Sikkim under Biological Diversity Act 2002.
🪴 Key Facts & Context
- Recipients: Narrau Village BMC (Aligarh, UP) & Lampokhari Lake BMC (Aritar, Sikkim).
- Funds = benefit-sharing by companies accessing biological resources:
- Narrau → used crop biomass for bio-compound R&D.
- Lampokhari → used local microorganisms from soil/water for research.
- Released via respective State Biodiversity Boards → direct credit to BMC accounts.
- Amount marks real transfer of ABS benefits to local custodians of biodiversity.
About National Biodiversity Authority (NBA)
- Statutory body under Biological Diversity Act, 2002 → set up in 2003, HQ: Chennai, under MoEFCC.
- Regulates access to biological resources & associated traditional knowledge → ensures fair & equitable benefit sharing (ABS).
- Grants approvals to foreigners/companies for bio-resource use & oversees transfer of research results abroad.
- Supervises State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) & Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) → implements 3-tier biodiversity governance.
- Advises GoI on biodiversity conservation, sustainable use, & policy; maintains National Biodiversity Register.
- Nodal body for implementing Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) & Nagoya Protocol (2010) in India.
- Current focus → strengthen ABS compliance, expand Biodiversity Heritage Sites, & digitize PBRs under Mission LiFE.
