24 April 2025 : Daily Current Affairs

1. India Suspends Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan

(Source – Front Page + Pages 4, 12, 13 & 16; Editorial on Page 8)

Indus Waters Treaty (IWT): Overview

Background

• Signed in 1960 between India and Pakistan, brokered by the World Bank.
• Aimed at cooperative sharing of the Indus River system waters.

Key Features

• Divides the Indus River system (6 rivers) into:
  • Eastern Rivers: Ravi, Beas, Sutlej – allocated to India
  • Western Rivers: Indus, Jhelum, Chenab – allocated to Pakistan, with India having limited non-consumptive rights (e.g., for hydropower, navigation, agriculture within limits).
• Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) set up for dispute resolution and information exchange.
• Regarded as one of the most successful water-sharing agreements despite wars and tensions.

Recent Development (April 2025)

India Suspends the IWT

• Decision taken after Pahalgam terror attack (26 civilians killed).
• CCS chaired by PM Modi announced suspension with immediate effect.
• India demands Pakistan “credibly and irrevocably” ends support to terrorism before treaty restoration.

Implications of IWT Suspension

1. Geopolitical Impact

• First-ever suspension since 1960; sets a new strategic precedent in India’s Pakistan policy.
• May invite international scrutiny or mediation attempts, especially from World Bank and UN.
• Could push Pakistan closer to China or OIC bloc for diplomatic backing.

2. Strategic and Security Ramifications

• Water as a lever of pressure: suspending flows of western rivers could impact Pakistan’s agriculture and economy.
• Signifies assertive diplomatic signalling, aligning water use with national security concerns.
• May escalate tensions in already volatile border areas or LOC.

3. Legal and Treaty-Based Challenges

• India may face questions over treaty violation, since IWT does not contain explicit exit/suspension clauses.
• Suspension could weaken India’s global image as a rules-based power.
• Sets a precedent for future treaty abrogations by other countries under political pretexts.

4. Environmental and Technical Complexities

• Blocking western rivers not easy due to geographical and infrastructural limitations.
• Requires storage, diversion structures, or dam-building which are capital-intensive and time-consuming.
• Risk of flooding upstream in India or legal retaliation via international water bodies.

5. Bilateral Relations

• Further deterioration in India-Pakistan relations, halting backchannel or Track-II diplomacy.
• Could impact regional cooperation under SAARC, and exacerbate cross-border hostility.

Way Forward

• India may use this as a temporary strategic pause, not full abrogation.
• Need for building hydrological infrastructure to utilize its full share under IWT.
• May spark reforms in IWT architecture to allow for conditionality based on security concerns.
• Simultaneously, India must balance national interest with humanitarian and international obligations.

2. Supreme Court to Tamil Nadu Minister: Choose Between Post and Freedom

(Source – The Hindu, International Edition – Page 1 & 12)

Separation of Powers – Key Pointers

• Origin: Montesquieu’s theory — division of power into Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary.
• Purpose: Prevent concentration of power, ensure checks and balances, uphold liberty.
• In Indian Constitution:
  • Not explicitly stated, but implied through structure.
  • Article 50: Directive Principle — Separation of Judiciary from Executive.
  • Articles 121/211 & 122/212: Mutual non-interference clauses.
  • Judicial Review: Empowered Judiciary under Articles 32 & 226.
• Functional Overlap:
  • Executive part of Legislature.
  • Ordinance-making by Executive (Art 123).
  • Judiciary strikes down unconstitutional laws.
• Judicial Landmark:
  • Kesavananda Bharati Case (1973): Separation of Powers is Basic Structure.
  • Minerva Mills (1980) & Indira Gandhi v. Raj Narain (1975): Affirm balance and restraint.
• Challenges:
  • Judicial overreach (activism).
  • Excessive ordinance route by Executive.
  • Legislative abdication in policymaking.
• Way Forward:
  • Respect institutional boundaries.
  • Promote cooperative constitutionalism.
  • Ensure accountability of each organ.

3. India Suspends Indus Waters Treaty After Pahalgam Attack, Marking Historic Shift in Indo-Pak Relations

(Source – Indian Express, Section – Explained, Page – 19)

Analysis of the news:                                      

Understanding the Indus Waters Treaty

• Signed in 1960 with World Bank mediation, the IWT allocates use of the Indus river system between India and Pakistan.
• India has rights over the eastern rivers (Beas, Ravi, Sutlej), while Pakistan controls the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab), which carry 70% of the water.
• India is obligated to let the western rivers flow unimpeded to Pakistan.

First-Ever Suspension of the Treaty

• Though the IWT has withstood wars and past terror attacks, this is the first time India has formally suspended the treaty.
• India had earlier signaled intentions to renegotiate it, citing evolving geopolitical, environmental, and developmental concerns, especially as Pakistan repeatedly objected to Indian hydropower projects in Jammu & Kashmir.

Implications for Pakistan

• The treaty has no exit clause, and suspension leaves Pakistan with limited legal options.
• While the IWT includes a dispute resolution mechanism, it becomes ineffective if India no longer abides by the treaty.
• With ICJ jurisdiction blocked by India’s reservations, Pakistan may lack a peaceful or legal path to enforce compliance.

Strategic Gains for India

• Suspending the treaty opens up strategic options for India: it can stop sharing hydrological data, restrict Pakistani inspections of project sites, and pursue previously constrained infrastructure projects such as water storage on the western rivers.
• However, immediate gains are limited due to India’s current infrastructural limitations.

Long-Term Impact and Geopolitical Calculus

• While the suspension won’t immediately alter water flows, it significantly raises the stakes in Indo-Pak ties.
• It signals India’s willingness to leverage water as a strategic tool in response to terrorism, marking a new chapter in an already fragile bilateral relationship.

4. Prime Minister’s Visit to Bihar on National Panchayati Raj Day

(Source – PIB 24^th April 2025 )

3 Key Programs of PM

• PM to participate in programme marking National Panchayati Raj Day in Madhubani,Bihar
• PM to inaugurate, lay the foundation stone and dedicate to the nation multiple development projects worth over Rs 13,480 crore in Bihar.
• PM to flag off Amrit Bharat express and Namo Bharat Rapid rail in Bihar.

About Panchayati Raj

Established in 1992, the 73rd Constitutional Amendment gave constitutional status to Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), making them the third tier of governance with Article 243 to 243O and the 11th Schedule listing 29 subjects for decentralized governance.

Three-Tier System with Devolution

1. PRIs operate through a three-tier structure: Gram Panchayat (village), Panchayat Samiti (block), and Zila Parishad (district). States must devolve powers related to planning, implementation, and resource management for effective local governance.

•  Inclusive Representation and Democratic Participation

PRIs ensure democratic decentralization through direct elections, with mandatory reservations for SCs, STs, and women (33%), promoting grassroots leadership and social equity.

• Fiscal Decentralization and Local Accountability

Institutions like the State Finance Commission (243I) and State Election Commission (243K) strengthen PRIs by recommending fund devolution and ensuring timely elections, fostering financial and functional autonomy.

• Challenges and Way Forward

PRIs face issues like lack of funds, poor capacity-building, limited autonomy, and state interference. Strengthening fiscal transfers, digital governance, and training can make PRIs engines of rural development and participatory democracy.

Prelims Facts

1. India’s Rivers Threatened by Rampant Antibiotic Pollution, Posing Major Health and Environmental Risks

(Source – Indian Express, Section – Explained , Page – 19)

Analysis of the news:            

Root Causes: Incomplete Metabolism and Poor Treatment

• Antibiotics, essential for treating bacterial infections, are not fully metabolized by the human body and are poorly removed by standard wastewater treatment plants.
• As a result, they enter river systems, contributing to antibiotic accumulation and environmental exposure.

Public Health Impact

• An estimated 315 million Indians could be at risk due to antibiotic-polluted rivers.
• The study, which surveyed 21 antibiotics across 877 global river locations, emphasizes the scale of potential health hazards, particularly antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Need for Better Wastewater Management

• The findings underscore the urgent need for robust wastewater management systems in India.
• Current infrastructure lacks the capacity to effectively filter out antibiotic residues, necessitating upgrades and the adoption of advanced treatment technologies.

Policy and Regulatory Gaps

• The research calls for stricter regulations on antibiotic use, especially in high-risk zones.
• Easy access to antibiotics without prescription, combined with preventive misuse, exacerbates pollution levels.
• Revised guidelines should target both healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors.

Rising Antibiotic Consumption

• The misuse of antibiotics is a growing concern, with global human antibiotic use rising by 65% from 2000 to 2015.
• Unchecked consumption, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, intensifies the risk of antibiotic resistance and environmental degradation.

check more – 23 April 2025 : Daily Current Affairs