DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 23rd August – 2025

Category: POLITY

Context:  Dal Lake in Srinagar hosted the first-ever Khelo India Water Sports Festival (KIWSF)

Over 400 athletes from across India competed for 24 gold medals in Olympic-class events like rowing, canoeing, and kayaking. Demonstration sports such as water skiing, dragon boat racing, and shikara sprints showcased both modern and local traditions.

The event, featuring Olympians like Arjun Lal Jat, aimed at talent identification for future Olympics and strengthening India’s water sports ecosystem. Organized by the Sports Authority of India and the Jammu & Kashmir Sports Council, it also promoted tourism by positioning J&K as a hub for winter and water sports. With nearly equal male and female participation and strong representation from states like Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Odisha, and Kerala, the festival set a new benchmark for India’s aquatic sports ambitions.

Learning Corner:

Dal Lake is a famous urban lake located in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, often called the “Jewel of Srinagar.” It is the second-largest lake in the Union Territory and is renowned for its houseboats, shikaras (traditional boats), and floating gardens.

• Geography: Spread over nearly 22 sq. km, the lake is fed by several mountain streams and is connected to other water bodies through canals.
• Tourism: It is one of India’s most iconic tourist attractions, offering houseboat stays, shikara rides, and views of the surrounding Himalayas.
• Economy: Supports livelihoods through fishing, tourism, and horticulture (floating vegetable gardens).
• Culture: Has deep cultural and historical significance, often featured in Kashmiri art, poetry, and films.
• Sports & Events: Recently transformed into a venue for water sports, including the Khelo India Water Sports Festival 2025, boosting its profile as a sports and adventure destination.

Source: THE HINDU

Category: INTERNATIONAL

Context : Iran launched its first naval drill since the June 2025 war with Israel

Conducted by Iran’s regular navy, the exercise showcased its strength after the 12-day conflict with Israel that damaged much of its air defence and missile infrastructure.

The drill featured frigates IRIS Sabalan and IRIS Ganaveh firing Nasir and Qadir cruise missiles, supported by coastal batteries, drones, electronic warfare units, and subsurface forces. Unlike other branches, Iran’s navy had escaped major losses during the war.

The exercise, following recent Iran-Russia naval drills, was aimed at signaling resilience, reassuring domestic audiences, and warning adversaries like the US and Israel of Iran’s readiness for retaliation, especially amid tensions over its suspended nuclear cooperation and the threat of renewed UN sanctions.

Source:  THE HINDU

Category: CULTURE

Context: Uttar Pradesh, are set to return to their original site after a high-profile repatriation from Hong Kong in July 2025.

The Piprahwa gems, sacred relics linked to Lord Buddha and discovered in 1898 at the Piprahwa stupa in Uttar Pradesh, were repatriated from Hong Kong to India in July 2025. These treasures include bone fragments, gem-inlaid reliquaries, gold ornaments, and ritual offerings enshrined by the Buddha’s Sakya clan.

Once held by the Peppé family after colonial excavations, around 300 gem-encrusted artefacts resurfaced for auction in Hong Kong with an estimated value of $13 million before the Government of India intervened to secure their permanent return. The relics were ceremonially welcomed back, with plans to place them on public display at Piprahwa, Siddharthnagar.

This repatriation is seen as a landmark in heritage diplomacy, marking the restitution of one of India’s most precious Buddhist treasures once thought lost to private collections.

Learning Corner:

Piprahwa Gems are sacred Buddhist relics discovered in 1898 at the Piprahwa stupa in Siddharthnagar, Uttar Pradesh. They include bone fragments, gem-studded reliquaries, gold ornaments, and ritual offerings, believed to have been enshrined by the Sakya clan of Lord Buddha.

• Discovery: Unearthed by British civil officer W.C. Peppé during colonial-era excavations.
• Significance: Considered among the earliest archaeological evidence directly linked to Lord Buddha and his relics.
• Heritage Journey: While most relics were deposited in the Indian Museum, Kolkata in 1899, some gems remained with the Peppé family and later surfaced in international auctions.

Important Buddhist Relics in India

• Vaishali (Bihar):
  • Excavations uncovered a relic casket of Buddha from a stupa, associated with the second Buddhist Council.
• Rajgir (Bihar):
  • Relics related to King Bimbisara and association with Buddha’s preaching.
• Sarnath (Uttar Pradesh):
  • Famous Dhamek Stupa and Ashokan pillar, with relic caskets in surrounding stupas.
• Kapilvastu & Kushinagar (U.P.):
  • Kushinagar – Buddha’s Mahaparinirvana site; stupas here yielded relic caskets of Buddha’s ashes.
  • Piprahwa linked to distribution of relics among Shakyas.
• Sanchi (Madhya Pradesh):
  • Stupas housed relics of Buddha’s chief disciples, Sariputta and Mahamoggallana.
  • These relics were taken to England during colonial times, but later returned to India.
• Bodh Gaya (Bihar):
  • No physical relics of Buddha’s body but the Mahabodhi Temple is central as the site of Enlightenment.

Source: THE INDIAN EXPRESS

Category: HISTORY

Context: Static question. Can be directly asked in prelims

The Great Calcutta Killing (August 16–19, 1946), triggered by the Muslim League’s call for Direct Action Day, witnessed one of the deadliest communal riots in India’s history, with 5,000–10,000 people killed. The violence between Hindus and Muslims engulfed Calcutta, marked by rioting, arson, and brutal reprisals.

The violence exposed the deepening divide between communities, worsened by political tensions between the Muslim League and the Congress over Partition.

Chief Minister H.S. Suhrawardy was widely blamed for failing to control the situation, as Calcutta effectively split along religious lines—a grim preview of the Partition bloodshed in 1947. 

Learning Corner:

Direct Action Day (16 August 1946)

• Background:
  • Post–World War II, Britain prepared to leave India but Hindu–Muslim tensions escalated.
  • The Cabinet Mission Plan (1946) had failed, particularly due to disagreement over grouping of provinces.
  • The Muslim League, led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, demanded a separate Pakistan.
• The Call:
  • Jinnah announced 16 August 1946 as “Direct Action Day” to press for Pakistan.
  • The League urged Muslims to demonstrate peacefully, but communal propaganda sharpened divides.
• Events:
  • The day sparked the Great Calcutta Killings (16–19 August 1946).
  • Riots left around 4,000 dead and thousands injured/displaced.
  • Violence spread to Noakhali (Bengal), Bihar, Punjab, and United Provinces in the following months.

Source: THE INDIAN EXPRESS

Category: INTERNATIONAL

Context: India has been elected as the Chairman of the Executive Board of the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD).

India secured the highest votes, regaining the position last held in 2016, and currently also holds the Presidency of the AIBD General Conference until August 2025.

The chairmanship enhances India’s role in shaping global media cooperation, digital adoption, public service broadcasting, and cross-border collaboration. Shri Gaurav Dwivedi, CEO of Prasar Bharati and President of the AIBD General Conference, emphasized India’s commitment to the theme “Media for People, Peace & Prosperity.”

Learning Corner:

Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD)

• Establishment: 1977 under the auspices of UNESCO.
• Headquarters: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
• Membership: 92 members from 45 countries spanning Asia-Pacific, Europe, Africa, Arab States, and North America.
• Nature: An intergovernmental organization focusing on broadcasting, media development, and capacity building.
• Objectives:
  • Promote regional cooperation in broadcasting and media.
  • Enhance public service broadcasting and digital adoption.
  • Provide training, workshops, and policy support for media professionals.
  • Facilitate cross-border cooperation to promote peace, development, and prosperity.
• India’s Role:
  • Founding member of AIBD.
  • Held Chairmanship of the Executive Board in 2016 and 2025.
  • Currently (2025) also holds the Presidency of the General Conference.

Source: PIB

Introduction (Context)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is slowly entering judicial processes across the world.

In India, the Kerala High Court (July 2025) became the first to release a formal policy on AI use in district judiciary.

With over 5 crore pending cases, AI promises faster translations, transcription, defect identification in filings, and legal research. However, risks of errors, hallucinations, bias, and ethical dilemmas necessitate strong regulatory guardrails.

Key Issues with AI Use in Courts

Errors in Translation and Transcription

• Legal proceedings depend on precise language. Even small errors can alter the meaning.
• Example:

• • Supreme Court judge reported “leave granted” wrongly translated as “chhutti sweekaar” (holiday approved).
  • In Noel Anthony Clarke vs Guardian News & Media Ltd. (2025) claimant’s name “Noel” repeatedly transcribed as “no.”
  • OpenAI’s Whisper, an AI-powered speech recognition system, was reported to occasionally make up or “hallucinate” entire phrases and sentences, especially when people spoke with longer pauses between their words.

• Misinterpretations could weaken judgments, appeals, or public trust in the judiciary.

Bias in AI-driven Legal Research

• AI-based legal research tools, like search engines, don’t always give neutral results. 
• They can push users toward cases or documents that match their past search patterns, while hiding other important precedents that may actually be more relevant.
• Example:

• • A study in the Journal of Empirical Legal Studies showed that some legal Large Language Models (LLMs) can even invent fake case laws or cite wrong legal sources to back up their answers. 

• This means lawyers or judges using such tools might unknowingly rely on incorrect information, which can affect the fairness of legal decisions.

Structural Concerns

• There is a risk that AI may reduce court decisions to simple rule-based outputs, ignoring the human judgment, context, and importance of precedents that are vital in judicial decision-making.
• Currently, some AI tools are being tested in courts for limited purposes like transcribing oral arguments or recording witness statements, however, they lack frameworks for data use, privacy, and sustainability.

Inadequate risk management

• Court tenders show that while AI adoption is cautious, risk management frameworks for ethical and legal issues are often missing.
• Human checks by retired judges, advocates, translators exist, but they cannot fully prevent mistakes since AI may err in new contexts.
• Hallucinations in LLMs are inherent, making AI outputs unreliable at times. Therefore, constant human oversight is essential, especially in sensitive judicial processes.

Way forward

• Judges, lawyers, and court staff need training not only in how to use AI tools but also in understanding their limitations and risks.
• Judicial academies and bar associations, with help from AI experts, should design capacity-building programmes.
• Clear rules are needed for using generative AI in research and judgment writing.
• Litigants and lawyers should be informed if AI is used in their case or courtroom.
• Courts should consider allowing litigants to opt out of AI processes if they have concerns about safeguards or oversight
• Before adopting AI tools, courts must check their reliability, suitability, and explainability
• Pre-procurement assessments should identify whether AI is the right solution for the specific problem and should also address data security, accountability, and risk management.

Conclusion

AI adoption in courts is inevitable and can bring efficiency in translation, transcription, and research.

But risks of errors, hallucinations, bias, and loss of judicial discretion make clear guardrails essential.

A balanced approach involving AI literacy, transparency, litigant rights, procurement safeguards, and institutional guidance is necessary. The ultimate purpose of AI in courts must remain to strengthen justice delivery and not undermine human-centered adjudication.

Mains Practice Question

Q The use of Artificial Intelligence in Indian courts raises hopes for efficiency but also concerns about fairness, bias, and accountability. Critically examine. (250 words, 15 marks)

Source: Set the guardrails for AI use in courtrooms – The Hindu

Introduction (Context)

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, emphasizes holistic development.

To operationalize this vision, the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) was released which is shifting the very meaning of education from content delivery to meaningful learning.

What is NEP 2020?

• It is a comprehensive education reform policy approved in July 2020.
• Key features:

• • 5+3+3+4 structure (instead of 10+2).
  • Focus on foundational literacy & numeracy.
  • Multilingual education with emphasis on mother tongue.
  • Holistic, multidisciplinary higher education with flexible entry/exit.
  • Vocational exposure and digital learning integration.
  • Teacher reforms through Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP).

The policy offers more student-focused lens, one that emphasises holistic development, multilingual learning, and real-world thinking over rote memorization.  

What is National Curriculum Framework for School Education?

• The National Curriculum Framework (NCF) has introduced a new structure for school education known as 5+3+3+4 Structure:
• Foundational Stage (5 years): Ages 3–8, focusing on early learning and building basic literacy and numeracy.
• Preparatory Stage (3 years): Ages 8–11, introducing more formal subjects while continuing active learning.
• Middle Stage (3 years): Ages 11–14, building deeper understanding of subjects and critical thinking.
• Secondary Stage (4 years): Ages 14–18, allowing students more choice in subjects, including combinations like Chemistry and History in Class 12.

Key Features of this Structure:

• The curriculum is designed to match the developmental level of each age group.
• Especially in early years, children learn through play, hands-on activities, and exploration instead of rote memorization.
• In higher classes, students can select subjects based on interest and career goals.
• Emphasis on activities like field visits, projects, and learning by doing.
• Mother tongue-based instruction mandated in early years (CBSE from 2025–26).
• Through PARAKH, the NCERT has introduced new-age progress cards that go beyond marks, bringing into focus self-reflection, peer feedback, and classroom participation.
• CBSE to conduct twice-a-year board exams (from 2026).
• Progress cards shifting focus from marks to overall growth.

Reforms in skill development of teachers

• To strengthen teacher preparation, the Ministry of Education launched the Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP) a four-year dual-degree course.
• It prepares teachers for modern, student-centric classrooms.
• National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) has approved 77 Central and State Universities and Institutions, including IITs, NITs, RIEs, and other government colleges, to offer ITEP in pilot mode from 2025–26.
• ITEP helps future educators internalize NCF’s approach, focusing on Play-based learning, multilingual instruction and formative assessments
• Several States have also launched teacher orientation programs to support in-service educators in adapting to new lesson plans and teaching strategies.

Challenges 

NCF provides a national-level framework, however, its successful implementation depends on a collective effort involving:

• Schools adapt teaching methods and lesson plans
• Education administration provides resources and training
• Communities support learning initiatives. 

Together, these stakeholders ensure effective implementation of the NCF in classrooms.

However, challenges are:

• Adoption of NCF depends on local priorities and capacity. 
• Some States have quickly aligned textbooks, lesson plans, and teacher training with NCF, focusing on competency-based and child-centric learning.
• Many States are still reviewing and updating curricula to adapt the new teaching-learning philosophy.
• Balancing national goals with regional identities (e.g., debates in Maharashtra on third-language instruction).
• Infrastructure gaps especially in rural schools (electricity, internet, labs).
• Also, the need for robust, data driven monitoring system is needed to track learning outcomes and teacher preparedness in real time. 

Education organisations and academicians are working closely with schools and institutes in bridging the learning gap.

Steps needed

• Develop low-cost, scalable teacher training focused on child-centric and competency-based learning.
• Use real-time dashboards to track learning outcomes, teacher preparedness, and school performance.
• Engage parents, local leaders, and school committees to support and sustain reforms.
• Bridge rural–urban divides in access to digital tools, infrastructure, and activity-based learning.
• Expand four-year undergraduate programs with flexible exits and multidisciplinary options.

Conclusion

The National Curriculum Framework (NCF) translates the vision of NEP 2020 into actionable classroom practices, emphasizing holistic, learner-centric, and competency-based education. 

While challenges like infrastructure gaps, teacher preparedness, and state-level variations exist, sustained capacity-building, community engagement, and monitoring systems can ensure meaningful implementation. 

Mains Practice Question

Q Examine how the National Curriculum Framework operationalizes the vision of NEP 2020. Discuss the challenges and measures needed for its effective implementation in India. (250 words, 15 marks)

Source: National Curriculum Framework: From policy to practice – The Hindu