Daily News Capsules
1. India inks Oman FTA, gains duty-free boost
India and Oman on Thursday signed a free trade agreement that allows duty-free access of almost all Indian goods in the West Asian country, a comprehensive services package spanning 127 sectors, and a liberalised mobility framework for Indian professionals including accountants, architects, doctors, and practitioners of traditional medicine. The India-Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) gives zero-duty access to products of all major labour-intensive sectors of India, including gems and jewellery, textiles, leather, footwear, sports goods, plastics, furniture, agriculture, engineering, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and automobiles. The agreement is expected to be operational by the first quarter (April-June) of 2026-27 after the completion of all regulatory processes. India and Oman started negotiations for the CEPA in November 2023. The FTA is only Oman’s second with an individual country (after the one with the US), although the Gulf Cooperation Council bloc of which Oman is a part has agreements with some nations. It is the latest among a series of trade deals signed by India, the most recent one being a Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement with the UK. India has also signed a trade deal with the European Free Trade Association comprising Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein in 2024. In 2022, it signed deals with Australian and the UAE.
Possible Question
What is a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA)? Examine how the India–Oman CEPA could impact India’s labour-intensive exports, services trade, and professional mobility, particularly in the West Asian region.
2. SC junks ‘luxury’ plea over packaged water
The Supreme Court on Thursday disapproved of what it termed an “urban-centric approach” to public interest litigation, refusing to entertain a plea seeking fresh and stricter standards for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles used for bottled water and other food items, remarking that such causes overlook the far more basic problems faced by large sections of the population. A bench, comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, lamented that while “luxury” petitions frequently reach the apex court, the concerns of the poor and marginalised often remain unaddressed. Pointing to the stark reality that many parts of the country may still not have access to safe and potable drinking water, the bench questioned the propriety of invoking the court’s jurisdiction to seek judicial intervention on standards governing bottled water, which is largely consumed by the urban population. The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by architect and environmentalist Sarang Yadwadkar, represented by senior advocate Anitha Shenoy, which raised concerns about antimony and synthetic chemical DEHP leaching into water and food from PET plastic packaging. Antimony, a metalloid used as a catalyst in the manufacture of PET plastic, and DEHP, a phthalate, can migrate into water or food, especially when plastic bottles are stored at higher temperatures, potentially posing health risks. Shenoy argued that there were inadequate standards governing bottled water and plastic food packaging in India, and that this posed serious public health concerns. She relied on Section 18 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which lays down guiding principles for food safety, and contended that international standards and scientific evidence had not been adequately factored in by Indian regulators such as the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
Possible Question
Discuss the role of the Supreme Court in adjudicating public interest litigations (PILs). How does the Court balance environmental and public health concerns with issues of social equity and access to basic necessities? Illustrate with reference to the recent PET bottled water case.
3. China’s rising footprint in B’desh a concern, says Parl panel report
China’s increasing footprint in Bangladesh, especially through infrastructure and port development and military cooperation, is a concern though the government is taking all measures to safeguard India’s national interests, a key parliamentary panel said in a report issued on Thursday. The report of the parliamentary committee on external affairs on the ‘Future of India-Bangladesh relationship’ was presented in both houses of Parliament a day after the external affairs ministry summoned the Bangladeshi envoy to express concern at the deteriorating security environment in the neighbouring country. Bilateral ties have witnessed unprecedented strain since the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus came to power in 2024. The report contained pointed mentions about China’s role in developing Bangladesh’s Mongla Port and Lalmonirhat airbase, Beijing’s activities in areas surrounding the so-called “chicken’s neck” –– or the Siliguri Corridor, the territory linking India’s strategic northeastern states to the rest of the country –– and China’s growing influence across South Asia. The external affairs ministry said the government “remains watchful of Chinese presence in Bangladesh and the nature and implications of Chinese projects under implementation”.
Possible Question
Why is China’s growing strategic and infrastructure presence in Bangladesh a concern for India? Analyse the geopolitical significance of the Siliguri Corridor in this context and India’s options to safeguard its security interests.
4. Sikkim HC row derails senior judge’s elevation as chief justice
The Supreme Court collegium on Thursday recommended new chief justices for five high courts, including Sikkim, where the senior-most judge appears to have lost her chance to head the state judiciary following a controversy over a series of administrative decisions taken against her predecessor within hours of his retirement. According to people aware of the developments, Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai, the senior-most judge of the Sikkim High Court, issued a flurry of contentious administrative directions soon after assuming charge as acting chief justice on December 15, targeting her predecessor, Justice Biswanath Somadder, who had retired just a day earlier after a four-year term. Justice Rai not only undertook a sweeping overhaul of the high court registry and the district judiciary, but also issued directions for the immediate withdrawal of security and facilities, including an official car and driver, that had been provided to Justice Somadder. The people cited above said the retired judge was also asked to vacate the official residence he was occupying, within three days. One person familiar with the matter told Hindustan Times that Justice JK Maheshwari, who had served as chief justice of the Sikkim High Court for nearly eight months before his elevation to the Supreme Court in August 2021, stepped in to defuse the situation, following which Justice Rai withdrew some of her orders. Although the immediate crisis was contained, the episode is understood to have played a decisive role in Justice Rai not being favoured for appointment as the chief justice of the Sikkim High Court. The collegium, comprising CJI Kant and justices Vikram Nath and JK Maheshwari, instead recommended Justice A Muhamed Mustaque, a senior judge of the Kerala High Court, for the post.
Possible Question
Explain the process of appointment and elevation of Chief Justices of High Courts in India. What role does the Supreme Court collegium play, and how do considerations of judicial conduct and administrative propriety influence such decisions?
5. Employment in food delivery rises 27% amid rapid expansion
India’s food delivery sector directly employed 1.37 million workers in 2023-24, up from 1.08 million in 2021-22, expanding at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.3%, according to a recent study by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), and investment group Prosus. It thus comfortably outpaced India’s overall employment growth rate of 7.9% over the same period. However, gig workers’ representatives said these numbers hide job distress in the gig economy, where food delivery workers work for up to 12–14 hours a day for low incomes. They said the fact the more people were engaging was in fact a consequence of rising unemployment. Despite accounting for just 0.2% of the total workforce, food delivery has become one of the fastest-growing sources of gig work in the services economy. The sector is dominated by Swiggy and Zomato. These food delivery platforms have become an important source of income for gig workers, particularly urban and semi-urban ones seeking flexible employment, said the report, which studied the impact of the food delivery sector on gig workers and restaurants. Prosus is an investor in Swiggy. The study estimated the gross value of output (GVO) of the food delivery sector at ₹1.2 trillion in 2023-24, more than doubling from ₹613 billion in 2021-22. Gross value added (GVA) was estimated at ₹476 billion, equivalent to 0.2% of national GVA. NCAER used data from July 2023 to June 2024. GVO is the total turnover of the food delivery sector, while GVA is GVO minus input cost.
Possible Question
Assess the growth of the gig economy in India with reference to the food delivery sector. What are the challenges related to employment security, working conditions, and income stability for gig workers, and how can policy address these concerns?
Editorial Snapshots
A. Think long term on Delhi pollution
The Supreme Court’s direction to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to go back to the drawing board — this came along with a sharp rebuke from the Court on Wednesday — is both overdue and necessary. For far too long, the response to air pollution in the national capital region has followed a tired script: Governments wait for the air to turn toxic, scramble to enforce piecemeal measures once pollution reaches “severe” levels, and then roll back restrictions the moment numbers improve. This reactive firefighting has been repeated for years, with little to show for it. This should have prompted structural intervention years ago. Instead, residents are offered temporary relief through the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap), a framework that continues to kick in late and is lifted hurriedly. The result is prolonged exposure to toxic air, punctuated by blunt measures such as construction bans or school closures that treat symptoms, not causes. The apex court rightly called this approach a “total failure”. Grap, despite its reworks, has lulled authorities into complacency — allowing long-term solutions to be continuously deferred because short-term restrictions can be imposed when a crisis hits. Even as the benefits of these measures remain uneven and uncertain, their costs are immediate and real. Construction workers, daily wage earners and informal workers bear the brunt of abrupt shutdowns, with welfare mechanisms that exist largely on paper. The court has outlined a broad but sensible roadmap: cleaner urban mobility, alternatives to stubble burning, less polluting industrial processes and rational energy use. While not all of this falls within CAQM’s direct control, the commission was created precisely to cut across silos — forcing coordination between Delhi and neighbouring states, which data shows account for a large share of the Capital’s smog.
Possible Question
Critically examine the limitations of short-term emergency measures such as the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in tackling air pollution in Delhi-NCR. What long term, structural solutions are required for effective air quality management?
B. India must do more in its fight against doping
India has once again topped the global doping charts, as per data analysed by the World Anti Doping Agency — underlining gaps in the country’s anti-doping efforts. Testing remains a concern. Though the National Anti Doping Agency’s numbers show an impressive rise in testing numbers and a plateauing of positivity rates over the past few years, there is room for even more testing. France, which recorded the second highest number of adverse analytical findings, tested 11,744 samples against India’s 7,113. The bigger problem, however, is that performance has become a high-stakes matter for sportspeople in India. A few years ago, lack of awareness would have explained the use of banned substances, but now enough information, updated in real-time, is available to athletes in accessible formats — so, it is likely that doping is now a studied choice rather than the result of ignorance. A distorted risk-reward perception is to blame. Given the limitations of age, health, and peak fitness, a sporting career can be short and may not ensure economic stability for the athlete. At the same time, success, especially in international events, has become a ticket to economic security. Even a one-time podium finish is rewarded with announcements of generous cash prizes from the government and, increasingly, corporations. Government jobs and endorsement deals make up the rest of the reward bouquet. This induces athletes to do all — fair or foul — to win, even if only once. Ironically, the stringent testing in most international sporting events means that any attempt to game the system usually falls flat. A country that wants to host marquee sporting events certainly can’t afford the ignominy of leading in doping. The need is not just to be more vigilant and crack down harder on doping but also highlight the fact that very few get away with doping.
Possible Question
Why does India continue to record high numbers of doping violations despite increased testing? Analyse the institutional, economic, and ethical factors contributing to doping in sports, and suggest measures to strengthen India’s anti-doping framework.
Fact of the day
26 Indians killed while serving in Russian military, says Centre in RS: Twenty-six Indian nationals were killed while serving in the Russian armed forces and seven have been reported missing, while efforts are on to ensure the early discharge of 50 more, the government informed Parliament on Thursday. The figure for the dead – provided in a written answer by minister of state for external affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh in Rajya Sabha – is far higher than the number officially acknowledged by the external affairs ministry in the past. Officials had earlier said that 12 Indians were killed while fighting on the frontlines in Russia’s conflict with Ukraine. The minister’s reply, in response to a question from Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale and Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala, came shortly after media reports said the bodies of two Indians killed while serving with the Russian military had arrived in Delhi on Wednesday. The dead men belonged to Rajasthan and Uttarakhand. Singh said in his written reply that 202 Indian
