TIT BITS :
1. Cyclone Asna has formed over the Kutch
coast in Gujarat and adjoining areas of Pakistan, the India Meteorological
Department (IMD) said on Friday. The cyclonic storm — a rare land-originating
one in August and headed to the Arabian Sea — is expected to move further away
from the western coast in the next 48 hours.
2. The Indian government is preparing for the
second phase of its ambitious semiconductor manufacturing incentive policy,
aiming to bolster the country's position in the global chip industry. The
proposed plan could see an increase in funding from $10 billion to $15 billion,
with adjustments to the subsidy structure to attract more semiconductor
manufacturing plants.
3. The systemic disempowerment of State
Election Commissions (SECs) in India is currently a significant issue, with
several instances of delays and litigation affecting the conduct of local
elections. This problem has been highlighted by recent cases such as the
Karnataka SEC’s contempt petition and the Andhra Pradesh SEC’s legal battles.
4. The Supreme Court's recent decision to
grant bail to first-time offenders and others based on the new Section 479 of
the BharatiyaNagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) has garnered significant
attention. This measure aims to address the overcrowding in Indian prisons,
where over 75% of inmates were undertrial prisoners as of 2022. The ruling
marks a crucial step in implementing the reformed BNSS and alleviates the
burden on the prison system.
5. India's Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
growth slipped to a five-quarter low of 6.7 per cent in April 2024-25 due to
slower growth in agriculture, government spending and services, data released
by the National Statistical Office (NSO) showed.
6. Using observations from NASA's Endurance
mission, an international team of scientists has for the first time measured a
planet-wide electric field thought to be as fundamental to Earth as its gravity
and magnetic fields.