UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 29 August 2025

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 29 August 2025 covers important current affairs of the day, their backward linkages, their relevance for Prelims exam and MCQs on main articles

InstaLinks :  Insta Links help you think beyond the  current affairs issue and help you think multidimensionally to develop depth in your understanding of these issues. These linkages provided in this ‘hint’ format help you frame possible questions in your mind that might arise(or an examiner might imagine) from each current event. InstaLinks also connect every issue to their static or theoretical background.

Table of Contents 

GS Paper 1 : (UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 29 August (2025)

1. India’s demographic dividend as a time bomb

GS Paper 3:

1. System of National Accounts 2025

 Content for Mains Enrichment (CME):

1. NARI 2025 Report

Facts for Prelims (FFP):

1. Chhath festival

2. National Sports Day

3. PM SVANidhi Scheme

4. Rio Earth Summit (1992)

5. Samudrayaan Project

 Mapping:

1. Japan

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 29 August 2025

GS Paper 1:

India’s demographic dividend as a time bomb

Syllabus: Population and associated issues

Source:  TH

 Context: India’s demographic dividend, once seen as its greatest economic strength, is now being described as a potential time bomb due to rising automation, outdated curricula, and low employability among graduates.

• Experts warn that without urgent skilling reforms, India’s youth bulge could turn into a liability.

About Demographic Dividend

What it is?

• It refers to the economic growth potential that arises when a country has a larger share of working-age population compared to dependents.
• This window is time-bound and requires productive employment to realise the benefits.

India’s Position

• India has over 800 million people below 35 years — the largest youth population in the world.
• The demographic dividend window is expected to remain open till 2045, giving India about two decades to harness this advantage.

Significance

1. Boost to GDP – IMF estimates closing the gender gap alone could raise GDP by 27%.
2. Global Workforce Supplier – India can provide skilled labour to ageing economies.
3. Innovation Hub – Young population can drive entrepreneurship and digital adoption.
4. Export Competitiveness – Labour-intensive industries (textiles, leather, gems) depend on youthful manpower.
5. Social Development – Productive employment improves poverty reduction, social mobility, and inclusive growth.

Key Concerns

1. Skill Gap – Only 43% of Indian graduates are job-ready (Graduate Skills Index 2025).
2. Education Mismatch – 40–50% of engineering graduates remain unemployed due to poor alignment with industry.
3. Automation Risks – McKinsey projects 70% of jobs at risk from AI by 2030.
4. Low Female Participation – Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR) remains at 37–41.7%, below global averages.
5. Career Awareness Deficit – 93% of students know only 7 career options, ignoring over 20,000 available paths.

Consequences of Inaction

• Economic Fragility – Jobless growth, falling exports, and underutilisation of youth potential.
• Social Unrest – Risk of protests and instability, similar to the Mandal agitation of 1990.
• Missed Opportunity – India may fail to replicate China or Japan’s success in leveraging demographic windows.
• Brain Drain – Skilled youth may migrate, weakening domestic innovation capacity.

Way Forward

1. Curriculum Overhaul – Embed AI, digital literacy, and critical thinking in schools.
2. National Skilling Framework – Align education, skills, and industry through one cohesive plan.
3. Women-Centric Policies – Childcare, safe transport, and flexible work models to raise FLFPR.
4. Career Guidance at Scale – Mandatory counselling and exposure to modern job markets in schools.
5. Leverage Technology – Use AI-driven learning platforms for re-skilling and cross-skilling.
6. Public–Private Partnerships – Collaborate with industry for apprenticeships and gig economy formalisation.
7. Promote Regional Best Practices – Expand schemes like Karnataka’s Shakti Yojana and Rajasthan’s Urban Employment Guarantee.

Conclusion

India is in its decisive decade of demographic advantage, with the window closing by 2045. The choice is stark: either equip youth with future-ready skills and transform them into an economic powerhouse, or allow the mismatch between degrees and employability to push the nation into a demographic crisis. As Tagore’s words remind us, we must prepare our children “for another time” — the AI-driven world of tomorrow.

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 29 August 2025 GS Paper 3:

System of National Accounts 2025

Syllabus: Economics

Source:  LM

Context: The United Nations Statistical Commission has adopted the System of National Accounts 2025 (SNA 2025), a revised global framework for measuring economies. It integrates concerns of inequality, environment, and unpaid work into national accounts, going beyond GDP.

About System of National Accounts 2025:

What it is?

• A comprehensive international framework for compiling national accounts, replacing the earlier SNA 2008.
• Moves beyond GDP to capture sustainability, distribution, and non-market activities.

Key Features:

• Natural Capital Accounting: Depletion of minerals, coal, oil, and gas treated as production cost; renewables like solar, wind, hydro recognised as assets.
• Distributional Accounts: Income, wealth, consumption, and savings shown by household groups to highlight inequality.
• Unpaid Work Inclusion: Household and care work included in extended accounts to recognise women’s contribution.
• Broader Policy Relevance: Links national growth with fairness, ecological balance, and inclusiveness.

India’s Preparedness:

• Green National Accounts & EnviStats: India has already started publishing annual EnviStats reports (since 2018), tracking forests, water, minerals, and energy as recommended by the Dasgupta Committee (2013).
• Time Use Surveys (2019, 2024): These surveys provide evidence of unpaid household and care work, crucial for integrating women’s invisible labour into national accounts.
• PLFS, AIDIS, Consumption Surveys: Together, these databases capture employment, household earnings, wealth distribution, and consumption patterns that can be aligned with SNA 2025’s distributional accounts.
• Base Revision Exercise: The ongoing revision of India’s National Accounts offers a timely chance to integrate natural resource depletion, inequality, and unpaid work into the GDP framework.

Opportunities:

• Sustainable resource use: Accounting for depletion strengthens the case for using mining royalties and resource revenues to build sustainability or future generation funds.
• Renewable energy as wealth: Recognising solar, wind, and hydro as assets redefines clean energy not only as climate action but also as economic capital.
• Gender-sensitive data: Inclusion of unpaid work helps policymakers design labour and social policies that better reflect women’s contribution to the economy.
• Targeted welfare: Linking inequality analysis with national accounts allows governments to identify “who benefits from growth” and design sharper welfare schemes.

Challenges Ahead:

• Data integration: Combining survey micro-data (PLFS, NSS, consumption) with national aggregates is complex but essential for accuracy.
• Institutional capacity: Statistical divisions at the Centre and states need training, tools, and manpower to adopt green and distributional accounting.
• Political resistance: Resource-rich states may object if their reported GSDP falls once natural resource depletion is counted as a cost.
• Communication gap: Despite innovations, India’s statistical progress is poorly communicated, leading to outdated criticism in public debates.

Way Forward:

• Roadmap for base revision: A clear timeline and methodology should be drawn to fully adopt SNA 2025 in India’s next GDP base revision.
• Build state capacity: Resource and training support must be given to states for preparing natural capital and distributional accounts.
• Institutionalise new data: Regularly include time-use, unpaid care work, and household inequality statistics into national accounts.
• Communicate innovations: Proactive outreach and publications are needed to highlight India’s advances in global statistical practices.

Conclusion

SNA 2025 marks a shift from GDP-centric measurement to sustainability and inclusiveness. India, with its groundwork in green accounts and social surveys, is well-placed to adapt. As we march toward Viksit Bharat 2047, adopting SNA 2025 ensures that our growth story is not just about economic size but also about equity, environment, and dignity for all.

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 29 August 2025 Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)

NARI 2025 Report

Context: The NARI 2025 report has found that 40% of women in India’s urban areas feel unsafe, with harassment experiences far exceeding official NCRB data.

About NARI 2025 report:

What it is?

• The National Annual Report and Index on Women’s Safety (NARI 2025) is a survey-based index covering 31 cities across all states, based on inputs from 12,770 women.
• It seeks to capture unreported harassment, lived experiences, and perceptions of safety beyond just official crime figures.

Trends:

• 40% of women in urban India reported feeling “unsafe” or “not so safe.”
• 7% of women reported facing harassment in 2024, far higher than NCRB’s official figures.
• Young women (18–24 years) were found most vulnerable.
• Kolkata, Delhi, Ranchi, Srinagar, Faridabad among least safe cities, while Mumbai, Kohima, Bhubaneswar, Gangtok, Itanagar ranked safer.
• Only 22% of women reported harassment incidents to authorities.

Features:

• Harassment includes staring, catcalling, lewd comments, inappropriate touching in public spaces.
• Major factors: poor lighting, unsafe public transport, weak infrastructure.
• 53% of women were unclear if their workplaces had the POSH policy, despite being mandated by law.

Relevance in UPSC Exam:

• GS I (Indian Society): Issues of gender inequality, urbanisation, social attitudes affecting women’s safety.
• GS II (Governance & Social Justice): Women-related legislation (POSH Act, IPC provisions, NCW role) and policy initiatives.
• GS III (Internal Security): Urban safety, crime prevention, and use of technology in policing.

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 29 August 2025 Facts for Prelims (FFP):

Chhath festival

Source:  TOI

Context: The Bihar art and culture department has nominated INTACH as its knowledge partner to prepare the dossier for the inclusion of Chhath festival in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

About Chhath festival:

What it is?

• A Hindu Vedic festival dedicated to the Sun God (Surya) and Chhathi Maiya (goddess said to be Surya’s sister).
• Celebrated twice a year — in Chaitra (March–April) and more prominently in Kartika (October–November).

Where it is Celebrated:

• Primarily in Bihar, Jharkhand, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, and parts of Nepal.
• In recent decades, it has spread to Indian diasporas abroad.

History:

• Considered one of the oldest Vedic rituals, with references to sun worship found in the Rig Veda and in stories related to Karna (Mahabharata).
• The practice emphasizes austerity, purity, and deep ecological consciousness.

Features:

• A 4-day long festival with strict rituals:
  1. Nahay Khay (Chaturthi): Ritual bathing and vegetarian meal.
  2. Lohanda/Kharna: Day-long fast, broken with kheer and jaggery roti.
  3. Sandhya Arghya: Offering of evening prayers to the setting sun.
  4. Usha Arghya: Dawn prayers to the rising sun, marking completion.
• Devotees observe fasting, abstinence, holy dips, and offering prasad such as Thekua, Kasar, Kheer, and seasonal fruits.
• Deeply community-driven, celebrated on riverbanks, ponds, and water bodies.

Significance:

• Symbolises gratitude to the Sun God for sustaining life and promoting prosperity, health, and longevity.
• Encourages discipline, simplicity, and ecological harmony through frugal rituals.

National Sports Day

Source:  NOA

Context: India is celebrating National Sports Day (29th August) to mark the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand, with nationwide events under the theme “Ek Ghanta, Khel ke Maidan Main”.

About National Sports Day

What it is

• A national observance dedicated to promoting sports, fitness, and well-being.
• Held annually to celebrate the birth anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand.

Celebrated Since

• Officially observed from 2012 onwards across India.

Objectives

1. Promote fitness and health through sports participation.
2. Honour legendary sportspersons who have contributed to India’s sporting legacy.
3. Encourage youth participation in grassroots sports.
4. Serve as a reminder that sports are linked to national integration, discipline, and pride.

Theme 2025

• “Ek Ghanta, Khel ke Maidan Main” — one hour of play daily for health and vitality.

About Major Dhyan Chand:

• Early Life: Born on 29 August 1905 in Allahabad (now Prayagraj), Uttar Pradesh.
• Nickname: Known as the “Hockey Wizard” for his unmatched skills.
• Olympic Legacy: Won three Olympic gold medals for India (1928, 1932, 1936).
• Playing Style: Renowned for his ball control, goal-scoring ability, and sportsmanship.
• Honours:
  • Awarded Padma Bhushan in 1956.
  • India’s highest sporting honour was renamed as Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2021.
• Legacy: His birthday immortalised as National Sports Day, symbolising excellence and dedication in Indian sports.

PM SVANidhi Scheme

Source:  NOA

Context: The Union Cabinet has approved restructuring of the PM SVANidhi Scheme with an extension of the lending period till 31 March 2030.

About PM SVANidhi Scheme:

What it is?

• PM Street Vendor’s Atma Nirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) is a micro-credit scheme for urban street vendors.
• It provides affordable working capital loans to restore livelihoods disrupted during COVID-19.

Launched in

• June 1, 2020 by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).

Aims and Objectives

1. Provide collateral-free working capital loans to street vendors.
2. Promote digital payments and financial inclusion.
3. Help vendors resume businesses post-pandemic and integrate with the formal economy.
4. Encourage credit discipline by incentivising timely repayments.

Nodal Agency

• Implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) with State/UT governments, Urban Local Bodies, and lending institutions.

Key Features (Original Framework)

• Initial Loan: ₹10,000 collateral-free loan (first tranche).
• Interest Subsidy: 7% per annum subsidy on timely repayment.
• Digital Incentives: Cashback of up to ₹100 per month for digital transactions.
• Credit Linkage: Higher loan tranches available on successful repayment.
• Target Beneficiaries: Street vendors in statutory towns, including those operating through carts, stalls, and footpaths.

 Recent Restructuring (2025)

1. Extended Lending Period: Now valid till 31 March 2030 (earlier 31 Dec 2024).
2. Enhanced Loan Amounts:
   • 1st tranche: ₹15,000 (earlier ₹10,000).
   • 2nd tranche: ₹25,000 (earlier ₹20,000).
   • 3rd tranche: ₹50,000 (unchanged).
3. UPI-linked RuPay Credit Card: For vendors repaying second tranche, providing instant access to credit for business and personal needs.
4. Cashback Incentives: Vendors can earn up to ₹1,600 annually on retail/wholesale digital transactions.
5. Expanded Coverage: Beyond statutory towns, now includes census towns and peri-urban areas.
6. Scale of Beneficiaries: Aims to benefit 1.15 crore vendors, including 50 lakh new entrants.

Rio Earth Summit (1992)

Source:  DTE

Context: The year 2025 marks 33 years since the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, a landmark event that shaped global climate governance.

About Rio Earth Summit (1992)

What it is?

• The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in June 1992.
• Popularly known as the Rio Earth Summit, it was the largest global gathering of leaders to discuss environment and sustainable development.

Established in

• 1992, attended by 172 countries, including 108 heads of state and over 2,400 NGOs.

Key Features

1. Introduced sustainable development as the guiding framework for global action.
2. Adopted the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR).
3. Recognised sovereign rights over natural resources.
4. Linked environment with trade, development, and equity.
5. Pushed for cooperation in biodiversity, desertification, and climate action.

Major Outcomes

1. Rio Declaration on Environment and Development – 27 principles guiding global environmental law.
2. Agenda 21 – A comprehensive action plan for sustainable development.
3. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – Framework for global climate governance.
4. Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) – Treaty to conserve biodiversity.
5. UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) – International cooperation on land degradation.

Importance

• Marked the beginning of multilateral climate cooperation.
• Brought equity and justice into the climate discourse through CBDR.
• Elevated Global South’s voice, with India and G77 shaping negotiations.
• Created foundations for subsequent treaties like the Kyoto Protocol (1997) and Paris Agreement (2015).
• Despite challenges, it remains a symbol of global environmental solidarity.

Samudrayaan Project

Source:  IE

Context: Two Indian aquanauts recently dived over 5,000 metres in the Atlantic Ocean aboard the French submersible Nautile, as part of training for India’s Samudrayaan Project.

About Samudrayaan Project

What it is

• India’s first manned deep-sea mission under the Deep Ocean Mission (DOM) approved in 2021.
• It seeks to explore the ocean at depths up to 6,000 metres for resources, biodiversity, and scientific research.

Established in

• Approved by the Union Cabinet in 2021, with an outlay of ₹4,077 crore for five years.

Aims and Objectives

1. Develop deep-sea technologies – crewed submersibles, mining tools, and robotic vehicles.
2. Survey ocean resources – locate polymetallic nodules rich in manganese, cobalt, nickel, and rare earths.
3. Advance climate research – create ocean climate advisory models for projections.
4. Strengthen blue economy – support sustainable harnessing of marine resources.
5. Enhance biodiversity conservation – study and protect fragile deep-sea ecosystems.

Features

• Vehicle: Matsya-6000, a crewed submersible resembling a large fish.
• Capacity: Three aquanauts, 12-hour missions (96 hours in emergency).
• Personnel sphere: 2.1 m diameter, built from 80 mm titanium alloy, fabricated via electron beam welding by ISRO.
• Communication: Special acoustic telephone system developed indigenously.
• Life-support: Oxygen scrubbers and re-breather systems to recycle air.
• Depth capability: 6,000 metres, pressure resistance ~600 times sea level.

Other Related Initiatives

• Deep Ocean Mission (DOM) – umbrella scheme with six components including Samudrayaan.
• Polymetallic Nodule Programme – India holds mining rights in the Central Indian Ocean Basin from the International Seabed Authority.
• National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) – nodal agency for developing Matsya-6000.
• Blue Economy Policy – integrates ocean resources for economic and environmental goals.

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 29 August 2025 Mapping:

Japan

Source:    NDTV

Context: Prime Minister of India is on an official visit to Japan for the 15th India–Japan Annual Summit, his first meeting with Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba, to strengthen the Special Strategic and Global Partnership.

About Japan:

• Location: An island nation in East Asia, lying in the North Pacific Ocean, east of China, Korea, and Russia.
• Capital: Tokyo, one of the world’s most populous and modern cities.
• Neighbouring Nations: Bordered by the Sea of Japan (East Sea) to the west (separating it from Korea, China, and Russia), Pacific Ocean to the east and south, and the East China Sea to the southwest.

Geographical Features:

• Islands: Japan comprises four main islands — Honshu (largest), Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku — along with smaller island groups like Ryukyu, Izu, Bonin, and Volcano Islands.
• Mountains: Nearly 80% of the land is mountainous, with frequent volcanic activity. Mount Fuji (3,776 m) is the highest and most iconic peak.
• Rivers & Valleys: Rivers are generally short, fast-flowing, and form narrow valleys and fertile deltaic plains (Kantō, Nōbi, Osaka).
• Climate & Vegetation: Abundant rainfall and mild climate support lush forests, rice fields, and fruit orchards, despite limited arable land.
• Geology: Located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, Japan is prone to earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions.

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