DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS

Current Situation:

• India has nearly 63 million people with disabilities (NFHS-5), but their representation in STEM fields is very low.

• Despite strong laws like the Right to Education Act (2009) and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (2016), many systemic barriers prevent true inclusion.

• This gap contradicts international commitments such as the UNCRPD (2006) and SDG-4 which call for inclusive education.

Why Inclusivity in STEM Matters?

• Equity & Potential: Disabled students perform equally well when given access and support.

• Innovation Catalyst: Disability awareness has historically driven innovations like optometry and telephony.

• National Progress: Inclusive STEM education boosts Digital India, AI advancements, space research, and the vision of a developed India by 2047.

Barriers to Inclusion in STEM

• Policy-Practice Gap:

  • NEP 2020 and RPwD Act 2016 mandate 4% reservation in higher education, but many institutions don’t meet or implement this quota, especially department-wise in STEM.

• Infrastructure Deficits:

  • Lack of accessible classrooms, labs, ramps, lifts, and toilets.

  • National Building Code (2016) often ignored.

• Academic Exclusion:

  • Labs and equipment are not designed for mobility or visual impairments.

  • Teaching methods rarely adapted to disabled students.

• Attitudinal Bias:

  • STEM seen as ‘unsuitable’ for PwDs by many educators and administrators.

• Horizontal Quotas & Admission Issues:

  • Admissions often don’t consider special needs, limiting entry chances.

• Lack of Assistive Technology:

  • Tools like speech-activated devices, AI aids are underused or unavailable.

Government Efforts

• Scholarships: Financial support via DEPwD for tuition and assistive devices.

• Inclusive Teaching: NCERT & CIET promote teacher training for inclusive classrooms.

• Digital Tools: Programs like Digital Technology for Children with Special Needs train educators on ICT use.

• Rehabilitation: DDRS offers vocational and remedial support.

• Awareness: CBSE’s National Teachers’ Conference 2025 encourages innovative strategies for diverse learners.

What Needs to Change?

• Accessibility Audits & Infrastructure Investment: HEIs must regularly audit and upgrade facilities to be disability-friendly.

• Technology & Innovation:

  • Deploy speech-activated equipment, AI-based sensory tools, and flexible lab designs.

• Sensitization & Training: Stakeholders (faculty, admins, students) need bias-reduction and inclusivity training.

• Policy Implementation: Enforce disability quotas and support at department levels, not just institution-wide.

• Cultural Shift: Promote respect, representation, and empowerment of PwDs in STEM communities.

Way Forward: Inclusive Innovation

• Invest heavily in accessible infrastructure across campuses.

• Train educators in inclusive pedagogy and universal design principles.

• Use assistive technologies tailored for STEM learning needs.

• Ensure department-wise implementation of reservations and support systems.

• Foster a scientific community culture that respects diversity and promotes representation.

In essence, democratizing STEM education for persons with disabilities is crucial for equity, innovation, and national progress — and requires coordinated efforts across policy, infrastructure, technology, and mindset.

National Handloom Day

• Date: Celebrated every year on 7th August in India.

• Significance: Marks the launch of the Swadeshi Movement on 7 August 1905, which promoted indigenous industries, especially handloom weaving, as a form of economic resistance to British colonial rule.

• Official Declaration: Instituted by the Government of India in 2015 to honour the handloom community’s contributions.

• Theme 2025: “Weaving Innovation into Tradition” — emphasizing the fusion of traditional handloom craftsmanship with modern innovation.

• Importance:

  • Supports rural economy and women’s empowerment (72% of handloom weavers are women).

  • Promotes sustainable, eco-friendly production and preserves cultural heritage.

The Swadeshi Movement (1905)

• Context: Triggered by the Partition of Bengal (1905) by British to create communal divisions, and Lord Curzon’s repressive policies.

• Launch: Formalized at the Calcutta Townhall meeting, August 1905.

• Core Ideas:

  • Boycott of British goods (especially Manchester cloth and Liverpool salt).

  • Promotion of Swadeshi (indigenous) products.

  • Economic self-reliance and national pride.

• Key Methods:

  • Boycott of British goods and institutions.

  • Founding of national schools and educational institutions.

  • Formation of samitis (volunteer organizations) like Swadesh Bandhab Samiti.

  • Use of festivals (Ganapati, Shivaji, Raksha Bandhan) for mass mobilization.

  • Emphasis on Atma Shakti (self-strength) and social reforms (anti-caste, anti-dowry).

• Phases:

  • Moderate Phase: Petitions, meetings, and moderate leaders like Surendranath Banerjee.

  • Radical Phase: Lal-Bal-Pal (Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal) advocated direct action and Swaraj (self-rule).

• Impact:

  • Strengthened Indian National Congress’s resolve for Swaraj.

  • Inspired cultural nationalism through art, literature, and music (Rabindranath Tagore’s Amar Sonar Bangla).

  • Women’s participation through boycott and craft promotion.

  • Economic boost to Indian industries like handloom textiles, Bengal Chemicals.

  • Pressure on British leading to Morley-Minto Reforms (1909) and annulment of Bengal partition in 1911.

Contemporary Relevance of the Swadeshi Movement

• Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India):

  • Inspired by Swadeshi ideals, launched during the COVID-19 pandemic with a Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus.

  • Focus on ‘local for global’ and ‘vocal for local’ promoting Indian goods globally.

  • Goals include making India a global supply chain hub, boosting exports in agriculture, textiles, pharma, defense, etc.

• Make in India Initiative:

  • Positions India as a global manufacturing hub.

  • Has increased FDI from USD 45 billion (2015) to USD 81 billion (FY24-25).

  • Boosted exports to USD 437 billion (2024), including pharmaceutical dominance.

  • PLI schemes incentivize domestic manufacturing across key sectors.

• Khadi and Cottage Industry Revival:

  • KVIC has seen 347% production growth and 447% sales growth (2013-2025).

  • Employment increased by 49%, providing livelihoods to nearly 2 crore workers.

• Economic Nationalism & Protectionism:

  • Emphasis on import substitution, tariffs, and support to Indian industries to reduce dependency on global supply chains in critical sectors.

Role of Handloom Sector in India’s Economy

• Largest Cottage Industry: Employs over 35 lakh workers, mostly women.

• Sustainability: Eco-friendly, supports rural livelihoods, preserves tradition.

• Global Leader: India produces 95% of the world’s handwoven fabric.

• Exports: USD 10.94 billion in handloom products (FY23), exporting to over 20 countries including the US, UAE, Spain, UK, France, Italy.

• Products: Mats, carpets, rugs, bedsheets, silk scarves, cotton yarn, fabrics.

Government Initiatives for Handloom Sector

• National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP):
  Provides raw materials, design & tech support, marketing, infrastructure (Urban Haats).

• Raw Material Supply Scheme (RMSS):
  Subsidizes yarn and freight charges to help compete with power looms.

• Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY):
  Provides low-interest loans to weavers.

• Workshed Scheme:
  Provides dedicated workspace for families of weavers with financial aid.

• Geographical Indications (GI):
  104 handloom products registered to protect traditional designs.

• Government e-Marketplace (GeM):
  Over 1.8 lakh weavers onboarded to enhance market access.

• Social Security Schemes:
  PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, PM Suraksha Bima Yojana, and Mahatma Gandhi Bunkar Bima Yojana for welfare.

Summary

National Handloom Day is a celebration of India's rich textile heritage rooted in the historic Swadeshi Movement, which galvanized economic self-reliance and nationalism against colonial rule. The movement’s ethos continues today through initiatives like Atmanirbhar Bharat, Make in India, and robust government schemes supporting handloom weavers and cottage industries. Together, they foster economic growth, rural employment, women’s empowerment, and sustainable development — weaving innovation into tradition for a self-reliant India.

Why in the News?

India recently called for significant reforms at the World Trade Organization (WTO) during a high-level mini-ministerial meeting in Paris ahead of the 14th Ministerial Conference scheduled in Cameroon in 2026.

About WTO

• Genesis: Established in 1995 after the Marrakesh Agreement, succeeding GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade).

• Uruguay Round: Negotiations from 1986 to 1994 led to the creation of the WTO.

• Functions:

  • Administer trade agreements

  • Provide a forum for trade negotiations

  • Settle trade disputes

  • Review national trade policies

  • Build trade capacity for developing countries

• Membership: 166 countries, representing 98% of global trade (India a member since 1995).

• Decision Making: Based on consensus among members.

• Ministerial Conference: Top decision-making body that meets every two years.

• Secretariat: Based in Geneva.

India’s Key Reform Demands (3-Pronged Agenda)

1. Tackle Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs):

   • Address restrictions like import licensing, technical standards, and complex customs procedures that hinder market access.

2. Address Market Distortions by Non-Market Economies:

   • Current WTO rules insufficient to handle distortions caused by countries like China with state-supported firms.

3. Revive the WTO’s Dispute Settlement System:

   • The system has been paralyzed since 2016 due to U.S. opposition to appointing appellate body members.

   • India remains skeptical about the Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement (MPIA) as an alternative.

Other Key Priorities

• Opposition to Joint Statement Initiatives (JSIs) / Plurilateral Agreements:

  • These involve a few countries negotiating specific issues and risk fragmenting the multilateral system.

  • India refuses to join talks like the China-led Investment Facilitation for Development initiative.

• Permanent Solutions for Public Food Grain Stockholding:

  • India seeks to continue providing subsidies under public stockholding without facing legal challenges, beyond the interim “peace clause” of 2013.

• Concerns over Overfishing and Fisheries Agreement (2022):

  • Deadlock due to lack of acceptance by two-thirds of members.

  • India is not a part of the agreement and raises concerns about long transition periods for developing countries and the unequal application of principles like “polluter pays” and “common but differentiated responsibilities” (CBDR).

Other Contentious WTO Issues

• Development Status Ambiguity:

  • India opposes reforms aimed at changing Special and Differential Treatment (SDT) benefits, especially the U.S. opposition to countries like China claiming developing status.

• Emerging Challenges:

  • Regulatory shifts such as the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism disproportionately affecting low and middle-income countries.

  • Geopolitical tensions like the U.S.-China tariff war affecting global trade dynamics.

  • New issues involving data privacy, digital taxation, and climate change require international cooperation.

key agreements of the World Trade Organization (WTO)

1. GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) 1994

   • Governs international trade in goods, focusing on reducing tariffs and trade barriers.

2. Agreement on Agriculture (AoA)

   • Addresses trade in agricultural products, aiming to reduce subsidies and protectionism.

3. Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) Agreement

   • Sets rules for food safety and animal/plant health standards without creating unnecessary trade barriers.

4. Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement

   • Regulates technical regulations and standards to avoid unfair trade obstacles.

5. Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)

   • Establishes minimum standards for protecting intellectual property globally.

6. General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS)

   • Covers international trade in services, promoting transparency and non-discrimination.

7. Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM)

   • Controls subsidies that distort trade and allows countermeasures.

8. Anti-Dumping Agreement

   • Allows countries to act against unfair dumping practices.

9. Agreement on Customs Valuation

   • Ensures fair valuation of goods for customs duties.

10. Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA)

    • Simplifies and expedites customs procedures.

11. Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU)

    • Provides the mechanism to resolve trade disputes among members.

Way Forward

• Ensure developing countries’ voices in WTO decision-making and address their concerns (e.g., cultural subsidies, intellectual property).

• Strengthen transparency by monitoring and notifying NTBs to reduce misuse.

• Develop clear rules to prevent fragmentation caused by plurilateral agreements.

• Explore alternative interim dispute resolution mechanisms to restore the dispute settlement process.

• Address trade distortions caused by state-owned enterprises and subsidies to maintain fair competition.

• Adopt principles like the Paris Agreement’s “Common but Differentiated Responsibilities” (CBDR) to prevent unfair trade obligations on developing nations.

Conclusion

While the WTO has been key to promoting fair global trade, its effectiveness is challenged by non-tariff barriers, trade distortions, and a stalled dispute settlement system. India’s call for reforms reflects the aspirations of many developing countries aiming for a more equitable, transparent, and inclusive multilateral trading framework.

Pune-based space tech startup Astrophel Aerospace has recently signed a framework Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IN-SPACe, the nodal body under the Department of Space (DoS). This agreement grants Astrophel access to ISRO facilities for technical reviews, system-level testing, and qualification support for their semi-cryogenic propulsion systems, including turbopumps and engine modules.

About IN-SPACe

The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe) is a single-window, independent nodal agency operating autonomously under the Department of Space. Established through space sector reforms, IN-SPACe’s purpose is to enable and promote private sector participation in space activities.

IN-SPACe’s responsibilities include:

• Promoting, enabling, authorizing, and supervising space activities of non-governmental entities (NGEs) such as developing launch vehicles, satellites, and space-based services.

• Facilitating the sharing of space infrastructure and premises managed by DoS/ISRO.

• Supporting the establishment of new space infrastructure and facilities.

• Acting as an interface between ISRO and private players, assessing how to maximize India’s space resources and expand space activities.

• Evaluating private sector needs, including those of educational and research institutions, and collaborating with ISRO to address them.

The agency’s functions are carried out by three directorates:

• Promotion Directorate (PD)

• Technical Directorate (TD)

• Program Management and Authorization Directorate (PMAD)

A report submitted by the Finance Minister in the Rajya Sabha revealed that since 2015, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken up 5,892 cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, but has secured only 15 convictions.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has emphasized that ED must follow the rule of law, urged the establishment of fast-track courts for PMLA cases, and recommended regulation of cryptocurrencies to prevent misuse without banning them outright.

What is Money Laundering?

Money laundering is the process of disguising proceeds of illegal activities (like drug trafficking, smuggling, arms trade, embezzlement) to make them appear legitimate, allowing criminals to enjoy profits without detection.

• Key Stages:

  1. Placement: Introducing illicit funds into the financial system

  2. Layering: Complex transactions to disguise the origin

  3. Integration: Making the funds appear legally obtained

• Common Methods:
  Structuring (smurfing), trade-based laundering, shell companies, real estate investments, cryptocurrencies, hawala networks.

Why Are Money Laundering Cases Rising in India?

• Legal and Enforcement Gaps: Misuse of certain PMLA provisions (like property attachment without a registered offence) and prosecution delays.

• Complex Techniques: Use of digital currencies, fintech, cross-border transfers complicate detection.

• Shadow Economy: Large informal sectors and lax regulation in real estate, jewellery, and luxury goods markets.

• Weak Global Cooperation: Despite 85+ Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTAAs), limited data sharing hampers investigation.

Example: In a Rs 260 crore global cyber fraud case, funds were converted into cryptocurrencies and laundered through hawala networks in the UAE.

Consequences of Money Laundering

• Fuels organized crime, terrorism, drug and human trafficking.

• Erodes public trust and weakens democratic institutions.

• Diverts public welfare funds, increasing socio-economic inequality.

• Distorts economy, causing capital flow volatility, inflated real estate prices, deterring foreign investments, and financial instability.

What is a “Laundromat”?

A complex network of shell companies, banking channels, and offshore accounts used to “clean” illicit funds, originally a term linked to US crime syndicates.

Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002

• Enacted in 2005 to prevent money laundering and confiscate property derived from crimes.

• Targets crimes like drug trafficking, smuggling, terror financing.

• Empowers authorities to attach, seize, and confiscate property linked to scheduled offences.

• Investigations start based on Enforcement Case Information Reports (ECIRs), not necessarily FIRs.

• Bail under Section 45 requires the accused to prove innocence and assure no reoffending.

• Institutional framework includes Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU-IND) and an Appellate Tribunal.

Recent Amendments

• 2019: Special Courts can notify claimants for confiscated property after charges are framed.

• 2023: Expanded NGO disclosure requirements and redefined Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) in line with FATF norms.

Global Cooperation

India’s DTAAs with over 85 countries facilitate information exchange and tracking of offshore assets to combat money laundering and tax evasion.

Key Judicial Rulings

• P. Chidambaram vs. ED (2019): Concealing illegal funds threatens national sovereignty.

• Vir Bhadra Singh vs. ED (2017): ECIR sufficient for investigation, FIR not mandatory.

• Vijay Madanlal Chaudhury vs. Union of India (2022): Scheduled offence registration mandatory for prosecution but not for property attachment, a provision sometimes misused politically.

Measures to Combat Money Laundering

• Strict compliance with FATF norms for transparency and accountability.

• Ensure independent, unbiased investigations by enforcement agencies.

• Strengthen evidence collection, inter-agency coordination, and use digital forensics.

• Enhance international cooperation and use of DTAA mechanisms for real-time data sharing.

• Judicial safeguards to prevent misuse and uphold due process during attachment and prosecution.

Conclusion

Money laundering poses a serious threat to India’s financial stability and national security. Although the PMLA provides a robust legal framework, implementation challenges like low conviction rates, procedural delays, and misuse undermine its effectiveness. Addressing this requires legal reforms, stronger institutional accountability, and enhanced global cooperation.

• At least 20 people died after a migrant boat capsized off the southern Italian island of Lampedusa recently.

About Lampedusa Island:

• Location: Southern Mediterranean Sea, between Malta and Tunisia; about 170 km southwest of Licata, Sicily.

  Size: Largest of the Pelagie Islands, covering about 21 sq.km.

  Administrative Region: Part of the autonomous region of Sicily, Italy.

  Geographical Note: Although administratively Italian, the island is geographically part of the African continent.

  Volcanic Origin:

  • Known as the Pearl of the Mediterranean due to its volcanic lava formations.

  • It is the emerged part of a volcano that last erupted around 9,000 years ago.

  • The island’s highest point is about 133 meters above sea level.

  Geography & Climate:

  • Rocky terrain with limited natural freshwater sources.

  • Typical Mediterranean climate: hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters.

  Island Dimensions: Approximately 11 km long and 3 km wide.