Friday 22nd August, 2025
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Current Affairs Digest - A Comprehensive Analysis of Daily News
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22-Aug-25 Page 0 of 12
CONTENTS
EROSION OF ELECTORAL INTEGRITY: CHALLENGES BEFORE THE ELECTION COMMISSION AND POLITICAL PARTIES
.............................................................................................................................................................................. 2
CUSTODIAL VIOLENCE IN INDIA: JUDICIAL REASONING, CASTE DIMENSIONS AND THE CRISIS OF ACCOUNTABILITY
.............................................................................................................................................................................. 4
INDIA’S SPACE PROGRAMME AND THE NEED FOR COMPREHENSIVE NATIONAL SPACE LEGISLATION ................... 7
PARLIAMENT PASSES ONLINE GAMING BILL, 2025: REGULATING MONEY GAMES AND PROMOTING E-SPORTS . 10
2
EROSION OF ELECTORAL INTEGRITY:
CHALLENGES BEFORE THE ELECTION
COMMISSION AND POLITICAL PARTIES
EXPLAINER: The article says India’s elections face problems like unfair practices and
weak rules. It highlights the struggles of the Election Commission in keeping polls
free and fair. Political parties also need to act responsibly to protect democracy.
Context:
● Electoral rolls are central to free and fair elections, yet issues like duplicate names,
ghost voters, and ineligible entries continue to weaken their reliability.
● These gaps allow impersonation and multiple voting, eroding citizens’ trust.
○ While the Election Commission of India (ECI) is often blamed, political parties
also share responsibility for neglecting local structures and chasing short-term
gains.
● The contrast is telling: in the 1990s, under T.N. Seshan, the ECI was admired
globally for its integrity, but today, doubts about its neutrality and credibility are
widespread.
T.N. Seshan’s Reforms in the 1990s
● Strict Enforcement of MCC: First CEC to rigorously enforce the Model Code of
Conduct, preventing misuse of government machinery.
● Action Against Malpractices: Curbed bribery, use of muscle power, and
caste/religion-based appeals in campaigns.
● Introduction of EPIC: Brought in voter ID cards to stop fake voting.
● Monitoring Campaign Spending: Fixed spending limits and ensured detailed
scrutiny of candidates’ accounts.
● Strengthening ECI’s Authority: Asserted the Commission’s independence, making
it a credible guardian of electoral integrity.
● Public Confidence Restored: Surveys in the 1990s placed the ECI among the most
trusted institutions.
● Why it matters: Seshan’s tenure is often remembered as the benchmark of electoral
honesty, a standard against which today’s decline is measured.
Decline in the ECI’s Credibility
● From Trust to Doubt: Once viewed as impartial, the ECI now faces criticism for
opacity and weak accountability.
● Then vs. Now: Unlike Seshan’s strict oversight of MCC, expenses, and voter IDs,
today’s ECI struggles with credibility.
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● Current Concerns: Instead of fixing errors in rolls, it has made verification harder,
further fueling suspicion.
How Political Parties Weakened Themselves
● Shift from Ground to Tech: Traditional door-to-door outreach has been replaced by
social media, AI tools, and phone campaigns, creating only a superficial connection.
● Dependence on Consultants: Campaign strategies and even candidate choices are
outsourced to professionals, concentrating power at the top.
● Neglect of Local Cadres: Once the foundation of parties, grassroots workers are now
sidelined, reducing vigilance against electoral fraud.
Booth Level Agent (BLA) System and Its Flaws
● Role of BLAs: Designed to act as a bridge between voters, parties, and the ECI by
verifying voter lists.
● Safeguards: Rules cap BLAs at 10 applications daily; over 30 requires personal checks
by officials.
● Reality: In places like Mahadevapura (Karnataka), BLAs have been inactive or
manipulated, showing weak enforcement of safeguards.
Opportunities for Political Renewal
● Reviving Local Structures: The current crisis offers parties a chance to rebuild their
grassroots presence instead of relying only on consultants.
● Kerala’s Example: Parties there actively detect duplicate and fraudulent entries
during local elections.
● Historical Lesson: Ignoring grassroots once undermined post-Independence land
reforms; the same neglect today threatens democracy.
Broader Democratic Implications
● Beyond Elections: Updating rolls is essential to uphold fairness in democracy.
● Loss of Trust: Chasing immediate gains over constitutional principles hollows out
institutions.
● Risk to Democracy: Weak local units and unaccountable institutions may ultimately
compromise democracy itself.
Conclusion
● The strength of India’s democracy lies not only in institutions but also in active local
participation.
● The ECI must restore trust by ensuring greater transparency, while political parties
must revive grassroots networks to safeguard voter rolls.
● Without these corrections, the erosion of faith could push democracy toward internal
collapse.
Relevant for UPSC GS2: Salient features of the Representation of People’s
Act; Constitutional Bodies; Transparency & Accountability
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CUSTODIAL VIOLENCE IN INDIA: JUDICIAL
REASONING, CASTE DIMENSIONS AND THE
CRISIS OF ACCOUNTABILITY
EXPLAINER: The article says the Election Commission should have full control over
officers who run elections. But new legal changes have caused clashes between the
Commission and the government. It shows the need to protect free and fair elections.
Context:
● Recently, the Chhattisgarh High Court judgment in a custodial death case highlights
alarming gaps in India’s approach to police violence and caste-based oppression.
● The case involved a Dalit man who died in custody: initial medical reports
indicated no injuries, but post-mortem revealed 26 wounds.
● More concerning than the facts is the Court’s reasoning, which downgraded the
officers’ conviction from murder to culpable homicide, suggesting they intended only
to “teach a lesson.”
○ This reasoning has serious implications for the rule of law, constitutional
morality, and protection of vulnerable communities.
Violence Cannot Be Justified as Discipline
● The phrase teaching a lesson does more than explain intent — it legitimizes custodial
violence as a tool of discipline.
● India’s Constitution binds the state to act within procedure, rights, and proportionality;
it does not sanction brutality as correction.
● Treating custodial assault as misguided discipline blurs the line between legitimate
authority and authoritarian power.
● Courts, as protectors of constitutional morality, must never rationalize state violence
under the banner of deterrence.
● Judicial reasoning influences policing practices — when a constitutional court suggests
violence can be corrective, it signals to officers that excesses may be excused as
enthusiasm rather than condemned as crime.
Caste Dimension of Custodial Deaths
● Another grave omission is the erasure of caste. The victim here was a Dalit man
assaulted by upper-caste officers.
● Yet, both trial and appellate courts refused to apply the SC/ST (Prevention of
Atrocities) Act, 1989, citing lack of direct proof of caste-based intent.
● Such a narrow approach ignores how caste operates structurally and subtly, not always
through explicit slurs or open declarations.
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● In rural policing, Dalits and Adivasis disproportionately suffer brutality; requiring overt
evidence of caste animus denies this lived reality.
● By setting an unrealistically high bar for proving caste motivation, courts risk gutting
the SC/ST Act and failing those it was meant to safeguard.
Precedents and the Persistence of Impunity
● Custodial violence in India is neither rare nor new.
● The Supreme Court, since the landmark D.K. Basu case, has mandated safeguards
against custodial torture and abuse.
● Yet, deaths in custody remain frequent, especially among poor and marginalized
communities.
● Compliance with safeguards is inconsistent, and accountability weak, largely because
investigations are often carried out by the very institutions accused of misconduct.
● In this context, the High Court’s framing of custodial violence as disciplinary is
especially harmful, as it legitimizes a broken system rather than confronting it.
Upholding Judicial Integrity
● For the judiciary to defend constitutional democracy, it must firmly reject any
suggestion that custodial violence has moral justification.
● Police are not vigilantes empowered to correct behaviour through force — they are
servants of the law, bound by due process.
● Endorsing the notion of teaching a lesson replaces justice with fear and law with
coercion.
● True deterrence lies not in bruises inflicted behind police station walls but in
proportionate punishment within the framework of law.
● Structural reform requires courts to affirm that custodial violence is always criminal,
never disciplinary.
● The SC/ST Act must be applied expansively to capture the systemic, caste-infused
nature of violence against Dalits and Adivasis.
● Independent oversight mechanisms must be strengthened so that investigations are
not left to compromised agencies.
● Most importantly, judicial discourse itself must reflect zero tolerance for state brutality
in any form.
Conclusion
● The Indian Constitution is founded on dignity, equality, and the rule of law.
○ These values cannot survive if custodial violence is excused as discipline.
● By invoking the idea of teaching a lesson, the High Court risks undoing decades of
constitutional progress and emboldening future violations.
● What India needs is not mere sympathy in judgments but structural reforms, stronger
enforcement of safeguards, effective use of protective laws, and a judiciary that
declares without ambiguity: no citizen — especially the most marginalized — should
lose their rights in the name of correction.
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● Anything less paves the way toward authoritarianism, where justice is measured not
in rights, but in wounds.
Relevant for UPSC GS1: Social Justice; GS2: Fundamental Rights;
Transparency & Accountability, Constitutional Amendments, Judiciary
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INDIA’S SPACE PROGRAMME AND THE
NEED FOR COMPREHENSIVE NATIONAL
SPACE LEGISLATION
EXPLAINER: The article says India’s space program is growing fast with many
achievements. It highlights the need for clear laws to manage space activities safely.
This will help India explore space while protecting technology and resources.
Context:
● India is set to mark its second National Space Day on 23 August, amidst ambitious
projects like Chandrayaan-3 follow-ups and the Gaganyaan mission.
○ However, the country still lacks a comprehensive national space law to regulate
and support private and commercial space activities.
About Space Laws
● Definition: Space law is the legal framework governing activities in outer space,
encompassing exploration, commercialization, safety, liability, and peaceful use.
○ It balances India’s international obligations with domestic regulation for
government and private actors.
● Outer Space Treaty (OST), 1967:
○ Common Heritage: Space belongs to all humanity; no nation can claim
ownership.
○ Peaceful Use: Outer space cannot be militarized.
○ State Responsibility: Countries are accountable for government and private
space activities.
○ Liability Clause: Nations bear responsibility for damage caused by space
objects from their territory.
○ International Cooperation: Promotes scientific exchange and sustainable
exploration.
● Importance of National Space Legislation
○ Legal Clarity & Predictability: Provides a stable regulatory framework,
reduces bureaucratic hurdles, and avoids overlapping approvals.
○ Safety & Compliance: Sets technical standards, licensing rules, accident
investigation protocols, and debris management obligations, ensuring India
meets OST liability commitments.
○ Boost to Private Sector & FDI: Clear licensing, IP rights, insurance rules,
and investment norms encourage startups and foreign investment.
○ Insurance & Liability: High-value space activities require affordable
insurance to protect startups and shield India from international liability.
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○ Innovation & Talent Retention: Protects IP, promotes industry–academia
partnerships, and prevents brain drain to countries with better IP frameworks.
India’s recent approach
● Incremental Strategy: India has ratified UN space treaties but has not passed an
overarching space law.
● Existing Frameworks:
○ Indian Space Policy 2023 – promotes private sector participation.
○ IN-SPACe Norms & Guidelines – authorization for non-government actors.
○ Catalogue of Indian Standards for Space Industry – ensures safety and quality.
○ Gap: IN-SPACe lacks statutory authority, limiting legal certainty for investors.
Challenges
● Regulatory Fragmentation: Multiple ministries (Defence, Telecom, Commerce, DoS)
create duplications and delays.
● No Statutory Backing for IN-SPACe: Functions on executive orders, weakening
investor confidence.
● Liability & Insurance: India is liable internationally under OST; high insurance costs
create barriers for startups.
● FDI Uncertainty: Limited and unclear FDI routes deter foreign investment;
competitors attract startups with liberal rules.
● IP & Innovation Risks: Overregulation stifles innovation; under-protection risks
talent loss.
What lies ahead?
● Comprehensive Space Law: Provide statutory clarity, define roles of government
and private actors, and set liability norms.
● Enable IN-SPACe: Provide complete legal authority as a single-window regulator with
defined denial criteria, time-bound licensing, and transparent fees.
● Affordable Insurance: Develop government-backed or pooled insurance models for
startups.
● Liberalize FDI: Allow 100% automatic route investment in satellite components and
services.
● Strengthen IP & Innovation Ecosystem: Protect patents and copyrights and
encourage collaborations between industry, academia, and government.
Conclusion
● India’s space programme is shifting from state-led exploration to private-sector-led
commercialization.
● Without a comprehensive space law, this growth faces regulatory uncertainty, liability
concerns, and gaps that could hinder progress.
● Enacting a national space law will ensure India meets international obligations, fosters
a competitive space economy, and strengthens its position as a trusted global space
leader.
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PARLIAMENT PASSES ONLINE GAMING BILL,
2025: REGULATING MONEY GAMES AND
PROMOTING E-SPORTS
EXPLAINER: The article says the Online Gaming Bill, 2025 aims to control money-
based games and prevent misuse. It also supports the growth of e-sports in India.
The law tries to make online gaming safe and fair for everyone.
Context:
● The Lok Sabha has passed the Online Gaming Bill 2025, which bans harmful real
money gaming while promoting e-sports and social gaming under a new regulatory
framework.
● Formally titled the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, the
legislation marks a significant step in governing India’s expanding digital gaming
industry.
● The Bill prohibits real money gaming due to its social, financial, and psychological
risks, while creating a supportive framework for e-sports and online social games.
○ This aims to protect vulnerable populations, encourage responsible gaming,
and bolster India’s digital innovation ecosystem.
Key Provisions of the Online Gaming Bill 2025
● The Bill categorizes gaming into three segments:
○ E-sports: The law supports the growth of this niche industry as a mainstream
one, acknowledging it as a creative and recreational field.
○ Online Social Games: Promoted as safe entertainment that carries no
financial risk or gambling addiction.
○ Online Money Games: Fully banned, covering fantasy sports, poker, rummy,
and other platforms where players wager real money.
● Penalties for violations:
○ First-time offenders: Up to three years of imprisonment and fines up to ₹1
crore.
○ Repeat offenders: Imprisonment of three to five years and fines up to ₹2
crore.
● Establishment of an Online Gaming Authority
○ The Bill sets up a statutory Online Gaming Authority to:
■ Coordinate policy support.
■ Regulate and supervise gaming platforms.
■ Promote legitimate e-sports and social gaming.
■ Prevent harmful practices such as money laundering, addictive
algorithms, and fraud.
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■ This central regulator will ensure uniform oversight and safe,
sustainable sector growth.
● Rationale Behind the Bill
○ The government highlighted alarming trends necessitating intervention:
○ 32 suicides in 31 months linked to online money gaming addiction.
○ Growing financial distress among families due to compulsive gambling.
○ Reports of real money games being exploited for money laundering and terror
financing.
○ Psychological disorders from predatory gaming algorithms.
○ The Lok Sabha Speaker called it a “national interest” legislation, while the IT
Minister stressed that digital innovation must not compromise public welfare.
● Industry Response and Challenges
○ The Bill has disrupted India’s multi-billion-dollar real money gaming sector,
which had long sought regulation rather than prohibition.
○ Industry experts have hinted at potential constitutional challenges, though
legal analysts believe the Bill is robust, grounded in public interest and national
security.
● Importance for India’s Digital Future
○ The legislation balances promoting innovation with protecting
citizens:
■ Youth: Shields them from addiction and financial loss.
■ Industry: Provides clarity and legitimacy for e-sports and social gaming
startups.
■ Society: Addresses fraud, money laundering, and mental health risks.
■ Governance: Establishes a long-overdue uniform national framework.
● By encouraging e-sports, the Bill also supports India’s ambition to become a global
digital entertainment hub, especially as it prepares for world-class events such as the
proposed 2036 Olympics.
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COMPILED BY TEAM CRACK ACADEMY
Our daily Current Affairs Digest is a comprehensive analysis of the most important news from 14
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