UPSC Mains Current Affairs for 18 June 2025

India Faces Rising Heat Risk: 57% Districts at High or Very High Risk

June 18, 2025

Extreme Heat Risk in India Latest News

A recent study by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), titled ‘How Extreme Heat is Impacting India’, reveals that 57% of Indian districts, home to 76% of the population, face high or very high risk from extreme heat.
States facing the highest risk include Delhi, Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.

The Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), based in New Delhi, is one of the world’s leading and best-managed independent climate think tanks.

Understanding Heat Risk: Not the Same as Heatwaves or Heat Stress

Heatwaves
- While they do not have a universal definition, heatwaves are essentially prolonged periods of abnormally high temperatures in a specific region.
Heat Stress
- Occurs when the body temperature exceeds 37°C.
- Body struggles to release excess heat, causing discomfort, cramps, and exhaustion.
- If body temperature exceeds 40°C, it may lead to heat stroke.
Heat Risk
- According to the CEEW study, heat risk refers to the probability of heat-related illness or death due to extreme temperatures.
- It is determined by three key factors:
  - Intensity of heat and compounding effects (e.g., humidity),
  - Degree of exposure, and
  - Vulnerability of affected communities (e.g., age, health conditions).

Key Factors Driving Heat Risk in India

Rise in Very Warm Nights
- Between 2012 and 2022, over 70% of Indian districts experienced five or more additional very warm nights each summer.
- Warm nights prevent the body from cooling down after hot days, increasing the risk of heat strokes and worsening non-communicable diseases like diabetes and hypertension.
Increase in Relative Humidity in North India
- Relative humidity in the Indo-Gangetic Plain rose from 30–40% (1982–2011) to 40–50% (2012–2022).
- High humidity hampers cooling through sweat, intensifying heat stress, especially when body temperature exceeds 37°C.
Urbanisation and Population Density
- Cities like Mumbai and Delhi face higher exposure due to dense populations.
- Rapid urbanisation in tier II and III cities has led to increased night-time heat due to heat-absorbing concrete infrastructure.
Socio-Economic and Health Vulnerabilities
- Districts in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Haryana, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh are particularly vulnerable.
- Factors include a high share of elderly populations and prevalence of chronic health conditions (e.g., diabetes, hypertension).

Key Findings of The Study

2024: Warmest Year on Record
- 2024 marked the hottest year globally, including in India.
- Global average temperature was 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels (1850–1900).
- India’s temperature was 1.2°C higher than the 1901–1910 average.
India’s Climate Impact: Already Evident
- India experienced its longest recorded heatwave since 2010.
- Over 44,000 cases of heatstroke were reported in 2024 alone.
Inadequate Heat Action Plans (HAPs)
- India’s HAPs (early warning and preparedness plans) are often:
- Lacking long-term strategies, or
- Poorly implemented, even when they exist.
- According to the Sustainable Futures Collaborative (SFC), this weakens India’s response to growing heat threats.
Future Risks
- Without stronger planning and execution, heat-related deaths may rise.
- The country faces increasing threats from more frequent, intense, and prolonged heatwaves.

Source: IE | WEF

Extreme Heat Risk in India FAQs

Q1: What percentage of Indian districts face extreme heat risk?

Ans: 57% of Indian districts face high or very high heat risk, affecting around 76% of India’s population.

Q2: What is heat risk as per CEEW?

Ans: Heat risk is the likelihood of heat-related illness or death based on heat intensity, exposure, and community vulnerabilities.

Q3: Which factors drive heat risk in India?

Ans: Very warm nights, rising humidity, urbanisation, high population density, and vulnerable populations drive heat risk in India.

Q4: Which regions are most affected by heat risk?

Ans: Delhi, Maharashtra, Kerala, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and other populous states face the highest levels of extreme heat risk.

Q5: Why are current Heat Action Plans inadequate?

Ans: Most Heat Action Plans lack long-term strategies or effective implementation, risking more heat-related illnesses and deaths.

Why US Investigators Are Probing an Air India Crash on Indian Soil

June 18, 2025

Air India Crash Investigation Latest News

When Air India flight 171 crashed in Ahmedabad, killing all 241 onboard, emergency services and media responded swiftly.
Later, international agencies including the United States’ National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the United Kingdom’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) joined the investigation.
This raises an important question: Why are foreign agencies, particularly from the US and the U.K., involved in investigating the crash of an Indian airline on Indian soil?

Why Foreign Agencies Investigate Air Crashes on Indian Soil

The Role of the Chicago Convention
- The involvement of international investigators in air crashes is guided by the Convention on International Civil Aviation, also known as the Chicago Convention, signed in 1944.
- It was created to establish a unified global aviation framework to ensure safety and cooperation across nations.
Global Commitment to Aviation Safety
- The Convention is upheld by 193 member countries, including India, the US, and the UK.
- Its technical standards are managed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), a UN body headquartered in Montreal.
Annex 13: The Investigation Protocol
- A key component of the Convention, Annex 13, sets the international rules for investigating aircraft accidents.
- It ensures that investigations focus not on blame or legal responsibility, but on uncovering root causes to enhance future safety.
Shared Responsibility
- Under Chapter 5 of Annex 13, countries involved in building the aircraft or its engines (like the US for Boeing aircraft) have a right and responsibility to participate in the investigation, even if the crash occurs outside their borders.

Who Can Participate in an Aircraft Accident Investigation

Primary Responsibility: State of Occurrence
- Under Chapter 5 of ICAO Annex 13, the country where the accident occurs—called the State of Occurrence—leads the investigation.
- In the case of the AI 171 crash, this is India, and the probe is being conducted by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) under India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation.
Other Entitled States
- Several other countries have a formal right to participate in the investigation based on their connection to the aircraft:
  - State of Registry: India (as the aircraft is registered with an Indian tail number starting with VT).
  - State of the Operator: India (since Air India operated the flight).
  - State of Design: United States (Boeing designed the aircraft).
  - State of Manufacture: United States (Boeing and General Electric manufactured the plane and engines).
- Thus, US agencies like the NTSB and FAA are entitled to join the investigation. Boeing and GE may also send experts as part of the accredited team.
Involvement of the UK
- Although not automatically entitled under Annex 13, the United Kingdom is participating because 53 British nationals were on board and perished in the crash.
- Such involvement is allowed as per ICAO provisions when nationals of a state are significantly affected.
Scope of Participation
- All accredited participants are allowed to:
  - Visit the crash site
  - Examine wreckage and evidence
  - Make technical submissions
  - Receive and comment on the final report

A Practical Necessity, Not Overreach

Global Collaboration for Aviation Safety
- The involvement of foreign agencies in crash investigations is not interference—it is a practical and essential step to ensure a thorough, technically accurate inquiry.
- In today’s globalised aviation industry, where aircraft are designed, built, and operated across multiple countries, safety is a shared international responsibility.
Learning from Global Accidents
- A crash in one part of the world can reveal design flaws or operational issues relevant elsewhere.
- For instance, a lesson from a crash in India may prevent future accidents in Indonesia or the US, making cross-border participation vital.
Established Precedent
- India has previously followed this protocol.
- In 2010, when Air India Express Flight 812 crashed in Mangalore, the US NTSB assisted in the investigation at the request of Indian authorities—illustrating that such cooperation is both routine and valuable.

Source: IE | BBC

Air India Crash Investigation FAQs

Q1: Why is the US involved in an Indian air crash probe?

Ans: Because the aircraft’s design and manufacture are American, entitling US agencies to join under ICAO protocols.

Q2: What is the Chicago Convention’s role in crash investigations?

Ans: It sets international aviation safety rules, including shared responsibilities for air crash investigations through Annex 13.

Q3: Who leads the Air India crash investigation?

Ans: India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) leads the probe as the crash occurred on Indian soil.

Q4: What other countries can participate in the investigation?

Ans: States of Design, Manufacture, Registry, and Operator—including the US and UK—can formally participate in crash investigations.

Q5: Has India allowed foreign crash investigations before?

Ans: Yes, the US NTSB assisted in India’s 2010 Mangalore crash probe, setting a precedent for global collaboration.

Centre Launches Tribal Outreach Drive to Promote PM JANMAN and Dharti Aaba Welfare Schemes

June 18, 2025

Tribal Outreach Latest News

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has rolled out a large-scale outreach campaign for the implementation of its welfare schemes in over 500 districts of the country, aiming to cover 1 lakh tribal dominated villages and habitations.

Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN)

Launched in 2023, the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan is a focused initiative aimed at improving the socio-economic conditions of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in India.
These groups represent the most marginalised sections within tribal communities and often face barriers to accessing mainstream welfare benefits due to geographic isolation, lack of documentation, and limited institutional outreach.
Key Components of PM JANMAN include:

- Delivery of basic entitlements like Aadhaar cards and health insurance under Ayushman Bharat.
- Access to banking facilities such as Jan Dhan accounts and pension enrolment.
- Legal empowerment through granting land and forest rights under the Forest Rights Act (FRA).
- Supportive infrastructure and service delivery mechanisms tailored for PVTGs.
The scheme represents a paradigm shift in tribal policy, from passive provisioning to proactive inclusion, by addressing critical documentation, health, and financial gaps through direct, last-mile service delivery.

Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan

Launched in 2024 and named after the legendary tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda (revered as Dharti Aaba or “Father of the Earth”), the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan is a comprehensive umbrella scheme.
It is designed to integrate the efforts of 17 different Union Ministries for the upliftment of tribal communities through convergence-driven development.
With a total allocation of Rs. 79,156 crore over five years, including Rs. 56,333 crore as the central share and Rs. 22,823 crore from states, the scheme focuses on multi-dimensional development through:
- Construction of tribal hostels and rural homes under PM Awas Yojana.
- Rural electrification and water access improvements.
- Livelihood enhancement through livestock and fisheries support.
Each participating ministry is assigned a budget and a set of deliverables under the scheme.
By leveraging convergence, Dharti Aaba Abhiyan seeks to break silos in welfare delivery and ensure holistic development of tribal habitations.

News Summary

On June 15, 2025, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs officially launched a large-scale fortnight-long outreach campaign across 500 districts of India.
The initiative targets over 1 lakh tribal-dominated villages and habitations, focusing on benefit saturation camps to deliver key services at the doorstep of tribal citizens.
The primary goal is to ensure widespread awareness and uptake of two flagship schemes: PM JANMAN and Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan.
These schemes are central to the Union government’s efforts under the year-long Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh celebrations, which began on November 15, 2024, the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda.
The outreach focuses on:
- Enrolment and delivery of Aadhaar and Ayushman Bharat cards.
- Opening of Jan Dhan and pension accounts.
- Processing land and forest rights claims under the FRA.
According to Ministry sources, the campaign is designed to push last-mile awareness, especially among remote tribal populations who often remain excluded from formal welfare mechanisms.
The campaign also seeks to create institutional familiarity with the recently launched Dharti Aaba scheme, whose budgetary provisions came into effect in the 2025 Union Budget.
The outreach aligns with the government’s broader strategy of saturation-based delivery models, where welfare entitlements are delivered to all eligible individuals within a defined geography, thus minimising exclusions.
The model has been successfully adopted in previous schemes like PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, and is now being replicated in tribal welfare initiatives.
By embedding this effort within a symbolic and cultural framework (through Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh), the government also aims to honour tribal legacy and deepen community trust in public institutions.

Source: IE

PM JANMAN and Dharti Aaba Outreach Campaign FAQs

Q1: What is the primary aim of the PM JANMAN scheme?

Ans: PM JANMAN aims to deliver entitlements to particularly vulnerable tribal groups through last-mile outreach.

Q2: What does the Dharti Aaba Abhiyan focus on?

Ans: It focuses on convergence-led tribal development by integrating welfare schemes of 17 ministries.

Q3: How many tribal villages are being covered in the outreach campaign?

Ans: The campaign targets over 1 lakh tribal-dominated villages across 500 districts.

Q4: What are some key services being delivered in the benefit saturation camps?

Ans: Aadhaar enrolment, Ayushman Bharat cards, Jan Dhan accounts, pension accounts, and FRA titles are key deliverables.

Q5: What is the significance of Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh?

Ans: It commemorates tribal hero Birsa Munda’s birth anniversary and celebrates tribal contributions to India’s freedom struggle.