UPSC Mains Current Affairs for 20 July 2025

India-EU FTA – Progress on Digital Trade, Services & Investment Texts

July 20, 2025

India-EU FTA Latest News

India and the European Union (EU) have made notable headway in the 12th round of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, with the digital trade chapter finalised in principle and substantial progress achieved on services and investment chapters.
These developments are crucial in finalising India-EU FTA - which will be a turning point for global trade, cross-border data governance, and bilateral economic relations.

Key Highlights of the India-EU FTA Negotiation

Digital Trade Chapter - A milestone development: It covers cross-border data flows, crucial for e-commerce and digital services.
Significance: A key enabler for India's IT and digital economy to scale up and integrate with the global services ecosystem.
Pending disclosure: Textual positions of both parties are yet to be made public.

India-EU Services and Investment Integration

Services sector progress:
- EU’s objective: To eliminate “discriminatory and disproportionate obstacles” for EU service providers.
- India’s advantage: Rapidly expanding IT and financial services sectors could benefit from increased EU investment.
Economic relevance: Services account for over 70% of EU’s global foreign direct investment (FDI). Deepening ties could enhance India's service export potential.

Cross-Border Data Flow - Strategic and Contested

AI, data localisation, and sovereignty:
- Global context: Cross-border data flows are critical in the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Fourth Industrial Revolution's cornerstone.
- India’s position: Resistant to diluting data localisation norms, emphasizing policy space, privacy, and cyber sovereignty.
Key policy developments:
- India’s policy stance: India has traditionally resisted altering its stance on data localisation under any plurilateral agreements at the World Trade Organization (WTO) to preserve policy space.
- The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) 2018 norms: Made it mandatory for payment system providers such as Mastercard and Visa to store payment data of Indian residents within the country.
- UN Conference on Trade and Development's (UNCTAD) 2018 report: Stressed data’s strategic value and endorsed localisation for development and regulatory oversight.
Global examples: Vietnam and the Philippines adopted localisation to protect nascent industries and build domestic digital capabilities.

Investment and Dispute Settlement Mechanism

Advances in investment text and dispute mechanism:
- State-to-state mediation: Considerable progress reported, signalling convergence on dispute resolution.
- Legacy issues: EU concerns persisted after India unilaterally terminated Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) in 2016.
India’s revised strategy: New investment agreements under a fresh legal framework are being negotiated.
EU’s position: Supports establishing a Multilateral Investment Court and sees the investment protection agreement as a stepping stone to deeper trade ties.

Conclusion

The recent progress in India-EU FTA negotiations represents a turning point, particularly in digital trade and investment.
By balancing economic integration with regulatory sovereignty, India seeks to unlock growth opportunities while preserving national interests — a delicate equilibrium that aligns with its broader trade and digital strategy in the evolving global order.

Source: IE

India-EU FTA FAQs

Q1: What is the significance of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) for the Indian services sector?

Ans: The FTA offers the potential to deepen integration of India's services sector with the EU market, enhancing investment, scale, and competitiveness, especially in IT and financial services.

Q2: Why is cross-border data flow a contentious issue in trade negotiations, particularly for India?

Ans: Cross-border data flow is contentious due to India's emphasis on data localisation to safeguard privacy, cyber sovereignty, and policy space, despite global pressure for freer data movement.

Q3: How has India addressed the EU’s concerns regarding investment protection after terminating its bilateral investment treaties (BITs)?

Ans: India has begun negotiating new investment agreements under a revised legal framework that prefers dispute resolution under domestic law, addressing EU's demand for legal clarity.

Q4: In what ways can data localisation benefit developing economies, according to UNCTAD?

Ans: UNCTAD argues that data localisation can promote foreign investment in digital infrastructure, protect domestic industries, and enable better enforcement of national laws.

Q5: What does the progress on the dispute settlement mechanism in India-EU FTA negotiations indicate?

Ans: It reflects a breakthrough in long-standing differences, particularly the EU’s concern over legal protection for investors, and may pave the way for a multilateral investment court.

Antimatter Mystery Solved? First Evidence of CP Violation in Baryons

July 20, 2025

CP Violation in Baryons Latest News

Recently, European scientists observed, for the first time, that matter and antimatter versions of a subatomic particle called a baryon decay at different rates.
This difference in behavior could help explain why the universe is predominantly made of matter, offering a crucial clue to the long-standing antimatter mystery.

Matter and Antimatter

Matter is what makes up everything we see around us—people, planets, stars—composed of particles like protons, neutrons, and electrons.
Antimatter is like matter’s mirror image: for every matter particle, there’s a corresponding antiparticle with the same mass but opposite charge.
For example:
- The antiparticle of an electron (negative charge) is a positron (positive charge).
- The antiparticle of a proton is an antiproton, with negative charge.
When a particle and its antiparticle meet, they annihilate, releasing energy.

Why the Universe Has More Matter Than Antimatter

The Big Bang should have produced equal amounts of matter and antimatter, but today, the universe is overwhelmingly made of matter.
This imbalance remains one of science's greatest mysteries. A key to understanding it lies in a phenomenon called CP violation—where the universe treats matter and antimatter differently.
- CP stands for charge conjugation (swapping particles with their opposites) and parity (mirror flipping left and right).
  - Charge conjugation involves replacing every particle in a system with its antiparticle.
  - For example, an electron would be replaced with a positron, a proton with an antiproton, and so on.
- CP symmetry implies that physical laws should remain the same when a particle is replaced by its antiparticle and its spatial coordinates are inverted.
If both symmetries held perfectly, matter and antimatter would behave identically.
However, experiments have shown that CP symmetry can be broken.
This violation is essential to explaining how the early universe ended up with more matter than antimatter.

First Observation of CP Violation in Baryons

Until now, CP violation had only been observed in mesons—particles made of a quark and an antiquark.
For the first time, scientists have detected CP violation in baryons, which are three-quark particles like protons and neutrons that make up most visible matter.
The breakthrough came from studying the decay of the Λb0 baryon.
- The Λb0 baryon is a subatomic particle known as a "bottom lambda baryon."
- It's a type of baryon, meaning it's composed of three quarks, and it contains one up quark, one down quark, and one bottom quark.
- The "0" in Λb0 indicates that it is electrically neutral.
- This particle is also sometimes referred to as an "open-beauty baryon".
Researchers found that these two decayed differently into a proton, a kaon, and two pions, providing the first evidence of CP violation in baryon decays and offering new insight into the matter-antimatter imbalance in the universe.

How Scientists Observed CP Violation in Baryon Decay

The discovery was made at Europe’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) using the LHCb detector, which recorded data from billions of proton-proton collisions over several years.
These collisions occasionally produced Λb0 baryons and their antiparticles (Λb0-bar).
Scientists then compared how often each version decayed into those particles. A difference in decay rates, after correcting for experimental biases, indicated CP violation.
To ensure accuracy, the team used a control channel—where no CP violation is expected—to filter out false signals and isolate the real effect.

Conclusion

While the observed CP violation is not enough to fully explain the matter-antimatter imbalance, it opens new avenues for further study.
Scientists will now explore other baryon decays and refine measurements to uncover deeper sources of CP violation—potentially revealing unknown forces or particles.
This discovery takes us closer to answering one of the universe’s most profound questions: why does anything exist at all?

Source: TH | TH | DOE

CP Violation in Baryons FAQs

Q1: What is antimatter?

Ans: Antimatter consists of particles with the same mass but opposite charge to matter; they annihilate upon contact with matter.

Q2: Why is the universe mostly matter?

Ans: CP violation may explain the imbalance, showing nature treats matter and antimatter slightly differently after the Big Bang.

Q3: What is CP violation?

Ans: It’s when physical laws differ between particles and their mirror-image antiparticles—violating charge-parity (CP) symmetry.

Q4: Where was CP violation in baryons observed?

Ans: At the LHC in Europe, using the LHCb detector and billions of proton-proton collisions to observe Λb0 decays.

Q5: Why is this discovery important?

Ans: It opens new paths to understanding the universe’s formation and the matter-antimatter asymmetry that allowed us to exist.

India’s Sugar and Salt Labelling Drive: Health Ministry’s Awareness Push

July 20, 2025

Sugar and Salt Labelling Latest News

The Health Ministry has instructed all government departments to prominently display the oil and sugar content of popular Indian snacks such as samosa, vada pav, kachori, pizza, and burger.
This information must be shared in cafeterias, lobbies, meeting rooms, and even on government stationery, aiming to promote awareness of unhealthy food consumption.

Sugar and Oil Display Boards to Promote Healthy Eating

The Union Health Ministry has proposed the installation of sugar and oil content display boards in schools, offices, and public institutions to raise awareness about hidden fats and sugars in everyday foods.
These boards are intended to act as visual behavioural nudges encouraging healthier dietary choices.
The proposal also includes printing health messages on all official stationery—such as letterheads, envelopes, notepads, and folders—to serve as daily reminders in the fight against obesity.

Warning Labels Aimed at Tackling Rising Lifestyle Diseases

The Health Ministry has introduced warning labels on food items to raise public awareness and encourage moderation in consumption.
This initiative comes in response to a sharp rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which now account for over 66% of deaths in India, particularly affecting those above the age of 30.
Conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, respiratory illnesses, and cancers are becoming major public health concerns.
Experts highlight that excess intake of sodium, added sugars, refined oils, and sugary drinks—often marketed as healthy—contribute to poor metabolic health.
Additionally, many people fail to consume enough fibre, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fermented foods, further worsening nutritional gaps.
Even functional snacks, which claim to offer health benefits, can contribute to these risks.

How Nutrient Values Are Measured and Why It Matters

Nutrient values of food are determined through laboratory analysis of prepared foods and presented per 100 grams for clarity.
These assessments focus on total sugar, saturated fat, and salt content. When lab testing isn’t feasible, values are estimated using ingredient data from the Indian Food Composition Tables (IFCT), published by ICMR-NIN.
The 2024 Dietary Guidelines for Indians define High Fat, Sugar, and Salt (HFSS) foods as those where sugar provides over 10% of energy, fat exceeds 15%, and salt exceeds 625 mg per 100g.
Such foods, often highly processed and nutrient-poor, contribute to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
The ICMR-NIN backs the government’s awareness drive on HFSS foods, especially to protect children and youth from rising non-communicable diseases.

Unhealthy Snacks: It’s About Content, Not Origin

Any food—whether Indian or Western, homemade or packaged—can be unhealthy if it contains excessive sugar, salt, or fat.
According to experts, the focus should be on a snack’s nutritional profile rather than its type or origin.
The Health Ministry's efforts aim to raise awareness and encourage healthier choices through non-punitive behavioural nudges.
These initiatives align with broader programmes like Eat Right India, Poshan Abhiyaan, Fit India, and the National NCD Control Programme, all aimed at promoting informed food decisions and improving public health.

Guidelines on Sugar and Salt Intake for a Healthier Life

The World Health Organization recommends a balanced diet to prevent malnutrition, non-communicable diseases like heart disease and diabetes, and to boost overall immunity.
For Indian adults, the advised daily intake is less than 65 grams of total fat, under 25 grams of added sugar, and below 5 grams of salt.
Children have specific limits based on their age. Nutrition experts stress the importance of building meals around fibre-rich foods, local produce, lean proteins, and healthy fats.
They encourage home-cooked meals, mindful eating, and consistency in healthy choices over rigid dieting trends for long-term well-being.

Source: TH | PIB

Sugar and Salt Labelling FAQs

Q1: What has the Health Ministry mandated regarding snacks?

Ans: Government departments must display oil and sugar content on common snacks like samosas, vada pav, and burgers in public spaces.

Q2: Why are warning labels being used?

Ans: To raise awareness and promote moderation amid rising lifestyle diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity across India.

Q3: How are food nutrient values calculated?

Ans: By lab analysis or ingredient data from ICMR’s Food Composition Tables, values are listed per 100g for clarity.

Q4: Which foods are considered unhealthy?

Ans: Any food—Indian or Western—with excessive sugar, salt, or fat, regardless of origin, can be classified as unhealthy.

Q5: What are WHO’s sugar and salt guidelines for adults?

Ans: Daily intake should be under 25g sugar, 5g salt, and 65g total fat to maintain good health.

NIRF Rankings to be Impacted by Research Retractions: Mild Penalty in 2024, Stricter from 2025

July 20, 2025

NIRF Rankings Latest News

The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) will award negative scores to higher educational institutions for papers that have been retracted from journals.

Introduction

In a significant move to promote academic integrity and research quality, the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) has announced that it will begin penalising institutions for retracted research papers.
Starting with the 2024 ranking cycle, institutions will face a mild deduction in scores if they have research publications that were retracted in the previous year.
A more stringent penalty system is planned for 2025 and beyond. This shift comes amid rising concerns over research misconduct and retraction trends within Indian academia.

Background on NIRF and Its Evolution

Launched in 2016 by the Ministry of Education, the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) has become India’s premier system for evaluating higher education institutions. It assesses universities and colleges based on five core parameters:
- Teaching, Learning and Resources
- Research and Professional Practices
- Graduation Outcomes
- Outreach and Inclusivity
- Perception
Of these, Research and Professional Practice (RP) carries substantial weight, up to 40% for some categories, which includes publications, quality, IPR, and research projects.
The growing number of retractions, especially in indexed journals, has raised alarm bells, prompting NIRF to evolve its methodology to uphold research credibility.

Research Retractions: A Rising Concern

According to the NIRF 2024 brochure, approximately 300 retractions were recorded in 2023 across Indian institutions, a noticeable increase from earlier years. Many of these retractions occurred in journals indexed in Scopus and Web of Science, which are the databases used by NIRF to assess research quality.
Retractions generally stem from issues such as:
- Plagiarism or duplicate submissions
- Manipulation of data or peer review
- Ethical misconduct or authorship disputes
Such instances not only undermine academic integrity but also distort institutional rankings if left unaddressed.

Revised Methodology for Penalising Retractions

Starting with the 2024 ranking cycle, NIRF has outlined the following approach:
Mild Penalty in 2024 Rankings
- A small reduction in scores under the “Research and Professional Practice” category for institutions that had retracted papers in 2023.
- The penalty will be proportional to the number of retractions and the nature of misconduct.
Harsh Penalty from 2025 Onwards
- In the 2025 rankings and beyond, the penalty will become stricter.
- Institutions may lose a larger share of RP marks, especially if retractions are related to serious ethical violations or involve multiple authors from the same institution.
This phased approach gives institutions time to reform their research practices and introduce robust quality checks.

Role of UGC CARE and Database Integration

NIRF currently relies on Scopus and Web of Science for research output evaluation.
However, UGC CARE (Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics) has also been tasked with maintaining a list of credible journals. A triangulation approach, involving Scopus, Web of Science, and UGC CARE, is expected to strengthen the assessment of quality and integrity in published work.
This broader integration is aimed at filtering out predatory journals and ensuring only credible publications are considered in rankings.

Institutional Responsibility and Course Correction

The inclusion of retraction penalties is intended not just as a punitive measure, but as a catalyst for systemic reform. Institutions are encouraged to:
- Establish Research Integrity Offices or Committees
- Strengthen peer-review oversight for in-house publications
- Provide training on academic ethics to faculty and students
- Enforce strict publication quality norms
This move aligns with global best practices and is expected to elevate the credibility of Indian institutions on international platforms.

Broader Implications for Indian Academia

Introducing penalties for retractions in national rankings sends a strong message about accountability and quality in higher education. It is also expected to:
- Deter unethical research practices
- Encourage internal audits of publication records
- Improve India’s global research image, especially as Indian institutions seek better positions in international rankings like QS and THE

Source : TH

NIRF Rankings

Q1: When will NIRF start penalizing institutions for research retractions?

Ans: Mild penalties will begin from the 2024 NIRF rankings, with harsher penalties starting from 2025.

Q2: Which category in NIRF rankings will be affected by retractions?

Ans: The penalties will affect scores under the “Research and Professional Practice” parameter.

Q3: How many research retractions were recorded in 2023?

Ans: Around 300 retractions involving Indian institutions were noted in 2023.

Q4: What is the reason behind introducing this penalty?

Ans: The penalty aims to curb research misconduct and ensure integrity in academic publishing.

Q5: Will UGC CARE also play a role in research evaluation?

Ans: Yes, NIRF is planning to integrate UGC CARE data alongside Scopus and Web of Science for a comprehensive assessment.