08 November 2025

• The Supreme Court, noting a sharp rise in dog- bite cases, directed all States and UTs to remove stray dogs from schools, hospitals, transport hubs, and sports complexes.
• Strays must be sterilised and vaccinated under the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023 before being relocated to shelters.
• Local bodies were told to implement directions and file compliance reports within eight weeks.
• The Court also ordered removal of stray cattle from highways and fixed the next hearing for January 13, 2026.

Key Points

• Non-release clause: Removed dogs shall not return to the same locality.
• Survey: States to identify all institutions for removal within two weeks.
• Institutional accountability: Appoint nodal officers and conduct quarterly inspections.
• Public health: Hospitals to maintain anti-rabies vaccine stock.
• Waste control: Strict waste management to prevent stray attraction.
• AWBI role: Frame uniform SOPs for dog-bite prevention and stray management.

Static Linkages

• Article 21: Right to life and safety.
• Articles 48A & 51A(g): Environmental protection and compassion for animals.
• 74th Amendment: Assigns animal control and waste management to ULBs.
• Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
• ABC Rules, 2023: Humane sterilization and vaccination guidelines.

Critical Analysis

• Pros:
  • Enhances public safety.
  • Ensures scientific and humane control of stray population.
  • Fixes accountability on local bodies.
• Challenges:
  • Funding & shelter shortages.  Weak municipal capacity.
  • Ethical concerns over animal rights.
  • Poor waste disposal sustaining stray numbers.

Way Forward

• Create Central–State stray management fund.
• Strengthen municipal and veterinary infrastructure.
• Enforce SWM Rules, 2016 strictly.
• Use tech mapping for stray hotspots.
• Promote public awareness on pet care and rabies.

MAMDANI’S WIN IN NEW YORK

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• In 2025, Indian-origin politician Zohran Mamdani was elected Mayor of New York City, taking office on January 1, 2026.
• His welfare-driven agenda — free buses, rent freezes, universal childcare — has reignited debate on how welfarism can remain fiscally and economically sustainable.
• Globally, welfare-led politics is resurging: Lula da Silva in Brazil, Keir Starmer in the UK, and Indian states expanding DBT and social protection.

Key Points

• Welfare’s Appeal: Provides quick, visible benefits — housing, transport, schooling — unlike slow productivity reforms.
• Risks: Poor cost control causes inefficiency, low quality, and fiscal strain.
• Core Dilemma: Balance Rawlsian equity (justice for least advantaged) with Pareto efficiency (optimal resource use).
• Thermostat Model: Welfare should oscillate — lean Rawlsian in crises, Pareto as capacity grows.
• Comparative Examples:
  • Singapore (2016) – Bus Contracting Model: capped fares + quality-linked pay.
  • France – Solidarité Transport: discounted but non-zero fares.
  • Brazil – Bolsa Família: conditional transfers.
  • India – NREGA, DBT, GST: mix of welfare and efficiency.
• Fiscal Honesty: Welfare must be transparently funded and linked to capacity expansion (housing, depots, childcare).

Static Linkages

• Welfare Economics: Balances equity and efficiency.
• Rawls’ Theory of Justice – measures fairness by the least advantaged.
• Polanyi’s “Double Movement” – markets and social protection alternate.
• Directive Principles (Art. 38–43) – mandate a welfare state.
• Economic Survey – advocates outcome-based, technology-enabled delivery.

Critical Analysis

• Pros:
  • Promotes inclusion, human capital, and resilience during downturns.
  • Builds trust and political legitimacy.
• Cons:
  • Fiscal burden and declining service quality.  Market distortions and dependency risks.
  • Populism without fiscal discipline.
• Stakeholders:
  • Economists: advocate targeted subsidies.  Citizens: seek affordable, reliable services.
  • Private Sector: needs predictable partnerships.
  • Government: must ensure fiscal prudence.

Way Forward

• Subsidise outcomes, not inputs — link funding to quality.
• Ensure fiscal transparency and impact audits.
• Use automatic stabilisers: expand welfare in stress, taper later.
• Public-private collaboration with accountability.
• Direct cash/e-vouchers backed by service quality benchmarks.
• Build capacity: invest in infrastructure and trained personnel.

A WIDER SIR HAS MOMENTUM BUT IT IS STILL A TEST CASE

• The Election Commission of India (ECI) launched the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls on November 4, 2025, across 9 States and 3 UTs, after completing the Bihar SIR.
• The draft roll will be released on Dec 9, 2025, and the final roll on Feb 7, 2026.
• This is India’s 9th SIR since Independence and the first in 21 years, covering 51 crore electors — over half the electorate.

Key Points

•  Coverage: Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, UP, MP, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Goa, and UTs — A&N Islands, Lakshadweep, Puducherry.
• Scale: 321 districts, 1,843 Assembly constituencies, 5.33 lakh polling stations, and equal number of BLOs.
• No document collection during enumeration — only signed forms accepted.
• Constitutional backing: Articles 324 (ECI powers) and 326 (universal adult franchise).
• Purpose: To clean and update electoral rolls before upcoming polls.
• Directive: States not to transfer officials engaged in SIR work.

Static Linkages

• Article 324: ECI’s superintendence over elections.
• Article 325: One electoral roll per constituency; no discrimination.
• Article 326: Elections based on universal adult suffrage.
• Representation of the People Act, 1950: Deals with electoral roll preparation and revision.
• BLOs: Local-level election officials appointed since 2006.

Critical Analysis

• Pros
  • Improves voter accuracy, transparency, and inclusivity.
  • Strengthens public trust and political participation.
  • Reduces duplication and errors.
• Challenges
  • Scale and logistics across diverse regions.  State-level resistance (TN, Kerala, WB).
  • Citizenship-linked issues (Assam, Bengal).
  • Need for adequate workforce and voter awareness.

Way Forward

• Ensure State–ECI coordination and local cooperation.
• Leverage technology (GIS, digital forms) for real-time accuracy.
• Conduct training for BLOs and awareness drives.
• Strengthen grievance redressal and inclusion of new voters.
• Move toward a rolling revision model instead of periodic drives.

• The first phase of Bihar Assembly elections (Nov 2025) recorded a 64.69% turnout across 121 constituencies — nearly 9 percentage points higher than in past four polls.
• Despite a fall in registered electors (3.88 cr → 3.73 cr) post Special Intensive Revision (SIR) by the Election Commission of India (ECI), actual voters rose from 2.15 cr → 2.42 cr (provisional).
• Ruling coalition calls it pro-incumbency; Opposition sees anti-incumbency.
• Studies show turnout alone isn’t a predictor of voter sentiment; gender- and age-based data awaited.
• Awareness drives like “Voter Adhikar Yatra” helped boost participation.

Key Points

• ECI’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR): A comprehensive voter roll revision exercise conducted nationwide to ensure error-free, inclusive electoral rolls.
• Voter Participation Data:
  • Total electors reduced: 3.88 crore → 3.73 crore.
  • Actual voters increased: 2.15 crore → 2.42 crore (provisional).
• Women’s Turnout Hypothesis: Could reflect effectiveness of cash transfer and welfare schemes aimed at women.
• Youth Engagement: May indicate dissatisfaction with unemployment and migration issues.
• Political Awareness: Campaigns like the Opposition’s “Voter Adhikar Yatra” contributed to voter sensitisation.
• Democratic Trend: Reflects growing citizen engagement in the electoral process — crucial for political legitimacy and accountability.

Static Linkages

• Universal Adult Franchise: Article 326 of the Constitution guarantees the right to vote to all citizens aged 18 and above.
• Election Commission of India:
  • Established under Article 324.
  • Responsible for preparation and revision of electoral rolls and conduct of free and fair elections.
• Model Code of Conduct (MCC): Framework ensuring ethical electoral practices.
• Voter Awareness & SVEEP: ECI’s flagship program – Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation.
• Representation of the People Act (1950 & 1951): Legal framework for electoral roll preparation and conduct of elections.

Critical Analysis

• Pros:
  • Strengthened democratic participation and political literacy.
  • Reflects women’s and youth mobilisation.  Clean rolls enhance credibility.
• Concerns:
  • Lack of disaggregated turnout data.
  • Allegations of roll discrepancies in other states.
  • Turnout not necessarily linked to incumbency sentiment.

Way Forward

• Release detailed turnout data for transparency. 
• Expand SVEEP and civic education.
• Independent audit of SIR rolls.

SHUTDOWN  SHOWDOWN

Context of the News

• The U.S. government shutdown has reached 39 days, the longest in history, affecting 1.4 million federal employees.
• Key services — air traffic, food assistance, tax processing, and national parks — disrupted.
• Triggered by a budget impasse over Affordable Care Act subsidies.
• A Republican stopgap funding proposal seeks short-term relief for food, veterans, and infrastructure.
• Reflects deep political polarisation despite President Trump’s strong 2024 re-election.

Key Points

• Economic hit: ~$5 billion weekly loss (CBO, 2025).
• Air safety: 40+ airports face flight cuts due to staff shortage.
• Public services: Suspension of SNAP, Head Start, and IRS operations.
• Public anger: 62% disapprove of Congress (Gallup, 2025).
• Shutdown cause: Expiry of ACA subsidies and partisan fiscal stand-off.

Static Linkages

• Budget process: U.S. lacks a “vote on account” safeguard; India’s Article 116 prevents shutdowns.
• Separation of powers: Illustrates executive- legislature gridlock.
• Fiscal federalism: Central funding halt disrupts state services.
• Public administration: Shows governance breakdown in crisis.
• Ethics: Raises issues of public accountability and service duty.

Critical Analysis

• Positives:
  • Ensures fiscal discipline and institutional accountability.
  • Encourages bipartisan dialogue under public scrutiny.
• Negatives:
  • Economic losses and hardship for citizens.   Erosion of trust in democratic institutions.
  • Hyper-partisanship weakening governance efficiency.

Way Forward

• Adopt automatic continuing resolutions to avoid shutdowns.
• Institutionalize bipartisan budget panels.
• Protect essential services from funding paralysis.
• Foster civic dialogue and political moderation.

THIS IS THE AGE OF FINTECH,BUT TRY BREAKING AN FD

Context of the News

• Increasing customer frustration with complex banking apps, especially during premature FD closures.
• Banks’ digital-first approach has raised issues of consumer autonomy, transparency, and accessibility.
• RBI and DFS emphasize customer-centric digital innovation under Digital Payments Vision 2025 and Financial Inclusion Strategy 2024–2029.

Key Points

• FD Closure Barriers: Customers face multiple steps, misleading buttons, and opaque processes.
• Algorithmic Nudging: Apps highlight “Lock FD” over “Close FD”, shaping user behaviour.
• Consumer Protection:
  • Covered by RBI’s Master Circular on Customer Service and Ombudsman Scheme for Digital Transactions (2019).
  • Customers have a right to unhindered fund access.
• Oversight & Data:
  • Digital Banking Unit (DBU) guidelines demand transparent, consent-based design.
  • FDs form 43% of household savings; over 55 crore retail FDs active (RBI 2024).

Static Linkages

• Consumer Protection Act, 2019 – safeguards against unfair trade practices.
• IT Act, 2000 & DPDP Act, 2023 – ensure ethical digital operations.
• Financial Inclusion: Linked to JAM Trinity and Digital India Mission.
• Behavioral Economics: “Nudge Theory” in digital design.

Critical Analysis

• Pros
  • Increases efficiency, transparency, inclusion.  
  • Reduces costs and manual errors.
• Cons
  • Misleading design manipulates users.
  • Poor accessibility for elderly, digitally illiterate.  
  • Weak grievance systems, low accountability.
• Stakeholders
  • Customers: Seek clarity and fairness.  
  • Banks: Aim for retention, digital push.
  • Regulators: Balance innovation and protection.  
  • Government: Promote digitalization safely.

Way Forward

• RBI audit of banking apps for fair design.
• Unified grievance redress under Ombudsman Scheme.
• Expand Digital Saksharta Abhiyan for digital literacy.
• Mandate “explainable AI” in financial apps.  
• Enforce neutral, consent-based interfaces.