Daily Current Affairs | April 16 2025

Important Topics from Current Affairs : 1) India’s Energy Security 2) Birth & Death Registration 3) Geriatric Care in India 4) India Justice Report

Jumbo IAS

4/16/20254 min read

Experts have predicted steep increase in demand for electricity in coming years. This coupled with India’s net zero emissions target by 2070, we need a rapid expansion in renewable energy, nuclear and green hydrogen capacity.
India’s Targets :
- Net Zero Emissions by 2070;
- 500 GW from non-fossil sources by 2030;
- 100 GW of Nuclear power capacity by 2047; and
- Focus on increased usage of Green Hydrogen.

Growth - Rising economy and population, plus India’s aspiration of becoming Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Electrification of End Uses of Energy - Transition to EVs, Electric Heat Pumps, Electric Furnaces for Industry.
Digitisation - Data Centres, AI, Smart Infra, all require constant power supply.
Climate Adaptation like more cooling, irrigation etc.

Intermittent nature of renewables(solar & wind).
Large scale electricity storage infra (battery infra) faces huge cost and material supply constraints.
High capital cost of nuclear energy.

Small Modular Reactors - For nuclear energy can avoid the capital cost challenges associated with conventional nuclear reactors.
Incentivise Hydrogen Use in Industries - Encourage fertiliser, steel, and transport sectors to switch to green/low-carbon hydrogen.
Strengthen Power Grid Flexibility - Deploy AI-based demand response and grid balancing systems. Eg - Smart metering and load shaping via digital platforms.

The office of the Registrar General of India (RGI) cautioned private and government hospitals to report incidents of birth and death within 21 days.
The circular noted that 10% of such events go unregistered.
Effective October 1, 2023, digital birth certificates became the single and only document to prove the date of birth for various services such as admission to educational institutions, government jobs, marriage registration among others.

It is a statutory process that mandates the recording of every birth and death occurring in India.
Under the Registration of Births and Deaths (RBD) Act, 1969, amended in 2023.
Section 23(2) of the Act penalises negligence by registrars
Registrar General of India (RGI) under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) oversees it.

Chief Registrars are appointed by State governments, and Registrars operate at local levels (panchayats, municipalities).
Registrars - Government hospitals.
Private hospitals must report events to registrars.
Registration must be done within 21 days of the event.
Post October 1, 2023, all records are maintained digitally through the Civil Registration System (CRS) portal.

With the country’s population continuing to age, there has been an exponential rise in the demand for geriatric care services.
In India, persons aged 60 or above are considered elderly.
Elderly Population in India :
- As per 2020 Population Projections Report, India’s elderly population is expected to reach 193.4 million by 2031.
- By 2050, this number may cross 300 million due to declining fertility rates and increased life expectancy.

Physical Health - Ageing leads to multiple chronic illnesses, demanding specialist care.
Mental Health - Depression, dementia, and loneliness are rising among elderly, especially from nuclear families.
Financial Security - Many elderly lack regular income, pensions, or health insurance.
Infrastructure - Few age-friendly hospitals, assisted living homes, or transport systems cater to senior needs.

Atal Vayo Abhyudaya Yojana (AVYAY): Offers elderly homes, continuous care centres, and Mobile Medicare Units.
National Programme for Health Care of Elderly (NPHCE): Provides dedicated healthcare at primary to tertiary levels.
SACRED Portal: Enables re-employment of senior citizens and supports their dignity in work.
Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY): Distributes assistive devices to BPL seniors to aid mobility and independence.
Social Pension Schemes (NSAP): IGNOAPS provides direct pension support to poor elderly aged 60–79.

Southern states of India are performing the best when it comes to policing, justice delivery and prison management, according to the fourth India Justice Report released.
While Karnataka took the top spot, West Bengal came last among the 18 large and mid-sized states.
The performance of states on the four pillars of justice -- police, prisons, judiciary and legal aid -- was considered for the ranking.

A national ranking assessing capacity of States/UTs to deliver justice across four pillars.
It is released by Tata Trusts in collaboration with partners like CHRI, DAKSH, Vidhi Centre, TISS-Prayas etc.
Purpose - To promote data-driven reforms by evaluating states on justice delivery using official government data.

Positives :
- Gender Participation - Female share in judiciary and police steadily rising across most states.
- Case Disposal - Overall, High Courts and Subordinate Courts have improved their case disposal rate.
- Tech in Judiciary - Digital filing, e-Sewa Kendras, and legal aid tracking via NALSA’s online system have improved access. Over 86% of prisons now have video-conferencing facilities for trials.
- Prison Management - Tamil Nadu retained top position in prison management with 100% budget utilisation and optimal staff-inmate ratio.
Negatives :
- Women Quota - No State/UT fulfilled reserved quotas for women in police. Less than 1000 senior women officers exist
- Infrastructure - 17% of police stations have no CCTV and 30% lack women help desks.
- Prison Overcrowding - 76% of prisoners are under-trials, up from 66% in the last decade.
- Pendency of Cases - 5 crore+ cases pending across court levels.
- Low Legal Aid Spending - Just Rs 6 per capita.