Key Highlights
- CP Radhakrishnan wins the 15th Vice‑President seat with a 98.2% turnout.
- Swacchotsav 2025, a two‑week cleanliness drive, runs from 17 Sept to 2 Oct and promotes the Swachhata App during festivities.
- Central relief of ₹1,600 cr for Punjab and ₹1,500 cr for Himachal Pradesh is announced, along with comprehensive rehabilitation programmes.
- The U.S. HIRE Act 2025 introduces a 25 % excise tax on foreign outsourcing payments, threatening India’s $100 billion IT export industry.
- France’s Emmanuel Macron appoints 39‑year‑old Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister, continuing a pro‑business agenda.
Detailed Insights
Vice‑President Election: CP Radhakrishnan, former Governor of Maharashtra and Jharkhand and two‑time MP from Coimbatore, secured 452 first‑preference votes in a 98.2% turnout election, defeating Justice B Sudershan Reddy.
Swacchotsav 2025: Launched jointly by MoHUA and DDWS, the campaign will cover ten cleanliness target units, green festivities, and the SafaiMitra Suraksha Shivir, while encouraging citizens to use the Swachhata App to combat legacy waste dumpsites.
Flood Relief: The government pledged ₹1,600 cr for Punjab and ₹1,500 cr for Himachal Pradesh, giving farmers, schools and orphaned children support, and announced ex‑gratia of ₹2 lakh for families of deceased victims.
HIRE Act 2025: The proposed U.S. law would levy a 25 % tax on payments to overseas IT service providers, deny tax deductions, and impose strict reporting, potentially forcing Indian IT firms toward onshore delivery.
France’s Political Shift: Sébastien Lecornu, former Defence Minister, will head the minority government, aiming to sustain a pro‑business economic agenda and rely on far‑right National Rally support.
Key Concepts
- Vice‑President: The second highest constitutional office in India, elected by members of Parliament.
- Swacchotsav: A government‑backed cleanliness drive focusing on clean festivals and citizen participation via mobile apps.
- HIRE Act 2025: U.S. Senate legislation imposing a 25 % excise tax on foreign outsourcing payments to protect the domestic job market.
- Ex‑Gratia: A discretionary payment by the government to compensate families of deceased victims of natural disasters.
- Two‑slab GST: India’s simplified taxation scheme of 5 % and 18 % rates, with a 40 % rate for selected luxury and tobacco products.