APSC Current Affairs: Assam Tribune Notes with MCQs and Answer Writing (30/04/2025)
For APSC CCE and other Assam Competitive examinations aspirants, staying updated with current affairs is vital. This blog covers most important topics from the Assam Tribune today (30-04-2025). These issues are key for both APSC Prelims and Mains preparation, offering insights into the APSC CCE Syllabus.
✨ Current Affairs Crash Course for the APSC Prelims 2025
🚧 Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project (SLHEP): From Controversy to Completion
📘 GS Paper 3: Infrastructure | Environment | Energy Security
📘 GS Paper 2: Governance | Environmental Clearance | Centre-State Relations
🔹 Introduction
The Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project (SLHEP), India’s second-largest hydroelectric initiative with a planned capacity of 2000 MW, is nearing partial commissioning. Located at Gerukamukh on the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border, the project faced a long halt due to environmental and seismic safety concerns but is now poised to transform energy access and river basin management in the region.
🔑 Key Features
| Parameter | Details |
| Total Capacity | 2000 MW (8 units of 250 MW each) |
| Location | Gerukamukh (Assam-Arunachal border) |
| Executed by | NHPC Ltd. |
| Partial Commissioning | 3 units (750 MW) expected by May 2025 |
| Final Completion | By March 2026 |
| Construction Started | 2005 (suspended 2011, resumed 2019) |
🧠 Prelims Pointers
NHPC: Public sector hydropower company under Ministry of Power
Dam Design Review Panel (DDRP): Recommended increase in dam width from 171m to 271m
Environmental Flow Norm: 240 cum/sec mandated for aquatic biodiversity (as per CWC)
Expert Committees: CD Thatte, MS Reddy, National Seismic Panel, etc.
Indus Waters Treaty: India put it in abeyance in April 2025 amid diplomatic tensions
Cumulative Impact Assessment: Mandated by MOEF&CC for large river valley projects
📝 Mains Pointers
A. Significance of SLHEP
| Area | Impact |
| Energy Security | Helps bridge power deficit in NE India, improves grid stability |
| Ecological Regulation | Continuous environmental flow to conserve downstream aquatic ecosystems |
| Disaster Preparedness | Flood forecasting stations (AWL, EWS) at Tamen, Daporijo enhance real-time alerts |
| Socio-Economic Boost | 300 MW assured power for Assam, skill jobs, infrastructure upgrades |
B. Concerns & Challenges
| Concern | Explanation |
| Seismic Vulnerability | Project lies in high earthquake-prone zone (Zone V); seismic parameters debated |
| Downstream Impact | Concerns over dam-induced flood, sediment flow disruption, and fish migration |
| Local Opposition | Civil society and AASU protests halted work from 2011 to 2019 |
| Litigation & Delays | Legal challenges in NGT, demand for more inclusive rehabilitation strategy |
C. Government & Judicial Interventions
Planning Commission Expert Panel (2012): Recommended design modifications
Project Oversight Committee (2015): Suggested continuous turbine operation for ecological flow
NGT Judgment (2019): Cleared the project with safety redesigns and community safeguards
Dam Safety Measures: Flood cushion of 15m, reservoir operation manual, downstream protection up to 67 km
D. Environmental & Technological Safeguards
Telemetry Stations & AWL: Early warning systems for flood alerts
Reservoir Management Authority: Independent body for oversight
Spillway Gate Protocols: Designed based on physical model studies
Sediment Management: Measures to prevent foundation seepage and bank erosion
📊 Reports & Data
| Source | Insight |
| CWC & IMD | Collaborative real-time flood forecasting |
| NHPC Data | Reservoir water levels and discharge monitored via master control room |
| MoEF Expert Committee | Declared design safe for “extreme conditions” post-2019 review |
🧭 Way Forward
Continuous Public Dialogue
Involve affected communities in post-operational monitoring.
Dam Safety Audits
Regular inspections by third-party agencies.
Basin-wide Coordination
Harmonize operation of upstream and downstream dams.
Environmental Compensation
Implement biodiversity offsets and aquatic life conservation projects.
Rehabilitation & Resettlement (R&R)
Ensure long-term economic integration of displaced families.
🧩 Conclusion
The journey of SLHEP illustrates the complex balance between infrastructure expansion and ecological caution. As commissioning nears, it offers a template of how democratic consensus, scientific rigour, and institutional oversight can guide mega-projects in sensitive regions. Assam and Arunachal now stand on the brink of an energy revolution—if sustainability is vigilantly safeguarded.
🚨 Human Trafficking in Assam: Urgent Need for a Multidimensional Response
📘 GS Paper 2: Governance | Vulnerable Sections | Rights of Women & Children
📘 GS Paper 3: Internal Security | Social Issues | Law Enforcement
🔹 Introduction
Human trafficking, especially involving women and children from vulnerable regions of Assam, continues to be a pressing concern. Despite having robust laws, gaps in implementation and socio-economic vulnerabilities make trafficking a systemic issue rather than isolated crime. The editorial highlights the urgent need for sustained crackdowns, victim rehabilitation, and dedicated investigative mechanisms.
🔑 Key Issues Identified
| Factor | Description |
| Hotspot Districts | Udalguri, Biswanath – prone to trafficking due to poverty, floods, tribal vulnerabilities |
| Victim Profile | Mostly women and minors from tea tribes, flood-affected and backward regions |
| Root Causes | Poverty, unemployment, lack of education, displacement from climate shocks |
| Lack of Arrests | Rescue operations are conducted, but conviction rates remain very low |
| Law Enforcement Insensitivity | Trafficking cases often treated casually or delayed by local police |
🧠 Prelims Pointers
Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 (ITPA): Main anti-trafficking law in India.
Trafficking in Persons (Prevention, Care and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2021: Yet to be passed by Parliament.
NCPCR & NCW: Monitor child and women’s rights protection; issue advisories on missing children.
Assam Child Rights Commission (ASCPCR): State-level monitoring body.
Operation Smile / Operation Muskaan: National anti-trafficking rescue operations.
Article 23 of the Constitution: Prohibits trafficking and forced labour.
📝 Mains Pointers
A. Why Assam is Vulnerable to Trafficking
| Factor | Effect |
| Flood Displacement | Leads to loss of livelihood and migration to risky job offers |
| Tea Garden Labour Camps | Poor access to education and health makes children easy targets |
| Lack of Awareness | Many parents unknowingly send children with traffickers posing as job agents |
| Poor Policing Infrastructure | Few anti-human trafficking units (AHTUs) and poor inter-state coordination |
B. Governance & Legal Challenges
Low FIR registration due to social stigma and lack of trust in police
Poor victim rehabilitation—most rescued victims return to vulnerable environments
No dedicated fast-track courts for trafficking cases
Lack of trained prosecutors or social workers at local levels
C. Recommended Policy Measures
District-Level Trafficking Action Plans
Include child protection officers, NGOs, police, and schools.
Dedicated AHTUs in Each District
With trained staff, forensic tools, legal support.
Community Vigilance Systems
Gram Sabha-based alerts for missing children and suspected agents.
Rehabilitation Grants
Time-bound support for education, skill-building, and housing.
Statewide Anti-Trafficking Awareness Drive
In schools, tea gardens, and relief camps.
Tech-Enabled Monitoring
Use of Aadhaar, eShram database, and CCTNS for tracking inter-state movements.
📊 Reports & Expert Views
| Source | Finding |
| Supreme Court Observation | Every missing child should be presumed trafficked until proven otherwise |
| NCRB Data 2023 | Assam ranks among top 5 states in child trafficking cases |
| UNODC | Trafficking in NE often linked to cross-border transit into Myanmar, Bangladesh |
🧭 Way Forward
Shift from rescue-only model to prevention + rehabilitation
Cross-border intelligence sharing in NE states
Empower local communities and Panchayats as first responders
Gender-sensitized policing and integration of trafficking indicators in regular training
🧩 Conclusion
Human trafficking is a human rights violation that reflects institutional neglect and societal failure. Assam’s vulnerability makes it imperative to adopt a rights-based, preventive, and rehabilitative approach, with strong community engagement and state accountability.
🐟 Sustainable Aquaculture in Assam: The Role of Quality Fish Seed & Regulatory Measures
📘 GS Paper 3: Agriculture | Environment | Biodiversity | Blue Economy
📘 GS Paper 2: Government Policies | Resource Governance
🔹 Introduction
Fishery is a crucial pillar of Assam’s rural economy, food security, and employment. However, the deterioration in fish seed quality, rise of invasive species, and poor regulation threaten the future of aquaculture. The Assam Government’s renewed push through Fish Seed Rules, 2010, and awareness campaigns is a significant step toward sustainable aquaculture.
🔑 Key Highlights
| Element | Detail |
| Legislation | Assam Fish Seed Act, 2005 and Fish Seed Rules, 2010 (1st of its kind in India) |
| Enforcement | Registration & licensing of seed producers, exporters, hatcheries |
| Fish Ban Period | August 1 – October 31: Ban on catching undersized fish |
| Banned Species | Thai magur, tilapia, bighead carp banned from breeding/marketing |
| Awareness Drive | Government plans mass outreach for fish seed quality sensitization |
🧠 Prelims Pointers
Inbreeding: Genetic deterioration due to repeated breeding among related fish species.
Mixed Spawning: Leads to hybridization; threatens native biodiversity.
Fish Species Classification: Rohu, Catla, Mrigal (Indian Major Carps); Calbasu (Mali), Kurhi (minor carps)
Blue Revolution: Government initiative to increase fish production using modern aquaculture techniques.
Aquatic Biodiversity Rules, 2019: Frame guidelines for exotic and invasive species.
📝 Mains Pointers
A. Major Challenges in Assam’s Aquaculture
| Challenge | Consequence |
| Poor Brood Stock Management | Decline in seed quality; low yield |
| Indiscriminate Crossbreeding | Genetic dilution of native fish |
| Seed Shortage in Season | Farmers resort to unverified suppliers |
| Lack of Technical Knowhow | Traditional methods still dominant in rural Assam |
B. Government Initiatives
Fish Seed Certification Framework
Ensures seed health, parent stock traceability.
Ban on Exotic Species
To protect native gene pools and ecosystems.
District Licensing by DFDO
Enforces producer accountability.
Eco-Friendly Hatchery Promotion
Encouraging sustainable practices and biosecurity protocols.
C. Ecological Importance of Sustainable Aquaculture
Preserves aquatic biodiversity and prevents collapse of native species.
Supports floodplain ecosystem balance.
Enhances food and nutritional security.
Averts eutrophication and chemical contamination of ponds.
📊 Data & Recommendations
| Report/Source | Insight |
| ICAR-CIFA | 40% production loss in NE due to poor-quality seed |
| State Fisheries Dept. | 20% of hatcheries operate without regulatory clearance |
| FAO Blue Transformation Strategy | Calls for seed traceability, farmer training, and native species conservation |
🧭 Way Forward
✅ Strict Rule Enforcement: No seed distribution without certification
✅ Farmer Awareness Campaigns: Use radio, village melas, Krishi Vigyan Kendras
✅ Research Collaboration: With Assam Agricultural University and ICAR
✅ Promotion of Native Carps: Investment in selective breeding of indigenous species
✅ Incentives for Green Hatcheries: Encourage sustainable infrastructure via subsidies
🧩 Conclusion
Quality seed is the foundation of aquaculture success. Assam’s efforts to regulate fish seed and ban harmful practices reflect a shift toward a biodiversity-sensitive and economically viable aquaculture model. The future of the blue revolution lies not in quantity, but in quality, regulation, and ecological foresight.
⚖️ Supreme Court on Sharjeel Imam Case: Jurisdiction and Federalism in UAPA Trials
📘 GS Paper 2: Polity | Federalism | Judiciary | Rights
📘 GS Paper 3: Internal Security | Counter-Terrorism Legislation
🔹 Introduction
The Supreme Court’s recent observation in the case of activist Sharjeel Imam—who faces sedition and UAPA charges in multiple states—raises important constitutional questions. The court questioned whether multiple prosecutions across different states are justified for the same speech, highlighting tensions between state jurisdiction and individual rights.
🔑 Case Background
| Aspect | Details |
| Accused | Sharjeel Imam – former JNU student |
| Arrest Date | January 28, 2020 |
| Charges | Sedition, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) |
| Incident | Alleged inflammatory speeches during anti-CAA protests in Delhi and Aligarh Muslim University |
| Key Legal Issue | Can a person be tried in multiple states for the same speech/event? |
🧠 Prelims Pointers
UAPA, 1967: India’s primary anti-terror law – allows detention without charge sheet for 180 days.
Article 20(2): Protects against double jeopardy – no person shall be prosecuted for the same offence more than once.
Sedition (IPC 124A): Offence of inciting disaffection against government; under judicial review in India.
Transfer of Trials (CrPC Sections 406 & 408): Supreme Court/High Court can consolidate cases to ensure fair trial.
Federal Structure in India: Policing and law & order are State subjects under Schedule 7.
📝 Mains Pointers
A. Key Legal and Constitutional Issues
| Issue | Significance |
| Jurisdictional Overlap | Speech made in one state led to FIRs in multiple states |
| Double Jeopardy | Raised under Article 20(2) – same act shouldn’t attract multiple trials |
| Fair Trial | Logistics of producing accused across distant states may violate right to speedy trial |
| Centre-State Legal Coordination | Needed in UAPA cases as NIA or Delhi Police may take primacy |
B. Relevance for APSC CCE
Reinforces federal tensions in criminal law
Highlights procedural fairness and human rights in counter-terrorism cases
Touches upon judicial efficiency and trial delays
C. Broader Implications
Legal Precedent: SC’s verdict will define how multi-state offences are handled
Human Rights Concerns: Long pre-trial detention under UAPA has been criticized globally
Judicial Reforms: May push for centralised prosecution in national security cases
📊 Supporting Facts
| Source | Observation |
| Supreme Court Bench | “If speech is the same across FIRs, why multiple trials?” |
| UAPA Conviction Rate (NCRB 2023) | <3% conviction rate; yet high pre-trial detention |
| Law Commission Reports | Recommended review of sedition and centralisation of UAPA oversight |
🧭 Way Forward
🏛️ Judicial Guidelines on concurrent trials and evidence sharing
🛡️ Strengthening NIA Protocols to avoid duplication of FIRs
📜 Clear Framework for Inter-State Prosecution Coordination
👩⚖️ Special Courts for UAPA to reduce pendency and uphold justice
🧩 Conclusion
The Sharjeel Imam case is more than an isolated legal episode—it exposes critical gaps in India’s legal federalism and criminal justice architecture. As the judiciary steps in, it must balance national security concerns with constitutional safeguards to prevent misuse of powerful laws like UAPA.
APSC Prelims Practice Questions
⚡ Topic 1: Subansiri Hydroelectric Project
Q1. The Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project is located on which river?
A. Brahmaputra
B. Lohit
C. Subansiri
D. Kameng
✅ Answer: C
🧠 Explanation: The SLHEP is located on the Subansiri River, a major tributary of the Brahmaputra.
Q2. Which of the following are concerns associated with large hydroelectric projects like SLHEP?
- Seismic vulnerability
- Downstream ecological impact
- Displacement of local communities
- Reduced water availability for irrigation
A. 1, 2 and 3 only
B. 1 and 4 only
C. 2 and 4 only
D. All of the above
✅ Answer: A
🧠 Explanation: SLHEP has faced resistance due to seismic risks, environmental disruption, and displacement. Irrigation concerns are secondary in this project.
🚨 Topic 2: Human Trafficking in Assam
Q3. Which Article of the Indian Constitution prohibits human trafficking?
A. Article 15
B. Article 21A
C. Article 23
D. Article 39
✅ Answer: C
🧠 Explanation: Article 23 of the Constitution prohibits trafficking and forced labour.
Q4. What is the name of the nationwide anti-trafficking rescue operation in India?
A. Operation Raksha
B. Operation Smile
C. Operation Mukti
D. Mission Arogya
✅ Answer: B
🧠 Explanation: Operation Smile (and Operation Muskaan) are launched to rescue missing and trafficked children.
🐟 Topic 3: Sustainable Aquaculture in Assam
Q5. Which of the following fish species are banned in Assam due to ecological concerns?
- Thai Magur
- Tilapia
- Rohu
- Bighead Carp
A. 1, 2 and 4 only
B. 1 and 3 only
C. 2, 3 and 4 only
D. All of the above
✅ Answer: A
🧠 Explanation: Rohu is a native Indian major carp and is allowed. Thai Magur, Tilapia, and Bighead Carp are banned due to invasive threats.
Q6. The Assam Fish Seed Rules, 2010, aim to:
A. Promote large-scale marine fishing
B. Regulate fish export and import
C. Ensure quality of fish seed production and prevent inbreeding
D. Legalize hybrid breeding in aquaculture
✅ Answer: C
🧠 Explanation: These rules are aimed at certifying and regulating hatcheries to ensure quality seed production and avoid genetic deterioration.
⚖️ Topic 4: Sharjeel Imam Case & UAPA
Q7. UAPA, India’s main anti-terrorism legislation, allows detention without a charge sheet for up to:
A. 60 days
B. 90 days
C. 120 days
D. 180 days
✅ Answer: D
🧠 Explanation: Under UAPA, an accused can be detained for up to 180 days without filing a charge sheet, pending judicial review.
Q8. Which Constitutional Article guarantees protection against double jeopardy?
A. Article 14
B. Article 19(1)(a)
C. Article 20(2)
D. Article 32
✅ Answer: C
🧠 Explanation: Article 20(2) ensures that no person shall be prosecuted or punished for the same offence more than once.
APSC Mains Practice Question
📝 Mains Question (GS Paper 2 – Polity | Judiciary | Federalism)
“The case of multiple UAPA trials against Sharjeel Imam raises critical questions about the balance between federal criminal jurisdiction and individual rights. Critically examine this in the context of India’s constitutional and legal framework.”
🔹 Introduction
The recent Supreme Court observation in the Sharjeel Imam case, where he faces multiple UAPA and sedition cases across different states for a single speech, throws light on the tension between India’s federal criminal framework and fundamental rights. It underscores the need to align counter-terror laws with judicial efficiency and constitutional safeguards.
🔹 Core Issues at Stake
| Issue | Explanation |
| Multiple FIRs for the Same Speech | Imam faces charges in Delhi, Assam, UP, Bihar for similar content |
| Double Jeopardy | Article 20(2) bars multiple prosecutions for the same offence |
| Right to Fair Trial | Repeated prosecutions strain due process, especially in UAPA cases with extended detention |
| Federal vs Central Jurisdiction | Law and order is a State subject, but national security and UAPA are under the Centre |
🔹 Legal Framework Involved
- Article 20(2) – No person shall be prosecuted twice for the same offence (protection against double jeopardy)
- Article 21 – Right to life includes a speedy and fair trial
- UAPA, 1967 – Allows up to 180 days detention without charge sheet, often used pre-emptively
- CrPC Sections 406 & 408 – Enable consolidation or transfer of trials for justice delivery
- Concurrent List (Schedule VII) – Criminal laws are concurrent, enabling overlapping jurisdiction
🔹 Critical Concerns
| Concern | Implication |
| Trial Fatigue | The accused must respond to similar charges across distant courts |
| Logistical Injustice | State police may act without full coordination, undermining national consistency |
| Prosecutorial Overreach | Same evidence base used to file redundant charges under harsh laws like UAPA |
| Misuse of UAPA | High pre-trial incarceration despite <5% conviction rate (NCRB data) |
🔹 Judicial Observations (2025)
“If the speech is the same, why should he be tried separately in different states?”
This reflects the Court’s view that a single offence should not attract fragmented legal action, which undermines the fairness of the trial process.
🔹 Way Forward
- Guidelines on Multi-Jurisdictional Trials
- Supreme Court must lay down principles for consolidation of cases arising from the same act.
- Strengthening Central Oversight in UAPA
- A national coordination agency (like NIA) should be empowered to centralize similar FIRs.
- Faster Judicial Review Mechanisms
- Constitution of Special UAPA Benches to periodically assess evidence and justify continued detention.
- Parliamentary Scrutiny of Anti-Terror Laws
- Ensure UAPA is not used as a tool for harassment or political vendetta.
- Victim-Centric Counterterrorism
- Align law enforcement with democratic rights without compromising national security.
🔹 Conclusion
The Sharjeel Imam case is a litmus test for India’s judicial integrity, cooperative federalism, and commitment to constitutional values. Ensuring that the fight against terrorism does not trample individual liberty is a cornerstone of democratic governance. The Supreme Court now has an opportunity to set a precedent that balances justice, security, and dignity.
✨ APSC Prelims Crash Course, 2025
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