UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 1 August 2025

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 1 August 2025 covers important current affairs of the day, their backward linkages, their relevance for Prelims exam and MCQs on main articles

InstaLinks : Insta Links help you think beyond the current affairs issue and help you think multidimensionally to develop depth in your understanding of these issues. These linkages provided in this ‘hint’ format help you frame possible questions in your mind that might arise(or an examiner might imagine) from each current event. InstaLinks also connect every issue to their static or theoretical background.

Table of Contents

GS Paper 2 : (UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 1 August (2025)

• Legal Aid and NALSA

Legal Aid and NALSA

GS Paper 3:

• Restoring Mangroves to Secure India’s Coasts

Restoring Mangroves to Secure India’s Coasts

Content for Mains Enrichment (CME):

• Scheme for Women Cooperative

Scheme for Women Cooperative

Facts for Prelims (FFP):

• Asiatic Lion

Asiatic Lion

• ICAR’s AI-Powered Agromet Advisory

ICAR’s AI-Powered Agromet Advisory

• National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC)

National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC)

• Human Outer Planetary Exploration (HOPE)

Human Outer Planetary Exploration (HOPE)

• Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak

• India commissioned its first indigenously developed 1 MW green hydrogen plant

India commissioned its first indigenously developed 1 MW green hydrogen plant

Mapping:

• US Sanctions 6 Indian Companies Over Iran Trade

US Sanctions 6 Indian Companies Over Iran Trade

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 1 August 2025

#### GS Paper 2:

Legal Aid and NALSA

Syllabus: Polity

Source: TH

Context: As per the India Justice Report 2025, only 15.5 lakh people availed legal aid in 2023–24, despite nearly 80% of India’s population being eligible. This reveals persistent gaps in NALSA’s reach, budget utilisation, and service quality.

About Legal Aid and NALSA:

• What it is? The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) is the apex statutory body under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, mandated to provide free and competent legal services to the weaker sections of society.

• The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) is the apex statutory body under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, mandated to provide free and competent legal services to the weaker sections of society.

• Launched in: Formally constituted in 1995, with the Chief Justice of India as Patron-in-Chief.

• Powers & Functions: Lays down policies and principles for legal aid delivery across India. Supervises and funds State Legal Services Authorities (SLSAs) and District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs). Organises Lok Adalats, legal awareness campaigns, and supports ADR mechanisms. Ensures legal aid to eligible persons under Section 12 of the Act, including SCs/STs, women, children, disabled, poor, and prisoners.

• Lays down policies and principles for legal aid delivery across India.

• Supervises and funds State Legal Services Authorities (SLSAs) and District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs).

• Organises Lok Adalats, legal awareness campaigns, and supports ADR mechanisms.

• Ensures legal aid to eligible persons under Section 12 of the Act, including SCs/STs, women, children, disabled, poor, and prisoners.

Key Initiatives Taken by NALSA:

• Legal Aid Defence Counsel (LADC) Scheme (2022): Dedicated defence for accused persons across 610 districts.

• Para-Legal Volunteers (PLVs): Trained community legal workers for outreach, awareness, and local dispute resolution.

• Permanent Lok Adalats: For pre-litigative and pending dispute settlement with focus on conciliation.

• Legal Literacy Clubs: Initiated in schools and colleges to foster early legal awareness.

• Jail Legal Aid Clinics: Legal support to undertrial and convicted prisoners.

• Special Schemes: Legal aid for transgender persons, disaster victims, industrial workers, and custodial populations.

Challenges Faced by NALSA:

• Budget Constraints: Legal aid gets <1% of the total justice budget and NALSA’s own funds declined from ₹207 crore (2017–18) to ₹169 crore (2022–23).

• Underutilisation of Funds: Utilisation dropped from 75% to 59% due to rigid expenditure restrictions.

• Shrinking Frontline: PLV density fell by 38% (2019–2024) and many States pay honorariums below minimum wage.

• Uneven Access: Only one legal aid clinic per 163 villages and per capita spending ranges from ₹2 to ₹16.

• Service Quality & Trust Deficit: Legal aid recipients often perceive services as inferior to private counsel.

• Centralised Fund Control: SLSAs need prior approval for basic expenditures like staff hiring or outreach logistics.

Way Ahead:

• Enhance Fiscal Allocation: Mandate minimum 2–3% of the justice budget for legal aid, with flexible spending autonomy.

• Strengthen PLV System: Ensure minimum honorarium, performance-based deployment, and regular training.

• Decentralise Decision-Making: Delegate operational authority to DLSAs for swift fund usage at the grassroots.

• Digital Monitoring: Launch a nationwide portal to track legal aid delivery, pendency, and accountability metrics.

• Expand LADC & Lok Adalats: Scale successful models with independent evaluations and focus on underrepresented regions.

Conclusion:

NALSA embodies India’s constitutional commitment under Article 39A to ensure justice for all, irrespective of socio-economic status. However, persistent budgetary, administrative, and delivery bottlenecks hinder its full potential. Strengthening legal aid must become a governance priority to uphold the rule of law and foster inclusive justice.

#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 1 August 2025 GS Paper 3:

Restoring Mangroves to Secure India’s Coasts

Syllabus: Environment

Source: TH

Context: India has launched major mangrove restoration drives across Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Mumbai to fight climate risks. These efforts enhance coastal security, biodiversity, and climate resilience amid rising ecological threats.

About Restoring Mangroves to Secure India’s Coasts:

• What Are Mangroves? Mangroves are salt-tolerant coastal forests that grow in tidal, tropical, and subtropical intertidal zones.

• Mangroves are salt-tolerant coastal forests that grow in tidal, tropical, and subtropical intertidal zones.

• Distribution in India: India’s mangroves cover about 4,900 sq. km, mainly found in Sundarbans, Mahanadi, Godavari, Pichavaram, and Gulf of Kutch.

• Ecological Role: They act as bio-shields during cyclones and floods, reducing wave energy and protecting inland life and property.

• Climate Role: Mangroves store vast amounts of “blue carbon” in their roots and soils, helping mitigate climate change.

Key Threats to Mangroves:

• Urbanisation: City expansion leads to mangrove clearance for roads, ports, and real estate, destroying natural buffers.

• Pollution & Plastics: Rivers and drains dump waste into mangrove zones, reducing regeneration and harming aquatic life.

• Aquaculture: Shrimp farms in coastal areas have replaced native mangrove habitats, especially in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

• Climate Change: Sea-level rise and erratic rainfall alter tidal patterns and increase salinity, damaging delicate mangrove systems.

• Invasive Species: Invasive weeds like Prosopis juliflora outcompete native flora and degrade mangrove ecosystems.

Notable Indian Restoration Efforts

• Tamil Nadu – Green Tamil Nadu Mission: Mangrove cover doubled from 4,500 to 9,000 ha (2021–24) via canal reworking and native seed planting.

• MSSRF–Muthupettai Estuary: 115 ha restored with 4.3 lakh Avicennia seeds by collaborating with village committees and forest officers.

• Mumbai – Thane Creek Project: ₹10.3 crore project to plant 3.75 lakh mangrove saplings and intercept 150 tonnes of plastic over 3 years.

• Women Empowerment through Restoration: Local women are employed in seedling planting and upkeep, linking biodiversity with livelihoods.

• Gujarat – MISHTI Scheme Leader: Over 19,000 ha of mangroves planted in 2 years, exceeding national targets under the MISHTI initiative.

Strategic Role in Coastal Security

• Disaster Shield: During the 2004 tsunami and recent cyclones, mangroves absorbed wind and wave energy, reducing destruction.

• Livelihood Support: Fisherfolk, crab catchers, and honey gatherers depend on mangroves for income and cultural practices.

• Biodiversity Hotspots: They support species like flamingos, mudskippers, and mangrove herons by providing nesting and breeding grounds.

• Carbon Sink: Mangroves trap CO₂ more efficiently than tropical forests, aiding India’s Nationally Determined Contributions.

• Eco-Tourism and Coastal Identity: Restored mangroves in Gujarat and Sundarbans have become hubs for nature tourism and heritage education.

Way Forward:

• Policy Integration: MISHTI should be merged with Smart Cities and CRZ norms to protect mangroves from unregulated construction.

• Community Stewardship: Involve locals in mapping, seed collection, and canal maintenance to ensure ownership and continuity.

• Technological Monitoring: Use drones, satellite imagery, and AI to track mangrove health, growth, and degradation patterns in real time.

• Urban Eco-Planning: Coastal cities must integrate mangrove buffers into urban flood plans, especially in cyclone-prone zones.

• International Partnerships: Collaborate with other tropical nations for joint mangrove research, blue carbon trade, and coastal innovation.

Conclusion:

Mangroves are nature’s frontline defense for coastal India, blending ecology with economy. Their restoration secures biodiversity, climate resilience, and community livelihoods. India must scale scientific, community-led models to protect these green sentinels.

#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 1 August 2025 Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)

Scheme for Women Cooperative

Context: The National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) has launched and is actively implementing Swayamshakti Sahakar Yojna and Nandini Sahakar to promote financial inclusion and entrepreneurship among women-led cooperatives.

About Schemes for Women Cooperatives:

• Swayamshakti Sahakar Yojna:

• Aim: To provide affordable and accessible credit to women-led Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and cooperatives for collective socio-economic activities and sustainable livelihoods.

• Features: Targets PACS, DCCBs, StCBs, and SHG federated cooperatives. Enables women SHGs to access low-cost financial services for livelihood generation. Promotes financial inclusion and self-reliance in rural economies.

• Targets PACS, DCCBs, StCBs, and SHG federated cooperatives.

• Enables women SHGs to access low-cost financial services for livelihood generation.

• Promotes financial inclusion and self-reliance in rural economies.

• Nandini Sahakar:

• Aim: To offer a holistic support system including financial aid, capacity building, and business model development for women cooperatives.

• Features: Excludes urban housing but includes all other economic sectors. Focus on entrepreneurial training, business planning, and interest subvention. Promotes women-led cooperatives under the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

• Excludes urban housing but includes all other economic sectors.

• Focus on entrepreneurial training, business planning, and interest subvention.

• Promotes women-led cooperatives under the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Relevance in UPSC Exam Syllabus

• GS Paper 2: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections, especially women. Role of NGOs, SHGs, and co-operatives in development.

• Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections, especially women.

• Role of NGOs, SHGs, and co-operatives in development.

• GS Paper 3: Inclusive growth and issues arising from it. Indian economy – Mobilization of resources, banking, and financial inclusion.

• Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.

• Indian economy – Mobilization of resources, banking, and financial inclusion.

#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 1 August 2025 Facts for Prelims (FFP):

Asiatic Lion

Source: NIE

Context: Three Asiatic lion cubs died in Amreli district of Gujarat, with six more under veterinary observation, raising fresh alarms about rising cub mortality amid overall population growth in the Gir landscape.

About Asiatic Lion:

• What It Is? The Asiatic lion is a subspecies of lion found only in India, recognized for its restricted range and distinct physical traits compared to its African cousin.

• The Asiatic lion is a subspecies of lion found only in India, recognized for its restricted range and distinct physical traits compared to its African cousin.

• Scientific Name: Panthera leo persica

• IUCN Status

• Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List Schedule I under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 Appendix I of CITES (international trade ban)

• Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List

• Schedule I under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972

• Appendix I of CITES (international trade ban)

• Habitat: Primarily found in the Gir National Park and adjoining areas in Gujarat such as Amreli, Junagadh, Bhavnagar, and coastal zones; over 200 lions now live outside protected areas.

• History: Once ranging from eastern India to the Mediterranean, the species was reduced to a handful in Gir by early 1900s. Conservation efforts have revived its numbers, but it still exists as a single wild population.

• Once ranging from eastern India to the Mediterranean, the species was reduced to a handful in Gir by early 1900s.

• Conservation efforts have revived its numbers, but it still exists as a single wild population.

• Features:

• Males have a sparse mane, with ears visible, unlike African lions A distinctive long belly fold is always present Coat is sandy to buff-grey, sometimes silvery Shoulder height: ~110 cm and length: up to 280 cm Weight: Males (160–190 kg), Females (110–120 kg)

• Males have a sparse mane, with ears visible, unlike African lions

• A distinctive long belly fold is always present

• Coat is sandy to buff-grey, sometimes silvery

• Shoulder height: ~110 cm and length: up to 280 cm

• Weight: Males (160–190 kg), Females (110–120 kg)

ICAR’s AI-Powered Agromet Advisory

Source: News on Air

Context: ICRISAT and ICAR have launched an AI-powered, context-specific Agromet Advisory Service for climate-resilient agriculture.

About ICAR’s AI-Powered Agromet Advisory:

• What it is? It is a real-time, personalised climate advisory system developed using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to assist smallholder farmers in making informed agricultural decisions amid rising climate risks.

• It is a real-time, personalised climate advisory system developed using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to assist smallholder farmers in making informed agricultural decisions amid rising climate risks.

• Developed by: Jointly launched by ICRISAT and ICAR, with support from the Government of India’s Monsoon Mission-III and partners like IMD, IITM, and CGIAR’s AI4CRA.

• Objective: To provide real-time, hyper-local, and personalised weather and climate advisories to smallholder farmers for adaptive decision-making.

• Pilot Implementation: The project is being piloted in Maharashtra through ICAR’s Agro-Meteorological Field Units (AMFUs) before scaling nationwide and internationally.

• Key Features:

• AI & ML-based dynamic models for crop-weather analytics. AI-powered WhatsApp bot for easy delivery in regional languages. Personalised insights based on crop cycle, soil, location, and socio-economic profile. Real-time integration of IMD data and satellite observations. Multi-channel dissemination including IVRS, mobile apps, and village resource centres.

• AI & ML-based dynamic models for crop-weather analytics.

• AI-powered WhatsApp bot for easy delivery in regional languages.

• Personalised insights based on crop cycle, soil, location, and socio-economic profile.

• Real-time integration of IMD data and satellite observations.

• Multi-channel dissemination including IVRS, mobile apps, and village resource centres.

• Significance:

• Enhances climate resilience of over 120 million small and marginal farmers. Boosts productivity by reducing climate-related uncertainties. Bridges last-mile delivery gap in agri-tech advisory.

• Enhances climate resilience of over 120 million small and marginal farmers.

• Boosts productivity by reducing climate-related uncertainties.

• Bridges last-mile delivery gap in agri-tech advisory.

National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC)

Source: TOI

Context: The Union Cabinet has approved a ₹2,000 crore grant to the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) over four years.

About National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC):

• What it is? NCDC is a statutory body that promotes and finances cooperative development in agriculture, rural industries, and allied sectors.

• NCDC is a statutory body that promotes and finances cooperative development in agriculture, rural industries, and allied sectors.

• Established in: Set up in 1963 under an Act of Parliament and functions under the Ministry of Cooperation.

• Headquarters: Based in New Delhi, with 18 regional and state offices across India.

• Objective:

• Promote self-reliant and sustainable cooperatives in agriculture and rural industries. Enable cooperatives to access long-term credit, working capital, and modern infrastructure.

• Promote self-reliant and sustainable cooperatives in agriculture and rural industries.

• Enable cooperatives to access long-term credit, working capital, and modern infrastructure.

• Key Functions:

• Finance production, processing, marketing, and storage of agricultural produce. Support import and export of notified commodities such as fertilizers, machinery, rubber, textiles, etc. Fund income-generating activities like dairy, poultry, fisheries, handloom, and sericulture. Extend financial assistance to cooperatives for rural infrastructure such as irrigation, sanitation, and animal health. Provide both grants and loans to State Governments and directly to eligible cooperative societies. Offer technical guidance and project preparation support through its regional offices.

• Finance production, processing, marketing, and storage of agricultural produce.

• Support import and export of notified commodities such as fertilizers, machinery, rubber, textiles, etc.

• Fund income-generating activities like dairy, poultry, fisheries, handloom, and sericulture.

• Extend financial assistance to cooperatives for rural infrastructure such as irrigation, sanitation, and animal health.

• Provide both grants and loans to State Governments and directly to eligible cooperative societies.

• Offer technical guidance and project preparation support through its regional offices.

• Significance of NCDC:

• Serves over 13,000 cooperative societies with 2.9 crore members. Enables inclusive rural growth through job creation, especially in women-led and labour cooperatives. Supports cooperatives in cold storage, food processing, fisheries, dairy, and textiles, enhancing value chains.

• Serves over 13,000 cooperative societies with 2.9 crore members.

• Enables inclusive rural growth through job creation, especially in women-led and labour cooperatives.

• Supports cooperatives in cold storage, food processing, fisheries, dairy, and textiles, enhancing value chains.

Human Outer Planetary Exploration (HOPE)

Source: TH

Context: Bengaluru-based space company Protoplanet has launched the Human Outer Planetary Exploration (HOPE) station in Ladakh’s Tso Kar region to simulate lunar and Martian conditions.

About Human Outer Planetary Exploration (HOPE):

• What It Is? HOPE is a moon and Mars simulation research station located in Ladakh’s high-altitude Tso Kar basin, mimicking off-Earth terrain and environmental conditions.

• HOPE is a moon and Mars simulation research station located in Ladakh’s high-altitude Tso Kar basin, mimicking off-Earth terrain and environmental conditions.

• Developed By: The project is spearheaded by Protoplanet, a Bengaluru-based space outreach organisation, with technical and financial assistance from ISRO.

• Aim of the Project:

• To examine psychological, physiological, and epigenetic responses of humans in extreme isolation. To support India’s long-term goals of a crewed lunar mission (by 2040) and a space station (by 2035).

• To examine psychological, physiological, and epigenetic responses of humans in extreme isolation.

• To support India’s long-term goals of a crewed lunar mission (by 2040) and a space station (by 2035).

• Key Features:

• Located at high-altitude, cold-desert terrain resembling lunar and Martian environments. Two scientists will live in isolation for 10 days to test deep space stress resilience. Research includes studies on mental health, biological adaptation, and mission planning. ISRO guided the selection criteria for crew participants. Periodic crew rotation planned to test individual variability in confined conditions.

• Located at high-altitude, cold-desert terrain resembling lunar and Martian environments.

• Two scientists will live in isolation for 10 days to test deep space stress resilience.

• Research includes studies on mental health, biological adaptation, and mission planning.

• ISRO guided the selection criteria for crew participants.

• Periodic crew rotation planned to test individual variability in confined conditions.

• Significance:

• Marks a vital step towards India’s crewed spaceflight capability and interplanetary mission readiness. Enhances India’s presence in the global space research ecosystem, alongside facilities in the US, Canada, and Russia. Provides actionable data for future Bharatiya Antariksh Station and Gaganyaan-type missions.

• Marks a vital step towards India’s crewed spaceflight capability and interplanetary mission readiness.

• Enhances India’s presence in the global space research ecosystem, alongside facilities in the US, Canada, and Russia.

• Provides actionable data for future Bharatiya Antariksh Station and Gaganyaan-type missions.

Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Source: FPJ

Context: On the death anniversary of Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Union Home Minister paid tribute, highlighting his role in transforming Swaraj into a mass movement.

About Bal Gangadhar Tilak:

Who He Was?

• Known as Lokmanya Tilak, he was a revolutionary nationalist, journalist, scholar, and freedom fighter.

• Famously called the “Father of Indian Unrest” by British colonial authorities.

Background:

• Born: July 23, 1856, in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra.

• Education: Studied at Deccan College, Pune. Graduated with a B.A. and LL.B.

• Co-founded Deccan Education Society and Fergusson College to promote Indian-run education.

Contributions to the Freedom Movement:

• Swaraj as Birthright: Popularised the slogan “Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it.”

• Newspapers: Founded Kesari (Marathi) and The Mahratta (English) to educate and mobilise the public.

• Cultural Nationalism: Revived Ganesh Utsav (1893) and Shivaji Jayanti as tools of mass mobilisation and Hindu unity.

• Extremist Phase Leader: Led the Lal-Bal-Pal trio (with Lala Lajpat Rai and Bipin Chandra Pal) during the assertive phase of nationalism.

• Writings and Scholarship: Authored ‘Gita Rahasya’, ‘Arctic Home in the Vedas’, and ‘Orion’, showcasing his command over history, religion, and astronomy.

• Home Rule Movement (1916): Collaborated with Annie Besant to launch the Home Rule League, demanding self-governance within the British Empire.

Controversies and Imprisonment:

• Sedition Charges: Imprisoned multiple times for writings that incited resistance against British rule. Most notably jailed in 1897 and 1908 for inciting rebellion through his journalistic work.

• Imprisoned multiple times for writings that incited resistance against British rule.

• Most notably jailed in 1897 and 1908 for inciting rebellion through his journalistic work.

• Differences with Moderates: Advocated direct action and opposed the moderate methods of prayer and petition during the split in the Surat session (1907) of INC.

• Advocated direct action and opposed the moderate methods of prayer and petition during the split in the Surat session (1907) of INC.

Death:

• Died: August 1, 1920, in Mumbai.

• His death marked the end of an era, but his ideals continued to inspire the non-cooperation and civil disobedience movements.

India commissioned its first indigenously developed 1 MW green hydrogen plant

Source: TOI

Context: India commissioned its first indigenously developed 1 MW green hydrogen plant at Deendayal Port, Kandla — a milestone under the National Green Hydrogen Mission and Maritime India Vision 2030.

About India commissioned its first indigenously developed 1 MW green hydrogen plant:

What it is?

• A 1-megawatt green hydrogen facility, part of a planned 10 MW project to support India’s clean maritime operations.

• Located at Deendayal Port Authority (DPA), Kandla, Gujarat — the first such facility at an Indian port.

Developed By:

• Fully Make-in-India initiative led by Indian engineers.

• Executed by DPA in collaboration with engineering partner Larsen & Toubro (L&T).

Technology Used:

• Uses indigenously manufactured electrolyzers to produce green hydrogen via electrolysis using renewable energy sources.

• Demonstrates indigenous capacity for complex clean energy systems.

• To support India’s Net Zero goals and transition to clean fuel in maritime transport.

• Aligns with National Green Hydrogen Mission (2023) and Maritime India Vision 2030.

Key Features:

• Fast Execution: Constructed within 4 months — a model for speed, scale, and skill.

• Capacity: Will produce ~140 metric tonnes of green hydrogen annually.

• Phase-wise Expansion: First phase (1 MW) commissioned and 5 MW to be added by FY-end, full 10 MW by mid-next fiscal.

• Pilot Use: Powers 11 hydrogen buses and port street lighting initially.

• Scalable Model: Aims to run entire port operations on green hydrogen in future.

Significance:

• First port-based hydrogen plant in India, pushing maritime decarbonisation.

• Reduces dependence on fossil fuels in logistics and transport.

• Boosts Aatma-Nirbhar Bharat through indigenous tech and execution.

#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 1 August 2025 Mapping:

US Sanctions 6 Indian Companies Over Iran Trade

Source: NDTV

Context: The US Department of State sanctioned 20 global firms, including 6 Indian companies, for engaging in petrochemical trade with Iran.

About US Sanctions 6 Indian Companies Over Iran Trade:

What Are the Sanctions?

• The United States imposed sanctions under Executive Order 13846.

• Six Indian companies were identified among the 20 entities globally.

Reason for Sanctions:

• These firms knowingly engaged in trade of Iranian petrochemical products.

• The US accuses Iran of using oil revenue to fund terrorist groups, oppress its citizens, and destabilize the Middle East.

• The US policy aims to cut off economic flows to the Iranian regime.

Implications:

• All assets under US jurisdiction belonging to these companies are now frozen.

• US individuals and companies are barred from doing business with them.

• Secondary sanctions risk applies to others trading with these firms.

• The move strains India–US economic diplomacy and raises compliance risks for Indian exporters.

About Iran:

• Location: Southwestern Asia

• Capital: Tehran

• Borders: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Turkey, Persian Gulf, and Gulf of Oman.

• Geographical Features:

• Mountains: Zagros Mountains (west–southwest) Alborz Mountains (north, includes Damavand, Iran’s highest peak at 5,671 m)

• Zagros Mountains (west–southwest)

• Alborz Mountains (north, includes Damavand, Iran’s highest peak at 5,671 m)

• Plateaus and Deserts: Central Plateau bordered by high mountains Dasht-e Kavir and Lut Desert dominate the interior

• Central Plateau bordered by high mountains

• Dasht-e Kavir and Lut Desert dominate the interior

• Rivers: Karun River – only navigable river, flows into the Persian Gulf Zayandeh River – vital to Isfahan but heavily depleted Sefid River – flows into the Caspian Sea

• Karun River – only navigable river, flows into the Persian Gulf

• Zayandeh River – vital to Isfahan but heavily depleted

• Sefid River – flows into the Caspian Sea

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