Predatory Pricing
Recently, Competition Commission of India has notified the Cost Regulations, 2025 providing new definitions to curb predatory pricing.
- Selling goods or services below cost to eliminate competition and establish market dominance.
- Legal Framework: Section 4(2) of the Competition Act, 2002 identifies predatory pricing as an abusive practice by dominant enterprises.
- Impact: Initially beneficial for consumers due to lower prices, but harms competition and leads to monopoly-driven price hikes.
Cloud Seeding
Delhi government approved 5 cloud-seeding trials, to be implemented by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur to combat air pollution.
- A weather modification technique that involves dispersing substances like silver iodide into clouds to induce precipitation.
- Process: Chemicals act as condensation nuclei, encouraging water droplet formation and rainfall.
- Applications: Used for drought relief, air pollution control, and water resource management
Maternal Mortality Ratio
Office of the Registrar General (Ministry of Home Affairs) released Special Bulletin on MMR in India 2019-21
- The number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births due to pregnancy-related complications.
- India’s Progress: MMR has declined to 93 (2019-21) from 103 (2017-19).
- Government Initiatives: Programs like Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) and Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) aim to reduce maternal deaths.
- Challenges: High MMR in states like Madhya Pradesh (175), Assam (167), and Uttar Pradesh (151)
Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS)
CERT-In issued an advisory on DDoS threats to critical sectors
- A cyberattack that overwhelms a server, network, or website with excessive traffic, making it inaccessible.
- Mechanism: Attackers use a botnet (network of infected devices) to flood the target with fake requests.
- Impact: Causes service disruptions, financial losses, and reputational damage.
Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs Program
Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment reviewed the implementation of the Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED) program.
- Launched in 2022.
- Ministry: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
- Aims to provide quality coaching, health insurance, and housing aid to DNT and livelihood support to DNT (Denotified Tribes)/ NT (Nomadic Tribes)/ SNT (Semi-Nomadic Tribes) communities.
- Beneficiaries – Families with an annual income of ₹2.50 lakh or less, who are not availing benefits from similar schemes of the central or state governments.