India’s New Deportation Policy

Governance

In News

Recently, the new deportation policy was issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Deportation

It is a formal legal process where foreigners suspected of staying illegally in India are detained, tried in court, and deported only after all legal steps are completed and their identity is confirmed with their home country.
Under the Citizenship Act, 1955, an “illegal migrant” is defined as a foreigner who either entered India without valid travel documents, or entered legally but remained beyond the permitted period.

Key Features of the New Policy

30-Day Verification Deadline: States/UTs must identify and verify the credentials of illegal migrants within 30 days, triggering automatic deportation upon failure to meet the deadline.
District-Level Special Task Forces (STFs): Newly established district-level police units are dedicated to identifying and holding undocumented migrants, often in designated, fenced centres.
Biometric & Data Tracking: Mandatory digitization of biometric data via the Foreigners’ Identification Portal (FIP) is enforced for tracking, with data shared between UIDAI (Aadhaar), the Election Commission of India, and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to prevent identity fraud.

Statutory Changes (Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025)

- The Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, active from September 1, 2025, replaces colonial-era laws, including the 1946 Foreigners Act.
- Expanded Authority: The Bureau of Immigration receives statutory status, granting officials greater powers to deny entry based on “adverse security reports”.

Stricter Penalties: Penalties for illegal entry increase to up to 5 years of imprisonment and fines up to ₹5 lakh.
Exemptions: Aligned with the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order, 2025, spares specific religious minority groups from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan who entered before 2025.

International Relations

In News

India is going to host major diplomatic meetings including the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ meeting and the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting.

BRICS

Founded in – 2009
HeadQuarters – Shanghai
It is an acronym for the grouping of the world’s leading emerging economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (included in 2010)
Origin – The term “BRIC” was coined by the British Economist Jim O’Neill in 2001 to describe the four emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China.
Recent Expansion (BRICS+): In 2024–2025, the bloc expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, and Indonesia. Saudi Arabia has received an invitation but has not yet formalized its membership.
Share of BRICS – BRICS brings together five of the largest developing countries, representing 41% of the global population, 24% of the global GDP, and 16% of the global trade (By 2028, BRICS is expected to make up 35 percent of the global economy)
Chairmanship – The chairmanship of the forum is rotated annually among the members.

Initiatives of BRICS

New Initiative

BRICS is planning to launch its own “new currency” system, a major step towards de-dollarization (reducing dependence on the US dollar for trade).

India’s 2026 Presidency

India assumed the BRICS Presidency on January 1, 2026, taking over from Brazil.
18th Summit: India is set to host the 18th BRICS Summit in 2026.
Theme: “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability”.
Key Pillars: Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Environmental Sustainability

Health

Context

A recent study by Nagaland University has identified the anti-cancer potential of traditional herbal medicine used by the Konyak Naga tribe.

Konyak Naga Tribe

Habited in – It is one of the largest Naga tribes of Nagaland, inhabits mainly the Mon district of Nagaland.
Konyaks were historically known for the practice of headhunting, which was linked to warrior status and prestige.
The traditional political system is headed by hereditary chiefs known as Angh
Konyak language belongs to the Tibeto-Burman language family.
The primary occupation is jhum (shifting cultivation).
Major festival: Aoleang Festival, celebrated in April to mark the New Year and sowing season.

Science and Technology

In News

The government has imposed a six-month restriction on imports of glufosinate and its salts, a herbicide used in farming.

Glufosinate-ammonium

It is a herbicide used to control a broad range of weeds.
It is highly water-soluble and has low potential to leach into groundwater.
It is considered highly hazardous, with risks including neurotoxicity, reproductive harm, cardiovascular effects, and fetal damage
Its volatile nature exposes farmers and nearby populations through inhalation and skin contact.