Current Affairs October 2025 Topic - Polity

Threeyear Appointments to Union Bank of India and Central Bank of India Leadership

A significant leadership reshuffle has been announced in India’s banking sector.
The government has appointed new Managing Directors and Chief Executive Officers at Union Bank of India and Central Bank of India, each for a threeyear term.

Approval by the ACC formalised the CEO appointments at Union Bank of India and Central Bank of India.

Asheesh Pandey: Previously Executive Director at Bank of Maharashtra with experience in banking operations and credit management; now MD & CEO of Union Bank of India.
Kalyan Kumar: Currently Executive Director at Punjab National Bank; to become MD & CEO of Central Bank of India, succeeding M.V. Rao upon his superannuation in July 2025.
The Financial Services Institutions Bureau recommended these appointments on 30 May 2025; it is headed by Bhanu Pratap Sharma, with selection members Animesh Chauhan, Deepak Singhal and Shailendra Bhandari.

Signals the government’s emphasis on stronger governance and leadership within public sector banks.

Aims to amend certain enactments to decriminalise and rationalise offences.
Seeks to enhance trustbased governance for ease of living and doing business.
Advances process reforms to streamline procedures and promote efficient compliance.

Recently introduced in the Lok Sabha.
Builds on the Jan Vishwas Act, 2023, and expands reforms to 16 Central Acts across 10 Ministries/Departments.
Exemplifies process reforms by replacing rigid, punitive compliances with rationalised, trustbased mechanisms to streamline procedures.

The Jan Vishwas Act, 2023 decriminalised 183 provisions in 42 Central Acts administered by 19 Ministries and Departments.
Process reforms are “nuts and bolts” changes to specific rules or procedures, distinct from structural reforms that alter underlying architectures (e.g., GST, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, monetary policy committee).
They are microlevel, targeted interventions to improve operational efficiency in specific sectors or activities.
The Economic Survey 202021 advocated simpler regulations and smoother processes over overregulation and opacity in administrative and legal systems.

Sustaining economic growth: Provides ongoing, incremental improvements that keep momentum between major structural changes.
Ease of doing business, living, and science: Removes daytoday irritations; e.g., new procurement rules for scientific institutions enable scientists to work efficiently.
Unblocking bottlenecks and delays: Addresses legacy inefficiencies such as cumbersome paperwork, unnecessary approvals, and slow service delivery.
Enhancing sectoral competitiveness: e.g., Liberalisation of telecom rules for Other Service Providers (OSP) fuelled growth in ITenabled and BPO sectors.
Reducing corruption and rentseeking: Increases transparency and limits arbitrary enforcement by removing unnecessary steps.
Institutionalising a problemsolving mindset: Embeds continual problemsolving, making institutions agile and responsive.
For this Bill specifically: Streamlines procedures, reduces judicial burden, and creates an enabling environment for citizens and businesses.

Firsttime contraventions: For 76 offences under 10 different Acts, only an advisory or warning will apply for firsttime violations.
Decriminalisation of minor offences: Imprisonment clauses are removed and replaced with monetary penalties or warnings for minor, technical, and procedural defaults (e.g., Tea Act, 1953; Legal Metrology Act, 2009 further decriminalised).
Rationalisation of penalties: Fines are made proportionate with incremental penalties for repeat offences.
Adjudication mechanism: Designated officers may impose penalties through administrative processes to ensure quicker resolution of cases.
Automatic revision of fines: A 10 per cent increase in fines and penalties every three years maintains deterrence without frequent legislative amendments.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has proposed an Article 371like provision for Ladakh during talks with the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA).
The proposal emerges amid demands for statehood and stronger constitutional safeguards for land, culture, and political representation.

Violent protests in Ladakh resulted in four deaths, including a Kargil war veteran, intensifying calls for statehood and tribal protection.
The MHA’s outreach to LAB and KDA signals a policy shift towards special provisions under Article 371 for Ladakh.

Since the 2019 reorganisation of Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh has functioned as a Union Territory without a legislature.
Initial support for Union Territory status has given way to dissatisfaction over land rights, cultural identity, and limited representation.
A united LAB–KDA platform is pressing for:
Full statehood for Ladakh
Sixth Schedule status for tribal rights and land protection
Release of detained activists, including climate activist Sonam Wangchuk
Compensation for victims of police action during protests

Article 371 offers cultural and administrative flexibility to states but retains significant powers with the Union government.
Activists and Ladakh leaders argue the Sixth Schedule, framed under Article 244, provides stronger safeguards through Autonomous District Councils with control over land, forests, and community laws.
The debate centres on whether an Article 371like provision can adequately protect Ladakh’s tribal and ecological identity compared to the legislative autonomy under the Sixth Schedule.
The Centre’s offer indicates movement, but Ladakh’s leadership remains firm on the dual demand of statehood and Sixth Schedule protection to ensure selfgovernance and legal safeguards.
A calibrated decision is vital for peace and trust in this strategically important Himalayan region.

Article 371 provisions were first introduced in 1950 to address administrative and cultural concerns of individual Indian states after independence.
Article 371 is applicable to 12 states, including Nagaland, Mizoram, Sikkim, and Assam.
Article 371(A) specifically protects Nagaland’s customary laws and land ownership from central interference.
The Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution protects the tribal way of life in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram.
Ladakh shares borders with China (Aksai Chin) and Pakistan (GilgitBaltistan), making it one of India’s most sensitive border zones.