Why in the News?

• The Government of India has announced a major revival plan for the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI), including the purchase of over 200 merchant ships through joint ventures with other PSUs.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Shipping Corporation of India (Evolution, Role in National Interest & Strategic Missions, Decline During Liberalisation, Global Trends, Govt’s Revival Plan)

Evolution of the Shipping Corporation of India

• For decades, the SCI stood as one of the world’s leading national carriers, operating over 120 ships across categories such as oil tankers, gas carriers, chemical tankers, passenger vessels, liners and offshore vessels.
• SCI symbolised India’s maritime pride, combining national service with commercial capability.
• SCI also led technological upgrades, introducing the latest German marine engines, operating India’s first LNG carrier, and building vessels in Indian shipyards despite delays and cost overruns.
• Its diverse fleet and national obligations made it central to India’s maritime economy.

Role in National Interest and Strategic Missions

• Energy Security: Historically, SCI had first rights on transporting India’s oil, making tankers the backbone of its fleet.
• National Service: It transported civilian workers at concessional rates to the Andaman Islands and supported defence logistics during crises.
• Risk Operations: During the Iran-Iraq war, SCI tankers bore the word INDIA in large white letters to signal non-hostility and ensure safe passage.
• Skill Development: SCI’s Mumbai-based training institute in Powai trained thousands of marine professionals who went on to earn significant foreign exchange for India.

Decline During Liberalisation

• The 1990s ushered in the era of Liberalisation-Privatisation-Globalisation (LPG), and Indian maritime policy moved in line with global trade norms.
• Under WTO rules, India had to dilute preferential treatment for its national carrier in EXIM cargo.
• Key consequences included:

• Loss of “right of refusal” over oil cargo, a major revenue source for SCI.
• Neglect in fleet modernisation, only two ships were ordered in 10 years before the recent purchases.
• Shrinking tanker capacity and rising average fleet age (18 years, nearing scrapping levels).
• Collapse of Indian presence in container shipping after cabotage relaxation.

• India’s share of EXIM cargo carried by Indian vessels fell from 27% earlier to just 7%, illustrating a precipitous decline.

COVID-19 and the Reassessment of Strategic Shipping Capacity

• The pandemic became a turning point. Global freight rates skyrocketed, up to 10 times pre-pandemic levels, as port delays and geopolitical bottlenecks grew.
• Many global carriers skipped developing country ports, disrupting India’s key exports such as rice and shrimp and affecting essential imports such as rubber.
• India’s lack of national container capacity left it vulnerable to:

• Supply chain disruptions
• High freight costs
• Loss of export competitiveness

• This renewed recognition of maritime self-reliance prompted the shift away from privatisation and toward rebuilding SCI.

Global Trends Supporting Public Ownership

• The revival of SCI is not an isolated move. Across the world, governments have increased intervention in strategic sectors:

• United States: The Biden administration invested billions in semiconductors, while the Trump administration acquired stakes in companies including Intel and U.S. Steel, abandoning earlier reluctance toward industrial ownership.
• Rare Earth Sector: U.S. government investment has grown due to supply chain vulnerabilities.

• This global shift toward strategic state-driven industrial capacity strengthens the logic behind reviving SCI.

Government’s New Revival Plan for SCI

• Large-Scale Ship Acquisition Through PSU Joint Ventures
  • The government plans to purchase 200+ merchant vessels for SCI through joint ventures with other PSUs using funds from the Maritime Development Fund.
  • PSU partners, such as oil companies, the Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) and others, will provide long-term assured cargo contracts, enabling SCI to finance new ships sustainably.
• Rebuilding Container Shipping Capacity
  • One major initiative includes the creation of Bharat Shipping Line, a joint venture of SCI and CONCOR, to buy 20 new container ships, reviving India’s long-neglected container fleet.
• Balancing Newbuilds and Market Realities
  • While the revival is ambitious, experts note that global ship prices are currently extremely high due to a prolonged post-pandemic shipping boom.
  • Therefore, expansion will be gradual, balancing strategic needs with market conditions.

Need to Support Private Indian Shipping

• Industry experts emphasise that revival efforts should not remain limited to SCI.
• India’s broader merchant shipping capacity can grow only if private operators also receive:

• Long-term cargo contracts
• Support for capital investment
• A competitive taxation and regulatory environment

• A holistic approach would build India’s overall flag tonnage, enhancing supply chain resilience and global trade competitiveness.

Why in News?

• At the inauguration of the International Mooting Academy at O.P. Jindal University, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, along with other Supreme Court judges, reflected on the constitutional legacy.
• He highlighted the 1973 Kesavananda Bharati judgment, the centrality of the Basic Structure Doctrine, and the evolving idea of ‘Indianisation’ of the legal system.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Significance of Kesavananda Bharati Judgment
• Judicial Perspectives on Basic Structure
• Kesavananda as a Moral Milestone (CJI)
• Indianisation of the Legal System
• Technological Modernisation of Justice System
• Key Challenges
• Way Forward
• Conclusion

Significance of Kesavananda Bharati Judgment:

• Basic Structure doctrine: It is a legal principle, established by the SC in the landmark 1973 case of Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala, that states the fundamental features of the Constitution cannot be amended by Parliament.
• Basic Structure as constitutional conscience:
  • CJI described the Basic Structure Doctrine as “the conscience that keeps our democracy from drifting into absolutism.”
  • The doctrine is not a mere precedent but a foundational affirmation of constitutionalism and rule of law.
• An act of constitutional archaeology:
  • The CJI said the doctrine was not “judicial fancy” but an uncovering of principles embedded within the Constitution.
  • Judges “unearthed” its inherent moral core: liberty, equality, fraternity, human dignity.
• The living constitution:
  • The Constitution's strength lies not in rigidity but its ability to adapt without losing moral compass.
  • Each generation must interpret it as a “living charge”, not a frozen document.

Judicial Perspectives on Basic Structure:

• Judicial independence and rule of law (Justice B.V. Nagarathna):
  • The doctrine flows from judicial independence, immune from political pressure.
  • It resulted in the protection of the core features (supremacy of Constitution, separation of powers, fundamental rights, judicial review) of the Constitution.
• Constitutional supremacy (Justice P.S. Narasimha): Basic Structure is not judicial supremacy but affirmation of constitutional supremacy.
• Natural rights foundation (Justice M.M. Sundresh): Basic Structure was never defined because it existed as a natural right embedded in justice, liberty, and equality.

Kesavananda as a Moral Milestone (CJI):

• Resilience of Indian democracy:
  • The judgment proved that a young republic could assert a moral conscience comparable to older democracies.
  • It showcased India’s constitutional culture that bends without breaking.
• Symbolism - The constitutional khaat:
  • The constitution is like a khaat (text = frame; institutions = legs).
  • Restraint, balance, moral discipline are interlaced ropes that hold everything together.

Indianisation of the Legal System:

• Swadeshi jurisprudence:
  • The SC noted that despite influences from UK and US, Indian interpretation has developed a distinct ‘swadeshi’ colour.
  • The government also endorsed building a unique Indian jurisprudence.
• Earlier calls for indianisation:
  • Justice P.N. Bhagwati (1986): India must not rely on “crutches of foreign legal order”.
  • Justice N.V. Ramana: Indianisation needed for easy access to justice, especially for rural litigants.
  • Justice S.A. Bobde: Indian texts already reflected concepts such as privacy.
  • Cases citing Indian tradition: Decriminalising adultery and Sabarimala temple entry to women of a certain age quoted heavily from the Manusmriti.
• Decolonising Indian legal thought: Justice S. Abdul Nazeer criticized over-reliance on colonial jurisprudence and urged recognition of ancient Indian legal thinkers: Manu, Kautilya, Yajnavalkya, Brihaspati, Narada, etc.

Technological Modernisation of Justice System:

• PM (Narendra Modi): Called for “ease of justice” even for the poorest. Highlighted virtual hearings, translated judgments for greater accessibility.
• Union Law Minister (Arjun Ram Meghwal): Judicial competence now requires e-courts, AI-enabled systems. Invoked B.R. Ambedkar’s warning: “Freedom is not a licence to do whatever we want.”

Key Challenges:

• Balancing amendability with constitutional stability: Reconciling Parliament’s power to amend with preservation of Basic Structure.
• Avoiding judicial overreach vs. ensuring constitutional supremacy: Maintaining legitimacy of judicial review without perceptions of activism.
• Indianisation vs. universal constitutional values: Integrating indigenous traditions while upholding modern democratic principles.
• Bridging the accessibility gap: Ensuring that technology-driven reforms reach rural and marginalised populations.

Way Forward:

• Strengthening constitutional culture: Promote civics education and constitutional awareness at all levels.
• Continued modernisation: Expand e-courts, digital filing, translation tools, and AI-based case management.
• Developing native jurisprudence: Encourage academic engagement with ancient Indian legal principles while retaining universal constitutional ethics.
• Preserving institutional independence: Protect judiciary from political interference to uphold rule of law.
• Harmonising tradition with modernity: Draw from Indian intellectual heritage without compromising rights-based democratic framework.

Conclusion:

• The enduring centrality of the Basic Structure Doctrine is not merely as a judicial creation but as the moral anchor of Indian democracy.
• The Kesavananda Bharati judgment remains a guiding force as India navigates modernisation, institutional reforms and debates on Indianising its legal system.
• The call is for a justice system that is technologically advanced, socially accessible, constitutionally rooted, and culturally resonant, ensuring that the Republic continues to uphold liberty, equality, fraternity, and human dignity.

Why in news?

The Supreme Court’s Central Empowered Committee (CEC) has advised the Goa government to create a tiger reserve in the State.

It suggested doing this in a phased manner, indicating a gradual approach to setting up the reserve.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Why the CEC Recommended a Tiger Reserve in Goa?
• How the Goa Government Responded to the Tiger Reserve Order?
• CEC Recommendation for Goa’s Tiger Reserve
• Why the Tiger Reserve Designation Matters?
• How a Tiger Reserve Is Declared in India?

Why the CEC Recommended a Tiger Reserve in Goa?

• The CEC’s recommendation is rooted in earlier judicial and conservation actions.
• In July 2023, the Bombay High Court directed the Goa government to declare five protected areas as a tiger reserve within three months.
• These five protected areas were:
  • Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary,
  • Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary,
  • Bhagwan Mahavir National Park,
  • Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary, and
  • Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary.
• The order followed a petition by the Goa Foundation after a tigress and her three cubs were allegedly poisoned in the Mhadei Sanctuary in 2020.
• The Court also asked the State to prepare a Tiger Conservation Plan and settle the rights of Scheduled Tribes and forest dwellers.
• Notably, the National Tiger Conservation Authority had already recommended these areas for tiger reserve status in 2016.

How the Goa Government Responded to the Tiger Reserve Order?

• The Goa government challenged the High Court’s directive by filing a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court, claiming that declaring the areas as a tiger reserve would affect nearly one lakh people.
  • However, its own affidavit later revealed a much smaller number — roughly 1,274 households across 33 villages, amounting to 5,000–6,000 people.
• The State also argued that Goa had no “resident” tigers and that those seen in its forests were merely “transient.”
  • This stance contradicted its 2018 submission before the Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal, where it had asserted evidence of a resident tiger population.
  • It had, then, described Goa’s forests as part of a contiguous tiger landscape linked to Karnataka’s Kali Tiger Reserve and Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Due to these conflicting claims, the Supreme Court asked the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) to conduct a site visit and examine the matter.

CEC Recommendation for Goa’s Tiger Reserve

• The CEC’s report acknowledged fears among local residents about displacement and stressed that the Goa government must reassure affected communities.
• It proposed creating the tiger reserve in phases, beginning with areas that are ecologically sensitive, least inhabited, and directly connected to Karnataka’s Kali Tiger Reserve, which has a permanent tiger presence.
• Core Zone (Phase 1)
  • Include protected areas contiguous with Kali’s core area
  • Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary — 50 households
  • Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary — 41 households
  • Total core area recommended: 296.7 sq km
• Buffer Zone (Phase 1)
  • Include areas adjoining the buffer zone of Kali Tiger Reserve with minimal habitation
  • Northern Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary — 9 households
  • Bhagwan Mahavir National Park — 2 households
• The CEC said this phased approach would minimise community disturbance while strengthening landscape connectivity and ecological functionality across the Goa–Karnataka tiger habitat network.

Why the Tiger Reserve Designation Matters?

• Declaring an area a tiger reserve brings in greater funding for conservation, research, and habitat management compared to existing wildlife sanctuaries.
• It also requires dividing the landscape into core and buffer zones.
  • Core zones must remain inviolate, meaning human presence is discouraged. Residents cannot be forced out, but they may be offered incentives to voluntarily relocate.
  • Buffer zones allow regulated human activities and do not need to be free of habitation.
• This zoning helps strengthen tiger protection while balancing community interests.

How a Tiger Reserve Is Declared in India?

• To create a tiger reserve, the state government first identifies a suitable area and submits a detailed proposal to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
• The NTCA evaluates the site’s ecological suitability and tiger habitat potential, then forwards its recommendation to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
• Following this, the state issues a preliminary notification, invites and addresses objections, and finally issues a formal notification under Section 38V of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, officially designating the area as a tiger reserve.

Why in news?

Airlines worldwide are rushing to apply a mandatory Airbus fix for a software vulnerability affecting thousands of A320-family aircraft.

Airbus found that intense solar radiation could corrupt flight-control data in the aircraft’s elevator aileron computer (ELAC), posing a potential safety risk. Of the more than 11,000 A320-series jets in service globally, over half may be impacted—making this the largest recall in Airbus’s history.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• How the Airbus A320 Software Vulnerability Came to Light?
• How Airlines Implemented Airbus’s Fix for the A320 ELAC Vulnerability?

How the Airbus A320 Software Vulnerability Came to Light?

• Airbus revealed that a major software vulnerability had been discovered after an incident involving an A320-family aircraft.
• This prompted an urgent requirement for software updates—and in some cases hardware changes—across thousands of aircraft globally, including over 300 in India.
• Solar Radiation Identified as Root Cause
  • Airbus stated that analysis of a recent event showed intense solar radiation could corrupt critical flight-control data in the Elevator Aileron Computer (ELAC).
    • Solar radiation is the radiant energy emitted by the sun, traveling through space as electromagnetic waves.
    • This energy includes visible light, infrared radiation (heat), and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. 
  • This malware-like corruption risk made a large portion of the in-service fleet vulnerable.
• Immediate Regulatory Intervention
  • Soon after Airbus issued an Alert Operators Transmission (AOT), the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) released an Emergency Airworthiness Directive requiring airlines to implement the fixes “before next flight.”
  • EASA confirmed that the vulnerability was detected after an A320 experienced an uncommanded, brief pitch-down, causing a momentary loss of altitude without any pilot input.
• Why ELAC Was at the Center of the Issue?
  • The ELAC is a key computer that helps the pilots control the plane. It takes the pilots’ joystick (sidestick) movements and moves the parts on the wings and tail — which make the plane go up, down, or turn.
    • Basically, ELAC is a primary flight-control computer.
  • A specific combination of ELAC hardware and software was found to be susceptible to radiation-induced data corruption, creating a risk of uncommanded elevator movement that could, in the worst case, exceed the aircraft’s structural capability.
• The Incident That Exposed the Flaw
  • While EASA did not name the aircraft, industry insiders report that the event involved a JetBlue flight from Cancun to Newark on October 30.
  • The aircraft suffered an unexpected altitude drop, injuring some passengers. This incident triggered the technical investigation that uncovered the ELAC vulnerability.

How Airlines Implemented Airbus’s Fix for the A320 ELAC Vulnerability?

• Airbus prescribed an immediate rectification for affected A320-family aircraft.
• For most jets, the solution was a quick software rollback—reverting to an earlier version of the ELAC software.
• Experts note this update takes around two hours.
• However, a smaller group of older A320 variants may require complete ELAC hardware replacement, which takes longer and depends on unit availability.
• Progress in India: Majority Fixed by Saturday Evening
  • According to the DGCA, nearly 80% of affected Indian aircraft had already undergone the software change.
  • Out of 338 A320-family aircraft identified across IndiGo, Air India, and Air India Express:
    • 270 aircraft were fully rectified by 5:30 pm
    • 68 aircraft were expected to be completed later the same day
• Impact on Airline Operations
  • Despite concerns of large-scale disruption, the fix caused only minor delays and rescheduling, not widespread cancellations.
  • Officials reiterated that passengers need not panic, as operational impact remained modest.
  • A320-family jets operate multiple rotations per day, meaning even brief ground time for updates can cause cascading delays.
  • Still, airlines managed to avoid significant cancellations.

Why in the News?

• India’s GDP growth for Q2 FY26 (July-September 2025) surged to 8.2%, marking a six-quarter high, driven by strong performance in manufacturing, construction, and financial services.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• India’s GDP Performance (Overview, Sectoral Performance, Consumption & Investment Trend, Growth Outlook, etc.)

Overview of India’s GDP Performance in Q2 FY26

• India’s economy outpaced expectations, recording 8.2% real GDP growth, significantly higher than the consensus forecast of around 7.3%.
• This marks the fourth consecutive quarter of acceleration, signalling robust economic momentum despite global uncertainties.
• The government attributed this growth to a combination of pro-growth reforms, elevated public investment, strong services activity, and rising private consumption, particularly after the recent GST rate cuts that boosted discretionary spending.

Sectoral Performance Driving GDP Expansion

• Manufacturing and Industry Rebound
  • Manufacturing GVA rose by 9.1% in Q2, the fastest in six quarters, reflecting higher industrial output, improved capacity utilisation, and resilient demand.
  • This compares to 7.7% in Q1 and just 2.2% in the same quarter of the previous fiscal.
  • Industry as a whole grew 7.7%, supported by robust construction activity (7.2% growth). Mining was the only laggard, contracting due to monsoon disruptions.
• Services Sector Continues Dominance
  • The services sector expanded by over 9% for the second consecutive quarter, led by:

• Financial, Real Estate & Professional Services: 10.2%
• Public Administration, Defence & Other Services: 9.7%

• These components played a pivotal role in pushing overall GDP beyond forecasts.

• Agriculture Shows Mild Improvement
  • Agriculture GVA grew 3.5%, supported by stable food inflation and better kharif output, though still lower than industry and services contributions.

Consumption and Investment Trends

• Private Consumption Strengthens
  • Private Final Consumption Expenditure (PFCE) grew 7.9%, up from 7% in Q1, driven by:

• Lower food inflation
• GST rationalisation
• Moderation in interest rates
• Improvement in rural demand

• Economists highlighted that lower inflation boosted discretionary spending, reinforcing consumption-led growth.

• Investment Activity Supported by Capex
  • Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF) grew 7.3%, aided by:

• A 31% rise in government capital expenditure
• Early signs of revival in private investment
• Stronger credit flow to the industry

• Economists noted, however, that private investment remains sensitive to global risks, especially higher U.S. tariffs.

Fiscal and Nominal Growth Concerns

• Despite strong real growth, India’s nominal GDP growth slipped to 8.7%, a four-quarter low. Economists warned that low nominal growth could strain fiscal math, as tax revenues rose only 4% in the first seven months of FY26.
• To meet the budget target of 12.5% gross tax revenue growth, revenues must grow 22.3% in the remaining months of FY26, an ambitious requirement.

Revised Growth Outlook

• The Chief Economic Advisor revised India’s FY26 GDP growth projection to at least 7%, up from 6.3-6.8% previously.
• The RBI may also revise its 6.8% projection upward as the Q2 figure far exceeded expectations, especially ahead of the Monetary Policy Committee’s meeting.
• However, economists expect growth to moderate to 6.1% in the second half of FY26 due to normalisation of capital expenditure and global headwinds.

Macroeconomic Implications

• Monetary Policy
  • With retail inflation at 0.25% in October, the lowest on record, the RBI was widely expected to initiate a rate cut. The strong GDP print may influence the central bank’s rate trajectory, but does not diminish easing expectations.
• Demand-Side Resilience
  • The combined effect of falling inflation, consumption revival, and government spending indicates durable economic momentum.
• Global Risks
  • Persistent uncertainties, global slowdown, geopolitical tensions, and tighter trade conditions could weigh on export-linked sectors.

Context:

• India faces one of the world’s gravest pollution crises, with 83 of the top 100 most polluted global cities.
• Amid this deteriorating environmental scenario, the Supreme Court’s recent decision (2:1 verdict on Nov 18, 2025) to allow post-facto environmental clearances has triggered deep concern regarding environmental governance and constitutional rights under Article 21.

Background - The Pollution Emergency:

• Delhi’s toxic air leads to children losing lung function before age 10.
• Farmers in Punjab and Haryana inhaling carcinogenic particulates annually in winters.
• Cities witnessing an overload of respiratory
• Therefore, environmental safeguards are not procedural formalities but life-saving protections.

 The Supreme Court’s Reversal:

• Earlier position: In the Vanashakti vs Union of India (May 2025), post-facto environmental clearances declared outright illegal.
• Recent judgment:
  • SC recalls Vanashakti judgment.
  • Allows retrospective clearances for “permissible activities” under existing regulatory frameworks.
  • It is seen as an erosion of the principle of prior environmental clearance.
• Implications of recent judgment:
  • It provides legal amnesty to violators, and undermines preventive environmental governance.
  • It contradicts the constitutional right to clean the environment under Article 21.

Why Prior Environmental Clearance Matters?

• It is derived from Right to Life (Article 21), and includes clean air, clean water, and a healthy environment.
• Hence, prevention, not post-damage remediation, is the foundation of environmental law, and post-facto approvals reward violators and discourage compliance.

Systemic Dilution of Environmental Safeguards (Five Key Examples):

• Draft EIA Notification 2020 and 2021 OM:
  • The Draft Environmental Impact Assessment Notification 2020 (along with an Office Memorandum of 2021), attempted to institutionalise post-facto clearances.
  • Reduced compliance reporting, public participation, and expanded the list of industries exempt from EIA.
  • The SC’s current judgment dangerously echoes this framework that was widely criticised as pro-industry, anti-environment.
• Amendments to Forest Conservation Act (FCA):
  • It narrowed the definition of “forest land”, and excluded lands earlier protected under T.N. Godavarman jurisprudence (1996).
  • It allowed strategic/linear projects to bypass safeguards - increased diversion of forests, especially in tribal northeast (NE) India.
• Sectoral exemptions:
  • Coal, oil and gas, and construction pushed into lower-regulation categories.
  • For instance, projects classified under “B2” categories require no EIA, no public hearing, and minimal environmental oversight.
  • This has enabled a range of mining and industrial activities to bypass the most important safeguard — public consultation — core to environmental democracy.
• Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification 2018:
  • It significantly weakened protections for fragile coastal ecosystems, allowing construction closer to shorelines.
  • Ecologically fragile coasts, already facing erosion, rising sea levels, and cyclones, were effectively handed over for commercial exploitation at a time when global climate risks demand increased protection, not deregulation.
• Fast-tracking clearances:
  • Rubber-stamp expert committees cleared over 95% projects (in the last decade) with minimal scrutiny/field verification - turning a safeguard mechanism into a clearance factory.
  • Public hearings have been curtailed or undermined, reducing affected communities to mere spectators in decisions affecting their survival.

Challenges and Way Ahead:

• Court decision emboldens non-compliance - Ensure judicial review remains a bulwark against environmental dilution.
• Weakens deterrence against polluting industries - Reinforce prior environmental clearance as an inviolable principle.
• Erodes public trust in regulatory institutions - Strengthen EIA processes with mandatory public hearings.
• Increased ecological degradation in forests, coasts, tribal areas - Restore broadened definition of forests and safeguard ecological hotspots.
• Conflict between economic expediency and environmental justice - Reform expert appraisal committees for transparency and accountability. Align national regulations with global climate commitments and SDGs.

Conclusion:

• The SC’s approval of post-facto environmental clearances marks a troubling departure from India’s progressive environmental jurisprudence.
• In a country where millions breathe toxic air and ecological degradation is rampant, weakening preventive safeguards threatens constitutional rights and intergenerational equity.
• History may judge this moment as a turning point when environmental protection gave way to administrative convenience—unless corrective steps are taken urgently.

Context

• The inter-governmental transfer of disaster-relief resources in India shows a growing asymmetry between the Union and the States, reflected in the widening gap between assessed needs and actual disbursements.
• The Centre’s response to the Wayanad landslides has intensified concerns about whether India’s fiscal federal structure is shifting from a cooperative model to a more centralised and conditional regime of disaster-risk finance.
• As climate shocks intensify, these tensions expose weaknesses in the fiscal foundations of India’s disaster-response system.

Growing Strain in India’s Disaster-Financing Framework

• Greater Central Control
  • The Wayanad tragedy of July 2024, which killed nearly 300 people and damaged thousands of homes, illustrated this imbalance starkly.
  • Against Kerala’s recovery needs of ₹2,200 crore, the Union approved only ₹260 crore, roughly 11% of the requested amount.
  • Similar shortfalls in other States indicate a pattern where cooperative federalism is weakening, and disaster situations have become fiscal stress tests for State budgets.
  • India’s disaster-response financing, established under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, is built on a two-tier structure.
  • The State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), funded largely by the Centre, supports immediate relief, while the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) supplements it when calamities are classified as severe.
  • Although this design appears balanced, practice reveals a shift toward greater central control.
• Outdated and Rigid Relief Norms
  • Compensation ceilings, ₹4 lakh per life lost and ₹1.2 lakh for a fully damaged house, have seen minimal revision in a decade, failing to match rising reconstruction costs.
  • A second issue is the ambiguity in classifying disasters as severe, giving the Centre wide discretionary power over access to NDRF support.
  • Third, aid releases are procedural rather than automatic, requiring multiple approvals that delay relief during critical moments.
  • Finally, the Finance Commission’s allocation criteria focus on population and area rather than actual hazard exposure, creating allocations that do not reflect vulnerability to floods, landslides, or cyclones.

The Drift Toward Centralisation

• The Wayanad case highlighted how institutional weaknesses shape outcomes.
• The Centre pointed to Kerala’s unspent SDRF balance of ₹780 crore and an earlier interest-free loan of ₹529 crore as grounds to limit additional aid.
• However, SDRF balances often represent ongoing commitments rather than idle funds, especially because fund instalments arrive late in the fiscal year while disasters are seasonal.
• SDRF rules also restrict spending to immediate relief, not reconstruction or livelihood restoration, compelling States to retain reserves to address future shocks.
• Delays in classifying the Wayanad landslides as a severe disaster further restricted Kerala’s access to NDRF funds.
• Other States, including Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Assam—received larger packages for comparable disasters, exposing inconsistencies in disaster categorisation.
• Similar mismatches emerged after Cyclone Gaja (2018) in Tamil Nadu and the 2019 floods in Karnataka.
• Across these instances, the combination of slow approvals, rigid norms, and inadequate allocations reflects a move from cooperative federalism toward bureaucratic negotiation.

The Way Forward

• Learning from Global Models
  • International best practices show how data-driven and rules-based systems can reduce delays and improve accountability.
  • The United States’ FEMA uses per-capita damage thresholds to determine federal support. Mexico’s former FONDEN triggered instant payouts when rainfall or wind-speed thresholds were crossed.
  • The Philippines relies on rainfall and fatality indices, while African and Caribbean regional insurance pools use satellite-based parametric triggers for rapid disbursements.
  • Australia links federal relief to the proportion of State expenditure relative to revenue. These mechanisms demonstrate that clear, objective triggers can minimise discretion and speed up relief.
  • India could adopt triggers such as rainfall intensity, fatalities per million, or loss-to-GSDP ratios to strengthen transparency and trust.
• Rebuilding the Federal Spirit
  • The Sixteenth Finance Commission has a crucial opportunity to redesign India’s disaster-financing architecture.
  • Key reforms include updating compensation norms to reflect current costs, revising allocation criteria through a comprehensive vulnerability index, and ensuring that assistance remains grant-based rather than debt-based.
  • States should have operational autonomy over disaster funds, with the Union focusing on post-audit verification instead of prior approvals.
  • Such reforms would not weaken central oversight but would reinforce a rules-based, cooperative federal system capable of responding swiftly and equitably.

Conclusion

• Disasters expose both physical and institutional vulnerabilities. When relief becomes a matter of negotiation instead of solidarity, fiscal federalism comes under strain.
• India’s system must evolve from procedural dependence to a rules-based partnership that delivers timely, predictable, and equitable assistance. If federalism fails during crises, it fails precisely when citizens need it most.
• The Wayanad tragedy underscores the urgency of rebuilding the fiscal foundations of India’s disaster-response framework before the next catastrophe strikes.

Context

• The renewed scrutiny of the role of Governors in India has brought attention back to the intentions of the framers of the Constitution and the divergence between those intentions and contemporary practices.
• As the Constitution was adopted on November 26, 1949, the Constituent Assembly engaged in extensive debate to ensure that institutions such as the Governor’s office operated within the spirit of parliamentary democracy.
• The evolving debate on the role of Governors highlights a clear divergence between constitutional intention and administrative practice.

The Vision of the Constitution’s Framers

• The Assembly voiced strong concerns about the impartiality and democratic legitimacy of a nominated Governor.
• Many feared that such an appointee, being selected by the Centre rather than elected by the people, could be susceptible to political influence, mirroring the colonial-era Governors under the Government of India Act, 1935.
• The apprehension was that post-independence India might replicate the hierarchical power structures of the British Raj.
• Throughout these debates, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar clarified that the Governor was intended to be a purely constitutional Governor, required to act strictly on the advice of the Council of Ministers.
• He emphasised that the Governor’s responsibility was to make the parliamentary system work, not to rival the elected Ministry.
• This design ensured that democratic authority remained solely with elected representatives, not with nominated functionaries.

The Question of Discretion: Limited and Clearly Defined

• A major concern related to the Governor’s discretionary powers.
• Members feared that granting any discretionary authority risked reintroducing the overriding powers of colonial Governors.
• Ambedkar responded categorically that the Constitution provided only a very limited discretion, applicable only in explicit circumstances such as choosing a Chief Minister when no party commands a clear majority.
• He repeatedly asserted that no power of discretion is to be inferred unless expressly provided.
• This principle was essential in ensuring that Governors could not unilaterally expand their authority through interpretation or convention.
• The office was meant to be restrained, predictable, and firmly subordinate to the democratic executive.

The Debate on Withholding Assent to Bills

• The power to withhold assent or reserve Bills for the President also triggered significant debate.
• Critics argued that allowing a nominated Governor to impede legislation passed by an elected Assembly threatened the very basis of representative government.
• Leaders such as N.G. Ranga warned that permitting such control would be dangerous, as it placed elected legislatures at the mercy of an unelected figure.
• Ambedkar clarified that this power was not a discretionary veto but a procedural safeguard meant only for exceptional cases involving federal concerns or violations of constitutional principles.
• He stressed that the Governor was not a judge of legislative wisdom, stating that where the Constitution required action on ministerial advice, he must act on advice.
• His assurance that there was no ground for fear that the Governor will become a rival authority captured the framers’ determination to uphold democratic supremacy.

The Framers’ Expectations and Changed Realities

• Ambedkar extended the principle of limited authority even to emergencies, asserting that Governors did not gain special powers and remained bound by ministerial advice.
• His confidence in the restrained nature of the office led him to remark that the role was so limited, so nominal, so ornamental that few would even desire it.
• In contrast, present-day political realities reveal a growing departure from this constitutional vision.
• In several States, Governors have been accused of delaying assent, withholding decisions, and engaging in political disagreements, challenging the norms of cooperative federalism.
• The constitutional requirement to act as soon as possible has, in some instances, been reinterpreted as ‘as late as possible’, causing friction between State governments and the gubernatorial office.
• These developments echo K. R. Narayanan’s profound question on the 50th anniversary of the Republic: “Has the Constitution failed us, or have we failed the Constitution?”
• The evidence suggests that constitutional function is compromised not by structural flaws but by individuals who disregard the ethical and moral responsibilities embedded in their offices.

Conclusion

• The framers envisioned a Governor who was neutral, restrained, and bound by democratic accountability.
• Contemporary deviations do not reflect ambiguity in constitutional design but a failure to adhere to constitutional morality.
• Ambedkar’s caution that if the system breaks down, Man was vile, remains a powerful reminder that democratic institutions rely not only on legal provisions but also on the integrity of those entrusted with authority.
• Upholding the limited authority, constitutional propriety, and democratic ethos intended by the framers is essential for preserving the balance of India’s parliamentary democracy.

Why in news?

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has released a revised draft of the Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat NCAP), updating the 2023 version that is valid until September 2027.

The new draft significantly broadens the programme’s scope by adding new mandatory crash tests, revised scoring criteria, and expanded assessment verticals.

A major shift in the draft is the inclusion of vulnerable road user (VRU) protection tests, especially for pedestrians, who make up over 20% of road accident fatalities in India. For the first time, vehicles will be evaluated on pedestrian safety features such as impact protection, braking systems, and design elements that reduce injury risks.

Overall, the revised Bharat NCAP aims to enhance road safety by encouraging manufacturers to produce vehicles with higher crashworthiness and better protection for both occupants and pedestrians.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Bharat NCAP: India’s Vehicle Crashworthiness Rating System
• Key Changes Proposed in Bharat NCAP 2.0
• Vulnerable Road User Protection: Key Safety Measures in Bharat NCAP 2.0
• Revised Star Rating System Under Bharat NCAP 2.0

Bharat NCAP: India’s Vehicle Crashworthiness Rating System

• Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat NCAP) is a voluntary vehicle safety rating system that evaluates cars based on crashworthiness, going beyond basic roadworthiness requirements.
• Cars are tested using India-specific crash protocols, and those performing best receive a five-star safety rating.
• Designed to give Indian consumers clearer safety information, Bharat NCAP aligns with global NCAP models but adapts them to Indian conditions and technologies.
• Manufacturers can voluntarily submit vehicles for testing and use the ratings in marketing.
• The Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT), Pune, is the authorised agency for issuing Bharat NCAP ratings.

Key Changes Proposed in Bharat NCAP 2.0

• Expanded Safety Assessment Framework
  • Bharat NCAP 2025 broadens its evaluation method.
  • Instead of the earlier three verticals — AOP (Adult Occupant Protection), COP (Child Occupant Protection), and SAT (Safety Assist Technologies) — the new programme rates vehicles across five assessment areas:
    • Safe Driving – 10%
    • Accident Avoidance – 10%
    • Crash Protection – 55%
    • Vulnerable Road User Protection – 20%
    • Post-Crash Safety – 5%
  • This gives a more holistic picture of a vehicle’s overall safety performance.
• More Comprehensive Crash Tests
  • The earlier version required three crash tests.
  • Bharat NCAP 2.0 increases this to five mandatory crash tests:
    • 64 km/h frontal impact against a deformable barrier
    • 50 km/h lateral impact with a mobile deformable barrier
    • 32 km/h oblique side impact against a rigid pole
    • 50 km/h frontal impact against a full-width rigid barrier
    • 50 km/h rear impact against a mobile rigid barrier
  • These tests help assess injury risk in real-world crash scenarios.
• Enhanced Injury Assessment
  • Using Anthropomorphic Test Devices (ATDs) (crash-test dummies), the new draft evaluates injury risk for:
    • Adult occupants
    • Driver, front passenger and rear-seat occupants
    • Child occupants
  • This ensures a more precise measurement of protection across all seating positions.
• Protection for Vulnerable Road Users
  • For the first time, Bharat NCAP incorporates tests to assess:
    • Pedestrian injury risk
    • Cyclist safety measures
  • This addresses India’s high share of pedestrian fatalities.

Vulnerable Road User Protection: Key Safety Measures in Bharat NCAP 2.0

• Bharat NCAP 2025 introduces a dedicated Vulnerable Road User Protection vertical with 20% weightage, assessing how well vehicles protect pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists during crashes.
• Mandatory Impact Tests
  • Pedestrian legform impact on the vehicle bumper
  • Adult headform impact on the bonnet/windshield
  • Child headform impact on the bonnet/windshield
  • These tests evaluate how vehicle design minimizes injury during collisions.
• Optional AEBS Assessments
  • Performance of Autonomous Emergency Braking Systems (AEBS) is assessed for:
    • Child pedestrian detection
    • Adult pedestrian detection
    • Car-to-motorcyclist rear-end scenarios
• Accident-Avoidance Technologies
  • This new vertical focuses on driver-assist technologies that help prevent crashes before they occur.
  • Key Requirements
    • Electronic Stability Control (ESC): Mandatory for eligibility under Bharat NCAP 2.0
      • ESC helps maintain vehicle stability, especially during skids or sudden manoeuvres.
    • AEBS: Optional but encouraged to enhance star ratings
• Post-Crash Safety Measures
  • A new vertical ensures vehicles help protect occupants after a crash.
  • Mandatory Evaluations
    • Energy Management for Fire & Electrical Hazards - Ensures protection from electric shocks, especially in EVs
    • Occupant Extrication Assessment - Checks ease of door opening; Evaluates seatbelt buckle release after collision.
  • These measures ensure emergency responders can rescue occupants quickly.

Revised Star Rating System Under Bharat NCAP 2.0

• Bharat NCAP 2.0 introduces a stricter star-rating structure to enhance vehicle safety standards.
• The thresholds for 4-star and 5-star ratings have been raised to 65 and 80 points, up from 60 and 70 in the 2023 framework.
  • The thresholds for 1-star, 2-star, and 3-star ratings are fixed at 30, 40, and 50 points, respectively.
• A minimum Adult Occupant Protection (AOP) score of 55% within the Crash Protection vertical is mandatory to qualify for 3 stars or above. Falling short results in a 1-star penalty.
• Additional safeguards include:
  • A 5-star vehicle cannot score zero in any assessment vertical; otherwise, its rating is capped at 4 stars.
  • No injury values in the red zone for adult or child ATDs (Anthropomorphic Test Device — commonly known as a crash test dummy) are permitted in a 5-star rating before modifiers are applied.

Why in news?

Sirpur, a 5th–12th Century archaeological site in Chhattisgarh, is undergoing a major upgrade as the government seeks UNESCO World Heritage status. A recent joint inspection by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Sirpur Special Area Development Authority (SADA) marks a significant step in advancing its nomination.

Located two hours from Raipur on the banks of the Mahanadi, Sirpur hosts 34 Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist monuments.

The planned facelift includes battery-operated golf carts, digital exhibits, and immersive storytelling modules to enhance visitor experience and strengthen the site’s UNESCO credentials.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• UNESCO World Heritage Tag
• Sirpur’s Historical Significance
• What the govt plans to do?

UNESCO World Heritage Tag

• The UNESCO World Heritage tag is an international recognition awarded to cultural or natural sites of “outstanding universal value” — places considered important for all humankind, transcending national boundaries.
• Sites may include ancient monuments, historic cities, natural landscapes, ecosystems, or mixed cultural-natural heritage.
• The designation is given by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which evaluates nominations submitted by member countries.
• Once inscribed, a site gains global visibility, higher tourism potential, and improved opportunities for funding and technical assistance.
• Importantly, the tag also obligates governments to ensure stronger protection, conservation, and sustainable management of the site.
• Overall, the UNESCO tag serves as a powerful tool for safeguarding heritage while boosting international prestige, research interest, and local development.

Sirpur’s Historical Significance

• Sirpur — also known as Shripur or Sripura — was a vibrant multi-religious urban centre first documented in 1882 by Alexander Cunningham, ASI’s first Director-General.
• Excavations from the 1950s to the 2000s uncovered a rich tapestry of monuments dating back to the 5th Century AD, showcasing the city’s cultural and architectural splendour.
• A Multi-Religious Heritage Hub
  • The site contains 22 Shiva temples, five Vishnu temples, 10 Buddhist viharas, and three Jain viharas.
  • It flourished as the capital of Dakshina Kosala under the Panduvanshi and Somavamshi
  • Archaeological remains include palace complexes, markets, residences, stupas, brick temples, meditation cells, and ancient water systems.
• Remarkable Monuments and Architecture
  • Lakshmana Temple (7th Century) is one of India’s finest brick temples, dedicated to Vishnu.
  • Surang Tila stands on a high terrace with a steep staircase of 37 steps and features a dramatic panchayatana layout
    • The Panchayatana layout is a temple architectural style featuring a central shrine surrounded by four smaller subsidiary shrines at each corner of a square, making a total of five shrines
  • Large Buddhist viharas and stupas point to Sirpur’s role as a major Buddhist centre, including the Tivaradeva Mahavihara with its notable Buddha statue.
• A Sacred Riverine Cultural Landscape
  • Sirpur’s location along the Mahanadi River enhances its spiritual and cultural significance.
  • The presence of ghats, temples, and ancient settlements forms a rich riverine landscape that aligns with UNESCO’s vision of combined natural and cultural heritage — strengthening Sirpur’s case for World Heritage status.

What the Govt Plans To Do?

• Tourists currently spend nearly three hours navigating scattered village tracks to see Sirpur’s monuments.
• The Chhattisgarh government plans to reduce this by an hour through paved heritage pathways and battery-operated vehicles, enabling smoother and eco-friendly movement across the site.
• Thematic Clusters and Integrated Pathways
  • Sirpur naturally divides into four heritage zones:
    • Buddhist Monastic Cluster
    • Hindu Temple Cluster
    • Civic–Administrative Zone
    • Riverine Sacred Landscape
  • A primary pathway will link all four thematic clusters, while a secondary pathway will provide last-mile access to each monument, ensuring a coherent visitor experience.
• Land Transfer for Unified Site Management
  • To strengthen conservation and streamline administration, the ASI has requested 30 hectares of state land around the site.
  • This includes land near major monuments, approach routes, buffer zones, and areas needed for heritage management infrastructure.
  • Identified archaeological mounds and zones with high potential will undergo fresh surveys and excavations, allowing ASI to uncover more structures and strengthen Sirpur’s bid for UNESCO World Heritage status.

Why in news?

India’s genetically modified (GM) crop adoption has stalled since the approval of Bt cotton in 2006. However, genome-edited (GE) crops are progressing rapidly. In May, two GE rice lines—improved versions of Samba Mahsuri and MTU-1010—were cleared after multi-location trials in 2023 and 2024.

The enhanced Samba Mahsuri line showed a 19% average yield increase, while the GE MTU-1010 variant demonstrated tolerance to saline and alkaline soils.

A third GE crop, a canola-quality mustard variety resistant to major fungal diseases and pests, is currently in its second year of trials across 16 locations. If successful, it may be released by August 2026, signalling a new phase in India’s agricultural biotechnology.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• How GE Differs from GM: The Science Behind India’s New Crop Breeding
• Policy Push for Genome-Edited (GE) Crops in India
• Building Human Resource Capacity for India’s GE Revolution

How GE Differs from GM: The Science Behind India’s New Crop Breeding

• Genetically modified (GM) crops introduce foreign genes from unrelated species, such as Bt genes from Bacillus thuringiensis used in cotton to produce insect-killing proteins.
• Genome editing (GE), however, modifies only the plant’s own native genes.
  • Using protein enzymes that act as “molecular scissors,” GE alters specific DNA sequences to change how a gene functions—without adding foreign DNA.
  • A custom-designed guide RNA directs these scissors to the exact spot in the genome.
• For India’s new GE rice and mustard lines, scientists used CRISPR-Cas technologies:
  • Cas9 edited the drought-and-salt tolerance gene in MTU-1010 rice and 10 glucosinolate transporter genes in mustard.
  • Cas12a edited the cytokinin oxidase 2 (Gn1a) gene in Samba Mahsuri rice to increase cytokinin levels, boosting the number of spikelets and grain yield.
• Importantly, Cas proteins—sourced from bacteria—appear only in the first-generation GE plants and are removed in subsequent breeding.
• The final GE plants are transgene-free, unlike GM crops that retain permanently inserted foreign genes.

Policy Push for Genome-Edited (GE) Crops in India

• GE plants that contain no foreign DNA are exempt from the stringent biosafety regulations applied to GM crops.
• Under a March 2022 MoEFCC memorandum, GE crops require only approval from an Institutional Biosafety Committee, which must certify that no exogenous DNA is present.
• This bypasses the earlier requirement of clearance from the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) for field trials, seed production, or environmental release.
• Because GE crops are considered similar to normal plant varieties, they face minimal regulatory hurdles, enabling faster research, trials, and eventual deployment compared to GM crops.
• Strong Government Funding Support
  • The government has backed GE crop development through major funding allocations.
  • Research on improved GE rice varieties began in 2018 through the National Agricultural Science Fund.
  • The 2023–24 Union Budget allocated ₹500 crore specifically for genome editing.
• Large Pipeline of GE Targets Identified
  • ICAR scientists have mapped and prioritised key genes across major crops for targeted editing:
    • 178 target genes identified in 24 field crops (cereals, pulses, oilseeds, cotton, sugarcane, jute, tobacco).
    • 43 genes identified in 16 horticultural crops (vegetables, fruits, spices).
  • Most of these crops now have full genome sequences available, allowing researchers to locate each gene precisely on its chromosome.
  • Once a gene’s role in a trait is known, it can be specifically edited to improve yield, stress tolerance, nutrition, disease resistance, and more.
• A Clear Signal of Policy Shift
  • Together, relaxed regulations and major funding underscore the government’s intent to make genome editing a mainstream tool in India’s crop-breeding strategy — a shift from the stalled GM crop pathway.

Building Human Resource Capacity for India’s GE Revolution

• Training Scientists in Advanced Genome Editing
  • Developing GE crops requires specialised skills.
  • So far, nine ICAR scientists have undergone advanced training in the US, Europe, Australia, and CIMMYT (Mexico), with 12 more scheduled for upcoming international training.
• Collaboration with Global Leaders in GE
  • In February 2025, the Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI) — founded by Nobel laureate Jennifer Doudna, co-inventor of CRISPR-Cas9 — conducted intensive training sessions for IARI scientists and students.
  • IGI also supplied advanced GE tools such as GeoCas9 and CasLambda, expanding India’s editing toolkit beyond Cas9 and Cas12a.
• Indigenous Breakthrough: India’s Miniature GE Tool
  • A team led by Kutubuddin Ali Molla at the Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, has patented a homegrown genome-editing system based on TnpB proteins (Transposon-associated proteins).
  • Key advantages:
    • Much smaller proteins than Cas9/Cas12a → easier delivery into plant cells
    • Cheaper due to indigenous IP, avoiding costly foreign licensing
    • Highly effective for precision gene editing
• India Positioned to Lead in GE Crops
  • With global collaborations, domestic innovation, and robust capacity-building, India is on track to advance its genome-editing ecosystem.
  • Unlike GM crops — stalled for years — the GE pathway appears poised for sustained growth and adoption.

Why in news?

Every winter, Delhi sinks into its usual toxic smog, and India reaches for the same short-term fixes — cloud seeding, smog towers, water sprinkling, odd-even rules, and festival crackdowns. These highly visible measures create an impression of action but barely change actual air quality.

Public discourse deteriorates just as fast: scientists are accused of weak solutions, politicians of lacking resolve, and administrators of copying Western models without local adaptation. While each criticism holds some truth, none captures the full systemic failure.

This year, frustration spilled into small but peaceful public protests near India Gate. Around 50–60 people gathered on November 24, only to face heavy police presence, and five protesters were detained — reflecting both civic desperation and administrative defensiveness.

What’s in Today’s Article:?

• Fragmented Governance Fuels India’s Pollution Crisis
• Why India’s Pollution Policies Fail: The Intellectual and Western Traps
• Building India-Specific Clean-Air Solutions

Fragmented Governance Fuels India’s Pollution Crisis

• India’s repeated reliance on short-term pollution fixes stems from a deeper structural flaw: air-quality management is fragmented across numerous agencies.
• Responsibilities are split among the Environment Ministry, CPCB, SPCBs, CAQM, DPCC, municipal bodies, and sectoral departments such as agriculture, transport, industry, and energy.
• With each institution overseeing only a slice of the problem, no agency has full authority or accountability for clean air.
• Governance Constraints and Institutional Weaknesses
  • Environmental powers are constitutionally shared, budgets and manpower vary widely, and judicial pressure prioritises quick actions over long-term planning.
  • With many actors involved but none empowered to lead, sustained progress becomes difficult.
• Short-Term Measures Dominate
  • The dominance of quick fixes is also rooted in political incentives.
  • High-visibility measures — cloud seeding, smog towers, anti-smog guns, odd-even rules — allow governments to show immediate action without challenging powerful polluting sectors like construction, transport, and agriculture.
  • They cost little, fit easily into annual budgets, and avoid political backlash.
  • These interventions respond to headlines rather than the science of pollution control, providing momentary relief while doing little to improve public health.
• Political Optics Over Public Health
  • Short-term measures help officials signal responsiveness during pollution spikes but fail to address structural issues such as waste burning, fuel quality, industrial emissions, and crop residue management.
  • As a result, the air remains hazardous, and winter pollution keeps returning, exposing systemic gaps that require long-term, coordinated reform rather than symbolic actions.

Why India’s Pollution Policies Fail: The Intellectual and Western Traps

• India’s pollution strategies are often shaped by elite institutions, think tanks, and top scientific bodies.
• While analytically strong, these actors are frequently removed from the lived realities of municipal governance — understaffing, limited budgets, informal economies, and political constraints.
• As a result:
  • Policies look good on paper but falter in execution.
  • Strategies underestimate enforcement challenges and administrative gaps.
  • Many remain pilots, unable to scale due to lack of institutional support.
• This trap prioritises what should work in theory over what can work in practice.
• The Western Trap: Copying Global Models Without Local Adaptation
  • India routinely imports “best practices” from Europe, East Asia, and the West, assuming they can function the same way here.
  • However, India’s conditions differ sharply:
    • High-density neighbourhoods
    • Informal construction and transport sectors
    • Weak regulatory credibility
    • Limited institutional trust and administrative coordination
  • When applied without contextual redesign, global models collapse under India’s resource constraints and socio-political complexities.
  • The issue isn’t foreign ideas — it’s the lack of localisation.

Building India-Specific Clean-Air Solutions

• To overcome the intellectual and Western traps, India must adapt global ideas to its own administrative, political, and social realities.
• Even strong solutions need redesign to fit local constraints.
• Need for Clear Leadership and Accountability
  • India’s air-quality governance lacks clarity on:
    • Who leads,
    • Who coordinates, and
    • Who is accountable across national, State, and municipal levels.
  • A modern clean-air law with explicit mandates could streamline roles, reduce jurisdictional overlaps, and ensure steady implementation.
• Strengthening Institutions Through Stable Systems
  • Effective air-quality management requires:
    • Multi-year funding to build staff and maintain equipment
    • Public access to compliance data to build credibility
    • Visible enforcement to ensure rules matter
    • Consistency across election cycles, avoiding policy resets
  • These foundation blocks enable long-term progress rather than episodic, crisis-driven interventions.
• The Missing Link: Science Managers
  • India needs a professional cadre of science managers who can:
    • Understand both science and governance
    • Translate expert knowledge into workable policies
    • Help ministries navigate complex transitions
    • Maintain coherence despite bureaucratic turnover
  • Without them, India’s scientific tools and models remain disconnected from actual policymaking.
• Aligning Ambition with Capacity
  • India’s main gap is not ideas but alignment:
    • Policies often assume levels of staffing, coordination and public compliance that vary widely across cities and States.
    • Solutions must start from Indian constraints—informal economies, uneven urban capacity, budget limits, and diverse regional priorities.
    • Policies should be implementation-first, built around what agencies can realistically enforce and what communities will accept.

Why in News?

• The Supreme Court of India expressed serious concern over the rapid spread of harmful User-Generated Content (UGC) on social media, including obscene, perverse, defamatory and allegedly “anti-national” content.
• The Court examined the need for autonomous regulation, age-verification mechanisms, preventive measures, and amendments to the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules/ IT Rules 2021 while ensuring compliance with Article 19(1)(a) and Article 19(2).

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Key Developments
• Proposed Regulatory Measures
• Key Concerns Raised
• Way Forward
• Conclusion

Key Developments:

• SC’s observations:
  • UGC with adult content, defamatory material or harmful misinformation goes viral before takedowns are possible.
  • Existing warnings before adult content are insufficient.
  • Users can run their own channels without accountability — termed as “very strange” by the Chief Justice of India (CJI).
  • Need for an impartial and autonomous authority, independent of government and private broadcasters.
• Protection vs free speech:
  • The court clarified the intention not to curb free speech, but to protect innocents from irreversible harm.
  • Emphasised that misuse of online speech undermines the rights of vulnerable individuals.

Proposed Regulatory Measures:

• Preventive mechanisms for online content:
  • Age verification: Suggested use of Aadhaar or PAN for age verification before accessing sensitive content.
  • Stricter oversight: Autonomous body to regulate UGC — “self-styled bodies will not be effective.”
  • AI-enabled moderation: Platforms must leverage AI for impact assessment, early detection, and prompt moderation.
• Amendments proposed by the Ministry of I&B:
  • Expansion of the IT Rules, 2021: Incorporation of guidelines on obscenity standards, AI and deepfake regulation, accessibility norms, rating of content by age group, bar on anti-national digital content.
  • Definition of “obscene content”: Based on lascivious character, prurient interest, and potential to "deprave or corrupt" the audience.
  • Digital content must not:
    • Offend decency, attack religions/communities, promote communal attitudes
    • Be obscene, defamatory, false or contain suggestive innuendos
    • Promote violence, anti-national attitudes, criminality
    • Derogate women or PwDs
    • Present indecent or vulgar themes
    • Violate Cinematograph Act, 1952
    • Include live coverage of anti-terror operations outside official briefings
  • Community standards test: Use of Aveek Sarkar judgment (contemporary community standards).
  • Content rating framework: U (can be viewed by a person under the age of 7 years with parental guidance), U/A 7+, U/A 13+, U/A 16+, A (online curated content which is restricted to adults).

Key Concerns Raised:

• Risk of pre-censorship: Senior Advocate Amit Sibal warned that the term “preventive” may imply “pre-censorship.” Suggested replacing it with “effective” regulation.
• Ambiguity in ‘anti-national’ definition: Advocate Prashant Bhushan expressed concerns over broad and vague use of the term.
• Need for public consultations: Prior SC directions mandating consultations with stakeholders not yet followed. Pre-legislative consultation policy (2014) requires open public debate on such rules.
• Other concerns:
  • Rapid virality of content before takedown.
  • Lack of pre-emptive protection for victims.
  • Borderless nature of social media communication.
  • Difficulty balancing free speech with protection against harm.
  • Children’s vulnerability to unfiltered online content.
  • Confusion among platforms due to legal overlaps and pending challenges to IT Rules, 2021.

Way Forward:

• Establish autonomous digital content authority: Independent of both State and private intermediaries.
• Implement secure age verification: Explore Aadhaar/PAN integration with strong privacy protections.
• Strengthen IT Rules, 2021: Clear standards for obscenity, deepfakes, community harm, and discrimination.
• Mandate public consultations: In line with the 2014 Pre-Legislative Consultation Policy.
• AI-driven early detection systems: Mandatory deployment for content risk assessment.
• Clear definition of key terms: Especially “anti-national,” “perverse content,” “obscene digital content”.
• Enhanced platform accountability: Strict penalties for non-compliance, modelled on SC/ST Act safeguarding principles.

Conclusion:

• The Supreme Court’s intervention marks a critical step in India’s evolving digital governance landscape.
• While reaffirming the sanctity of freedom of speech under Article 19(1)(a), the Court emphasises the urgent need for preventive, accountable and technologically updated mechanisms to safeguard citizens from harmful UGC.
• The proposed amendments to the IT Rules, 2021 and establishment of an autonomous regulatory body aim to strike a delicate balance between digital rights and digital safety, ensuring a responsible and secure online environment.

Why in the News?

• The Union Government has approved the Textiles Focused Research, Assessment, Monitoring, Planning and Start-up (Tex-RAMPS) Scheme.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Textile Section (Introduction, Statistics, Challenges, etc.)
• News Summary (Tex-RAMPS Scheme, Objectives, Components, Significance, etc.)

Textile Sector: A Pillar of Manufacturing and Employment

• India’s textile and apparel sector is one of the country’s oldest and most significant industries, deeply embedded in its cultural and economic landscape.
• It contributes over 2% to India’s GDP, nearly 11% to industrial output, and around 13% to total export earnings.
• With more than 45 million workers, it is the second-largest employer after agriculture.
• The sector’s strength lies in its integrated value chain, from fibre, spinning, weaving, knitting, processing, to apparel and home textiles.
• India is among the world’s largest producers of cotton, jute, silk, polyester, and technical textiles, and is globally competitive in home furnishings and garment manufacturing.

Challenges Faced by the Textile Sector

• Slow adoption of advanced technologies,
• Limited R&D capacity,
• Absence of an integrated data and analytics ecosystem,
• Fragmented supply chains,
• Rising global competition from technologically agile economies like China, Vietnam, and Bangladesh.

News Summary

• The Union Government has approved the Textiles Focused Research, Assessment, Monitoring, Planning and Start-up (Tex-RAMPS) Scheme, with an outlay of Rs. 305 crore, to be implemented between 2025-26 and 2030-31.
• The initiative aims to strengthen innovation capacity, improve data systems, and enhance the global competitiveness of India’s textile and apparel sector.

Aims and Vision of Tex-RAMPS

• Tex-RAMPS is designed as a future-oriented intervention to address critical structural gaps that limit India’s competitiveness in the global textile value chain.
• According to the Textiles Ministry, the scheme will integrate research, data, and innovation to position India as a global leader in sustainability, technology, and competitiveness. The scheme aims to:

• Build a strong national ecosystem for textile research and innovation,
• Strengthen evidence-based policymaking through advanced data systems,
• Promote sustainability and efficiency across the value chain,
• Develop high-value textile start-ups and entrepreneurship,
• Enhance collaboration between States, academia, industry, and government bodies.

Key Components of the Tex-RAMPS Scheme

• Research and Innovation Development
  • The scheme promotes advanced research in Smart textiles, Sustainability and circularity, Process efficiency, Emerging and frontier technologies.
  • This is expected to significantly boost India’s innovation capabilities and enhance global value chain integration.
• Data, Analytics, and Diagnostic Systems
  • Tex-RAMPS places strong emphasis on building a robust, real-time textile data ecosystem, including employment assessments, supply chain mapping, across-India study, standardised analytics for strategic planning.
  • The idea is to enable “evidence-based decision making” across the sector.
• Integrated Textiles Statistical System (ITSS)
  • A major innovation is the establishment of the ITSS, a centralised data and analytics platform enabling Continuous monitoring, Centralised diagnostics, and Strategic policy planning.
  • This system will support State governments as well as industry bodies in aligning strategies with national goals.
• Capacity Development and Knowledge Ecosystem
  • Tex-RAMPS proposes to Strengthen State-level planning units, Share best practices across textile clusters, Organise workshops, training programmes, and sectoral events.
  • These efforts aim to enhance human resource development and cultivate a strong “quality culture” within the textile value chain.
• Start-up and Innovation Support
  • The scheme actively encourages entrepreneurship through Support for textile incubators, Hackathons, academia-industry collaboration, Innovation challenges and early-stage funding support.
  • This is intended to nurture high-value textile start-ups and foster innovations in technical textiles, smart fabrics, and sustainable materials.

Expected Outcomes of Tex-RAMPS

• The scheme is expected to deliver significant long-term gains:

• Enhanced global competitiveness of India’s textile and apparel industries,
• A stronger research and innovation ecosystem,
• Improved quality, productivity, and supply-chain resilience,
• More accurate, data-driven policies and workforce assessments,
• Generation of employment opportunities,
• Deeper collaborations between States, academia, and industry.

• Industry leaders note that the scheme will “strengthen the innovation ecosystem, promote promising start-ups, and deepen the quality culture” in the textile sector.

Context

• On November 21, 2025, India marked a milestone in its long journey toward Viksit Bharat with the implementation of the Four Labour Codes.
• Together, these reforms represent one of the most ambitious attempts to modernise India’s labour governance framework.
• They aim to create a fair, future-ready system that supports both the protection of workers and the competitiveness of enterprises, reflecting India's broader aspirations of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and inclusive growth.

Evolution of India’s Labour Framework

• India’s labour laws have historically developed in a fragmented manner, shaped by varying economic contexts and social needs since Independence.
• The resulting framework, consisting of numerous separate legislations, created complexities for employers and often left gaps or inconsistencies for workers.
• Recognising these challenges, the Second National Commission on Labour recommended consolidating the many existing laws into broader functional codes.
• After extensive consultation with stakeholders, including employers, labour unions, and State governments, the Four Labour Codes were enacted between 2019 and 2020.

A Large and Dynamic Workforce

• India’s transformation is underpinned by its demographic strength: with over 643 million workers, it boasts one of the largest and youngest labour forces globally.
• Between 2017–18 and 2023–24, the country generated 16.83 crore new jobs, saw unemployment fall from 6% to 3.2%, and witnessed a rise in formal employment.
• Yet a large share of India’s workers remain in the informal sector, underscoring the urgent need for simplified laws and stronger protections.
• The new Codes aim to bridge these gaps. The Code on Social Security’s broader coverage, including for unorganised workers, signals a decisive move to extend the benefits of growth and security to those who have traditionally been excluded from formal protections.

The Core Objective of Labour Codes: Strengthening Worker Protections

• Universal minimum wages and a national floor wage establish a more consistent and equitable wage structure.
• Mandatory appointment letters and timely wage payments reinforce transparency and accountability.
• A clearer framework for working hours, including the standard 48-hour work week, helps ensure predictability and work–life balance.
• The OSH Code emphasises workplace safety through mandatory safety committees, free preventive health check-ups, and stronger norms for working conditions.
• The Social Security Code provides universal ESIC coverage, streamlined EPF processes, and creates a National Social Security Fund addressing the needs of various worker categories.
• These measures collectively advance worker welfare while supporting productivity and sustained economic growth.

Some Other Features of New Labour Codes

• Simplifying Compliance and Encouraging Formalisation
  • From the perspective of businesses, especially MSMEs, the Codes represent a significant shift toward simpler and more transparent compliance.
  • The introduction of single registration, single licence, and single return mechanisms, reduces administrative burdens and encourages participation in the formal economy.
  • A uniform definition of wages also reduces ambiguity and disputes, promoting predictability in wage calculations and legal compliance.
• Preparing for the Future of Work
  • The nature of employment in India is rapidly evolving, driven by digital platforms, flexible work arrangements, and the rise of gig and platform-based labour.
  • By including gig and platform workers under the Social Security Code, India has taken a forward-looking step.
  • As this workforce is projected to expand from one crore in 2024–25 to 2.35 crore by 2029–30, establishing social protection frameworks early is vital for ensuring sustainable livelihoods and equitable growth.
• Advancing Women’s Participation in the Workforce
  • Despite recent improvements, women’s labour force participation, at 32.8%, according to the ILO’s India Employment Report 2024, remains below potential.
  • The Labour Codes attempt to address key barriers by:
  • reinforcing equal remuneration,
  • strengthening maternity benefits,
  • extending social protection to women in unorganised and gig sectors, and
  • allowing women to work at night with their consent, supported by safety measures.
• Balancing Worker Protections and Enterprise Competitiveness
  • A modern labour framework must carefully balance the rights of workers with the needs of businesses.
  • The Labour Codes aim to strike this balance by simplifying industrial relations procedures, improving transparency, and ensuring faster resolution of disputes.
  • This stability is crucial for attracting investment, strengthening India’s integration into global value chains, and enabling industries to grow competitively.

Conclusion

• As the Codes come into force, State-level implementation will be critical. Uniformity and consistency across States, particularly in thresholds, rules, and enforcement, will determine the effectiveness of the reforms.
• Just as the Goods and Services Tax (GST) represented a major overhaul of indirect taxation, the Labour Codes constitute one of the most far-reaching reforms in labour regulation.
• Their success will depend on continued reform momentum, coordination with States, investment in digital systems, and sustained dialogue with stakeholders.
• If implemented effectively, these Codes have the potential to significantly boost job creation, expand social security, increase formalisation, and strengthen India’s long-term growth trajectory.

Context

• Lieutenant Samuel Kamalesan’s dismissal from the Indian Army for refusing to enter the sanctum of his regiment’s temple or gurdwara during ritual worship presents a clash between individual conscience and institutional cohesion.
• The Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court upheld the Army’s decision, interpreting his refusal as disobedience of a lawful command rather than an exercise of religious freedom.
• Their reasoning rested on military necessity, discipline, and the constitutional authority under Article 33, which allows the restriction of fundamental rights for the armed forces.

When Restraint Becomes Silence

• While judicial deference to military expertise is common, it is not absolute.
• The courts have previously reshaped military norms in cases involving women officers, recruitment, pensions, and promotion policies when equality demanded intervention.
• The question here was modest: whether a sincere religious objection could be accommodated without weakening discipline.
• The principle from Bijoe Emmanuel, that respectful dissent need not be punished, offered a constitutional framework.
• A proportionality test could have examined whether compelling entry into the sanctum was essential to cohesion.
• The judiciary chose restraint, but restraint left the deeper dilemma unresolved.

The Army’s Ethos and the Fragility of Trust

• Ritual as Unity
  • The Army argued that participation in ceremonial practices enhances morale, trust, and troop bonding, especially in fixed-class regiments where officers must be fully accepted by the soldiers they lead into combat.
  • Rituals, though rooted in faith, function as secular instruments of cohesion. Kamalesan’s refusal, however respectful, was seen as distancing.
  • This interpretation guided the disciplinary action.
• An Institution Proud of Inclusivity
  • The Army’s record of religious diversity and equal opportunity is longstanding. From UN missions to disaster relief, it has integrated soldiers of all faiths.
  • The prominence of Colonel Sofiya Qureshi during Operation Sindoor exemplifies its efforts to highlight women and officers from varied backgrounds.
  • This tradition of inclusivity makes the Kamalesan episode particularly unsettling, for it suggests a moment when an institution known for flexibility chose rigidity instead.
• A Modest Request, A Missed Opportunity
  • Kamalesan attended the parades, followed all customs, removed his shoes, tied the turban, and stood with his troops.
  • His single request was not to enter the sanctum during active worship, a line many Protestant Christians cannot cross.
  • This was a chance for the Army to employ its characteristic pragmatism.
  • The example of Eric Liddell in Chariots of Fire, whose Olympic team reshuffled events to honour his belief, shows how institutions can bend without breaking.
  • A small accommodation would have preserved both discipline and dignity.

The Costs: Personal, Institutional, and Symbolic

• More Than a Lost Officer
  • The dismissal cost the Army more than one career.
  • It risks sending an unintended signal to minority soldiers that sincere conscience-based boundaries may carry no institutional weight, even when expressed respectfully.
  • India’s military unity has never rested on majoritarian comfort but on deep interfaith trust forged in war and counterinsurgency.
  • Any perception that religious lines may be crossed under compulsion threatens that trust.
• Messages Beyond Intention
  • Neither the courts nor the Army may have intended exclusion, but institutional messages do not depend solely on intention.
  • In diverse militaries, perception shapes morale as much as policy. A feeling of vulnerability among minority soldiers, even slight, can erode the confidence that underpins cohesion.

Leadership, Rigidity, and the Drift of Institutions

• Avoiding the Path of Prejudice
  • While not equivalent to the Dreyfus affair, this episode carries a cautionary note.
  • Strong institutions can drift toward rigidity one small step at a time, mistaking uniformity for unity.
  • Victor Hugo’s warning that armies lose strength when they lose their sense of justice remains relevant.
  • The Indian Army’s credibility rests on rising above religious and political divides. Any shift toward coercive uniformity risks diminishing that credibility.
• A Failure of Command, Not of Commitment
  • The troubling aspect is not the legal judgment but that the issue reached a courtroom at all.
  • A matter solvable by empathetic leadership and a single directive hardened into a disciplinary conflict.
  • The Army has long balanced tradition with modernity and authority with fairness; here, that balance slipped.

Conclusion

• When duty meets conscience, the challenge is not choosing between them but enabling them to coexist.
• A small accommodation would have reinforced the principle that every soldier, of every faith, stands equal in uniform.
• As Justice Chinnappa Reddy wrote, our Constitution practises tolerance. Institutions honour that ideal not through enforced uniformity but through discerning when uniformity is not required.

Why in news?

Five years after NEP 2020 proposed it, the government is set to table the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Bill 2025 in the upcoming Winter Session.

The Bill aims to merge the regulatory roles of the UGC, AICTE, and NCTE into one unified authority, marking the second attempt to establish a single higher education regulator in India.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• HECI: India’s Proposed Single Regulator for Higher Education
• The 2018 HECI Bill: Key Provisions and Why It Stalled
• Opposition to HECI: Concerns Over Centralisation and Autonomy

HECI: India’s Proposed Single Regulator for Higher Education

• The Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Bill draws directly from NEP 2020, which recommended replacing the fragmented regulatory structure with a single overarching authority.
• Currently, India’s higher education landscape is regulated by multiple statutory bodies:
  • the University Grants Commission (UGC) oversees higher education,
  • the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) regulates technical and professional education, and
  • the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) governs teacher education.
• Four Verticals Under HECI
  • NEP 2020 outlines four specialised bodies within HECI:
    • National Higher Education Regulatory Council (NHERC): Regulates all higher education except medical and legal fields.
    • National Accreditation Council (NAC): Serves as the accrediting authority.
    • General Education Council (GEC): Frames academic learning outcomes and standards.
    • Higher Education Grants Council (HEGC): Handles funding and grants (though officials indicate funding may still rest with the government).
  • HECI itself will function as a compact body of eminent experts overseeing the four verticals.
• Reducing Red Tape and Conflict of Interest
  • NEP 2020 criticised the existing system for being “mechanistic and disempowering”, with concentrated powers, regulatory overlap, and conflicts of interest.
  • The new commission aims to streamline governance, ensure accountability, and eliminate bureaucratic hurdles.
• Autonomy and Quality Focus
  • The Bill seeks to empower higher education institutions to operate as “independent self-governing institutions” while ensuring excellence through a transparent accreditation system and enhanced institutional autonomy.

The 2018 HECI Bill: Key Provisions and Why It Stalled

• The government’s first attempt to replace the UGC came through the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Bill, 2018.
• It proposed a new commission with a chairperson, vice-chairperson, and 12 members appointed by the Centre.
• Since the Bill did not merge AICTE and NCTE, their chairpersons were included as members.
• The 2018 draft limited HECI’s powers to setting academic standards and granting autonomy while leaving funding authority with the Ministry of Human Resource Development.
• It also planned an advisory council headed by the HRD Minister and comprising state higher education council heads.
• However, the Bill drew criticism for potentially centralising authority and creating excessive overregulation.
• Following strong pushback during public consultations, it was shelved and revisited for alignment with the NEP 2020 framework.

Opposition to HECI: Concerns Over Centralisation and Autonomy

• Fears of Excessive Centralisation
  • Critics argue that the HECI framework concentrates too much authority with the Union government.
  • The 2018 Bill shifted UGC’s financial powers to the MHRD, raising concerns that universities could lose autonomy and become dependent on central directives.
• Lack of Diverse Representation
  • Opposition leaders objected to the commission’s composition.
  • They noted the absence of representation from disadvantaged groups — women, Dalits, Adivasis, OBCs, minorities, and persons with disabilities — while industry stakeholders were prominently included.
• Apprehensions From States
  • The then CM of Tamil Nadu warned that centralised funding could lead to biased resource allocation.
  • He feared that replacing UGC grants with ministry-controlled funding might shift to a 60:40 Centre-state share, reducing states’ financial autonomy.
• Parliamentary Panel’s Warning
  • A parliamentary standing committee flagged “excess centralisation” concerns.
  • The panel noted that while multiple regulators create inconsistency, the proposed HECI model risks trapping state universities between national and state rules, with insufficient state representation in decision-making.
• Overall Concern
  • Across political and academic circles, the prevailing worry is that HECI could weaken federalism, dilute institutional autonomy, and marginalise key stakeholders in higher education governance.

Why in news?

The Supreme Court has asked authorities to justify whether Delhi’s air-quality monitoring equipment is appropriate for the city’s conditions.

Delhi currently operates 40 Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS), each functioning as a compact, automated laboratory housed in a temperature-controlled cabin. These stations, positioned across the city for representative measurement, monitor eight key pollutants — PM2.5, PM10, NO₂, SO₂, CO, O₃, ammonia and lead — as mandated by CPCB’s 2012 guidelines.

Inside each dust-proof, air-conditioned unit, racks of analysers, pumps and data loggers process samples drawn through inlets mounted on masts above the station roof.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• How Delhi’s AQI Stations Measure Pollutants?
• Factors That Distort Air-Quality Readings
• What Research Reveals About PM Measurement Errors?
• Ensuring Reliable Air-Quality Data: Calibration, Compliance & Oversight

How Delhi’s AQI Stations Measure Pollutants?

• Delhi’s air-quality monitors use specialised, CPCB-approved techniques to measure each pollutant.
• Particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) is tracked using Beta Attenuation Monitors, which gauge how dust collected on filter tape reduces beta-ray transmission.
• Gaseous pollutants are measured through optical and chemical methods:
  • sulphur dioxide via UV fluorescence,
  • ozone by UV photometry, and
  • carbon monoxide with Non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) absorption.
    • NDIR absorption is a gas sensing technology that measures the concentration of a specific gas by analyzing how much infrared light it absorbs.
  • Nitrogen oxides are detected through chemiluminescence, while ammonia is measured using optical spectroscopy.
    • Chemiluminescence is the emission of light as a result of a chemical reaction.
    • Optical spectroscopy is a scientific technique that studies the interaction of light with matter to determine a sample's physical and chemical properties.
  • These instrument-based techniques comply with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards to ensure uniform, reliable data nationwide.

Factors That Distort Air-Quality Readings

• AQI accuracy depends on equipment reliability and the volume of validated data recorded daily.
• Stations often miss CPCB’s 16-hour data requirement due to shutdowns caused by calibration, power cuts, extreme weather or transmission failures.
• A recent CAG report found many Delhi stations failed to log complete data or measure key pollutants like lead, weakening daily AQI assessments.
• Technical issues also distort readings: high humidity inflates particulate measurements, instruments drift without frequent calibration, and poor station siting near buildings or vents skews airflow.
• Together, these operational and environmental challenges reduce the precision of Delhi’s air-quality readings.

What Research Reveals About PM Measurement Errors?

• Multiple studies show that Delhi’s particulate readings — especially from Beta Attenuation Monitors (BAM) — can significantly overestimate pollution under certain weather and loading conditions.
• A 2021 CSIR–NPL and AcSIR study found that beta gauge accuracy declines sharply when relative humidity (RH) exceeds 60%, causing particles to absorb moisture and appear heavier.
• The study reported more than 30% overestimation, with bias rising up to fivefold during high-pollution events when particle mass loading is high.
• Seasonal effects worsen errors, particularly in winter and post-monsoon months.
• Researchers advised using site-specific correction factors, which lowered biases from 46% to below 2%.
• The U.S. EPA similarly warns that heavy particle accumulation can disrupt airflow and destabilise readings.
• These issues help explain why Delhi’s stations experienced data dropouts on Diwali night, when sudden pollution spikes overloaded the instruments.

Ensuring Reliable Air-Quality Data: Calibration, Compliance & Oversight

• Calibration and Maintenance Are Crucial
  • Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) must follow strict calibration schedules.
  • CPCB’s 2012 guidelines mandate maintaining detailed calibration records for every particulate monitor.
  • Regular checks are essential because even minor instrument drift affects readings — especially for gases measured through sensitive optical methods.
• Major Gaps in Data Reporting
  • The CAG audit exposed serious shortcomings in Delhi’s monitoring network:
    • None of DPCC’s 24 stations measured lead (Pb), despite its mandatory inclusion in AQI calculations.
    • Monthly AQI data was incomplete for 12% of months (2014–2021), meaning many stations failed to produce the minimum required valid data.
• Need to Upgrade and Reposition Stations
  • CAG recommendations include:
    • Relocating stations obstructed by buildings, trees or improper siting.
    • Upgrading or replacing equipment unable to measure all mandated pollutants.
    • Ensuring daily data availability for all pollutants to provide a complete air-quality picture.
• Third-Party Audits for Accountability
  • Experts, including Anumita Roychowdhury (CSE), stress the need for regular independent audits to verify:
    • Whether stations follow CPCB protocols,
    • Equipment calibration accuracy,
    • Data generation and reporting standards.

Context:

• The Government of India is considering a new scheme to attract “star faculty” and researchers of Indian origin back to the country.
• This comes at a time when the US academic environment is witnessing rising political interference, prompting globally mobile scholars to explore more stable and autonomous research ecosystems.
• The initiative aims to strengthen India’s R&D ecosystem, boost STEM capacity, and enhance India’s position as a global knowledge economy.

Need for the Scheme:

• Emerging global opportunity:
  • Increasing political intervention, threats to university autonomy and academic freedom in the US.
  • Global academic talent actively seeking stable and supportive research environments.
• Addressing India’s long-standing “Brain Drain”:
  • Chronic outflow of Indian-origin scientists, especially in STEM.
  • Critical need to strengthen national innovation capacity and build world-class research institutions.
• Strategic focus areas: Initial emphasis on priority STEM sectors essential for national capability building.

Key Features of the Proposed Scheme:

• Set-up grant: Substantial financial assistance for star faculty to build labs, teams, and research ecosystems in premier institutions. Supports operational autonomy and smoother onboarding.
• Creating a seamless experience: Returning academics require far more than monetary incentives—intellectual freedom, cultural alignment, and ease of doing research are crucial.

Challenges:

• Salary and compensation gaps:
  • Indian full professors earn approximately $40,000/year, significantly lower than the US ($130,000–$200,000/year) and China (~$100,000/year).
  • India, unlikely to match global salary benchmarks, must compensate with intellectual, cultural and research ecosystem returns.
• Administrative and structural barriers:
  • Bureaucratic hurdles in logistics, procurement, funding flows, recruitment.
  • Previous programmes (e.g., VAJRA Faculty Programme) suffered from procedural delays, funding uncertainty, and fragmented short-term engagement mechanisms.
• Lack of institutional preparedness:
  • Many public institutions lack experience in onboarding international faculty.
  • Persistent hierarchical structures, limited interdisciplinary collaboration, and inadequate academic freedom.
• Personal and social ecosystem gaps: Challenges in spousal employment, housing, schooling for children, and lack of well-defined tenure-track pathways.
• Competition from other countries: India must undertake deeper reforms to stay competitive with -
  • Europe - Strengthening academic freedom
  • China - Aggressive recruitment and high funding
  • Taiwan - Rapid internationalisation of universities
• Limited scope of proposed institutions: Reports suggest the scheme may be confined to a small set of public research institutes, ignoring the rising research capacity of Central-State-Private universities.

Institutional Reforms Needed:

• Administrative autonomy and red carpet mandate: Ensure seamless procurement, funding flows, hiring processes, lab setup. Use expanded autonomy for non-government procurement.
• Clear tenure-track and career security: Move beyond fragmented fellowship-type programs. Establish explicit tenure-track conversion pathways.
• Strong protection of academic freedom: High-level government assurance of autonomy, non-interference, freedom from excessive monitoring, essential to attract global researchers.
• Intellectual Property (IP) clarity: Standardised and clear IP ownership policies, especially for scientific research.
• Building a supportive social ecosystem: Institutional support for spousal employment, housing facilities, quality schooling.
• Cultural transformation: Shift from rigid hierarchies to interdisciplinary collaboration; merit-based advancement; open, critical inquiry; and integration of international pedagogic practices.
• Broadening institutional participation: Include capable central, state, and private universities to maximise the scheme’s impact.

Conclusion:

• The proposal to repatriate Indian-origin star faculty is a timely intervention that aligns with India’s ambition to become a global research and innovation hub.
• However, success will depend not on grants alone but on the depth of structural, administrative, and cultural reforms undertaken by India’s premier institutions.
• If implemented holistically, the initiative could reverse the country’s brain drain, catalyse a world-class research ecosystem, and position India as a global leader in knowledge production.
• The moment is strategic, and India must seize it.

Why in the News?

• The Union Cabinet has approved a Rs. 7,280-crore scheme to establish India’s first integrated manufacturing ecosystem for Sintered Rare Earth Permanent Magnets (REPMs).

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Rare Earth Magnet Scheme (Rationale, Key Features, Strategic Significance, Industry Response, Global Context, Challenges, etc.)

Rationale for the Rare Earth Magnet Scheme

• India currently imports almost all the rare earth permanent magnets it uses, around 900 tonnes annually, despite having the world's 5^th largest rare earth reserves.
• These magnets are among the strongest permanent magnets and are indispensable to high-tech systems:

• EV traction motors, power steering, wiper motors, braking systems,
• Wind turbine generators,
• Consumer electronics and industrial equipment,
• Aerospace and defence applications.

• Demand is expected to double by 2030, driven primarily by the EV and renewable energy sectors.
• The disruptions caused by Chinese export controls in 2024-25 further underlined the need for India to develop secure, domestic REPM capabilities.

Key Features of the Approved Scheme

• 7,280-Crore Outlay with Dual Incentive Structure
  • As detailed across the three reports, the financial structure includes:

• Rs. 6,450 crore in sales-linked incentives (spread over five years),
• Rs. 750 crore in capital subsidy for setting up facilities.
• This is part of a seven-year scheme period, two years for plant establishment and five years for incentive disbursement.

• 5 Beneficiaries via Global Competitive Bidding
  • The total capacity of 6,000 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) will be allocated to five selected manufacturers, each eligible for up to 1,200 MTPA.
  • Applicants will be chosen through a transparent international bidding process.
• End-to-End Integrated Manufacturing
  • Beneficiaries must build full-stack facilities capable of converting:
    • rare earth oxides > metals > alloys > finished magnets.

• This integration is central to reducing India's reliance not only on finished REPMs but also on upstream value chains currently controlled by foreign markets.

Strategic Importance for India’s Clean-Tech and Defence Ecosystem

• Boosting Electric Mobility & Renewable Energy
  • REPMs, especially Neodymium-Iron-Boron (NdFeB) magnets, are crucial for efficient and powerful EV motors.
  • The auto sector welcomed the scheme as a major step toward a stable, localised component supply chain, reducing risks of shortages and preventing EV price escalation.
• Strengthening Defence and Aerospace Capabilities
  • Magnets are critical in precision-guided munitions, unmanned systems, avionics, and radar technologies. Local manufacturing enhances India’s defence security and reduces dependence on geopolitically sensitive supply chains.
• Alignment with Net Zero and Critical Minerals Strategy
  • The scheme aligns with India’s target of Net Zero by 2070 and builds on the National Critical Minerals Mission, which identifies REPMs as strategic components for energy transition and advanced manufacturing.
  • Experts highlighted that this initiative will catalyse mining, processing, alloying, and high-value materials research.

Industry Response and Global Context

• Automobile & Component Manufacturers
  • Automotive bodies termed the decision pivotal for India’s long-term competitiveness and integration into global value chains. They emphasised that local REPM production would:

• reduce import dependence,
• protect manufacturers from Chinese export restrictions,
• unlock investments in advanced mobility technologies.

• China’s Dominance and Supply Chain Constraints
  • Globally, China controls over 80% of REPM processing and has increasingly tightened export controls, impacting EV and electronics manufacturers worldwide.
  • Indian automakers faced procurement delays due to prolonged Chinese approval procedures requiring end-user licences and bureaucratic clearance.
• This backdrop makes India’s initiative not merely economic but geostrategic, ensuring insulation from external shocks.

Implementation Challenges and Considerations

• Experts caution that success depends on:

• securing advanced technologies for processing and sintering,
• building high-purity oxide-to-metal conversion capabilities,
• maintaining ESG standards, responsible mining, and sustainable extraction,
• ensuring disciplined execution and adherence to global quality benchmarks.

• These are essential for India to eventually compete in the global REPM market.

Context

• The completion of China’s Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) marks a major milestone in global particle physics, but for India it carries a bittersweet resonance.
• While China releases its first scientific results, the India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) remains stalled.
• The contrast between the two projects reveals differing national trajectories in Big Science, shaped by public trust, administrative foresight, and political conditions.

The Promise of Underground Neutrino Experiments

• Neutrinos are among the most elusive particles in the universe.
• Their ability to pass through matter almost entirely unhindered requires immense underground detectors shielded from background noise.
• Both JUNO and INO were designed to study neutrino oscillations and determine the neutrino mass ordering, one of the most important open questions in modern physics.
• While JUNO has reached completion after a delay, INO’s progress has stagnated.
• JUNO’s success reflects sustained national commitment, whereas INO illustrates how scientific potential can be derailed by administrative missteps and sociopolitical conflict.

The Stalling of INO

• INO’s ambitious 50-kilotonne detector demanded installation inside a mountain in Theni, Tamil Nadu, using natural rock as shielding.
• However, the combination of large-scale excavation, involvement of the Department of Atomic Energy, and political mobilisation sparked local fears.
• The project suffered from:
  • Insufficient early community engagement
  • Unanticipated environmental and social sensitivities
  • Bureaucratic delays and litigation
• These failures coincided with China’s rapid progress, reducing INO’s ability to attract international collaboration and funding.

JUNO’s Advancement

• JUNO’s first scientific papers showcase its technological sophistication and a broad global collaboration involving many countries.
• The absence of Indian researchers is striking, considering India’s longstanding contributions to neutrino physics.
• JUNO has already produced a high-precision measurement of θ₁₂, one of the key parameters governing neutrino oscillations.
• This places JUNO in a strong position to determine the neutrino mass hierarchy and explore physics beyond the Standard Model.
• As JUNO spokesperson Yifang Wang stated, the project is poised for transformative discoveries.

Consequences of Missing the Moment

• INO’s stagnation shows that in frontier science, missing one opportunity can mean missing an entire generation of discovery.
• The next major questions in neutrino physics will require:
  • More specialised technology
  • Greater international cooperation
  • Larger financial commitments
• Without renewed investment in scientific infrastructure, India risks losing its place in the global pursuit of fundamental physics.
• Yet optimism persists. India’s young scientists are skilled, creative, and ambitious. What they need is a supporting system that matches their potential, administratively, politically, and socially.

The Way Forward: Rethinking Readiness for Big Science

• Large-scale scientific initiatives rely not only on technical expertise but also on the ecosystems around them.
• Successful Big Science requires:
  • Regulatory clarity
  • Environmental responsibility
  • Transparent communication
  • Community participation
• Citing resource constraints often masks deeper issues. India already operates major observatories and conservation projects, showing that capability is not the problem, coordination and planning are. 

Conclusion

• The stories of JUNO and INO highlight how nations shape their scientific futures.
• China’s persistence has led to a world-leading neutrino experiment, while India’s project remains entangled in avoidable obstacles.
• Recovering from this setback demands that India strengthen public engagement, long-term planning, and administrative agility.
• India’s scientific talent is undeniable but the challenge now is ensuring that national systems, political, bureaucratic, social, and infrastructural, rise to support that talent so the country can participate fully in the next era of fundamental scientific discovery.

Context

• In the political life of any nation, there are defining moments when institutions must act as guardians of foundational principles. India faces such a moment today.
• The recent Supreme Court opinion on the 16th Presidential reference concerning the powers of Governors and the President has reshaped the delicate federal compact envisioned by the Constitution.
• This shift risks transforming States into subordinate entities and accelerating the consolidation of power within the Union government, thereby striking at the heart of democratic governance.

Federalism as the Backbone of India’s Constitutional Design

• Federalism forms a core element of India’s constitutional architecture.
• Although often described as quasi-federal, the constitutional scheme clearly distributes powers between the Union and the States, granting full autonomy to States in areas listed under the State List, such as law and order and land.
• The Union was envisioned as first among equals, not a superior political sovereign.
• This constitutional balance is endangered when State legislation can be indefinitely stalled or overridden by Governors and, in turn, by the President.
• When elected legislatures pass laws only to have them delayed, returned, or reserved without clear timelines, democratic will is subordinated to unelected functionaries.
• Such an arrangement undermines the equality of partners within the federation and reduces State autonomy to a mere formality.

The Crisis of Gubernatorial Power

• The controversy centres on the undefined and unchecked powers exercised by Governors in withholding assent to bills.
• Allowing Governors, who are appointed by the Union government and often politically aligned with the ruling party at the Centre, to delay or obstruct legislation distorts democratic norms.
• Without constitutionally mandated timelines, their role effectively becomes that of an unelected veto-holder, capable of stalling laws indefinitely.
• Constitutional values of fairness, reasonableness, and non-arbitrariness require that all state action be bounded by clear limits.
• The absence of such limits for Governors contradicts the spirit of these principles.
• Judicial review, another element of the Constitution’s basic structure, demands that all exercises of authority, including those of Governors and the President, be subject to scrutiny.
• Insulating their decisions or delays from judicial oversight erodes accountability and departs from long-standing constitutional doctrine.
• The Court’s endorsement of a limited direction framework risks conferring vast discretionary power on Governors without adequate checks.
• Allowing important State legislation to be kept pending for extended periods creates a de facto pocket veto, leaving States vulnerable to political interference and forcing them into repeated litigation merely to secure constitutional compliance.

A Pattern of Centralisation: Contextualising the Shift

• This dilution of federal principles gains deeper significance when viewed against broader patterns of centralisation in recent years. Multiple actions by the Union government have strained the federal equilibrium.
• First, the refusal to compensate producing States for GST losses undermined their fiscal stability.
• Second, the use of cess collections, whose proceeds the Centre is not obligated to share—has effectively reduced the revenue available for devolution.
• Third, the Centre has failed to fully implement Finance Commission recommendations, weakening predictable fiscal transfers.
• Fourth, centrally sponsored schemes increasingly require States to contribute up to half the funding, placing heavy pressure on already-stressed State finances.
• Fifth, financial allocations have been used as political tools, with selective transfers tied to electoral or partisan considerations.
• Sixth, investigative agencies such as the CBI, ED, and Income Tax Department have been deployed in ways that destabilise Opposition-led State governments.
• Finally, increasing gubernatorial interference in legislative processes completes this pattern of central dominance.
• Together, these actions mark a profound distortion of the federal structure, risking a future in which the Union government wields unrestrained authority while States function as administrative outposts rather than sovereign constitutional units.

Implications of Centralisation: Democracy at Stake

• The conflict between elected representatives and unelected authorities lies at the centre of the crisis.
• Allowing Governors or the President to override, delay, or neutralise the decisions of State Assemblies undermines democratic legitimacy.
• Federalism itself is a democratic safeguard: it disperses power to prevent centralised arbitrariness.
• When this safeguard weakens, the system becomes vulnerable to authoritarian tendencies.

Conclusion

• If the erosion of federalism continues unchecked, the balance of power will tilt decisively toward the Union, placing democracy in jeopardy.
• It is crucial that constitutional institutions correct course and reaffirm the foundational principles that sustain India’s unity and diversity.
• Preserving federalism is essential for preserving India itself.

Why in the News?

• The Union Agriculture Ministry has released the Draft Seeds Bill 2025, inviting public comments until December 11.
• The Bill aims to modernise seed regulation by amending the Seeds Act, 1966 and the Seeds (Control) Order 1983, ensuring quality seeds for farmers while reducing compliance burdens for the seed industry.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Seeds Bill 2025 (Context, Rationale, Regulatory Architecture, Offences & Penalties, Concerns, etc.)

Context and Rationale Behind the Seeds Bill 2025

• India’s seed sector has undergone a massive transformation since the 1960s, through advances in biotechnology, hybridisation, commercial seed processing, and international trade.
• According to the Agriculture Ministry, in 2023-24, the national requirement for seeds was 462.31 lakh quintals, while availability reached 508.60 lakh quintals, creating a surplus of 46.29 lakh quintals.
• Industry associations have argued that the 1966 Act is outdated and ill-equipped to deal with new scientific and commercial realities.

Regulatory Architecture Proposed Under the Bill

• Clear Definition of Stakeholders
  • The Bill defines key actors, farmer, dealer, distributor, and producer, as separate entities engaged in seed use and trade. This creates regulatory clarity across the supply chain.
• Central and State Seed Committees
  • Two statutory bodies are proposed:

• Central Seed Committee (27 members)
• State Seed Committees (15 members)

• The Central Committee will recommend standards such as:

• Minimum germination levels,
• Genetic and physical purity,
• Traits and seed health norms,
• Additional quality parameters.

• The State Committees will advise on the registration of seed producers, dealers, nurseries, and processing units.

Quality Control and Registration Systems

• Mandatory Registration of Seed Processing Units
  • All processing units must register with the State government. This ensures quality control but may increase operational costs for small seed entrepreneurs.
  • To ease compliance for companies operating across multiple States, a Central Accreditation System may be introduced, merit-based, transparent, and uniform.
• National Seed Variety Register
  • The Bill creates the office of a Registrar responsible for maintaining a National Register of Seed Varieties under the Central Seed Committee.
  • Field trials to determine the Value for Cultivation and Use (VCU) are also standardised in the Bill.
• Seed Testing Laboratories
  • Central and State seed testing laboratories will be strengthened to:

• Analyse genetic purity,
• Assess germination and health parameters,
• Assist in compliance monitoring.

• Role of Seed Inspectors
  • Seed inspectors will have search-and-seizure powers under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, ensuring stronger enforcement against violations.

Offences and Penalties

• The new draft significantly revises the penalty framework compared to the 2019 draft.
• The Bill classifies offences as: Trivial, Minor, Major, with corresponding penalties.
• This stronger penal architecture reflects the government’s intent to curb seed fraud and maintain quality standards.

Farmers’ Rights and New Safeguards

• The Bill reiterates that farmers retain the right to save, use, exchange, and sell farm-saved seeds, except under a brand name. This aligns with long-standing protections under Indian law.
• The draft also links seed regulation to the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FR) Act 2001, attempting to ensure that quality norms and intellectual property rights are harmonised.

Concerns Raised by Farmers’ Organisations

• Farmers’ unions, including the All India Kisan Sabha, have criticised the Bill for:

• Potential increase in seed costs, enabling large companies to engage in “predatory pricing.”
• Risk to seed sovereignty, as centralisation may favour multinational and domestic seed corporations.
• Dilution of biodiversity protections, arguing that the Bill conflicts with global treaties such as the CBD and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food & Agriculture.
• Creating a “corporatized regulatory structure” that may overshadow the PPV&FR Act’s progressive farmer-centric provisions.

• These groups demand that the Bill must complement, not undermine, India’s biodiversity and farmers’ rights legal architecture.

Why in news?

Economists expect India’s Q2 FY26 GDP to surpass the RBI’s 7% forecast, potentially reaching 7.3%, slightly below the previous quarter’s 7.8% high. Growth remains robust despite 50% US tariffs introduced in late August.

Broad-based rural recovery, supported by strong labour markets and good crop output, along with increased urban consumer durable spending following GST cuts, is driving the expansion. Q3 FY26 is also expected to benefit from the GST cuts.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Nominal GDP Growth Slows, Poses Risks to Budget Targets
• GDP Growth Likely Lags GVA Due to Slower Tax Collections
• Q2 FY26 Sees Surge in Private Consumption
• Q2 FY26 Sees Strong Corporate Profits Amid Low Inflation
• Government Capex Surges, Private Investment Shows Early Signs of Revival

Nominal GDP Growth Slows, Poses Risks to Budget Targets

• April-June GDP data showed nominal growth at a three-quarter low of 8.8%, below the Finance Ministry’s 10.1% Budget assumption.
  • Nominal growth refers to the growth of an economic variable without adjusting for inflation.
  • In other words, it measures the increase in value at current prices, so it includes the effects of rising prices (inflation) along with the actual increase in output or income.
• Economists expect July-September and FY26 nominal growth could fall below 8%, potentially impacting tax collections and raising fiscal deficit and debt-to-GDP ratios, despite strong real growth of 7.8%.
  • Fiscal deficit is the gap between the government’s total expenditure and its total revenue (excluding borrowings) in a financial year.
  • Debt-to-GDP ratio measures a country’s total government debt relative to its GDP. It shows the government’s ability to repay debt. A higher ratio means debt is growing faster than the economy, which can strain public finances.
• Monitoring nominal GDP is crucial for fiscal planning.

GDP Growth Likely Lags GVA Due to Slower Tax Collections

• In Q2, GDP growth may trail GVA growth, projected at 7.5–8% versus 8% GVA growth.
  • GDP (Gross Domestic Product): It measures total value of goods and services produced within a country in a given period. It is calculated as GVA + net indirect taxes (indirect taxes minus subsidies).
  • GVA (Gross Value Added) – It measures total value of goods and services produced by all sectors, excluding net indirect taxes. It indicates actual production and sectoral performance.
    • GDP growth can differ from GVA growth if net indirect taxes rise or fall.
• GDP includes net indirect taxes (GST minus subsidies), which fell year-on-year after a 10% rise in Q1.
• Slower growth in these taxes explains why GDP growth may be lower than GVA.

Q2 FY26 Sees Surge in Private Consumption

• Private consumption likely rose by 8% in Q2 FY26, the highest since Q3 FY25.
• It was boosted by the late-September GST rate cuts, low retail inflation (1.7%), rural wage growth (~6%), personal income tax cuts, and a 7.8% rise in employee costs of listed companies.
• Growth could have been higher if households had not delayed purchases ahead of the GST rollout. Q1 FY26 consumption had risen to 7% from 6% in Q4FY25.

Q2 FY26 Sees Strong Corporate Profits Amid Low Inflation

• Q2 FY26 was the best quarter for companies in two years, with sales up 6% YoY and profits rising 13%, aided by low retail inflation (1.7%) and zero wholesale inflation.
• Limited impact from US tariffs and subdued input costs boosted profitability, supporting value-added growth and likely contributing to GDP growth around 7% for FY26, above the RBI’s 6.8% forecast.

Government Capex Surges, Private Investment Shows Early Signs of Revival

• In Q2 FY26, Central government capital expenditure rose 31% YoY to ₹3.06 lakh crore, supporting overall investment.
• Private sector interest also increased, accounting for 71% of fresh investments in H1 FY26 versus 61% last year.
• Q1 FY26 gross fixed capital formation grew 7.8%, down from 9.4% in the previous quarter but above 6.7% in Q1 FY25.

Why in news?

The Supreme Court criticised the Union government for not responding to its five-year-old directive to install CCTV cameras in all police stations and central agency offices such as the CBI, ED and NIA. Only 11 States/UTs submitted compliance reports; the Centre did not.

The Bench expressed shock that custodial torture continues unabated, citing 11 custodial deaths in Rajasthan within eight months. The judges observed that custodial brutality persists despite earlier judicial orders.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Custodial Torture in India: A Persisting Human Rights Crisis
• Supreme Court Pulls Up Centre for Ignoring CCTV Directions

Custodial Torture in India: A Persisting Human Rights Crisis

• Custodial torture in India is a widespread and systemic human rights violation involving physical and psychological abuse of individuals in police or judicial custody.
• Despite the high number of custodial deaths each year, conviction rates remain extremely low, reflecting deep-rooted impunity and weak accountability mechanisms within the system.
• Prisoners’ dignity and fundamental rights are protected under international law.
• The UN Charter (1945) emphasizes humane treatment, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) safeguards individuals from torture, cruel treatment, and enforced disappearances, ensuring security and dignity.
• Scale of the Problem
  • Custodial torture—both physical and psychological—remains widespread and systemic.
  • NHRC reported 2,739 custodial deaths in 2024, up from 2,400 in 2023.
  • Marginalised groups—Dalits, Adivasis, Muslims, daily-wage earners—are disproportionately targeted.
  • Accountability is abysmal: Zero convictions in 345 judicial inquiries (2017–2022) despite arrests and charge sheets.
• Why Custodial Torture Persists?
  • Absence of Specific Anti-Torture Law - India lacks a dedicated legislation criminalising torture as per global standards. Although India signed UN Convention Against Torture (UNCAT, 1997), it has not ratified it.
  • Culture of Impunity - Police personnel often shield each other, discouraging accountability. Systemic misuse of coercive interrogation methods remains widespread.
  • Systemic and Institutional Failures - Overworked police forces, inadequate training in non-coercive techniques. Weak prison infrastructure and insufficient oversight mechanisms.
  • Weak Legal Protection for Victims - Fear of retaliation and lack of legal aid prevent victims from reporting abuse.
• Legal & Judicial Safeguards
  • Article 14: Ensures that all individuals are treated equally, reinforcing that law enforcement agencies are not above the law.
  • Article 21: Right to life includes protection from torture.
  • Article 20(1): Prohibits conviction for acts that were not offences when committed and guards against excessive or arbitrary punitive actions.
  • Article 20(3): Protection against self-incrimination.
  • D.K. Basu Guidelines (1997): Mandate arrest memo, medical exam, identification of police officers, etc.
• New Criminal Laws
  • Section 120, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) - Criminalises causing hurt or grievous hurt to extract confessions or information through violence or coercion.
  • Section 35, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) - Requires that all arrests and detentions follow legally valid, clearly documented procedures.
  • Section 22, Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) - Declares confessions obtained under inducement, threat, coercion, or promise as legally inadmissible.

Supreme Court Pulls Up Centre for Ignoring CCTV Directions

• The Supreme Court expressed displeasure that only 11 States/UTs had filed compliance affidavits regarding the installation of functional CCTVs in police stations.
• The Union government had not filed its response either.
• Background: The 2020 Nariman Judgment
  • In Paramvir Singh Saini vs Baljit Singh (2020), the Supreme Court mandated CCTV installation in police stations and offices of all agencies with arrest and interrogation powers — including the NIA, CBI, ED, NCB, DRI, and SFIO.
  • This was ordered to safeguard fundamental rights and deter custodial torture.
• Debate on CCTVs and Security Concerns
  • The Centre argued that CCTV installation outside police stations could be counter-productive, citing security concerns.
  • The court disagreed, referring to live-streamed police stations in the U.S. and the need for more open correctional facilities to reduce overcrowding.

Context:

• Actors Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan have sued Google and YouTube in the Delhi High Court, accusing them of hosting AI-generated videos that depict them in fabricated — sometimes explicit — scenarios.
• They argue that such deepfakes violate their personality rights, damage their reputation, and threaten financial interests.
• The case also seeks safeguards to prevent these fake videos from being used to train future AI models.
• The issue underscores how generative AI blurs the line between real and fake, challenging existing legal protections over one’s identity — name, image, likeness, and voice.
• Personality rights, rooted in privacy, dignity, and commercial autonomy, were not designed for the scale and speed of AI manipulation.
• Deepfakes now fuel misinformation, extortion, and loss of public trust, revealing a growing need for stronger legal and ethical safeguards to prevent the misuse and commodification of human identity.
• This article highlights how the rise of generative AI and deepfakes is challenging traditional personality rights in India and across the world.

The Evolving Legal Landscape of Personality Rights in the Age of AI

• India’s Hybrid and Reactive Approach
  • India follows a hybrid model rooted in dignity (Article 21) and property-like control.
  • Personality rights are not codified but recognised through landmark judgments:
    • Amitabh Bachchan v. Rajat Nagi (2022): Affirmed personality rights.
    • Anil Kapoor v. Simply Life (2023): Banned AI misuse of Mr. Kapoor’s likeness and “Jhakaas”.
    • Arijit Singh v. Codible Ventures (2024): Protected his voice from AI replication.
  • While the IT Act and 2024 Intermediary Guidelines tackle impersonation and deepfakes, challenges remain due to anonymity, global data sharing, and limited enforcement capacity.
• United States: Property-Based ‘Right of Publicity’
  • The U.S. treats personality rights as commercial property that can be licensed or transferred.
  • Key developments:
    • Haelan Labs v. Topps (1953): Separated publicity rights from privacy rights.
    • ELVIS Act, Tennessee (2024): Prohibits unauthorised AI cloning of voices and likenesses.
  • Litigation against Character.AI highlights risks of AI chatbots inducing self-harm or impersonating therapists; courts have rejected First Amendment immunity claims.
• European Union: Dignity and Consent Framework
  • The EU’s GDPR mandates explicit consent for processing personal and biometric data.
  • The EU AI Act (2024) classifies deepfakes as high-risk, requiring transparency, labelling, and disclosure to prevent manipulation and deception.
• China: Stricter Consumer-Focused Enforcement
  • Chinese courts emphasise preventing deception:
    • A 2024 Beijing ruling held synthetic voices must not mislead consumers.
    • Another case awarded damages to a voice actor whose AI-replicated voice was sold without consent — affirming voice as personality property.
• A Fragmented Global Framework
  • AI’s borderless nature outpaces national laws, creating a fragmented regulatory mosaic.
  • Scholars argue for expanded “extended personality rights” covering style, persona, and creative patterns to protect individuals from exploitative AI training and misuse.

The Human–AI Nexus: Ethical and Legal Concerns

• UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of AI (2021) provides a rights-based framework emphasising dignity, autonomy, and protection from exploitation.
• Scholars argue that personality rights must evolve to address AI-generated impersonation and manipulation.
• Gaps in India’s Legal Architecture
  • Experts highlight India’s fragmented AI laws and call for:
    • statutory definitions of AI,
    • explicit classification of deepfakes as high-risk,
    • clearer regulation of behavioural data processing.
  • They also raise concerns about AI recreations of deceased artists, noting that Indian courts do not recognise personality rights as inheritable.
• Debates on AI Personhood
  • Critics, however, warn that granting AI legal personhood could dilute human rights protections and complicate liability frameworks.
  • The tension lies between leveraging AI for innovation and preventing erosion of human autonomy and dignity.
• Need for Robust Indian Legislation
  • The rise of deepfakes exposes structural gaps. India must:
    • codify personality rights,
    • mandate AI watermarking and model transparency,
    • strengthen platform liability,
    • enable cross-border regulatory cooperation.
  • The government’s 2024 deepfake advisory is a first step, but inadequate on its own.
• Call for Global Harmonisation
  • Adopting and aligning with UNESCO principles can help India prevent ethical deterioration, ensure accountability, and safeguard human identity in the age of generative AI.

Context:

• The Poshan Tracker — launched by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in 2021 — has recently entered public debate due to misconceptions surrounding e-KYC and Facial Recognition System (FRS).
• e-KYC and FRS are used for monitoring Take-Home Ration (THR) delivery under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS).
• The article clarifies myths, highlights technological safeguards, and outlines the need for improved awareness and usability.

Background - What is the Poshan Tracker?:

• The Poshan Tracker is an application under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 and is the primary tool for POSHAN Abhiyaan.
• It is one of the world’s largest government-funded nutrition monitoring systems used to monitor the delivery of nutrition services under the umbrella of the ICDS scheme.
• It covers 1.4 million Anganwadi Centres and monitors over 88 million beneficiaries (women, children and adolescent girls).
• It is designed to ensure transparency, accountability, real-time monitoring and reduce leakage in food and nutrition delivery.

Why e-KYC and FRS Were Introduced?:

• Persistent ground-level challenges:
  • Duplicate or “ghost” beneficiaries.
  • Diversion and leakage of THR.
  • Shortfalls in quantity or quality of rations.
  • Need for proof-based delivery and real-time tracking.
• How e-KYC works: The Anganwadi worker enters the Aadhaar number, an OTP is sent to the registered mobile number, and once verified, the beneficiary is marked as e-KYC verified on the Poshan Tracker.
• How facial recognition works?:
  • Anganwadi worker captures a live photo at the time of THR distribution.
  • The system matches the photo with the registration or e-KYC photo.
  • Ensures ration reaches the rightful recipient, and records delivery digitally.

Myths vs Facts:

• Myth vs fact 1: e-KYC needs to be done every month. The fact is that it is a one-time verification process. Once verified, the beneficiary is permanently marked as “e-KYC verified”.
• Myth vs fact 2:
  • Even small children must undergo facial recognition.
  • The Poshan Tracker does not undertake facial authentication of children under six years for delivery of THR.
  • It verifies the child’s identity through the parent or guardian, usually the mother.
• Myth vs fact 3:
  • FRS for THR distribution cannot function offline, and concerns about the lack of internet connectivity in rural areas.
  • Face matching works in both online and offline modes, with the offline option specifically developed for low-connectivity areas.
• Myth vs fact 4: Personal data and photographs are stored locally. Data flows through encrypted channels, no local storage of photos or identifiers, backend servers remain secured.
• Myth vs fact 5: Beneficiaries need smartphones for FRS. Only the Anganwadi worker uses the smartphone, beneficiaries do not need one.

Achievements and Scale:

• As of August 2025, nearly 3.69 crore THR beneficiaries (out of 4.9 crore registered), representing about 75% of the target base — had completed e-KYC and facial authentication.
• This reflects India’s remarkable readiness to embrace digital tools at scale and its growing confidence in technology-driven public service delivery. 

Challenges Identified:

• Digital misconceptions and misinformation among citizens and frontline workers.
• Usability issues in the app; time burden on Anganwadi workers during THR distribution.
• Connectivity gaps in remote rural areas (though offline mode exists).
• Need for improved digital literacy among Anganwadi workers.
• Ensuring constant adherence to data privacy norms.

Way Forward:

• Strengthen public communication to counter myths and misinformation.
• Conduct usability testing to improve app efficiency and reduce workload.
• Streamline service delivery workflows to save time during THR distribution.
• Invest in capacity building, training, and digital literacy of Anganwadi workers.
• Maintain robust data protection and encryption standards to build public trust.
• Encourage community awareness to ensure smooth authentication processes.

Conclusion:

• The Poshan Tracker represents a landmark initiative in India’s digital governance and nutrition service delivery, aiming to ensure that every beneficiary receives their rightful entitlements.
• While misconceptions around e-KYC and FRS exist, the system is backed by strong security protocols and has already achieved significant coverage.
• Addressing myths will be crucial to realising its full potential in strengthening nutrition governance, transparency, and accountability in India.

Context

• A rare instance of accountability in Chandigarh, where a college professor was dismissed after an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) probe under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act/ POSH Act 2013.
• This incident has highlighted both the potential and the limitations of India’s institutional mechanisms against sexual harassment.
• While the verdict has been celebrated as justice served, it simultaneously exposes systemic challenges that prevent consistent and empathetic implementation of the law, particularly within educational spaces marked by sharp power imbalances.

The Limits of Consent and the Missing Idea of Informed Consent

• One of the fundamental gaps in the POSH framework lies in its narrow understanding of consent.
• The Act acknowledges consent but ignores informed consent, a concept especially crucial in academic and workplace hierarchies.
• A relationship that appears consensual on the surface may be shaped by emotional manipulation, authority, or information asymmetry.
• When these imbalances become visible later, earlier consent becomes void and results not only in harassment but in deep emotional betrayal.
• The current legal framework remains oriented toward visible, explicit acts, failing to recognise psychological or manipulative behaviour.
• Many well-educated perpetrators deliberately operate in grey zones, avoiding behaviours that leave clear evidence while exploiting trust and emotional vulnerability.
• The absence of recognition for emotional harassment and coercive, deceptive conduct leaves survivors without adequate legal protection.

Procedural and Linguistic Limitations: Barriers to Justice

• The Three-Month Limitation Period
  • Several procedural elements of the Act inadvertently hinder survivors. The three-month limitation period for filing complaints is particularly restrictive.
  • Survivors who experience coercion or prolonged manipulation often take far longer to recognise the violence or gather the courage to report it.
  • In universities, where students may remain under the same institutional umbrella for years, crucial evidence or realisation may emerge well beyond this timeline.
  • Justice should not come with an expiry date, yet the existing rule reinforces perpetrators’ belief that time is on their side.
• Linguistic Limitations
  • Language also shapes how seriously misconduct is perceived.
  • The Act refers to the accused as a respondent, softening the gravity of actions that would constitute criminal offences outside institutional settings.
  • Such diluted terminology normalises the violation and diminishes the psychological trauma experienced by survivors.
• The Burden of Proof
  • The burden of proof further tilts the scales against complainants. Sexual harassment usually unfolds as a pattern of behaviour rather than as a single, documentable event.
  • Yet ICCs often dismiss complaints due to lack of direct evidence, without considering corroborative testimony, anonymous feedback, or circumstantial indicators.
  • While committees are carefully structured to protect the respondent’s rights, similar institutional trust is rarely extended toward recognising a survivor’s lived experience.

Inter-Institutional Misconduct: A Silent Blind Spot

• Modern academia thrives on collaboration, conferences, visiting faculty programmes, and inter-campus research. Misconduct, therefore, often spans institutional boundaries.
• The POSH Act, however, provides no mechanism for inter-institutional complaints, leaving repeat offenders free to move across campuses without accountability.
• For survivors, filing a complaint is already an emotionally exhausting battle. What follows is frequently marked by delays, bureaucratic hesitation, and the threat of counteraction.
• The clause allowing punishment for malicious complaints, intended as a safeguard, often intimidates genuine victims, deterring them from seeking justice.

Digital Harassment and the Challenge of Evidence

• With communication increasingly shifting to digital platforms, harassment now occurs through vanishing messages, encrypted chats, or temporary images.
• Expecting ICC members, often without specialised technical training, to interpret such evidence is unrealistic.
• The Act has not adapted to the complexities of digital communication, offering no clear protocols for handling such material.
• To remain relevant, the law must integrate updated definitions of digital harassment, mandate training for ICC members, and establish procedures for managing electronic evidence so that technology does not become a shield for offenders.

The Way Forward: Toward a Stronger and More Responsive POSH Framework

• The Chandigarh case demonstrates what a committed ICC and a determined group of complainants can achieve, but such outcomes are far from the norm.
• The promise of the POSH Act can be fulfilled only through structural reforms that include recognising emotional coercion, expanding the definition of consent, extending timelines for reporting, strengthening digital evidence protocols, and improving investigative methods.

Conclusion

• Informal whisper networks among women reflect not empowerment but institutional failure.
• A decade after its enactment, the POSH Act must evolve to match the realities of modern workplaces and academic environments.
• Justice should not depend on the survivor’s endurance or the discretion of committees; it must be built into the framework of the law
• Until then, the protection offered by the POSH Act risks remaining symbolic rather than substantive.