Why in news?

Following a framework agreement between the US and Iran on June 15, 2026, the Strait of Hormuz was reopened to global shipping and the US blockade on Iranian ships lifted.

After the US and Israel began hostilities against Iran on February 28, 2026, Iran had used the Strait as both a chokepoint and a bargaining chip, even collecting a toll per transit to offset war damages.

It has now dropped the toll but continues to levy a navigation fee and an environmental protection charge. This raises a core legal question: does Iran's action pass the test of the "right of transit passage" under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and customary international law?

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Why the Strait Matters?
• The Legal Principle: Freedom of Navigation
• International Law's Silence: The Loopholes Iran Can Use
• The Bigger Picture: An Economic Weapon

Why the Strait Matters?

• The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints — a narrow waterway through which a large share of global oil trade passes.
• Its strategic value is exactly what gives a bordering state like Iran potential leverage, and exactly why international law tries to limit such leverage.

The Legal Principle: Freedom of Navigation

• The heart of the matter lies in UNCLOS Articles 37 to 44, which govern "Straits used for International Navigation."
• These provide that all ships and aircraft enjoy a "right of transit passage" — the freedom of continuous and swift navigation and overflight through international straits.
• Two phrases are key:
  • Transit passage "shall not be impeded."
  • "There shall be no suspension" of transit passage.
• The logic is that when a large portion of global trade depends on a narrow corridor, bordering states should not be able to weaponise it.
• This principle predates UNCLOS. In the Corfu Channel case (UK v. Albania, 1949), the International Court of Justice held that ships enjoy unrestricted passage through a strait used for international navigation during peacetime, so long as transit does not threaten the coastal state's security.
• By this standard, Iran's navigation and environmental charges look like an attempt to turn a natural strait into a managed, revenue-generating entry point — administered by Iran with Oman's support.

International Law's Silence: The Loopholes Iran Can Use

• Experts believe that the law is not as airtight as it appears, and Iran has several legal openings.
• Territorial waters, not high seas - The Strait lies within the combined territorial seas of Iran and Oman. Here, full high-seas freedom of navigation does not apply. Instead, ships enjoy the "right of innocent passage."
• The "innocent passage" caveat - Under Article 19 of UNCLOS, innocent passage is subject to the coastal state being satisfied that passage does not prejudice its peace, good order, or security. These grounds are broad enough that Iran could invoke them to deny passage during a tense standoff.
• The flawed canal analogy. Iran might point to the Suez and Panama canals, which charge transit fees. But this analogy might not help Iran: those are artificially engineered waterways built and maintained through sovereign territory and governed by specific treaty regimes — unlike Hormuz, a natural strait governed by UNCLOS.
• The "persistent objector" argument. Iran signed UNCLOS but never ratified it.
  • On signing, Iran declared it does not regard the transit-passage regime as customary international law — viewing it instead as a quid pro quo bargain only for treaty parties.
  • Under the "persistent objector" doctrine, a state is exempt from an emerging rule of customary international law if it has clearly, consistently and persistently objected to that rule while it was still forming.
• Iran's domestic law. In 1993, Iran enacted the "Law of Marine Areas of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea," which lets it suspend the passage of foreign ships and requires prior authorisation for warships and vessels carrying harmful substances (for environmental protection).
  • Since this latter category can include commercial oil tankers, the inclusion of a navigation and environmental fee in the agreement actually reinforces Iran's persistent-objector position.
  • This claim gains some acceptance under the doctrine of comity of nations — where states voluntarily recognise and respect each other's laws and customs.

The Bigger Picture: An Economic Weapon

• The distinctive feature of the conflict has been its rapid oscillation between military confrontation and economic warfare, blurring the line between the two.
• Though stretched militarily and economically, Iran demonstrated that it can impose global costs by making ordinary commerce uncertain.
• The smoothness of transit through Hormuz depends partly on Israel's military moves in Lebanon. Tehran treats the Lebanon conflict as part of the same strategic campaign against it, and sees the Strait as leverage to demand limits on Israeli attacks.
• For an energy-dependent country like India, the episode is a reminder that the security of vital sea lanes rests not only on treaty text but on the geopolitical will of the states that border them.

Why in news?

The Centre has mandated that all vaccines, antimicrobials, narcotics and addictive drugs, and anti-cancer drugs must carry a bar code or QR code that enables tracking of every vial or blister pack.

The system will be rolled out in phases: by July 2027 for vaccines, narcotics, and anticancer drugs, and by July 2028 for antimicrobials. The aim is to crack down on counterfeit and spurious medicines.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Track-and-Trace Mechanism
• How the System Works?
• Why It Makes Counterfeiting Hard?
• Why the System Is Needed?
• The Keytruda Case: Why It Matters for Cancer Drugs
• Challenges in Implementation
• Boosting Regulatory Credibility

Track-and-Trace Mechanism

• It is a system that lets regulators and companies follow the entire journey of every single unit of a medicine — from the manufacturing plant right to the retail store.
• Each pack carries a unique code, making it possible to trace exactly where a product is at any stage.
• The system is not entirely new. It already applies to 300 top drug brands, including the gastric reflux tablet Aciloc and the fever medicine Calpol. The recent notification extends it to the four new categories.

How the System Works?

• Manufacturers of all medicines listed under Schedule H2 of the Drugs Rules must affix a unique bar code or QR code on the primary package (or on secondary packaging if space is short).
• A new Schedule H2 was created in the Drugs Rules, 1945 four years ago when tracking first began; it lists the top 300 brands and now the four new categories.
• Beyond the unique identification number for each blister pack or vial, the code must also carry:
  • Brand name and generic name of the drug
  • Name and address of the manufacturer
  • Batch number
  • Date of manufacturing
  • Date of expiry
  • Manufacturing licence number
• Crucially, the system requires manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers to log these products on specialised track-and-trace platforms at each stage.

Why It Makes Counterfeiting Hard?

• Because each unit carries a unique, one-time code, fraud becomes very difficult:
  • Even if counterfeiters use AI to generate similar-looking codes, the uniqueness of each unit makes large-scale faking hard.
  • Reusing original packaging to refill and sell fake drugs will not work, because once a code is registered on the platform, the same number cannot be re-registered.
• The Health Ministry stated that the enhanced traceability will help authenticate medicines across the supply chain and strengthen regulatory oversight against spurious drugs.

Why the System Is Needed?

• The core aim is to prevent counterfeiting, which typically takes two forms: releasing products with no active ingredient, or diluting a drug to stretch quantities for sale.
• A track-and-trace mechanism helps regulators:
  • Distinguish whether a spurious drug came from a cost-cutting company or was a completely fake product packaged like a known brand.
  • Identify whether a product was contaminated at the source or tampered with later.
  • Locate every unit precisely in case of a product recall.

The Keytruda Case: Why It Matters for Cancer Drugs?

• The relevance for expensive cancer drugs is stark. An investigation uncovered a ring that counterfeited the cancer immunotherapy drug Keytruda.
  • Unscrupulous players partnered with hospital staff to pilfer empty or used vials from cancer units.
  • These were refilled with anti-fungal medicine of similar consistency and sold to patients at a lower price.
  • Keytruda can be highly effective — sometimes dissolving tumours — but remains largely inaccessible in India due to cost: around ₹2 lakh per cycle, with patients needing 12–17 cycles.
• Tracking every vial directly targets this kind of fraud.

Challenges in Implementation

• Two main difficulties stand out:
  • Logging delays. If a genuine product is logged late and a counterfeit gets registered first, the genuine drug could wrongly appear as counterfeit.
  • Cost burden. Companies must build systems to generate unique codes for every packet and log them at every stage. This may be affordable for makers of costly cancer drugs, but a heavy burden for smaller firms making everyday pills.
• Since many Schedule H2 drugs are essential medicines under price control, an expert suggested the government may need to provide monetary support or allow slight price increases during implementation.

Boosting Regulatory Credibility

• The system also aims to raise the maturity level of India's drug regulator. The WHO has a benchmarking tool that rates regulators on how drugs are approved, surveilled, tested, and recalled.
• For vaccines, the Indian regulator is already at Maturity Level 3 (the second-best level). Making each vaccine unit traceable is a step towards the highest rating, Maturity Level 4.
• A higher maturity level makes it easier for Indian medicines to be accepted in international markets, as their quality becomes more trustworthy.
• This links the anti-counterfeiting drive directly to the larger goal of strengthening India's standing as the "pharmacy of the world."

Context

• The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has transformed governance, communication, and economic activity while creating unprecedented ethical, legal, and constitutional challenges.
• As AI increasingly influences decisions affecting employment, healthcare, education, and public discourse, governance must prioritise human dignity, democratic accountability, and national security.
• A robust legal framework is essential to ensure that technological innovation strengthens society rather than undermines it.

Human Dignity as the Foundation of AI Governance

• Pope Leo XIV emphasises that every individual possesses inherent human dignity, making personal data an extension of human identity rather than a commercial asset.
• Unchecked exploitation of personal information risks creating a new form of digital slavery.
• Therefore, AI governance must move beyond voluntary ethical commitments and establish binding legislation, independent oversight, and clear human accountability for automated decision-making.

Law versus Ethics in the Age of AI

• AI evolves at an extraordinary pace, whereas democratic law-making is inherently gradual. Governments can regulate the application of AI but cannot prevent scientific discoveries themselves.
• As a result, legislation often lags behind technological change.
• Effective governance requires adaptive regulation capable of responding to emerging technologies while protecting fundamental rights and ensuring legal certainty. 

AI as a Threat to Democracy

• Democracy depends on a shared understanding of reality. AI-generated deepfakes, synthetic media, and large-scale disinformation campaigns increasingly blur the line between truth and falsehood, threatening electoral integrity and public confidence in institutions.
• Social media algorithms further intensify these risks by maximising user engagement through sensational and divisive content.
• This creates echo chambers, fuels polarisation, weakens social cohesion, and concentrates immense influence over public discourse in the hands of private technology companies with limited democratic accountability.

Information Warfare and India's Digital Vulnerability

• AI has transformed information into a strategic weapon.
• Foreign governments and non-state actors exploit digital platforms to manipulate public opinion, deepen social divisions, and destabilise democratic societies through coordinated misinformation campaigns.
• These operations pose serious threats to democratic sovereignty and national security.
• As the world's largest democracy and a leading digital economy, India faces unique vulnerabilities due to rapid digital adoption and uneven digital literacy.
• Strengthening resilience against algorithmic manipulation has therefore become a national priority.

A Five-Pillar Framework for AI Governance

• Rights-Based Governance
  • A rights-based framework should guarantee data privacy, informed consent, and protection against algorithmic discrimination.
• Platform Accountability
  • Technology companies must ensure greater platform accountability through transparency requirements, independent audits, and legal responsibility for harmful algorithmic amplification.
• Protection of Free Speech
  • Regulation should safeguard free speech by targeting automated bot networks, deepfake creators, and manipulative platform structures rather than restricting legitimate political expression.
• Digital Literacy
  • Comprehensive media literacy and digital citizenship programmes should equip citizens to critically evaluate online information and resist manipulation.
• National Security Measures
  • Advanced early-warning systems, supported by cybersecurity agencies, independent fact-checkers, researchers, and ethical hackers, are essential for detecting and countering coordinated misinformation campaigns before they spread widely.

Conclusion

• AI governance must evolve beyond technical regulation into a constitutional imperative grounded in human dignity, democratic accountability, constitutional values, and national sovereignty.
• Protecting the integrity of the digital information ecosystem is essential for preserving life, liberty, free expression, and democratic institutions.
• Through transparent law-making, accountable technology platforms, informed citizens, and proactive national safeguards, AI can become a force for inclusive progress while protecting the foundations of constitutional democracy.

Context

• India stands at a transformative moment where Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to become the next engine of economic growth, much like the 1991 economic liberalisation.
• Just as structural reforms accelerated GDP growth, AI can significantly enhance productivity, innovation, and global competitiveness.
• Leveraging its success in Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), India can position itself as a global AI leader through strategic investments, affordable AI access, and sovereign technological capabilities.

India's Digital Transformation: A Strong Foundation

• Success of DPI
  • India has demonstrated its ability to implement large-scale digital reforms through Aadhaar, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), and Reliance Jio.
  • These initiatives transformed digital identity, financial inclusion, and internet accessibility, proving that well-designed policies can rapidly scale technology for public benefit.
• Lessons for the AI Era
  • The experience of making mobile data affordable illustrates that reducing the cost of digital infrastructure can unleash innovation.
  • Applying a similar approach to AI can democratize access to advanced computing resources across education, research, and industry.

Making AI Accessible Through Free Tokens

• AI Tokens as Public Digital Infrastructure
  • AI tokens, the computational units used by Large Language Models (LLMs), should be treated as essential digital infrastructure.
  • Providing subsidised or free AI access to leading universities, research institutions, and schools would strengthen scientific research, improve learning outcomes, and encourage innovation.
• Economic Feasibility
  • Despite spending relatively little on Research and Development (R&D), India allocates substantial resources to food, fertiliser, and fuel subsidies.
  • Redirecting a small proportion of these expenditures, approximately 0.06% of GDP, towards AI infrastructure would represent a strategic investment capable of generating significant long-term economic returns.

Building a Sustainable AI Ecosystem

• Public-Private Partnerships (PPP)
  • Developing a competitive AI ecosystem requires strong PPP involving AWS, Google, and Microsoft.
  • Government support through land allocation, power incentives, and regulatory certainty can encourage domestic investment in AI infrastructure while reducing computing costs.
• AI Sovereignty and Open-Source Models
  • India must build AI sovereignty by hosting both indigenous and open-source models on sovereign infrastructure rather than relying exclusively on foreign APIs.
  • This approach enhances data sovereignty, lowers costs, enables customization for Indic languages, and strengthens national security through greater technological independence.
• Diversified AI Hardware Strategy
  • Dependence on a single supplier creates financial and strategic vulnerabilities.
  • A diversified ecosystem incorporating NVIDIA, Google TPUs, AWS Trainium, and AMD would reduce vendor lock-in, improve cost efficiency, and strengthen supply-chain resilience while supporting AI training, inference, and research.

Roadmap for Implementation

• Phase I: Policy and Infrastructure
  • A National AI Token Policy should establish partnerships with global hyperscalers and create sovereign AI infrastructure.
  • Initial pilot projects should provide AI access to premier institutions such as the IITs and IISc.
• Phase II: Expansion and Innovation
  • The programme should gradually extend AI access to universities, startups, and schools through API sandboxes, AI literacy programmes, and expanded research support, fostering a vibrant innovation ecosystem.
• Phase III: Nationwide Deployment
  • The final phase should integrate AI into healthcare, agriculture, education, and the judiciary, while supporting all major Indian languages.
  • This comprehensive rollout would accelerate AI adoption across sectors and strengthen India's position in the global AI landscape.

Strengths and Challenges

• Strengths
  • The proposed strategy combines historical evidence, sound economic reasoning, and a practical implementation roadmap.
  • It integrates technology, governance, education, and infrastructure into a comprehensive national development strategy while emphasising affordability, innovation, and strategic autonomy.
• Challenges
  • Several projections regarding rapid GDP growth and global AI leadership remain optimistic.
  • Greater attention is needed to AI ethics, privacy, cybersecurity, misinformation, job displacement, and environmental sustainability.
  • Effective regulation and institutional capacity will be essential to ensure responsible AI adoption.

Conclusion

• Artificial Intelligence offers India an unprecedented opportunity to drive inclusive economic growth and technological leadership.
• By expanding affordable AI access, strengthening AI sovereignty, promoting open-source innovation, diversifying computing infrastructure, and fostering public-private collaboration, India can replicate the success of its Digital Public Infrastructure revolution.
• Timely policy action, sustained investment, and effective governance will determine whether AI becomes the foundation of India's next development revolution.

Why in the News?

• The Delhi government has announced its EV Policy 2.0, mandating that all new two- and three-wheelers registered in the city be electric from April 2028 to combat the capital's chronic air pollution.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Delhi’s Air Pollution (Background, Transport Sector, EVs, etc.)
• News Summary (Policy, Key Mandate, Objectives, Benefits, Significance, Challenges, etc.)

Background: Delhi's Air Pollution and Transport Sector

• Delhi consistently ranks among the most polluted cities in the world, with the transport sector being one of the most significant contributors to its air pollution.
• While winter episodes of severe air quality draw the most attention, vehicular emissions remain a persistent source of pollution throughout the year.
• According to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) report, 'Identification of the Causes for Worsening AQI in Delhi-NCR':

• Vehicular emissions contribute around 23% of Delhi's PM2.5 pollution during winter, making transport the single largest pollution source within the city.
• Two-wheelers constitute nearly 67% of Delhi's vehicle stock, making their rapid electrification critical.
• Three-wheelers, commercial cars, and N1 category goods vehicles (up to 3.5 tonnes) are priority segments due to their high daily utilisation.

• Multiple studies, including those by TERI, IIT Kanpur, and SAFAR, have consistently identified transport, particularly two-wheelers, as the largest contributor to PM2.5, PM10, and other pollutants.
• Notably, secondary particulate matter formed from vehicular NOx and VOCs accounts for about 27% of winter PM2.5 in Delhi.

Understanding Electric Vehicles (EVs)

• Electric Vehicles (EVs) are vehicles powered by electric motors using energy stored in batteries, rather than internal combustion engines running on petrol or diesel. They are categorised as:

• Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs): Pure EVs running entirely on batteries with zero tailpipe emissions.
• Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs): Combine an internal combustion engine with an electric motor.
• Strong/Plug-in Hybrids (PHEVs): Can run on electric power for limited distances before switching to fuel.

• Pure EVs offer superior environmental benefits as zero-emission vehicles, which is the focus of Delhi's new policy.

News Summary

• The Delhi government announced its EV Policy 2.0, representing a sweeping, first-of-its-kind policy reform in the country.
• The policy comes into effect on July 1, following approval from the Lieutenant Governor.
• Key Mandates
  • The policy introduces phased mandates for electrification:
    • No petrol motorcycles and scooters can be registered in Delhi after March 31, 2028.
    • Registration of new CNG auto-rickshaws will stop at the end of 2026.
    • From April 2028, every new two- and three-wheeler sold in Delhi must be an electric vehicle.
  • The government clarified that existing non-electric two-wheelers will not be forced off the roads; only new registrations will be restricted, giving customers and manufacturers a two-year transition window.
• Objectives
  • Make Delhi pollution-free by March 31, 2030
  • Achieve a minimum 30% electrification of Delhi's vehicle fleet by March 2030
  • Government investment of Rs. 15,000 crore on incentives and charging infrastructure
• Cash Incentives
  • The policy offers substantial purchase incentives:
    • Electric two-wheeler: Year-1 (Rs. 30,000); Year-2 (Rs. 20,000); Year-3 (Rs. 10,000)
    • Passenger three-wheeler: Year-1 (Rs. 50,000); Year-2 (Rs. 40,000); Year-3 (Rs. 30,000)
• Scrappage Benefits
• BS-IV or older two-wheelers: Rs. 10,000 for scrapping.
• Three-wheelers: Rs. 25,000 for scrapping.
• N1 electric trucks: Subsidy up to Rs. 1 lakh in the first year; Rs. 50,000 for scrapping older N1 trucks.
• Gramin Seva vehicles: Rs. 15,000 scrapping incentive.
• First 1 lakh owners scrapping BS-IV or older four-wheelers: Rs. 1 lakh incentive.
• Road Tax Waiver
  • 100% waiver on road tax and registration charges for fully electric vehicles.
  • For four-wheelers, the exemption applies to vehicles priced up to Rs. 30 lakh (ex-showroom).
  • EVs bought under the policy cannot be sold or registered in another state for three years.

Focus on Pure EVs

• Notably, the final policy dropped the incentive for strong hybrid vehicles that had been proposed in the draft.
• The draft had suggested a 50% exemption of road tax and registration charges for strong hybrids up to Rs. 30 lakh, intended as a transition bridge.
• The government chose to focus exclusively on pure EVs, which offer superior zero-emission benefits.
• Charging Infrastructure
  • A major constraint to EV adoption has been limited charging infrastructure. The new policy envisages the establishment of more than 30,000 public charging points across the capital.

Significance and Challenges

• Why It Matters?
  • Two out of every three vehicles in Delhi are two-wheelers, making the mandate enormously significant.
  • Currently, electric two-wheelers make up only about 7.5% of annual two-wheeler registrations (36,962 out of 4,92,288 in 2025).
  • Going from 7.5% to 100% in less than two years is a hugely ambitious target.
• Broader Impact
  • Delhi has historically led the country in clean air interventions.
  • The policy is expected to influence other states, particularly those in the NCR region, to consider similar electrification mandates.
• Challenges
  • Rapid scaling of charging infrastructure to meet demand.
  • Manufacturer readiness to supply electric two- and three-wheelers at scale.
  • Affordability and consumer acceptance.
  • Grid capacity to handle increased electricity demand.
  • Battery disposal and recycling concerns.

Context:

• The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has drafted a Bill to convert the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) from a registered society into a body corporate, broadly aligning its governance with the IIT/IIM
• While some policymakers and members of the 4th Review Committee support the move, many current and former ISI faculty, employees, alumni and academicians oppose it.
• Their argument is that the proposed restructuring is unnecessary and may undermine ISI's unique academic character.

Indian Statistical Institute (ISI):

• About:
  • The ISI is a public research university established in 1931, and headquartered in Kolkata, with regional centers in Chennai, Bengaluru, New Delhi and Tezpur.
  • It was declared an Institute of National Importance by the Government of India under the ISI Act, 1959. It functions under the MoSPI of the Government of India.
• Primary activities of ISI: Research and training in statistics, development of theoretical statistics and its applications in various natural and social sciences.

Draft ISI Bill:

• Purpose: It aims to modernize the governance and administrative structure of the ISI to align it with other Institutions of National Importance (INIs) like the IITs and IIMs.
• Governance shift: The legislation proposes replacing the old ISI Act 1959, with a new framework, introducing a nominated Board of Governors, making the President of India the "Visitor," and streamlining operations.
• Proposals:
  • It transforms ISI from a registered society into a body corporate.
  • Reduce the size of the ISI Council.
  • Grant greater administrative and financial autonomy to ISI's regional centres.

Arguments Against the Proposed Bill:

• ISI is already active in AI and Machine Learning (ML):
  • The criticism that ISI has failed to engage with emerging technologies is contested.
  • ISI established a Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (CAIML) in 2021.
  • The Centre undertakes research and application projects funded by Google, DRDO, TCS and other organisations.
  • AI and ML have already been integrated into flagship programmes such as M.Stat and M.Tech.
  • The existing ISI Act (1995 amendment) already permits expansion into computer science and related disciplines, making another legislative amendment unnecessary for AI-related education.
• Student capacity has expanded significantly:
  • The argument that ISI has failed to meet India's demand for data professionals (admits around 550 to 600 students a year, while IITs admit close to 2,500) overlooks recent expansion.
  • ISI currently offers: 3 undergraduate programmes, 8 postgraduate programmes, 6 diploma/certificate courses, and Doctoral programmes.
  • Nine academic programmes have been introduced during the last 15 years.
  • The number of graduating students has increased nearly four-fold over the past two decades.
  • However, the institute argues that its primary mandate is to advance statistical theory, methodology and research, not mass education.
  • Excessive expansion in student intake may reduce faculty time available for research.
  • Student intake has more than doubled over the last decade, but faculty recruitment has not kept pace, largely due to government-imposed recruitment constraints.
• Governance structure is not the real constraint:
  • Supporters of the Bill argue that adopting the IIT/IIM governance model would improve growth and global competitiveness.
  • Opponents counter that:
    • ISI's registered society structure has not hindered academic excellence.
    • Slower expansion reflects institutional priorities, not governance deficiencies.
    • ISI consciously focuses on high-quality research and specialised training, unlike the larger teaching-oriented IIT system.
• Council reform does not require institutional overhaul:
• The proposal to reduce the size of the ISI Council is acknowledged as a legitimate issue.
• However, such reform can be achieved through a simple amendment to the existing ISI Act.
• Transforming ISI into a body corporate is therefore considered disproportionate to the problem being addressed.
• Questions over regional autonomy:
  • The Bill proposes greater administrative and financial autonomy for ISI's regional centres.
  • Critics argue that,
    • ISI headquarters and regional centres have traditionally functioned as an integrated academic network, sharing faculty, resources and teaching responsibilities.
    • No compelling evidence has been presented to justify the sudden push for greater institutional separation.

Alternative Approach Suggested:

• The need of the hour is,
  • Regular consultation between MoSPI and all stakeholders;
  • Greater support for faculty recruitment and infrastructure;
  • Incremental reforms within the existing ISI Act wherever necessary;
  • Preservation of ISI's research-oriented institutional identity while enabling gradual modernisation;
• rather than fundamentally altering ISI's legal and governance structure.

Conclusion:

• The debate over the proposed ISI Bill highlights a broader policy dilemma between institutional autonomy, governance reform and academic excellence.
• While modernisation and responsiveness to emerging fields such as AI and ML are essential, critics argue that these objectives can be achieved without transforming ISI into a body corporate.
• Meaningful stakeholder consultation and evidence-based reforms may offer a more balanced path for strengthening one of India's premier research institutions.

About Murchison Widefield Array (MWA):

• It is a low-frequency radio telescope located at the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory (MRO) in Western Australia, where the future low-frequency Square Kilometre Array (SKA) will be built.
• It is a collaboration between 20 research institutions in five countries (Australia, Canada, China, Japan, and the United States) and is led by Curtin University, Australia.
• It is made of spider-like antennas tuned to receive signals from the sky between 70 and 300 MHz.
• It is special for its very wide field of view, high angular resolution, nanosecond time resolution, and digital pointing agility.
• This makes the instrument invaluable for quickly mapping the sky and studying rare and faint events as they happen.
• The MWA is used to study:
  • he early Universe, particularly the Epoch of Reionization, when the first stars and galaxies formed.
  • The structure and evolution of galaxies and galaxy clusters.
  • The Sun and space weather, including solar flares and coronal mass ejections.
  • Transient radio sources, such as pulsars and fast radio bursts.
  • The interstellar medium and cosmic magnetism.

Key Facts about Southern-sky MWA Rapid Two-metre (SMART):

• SMART pulsar survey is an ongoing project to discover new pulsars (neutron stars) in the southern sky using the MWA.
• This is currently the only pulsar survey capable of looking for pulsars in the Southern Hemisphere at low frequencies (140-170 MHz).
• Once complete, it is expected to discover hundreds of new pulsars.
• Apart from its inherent scientific value, it also serves as a valuable reference for future pulsar searches planned with the low-frequency SKA.

Key Facts about Square Kilometre Array (SKA):

• It is an international effort to build the world’s largest and most sensitive radio telescope to help better understand the history of the universe.
• It is co-located in Australia (SKA-Low) and South Africa (SKA-Mid) with operational headquarters in the UK, and is expected to revolutionize radio astronomy.
• The construction of the project officially started on 5 December 2022.
• The telescope will consist of hundreds of antennas that will generate unprecedented data volumes.
• It is meant to observe the universe in a new way and probe questions related to the origins of the universe, the formation and evolution of galaxies, and seeking the origins of life.
• India became a member of SKA in 2022.
• Other countries involved in this project are Australia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.

What are Pulsars?

• Pulsars are rapidly rotating neutron stars that blast out pulses of radiation at regular intervals ranging from seconds to milliseconds.
  • Neutron stars are highly dense remnants of massive stars that have collapsed, composed mainly of neutrons and other elementary particles.
• Pulsars have very strong magnetic fields, which funnel jets of particles out along the two magnetic poles. These accelerated particles produce very powerful beams of light.
• Often, the magnetic field is not aligned with the spin axis, so those beams of particles and light are swept around as the star rotates.
• The periodicity of pulsars is caused by these beams of light crossing the line of sight on Earth, with the pulsar appearing to ‘switch off’ at points when the light is facing away from us. The time between these pulses is the ‘period’ of the pulsar.
• Pulsars have been primarily observed at radio wavelengths.