Daily Current Affairs

February 8, 2025

Current Affairs

SC: Failure to inform grounds of Arrest will make it illegal

Context: The Supreme Court has recently (Vihaan Kumar Versus State of Haryana) said that if the grounds of arrest are not informed as soon as may be after the arrest, it would amount to a violation of the fundamental right of the arrestee guaranteed under Article 22(1). It will also amount to depriving the arrestee of his liberty.

Relevance of the Topic:Prelims: Key facts about Article 22. 

image 58

Article 22 of Indian Constitution

  • It provides protection against arrest and detention in certain cases.
  • Article 22(1) states that:  No person who is arrested shall be detained in custody without being informed, as soon as may be, of the grounds for such arrest nor shall he be denied the right to consult, and to be defended by, a legal practitioner of his choice.

Key points from the Judgement

The Supreme Court has ruled that failure to inform an arrested person of the grounds of arrest violates Article 22(1) of the Constitution, and will render the arrest illegal. 

The safeguard provided under Article 22(1) ensures the right to liberty under Article 21 as no person can be deprived of liberty except through due process, which involves:

  • Mandatory communication of grounds of arrest:
    • Grounds of arrest must be clearly communicated in a language the accused understands.
    • A written communication is recommended (as per the Pankaj Bansal case) to avoid legal disputes.
    • Informing only in the remand report does not satisfy constitutional requirements.
  • Informing relatives/nominated persons:
    • As per Section 50A of CrPC, the accused’s relatives or nominated persons must also be informed promptly.
    • This ensures timely legal assistance to secure bail or legal representation.
  • Judicial scrutiny of arrests:
    • When presented before a Judicial Magistrate for remand, the magistrate must ensure compliance with Article 22(1).
    • Failure to do so invalidates the remand and continued custody of the accused.
  • Burden of proof on Police:
    • If non-compliance is alleged, the Investigating Officer/Agency must prove adherence to Article 22(1).
    • Filing a charge sheet or order of cognizance cannot validate an unconstitutional arrest.
  • Bail and immediate release:
    • Courts must order the release of an accused if a violation of Article 22(1) is established.
    • Even if statutory restrictions on bail exist, Article 21 takes precedence in such cases.

The above ruling reinforces that Article 22(1) is a fundamental right, not a mere procedural requirement. The judgment upholds the right to liberty and dignity, emphasising the constitutional obligation of law enforcement and the judiciary to protect individual freedoms.

National Commission of Safai Karmcharis

Context: The Union Cabinet approved the extension of the tenure of the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) for a period of three years up to March 2028. This is to facilitate socio-economic upliftment of sanitation workers, improving the working conditions in the sanitation sector, and aiming to achieve zero fatalities while performing hazardous cleaning.

Relevance of the Topic:Prelims: Key facts about the National Commission of Safai Karmcharis. 

About the National Commission of Safai Karmcharis

  • The Commission was set up as a statutory body in 1994 under the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis Act, 1993. After the lapsing of the Act in 2004, the Commission became a non-statutory body.
  • However, its scope has been expanded after the enactment of The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.

Organisation: The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis is a non-statutory body under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, it comprises of-

  • Chairperson (in the rank and status of the Union Minister of State).
  • Vice-Chairperson (in the rank and status of the Secretary to the Government of India).
  •  Five members, including a lady member (in the rank and status of the Secretary to the Government of India)
  • Secretary (in the rank of Joint Secretary to the Govt. of India) along with other supporting staff.

Mandate

  • Recommending to Central government specific programmes of action towards elimination of inequities in status, facilities, and opportunities for safai karamcharis.
  •  To study and evaluate implementation of programmes and schemes relating to social and economic rehabilitation of safai karamcharis and scavengers.
  • To investigate the non-implementation programmes and schemes for safai karamcharis, and provisions of any laws in its application to safai karamcharis and take up such matters with the relevant authorities.
  • To study and monitor the working conditions relating to health safety and wages of Safai Karmacharis.
  • To make reports to the Central or State Government on any matter, difficulties or disabilities being encountered by Safai Karmacharis.
  • To ensure that compensation is paid in case of sewer deaths by the concerned agency.

Furthermore, under the provisions of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 (MS Act 2013), NCSK has the following mandate:

(i) to monitor the implementation of the Act.

(ii) to enquire into complaints regarding contravention of the provisions of this Act and to convey its findings to concerned authorities with recommendations requiring further action.

(iii) to advise the Central and State Govt for effective implementation of the provisions of this Act.

(iv) to take suo-motu notice of matters relating to non-implementation of this Act.

Parasnath’s Marang Buru

Context: There has been a controversy due to the development plan at Parasnath Hill leading to a tripartite dispute between the state government, Jain community and Santhal tribal group.

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts about Parasnath’s Marang Buru; Jainism. 

About Parasnath’s Marang Buru

  • Parasnath Hill is the highest peak in Jharkhand (1,365 meters). It is named after Lord Parshvanatha, the 23rd Jain Tirthankara. 
  • It is located towards the eastern-end of Chota Nagpur Plateau. 
  • It falls within the Parasnath Wildlife Sanctuary and is part of the Madhuban Forest Area.
  • Significance in Jainism: 
    • It is known as Sammed Shikharji, one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites for Jains.
    • According to Jain beliefs, 20 out of 24 Tirthankaras (spiritual teachers) attained Moksha (liberation) here.
  • Marang Baru: 
    • The Santhal tribe considers the hill as Marang Buru, their Supreme Deity and Chief God.
    • The site is an important place of worship for tribals, where they perform traditional rituals and celebrations during the Sohrai festival.
image 57

Disputes regarding the location

  • Religious conflict between Jain community and Santhal tribals on developing location as pilgrimage site.
  • Opposition to Tourism and commercialisation of the location, as the Jain community consider it as sacred.
  • Declaration of eco-sensitive zones by the government neglects the traditional rights of the Santhal tribal communities.

About Jainism

  • Origin & Founders: Rishabhanatha (1st Tirthankara) and Mahavira (24th Tirthankara, 540-468 BCE). 
  • Core Beliefs: 
    • Triratnas: Right Faith, Right Knowledge, Right Conduct.
    • Five Vows: Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacharya, Aparigraha.
    • Anekantavada: Multiple perspectives of truth. 
  • Sects: 
    • Digambara: No clothes (skin clad).
    • Shwetambara: Wear white clothes. 
  • Jain Literature & Architecture: 
    • Texts: Kalpasutra, Tattvartha Sutra.
    • Temples: Dilwara (Rajasthan), Gomateshwara (Karnataka).
  • Patronage: Chandragupta Maurya, Kharavela, Rashtrakutas, Chalukyas

Chandrayaan-4 Mission

Context: India is set to launch the Chandrayaan-4 Mission in 2027, marking a significant step in the nation’s space exploration efforts.

Relevance of the Topic:Prelims: Key facts about Chandrayaan-4 mission. 

image 54

Chandrayaan-4 Mission

  • Chandrayaan-4 is a planned lunar sample return mission expected to launch around 2027.
  • Initiative of: Indian Space Research Organisation. Fourth iteration in Chandrayaan lunar series. 
  • Aim: To collect samples from the moon's surface and bring them back to the Earth.
  • Landing site: planned near Statio Shiv Shakti (landing site of Chandrayaan-3) located near to the lunar south pole region.

Spacecraft Design and Mission: 

1. Design: 

  • The spacecraft would comprise five modules across two separate launches, onboard two separate Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM-3) launch vehicles.
    • Ascender Module (AM), Descender Module (DM) in one launch. 
    • Re-entry Module (RM), Transfer Module (TM), and Propulsion Module (PM) in second launch.
  • After two launches, the stacks will be docked together in elliptical Earth orbit to form an integrated stack. 
image 55
image 56

2. Lunar landing: 

  • Subsequent to docking, the Integrated Stack will perform the first set of Earth-bound maneuvers with the PM propulsion system.
    • In the final lunar orbit, DM + AM will get separated from TM + RM. 
    • DM + AM will undergo powered descent to achieve soft landing on the lunar surface.
  • After lunar landing, a robotic arm (Surface Sampling Robot) will scoop around 2-3 kg samples around the landing site. Additionally, a drilling mechanism will collect sub-surface samples. The samples will be sealed and brought back to Earth. 

3. Re-Entry into Earth’s Atmosphere:

  • Once sample collection is completed, AM would ascend to the lunar orbit and dock with the parked TM + RM. 
  • Samples will be transferred from AM to RM. After sample transfer, the TM + RM will be undocked from AM. Later, the TM + RM will perform maneuvers to return to Earth. 
  • At a suitable entry corridor, RM would get separated from TM and perform ballistic re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere and finally land onto Earth along with Lunar Sample.

Challenges:

  • Demonstration of successful docking capabilities in the Earth’s orbit and undocking in the lunar orbit. 
  • Successful re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere by withstanding intense heat and pressure. 
  • Preserving the lunar samples in an uncontaminated state on their way back to Earth. 

Significance: 

  • The mission will validate critical processes such as docking and undocking in lunar orbit, precise landing techniques, and the safe return of spacecraft through Earth's atmosphere. 
  • By mastering these technologies, Chandrayaan-4 will directly contribute to the development of systems required for India's planned crewed lunar landing in 2040.

Lunar Missions by ISRO:

1. Chandrayaan-1: 

  • India's first moon mission launched in 2008. 
  • Launch vehicle: Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)
  • Success:
    • The spacecraft orbited around the Moon at a height of 100 km. It mapped the Moon in infrared, visible, and X-ray light from lunar orbit and used reflected radiation to prospect for various elements, minerals, and ice.
    • It released an impactor (Moon Impact Probe- MIP) that studied the thin lunar atmosphere before crashing on the Moon’s surface. 
    • The mission gave definitive proof of the presence of water ice in the Moon’s atmosphere and surface.

2. Chandrayaan-2: 

  • Second moon mission launched in 2019. 
  • Launch vehicle: Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM-3)
  • The spacecraft consisted of an orbiter, a lander, and a rover. 
  • The orbiter circled the Moon in a polar orbit at a height of 100 km and has a planned mission lifetime of seven and a half years. 
  • Success:
    • The mission’s Vikram lander was planned to land on the moon (demonstrate soft landing). However, the lander crashed due to a software error.
    • Despite the loss of communication with Vikram Lander, 90-95% of the mission objectives have been accomplished.
    • It has enriched understanding of the Moon's evolution and mapped minerals and water molecules in the Polar Regions.

3. Chandrayaan-3: 

  • Third moon mission launched in 2023. 
  • Launch vehicle: Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3)
  • The spacecraft consists of a Vikram lander and a Pragyan rover. The Vikram lander touched down on the Moon on August 23, 2023. 
  • Success:
    • Chandrayaan-3 made one of the closest approaches to the moon's South Pole.
    • The landing site is located about 600 kilometers from the South Pole of the Moon, on the near side of the Moon. 
    • The rover operated for one lunar day (approximately 14 Earth days). It aimed to collect lunar samples, do in-situ experiments and send data to Vikram lander, to transmit it back to Earth for comprehensive analysis.
    • India became the fourth country to have landed a spacecraft on the Moon—after the United States, Russia, and China.

Marine heat waves

Context: The marine heatwaves (MHWs) off the coastal Western Australia is linked to the death of more than 30,000 fish. Marine heatwaves can happen at different locations in the ocean and have become more frequent and intense over the last few decades.  

Relevance of the Topic:Prelims: Key facts about Marine Heat Waves.

What is Marine Heatwave?

  • A marine heatwave is an extreme weather event. According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), Marine heatwaves are periods of extremely high temperatures in the ocean (above the 90th percentile).
  • It occurs when the surface temperature of a particular region of the sea rises to 3 or 4 degrees Celsius above the average temperature for at least five days. 
  • MHWs can last for weeks, months or even years.
Marine Heatwave

What causes Marine Heatwaves?

  • Marine heatwaves are caused by a range of ocean processes, acting either separately or in combination, but there are two main drivers:
    • Surface heat flux: Heating from the atmosphere, which tends to occur when an atmospheric high-pressure system sits above a region of water for an extended period.
    • Advection: Movement of warmer waters into the region by ocean currents.
  • Marine heatwaves driven by surface heat flux tend to be shallower and shorter in duration, whereas that driven by advection can be deeper and longer in duration.
image 84

What have been the recent trends?

  • In the past few decades, MHWs have become longer-lasting, more frequent, and intense. Their numbers have doubled between 1982 and 2016.
  • IUCN has noticed a rise of 50% in just the last decade.
image 85

How is climate change responsible for this trend?

  • As global temperatures have soared to 1.3 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial levels, 90% of the extra heat has been absorbed by the ocean. 
  • This has increased the global mean SST by close to 0.9 degrees Celsius since 1850, and the rise over the last four decades is around 0.6 degrees Celsius.

What can be the consequences?

  • Ecosystems: MHWs can have harmful effects on marine ecosystems. For instance,
    • Coral reefs may experience bleaching due to prolonged exposure to high temperatures. 
    • Seagrass beds and kelp forests can also be affected. Impaired photosynthesis, reduced growth, and hindered reproductive functions observed. 
    • Degradation could lead to collapse of local marine food webs, affecting various marine species.
In 2024, coral bleaching on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef reached “catastrophic” levels after intense MHWs put corals under stress. This was the reef’s seventh mass bleaching event.
  • Marine Industries: Fisheries and aquaculture can suffer due to changes in fish distribution and productivity caused by MHWs.
  • Human Activities: Coastal communities and economies can be impacted by disruptions in fishing, tourism, and other ocean-related activities.
  • Rise in weather extremities: Extremely warm waters act as a strong source of heat and moisture, helping cyclones to intensify. About 90% of the cyclones in the north Indian Ocean were preceded by marine heatwaves (1980–2020).
  • Long-Term Effects: Even after the water cools down, the impacts of MHWs can persist for years, affecting marine ecosystems and biodiversity.

Appointment of Ad-hoc Judges in High Court

Context:  To address the growing backlog of criminal cases, the Supreme Court has allowed High Courts to appoint retired judges on an ad-hoc basis. SC relaxed a rule set in Lok Prahari which had limited such appointments to High Courts where judicial vacancies exceeded 20% of the sanctioned strength.

Relevance of the Topic:Prelims: Key facts about Ad-hoc judges in High Court. 

Appointment of Ad Hoc Judges

  • Article 224A: The Chief Justice of a High Court for any State may at any time with the previous consent of the President, request any person who has held the office of a Judge of that Court or of any other High Court to sit and act as a Judge of the High Court for that State.
  • Entitlements: 
    • They are entitled to allowances as determined by the President’s order.
    • They have all the jurisdiction, powers, and privileges of a Judge of a sitting High Court; but are not “deemed” as such. 
  • Both the retired judge and the President of India are required to consent to the appointment.

Why is there a need to appoint Ad-hoc Judges?

  • Pendency of criminal cases: Huge pendency in several high courts, in Allahabad High Court there are 63,000 criminal appeals pending. Similarly, 20,000, 21,000, 8,000 and 21,000 criminal cases are pending in high courts at Karnataka, Patna, Rajasthan and the Punjab and Haryana respectively.
  • Pendency of posts: Nearly 40% vacancies across all High Courts.
  • Delay in appointment Delay in appointment of High Court judges even after the recommendation of collegium.
  • Law Commission recommendation: Law Commission reports published in 1979, 1988, and 2003 have suggested that temporarily appointing retired judges who already have decades of experience is a viable solution to tackle the mounting backlog of cases.

Advantages of appointing Ad-hoc judges

  • Experienced judges: Retired judges are experienced judges with proven track records.
  • Speedier appointment: As there is no need for the Intelligence Bureau and other agencies to check in appointments because the person has been a judge before.
  • Reduce pendency: The ad-hoc judges can be assigned more than five-year-old cases.

Issues and concerns:

  • Inaction in regular appointment: Appointments under Article 224A could encourage “inaction in making recommendations” for regular judge appointments. 
  • Administrative Challenges: Coordinating between sitting and ad-hoc judges and ensuring seamless integration into the operations of the High Court. 
  • Rare usage: It is as such a dormant provision of the Constitution and has only been used thrice in the past, with no recorded usage since 2021.

Procedure for the appointment of Ad hoc Judges

  • Initiation:
    • The Chief Justice of a High Court will (after the consent of the person concerned) communicate to the Chief Minister of the State the name of the retired Judge and the period for which he will be required to sit and act as Judge of the High Court. 
  • State government recommendation: 
    • The Chief Minister will, after consultation with the Governor, forward his recommendation to the Union Minister of Law, Justice, and Company Affairs. 
  • Consultation with CJI: 
    • The Union Minister of Law, Justice and Company Affairs would then consult the Chief Justice of India. 
  • Final Approval: On receipt of CJI’s advice, the same would be put up to the Prime Minister, who will then advise the President as to the person to be appointed.
    • In the Lok Prahari v. Union of India case (2021), the Supreme Court held that this recommendation “has to be routed through the collegium of the Supreme Court”. This collegium includes the CJI and the two senior most judges of the Supreme Court.
  • As soon as the President gives his consent to the appointment, the Department of Justice will issue the necessary notification in the Gazette of India.

Guidelines given in Lok Prahri v Union of India to trigger appointment Under Article 224A:

  1. If the vacancies are more than 20% of the sanctioned strength.
  2. The cases in a particular category are pending for over five years.
  3. More than 10% of the backlog of pending cases are over five years old.
  4. The percentage of the rate of disposal is lower than the institution of the cases either in a particular subject matter or generally in the Court.
  5. Depending on the jurisdiction, a situation of mounting arrears is likely to arise if the rate of disposal is consistently lower than the rate of filing over a period of a year or more. 

What does the latest SC order say?

  • The SC has set aside the condition laid down in Lok Prahari, which permitted the appointment of ad-hoc judges only when judicial vacancies exceeded 20% of the sanctioned strength.
  • It further ruled that ad-hoc judges can only hear criminal appeals. 
  • The number of ad-hoc judges cannot exceed 10% of a High Court’s sanctioned judicial strength, meaning each High Court can have only 2 to 5 such appointments.

Four more wetlands declared Ramsar Sites in India

Context: Recently, India has added four new Ramsar sites, bringing the total to 89. This move highlights Tamil Nadu’s lead with 20 Ramsar sites and marks the 1st Ramsar sites for Sikkim and Jharkhand, underscoring India’s commitment to wetland conservation.

Relevance of the Topic:Prelims: Ramsar Sites in India. 

Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

  • It is an international agreement for the preservation and responsible use of wetlands.
  • The agreement was signed on February 2, 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar. The date is annually celebrated as World Wetlands Day. 
  • Wetlands are the places where water either covers the soil or is present at or near the soil's surface year-round or for different parts of the year, including the growing season. 
  • Ramsar Convention categorises various natural and human-made diverse water bodies, and habitats as wetlands:
    • Natural: Oases, estuaries, deltas, mangroves, coastal areas, coral reefs
    • Human: Fishponds, rice paddies, and reservoir. 

Ramsar Sites in India

  • India has increased its tally of Ramsar sites to 89, by designating four more wetlands as Ramsar sites. Jharkhand and Sikkim received their first Ramsar designations.
  • Newly Added Ramsar Sites (February 2025)
    • Sakkarakottai Bird Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu)
    • Therthangal Bird Sanctuary Tamil Nadu)
    • Khecheopalri Wetland (Sikkim)
    • Udhwa Lake (Jharkhand)
  • Previously in November 2024, Ramsar Site certificates were given away to:
    • Nagi Bird Sanctuary, Bihar
    • Nakti Bird Sanctuary, Bihar
    • Tawa Reservoir, Madhya Pradesh
    • Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu
    • Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu
image 53

1. Udhwa Lake: 

  • First Ramsar site in Jharkhand.
  • Falls within the Gangetic Plains bio-geographic zone
  • Named after: Saint Uddhava of Mahabharat times, a friend of Lord Krishna.
  • Udhwa Lake Wildlife Sanctuary is identified as an ‘Important Bird Area’.
    • The Sanctuary has two water bodies: Patauran and Berhale, interconnected by a water channel. 
    • The Sanctuary is connected to the Ganga River through a 25 km long water channel known as the Udhuwa Nala, at Farraka. 
  • Species found: 
    • Both aquatic and terrestrial birds are found, including rarities like Nordmann’s greenshank or Spotted greenshank. Important birds found are:
      • Black-necked stork (Near threatened)
      • Oriental white-backed vulture (Critically Endangered)

2. Khecheopalri Wetland:

  • First Ramsar site in Sikkim.
  • Location: Demazong valley, West Sikkim
    • Located at an elevation of 1,700 meters above sea level in the Eastern Himalayas.
    • The mighty Kanchenjunga peak serves as a majestic background.
  • Threats: The wetland is presently under increased pressure from land-use changes and tourism, which have proved to cause sedimentation and pollution.
  • Other facts: Khecheopalri is a sacred site for both Buddhists and Hindus and is often described as a "wish-fulfilling lake."

3. Sakkarakottai Bird Sanctuary: 

  • Location: 
    • Peri-urban wetland located within three villages in Tamil Nadu.
    • Located close to the Gulf of Mannar on the Central Asian flyway, a regular route for the migratory birds from Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
  • Importance: 
    • This wetland acts as a breeding ground for several Resident/Resident-Migrant species of waterfowl.
    • It supports more than 120 species of birds, and in 2012, the Site was designated as a bird sanctuary.
      • The abundant babul trees provide ideal nesting habitat for eight bird species, including the near-threatened spot-billed pelican.  
    • It plays a crucial role in:
      • Maintaining the hydrological regime of the area
      • Preventing soil erosion
      • Replenishing groundwater
      • Serving as a buffer during floods and extreme rainfall. 

4. Therthangal Bird Sanctuary

  • Location: Marshy lake located within Therthangal village in Tamil Nadu.
  • It lies along the Central Asian Flyway (important flyways for migratory birds around the world). 
  • Important species found:
    • Egyptian vulture (Endangered)
    • Indian spotted eagle (Vulnerable)
  • Importance: It plays a crucial role in climate regulation, recharging of groundwater, and irrigation.

Trending now

State of India’s Environment 2026: Rising Climate Risks and the Need for Resilience
Karnataka Announces Ban on Social Media for Children Under-16
India–France “Special Global Strategic Partnership”: A New Indo-Pacific Anchor
Front-of-Package Labelling: A Preventive Strategy to Address India’s Rising Lifestyle Diseases