Daily Current Affairs

May 10, 2025

Current Affairs

India needs National Security Doctrine

Context: In the wake of the ongoing confrontation between India and Pakistan, after the Pahalgam terrorist attack in Kashmir, the need for a comprehensive National Security Doctrine for India becomes more pertinent. 

Relevance of the Topic: Mains: National Security Doctrine: Need and Significance. 

What is the National Security Doctrine?

  • National Security Doctrine (NSD) is a comprehensive framework that outlines a country’s national interest and security objectives. It defines traditional, non-traditional threats and opportunities, and outlines the accountability of its security agencies.

Developed countries have certain core principles that guide their military machines called the strategic doctrine. However, India does not have an explicit National Security Doctrine. 

Need for National Security Doctrine in India:

Traditional and non-traditional security challenges facing India have necessitated a comprehensive National Security Doctrine. 

  • Internal Security Challenges: 
    • Cross-border terrorism in Jammu & Kashmir
    • Naxalism and North-East Insurgency
    • Ethnic tensions & communal conflicts. E.g., Manipur Conflict 
  • External Security Challenges:
    • Boundary-disputes and skirmishes with China & Pakistan
    • China's Belt and Road Initiative and its influence in the Indian Ocean Region
  • Non Traditional Security Challenges: 
    • Climate change, natural disasters and outbreak of pandemic
    • Drug trafficking and transnational crimes
    • Cyber-security threats on critical infrastructure

Various committees like Naresh Chandra Task Force (2012), Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence (2021) have emphasised the need for NSD.

Significance of National Security Doctrine:

  • Strategic Guidance: Ensure coherent long-term planning and Standardisation of Procedures (E.g., SOPs for military modernisation and allocation of resources)
  • Prompt and Effective Decision-Making based on the National Security Strategy outlined in the NSD. 
  • Integrated Defence Planning: Synergy across Army, Navy, and Air Force to meet hybrid threats and increased operational efficiency. It will synchronise the coordination among Ministries, Intelligence Agencies, and Armed forces.
  • Consistent Security Response: Reduce adhocism in dealing with security challenges during coalition government or change in government. 
  • Define India’s role in the world and showcase itself as a net security provider, such as during the Mission Sagar initiative for COVID-19 pandemic relief.

The doctrinal approach to security would not only minimise the threat of war but also enhances India’s sphere of positive influence. This would also fill the crucial gaps in higher military management and offer a strategic blueprint to navigate the complex global security landscape.

State of Child Labour in India

Context: Child labour in India persists not due to lack of laws but due to weak enforcement.

Relevance of the topic:

Prelims: Key facts related to state of child labour in India.

Mains: State of Child labour in India and reason behind its persistence despite stringent laws.

Child Labour

  • International Labour Organisation (ILO) defines the term child labour as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development.
  • The Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 (amended in 2016) defines:
    • child as a person who is below the age of 14 years. 
    • adolescent as a person who is between the age of 14-18 years. 
  • As per national criteria, only those below the age of 14 engaged in economic activities (outside family enterprises and audio-visual entertainment industry) are considered child laborers. 

State of Child Labour in India

  • As per Census 2011, 10.1 million children (>1 crore) in India in the age group (5-14) years are working, either as ‘main worker’ or as ‘marginal worker’. 
  • As per Periodic Labour Force Survey 2018-19 the number of children in child labour in India ranged from 18 lakh (using the national definition) to 33 lakh (using the international definition).
  • Almost half of these children work within their own families, with the agricultural sector employing the largest share, followed by industrial sectors like manufacturing and construction. They are frequently engaged in highly dangerous and exploitative sectors like Match and fireworks production, Glass and leather industries, Brick kilns and coal mines.

Impacts of Child Labour on Children

Child labour has deep and long-lasting impacts on children’s physical, mental, and social well-being:

  • Physical and Mental Abuse: Children employed in factories and informal sectors often face physical and verbal abuse, extremely low wages, and are denied medical care even in the event of injuries.
  • Health Hazards: Work environments lack basic hygiene, sanitation, and clean water, making children highly vulnerable to infectious diseases. Exposure to toxic substances in industries like glass, fireworks, and leather can lead to chronic, irreversible illnesses and premature death. 
  • Loss of Education: Working children are deprived of schooling, which affects their ability to break the cycle of poverty, restricts future opportunities, and leads to intergenerational poverty.
  • Poverty Cycle: As per the ILO, child labour is both a cause and consequence of poverty. Child labour perpetuates the cycle of poverty, as the lack of education and skills hinders the children's ability to escape poverty in the future.
  • Social Isolation and Stigma: Working children often grow up in isolation, without proper emotional and social development, making reintegration into society or formal education systems difficult.
Impacts of Child Labour on Children

Constitutional Provisions for Protection of Child: 

  • Article 15 (3) permits positive discrimination in the favour of children.  
  • Article 21A which makes education free and compulsory between the ages of 6-14 years. 
  • Article 23 states that children should not be forced to work at cheap wages due to their economical or social disadvantage.
  • Article 24 prohibits child labour in hazardous occupations, factories and mines.
  • Article 39 requires the State to direct its policies to ensure the tender age of children is not abused. 

Why Child Labour persists despite Strong Laws?

  • Weak Enforcement: 
    • Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 regulate the working conditions of children in India and prohibit their employment in certain hazardous occupations and processes. It was significantly amended in 2016 to further define hazardous work and expanded protection. 
    • However, real-world implementation remains weak. As per the government data, only 613 cases were registered under the Act in 2021 for violations involving children aged between 5 and 14 years.
    • A significant portion of child labour is found in the informal economy, making it harder to regulate and monitor due to weak regulatory oversight.
  • Lack of updated Census data: Last Census was conducted in 2011, there is no recent, accurate data on how many children are currently engaged in labour. This lack of updated information makes it hard for policymakers and organisations to assess the scale of the issue, allocate resources effectively, or implement targeted interventions to combat child labour. 

Way Forward

  • Strengthen enforcement mechanisms through better surveillance, inspections, and punishment for violators.
  • Update and maintain reliable data on child labour through regular surveys and Census.
  • Tackle root causes- poverty, lack of access to education, malnutrition.
  • Provide support to rescued children including education, counseling, and vocational training.
  • The government should make a positive list of occupations for non-hazardous industries and processes where adolescents can work.

India has the laws in place to eradicate child labour. What it needs now is political will, social awareness, and administrative action to enforce those laws effectively and rescue its children from the clutches of exploitation. 

National Scheme for Upgradation of ITIs

Context: The Union Cabinet has approved the scheme for upgradation of 1,000 government Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), and the setting up of five National Centers of Excellence (NCOE) as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for transforming vocational education in India.

Relevance of the Topic:Prelims: Key facts about National Scheme for Upgradation of ITIs and setting up of National Centres of Excellence. 

National Scheme for Upgradation of ITIs and setting up of National Centres of Excellence:

  • Initiative of: 
  • Centrally Sponsored Scheme. 
  • Outlay: Rs. 60,000 crore (Central Share: Rs 30,000 crore, State Share: Rs 20,000 crore and Industry Share: Rs 10,000 crore). Additionally, 50% of the central share will be co-financed equally by the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.
  • The scheme will focus on:
    • Upgradation of 1,000 Government ITIs in hub and spoke arrangement with industry aligned revamped trades (courses)
    • Capacity Augmentation of 5 National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) and setting up of 5 National Centres of Excellence for Skilling in these institutes.

Key Focus Areas: 

  • Position existing ITIs as government-owned, industry-managed aspirational institutes of skills, in collaboration with State Governments and industry. 
  • Adopt an industry-led Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) model for an outcome-driven implementation strategy, making it distinct from previous efforts to improve the ITI ecosystem.
  • Skill 20 lakh youth through industry-aligned training programs over a five-year period. Ensure alignment between local workforce supply and industry demand, thereby facilitating industries, including MSMEs, in accessing employment-ready workers.
  • Strengthen Training of Trainers by upgrading infrastructure in the five NSTIs and offering pre-service and in-service training to 50,000 trainers. This is to enhance the quality and consistency of vocational education.

Background: Need for upgrading Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs): 

  • ITIs have been the backbone of vocational education and training in India, operating under State Governments. ITI network has expanded by nearly 47% since 2014, reaching over 14,600 across India, with over 14 lakh enrolment. However, vocational training via ITIs has suffered from lack of systemic interventions to improve their infrastructure, course contents, and remains less aspirational. 
  • India has only 42% of Indian graduates considered employable. Hence there is an urgent need for aligned government, academia, and industry action. By upgrading ITIs and embedding on-the-job learning, soft skills, and future capabilities like green and digital skills, India can unlock its talent potential. 

The schemes are a significant step towards revamping vocational education and bridging the critical skill-employability gap across sectors. 

Climate Change is disrupting the Human Gut

Context: As per the latest research, climate-driven food shortage and undernourishment could affect the composition of the human gut microbiota, exacerbating the effects of climate change on human health.

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts related to gut bacteria; Impacts of Climate Change. 

Microbiota in Human Gut

  • The human gut is home to around 100 trillion microbes like bacteria, fungi, and viruses- mostly bacteria. The collective genetic material of these microbes (known as gut microbiome) contains over 100 times more genes than the human genome. 
  • These microbes produce thousands of chemicals (metabolites) that support- digestion and nutrient absorption, immune system regulation, blood sugar and metabolic balance and protection against harmful pathogens.
  • A healthy gut depends on a balanced relationship between beneficial and harmful bacteria.
    • Good bacteria help break down food, produce vitamins, and protect against harmful invaders. 
    • Bad bacteria, when overgrown, can cause inflammation, infections, or disease. A healthy gut depends on a balanced relationship between these beneficial and harmful bacteria. 

However, climate change is now threatening this balance with long-term implications for public health.

image 4

Impacts of Climate Change on Gut Microbiota and Population:

1. Nutritional Disruptions and Microbial Imbalance: 

  • Climate change is adversely affecting the yield and nutritional quality of crops and animal-based food sources. High atmospheric carbon dioxide levels can diminish the quantity of plant micronutrients like phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and iron, along with protein concentrations in vital crops such as wheat, maize, and rice.
  • This reduction compromises the nutritional intake necessary for maintaining microbial diversity in the gut, potentially leading to gut dysbiosis or microbiota dysbiosis - the imbalance in gut microbial population.

Microbiota Dysbiosis can lead to dysregulation of bodily functions and diseases such as: 

image 5

2. Rising Heat and Disease Burden: 

  • Foodborne and waterborne infectious diseases and malnutrition increase with heat. These diseases further disturb gut microbiota and worsen the burden of malnutrition and gastrointestinal illnesses, especially in vulnerable populations like children and the elderly.

3. Vulnerability of LMICs and Indigenous Communities: 

  • Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), are particularly  vulnerable, as these regions face the brunt of climate stressors, including higher temperature and atmospheric carbon dioxide, which affect their agricultural output and make nutrient deficiencies more common.
  • Indigenous peoples often rely on local and traditional food sources and exhibit high gut microbial diversity. Climate-induced changes in ecosystems threaten these food systems, potentially reducing microbial diversity and thus impacting their health disproportionately.

The Challenge: Limited understanding of Gut Microbiome

However our understanding of the gut microbiota’s role in human health is still evolving.

  • While the gut microbiome is critical to health, its connection to climate change is still poorly understood. Many gut health studies do not yet account for environmental factors like pollution, rising heat, or changing crop patterns.
  • Moreover, individual gut microbiomes are unique, making it difficult to predict how each person will respond to climate-induced changes in diet or disease exposure.

Way Forward

  • Need for Multidisciplinary and Global Research: Scientists are calling for more collaboration across fields- nutrition, climate science, public health, and microbiology to study how environmental changes affect the gut.
  • Advances in computational biology and metagenomics (the study of microbial genes) are helping scientists better understand gut microbes. Tools like GutBugBD, an open-access database from India, allow researchers to track how gut microbes interact with food and drugs. These developments could lead to personalised treatments using probiotics and nutraceuticals to restore gut balance. 

Trending now

Taming the Algorithm: India’s New Rules for Regulating AI-Generated Content
China’s New Antarctic Law and Implications for Global Polar Governance
India–EU Deepen Partnership in Peaceful Nuclear Science and Fusion Energy
Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026: Strengthening India’s Waste Governance Framework