Context: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and partner institutes have developed CEREBO, a hand-held, non-invasive indigenous diagnostic device for rapid detection of Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs).
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: About CEREBO.
Key Features of CEREBO
CEREBO is a novel hand-held, portable, non-invasive diagnostic device designed for the detection of Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs).
It utilises advanced near-infrared spectroscopycombined with machine learning to detect intracranial bleeding and brain swelling within one minute.
Benefits of CEREBO:
Can be used by paramedic staff as well as unskilled personnel.
Provides colour-coded, radiation-free results, making it safe for infants and pregnant women.
Cost-effective (reduces imaging costs) as compared to conventional imaging tools.
Offers an emergency diagnostic option when advanced tools like CT or MRI scans are inaccessible or delayed. Can be deployed in ambulances, rural clinics, military healthcare systems and disaster response units.
Enhances early detection of TBI and improves patient outcomes.
Reduces dependence on expensive, imported diagnostic tools.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
TBI is a condition caused by sudden trauma or injury to the head, which disrupts normal brain function. The injury may range from mild (concussion) to severe, often leading to long-term physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioural impairments.
Nearly 1.5-2 million persons are injured every year and one million die annually in India due to TBIs. Road traffic injuries (60%) are the leading cause, followed by falls and violence.
Context: Recently, Onam, the significant harvest festival of Kerala, was celebrated with grandeur and devotion.
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts about Onam.
About Onam
Onam is a ten-day festival celebrated to honour the return of the legendary King Mahabali to Earth (once a year) to visit his people.
The festival also signifies the end of the monsoon and the start of the harvest season.
Rituals and Celebrations:
People worship King Mahabali and Lord Vamana and pray for the health and longevity of their close ones. On Thiruvonam (the last day of the festival), King Mahabali visits the earth.
Onam is observed with a range of traditional dance performances such as:
Thiruvathira Kali (Kaikottikali dance)
Pulikali (tiger dance)
Kathakali dance
Onam Sadya (a platter of traditional local cuisine) is prepared and served to family members and guests.
Pookalams (intricate flower designs) are made in households across the state. stunning Snake Boat Race, and unique Kaikottikali dance.
On the Pamba River, the renowned AranmulaVallamkali (snake boat race competition) is organised.
Context: The debate on creating theatre commands has re-surfaced following discussions at the Ran Samwad 2025 tri-service seminar at the Army War College, Mhow.
Relevance of the Topic: Mains: Theaterisation of Command: Significance and the Challenges.
What is Theaterisation?
Theaterisation refers to the integration of the Army, Navy, and Air Force resources into unified ‘theatre commands’ for operational deployment under a single commander.
Each theatre command will be responsible for a specific geographical region, enabling better coordination in combat.
Current Structure :
The Army and Indian Air Force (IAF) currently have seven commands each, and the Navy has three commands.
In addition, there are two tri-service commands: Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), and the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) which manages India’s nuclear arsenal.
There is also the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQIDS), which was created after the Kargil conflict to fulfil the need for an institutional framework for higher management of defence.
Rationale for Theaterisation:
Modernisation of warfare: Modern conflicts are multi-domain (land, sea, air, cyber, space, UAVs, precision weapons). Unified command is required to respond effectively.
Jointness: India’s forces often operate separately; integration will eliminate duplication and ensure synergy in operations.
Learning from advanced militaries: Advanced militaries like the US and China operate through unified commands; India cannot afford “siloed warfare”.
2019: Creation of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Department of Military Affairs (DMA); mandate included restructuring into joint/theatre commands.
2020: Gen Bipin Rawat (first CDS) proposed 4 commands: Air Defence, Maritime, Western, Eastern.
Post-2021 (after Gen Rawat’s death): an adversary-based joint theatre command was proposed.
Northern & Eastern Theatres (China-centric)
Western Theatre (Pakistan-centric)
Maritime Theatre Command
Ongoing discussions cover command HQs, operational areas, reporting structure, lead service, and integration of ANC & SFC.
Steps already Taken towards Jointness:
Joint logistics nodes established.
Cross-postings among services.
Integration in procurement, training, and staffing via Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQIDS) and DMA.
Challenges in creating Theatre Commands:
Institutional Resistance: Services have operated under independent commands for over 70 years; dismantling them will be disruptive.
Inter-Service ‘rivalries’ and Disagreements:
IAF’s concerns over division of its assets
Perception of army dominance and
Bias towards threat on land borders, E.g. a proposed single Maritime Theatre Command for Eastern and Western commands of the Indian Navy from Sir Creek to Sunderbans.
Risk of Operational Delays and Decision-making Bottlenecks: Risk of longer decision-making chains if additional command levels are created.
One-size-fits-all Model: Blind replication of foreign models (like of the US) may not suit India’s unique threat environment and resource base.
Inter-service Dissonance: Despite consensus on the need for integration, divergence remains on how to achieve it, i.e., through theatre commands or by strengthening existing joint structures.
Way Forward
Consensus-building: Ensure reforms are consultative, not imposed.
Pilot Projects: Test limited theatre structures before nationwide rollout.
Future-readiness: Incorporate cyber, space, AI, and electronic warfare into doctrines.
Empowering CDS & DMA to overcome institutional inertia.
India-specific Model: Tailored to geography, adversaries, and force structure, not copy-paste from other militaries.
Theatre commands are a game-changer reform in India’s higher defence management. However, success depends on addressing doctrinal concerns, ensuring doctrinal balance between Army, Navy, and IAF, and evolving a flexible, India-specific model.
As CDS Gen Chauhan emphasises, the objective is to resolve “dissonance” and build consensus so that the armed forces fight future wars jointly rather than individually.
Context: The opposition leader in Bihar has pledged to raise the quota limit to 85% if voted to power. At the same time, the Supreme Court has issued notice to the Union government on a petition seeking the introduction of a ‘creamy layer’ system for SCs and STs.
Relevance of the Topic: Mains: Should reservations exceed the 50 % cap ?
Reservation in the Indian Constitution is envisaged as a corrective mechanism to redress historical injustices and ensure substantive equality. Mere formal equality could not dismantle entrenched social hierarchies in India, and thus reservation empowered the State to adopt affirmative action for disadvantaged groups.
What are the Constitutional Provisions?
Article 15(4) and 15(5) empower the State to make special provisions for the advancement of socially and educationally backward classes, including SCs and STs, particularly in educational institutions.
Article 16(4) allows the State to provide reservations in public employment for backward classes not adequately represented in services.
Articles 16(4A) and 16(4B), inserted through constitutional amendments, permit reservation in promotions for SCs and STs and allow the carry forward of unfilled reserved vacancies.
Article 46 directs the State to promote the educational and economic interests of weaker sections, especially SCs and STs.
The reservation in the Centre at present stands as follows: OBCs (27%), SCs (15%), STs (7.5%) and for the Economically Weaker Section (10%), resulting in a total reservation of 59.5%.
Important Court Rulings in this Context:
In Balaji v. State of Mysore (1962), the SC held that reservations should remain within reasonable limits and should not exceed 50%.
In State of Kerala v. N.M. Thomas (1975), the SC observed that reservation is not an exception to equality, but a facet of equality of opportunity under Article 16; though it did not rule on the 50% ceiling.
In Indra Sawhney (1992), the SC upheld 27% reservation for OBCs, and introduced the concept of a creamy layer within OBCs. The court laid down the 50% ceiling rule, subject to extraordinary circumstances.
In Janhit Abhiyan (2022), the SC upheld the 103rd Constitutional Amendment and the validity of 10% EWS quota. It clarified that the 50% limit applies only to backward class reservations, and not to the EWS category.
InState of Punjab v. Davinder Singh (2024), the SC upheld the power of states to make sub-classification within SCs/STs.
Arguments for Exceeding the 50% Cap:
Proportional Representation: Backward classes form a majority of the population, and proportional representation requires a higher quota share.
Substantive equality demands going beyond formal equality, as historical injustices and deep-rooted discrimination cannot be addressed with a 50% limit.
Address persistent underrepresentation of SCs, STs, and OBCs which still continues, with many reserved posts remaining unfilled.
States with higher percentages of marginalised populations argue that a rigid 50% ceiling undermines their autonomy to design policies that reflect their demographic realities.
Arguments against Exceeding the 50% Cap:
Critics argue that excessively high quotas (such as 85%) would violate the constitutional principle of equality of opportunity.
Judicial precedents have consistently upheld the 50% ceiling as a safeguard against excessive reservations that may harm merit-based selection.
Large numbers of reserved vacancies remain unfilled, suggesting that higher quotas alone may not ensure representation and could worsen backlog vacancies. In the absence of creamy layer exclusion for SCs/STs, benefits get concentrated among advanced sub-groups, leaving the most deprived behind.
Way Forward
Policymaking on reservation should be based on empirical evidence from the 2027 Census, which is expected to include caste enumeration.
Implement the Rohini Commission’s sub-categorisation to distribute OBC benefits more equitably.
Introduce a two-tier system for SCs/STs prioritising the most marginalised sections.
Efforts on complementary measures such as skill development, access to quality education, and inclusion of marginalized groups in the private sector.
India needs a consensus-driven solution which balances equality of opportunity with the demands of social justice.
Context: In 2024, the Indian government issued revised guidelines under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act, 2016. These guidelines provide a framework for assessing the extent of disability of people with two copies of the sickle cell gene, or with both sickle cell and beta thalassaemia, or Hb D.
Relevance of the topic:
Prelims: Key facts about Sickle Cell Anaemia; Rights to Persons with Disabilities Act 2016.
Mains: Issues in the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act, 2016.
The RPWD Act 2016 marked a step towards protecting the rights of persons with disabilities, and promoting their full inclusion in society. The law aligns with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and promises dignity, equality, and non-discrimination.
About Rights to Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016
The Act defines persons with disabilities as a person with physical, intellectual, or sensory impairment which, in interaction with barriers, hinders his full and effective participation in society equally with others.
Types of disabilities covered under the Act are increased from 7 to 21. It includes various physical and mental disabilities like acid attack victims, dwarfism and Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Persons with benchmark disabilities are entitled to free school education up to 18 years of age, reservations in higher educational institutions, development assistance programmes, and government employment.
Reservation: It mandates a 4% reservation in public employment and 5% reservation in educational institutions for PwD.
The Act mandates both public and private institutions to make infrastructure accessible and provide ICT consumer products for PwD.
Sickle Cell Anaemia
It is an inherited or genetic blood disorder that affects haemoglobin, the protein in Red Blood Cells (RBCs) that carries oxygen to all parts of the body.
Healthy RBCs are soft and round. In SCD, the haemoglobin is abnormal, which causes the RBCs to become hard and sticky and look like a sickle.
These rigid, sticky cells die early and often get stuck in blood vessels, clogging the flow of blood. As a result, different parts of the body do not get the oxygen they need. This can cause pain and other serious health problems such as infection, acute chest syndrome and stroke.
Treatment:
It is a lifelong illness. The only cure comes in the form of gene therapy and stem cell transplants, however, both are costly and still in developmental stages.
Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission (2023) aims to eliminate sickle cell disease as a public health problem by 2047.
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a painful, progressive, and disabling blood disorder, disproportionately affecting marginalised communities like Tribals.
Narrow lens of disability in Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016
Not-inclusive: The Act extends reservations in public sector employment under the 4% quota for persons with vision and hearing loss, locomotor disabilities, and intellectual disabilities. However, individuals with SCD and other blood disorders are not included in the quota.
Subjectivity in benchmark disability: The benchmark disability under the Act must meet a certain threshold of impairment, specifically 40% or more. However, different hospitals, medical boards, and doctors can assign different disability percentages to the same person, depending on their personal judgment.
Certificationbottlenecks: A medical authority, including chief medical officer, evaluates and certifies disability. Diagnosis reports of confirmatory tests must be from a government or standard lab. The certification process can be largely inaccessible for Adivasi and Dalit patients in rural or remote areas.
Way Forward
Extending job reservations to individuals with SCD and related blood disorders would acknowledge their condition as a significant, lifelong disability.
Reforming the certification process to account for fluctuating and invisible disabilities would reflect a rights-based lens rather than a purely biomedical one.
Improve Accessibility: Mobile medical units in tribal and rural areas for on-site certification and treatment.
Disability is not only shaped by physical health, but also by social exclusion, structural barriers, and policy gaps. The continual reliance on biomedical scoring and exclusion of people with SCD from full protections undermines the very purpose of recognising the condition under the Act.
Unless India’s recognition of SCD brings real rights and protections, it risks becoming exclusion disguised as inclusion.
Context: Indian Courts have been male-dominated institutions. Presently, there is just one woman judge out of the full strength of 34 judges in the Supreme Court. In order to implement inclusive policies, it is necessary to employ a female perspective into the institution.
Relevance of the Topic: Mains: Essay; Under Representation of Women in Judiciary: Reasons and Way Forward.
Introduction
Over the past century, women in law have made significant progress in India. The first woman lawyer, Cornelia Sorabji, was entitled to practice in 1924. Since then, women have entered the legal profession in increasing numbers, attained the rank of Senior Advocates, and served as judges in the lower judiciary.
Despite these advancements, women’s representation in the higher judiciary remains alarmingly low, which highlights deep-rooted systemic inequality.
Issue of Glass Ceiling in the Higher Judiciary
Women’s representation in the higher judiciary continues to be minimal.
Only 13.4% of High Court judges are women.
In eight High Courts— Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Manipur, Meghalaya, Odisha, Tripura, and Uttarakhand— there is either no woman judges or just one.
Allahabad High Court, the largest in the country, has only three women judges out of 79 (2%).
Only one High Court, the Gujarat High Court, currently has a woman Chief Justice.
Women judges are appointed at a later age than men, with an average appointment age of 53 years compared to 51.8 years for men. This delay prevents them from reaching senior positions.
At Supreme Court level
The situation in the Supreme Court is even more dire:
Since 2021, 28 judges have been appointed to the Supreme Court, but none of them are women.
In the past 75 years, nine men have been elevated directly from the Bar to the Supreme Court, while only one woman has received the same elevation.
Only 11 women have been appointed to the Supreme Court till date (August 2025), which is a mere 3.8% of total judges appointed since its inception in 1950.
There is total absence of caste diversity among women judges in the Supreme Court due to non-appointment of women judges from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
The delayed age of appointment for women results in women judges not making it to the Collegium or as Chief Justice of India. The first woman CJI will be Justice B. V. Nagarathna, who is scheduled to be appointed for only 36 days (in 2027).
Reasons for under-representation of women in Judiciary:
1. Barriers to Women’s inclusion:
Heightened Scrutiny: Women face greater scrutiny when being considered for elevation, with their merit being questioned more rigorously than their male counterparts.
Entry-level barriers: The Judicial Service Rules in many states require continuous legal practice, which can be challenging for women who need career breaks due to family responsibilities. This restricts their chances of elevation to the Bench.
Retention challenges: Even when women enter the judiciary, career progression is hampered by rigid transfer policies and lack of support structures, discouraging their long-term participation.
Infrastructure deficiencies: Many courts lack basic facilities such as separate washrooms, crèches, and family-friendly spaces. A 2019 survey by the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy found that nearly 100 district courts lack dedicated washrooms for women, making their daily work environment difficult.
2. Collegium System and alleged gender bias:
No clearly defined criteria: There are no clearly defined criteria for eligibility, merit, or the selection process.
Composition: Collegiums, predominantly composed of men, rarely make a concerted effort to identify and elevate qualified women candidates.
Rejection by the government: Even when women’s names are recommended, they are disproportionately rejected by the government. Since 2020, nine women’s names were recommended for High Court appointments, but five were rejected outright.
Way Forward
1. Transparent Appointment Process:
Collegium should establish a clear and transparent selection process based on merit.
Time-bound approvals for collegium recommendations (A timeframe of 90 days is proposed).
2. Gender diversity as a stated objective:
Gender diversity should be an explicit criterion in judicial appointments, ensuring that at least one-third of judges in the High Courts and Supreme Court are women.
Adopt Kerala's model of 50% reservation for women in lower judiciary.
Establish gender diversity targets (33-50%) in higher judiciary appointments.
3. Inclusive infrastructure and policy-level changes:
Judicial policies should account for women’s specific needs, including maternity benefits and flexible transfer policies.
Courts must prioritise gender-friendly infrastructure, including sanitary facilities, feeding rooms, and crèches.
Inclusion of women in the High Court and Supreme Court committees on infrastructure and policy-making to ensure gender-sensitive decision-making.
4. Encouraging women in the legal profession:
Law firms, bar councils, and judiciary bodies should actively mentor and support women lawyers to build a strong pipeline of candidates for judicial roles.
Carole Pateman’s theory of the “public-private divide” aptly explains how traditionally male-dominated institutions fail to adapt to the inclusion of women. A female-centric gaze in judicial policy-making is necessary to ensure that infrastructure, recruitment, and retention policies are designed with women’s lived realities in mind.
Context: Urban noise pollution has emerged as one of the neglected public health crises despite policy measures.
Relevance of the topic:
Prelims: Legal Framework, Constitutional Provisions related to noise pollution.
Mains: Key reasons for rising noise pollution and associated challenges.
As per the World Health Organisation, safe limits in silent zones are 50 dB by day and 40 dB by night. Yet in cities such as Delhi and Bengaluru readings near sensitive institutions often reach 65 dB-70 dB.
Existing Measures for Noise Regulation:
The Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 provide legal provisions for defining silent zones and regulating permissible limits.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) launched the National Ambient Noise Monitoring Network (NANMN) in 2011 to generate real-time noise data across Indian cities.
State governments and local authorities are empowered to regulate loudspeakers, firecrackers, construction activities, and industrial operations.
Article 21 guarantees the right to life with dignity, encompassing mental and environmental well-being.
Public awareness campaigns such as “No Honking Day” in some states, have been undertaken to encourage behavioural change among citizens.
Despite the presence of policy measures, noise pollution continues to rise because enforcement has remained weak and largely symbolic.
Gaps and Challenges in Implementation:
Weak enforcement of the Noise Pollution Rules and penalties for violations are rarely imposed. E.g., Noise Pollution Rules 2000 are rarely updated to reflect urban realities.
Lack of coordination: Multiple agencies such as traffic police, municipal bodies, and State Pollution Control Boards act in silos, which leads to a lack of coordination.
Fragmented Data: Data generated by the National Ambient Noise Monitoring Network often remains fragmented and is not effectively linked to enforcement actions.
Technological bottlenecks: Sensor placement is frequently flawed, with many devices installed at heights of 25-30 feet, which leads to inaccurate readings.
Public apathy and normalisation of honking, drilling, and construction noise reduce civic pressure on authorities to act.
Urbanisation, late-night infrastructure work, and logistics-driven traffic contribute to rising noise levels despite existing restrictions.
Health, Social and Ecological Impacts
Noise pollution has severe health consequences, including hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stress, and disturbed sleep cycles.
Children exposed to high noise levels experience impaired cognitive development and reduced learning outcomes.
Elderly citizens and individuals with pre-existing health conditions face aggravated mental and physical health challenges.
Noise pollution reduces productivity, increases irritability, and lowers the overall quality of life in cities.
Noise disrupts animal communication systems. E.g., A 2025 University of Auckland study found that urban noise altered the sleep and song patterns of common mynas within a single night. Such disruptions signal a broader breakdown of ecological communication, which affects biodiversity and the urban environment.
In 2024, the Supreme Court of India affirmed that environmental disruptions, including excessive noise, can infringe upon the fundamental right to life and dignity under Article 21
Global Experiences and Best Practices:
Europe: The European Environment Agency estimated in 2020 that noise pollution causes annual economic losses worth €100 billion due to its health impacts. In response, several European cities redesigned speed zones, enforced strict zoning regulations, and integrated noise mapping into urban planning.
Japan: Japan has introduced acoustic zoning laws and noise-mapping systems that guide urban development and reduce sound exposure in residential areas.
India, by contrast, suffers from regulatory fragmentation and institutional silence.
Way Forward
Formulation of National Acoustic Policy on the lines of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards to establish permissible decibel levels for different urban zones. The policy must mandate regular noise audits and empower local grievance redressal mechanisms to make enforcement citizen-centric.
Decentralisation of National Ambient Noise Monitoring Network (NANMN) to give local bodies access to real-time data and responsibility for immediate action.
Directly linking noise monitoring with enforcement to ensure that violations invite penalties, strict zoning compliance, and restrictions on construction activities.
Public awareness must be institutionalised through continuous campaigns, driver training programmes, and community initiatives.
Urban planning must integrate acoustic resilience by creating noise-buffer zones, embedding green spaces, and designing infrastructure that balances speed with sonic civility.
Tackling urban noise pollution requires moving beyond token regulations towards a rights-based approach that upholds Article 21 guarantee of life with dignity.
Context: Recent scientific research using coral microatolls has revealed that sea-level rise (SLR) in the central Indian Ocean, particularly around the Maldives, Lakshadweep, and Chagos Archipelago is accelerating. Earlier studies suggested that significant acceleration started only in the 1990s, but new evidence shows that seas in this region have been rising since the late 1950s.
Relevance of the Topic: Mains: Implications of Climate Change.
Rising Sea Levels in Indian Ocean
Rising sea levels are among the most visible and threatening consequences of global warming. The Indian Ocean, which is the third largest ocean basin in the world, has been experiencing sea-level rise at an accelerated pace.
The Indian Ocean’s levels have been rising at around 3.3 millimetres per year, which is higher than the global average, which in turn amplifies changes in ocean dynamics and atmospheric circulation.
These shifts have a direct impact on coral reefs, fisheries, and low-lying island nations such as the Maldives, Lakshadweep, and the Chagos Archipelago.
Key Findings of the Study:
A team of researchers from the National University of Singapore studied coral microatolls in the Maldives. The study reconstructed sea-level history from 1930 to 2019, extending the existing records by nearly 90 years. The findings showed that :
Sea levels rose by around 0.3 metres over the 90-year period.
The rate of rise has accelerated over time: it was between 1 and 1.84 mm/year from 1930 to 1959, and between 3.91 and 4.87 mm/year from 1990 to 2019. This indicates that sea-level rise in the Indian Ocean began accelerating in the late 1950s.
The periods of coral growth interruption coincided with El Niño events, negative Indian Ocean Dipole events, and the 18.6-year lunar nodal cycle, all of which influence sea levels and stress corals.
Implications of Rising Sea Levels:
Ecological: Coral reefs face bleaching due to reduced sunlight, warmer waters, and acidification, threatening biodiversity and marine productivity.
Human & Economic: Low-lying islands risk inundation; livelihoods from fisheries and tourism are endangered; flooding, erosion, and storm surges increase vulnerability.
Geopolitical & Security: Strategic islands like Maldives and Lakshadweep face displacement, migration, and sovereignty challenges, impacting maritime trade and security.
Way Forward
Strengthening Scientific Monitoring: Expanding tide gauge networks, improving satellite observations, and using natural recorders such as coral microatolls can help fill critical gaps in sea-level data, and thus improve the accuracy of climate models and projections.
Ecosystem-Based Adaptation: Restore mangroves, seagrasses, and coral reefs as natural buffers.
Policy & Governance: Integrate sea-level rise into planning and disaster frameworks; secure climate finance and technology for island nations.
Context: APK scam is one of the fastest-growing cybercrime threats in India. The sophisticated social engineering scam is driven by malicious Android Package Kit (APK) files that stay undetected and exploit public trust in digital systems.
Relevance of the Topic:Prelims: Key facts about Android Package Kit (APK) Scam. Mains: Cybercrimes: Types, Challenges and Regulations.
What is Android Package Kit (APK) Scam?
APK scams involve malicious files which are used to install apps on Android devices outside of the official App store. The App often has hidden malware that can steal personal data, passwords, banking information, or install spyware.
Rising cases: There has been a 900% jump in cyber crimes between 2021 and 2025. The National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal has logged over 12 lakh different types of APK Scams in India since the beginning of 2025 (till date).
How does the APK Scam work?
APK files on Android devices are much like .exe files on Windows computers; both are used to install Apps. These files can be exploited by fraudsters to spread malware.
Fraudsters build or source these Apps to mimic the appearance and language of official portals (E.g., government subsidy schemes like PM-Kisan, tax refund platforms, electricity boards, or banks asking for KYC updates).
These fake Apps are often circulated through social media platforms and accompany convincing messages that urge users to act immediately. Once downloaded, the App seeks multiple permissions including access to contacts, messages, call logs, location, microphone, and notifications.
The App harvests data in real-time, and transmits it in encrypted bits to external servers operated by fraudsters. These bits are decoded to extract valuable information, including banking credentials, OTPs, contacts, and location coordinates etc.
Challenges:
Google or any other intermediary does not scrutinise every application that is being hosted on their server. Fraudsters use mule accounts and shell identities to pay for hosting and publishing on search engines.
Strong encryption techniques hide malicious code from detection tools. By remaining dormant during installation certain APKs can bypass antivirus softwares.
Even after earlier versions are blacklisted, the same APK file is reused with minor modifications in the interface (name, logo and URL or web address of the file) thus, allowing it to bypass detection.
Context: The Supreme Court has recently sought a detailed response from the Centre on the issue of restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
Relevance of the topic:
Prelims: Concept of Federalism, Constitutional Framework for Creation of States.
Mains: Issue of Restoration of Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
Abrogation of Article 370
The abrogation of Article 370 and enactment of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 bifurcated the State into two Union Territories:
Jammu & Kashmir (with legislative assembly)
Ladakh (without legislative assembly).
The Supreme Court in 2023 upheld the abrogation, but it also directed the Union Government to restore statehood and conduct Assembly elections.
Constitutional Framework for Creation of States
The Constitution of India provides three processes for creating States: admission, establishment, and formation.
Admission requires an organised political unit and is guided by international law, as was the case with Jammu and Kashmir’s accession in 1947 through the Instrument of Accession signed by Maharaja Hari Singh.
Establishment involves acquisition of new territories, such as the cases of Goa and Sikkim.
Formation refers to reorganisation of existing States under Article 3, which has expanded India’s map from 14 States in 1956 to 29 States before the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.
Article 3 empowers Parliament to form, alter, or rename States, but it does not authorise converting a State into a Union Territory on a permanent basis. Thus, continuing to keep Jammu and Kashmir as a Union Territory is against the spirit of federalism embedded in the Constitution.
Implications of Non-Restoration:
Denial of statehood leads to a democratic deficit, since a Union Territory places overriding powers in the hands of the Lieutenant Governor rather than the elected government.
It also dilutes citizens’ rights to self-governance, which is central to India’s democratic framework.
Continued Union control risks alienating the people of Jammu and Kashmir and may undermine long-term stability and integration.
From a constitutional perspective, it sets a dangerous precedent where any State could potentially be downgraded to a Union Territory, eroding the spirit of federalism.
Why Restoration of Statehood is Imperative?
Restoring statehood is imperative to uphold federalism, which the Supreme Court in Kesavananda Bharati (1973) held to be part of the Basic Structure.
The Rajya Sabha under Article 83(1) ensures continuous representation of States in national decision-making , and denial of statehood disrupts this equilibrium and weakens India’s cooperative federalism.
It empowers the elected government and restores the principle of self-rule, thereby addressing the democratic aspirations of the people.
It reinforces the separation of powers by complying with the Supreme Court’s directions.
It helps maintain national unity with federal balance, preventing over-centralisation that could erode trust among States.
While temporary Union control may be justified on grounds of security, its prolonged continuation undermines both the letter and spirit of the Constitution. The restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir is not merely a political demand but a constitutional obligation essential for safeguarding India’s federal design.
Context: In Kashmir’s Pulwama, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research’s Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM) is producing India’s first monofloral lavender honey, a kilogram of which sells for up to ₹6,000.
Relevance of the topic:
Prelims: Key facts about Lavender: Govt. Schemes to promote Integrated Agriculture.
The product is developed under the flagship CSIR Floriculture Mission, and is poised to feed the market for functional foods and grow sustainable agriculture and rural bio-enterprise.
A kilogram of it sells between ₹5,000 and ₹6,000 in the global market, six times higher than the price of regular organic honey.
The CSIR-IIIM is in the process of filing for geographical indication (GI) for Kashmir lavender honey and upscale its production in the coming years.
About Lavender
Lavender is a perennial aromatic plant native to countries bordering the Mediterranean. It is a non-native species of aromatic plant in India.
It is used as an ornamental plant and commercially cultivated as a culinary herb and to extract essential oils.
Benefits of cultivating Lavender:
Purple Revolution: Expansion of lavender cultivation for commercial purposes (E.g., production of lavender honey, essential oils etc.)
Lavender isnot susceptible to pest infestation and acts as a pest barrier due to its antifungal, antimicrobial, and anti-bacterial properties.
The highly fragrant crop produces volatile organic compounds diffusing a strong scent that deters insects and pests by overpowering the insect’s olfactory receptors. This makes the pest unable to detect other scents (E.g., apple blossoms).
Rodents attack the roots and stems of fruit-bearing trees like apples and plums. Lavender has been proven to keep away rodents.
CSIR-Aroma Mission:
Launched in 2016, the mission focuses on cultivation of aromatic crops (lavender, rose, lemongrass, rosemary, vetiver, mint, etc.) and generating new avenues of self-livelihood and entrepreneurship.
Under the CSIR-Aroma Mission, lavender farmers are offered end-to-end support, including cultivation, processing, value addition, and marketing.
CSIR Floriculture Mission:
Launched in 2021, the mission focuses on promoting the floriculture sector in India. It includes commercial floral crops, seasonal/annual crops, wild ornaments and cultivation of flower crops for honey bee rearing.
Floriculture can give 5 times more return than the traditional crops to farmers besides having potential to provide employment to a large number of people.
Beekeeping/ Sweet Revolution
The scientific practice of Beekeeping (Apiculture) has the potential to promote eco-friendly and sustainable agriculture along with higher yields leading to increase in income levels of farmers. The Sweet Revolution can act as a major tool to promote socio-economic development.
Beekeeping has great potential for the small and marginal farmers, landless labourers etc. on account of following reasons:
Increases crop yields by 20-30% through cross pollination.
Additional source of income for paid pollination service.
Less capital Intensive and hence can be practiced by poor farmers.
Requires no land and can be practiced by landless labourers.
Other products such as bee pollen, bee-venom costlier than honey.
Nutritional Security: More than a third of the global food basket is comprised of bee pollinated crops.
Growing demand for honey in the overseas market and hence scope for more export earnings.
The Government has launched the National Beekeeping and Honey Mission in 2020 to harness the potential of the Sweet Revolution. Beekeeping should be considered as an input of agriculture, which could enhance the efficacy of other inputs and accordingly training should be provided to farmers.
Context: Educate Girls, an Indian non-profit organisation working to educate unprivileged girls across the country, has been named as one of the three winners of the Ramon Magsaysay Award 2025.
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: About Ramon Magsaysay Award 2025.
Ramon Magsaysay Award 2025
Educate Girls is the first Indian organisation to win the Ramon Magsaysay Award.
The other awardees are Shaahina Ali from the Maldives (an environmental activist) and Flaviano Antonio L. Villanueva from the Philippines (a human rights defender).
About Educate Girls (NGO)
Educate Girls (Foundation to Educate Girls Globally) is a leading Indian non-profit organisation working towards bridging gender gaps in education.
It was founded in 2007 by Safeena Husain.
Its core mission is to identify out-of-school girls, enrol them into classrooms, ensure their continued education and improve learning outcomes.
The NGO adopts a community-driven model by mobilising local volunteers such as Team Balika and Preraks, who act as change agents within their villages.
The organisation emphasises that investing in girls’ education creates a multiplier effect- improving health outcomes, delaying early marriages, enhancing incomes, and transforming communities.
It began its work in Rajasthan (one of the states with the highest gender disparity in education), and later scaled operations to states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar. It has succeeded in bringing millions of girls back to school, while simultaneously changing community mindsets around girls’ education and gender roles.
In recognition of its transformative work, Educate Girls became the first Indian non-profit organisation to receive the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2025.
About Ramon Magsaysay Award
The Ramon Magsaysay Award was established in 1958 in memory of Ramon Magsaysay, the seventh President of the Philippines.
It is considered Asia’s most prestigious prize and is often referred to as Asia’s Nobel Prize.
The award celebrates greatness of spirit and transformative leadership in Asia.
The Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership is conferred to outstanding youngindividuals who are 40 years old or below, and to organisations not more than 10 years old that are engaged in exceptionally worthy work. It is supported by a grant from the Ford Foundation.
