The Indian Express

Martian dust may pose Health Risks to Astronauts

Context: A recent study carried out by the US researchers has found that toxic dust on Mars would make a future mission to the red planet extremely hazardous for astronauts. 

Relevance of the Topic:Prelims: Key facts about Mars; Mars Missions. 

Major Highlights of the Report

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  • Fine dust: The size of a Martian dust particle is quite small (it is about 4% the width of a human hair). The fine particles of the dust could penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream and cause respiratory issues. 
  • Toxic elements in Martian dust: Silica, gypsum, perchlorates, chromium, arsenic and nanophase iron oxides. The impact of these toxins could be more significant due to microgravity and radiation on Mars.
  • Dust storms: Every Martian year (which lasts ~687 Earth days), the planet witnesses regional dust storms. Every three Martian years, these storms grow into planet-encircling dust storms.

The use of air filters, self-cleaning space suits and electrostatic repulsion devices (remove dust particles) can limit exposure to dust. 

Facts about Mars

  • Fourth planet from the Sun and second-smallest planet in the Solar System. Mars is about half the size of Earth. 
  • Similarity to Earth (Orbit and Rotation):
    • Mars rotates every 24.6 hours, which is very similar to one day on Earth (23.9 hours).
    • Mars' axis of rotation is tilted 25 degrees with respect to the plane of its orbit around the Sun. Earth’s axial tilt is 23.4 degrees.
    • Like Earth, Mars has distinct seasons, but they last longer than seasons on Earth since Mars takes longer to orbit the Sun.
  • Red Planet: Mars looks reddish due to oxidation or rusting of iron in rocks, and dust of Mars.
  • Mars has a thin atmosphere made up mostly of carbon dioxide, nitrogen and argon gases.
  • Mars has no magnetic field, but certain areas of Martian crust in the southern hemisphere are highly magnetised, indicating traces of a magnetic field.
  • Mars has two small moons, Phobos and Deimos, that may be captured asteroids.
  • Mars has the largest volcano in the solar system i.e., Olympus Mons. It is 3 times taller than Earth's Mt. Everest.

Martian Missions: 

  • The Soviet Union in 1971 became the first country to carry out a Mars landing, Mars-3. The second country to reach Mars’s surface is the USA. 
  • India’s Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan) was launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh by ISRO in 2013.

Reasons for fascination with Mars:

  • Mars has several Earth-like features– such as clouds, polar ice caps, volcanoes, and seasonal weather patterns. 
  • Life may have evolved on Mars in the past. Conditions on early Mars were very similar to that of Earth. It was once warm enough to allow water to flow through it. It had a thick atmosphere, which enabled stability of water on the surface of Mars. 
  • Mars is the only planet that humans can visit or inhabit in the long term. Mars is comparatively hospitable in terms of temperature, with an approximate range between 20 degrees Celsius at Equator to minus 125 degrees C at poles.

However, no human has set foot on Mars because the atmosphere on Mars is very thin, consisting of mostly carbon dioxide with no breathable oxygen, making it difficult for astronauts to survive there.  

Vikramshila Mahavihar

Context: The state government of Bihar has recently identified 202 acres of land at Antichak village, Bhagalpur district to establish a Central University, a few kilometers away from the site of ancient Vikramshila Mahavihar. 

Relevance of the Topic:Prelims: Vikramshila Mahavihar

Vikramshila Mahavihar:

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  • Vikramashila was a Buddhist monastery situated in Bhagalpur district, Bihar. One of the three most important Buddhist Mahaviharas of its time in India, along with Nalanda and Odantapuri.
  • Founded by: King Dharmapala of the Pala dynasty in the late 8th to early 9 Century AD. Thrived during the Pala Period (8th to 12th century). Vikramshila Mahavihar existed and flourished at the time of Nalanda.
  • Practised Tantrayana: Tantric practices and rituals (one of the three great vehicles of Indian Buddhism after Hinayana and Mahayana).
    • Only university that specialised in tantric and occult studies.
    • Other subjects such as theology, philosophy, grammar, metaphysics and logic were also taught.  
  • Eminent scholar: Atisa Dipankara played a key role in the establishment of Buddhism in Tibet.
  • Factors for decline (13th century): Combination of factors, including- invasion of Bakhtiyar Khalji around 1193 AD, and rising Hinduism and the decline of Buddhism.
  • Major artifacts found: carved limestone sculpture that depicts the eight major events of Buddha’s life; sculptures of Buddhist and Hindu deities such as Avalokiteshvara, Loknath, Ganesh, Surya, Vishnu, etc. 
  • The university also had a vast library and a dedicated air-conditioned system (cooling system) possibly for preserving precious manuscripts. 

Read More: Nalanda University 

Controversial Clauses of Waqf Bill 2024

Context: The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 has elicited widespread criticism across India.

Relevance of the Topic : Prelims: Controversy around Waqf Bill. 

Controversial Clauses of Waqf Bill 2024

1. Representation of Non-Muslims on Waqf Boards:

  • The 2024 Bill permits a non-Muslim Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and not less than two non-Muslim members on State Waqf Boards. 
  • The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) revised it to necessitate that the CEO must be a Joint Secretary-level officer and conversant in Muslim law.
  • According to critics, non-Muslims should not sit on waqf boards because waqf is religious. 

2. Government Power over Waqf Properties:

  • The 2024 Bill initially provided District Collectors with the authority to decide whether a property is of waqf or government. The JPC amended it to a higher state government official. 
  • Critics worry about prejudice, for a state official might decide in the government's favour.

3. Removal of “Waqf by User”:

  • The 2024 Bill does away with the concept of “waqf by user”, which is a part of the 1995 law.  This refers to a property treated as waqf based on its long-term use for religious or charitable purposes, even without formal documentation. Several mosques and graveyards could fall in this category.
  • The removal can result in disputes over mosques, graveyards, and other waqf properties without valid waqfnama.

4. Waqf Property Database:

  • The 2024 Bill required every waqf property to be registered on a central database within six months of the law’s commencement. Non-registered waqf properties cannot approach court in case of disputes or encroachment.
  • The JPC permitted the Waqf Tribunal to extend the timeframe of registration in some circumstances; what these circumstances could be was left to the Tribunal’s discretion.

5. Tribunal's decisions No Longer Final:

  • The Bill states that the Waqf Tribunal will comprise a District Judge, and a state government officer of Joint Secretary rank as its members. 
  • The Bill removed the provision that made the Tribunal’s decision final. This allows Tribunal decisions to be challenged in the High Court. This can result in long-drawn-out legal fights over waqf property disputes.  

Judiciary’s In-House Inquiry

Context: The Chief Justice of India (CJI) has initiated a three-member in-house inquiry into the conduct of Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma, following allegations of currency notes found in his official residence where a fire broke out.

Relevance of the topic :Prelims : In-house Inquiry process, Removal of Judges under the Constitution. 

Removal of Judges under the Constitution

  • Indian Constitution has the provisions for the removal of judges:
    • Article 124(4): Removal of a Supreme Court (SC) judge.
    • Article 218: Removal of a High Court (HC) judge.
  • The judge can only be removed by Parliament on two grounds: 
    • Proven misbehavior or incapacity. 
    • Proven misbehavior and incapacity are not defined in the Constitution.  
  • The impeachment process requires a motion to be passed in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha with at least two-thirds of those present and voting, in such a way that it is more than 50% of the total membership of each House. (special majority)
  • If Parliament approves, the President issues the final removal order. However, no SC Judge has been impeached so far.

Judiciary’s In-House Inquiry: 

  • The inquiry is being conducted by a three-member committee consisting of:
    • Chief Justice (Punjab & Haryana HC)
    • Chief Justice (Himachal Pradesh HC)
    • Justice (Karnataka HC)
  • This demonstrates the importance of the Supreme Court’s in-house procedure in addressing judicial misconduct without requiring impeachment.  

Need for an In-House Inquiry Mechanism: 

  • 1995: Supreme Court, in ‘Ravichandran Iyer vs. Justice A.M. Bhattacharjee case’ noted a gap between proven misbehavior warranting impeachment and conduct inconsistent with the judicial office. 
  • 1997: The SC constituted a five-member committee which devised an internal procedure for handling allegations of misconduct against judges. 
  • 1999: The recommendations were adopted by SC. This procedure allowed the CJI or the Chief Justice of HC to initiate an inquiry against a judge if serious allegations were made, providing an alternative to impeachment. 

Step-by-Step Process of the In-House Procedure for Judges

StepDescription 
Complaint Received• A complaint against a judge can be received by the Chief Justice of a High Court (HC), Chief Justice of India (CJI), or President of India.

• If the complaint is received by the Chief Justice of HC or the President, it is forwarded to the CJI for further examination. 
Scrutiny by CJI• CJI reviews the complaint. If found to be baseless, it can be dismissed at this stage.

• If needed, the CJI can request a preliminary report from the concerned HC Chief Justice to assess the validity of the complaint. 
Formation of Inquiry Committee and Committee Investigation• If a detailed probe is required, the CJI constitutes a three-member inquiry committee, consisting of two HC Chief Justices and one HC judge.

• The committee conducts an investigation while ensuring natural justice, which includes allowing the accused judge to present their defence.  
Submission of Inquiry Report• After completing the inquiry, the committee submits its report to the CJI.

• The report must clarify: i) whether the allegations have any substance. ii). if the allegations are serious enough to warrant removal proceedings.
Possible OutcomesBased on the report, the CJI takes further action:i) If the allegations lack substance, the case is closed.ii) If the misconduct is minor, the CJI may "advise" the judge, and the report is placed on record.iii) If the misconduct is serious, the judge is asked to resign or retire. 
Refusal to ResignIf the judge refuses to step down, the CJI instructs the HC Chief Justice not to assign any judicial work to the judge. 
Further Action (If Needed)If necessary, the matter may escalate toward formal impeachment under constitutional provisions. 

Also Read: Removal process of a Judge of High Court

Jnanpith Award 

Context: Eminent Hindi writer Vinod Kumar Shukla was bestowed the 59th Jnanpith Award for the year 2024. The 88-year-old short story writer, poet and essayist, is one of the greatest contemporary writers in Hindu language. 

Relevance of the Topic:Prelims: Key facts about Jnanpith Award. 

About Jnanpith Award

  • The Jnanpith Award is the oldest and the highest Indian literary award. 
  • It is presented annually by the Bharatiya Jnanpith to an author for their outstanding contribution towards literature. 
  • It is bestowed only on Indian writers writing in Indian languages included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India, and English.
  • Details of the Award: Citation plaque, a cash prize of ₹11 lakh, and a bronze replica of goddess Saraswati. There is no posthumous conferral of the award. 

Eighth Schedule to Indian Constitution

  • The Eighth Schedule to the Constitution consists of 22 languages: (1) Assamese, (2) Bengali, (3) Gujarati, (4) Hindi, (5) Kannada, (6) Kashmiri, (7) Konkani, (8) Malayalam, (9) Manipuri, (10) Marathi, (11) Nepali, (12) Oriya, (13) Punjabi, (14) Sanskrit, (15) Sindhi, (16) Tamil, (17) Telugu, (18) Urdu (19) Bodo, (20) Santhali, (21) Maithili and (22) Dogri.
  • Of these languages, 14 were initially included in the Constitution. Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santhali were the latest additions in 2004.

India’s Rising Crude Oil Import Dependency

Context: India’s reliance on imported crude oil has increased to over 88% in the first 11 months of the current financial year ending March (FY25). This is due to growing demand for fuel and other petroleum products amid stagnant domestic crude oil output.

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Crude oil imports- Trends. 

Major Highlights:

image 18
  • Increasing reliance on imported crude oil: India’s crude oil import dependency has reached 88.2% in April-February FY25. This marks a steady increase over the years from 83.8% in FY19. Crude oil imports rose to 219.9 mt in the same period. 
  • Declining domestic oil production: 
    • Crude oil production declined from 26.9 million tonnes (mt) to 26.2 mt in April-February FY25. 
    • Self-sufficiency level stands at just 11.8%, as only 25.8 mt of the consumed petroleum products came from domestic crude oil.
  • Future projections: Petroleum product consumption is expected to rise to 252.93 mt, marking another record high.

Factors driving Higher Oil Imports

  • Growing energy demand due to population growth and economic expansion.
  • Increase in vehicle sales leading to higher fuel consumption.
  • Rising petrochemical consumption for industrial growth.
  • Expanding the aviation sector with greater jet fuel needs.

Economic and Strategic Implications

  • Vulnerability to global oil price fluctuations impacting fiscal stability.
  • Trade deficit pressure as oil imports form a major portion of total imports.
  • Foreign exchange reserve depletion affecting currency stability.
  • Inflationary pressures as fuel prices influence overall price levels.

Government Initiatives to Reduce Import Dependency

  • Policy reforms: Oilfield (Regulatory and Development) Amendment Bill to attract investment in the oil & gas sector and boost domestic exploration and production. 
  • Promotion of alternative fuels: Encouraging biofuels blending with conventional fuels. Incentives for electric mobility adoption to reduce petrol and diesel demand.
  • Refinery expansion plans: India’s current refining capacity is 257 mt per annum, expected to grow further.  

Who is responsible for AI chatbot's responses on X?

Context: Grok, an AI chatbot developed by xAI, has sparked controversy due to its unfiltered responses on X (formerly Twitter). Some responses included misogynist slurs, misinformation claims, and politically charged statements highlighting the growing need for AI regulations to prevent misinformation and ensure accountability.  

Relevance of the topic:

Prelims: Safe Harbour Principle.

Mains: Need to regulate AI.

Concerns associated with Generative AI and its Regulation

  • Amplify Misinformation: Generative AI systems if trained on biased data or developed with inherent biases, will generate biased outputs and prejudicial content. Since Grok allows direct publishing onto a social media platform (X), this content can spread unchecked and has a potential risk of faster dissemination of misinformation.
  • Lack of Transparency: AI Algorithms often have a black-box approach, i.e., one cannot thoroughly explain how the variables led to the resulting prediction. E.g., Grok’s AI-generated replies to users do not always carry citations or links to sources/web pages, limiting verifiability. This can further amplify misinformation.
  • Risk of Censorship: This may lead to companies self-censoring just due to fear of regulatory actions by governments. That creates a chilling effect on freedom of expression and can inhibit innovation.
  • Accountability for AI-generated output: Article 19(1)(a) grants freedom of speech but with reasonable restrictions. But these rights apply only to humans, and not AI systems. AI responses are machine-generated and lack personal intent. This makes it difficult to set legal accountability and determine liability for the responses made by AI.
  • Extension of Safe Harbour to AI: Social Media Intermediaries get safe harbour under the Section 79 of IT Act 2000. Grok is not a human user, but a computer program producing answers from massive internet data. This raises the question of whether safe harbour can be extended to AI-generated content. 

Safe Harbour Principle:

  • Safe harbour is a legal provision that provides protection from a liability or penalty. Under Section 79 of IT Act 2000, intermediaries such as X, Meta etc. are protected from any legal liability for content posted on their platforms by the users. 
  • As per the law, since the content posted on the social media platforms is owned by the users and does not belong to such companies, the provision gives them protection from prosecution.

Way Forward

  • Moderation of AI-bots by Developers: Developers should be more transparent about the datasets used for training to ensure diversity, and conduct thorough red-teaming and stress testing of AI bots to mitigate potential harms. 
  • Extend liability on the deployer in the event of wilful neglect and when no adequate measures are taken to moderate outputs. However, liability on deployers may depend on a case-to-case basis. E.g., In 2024, Air Canada was directed by a civil court to honour a false refund policy made up by an AI chatbot on its website.
  • Strengthen International collaboration and regulations for the responsible development and deployment of generative AI models and Chat bots.

Legislators must continue to strike a balance between ethical duty, protecting digital rights and free expression and technological innovation. 

India must act as a unifier in the Indian Ocean Region

Context: India’s geographical location and historical ties with the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) makes it a key stakeholder in regional security and stability. However, IOR lacks a cohesive security framework due to its diversity and self-interest-driven politics. 

Relevance of the Topic: Mains: India’s Maritime Security and Strategic Interests in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

Current challenges in the IOR: 

  • Lack of robust regional institutions: IOR lacks effective regional institutions to facilitate dialogue or cooperation, largely due to national self-interests and diversity among states. 
  • Fragmentation of regional initiatives: Various attempts to create a regional identity resulted in multiple organisations like IORA, SAARC, BIMSTEC, IPOI, CSC, and IONS. Most of these initiatives lack momentum, except for the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS).
  • Shiting focus towards Indo-Pacific region: The Indo-Pacific paradigm, promoted by the US, has diverted attention from IOR-centric frameworks. 

Maritime security threats: Ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and assertive actions in the South China Sea pose challenges to maritime security and international shipping.

image 82

India's Maritime Diplomacy: 

  • India's maritime policy centers on promoting regional cooperation by initiatives such as SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region). 
  • Indian Navy (IN) is a central component of this policy.
    • Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR): Most notably exemplified by the 2004 tsunami, where India gave immediate aid to neighboring countries that were hit.
    • Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA): India provides real-time maritime traffic data to neighboring countries to counter illegal activity and promote security.
    • Naval Cooperation: Mechanisms such as the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) foster cooperation between IOR navies to meet shared security issues.

Way Forward: 

To realise its true potential as a “preferred security partner” and “first responder” in the IOR, India needs:

  • Capability development: Develop a fully funded programme for security and HADR assistance, including amphibious heavy-lift capability and hospital ships. 
  • Improve Coordination: Enhance cooperation between the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of External Affairs to enhance efficiency in reacting to crises.
  • Multilateral Engagements: Engage actively in regional fora to create an integrated security structure that tackles collective issues. 

In the changing world order, maritime diplomacy will become ever more important. India needs to engage its maritime diplomacy, humanitarian operations, and strategic prowess to come together and shape the Indian Ocean Region. As K.M. Panikkar correctly pointed out, the Indian Ocean is not another sea area to India—it holds the very pivot of its national interests. 

Sonic Weapons

Context: The President of Serbia has denied that his police forces deployed a banned ‘sonic weapon’ to disperse protestors in the capital city, Belgrade. Serbia is currently witnessing mass anti-government protests against widespread corruption and nepotism.

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts about Sonic Weapons.

Acoustic or Sonic Weapons: 

  • Acoustic or sonic weapons are devices that produce very loud sounds over long distances. They can be designed to emit painful audible or inaudible sound waves.
  • Working: Such weapons typically comprise hundreds of transducers — electrical devices that convert energy from one form to another — to create highly concentrated and amplified sound. 
  • Utility: 
    • Crowd dispersal weapon. In 2004, for the first time, the US military used speciality equipment capable of projecting loud sounds over vast distances in Iraq. 
    • Can be used as voice amplifiers to transmit voice messages or other sounds.

Damage: These weapons can cause significant harm to the eardrums and delicate organs of the ears and cause tinnitus (ringing sensation in ears) and hearing loss.

image 81

Different types of Sonic Weapons: 

  • Long-range acoustic devices (LRADs): It has a range of 8,900 metres for intelligible speech, and produces a highly directional beam of extremely loud sound which can reach up to 160 decibels (dB).
    • Sounds over 120 dB can cause permanent hearing damage from even short periods of exposure. Sounds over 140 dB are extremely painful. 
  • Infrasonic weapon: It delivers very low-frequency sounds that would be inaudible but could cause pain and disorientation. Experts are still investigating its capabilities.

Mosquito: This device produces very high-pitched sounds that are audible and painful to only younger people — usually teenagers and those in their twenties. It does not affect older people (30 and above). It is not audible to adults because hearing fades as one gets older.

Offshore Mining Controversy in Kerala

Context: The recent decision of the Union Government to auction offshore mining blocks including three off the Kollam coast in Kerala has triggered widespread protests. The Kerala government and fishing communities oppose the move, citing environmental and livelihood concerns.

Relevance of the Topic:Prelims: Offshore Mining; Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act 2002; Impacts of Offshore mining. 

What is Offshore Mining?

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  • Offshore mining is the process of retrieving mineral deposits from the deep seabed at a depth of more than 200 metres.
  • In the process, poly-metallic nodules, including precipitated iron oxy-hydroxides and manganese oxides (onto which metals such as nickel, cobalt, copper, titanium and rare earth elements gather) are retrieved and unwanted sediments are flushed back into the sea.

Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act 2002:

  • The OAMDR Act, 2002 regulates mineral development in India’s maritime zones. As per the OMDR Act, offshore area means the territorial waters, continental shelf, exclusive economic zone and other maritime zones of India.
  • Amendment in 2023 introduced:
    • Private sector participation in deep-sea mineral exploration and mining.
    • Competitive e-auction process for awarding production leases for offshore minerals.
    • 50-year lease period for mining blocks.
  • Implications:
    • Encourages private investment in resource extraction. Increases mineral availability for construction and industrial use.
    • Raises concerns over environmental degradation and coastal ecosystem destruction.
    • Challenges the rights of coastal communities dependent on fishing.

Offshore Mining in Kerala:  

  • A study by Geological Survey of India (GSI) found 745 million tonnes of construction sand off Kerala’s coast. Three mining blocks off Kollam contain 300 million tonnes of sand at depths of 48m–62m.
  • Centre’s stand:
    • Under the OMDR Act, the Central government has the right to control mines and minerals in offshore areas. 
    • Fishing and related developmental activities up to 12 nautical miles in the sea is a State subject, as per the seventh schedule of the Constitution. State control applies only up to 12 nautical miles.
  • Kerala’s opposition:
    • Kerala Legislative Assembly passed a unanimous resolution against offshore mining.
    • Claims mining will irreversibly damage marine biodiversity and fisheries.
      Questions the Centre’s complete control over offshore mineral wealth, as States receive no direct royalty.

Impacts of Offshore Mining: 

  • Impact on Fisheries and Livelihoods: Kerala’s fishing industry supports 11 lakh fishermen across 222 coastal villages. Kollam parappu (Quilon Bank) is one of India’s richest fishing zones. The impacts include:
    • Toxic substances released into the sea can harm aquatic ecosystems. Decline in marine catch due to habitat destruction. 
    • Sediment plumes from seabed excavation disrupt photosynthesis by blocking sunlight.
    • Mining vessels pose risks to traditional fishing activities.
  • Ecological Risks: 
    • Clouding of water affects the euphotic zone limits photosynthesis and plankton growth.
    • Spread of sediment plumes beyond mining zones causes large-scale ecological damage.
    • Disturbance of marine biodiversity affects entire food chains.

Union Government’s Justification & Response: 

  • Exclusion of Marine Protected Areas: The government has ensured that 130 marine protected sites across coastal states are not included in the offshore mining zones.
  • Identification of Biodiversity Hotspots: 106 Important Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Areas (ICMBAs) have been identified to safeguard ecologically sensitive regions.
  • Formation of Offshore Areas Mineral Trust. The trust includes coastal states as stakeholders with funds allocated for mitigating environmental damage and supporting affected communities.
  • Commitment to sustainable mining practices: The Centre asserts that mining will be conducted with appropriate safeguards to minimise ecological harm.

Way Forward

  • Comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) before mining approvals.
  • Stakeholder consultations with coastal communities and state governments.
  • Revenue-sharing mechanisms to ensure coastal states benefit from offshore mining.
  • Strict environmental regulations to prevent damage to marine biodiversity.
  • Exploring sustainable alternatives like deep-sea mining technology with minimal disruption.

National Wildlife Health Policy 

Context: Five years after Covid-19 was declared a pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus that likely jumped from bats to humans, the central government is reviewing an interim draft of a National Wildlife Health Policy (NWHP).

Relevance of the Topic:Prelims: National Wildlife Health Policy; National One Health Mission. 

Key Components of the National Wildlife Health Policy

  • NWHP proposes a comprehensive surveillance system to monitor wildlife health across terrestrial, marine, and avian ecosystems. 
  • The policy would be aligned with the National One Health Mission to coordinate efforts for pandemic preparedness and integrated disease control. 
  • National Referral Centre for Wildlife (NRC-W) will act as a referral centre to investigate wildlife mortalities and outbreak events. It will facilitate disease diagnostics, treatments, and could be one of the nodal authorities for surveillance.
  • National Wildlife Health Database can act as a centralised repository of real-time or near-time surveillance data, historical data along with databases from animal husbandry and human health. 
  • Wildlife Health Information System has been proposed to streamline disease surveillance, facility-level reporting and spatial-temporal data.
  • Establishment of Satellite Diagnostic laboratories near critical forest habitats will enhance timely disease detection. 
  • Improving vaccination among livestock near National Parks to mitigate zoonotic disease risks through community engagement. 
image 79

Need of National Wildlife Health Policy: 

  • Over 60% of emerging infectious diseases impacting humans are getting transmitted from animals to humans. 
  • As per government data, India has a network of 1,014 protected areas which includes 106 national parks, 573 wildlife sanctuaries, 115 conservation reserves and 220 community reserves spread over 5.32% of its geographical area. Wildlife acts as a reservoir of pathogens and thus monitoring their health, in the wild and in captivity, has become an imperative. 

Challenges in the Current Framework: 

  • Fragmented disease surveillance: Wildlife health monitoring is spread across multiple ministries (Environment, Agriculture, and Animal Husbandry), leading to poor coordination and data exchange.
  • Lack of centralised wildlife health database: No unified system exists to track real-time disease outbreaks, making early detection and response difficult.
  • Limited diagnostic infrastructure: India lacks specialised wildlife disease labs, delaying diagnosis and treatment of emerging infections.
  • Inadequate capacity: Forest officials and veterinarians in wildlife areas often lack training and resources for disease detection and management. 
  • Zoonotic spillover risk: Unchecked human-wildlife interactions (livestock grazing near forests, illegal wildlife trade) increase the risk of zoonotic diseases like Covid-19.
  • Regulatory gaps: No specific legal framework for wildlife health management; existing laws (Wildlife Protection Act) focus more on conservation than disease prevention.
  • Limited community involvement: Lack of awareness and participation from local communities in disease prevention, such as vaccinating livestock near protected areas.
image 10

National One Health Mission: 

  • Launched in 2022.  
  • Aim: To coordinate across Ministries in achieving overall pandemic preparedness and integrated disease control against priority diseases of both human and animal sectors. 
  • The mission will help in institutionalising the 'One Health' approach. One Health recognises that the health of people is closely connected to the health of animals and shared environment. 
  • Human and animal pandemic preparedness is a key pillar of the One Health Mission which relies on effective surveillance strategies, boosting research, innovation community engagement and data integration across sectors. 
  • One of the key goal is Creation of a network of BSL 3/4 labs: 
    • This network will play a critical role in preventing, detecting, and responding promptly to disease outbreaks across human, livestock and wildlife sectors.
    • Currently there are 22 labs in this Network.  
  • This mission involves 13 ministries and departments, including the Department of Science and Technology, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) etc. 
  • National Institute for One Health in Nagpur will act as the coordinating body for national and international activities in the field of One Health. 

Linking Voter ID with Aadhaar

Context: The Election Commission of India (ECI) is set to collaborate with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to link voter records with Aadhaar. 

Relevance of the topic:

Prelims: Election Commission, UIDAI, Voter ID Aadhar linking

Mains: Voter ID- Aadhaar linking- benefits, concerns

Key Facts on Voter ID-Aadhaar Linking

image 78
  • Form 6B introduced by ECI: for collecting Aadhaar details of voters.
  • Legal basis: Sections 23(4), 23(5), and 23(6) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
  • Voluntary Linking: Aadhaar submission is not mandatory.
  • Amendments proposed in Form 6B to include an option to cite reasons not providing Aadhaar (with explanation).
  • Data collected: 66 crore voters have voluntarily submitted Aadhaar.
    • Presently, two databases (voter records & Aadhaar) for these 66 crore voters have not been linked. (Aadhaar has not been used to weed out duplicate entries from electoral rolls).
    • ECI is working with UIDAI to figure out how to link the two databases, at least for those voters who have voluntarily submitted Aadhaar to ECI.
  • Controversy: Some states have assigned identical EPIC numbers to different voters, causing controversy. ECI’s response: Replacement of duplicate EPIC numbers within 3 months.

ECI and UIDAI: 

  • Election Commission of India (ECI): Constitutional Body under Article 324. Responsible for conducting free and fair elections in India.
  • Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI): Statutory body under the Aadhaar Act, 2016. Issues 12-digit Aadhaar numbers for identity verification.

Legal & Policy Framework for Voter ID-Aadhaar Linking: 

  • The initiative is based on Sections 23(4), 23(5), and 23(6) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
  • Ensures that no voter is denied registration or removed from the electoral rolls due to non-submission of Aadhaar.
  • Amendment to Form 6B is being introduced to clarify the voluntary nature of Aadhaar linking.

Potential benefits of Voter ID-Aadhaar Linking: 

  • Elimination of duplicate voters and reducing electoral fraud.
  • More transparent elections with credible voter rolls.
  • Aadhaar-based verification can simplify the registration process.
  • Enhances electoral data accuracy for better governance and improved voter turnout.

Concerns

  • Privacy issues: Potential misuse of voter data misuse or unauthorised surveillance.
  • Risk of disenfranchisement: Those without Aadhaar may face hurdles in voter registration.
  • Legal ambiguities: Despite voluntary status, requiring reasons for non-submission of Aadhaar  raises questions about the true voluntariness of the initiative. 
  • Potential for voter list manipulation or electoral roll tampering by opposition parties. 

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