A recent Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court of India observed that stagnation in the subordinate judicial service contributes to prolonged litigation and adds to the huge pendency in India’s courts

About the Indian Lower Judiciary

• Regulatory Framework: Articles 233 to 237 in Part VI of the Constitution provide for the organisation and control of the subordinate judiciary
  • Recruitment is conducted as per rules framed by the State Government in consultation with the High Court, while posting, promotion, and disciplinary control over subordinate judges substantially vest in the High Court under Article 235.
• District Judges (Article 233): Appointed, posted, and promoted by the Governor in consultation with the High Court.
  • Qualifications:
    • Not in service of the Union/State.
    • Advocate/Pleader for 7 years.
    • Must be recommended by the High Court.
• Other Judicial Appointments (Article 234): Appointed by the Governor in accordance with rules framed after consulting the State Public Service Commission and the High Court.
• Specialised subordinate courts such as Commercial Courts, Family Courts, and courts of Judicial Magistrates also function within the same constitutional framework, subject to specific statutes.
• Administrative Control
  • Control over Subordinate Courts (Article 235): High Court manages district and lower courts, overseeing transfers, promotions, and leave of officers below district judge rank.
  • Interpretation of ‘District Judge(Article 236)’: Includes city civil court judges, sessions judges, and chief magistrates. 
    • Judicial Service includes posts below district judges.
• Hierarchy of Subordinate Courts in India
  • Judicial Structure and Jurisdiction: Varies by state with three tiers of courts below the High Court. 
    • It typically includes the District and Sessions Court at the apex, followed by courts of Subordinate Judges and Chief Judicial Magistrates (CJM) in the middle tier, and the lowest tier containing courts like the Munsif or Judicial Magistrate
  • District Judges (civil) and Sessions Judges (criminal) hold appellate and original jurisdiction. 
  • Powers: 
    • District Judges: Handle civil and administrative matters; appeals go to the High Court.
    • Sessions Judges: Can impose life imprisonment or capital punishment, subject to High Court confirmation.

Reason for Judicial Pendency in Subordinate Courts

• Acute Judge Shortage & High Vacancy Rates: District courts suffer from large vacancies and low judge–population ratio (21 per million vs 50 recommended). 
  • Despite being the first tier for most of all cases, sanctioned posts remain unfilled, slowing trials and amplifying backlog.

• Excessive Adjournments & Inefficient Case Management: Over 50% of cases violate the “three adjournments” rule. Morning “call work” in trial courts often extends till noon, leaving limited time for evidence, arguments, or final orders.
• Heavy Administrative Burden on Judges: Subordinate judges spend 10:30 a.m. to noon calling cases, issuing summons, checking appearances, and receiving vakalatnamas; losing valuable judicial time needed for hearings and judgments.

• Infrastructure Deficit & Outdated Technology: The sanctioned strength of judges is 24,280. However, there are only 20,143 court halls available (2023) 
  • Many trial courts lack basic amenities like witness rooms, digital evidence facilities, or record management systems.
  • Nearly one-fifth of the district court complexes in the country lack separate toilets for women (Report of Centre for Research and Planning of SC)
• Poor Quality & Delayed Investigations: Weak police investigation, delayed charge sheets, reliance on outdated forensic methods, and frequent witness non-appearance cause long criminal trial cycles. This affects more than 70% of pending criminal cases.
• Archaic & Misused Procedural Laws:  provisions enable delay tactics: 
  • Two-stage decrees (Preliminary + Final) in partition suits.
  • 106 hyper-technical rules under Order XXI in execution.
  • Mandatory 90-day written statement rule effective for money suits but ineffective for title suits.
  • Execution proceedings can drag for years due to cumbersome procedures.
• Major Reasons for Delay in Lower Courts (As per National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) – (Refer Image)

Impact of Pendency To The Justice Delivery System

• Justice Denied Due to Delays: A prolonged legal process erodes public trust and denies justice, violating the legal principle “justice delayed is justice denied.”
  • For example: The Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi case took nearly 70 years to reach a verdict, affecting social harmony and delaying resolution.
• Overburdened Judiciary: Courts handle an overwhelming number of cases, reducing efficiency and increasing case backlogs, making timely justice nearly impossible
  • For example: 4.7 crore pending in district & subordinate court.
• Economic and Social Costs: Litigation costs drain financial resources, discouraging businesses and individuals from seeking legal redress, affecting economic growth.
  • For example: Judicial delays are estimated to cost India more than 2% of its GDP annually, hindering economic growth and deterring foreign investment
• Human Rights Violations: Delayed trials lead to prolonged undertrial detention, violating fundamental rights and overcrowding prisons with people awaiting justice.
  • For example: Over 70% of India’s prison population consists of undertrials, some awaiting trial for decades.
• Reduced Confidence in the Legal System: Lengthy trials push people toward extrajudicial settlements and alternative dispute resolution, weakening faith in formal justice.
  • For example: In land disputes, families often resort to panchayat settlements, as seen in rural Haryana, where courts are perceived as too slow.

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Steps to Reduce Pendency in Subordinate Courts

• Considering the All India Judicial Service (AIJS): Article 312 of the Constitution provides for the establishment of AIJS.
  • Establishing AIJS can ensure a centralized, merit-based, and timely recruitment system to fill subordinate court vacancies, improve judge quality, and standardize training across states.
• Fill Vacancies and Expand Judge Strength: Fast-track recruitment to fill 3,000+ vacancies in district judiciary. 
  • Implement the long-pending norm of 50 judges per million population (Law Commission, SC, Standing Committee).
  • States to streamline selection through annual recruitment cycles Simultaneously, states must run annual recruitment cycles to fill long-pending vacancies.
• Transfer Administrative Work to Dedicated Ministerial Courts: Create a separate “administrative court” in each district for summons, service verification, filing scrutiny, ex-parte evidence, and cause-list preparation.
  •  This allows trial judges to focus exclusively on hearings from 10:30 AM onwards.
• Establish Scientific Case-Flow & Time Management: Introduce strict case listing protocols, automatic scheduling, and cause-list preparation through a dedicated administrative court.
  • Introduce AI-assisted listing, time-block scheduling, and next-day cause lists uploaded online.
  • Enforce three-adjournment limit with mandatory written reasons.
  • Categorise cases based on complexity to ensure time-bound adjudication.
• Expand and Modernize Infrastructure: Upgrading courtrooms, digitizing case records, and ensuring better facilities can speed up hearings and reduce procedural delays.
  •  Increase judicial infrastructure spending to at least 0.3–0.5%.
  • For example: The E-Courts Project has digitized 3.9 crore pending cases, but many lower courts still rely on paper-based documentation, slowing proceedings.
• Improve Police Investigation & Prosecution Quality: Ensure time-bound charge sheets, modern forensics, digital case diaries, and witness protection.
  • Integrate police–court data using interoperable criminal justice systems.
• Promote ADR & Pre-Litigation Resolution: Strengthen Lok Adalats, mediation desks, conciliation benches.
  • Mandatory counselling in family, rent, property, and cheque bounce cases to reduce inflow.

Conclusion

A stronger, better-trained, and efficiently supported subordinate judiciary is indispensable for restoring public trust and ensuring that justice in India becomes timely, accessible, and truly meaningful.

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The Global Methane Status Report (GMSR) 2025, released by UNEP and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) at COP30, warns that global efforts to reduce methane emissions are progressing too slowly to meet the 2030 Global Methane Pledge (GMP).

Key Findings of the GMSR 2025

• Emission Levels: Methane emissions reached 352 million tonnes (Mt) in 2020 and are projected to rise to 369 Mt by 2030 under current legislation.
• Key Drivers: Growth in agriculture and waste generation remains the main source of this increase.
• Target at Risk: Rising emissions move the world away from achieving the goal of 30 per cent reduction from 2020 levels by 2030, essential to keeping 1.5°C within reach.
• Slowed Growth: New waste regulations in Europe and North America, improved methane governance in major emitting economies, and cooling global gas markets between 2020 and 2024 .have helped slow projected emissions growth.
• Growing Commitments: As of June 2025, 65 per cent of Paris Agreement Parties now include methane-specific measures in their NDCs, marking a 38 per cent increase in ambition since 2020.
• Projected Decline: Full implementation of NDCs and Methane Action Plans could lead to emissions peaking this decade and falling 8 per cent below 2020 levels by 2030, representing the “largest and most sustained decline in methane emissions ever recorded.”

Sector-Wise Insights

• Energy Sector:
  • Dominant Potential: Over 72 per cent of global methane reduction potential by 2030 lies in the energy sector.
  • Cost-Effective Solutions: Proven interventions include leak detection and repair, venting and flaring controls, distribution network upgrades, and methane capture from oil, gas, and coal operations.
  • Regulatory Gaps: While regulations have expanded since 2021, enforcement and transparency remain insufficient, particularly in the coal sector, despite technologies such as ventilation air methane (VAM) oxidation and pre-mine degasification.
• Waste Sector:
  • Growing Emissions: Waste-sector methane is projected to increase 13 per cent by 2030 and 56 per cent by 2050 under current policies.
  • Key Interventions: Effective measures include capturing landfill gas, diverting organic waste to composting or anaerobic digestion, enforcing disposal site standards, mandating source separation of food waste, and promoting community-level composting.
• Agriculture Sector:
  • Sectoral Share: Agriculture contributes 42 per cent of global methane emissions, mostly from enteric fermentation, rice cultivation, and manure management.
  • Projected Increase: Emissions are expected to rise 8 per cent by 2030 and 17 per cent by 2050 due to growing food demand.
  • Mitigation Measures: UNEP identifies 24 Mt of reduction potential from feed additives, improved livestock breeding, optimised rice-water management, and bans on agricultural waste burning.
• Data and Measurement Challenges:
  • Persistent Underreporting: UNEP stresses that transparent, high-quality methane data is crucial, yet underreporting continues, especially in the fossil fuel sector.
  • Importance of MRV: Strengthening monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) systems is essential for accountability and targeted mitigation.
• Methane Finance Gap:
• • Current Funding: Methane-focused finance reached $13.7 billion annually in 2021–22.
  • Required Funding: Achieving technical mitigation consistent with the GMP requires $127 billion per year by 2030, just 6 per cent of global climate finance.
  • Priority Actions: The report calls for stronger policy certainty, public and philanthropic support for project preparation, increased assistance to developing countries, and integration of methane into climate, agriculture, and energy plans.

About 2030 Global Methane Pledge (GMP)

• Launch: Launched at COP26, co-led by Canada and the European Union.
• Membership: Includes 159 countries + European Commission.
• Core Commitment: Reduce global methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030 (from 2020 levels).
• Alignment with Climate Goals: Supports keeping 1.5°C within reach while improving health, food security, and economic outcomes.
• Champions Group: Advocacy driven by Canada, EU, Germany, Japan, Micronesia, Nigeria, and the UK

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About the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC)

• Type:  A UNEP-led voluntary global partnership of over 200 governments, organizations, businesses, and scientific institutions. 
  • India joined as a member in 2019
• Focus: Targets short-lived climate pollutants, methane, black carbon, tropospheric ozone, and HFCs.
• Goal: Improve air quality and protect climate through rapid, measurable pollutant reduction.
• Approach: Their work is anchored in robust scientific analysis and practical, measures-based strategies.
• Implementation Support: Backed by a dedicated Trust Fund (CCAC Trust Fund) enabling political commitment and in-country action.

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Recently, aircraft flying over Delhi encountered Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)  signals spoofing, leading to erroneous cockpit warnings.

What is GNSS Spoofing?

• Definition: GNSS spoofing involves broadcasting fake satellite signals to mislead receivers into calculating incorrect location, speed, or time.
• Aviation Impact: Modern aircrafts rely heavily on GNSS for terrain awareness, collision avoidance, autopilot, and communication synchronization, making spoofing one of the most serious aviation threats.
  • However, Modern  aircrafts have multiple backups, especially the Inertial Reference System (IRS) which can function independently of GNSS for up to five hours.

How GNSS Spoofing Works

• Signal Generation: AA spoofer generates counterfeit satellite signals using the same frequency and format as authentic GNSS transmissions.
• Signal Strength Overpowering: Spoofed signals are transmitted at higher power than genuine satellite signals; the aircraft/device automatically locks onto the stronger signal.
• Gradual Deception:
  • The spoofer slowly shifts the navigation data, position, altitude, or timing.
  • Since the shift is subtle, aircraft systems don’t detect a sudden anomaly.
• Receiver Accepts Fake Data: The cockpit instruments display incorrect aircraft location or altitude as if they were real.

Threats and Safety Risks from GNSS Spoofing

• False Location Data: Spoofing can display incorrect aircraft positions, endangering altitude and terrain awareness.
• Terrain and Obstacle Alerts: False warnings may distract pilots or prompt incorrect responses during takeoff or landing.
• Communication Disruption: Interference affects surveillance systems and ATC communication links, undermining safe separation.
• Pilot Workload: Erroneous alerts increase stress and workload, especially in congested airspace.
• System Persistence: Faulty readings may not correct automatically, causing ongoing navigation errors even after leaving the spoofed zone.
• Strategic Vulnerability: Spoofing can be used for hostile actions, including misleading aircraft in conflict zones, affecting national security and civil-aviation safety.

Global Trends

• Rapid Global Rise: According to the OPS Group (a safety community of ~8,000 pilots, dispatchers, ATC personnel), GPS spoofing severely impacted civil aviation beginning September 2023.
• Escalation of Events:
  • Average of 300 flights per day spoofed by January 2024
  • About 1,500 flights per day spoofed by August 2024
  • 41,000 flights spoofed globally between July 15–August 15, 2024
• Top Hotspots: Delhi region was among the top 10 spoofing hotspots globally, after locations in Cyprus, Israel, Egypt, Turkey, Russia, Pakistan, Belarus, and Lebanon
• Primary Actors: Major spoofing activity is conducted by military units targeting hostile drones or missile systems; some allegations also point to malicious targeting of civilian aircraft.
• International Examples:
  • EU President Incident: In September 2024, the European Commission reported that Ursula von der Leyen’s aircraft faced GNSS disruption over southern Bulgaria, allegedly due to Russian interference, forcing reliance on paper maps for landing.
  • Azerbaijan Airlines Crash: On December 25, 2024, an Azerbaijan Airlines flight crashed in Kazakhstan after reportedly being linked to suspected spoofing.
  • Border Region Impact: Government data show 465 spoofing and interference events between November 2023 and February 2025 in Amritsar and Jammu, averaging one incident daily.

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Proposed Solutions by Aviation Bodies

• Global Safety Appeal: IATA urged all parties to ensure the safety of civilian flights, stressing that international law prohibits targeting civil aircraft.
• ICAO Recommendations: At its 42nd Assembly, IATA proposed:
  • Standardised reporting mechanisms
  • Stronger cross-border cooperation and information-sharing
  • National regulation on sale and use of jamming/spoofing devices
  • Better spectrum management
  • Deployment of advanced detection systems
  • Development of resilient anti-jamming and anti-spoofing GNSS receivers
• Industry Push: The aviation sector seeks proactive avionics upgrades, greater transparency in reporting, and real-time threat identification.

What is the Global Navigation Satellite System ? 

• Definition: GNSS refers to a constellation of satellites that provide positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services globally.
• Function: It uses signals from multiple satellites to determine a user’s exact location, velocity, and time anywhere on Earth.
• Applications: It is used in transport, military, disaster management, agriculture, logistics, civil navigation systems (apps), telecom timing, and space missions.
• Major GNSS Systems: Includes GPS (USA), GLONASS (Russia), Galileo (EU), BeiDou (China) and some regional systems like NavIC (India) and QZSS (Japan).
• Importance: Enables real-time navigation, supports critical infrastructure, and strengthens national security and economic efficiency.

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A new Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report,  “The Impact of Disasters on Agriculture and Food Security 2025” highlights the role of disasters in disrupting food production and also identifies digital transformation as a game-changer for agricultural disaster risk reduction.

Key Highlights from the Report

• Total Financial Impact: Disasters caused $3.26 trillion in agricultural losses over 33 years (1991–2023), averaging $99 billion annually, equivalent to 4 percent of global agricultural GDP.
• Food Production Losses: Disasters wiped out 4.6 billion tonnes of cereals, 2.8 billion tonnes of fruits and vegetables, and 900 million tonnes of meat and dairy, causing a 320 kilocalorie daily per capita reduction, equivalent to 13–16 percent of average energy needs.
• Fisheries Impact: Marine heatwaves caused $6.6 billion in losses between 1985–2022, affecting 15 percent of global fisheries, though such losses remain largely invisible in disaster assessments despite supporting 500 million livelihoods.
• Regional Impact Assessment:
  • Asia – Largest Share (47%): Asia suffered $1.53 trillion in losses due to high exposure to floods, storms, and droughts, reflecting both production scale and climatic vulnerability.
  • Americas – 22% of Global Losses: The Americas recorded $713 billion in losses driven by recurrent droughts, hurricanes, and extreme temperatures affecting major commodity crops.
  • Africa – Highest Relative Burden: Africa’s losses reached $611 billion, representing 7.4 percent of agricultural GDP, the highest proportional impact globally, with severe consequences for food security and rural livelihoods.
  • Lower-middle-income countries face the highest relative losses at 5 percent of agricultural GDP, exceeding both low-income countries (3 percent) and high-income countries (4 percent)
  • SIDS – Extreme Vulnerability: Small Island Developing States face disproportionately high agricultural GDP losses from cyclones, floods, and sea-level rise, despite smaller production volumes.
• Inclusion Gaps and Access Challenges:
  • Digital Divide: Over 2.6 billion people remain offline, mostly in rural and disaster-prone areas most exposed to agricultural risks.
  • Need for Human-Centred Design: FAO stresses that digital transformation must be paired with capacity-building, institutional strengthening, and inclusive policy frameworks.
  • Equity Concerns: Innovations must reach smallholder farmers, women, youth, and Indigenous communities to ensure broad resilience benefits.

Role of Digital Technologies Transforming Risk Management

FAO identifies digital innovation as a game-changer for disaster risk reduction in agriculture and food production:

• AI and Remote Sensing: Advanced tools such as AI, drones, sensors, and remote sensing enable hyperlocal, real-time monitoring for early warnings and impact anticipation.
• Climate Risk Toolbox (CRTB): Integrates global datasets to support agricultural planning across 200+ projects.
• Soil Mapping for Resilient Agrifood Systems (SoilFER) Platform: Matches soil and fertilizer data to guide sustainable farming decisions.
• Fall Armyworm Monitoring and Early Warning System (FAMEWS) System: Tracks fall armyworm infestations across 60+ countries using mobile-based monitoring.
• Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS): Early actions enabled through GIEWS yield up to seven-dollar returns for every dollar invested.

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Policy Recommendations

• Advance Digital Innovation: Governments and international partners must expand digital solutions in agrifood systems to enhance disaster risk reduction and food security.
• Integrate Digital Tools in Policies: FAO calls for embedding digital technologies into national agricultural policies and strategies for long-term resilience.
• Increase Investment: Strengthening digital infrastructure and literacy is essential to enable adoption, accessibility, and informed agricultural decision-making.
• Promote Coherent Frameworks: Stronger institutional frameworks and regulatory support are critical to scale risk management technologies.

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The Executive Committee of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) approved major projects to enhance scientific understanding and data-based decision-making across the Ganga basin.

Key Approved Projects 

• Glacier Monitoring in Himalayan Ganga headstreams: Led by the National Institute of Hydrology, focuses on glacier retreat, snow changes, melt-runoff, and risks like flash floods/GLOFs in upper Ganga basin.
• Digital Twin & Water Cycle Atlas for Ganga Basin: Uses AI and remote sensing for real-time basin management and climate resilience

• High-resolution SONAR riverbed surveys: Provides baseline underwater topography for sediment management, hydrodynamic modelling and e-flow planning under Namami Gange.
  • SONAR (Sound Navigation and Ranging): It is a technique that uses sound waves to detect, locate, and map underwater objects and surfaces.
• Aquifer Management &  recharge via paleochannels
  • The initiative will build MAR structures (recharge pits, shafts), install DWLRs (Digital Water Level Recorders) at six sites, and assess recharge impacts across two hydrological cycles to revive paleochannels and enhance groundwater storage.
• Digitization & Geospatial Database of Historic Ganga Maps: Digitizes old maps, builds a GIS portal for analysis of river morphology, floodplains, and channel migration.

About River Basin Management

• River Basin Management (RBM) refers to the coordinated management of all natural and man-made structures and processes linked to the water resources of a river basin.
• Institutional Arrangements: RBM requires dedicated governance institutions such as the National Ganga Council, the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), and State Ganga Committees to ensure integrated planning and implementation.
• Performance Indicators: RBM requires the use of measurable indicators such as water quality monitoring, pollution assessment, ecological hazard mapping, financial viability, and institutional capacity.

Essential Tasks for Water and Basin Management

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Namami Gange Programme 

• Launch: The Namami Gange Programme is an integrated conservation mission launched in 2014 to achieve effective abatement of pollution, rejuvenation, and overall protection of the Ganga River and its tributaries.
• Nodal Ministry: The programme is implemented by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
• Key Components: Namami Gange includes major interventions such as sewage treatment infrastructure, river surface cleaning, industrial effluent monitoring, rural sanitation, riverfront development, biodiversity conservation, and afforestation.
• Funding Structure: It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with a budgetary outlay that supports both infrastructure creation and community-driven conservation initiatives.
• Community Involvement: Programmes like Ganga Vriksharopan Abhiyan, Ganga Praharis, and Ganga Quest promote people’s participation in river conservation.

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NASA’s twin ESCAPADE spacecraft were launched aboard Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket to study how solar wind shapes Mars’ magnetic and atmospheric environment.

About ESCAPADE Mission

• ESCAPADE (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers) is a dual-spacecraft heliophysics mission designed to analyse Mars’ magnetosphere and atmospheric loss processes.
• It is led by the University of California, Berkeley, with spacecraft built by Rocket Lab.
• Objectives
  • The mission seeks to determine how the solar wind interacts with Mars’ weak magnetic environment.
  • It aims to measure how solar storms accelerate atmospheric escape and influence Martian space weather.
  • The spacecraft will analyse variations in magnetospheric conditions over short timescales using coordinated dual-orbit observations.
• Payloads 
  • EMAG (Electromagnetometer): Measures magnetic field strength and direction.
  • EDP (Electric Field and Plasma Density Instrument): Records electric fields and plasma densities.
  • EESA (Ion and Electron Spectrometer): Studies energy and distribution of charged particles.
• Trajectory and Mission Design: The spacecraft will first travel to Lagrange Point-2 to wait for favourable Earth–Mars alignment before slingshotting toward Mars in 2026.
  • They will enter Mars orbit in 2027 and operate in two phases: a “string-of-pearls” formation followed by dual-altitude orbits.
• Significance
  • It will reveal how Mars became a cold, desert planet by tracing atmospheric erosion.
  • It will support planning for future human missions by characterising radiation and plasma hazards around Mars.
  • The mission demonstrates flexible “loiter-orbit” interplanetary launches, enabling year-round departure opportunities.

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About Lagrange Point

• Lagrange Points are specific positions in space where the gravitational forces of two large bodies balance the orbital motion of a smaller object, enabling stable or semi-stable parking.
• Locations of Each Lagrange Point
  • L1: Lies between Earth and Sun, enabling uninterrupted solar observation.
    • India’s solar observatory  Aditya-L1 is stationed at the Sun–Earth L1 to study the solar corona, wind, and space weather.
  • L2: Positioned beyond Earth, opposite the Sun, ideal for deep-space observation.
    • James Webb Space Telescope is located at the Sun-Earth Lagrange point 2 (L2)
  • L3: Located behind the Sun, opposite Earth’s orbit.
  • L4: Forms an equilateral triangle with Earth and Sun, leading Earth in its orbit.
  • L5: Forms an equilateral triangle trailing Earth in its orbit

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At COP30 in Belém, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and partners launched the Food Waste Breakthrough,  a global initiative aimed at halving food waste by 2030.

Why Food Waste Reduction Matters

• The world wastes over 1 billion tonnes of food every year.
• Food waste contributes up to:
  • 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions
  • 14% of methane emissions, a potent warming gas 84 times stronger than CO₂ over 20 years
• Economic impact: US$1 trillion annual financial losses.
• Cutting food waste is a high-impact, cost-effective strategy for Methane mitigation, Hunger reduction.

About the Food Waste Breakthrough

• A 2030 Climate Solution under the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action
• Brings together governments, cities, civil society, businesses, and communities
• Objective: Cut methane and ensure nutritious food doesn’t go to waste.
• Core Framework: The Breakthrough rests on three pillars:
  • Capacity Building & Advocacy
  • Data & Policy
  • Finance & Implementation
• Funding: The initiative is supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
• Targets and Action Roadmaps
  • National governments: Integrate food waste into NDCs, expand measurement and reporting, enable finance.
  • Cities and subnational governments: Organic waste separation, invest in circular infrastructure, embed waste prevention in procurement.
  • Philanthropic organizations: Funding innovation, research, and public-private collaboration.
  • Non-profits: Build capacity, provide advocacy and data support in Global South.
  • Food businesses: Measuring and reporting waste, redistributing surplus, and investing in circular and low-waste operations.

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About Global Environment Facility (GEF)

• Genesis: The Global Environment Facility was created in 1992, around the time of the Rio Earth Summit, to support global environmental cooperation.
• Nature: The GEF functions as a collaborative platform of 18 partner agencies that work together to address the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.
• Governance: The GEF Council serves as the primary governing body responsible for decision-making and strategic direction.
• Core Functions: The GEF acts as the financial mechanism for five major environmental conventions.
  • The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (adopted in 1992 and entered into force in 1994)
  • The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) (adopted in 1994)
  • The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD) (entered into force in 1993)
  • The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) (adopted in 2001 and entered into force in 2004)
  • The Minamata Convention on Mercury (adopted in 2013 and entered into force in 2017)
• Membership: The GEF includes 186 member countries, including India.

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An international research project has been launched to study the unique cooperative behavior between Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins and artisanal fishers in Ashtamudi Lake, Kerala.

About the Dolphin–Fisher Cooperation

• This rare example of strategic human–wildlife cooperation involves dolphins driving dense schools of fish toward shallow shoreline waters. 
• The dolphins then signal fishers with a tail-slap or roll, prompting immediate casting of nets.
• Fishers secure a successful catch, while dolphins feed on the scattered fish.

About the Study 

• Title: The Ecology and Evolution of Cultural and Cooperative Behaviour among Dolphins and Humans
• It is supported by National Geographic Society and coordinated globally by Oregon State University.
• Aim: To understand the mechanisms driving cooperation between wild dolphins and fishers.
• Objective: The research includes a comparative analysis across three countries—India, Brazil, and Myanmar—across two continents, focusing on the evolution of complex interspecies cooperation and the cultural and ecological factors enabling such behaviors.

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About Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa plumbea) 

• Overview: It is a coastal dolphin species found in shallow tropical and subtropical waters along the Indian Ocean
• Habitat: They  are found in localised areas of patchy distributions mainly in shallow waters very close to the shore and around river mouths and estuaries.
• Diet: They primarily feed on fish like mackerel, mullet, sardines and pomfret found along the shallow estuarine areas.
• Conservation Status:
  • It is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
  • Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
• Distinguishing Feature: The species is recognized by a distinctive hump beneath the dorsal fin, a slender beak, and a preference for slow swimming in shallow waters.

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Batukeshwar Dutt

Context: Recently India celebrated Batukeshwar Dutt’s legacy on his birth anniversary, a revolutionary often overshadowed despite his pivotal role in the freedom struggle.

About Batukeshwar Dutt

• Born on November 18, 1910, in Burdwan(now Purva Burdwan, West Bengal) Bengal. He joined revolutionary activities at a young age.
• He joined the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) in 1928, around the time the organization was being reorganized and renamed from the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA).
  • He was a close associate of Bhagat Singh and became an active member of the HSRA in Kanpur.

Key Contributions

• Delhi Assembly Bombing (1929): Alongside Bhagat Singh, threw harmless bombs in the Central Assembly on April 8, 1929, to “make the deaf hear”.
  • He was arrested, tried, and convicted and chose imprisonment as political protest.
• Years in Prison: Spent nine years across jails in Multan, Jhelum, Trichinopoly, Salem, and Andamans.
  • Undertook repeated hunger strikes demanding humane treatment for political prisoners.
• Rearrested during the Quit India Movement; jailed again from 1942–46.
• Final year: He died on July 20, 1965 and was cremated at Hussainiwala National Martyrs’ Memorial, Punjab where Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev memorials exist

National Press Day 2025

Context: National Press Day, celebrated on November 16, marks the start of the Press Council of India.

About National Press Day

• Celebrated annually on 16 November to highlight the importance of press freedom and ethical journalism.
• Marks the foundation of the Press Council of India in 1966, reconstituted in 1979.
  • The Idea for the Council was first proposed by the First Press Commission in 1956
• The day celebrates high journalistic standards through the National Awards for Excellence in Journalism and the release of a Souvenir featuring expert viewpoints and awardees’ work.

About Press Council of India (PCI)

• Statutory autonomous body under the Press Council Act, 1978.
• Mandate: Preserve press freedom and improve journalistic standards.
• Handles complaints on press freedom violations, ethical misconduct, and can take suo moto cognizance.

Key Facts

• India’s Media Landscape: Registered publications have risen from 60,143 in 2004–05 to 1.54 lakh in 2024–25
• Rank in World Press Freedom  index: India ranked 151st with a total score of 32.96 in the World Press Freedom Index in 2025, moving up 8 places from 159th last year.

Integrated Forum on Climate Change and Trade (IFCCT)

Context: Recently, COP30 launched IFCCT to address rising tensions at the intersection of trade policy and climate action.

About the Integrated Forum on Climate Change and Trade (IFCCT)

• The IFCCT is a new, politically supported platform created under the COP30 Presidency to enable structured dialogue on the interlinkages between climate measures and global trade systems.
• Objective: The IFCCT aims to provide a non-negotiating but formal space where countries can openly discuss how trade policies, climate ambition, and developmental priorities interact.
  • It seeks to manage growing disputes arising from unilateral climate-related trade measures such as tariffs and border carbon adjustments.
• Forum operations: It is an open-ended, country-driven consultation process extending into 2026.
  • It will operate alongside multilateral structures such as the UNFCCC and engage closely with the World Trade Organization, situating discussions within established global trade governance.

Significance

• It offers a structured mechanism to prevent escalating climate-trade frictions from fragmenting global markets and destabilising supply chains.
• It strengthens the voice of developing countries by creating space to highlight unequal capacities and the need for common but differentiated responsibilities.
• It supports the emergence of interoperable climate-trade rules, reducing unpredictability caused by rapidly growing climate-linked trade instruments.
• It aims to rebuild trust among major economies and guide the global system toward coherent, climate-aligned, and development-friendly trade policies.

e-Jagriti

Context: India’s e-Jagriti platform has rapidly transformed consumer grievances delivering faster disposal, higher accessibility, and improved transparency for domestic and NRI users.

• As of November 2025, it has facilitated 1,30,550 filings and 1,27,058 disposals, showcasing high efficiency.

About e-Jagriti

• e- Justice And Grievance Redressal through Information Technology and Innovation is a unified digital grievance redressal system developed by the Department of Consumer Affairs to streamline and modernize consumer justice delivery across India.
• Launch: The platform was launched on 1 January 2025.
• Objective: To provide swift, accessible, and technology-driven consumer dispute resolution for citizens and NRIs through a unified digital interface.

Key Features

• The platform offers OTP-based registration, virtual hearings, real-time case tracking, and digital or offline fee payments.
• It provides multilingual support, AI-enabled assistance, chatbot help, and voice-to-text tools for elderly and differently-abled users.
• It ensures secure access with end-to-end encryption, role-based permissions, and integration with Bharat Kosh and PayGov payment gateways.
• It merges the Online Consumer Mediation System (OCMS), e-Daakhil (electronic filing platform), National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission Case Management System (NCDRC CMS), and Computerised Network System (CONFONET) into a single interface to reduce fragmentation and paperwork.

Significance: e-Jagriti strengthens citizen-centric governance by delivering inclusive, transparent, and efficient consumer justice through a fully digital, accessible, and nationwide platform.

Exercise AJEYA WARRIOR-25

Context: India and the United Kingdom have begun the eighth edition of Exercise AJEYA WARRIOR-25 in Rajasthan to enhance joint counter-terror operational capabilities.

About AJEYA WARRIOR-2025

• AJEYA WARRIOR is a biennial India-UK joint military exercise aimed at strengthening professional cooperation and improving interoperability between the two armies.
  • The First edition of the exercise took place in  2011.
• Venue: Foreign Training Node, Mahajan Field Firing Ranges, Rajasthan.
• Focus Area
  • The exercise is held under a United Nations mandate and focuses on counter-terrorism operations in semi-urban environments.
  • It includes joint mission planning at brigade level, integrated tactical drills, simulation-based scenarios, and company-level field exercises.
  • The exercise features equal participation of 240 personnel from both armies, with the Indian Army represented by the Sikh Regiment.
• Significance: The exercise strengthens operational coordination, facilitates sharing of best practices, and reinforces India-UK defence cooperation to support regional stability and global peace.

ColoNoX

Context: The Department of Atomic Energy has launched India’s first nitric-oxide wound dressing for diabetic foot ulcers, marking a major advancement in nuclear science–based healthcare solutions.

About ColoNoX

• ColoNoX is India’s first nitric-oxide-releasing wound dressing developed by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and commercialized in collaboration with Cologenesis Pvt. Ltd. for treating diabetic foot ulcers.

Features

• The dressing releases controlled nitric oxide to promote faster wound healing, reduce infection risk, and improve tissue recovery in diabetic patients.
• It has undergone successful Phase II and Phase III clinical trials demonstrating safety and efficacy for diabetic foot ulcer management.
• It received Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) approval for commercial production, ensuring regulated and widespread medical access.
• It provides an affordable, non-invasive, and advanced therapeutic option tailored for India’s high diabetic population.

Role of Nitric oxide

• Nitric oxide (NO) is a crucial signaling molecule that plays a vital role in wound healing by regulating inflammation, promoting cell proliferation, and stimulating collagen formation.
• It influences the vascular response to injury, helps control the inflammatory response, has antimicrobial effects, and aids in the later stages of wound remodeling and closure

Significance

• The innovation strengthens India’s biomedical capabilities by applying nuclear science for societal benefit, offering a cost-effective solution to reduce amputations and improve diabetic patient outcomes nationwide.

Sentinel-6B Satellite

Context: Recently, Sentinel-6B, a new ocean-monitoring satellite, was launched to enhance global sea-level and climate observations.

• It is the successor to the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich (Sentinel-6A) satellite, which was launched in November 2020..

About Sentinel-6B

• It  is an ocean-tracking satellite with six onboard science instruments jointly developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the European Space Agency (ESA).

Key Objectives

• To measure global sea-level rise with high precision, providing accurate data for climate and ocean-state monitoring.
• To map ocean temperature, waves, and surface topography, improving global weather and storm-forecasting models.
• To strengthen early-warning capabilities for storms, floods, and extreme weather events through enhanced real-time data.
• To support maritime operations by aiding navigation, securing undersea cables and pipelines, and enhancing shipping safety.

Significance

• Sentinel-6B, paired with its twin satellite Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, will together deliver high-resolution measurements covering over 90% of the world’s oceans.

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