News In Shorts 09 September 2026: LAWS, Striped Hyena, Orangutans, APPU & More

States Reach Agreement at Autonomous Weapons Talks in Geneva

Context: The 128 States Parties to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) reached consensus in Geneva on a non-binding document outlining basic elements for defining and regulating Lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS).

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About Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS)

• Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS) are weapons systems capable of identifying and engaging targets with varying degrees of autonomy, with limited or no direct human intervention in the engagement process.
  • Often referred to as “killer robots.”
• Humanitarian Concerns
  • Civilian protection: Autonomous systems may make errors in complex battlefield environments, potentially causing indiscriminate harm.
  • Accountability gap: Difficulties may arise in determining who is responsible when an autonomous system causes unlawful harm.
  • Compliance with International Humanitarian Law (IHL): Questions remain over whether autonomous systems can reliably meet principles such as distinction, proportionality and precaution.
• Automated Weapons vs Autonomous Weapons: Automated weapons generally operate according to pre-defined rules or parameters and produce predictable outcomes.
  • Autonomous weapons can, once activated, select and engage targets without further human intervention, based on information gathered from their environment. 

Why is the regulation of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS) Difficult?

• Degree of autonomy: States differ on what legally qualifies as an autonomous weapon.
• Human control: Debate over how much human judgment and intervention should be mandatory before a weapon can use lethal force.
• National vs. international rules: The US and Russia favor national guidelines over internationally binding regulations.
• Dual-use and technological uncertainty: Rapid advances in AI make it difficult to establish rules that remain relevant as technology evolves.

About the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW)

• CCW is a UN-linked international humanitarian law instrument whose purpose is to ban or restrict the use of specific types of weapons that are considered to cause unnecessary or unjustifiable suffering to combatants or to affect civilians indiscriminately.
• Adopted: 1980 at a UN diplomatic conference in Geneva; entered into force in 1983.
• Structure of the Convention: 
  • Framework Convention: Provides the general legal framework, including rules for participation and the possibility of negotiating new protocols.
  • Annexed Protocols: Contain the specific prohibitions and restrictions on particular types of conventional weapons.
• Five Protocols: The CCW currently has five protocols dealing with different categories of weapons:
  • Protocol I – Non-Detectable Fragments: Prohibits weapons designed to injure through fragments that cannot be detected by X-rays.
  • Protocol II – Mines, Booby Traps and Other Devices: Restricts the use of landmines, booby traps and other devices and seeks to minimise their indiscriminate effects.
  • Protocol III – Incendiary Weapons: Restricts the use of incendiary weapons, particularly against civilians.
  • Protocol IV – Blinding Laser Weapons: Prohibits laser weapons specifically designed to cause permanent blindness.
  • Protocol V – Explosive Remnants of War (ERW): Addresses the clearance and humanitarian impact of unexploded and abandoned explosive ordnance.
• India and CCW: India is a High Contracting Party to the CCW and all five Protocols.

Striped Hyena

Context: Striped hyenas were recently highlighted for their ecological importance and conservation challenges, including habitat loss, persecution and inadequate population data.

About Striped Hyena

• The Striped Hyena (Hyaena hyaena) is a primarily solitary, nocturnal scavenger and the only true hyena species native to the Indian subcontinent.
  • There are four surviving species in the hyena family (Hyaenidae), consisting of three “true” bone-crushing hyenas and one insect-eating relative.
  • Spotted hyena, striped hyena, brown hyena (true Hyena), and aardwolf (insect eating).
• Habitat: It prefers arid and semi-arid habitats, including dry scrublands, grasslands, open woodlands and rocky areas with caves or crevices.
• Distribution: Its fragmented range extends across North and East Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent, with major Indian populations in western and central India.
  • Estimates suggest there are around 5,000 to 14,000 striped hyenas worldwide of which some 1,000 to 3,000 are in India
• Key Features
  • Diet: It is an opportunistic scavenger that feeds mainly on carrion, bones and organic waste, while occasionally consuming small animals, insects and fruits.
  • Ecological Role: By consuming carcasses and crushing bones, striped hyenas help control pathogens, maintain ecosystem hygiene and recycle nutrients.
• Key Concerns
  • Human Persecution: Superstitions and negative cultural perceptions, along with retaliatory killing over alleged livestock depredation, threaten striped hyena populations.
  • Habitat Loss: Conversion of grasslands and scrublands for agriculture, infrastructure and urbanisation reduces habitat and increases road-kill risks.
  • Conservation Gaps: India lacks an official national census and unified conservation action plan, resulting in fragmented monitoring and protection.
• Dedicated Conservation Facility in India: The Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, Visakhapatnam, runs a conservation-breeding programme for striped hyenas, supporting research and population management.
• Conservation Status
  • IUCN Red List: Near Threatened (NT)
  • Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 : Schedule I
  • CMS: Appendices I & II

Orangutans

Context: Five young orangutans were rescued in Odisha’s Balasore district after being found abandoned, raising concerns over illegal wildlife trafficking.

• Orangutans are not naturally found in India; the rescued Odisha individuals are suspected to have arrived through an illegal or failed transit operation.

About Orangutans

• Orangutans are Asia’s only great apes and among the world’s largest tree-dwelling mammals, known for their intelligence, reddish-orange hair and highly arboreal lifestyle.
• Key Species & Distribution
  • Bornean Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) occurs on Borneo, shared by Indonesia and Malaysia.
  • Sumatran Orangutan (Pongo abelii) is restricted to northern Sumatra, Indonesia.
  • Tapanuli Orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis), identified as a distinct species in 2017, survives in the Batang Toru forest of Sumatra.
• Key Features of Orangutans (UPSC CSE Pre 2023)
  • Habitat: Orangutans are strongly arboreal, inhabiting tropical rainforests, including lowland peat-swamp and mountainous forests, and construct sleeping nests in treetops.
  • Physical Traits: They possess long powerful arms, grasping hands and feet, flexible joints and reddish-orange hair, enabling efficient movement through the canopy.
    • Adult males may develop prominent cheek flanges and throat sacs, which support long-distance vocalisation.
  • Tool Use: They use and modify sticks and leaves as tools for extracting food, protection from rain and other practical purposes.
  • Medicinal Plant Use: In a recent scientific observation, a wild Sumatran orangutan named Rakus applied chewed Akar Kuning (Fibraurea tinctoria) to a facial wound, providing evidence of topical self-medication.
• Threats: Deforestation, habitat fragmentation, illegal wildlife trade, hunting and human–wildlife conflict.
• Conservation Status: All three species are listed as Critically Endangered under IUCN Red List.

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Asian-Pacific Postal Union (APPU)

Context: Dr. Vinaya Prakash Singh, a senior Indian Postal Service officer, was re-elected unopposed as Secretary-General of APPU for a second four-year term (2027–2030).

About APPU

• What is it? 
  • An intergovernmental organisation of 32 Asia-Pacific countries.
  • APPU is a Regional Union of the Universal Postal Union (UPU).
• Headquarters: Bangkok, Thailand.
• Established: Created in 1961

Objectives

• Improve postal cooperation and relations among member countries.
• Harmonise postal regulations, rates and customs procedures.
• Support cross-border logistics and e-commerce.
• Implement UPU initiatives at the regional level.
• Promote technical cooperation and modernisation of postal networks.

Exercise Veer Guardian-2026

Context: India and Japan will conduct Exercise Veer Guardian-2026 at Air Force Station Jodhpur from 9–22 September 2026, strengthening bilateral air-force cooperation.

About Exercise Veer Guardian

• Veer Guardian is a bilateral air exercise between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) aimed at enhancing interoperability, tactical proficiency and operational synergy.
• Origin and Evolution: The first edition of Veer Guardian was conducted in 2023 at Hyakuri Air Base, Japan, establishing a regular framework for India-Japan air cooperation.

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About Veer Guardian-2026

• Participating Aircraft: The IAF will participate with LCA Tejas, Su-30 MKI and Rafale fighter aircraft, showcasing India’s diverse frontline combat capabilities.
  • The JASDF will participate with three Mitsubishi F-2A fighter aircraft from the 8th Air Wing at Tsuiki Air Base, accompanied by around 110 personnel.
  • It marks the first participation of Japanese F-2A fighter aircraft in an exercise in India, adding greater complexity to bilateral air operations.
• Location: Air Force Station Jodhpur, Rajasthan
• Training and Cooperation: The exercise will involve air-combat manoeuvring, advanced operational missions, mission-planning conferences and subject-matter expert exchanges.
  • Professional interactions will also cover engineering and aerospace safety, promoting greater operational interoperability.
• Strategic Significance: The exercise strengthens India-Japan strategic partnership, enhances air-combat readiness and deepens mutual understanding between the two air forces.

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