INCOIS Expands Coastal Flood Monitoring for ‘Kallakkadal’ Surges
Context: Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has installed a second Coastal Flood Monitoring System (CFMS) to improve forecasting of dangerous ‘Kallakkadal’ swell surges.
What is ‘Kallakkadal’?
- ‘Kallakkadal’ refers to sudden and powerful swell surges that cause unexpected coastal flooding, especially along parts of the Indian coastline, especially Kerala.
- These swell surges, with periods ranging from 30 to 300 seconds, can substantially elevate coastal water levels.
- Meaning of Kallakkadal: The term ‘Kallakkadal’ comes from Malayalam words Kallan (thief) and Kadal (sea), describing sudden “thief-like” sea waves that unexpectedly strike coastal areas.
- Cause: The phenomenon is mainly triggered by long-period ocean swells generated by distant storms in the southern Indian Ocean.
- Long-Distance Travel: These swells can travel nearly 10,000 kilometres before reaching the Indian coastline.
- Seasonality: Kallakkadal events are most common during the pre-monsoon season, particularly along the Kerala coast.
- Impact: The surges pose serious threats to fishing communities, coastal infrastructure, harbours and low-lying coastal regions.
- Scientific Cause: Scientists have linked Kallakkadal events to infragravity waves and wave shoaling processes in shallow coastal waters.
- Infragravity Waves: Infragravity waves are low-frequency ocean waves generated through interactions among shorter surface waves in the open ocean.
- Wave Shoaling: Wave shoaling is the process in which wave height increases as ocean waves move from deep waters to shallow coastal regions.
- Coastal bathymetry, or underwater topography, further amplifies these surges and contributes to sudden coastal flooding
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Difference Between Tsunami and Kallakkadal
- Nature of Waves: Tsunamis are seismic sea waves with massive destructive energy, while Kallakkadal consists of swell surges and infragravity waves.
- Origin: Tsunamis originate from tectonic disturbances (underwater earthquakes, or volcanic eruptions) beneath the ocean floor, whereas Kallakkadal waves are generated by meteorological systems in distant oceans.
- Impact Scale: Tsunamis can affect entire ocean basins and multiple countries, while Kallakkadal mainly affects coastal regions along southwest India, especially Kerala.
- Frequency: Kallakkadal events occur more frequently during the pre-monsoon season, whereas tsunamis are relatively rare events.
- Destructive Capacity: Tsunamis generally cause far greater destruction and casualties compared to Kallakkadal surges, which mainly lead to coastal flooding and erosion.
About Coastal Flood Monitoring Systems (CFMS)
- INCOIS has installed its second CFMS near Kollam Harbour in Kerala after the first successful deployment at Vizhinjam.
- Objective: The system aims to improve accuracy of swell surge forecasts and strengthen coastal early warning systems.
- Technical Components: The Coastal Flood Monitoring System includes:
- A coastal automatic weather station
- Four high-frequency pressure sensors installed in shallow waters
- Function: The system monitors wave transformation processes and collects real-time coastal data for forecasting.
- Why Kollam Was Chosen: Kollam, Kerala experiences frequent swell surge events and is highly vulnerable to sudden coastal flooding.
- The location helps scientists better study nearshore wave behaviour and improve forecast models.
Kalam & Kavach 3.0
Context: The Ministry of Defence is organising the third edition of Kalam & Kavach to promote defence modernisation, indigenous capability development, innovation and strategic partnerships.
About Kalam & Kavach 3.0
- Kalam & Kavach 3.0 is a high-level strategic defence conference being held at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi.
- It serves as a platform bringing together policymakers, military leaders, defence industries, start-ups, academia, diplomats and strategic experts.
- Theme: “Taking JAI Forward With I²”
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- JAI: Jointness, Aatmanirbharta and Innovation
- I²: Indigenisation and International Collaboration
- Objective: The objective is to strengthen India’s defence ecosystem through integrated military capability development, indigenous manufacturing and global partnerships.
- The conference aims to accelerate defence production scalability to achieve the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047.
- Key Areas of Discussion: The conference will focus on emerging defence technologies such as:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled warfare
- Autonomous systems and drones
- Hypersonic technologies
- Quantum-enabled defence systems
- Advanced C4ISR capabilities
- Space & Cyber Security: Threats from space and Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) domains and the need for integrated security preparedness.
- Tri-Service Integration: Emphasis will be placed on joint military operations and integrated defence planning among the Army, Navy and Air Force.
Wyspa Jana Zabawy-Wroblewskiego Island
Context: Poland has created an artificial island called Wyspa Jana Zabawy-Wroblewskiego to protect rare birds and restore wetland biodiversity.
About the Wyspa Jana Zabawy-Wroblewskiego Island
- Formation: Wyspa Jana Zabawy-Wroblewskiego is an artificial island created using dredged sand from a shipping channel deepening project.
- Location: Wyspa Jana Zabawy-Wroblewskiego is located in the Szczecin Lagoon on the Baltic coast of Poland.
- Purpose: The island was developed as a protected sanctuary for rare birds, migratory species and fragile wetland ecosystems instead of tourism or commercial use.
- Ecological Succession: Scientists are studying ecological succession on the island, including the gradual development of vegetation, soil, insects and bird colonies on newly formed land.
- Biodiversity: The island has become an important nesting and resting habitat for gulls, terns and other migratory water birds in the Baltic region.
- Significance: The project is considered a successful example of integrating environmental conservation and biodiversity restoration with large infrastructure and dredging activities.
- Naming Controversy: Although officially named after Jan “Zabawa” Wroblewski, many locals continue to refer to the island informally as “Brysna”.
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Cancer Immunotherapy
Context: A recent study published in the journal ‘Cancer Discovery’ has shown that PD-1 inhibitors, a major class of cancer immunotherapy drugs, may alter the blood-brain barrier (BBB).
About Cancer Immunotherapy
- Cancer immunotherapy is a treatment approach that uses the body’s immune system to identify and destroy cancer cells.
About PD-1 Inhibitors
- Type of Immunotherapy: PD-1 inhibitors are immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) used in cancer treatment.
- Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICIs): Drugs that remove inhibitory signals on immune cells to enhance anti-cancer immunity.
- Mechanism: They block PD-1 signals that suppress immune cells, enabling stronger anti-tumour immune responses.
- PD-1 (Programmed Cell Death-1): A protein on T-cells that normally reduces immune activity to prevent overreaction.
- T-cells: White blood cells that identify and destroy infected or cancerous cells.
- Use in Brain Metastases: PD-1 inhibitors can activate circulating immune cells that cross the BBB and attack tumour cells in the brain.
- Brain Metastases: Spread of cancer cells from another body part to the brain.
About Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB)
- BBB: A selective protective barrier formed by tightly packed brain blood vessels.
- Protective Function: They regulates movement of substances from blood into brain tissue.
- Therapeutic Challenge: Many anti-cancer drugs cannot cross BBB, limiting treatment of brain tumours.
- Immune Access: Immune cells can cross BBB and target tumour cells in the brain.
Key Findings of the Study
- BBB Leakage: Anti-PD-1 therapy weakened BBB proteins and increased immune-cell entry into the brain.
- BBB Leakage: Increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier allowing substances to enter the brain more easily.
- Increased Brain Metastasis: Treated mice showed greater brain metastasis due to compromised BBB integrity.
- BBB Integrity: Ability of the BBB to maintain its protective barrier function.
- Metastasis: Spread of cancer cells from the original site to other body parts.
- Role of DKK1: DKK1 protein was identified as a key mediator causing BBB disruption.
- DKK1 (Dickkopf-1): A protein involved in cell-signalling pathways linked to tissue regulation and disease progression.
- Clinical Correlation: Higher DKK1 levels were linked to increased brain metastases and faster disease progression.
- Variable Responses: Patients showed outcomes ranging from remission to rapid disease progression.
- Remission: Reduction or disappearance of signs and symptoms of cancer.
- Discordant Outcomes: Tumours outside the brain may respond while new brain lesions continue to appear.
High-Powered Committee for Court Modernisation
Context: The Supreme Court has constituted a high-powered “Judicial Infrastructure Advisory Committee” to prepare a blueprint for modernising courts across India and seek government funding of ₹40,000–50,000 crore.
About the Judicial Infrastructure Advisory Committee
- Chairperson: Justice Aravind Kumar, judge of the Supreme Court.
- Mandate of the Committee: Prepare a comprehensive blueprint for judicial infrastructure modernisation.
- Assess funding requirements for upgrading courts nationwide.
- Submit recommendations by 31 August 2026.
- Focus Areas
- Identifying systemic constraints
- Improving facilities for litigants and lawyers
- Implementing cutting-edge technology to accelerate case disposal
- Strengthening the e-Courts initiative
- Bridging the digital divide
- Construction of modern 21st-century court complexes
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About the e-Courts Project
- Nature: A mission-mode project under the National e-Governance Plan.
- Implementing Agencies: Implemented by the Department of Justice in association with the e-Committee of the Supreme Court of India.
- Objective: Aims to digitise court processes and improve judicial service delivery.
14 May 2026
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