Why in news?

The Union Government has revised royalty rates for four key critical minerals — graphite, caesium, rubidium, and zirconium — essential for green energy technologies. The move aims to boost domestic exploration, reduce import dependence, and strengthen supply-chain security.

Graphite has shifted from a fixed per-tonne royalty to an ad valorem system. High-grade graphite (80%+ fixed carbon) will now incur a 2% royalty on the Average Sale Price (ASP), while lower-grade graphite attracts 4%.

Caesium and rubidium will each have a 2% royalty, and zirconium’s rate has been sharply reduced to 1% from the previous 12% uniform levy.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Why India Shifted to Ad Valorem Royalty for Critical Minerals?
• Rising Demand and India’s Critical Mineral Dependency
• Revised Royalty Rates: What They Mean for India’s Critical Mineral Push
• India’s Critical Mineral Bottleneck: Mining More Isn’t Enough
• The Way Forward

Why India Shifted to Ad Valorem Royalty for Critical Minerals?

• ASP (Average Sale Price) reflects the weighted average ex-mine price of minerals from non-captive mines, published monthly by the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM).
• For minerals lacking domestic pricing, IBM relies on United States Geological Survey (USGS) data converted into INR.
• Experts say shifting to ad valorem royalties makes the system market-responsive and attractive to investors.
• As sale prices rise with global demand, state revenues increase proportionally, ensuring fair value.
• The reform also comes amid China’s prolonged export restrictions on key minerals.
• With China controlling 90% of global critical mineral processing, supply-chain disruptions have pushed India and other countries to diversify sources and stabilise domestic production.

Rising Demand and India’s Critical Mineral Dependency

• India’s renewable energy and EV ambitions will sharply raise demand for critical minerals, many of which the country imports entirely.
• India remains 100% import-dependent for cobalt, lithium, nickel, REEs and silicon — all vital for batteries, solar, semiconductors and advanced electronics.
• The government expects revised royalty rates to attract more bidders and unlock associated minerals such as lithium, tungsten, REEs and niobium.
• However, progress has been limited: since auctions began in 2023, only 34 of 81 critical mineral blocks have received successful bids.
• Despite having sizable reserves, India’s mining and processing capacity remains restricted by policy gaps, technical limitations and insufficient investments.

Revised Royalty Rates: What They Mean for India’s Critical Mineral Push?

• India classifies 30 minerals as “critical,” though caesium and rubidium — included in the latest royalty revision — are not part of India’s list, even though countries like the US, Canada and South Korea consider them critical.
• The revised rates are part of a continuing series of royalty reforms, following earlier revisions in 2022, 2023 and early 2024 covering minerals such as cobalt, indium, titanium, tungsten, molybdenum, and REEs.
• Under the MMDR Act’s Second Schedule, most minerals follow an ad valorem royalty structure linked to ASP, while only six, including graphite, previously followed per-tonne rates.
• Why the Shift Was Needed?
  • Earlier, graphite’s per-tonne royalty system made mining unviable during price falls or for lower-grade deposits.
  • Moving to ad valorem rates aligns royalties with real market prices, improving commercial viability.
  • Caesium, rubidium and zirconium were previously subject to the default 12% ASP rate, despite lacking defined ASPs or domestic production.
  • This discouraged bidders and limited exploration.
• Expected Impact
  • The newly lowered and transparent ad valorem rates are expected to:
    • Provide predictable royalty obligations for bidders
    • Improve auction participation
    • Encourage domestic mining and production of key minerals
    • Reduce import dependence and strengthen India’s supply-chain resilience

India’s Critical Mineral Bottleneck: Mining More Isn’t Enough

• India’s critical mineral ecosystem faces structural weaknesses that cannot be solved by royalty revisions alone.
• A study identified regulatory gaps, low private-sector incentives, limited technical expertise, and inadequate financial capacity as major barriers to mining, explaining the modest response to critical mineral auctions.
• Weak Processing Capacity: The Core Constraint
  • A far deeper challenge lies in mineral processing, where India remains heavily import-dependent.
  • The analysis highlights three connected limitations:
    • Low processing scale,
    • Difficulty securing raw materials, and
    • Relatively small domestic demand.
  • Even in minerals like copper — where India has significant smelting capacity — the country contributes just 3% of global processed output.
  • For rare earth elements, private participation was historically restricted because they were categorised as atomic minerals.

The Way Forward

• Expanding mining alone will not bring self-reliance unless India also builds the ability to convert raw minerals into high-purity materials needed for batteries, semiconductors, optics and advanced manufacturing.
• For true strategic autonomy in EVs, electronics and green technologies, India must develop a full domestic value chain — mining and processing — to reduce import dependence and strengthen supply-chain security.

Why in news?

• Indian scientists have created a homegrown, “miniature” alternative to the globally patented CRISPR-Cas system for precise genome editing in plants.
  • CRISPR-Cas is a natural bacterial defense system adapted for genome editing.
  • It uses a guide RNA to lead a Cas enzyme, such as Cas9, to a specific DNA sequence.
  • The Cas enzyme cuts the DNA at that exact spot, and the cell’s repair machinery is then used to insert, delete, or modify genes with precision.
• The new technology, recently patented by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), uses TnpB — transposon-associated proteins — to cut and modify plant DNA.
• This development strengthens India’s ability to produce genome-edited (GE) crops at lower cost while reducing dependence on foreign proprietary tools.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Gene Modification Vs Gene Editing
• Indigenous Breakthrough in Genome Editing
• Why India Needed an Alternative to CRISPR?

Gene Modification Vs Gene Editing

• Gene Modification - GM introduces foreign DNA from a different species into an organism.
  • Process: A new gene from another organism is inserted into the target organism’s genome.
  • Outcome: Produces a genetically modified organism (GMO) containing genetic material from multiple species.
  • Analogy: Like inserting a new chapter from another author into a book.
  • Example: Adding a gene from another plant species to make a crop disease-resistant.
• Gene Editing - Gene editing makes precise, targeted changes to an organism’s existing DNA without adding foreign genes.
  • Process: Small changes—such as deletions, corrections, or replacements—are made at specific DNA sites. It uses Molecular scissors (Cas/TnpB) and Guides RNA to direct cuts at precise DNA locations.
  • Outcome: Produces a genetically edited organism (GEO) with modified original DNA.
  • Analogy: Like correcting or deleting a word in a document.
  • Example: Removing a gene to stop an unwanted protein or correcting a mutation causing a genetic disorder.
• India’s First GE Rice Varieties
  • ICAR announced two CRISPR-edited rice varieties:
    • Samba Mahsuri (IIRR) – Edited cytokinin oxidase 2 gene using CRISPR-Cas12a → higher yield.
    • MTU-1010 (IARI) – Edited DST gene using CRISPR-Cas9 → drought & salinity tolerance.
  • These varieties face commercialisation hurdles due to CRISPR patent restrictions.

Indigenous Breakthrough in Genome Editing

• Indian scientists have developed a “miniature alternative” to CRISPR-Cas technologies using TnpB proteins, offering a fully indigenous genome-editing (GE) tool for plants.
• The technology, recently patented by ICAR, enables precise DNA cutting and modification to improve crop traits.
• What Makes TnpB Technology Different?
  • The new tool uses Transposon-associated TnpB proteins that function like Cas9/Cas12a as molecular scissors.
  • Key advantages:
    • Much smaller size (400–500 amino acids) compared to Cas9 (1,000–1,400) and Cas12a (1,300).
    • Compact size allows easy delivery via viral vectors, avoiding tissue-culture-based delivery.
    • Uses Deinococcus radiodurans-derived TnpB, enabling efficient gene editing.
      • Deinococcus radiodurans is a bacterium that can survive in extremely harsh conditions.
      • The bacterium is harmless to humans. It is useful in bioremediation and can help clean up radioactive waste.
• Why TnpB-Based Editing Is a Game Changer?
  • The indigenous tool allows:
    • Freedom from foreign IP control
    • Lower costs for GE crop development
    • Easier DNA delivery due to the protein’s small size
    • Potential to address NGO concerns about foreign companies dominance

Why India Needed an Alternative to CRISPR?

• CRISPR-Cas technologies are controlled globally by:
  • Broad Institute – patents for CRISPR-Cas12a
  • Corteva Agriscience – joint licensing for CRISPR-Cas9 in agriculture
• Indian scientists can use CRISPR for research but commercial release of GE varieties requires licensing fees.
• Indigenous TnpB systems eliminate such IP restrictions, making GE crop development affordable and scalable.
• ICAR has been negotiating with Broad Institute and Corteva since July 2025. They permit research use but may charge licensing fees for commercial GE crop cultivation.
  • India has requested fee waivers for small and marginal farmers.

Why in the News?

• The Supreme Court has struck down multiple provisions of the Tribunal Reforms Act, 2021, ruling that they violate the principles of judicial independence and separation of powers.
• The Court also directed the Union Government to establish the long-pending National Tribunal Commission within four months to ensure transparency and independence in tribunal appointments and administration.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Tribunal Reforms (Background, Reforms Act 2021, Supreme Court’s Core Findings, Key Provisions Struck Down, Significance, Challenges, etc.)

Overview of the Tribunal Reforms Act, 2021

• The Tribunal Reforms Act, 2021 sought to restructure the functioning of tribunals, alter appointment procedures, and allow the government a greater say in fixing tenure, salary, service conditions, and administrative control over tribunal members.
• Key provisions included:

• Minimum age of 50 years for appointment of tribunal members,
• A four-year tenure, which could be renewed,
• A search-cum-selection committee that included two central government secretaries, whose ministries often appear as litigants before tribunals,
• Powers given to the Centre to frame rules regarding appointments and service conditions.

• These provisions were previously challenged and struck down in a 2021 judgment, yet were reintroduced with minor tweaks in the new legislation.

Supreme Court’s Core Findings

• The Bench of Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran held that the 2021 Act was an attempt to “repackage” the very provisions earlier invalidated.
• The Court noted that Parliament cannot circumvent judicial directions by re-enacting an unconstitutional provision in slightly modified form. The Court anchored its reasoning in three pillars:
• Judicial Independence
  • Tribunals discharge judicial functions, and executive dominance over appointments undermines impartiality. The Court reiterated that executive involvement must be minimal, especially as the government is a litigant in most tribunal cases.

• Separation of Powers
• Any law affecting the structure or functioning of the judiciary must respect the constitutional limits placed on legislative power. Parliament cannot “override” or “contradict” judicial pronouncements.
• Constitutional Supremacy
• The Bench emphasised that the Constitution, not Parliament or the executive, is supreme, and judicial review is a basic feature safeguarding constitutionalism.

• “The Constitution is what the Court says it is… Parliament cannot merely restate or repackage the invalidated provision,” the Court observed.
• The Court found the 2021 Act to be a “legislative override” that consciously defied earlier judgments relating to tribunal autonomy.

Key Provisions Struck Down

• The Supreme Court invalidated provisions that:

• Allowed the Centre to control tenure and age limits of tribunal members,
• Included government secretaries on the selection committee,
• Limited tenure to four years, undermining institutional stability,
• Granted excessive rule-making powers to the executive over tribunals.

• These provisions collectively weakened tribunal independence by giving the government disproportionate control over adjudicatory bodies.

Direction to Establish National Tribunal Commission

• The Court reiterated its earlier order to create a National Tribunal Commission (NTC), an independent body envisioned to:

• Oversee the appointments of tribunal members,
• Regulate service conditions,
• Ensure institutional autonomy,
• Oversee administration and infrastructure,
• Standardise functioning of tribunals across India.

• The Court stressed that the NTC is an “essential structural safeguard”, especially given the government’s repeated attempts to influence tribunal design.

Issues with the 2021 Act Highlighted by Petitioners

• The petitions filed by the Madras Bar Association and Jairam Ramesh argued that the Act:

• Attempted a “sly revival” of provisions already struck down,
• Allowed government dominance over tribunals, where the Centre is often the biggest litigant,
• Was passed without adequate parliamentary debate,
• Abolished nine specialised tribunals and transferred their workloads to already overburdened High Courts.

• These arguments were largely accepted by the Supreme Court.

Significance of the Judgment

• The ruling strengthens the architecture of tribunal independence, which has been the subject of multiple landmark decisions since 2010. Its key implications include:

• Reinforcing judicial checks on legislative overreach,
• Ensuring tribunals remain neutral adjudicatory bodies,
• Avoiding conflict of interest arising from executive involvement,
• Protecting citizens’ access to independent and efficient justice.

• The judgment also sends a strong message to Parliament that non-compliance with constitutional judgments is unacceptable.

Challenges Ahead

• Even as the judgment lays down clear constitutional limits, several challenges remain:

• Establishing the National Tribunal Commission may require extensive coordination between ministries,
• High Courts may face increasing burdens until tribunal vacancies are filled through a constitutionally valid process,
• Ensuring that future amendments align fully with judicial precedent will require strict legislative discipline.

• Nonetheless, the ruling marks a major step toward restoring institutional balance between the three branches of government.

Why in News?

• The investigation into the recent (November 10) Red Fort car explosion in Delhi — one of the deadliest attacks in recent years — has revealed the evolving nature of terrorism in India.
• The module behind the attack allegedly leveraged encrypted communication platforms, dead-drop email techniques, and high operational discipline, reflecting trends discussed in global counter-terrorism research.
• The case highlights critical gaps in India’s digital surveillance and counter-terrorism architecture.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Background of the Incident
• Major Findings of the Investigation
• Academic Scholarship Alignment
• Implications for National Security
• Challenges
• Way Forward
• Conclusion

Background of the Incident:

• The attack:
  • A car exploded near Gate No. 1 of the Red Fort Metro Station on November 10, killing 15 and injuring over 30.
  • Treated as a terrorist attack under counter-terrorism laws; investigation handed to the NIA.
• Key suspects: Three doctors (Dr. Umar Un Nabi, Dr. Muzammil Ganaie, Dr. Shaheen Shahid) linked to Al Falah University (Faridabad) - alleged deep involvement in planning and operational support.

Major Findings of the Investigation:

• Use of encrypted communication:
  • Primary communication through Threema, a Swiss-based end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) app with -
    • No phone number/email needed
    • Random user IDs
    • No metadata retention
    • Two-end message deletion
  • Suspected use of a private Threema server, possibly offshore.
• Spy-style ‘Dead-Drop’ email technique: Use of a shared email account accessed via unsent drafts. Leaves almost no digital transmission footprint, complicating forensics.
• Physical reconnaissance and explosive stockpiling:
  • Multiple recce missions across Delhi before the attack.
  • Ammonium nitrate stockpiling traced to a red EcoSport vehicle.
  • Use of familiar vehicles to avoid suspicion.
• Operational discipline and external linkages:
  • Umar, who was reportedly the driver of the car that caused the blast, “switched off his phones” and cut digital ties after the arrest of his associates, a sophisticated tactic to limit exposure.
  • Possible connection with Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) or a JeM-inspired module.
  • Reflects high operational security and training.

Academic Scholarship Alignment:

• Patterns consistent with counter-terrorism research:
  • Growing use of E2EE platforms, VPNs, private servers by extremist groups.
    • End-to-end encryption (E2EE) is a secure communication process that prevents third parties from accessing data transferred from one endpoint to another.
  • Use of digital dead-drops, blending old spycraft with new technologies.
  • Adoption of multi-domain operational security: phygital (physical + digital).
• Challenge for States: Traditional surveillance tools (phone tapping, metadata scraping, email intercepts) are becoming ineffective.

Implications for National Security:

• Traditional surveillance offers limited insights: Encrypted apps and decentralised servers bypass law enforcement touchpoints.
• App bans are insufficient: Threema, banned in India under Section 69A of the IT Act, still accessible via VPNs.
• Need for advanced technical capabilities: Device seizure alone is insufficient without memory forensics, server tracking, and reverse engineering capabilities.
• Potential transnational handlers: Possible JeM link indicates cross-border operational networks.

Challenges:

• Lack of specialised cyber forensics: Limited expertise in analysing encrypted servers, private-network communication.
• Regulatory gaps: No clear framework for self-hosted communication infrastructure.
• Detection of digital dead-drop methods: Existing intercept systems cannot detect draft-based email communication.
• Radicalisation in professional spaces: Highly educated individuals (doctors, academics) are harder to monitor.
• Weak international coordination: Terror cells exploit jurisdictional limitations of foreign apps and servers.

Way Forward:

• Build dedicated digital forensics units: Special teams for E2EE platform analysis, server forensics, memory dumps. Monitoring of VPN exit nodes and anonymisers.
• Regulate self-hosted communication servers: Mandate lawful access compliance for privately hosted servers. Strengthen cooperation with tech companies under judicial oversight.
• Update counter-terrorism laws:
  • Explicitly recognise threats from decentralised networks, encrypted communication, dead-drop techniques.
  • Train investigators to detect shared accounts and draft-only communication.
• Strengthen institutional counter-radicalisation: Early-warning systems in educational institutions. Focused programs for highly educated professionals.
• Deepen international intelligence cooperation:
  • Collaboration on encrypted infrastructure, server access, and cross-border funding.
  • Pursue tech diplomacy with countries hosting encrypted-app servers.
• Public awareness: Educate citizens on evolving terror methodologies and reporting mechanisms.

Conclusion:

• The Red Fort blast underscores a critical reality - terrorism in the 21st century is driven as much by encrypted code as by physical logistics.
• Modern terror cells blend digital anonymity tools with traditional reconnaissance and ideological networks.
• For India, this incident is a stark reminder that counter-terrorism must evolve toward multidisciplinary intelligence, advanced cyber-forensics, stronger legal tools, and international cooperation.
• To protect society, security agencies must be equipped to combat threats not only on the ground but also within the encrypted, decentralised digital ecosystems where modern terror thrives.

Context

• The history of tuberculosis (TB) control has been shaped by periodic scientific breakthroughs, but few have been as transformative as the advent of point-of-care molecular diagnostics.
• For decades, TB detection depended on insensitive sputum smear microscopy or prolonged culture processes conducted in centralised laboratories.
• These methods not only delayed diagnosis and treatment but also disproportionately affected populations living in remote or resource-limited settings.
• The introduction of portable, battery-operated polymerase chain reaction (PCR) platforms has radically altered this landscape, making timely and accurate diagnosis accessible to those who need it most.

A Diagnostic Game Changer

• Rapid molecular diagnostic systems such as Truenat, endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO), have emerged as vital tools in global TB control.
• Their capacity to detect tuberculosis and drug resistance in under an hour has fundamentally reshaped screening and treatment pathways.
• Evidence from Nigeria illustrates this impact: after integrating Truenat into its national TB program, the country nearly doubled its detection of rifampicin-resistant cases.
• Equally significant is Nigeria’s innovative adoption of stool-based testing for children, a solution that bypasses the difficulty of obtaining sputum samples and enhances diagnostic accuracy in paediatric TB, historically an under-diagnosed segment of the disease burden.
• Further validation comes from a multi-country study published in The Lancet, evaluating the use of on-site molecular diagnostics in primary healthcare settings in Mozambique and Tanzania.
• The results were striking: rapid testing coupled with swift result dissemination substantially increased the proportion of patients who began treatment within seven days of their first visit.

Global Recognition of Indian Innovation

• The transformative potential of point-of-care diagnostics gained worldwide recognition when Goa-based Molbio Diagnostics received the prestigious Kochon Prize.
• Awarded by the Kochon Foundation in partnership with the Stop TB Partnership, this prize honours pioneering contributions to TB control.
• Molbio’s recognition signifies more than the success of a single organisation; it represents a milestone for India’s scientific and technological ecosystem.
• Indian innovations are now influencing TB eradication efforts globally, proving that affordable, scalable solutions developed in India can reshape health outcomes far beyond its borders.
• In 2020, the WHO endorsed India’s portable molecular diagnostic platform after evidence from diverse studies across Asia and Africa demonstrated performance comparable to central laboratory systems, with the added advantage of deployability in remote settings.
• This was a defining moment when innovation aligned with accessibility. Since then, a growing number of Indian enterprises have entered the TB diagnostics space, enriching the range of point-of-care tools available worldwide.

India’s Role in Decentralised TB Control

• India's National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) has been pivotal in scaling these innovations domestically.
• By installing thousands of molecular testing units across the country, the programme has significantly reduced the time from suspicion of TB to treatment initiation, strengthening the overall TB management framework.
• The success of these efforts reflects India’s broader collaborative model: a synergy between government systems, private innovators, academia, and community health workers.
• In a nation that accounts for nearly a quarter of the global TB burden, such cross-sector cooperation is more than beneficial, it is essential.
• The repeated recognition of Indian contributions with the Kochon Prize, in 2006, 2017, and again today, underscores India’s growing leadership in global TB control.
• The widespread deployment of India-made diagnostic tools, from sub-Saharan Africa’s mobile clinics to Eastern European refugee camps, further exemplifies this leadership.
• These developments affirm that India is not merely participating in global health innovation; it is driving it.

The Way Forward: The Need for Holistic TB Care

• Despite these achievements, the fight against TB is far from over.
• Diagnostic advancements must be matched by equitable access to treatment, social support, nutritional interventions, and stigma reduction.
• Research indicates that malnutrition accounts for roughly 40% of TB cases in India, an alarming figure that highlights the deep connection between disease and socio-economic inequity.
• TB is, fundamentally, a disease of disadvantage. Successful elimination, therefore, requires addressing the structural determinants that sustain the epidemic.

Conclusion

• As the world stands at a critical juncture in the battle against TB, it is essential to maintain momentum.
• Continued investment in integrated innovations, combining diagnostics with nutritional support, digital adherence technologies, expanded contact tracing, and vaccine development, is vital.
• Only through this comprehensive approach can global health systems move beyond piecemeal interventions and forge a truly equitable path to TB elimination.

Context

• The adoption of the International Day of Care and Support by the United Nations General Assembly in 2023 marks an important milestone in the global recognition of care work.
• By acknowledging the need to reduce, redistribute, and properly value unpaid care and domestic labour, predominantly performed by women and girls, the resolution draws attention to an often-invisible foundation of social and economic life.
• These issues resonate powerfully in India, where historical legacies, institutional gaps, and new socio-economic pressures continue to shape the landscape of childcare and care work.
• Together, these factors underscore the urgency of a systemic transformation grounded in social justice, gender equality, and high-quality care for all children.

Historical Foundations and the Evolution of Childcare Services

• India’s engagement with organised childcare dates back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when educationists such as Tarabai Modak and Gijubai Badheka developed innovative, developmentally appropriate early childhood practices.
• However, these pioneering initiatives gradually lost prominence as post-Independence childcare became largely privatised and inaccessible to low-income families—the very groups most in need of such support.
• A paradigm shift came with the 1972 Study Group on the Development of the Preschool Child, led by Mina Swaminathan, which articulated a holistic and equity-driven framework for early childhood care.
• This approach culminated in the creation of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) in 1975, today one of the world’s largest early childhood programmes.
• With 1.4 million Anganwadi centres reaching 23 million children, and a projected need to expand to 2.6 million centres by 2030, ICDS remains central to India’s commitment to child nutrition, development, and welfare.

Undervaluation of Childcare Workers

• Despite the scale and social importance of ICDS, care-workers continue to be underpaid, undervalued, and treated as informal caregivers rather than skilled professionals.
• Rapid programme expansion has weakened emphasis on training and competency building, reinforcing stereotypes that early childhood work is limited to feeding, hygiene, and immunisation rather than complex developmental nurturing.
• Their wages, often ₹8,000–₹15,000 per month, barely match minimum-wage benchmarks for unskilled labour, revealing a profound mismatch between responsibilities and remuneration.
• The devaluation of care work manifests in multiple ways: insufficient social security, poor working conditions, limited career progression, and inadequate institutional representation.

Climate Change, Migration, and Intensified Care Burdens

• Climate change, through floods, droughts, and extreme weather events, disproportionately harms women and children, reducing access to healthcare, nutrition, and stable livelihoods.
• Male migration from rural to urban economies further exacerbates gendered care burdens, leaving women with little support as they juggle caregiving, wage work, and household survival.
• Urban migration creates its own dilemmas: high rents and precarious employment push migrant women into domestic labour in wealthier households, while their own children often lack access to safe and affordable childcare.
• Notably, only 10% of Anganwadi centres operate in urban areas, leaving a significant care vacuum.

Policy Transformations and the Path Ahead

• Recognising care-workers is only the first step; systemic reforms must follow. India currently invests only 0.4% of its GDP in childcare, far below the 1%–1.5% standard upheld by Scandinavian countries with universal childcare systems.
• Strengthening childcare provision, especially for children under three years, demands significant budgetary increases, infrastructure expansion, and robust training systems.
• Currently, only 2,500 of 10,000 approved crèches under the Palna Scheme are functional, revealing implementation gaps that undermine coverage.
• Achieving high-quality, equitable childcare requires:
  • Decent wages and labour protections for caregivers
  • Comprehensive skill development and professionalisation of care
  • Expanded urban childcare coverage
  • Stronger decentralised and community-led governance
  • Convergence across health, nutrition, labour, and social welfare systems
  • Policies that promote shared household care responsibilities
• Crucially, the childcare agenda is inseparable from the rights of women and children.
• It demands a shift from viewing care as a private responsibility to recognising it as a public good essential for inclusive development.

Conclusion

• As global and domestic pressures, from climate change to migration, intensify existing inequalities, the need to invest in care infrastructure and care-workers has never been more urgent.
• The historical legacy of inclusive childcare, coupled with contemporary demands for gender justice and child welfare, necessitates a bold reimagining of policy and practice.
• Universal, high-quality childcare is not merely a social service; it is a nation-building imperative that strengthens families, empowers women, and gives every child a fair chance at a healthy, secure, and dignified future.
• By valuing and professionalising care work, India can build a more equitable society where the rights of caregivers and children are fully recognised and realised.

About African Swine Fever (ASF):

• It is a highly contagious and hemorrhagic viral disease affecting pigs and wild boar.
• The disease does not infect humans (not zoonotic) or other livestock species.
• ASF causes a destructive effect on piggery due to high morbidity and mortality (up to 90-100%).
• Originally found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, ASF is now prevalent in many countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa.
• India notified the first outbreak of ASF virus in January, 2020 in the Northeastern States of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
• Transmission:
  • The virus is highly resistant in the environment, meaning that it can survive on clothes, boots, wheels, and other materials.
  • It can also survive in various pork products, such as ham, sausages, or bacon.
  • Therefore, human behaviours can play an important role in spreading this disease.
  • Infection can occur through direct contact between pigs or boars, but also, for example, through soft ticks in (sub)tropical regions, through contaminated materials or contaminated feed.
• Symptoms: The clinical symptoms can look very much like those of classical swine fever: fever, weak pigs, lack of appetite, inflamed eye mucous membranes, red skin, (bloody) diarrhea, and vomiting.
• Prevention: Currently, there is no treatment or vaccine available against ASF, so prevention by adopting strict biosecurity measures, such as culling the animals, is the only way to prevent ASF.

About Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS):

• It is a series of surface-to-surface ballistic missiles developed in the United States.
• It is manufactured by the US defense company Lockheed Martin.
• ATACMS was first developed by the U.S. in the 1980s to rival the former Soviet Union’s long-range artillery and missile systems.
• It is also designated M39 by the US Army, and its Department of Defence (DoD) designation is MGM-140.
• The missile first saw use during the 1991 Persian Gulf War.
• This weapon’s known operators other than the US are Bahrain, Greece, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United Arab Emirates.
• Features:
  • ATACMS are 24/7, all-weather, surface-to-surface, inertially guided ballistic missiles.
  • Range: It has a range of about 190 miles (305 km).
  • Propulsion: Single-stage, solid propellant.
  • These missiles are fired from either the tracked M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) or the wheeled M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).
  • Each one costs around $1.5m (£1.2m).
  • They can be configured to carry two different types of warhead.
    • The first is a cluster fitted with hundreds of bomblets designed to destroy lighter-armoured units over a wide area.
    • The second type is a single warhead, a 225 kg high explosive variant of which is designed to destroy hardened facilities and larger structures.
  • ATACMS missiles travel at high altitudes before descending at immense speeds, making them difficult to intercept.

About Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome (APS):

• It is a rare autoimmune condition in which the immune system mistakenly makes certain abnormal antibodies that attack tissues in the body.
• These antibodies target proteins attached to fat molecules (phospholipids), which makes the blood more likely to clot.
• APS can cause blood clots to form in arteries and veins.
  • Blood clots can form in the legs, lungs, and other organs, such as the kidneys and spleen.
  • The clots can lead to heart attack, stroke, and other conditions.
• During pregnancy, APS also can result in miscarriage and stillbirth.
• Some people who have the antibodies may not have any symptoms.
• There's no cure for this uncommon condition, but medicines can reduce the risk of blood clots and miscarriage.
• It is more common in women than in men.
• Having another autoimmune condition, such as systemic lupus erythematosus or other connective tissue diseases, increases the risk of APS.