News at a glance
| Topic | GS Paper | Why in News / Context |
| Nominations to Union Territory Assemblies | GS2 – Polity – IC | MHA told HC that J&K’s LG can nominate 5 Assembly members (including migrants/women) without Cabinet advice, raising concerns on democratic accountability and UT power |
| Electoral Rolls in Machine Readable Format | GS2 – Polity – IC – Elections | Opposition demands EC publish electoral rolls as machine-readable text (not only PDF images) to speed up error checks and detect duplicates. |
| Committee Report on Cancer Drug Regulation | GS2 – Social Sector – Health | Parliament’s Committee on Petitions highlights high prices, gaps in price control (NLEM/DPCO), quality and R&D issues for cancer drugs in India. |
| One Health Approach for Zoonotic Risk | GS2 – Social Sector – Health | SC’s Delhi stray dog order spotlights zoonotic risks and “One Health” (human–animal–environment) coordination, with India’s mission as anchor. |
| India’s Need for a National Space Law | GS3 – S&T – Space | Despite global treaties, India lacks a law for space governance; urgent for private sector growth, safety, liability, and FDI attraction. |
| Digital Colonialism in India | GS3 – IS – Cyber Security | Microsoft cutting Nayara Energy’s digital services highlights foreign control and India’s vulnerability due to lack of digital sovereignty. |
| GM Maize Field Trials | Prelims – Sci – Bio | GEAC permits field trials of two GM maize traits (herbicide-tolerance, insect-resistance) by Bayer at PAU, Punjab, for Kharif 2025 season. |
| Kerala’s Kannapuram Cancer Model | Prelims – In News | WHO journal highlights Kannapuram panchayat’s model: Awareness drives, early detection, >95% screening, early intervention with local partnerships. |
Nominations to Union Territory Assemblies
Context:
The Union Home Ministry notified the High Court that J&K’s Lieutenant Governor (LG) may nominate five Assembly members without Cabinet advice, raising concerns over democratic principles and the dilution of UT powers.
Key Facts:
- J&K Assembly: 90 elected + up to 5 nominated by LG (2 women, 2 Kashmiri migrants—one a woman, 1 from PoJK community)
- Nomination is discretionary, not requiring the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers.
- Legal basis: J&K Reorganisation Act (2019, amended 2023—Sections 15, 15A, 15B); LG acts as statutory functionary
- Nominated MLAs enjoy full voting rights.
- Contrast: Puducherry (3 nominated by Centre, 30 elected), Delhi (no nominated MLAs).
- Concerns: Bypassing the elected Cabinet may enable Centre/LG to tip Assembly majorities, undermining federalism and electoral accountability.
Electoral Rolls in Machine Readable Format
Context:
Amid concerns over duplicate/fraudulent votes, opposition has urged the Election Commission to make electoral rolls available in machine-readable format for better transparency and efficiency.
Key Facts:
- Current rolls: Often only as image PDFs/printouts, difficult to analyse for errors, duplicates, or patterns.
- System: ERONET is the electronic platform, but manual error detection remains common.
- Machine-readable rolls (text, CSV, Excel): Enable automated processing, easier error/duplicate detection (e.g., in Bengaluru, 11,965 duplicates found manually).
- OCR technologies help convert images to searchable data.
- Significance: Supports clean, verifiable electoral processes and public confidence in voting integrity.
Committee Report on Cancer Drug Regulation
Context:
The Committee on Petitions’ latest report highlights rising costs and barriers to affordable, quality anti-cancer drugs in India.
Key Facts:
- NLEM 2022: Number of anti-cancer drugs under price control up from 40 (2011) to 63 (2022).
- DPCO 2013: Not all cancer drugs regulated; many essential drugs remain outside price ceiling.
- High prices when exclusion from NLEM–DPCO.
- Concern: Many generics lack WHO-GMP certification, affecting quality.
- Systemic issues: Weak domestic R&D, slow regulatory approvals, limited coverage.
- Recommends: Make cancer a notifiable disease nationwide; mandate annual outcome/public reporting from cancer research consortia.
One Health Approach for Zoonotic Risk
Context:
SC’s order on Delhi stray dogs brought focus to zoonotic risks, demanding a “One Health” approach that integrates human, animal, and environmental health.
Key Facts:
- One Health: Multisectoral, linking medical, veterinary, and ecological science.
- Tools: Mass immunisation, integrated surveillance databases, livestock monitoring, regulated drug use, improved waste management.
- National One Health Mission: Institutionalises multisectoral coordination (WHO, FAO, WOAH, UNEP endorsed).
- Impact: Reduces zoonotic outbreaks (rabies, Nipah), improves food chain safety, tackles antimicrobial resistance, and assists conservation.
- Challenges: Disjointed agencies, weak labs, funding gaps, misinformation, and climate-driven disease spread.
India’s Need for a National Space Law
Context:
Despite treaty ratification, India lacks a domestic law for space governance, vital for regulating private sector participation, liability, and sustainability.
Key Facts:
- India ratified Outer Space Treaty (OST, 1967), but has no statutory implementation.
- Gaps: No legal regime for licensing, liability, safety, or space debris.
- IN-SPACe (authorizing private sector launches, satellites) lacks statutory backing.
- Pending: Space Activities Bill still not enacted.
- Risks: Regulatory gaps deter foreign investment, innovation, and could compromise safety/sovereignty in space.
- Needed: Umbrella law for authorisation, insurance norms, debris protocols, FDI liberalization, and strong institutional mechanisms.
Digital Colonialism in India
Context:
When Microsoft cut services to Nayara Energy due to EU sanctions, it revealed India’s critical dependence on foreign digital infrastructure—an example of digital colonialism.
Key Facts:
- Digital colonialism: Foreign firms control essential software, data, cloud, and platforms.
- India’s dependency: Microsoft, Google, AWS, Oracle, SAP dominate national tech infrastructure.
- Risks: Foreign sanctions or unilateral policy change can disrupt essential operations.
- Prevention: Need for national cloud infrastructure, indigenous software, digital sovereignty policy, and diversified system resilience.
GM Maize Field Trials
Context:
GEAC approved field trials of two genetically modified maize varieties (herbicide-tolerant, insect-resistant) by Bayer at PAU, Punjab, for the 2025 Kharif season.
Key Facts:
- Traits: Tolerant to glyphosate (herbicide), resistant to lepidopteran pests.
- Objective: Assess agronomic performance and biosafety before commercialisation.
- Controversy: Environmental/health activists oppose trials, especially as glyphosate is banned in Punjab.
- Regulator: GEAC operates under the MoEFCC as India’s apex GMO approval body.
Kerala’s Kannapuram Cancer Model
Context:
WHO’s journal recognised Kannapuram grama panchayat (Kerala) for its community-driven, early cancer detection and awareness model.
Key Facts:
- Launched 2016, partners with Malabar Cancer Centre.
- Features: “Awareness First, Screening Next” philosophy, local clinics, ASHA/Kudumbashree worker mobilization.
- Achievements: >95% community screening, all detected cases found at early stages—a model for rural public health.