Society 

Access to abortion, foetal viability, and laws thereof: women are caught in the crossfire - The Hindu

Few concepts are as contentious as foetal viability. It is safe to say that the foetus’ right to life grows stronger as the pregnancy progresses. However, this vagueness of viability lends itself to legal and ethical arguments that surround abortions across the world

Ethical and Legal Challenges in Late-Term Abortions

• Doctor Attitudes: 
  • Some medical professionals view abortion as morally wrong, especially in later stages.
  • Negative attitudes can emotionally impact patients seeking abortions.
• Foetal Viability Debate:
  • No fixed stage defines foetal viability; rights of the foetus increase with gestation.
  • Globally, this vagueness fuels legal and ethical disputes over abortion rights.
• India’s Legal Framework:
  • MTP Act (1971) permits abortion up to 20 weeks (one RMP) and 24 weeks (two RMPs).
  • Beyond 24 weeks, a Medical Board must approve the abortion, only in select cases.
• Medical Board’s Role:
  • Approves abortion only if foetus has fatal abnormalities or serious risk to the mother.
  • Quality of life is often ignored; decisions are case-specific and appealable in court.
• Judicial Conflicts:
  • In 2023, a 27-year-old denied abortion at 26 weeks despite mental health issues.
  • Courts may prioritise foetal life even if pregnancy endangers the woman’s well-being.
• Medical Reality vs Morality:
  • Doctors must weigh risks to both mother and foetus; resuscitation at 24–26 weeks is rare in Indian settings.
  • Ethical dilemma arises when viability precedes legal abortion rights.
• Ethical Principles & Risks:
  • Medical ethics prioritise non-maleficence ("do no harm"), often interpreted to include both foetus and mother.
  • High-risk cases, like a 30-week-old minor, denied abortion due to life risk.
• Perception of Abortion:
  • Most women view abortion as a last resort, not casual contraception.
  • Providers may assume ignorance or misuse, adding barriers to access.
• Legal Limitations:
  • MTP Act permits abortion as an exception, not a right.
  • Consent often used by doctors to shield against legal consequences.

Preparation' for rape vs 'attempt' to commit rape: what law says - Indian Express 

The Supreme Court recently stayed a ruling of the Allahabad High Court that said grabbing the breasts of a minor child and breaking the string of her pyjama “hardly constitute[d] an offence of attempt to rape”, and merely amount[ed] to “preparation”.

‘Preparation’ vs ‘Attempt’ in Criminal Law

• Legal Distinction:
  • Preparation precedes attempt.
  • Attempt requires intent, preparation, and action toward committing the offence.
  • Mere preparation is not punishable; the act must reach the “penultimate” stage.
• Key Judgments:
  • Abhayanand Mishra v. State of Bihar (1961): Defined essential elements of attempt.
  • State of Maharashtra v. Mohd. Yakub (1980): “Attempt begins where preparation ends”.

Allahabad HC Ruling on Attempt to Rape

• Case Facts:
  • Accused allegedly molested a minor and tried dragging her under a culvert.
  • Witnesses intervened; rape did not occur.
• HC Observation:
  • Acts did not exceed preparation; no proof of intent to complete rape.
  • No evidence of attempted penetrative assault under IPC/POCSO.
• Reference to Rex v. James Lloyd (1836):
  • Courts must be satisfied of the accused’s intent to gratify passion “in spite of all resistance”.
  • Absence of such determination weakens attempt-to-rape charge.

Legal Outcome

• HC Verdict:
  • Accused not liable for attempted rape; charged under IPC Section 354(b) (intent to disrobe).
  • Reduced punishment: 1–5 years.

Wider Legal Impact

• Past Precedents:
  • Rajasthan HC (2024) and SC (2004) adopted similar reasoning using Lloyd test.
• SC Suo Motu Action (2024):
  • Stayed HC ruling; flagged it as insensitive and contrary to legal tenets.
  • May lead to re-evaluation of legal standards for attempted rape.

Polity 

The flawed push for a third language - The Hindu

Evidence-based policymaking relies on data, research, and statistical analysis — not ideology, untested assumptions or political convenience. It ensures that policies address real needs, maximise effectiveness, and avoid unnecessary burdens. By this standard, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020’s push for a third language in schools fails to meet the mark.

Survey Findings on Language Learning in India

• International Assessment: Nations like Singapore, China, Finland consistently top PISA rankings.
• India’s rank: India ranked 73/74 in 2009 PISA; withdrew after poor performance.
• National Surveys:
  • NAS 2017–2021: Only 56% of Class 8 students could read a simple paragraph; 44% had good grammar knowledge.
  • ASER 2018–2022: Over 30% of Class 8 students couldn’t read Class 2-level text; 53.3% couldn't read basic English.
  • No data exists for third-language proficiency.

Cognitive and Educational Constraints

• Cognitive Load:
  • Learning three languages strains students already weak in L1 and L2.
  • Reduces practice time for core languages and may cause confusion.
  • Equal fluency in three languages is rare.
• Language Similarity:
  • Indo-Aryan speakers benefit more from learning Hindi.
  • Dravidian and other language speakers face greater difficulty.

Implementation Issues

• Infeasible hiring and training of qualified teachers: Infeasible for multiple third-language choices.
• Lack of resources: Rural and underfunded schools lack resources for third-language instruction.
• Hidden bias toward Hindi/Sanskrit: Due to cost and supply limitations.
• AI Tools:
  • NEP overlooks AI translation tools that reduce dependency on classroom instruction.
  • English and regional languages can be taught traditionally; L3 via digital platforms.
• Policy Priorities:
  • Disproportionate focus on Sanskrit; minimal emphasis on English.
  • Ignores English’s global relevance in jobs, education, and technology.

Lessons from Singapore

• English + Mother Tongue (Mandarin/Malay/Tamil) ensures inclusivity and economic growth.
• Avoided ethnic tensions and built global competitiveness.

Hindi as a National Language — A Flawed Assumption

• Census Reality:
  • Only ~25% truly speak Hindi; rest speak distinct languages wrongly grouped as “dialects”.
  • 95% of Indians never leave their home State — no practical need for Hindi dominance.
• Historical Caution:
  • Linguistic rigidity led to Pakistan’s disintegration.
  • India’s flexible, multilingual model ensured unity and federalism.

Way Forward

• Replace rigid three-language formula with flexible, pragmatic two-language model.
• Emphasise English for employability and regional language for identity.
• Focus resources on core learning and modern skills like AI, not ideological language imposition.

Economy 

India's deep sea challenge - Indian Express 

Last month, India completed wet testing of its Matsya-6000 submersible, capable of diving up to 6 km below the surface to look for underwater minerals off the coast. The launch of the first deep-sea manned vehicle is planned for later this year will put India in a select group of nations with the capability to send humans to these depths.

Significance of Deep Sea Exploration

• Economic & Strategic Importance: Deep sea holds vital resources — minerals, oil, gas, and data — and is a potential future conflict zone.
• EEZ Scope: India’s EEZ extends 200 nautical miles (~370 km); average depth: 3,741 m.
• Technological Challenges:
  • Sound propagation varies with depth, salinity, and temperature.
  • Operating at >380 atm pressure needs advanced materials and design.
  • ELF and VLF tech for underwater communication require high-end R&D.

Need for Technology Development

• Blue Economy: Vital for harnessing oceanic resources and building undersea infrastructure (e.g., cables, pipelines).
• Digital Backbone: Undersea cables carry >95% of global Internet traffic — essential for India’s digital economy.
• Security Concerns: Surveillance, cable protection, and underwater domain awareness are crucial.
• Infrastructure Requirements: India lacks deep-sea fishing and submarine rescue capabilities.

India’s Current Status & Way Forward

• Ongoing Initiatives:
  • Deep Ocean Mission (2018) under MoES.
  • Development of Matsya-6000 submersible.
• Gaps & Recommendations:
  • India lags in deep sea tech compared to China, US, France, etc.
  • Upgrade Department of Ocean Development to a full ministry.
  • Set up institutes of excellence, increase funding, ensure fast-tracked approvals.
  • Adopt a 10-year mission-mode plan with accountability.Recognise dual-use nature of deep-sea technology for defence and research.

Sci and Tech 

Gaia, European spacecraft that mapped the Milky Way for a decade, shuts down/ GAIA, THE EUROPEA+N CARTOGRAPHER OF THE COSMOS, NOW RETIRED  - Indian Express 

The European Space Agency (ESA) shut down its space observatory mission, Gaia recently. Launched into space over a decade ago, Gaia has been instrumental in charting the Milky Way galaxy, revealing its past and estimating its future.

Gaia Mission 

• Full Name: Originally Global Astrometric Interferometer for Astrophysics, later renamed Gaia.
• Objective: Precise astrometry — mapping positions and motions of stars and celestial bodies.
• Location: Positioned at Lagrange Point 2 (L2), ~1.5 million km from Earth, providing unobstructed cosmic observation.
• Key Instruments:
  • Astrometer – Measures star positions and motions.
  • Photometer – Records brightness and color of stars.
  • Spectrometer – Analyzes star composition and radial velocity.
• Unique Feature: Equipped with twin telescopes and a 1-billion pixel camera, the largest flown in space.
• Gaia’s Contributions 
  • Milky Way Mapping: Created a 3D dynamic map of the Milky Way, showing its structure and future changes.
  • Galaxy Shape: Revealed the warped, wobbling disc structure of the Milky Way, likely due to past collisions with satellite galaxies.
  • Star Formation Insight: Ripples from such collisions may have led to formation of stars, including the Sun.
  • Discovery of Black Holes: Identified a new type of black hole detectable only via gravitational effects, not emitted light.
  • Asteroid Tracking: Detected 1.5 lakh+ asteroids, including potentially hazardous ones, and projected their orbits.
• Mission End: Gaia was passivated (all energy sources drained) and moved to a retirement orbit around the Sun.
• Post-Mission Testing: Final tests conducted to assess technology performance after 10 years in space, aiding future missions.
• Data Processing: Vast data collected is still being processed; ESA will release it in phases – first set expected next year, final by decade’s end.
• Legacy: Despite major contributions, Gaia has mapped only 2% of the Milky Way’s estimated 100 billion stars, indicating scope for future exploration.
   

GSAT-18 cost: PAC tells space dept to be economically prudent - Indian Express 

With six transponders on-board communication satellite GSAT-18, launched in 2016, set to remain unutilised until 2027, a report by the Public Accounts Committee, which was tabled recently, recommended that the Department of Space “be more cautious and economically prudent while planning projects involving substantial amount of public money.”

GSAT-18 

• Launch: 5 Oct 2016 by Ariane-5 VA-231 from Kourou, French Guiana.
• Weight: 3,404 kg
• Mission life: 15 years (till 2032).
• Orbit: Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO); Controlled by: MCF, Hassan (Karnataka).
• Transponders: 48 across Upper Extended C-band, Normal C-band, and Ku-band.
• Services: TV broadcasting, telecom, VSAT, digital news gathering.
• Purpose: Enhances ISRO’s telecom fleet and replaces ageing satellites to ensure service continuity.