Society 

Study highlights lack of access to right antibiotics in eight countries - The Hindu 

Only 7.8% of patients with drug-resistant infections in India received an appropriate antibiotic, a study of eight nations published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal has revealed. Lack of access to appropriate treatment for such serious infections increases morbidity and mortality, besides driving up health care costs and prolonging hospitalisation. Research was carried out by Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP).

Global Antibiotic Research & Development Partnership (GARDP)

• Overview: A not-for-profit organisation focused on developing new antibiotics for drug-resistant infections.0
• Role: Ensures accessibility of treatments to those in need.
• Objectives:
  • Addresses the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) crisis.
  • Aims for sustainable access to essential antibiotics across generations.
  • Prioritises public health in antibiotic development.
• Establishment: Created by WHO and Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) under the Global Action Plan on AMR (2015).
• Legality: Legally formed as an independent foundation in Geneva in 2018.
• Function: Works with public and private partners to speed up development and distribution of new antibiotics globally.
   

Polity

SECC 2011, the last time caste data was collected (but not published) - Indian Express

The most recent data on the populations of individual castes and tribes in India were collected between 2011 and 2013 as part of the Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC), 2011, an exercise that followed the Census of 2011. The SECC collected data on a range of parameters, parts of which were published in 2016. But the data on caste populations, other than the total numbers of SCs and STs, was not made public.

SECC and Census 

Questions in exercises

• Common Questions
  • Both Census 2011 and SECC 2011 included questions on gender, marital status, religion, literacy, date of birth, & about head of family.
  • SECC 2011 added specific questions related to economic conditions.
• Census Household Schedule
  • Contained 29 questions.
  • Covered mother tongue, other languages, migration details, surviving children, birth history, etc.
• Disability and Illness
  • Census 2011 asked only about disability in general.
  • SECC 2011 included detailed categories:
    • Sight, hearing, speech, movement, mental retardation, mental illness, multiple/other disabilities.
    • Also asked about diseases like cancer, TB, and leprosy.
• Caste Data
  • Census 2011 asked whether a person belonged to SC or ST, but not the specific caste/tribe name. Did not cover OBCs or General category.
  • SECC 2011 collected detailed caste/tribe information.
    • Options: SC (Code 1), ST (Code 2), Other (Code 3), No Caste/Tribe (Code 4).
    • Asked for name of caste/tribe if applicable.
    • Clarified:
      • SCs only among Hindus, Sikhs, and Buddhists (per 1990 Government Order).
      • STs can belong to any religion.

Additional Data in SECC

• Housing and Assets: Type of dwelling, material used, access to drinking water, lighting, toilets, waste outlets, kitchen, and assets like TV, phone, fridge, vehicles, etc.
• Urban Areas:
  • Collected parents’ names and income sources, including:
  • Street vending, construction, domestic work, pensions, etc.
• Rural Areas:
  • Primitive tribal group, bonded labourer, manual scavenger status.
  • Income from cultivation, casual labour, begging, foraging, etc.
  • Data on land ownership and farming equipment availability.
     

World Affairs 

Can the Indus Waters Treaty be suspended unilaterally? - The Hindu

The 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) gives India unrestricted rights over the three eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej. While Pakistan was given exclusive control over the three western rivers — Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab, India retained limited rights to use the waters for “non-consumptive” purposes. However, following the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, India announced the IWT would be held in abeyance with “immediate effect”.

Legal Position

• Suspension: Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) cannot be altered or terminated unilaterally.
• Article XII: Allows termination only via a mutually ratified treaty.
• India's use of the term “abeyance”: Not recognised under international law or the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (VCLT), 1969.
• VCLT provisions: “Suspension” (not “abeyance”) allows pausing treaty obligations, but is distinct from termination.

Customary International Law

• Membership of VCLT: India is not a party, and Pakistan is a signatory (not ratified) to VCLT.
• Article 62 on “fundamental change of circumstances”: A customary international law as affirmed by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Impact on Pakistan

• Economy: 80% of Pakistan’s agriculture and 1/3rd hydropower depend on Indus basin waters.
• India lacks large-scale storage: Most projects are run-of-the-river, limiting water withholding ability.
• Uncertainty in water flow regulation: It can disrupt Pakistan’s agrarian economy.

Way forward for India 

• Redesigning hydropower projects to enhance storage.
• Using drawdown flushing, i.e., sudden water release, which can harm downstream areas in Pakistan.
   

India Issues NOTAM, Shuts Airspace For Pakistan - Indian Express

Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated following the Pahalgam terror attack. Recently, India issued a Notice to Air Mission (NOTAM) and closed its airspace for Pakistan-registered, operated, or leased aircraft, airlines, and military flights.

Notice to Air Mission (NOTAM) 

• Definition: A bulletin issued by aviation authorities containing essential updates for flight operations.
• Purpose: Provides information on changes in aeronautical facilities, services, procedures, or hazards.
• Alerts pilots to:
  • Airspace changes, airport closures, equipment issues.
  • Airshows, parachute jumps, VIP flights, military exercises.
  • Navigation aid failures, obstruction lighting, temporary structures.
• Format: Encoded for conciseness and clarity, usually self-explanatory.
• Communication: Disseminated through fastest means to relevant users lacking prior notice.
• Accessibility:
  • Available via online portals, flight planning tools, and aviation weather services.
  • Critical for pilot awareness and flight safety.

Environment 

Red-Crowned roofed turtle returns to Ganga after 30 years - PIB 

In a landmark achievement for biodiversity conservation, the endangered Red-Crowned Roofed Turtle (Batagur kachuga) has made a triumphant return to the Ganga River after three decades of absence. This remarkable feat, driven by the Namami Gange Mission, signals a new era of hope for the restoration of the Ganga’s ecosystem and its rich biodiversity.

Red-Crowned Roofed Turtle/ Bengal roof turtle

• Scientific name: Batagur kachuga
• Overview: Freshwater species endemic to South Asia.
• Distribution: Found in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal.
• River basins: Historically common in Ganga and Brahmaputra basins.
• Conservation: In India, a significant population survives only in the National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary.
• Key Features
  • Medium-sized, up to 56 cm long and 25 kg in weight.
  • Males are half the size of females.
  • Reddish-orange head with a black crown, greenish-brown carapace with yellow patterns.
  • Yellow plastron with black markings, broad head, strong jaws, and webbed feet.
  • Omnivorous, feeds on plants and animals.
• IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
• Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I
• CITES: Appendix II

Sci and Tech 

S8 tension: cosmologists can’t agree on how clumpy the universe is - The Hindu 

Cosmology is in for exciting times, going by the latest research that suggests the key to revealing the fundamental nature of the universe lies in finding out how clumpy it is.

Sigma Eight (S8)

• Overview: It quantifies the clustering of matter in the universe on a scale of ~26 million light-years.
• Role: Measures how matter (visible and dark) is distributed across cosmic regions.
• Background:
  • After the Big Bang (~13.8 billion years ago), the universe began as highly uniform (seen in CMB).
  • Tiny density fluctuations evolved into galaxies, clusters, and cosmic structures.
• S8 Tension: Refers to the discrepancy in S8 values:
  • Higher from CMB data.
  • Lower from gravitational lensing surveys.
  • Challenges the standard ΛCDM (Lambda Cold Dark Matter) cosmological model.
• Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB):
  • Afterglow of the Big Bang, consisting of photons.
  • Used to study early universe and expansion rate (~68 km/s/Mpc).
• Cosmic Shear & Gravitational Lensing:
  • Cosmic shear: distortion of galaxy shapes due to gravitational lensing by matter.
  • Helps indirectly measure S8 and map dark matter.
  • Lower S8 from lensing indicates less matter clumping than predicted.