Geography 

WHY INDIA WILL BUILD A 'CLOUD CHAMBER' UNDER MISSION MAUSAM - Indian Express

Mission Mausam, launched by the government last month, aims to not just improve weather forecasting in the country but also ‘manage’ certain weather events, and on demand, enhance or suppress rainfall, hail, fog and, later, lightning strikes.  For effective weather modification, one of the most important areas is cloud physics, in which India will have to strengthen research. Towards this end, India is establishing a first-of-its-kind cloud chamber at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune.

Cloud Chamber

• About: A cloud chamber is a closed cylindrical or tubular drum where water vapor and aerosols are injected. Under controlled humidity and temperature, clouds form inside.
• Purpose: The Pune facility will enable scientists to study the seed particles that form cloud droplets or ice particles.
• Global Context: Many countries have basic cloud chambers with limited functionalities for specific studies.
• Mission Mausam: India is building a cloud chamber with convection properties specifically to study Indian monsoon clouds. Globally, only a few such convective cloud chambers exist.

Purpose of India's Convective Cloud Chamber

• Study of Cloud Physics: Involves understanding cloud behavior, rain droplet and ice particle formation, intra-particle interactions, and effects of moisture from cyclones or low-pressure systems.
• Objective: To better understand cloud physics under conditions affecting Indian weather systems, such as monsoons.
• Application: The knowledge gained will be used for strategic planning of weather modification.

Use of the Cloud Chamber

• Tailored Conditions: Scientists will customize physical and atmospheric parameters (temperature, humidity, convection) to study environmental factors influencing Indian weather and climate.
• Research Focus: The controlled environment will help monitor and understand monsoon clouds, testing new ideas for high-level scientific findings on cloud behavior.
• Development Timeline: Over the next 18-24 months, the team will focus on developing advanced instrumentation and probes to be used once the chamber is operational. Civil construction of the chamber will begin soon.
• Instrumentation: Advanced instruments will monitor minute properties and inject seed particles to simulate different environmental conditions for detailed study.

India’s Experience with Cloud Seeding

• CAIPEEX Programme: Conducted over four phases spanning more than a decade to study cloud seeding.
• Last Phase (2016-2018): Experiments were conducted in the rain-shadow regions of Solapur, Maharashtra.
• Results: Under suitable conditions, cloud seeding increased rainfall by up to 46% (±13%) at some locations and about 18% (±2.6%) over a 100 square kilometer area downwind of the seeding site.
• Limitations: Cloud seeding is effective but not a comprehensive solution for addressing rainfall issues.

Polity 

On Section 6A of the Citizenship Act - The Hindu

In a landmark ruling,a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court recently upheld the constitutional validity of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955 (1955 Act) which laid out an exclusive regime for migrants in Assam from erstwhile East Pakistan (present Bangladesh) to obtain Indian citizenship as long as they entered India before March 25, 1971. 

Section 6A of the Citizenship Act

• Origin: Derived from the Assam Accord of August 15, 1985, signed between the Rajiv Gandhi-led government and Assam's student groups after a six-year agitation against undocumented migrants from Bangladesh.
• Key Provisions:
  • Cut-off Date for Citizenship: Established March 25, 1971, as the deadline for granting or denying Indian citizenship to migrants in Assam. Migrants entering Assam after this date were to be treated as foreigners and deported.
  • Citizenship for Indian-Origin Migrants:  Migrants who entered Assam before January 1, 1966, and resided there were granted Indian citizenship. Migrants who arrived between January 1, 1966, and March 24, 1971, were granted citizenship rights, except voting rights, which were withheld for ten years.

Why was Section 6A Challenged?

• Violation of Equality (Article 14): Petitioners, including Assam Public Works and Assam Sanmilita Mahasangha, argued that setting a separate cut-off date for citizenship in Assam is discriminatory and violates the right to equality under Article 14 of the Constitution.
• Inconsistency with Articles 6 and 7: The petitioners claimed the provision conflicted with Articles 6 and 7, which regulate citizenship for Partition-era migration. Article 6 grants citizenship to migrants from Pakistan before July 19, 1948, while Article 7 denies citizenship to those who moved to Pakistan but allows it for those who returned under resettlement permits.
• Demographic and Cultural Impact: The petitioners contended that Section 6A led to demographic changes in Assam, threatening the cultural and linguistic rights of the indigenous population protected by Article 29.
• Article 355 Obligation: They argued that the demographic changes amounted to "external aggression" and "internal disturbance," requiring the Union government to protect Assam under Article 355 of the Constitution.

Potential Ramifications of the Section 6A Decision

• Impact on Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019: The ruling strengthens the demand to repeal the CAA, which uses December 31, 2014, as the cut-off for granting citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Critics argue this timeline creates a loophole, exempting Bengali Hindus who migrated to Assam after 1971 from Section 6A’s provisions.
• Assamese Organisations' Concerns: Assamese groups argue the CAA contradicts the Assam Accord and undermines the integrity of Section 6A by providing citizenship to migrants who arrived after the 1971 cut-off.

Does madarsa education violate secularism? SC to decide - Indian Express

The Supreme Court reserved its verdict on a case with potential implications for religious education nationwide. The case challenges a March ruling by the Allahabad High Court, which struck down the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madarsa Education Act, 2004.  In April, the Supreme Court stayed the HC ruling and is reviewing the validity of the UP law. 

Madarsa Act, 2004

• Purpose: Provides the legal framework for madarsa education, combining NCERT curriculum with religious education.
• Uttar Pradesh Board of Madarsa Education: Established under the Act, primarily comprising members of the Muslim community.
• Functions of the Board: Under Section 9, the board prepares course material, conducts exams for courses from ‘Maulvi’ (Class 10 equivalent) to ‘Fazil’ (Master’s equivalent).
• Key Data:
  • Madarsas in India: As of 2018-19, India had 24,010 madarsas, with over 60% (14,528) in Uttar Pradesh.
  • Recognized Madarsas: UP had 11,621 recognized madarsas.
  • Student Participation: In 2023, about 1.69 lakh students took Class 10 and 12 equivalent exams under the UP madarsa education board.

Allahabad High Court Decision on Madarsa Act

• Background: Earlier, a bench of Justices Subhash Vidyarthi and Vivek Chaudhary struck down the Madarsa Act, deeming it unconstitutional on three main grounds:
• Key Grounds for Unconstitutionality:
  • Secularism: The HC found the Madarsa Act unconstitutional because it made religious education (Islam) compulsory in madarsas, with modern subjects either absent or optional. 
  • Right to Education (Article 21A): The HC held that the State was violating the right to free and compulsory education by not offering quality education in modern subjects. 
  • Conflict with Central Law: The HC found that the Madarsa Board's power to grant degrees conflicted with the University Grants Commission Act, 1956. According to the UGC Act, only universities or institutions deemed as universities can confer degrees, making the Madarsa Board's authority to grant degrees unconstitutional.

Impact of the Supreme Court Decision

• Direct Impact: The decision will directly affect Uttar Pradesh.
• Wider Ramifications: Chief Justice Chandrachud cautioned that the ruling could have broader implications for religious education across the country.
• Affected Institutions: The decision may influence all institutions offering religious education, including gurukuls and convent schools, by examining how secularism principles apply to their functioning.

World Affairs 

India, Pakistan renew their agreement on Kartarpur Corridor - The Hindu

India and Pakistan recently agreed to renew their agreement for another five years to operate the Kartarpur Corridor to facilitate pilgrims from India to visit the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara.

Kartarpur Corridor 

• Connection: Links Darbar Sahib Gurdwara in Narowal district, Pakistan, with Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district, India.
• Visa-Free Access: Allows Indian pilgrims to cross into Pakistan without a visa, requiring only a permit.
• Inauguration: Built to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, founder of Sikhism, on 12th November 2019.

Economy 

IMF retains India’s growth projection at 7% for FY25 - The Hindu

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) maintained its June growth rate projects for India in its latest World Economic Outlook (WEO) released recently, to kick off the World Bank and IMF Annual Meetings in Washington. The multilateral lender expected India to grow at 7% in the current fiscal year ending March 31, 2025 and 6.5% in the next fiscal year (FY2025-26). World output was expected to grow at 3.2% in 2024 as well as 2025.

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Environment 

Three scientists discover new genus of jumping spiders ‘Tenkana’ in South India - The Hindu

A team of arachnologists has discovered a new genus of jumping spiders, ‘Tenkana’, found across southern India, encompassing two previously known species. It also introduced a new species, Tenkana jayamangali, from Karnataka.

Tenkana spiders

• Etymology: Tenkana is derived from the Kannada word for "south," indicating the genus' presence in southern India and northern Sri Lanka.
• Classification: Belongs to the Plexippina subtribe and is distinct from related genera like Hyllus and Telamonia.
• Habitat: Prefers drier, ground habitats, unlike related forest-dwelling species; found in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh.

C. elegans - The Hindu 

• Type: Nematode worm; small, simple, and well-structured organism.
• Growth: Develops from a fertilized egg to an adult in 3-5 days, reaching about 1 mm in length.
• Importance: Used in research to study neuronal and molecular biology; provides insights into the human body.
• Genome & Neural Mapping: First multicellular organism to have its full genome sequenced and neural wiring mapped.
• Sexes: Hermaphrodite and male.
• Hermaphrodite: Functions mainly as a female but produces a limited number of sperm. Can reproduce by self-fertilization or through mating with a male (cross-fertilization).
• Genetics: Self-fertilization allows a heterozygous worm to produce homozygous progeny.

The case for a nature restoration law in India - The Hindu 

The Nature Restoration Law (NRL), which was enacted by the European Union (EU), is an inspiring model from which India can draw points to tackle its growing environmental crises.

Nature Restoration Law (NRL)

• Objective: An EU law addressing climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation.
• Significance: First comprehensive continent-wide law of its kind; part of the EU Biodiversity Strategy.
• Key Focus: Restores degraded ecosystems, especially those that capture and store carbon and reduce natural disaster impacts.
• Targets:
  • By 2030: Restore at least 20% of the EU’s land and sea, covering terrestrial, coastal, freshwater, forest, agricultural, and urban areas.
  • By 2050: Extend restoration measures to all ecosystems requiring restoration.
• Specific Goals
  • Improve urban green spaces.
  • Remove artificial barriers for free-flowing rivers.
  • Increase pollinator populations.
  • Plant 3 billion additional trees across the EU.
  • Member State Obligations
  • Create restoration plans to achieve targets and prevent deterioration of restored areas.
  • Consider socio-economic impacts, benefits, and financial requirements for implementation.

Sci and Tech 

FDA approval for Cobenfy casts light on schizophrenia’s wickedness - The Hindu

Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a drug called Cobenfy to treat schizophrenia.

Cobenfy

• About: A combination of xanomeline and trospium chloride that has a novel mechanism of action that steers clear of older drugs’ side effects, too. 

Schizophrenia

Defence 

India’s fourth nuclear submarine launched with advanced arms - The Hindu

India’s fourth nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), referred to as S4*, was launched into water at the Ship Building Centre in Visakhapatnam last week, official sources confirmed. This submarine is bigger and more capable than the first, INS Arihant (S2).

S4*

• Launch: The S4* submarine was launched into water on October 16 at SBC, with significant indigenous contributions from Indian industry.
• Operational SSBNs: India currently has two operational SSBNs:
  • INS Arihant: Commissioned in August 2016.
  • INS Arighaat (S3): Commissioned in August 2024.
• Upcoming SSBN: The third SSBN, Aridhman (S4), is undergoing sea trials and is expected to be commissioned next year.
• Armaments:
  • INS Arihant: Armed with the 750 km range K-15 SLBM.
  • S4 Submarine*: Equipped with the advanced 3,500 km range K-4 SLBM, tested in 2020. The K-4 provides India with nuclear deterrence capabilities while submerged in Indian waters.
• Future Development: A 5,000 km range SLBM is under development to enhance India’s undersea nuclear deterrence.