Polity

Should voter IDs be linked with Aadhaar? -  The Hindu 

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have accused each other of manipulating electoral rolls before the Delhi Assembly elections. This has reignited the debate about linking voter IDs/Election Photo Identity Card (EPIC) with respective Aadhaar numbers.

History of the Proposal

• NERPAP (2015): EC launched National Electoral Rolls Purification and Authentication Program (NERPAP) to address duplicate entries by linking EPIC with Aadhaar.
• Supreme Court Intervention (2015): Interim order limited Aadhaar usage to welfare schemes and PAN linking.
• Puttaswamy Judgment (2018): Aadhaar Act upheld; EC sought amendments to the RP Act, 1950.
• Amendments to RP Act and Rules (2021): Enabled linking of EPIC with Aadhaar; alternate documents allowed (e.g., PAN, Driving Licence, Passport).

Way Forward 

• Public Awareness: Promote benefits of linking EPIC and Aadhaar to eliminate duplicate entries.
• Addressing Concerns: Assuage voter fears about potential compromise of vote secrecy due to the linkage.
• Form Modification: Expedite changes to forms to clarify Aadhaar submission is not mandatory.

What draft rules on VC appointments say, why states are upset - Indian Express 

Several states have objected to provisions in The UGC (Minimum Qualifications for Appointment and Promotion of Teachers and Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education) Regulations, 2025, that could give the Chancellor – who is typically the state Governor – a bigger role in appointing Vice Chancellors (VCs) of state universities.

World Affairs 

India joins UN panel on data for official statistics -  The Hindu 

India has joined the UN Committee of Experts on Big Data and Data Science for Official Statistics, a statement by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation said.

Economy 

How the draft rules for implementing data protection falls short -  The Hindu 

Recently, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) released the much-anticipated Draft Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rule. This step follows the passage of the DPDP Act, 2023, bringing India closer to operationalising its framework for safeguarding personal data.

Environment 

Is groundwater contamination high in India? -  The Hindu 

An assessment of India’s groundwater by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) found that several States are grappling with a serious problem of nitrate contamination.

IIT Roorkee uses bacterial enzymes to degrade plasticizers -  The Hindu 

A team of researchers from IIT Roorkee has successfully used an enzyme — esterase enzyme — produced by soil bacteria Sulfobacillus acidophilusto break down diethyl hexyl phthalate (DEHP) plasticizer. 

Science and Technology 

What is different about small language models? -  The Hindu 

“We’ve achieved peak data,” former OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever said onstage at the NeurIPS conference last year. “We have to deal with the data that we have, and there’s only one Internet.” Mr. Sutskever’s comment comes amidst speculation that the speed of progress in large language models (LLM) was hitting a wall as scaling was reaching its digital end.

Use Case Differences: Small vs Large Language Models

Relevance of Small Language Models (SLMs) in India

• Resource Efficiency: SLMs suit India's constrained resources and vast AI adoption potential.
• Sectoral Applications: IIIT Hyderabad’s initiative, Visvam, focuses on healthcare, agriculture, education, and preserving cultural diversity through AI.
• Accessibility: Sarvam AI aims to develop generative AI (GenAI) tailored for widespread use by a billion Indians.

Are lithium batteries on flights dangerous? -  The Hindu 

Recently, the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA) issued three position papers on the fire risk due to the use of lithium-ion batteries in airport and aircraft settings. 

International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations (IFALPA)

• Formation: Established after WWII, at a 1948 ICAO conference in London with 13 pilot associations.
• Membership: Around 104 member associations.
• Purpose: Advocates for pilots’ perspectives in shaping ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and advises other aviation bodies.
• Affiliations: Provides inputs to ICAO, IATA, ACI, and IFATCA.

Fears About Lithium Batteries

• Fire Risk: Lithium-ion batteries can catch fire if subjected to physical stress.
• Causes of Short-circuits: Mechanical, electrical, or thermal abuse.