Category: Science & Technology

Context:

• The Axiom Space said that the crew was making the most of its final days on orbit, pushing forward a wide range of experiments that could shape the future of space exploration and improve life on Earth.

About Axiom Mission 4

• The mission is a collaboration involving Axiom Space (private company), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), and European Space Agency (ESA).
• It is the fourth all private astronaut mission to the International Space Station by NASA. It is the first ISS mission featuring government-sponsored astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary since their respective Interkosmos flights in the 1970s and 1980s.
• The crew includes members from the USA, India, Poland, and Hungary. The crew members will spend 14 days onboard the ISS conducting microgravity research, technology demonstrations, and outreach engagements.
• Shubhanshu Shukla will be India’s second national astronaut to go to space since 1984. Rakesh Sharma was the last Indian to go to space when he travelled to space in 1984 onboard the erstwhile Soviet Union’s Soyuz spacecraft.

Significance

• It will enhance understanding of biological processes in microgravity and develop strategies for long-duration space missions.
• It will further strengthen India’s presence in space and promotes the country’s dedication to contributing to global scientific progress.
• The scientific experiments will drive significant advancements in space science and technology, inspiring the next generation of Indian scientists and engineers.

Source:

• The Hindu

Category: Geography & Environment

Context:

• Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has said that the State has a sub-replacement fertility rate of 1.7, which, if unaddressed, can lead to economic slowdown, labour shortage, burden of geriatric care, and widening urban-rural disparities.

Key Terminologies:

• Total Fertility Rate (TFR): The TFR is the average number of children a group of women would have by the end of their reproductive years (ages 15 to 49) if they followed the current fertility rates throughout their lives, assuming no mortality. It is expressed as children per woman.
• Replacement Level: A TFR of 2.1 is considered the replacement level, where each generation replaces itself without significant population growth or decline.

India’s Fertility Trends:

• India’s TFR dropped from 6.18 in the 1950s to 1.9 in 2021, below the replacement level of 2.1. By 2100, the TFR in India is projected to fall further to 1.04 (barely one child per woman).
• Southern states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka achieved replacement-level fertility earlier than northern states.  
• India currently has 149 million people aged 60 years or above, comprising 10.5% of the total population. By 2050, this number is expected to surge to 347 million, or 20.8% of the population.

Reasons for decline in India’s fertility:

• India has one of the oldest birth control/family planning programs, but factors like female literacy, workforce participation, and women’s empowerment have had a greater influence on fertility decline.
• Changing attitudes toward marriage and reproduction, including delays or avoidance of marriage and motherhood, played a significant role.
• Increasing cases of infertility in both men and women contribute to the decline.
• The availability and social acceptance of abortions have likely contributed to the falling fertility rates.

Source:

• The Hindu

Category: POLITY

Context:

• Parliamentarians across party lines are petitioning the Union government to accord the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, to the Dalai Lama who recently celebrated his 90th birthday.

About Bharat Ratna Award:

• It is India’s highest civilian award, granted by President to individuals for outstanding service across any field, irrespective of race, occupation, position, or gender. It was instituted by former President Dr. Rajendra Prasad on January 2, 1954.
• Article 18(1) of the Indian Constitution prohibits awardees from using ‘Bharat Ratna’ as a title, prefix or suffix to their name. However, they are allowed to include ‘Awarded Bharat Ratna by the President’ or ‘Recipient of Bharat Ratna Award’ in their biodata, visiting cards, letterheads, etc.
• The recommendations for the award are made by the Prime Minister of India to the President of India. Recipients receive a Sanad (certificate) signed by the President along with a medallion.
• Notably, the award does not come with any monetary grant. The award is also open to non-Indians, as demonstrated by the likes of Mother Teresa, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, and Nelson Mandela.
• A maximum of three awards can be given each year, with an exception occurring this year 2024 and in 1999 when five and four individuals received the honor respectively. 
• Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, Dr. CV Raman, and Chakravarti Rajagopalachari were the first recipients of the Bharat Ratna in 1964.

About Dalai Lama:

• The Dalai Lama belongs to the Gelugpa tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, which is the largest and most influential tradition in Tibet.
• There have been only 14 Dalai Lamas in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, and the first and second Dalai Lamas were given the title posthumously. The 14th and current Dalai Lama is Tenzin Gyatso.
• The Dalai Lamas are believed to be manifestations of Avalokiteshvara or Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of Compassion and the patron saint of Tibet.

Source:

• The Hindu

Category: Security & Disaster Management

Context:

• In a dramatic high-seas rescue, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) carried out a rescue operation for the U.S.-flagged sailing vessel ‘Sea Angel’ on July 11 which was stranded in rough seas southeast of Indira Point in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

About Indian Coast Guard:

• It was constituted in August 1978 under the Coast Guard Act 1978. It functions under Ministry of Defence.
• It is the National Coordinating Agency for Maritime Law Enforcement, Maritime Search & Rescue and Marine Pollution Response.
• According to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, ICG department is ranked as the fourth largest Coast Guard in the world.
• It enforces maritime laws and regulations and other international treaties to which India is a signatory. It undertakes regular patrols to keep Offshore Development Areas (ODAs) on both Eastern and Western seaboard under surveillance.
• It assists customs and other enforcement agencies and undertakes anti-smuggling operations to prevent ingress and egress of contraband, and other items on the banned list. It participates and conducts various maritime exercises and operations.

About Andaman & Nicobar Islands (ANI):

• India’s association with Andaman and Nicobar Island dates back to the aftermath of the 1857 War of Independence when the British established a penal colony for Indian revolutionaries.
• The islands were occupied by the Japanese in 1942 and later became the first part of India to be liberated from British rule in 1943 when Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose visited Port Blair.
• The Ten Degree Channel is a narrow strait that separates the Andaman Islands from the Nicobar Islands. It is located approximately at the 10-degree latitude mark.
• Indira Point is the southernmost tip of the Nicobar Islands. It is situated on Great Nicobar Island and marks the southernmost point of India.
• The ANI is home to 5 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups: Great Andamanese, Jarawas, Onges, Shompens and North Sentinelese.
• In 2001, the Andaman Nicobar Command (ANC) was established in Port Blair after the post-Kargil War security review. It is India’s first joint/unified operational command, placing forces from all three services and the Coast Guard under a single commander-in-chief.

Category: Polity & Governance

Context:

• The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday (July 11, 2025) announced that more than 74% of the 7,89,69,844 electors in Bihar have submitted their Enumeration Forms as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Electoral Rolls in the State.

About Special Intensive Revision (SIR):

• A Special Intensive Revision involves door-to-door verification of electoral rolls through house-to-house enumeration.
• Conducted under Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and Article 324 of the Constitution, empowering ECI for electoral roll supervision.
• It ensures that the voter list is accurate, inclusive, and free from discrepancies by allowing new registrations, deletions, and modifications.
• Under the process, voters, especially those enrolled after 2003, must now submit documents like birth certificates or parents’ proof. And, Electoral Registration Officers will decide on inclusion/deletion, with powers to refer doubtful cases under Citizenship Act, 1955.
• In Bihar alone, over 8 crore voters are being re-verified using 1 lakh BLOs and 4 lakh volunteers. The entire revision is expected to be completed by July 25, just months ahead of the Assembly elections.
• The Supreme Court in the Mohinder Singh Gill v. The Chief Election Commissioner Case, 1977 upheld the ECI’s broad powers under Article 324 to ensure free and fair elections, including ordering re-polls if needed, and emphasized that judicial review is restricted during elections as per Article 329(b).

Concerns/Challenges regarding SIR:

• Unlike past practice, the burden of proof now lies on voters, not objectors (contradicts Rule 18, Registration of Electors Rules).
• Only voters enrolled after 2003 face strict checks—an illogical cutoff lacking legal precedent.
• In Seemanchal and flood-prone areas, voters without birth certificates may be excluded despite Aadhaar or EPIC.
• Conducted only in Bihar before polls—opposition alleges manipulation to benefit ruling alliance.

Way Forward:

• Although Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship, it remains the most accessible ID for marginalized communities and should be permitted for residency verification, supplemented by cross-verification with legacy data.
• ECI should consult all stakeholders; including civil society and run public awareness campaigns to clarify SIR rules and deadlines.
• AI-powered anomaly detection can be used to flag suspicious deletions/additions (e.g., bulk removals from one locality), implement blockchain-based voter logs, and provide a real-time tracking dashboard to prevent tampering during SIR of electoral rolls.
• Special camps for marginalized groups (e.g., disabled, and tribals) can be organised to provide multilingual helplines, and conduct post-revision sample surveys to ensure accurate enrollment and minimize exclusions.

Source:

• The Hindu

Introduction (Context)

Early in the monsoon, heavy rainfall — measured at over 71 mm in a few hours — triggered a series of cloudbursts in Mandi, Kullu, and Chamba districts, leading to landslides, road closures, and loss of life.

The total economic loss in the region exceeds Rs 700 crore, and the environmental toll is equally alarming. The heavy rainfall caused soil erosion, sediment deposition, and damage to agricultural lands, compounding the local community’s plight.

These all are showcasing the impact of climate change on Himalayas.

Causes 

India’s Himalayan states, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and parts of Nepal and Bhutan have experienced increasingly extreme weather events.

The causes are:

• Global climate change are altering the regional weather systems leading to more intense storms, unpredictable rainfall, rapid glacier melting, and increased flooding.
• Global warming leading to increased atmospheric moisture (there is 7% increase per 1°C temperature rise). This extra moisture leads to heavier rainfall.
• Himalayan glaciers are melting at unprecedented rates some losing up to 30 metres of ice thickness annually. This melting contributes directly to river flow volumes, , increasing the risk of flooding during heavy monsoons.
• Melting of glaciers and intense rainfall increases water volume in rivers like the Beas, Yamuna, and Ganges, which can overflow, eroding banks and flooding settlements.
• Mountain slopes rapidly funnel rainwater into valleys, and unstable slopes predispose the land to landslides, further aggravating flood threats.

Impacts

• Key roads blocked, disrupting connectivity and essential services.
• Thousands displaced, facing food shortages and loss of livelihoods.
• Increased vulnerability to future disasters among affected communities.
• Massive agricultural losses, worsening poverty in already fragile hill economies.
• Frequent displacement strains government resources and disaster response systems.
• Remote villages lack adequate infrastructure and early warning mechanisms, increasing their vulnerability.

Way forward

• Construct durable bridges, all-weather roads, and effective flood barriers to ensure community safety and maintain essential connectivity during disasters.
• Factor in local geological and hydrological conditions while designing infrastructure to reduce vulnerability to floods and landslides.
• Expand afforestation programmes and stabilise slopes to minimise soil erosion and prevent landslides during heavy rains.
• Develop strategically located reservoirs and promote rainwater harvesting to regulate river flows and lower flood risks.
• Deploy advanced weather forecasting technologies and establish timely alert systems to enable quick community responses and reduce disaster impacts.
• Launch awareness campaigns to educate residents about flood risks and safety protocols, and build local capacity for emergency response.
• Support farmers in adopting flood-tolerant crop varieties, revising cropping patterns, and implementing soil conservation techniques to sustain livelihoods despite erratic weather.
• Incentivise renewable energy use, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and integrate sustainable water management to curb climate change impacts.
• Protect wetlands, forests, and other ecosystems to act as natural flood buffers by absorbing excess water and maintaining ecological stability.
• Coordinate efforts across government levels, scientific agencies, and communities to build long-term resilience in the Himalayan region against climate-induced disasters.

Conclusion

To safeguard Himalayan region, its people, heritage, and ecosystems from the threat posed by climate change requires coordinated action at all levels — global, national, and local. With proactive measures and community engagement, it is possible to transform vulnerability into resilience, ensuring a safer and sustainable future for generations to come.

Mains Practice Question

Q How is climate change contributing to the increasing frequency of floods in the Himalayan region? What adaptive and mitigation strategies can be employed to build climate resilience in these ecologically sensitive zones? (250 words, 15 marks)

Introduction (Context)

The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2025 ranked India 131 out of 148 countries, highlighting persistent gender inequality despite economic growth.

Status of Women

• India ranks 131 out of 148 countries, with particularly low scores in economic participation and health and survival, the pillars essential for meaningful gender parity
• The report shows that India’s sex ratio at birth remains among the most skewed in the world, reflecting a persistent son preference. 
• The healthy life expectancy for women is now lower than men’s. 
• Nearly 57% of Indian women in the 15 to 49 age group are anaemic (as reported by National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5) which reduces their ability to learn, work, or carry pregnancies safely. 
• India ranks 143rd on the Economic Participation and Opportunity subindex. Women continue to earn less than a third of what men do, and female labour force participation remains stubbornly low.
• Women remain busy in informal and subsistence work and are grossly under-represented in decision-making spaces.
• Indian women perform nearly seven times more unpaid domestic work than men, as highlighted by the Time Use Survey. 

Causes

• Chronic neglect in reproductive health, preventive care and nutrition, especially for women from lower-income and rural backgrounds.
• Persistent son preference leading to skewed sex ratios and discrimination.
• Social norms restrict women to unpaid domestic work and care duties.
• Limited access to health services especially reproductive health, nutrition, and preventive care in rural and low-income areas.
• Low female labour force participation due to lack of safe workplaces, gender wage gap, and informal employment dependence.

The McKinsey Global Institute, in 2015, had projected that closing gender gaps could add $770 billion to India’s GDP by 2025. 

Way forward

• Increased Budget allocations for health, especially at the primary care level, are a necessity to improve women’s well-being and their access to basic services, such as education and health care.
• Establish childcare centres, elder care services, and expand maternity benefits to redistribute unpaid work.
• Central and State governments must begin to account for unpaid care work in their economic and social policy frameworks through time-use surveys, gender budgeting, and direct investment in care infrastructure.
• Government should form policies that treat women as builders of the economy, not just as beneficiaries.

Conclusion

The Global Gender Gap Report is not merely a ranking but a warning. Gender equality is a demographic and economic necessity. India must act decisively to integrate women into its growth story or risk squandering hard-earned developmental gains.

Mains Practice Question

Q Discuss the major causes of gender inequality in India and suggest integrated measures to address these issues (250 words, 15 marks)