GS Analyst: Daily Current Affairs

A 2024 study published in Nature Cities reveals that over 158 million slum dwellers in India live in flood-prone zones, making it the most exposed country globally in terms of flood vulnerability in informal settlements.

Flood Risk, Informal Settlements, and Climate Justice in the Global South

1. Overview of Flood Risk and Global Exposure

• Global Picture: As per Moody’s 2024 report, over 3 billion people globally face flood-related hazards annually.
• India’s Exposure: Over 600 million Indians are vulnerable to inland and coastal flooding.

2. Findings of the 2024 Study in Nature Cities

• Scope of the Study
  • Analysed satellite imagery and matched with 343 large-scale floods.
  • Covered 129 low- and middle-income countries, focused on slum dwellings.
• Key Observations
  • India leads globally with 158+ million slum dwellers in floodplains.
  • Other countries with high exposure: Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Brazil.
• 33% of informal settlements in the Global South have already experienced floods.

3. Regional Settlement Patterns and Vulnerabilities

• Regional Urbanisation Trends
  • Latin America and Caribbean: 80% urbanisation; most settlements urban.
  • Sub-Saharan Africa: Lowest urbanisation; 63% informal settlements rural.
  • India: 40% of slum dwellers are in urban/suburban settings.
• Drivers of Settlement in Floodplains
  • Economic pressures (affordable land, proximity to jobs).
  • Lack of urban planning and infrastructure.
  • Social marginalisation pushing migrants to risky zones.

4. Inequities in Flood Exposure and Impact

• Nature of Risk
  • Slum dwellers face higher vulnerability due to poor housing quality, lack of drainage, healthcare, and mobility.
• Wealthier vs. Poorer Regions
  • In rich nations: Floodplain living is subsidised and insured (e.g., beachfront homes).
  • In the Global South: Floodplain land is cheap, encouraging high-risk settlement.
• Urban Development Dynamics
  • Gentrification of low-lying areas pushes slum residents to more hazardous fringes.
  • Example: In Bengaluru, IT and real estate avoid flood-prone zones, leaving them for informal housing.

5. Data-Driven Governance Gaps

• 32% greater likelihood of informal settlements in floodplains than elsewhere.
• Current approaches rely on population-level planning, ignoring micro-vulnerabilities.
• Lack of disaggregated risk data leads to ineffective disaster preparedness.

6. SDG Implications and Human-Centric Planning

• This pattern threatens progress on SDGs 1 (No Poverty), 6 (Clean Water), 11 (Sustainable Cities), and 13 (Climate Action).
• Need to shift from location-based to human-centric flood adaptation strategies.
• Focus areas:
  • Inclusive infrastructure development
  • Skills in sanitation and waste management
  • Empowered local governance and participatory planning

The staggering pendency of over 5 crore cases in Indian courts, alongside recent remarks by President Droupadi Murmu on the "black coat syndrome", has renewed attention to judicial delays and the need for systemic reform.

Judicial Backlog, Case Management Deficits, and Alternative Dispute Resolution as a Path to Reform

1. Scale of Judicial Pendency in India

• Over 5 crore cases are pending across all levels:
  • Supreme Court (SC): ~86,700 cases
  • High Courts (HCs): ~63.3 lakh cases
  • District/Subordinate Courts: ~4.6 crore cases
• These numbers are reflective of chronic systemic bottlenecks and a sluggish justice delivery mechanism.

2. Institutional Bottlenecks Hindering Timely Justice

• Human Resource Deficit
  • Judiciary operates at 79% of its sanctioned strength.
  • 5,665 vacancies out of 26,927 sanctioned posts.
  • Judge-to-population ratio: 15 per 10 lakh (current) vs 50 per 10 lakh recommended by the Law Commission (1987).
  • District judiciary averages 18 judges per 10 lakh population, despite handling 87% of litigation volume.
• Inefficient Case Management
  • Absence of clear timelines for filings, hearings, and witness examination.
  • No national framework for scheduling or monitoring of court processes.
  • Frequent adjournments and procedural delays severely impair the timeline of justice.

3. Disparity in Disposal Timelines

• • Criminal vs Civil Case Disposal
    • Criminal Cases Resolved within 1 Year:
    • High Courts: 3%
    • Supreme Court: 5%
    • District Courts: 6%
• Civil Cases Disposal within 1 Year:
  • District Courts: Only 38.7%
  • ~20% of civil cases stretch beyond 5 years.

4. Structural and Procedural Gaps

• Infrastructural Deficiencies: Many district courts operate without adequate space, digital facilities, or trained personnel.
• No Mandated Timelines: Unlike the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) which mandates speedier disposal in criminal trials, civil codes lack stringent deadlines.
• Absence of Digital Integration: Lack of universal e-court infrastructure impairs tracking and automatic scheduling.

5. Role of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

• Significance
  • ADR includes mediation, arbitration, conciliation, and Lok Adalats.
  • Provides cost-effective, time-bound redressal, especially for civil and pre-litigation disputes.

5. Way Forward

• Structural Reforms
  • Implement All India Judicial Services (AIJS) to ensure timely recruitment and quality judgeship.
  • Create specialised benches for tax, environment, and commercial cases to decongest general courts.
• Process Re-engineering
  • Mandate strict timelines for various case types (especially civil) through statutory backing.
  • Integrate AI-driven case scheduling and prioritisation tools into the e-courts system.
• Strengthen ADR Ecosystem
  • Institutionalise pre-litigation mediation under Section 12A of the Commercial Courts Act.
  • Encourage community mediation centres in rural/semi-urban areas.
• Judicial Performance Monitoring
  • Set up a National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG)-based performance review mechanism.
  • Introduce Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for case disposal and pendency reduction.

The discovery of significant concentrations of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) in coal ash and overburden materials from thermal power plants and coalfields, linked to initiatives under the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM), approved in January 2025.

Rare Earth Elements (REEs) in Coal Waste:

• Fly ash from Neyveli (NLC India Ltd.) contains up to 2100 mg/kg of REEs, including 300 mg/kg of Yttrium, indicating potential for economic extraction.
• Fly ash and clay from Singareni Thermal Power Plant show REE concentrations of ~400 ppm.

Overburden and Fly Ash:

• Overburden, lignite, and fly ash are being reassessed as secondary sources of critical minerals, reducing dependency on imports and primary ore mining.
• Gondwana coalfields (e.g., Singrauli) show enrichment of REEs up to 250–400 ppm.

National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM), 2025

Context & Launch

• Launched by: Ministry of Mines, Government of India
• Date: 29 January 2025
• Duration: 2024–25 to 2030–31
• Aim: To ensure long-term supply security of critical and strategic minerals necessary for India's clean energy, digital, and defence sectors.

Objectives

• Reduce import dependency of critical minerals.
• Enhance domestic exploration, extraction, processing, and recycling.
• Secure foreign mineral assets via PSUs/private firms.
• Develop a sustainable and resilient mineral supply chain.
• Promote circular economy through recycling and urban mining.

Critical Mineral List

• Based on 2022 expert committee report — 30 minerals identified as critical.
• 24 critical minerals placed in Part D, Schedule I of MMDR Act, 1957.
• Auction rights for these minerals rest exclusively with the Union Government.

Key Minerals & Strategic Uses

• Energy Storage / EVs: Lithium, Cobalt, Nickel, Graphite
• Renewable Energy: Neodymium, Dysprosium (for wind turbines)
• Semiconductors & Solar: Silicon, Gallium, Germanium, Tellurium
• Aerospace/Defence: Titanium, Tungsten, Beryllium, Rare Earth Elements (REEs)

Mission Targets by 2030–31

Institutional Framework

• Geological Survey of India (GSI): Leading domestic exploration under MEMC Rules, 2015 and UNFC guidelines.
• Centre of Excellence on Critical Minerals (CECM):
• To update mineral list periodically.
• Coordinate inter-ministerial strategy.
• KABIL (Khanij Bidesh India Ltd): Facilitates overseas mineral asset acquisition in Latin America, Africa, etc.

Legal & Policy Alignment

• Aligned with:
  • MMDR Amendment Act, 2021
  • National Mineral Policy, 2019
  • Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022
  • PLI Schemes (Advanced Cell Chemistry, Electronics, etc.)

Significance for India

• Supports energy transition, net-zero target by 2070.
• Reduces supply chain vulnerabilities amid global geopolitical uncertainties.
• Enhances Atmanirbhar Bharat in critical technologies (EVs, solar, defence).
• Encourages green innovation and domestic manufacturing

The Ministry of Culture has mapped 4.7 lakh villages under the Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar (MGMD) portal as part of the National Mission on Cultural Mapping.

National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM)

• The National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM) is a flagship initiative under the Ministry of Culture and is implemented by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA).
• The mission seeks to preserve, document, and map the cultural resources of India to foster economic development, particularly in rural areas.
• As part of the mission, the “Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar (MGMD)” portal was launched in June 2023 during the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations.
• The portal aims to document 6.5 lakh villages, encompassing elements such as:
  • Oral traditions
  • Beliefs and customs
  • Fairs and festivals
  • Traditional food, clothing, and ornaments
  • Historical landmarks
  • Local art forms and artists
  • Cultural practices of marginalized and tribal communities
• As of July 2025, data from 4.7 lakh villages have been uploaded, with 5,917 villages mapped in West Bengal out of a target of 41,116.
• This initiative helps in preservation of intangible cultural heritage, strengthens grassroots cultural identity, and creates scope for rural tourism and economic revitalization.

The Government of India has launched the web-based C-Flood platform to provide advance flood inundation forecasts up to the village level.

About C-Flood Platform:

• It is a web-based inundation forecasting system developed to issue two-day advance flood forecasts including water depth and spatial extent of inundation.
• The platform is based on 2D hydrodynamic modelling, integrating outputs from various national and regional agencies across all river basins.
• Currently, Godavari, Tapi, and Mahanadi river basins are included in the initial phase.

Forecast Specifics:

• Provides village-level forecasts using inundation maps and water level predictions.
• Offers information in three languages: Hindi, English, and Odia.

Alert System:

• Uses three flood alert categories based on predicted inundation depth:
  • Yellow Alert: < 0.5 metre
  • Orange Alert: < 1.5 metre
  • Red Alert: > 1.5 metre

Significance:

• Aims to improve flood disaster preparedness and early warning capacity.
• Supports climate resilience, real-time disaster response, and community-level awareness.
• Facilitates decentralised disaster risk reduction (DRR) strategies by integrating village-level data.

Institutional Implications:

• Supports integrated flood management under the framework of India’s National Disaster Management Plan.
• Aligns with Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015–2030).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Divya Deshmukh for winning the 2025 FIDE Women’s World Chess Championship, marking a historic all-Indian final against Koneru Humpy.

FIDE and the Women’s Championship:

• FIDE (Fédération Internationale des Échecs) is the international governing body of chess, established in 1924.
• It organizes the Women’s World Chess Championship, held biennially, to determine the official female world champion in classical chess.

India’s Historic Milestone in 2025:

• For the first time in FIDE history, two Indian women—Divya Deshmukh and Koneru Humpy—competed in the final, marking a significant milestone for Indian chess.
• Divya Deshmukh won the 2025 FIDE Women’s World Chess Championship,
• This reflects the increasing dominance of India in global chess, especially in the women’s circuit.

The Government of India launched Khelo Bharat Niti 2025 on 1st July 2025 to establish a structured and inclusive sports development framework across the country.

Launch Date & Vision:

• Launched on 1st July 2025.
• Vision: “Sports for Nation Building – Harness the Power of Sports for Nation’s Holistic Development.”

Key Features and Objectives:

• Inclusive Participation: From grassroots to elite levels, ensuring mass participation.
• Competitive Structure: Introduction of leagues and competitions at multiple levels.
• Physical Literacy: Promotion of physical education and activity culture.
• Talent Identification: Structured talent development and scouting programs.
• Infrastructure Access: Equitable availability across rural and urban areas.
• Athlete Support: Holistic support systems for physical, mental, and financial needs.
• Innovation & Science: Emphasis on sports science, medicine, and R&D.
• Governance: Strengthening institutional frameworks and transparency.
• Funding Mechanisms: Sustainable funding models and public-private partnerships.
• Economic Linkages: Promoting sports-related industries for economic development.
• Career Development: Making sports a viable career option.
• Recognition Mechanism: Structured rewards for current and retired athletes.
• Institutional Linkages: Educational institutions as feeder systems

Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Gangaikonda Cholapuram marked the 1,000th anniversary of Rajendra Chola I’s maritime expedition and aimed to symbolically connect the Chola legacy with present-day nation-building.

Symbolism and Historical Parallels

• Imperial Maritime Power and Trade Diplomacy: Rajendra Chola’s 11th-century naval expedition to Southeast Asia signified India’s historical engagement in maritime trade and projection of sovereignty, drawing parallels with India's contemporary Indo-Pacific policy.
• Cultural Assertion and National Identity: The Prime Minister’s focus on the Chola emperors sought to anchor civilizational pride in tangible statecraft and revive national consciousness rooted in historical continuity.
• Heritage Recognition through Statecraft: The proposed installation of Chola statues by the Centre aims to instil historical awareness, yet requires substantive governance lessons beyond symbolic gestures.

Lessons in Infrastructure and Disaster Resilience

• Timeless Engineering of Brihadisvara Temples: The 1,000-year-old temples of the Chola era exhibit structural integrity despite historical seismic activity, suggesting potential lessons in seismic-resilient construction techniques.
• Contrast with Modern Civic Failures: Recent civic collapses in urban India reflect inadequate engineering and oversight, underscoring the need to learn from ancient construction principles that ensured longevity.
• Call for Scientific Archaeological Research: Detailed structural analysis of Chola temples, especially their superstructures, could inform modern infrastructure policy and building codes in seismically active zones.

Administrative Acumen and Local Governance

• Water Management and Resource Utilization: The Chola dynasty implemented sophisticated water systems in the Cauvery delta, a region now facing water mismanagement and seasonal flooding due to infrastructural neglect.
• Taxation and Revenue Models: The Chola regime employed an organized, documented land revenue system that ensured fiscal sustainability—contrasting current inefficiencies in local revenue administration.
• Grassroots Democracy and Institutional Void: Despite constitutional mandates under the 73rd and 74th Amendments, many urban local bodies remain unelected, unlike the functioning village assemblies (sabhas) during the Chola period.

Practice Question:

“Evaluate the relevance of Chola administrative and infrastructural models in addressing contemporary challenges in local governance, disaster resilience, and resource management in India.”    (250 words)

A recent online exchange between a hepatologist and a chess Grand Master has reignited debate over the status and legal scope of Ayurvedic and other traditional medicine practitioners in India.

Historical Context and Regulatory Framework

• Bhore Committee’s Scientific Orientation (1946): The Bhore Committee endorsed evidence-based modern medicine and advised that states independently determine the role of traditional medicine within their public health systems.
• Response through Indigenous Systems Committee (1948): Traditional medicine proponents, invoking cultural nationalism, led to the formation of a committee that equated Ayurveda with ancient Vedic wisdom and framed its marginalization as a result of colonial suppression.
• Statutory Recognition of Traditional Medicine (1970–2020): The Indian Medicine Central Council Act (1970) and its successor, the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Act (2020), formally recognized and regulated Ayurvedic, Siddha, and Unani practitioners.

Legal Ambiguities and Scope of Practice

• Conflict over Prescriptive Authority (Rule 2(ee), 1945): State governments have used Rule 2(ee) of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules to empower Ayurvedic and Unani practitioners to prescribe modern medicine, despite a 1998 Supreme Court ruling disallowing such practice.
• Judicial Interpretation in Mukhtiar Chand Case: The Supreme Court held that the right to prescribe allopathic medicines is inseparable from the right to practice modern medicine, thereby restricting such rights to formally trained MBBS practitioners.
• Surgeries and Procedural Scope Notification (2020): A central notification allowed postgraduate Ayurvedic practitioners to perform 58 types of surgeries; its constitutional validity remains under judicial scrutiny amid serious concerns over competence and safety.

Political Dimensions and Public Health Implications

• Politicisation through Cultural Nationalism: Political parties have embraced traditional medicine in policy rhetoric, driven more by identity politics and “Hindu pride” than scientific rationale or public health safety.
• Fiscal and Institutional Expansion of AYUSH: Government expenditure on AYUSH research and institutional integration—such as inclusion in Ayushman Bharat—has reached ?20,000 crore, despite limited empirical outcomes.
• Risks to Public Health and Consumer Rights: Cases of misrepresentation and litigation highlight the public health risks and ethical dilemmas arising from blurring boundaries between evidence-based medicine and traditional practices.

Practice Question:

“In the context of India's pluralistic medical landscape, critically examine the legal, ethical, and public health implications of allowing traditional medicine practitioners to prescribe and perform procedures based on modern medical science.”

China has commenced construction of a major hydropower dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) at Medog, raising geopolitical, environmental, and strategic concerns for India.

Strategic Implications of the Medog Dam

• China’s Tactical Hydropower Expansion: The 60 GW dam project at Medog, the world’s largest hydroelectric project, symbolizes Beijing’s ambition to harness upstream riparian power without regional consultations.
• Risks to Downstream India: The dam could significantly alter the river's flow into Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, affecting flood cycles, water availability, and long-term ecological stability.
• Opaque Transboundary Conduct: China’s refusal to share detailed hydrological data or engage in treaty-based riparian cooperation undermines trust and heightens regional security risks.

Diplomatic and Regional Asymmetries

• Absence of Formal Water-sharing Treaty: Unlike the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, India and China lack any binding agreement governing the Brahmaputra, leaving India vulnerable to upstream decisions.
• Quiet Diplomacy’s Limitations: India’s current strategy of restrained diplomatic communication with China has failed to deter Beijing’s unilateral moves on transboundary river systems.
• Geostrategic Comparison with Pakistan: The article contrasts how India generously engages with Pakistan over water-sharing while failing to demand reciprocity or transparency from China.

Environmental Fragility and Future Engagement

• Tectonic Volatility of Eastern Himalayas: The Brahmaputra basin, influenced by the Himalayan Frontal Thrust and the Medog Fault, is highly seismic; large dams pose serious earthquake and landslide risks.
• Downstream Disaster Vulnerability: Unilateral projects could exacerbate flash floods, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), and sedimentation, particularly in Assam and Bangladesh.
• Need for Multilateral Norm-building: India must assert its riparian rights through formal diplomatic channels, build international pressure, and push for basin-level multilateral hydrodiplomacy mechanisms.

Practice Question:

“The construction of hydropower dams by China on the Brahmaputra river presents a serious strategic and environmental challenge for India. Critically evaluate India’s current diplomatic posture and suggest a comprehensive framework to protect its riparian interests.”