Current Affairs 04 March 2025

Content:

1. SC seeks regulatory steps against ‘vulgarity’ online
2. The way to protect orans
3. Visually challenged persons suitable for judicial service: SC
4. Supreme Court to examine plea against Rules on blocking of online content without notice
5. India launches multi-nation alliance for collaboration on sustainable development
6. Study finds 6,327 Gangetic dolphins across four States
7. ISRO releases second set of scientific data from Aditya mission
8. Research team takes big step towards making a Bose metal

 SC seeks regulatory steps against ‘vulgarity’ online

SC Directive on Online Content:

• The Supreme Court directed the Centre to propose regulatory measures to curb the use of “filthy language” and “vulgarity” in online content.
  • The focus is to ensure content adheres to Indian moral standards without imposing censorship.

Relevance : GS 2(Governance, Fundamental Rights)

• Regulation vs. Free Speech:
  • The Court emphasized a balance between free speech (Article 19(1)(a)) and reasonable restrictions (Article 19(2)), particularly on decency and morality.
  • It seeks stakeholder input for a “healthy debate” on defining acceptable standards.

• Ranveer Allahbadia’s Case:
  • YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia had been barred from airing content due to cases in Maharashtra and Assam regarding his podcast “India Got Latent.”
  • His lawyer argued that the restriction affected his livelihood and that of 280 employees.

• SC’s Modification of Ban:
  • The Court allowed Allahbadia to resume his podcast, provided it maintains morality and decency standards.
  • The condition ensures that content is appropriate for all age groups.

• Solicitor-General’s Remarks:
  • SG Tushar Mehta remarked that humour should be straightforward and not rely on vulgarity to be entertaining.

Implications:

• Regulatory Challenges:
  • Striking a balance between artistic freedom and moral regulation remains complex.
  • Precedents in online content regulation could impact OTT platforms, podcasts, and social media influencers.

• Legal & Constitutional Angle:
  • The move aligns with Article 19(2) restrictions on free speech but raises concerns over subjectivity in morality standards.
  • Potential for self-regulation mechanisms by platforms instead of strict government control.

• Impact on Digital Content Creators:
  • Might lead to increased scrutiny and possible self-censorship among content creators.
  • Could push for clearer content guidelines for online streaming platforms.

The Way To Protect Orans

Background

• Supreme Court Judgment (Dec 2024, T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad v. Union of India)
  • Recognized the socio-ecological and cultural importance of orans (sacred forests) in Rajasthan.
  • Aimed at conserving orans by bringing them under biodiversity laws.
  • Intended to harness community participation in protection efforts.

• Orans: Sacred Forests
  • Pre-agrarian sacred groves governed by local traditions.
  • Each oran is associated with a local deity and has restrictions on tree cutting.
  • Ecological benefits: Enhances local fauna, conserves water, and recharges groundwater.

Relevance : GS 3(Environment and Ecology)

Issues with Formalisation

1. Declaration as ‘Forests’ under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980
   1. Protection diluted: Exemptions under the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act, 2023 allow diversion of forest land for zoos, safaris, and ecotourism.
   1. Local resistance: Communities fear loss of access to orans.

• Declaration as ‘Community Reserves’ under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
  • Local role weakened: Management committees have limited decision-making power.
  • State control: Ultimate authority over community reserves lies with the State.

• Declaration as ‘Common Forest Land’ under the Forest Rights Act, 2006
  • Eligibility criteria issues: Informal community institutions may not qualify for rights under the Act.
  • Risk of exclusion: Some communities may lose governance rights over orans.

Alternative Approach

• Formulating a Comprehensive Policy
  • Should empower informal governance models rather than replace them.
  • Successful community-led models should be identified, replicated, and strengthened.
  • Collaboration between local communities, civil society, and the State.

Conclusion

• Well-intended but problematic: Supreme Court’s directions aim to protect orans but may undermine local governance.
• Better approach: Strengthen existing informal institutions rather than impose formal legal structures that may marginalize local communities.

Visually challenged persons suitable for judicial service: SC

Context:

• Landmark Judgment: The Supreme Court ruled that visually challenged candidates cannot be deemed unsuitable for judicial service.
• Bench & Judgment: Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan delivered the 122-page judgment emphasizing inclusivity as a core constitutional principle.
• Call for Constitutional Amendment:
  • The court urged Parliament to amend Article 15 to explicitly include ‘disability’ as a ground for non-discrimination.
  • Noted that this has been a long-standing demand of the disability rights movement.

Relevance : GS 2(Governance, Social Issues, Judiciary)

Impact on Judicial Service Recruitment:

• Elimination of Indirect Discrimination:
  • Barriers like rigid cut-offs or procedural hurdles that exclude PwDs must be removed.
• Educational Qualification Over Disabilities:
  • PwD candidates who meet the required qualifications must not be ignored in judicial appointments.
• Relaxation in Suitability Criteria:
  • If sufficient PwD candidates are not available in their category, flexibility in assessment must be considered.
• Separate Cut-off for Visually Impaired:
  • A distinct selection criterion must be maintained for visually impaired candidates.

Context & Significance:

• The ruling was based on a suo motu case, initiated after a letter from the mother of a visually impaired aspirant in Madhya Pradesh.
• Reinforces substantive equality by ensuring that judicial services become more inclusive for PwDs.
• Sets a precedent for broader accessibility reforms in public service recruitments.

Supreme Court to examine plea against Rules on blocking of online content without notice

Background

• Supreme Court has sought a response from the government on a plea challenging rules that empower it to block online content without prior notice or fair hearing.

Relevance : GS 2(Governance, Judiciary, Fundamental Rights)

Key Legal Provisions Challenged

1. IT Rules, 2009 (Rules 8 & 9)
   1. Make it optional for the government to inform the content creator before blocking content.
   1. Rule 9 allows “emergency” blocking without informing the creator.

• Rule 16
  • Enables blanket confidentiality regarding blocking requests and actions taken.
  • Reduces transparency in content regulation.

Petitioner’s Arguments

• Rule 9 is arbitrarily used to block content without a clear process for recourse.
• Lack of prior notice, reasoned order, and grievance redressal violates freedom of speech and expression.
• Current rules favor intermediaries (social media platforms) over original creators.
• Safe harbour protection (Section 79, IT Act) ensures intermediaries comply with blocking orders without defending content creators.
• Suggestion: Replace “or” in Rules 8 & 9 with “and” so that both intermediaries and content creators receive prior notice.

Court’s Observations

• Justice Gavai questioned whether the state has a duty to notify the original creators if they are identifiable.
• Acknowledged that prior notice and fair hearing are intrinsic to freedom of speech and expression.

Implications

• If upheld, the petition could enhance transparency and protect digital rights.
• May limit government discretion in arbitrary content blocking.
• Could redefine intermediary liability and strengthen legal protections for content creators.

India launches multi-nation alliance for collaboration on sustainable development

• Cities Coalition for Circularity (C-3) launched as a multi-nation alliance for city-to-city collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and private sector partnerships in sustainable urban development.
• Aims to provide a platform for policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, and development partners to promote waste management and resource efficiency, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region.

Relevance : GS 2(International Relations)

PM Modi’s Message:

• Advocated the Pro-Planet People (P3) approach for sustainability.
• Emphasized the importance of 3R principles – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – in achieving a circular economy.
• Proposed formation of a working group among member nations to finalize the coalition’s structure and operational framework.
• Highlighted India’s willingness to share its experience and learning in transitioning towards a circular economy.

CITIIS 2.0 and Financial Commitments:

• Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for CITIIS 2.0 signed at the launch event in Jaipur.
• Union Minister Manohar Lal announced agreements worth ₹1,800 crore for projects benefiting 18 cities across 14 States.
• These projects will act as “lighthouse projects” for other urban areas.

Broader Context: Circular Economy in Asia-Pacific

• The Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum was launched in 2009 to promote sustainable waste management and resource efficiency.
• The Hanoi 3R Declaration (2013-2023) set 33 voluntary goals for transitioning towards a resource-efficient and circular economy.
• Recognizes challenges such as rapid economic growth, resource depletion, and rising waste generation.

Significance:

• Strengthens India’s leadership in sustainable urban development.
• Aligns with global climate action and SDG goals.
• Encourages international cooperation on waste management and circular economy.

Study finds 6,327 Gangetic dolphins across four States

Key Findings:

• Total Count: 6,327 river dolphins recorded in the Ganga and its tributaries.
• Species Identified:
  • Ganges River Dolphins: 6,324
  • Indus River Dolphins: 3

Relevance : GS 3(Environment and Ecology)

• Distribution:
  • Ganga main stem: 3,275
  • Ganga tributaries: 2,414
  • Brahmaputra main stem: 584
  • Brahmaputra tributaries: 412
  • Beas River: 101
• State-wise Dolphin Population:
  • Highest in Uttar Pradesh, followed by Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam.

Survey Methodology:

• Conducted over a cumulative 8,507 km distance since 2021.
• Unlike land animals, dolphin counting is challenging due to:
  • Underwater habitat and sporadic surfacing.
  • Lack of unique identification markers like tiger stripes or elephant ears.
• Technology Used:
  • Acoustic hydrophones (underwater microphones) to detect dolphin echolocation.
  • Triangulation method with multiple observers to avoid double-counting.

Challenges & Conservation Concerns:

• Primary threat: Entanglement in fishermen’s nets.
• Emerging concern: Pollution impact on dolphin habitats under study.
• Local community involvement essential for conservation efforts.

Policy and Future Steps:

• Next survey: Planned after four years with trained personnel.
• Government response:
  • Report released by PM Narendra Modi during the National Board for Wildlife meeting.
  • Emphasis on schoolchildren visits to dolphin habitats for awareness.
• Conservation Focus: Gangetic states to play a major role in protecting dolphins.

Significance:

• Provides a baseline for future population tracking, though comparison with past data is difficult due to methodological differences.
• Key step in freshwater biodiversity conservation amid growing threats.

ISRO releases second set of scientific data from Aditya mission

Mission Overview

• Aditya-L1 mission was launched on September 2, 2023, by ISRO aboard PSLV C-57.
  • It is India’s first space-based solar observatory.
  • The spacecraft was placed in a halo orbit around Lagrange Point (L1) on January 6, 2024.
  • L1 is 1.5 million km from Earth towards the Sun.

Relevance : GS 3(Science, Technology)

• Second Set of Data Release
  • ISRO has released a new set of scientific data from Aditya-L1.
  • The data includes observations on:
    • Sun’s photosphere, chromosphere, and corona.
    • In-situ particles and magnetic field measurements at L1.

• Data Accessibility
  • Data is available on the Indian Space Science Data Centre (ISSDC) portal.
  • ISRO encourages researchers and students to utilize the data.
  • User manuals for analysis are available after registration.

• Mission Status
  • Aditya-L1 is currently in its third revolution around L1.
  • The first set of data was released on January 6, 2024, along with a national meet.

Significance

• Enhances scientific understanding of solar activity and space weather.
• Helps in predicting solar storms that can impact satellites and power grids on Earth.
• Encourages global scientific collaboration by providing open access to solar research data.

Research team takes big step towards making a Bose metal

Background

• Traditional theories of disordered metals state that at absolute zero temperature, metals should either be superconductors (infinite conductivity) or insulators (zero conductivity).
• A Bose metal challenges this by maintaining conductivity between zero and infinity at very low temperatures.

Relevance : GS 3(Science , Technology)

Key Concepts

• Superconductors: Materials that conduct electricity with zero resistance at low temperatures due to Cooper pair formation (electron pairs behaving collectively).
• Bose Metal: A state where Cooper pairs form, but they do not establish long-range superconducting coherence.
• Anomalous Metallic States (AMS): Metals that do not fit the traditional classification of conductors, insulators, or superconductors.

Recent Breakthrough

• February 13, 2024: A research team from China and Japan reported strong evidence that Niobium Diselenide (NbSe₂) can become a Bose metal.
• Published in Physical Review Letters.

Role of Magnetic Fields

• Superconductors and magnetic fields are incompatible: A superconductor expels the magnetic field when cooled.
• NbSe₂ (a type-II superconductor) allows partial magnetic field penetration, forming a ‘mixed state’ before fully collapsing under a stronger field.
• Theoretical Prediction: A 2D version of NbSe₂ subjected to a magnetic field might create a Bose metal.
• Research Findings:
  • Raman spectroscopy detected Cooper pairs in thin NbSe₂ without superconductivity.
  • Hall resistance vanished as the material’s thickness increased, indicating charge transport via Cooper pairs instead of electrons.

Implications and Future Research

• While Bose metals lack direct applications today, they provide new insights into quantum materials and superconductivity.
• The findings could refine existing theories on phase fluctuations disrupting superconductivity.
• The discovery may guide future high-temperature superconductors and other advanced quantum materials.