9 January 2023

• Disaster: Joshimath's geological causes were laid out: ancient landslide zone, seismic Zone V, and tunnel boring that punctured water-bearing strata.
• Society: The ageing crisis in Asia demands attention. India's dependency ratio is projected to nearly double from 9.8 to 20.3 by 2050.
• Security: TRF (LeT offshoot) and PAFF (JeM affiliate) were declared terrorist organisations under UAPA, adding to India's domestic proscription list.
• Culture: The world's longest river cruise MV Ganga Vilas was flagged off. It covers 3,200 km across 27 river systems in 51 days.

GS area: Disaster Management, Geography (geomorphology)

Scientific agencies outlined the geological causes of Joshimath's subsidence as central agencies convened on the crisis.

• Foundation geology: The town rests on debris of an ancient landslide, not on solid bedrock. The underlying rock is weathered gneiss with very low bearing capacity. This makes the soil compress unevenly under any added weight or water pressure.
• Seismic risk: Chamoli district sits in Seismic Zone V. Frequent low-magnitude earthquakes (below magnitude 5) loosen the already fragile foundation material.
• Hydrological trigger: The Tapovan Vishnugad tunnel boring in 2009 broke through a water-bearing stratum, releasing underground water that began saturating the soil beneath the town. The 2013 Kedarnath floods and the 2021 Chamoli flash flood (glacial lake outburst) added further saturation stress.
• Measurement: ISRO's National Remote Sensing Centre satellite data showed 5.4 centimetres of subsidence in just 12 days.
• Construction ban: The Uttarakhand government banned new construction inside Joshimath. Demolition of structurally unsafe buildings began.
• Lesson for hill towns: Unplanned urbanisation on geologically fragile slopes, combined with large infrastructure projects, amplifies natural subsidence risks that geologists have documented for decades.

Static linkage: Disaster management, Himalayan environment (GS Papers 1 and 3).

GS area: Society, Economy

A UN report and policy discussions in January 2023 drew attention to the demographic transition underway across Asia, including India.

• India's trajectory: By 2050, more than 20 per cent of India's population is expected to be above 60. The old-age dependency ratio will nearly double from 9.8 to 20.3 (roughly 20 elderly per 100 working-age people).
• South Korea: Nearly 40 per cent of elderly citizens live in poverty, pointing to the risks of ageing without adequate pension cover.
• Policy responses recommended: Active ageing policies that keep older workers in the labour market longer; extending retirement ages; tele-health for remote rural elderly; pension indexation to inflation; employer incentives for age-friendly workplaces (Japan's model).
• India-specific gap: India's national old-age pension under the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme provides 200 to 500 rupees per month, far below any living-wage threshold.
• LASI: The Longitudinal Ageing Study in India is the Indian primary data source for ageing research.

Static linkage: Social justice, demographic dividend (GS Papers 1 and 2).

GS area: Internal Security

The central government designated two militant groups as terrorist organisations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

• PAFF: People's Anti-Fascist Front. Emerged in 2019. Affiliated to Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Pakistan-based proscribed organisation.
• TRF: The Resistance Front. Emerged after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. Affiliated to Lashkar-e-Taiba, another proscribed Pakistan-based organisation.
• UAPA designation: A designation under UAPA allows the government to freeze accounts, prosecute members, and coordinate with international partners on intelligence sharing.
• UAPA process: Section 35 of UAPA empowers the central government to add an organisation to the schedule. The process does not require prior judicial approval but is subject to review.
• Context: Both groups operated primarily in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and had claimed responsibility for targeted killings of civilians.

Static linkage: Internal security, counter-terrorism (GS Paper 3).

GS area: Economy (manufacturing, industry)

India's technical textiles sector received continued policy attention in January 2023. Technical textiles are engineered textile products made for specific performance functions rather than appearance.

• Twelve segments: The sector covers Agrotech (agricultural nets, shade cloth), Meditech (surgical sutures, wound dressings), Buildtech (geo-textiles for road and dam construction), Clothtech (shoe linings, zippers), and eight others.
• India's penetration gap: India's technical textiles penetration is 5 to 10 per cent of total textile production versus 30 to 70 per cent in developed countries.
• NTTM: The National Technical Textiles Mission, launched in 2020-21 for four years, aims to take India to a 50-billion-dollar technical textiles market by 2024 and position India as a global exporter.
• Strategic importance: Geo-textiles and ballistic protection fabrics are inputs for defence and infrastructure. Import substitution here has direct national security implications.

Static linkage: Industry, economy (GS Paper 3).

GS area: Science and Technology (atmospheric science)

Airglow is a faint luminescence of the night sky produced by chemical reactions in the upper atmosphere, distinct from auroras which are caused by charged-particle interaction.

• Colours and sources: Green light is produced by oxygen atoms at around 95 kilometres altitude. Yellow light comes from sodium atoms at around 90 kilometres. Red glow is produced by oxygen and hydroxyl at higher altitudes.
• Difference from aurora: Auroras occur at high latitudes due to solar wind particles interacting with Earth's magnetic field. Airglow occurs globally from chemical reactions, independently of the solar wind.
• Scientific use: Airglow is studied to understand upper-atmosphere wind patterns, gravity waves and long-term atmospheric change.

Static linkage: Science and technology (GS Paper 3).

• Kangla Nongpok Thong (Manipur): The eastern gate of the Kangla Fort in Imphal, dismantled after the 1891 Anglo-Manipuri War. Its reconstruction symbolises peace and cultural revival.
• Census delay: The 2021 Census has been postponed to 2024-25. The administrative boundary-freezing deadline was extended to 30 June 2023. A Census is constitutionally required under Article 246 read with Entry 69 of the Union List.
• BIND scheme: Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development scheme. 100 per cent centrally funded. Aims to extend Prasar Bharati's reach to remote and border areas, targeting 66 per cent geographical and 80 per cent population coverage.