22 May 2023

• Polity: The Andhra Pradesh High Court struck down an order restricting public meetings and processions on roads, affirming Articles 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(b).
• Environment: Only 13 per cent of global methane emissions are covered by policies. India is the third largest methane emitter.
• Defence: India and the US launched the INDUS-X initiative under the iCET dialogue for defence technology cooperation.
• Health: WHO recommended against the use of non-sugar sweeteners for weight management.
• Society: International Day for Biological Diversity was observed on 22 May.

GS area: Polity (Fundamental Rights)

The Andhra Pradesh High Court struck down a state government order that had restricted public meetings and processions on roads.

• Rights affirmed:
  • Article 19(1)(a): Freedom of speech and expression.
  • Article 19(1)(b): Freedom to assemble peacefully and without arms.
• Scope of regulation: The Police Act 1861 permits regulation of assemblies. It does not permit a blanket restriction. The court's ruling draws the line between regulation (permitted) and prohibition (not permitted).
• Supreme Court guidelines (Mazdoor Kisan Shakti case): Authorities may regulate participant numbers, routes and distances. They may disallow weapons. They cannot use distance requirements as a pretext for effective prohibition.

Static linkage: Fundamental Rights, freedom of assembly, police powers (Polity).

GS area: Economy (Pharmaceutical industry)

India's pharmaceutical sector is among the world's largest, but structural weaknesses persist.

• Scale: India is the largest generic medicine manufacturer, with a 50 billion US dollar industry expected to grow to 130 billion US dollars by 2030.
• Global share: Ranks third globally by volume. Supplies over 50 per cent of the world's vaccines.
• Issues:
  • Contaminated medicine exports (Gambia cough syrup deaths, 2022).
  • Intellectual property rights violations in some manufacturing practices.
  • Fragmented regulation: 36 state-level drug regulators alongside CDSCO.
  • No mandatory drug recall law.
• Solutions recommended: Centralise drug regulation, establish a national drug safety database, enact a recall law, and strengthen the CDSCO's inspection capacity.

Static linkage: Drug regulation, pharmaceutical policy, trade (Economy/Governance).

GS area: Environment (Climate change)

A review found that only 13 per cent of global methane emissions are covered by any policies.

• Methane's potency: Methane is approximately 80 times more potent than CO2 over a 20-year timeframe. Over 100 years it is about 30 times more potent.
• India's position: India is the third largest emitter of anthropogenic methane globally. About 20 per cent of India's anthropogenic methane comes from agriculture (rice cultivation, livestock), coal mines and waste.
• IPCC target: A 30 per cent reduction in methane emissions by 2030 from 2020 levels.
• India's gap: India lacks effective policies specifically targeting methane from rice cultivation and biomass burning. Focus on "super-emitters" (large point sources) is needed.
• Global Methane Pledge: Launched at COP26. Over 100 countries pledged to reduce methane 30 per cent by 2030. India has not signed.

Static linkage: Climate change, GHGs, India's NDC (Environment).

GS area: International Relations (Defence, Technology)

India and the United States launched the INDUS-X (India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem) initiative under the broader iCET (Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology) dialogue.

• Purpose: Foster co-development and co-production of advanced defence technologies.
• Focus areas: Jet engines, long-range artillery, infantry fighting vehicles. R&D partnerships between Indian and US defence companies, including startups.
• iCET context: Launched in January 2023, iCET covers semiconductors, AI, space, defence and clean energy.
• Significance: Defence technology transfers deepen India-US strategic alignment beyond procurement to actual manufacturing partnership.

Static linkage: India-US relations, defence indigenisation, iCET (International Relations).

GS area: Environment (Biodiversity, International conventions)

The International Day for Biological Diversity was observed on 22 May 2023.

• Theme: "From Agreement to Action: Build Back Biodiversity."
• Kunming-Montreal Framework: The global biodiversity framework agreed at COP15 in December 2022. Targets protection of 30 per cent of the world's land and oceans by 2030 (the "30x30" target).
• Funding gap: The framework faces gaps in both political will and financial commitments from developed countries.
• India's Biodiversity Act 2002: Governs access to biological resources and benefit sharing. Local communities share in benefits arising from the use of their biological resources through Biodiversity Management Committees.

Static linkage: CBD, Kunming-Montreal Framework, Biodiversity Act 2002 (Environment).

• WHO on non-sugar sweeteners: The WHO recommended against using non-sugar sweeteners (aspartame, saccharin, stevia, sucralose) for weight control. Long-term use is associated with Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and possibly cancer.
• NIA Operation Dhvast: Results: 129 raid locations covered across multiple states; targeted terror funding networks, gangster-politician-criminal nexus, drug and arms trafficking.
• People's Biodiversity Registers: Comprehensive bio-resource records prepared by Biodiversity Management Committees. Kolkata became the first major metropolitan city to complete a detailed PBR.