29 September 2023

• Science: MS Swaminathan, father of India's Green Revolution, passed away at age 98. His contribution to food security defined an era.
• Environment: Green ammonia containers received at V.O. Chidambaranar Port, Tuticorin, marking a supply-chain milestone for India's hydrogen economy.
• Society: Sarna religious code demand: tribal communities from Jharkhand pushed for recognition of their nature-worshipping faith in the upcoming census.
• Health: Supreme Court directed implementation of the HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Act, 2017.

GS area: Science and Technology (agriculture), Society (development)

Dr Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan passed away on 28 September 2023 at 98 in Chennai. He is known as the Father of the Green Revolution in India for leading the transformation of Indian agriculture from near-famine conditions in the 1960s to food surplus.

• Green Revolution in India: a technology-driven agricultural transformation in the late 1960s that combined high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds with irrigation, chemical fertilisers and pesticides.
• HYV seeds: Swaminathan collaborated with American plant scientist Norman Borlaug to adapt his semi-dwarf wheat varieties to Indian conditions. These varieties produced much higher yields than traditional varieties.
• Impact: foodgrain production increased 35 per cent from 1967-68 to 1970-71. India moved from importing food under PL-480 (US surplus food aid) to becoming self-sufficient and later an exporter.
• National Commission on Farmers: Swaminathan chaired this commission (2004-06). Its reports recommended fair MSP (C2+50 per cent formula: cost of production plus 50 per cent profit), debt relief and land reform.
• Critiques: the Green Revolution created environmental concerns: groundwater depletion in Punjab-Haryana, soil health degradation from chemical overuse and reduction in crop diversity (monoculture dominance).
• Awards: India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna; World Food Prize; Ramon Magsaysay Award; Padma Vibhushan.

Static linkage: history (post-Independence), economy (agriculture), science and technology.

GS area: Society (tribal rights, religion), Governance

Tribal communities across Jharkhand and Odisha, following the Sarna nature-worship tradition, renewed demands for a separate Sarna code in India's upcoming census.

• Sarna faith: a nature-worshipping tradition practised by Adivasi communities in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal and Bihar. Core beliefs: reverence for "Jal, Jungle, Zameen" (water, forest, land). Practitioners call themselves Sarnais.
• Also known as: "Religion of the Holy Woods." Sacred groves (saranas) are the site of worship.
• Census religion codes: the census lists religions but has no code for Sarna. Tribal practitioners are often recorded as Hindu, Christian or not otherwise classified.
• Population: estimated 50 million-plus Sarna practitioners, though no official count exists.
• Political support: the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha government supported the code. The Centre has not committed to adding it.
• Constitutional context: Article 25 guarantees freedom of religion. Recognition in the census would have implications for minority protections and welfare scheme targeting.

Static linkage: society (tribal communities, religion), governance (census, Article 25).

GS area: Economy (green energy), Environment

Green ammonia was received at V.O. Chidambaranar Port (Tuticorin) in Tamil Nadu, a logistics milestone for India's green hydrogen supply chain.

• What green ammonia is: produced by combining green hydrogen with nitrogen using the Haber-Bosch process powered by renewable electricity. The resulting NH3 is a carbon-free chemical.
• Why ammonia for hydrogen transport: hydrogen is difficult to store and transport in gaseous or liquid form. Ammonia can be liquefied at -33 degrees Celsius and transported in standard tankers. It can be cracked back into hydrogen at the destination.
• National Green Hydrogen Mission linkage: the mission targets 5 million tonnes of green hydrogen per year by 2030. Exports of green ammonia to Japan, South Korea and Europe are a key revenue strategy.
• V.O. Chidambaranar Port: one of India's 12 major ports, located on the southern Tamil Nadu coast. It handles coal, fertiliser and container traffic.

Static linkage: economy (green energy, green hydrogen, ammonia), infrastructure (ports).

GS area: Health (HIV, rights), Polity (judiciary)

The Supreme Court directed the Union and State governments to fully implement the HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Act, 2017 after a petition flagged poor implementation.

• What the Act does: prohibits discrimination against HIV-positive persons in employment, healthcare, education and insurance. Creates a complaints mechanism. Protects property rights of HIV-affected children.
• Confidentiality: the Act mandates confidentiality of HIV status. Healthcare providers cannot disclose a patient's status without consent.
• Court directions: courts must prioritise disposal of HIV-related cases. The Act requires courts to create a mechanism for early hearing.
• India's HIV burden: approximately 2.4 million people living with HIV (PLHIV) in India. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) coverage has improved significantly under NACP (National AIDS Control Programme).
• NACO: National AIDS Control Organisation under the Ministry of Health. It coordinates HIV prevention, treatment and care.

Static linkage: health (HIV, rights), polity (judiciary, fundamental rights).

GS area: Environment (mangroves, climate change), Geography

The Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest shared by India and Bangladesh, was highlighted in the context of climate change vulnerability.

• Location: the delta of the Ganga, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers in West Bengal (India) and Bangladesh. Approximately 60 per cent lies in Bangladesh.
• UNESCO status: Sundarban National Park in India is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1987). The Sundarbans as a whole is also a Ramsar site.
• Tiger habitat: the only mangrove forest in the world inhabited by Royal Bengal Tigers. The Indian side has approximately 90-100 tigers.
• Climate threats: sea level rise (2-5 mm per year in the delta), cyclone intensification (Amphan 2020, Yaas 2021), salinity intrusion reducing agricultural land, and forest submergence. The islands are sinking as deltaic land subsides.
• Forced migration: communities on the more vulnerable islands have experienced forced relocation. The Sagar Island population was one of the largest at-risk communities.

Static linkage: environment (mangroves, climate change), geography (deltas, rivers), biodiversity.

GS area: Science and Technology (energy storage, safety)

Reports on lithium-ion battery fires in electric vehicles in India highlighted the safety challenge of thermal runaway.

• Thermal runaway: an uncontrolled exothermic reaction in a battery cell where rising temperature accelerates further reactions, generating more heat in a self-reinforcing cycle. Can result in fire or explosion.
• Causes: manufacturing defects, physical damage, overcharging, or high ambient temperature.
• Water ineffectiveness: water is ineffective against lithium-ion battery fires and can make them worse by reacting with lithium. Dry sand, CO2 or specialised fire-suppression agents are needed.
• India's EV context: India's electric two-wheeler and three-wheeler segments had several high-profile fires in 2022-23. CMVR (Central Motor Vehicles Rules) were revised to tighten thermal runaway standards for EV batteries.

Static linkage: science and technology (energy storage, EV safety), governance.

• Conocarpus ban in Gujarat: Gujarat banned Conocarpus plants due to their reported health hazards (pollen allergies, respiratory issues). The tree is widely planted as a roadside ornamental in Indian cities despite these concerns.
• PFRDA and Atal Pension Yojana: the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority requested an increase in guaranteed pension amounts under APY. The scheme covers workers in the informal sector with government co-contribution for eligible low-income enrollees.
• Qubit circuit accuracy: MIT developed a superconducting fluxonium qubit achieving 99.99 per cent accuracy in single-qubit gates, a quantum computing milestone relevant to the debate on quantum supremacy timelines.