18 October 2023

• World Food Day follow-up: a WWF report released on World Food Day (October 16) warned of a USD 58 trillion economic risk from the global water crisis threatening food systems.
• Herat earthquakes: a second 6.3 magnitude quake struck Herat on October 11; cumulative toll now over 1,400. Aid operations discussed.
• Electoral bonds: the Supreme Court referred the constitutional challenge to electoral bonds to a five-judge Constitutional Bench.
• Vizhinjam port: India's first deepwater container transhipment terminal, developed by Adani Group near Thiruvananthapuram, entered final construction phase.

GS area: Environment, Economy

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) released its report "The High Cost of Cheap Water" on World Food Day (October 16). Its findings dominated October 18 commentary.

• Economic value at risk: global water ecosystems provide over USD 7 trillion in direct benefits annually (fisheries, freshwater, flood regulation). Including indirect benefits, the total reaches about USD 50-58 trillion, approximately 60 per cent of world GDP.
• Wetland loss: the world has lost one-third of its wetlands since 1970. Freshwater wildlife populations have declined by an average of 83 per cent since 1970 (Living Planet Index).
• Agriculture's share: over 70 per cent of global freshwater consumption goes to agriculture. Irrigation-heavy crops in water-scarce regions are the largest source of water depletion.
• Recommendations: revitalise 30 per cent of degraded rivers and wetlands by 2030; end harmful subsidies in agriculture and energy; invest in nature-based solutions for climate adaptation.
• India context: India's wetland area includes the Ramsar sites network (over 75 Ramsar sites as of 2023, one of the world's largest), coastal mangroves, floodplain wetlands along the Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Mahanadi.

Static linkage: Environment, economy.

GS area: Polity, Governance

The Supreme Court referred the constitutional challenge to the electoral bonds scheme to a five-judge Constitution Bench.

• Electoral Bond Scheme (2018): allows any person or corporate entity to buy bonds from specified SBI branches and donate them to registered political parties. The donor remains anonymous to the public.
• Criticism: promotes anonymous corporate funding of political parties; creates information asymmetry between donors and voters.
• Challenge: petitioners argued the scheme violates the right to information (derived from Article 19(1)(a) under the Supreme Court's PUCL judgment); enables money laundering; creates a quid pro quo between corporations and the party in power.
• Money Bill controversy: the scheme was passed as a Money Bill through the Finance Act, which means the Rajya Sabha could not amend it. Petitioners challenged whether this was a valid use of the Money Bill procedure.
• Article 19(1)(a): freedom of speech and expression includes voters' right to know about political funding, per the Supreme Court in PUCL v. Union of India (2003).
• Status as of October 2023: referred to a five-judge Bench. The Supreme Court subsequently struck down the scheme in February 2024 in a landmark judgment.

Static linkage: Polity, governance.

GS area: Economy, Geography, Infrastructure

Vizhinjam International Seaport near Thiruvananthapuram was in the final construction phase with the port to begin commercial operations.

• Developer: Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) under a Public-Private Partnership with the Kerala government.
• Completion target: first phase by 2024.
• Significance: India's first dedicated deepwater container transhipment terminal. A transhipment port is one where cargo from large "mother vessels" is transferred to smaller feeder vessels for onward distribution.
• Depth: about 20 metres alongside, able to accommodate ultra-large container ships (ULCVs).
• Strategic position: proximity to the international east-west shipping lane (approximately 10 nautical miles). About 30 per cent of global container trade passes through these lanes.
• Competition: Vizhinjam aims to compete with Colombo (Sri Lanka), Singapore, Port Klang (Malaysia), Jebel Ali (Dubai), all of which handle Indian transhipment cargo. India currently loses about USD 200 million annually in transhipment revenue.
• Controversy: the construction site faced protests from fishing communities over potential impact on coastal livelihoods and damage to fishing areas.

Static linkage: Economy, geography.

GS area: Health, International Relations

Lao PDR became the second country in 2023 to eliminate lymphatic filariasis (LF) as a public health problem.

• Lymphatic filariasis (LF): commonly called elephantiasis. Caused by parasitic worms (Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi, Brugia timori) transmitted by mosquitoes. The worms damage the lymphatic system, causing gross swelling of limbs and genitals.
• Elimination method: mass drug administration (MDA). Entire at-risk populations take anti-filarial drugs annually. Cost-effective and well-suited to resource-limited settings.
• WHO target: eliminate LF globally by 2030 (SDG 3 "health for all").
• First country (2023): Bangladesh.
• Global progress: 19 countries had eliminated LF as of October 2023.
• India's burden: India has the world's largest population at risk of LF. The National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) runs India's MDA for LF. Several districts have achieved elimination criteria.

Static linkage: Health, international relations.

GS area: Polity, Society

The Supreme Court declined to allow a 27-week pregnancy termination in a case where neither the mother's health nor a foetal abnormality was established.

• Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971 (amended 2021):
  • Up to 20 weeks: one registered medical practitioner's opinion.
  • 20-24 weeks: two registered medical practitioners' opinion; specific categories (rape survivors, foetal abnormality).
  • After 24 weeks: only if a Medical Board certifies substantial foetal abnormality.
• The case: a woman sought termination at 27 weeks without established foetal abnormality or immediate risk to her life. The Court held that the MTP Act as amended does not permit this.
• Relief granted: the Court directed the state to bear all medical costs of delivery and allowed adoption as an option.
• Significance for prelims: examinees must know the three-stage MTP thresholds; the role of the Medical Board; and the distinction between personal choice and statutory limits at different gestational stages.

Static linkage: Polity, society.

GS area: Environment, Science and Technology

Australian researchers conducted trials of Marine Cloud Brightening (MCB) over the Great Barrier Reef.

• Method: high-speed water cannons spray fine seawater mist into low marine clouds. The salt particles make clouds brighter and more reflective.
• Purpose: mitigate coral bleaching during marine heat waves by reducing the amount of solar radiation reaching the reef surface.
• Development history: initiated after the 2016 mass coral bleaching event at the Great Barrier Reef.
• Great Barrier Reef: the world's largest coral reef system at about 2,300 km. Located off Queensland, Australia. World Heritage Site.
• Risks: MCB only works under clouds of the right type and altitude. Unintended effects on rainfall patterns are not fully understood. This localised version is different from the global Stratospheric Aerosol Injection approach.
• India's coral reefs: concentrated in Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar, Gulf of Mannar, Gulf of Kutch, and Palk Bay. The Lakshadweep reefs experienced bleaching events in 1998 and 2016.

Static linkage: Environment, science and technology.

• Kati Bihu (October 18): one of three Bihu festivals in Assam. Kati Bihu (also called Kongali Bihu, the "poor Bihu") is observed in October-November; it marks the transplanting season when paddy is growing in the fields but stores are empty. Lamps are lit in paddy fields.
• Renewable Energy in Ladakh: PIB announced projects in Ladakh for solar and wind power under the Green Energy Corridor. Ladakh's high altitude and solar irradiance make it ideal for large-scale solar power.