9 April 2024

• Polity: Supreme Court recognises the right against adverse climate change impacts as integral to Articles 14 and 21, in the Great Indian Bustard case.
• Geography: The Arctic polar vortex spins in reverse in one of the six strongest such events since 1979.
• International Relations: India secures operational rights to Sittwe Port in Myanmar, its second overseas port venture after Chabahar.
• Environment: An IIT Madras study finds PFAS "forever chemicals" in Chennai water bodies including the Buckingham Canal and Adyar River.
• Elections: The Election Commission's Suvidha portal receives 73,000-plus applications since the election announcement.

GS area: Polity (judiciary, fundamental rights), Environment

A Supreme Court bench recognised that the right against adverse climate change impacts flows from Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution, in the course of hearing the Great Indian Bustard conservation case.

Key facts:

• The petition: Wildlife activists sought protection of the GIB by requiring underground power cables in its Rajasthan and Gujarat habitat.
• April 2021 order: The SC imposed restrictions on overhead transmission lines.
• March 2024 modification: The Court revisited the order to balance GIB protection with India's renewable energy commitments.
• The constitutional linkage:
  • Article 14: Right to equality. Climate change affects vulnerable communities disproportionately, raising equal-protection questions.
  • Article 21: Right to life. The Court treats a clean and healthy environment as part of life and personal liberty.
  • Article 48A: Directive Principle directing the state to protect and improve the environment.
  • Article 51A(g): Fundamental duty to protect and improve the natural environment.
• Referenced judgments: C. Mehta v Kamal Nath (1996), which applied the public trust doctrine; Virender Gaur v State of Haryana (1994) on a clean environment as part of Article 21.
• UN General Assembly: Declared access to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment a universal human right in 2022.
• Expert committee: Nine-member committee formed with a July 2024 deadline to assess feasibility of underground cabling.

Static linkage: Fundamental rights, environment, judiciary, GIB conservation.

GS area: Physical Geography (atmosphere, climate)

The Arctic polar vortex began spinning in reverse, one of only six such events of this strength recorded since satellite monitoring began in 1979.

Key facts:

• Polar vortex: A large, persistent area of low pressure and cold air surrounding the polar region. In winter it is bounded by strong westerly winds (the polar night jet stream) that circulate west to east, trapping cold air.
• Normal state: Winds circle the Arctic at high speed, keeping cold air contained. A strong vortex means mild winters in temperate regions.
• Reversal (Sudden Stratospheric Warming): Warm air from lower latitudes surges into the stratosphere, breaking down the polar vortex. The jet stream can reverse or buckle.
• Impact: When the vortex weakens or reverses, cold Arctic air spills southward into Eurasia and North America, causing extreme cold outbreaks.
• India relevance: Polar vortex disruptions are correlated with unusual western disturbances affecting north India's winter rainfall.

Static linkage: atmospheric science, climate extremes, world geography.

GS area: International Relations, Infrastructure

India Ports Global Limited (IPGL) obtained operational rights to Sittwe Port in Myanmar's Rakhine State.

Key facts:

• Location: At the mouth of the Kaladan River, in Rakhine State, Myanmar.
• Operator: India Ports Global Limited (IPGL), a wholly owned entity of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways.
• Project: Part of the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP), which connects Sittwe to Mizoram via river transport, road, and inland waterway.
• Funding: Government of India grants-in-aid.
• Strategic value: Gives India's northeast a maritime window that does not pass through Bangladesh or any other country. It shortens the logistics route to northeastern states substantially.
• Chabahar comparison: Chabahar Port in Iran (also operated by IPGL) is India's other overseas port, connecting to Central Asia and Afghanistan.
• Myanmar complication: Myanmar has been under military rule since the 2021 coup. Rakhine State faces active conflict, which creates operational risk.

Static linkage: India's foreign policy, northeast connectivity, infrastructure.

GS area: Environment, Health

A study by IIT Madras identified PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in water bodies including the Buckingham Canal, Adyar River, and Chembarambakkam Lake in Chennai.

Key facts:

• What PFAS are: A family of approximately 12,000 synthetic chemicals used since the 1940s in non-stick cookware, food packaging, firefighting foam, and waterproof clothing.
• Why "forever chemicals": The carbon-fluorine bond in PFAS is one of the strongest in chemistry. These compounds do not break down in the environment or in the human body.
• Health effects: Associated with liver damage, hormonal disruption, fertility issues, immune system impairment, thyroid disorders, and certain cancers.
• Regulatory status in India: No national standards for PFAS in drinking water exist yet. The US EPA set limits of 4 parts per trillion for some PFAS in 2024.
• Chennai context: The affected water bodies serve both drainage and water supply functions. Chembarambakkam Lake is a major surface water source for Chennai.

Static linkage: environment, water resources, public health, Chennai.

GS area: Polity (elections, governance)

The Election Commission's Suvidha portal received over 73,000 applications since the announcement of the 2024 general election schedule.

Key facts:

• Purpose: A single-window online platform for candidates and political parties to apply for permissions: rally venues, temporary offices, vehicle passes, pamphlet distribution.
• Principle: First-in-first-out (FIFO) order ensures no party gets preference.
• Applications received: Over 73,000.
• Requests approved: Over 44,600.
• Geographic demand: Highest applications came from Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh.
• Significance: Reduces scope for local officials to selectively grant permissions, levelling the playing field.

Static linkage: elections, Election Commission, governance.

GS area: International Relations

The GCC launched its "Vision for Regional Security" framework in December 2023.

Key facts:

• GCC established: 1981. Headquarters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
• Members: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE.
• Peninsula Shield Force: The GCC's joint military force, created in 1984.
• Vision priorities: Negotiated resolution of conflicts, counter-terrorism, non-proliferation, climate cooperation, and economic integration.
• India-GCC: The GCC is India's largest trading partner in West Asia. India's trade with the GCC exceeds 180 billion dollars annually. Approximately 9 million Indians live in GCC countries.

Static linkage: India's foreign policy, Middle East, international organisations.

• Spotted deer overpopulation in Andaman: Chital (spotted deer), introduced to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands by the British for game hunting in the early 1900s, have multiplied beyond the carrying capacity of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Island. The government is evaluating population management.
• Eco-Sensitive Zone around Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary: The MoEFCC issued a draft notification demarcating a 1 to 2.035 km ESZ around Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary in the Shivalik Hills of Chandigarh-Haryana, prohibiting mining and regulating commercial development.
• Female LFPR rising: India's female Labour Force Participation Rate grew from 24.6 per cent in 2017-18 to 41.5 per cent by October 2023, according to MOSPI's Periodic Labour Force Survey.