21 May 2024

• International: India observed State Mourning for Iranian President Raisi. Flag flown at half-mast on all government buildings.
• Wildlife: Dr. Purnima Devi Barman received the Whitley Gold Award (2024) for conservation of the Greater Adjutant Stork in Assam.
• Polity: The Supreme Court advised against mechanical FIR registration under Section 498A IPC in matrimonial disputes, emphasising mediation alternatives.
• Defence: The first batch of AK-203 rifles was formally handed over to Army units, and analysis of the IRRPL partnership structure continued.

GS area: International Relations, Constitutional Conventions

India observed State Mourning on 21 May 2024 following the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash on 19 May.

• State Mourning declaration: The Ministry of External Affairs announced a one-day State Mourning. The national flag was flown at half-mast on all government buildings throughout India.
• Flag Code of India 2002: The document that governs the display and use of the national flag. Part II covers government use. The code was amended in December 2022 to permit machine-made and polyester flags, removing the earlier restriction to Khadi flags.
• India-Iran relations: India and Iran signed the Chabahar Port agreement just days before Raisi's death. The agreement's status with the incoming leadership was a key diplomatic question.
• Raisi and India: Under Raisi's presidency, Iran-India ties saw several positive developments including Chabahar, INSTC advancement, and Iran joining BRICS.

Static linkage: State Mourning protocol, Flag Code, India-Iran relations.

GS area: Environment (Biodiversity, Conservation)

Dr. Purnima Devi Barman of Assam received the 2024 Whitley Gold Award from the Whitley Fund for Nature (UK) for her conservation work on the Greater Adjutant Stork.

• Whitley Award: Often called the "Green Oscar," the Whitley Award is given annually by the Whitley Fund for Nature (UK) to grassroots conservation leaders from biodiversity-rich countries. The Gold Award is the highest tier.
• Greater Adjutant Stork: Leptoptilos dubius. One of the world's rarest stork species. Listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Found in India (Assam) and Cambodia. In India, the main populations are in Guwahati and parts of the Brahmaputra flood plains.
• Hargila Army: Dr. Barman's conservation initiative. "Hargila" is the Assamese name for the Greater Adjutant Stork. She built a community-based conservation movement, primarily among women, to protect nesting trees and raise community pride in the species.
• Population recovery: The Guwahati population has grown significantly under her campaign, from a few hundred to over a thousand individuals.
• Habitat: Greater Adjutant Storks are found in wetlands, floodplains, and even urban garbage dumps in Assam, where they scavenge. Their nesting trees in Dadara and Pacharia villages near Guwahati are protected by the Hargila Army.

Static linkage: Wildlife conservation, IUCN Red List, community-based conservation.

GS area: Polity (Criminal Law, Family Law)

The Supreme Court advised against mechanical registration of FIRs under Section 498A IPC in matrimonial disputes, emphasising alternative dispute resolution.

• Section 498A IPC: Punishes cruelty by a husband or his relatives toward a wife. Punishment: up to 3 years imprisonment and/or fine. The offence is cognisable, non-bailable, and non-compoundable.
• BNS replacement: The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (which replaced the IPC from July 1, 2024) carries corresponding provisions under Sections 85 and 86.
• The problem: Section 498A has been misused in some cases to harass husbands and in-laws, even as it remains an important protection against genuine domestic cruelty. The SC has repeatedly flagged both the misuse and the genuine need.
• Alternatives the SC referenced: Family Courts Act, 1984 (creates dedicated courts for matrimonial disputes); Gram Nyayalayas Act, 2008 (village-level courts for local civil and criminal disputes); mediation.
• Court's advice: Police and magistrates should explore mediation and counselling before registering FIRs in matrimonial disputes, without denying genuine victims recourse.

Static linkage: IPC/BNS provisions, family law, alternative dispute resolution.

GS area: Environment (Biodiversity)

Conservation status and threats to the Lion-Tailed Macaque received attention alongside ongoing UNFF discussions on forests.

• Lion-Tailed Macaque: Macaca silenus. Named for its distinctive long, lion-like tail with a tuft at the tip. Endemic to the Western Ghats, India.
• Range states: Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. Populations are highly fragmented, with approximately 40 sub-populations identified.
• Population: Approximately 2,500 mature individuals remaining, making it one of the rarest macaque species.
• Conservation status: IUCN: Endangered. CITES: Appendix I. Wildlife Protection Act: Schedule I.
• Primary threat: Habitat loss. Approximately 99 per cent of the original habitat has been lost to conversion of forests to plantations (tea, coffee, cardamom) and fragmentation.
• Conservation effort: The Nature Conservation Foundation is developing canopy corridors in Valparai, Tamil Nadu (Anamalai Tiger Reserve) to connect fragmented habitats.

Static linkage: Western Ghats biodiversity, endemic species, habitat corridors.

GS area: Environment (International)

India participated in the 19th Session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF19), presenting data on its forest cover and conservation efforts.

• India's forest cover: 7,13,789 square kilometres, covering 21.72 per cent of the country's geographic area (India State of Forest Report 2023).
• Net forest gain rank: India ranks third globally in net annual forest area gain (2010-2020 period), following China and Australia.
• India's proposal at UNFF: Proposed establishment of a Global Fire Management Hub to address the increasing threat of forest fires worldwide. Also proposed a Model Forests Act for developing countries.
• UNFF: Established in 2000 as a subsidiary body of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). It has universal membership. Global Forest Goals were adopted in 2006. The Non-Legally Binding UN Forest Instrument of 2007 is the main policy document.
• Forest fires globally: Approximately 100 million hectares of forest are affected by fire annually worldwide.

Static linkage: India's forest cover, UNFF, global forest governance.

• Undertrial prisoners and voting: With Phase 5 voting on 20 May, data showed over 4.34 lakh undertrial prisoners in Indian jails (2022), accounting for 76 per cent of the total jail population. Section 62(5) of the RPA 1951 bars imprisoned persons from voting. Preventive detainees retain the right to vote. Article 326 confers universal adult suffrage subject to statutory restrictions.
• SPECULOOS-3b exoplanet: Astronomers from the University of Liège, Belgium discovered SPECULOOS-3b, an Earth-sized exoplanet 55 light-years away, orbiting an ultra-cool red dwarf star. It is tidally locked (one face always facing the star). Detected using the transit method.
• Pollution from cruise ships in India's ports: The Ministry of Ports raised concerns about air pollution from cruise ship emissions at major Indian ports. Cruise ships burn heavy fuel oil, emitting sulphur dioxide and particulate matter. International Maritime Organisation (IMO) sulphur regulations apply.