15 August 2024

• Independence Day: India observed its 78th Independence Day. Prime Minister Modi addressed the nation from the Red Fort.
• Polity: the Supreme Court reaffirmed that bail is the rule and jail is the exception, even in UAPA cases. The case involved a retired police constable accused of links to the banned Popular Front of India.
• International: the G4 nations (India, Brazil, Germany, Japan) renewed their push for UN Security Council expansion from 15 to 25-26 members, with six new permanent seats.
• Defence: Tarang Shakti, India's first multinational air exercise, was conducted featuring the LCA Tejas and involving several foreign air forces.

GS area: Polity, Governance

India's 78th Independence Day was observed on 15 August 2024. Key themes from the prime ministerial address from the Red Fort:

• 78th: India became independent on 15 August 1947. The 78th anniversary corresponds to the year 2024 (1947 + 77 completed years = 78th anniversary).
• Viksit Bharat 2047: the overarching vision, announced in previous years, for India to become a developed nation by its centenary of independence in 2047. This target drives multiple flagship programmes across energy, infrastructure, health and education.
• Red Fort significance: the national flag is hoisted at the Red Fort every Independence Day by the Prime Minister. The Red Fort (Lal Qila) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was the seat of Mughal power from 1638 to 1857. The last address from the ramparts before independence was by the last Mughal emperor.
• Republic Day vs Independence Day: Independence Day (15 August) marks freedom from British rule. Republic Day (26 January) marks the coming into force of the Constitution in 1950. The flag is hoisted by the Prime Minister on 15 August (unfurling from above). The President hosts the Republic Day parade on 26 January (hoisting from below, a different ceremony).

Static linkage: national days, constitutional history, India's development goals.

GS area: Polity, Judiciary, Fundamental Rights

The Supreme Court reiterated the principle that bail is the rule and jail is the exception, in the context of a Jalaluddin Khan case involving the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA):

• Case facts: Jalaluddin Khan, a retired police constable, was accused of links to the Popular Front of India. PFI was banned under UAPA in September 2022.
• UAPA and bail: the UAPA contains stringent bail provisions. Section 43D(5) bars courts from granting bail if there are reasonable grounds to believe the accusation is prima facie true. This creates a higher threshold than normal bail.
• Court's ruling: the Supreme Court granted bail, holding that prolonged pre-trial detention violates Article 21 (right to life and liberty). Even stringent statutes cannot be used to imprison people indefinitely without trial.
• CrPC statutory bail timeline: under the Code of Criminal Procedure, if the investigation is not completed within 60 days (or 90 to 180 days for serious offences), the accused is entitled to default bail.
• Undertrial statistics: 76 per cent of India's prison population consists of undertrials. Prison occupancy rate is 131.4 per cent (overcrowding). Over 60 per cent of inmates have education below Class X. These systemic facts contextualise the Supreme Court's concern.
• Article 21: the fundamental right to life and personal liberty. Courts have read it expansively to include the right to fair trial and speedy justice.

Static linkage: fundamental rights, criminal procedure, UAPA provisions.

GS area: International Relations, Polity (constitutional bodies)

The G4 (India, Brazil, Germany, Japan) called for urgent reform of the UN Security Council:

• Current composition: 5 permanent members (P5: USA, UK, France, Russia, China) with veto power; 10 non-permanent members elected for 2-year terms.
• G4 proposal: expand total membership from 15 to 25-26. Add six new permanent members: two from Africa, two from Asia-Pacific, one from Latin America/Caribbean, one from Western Europe. Add four to five non-permanent members.
• Africa's case: Africa accounts for 70 per cent of UNSC agenda discussions but has no permanent seat. The Ezulwini Consensus (2005) is the African Union's position demanding permanent representation.
• India's specific model: 11 permanent members and 14-15 non-permanent members in an expanded council.
• Veto question: whether new permanent members would get veto power is the most contested aspect. The P5 are resistant to diluting veto authority.
• Reform history: UNSC reform has been debated since at least 1993. No major expansion has occurred despite decades of advocacy.

Static linkage: United Nations system, India's foreign policy objectives.

GS area: Defence, International Relations

India conducted Tarang Shakti, its first-ever multilateral air exercise:

• Significance: India had previously conducted bilateral air exercises with various countries but this was the first time India hosted a multi-country exercise under a single framework.
• Aircraft: the LCA Tejas (indigenous light combat aircraft), Sukhoi Su-30MKI and Rafale were featured. The exercise showcased India's indigenous air power capability.
• Participating countries: multiple air forces participated, including from the UK, France, Germany and several Asian nations.
• Sarang helicopters: the Indian Air Force aerobatics team, which performed during the exercise, flies the Advanced Light Helicopter (Dhruv).
• Aatmanirbharta angle: the exercise was structured to demonstrate India's indigenously developed aircraft. LCA Tejas, designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency and manufactured by HAL, is central to this narrative.

Static linkage: defence cooperation, air power, Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

• FloodWatch India App v2.0: updated version by the Central Water Commission. Monitoring stations expanded from 200 to 592. Added data on 150 major reservoirs. Uses satellite data and mathematical modelling for flood forecasting. Available in English and Hindi with audio format accessibility.
• Gaurav long-range glide bomb: a 1,000 kg precision glide bomb developed by the Research Centre Imarat in Hyderabad. Successfully tested from a Su-30MKI over the Odisha coast. Uses a hybrid navigation system for pinpoint accuracy. Extends India's standoff strike capability.
• DDoS attacks: Distributed Denial of Service attacks overwhelm servers with traffic from multiple sources simultaneously. They exploited multiple networks to disrupt the Elon Musk-Trump interview on X (Twitter) in August 2024. Defences include firewalls, traffic filtering and content delivery networks.
• Forever Chemicals (PFAS): Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances used in waterproofing, non-stick surfaces and food packaging. They persist in the environment for thousands of years and are linked to health effects. The US Environmental Protection Agency is planning regulation for PFAS in drinking water. Detection uses Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy.