21 February 2025

• UCC: Uttarakhand Uniform Civil Code mandates registration of live-in relationships. Nainital High Court ruling covered.
• Space: IN-SPACe Technology Adoption Fund: 60 per cent funding for startups and MSMEs in the space sector.
• Aviation: India becomes only the second country after China to issue Electronic Personnel Licences for pilots.
• Health: NCD screening campaign targets 1.6 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. NCDs account for 63 per cent of all deaths in India.

GS area: Polity, Social Justice

The Nainital High Court examined whether the Uttarakhand Uniform Civil Code's mandatory registration of live-in relationships is valid:

• Legal position on live-in relationships: The Supreme Court in S. Khushboo v. Kanniammal (2010) held that live-in relationships between consenting adults are not illegal. They are protected under Articles 19 and 21.
• Uttarakhand UCC 2024: The first state-level UCC in independent India. It mandates registration of live-in relationships under a concept called Mitru Sambandh (marital-like relationship without legal ties).
• Constitutional foundation for a UCC: Article 44 (Directive Principles) directs the state to secure a Uniform Civil Code for the citizens. It is non-justiciable but has been cited by the Supreme Court repeatedly.
• Debate: Proponents argue it provides legal certainty and protects women. Critics argue mandatory registration infringes on the right to privacy (Article 21).

Goa has had a uniform civil code (the Portuguese Civil Code) since the colonial era. Uttarakhand's UCC applies to all residents except Scheduled Tribes.

Static linkage: Polity (Directive Principles, fundamental rights, personal law).

GS area: Science and Technology (space)

The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) operates the Technology Adoption Fund (TAF):

• Funding rates: Up to 60 per cent for startups and MSMEs; 40 per cent for larger industries.
• Cap: 25 crore rupees per entity.
• Headquarters: Bopal, Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
• Purpose: Bridge the gap between space technology developed in ISRO laboratories and its commercial adoption by Indian private industry.

IN-SPACe was established in 2020 as the regulator and promoter of India's private space sector. The Space Policy 2023 opened non-sensitive space activities to the private sector.

Static linkage: Science and Technology (space, start-ups).

GS area: Science and Technology, Governance

India became the second country in the world (after China) to implement the Electronic Personnel Licence (EPL) for civil aviation pilots:

• Issuing authority: Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
• International standard: Aligns with ICAO Amendment 178 to Annex 1, which sets personnel licensing standards for aviation globally.
• Advantage over paper licence: Tamper-resistant, digitally verifiable and instantly accessible to ground staff anywhere in the world. Reduces fraud and administrative processing time.

ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) is a UN specialised agency headquartered in Montreal, Canada.

Static linkage: Science and Technology (aviation, governance).

GS area: Health, Government schemes

The Ministry of Health launched a nationwide NCD screening campaign:

• Target: 100 per cent screening of individuals aged 30 and above.
• Platform: 1.6 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (formerly Health and Wellness Centres).
• Outreach: Door-to-door by ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists) and ANMs (Auxiliary Nurse Midwives).
• Disease burden: NCDs (Non-Communicable Diseases) account for 63 per cent of all deaths in India per WHO data (2018). Major NCDs: cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, chronic respiratory disease.
• Goal: Early detection to reduce premature mortality from NCDs, which are the leading cause of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in India.

Static linkage: Health (government schemes, public health).

GS area: History (medieval India)

Born February 19, 1630, at Shivneri Fort, near Junnar, Maharashtra. Coronation on June 6, 1674, at Raigad Fort. Key administrative and military contributions:

• Military innovation: Developed Ganimi Kawa (guerrilla warfare) tactics suited to the Western Ghats terrain.
• Naval power: Built a coastal navy to protect the Konkan coast. Sindhudurg and Vijaydurg are iconic examples of his fortifications.
• Forts: Captured or built over 370 forts.
• Administrative council: Established Ashta Pradhan Mandal (Council of Eight Ministers) with defined functions for each minister.
• Revenue administration: Replaced zamindari and jagirdari with a direct relationship between state revenue officers and peasants.

Static linkage: Medieval Indian history, art and culture.

GS area: Polity (judiciary)

The Supreme Court issued new guidelines on remission of life sentences:

• Applicable law: Section 473 BNSS 2023 (formerly Section 432 CrPC 1973).
• Minimum term: Life convicts must serve a minimum of 14 years before remission consideration under Section 475 BNSS.
• New direction: Suo motu remission is allowed where a state policy exists. States must formulate a remission policy within two months of the order.
• Remission is a state power: The appropriate government (state or central depending on the law under which conviction occurred) decides on remission.

Static linkage: Polity (judiciary, criminal justice).

GS area: Environment (biodiversity)

Only two Northern White Rhinoceros individuals remain on Earth. Both are female and live at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya:

• Status: Functionally extinct in the wild.
• Breakthrough: 36 embryos have been created using IVF (in vitro fertilisation) from stored genetic material.
• Plan: Implant embryos into surrogate Southern White Rhinoceros females.
• Scientific significance: Demonstrates the potential of assisted reproduction technology to prevent species extinction even after natural reproduction is no longer possible.

The Northern White Rhino is a subspecies of White Rhinoceros. The Southern White Rhino recovered from near extinction in the 20th century through conservation efforts in South Africa.

Static linkage: Biodiversity (environment and ecology).

• Article 101(4): An MP's seat is vacated if they are absent for 60 consecutive sittings without the permission of the House. The House must formally declare the vacancy; it is not automatic.
• OTT regulation: The government issued an advisory following the India's Got Latent controversy. IT Rules 2021 mandate a Code of Ethics for OTT platforms including age-based content classification and access controls for A-rated content.
• Andaman Sea earthquake: A 5.2-magnitude event near Malaysia brought attention to the Andaman Sea geography. The Andaman-Nicobar Trench reaches depths exceeding 14,500 feet. Barren Island in the Andaman Sea is India's only active volcano.