Current Affairs – August 23, 2025

{GS2 – Polity – IC} Nominations to Union Territory Assemblies

• Context (TH): The Home Ministry informed the High Court that J&K’s LG can nominate five Assembly members without Cabinet advice, raising concerns over democratic accountability and UT powers.

Nomination in UT with the Legislative Assembly

• Appointment: By the Governor without the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers.
• Voting rights: These nominated members have the same rights as elected members, including the right to vote in the Assembly.
• Delhi Assembly: No nominated MLAs (Total 70 elected members).
• Puducherry Assembly: Up to three nominated MLAs (30 elected + 3 nominated members).
• J&K Assembly: Up to five nominated MLAs (currently 90 elected + 5 nominated members).

Judicial Pronouncements

• K. Lakshminarayanan (2018): Madras HC upheld Union’s authority to nominate Puducherry MLAs without UT govt’s advice; Supreme Court later set aside the suggested reforms.
• NCT Delhi (2023): Established the “triple chain of command,” clarifying that the LG must act on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers.

Democratic Concerns

• Centre-UT Friction: In smaller Assemblies like Puducherry and J&K, nominated members can tilt the balance of power, even overturning an elected majority.
• Federal Spirit: Direct nomination by LG/Union without UT Cabinet advice bypasses the elected government.
• Democratic Accountability: In a parliamentary democracy, the executive is answerable to the legislature and people; bypassing the elected government violates this principle.
• Subversion of the Electoral Process: Since nominated members can vote in confidence motions, they may topple a popularly elected government.

{GS2 – Polity – IC – Elections} Electoral Rolls in Machine Readable Format

• Context (TH): Amid vote theft allegations, the opposition has urged the Election Commission to provide electoral rolls in a machine-readable format.

About Electoral Rolls

• Official lists of eligible voters maintained by the Election Commission (EC).
• Electronic registration and deletion via ERONET (Electoral Roll Management System), a centralised digital application processed by district officials.

Limitations of Current System

• Shared as image PDFs or printouts without photos.
• Processing data digitally is challenging, & manually checking for errors or duplicates is time-consuming.
  • E.g., 11,965 duplicates in Bengaluru were found manually.

Machine-Readable Electoral Rolls

• Voter lists provided in text formats (like PDF, Excel, or CSV) that allow easy computer processing.
• OCR (Optical Character Recognition) is used to convert image-only PDFs into machine-readable text, enabling faster detection of errors, duplicates, and data patterns.

Also Read> SIR of Electoral Rolls

{GS2 – Social Sector – Health – Diseases} Committee Report on Cancer Drug Regulation

• Context (TH): The 163^rd Report of the Committee on Petitions highlighted cancer medicine affordability gaps and systemic barriers to access.

Key Findings of the Committee Report

• NLEM 2022: Anti-cancer drugs under NLEM price control increased from 40 (2011) to 63 (2022).
• DPCO 2013: Many oncology medicines remain outside DPCO, hence beyond the price ceiling.
• Pricing Impact: Exclusion from NLEM–DPCO coverage has led to excessive, unaffordable pricing.
• Generics Concern: Quality of generics questioned, as many are not certified under WHO–GMP norms.
• Regulatory Bottlenecks: Weak domestic R&D and slow approvals limit timely cancer drug access.
• Notifiable Disease: The Committee recommended declaring cancer a notifiable disease nationwide.
• Research Oversight: Mandate annual outcome reports from cancer research bodies & consortia.

Read More> Cancer as a Notifiable Disease

{GS2 – Social Sector – Health} One Health Approach for Zoonotic Risk

• Context (TH): The Supreme Court’s directive on Delhi’s stray dogs highlights zoonotic risk prevention, linking human, animal, and environmental health under a One Health framework.

About the One Health Approach

• It is a collaborative framework linking human, animal, & environmental health to tackle shared risks.
• Interdisciplinary Scope: Medical, veterinary, and ecological sciences converge to guide interventions.
• Global Standing: WHO, FAO, UNEP, & WOAH formally endorse the framework for zoonotic governance.
• Policy Anchor: India’s National One Health Mission provides institutionalised multisectoral coordination.

Operational Tools of One Health

• Mass Immunisation: Large-scale animal vaccination interrupts critical zoonotic transmission chains.
• Livestock Monitoring: Continuous veterinary surveillance enables hotspot detection & early response.
• Drug Oversight: Regulating veterinary pharmaceuticals prevents resistance & ecological disruptions.
• Waste Control: Hygienic carcass and garbage management lowers disease-vector proliferation.
• Integrated Databases: Linking human, veterinary, and ecological data strengthens zoonotic surveillance.

Public Health Significance of One Health

• Zoonotic Containment: Targeting animal reservoirs curtails rabies, Nipah, avian influenza, etc.
• Health Security: Coordinated prevention systems lower epidemic risks across human populations.
• Food Chain Integrity: Monitoring livestock health ensures safe meat and dairy supplies.
• AMR Safeguard: Cross-sector regulation of antibiotics reduces antimicrobial resistance escalation.
• Conservation: One Health aids conservation by reducing conflicts and safeguarding ecosystems.

Structural Challenges in Implementation

• Fragmented Agencies: Health, veterinary & municipal systems work in silos without coordination.
• Infrastructure Deficit: Weak diagnostic labs restrict timely zoonotic disease confirmation & treatment.
• Funding Imbalance: Animal health services attract far less investment than human health.
• Community Barriers: Public resistance & misinformation obstruct animal vaccination and surveillance.
• Climate Stressors: Rising temperatures and erratic rainfall expand pathogen niches and vectors.

Way Forward

• Mission Deepening: Broaden India’s One Health Mission through stronger inter-ministerial leadership.
• Vaccination Expansion: Scale up immunisation campaigns targeting rabies and avian influenza.
• Laboratory Network: Establish district-level zoonotic labs with integrated diagnostic facilities.
• AMR Strategy: Operationalise India’s One Health AMR plan to regulate antimicrobial use.
• Digital Integration: Build national zoonotic surveillance platforms using AI and GIS tools.

Read More> One Health Approach

{GS3 – S&T – Space} India’s Need for a National Space Law

• Context (TH): Despite ratifying the Outer Space Treaty, India lacks statutory backing, necessitating urgent national legislation for space governance and sustainability.

Why India Needs a National Space Law

• Legal Certainty: Statutory law converts global commitments into enforceable domestic obligations.
• Regulatory Clarity: Clear licensing timelines reduce ambiguity, enabling faster private participation.
• Investment Confidence: Predictable governance attracts foreign capital, expanding India’s space sector.
• Safety Standards: Mandatory protocols curb space debris and improve accident response mechanisms.
• IPR Security: A dedicated space law clarifies rights, preventing talent flight and fostering innovation.

India’s Current Space Governance Framework

• Treaty Compliance: India ratified the OST 1967 & liability conventions but lacks domestic legislation.
• Policy Base: 2023 Indian Space Policy encourages private launches, satellites, and ground operations.
• IN-SPACe: Authorises private satellites, ground stations, & launch vehicles, but lacks statutory backing.
• Safety Catalogue: 2023 Catalogue of Indian Standards sets technical benchmarks for safe operations.
• Legislative Gap: Draft Space Activities Bill remains pending, leaving enforcement incomplete.

Bottlenecks in India’s Space Governance

• Regulatory Gaps: Fragmented approvals prolong timelines and erode private sector confidence.
• Weak Authority: IN-SPACe’s non-statutory status undermines enforcement and investor certainty.
• High Liability: Expensive insurance requirements constrain startups and limit risk appetite.
• FDI Barriers: Restrictive and unclear norms reduce inflows of essential foreign capital.
• IPR Paradox: Weak protection drives talent abroad, while heavy oversight curbs innovation.

Way Forward

• Comprehensive Law: Enact umbrella legislation covering authorisation, licensing, and liability.
• Institutional Strength: Grant IN-SPACe statutory powers with independent appellate oversight.
• Insurance Ecosystem: Develop pooled risk-sharing models, reducing costs for space startups.
• Debris Protocols: Mandate strict debris mitigation and enforceable accident investigation standards.
• FDI Reforms: Permit 100% FDI under automatic routes in satellite manufacturing and allied sectors.

{GS3 – IS – Cyber Security} Digital Colonialism in India

• Context (ZN): Microsoft cut services to Nayara Energy (a private Indian refinery) amid EU sanctions, highlighting a case of digital colonialism.

Understanding Digital Colonialism

• Definition: Digital colonialism refers to the control of nations through software, licenses, and cloud platforms instead of physical conquest.
  • E.g., in 2019, Google’s ban on Huawei from Android access showed similar digital control.
• Mechanism of Control:
  • Licensing agreements dictate access to digital tools.
  • Dependency on foreign cloud data centres for operations.
  • Critical systems (ERP, email, analytics) locked into Western platforms.

Read More About> Digital Colonialism

India’s Systemic Digital Dependency

• Current Dependence: Heavy reliance on foreign tech firms (Microsoft, Google, AWS, Oracle, SAP) results in significant outflows due to licensing and cloud fees.
• Digital Insulation: The lack of digital insulation leaves sectors vulnerable to sudden shutdowns.
• Digital Sovereignty: Foreign sanctions or policy changes can disrupt critical operations, with India having limited control or legal recourse over foreign cloud platforms.

Way Forward

• Digital Self-Reliance: Invest in national cloud infrastructure and domestic software ecosystems.
• Policy Reform: Formulate a national policy on digital sovereignty, regulating digital infrastructure.
• Build Resilience: Encourage private and public organisations to diversify and avoid single-source dependence.

{Prelims – Sci – Bio} GM Maize Field Trials

• Context (TH): GEAC approved confined field trials of two GM maize varieties by Bayer at the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) for the 2025 Kharif season.

• Traits Being Tested:
  • Herbicide tolerance (HT): Maize tolerant to glyphosate-K for effective weed control.
  • Insect Resistance (IR): Protection against lepidopteran pests (moths and butterflies).
• Objective: To evaluate agronomic performance and biosafety of GM maize before commercial release.
• Criticism: Activists oppose HT maize trials, citing Punjab’s 2018 ban on glyphosate sale and associated environmental and health concerns.

Read More > Genetically Modified Crops | GM Mustard

{Prelims – In News} Kerala’s Kannapuram Model

• Context (SF): Featured in the WHO South-East Asia Journal, Kerala’s Kannapuram Grama Panchayat model showcases a successful community-led approach to cancer control.

Kannapuram Model

• Launched in 2016 with a focus on “Awareness First, Screening Next” to address cancer stigma.
• Partnered with Malabar Cancer Centre to open Kerala’s first Early Cancer Detection Clinic in 2017.
• Mobilised ASHA and Kudumbashree workers, achieving 96% participation in screenings with all cases detected at early stages.