Category: ENVIRONMENT

Context: The significant health risks posed by endocrine disruptors found in plastic waste.

It highlights the growing concern over plastic pollution, particularly microplastics and chemicals like endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that infiltrate the human body, causing hormonal disruptions, reproductive dysfunction, and chronic diseases, including cancer.

The evidence suggests that microplastics, smaller than 5mm, are not only environmental pollutants but also biologically active, with studies reporting their presence in human tissues, including lungs, placentas, breast milk, and semen. Research has found that male reproductive tissues, such as testicular tissue in Indian men, contain high levels of microplastics.

The article emphasizes that plastic, especially in informal waste sectors, is a major threat to vulnerable populations. It discusses scientific findings linking exposure to microplastics to various health issues, including obesity, diabetes, and metabolic disorders. Further studies are needed to quantify the impact of these chemicals on human health.

India, facing a growing plastic waste crisis, is urged to adopt stronger measures to monitor and mitigate exposure to microplastics and EDCs. Public health efforts must focus on raising awareness and developing strategies for reducing plastic pollution and its effects.

Learning Corner:

Endocrine disruptors (EDCs) are chemicals that interfere with the normal functioning of the endocrine (hormonal) system. These substances can mimic or block hormones, leading to disruptions in the regulation of biological processes such as growth, metabolism, and reproductive health. EDCs can be found in various environmental sources, including pesticides, plastic products, industrial chemicals, and certain pharmaceuticals.

Common examples of EDCs include Bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates, pesticides like DDT, and some flame retardants. Exposure to these chemicals, especially during critical periods of development (e.g., pregnancy, infancy), can result in long-term health problems, including hormonal imbalances, infertility, developmental issues, and an increased risk of cancers such as breast and prostate cancer.

EDCs have been linked to a variety of health concerns, such as reproductive disorders, metabolic diseases (like diabetes), thyroid dysfunction, and developmental abnormalities in both humans and wildlife. Monitoring and regulating the use of these chemicals are key steps in reducing the risk they pose to public health.

Source: THE HINDU

Category: POLITY

Context: Coal Ministry to Launch RECLAIM Framework for Mine Closure and Repurposing.

Developed by the Coal Controller Organisation in collaboration with the Heartfulness Institute, RECLAIM aims to guide the mine closure and repurposing process with a focus on community participation and sustainable development.

Purpose and Vision

• Mine Closure Impacts: RECLAIM addresses the significant effects of mine closures on the environment and local livelihoods, ensuring a just transition for mining communities.
• National Model: The framework aims to serve as a replicable model for equitable transitions, aligning with India’s sustainability and climate goals.

Key Features

• Structured Guide: A practical, step-by-step approach for inclusive community engagement during mine closure and post-closure phases.
• Community Participation: Ensures that local voices are central to planning and implementation.
• Actionable Tools: Includes tools, templates, and methodologies tailored to the Indian context.
• Inclusivity: Focuses on gender inclusivity, representation of vulnerable groups, and alignment with Panchayati Raj Institutions.
• Ecological and Socio-Economic Focus: Balances ecological restoration with long-term socio-economic well-being.

RECLAIM Approach

Strategic Focus Areas

• Community-Centric Transition: Ensures inclusive planning and implementation.
• Field-Tested Methodologies: Uses proven tools for effective engagement.
• Gender and Vulnerable Groups: Prioritizes the inclusion of women and marginalized communities.
• Local Governance: Aligns with Panchayati Raj Institutions for local ownership.
• Ecological Restoration: Integrates environmental rehabilitation with economic repurposing of mine sites.

Learning Corner:

1. National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET):
   • Focuses on funding mineral exploration activities, enhancing the mineral sector’s sustainability, and promoting skill development in mining communities.
   • Part of the scheme’s objectives is to support the well-being of local populations by enhancing employment opportunities through mining-related projects.
2. Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY):
   • Provides life insurance coverage to workers, including miners, especially those in the unorganized sector, ensuring financial protection for their families in case of untimely death.
3. Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY):
   • Offers accidental death and disability insurance to miners and other workers, covering injuries or fatalities due to mining accidents.
4. Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act (MMDR):
   • This act includes provisions for providing compensation and rehabilitation for displaced communities due to mining activities, promoting sustainable development.
5. District Mineral Foundation (DMF):
   • A fund established in mining districts to work for the welfare of local communities. It supports education, healthcare, sanitation, infrastructure, and skill development projects in mining-affected areas.
6. Mineworkers Welfare Fund:
   • This fund supports the welfare of mine workers through various benefits such as medical treatment, housing, and education. It also focuses on providing relief in case of accidents or fatalities.
7. Skill Development Initiatives:
   • Several programs under the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) aim to upskill the local population and miners, ensuring they have the skills for employment opportunities in and around mining areas.

Source: PIB

Category: POLITY

Context : DAC Approves 10 Capital Acquisition Proposals Worth ₹1.05 Lakh Crore.

These proposals fall under the Buy (Indian–Indigenously Designed, Developed, and Manufactured) (IDDM) category, supporting India’s goal of self-reliance in defence manufacturing.

Key Highlights

• Total Value: ₹1.05 lakh crore
• Focus: Indigenous sourcing and development
• Objective: Enhance operational preparedness, mobility, air defence, and maritime security

Major Systems Approved

• Armoured Recovery Vehicles: Battlefield recovery and maintenance support
• Electronic Warfare Systems: Enhanced situational awareness and electronic combat
• Surface-to-Air Missiles: Air defence and protection against aerial threats
• Moored Mines: Coastal deterrents
• Mine Counter Measure Vessels (MCMVs): Naval mine detection and clearance
• Super Rapid Gun Mounts: High-speed naval artillery deployment
• Submersible Autonomous Vessels: Unmanned reconnaissance and undersea missions

Strategic Impact

• Tri-Services Modernization: Enhances the Army, Navy, and Air Force’s capabilities across mobility, logistics, and air defence.
• Maritime Security: Strengthens India’s ability to secure maritime borders and mitigate underwater threats.
• Indigenisation Drive: Supports the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ vision and reduces dependence on foreign imports.

Learning Corner:

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) is the primary decision-making body for defence procurement in India. It was established to streamline and expedite the acquisition of military equipment, systems, and technologies for the Indian Armed Forces.

Key Features:

• Chairperson: The Defence Minister of India is the chairperson of the DAC.
• Function: The DAC evaluates and approves defence acquisition proposals, ensuring they align with the strategic and operational needs of the Armed Forces.
• Decision-making: It is responsible for approving procurement plans and deciding on major defence purchases, especially those related to capital acquisition, ensuring that they meet national security requirements.
• Indigenisation Focus: The DAC plays a crucial role in promoting self-reliance in defence production under the “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” initiative, favoring indigenous systems and technologies.

Source :  PIB

Category: INTERNATIONAL

Context: The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) held its 23rd Regional Meeting of National Authorities of States Parties in Asia from 1st to 3rd July 2025 in New Delhi

The agenda focused on sharing best practices, enhancing cooperation, and addressing challenges in national implementation of the CWC, with the ultimate goal of promoting a world free of chemical weapons. This platform enabled member states to exchange experiences, coordinate on technical and legislative matters, and reinforce the global commitment to preventing the proliferation and use of chemical weapons.

Learning Corner:

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is an intergovernmental organization established in 1997 to implement the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). The OPCW’s primary mission is to promote and verify the elimination of chemical weapons and prevent their use in warfare.

Key Functions:

• Verification and Monitoring: The OPCW conducts inspections of chemical weapons production facilities and ensures compliance with the CWC, promoting global security by preventing the use and proliferation of chemical weapons.
• Assistance and Cooperation: It provides technical and legal assistance to member states to help them comply with the CWC’s provisions and supports the peaceful use of chemistry.
• Destruction of Chemical Weapons: The OPCW oversees the destruction of declared chemical weapons stockpiles and production facilities.

Significance:

• The OPCW has played a crucial role in the disarmament of chemical weapons, contributing to global peace and security.
• In 2013, the OPCW was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts in eliminating chemical weapons.

The OPCW currently has over 190 member states, working towards a world free of chemical weapons.

Major weapon control regimes are international agreements and 

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)

• Purpose: To prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, promote peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and encourage disarmament.
• Key Provisions: Non-nuclear states agree not to acquire nuclear weapons, while nuclear-armed states commit to disarmament efforts and share peaceful nuclear technology under safeguards.

Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)

• Purpose: To eliminate chemical weapons and prevent their use in warfare.
• Key Provisions: Bans the development, production, and use of chemical weapons and mandates the destruction of existing stockpiles. Countries that sign the CWC must declare and dismantle their chemical weapons.

Biological Weapons Convention (BWC)

• Purpose: To prevent the development, production, and stockpiling of biological weapons.
• Key Provisions: The BWC prohibits the use and spread of biological weapons and promotes cooperation among states in biodefense and public health.

Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)

• Purpose: To control the export of nuclear materials and technology, ensuring they are used only for peaceful purposes.
• Key Provisions: The NSG imposes restrictions on nuclear exports to countries that do not comply with non-proliferation norms or have not signed the NPT, enhancing global nuclear security.

Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR)

• Purpose: To prevent the spread of missile technology that could be used for the delivery of weapons of mass destruction.
• Key Provisions: The MTCR limits the export of missile-related technologies and materials, particularly those capable of carrying payloads greater than 500 kg over distances of 300 km.

Australia Group

• Purpose: To control the export of materials and technologies used in the development of chemical and biological weapons.
• Key Provisions: This multilateral export control regime aims to ensure that sensitive technologies and materials are not diverted to the production of WMDs.

Wassenaar Arrangement

• Purpose: To promote transparency and greater responsibility in the transfer of conventional arms and dual-use technologies (those with both civilian and military applications).
• Key Provisions: It sets controls on exports of conventional arms, including small arms, and sensitive dual-use goods to prevent their misuse for military aggression or terrorism.

Source: PIB

Category: INTERNATIONAL

Context: Recent US court rulings have addressed whether training generative AI models on copyrighted materials constitutes theft or copyright infringement.

In two landmark verdicts, courts sided with tech companies, concluding that training AI models on large datasets, including copyrighted content, does not violate copyright law under the current interpretation.

Key Points:

• Court Rulings: Both cases concluded that using copyrighted material for training AI models, such as ChatGPT and Gemini, does not amount to copyright infringement, with tech companies successfully arguing that their use is “transformative” under the fair use doctrine.
• Fair Use Defense: The tech companies claimed their use of copyrighted works falls under the fair use doctrine, which permits limited use for purposes like research or commentary.
• Divergent Reasoning: Judges used different legal reasoning in the two verdicts, with one focusing on the “lawful acquisition” of the copyrighted works and the other considering the potential market impact of AI-generated content.
• Ongoing Litigation: At least 21 lawsuits remain pending in the US, with various claims regarding direct copying and the removal of copyright management information still being litigated.

Key Ongoing Cases:

• Examples: Cases such as Kadrey v. Meta and The New York Times v. OpenAI are continuing, with some claims dismissed and others still under litigation.
• Global Context: Legal challenges are also emerging in the UK and Europe, addressing whether AI companies need licenses for the copyrighted content used in training.

Learning Corner:

The major types of intellectual property in India are:

Patents

• Definition: A patent grants exclusive rights to the inventor for a new, inventive product or process that provides a technical solution to a problem.
• Duration: 20 years from the date of filing the patent application.
• Purpose: To protect innovations and inventions in various fields such as technology, medicine, and industrial processes.

Trademarks

• Definition: A trademark is a sign capable of distinguishing the goods or services of one enterprise from those of other enterprises. It can be a word, logo, symbol, or a combination of these.
• Duration: Initially 10 years, renewable indefinitely.
• Purpose: To protect brand identity and prevent consumer confusion regarding the origin of goods or services.

Copyright

• Definition: Copyright protects original literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, including computer programs, software, and cinematographic films.
• Duration: The life of the author plus 60 years.
• Purpose: To protect the creators’ rights over their original works and prevent unauthorized reproduction or distribution.

Designs

• Definition: Industrial designs refer to the aesthetic aspect of an article, such as its shape, configuration, pattern, or ornamentation.
• Duration: 10 years, extendable by an additional 5 years.
• Purpose: To protect the visual and ornamental features of industrial products and encourage innovation in product design.

Geographical Indications (GI)

• Definition: Geographical Indications protect products that originate from a specific geographic region, having qualities or a reputation due to their place of origin, such as Darjeeling tea or Kanjeevaram silk.
• Duration: Indefinite, as long as the product continues to maintain the qualities associated with the region.
• Purpose: To protect the regional products and prevent misuse of their name or reputation.

Trade Secrets

• Definition: Trade secrets refer to confidential business information, such as formulas, practices, processes, designs, or marketing strategies that give a business a competitive edge.
• Duration: As long as the information remains secret.
• Purpose: To protect valuable business information that provides an advantage in the marketplace.

Plant Varieties Protection

• Definition: Protection of new varieties of plants developed through breeding or other processes.
• Duration: 18 years for crops and 15 years for trees and vines.
• Purpose: To protect the intellectual property of breeders and encourage the development of new plant varieties.

Source: THE INDIAN EXPRESS

Introduction (Context)

The contemporary U.S. foreign policy underlines a new wave of imperialism, especially in light of military actions in West Asia and the “America First” policy under Donald Trump. It raises questions about unilateralism, military dominance, diplomatic coercion, and the erosion of multilateral institutions, highlighting the changing nature of global hegemony.

U.S. as a Declining but Aggressive Hegemon:

• Trump’s policies reflect a decline in U.S. hegemonic control and a crisis of neoliberalism.
• U.S. is “squeezing even its allies” through policies like tariffs (trade war with China, EU).
• Trump’s aggressive military posturing (e.g., strike on Iran, support for Israel) reflects imperialist unilateralism. Example: 2025 Israeli war — U.S. struck three Iranian nuclear facilities without international sanction.

Violation of International Law and Norms:

• It can be noted that the U.S. has moved away from the rules-based order it once built.
• Increasing reliance on pre-emptive military action (e.g., Iraq, Iran, Gaza).
• Accused of acting like any other imperial power that pursues strategic interests without global consensus.

Imperialism through Economic Means:

• U.S. hegemony is also visible in its use of economic sanctions, control over global finance (SWIFT, IMF), and weaponisation of trade policies.
• The ‘America First’ doctrine weakens multilateral institutions and treaties (WTO, Iran Deal, Paris Accord).

Emergence of a Multipolar World Order:

• There is need for stronger multipolar world to balance U.S.-led and China-led poles.
• Countries like India, Brazil, South Africa, and Russia are seen as necessary actors for a non-aligned, sovereign foreign policy.
• India’s independent stance on SCO statements shows strategic autonomy.

BRICS and the Global South:

• BRICS is positioned as a counterweight to Western imperialism.
• However, the unity and strength of BRICS are inconsistent, especially with India–China tensions.
• India is unlikely to fully side with either bloc, but will likely pursue a “strategic hedging” policy.

What Role Can India Play?

• India is seen as a swing state—not fully aligned with any superpower.
• India must maintain strategic autonomy while safeguarding its economic and energy interests.
• Should champion Global South solidarity, especially in the face of debt crises, war, and sanctions.

Conclusion:

U.S. foreign policy continues to show traits of imperialism: unilateralism, coercive diplomacy, and global military presence. However, unlike Cold War-era imperialism, today’s landscape is more complex, marked by the rise of China, a fragmented West, and calls for multipolarity. Countries like India must resist aligning with any hegemon and instead support rules-based, pluralistic international order.

Q. “U.S. foreign policy displays characteristics of modern imperialism.” Critically examine in light of recent global events.

Introduction (Context)

The Indian Constitution enshrines the values of socialism and secularism to ensure justice and equality in a diverse, multi-religious, and hierarchical society. Though explicitly inserted in the Preamble by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act (1976), these values were inherent in the Constitution’s text and spirit since its inception.

Recently RSS leaders’ demand to remove the words “socialism” and “secularism” from the Preamble.

Why Socialism and Secularism Matter:

Socialism in the Constitution:

• Emphasized in the Preamble: Justice — social, economic, and political.
• Directive Principles (Article 38, 39): Promote equitable distribution of wealth, prevention of concentration of wealth, and welfare of the people.
• Example: Right to Education Act, National Food Security Act, and MNREGA are legislative reflections of the socialist vision.
• Judicial Recognition: In D.S. Nakara v. Union of India (1983), the SC held that the Indian socialism is “democratic socialism” which aims to end poverty and inequality.
• Ensures equal access to opportunity, education, and dignity for all.

Secularism in the Constitution:

• Indian secularism promotes positive secularism — equal respect and protection to all religions, not just religious neutrality.
• Reflected in:
  • Article 25–28: Freedom of religion.
  • Article 15: Non-discrimination on religion.
  • Supreme Court’s 1973 Kesavananda Bharati case and Bommai judgment reaffirmed secularism as part of the Basic Structure.
  • Example: Shirur Mutt case (1954) established the doctrine of “essential religious practices”.

Constitutional and Philosophical Backing:

• Dr. B.R. Ambedkar emphasized constitutional morality and equal protection.
• Constituent Assembly debates, including Ambedkar’s speech on November 25, 1949, revealed the commitment to equality and justice.
• Even before 1976, the values of socialism and secularism were embedded (not just inserted by 42nd Amendment).

Criticism of the Call to Remove These Terms:

• Described as an “assault on the foundational vision of the Indian Republic.”
• Viewed as an attempt to promote majoritarian theocracy over inclusive democracy.
• Could pave the way for dismantling India’s pluralistic framework and deepen social divisions.

The Basic Structure Doctrine:

• Supreme Court in Kesavananda Bharati (1973) held that Parliament cannot alter the basic structure.
• Secularism and Socialism are part of this unamendable structure.
• Even if words are removed from the Preamble, the spirit remains enshrined in enforceable rights and principles.

Conclusion:

Granville Austin called the Indian Constitution a “social revolution” document, reflecting a blend of liberalism and socialism. The Constitution must remain a living document reflecting justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity. Safeguarding constitutional morality is essential in times of ideological contestation.

Value added content:

• Granville Austin called the Indian Constitution a “social revolution” document, reflecting a blend of liberalism and socialism.
• Dr. B.R. Ambedkar asserted in the Constituent Assembly: “The Constitution is a secular document…” even without explicitly using the word.
• Prof. Upendra Baxi: “The Constitution is not just a rule book but a text of transformative potential.” Removing such words hampers its transformative character
• Justice R.M. Sahai – “Secularism is more than neutrality; it is positive tolerance”

Q.  “Socialism and Secularism: Pillars of India’s Constitutional Morality.”

Today’s – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated in our “Daily Current Affairs Quiz” section on our website

Please click on the below link 

Daily Current Affairs Quiz for UPSC IAS Prelims | IASbaba