UPSC Prelims Syllabus Coverage:
News Context:
On World Health Day (April 7, 2026) , the WHO called on member states to “Invest in One Health” to prevent pandemics, safeguard populations, and strengthen health collaboration. This aligns with India’s ongoing efforts under the National One Health Mission, which has been hosting workshops and mock drills across the country to translate vision into actionable state-level strategies.
What is the One Health Concept?
One Health is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals, plants, and ecosystems. It recognizes that the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, and the wider environment are closely linked and interdependent.
Origins and Evolution:
Why is One Health Important? The Evidence
Zoonotic Disease Burden:
Other Interconnected Threats:
India’s One Health Architecture: Institutions and Initiatives
Challenges in Implementation (Critical Analysis)
Global and Diplomatic Context
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Why in News?
Who Was Jyotirao Phule?
Jyotirao Govindrao Phule (11 April 1827 – 28 November 1890), also known as Jyotiba Phule, was a prominent Indian social activist, anti-caste social reformer, writer, and thinker from Maharashtra . The honorific “Mahatma” (great-souled) was first applied to him in 1888 at a special program in Mumbai .
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, in his 1946 book Who Were the Shudras?, dedicated the work to Phule, calling him the “Greatest Shudra of Modern India” because he “made the lower classes of Hindus conscious of their slavery to the higher classes” .
Key Contributions as a Social Reformer
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UPSC Prelims Syllabus Coverage:
News Context:
On April 7, 2026, leaders including Narendra Modi and Amit Shah paid tributes to Guru Tegh Bahadur on his Prakash Purab, honouring his courage and sacrifice, following his 350th martyrdom commemoration in 2025.
Who Was Guru Tegh Bahadur (1621–1675)?
Guru Tegh Bahadur was the ninth of the ten Sikh Gurus. He was born on April 1, 1621 (or April 21, 1621 as per other sources) in Amritsar to Mata Nanki and Guru Hargobind (the sixth Sikh Guru, who raised an army against the Mughals and introduced the concept of warrior saints) . Originally named Tyag Mal due to his ascetic nature, he distinguished himself in battle at the age of just 13 .
His term as Guru ran from 1665 to 1675. He was an excellent warrior, thinker, and poet. 115 or 116 of his hymns are incorporated into the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of Sikhism . He was also an avid traveler and founded the town of Chak-Nanki in Punjab, which later became part of Anandpur Sahib .
The Supreme Sacrifice: Martyrdom in 1675
The Trigger:
The Execution:
Impact of His Martyrdom (Historical Significance)
Key Facts for Prelims: At a Glance
Birth and Childhood:
Guruship:
Martyrdom:
Associated Sites:
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https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2249531®=3&lang=1
UPSC Prelims Syllabus Coverage:
News Context:
The film Project Hail Mary (based on Andy Weir’s novel) has sparked public interest in the science of exoplanets. The movie features an alien named “Rocky” from the star system 40 Eridani A (the same system famously associated with Spock’s home planet Vulcan in Star Trek). The article explains the astrophysical feasibility of such a planet.
What is a Habitable Zone (Goldilocks Zone)?
How Could Life Survive? (The “Venus” Solution)
For a planet so close to its star to support life, the author hypothesised:
Source/Reference: thehindu.com
UPSC Prelims Syllabus Coverage:
News Context:
Shimizu Corporation proposed the “Lunar Ring”—an 11,000 km solar belt on the Moon built using regolith, beaming energy to Earth via microwaves. However, SBSP remains economically unviable due to high costs, transmission losses, and cheaper terrestrial solar alternatives.
What is Space-Based Solar Power (SBSP)?
Concept:
Lunar Ring Variant (Shimizu Corporation):
The Physics (How It Would Work)
| Component | Function |
|---|---|
| Solar Panels (Space/Lunar) | Capture sunlight 24/7 (no atmospheric loss) |
| Microwave Transmitter | Converts DC electricity to microwave beam |
| Rectenna (Earth) | Ground-based antenna array that converts microwaves back to electricity |
Key Advantage over Terrestrial Solar:
Daunting Hurdles (Why It’s Not Viable Yet)
India’s Relevance (Static Link)
Terrestrial Solar Leadership:
ISRO’s Role in Lunar Exploration:
Source/Reference: The Hindu
UPSC Mains Subject: GS Paper I – Society (Social Reformers) | GS Paper II – Polity (Constitutional Vision)
Sub-topic: Social Justice; Caste Reform; Constitutional Morality; Foundational Thinkers
Introduction
As we mark the bicentenary of Mahatma Jotirao Phule, he must be seen not just as a reformer but as a thinker who envisioned a proto-constitutional order grounded in equality, dignity, and redistribution of power. His work highlights how caste, economic exploitation, and state indifference are deeply interconnected.
Main Body
From Personal Experience to Intellectual Critique
Born into Injustice:
Encounter with New Intellectual Resources:
Paine’s Influence on Phule:
Phule’s Constitutional Interventions: Institutional and Structural
Key Actions Rooted in Constitutional Thinking:
Submissions to the Education Commission (1882):
Key Insight: Phule’s interventions were not merely charitable acts but institutional and structural efforts aimed at promoting the rights of all through state action.
Global Constitutional Vision: Transnational Emancipation
Gulamgiri (Slavery), 1873:
Dedication of the Book:
Significance:
Material Conditions: Caste, Labour, and Agrarian Economy
Shetkaryacha Asud (Cultivator’s Whipcord), 1883:
Critique of Colonial Administrators:
Core Insight:
Phule’s Enduring Legacy: From Phule to Ambedkar to the Constitution
Phule’s Call:
Ambedkar’s Continuation:
Contemporary Relevance:
Why Phule is Not Just a Social Reformer:
Way Forward: Honouring Phule’s Constitutional Vision
For Policymakers:
For Educators:
For Civil Society:
Conclusion
Mahatma Jotirao Phule envisioned a proto-constitutional order based on equality, dignity, and social justice, influenced by Thomas Paine and global anti-slavery movements. His ideas on education, caste, and agrarian reform shaped the constitutional vision later articulated by B. R. Ambedkar. They remain relevant in addressing enduring social inequalities.
UPSC Mains Practice Question
UPSC Mains Subject: GS Paper II – Polity & Governance (Criminal Justice) | GS Paper IV – Ethics
Sub-topic: Custodial Violence; Police Reforms; Human Rights; Due Process
Introduction
The Sattankulam custodial deaths exposed deep-rooted police impunity. While the conviction of nine officers offers some closure, it must trigger wider reform, as custodial violence remains a persistent failure of the rule of law in India.
Main Body
The Sattankulam Case: What Happened
The Incident:
The Investigation:
The Verdict:
Significance:
The Scale of the Problem: National and State-Level Data
Tamil Nadu’s Record:
Other States with Poor Records:
National Context:
Constitutional and Legal Guardrails (That Failed)
Article 22 Rights:
Supreme Court Guidelines (D K Basu v State of West Bengal, 1997):
Institutional Safeguards:
The Gap:
Why Guardrails Fail: Systemic Issues
Police Culture:
Weak Accountability:
Magisterial Failure:
Human Rights Commissions’ Limitations:
Witness Intimidation:
The Way Forward: Bridging the Chasm
Strengthen Magistrates’ Role:
Mandatory Videography:
Independent Oversight:
Medical Safeguards:
Legal Reforms:
Conviction as Deterrence:
Conclusion
The conviction in the Sattankulam custodial deaths is a rare step against impunity but not systemic reform. Despite safeguards like Article 22 and the D. K. Basu vs State of West Bengal guidelines, custodial violence persists due to weak enforcement and lack of accountability. Bridging this gap requires mandatory videography, independent oversight, stricter accountability, and shifting the burden of proof.
UPSC Mains Practice Question
