वर्तमान में सर्वोच्च न्यायालय की कुल 34 न्यायाधीशों की पूर्ण संरचना में केवल एक महिला न्यायाधीश कार्यरत हैं, जिससे समावेशिता, समानता और न्याय वितरण की व्यापक प्रभावशीलता पर प्रश्न उठते हैं।
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall across North India due to an unusual weather phenomenon termed “2-System Interaction.”
Why is it Significant?
Geographical Vulnerability: The Himalayan terrain is steep, fragile, and densely populated in valleys, making it highly prone to landslides and flash floods.
Climatic Shift: Such interactions, once occasional, are being reported more frequently due to changing monsoon dynamics and rising global temperatures.
Hydrological Impact: Sudden surges in rainfall increase risks for rivers and reservoirs, threatening infrastructure and communities downstream.
According to the Air Quality Life Index, India is the second most polluted country in the world.
The Air Quality Life Index (AQLI)
The Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) is developed by Professor Michael Greenstone and the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC).
It translates air pollution levels into their impact on life expectancy, offering hyper-local data to help users see how much longer people could live if pollution met various standards.
It supports EPIC’s Clean Air Program, which aims to inform policy and public action with high-quality pollution data.
Recently, in his latest Mann Ki Baat address, the Prime Minister of India renewed his call for citizens to adopt the mantra of ‘Vocal for Local’, emphasizing the importance of supporting indigenous products to build a self-reliant India.
About the ‘Vocal for Local’ Initiative
It was launched by NITI Aayog under its Aspirational Blocks Programme in 2024. It emphasizes supporting locally made products, artisans, and industries to boost India’s economy and reduce dependency on imports.
It draws inspiration from the Swadeshi Movement led by Mahatma Gandhi, but it is framed in the modern context of globalization and digital markets.
Government platforms like india.gov.in, Government e-Marketplace (GeM), and Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) actively promote local procurement and showcase indigenous innovations.
The Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 comes into effect bringing a comprehensive overhaul of India’s immigration and foreigner management regime.
Key Provisions of the Act
Consolidation of Laws: The Act repeals and replaces the Foreigners Act (1946), Registration of Foreigners Act (1939), Passport (Entry into India) Act (1920), and Immigration (Carriers’ Liability) Act (2000), establishing a unified legal framework for immigration.
Entry, stay, and exit of foreigners are now governed by a single law, with digital integration for registration and tracking (e.g., DigiYatra, FRRO systems); carrier liability ensures airlines/shipping companies are accountable for transporting undocumented passengers.
Registration of foreigners: The Act provides that on arrival in India, foreigners must register with a Registration Officer.
Immigration: The Act provides that persons entering or departing from India must also have a valid visa (for foreigners) along with valid passports or other valid travel documents. These documents may be examined by the immigration officer.
Researchers at the University of California, analysed 36 years of satellite data across 84 rivers worldwide to identify why some rivers maintain a single-thread channel, while others develop into braided or multi-thread systems.
Fluvial Processes and Channel Types
Rivers are broadly classified as single-thread or multi-thread (braided/ anastomosing).
In a single-thread river, lateral erosion of one bank is roughly matched by sediment deposition on the opposite bank.
This balance keeps the channel width constant and lets the river meander across its floodplain.
Multi-threaded rivers occur where bank erosion exceeds deposition.
The recent earthquake in Afghanistan, with a 6.0 magnitude, resulted in over 800 deaths and 2,000 injuries due to shallow depth and poor building structures.
What is an Earthquake?
An earthquake is the shaking of the ground caused by movement beneath the earth’s surface when two blocks slip past each other along a fault.
This sudden movement releases stored elastic strain energy in the form of seismic waves, which causes ground shaking.
The location below the earth’s surface where the earthquake starts is called the hypocenter, and the location directly above it on the surface of the earth is called the epicenter.
Earthquakes are measured using the Richter scale for magnitude and the Mercalli scale for intensity based on visible damage.
