SC widens ambit of POSH
Syllabus: GS2/ Polity & Governance
In News
- The Supreme Court has expanded the jurisdiction of Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs) under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (POSH Act),
- SC said that the complaints to be filed not just at the accused’s workplace but also at the complainant’s workplace or any employment-related site.
About POSH
- Origin: Enacted following the Supreme Court’s Vishaka v. State of Rajasthan judgment (1997), which laid down binding guidelines to fill the legislative vacuum on workplace sexual harassment.
- Scope and Coverage: The Act applies to all workplaces, including government offices, private sectors, NGOs, educational institutions, hospitals, sports bodies, and unorganized sectors, extending protection even to domestic workers in residences used for employment
- Institutional Framework: Every organization with 10 or more employees must constitute an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), with the presiding officer and at least half the members being women, including an external NGO expert.
- For workplaces with fewer than 10 employees, District Officers form Local Complaints Committees (LCCs) at the district level to ensure accessibility.
- Complaint and Inquiry Process: Complaints must be filed within 3 months of the incident (extendable by another 3 months for sufficient cause) to the ICC or LCC, which conducts a time-bound inquiry within 90 days, maintaining confidentiality and natural justice principles.
- Outcomes include conciliation, disciplinary action up to termination, or compensation, with appeals to courts within 90 days; false complaints also attract penalties.
Source: HT
Supreme Court’s Ruling on Narco Tests
Syllabus: GS2/Governance; GS3/Science and Technology
In News
- The Supreme Court ruled that forced or involuntary narco tests are unconstitutional and invalid.
About Narco Test
- It is a process of investigation during which it is expected that the accused, undergoing such a test, would express the concealed facts.
- In this test the accused is sedated by administering a certain class of substances, such as barbiturates, for instance, Sodium Pentothal, to reduce a subject’s inhibitions and reasoning ability.
- It is a non-violent method similar to those called polygraphs or brain mapping.
Legality of Narco Test
- The Supreme Court, referencing the Selvi guidelines, ruled that any test conducted without free consent is unconstitutional and its results cannot be used as evidence.
- This upholds Article 20’s protections against ex-post facto laws, double jeopardy, and self-incrimination.
- Such tests also violate the Right to Privacy under Article 21, which, along with Articles 14 and 19—the “Golden Triangle”—safeguards personal liberty and democratic principles.
- In Manoj Kumar Saini v. State of MP (2023) and Vinobhai v. State of Kerala (2025), courts held that narco test results alone do not prove guilt and must be corroborated with other evidence.
- The Supreme Court emphasized that consent must be informed, recorded before a magistrate, and conducted with medical, legal, and procedural safeguards.
Source :TH
India’s 1st Hydrogen Fuel Cell Passenger Vessel
Syllabus: GS3/Environment
In News
- India launched its first fully indigenous hydrogen fuel cell passenger vessel at Varanasi, marking a major step in green maritime transport.
India’s 1st Hydrogen Fuel Cell Passenger Vessel
- It is Built by Cochin Shipyard Ltd and owned by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI).
- Hydrogen fuel-cell systems based on Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) technology represent a key frontier in India’s clean energy and green mobility transition.
- A Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) generates electricity through an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen without combustion, making it a clean and efficient power source.
Importance
- The launch supports India’s net-zero by 2070 target and aligns with Maritime India Vision 2030 and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, promoting clean, sustainable waterways.
- The vessel offers noise-free, pollution-free travel, reduces road congestion, boosts tourism, and showcases fully indigenous green technology.
Source :PIB
Red-Shanked Douc Monkeys
Syllabus: GS3/ Environment
Context
- A passenger at the Kempegowda International Airport has been arrested for allegedly smuggling two Red-Shanked Doucs Monkeys.
About
- The red-shanked douc (Pygathrix nemaeus) is a highly colorful Old World monkey species, often called the “Queen of Primates”.
- Scientific Name: Pygathrix nemaeus
- Distribution: It is an arboreal, diurnal primate native to the forests of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.
- They live in the forest canopy in evergreen and semi-evergreen forests up to 2,000 meters (6,600 feet) in elevation.
- Appearance: They are known for their distinctive appearance including a gray body, maroon-red lower legs, white forearms and tail, and an orange-yellow face with light blue eyelids.
- Males are distinguished by white spots on their rump.
- IUCN Status: Critically Endangered.
Source: TH
Subansiri Lower Hydel Project
Syllabus: GS3/Infrastructure
Context
- The Environment Ministry has turned down a NHPC proposal to use assets located on forest land as collateral to raise funds for the Subansiri Lower hydel project.
About the Project
- Location:
- On the Subansiri River, a tributary of the Brahmaputra.
- Situated at Gerukamukh on the Arunachal Pradesh–Assam border.
- Capacity & Type: It has a total installed capacity: 2,000 MW (8 × 250 MW).
- It is one of India’s largest hydroelectric projects.
- Strategic Importance:
- Enhances clean energy generation in the Northeast.
- Strengthens grid stability and supports India’s renewable energy goals.
Source: IE
First Indigenous Diving Support Craft ‘DSC A20’
Syllabus: GS3/ Defence
Context
- The Indian Navy is going to commission DSC A20, the first vessel of the indigenously designed and constructed Diving Support Craft (DSC), at Kochi under the aegis of Southern Naval Command.
About
- DSC A20 is the lead ship in a series of five Diving Support Craft being built by M/s Titagarh Rail Systems Limited (TRSL), Kolkata.
- Featuring a catamaran hull form, the ship offers superior stability, enhanced deck area, and improved seakeeping characteristics, and has a displacement of approximately 390 tons.
- With its induction, the Indian Navy’s capability in diving support, underwater inspection, salvage assistance, and coastal operational deployment will be substantially strengthened.
Source: PIB
Champions of the Earth Award
Syllabus: Miscellaneous
Context
- Supriya Sahu, a Tamil Nadu IAS officer honoured with the UN Environment Programme’s 2025 Champions of the Earth Award.
| Do you know? – In 2000, she launched a campaign called Operation Blue Mountain to eliminate single-use plastic in the Nilgiris. – She introduced low-cost climate solutions, from painting school roofs white under the Cool Roof Project to restoring mangroves, wetlands, and creating 65 new reserve forests. – Her nature-first approach has created 2.5 million green jobs and contributed significantly to India’s national emissions-reduction goals. |
About the award
- Launched in 2005, Champions of the Earth is the UN’s highest environmental honor. It recognizes outstanding figures from the public and private sectors as well as civil society, whose actions have brought about a positive impact and a transformation on the environment.
- It is awarded across five categories: Policy Leadership, Entrepreneurial Vision, Science and Innovation, Lifetime Achievement, and Inspiration and Action (Supriya Sahu has been honored in this category).
- Past Indian recipients include: Madhav Gadgil (2024), Narendra Modi (2018), Cochin International Airport (2018) and Afroz Shah (2016).
Source: Mint
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