Current Context: Delhi High Court passed an interim order protecting actor Abhishek Bachchan’s personality rights, stopping misuse of his name, image, voice, or persona for commercial gain without consent.

ABOUT PERSONALITY RIGHTS

• Give individuals exclusive commercial control over their identity.
• Covers name, image, voice, behaviour, and unique personal attributes.
• Not defined by statute in India, but protected under:
  • Common law
  • Article 21 (Right to Privacy)
  • Intellectual Property laws

Current Context: India participated in the 4th Coast Guard Global Summit in Rome and bid to host the next edition in 2027.

ABOUT INDIAN COAST GUARD

• Established: 1977
• Under: Ministry of Defence
• Motto: Vayam Rakshamah — “We Protect”
• Roles:
  • Protect ocean and offshore wealth (oil, fish, minerals)
  • Assist mariners in distress
  • Enforce maritime laws against poaching, smuggling, narcotics
  • Preserve marine environment and ecology
  • Collect scientific data and support Navy during wartime

Current Context: MoEFCC has approved the translocation of 8 tigers (3 males, 5 females) from Tadoba-Andhari and Pench Tiger Reserves to Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

• Legal basis: Section 12 of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
• Aim: Revive tiger population in the northern Western Ghats
• Earlier approved by: National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)

BENEFITS

• Restores predator-prey balance
• Reduces human-tiger conflict in overcrowded reserves
• Rewilds habitats where tigers were locally extinct

CONCERNS : Local protests, territorial disputes with existing tigers, poor prey base, weak forest management

ABOUT SAHYADRI TIGER RESERVE

• Established: 2010 (by merging Chandoli National Park and Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary)
• Location: Sahyadri ranges, Western Ghats, Maharashtra (northernmost tiger habitat in the Western Ghats)
• Reservoirs: Shivsagar (Koyna River), Vasant Sagar (Warana River)
• Fauna: Wild dog, leopard, gaur, sambar, mouse deer, hornbills, Indian river tern

Current Context: Union Government has announced the annual licensing policy for opium cultivation for 2025–26 under NDPS Rules, 1985.

ABOUT OPIUM & CULTIVATION POLICY

• Opium poppy produces opium gum rich in morphine, codeine, thebaine (medicinal alkaloids).
• India is the only country allowed by UN (1961 Single Convention) to produce gum opium.
• Cultivation permitted in: Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh (notified tracts).
• Licensing Authority: Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN), Gwalior (Ministry of Finance).
• Farmers must sell entire produce to CBN at government-decided price.

Current Context: While no specific laws exist in India against the Pink Tax, the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) has ruled that companies must avoid gender-based price discrimination.

ABOUT PINK TAX

• Not a government tax — refers to extra cost charged for women’s products compared to similar men’s products.
• Seen in toys, haircuts, dry cleaning, razors, shampoos, lotions, clothing, salon services
• Originated in California, U.S. (1994) after studies showed:
  • Women’s personal care products cost 13% more,
  • Women’s clothing 7–8% costlier than men’s.
• In India:
  • No legal prohibition
  • Prices based on market demand
  • Studies show clear price gaps between male and female versions

Current Context: India ranked 99th out of 167 countries in the Sustainable Development Report 2025, but faces major challenges in achieving SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

ABOUT SDG 11 CHALLENGES

• Indicators under SDG 11:
  • Proportion of slum population
  • Air pollution (PM 2.5)
  • Access to improved piped water
  • Public transport availability

KEY FINDINGS

• Stagnant progress on slum population and PM 2.5 pollution levels
• Decline in access to piped water in 2025; only 65% households had it in 2022
• Water supply highly irregular — e.g. Mumbai gets just 5 hours/day
• High water cost in slums (30× more from tankers); only 45 lpcd supply vs. 135 lpcd norm
• Half of slum households live in non-pucca houses with overcrowding and tenure insecurity

ENVIRONMENTAL & DISASTER RISKS

• High exposure to pollution, flooding, landslides during monsoons
• Poor infrastructure increases loss of life, health risks, and income shocks
• Weak resilience building deepens urban poverty and inequality

Current Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Mizoram’s first railway line — the Bairabi–Sairang broad gauge line (51.38 km), marking a historic milestone in Northeast India’s connectivity.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

• Sanctioned: 2008–09 | Construction started: 2015
• Cost: ₹8,070 crore
• Route: From Bairabi (Assam border) to Sairang (20 km from Aizawl)
• Structures: 45 tunnels, 55 major bridges, 87 minor bridges
• Tallest Bridge: Bridge No. 144 at 114 m — tallest pier railway bridge in India
• Terrain: 54% alignment through tunnels and bridges due to complex Himalayan geology

STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE

• Makes Aizawl the 4th northeastern capital with railway connectivity (after Guwahati, Agartala, Itanagar).
• Reduces travel time and logistics cost; supports supply of essentials and promotes tourism.
• Supports Act East Policy and enhances cross-border trade.

NEW TRAIN SERVICES

• Sairang–Delhi Rajdhani Express (weekly)
• Sairang–Guwahati Express (daily)
• Sairang–Kolkata Express (thrice weekly)

COMPLEMENTARY INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

• ₹9,000 crore worth projects announced:
  • Aizawl Bypass (45 km)
  • Roads like Thenzawl–Sialsuk and Khankawn–Rongura
  • Chhimtuipui bridge under Kaladan Multimodal Transit framework
  • LPG bottling plant, sports facilities, and new educational institutions

Current Context:

World Ozone Day is observed every year on 16 September to raise awareness about the depletion of the ozone layer and the need to protect it.

ABOUT WORLD OZONE DAY

• Commemorates the signing of the Montreal Protocol on 16 September 1987 to phase out ozone-depleting substances.
• Declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 1994.
• The ozone layer absorbs most of the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV-B) radiation.
• The day highlights global efforts in ozone protection and celebrates the success of the Montreal Protocol.

Current Context: The Indian Navy has recently commissioned a new naval base named INS Aravali at Gurugram, Haryana to strengthen its information and communication infrastructure.

ABOUT INS ARAVALI

• Location: Gurugram, Haryana
• Named after: Aravali mountain range
• Motto: “Maritime Security through Collaboration”

Key Features:

• Supports naval information and communication centres
• Enhances Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA)
• Strengthens command and control operations
• Promotes cooperation with other naval units and allied stakeholders
• Part of India’s MAHASAGAR vision (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions)
• Symbolism:
  • Crest shows central mountain (strength) and rising sun (vigilance and innovation)
• Strengthens India’s role as the Preferred Security Partner in the Indian Ocean Region

Current Context: The Indian Army has recently conducted Exercise Siyom Prahar to test and validate the operational use of drones under realistic battlefield conditions.

ABOUT EXERCISE SIYOM PRAHAR

• Type: Major field training exercise of Indian Army
• Focus: Use of drone technology in modern tactical operations
• Aim: Enhance operational preparedness and battlefield effectiveness