GLOBAL RESPONSE TO THE GAZA CRISIS – TIME TO ACT
TOPIC: (GS2) INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: THE HINDU
A joint statement by over 30 Western countries, including the UK, France, and Italy, condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza and called for urgent humanitarian relief.
What Prompted the Statement
- The conflict in Gaza, ongoing since October 2023, has led to massive destruction and loss of life.
- Western nations, for the first time in significant numbers, have strongly condemned Israel’s restrictions on aid and civilian harm.
- This criticism comes amid Israel’s offensive in Deir al-Balah, a major refuge for displaced Palestinians.
Highlights of the Joint Western Statement
- Condemnation of Human Rights Violations: Israel accused of deliberately limiting aid and killing civilians seeking food and water. Destruction of critical infrastructure like hospitals and shelter facilities.
- Warning Against Forced Displacement: The statement opposes any plan to expel Palestinians from Gaza. Such actions are termed “completely unacceptable” and in violation of international norms.
- Global Call for Action: Urges the international community to come together to stop the war and restore dignity.
Reality on the Ground: Gaza’s Suffering
- High Casualties and Displacement: Estimated 60,000 deaths, half of them women and children. 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million population displaced multiple times.
- Collapse of Basic Services: Food, sanitation, and healthcare systems have broken down. UN estimates 43,478 people per square km living in inhumane conditions.
- Starvation and Famine: Israel imposed an 11-week aid blockade followed by restricted aid mechanisms. Over 1,000 civilians killed while trying to access food. A third of Gaza’s population lives without sufficient food.
The Bigger Concern: Ethnic Cleansing and Genocide?
- International Legal Debate: While the ICJ is reviewing the case, many scholars and jurists argue Gaza is facing genocide. The question has become politicized rather than solution-oriented.
- Systematic Displacement Strategy: Israeli plans indicate control over most of Gaza and relocation of Palestinians into a so-called “humanitarian zone”. Former Israeli leaders call it a “concentration camp”.
Tools of Control: Media and Information
- Restricting Journalism: Israel prevents foreign media access in Gaza. Non-Israeli reports are dismissed or challenged.
- Impact of Information Blackout: Without direct coverage, narratives are controlled. Reduces international pressure due to lack of verified reporting.
Global Inaction: What’s Holding Back Real Change?
- Muted Western Response: Despite the statement, key players like the U.S. and Germany did not sign it. Their continued military and diplomatic support enables Israel.
- Selective Diplomacy: Western nations criticize but do not impose penalties. This duality allows Israel to act without major consequences.
Policy Recommendations
- Diplomatic Pressure: Countries should reassess relations with Israel—economic, military, and political. Global institutions like the UN should take stronger stances.
- Humanitarian Interventions: International peacekeepers can be deployed. Immediate and unhindered access for aid agencies must be ensured.
- Global South Involvement: Countries like India, China, and Russia should lead diplomatic efforts. Gulf nations and Türkiye must stop hedging and take clear stands.
Conclusion
The joint statement by Western nations is a significant step, but insufficient alone. The scale of destruction in Gaza calls for immediate global action. If the world fails to act decisively now, history will remember this moment as one of collective shame.
SC TO EC – FOCUS ON INCLUSION, NOT EXCLUSION
TOPIC: (GS2) INDIAN POLITY: THE HINDU
The Supreme Court urged the Election Commission (EC) to prioritize inclusion in Bihar’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and accept Aadhaar and EPIC as valid ID proofs.
The court dismissed the EC’s concern about document forgery, emphasizing that mass exclusion of voters should be avoided.
Background of the Issue
- Bihar is undergoing a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of its electoral list.
- Several petitions raised concerns about potential large-scale exclusion of citizens from voter rolls.
- Petitioners alleged that the exercise resembled a citizenship verification process rather than routine voter roll revision.
Supreme Court’s Observations
- Mass Inclusion Focus: The SC stated the aim should be including eligible voters, not removing them. Justice Surya Kant stressed that the outcome of the SIR should be mass inclusion, not “en masse exclusion”.
- Validity of Aadhaar & EPIC: Aadhaar and Elector’s Photo Identity Card (EPIC) have a presumption of authenticity. EPIC is issued by the EC itself and Aadhaar has an authentication system.
- Document Forgery Argument Dismissed: Justice Kant said forgery can happen with any document. A few fake documents do not justify rejecting millions of genuine ones.
- List of 11 Accepted Documents: The SC noted that even the 11 documents currently accepted by the EC are not conclusive proof.Aadhaar and EPIC should be part of this list for fairness and inclusion.
EC’s Position
- The EC argued that Aadhaar, EPIC, and ration cards can be easily faked.
- It insisted on stricter verification to avoid fraudulent enrollments.
- However, the SC responded that authenticity concerns could be addressed case-by-case.
Petitioners’ Concern
- Petitioners, including political leaders and activists, feared mass disenfranchisement.
- Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan said 4.5 crore people risk exclusion if not listed in the draft roll.
- They criticized shifting the burden of proof onto the voters.
Upcoming Roll Publication
- The draft electoral roll is scheduled for release on August 1, 2025.
- SC clarified that releasing the draft roll does not limit the court’s authority to make changes later.
Conclusion:
The SC’s direction to the EC emphasizes inclusive democracy by accepting widely used ID proofs like Aadhaar and EPIC, while allowing scrutiny only in suspicious cases—not blanket exclusion.
THE LONG WAIT FOR JUSTICE
TOPIC: (GS2) INDIAN POLITY: THE HINDU
The Indian judiciary is facing a massive case backlog with significant delays in civil cases at the district level. A new analysis reveals deep gaps in judge strength, infrastructure, and timely resolution across all courts.
Why the Issue Matters
- Timely justice builds public confidence, but long delays discourage citizens from approaching courts.
- President Droupadi Murmu referred to this hesitation as the “black coat syndrome”, showing public frustration with court delays.
Case Backlog: A Closer Look (Chart 1)
- Supreme Court: 86,700+ cases pending (0.006 crore).
- High Courts: 63.3 lakh pending cases (0.63 crore).
- District & Subordinate Courts: 4.6 crore pending cases (3.5 crore criminal + 1.1 crore civil).
- Total Pending Cases Nationwide: Over 5 crore.
Delay in Case Disposal (Chart 2)
- Criminal Cases are resolved faster than civil cases across all levels.
Within 1 year disposal (Criminal):
- High Courts: 85.3%
- Supreme Court: 79.5%
- District courts: 70.6%
Within 1 year disposal (Civil):
- Supreme Court: 67.7%
- High Courts: 64.4%
- District Courts: Only 38.7%
Over 5 years disposal (Civil – District Courts): Around 20%
- Insight: Civil cases in lower courts face the longest delays, burdening the majority of litigants.
Vacancy of Judges (Chart 3)
- Supreme Court: 3% posts vacant.
- High Courts: 33% posts vacant.
- District & Subordinate Courts: 20.5% posts vacant.
- Out of 26,927 sanctioned posts, 5,665 are vacant.
- India has only 15 judges per 10 lakh people, while the 1987 Law Commission recommends 50 per 10 lakh.
Systemic Issues
- Lack of case timelines, repeated adjournments, and poor scheduling.
- Weak tracking and grouping of cases.
- Inadequate court staff and infrastructure.
- Complex procedures and weak coordination among stakeholders.
Role of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
- Lok Adalats, mediation, arbitration offer quicker, accessible alternatives to traditional courts.
- Chart 4: National Lok Adalats (2021–March 2025):
- 27.5 crore cases resolved
- 22.2 crore pre-litigation cases
- 5.3 crore pending court cases
- ADR reduces burden on courts and ensures faster justice.
Conclusion
India’s judicial backlog is a mix of growing caseloads, judge shortages, and procedural inefficiencies. While institutional reforms are needed, strengthening ADR systems like Lok Adalats can offer timely and affordable justice, especially to the common citizen.
FAIR USE AND GENERATIVE AI – EMERGING LEGAL INTERPRETATIONS
TOPIC: (GS3) SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: THE HINDU
Two U.S. court judgments in cases involving Anthropic and Meta have clarified how the “fair use” principle under copyright law applies to the use of copyrighted works for training Generative AI models. These rulings emphasize the transformative nature of such use while raising concerns about market harm and illegal data sourcing.
Why This Issue Matters
- Generative AI models require large datasets for training, including public domain and copyrighted content.
- The debate centers around whether using copyrighted material without permission for AI training is legal under the “fair use” clause.
- Courts are now beginning to deliver early rulings that will influence how AI companies operate and respect IP laws.
What Is ‘Fair Use’ in U.S. Law?
Courts assess four factors to decide if use is “fair”:
- Purpose and character of use – including whether the use is “transformative.”
- Nature of the copyrighted work – factual works are more likely to qualify for fair use than fiction.
- Amount used – looks at both the quantity and quality of the copied portion.
- Effect on market value – examines if the use impacts the original work’s earnings.
Key Judgments
Anthropic Case (Claude AI)
- Used copyrighted books (some purchased, some illegally sourced) to train its LLM.
- Court upheld fair use for purchased and digitized books, citing the transformative purpose.
- However, it rejected fair use for books obtained illegally, calling for further review.
Meta Case (LLaMA Model)
- Sued by authors for downloading books from unauthorized sources.
- Court ruled in Meta’s favor due to lack of proof showing harm to market value.
- Highlighted that fair use can apply when use is highly transformative and evidence of market loss is weak.
Important Differences Between Cases
- Both courts recognized AI training as a transformative use.
- Anthropic ruling separated digital conversion from illegal downloading.
- Meta ruling focused on overall training purpose, not the method of sourcing.
Ongoing Challenges & Implications
- Courts remain divided on the role of illegally sourced content.
- Copyright holders must present strong evidence to prove market loss.
- AI and copyright law will evolve case-by-case based on facts, evidence, and legal interpretation.
Conclusion
The application of the fair use doctrine to AI training is still evolving. These initial rulings support transformative use but leave room for further legal debates, especially around market harm and content sourcing ethics.
INDIA’S SLUM CLUSTERS AND FLOOD RISK EXPOSURE
TOPIC: (GS2) INDIAN POLITY: THE HINDU
A new study published in Nature Cities (July 2025) shows that India has the highest number of slum dwellers living in flood-prone areas, with over 158 million people residing in vulnerable informal settlements.
Why in News
- The study used satellite data and flood records across 129 low- and middle-income countries.
- It aimed to fill data gaps on how informal urban populations in the Global South are affected by floods.
Key Findings of the Study
- 445 million people globally live in informal settlements exposed to flooding.
- India tops the list with 158 million slum dwellers in floodplains, mostly in the Ganga delta.
- Other countries with high numbers: Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and cities in Brazil and Africa.
Nature of Settlements
- In India, about 40% of slum dwellers live in urban/suburban areas.
- Slum settlements are often made of tarp, tin sheets or tents, rented through informal systems.
- In cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Jakarta, flood-prone land is cheaper, attracting low-income populations.
Why Do People Live in Floodplains?
- Due to lack of affordable housing, access to jobs, and urban migration.
- Wealthy nations provide subsidised flood insurance, making floodplains desirable; the poor in the Global South move there for survival.
Risk & Inequality
- Slum residents are 32% more likely to live in flood zones than outside them.
- They face higher flood risk due to inadequate drainage, weak infrastructure, and lack of services.
- Floods affect their livelihoods, health, and access to food, water, and sanitation.
Relevance to SDGs
- Flood risk in slums threatens SDGs like poverty reduction, clean water, sanitation, and climate resilience (2030 Agenda).
- Emphasizes human-centric planning over just location-based flood control.
Way Forward
- Improve urban planning, invest in drainage and sanitation.
- Involve local communities in risk reduction, offer skill development and livelihood support.
- Use AI and satellite data to track slum growth, migration, and future climate-related flood risks.
Conclusion
India’s high flood risk in slums reveals a deep housing and infrastructure crisis. Targeted action is needed to protect vulnerable populations and meet sustainable development goals.
BOOST TO INDIA’S SEAFOOD EXPORTS TO THE UK AFTER CETA
TOPIC: (GS3) ECONOMY: THE HINDU
India and the UK recently signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), eliminating import tariffs on Indian seafood products, giving a strong push to India’s marine exports to the UK market.
Issue in brief:
- Before CETA, Indian seafood exports to the UK were subject to tariffs ranging from 0% to 21.5%, reducing competitiveness.
- With tariff elimination, Indian exporters can now compete fairly with countries like Vietnam and Singapore, which already had trade agreements with the UK.
- India’s share in the UK’s $5.4 billion seafood import market was just 2.25%.
- Industry experts predict a 70% increase in exports to the UK in the near future.
India’s Seafood Industry
- India is the 3rd-largest fish and aquaculture producer globally.
- It contributes to 8% of global fish output.
- Major producing states: Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal.
- In 2024–25, India exported 1.78 million metric tonnes of marine products worth $7.38 billion.
- Frozen shrimp is the top export item, accounting for 66% of total seafood export earnings ($4.88 billion).
- India exports to 132 countries, with the USA, China, Japan, Vietnam, and Thailand being top buyers.
Government Measures to Boost Exports
- Infrastructure Development (MPEDA): Upgrades in processing plants, testing labs, and support for global trade fairs.
- Support to Aquaculture: Transfer of modern technologies and best practices to raise productivity.
- Duty Reductions (Budget 2024–25): Complete removal of import duties on essential feed inputs like fish lipid oil, algal prime, and crude fish oil. Reduced tariffs on krill meal, vitamin premixes, and shrimp feed.
- Export Incentives (RoDTEP): Refund rate raised from 2.5% to 3.1%, with a higher limit of ₹69/kg.
- PM Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY): Focus on cold chain facilities, cutting post-harvest losses, and modernizing the entire fisheries value chain.
Key Challenges
- Overfishing: Threatens marine diversity and future fish availability.
- Climate Change: Affects fish breeding cycles and reduces catch due to warmer oceans and coastal pollution.
- Export Barriers: Poor cold storage, lack of modern logistics, and strict international standards reduce efficiency.
Conclusion
India’s seafood sector has shown remarkable growth and has expanded its reach to over 130 global markets. With the CETA agreement, Indian exporters gain a valuable opportunity to increase their share in the UK seafood market, reducing dependency on traditional partners like the US and China.
NASA–ISRO NISAR SATELLITE
TOPIC: (GS3) SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: INDIAN EXPRESS
ISRO is set to launch the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite on July 30, 2025, from Sriharikota using a GSLV Mk-II rocket.
What is NISAR?
- NISAR is a joint Earth observation satellite developed by NASA and ISRO under a 2014 agreement.
- It will be placed in a 747 km sun-synchronous orbit and is the first satellite to operate in both L-band and S-band radar frequencies, enabling precise tracking of Earth’s surface changes
- Full Form: NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar
- Collaboration between NASA (L-band radar) and ISRO (S-band radar).
- Designed to observe Earth’s surface changes with high spatial resolution.
Features and Technology
- Dual-frequency SAR: Combines NASA’s L-band (penetrates soil and vegetation) and ISRO’s S-band (detects surface features).
- Uses polarimetric radar to send and receive signals in both horizontal and vertical directions.
- Covers 240 km swath and revisits the same spot every 12 days.
- Commissioning phase: 90 days after launch
- NASA: 3 years of L-band operation
- ISRO: 5 years of S-band operation
Objectives and Applications
- Tracks tectonic activity and continental drift.
- Monitors agricultural changes, soil moisture, forest cover, and urban development.
- Useful in studying climate change, natural disasters, floods, glacier movements, and ground deformation.
- Data will help manage water resources, track desertification, and improve natural hazard response.
Operations
- ISRO will control satellite operations.
- NASA will provide the orbital and radar operation plan.
Conclusion
NISAR is a landmark Indo-U.S. mission with the potential to transform how we understand climate patterns, natural disasters, and Earth’s dynamic changes using cutting-edge radar imaging.
KYOTO PROTOCOL
TOPIC: (GS3) ENVIRONMENT: INDIAN EXPRESS
Vijai Sharma, India’s former chief climate negotiator and one of the key architects of the Kyoto Protocol, has passed away, bringing attention back to this historic climate treaty.
What is the Kyoto Protocol?
- The Kyoto Protocol marked the first legally binding agreement among nations to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
- The passing of a major Indian negotiator highlights India’s active involvement in global climate diplomacy.
- It is an international climate agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
- Adopted in 1997, came into force in 2005.
Main Goals
- Aimed to cut GHG emissions and slow global warming.
- Focused on six key GHGs: CO₂, CH₄, N₂O, HFCs, PFCs, SF₆.
Key Features
- Legally binding emission reduction targets for developed countries (Annex I).
- No emission cuts required from developing countries like India and China.
- Created an Adaptation Fund to support developing countries in coping with climate change.
Commitment Periods
- First Period (2008–2012): Targeted a 5.2% reduction below 1990 levels.
- Second Period (2013–2020): Known as the Doha Amendment (not widely ratified).
Global Participation
- 192 countries are parties to the Kyoto Protocol.
- Though now replaced by the Paris Agreement (2015), Kyoto remains a historic milestone in environmental governance.
India’s Role
- India is a party to the UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement.
- Also a signatory to CBD and UNCCD.
Conclusion
The Kyoto Protocol was a pioneering effort in uniting nations against climate change. Though now succeeded by newer agreements, its legacy continues to influence global climate action.