Babulal Marandi accuses Hemant Soren govt of illegally retaining Anurag Gupta as DGP
Citing a letter from the Union Home Ministry to the state government, Marandi said that Gupta was clearly instructed to retire on April 30, 2025, upon attaining the age of 60. "Despite this, he continues to hold the post of DGP, which is illegal," Marandi said at a press conference held at the state BJP headquarters here.
He asserted that only the Central government has the authority to grant service extensions to IAS or IPS officers under the All India Services cadre.
"This is beyond the jurisdiction of the state government. As per rules, Gupta automatically retired on April 30, yet the Chief Minister continues to keep him in charge of the state police," he said.
Marandi warned that any work or decisions undertaken by Gupta as DGP beyond April 30 are legally invalid.
"According to the Centre, Anurag Gupta's tenure has ended, and as of now, Jharkhand legally has no DGP. He also held the posts of Director General of ACB and CID -- all three positions are now vacant. This is an unprecedented situation in the country," he added.
The former Chief Minister also alleged a "nexus" between CM Soren and Gupta. Marandi claimed that Gupta, acting on the CM's directions, has been threatening witnesses in several Enforcement Directorate (ED) cases and their investigations and has even falsely implicated several individuals, leading to their imprisonment.
Marandi further alleged that illegal mining and coal theft are thriving in the state with the tacit support of the government and the police, with proceeds allegedly reaching the ruling establishment.
He also dubbed Gupta a 'tainted officer' and said that Gupta was suspended for 22 months by the Soren government itself. "The sudden affection the Chief Minister has developed for him is inexplicable," he remarked.
Marandi also released a letter dated April 22, written by Sanjeev Kumar, Under Secretary in the Union Home Ministry, addressed to the Jharkhand Chief Secretary, stating that the state government's notification appointing Gupta, a 1990-batch IPS officer, as DGP for two years from February 2, 2025, was in violation of established norms and the Supreme Court's directions in the Prakash Singh case.
"The rules framed by the Jharkhand government and the appointments made under them are not valid. As per Rule 16(1) of the All India Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958, Anurag Gupta cannot be legally retained in service after April 30," the letter said.
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- Indian Express
UPSC Key: SC on stray dogs, Etalin hydroelectric project, and Climate change
Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for August 12, 2025. If you missed the August 11, 2025, UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here. Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Government policies and interventions What's the ongoing story: Cracking down on the stray dog menace in the National Capital Region (NCR), the Supreme Court on Monday asked the Delhi government, civic bodies and authorities of Noida, Gurugram and Ghaziabad to relocate them from the streets to dedicated shelters, noting that the situation was 'grim' and 'immediate steps need to be taken'. Key Points to Ponder: — What do you understand by suo motu cognizance? — Which animal bites cause rabies in humans? — Is rabies a viral or bacterial disease? — What are the provisions of the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2001? — 'Availability of rabies vaccine is a major concern.' Why? — Is there a vaccine or cure for rabies? — Which is the primary animal rights legislation in India? — How to draw a balance between compassion to dogs and the lives of human beings? Key Takeaways: — The bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan underlined that the canines should not be returned to the streets, and warned of action against any individuals or organisations who 'come in the way'. — The SC had taken suo motu cognizance of the issue on July 28, following a news report on the stray dog menace. — Saying that 'there should not be any compromise in undertaking any exercise', the bench warned that 'if any individual or organisation comes in the way of picking up stray dogs or rounding them up, we will proceed to take action against any such resistance.' — The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, which aims to prevent 'the infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering on animals', is the primary animal rights legislation in India. Under the Act, the Centre in 2001 promulgated the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules (ABC) Rules. — The court also termed as 'absurd', a provision in the ABC (Dogs) Rules, 2001, which says that stray dogs picked up from an area should be returned to the same place after sterilisation/ immunisation. — The court asked the authorities to build shelters, saying that they should first start work on a shelter for 5,000-6,000 dogs in the next six to eight weeks. It sought a report within eight weeks on the creation of infrastructure. The shelters must have sufficient personnel for sterilising, immunising and looking after stray dogs, which 'would be detained there and not released in public places,' it said. — Saying that 'availability of rabies vaccine is a major concern,' the bench said the authorities, 'more particularly the Government of NCT of Delhi is directed to put detailed information about the places where such vaccines are available, the stock of vaccines and the number of persons who report for treatment on monthly basis.' — The bench agreed with Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Agarwal (amicus curiae) that while sterilisation can prevent reproduction, it cannot reduce the risk of rabies. — Thanking the court for its intervention, Mehta said, 'rabies has no cure in medicine and we have seen in YouTube videos, children dying and parents crying helplessly because the doctors also say we have no cure.' Explained: How govt, courts have dealt with stray dogs — In 2022, the Animal Welfare Board of India, a statutory body formed by the 1960 Act, issued an advisory which said that 'all the RWAs and Citizens of India are requested not to take any kind of adverse action against the feeders of dogs, nor to relocate or resort to poisoning of dogs or other atrocities which is against the law of the land.' — In 2023, the Centre updated the 2001 ABC rules. The 2023 rules were more expansive in their scope to also cover stray cats, and created a three-tiered monitoring structure for immunisation and sterilisation of animals. Maintaining that stray dogs cannot be displaced, the ABC rules reclassified them as 'community animals', and included provisions for community animal feeding. Do You Know: — According to data from the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, 3,196 dog bite cases have been reported till January. The figure was 25,210 in 2024 and it was 17,874 in 2023. — Children — especially those under 10 years of age — are at a higher risk for severe or fatal outcomes following a dog bite, experts opine. The seriousness of a dog bite depends on factors such as wound depth, extent of damage to tissues, the location, and the dog's vaccination status. — Even minor-looking bites should be carefully monitored, as per the experts. Immediate washing, cleaning, and medical treatment of the wound are crucial to prevent infection. — Dog bites are dangerous due to the bacteria harboured in the animal's mouth, which can cause serious infection, including staphylococcus, pasteurella, and capnocytophaga, once the skin is broken. — The bite itself may damage the skin, muscles, tendons, nerves, or even bones, especially in severe cases, which can result in scarring, disability, or even death, he underlines. — 'Complications from infection, such as sepsis, can be life-threatening if left untreated. Another critical risk is rabies, a fatal viral disease that can be transmitted through dog saliva.' — Survival from a rabies infection is extremely rare, according to doctors. Once symptoms appear, rabies is considered one of the deadliest infections known, with a nearly 100% fatality rate. — Only a handful of human survivors have ever been documented worldwide, often due to either extremely aggressive critical care or infection by a weakened strain of the virus. — Generally, if post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) — a series of rabies vaccines begun before the onset of symptoms — is not received, the outcome is fatal. — Seeking medical care within 24 hours for any animal bite that breaks the skin is vital to reduce the risk of bacterial infection, tetanus, or contracting fatal diseases like rabies, according to experts. — Even apparently minor bites can drive bacteria deep into tissue, leading to infection that may develop rapidly, with symptoms such as redness, swelling, discharge, or fever, caution experts. — Rabies is a viral disease that can infect any mammal, not just dogs. While dogs account for the majority of human rabies cases — especially in developing countries — many other animals are possible carriers. These include cats, cattle, horses, goats, ferrets, bats, raccoons, skunks, foxes, coyotes, and monkeys. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍91,000 dog bites and counting: Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital sees sharp rise in cases in just 7 months 📍Explained: How govt, courts have dealt with stray dogs Prelims Question Covering similar theme: (1) Consider the following diseases: 1. Diphtheria 2. Rabies 3. Smallpox Which of the above diseases has/have been eradicated in India? (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 3 only (c) 1, 2 and 3 (d) None Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies-II, III: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's interests, Indian diaspora. What's the ongoing story: The Trump administration has reportedly asked the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to prepare to shut down two major satellites that monitor atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and crop health. Key Points to Ponder: — What are greenhouse gases (GHGs)? — How do GHGs contribute to global warming? — Why is it important to monitor atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2)? — Why is CO2 considered the primary driver of anthropogenic climate change? — What are the sources of CO2 emissions? — What are Orbiting Carbon Observatories? — Why are the OCO missions important? — How expensive is it to maintain the OCOs? — What measures have been taken to control the CO2 emissions? Key Takeaways: — It was unclear why the missions were being ended prematurely, NPR, which first reported on the plan last week, said. — NASA told The Associated Press (AP) in an emailed statement that the missions were 'beyond their prime mission', and were being terminated 'to align with the President's agenda and budget priorities'. Experts have argued that the satellites are still more sensitive and accurate than any other mission, operating or planned, in the world. — OCOs are a series of dedicated Earth remote sensing satellites that were designed specifically to observe atmospheric CO2 from space in order to better understand the characteristics of climate change. — The first mission, called OCO, of the series failed soon after launch in February 2009. A replacement satellite, OCO-2, was launched in July 2014. It was built based on the original OCO mission to minimise cost, schedule, and performance impacts. — The satellite not only measures atmospheric CO2, it can also locate its sources and sinks. In addition, the mission tracks crops and crop-growing seasons by measuring the 'glow' that plants emit when they photosynthesise. — In 2019, a third mission, OCO-3, was sent to the International Space Station (ISS) to further enhance the observation of atmospheric CO2. OCO-3 was built from the spare components left over after the assembly of OCO-2. — The US government now plans to shut down both OCO-2 and OCO-3 satellites, according to reports. — Before the launch of the OCOs, scientists measured atmospheric CO2 mainly through instruments placed at various locations on the Earth's surface. This did not provide them information about the whole planet. The OCOs changed that. — CO2 is a potent greenhouse gas, and the primary driver of global warming. The data from the OCO missions help scientists and policymakers assess emission reduction efforts, and to develop effective strategies to tackle climate change. — The OCOs also advanced scientific knowledge by paving the way for some surprising discoveries. — For instance, it had been believed for decades that tropical rainforests functioned as the lungs of the planet by clearing out vast quantities of CO2 from the atmosphere. However, data from OCO-2 revealed the significant role that boreal forests – also known as taiga, the coniferous forests in the higher latitudes of the northern hemisphere – play in the absorption of CO2. — The data also showed how natural carbon sinks such as forests could become carbon emitters due to drought or deforestation. — Experts have said that the cost of maintaining OCOs in space is a small fraction of the money that was spent to design and launch the satellites. Do You Know: — GHGs are those gases in the Earth's atmosphere that trap heat. The Sun emits shortwave radiation or sunlight that passes through the atmosphere and is absorbed by the planet's surface to warm it. However, some of this sunlight is reflected back by the surface as infrared radiation (heat) which has a longer wavelength. — GHGs such as CO2 and methane (CH4), which cannot absorb shortwave radiation, trap infrared radiation. That is because unlike oxygen or nitrogen molecules, CO2 and methane are made up of three or more atoms, which gives them a larger variety of ways to stretch and bend and twist. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍 Is Earth becoming warmer? Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: (2) Consider the following: (UPSC CSE 2019) 1. Carbon monoxide 2. Methane 3. Ozone 4. Sulphur dioxide Which of the above are released into atmosphere due to the burning of crop/biomass residue? (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2, 3 and 4 only (c) 1 and 4 only (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4 Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialisation Mains Examination: General Studies-III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. What's the ongoing story: FOR DECADES, the Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina has looked like an outlier as so many of the world's other great ice masses melt and waste away. Key Points to Ponder: — What is the significance of a glacier? — Why is the Andes region warming? — How do retreating glaciers threaten the food and water supply of the people? — Which is the first country to lose all its glaciers? — What is the impact of global warming on the glacier? Key Takeaways: — The Perito Moreno has been thinning at a sharply accelerated rate since 2019, scientists reported on August 7. And if the thinning doesn't slow, it could kick-start a series of changes that might cause the ice to shrink even faster. — The Perito Moreno is the centrepiece of Los Glaciares National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site visited by hundreds of thousands of people every year. The glacier, a river of craggy ice nearly 20 miles long, pours out of the cloud-swathed southern Andes like a mirage. — Scientists believe a quirk of geography has kept the Perito Moreno from shedding too much mass as the Andes region warms. Because of the shape of the valley in which the glacier sits, the high-elevation area where snow falls and ice forms is large compared with the area lower down, where the ice melts. In other words, ice that's been lost has historically been amply replenished. — Something else might be holding the glacier steady as well: a ridge of bedrock beneath the ice that pins it in place. But before now, scientists knew little about the size of the ridge and how it interacted with the glacier. — His radar soundings showed that the bedrock ridge jutted deeply into the ice at the front of the glacier. This implies that once the ice becomes thin enough, it could be at risk of detaching from the ridge. Without the bedrock to hold it in place, the ice could start to float in the water of the lake, making it even more vulnerable to thinning or breaking apart. — Using satellite measurements of the height of the glacier's surface, Koch and his colleagues found that the thinning started speeding up in 2019. What caused this abrupt acceleration is still unclear. — Bethan Davies, a professor of glaciology at Newcastle University in England, advised caution in declaring anything irreversible. — 'Often glaciers will grow again, if we make it colder and snowier enough,' said Davies. To do that, nations would first need to stop warming the planet by adding car-bon dioxide to the atmosphere. Do You Know: — The Perito Moreno glacier, also called the 'White Giant', is located near the city of El Calafate in the Argentine province of Santa Cruz, and comes under the Los Glaciares National Park — a UNESCO World Heritage Site. — It was formed during the last Ice Age, which occurred approximately 18,000 years ago. — Since at least 1917, the glacier has witnessed numerous large-scale ice calving events due to its forward movement. The event creates a thunderous sound as colossal blocks of ice break from the glacier and submerge into the water. The stunning visuals of calving have, over the years, attracted tourists from around the world. — Glaciers are not just frozen masses of ice adorning the world's mountains; they are vital components of our ecosystem, crucial for sustaining life on Earth. They fuel our rivers, provide drinking water, and support agricultural production. — A recent UN report has warned that retreating glaciers threaten the food and water supply of two billion people around the world. — Beyond their contributions to water supply and energy production, glaciers influence regional and global weather patterns. They modulate temperatures and precipitation levels, acting as climate regulators that help temper extremes. — As glaciers melt, they contribute to rising sea levels, threatening coastal communities worldwide. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projects that sea levels could rise significantly by the end of the century, with catastrophic implications for millions of people living in low-lying areas. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Melting glaciers is not just an environmental crisis but a humanitarian one 📍Going glacier gone: How Venezuela lost its last glacier, why this matters UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: (3) Where is the Perito Moreno glacier located? (a) Venezuela (b) Greenland (c) Iceland (d) Argentina Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance Mains Examination: General Studies-III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. What's the ongoing story: An expert panel of the Union Environment Ministry has recommended environmental clearance for the 3,087 MW Etalin hydroelectric project in Arunachal Pradesh's Dibang valley, as per minutes of the panel's July 30 meeting. Key Points to Ponder: — What is the significance of the Etalin hydroelectric project? — What are the concerns and issues associated with the Etalin hydroelectric project? — What is an environmental impact assessment? What is its significance? — What are the limitations of environmental impact assessment? — Know about the challenge of balancing infrastructure development and conservation in ecologically sensitive zones. — Read about the Dri and Tangon Rivers. — What is the significance of Dibang Valley's biodiversity? — Read about the Wildlife Institute of India (WII). Key Takeaways: — Etalin is a large run-of-river project on the Dri and Tangon Rivers and involves construction of concrete gravity dams to divert water through two separate waterway systems. — The Dri River, after meeting Mathun, flows downstream and is joined by Tangon near Etalin village, where it is called Dibang River, as per details recorded by the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) on hydroelectric and river valley projects. — The project will involve diversion of 1,175 hectares of prime sub-tropical pine, wet evergreen, semi-evergreen, montane wet temperate, and moist alpine scrub forest and an estimated 2.7 lakh trees will be felled. — The project will be developed by the Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) Ltd. The EAC had recommended clearance for the project in 2017. — However, it was placed before the panel again for appraisal as the ministry's norms mandate that if the project's environmental impact assessment data is over three years old, it has to be referred back to EAC. — Several Schedule-I species, granted highest protection under law, such as red panda, leopard, asiatic black bear, clouded leopard, tiger are found in the upper reaches of Dibang valley, as per a biodiversity study of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII). — Overlooking its own previous concerns, the forest advisory committee of the environment ministry had granted in-principle forest clearance for the project in May, using WII study as a basis to gauge impact on wildlife. Conservationists have in the past panned the WII study for its limited study period. — Though the WII study did not record the presence of tigers in the project area, the study itself had said that tiger presence and movement in the project area cannot be ruled out. Do You Know: — Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has emerged as a mechanism to aid nations in walking the tightrope between economic development and environmental protection, ensuring that growth does not come at the expense of ecological sustainability. — EIA is a systematic process used to evaluate the potential environmental effects – both positive and negative – of a proposed project or development before it is approved. The primary objectives of EIA include the prediction and evaluation of the environmental, economic and social impacts of development projects. It facilitates informed decision-making by providing in-depth analysis of a proposed project and promotes sustainable development by identifying potential negative effects early in the planning stage, while also suggesting appropriate alternatives and mitigating mechanisms. — EIA also fosters popular participation in developmental decision-making by holding public consultations where citizens can express their concerns regarding a project. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Environmental Impact Assessment: Navigating the development-environment dilemma Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources. What's the ongoing story: Krishna Kumar writes: Two stories that recently appeared in this paper illustrate the perils of all-out switchover to digital handling of important routines. One of these stories appeared as a front-page anchor ('First AI-powered anganwadi: A rural classroom bridge', IE, August 4). The second story covered by this paper is about a pension portal meant for army veterans. Key Points to Ponder: — What is the role of digital technology in education? — What are the concerns highlighted by the author on introducing digital technology in early education? — What do you understand by 'inevitable teething trouble'? — What is digital divide and how is it a problem for digital education in India? — How to incorporate digital education without compromising creative thinking? Key Takeaways: — It was about a rural anganwadi in Maharashtra using AI-based equipment and several other digital devices to enhance children's early learning. — The experiment is hardly about education. It is a callous attempt to dissociate small children from any possibility they may have to relate to reality and learn how to make sense of it. As it is, early childhood occupies a dismal, low-status place in the system of education. — By introducing digital devices and AI-powered equipment, this stage of education can only be further eroded, making it capable of intellectual destruction before any worthwhile enhancement of natural growth has begun. — Digital technology has come to occupy so central a place in the imagination of educational planners that they can no longer perceive what all its force can damage in an already fragile systemic environment. — The second story covered by this paper is about a pension portal meant for army veterans. Named SPARSH — System for Pension Administration Raksha — it is supposed to facilitate army veterans' access to their pension. — The cases reported in the story suggest that for many users, the portal is proving difficult to manage. The precise details it demands are not easy to fill in. — This story is not all that different from what admission seekers to colleges and universities experience. Session after session, the digitally managed centralised process of competition and admission has proved wasteful — in terms of time and effort. It is hardly possible to justify this loss as an 'inevitable teething trouble'. — Its latest avatar — artificial intelligence — is similarly perceived within a set frame. Unavoidability is the underlying assumption of this frame. — The idea of teaching as a means to encourage learning is incompatible with artificial intelligence. This is because teaching is a relational activity, its success being dependent on the student's sense of a human bond with the teacher. — Interactive smart boards and exposure to virtual reality can only destroy little children's innate search for bonding with their teacher. Of course they will feel excited while using AI equipment, but the psychological ill effects will not take long to manifest. Do You Know: — Vidyasagar Sharma writes: The recent incident in Rajasthan, where the roof of a government primary school collapsed during morning prayers, starkly illustrates the most basic need of any educational institution: A safe classroom, which our government schools have yet to achieve. — In rural and backward regions, many school buildings are in a state of decay. Separate toilets for girls are missing, and basic drinking water is unavailable. In such a state of infrastructural crisis, how can we expect our young minds to unleash creativity and develop design thinking skills? — Drishya Thekkumbad, in her article 'Digital Dreams, Divided Realities: Navigating Educational Access in India,' highlighted that 'only 32.4 per cent of India's 1.47 million schools have access to functional computers. Only 24.4 per cent have smart classrooms to aid teaching new-age skills.' — She further argued that the disparity is worse in government and rurally located schools, where access to WiFi, computers, and other equipment lags compared to private and urban-centric schools. — If we want to build Viksit Bharat — I would prefer what B R Ambedkar says, 'Prabuddha Bharat', an enlightened India — we must inculcate critical pedagogy in our curriculum, foster a scientific temperament, and cultivate civic consciousness among our young generations. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍'Digital India' is not prepared for digital education 📍What AI could do in the classroom Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: Professor Amartya Sen has advocated important reforms in the realms of primary education and primary health care. What are your suggestions to improve their status and performance? (2016) Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies-I, III: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes, Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. What's the ongoing story: Stephen Alter writes-'This year's monsoon has been particularly destructive in the lower Himalaya, causing devastating erosion and flash floods in many parts of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.' Key Points to Ponder: — What are the ecological challenges faced by the Himalayan states? — How are extreme climate events causing disasters in the Himalayan region? — What is the interplay between natural climatic events and anthropogenic factors in causing disasters in the Himalayan region? — What are the factors behind the increasing vulnerability of Himalayan towns to flash floods and erosion? — Read about the Char Dham project. — What are cloudbursts? Is the frequency of cloudbursts increasing? Can cloudbursts be forecast? — Why do cloudbursts mostly occur in hilly or mountainous areas, and how can they lead to flash floods? — What should India do to reduce the risk of future catastrophe? Key Takeaways: — 'As early as mid-May, heavy rain struck the mountains, several weeks before the anticipated arrival of the monsoon. Friends and neighbours in my hometown of Mussoorie blamed these unexpected storms on 'climate change', shaking their heads with fatalistic despair. Somehow, they seemed to forget that violent pre-monsoon thunderstorms have occurred in Mussoorie for generations.' — 'Without a doubt, rapidly rising temperatures on our planet and the increasing presence of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere pose an enormous risk to the future of life on Earth as we know it. However, automatically blaming erratic weather on climate change often distracts us from the real causes and consequences. Unfortunately, this repeated refrain has become an alternative to the old, weather-beaten phrase, 'acts of god,' which insurance companies always invoked as a disclaimer.' — 'In recent memory, we have seen the catastrophic flash floods of 2013, when Kedarnath and the Mandakini Valley were inundated by an unstoppable surge of water and debris caused by a glacial outburst that was triggered by excessive rain. Two years earlier, in 2011, the Assi Ganga Valley near Uttarkashi was scoured of life by a powerful flood that washed away a large hydropower project along with many labourers who were camped by the river.' — 'All of this is to say that the tragic consequences of a heavy monsoon in populated areas of the Himalaya is not something new or unexpected. What has changed is the indiscriminate, unplanned and often illegal construction of homes, guesthouses, ashrams, hotels, Maggi points and military camps that lie directly in the path of potential flash floods.' — 'Much of the recent construction along the Char Dham Yatra route in Uttarakhand is in response to constantly increasing numbers of pilgrims visiting sacred sites near the sources of the Ganga. These were once remote shrines that devotees approached on foot, but they are now interconnected by ever-widening motor roads, not to mention helicopter services. Without some sort of control over the number of visitors that travel through these valleys, the magnitude of forthcoming disasters will only increase.' — 'The true consequences of global warming will be far more profound and prolonged than the natural disasters we are seeing today. Shifting weather patterns and melting glaciers in the — — — Himalaya are certainly part of the outcome. However, by always pointing a finger at climate change, we distance ourselves from the more immediate and avoidable factors that make these crises so horrendous and painfully familiar.' Do You Know: — As changing climate has destabilised weather patterns, in order to saving lives and reduce damage during natural disasters effective early warning systems are critical. For the same expanding and modernising weather monitoring infrastructure, especially in the Himalayas and fragile mountain regions, is essential. Establishing more Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) and utilising satellite-based observation systems can provide real-time data critical for early warnings. — Integrating ecological solutions into broader infrastructure planning is vital. As Anjal Prakash explains 'Instead of relying solely on grey infrastructure (such as dams and embankments), India must embrace ecological solutions — restoring wetlands, mangroves, and natural sponge zones that absorb floodwaters and reduce runoff. These nature-based solutions are cost-effective, sustainable, and adaptable to changing climate conditions. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍UPSC Issue at a Glance | Uttarkashi Cloudburst: What UPSC aspirants must-know for Prelims and Mains Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: (4) Which of the following statements with regard to cloudburst is/are correct? (UPSC CDS 2017) 1. It is defined as sudden localized very heavy downpour with cloud thunder and lightning. 2. It mostly occurs in the hilly areas. 3. It results into very high intensity of rainfall, i.e., 250 mm-300 mm in a couple of hours. 4. It occurs only during the daytime. Select the correct answer using the code given below. (a) 1, 2, and 3 (b) 1, 3, and 4 (c) 2 and 3 (d) 2 only Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – Indian Express UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for July 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Supreme Court's order on stray dogs in Delhi is good for everyone — people and dogs
Written by Ryan Lobo Ninety-nine years ago, in the pages of Young India, Mahatma Gandhi addressed the stray dog menace. He lambasted those who sentimentalised the issue of stray dogs, saying, 'Roving dogs do not indicate compassion and civilisation in society; instead, they betray the ignorance and lethargy of its members.' Gandhi emphasised responsible ownership of dogs. His words, rooted in ahimsa, underscored that true compassion involves preventing suffering for both humans and animals, with humans coming first. Fast forward to August 11, and Gandhi's vision found judicial resonance in a historic Supreme Court directive. Taking suo motu cognisance of escalating stray dog attacks, particularly on children and the elderly, Justice J B Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan ordered the complete removal of stray dogs from the Delhi NCR region within eight weeks. The Bench mandated relocating strays to shelters and prohibiting their release back into public spaces. If obstructed, organisations or individuals could face strict action, including being held in contempt of court. 'Infants and young children should not fall prey to rabies,' the Court declared, prioritising public safety over the ineffective Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules. This ruling aligns with Article 21 of the Constitution, guaranteeing the right to life and a safe environment, grossly undermined by India's 62-80 million stray dogs. In 2024, over 2.2 million dog bite cases were reported, though the actual number is almost certainly much higher. Rabies is primarily transmitted through stray dog bites and claims numerous lives, India's share accounting for 36 per cent of global deaths. Tragic incidents abound: The elderly, women and children casualties, with CCTV footage of people being mauled coming out of states like Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, and Maharashtra, and cities like Delhi and Mumbai. The crisis stems from the ABC Rules (2001, updated 2023), that prioritise 'animal rights' over public health and safety. Promoted as a humane alternative to culling, the rules mandate catching, sterilising, vaccinating, and releasing stray dogs back to their original locations, perhaps forgetting that sterilised and vaccinated dogs can still bite, kill, spread diseases and cause accidents. The rules call for feeding stray dogs in public and on gated premises, even though this causes territoriality, with ensuing attacks. The rules prohibit even visibly rabid dogs from being euthanised, and mandate releasing even dogs that kill, after a brief observation. In short, the ABC Rules are 'animal rights'-oriented and give stray dogs more rights than people. Protected tigers may be shot if they kill people. Human attackers are jailed, but stray dogs under the rules are released and fed right where they may have mauled or even killed children. The ABC Rules effectively legalise the homelessness of dogs, turning streets into feeding grounds, exacerbating attacks, as countless delivery workers and school children will attest. The rules conflict with and inhibit the application of acts like the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, Municipal, Panchayat Raj and others' Acts, which permit the permanent removal of stray dogs. The ABC Rules are subordinate legislation to the PCA Act and cannot supersede the parent act which is against unnecessary suffering. The Supreme Court in Animal Welfare Board of India vs Nagaraja and Others (2014) also held that animals are not granted fundamental rights under the Constitution. Rukmini Devi Arundale, who pioneered the PCA Act, envisioned protecting animals from unnecessary suffering, not granting them greater rights than humans. In short, the ABC Rules have subverted a public health and safety issue into an animal rights-inspired policy that has only increased the suffering of both people and dogs. Globally, effective stray dog management contrasts sharply with the ABC Rules. The US and most of Europe have zero tolerance for strays, impounding and euthanising unclaimed dogs. Australia mandates shooting feral dogs to protect biodiversity, and the IUCN labels stray dogs as an invasive species, requiring control and eradication. India's ABC model has failed spectacularly, not due to improper implementation, as NGOs claim, but because it is inherently flawed and unworkable. Even if 90 per cent of India's millions of strays were sterilised, their release, maintenance, and feeding under the ABC Rules would still perpetuate their negative effects. The unsterilised dogs would quickly make up the numbers. The Supreme Court's intervention signals the end of a 25-year failed experiment. By directing the NCR governments to establish shelters and hold obstructors accountable, the ruling restores balance. Permanently removing strays isn't cruelty but a crucial step toward upholding the fundamental rights of 1.4 billion people and preventing the unnecessary suffering of stray dogs. The order upholds the social contract, restoring the government's duty to protect lives rather than endanger them under the guise of 'animal rights.' The ABC Rules have profoundly harmed humans, dogs and faith in government and courts over 25 years. This judgment isn't just relief; it's a constitutional triumph of sanity over sentiment. The writer is director, Humane Foundation for People and Animals
NDTV
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"Bihar Voter Roll Revision Can Be Set Aside If...": Supreme Court
The results of the ongoing 'special intensive revision' of the Bihar voter list can be set aside - as late as September - if illegality is proven, the Supreme Court said Tuesday afternoon. The court was hearing a clutch of petitions challenging the Election Commission's voter re-verification exercise, which is taking place just months before the Assembly election in Bihar. During the hearing petitioners questioned the constitutional premise of the exercise, pointing out the Election Commission - which had demanded documents (excluding the Aadhaar and its own ID card) proving citizenship - does not have the authority to decide on that matter. Citizenship, the petitioners argued, was the jurisdiction of the Indian government, specifically the Union Home Ministry. "They (i.e., the Election Commission) say Adhaar is not enough to determine citizenship... but they don't have the authority to decide citizenship. The court had said they only need to ascertain identity of voters..."
