1. CRPC 1973 (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)

Context: The Supreme Court upheld a Telangana High Court ruling permitting a Muslim man's ex-wife to seek maintenance under the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (CrPC). 

Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (CrPC)

• Definition: It is a procedural law that establishes the guidelines for criminal case investigation and trial in India.
• Date of Enforcement: April 1, 1974.
• Key Provisions
• Offenses Investigation: The Criminal Procedure Code describes how law enforcement authorities look into offenses.
• Arrest of Persons: It outlines the circumstances in which someone may be placed under arrest as well as the protocols to be adhered to both during and following the arrest.
• Bonds and Bail: The CRPC outlines the circumstances in which an arrested individual may be released on bond as well as the terms of such a release.
• Trial Procedures: It outlines the steps that must be taken to try criminal charges, such as questioning witnesses, taking statements, and presenting evidence.
• Sentencing and Judgements: The Criminal Procedure Code (CRPC) describes how sentencing and judgments are given in criminal cases.

  The Present Case

  • Background: Petitioner d challenged a 2017 family court order directing him to pay maintenance of Rs 20,000 per month to his former wife. The Telangana High Court, on appeal, refused to set aside the order of the family court.
  • Section 125 CrPC: It places an obligation on “any person having sufficient means” to maintain “his wife” or “his legitimate or illegitimate minor child” if they are unable to maintain themselves — typically through monetary support at regular intervals.

  oSection 125 CrPC is aligned with the power to create special provisions for women under Article 15(3) of the Constitution and the State's obligation under Article 39(e).

  • Additional Maintenance Provisions: The ruling reiterated that maintenance under Section 125 CrPC exists in addition to the provisions under the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986 (MWPRD Act), not against it.
  • No Bar for Divorced Muslim Women: Parliament did not create any bar for a divorced Muslim woman from claiming maintenance under Section 125 of the CrPC while enacting the 1986 Act.

  
  Landmark Rule

  • Supreme Court Ruling: The Supreme Court upheld the Madhya Pradesh High Court's decision that Shah Bano was entitled to maintenance under Section 125 even after the iddat period if she was unable to maintain herself.
  • Enactment of MWPRD Act: In response to the Shah Bano verdict, the government enacted the MWPRD Act, placing the obligation to pay maintenance after the iddat period on the relatives or children of the divorced wife and, in their absence, on the State Wakf Board.

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2. KHANDAGIRI AND UDAYAGIRI HILLS (Syllabus GS Paper 1 –Art and Culture)

Context: President of India, visited the Khandagiri and Udayagiri caves in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

Rock-cut Caves in Odisha

• About: The twin hills of Khandagiri and Udayagiri, situated 7 kilometers west of Bhubaneswar, represent the earliest Jain rock-cut architecture in eastern India.
• Historical Background: The rock-cut caves were commissioned in the 2nd century BC by King Kharavela of the Meghavahana dynasty.
• Discovered by: British Officer Andrew Sterling in the 19th century AD.
• Purpose: Originally built for Jain monks, providing residence and meditation spaces.
• Current Count: Initially, there were 117 caves constructed; today, only 33 remain.
• Distribution: 18 caves are situated in Udaygiri hill, while 15 are in Khandagiri hill.
• Major Caves of Udaygiri Caves

o Hathigumpha

o Rani Gumpha

o Ganesh Gumpha

o Vyaghra Gumpha

• Major Caves of Khandagiri Caves

o Barabhuji Gumpha

o Trushula Gumpha

o  Ambika Gumpha

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3. CURIE MISSION (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: NASA is set to launch a groundbreaking CubeSat Radio Interferometry Experiment (CURIE) mission to unravel the mysteries of solar radio waves.

CubeSat Radio Interferometry Experiment (CURIE) Mission

• Objective: Investigate the origins of solar radio waves using innovative techniques.
• Spacecraft Description: Consists of two shoebox-sized satellites orbiting approximately two miles apart.
• Technology: Utilizes low frequency radio interferometry, a pioneering method in space research.
• Operational Capability

o Radio Wave Measurement: Covers the 0.1 to 19 megahertz frequency range, inaccessible from Earth due to atmospheric blockage.

o Orbital Position: Orbits 360 miles above Earth to achieve unobstructed solar observations.

o Deployment: Upon orbit insertion, spacecraft separate, deploy eight-foot antennas, and initiate data collection.

• Scientific Significance

o Research Impact: Advances understanding of solar radio emissions and related phenomena.

o Future Prospects: Sets precedent for future space-based radio astronomy missions.

o Sponsorship and Support

o Funding: Supported by NASA’s Heliophysics Flight Opportunities for Research and Technology (H-FORT) Program.

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4. VEERANGANA DURGAVATI TIGER RESERVE (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env and Eco)

Context: The Madhya Pradesh government has initiated an inquiry into the alleged poaching of tigers and irregularities in the newly established Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve.

Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve

• About: It is the 7th Tiger Reserve in the State of Madhya Pradesh and 54th in the country.
• Location: It is spread across Sagar, Damoh and Narsinghpur districts of Madhya Pradesh. It is spread over an area of 2,339 square kilometres.
  • Areas: Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary and Durgavati Wildlife Sanctuary.
  • Rivers: Parts of the reserve fall under the Narmada and Yamuna River basins.

  oThe Singorgarh Fort is located within the reserve.

  • Vegetation: Dry deciduous type
  • Flora: The chief floral elements include Teak, Saja, Dhaora, Ber, Amla, etc.
  • Fauna: Tiger,  leopard, wolf, jackal, Indian fox, striped hyena, Nilgai, Chinkara, Chital, Sambhar, Black Buck, Barking deer, Common Langur Rhesus Macaque etc.

  
  Other Tiger Reserves in Madhya Pradesh

  • Kanha Tiger Reserve, Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Pench Tiger Reserve, Panna Tiger Reserve, Satpura Tiger Reserve, Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve

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5. UPPER SIANG PROJECT (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Infrastructue/Environment)

• Context: Civil society groups including Siang Indigenous Farmers Forum, Dibang Resistance, and North East Human Rights urge the Union power ministry to reconsider its plan for additional dams and increased hydropower capacity in Arunachal Pradesh.

The Upper Siang Project

• About: It aims to harness 11,000 megawatts of hydropower on the Siang river in Arunachal Pradesh.

oIt replaces previous plans for two smaller projects with a single..

• Built by: National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC)
• Origin of the Siang River: This river originates from Mount Kailash in Tibet as the Tsangpo, flowing eastward over 1,000 km before entering Arunachal Pradesh.
• Strategic Importance: Seen as a strategic countermeasure against China's large-scale hydropower developments on the Tsangpo.
• Plans like China's 60,000 MW 'super dam' highlight the geopolitical significance of the Upper Siang project.
• Hydropower Potential: With a proposed capacity roughly 60% of the total installed capacity of existing hydroelectric projects in the Siang river basin (18,326 MW), it aims to significantly contribute to India's power generation.

Environmental and Social Concerns

• Activists and local organizations voice concerns about the project's impact on biodiversity, wildlife habitats, and ancestral lands of the Adi tribe.
• More than 300 villages, including the district headquarters of Yingkiong, are expected to be submerged, affecting local communities' livelihoods and cultural practices.

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6. SCIENTIFIC DEEP-DRILLING (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: In the Koyna region of Maharashtra, a deep drilling site showcases a towering rig alongside associated equipment, an onsite mud logging unit, a gas analysis lab, and a geological studies lab.

Scientific Deep-Drilling

• About: It involves strategically digging boreholes to study deeper parts of the earth's crust.
• Objective: It aims to observe and analyze various aspects such as earthquakes, geological history, rock types, energy resources, and climate change patterns.
• Role of Borehole Geophysics Research Laboratory (BGRL): Located in Karad, Maharashtra, BGRL is a specialized institute under India's Ministry of Earth Sciences.

oIt is tasked with executing India’s scientific deep-drilling program, particularly focusing on understanding reservoir-triggered earthquakes in the Koyna-Warna region.

• Mission in Koyna-Warna Region: The region has been prone to earthquakes since the construction of the Koyna Dam in 1962.

oBGRL’s pilot borehole in Koyna has reached 3 km depth, with plans to drill down to 6 km to study earthquake mechanisms.

How Can Deep-Drilling Help

• Enhanced Understanding of Earthquakes: Deep-drilling provides access to depths where earthquakes originate, offering insights beyond surface observations.
• Geological Observatories Underground: Scientific boreholes act as geological observatories, equipped with sensors for direct experiments and monitoring fault lines.
• Fundamental Geological Knowledge: Deep-drilling yields crucial data on Earth's crust composition, structure, and processes, validating or refining surface-based models.
• Addressing Geohazards: Data from deep-drilling informs solutions for geohazards and utilization of geo-resources, crucial for societal applications.
• Advancement in Seismology and Technology: Investment drives innovation in seismology and drilling technologies, fostering self-reliance in tool development and data analysis.

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7. AHOM MOIDAM (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Art and Culture)

Context: ICOMOS recommends adding Assam's Ahom Era Moidams to UNESCO's World Heritage List, citing their cultural significance and historical importance.

Ahom 'Moidam'

• About: The Ahom 'Moidam' are ancient burial grounds located in Assam's Charaideo district.
• Establishment: In the 13th century, Chau-lung Siu-ka-pha, founder of the Ahom kingdom, established his first capital at Che-rai-doi or Charaideo.
• Features of Moidams

o Exterior Structure: The Moidams have hemispherical exteriors, varying in size based on the buried person's status and power.

o Components of Moidams: Consist of a vaulted chamber with a centrally raised platform for the body, a hemispherical earthen mound with a brick structure (Chaw-chali), and an octagonal boundary wall with an arched gateway on the west.

o Burial Practices: Deceased individuals were interred with various objects used during their life, including royal insignia, wooden, ivory, or iron artifacts, and gold pendants.

o Construction Materials: The construction materials, as recorded in the Ahom canonical texts (Phukan), include wood, stone, and burnt bricks for building the Moidams.

International Council on Monuments and Sites

• About: It is a global non-governmental organization closely associated with UNESCO.
• Mission: Its primary mission is to promote the conservation, protection, use, and enhancement of monuments, building complexes, and sites worldwide.
• Advisory Role: As an Advisory Body of the World Heritage Committee, ICOMOS plays a crucial role in implementing the UNESCO World Heritage Convention.

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8. HANNIBAL DIRECTIVE (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – IR)

Context: A media investigation has revealed that during Hamas' raid on southern Israel last year, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) activated the controversial "Hannibal Directive," employing maximum force to prevent soldier capture, even at the cost of military and civilian lives.

Hannibal Directive

• About: It is also known as the Hannibal Procedure and Hannibal Protocol, was employed from the initial hours of the attack at least three military facilities infiltrated by Hamas.
• Definition: It is an alleged IDF operational policy intended to prevent politically sensitive prisoner exchanges by eliminating all individuals near a captured Israeli soldier, even if it endangers the soldier.
• Secrecy of the Doctrine: The full text of the Hannibal Directive has never been publicly released, though its existence is widely acknowledged and discussed among soldiers and analysts.
• Procedure: The directive focuses on actions to be taken immediately following a potential abduction, stating: “In case of capture, the main mission becomes rescuing our soldiers from the captors, even at the cost of hitting or wounding our soldiers.”
• Origin of the Name: The directive's name was reportedly chosen at random. However, it is believed to reference the Carthaginian general Hannibal, who opted to take his own life rather than be captured by the Romans around 181 BCE.
• Historical Context: Hannibal, leading Carthage in the Second Punic War against Rome, took refuge with Prusias I of Bithynia. 

oWhen Romans demanded his surrender, Hannibal chose to consume poison to avoid capture, as recorded by Cornelius Nepos and Titus Livius.

• Formulation of the Doctrine: The Hannibal Doctrine was developed in response to the 1985 Jibril Agreement, where 1,150 Palestinian prisoners were exchanged for three Israelis captured by the PFLP-GC. This deal, seen as costly by many Israelis, spurred the creation of the doctrine to prevent similar situations.
• Drafting the Doctrine: Following a 1986 Hezbollah abduction attempt, Yossi Peled, then head of the IDF’s Northern Command, drafted the operational order that laid the foundation for the Hannibal Doctrine.

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9. SPOTTED POND TURTLES (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Eco and Env)

Context: A man was found carrying over 100 live, rare, and protected turtles in his bag, including 50 Indian roofed turtles and 45 black spotted pond turtles.

Spotted Pond Turtles

• Identification: These are named for the yellow or white spots on their black heads, legs, and tails. They have large heads, short snouts, and webbed feet that aid in swimming.
• Alternate Names: Also known as Black Pond Turtle, Black Spotted Turtle, and Hamilton’s Terrapin.
• Unique Sound: When retreating into their shells, spotted pond turtles emit a soft croak.
• Geographic Distribution: Large, deep rivers in India, Assam, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
• In India: This species is distributed across the north, northeast, and a few parts of central India.
• Conservation Status

o IUCN Status: Endangered.

o CITES: Appendix I 

o Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I

Indian Roofed Turtle

• About: It is a species of turtle distinguished by the distinct "roof" at the topmost part of its shell.
• Distribution: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan.
• Threats: The main threats to this species include heavy collection for food, traditional medicine, and the pet trade.
• Conservation Status

o IUCN Status: Vulnerable

o Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I

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10. FOREIGN CONTRIBUTION REGULATION ACT (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Internal Security)

Context: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has revoked the FCRA registration of the parent organization of the non-profit Centre for Financial Accountability (CFA).

Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA)

• About: Regulates the receiving and use of foreign contributions by individuals and corporations established in India. The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 has come into effect from 2011.
• Objectives: The law sought to regulate foreign donations to individuals and associations so that they functioned “in a manner consistent with the values of a sovereign democratic republic.
• Extend to: It extends to the whole of India.
• Apply to:

oCitizens of India outside India.

oAssociate branches or subsidiaries, outside India, of companies or bodies corporate, registered or incorporated in India.

• Validity: Once granted, FCRA registration is valid for five years. 
• Renewal: NGOs are expected to apply for renewal within six months of the date of expiry of registration. 
• Expiry: In case of failure to apply for renewal, the registration is deemed to have expired, and the NGO is no longer entitled to receive foreign funds or utilise its existing funds without permission from the ministry.

FCRA registration granted to NGO

• Apply online: NGOs that want to receive foreign funds must apply online in a prescribed format with the required documentation. 
• Granted to: FCRA registrations are granted to individuals or associations that have definite cultural, economic, educational, religious, and social programmes.
• Inquiry and process of application: Following the application by the NGO, the MHA makes inquiries through the Intelligence Bureau into the antecedents of the applicant, and accordingly processes the application.
• Should not involve in illegal activity: Under the FCRA, the applicant should not be fictitious or benami; and should not have been prosecuted or convicted for indulging in activities aimed at conversion through inducement or force, either directly or indirectly, from one religious’ faith to another.

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