theIASHub | 05 Jul, 2025 | 20
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Collegium System : Recently, the Supreme Court Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI), recommended the appointment of 39 judges to nine High Courts across the country.
o Not Constitutionally Enshrined: The system is not mentioned in the Constitution. It has evolved through Supreme Court judgments (notably the Three Judges Cases).
o Composition – Supreme Court Collegium: Headed by the CJI , it includes the four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court.
o Composition – High Court Collegium: Led by the Chief Justice of the respective High Court and includes the two senior-most judges of that court.
o Role of the Government: The central government can seek clarifications or raise objections. However, if the Collegium reiterates a recommendation, the government is bound to accept it.
o Article 124: Judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President.
ü Consultation is required with judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts as deemed necessary. The CJI must be consulted in all appointments (except their own).
o Article 217: Judges of a High Court are appointed by the President.
ü Consultation must be done with the CJI, the Governor of the state, and the Chief Justice of the concerned High Court.
Dalai Lama : Recently, in its first official response to the Dalai Lama’s succession announcement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) clarified that the Government of India does not take a position on religious matters.
o Reincarnation Belief: Each Dalai Lama is believed to be the reincarnation of his predecessor and a manifestation of Avalokiteshvara (Chenrezig), the Bodhisattva of Compassion.
o Lineage: There have been 14 Dalai Lamas in history. The first and second were given the title posthumously
o Political and Spiritual Role: Traditionally, the Dalai Lama was both the political and spiritual leader of Tibet. However, after China's occupation of Tibet in 1950, this role became primarily spiritual.
o Exile in India: The current and 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso (born in 1935 in Tibet), fled to India during the 1959 Tibetan uprising and has lived in exile in India since then.
o School of Buddhism: The Dalai Lama belongs to the Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism, which is the largest and most influential tradition.
o Major Schools: Tibetan Buddhism has four main schools: Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya and Gelug (to which the Dalai Lama belongs)
o Dominance of Gelug School: Since 1640, the Gelug school has been the predominant tradition in Tibet, led by the Dalai Lamas.
Ham Radio : Recently, in a landmark moment for India's space outreach, astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla connected with students in India directly from the International Space Station (ISS) via ham radio (amateur radio).
o The interactive session was designed to inspire young minds and ignite interest in science and space exploration.
o How it Works: It operates using radio frequency waves through a transceiver and antenna, enabling local, international, and even space-based communication between licensed users.
o Eligibility in India: Individuals aged 12 and above can apply for a ham radio licence, issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
o Use in space : Began in 1983, when astronauts aboard a space shuttle used it to connect with Earth.
ü The ISS currently houses a dedicated ham radio station called Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS).
ü Used for educational outreach, for live interactions between students & astronauts.
o This initiative is supported by space agencies from the US, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada, and relies on non-interference protocols—radio activity is paused during sensitive operations like docking.
o Despite modern advancements in digital communication, ham radio remains one of the most dependable alternatives, especially during emergencies when conventional systems fail.
New Pocket-Sized SO₂ Sensor : A team of Indian scientists has developed a compact, cost-effective sensor capable of detecting sulfur dioxide (SO₂)—a toxic air pollutant—at extremely low concentrations.
o This innovation marks a major step in public health and environmental monitoring, particularly in industrial and urban settings.
o Health Risks: Even low-level exposure can lead to respiratory problems, asthma attacks, and chronic lung damage.
o Invisible Threat: SO₂ is often odorless and invisible at harmful concentrations, making its effects noticeable only after symptoms appear.
o Need for Monitoring: Its undetectable nature highlights the importance of real-time air quality monitoring to protect public health.
o Key Features : Material Composition: Nickel Oxide (NiO) – Functions as the gas receptor and Neodymium Nickelate (NdNiO₃) – Acts as the signal transducer.
o High Sensitivity: Detects Sulfur Dioxide (SO₂) at levels as low as 320 parts per billion (ppb), outperforming most commercial sensors.
o User-Friendly Portable Prototype: Compact, pocket-sized device with a color-coded alert system for easy interpretation : ? Green – Safe ? Yellow – Warning ? Red – Danger
Biomass Mortality : Recently, a study published in Ecology Letters revealed that short-lived yet intense convective storms are significantly accelerating tree mortality in tropical regions, especially in the Amazon.
o Though they cover relatively small areas compared to hurricanes or typhoons, their high wind speeds and lightning strikes can cause disproportionate destruction:
ü Wind damage: Uproots or breaks trees, which often crash into and damage neighboring trees.
ü Lightning strikes: A single bolt can damage up to 24 trees and kill five, even without fire.
o These storms may account for 12% to 118% of the observed rise in biomass mortality.
o Wind and lightning from these storms are estimated to be responsible for 30–60% of total tropical tree mortality.
o Lethal Role of Lightning: A single lightning strike can affect 24 trees and kill five, even without causing fire. Tropical forests face 35–67 million lightning strikes annually, killing billions of trees.
o Thunderstorm activity in the tropics has increased by 5–25% per decade over the past 50 years, a trend expected to worsen with global warming.
o Carbon Sink at Risk: Rising storm-related tree deaths are weakening the carbon absorption capacity of tropical forests, making storms as destructive as droughts and heat stress in terms of forest carbon balance.
Facciolella Smithi : Recently, a new species of deep-sea eel, Facciolella smithi (commonly known as Smith’s Witch Eel), was discovered by researchers from the ICAR–National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR), Lucknow. The eel was found in the Arabian Sea off the Kerala coast, at depths between 260 and 460 meters.
o Habitat and Behavior: Likely inhabits the seafloor or burrows into soft sediments, navigating the dark deep-sea environment using sensory adaptations rather than vision.
o Name Dedication: Named in honour of Dr. David G. Smith, a renowned ichthyologist known for his work in eel taxonomy.
o Body Structure: Has an elongated, ribbon-like body, reaching just over two feet in length, allowing smooth movement in deep-sea waters.
o Coloration: Features a two-tone body: Upper half: Rich brown and Underside: Milky white
ü This contrast may help in camouflage in low-light oceanic conditions.
o Head and Snout: Possesses a large head with a duckbill-like snout, giving it a distinctive and somewhat prehistoric appearance.
o Eyes and Vision: Despite the large head, the eyes are small, adapted to the low-light deep-sea environment where vision plays a limited role.
Terbium : Recently, scientists at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) developed a glowing paper sensor that uses terbium, to enable the early detection of liver cancer. The sensor emits a green glow, providing a simple and visual method for diagnosis.
o Sources: Found in rare-earth minerals such as bastnasite, extracted from ion-exchange clays (laterites) and also produced as a byproduct of nuclear fission.
o Terbium reacts easily with diluted acids. It is insoluble in hydrofluoric acid (HF) because it forms a protective TbF₃ layer that prevents further reaction.
o Magnetostrictive Alloys: Combined with dysprosium and iron to form Terfenol-D, a material that converts magnetic energy into mechanical motion, useful in sonar, sensors, and actuators.
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