Dual-Use Technologies

Why in News?

Rapid advancements in emerging technologies such as nuclear science, artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology, and space systems have expanded the scope and complexity of dual-use technologies—tools and knowledge that serve both civilian and military purposes.

What is Dual-Use Technologies?

• Dual-use technologies – It refer to materials, equipment, and knowledge that have legitimate civilian applications but can also be used for military or malicious purposes.
• Initially associated with nuclear technology, the concept now encompasses a broader spectrum, including:
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Biotechnology
  • Cyber technologies
  • Additive manufacturing
  • Space-based systems
• The central challenge lies in the “dual-use dilemma”—balancing technological progress with the prevention of misuse.

What is the evolution of dual-use risks in modern warfare?

• Non-Kinetic Warfare and Electronic Interference – Recent conflicts have demonstrated the growing use of non-kinetic tools such as:
  • GPS jamming and spoofing
  • Cyber-attacks
  • Communication disruption
• These tactics can mislead navigation systems and disrupt real-time intelligence without direct physical confrontation, marking a shift in warfare strategies.
• Commercial Space Technologies in Warfare – Satellite systems, originally developed for civilian purposes such as:
  • Disaster management
  • Communication
  • Navigation
• Presently used for:
  • Military surveillance
  • Intelligence gathering
  • Operational coordination
• This blurs the line between civilian infrastructure and military assets, raising questions about legitimate targets in armed conflict.
• Biotechnology and AI Convergence – Advancements in biotechnology and AI have created new opportunities and risks:
• Benefits:
  • Vaccine development
  • Drug discovery
  • Disease surveillance
• Risks:
  • AI-assisted design of biological weapons
  • Genetic modification of pathogens
  • Misuse of DNA synthesis technologies
• The increasing accessibility of such technologies, including DIY biology labs, further amplifies biosecurity concerns.

• Nuclear Technology – Nuclear technology remains the most prominent example of dual-use:
  • Civilian use – Energy generation
  • Military use – Nuclear weapons
• Global governance mechanisms
  • Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)
  • Safeguards by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
  • Export controls under the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)
• Despite these frameworks, challenges in verification and compliance persist.

While the recent innovations such as nuclear science, artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology, and space systems enhance human welfare, they simultaneously pose significant security, legal, and ethical challenges.

The increasing use of non-kinetic tactics, such as GPS spoofing and electronic interference in modern conflicts, highlights how civilian technologies are being repurposed for warfare.

What are the key governance challenges?

• Technological Ambiguity
  • Difficulty in distinguishing between civilian and military applications
  • Same infrastructure and knowledge can serve both purposes
  • For example, GPS used in both aviation safety and military operations
• Rapid Technological Advancement
  • Innovation outpaces regulatory frameworks
  • Existing treaties were designed for earlier technological contexts
  • Emerging fields like AI and synthetic biology lack comprehensive regulation
• Weak Enforcement of Export Controls
• Mechanisms such as:
  • Wassenaar Arrangement
  • Australia Group
• Face enforcement gaps, allowing sensitive technologies to proliferate.
• Strategic and Geopolitical Value
  • Dual-use technologies are linked to national power
  • States seek technological superiority
  • Lack of trust leads to arms races and escalation
• Role of Private Sector
  • Private companies are key developers of AI, biotech, and space technologies
  • They operate outside traditional international legal frameworks
  • Raises issues of accountability in conflict situations

What are the legal and ethical concerns?

• Blurring of Civilian-Military Boundaries
  • Civilian infrastructure becoming military targets
  • Challenges in applying International Humanitarian Law (IHL)
• Inadequacy of Existing Frameworks
• Key treaties include:
  • Biological Weapons Convention (BWC)
  • Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)
  • Outer Space Treaty
• However, these frameworks struggle to keep pace with emerging technologies.
• Biosecurity Risks
  • Ambiguity in defining “sequences of concern” in DNA synthesis
  • Limitations in screening and compliance mechanisms
  • Risk of accidental or deliberate misuse

What are the governance mechanisms for dual-use technologies?

• Preventing Malicious Development
  • International treaties prohibiting weaponisation
  • For example, BWC, CWC
• Controlling Access
  • Export controls and licensing systems
  • Technology transfer restrictions
• Monitoring and Compliance
  • Inspection and verification systems
  • For example, IAEA safeguards

What should be done?

• Updating Global Frameworks
  • Expand existing treaties to include emerging technologies
  • Develop adaptive and flexible regulatory mechanisms
• Strengthening Export Control Regimes
  • Improve enforcement and international coordination
  • Standardise compliance mechanisms
• Integrating Private Sector into Governance
  • Establish accountability frameworks for companies
  • Encourage responsible innovation practices
• Enhancing Biosecurity Measures
  • Improve DNA synthesis screening
  • Develop clear definitions for high-risk materials
• Promoting International Cooperation
  • Build trust among states
  • Encourage transparency and information sharing
• Ethical and Responsible Innovation
  • Foster awareness among scientists and developers
  • Embed ethics into technological development

What lies ahead?

• Dual-use technologies represent a fundamental challenge in the modern technological landscape.
• While they hold immense potential for societal advancement, their misuse can have severe security implications.
• Effective governance requires a delicate balance between innovation and regulation, strengthened international cooperation, and the development of a responsible technological ecosystem.
• As technology continues to evolve, so must the frameworks that govern its use.

Reference

The Indian Express| Dual Use Technologies

Green Credit Programme (GCP)

Why in News?

The Union Government identifies 4,391 hectares of degraded forest land across multiple states for eco-restoration under the Green Credit Programme.

• GCP – It is a first-of-a-kind market-based instrument designed to incentivise individuals, industries and local bodies for their voluntary environmental actions across different sectors.
• Launched in – It is a Central Sector Programme launched in 2023.
• Stakeholders – Like individuals, communities, private sector industries, and companies.
• Aim – To incentivise environmentally positive actions through the issuance of Green Credits, thereby promoting the Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) Movement.
• Notified through – Green Credit Rules, 2023 under the Environment Protection Act 1986.
• Objectives  
  • Increase green cover & restore degraded forest lands.
  • Enhance carbon sequestration & promote eco-restoration and afforestation.
  • Encourage environment-friendly technologies and reduce carbon footprint through sustainable lifestyle changes.
• Nodal Ministry – Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
• Administrator – Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), responsible for implementation, management, monitoring, and operation.
• 8 activities
  • Tree plantation;
  • Water conservation
  • Sustainable agriculture;
  • Waste management;
  • Air pollution reduction;
  • Mangrove conservation and restoration;
  • Ecomark (a government scheme to identify environment-friendly products)
  • Sustainable building and infrastructure.

Features

• Green Credit Portal – A dedicated digital platform has been created for registration, monitoring, and issuance of Credits.
• Working Mechanism – Green Credits are issued to participants for ecological restoration; they can be used for compliance or sold to another entity.
• Credit Generation – Credits are generated through tree plantation & eco-restoration of degraded forest lands.
• Indigenous Species – Afforestation must involve a mixture of indigenous tree species suitable for the local ecological conditions.
• Minimum Restoration Requirement – Credits can be claimed only after 5 years of restoration and achieving a minimum canopy density of 40%
• This corresponds to moderately dense forest classification.

• Land Identification – State Forest Departments identify degraded forest land parcels & verification by the Divisional Nodal Officer (DNO) and the State Nodal Officer (SNO) confirms suitability.
• Conditions
  • Land should not already be under a plantation.
  • Land must not be earmarked for other afforestation schemes (e.g., compensatory afforestation) to avoid double-counting.
• Verification Mechanism – A designated agency verifies the restoration activities and submits a report to the Administrator (ICFRE) before issuance of credits.

References

1. PIB | Green Credit Programme
2. PIB | Green Credit Program (GCP)
3. Down to Earth | Green Credit Programme

‘Levels and Trends in Child Mortality’ Report, 2025

Why in News?

The report titled ‘Levels and Trends in Child Mortality’ for 2025 was released recently.

• Released by – United Nations Inter‑agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME),
• Collaboration – Led by UNICEF, WHO, the World Bank, and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (Population Division).
• Also known as – The United Nations Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME), Report 2025.

Key Findings

Global trend

• Global Child Mortality – An estimated 4.9 million deaths in 2024, including 2.3 million newborns (nearly 50% of all under-five deaths)
• Children & youth – An estimated 2.1 million children, adolescents and youth aged five-24 years died in 2024.
• Trend – Under-five deaths globally have fallen by more than half since 2000; however, since 2015, the pace of reduction in child mortality has slowed by more than 60%.
• Regional burden – In 2024, sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 58% of all under-five deaths.
• Leading Causes of Death
• Newborns – Complications from preterm birth (36%), and complications during labour and delivery (21%), infections, including neonatal sepsis and congenital anomalies.
• Children (1–59 months) – Pneumonia, diarrhoea, malaria (the single largest killer) and malnutrition (Estimated directly for the first time).
  • Malaria trend – It declined between 2000 and 2015, but progress slowed in recent years.
• Malnutrition – It found more than 1,00,000 children aged 1-59 months or 5% died from it in 2024, it weakens children’s immunity and increases their risk of dying from common childhood diseases.
  • Countries with the highest direct malnutrition deaths are Pakistan, Somalia, and Sudan.
• Adolescents – Injuries, infectious diseases, mental health-related causes.

India’s Context

• Under 5 Mortality Rate – Witnessed a sharp fall — from 92 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2000 to nearly 32 in 2024, reflecting sustained progress in child health outcomes.
• Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) – Recorded a decline from 1990, in 1990, India had an NMR of 57 per 1,000 live, which fell to 17 in 2024.
• Regional role – India has played a pivotal role in reducing child mortality in the South Asia region, which has witnessed a 76% decline in under-five deaths since 1990 and 68% decline since 2000.
• Key drivers of success
  • Targeted public health interventions for preventable conditions such as Pneumonia, Diarrhoea, Malaria, etc.
  • Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP),
  • Facility-based newborn care,
  • Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illnesses (IMNCI).

References

1. The Hindu | UN Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNIGME) Report 2025
2. DD News |  (UNIGME) Report 2025

Sharavathi Hydroelectric Project

Why in News?

The Karnataka High Court directed the State government to halt work on the Sharavathi Hydro Electric Project, following concerns raised by environmentalists.

• Launched in – 2017.
• Location – Sharavathi Lion-Tailed Macaque Wildlife Sanctuary,  Shivamogga district of Karnataka.
• Objective – To generate 2,000 MW capacity and to integrate renewable energy sources like solar and wind.
• Implementing Agency – Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL), to meet peak-hour energy demands, which can touch 18,000 MW daily.
• Type – Pumped Storage Hydropower is a reliable and large-scale energy storage technology that acts as a "water battery."
• Working Mechanism – It uses two water reservoirs at different elevations, pumping water uphill during low-demand periods (surplus energy) and releasing it downhill through turbines to generate electricity during high-demand peaks, with 70–80% round-trip efficiency.

• Environmental Concerns – Initially 16,000 trees, reduced to 7,000–8,000 after the Wildlife Board’s condition.
• Even with reduced tree cutting, the project poses grave risks to biodiversity (lion-tailed macaques & wet evergreen forests), forest integrity, and local safety, making its ecological cost far heavier than its proposed energy gains.

Sharavathi River

• Origin – Ambutirtha, Thirthahalli (Shivamogga district), Western Ghats of Karnataka.
• It is a west-flowing river which drains into the Arabian Sea at Honnavar (Uttara Kannada) and flows for about 130 km through the Western Ghats.
• Dams & Waterfalls – Linganamakki Dam, Gersoppa Dam, Hirebhaskara (old-submerged) & Jog Falls (plunge waterfall), one of India’s highest waterfalls.
• The river is already the State’s primary hydel power source, with four major power stations operating in its valley.

Quick Fact

References

1. The Hindu | Sharavathi Hydroelectric Project
2. The Hindu | Sharavathi lion-tailed macaque Sanctuary