Gender-Sensitivity Guidelines

Why in News?

The Supreme Court has released a new report urging trial court judges to adopt gender-sensitive courtroom practices and use compassionate, legally grounded language in judgments.

What are Supreme Court’s guidelines?

• Title – “Judgments and Gender: Sensitivity and compassion in writing judgments”.

• Drafted by – An expert committee headed by former Supreme Court judge.

• Objective – To emphasises practical courtroom management and ensuring that the legal process does not re-traumatise victims.

• Differ from – The 2023 “Handbook on Combating Gender Stereotypes” published by the apex court that had focused on helping judges identify and avoid patriarchal language.

• Key finding – The justice system can itself become a source of secondary trauma when survivors are subjected to insensitive police remarks, humiliating questioning, prolonged court proceedings, insufficient privacy, or moralistic judicial language.

What is the difference between 2023 Handbook and Report 2026?

.

What is the ethical dimension of survivor-centric justice?

• Human Dignity – A survivor should be treated with dignity and respect, rather than as an object of investigation or moral judgment.

• Non-Maleficence – “Do No Further Harm” - The justice system must avoid becoming an additional source of trauma by preventing insensitive questioning, humiliating remarks, or unnecessarily prolonged proceedings.

• Compassion & Empathy – Judicial competence encompasses both cognitive intelligence (IQ), which pertains to legal reasoning, and emotional intelligence (EQ), which involves sensitivity to the survivor's circumstances.

• Impartiality – Judges should refrain from making patriarchal, moralistic, or culturally biased assumptions regarding a woman's character, clothing, sexuality, or conduct.

• Respect for Autonomy – The choices, testimony, and bodily autonomy of survivors must be respected rather than evaluated based on notions of “chastity” or “character.”

• Privacy & Confidentiality – Conducting proceedings in camera and handling testimony with sensitivity safeguard survivors against unnecessary exposure and social stigma.

• Procedural Justice – Fairness extends beyond the final verdict. It also includes respectful questioning, timely proceedings, and dignified treatment of witnesses.

• Truth & Evidence – Questions should focus on establishing facts. When a survivor's sexual history is not legally relevant, it must not be used to undermine their character.

• Institutional Responsibility – Police, lawyers, judges, and court staff have an ethical duty to ensure a safe and respectful justice environment.

• Gender Justice – Using neutral legal language instead of stereotypes ensures women are evaluated based on law and evidence rather than social norms.

What lies ahead?

• Compassion should be balanced with due process by ensuring the protection of survivor dignity, privacy, and autonomy, while also safeguarding the accused’s right to a fair trial.

Reference

Indian Express | Gender-Sensitivity Guidelines for Trial Judges

e-Courts Mission Mode Project

Why in News?

India’s judiciary has shifted from paper‑based to digitally enabled systems under the e‑Courts Mission Mode Project.

What is e-Courts Mission Mode Project?

• Launched in – 2007, to make the judicial process more affordable, accessible and transparent for all involved, including lawyers, judges and clerks.

• Objective – To systematically speed up proceedings by digitising various court proceedings and documents.

• Challenges  

• Paper‑based System – Extensive dependence on physical records results in delays in document retrieval, duplication of efforts, and increased risk of document loss.

• Infrastructure Limitations – Traditional brick-and-mortar courts have limited geographical reach.

• Citizens are often required to travel significant distances to attend hearings and complete necessary paperwork.

• High Costs for Citizens – Excessive expenses are incurred for travel, lodging, and other incidental costs.

• This financial burden is particularly severe for individuals from rural areas and economically disadvantaged groups.

• Slow Justice Delivery – Reliance on manual processes contributes to a backlog of cases and significant procedural delays.

• The delivery of justice has become increasingly cumbersome and time-consuming.

• Accessibility Issues – Access to documents and case status remains limited.

• There is a lack of transparency and significant difficulty in tracking case progress.

What are the phases of establishing e-courts project?

• Phase I (2011–2015) – It laid the foundation of this Mission, by computerising over 14,000 courts and building basic network infrastructure needed to support technology-enabled judicial services.

• Phase II (2015–2023) - It built on this with a range of citizen-centric services, introducing the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG), eFiling, and eSewaKendras (a physical help desk providing digital court services).

• It also expanded video conferencing infrastructure more than fivefold, significantly enhancing virtual access to judicial proceedings.

• Third phase (2023–2027) – It targets digital, paperless courts with large‑scale record digitisation and virtual hearings.

• It focuses on interoperability and adoption of AI, analytics, and OCR for smarter justice delivery.

What are the benefits of e-court digitalization?

• Transparency in pending and disposed cases through National Data Judicial Grid

• National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) – It is an online public dashboard that tracks court orders, judgements and case details in real time across all levels of the judiciary.

• 3 dedicated dashboards – For the Supreme Court, High Courts and District Courts which provide insightful details on the functioning of courts across the country by tracking.

• Objectives – To improve transparency and accountability in the system by making data on pending court cases public.

• It has also helped in judicial planning, monitoring and remote administration by the High Court judges, District Judges and High Court Registry.

• Speeding up of processes through e-Filing of documents -The e-Filing system allows documents to be filed online from anywhere.

• Multilingual support – To make justice more inclusive, it supports English as well as regional languages, and works across District Courts, High Courts and the Supreme Court.

• The E-filing system supports/provides for:

  • Online payments

  • Online submission of Vakalatnamas

  • E-signing of documents

  • Online video recording of oaths

  • Application filings

  • Portfolio management for advocates and litigants

  • Adding of colleagues, juniors etc as partners to manage cases collaboratively

  • Dashboards tracking the status of all completed/pending cases

  • Readymade templates for various commonly filed pleadings

• Digitising legacy court records for efficient case retrieval and storage.

• Affordable access to court proceedings through remote hearings

• Remote video conferencing – It allows litigants, legal representatives, witnesses, and other stakeholders to participate in hearings without the need for travel, thereby enhancing access to justice across the country.

• Nyaya Shruti (2024) – It enables virtual testimony for accused individuals, witnesses, police, prosecutors, experts, and prisoners. This initiative saves time and resources while expediting case resolution.

• Connecting Police, Courts, Prisons and Forensics – Digitisation now links the entire criminal justice chain, not just the courts.

• ICJS (Interoperable Criminal Justice System) – Platform letting police, courts, prisons, forensics and prosecution exchange FIRs, charge-sheets, orders and reports electronically.

• CCTNS (Crime & Criminal Tracking Network and System) – computerises police processes from FIR to charge-sheet, with Nyaya Sanhita-linked deadline alerts for investigating officers.

• ITSSO (Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offences) – dashboard tracking investigations in women/child sexual-offence cases against charge-sheet deadlines.

• e-Sakshya – secure app for capturing and managing digital evidence, preserving its integrity from collection to court.

• e-Summons – electronic generation, transmission and execution of court summons.

• MedLEaPR (Medico Legal Examination and Postmortem Reporting) – hospitals' online system for medico-legal exams and postmortem reports.

• Nyaya Shruti – Video-conferencing platform for virtual testimony by the accused, witnesses, police, prosecutors and forensic experts.

• e-Forensic – End-to-end digital case handling across forensic labs.

• e-Prison – Cloud-based national network for prison and prisoner management.

• e-Prosecution – Digital workflow linking police and prosecution for timely legal opinions.

• NAFIS (National Automated Fingerprint Identification System) – Centralised biometric database for real-time fingerprint matching against criminal records.

• Enabling seamless tracking of judicial business through digital platforms

• Digital platforms such as apps, portals, email, and SMS now allow lawyers, litigants, and judges to track case status and updates.

• This improves transparency and reduces the need for physical court visits.

• Each day, the judiciary sends approximately 400,000 SMS messages and 600,000 emails, receives 3.5 million portal visits, and has recorded 38.4 million e‑Courts app downloads.

• The JustIS app also supports judges with case management.

• National Service and Tracking of Electronic Processes for GPS-tracked delivery of summons:

  • It enables bailiffs to serve summons and notices electronically in real time using a GPS-enabled web and mobile platform.

  • This digital system replaces traditional paper-based processes with a transparent and trackable platform, thereby ensuring faster service delivery across districts and states.

  • Improved understanding of legal process through e-SEWA Kendras

• E‑Sewa Kendras in court complexes serve as citizen‑friendly centers, assisting with legal procedures and providing a range of digital judicial services.

• Case and Filing Support – It provides case status updates, hearing dates, certified copies, e-filing of petitions, and digital signatures.

• Digital Transactions – It assists with e-stamp papers, e-payments, and the resolution of traffic challans through virtual courts.

• Virtual Access – It guides video conference hearings, schedule e-Mulakat jail visits, and enable Nyaya Shruti-style testimony.

• Citizen Services – It shares judgments and orders digitally, respond to queries about judges’ leave, and connect litigants with free legal aid.

• Reach and Scale – Our services are designed to be accessible and scalable to meet the needs of a broad user base.

• Phase III aims to establish AI and machine learning-enabled High Courts by 2027, with improvements in legal research, case management, transcription, translation, and support for judicial decision-making.

• Key initiatives which are under pilot testing include:

• AI and ML tools – It transcribe oral arguments in Constitutional Bench matters, with transcripts published on the Supreme Court's website.

• LegRAA (Legal Research and Analysis Assistant) – It helps judges with legal research and document analysis.

• Digital Courts 2.1 – Lets judges and judicial officers manage cases in a paperless format, giving them a single window for all case-related information and tasks.

• It includes voice-to-text (ASR-SHRUTI) and translation (PANINI) tools to assist with order and judgment dictation.

• Judgments are being translated into 18 Indian languages through the eSCR portal, with the National Informatics Centre.

• The IIT Madras AI tool automatically flags defects in electronically filed petitions, extracts metadata, and is currently being integrated with the e‑filing system and ICMIS.

What lies ahead?

• Phase III technologies enable the judiciary to address increasing caseloads efficiently and ensure inclusive, location-independent access to justice by 2027.

Reference

PIB | e-Courts Mission Mode Project

Gender-Sensitivity Guidelines

Why in News?

The Supreme Court has released a new report urging trial court judges to adopt gender-sensitive courtroom practices and use compassionate, legally grounded language in judgments.

What are Supreme Court’s guidelines?

• Title – “Judgments and Gender: Sensitivity and compassion in writing judgments”.

• Drafted by – An expert committee headed by former Supreme Court judge.

• Objective – To emphasises practical courtroom management and ensuring that the legal process does not re-traumatise victims.

• Differ from – The 2023 “Handbook on Combating Gender Stereotypes” published by the apex court that had focused on helping judges identify and avoid patriarchal language.

• Key finding – The justice system can itself become a source of secondary trauma when survivors are subjected to insensitive police remarks, humiliating questioning, prolonged court proceedings, insufficient privacy, or moralistic judicial language.

What is the difference between 2023 Handbook and Report 2026?

.

What is the ethical dimension of survivor-centric justice?

• Human Dignity – A survivor should be treated with dignity and respect, rather than as an object of investigation or moral judgment.

• Non-Maleficence – “Do No Further Harm” - The justice system must avoid becoming an additional source of trauma by preventing insensitive questioning, humiliating remarks, or unnecessarily prolonged proceedings.

• Compassion & Empathy – Judicial competence encompasses both cognitive intelligence (IQ), which pertains to legal reasoning, and emotional intelligence (EQ), which involves sensitivity to the survivor's circumstances.

• Impartiality – Judges should refrain from making patriarchal, moralistic, or culturally biased assumptions regarding a woman's character, clothing, sexuality, or conduct.

• Respect for Autonomy – The choices, testimony, and bodily autonomy of survivors must be respected rather than evaluated based on notions of “chastity” or “character.”

• Privacy & Confidentiality – Conducting proceedings in camera and handling testimony with sensitivity safeguard survivors against unnecessary exposure and social stigma.

• Procedural Justice – Fairness extends beyond the final verdict. It also includes respectful questioning, timely proceedings, and dignified treatment of witnesses.

• Truth & Evidence – Questions should focus on establishing facts. When a survivor's sexual history is not legally relevant, it must not be used to undermine their character.

• Institutional Responsibility – Police, lawyers, judges, and court staff have an ethical duty to ensure a safe and respectful justice environment.

• Gender Justice – Using neutral legal language instead of stereotypes ensures women are evaluated based on law and evidence rather than social norms.

What lies ahead?

• Compassion should be balanced with due process by ensuring the protection of survivor dignity, privacy, and autonomy, while also safeguarding the accused’s right to a fair trial.

Reference

Indian Express | Gender-Sensitivity Guidelines for Trial Judges

Urban Cooperative Banks

Why in News?

Recently RBI has decided to resume the Licensing of the Urban cooperative Banks (UCBs).

What are Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs) in India?

• UCBs – They are primary co-operative financial institutions operating mainly in urban and semi-urban regions.
• Historical evolution - The movement received legal backing from the Cooperative Credit Societies Act, 1904.
• The first urban cooperative credit society was registered at Kanjivaram, Madras Province, in October 1904.
• UCBs expanded rapidly, reaching 2,104 banks by March 2003, including 56 scheduled UCBs.
• Subsequently, the number declined to around 1,500 because of cancellations, mergers, conversions and liquidations.
• Norm – They function on the principles of mutual assistance, democratic participation and member ownership.
• Target groups – Their major clientele includes small borrowers, local traders, small businesses and salaried middle-income groups.
• Structure and Governance – UCBs are owned and managed by their members, who elect the Board of Directors.
• The co-operative principle of “one member, one vote” ensures equal voting rights irrespective of the amount of share capital held.

• Registration – UCBs operating within a single state are registered under the respective State Co-operative Societies Act.
• Those operating across multiple states are registered under the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act, 2002.
• Regulation and Control – UCBs are subject to a dual regulatory framework, involving both banking regulators and co-operative authorities.
• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) – The RBI oversees their banking operations, including licensing, capital adequacy, interest-rate related matters, prudential regulations and overall banking supervision under the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
• Registrar of Co-operative Societies (RCS) – The RCS deals primarily with non-banking and administrative aspects, such as registration, management, audit, elections and liquidation of co-operative societies under the relevant state or central legislation.

UCBs combine the democratic and member-oriented character of co-operatives with the regulatory framework applicable to banking institutions.

What is the significance of UCBs?

• Support to small borrowers – UCBs primarily serve small businesses, local traders, MSMEs and salaried groups, especially within their local communities.
• Easy access to credit – They provide an alternative source of formal credit for urban poor and informal-sector workers, reducing dependence on informal moneylenders.
• Community-based banking – Their local presence promotes trust, thrift, mutual assistance and personal accountability among members.
• Democratic governance – UCBs follow the cooperative principle of “one member, one vote”, allowing members to elect their representatives.
• Inclusive growth – Their surplus is generally used to strengthen reserves and support members/community welfare, rather than primarily benefiting external shareholders.
• Priority Sector Lending – UCBs channel credit towards priority sectors, particularly MSMEs and other underserved segments, supporting employment and inclusive economic development.

UCBs act as a bridge between formal banking and underserved urban communities, promoting both economic inclusion and cooperative participation.

What are the challenges faced by UCBs?

• Political interference – Political influence over bank boards can result in biased, directed or irregular lending decisions.
• Conflict of interest – Directors or influential members may obtain preferential loans, increasing the chances of malpractice and fraud.
• Fraudulent accounting and regulatory violations contributed to major bank failures.
• Weak professionalism – Lending and management decisions may be influenced by personal, community or political considerations rather than sound banking principles.
• Dual regulatory framework – The division of responsibilities between the RBI and State authorities has historically created coordination and regulatory difficulties, although recent reforms have strengthened RBI’s supervisory powers.
• The “one member, one vote” structure sometimes discouraged additional capital infusion.
• Limited capital mobilization – Unlike commercial banks, UCBs have limited avenues to raise additional capital, particularly through capital markets, restricting their ability to expand and absorb financial shocks.
• High NPAs – Rising non-performing assets (NPAs) reduce profitability, weaken balance sheets and constrain lending capacity.
• Technology gap – Smaller UCBs often lack modern digital infrastructure and strong cybersecurity systems, making it difficult to compete with technologically advanced commercial banks and fintech platforms.
• Major Examples of Failure – Cases such as Madhavpura Mercantile Cooperative Bank (MMCB) and Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank (PMC Bank) highlighted problems of excessive exposure, poor governance, concealed stressed assets and inadequate risk management.

What measures could be taken to strengthen UCBs?

• Professional expertise – Ensure that a significant share of directors possess expertise in banking, finance, law or accountancy.
• Balanced tenure – Provide directors with stable but time-bound tenures, ensuring continuity while preventing excessive concentration of power.
• Early supervision – Strengthen monitoring mechanisms such as Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) to identify and address financial weaknesses at an early stage.
• Shared technology support – Use institutions such as NUCFDC to provide UCBs with common IT infrastructure, cybersecurity support and technical expertise.
• Digital adoption – Reduce the cost and entry barriers for smaller UCBs to adopt platforms such as Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS).
• Modern banking services – Expand digital banking products, mobile-based services and doorstep banking to improve customer convenience.
• Branch expansion – Allow financially sound UCBs to open additional branches within prescribed limits with greater regulatory flexibility.
• Diversified lending – Increase permissible limits for housing and selected gold loans, enabling UCBs to diversify their loan portfolios.
• Faster recovery – Provide greater flexibility for loan recovery and one-time settlement (OTS) mechanisms, broadly aligning them with commercial banking practices.

What lies ahead?

• UCBs can become an important “third pillar” of Indian banking, alongside commercial banks and small finance banks, if they Strengthen governance, Improve capitalization, Adopt technology, Enhance cybersecurity, Reduce NPAs , Professionalise management.

References

1. RBI| UCBs
2. The Hindu| Issues with UCBs

Nature-Based Solutions and Climate-Resilient Agriculture

Why in News?

Climate change is increasingly affecting agricultural systems through rising temperatures, erratic monsoons and frequent extreme weather events and in this context, Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and Climate-Resilient Agriculture (CRA) have emerged as sustainable approaches to strengthen the resilience of farming systems.

Why Indian agriculture is vulnerable to climate change?

• Domination of agriculture – Agriculture remains central to India’s economy and rural livelihoods.
• It supports the livelihoods of about 58% of India’s population, employs nearly 46.1% of the workforce and contributes around 18% of the country’s Gross Value Added (GVA).
• Unequal Landholdings – The average landholding is only 1.08 hectares, while about 89.4% of marginal and small farmers own less than 2 hectares.
• This limits their capacity to absorb climate-induced losses and invest in new technologies.
• Dependent on Rain – Further, nearly 60% of India’s agriculture is rainfed, accounting for about 40% of total food production.
• Therefore, fluctuations in monsoon rainfall have a direct impact on agricultural productivity.
• Climate Change – Since the 1950s, India has experienced rising average temperatures, declining monsoon precipitation and increases in extreme temperatures, rainfall events, droughts, sea levels and the intensity of severe cyclones.
• Climate change can reduce crop performance by disrupting photosynthesis, altering pest populations, reducing fertiliser use efficiency, affecting soil fertility and causing soil-moisture loss and nutrient imbalance.
• Hence, building climate resilience is essential for both agricultural productivity and national food security.

What is the significance of Climate-Resilient Agriculture?

• Climate-resilient agriculture – It refers to farming practices that enable agricultural systems to adapt to changing climatic conditions, reduce vulnerability to climate-induced shocks and enhance productivity.
• Measures – It involves both adaptation and mitigation measures:
  • Selection of appropriate crops and climate-adapted varieties.
  • Adjustment of sowing windows and crop duration.
  • Adoption of appropriate planting methods.
  • Agroforestry.
  • Biochar.
  • Efficient use of fertilisers, insecticides and pesticides.
  • Improved water and soil management.
• The resilience of agriculture also depends on the resilience of social systems.
• Households, communities and regions need access to technical knowledge, government services and institutional support to effectively respond to climatic challenges.

How Nature - based solution helps?

• Nature-based Solutions – They provide an important approach to simultaneously address climate adaptation, climate mitigation and ecosystem restoration.
• Components – In agriculture, they include regenerative agriculture, conservation agriculture, reduced-tillage or zero-tillage practices, agroforestry and biochar.
• Objectives – Ensuring better adaptation and resilient food production, mitigating climate change, and enhancing nature and biodiversity.
• Significance – The importance of NbS extends beyond individual farms.
• They are now part of the emissions-reduction plans of at least 102 nations’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.

A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that nature-based solutions could deliver 37% of the cost-effective climate mitigation needed to keep global temperature increases below 2°C by 2030.

• Thus, NbS can help address the interconnected challenges of climate change, agricultural sustainability and global food security.

What are India’s Major Policy Initiatives for Climate-Resilient Agriculture?

• National Action Plan on Climate Change – The National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), launched in 2008, provides an overarching framework for India’s climate-change policies.
• National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture – Under the NAPCC, the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) was launched in 2014–15.
• It seeks to promote climate-resilient agriculture through improved soil health, efficient water use and sustainable farming practices.
• It has initiated schemes such as:
  • Per Drop More Crop
  • Rainfed Area Development
  • Soil Health and Fertility Scheme
  • Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture
  • Agroforestry
  • National Bamboo Mission
• India also became the first country to adopt a National Agroforestry Policy in 2014, followed by the launch of the National Mission on Natural Farming in 2024.
• National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture – The National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) was launched by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in 2011 and is implemented by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
• NICRA’s vulnerability assessment of 651 agricultural districts identified 310 districts as vulnerable, including 109 very highly vulnerable and 201 highly vulnerable districts. Based on this assessment, District Agriculture Contingency Plans have been prepared for all 651 agricultural districts.
• NICRA also projects that by 2050, yields could decline for rainfed rice by 20%, wheat by 19.3% and kharif maize by 18%, while soybean yields could increase by 3–10% by 2030.
• Between 2014 and 2024, ICAR released 2,900 crop varieties, of which 2,661 were tolerant to one or more biotic or abiotic stresses, including pests, diseases, water, temperature, humidity and soil-related stresses.

How these measures strengthen adaptation and food security?

• These initiatives strengthen agricultural resilience by promoting climate-adapted crop varieties, improving soil and water management, supporting agroforestry and natural farming, and preparing district-level contingency plans.
• Such measures reduce farmers’ vulnerability to droughts, irregular rainfall, temperature changes and other climatic shocks.
• Improved soil fertility and water retention can support productivity, while diversified and climate-tolerant crops can reduce the risk of crop failure.
• Nature-based solutions additionally help restore ecosystems, improve soil health, enhance biodiversity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, adaptation and mitigation can be pursued together.
• By protecting agricultural productivity under changing climatic conditions, these measures contribute to the availability of food and thereby strengthen food and nutritional security for India’s 1.4 billion people.

What are the challenges and the way forward?

• Technologies such as tolerant crop varieties, genome-edited crops, biofertilisers, biopesticides and water-smart technologies face constraints arising from lack of awareness, limited access to credit and quality inputs, and high upfront costs.
• These challenges are particularly significant for small and marginal farmers, they require financial support and initial hand-holding from the government to develop skills in agriculture and allied sectors.
• Therefore, successful climate-resilient agriculture requires greater awareness among stakeholders about climate-change impacts and greater confidence in adopting improved agricultural technologies.
• Farmers, government agencies, research institutions and other organisations must work collaboratively.

What lies ahead?

• Climate change poses a serious challenge to India’s agricultural productivity, rural livelihoods and food security.
• However, initiatives such as NAPCC, NMSA, NICRA, agroforestry, natural farming and biochar demonstrate India’s efforts to build resilience.
• The integration of nature-based solutions with climate-resilient agricultural practices can simultaneously improve soil and water health, strengthen adaptation, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, restore biodiversity and sustain agricultural productivity.
• With appropriate institutional support, technological access and farmer-oriented implementation, these measures can help increase farmers’ incomes, strengthen climate adaptation and ensure food and nutritional security for future generations.

Reference

The Indian Express| CBS for Solution

Indian Statistical Institute Bill 2026

Why in News?

Recently, The Government has introduced the Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026 to change the governance structure of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI).

• Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) – Founded in 1931 by P.C. Mahalanobis, declared an Institution of National Importance in 1959.
• Current Governance – Run as a society with a 33‑member council; director appointed by council.

Proposed Bill 2026

• Bill replaces the 1959 Act.
• ISI to become a statutory body corporate (like IITs/IIMs).
• President of India as Visitor.
• New Board of Governance with Centre‑nominated chairperson, government representatives, eminent persons, and institute members.
• Board to decide administration, appointments, degrees, and regulations.
• Academic Council headed by director to advise board.
• Director appointed by board chairperson from a panel recommended by a government‑constituted committee.
• Visitor empowered to remove director, order reviews, and inquiries.

Opposition and Criticism

• Loss of Autonomy – Centre gains greater control over governance and director appointments.
• Representation Issue – Board dominated by government nominees, unlike current council with wider representation.
• Director’s Position – Subject to removal, reviews, and government influence, undermining independence.
• Consultation Concerns – Faculty and students argue Bill was introduced without wider consultation.

Reference

Indian Express | ISI

India Energy Security Risks

Why in News?

Recently, CII-EY - India report said that  India’s energy security risks are shifting beyond oil and gas to critical minerals, manufacturing capacity, electricity storage and grid infrastructure.

• Shift in Energy Security – India’s energy risks moving beyond oil and gas to critical minerals, manufacturing, storage, and grid infrastructure.
• Mineral Dependence – Fully import‑dependent for lithium, cobalt, nickel, silicon, rare earths, gallium, germanium, platinum group elements.
  • Projected needs (2025–2070) – 66 MT copper, 46 MT graphite, 19.5 MT silicon, 11.5 MT nickel.
• Electricity Demand – Per capita consumption rose from 780 kWh (2015–16) to 1,153 kWh (2024–25) and demand is expected to rise further with industrialisation and urbanisation.

Investment Needs

• Energy storage – USD 1.15 trillion (2025–2050), USD 3.3 trillion (2051–2070).
• Transmission/distribution –USD 2 trillion+ long‑term.
• Nuclear capacity – Projected to reach 100 GW by 2047.
• Renewable Energy Progress – India nearing 300 GW non‑fossil capacity, target 500 GW by 2030.
  • Rooftop solar under PM Surya Ghar scheme expanding rapidly.
• Manufacturing and Oil Security – Oil remains as important consumption; doubled to 243 MT (FY26).
  • Strategic Petroleum Reserve capacity – 11.8 MT (approved).

Vulnerabilities

• Import dependence may cause supply disruptions and geopolitical risks, similar to fossil fuels.

Recommendations

• Accelerate domestic exploration, processing, recycling, and manufacturing.
• Diversify import sources and build strategic partnerships.

Reference

Down to Earth | Renewable Energy

Major Renewable Sector Grid Disturbances

Why in News?

Between January 2022 and June 2025, India reported 68 renewable grid disturbances, causing 1–7 GW losses, mainly in Rajasthan and Gujarat, exposing renewable integration challenges.

Causes of Disturbances

• Variable Renewable Output – Solar and wind generation changes rapidly with weather, creating sudden supply fluctuations.
• Technical Non‑Compliance – Some generators failed to meet Low Voltage Ride Through (LVRT) and High Voltage Ride Through (HVRT) standards.

LVRT and HVRT - Standards to keep generators connected during voltage disturbances.

• System Frequency Issues – Sudden changes in renewable output affected grid stability.
• Need for Technology – Solutions like STATCOMs (Static Synchronous Compensators) can provide rapid voltage support.

Renewable Growth

• Installed Capacity – India reached 548 GW by July 2026.
• Renewables – Solar capacity at 162 GW, wind at 47 GW; over 200% growth in a decade.
• Distributed Solar – Of 44.61 GW added in FY 2026, 16.3 GW was distributed solar (PM‑KUSUM and rooftop).

Transmission and Storage

• Transmission Planning – Government planning transmission for 500 GW non‑fossil capacity by 2030.
• Government Measures – Interstate charge waivers and renewable purchase obligations support expansion.
• Storage – Essential for balancing supply and demand; investment needed to manage variability.
• Energy storage requirement – USD 1.15 trillion (2025–2050), USD 3.3 trillion (2051–2070).

Demand Growth

• Peak Demand – Rose from 242.77 GW (June 2025) to 270.8 GW (May 2026).
• Future Projection – CEA (Central Electricity Authority) projects 459 GW by 2034‑35; global estimates suggest 700 GW by 2047.
• New Loads – EVs may account for 6–9% of consumption by 2035; data centres could require 14–30 GW by early 2030s.

Reference

Down to Earth | Renewable Energy

E-Eye for Toxicant Detection

Why in News?

Recently, Researchers at IIT Guwahati have developed a portable optical sensing device named E‑Eye The device offers a low‑cost solution for on‑site water quality checks, especially in rural areas.

Key Features

• Detection – Arsenic, lead, iron, chromium, fluoride, and Escherichia coli bacteria.
• Cost – Device priced at about Rs. 3,500; each test around Rs. 2.
• Technology – Operates on Beer‑Lambert law, combining optical sensing with digital electronics.
• Mechnaism
  • Uses chemical reaction to produce coloured compounds.
  • Colour intensity shows contaminant concentration.
  • Converts readings into digital data and displays concentration.
• Accuracy – Results comparable to UV‑Visible and Atomic Absorption spectrophotometers.

Applications

• Water Quality – Direct deployment at water sources; wireless transmission of results to treatment facilities.
• Jal Jeevan Mission – Supports safe tap water supply in rural households.
• Other Uses – Testing environmental and biological samples, vegetables, food products, tea, herbal products, soil, and milk.
• Industrial Monitoring – Helps industries check effluents containing heavy metals, bacteria, and odour‑causing compounds.

Reference

E-Eye | TOI

Pseudecheneis likimroensis

Why in News?
Recently, A new catfish species, Pseudecheneis likimroensis, has been described from the Likimro river in Nagaland’s Kiphire district.

• Genus – Pseudecheneis
• Rheophilic catfishes adapted to swiftly flowing hill streams.
• Location – Likimro river, tributary of the Tizu–Chindwin system, Nagaland.
• Region – Indo‑Myanmar biodiversity hotspot; high freshwater endemism.
• Drainage – Tizu river flows into Myanmar, joins Chindwin, then Irrawaddy system.
• Specimens – Around five collected at 446 m elevation.
• Body – Dorso‑ventrally flattened.
• Adhesive Organs – Specialised ridges and grooves to cling to rocks in torrential waters.
• Habitat – Fast‑flowing, boulder‑rich streams.
• Diet – Carnivorous; feeds on insects, larvae, organisms attached to rocks.
• Threats – Dynamite fishing, chemicals, river modification, coal mining, overfishing of egg‑bearing females.
• Significance – Isolation due to tectonic uplift and river course changes created endemic species.

Reference

Mongabay | Pseudecheneis likimroensis