NEWS:Bullseye! Galaxy with nine rings may reveal dark matter secrets,

GS Paper 3 – Science and Technology

A newly discovered Bullseye Galaxy has an unprecedented nine rings, likely due to a collision with a blue dwarf galaxy.
– The collision offers insights into galactic evolution and the formation of low surface-brightness galaxies (GLSBs).
– The event might contribute to understanding the distribution of dark matter.
– The phenomenon was confirmed using Hubble Space Telescope and Keck Observatory.
– Bullseye Galaxy could represent an early stage of GLSB galaxy formation, critical in cosmological studies.

Background/Context

• Researchers discovered a galaxy, LEDA 1312434, nicknamed the Bullseye Galaxy, with nine rings — more than typically observed in ringed galaxies.
• This galaxy is around 2.5 times larger than the Milky Way (~6.5 million light-years wide) and is located 130,000 light-years away from a blue dwarf galaxy.
• The unique ring structure likely resulted from the dwarf galaxy passing through the Bullseye Galaxy’s core about 50 million years ago.

Key Developments

• Interaction between the two galaxies caused ripples of star formation forming the nine distinct rings.
• Such interactions didn’t disrupt individual stars but influenced gas dynamics, leading to layered star formation.
• A thin trail of gas was detected connecting the galaxies, confirming physical interaction despite vast separation.

Scientific and Technological Implications

• The Bullseye Galaxy might evolve into a giant low surface-brightness (GLSB) galaxy, characterised by:
  • Low hydrogen content
  • Slow star formation
  • Massive dark matter concentration
• GLSBs are ideal for dark matter research as their low brightness challenges existing cosmological models.
• These galaxies also defy traditional theories by exhibiting low mass at centers and discrepancies in brightness profiles.
• The study was published in the journal Astrophysical Journal Letters.

NEWS:Five feared dead in J&K as cloudbursts wreak havoc

GS Paper 1 – Geography (Climatology, Natural Disasters)

ISSUE

• Cloudbursts and flash floods hit Jammu & Kashmir, particularly Ramban district.
• At least five people feared dead; two children among the deceased.
• More than 100 people rescued from stranded zones.
• Landslides buried vehicles; several areas cut off due to debris.
• Lightning strike in Reasi district killed two people and 40 cattle.
• Government has not yet issued an official casualty figure.

 Cloudburst

• According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), cloudbursts are sudden, heavy rainstorms where more than 10 cm of rain falls in less than an hour over a small area, of about 10 square km. They often happen in mountainous areas, especially in the Himalayas.
• In the Indian Subcontinent, it generally occurs when a monsoon cloud drifts northwards, from the Bay of Bengal or the Arabian Sea across the plains then on to the Himalaya which sometimes brings 75 mm of rain per hour.
• Causes:
  • Cloudbursts occur when strong upward currents of hot air prevent raindrops from falling, allowing them to grow larger while new smaller drops form below.
  • This leads to a significant accumulation of water in the atmosphere, which is released abruptly when the upward currents weaken.
  • Cloudbursts frequently occur in the hilly and mountainous areas of the Indian subcontinent, largely due to the region’s complex topography, which facilitates orographic lifting.
    • Orographic lifting occurs when air rises and cools as it travels up the windward side of a mountain.
    • This process enhances cloud development and rainfall as moist air ascends over the mountains, with monsoon dynamics and localised weather patterns further influencing these intense precipitation events.

NEWS:ISRO satellites forecast wheat production, assess crop condition

GS Paper 3 – Science & Technology (Applications of Space Technology)

 Highlights:

• ISRO has estimated total wheat production from 8 major states to be 122.724 million tonnes as of March 31, 2025.
• The estimate was done using ISRO’s Comprehensive Remote Sensing Observation on Crop Progress (CROP) system.
• The system allows near real-time monitoring of crop sowing and harvesting during the Rabi season.

• States covered: Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra.
• Assessment used data from satellites EOS-04 (RISAT-1A), EOS-06 (Oceansat-3), and Resourcesat-2A for 2024-25.
• Crop growth simulation model used 5×5 km spatial resolution to assess crop area, sowing date, and crop condition.
• Satellite data showed wheat sown area as of March 31, 2025 to be 330.8 lakh hectares.

The CROP (Comprehensive Remote Sensing Observation on Crop Progress) system, developed by NRSC/ISRO,

• ITis a semi-automated, scalable framework used for near real-time monitoring of crop sowing and harvesting across India.
• It leverages remote sensing data to assess crop conditions, including identifying potential drought stress and monitoring vegetation health using Vegetation Health Index (VHI).
• This system is particularly helpful for monitoring the Rabi season, which is the winter season in India, and helps with crop area and production estimation.

NEWS:Won’t directing Centre to ‘protect’ Bengal from violence amount to ‘judicial incursion’, asks SC

GS Paper 2 – Polity & Governance (Centre-State Relations, Role of Judiciary)

• The Supreme Court raised a constitutional question: Would a direction to the Centre to protect Bengal under Article 355 amount to judicial overreach into executive and legislative domains?
• This was in response to a plea seeking deployment of paramilitary forces in Bengal amid violent protests linked to the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.
• Justice B.R. Gavai, who is set to be the next Chief Justice of India, voiced the concern of judiciary being seen as interfering with executive functions.

Detailed Insights:

Constitutional Tension

• Article 355 of the Constitution mandates the Union to protect states against internal disturbance and ensure governance as per the Constitution.
• The Court questioned whether it can issue a writ of mandamus directing the Union to invoke Article 355, as this may trespass into executive discretion.

Judicial Activism: 

           Judicial activism refers to the idea that judges should actively interpret and shape the law rather than simply applying it as it is written.

Judicial overreach:

           It refers to the situation where a court or judicial body exceeds its legal authority or jurisdiction, typically by making decisions that should properly be made by other branches of government.

Examples of Judicial Activism:

Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973):

In this case, the Supreme Court held that the power of the government to amend the constitution was not unlimited and that there were certain “basic features” of the constitution that could not be amended. This decision established the concept of the “basic structure“.

Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India (1978): In this case, the Supreme Court held that the right to personal liberty guaranteed by the constitution included the right to travel abroad.The court also held that the government could not restrict this right without following due process of law.

Vishaka v. State of Rajasthan (1997): In this case, the Supreme Court issued guidelines for the prevention of sexual harassment at the workplace in the absence of any specific legislation on the issue.

National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India (2014): In this case, the Supreme Court recognized the right to self-identify one’s gender and held that transgender persons have the right to be treated as their self-identified gender rather than their assigned gender at birth.

Examples of Judicial Overreach:

Shyam Narayan Chouksey v. Union of India (2016): The Supreme Court, in this case, made it mandatory that all the cinema halls in India shall play before the feature film starts.

It was argued that this direction goes beyond the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act 1971, which says that no film, drama or show of any sort can have the National Anthem as part of the show.

Liquor ban (2017): The Supreme Court, ruling on a Public Interest Litigation(PIL) which was about road safety in 2017 had banned the sale of liquor at retail outlets, as also in hotels, restaurants, and bars, that are within 500m of any national or state highway.

These orders were felt to be against the spirit of the separation of powers given by our constitution. It was argued that it was an administrative matter where the decision rested with state governments.

Arun Gopal v. Union of India (2017): The Supreme Court had fixed timings for setting off fireworks during Diwali and had banned the use of fireworks that are not environmentally friendly, despite there being no legal basis for these restrictions.

M.C. Mehta v. Union of India (2018): The court declared invalid Rule 115(21) of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989, by mandating that no BS-4 vehicles can be sold after March 30, 2020, and only BS-6 vehicles can be sold after that date

Mains question

Discuss the causes and consequences of cloudbursts in Himalayan regions. What steps should be taken to mitigate their impact