News 1:Dismiss Piyush Goyal from Cabinet, SKM Urges Murmu

Preliminary Facts (For Mains Answer Introduction)

• The Demand: The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM)—an umbrella body of farmer organizations that led the 2020-21 protests against farm laws—has sent a letter to President Droupadi Murmu urging her to dismiss Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal from the Cabinet for “betraying the nation’s confidence” by entering into a bilateral trade agreement with the United States .
• Core Grievances: The SKM alleges that the Narendra Modi government has “succumbed to the pressures of the U.S.” and endangered India’s self-reliance and sovereignty. The letter specifically cites:
  • The withdrawal of 11% cotton import duty on August 19, 2025, which has “sunk domestic cotton prices”
  • A demi-official letter from the Union Finance Ministry asking Kerala to end bonus to paddy farmers
  • Threats to over 55 lakh apple farmer families and 120 lakh corn farmers from US imports
• Timing: The letter comes as the SKM has called for nationwide village meetings before March 9, 2026 (when Parliament’s Budget Session resumes) to adopt an open letter to the President against the trade deal .
• Government’s Defense: Union Ministers Piyush Goyal and Shivraj Singh Chouhan have firmly stated that the agreement fully protects farmers’ interests, with no concessions granted on sensitive items like dairy, wheat, rice, maize, and genetically modified products .

PRELIMS 360

Pressure Groups

✅ Meaning

A pressure group is an organized group of people that tries to influence government policies and decisions without seeking political power.

They do not contest elections, but try to influence lawmakers.

✅ Features

• Aim to influence public policy
• Do not seek to form government
• Based on common interests
• Use lobbying, protests, petitions, media campaigns

Constitutional Status of Pressure Groups

✅ 1. Explicit Mention in Constitution?

❌ No explicit mention of “Pressure Groups” in the Constitution of India.

They are an extra-constitutional phenomenon.

✅ 2. Constitutional Basis (Indirect Protection)

Pressure groups derive legitimacy from Fundamental Rights:

🔹 Article 19(1)(c)

• Right to form associations or unions (core basis)

🔹 Article 19(1)(a)

• Freedom of speech and expression (for advocacy, lobbying, protests)

🔹 Article 19(1)(b)

• Right to assemble peacefully without arms

Thus, pressure groups function under Part III of the Constitution (Fundamental Rights).

✅ 3. Judicial Recognition

The Supreme Court has recognized the right to form associations as part of democratic functioning, including in:

• Damyanti Naranga v. Union of India (Right to form and continue associations)

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)

✅ Meaning

An NGO is a voluntary, non-profit organization working for social welfare, development, human rights, environment, etc.

They may or may not act as pressure groups.

✅ Features

• Non-profit
• Independent of government control
• Registered under:
  • Societies Registration Act, 1860
  • Indian Trusts Act, 1882
  • Companies Act, 2013 (Section 8 companies)
• Foreign funding regulated under:
  • Foreign Contribution Regulation Act

Constitutional Status of NGOs

✅ 1. Explicit Mention?

❌ NGOs are not mentioned explicitly in the Constitution.

✅ 2. Constitutional Protection

Like pressure groups, NGOs derive protection from:

• Article 19(1)(c) – Right to form associations
• Article 19(1)(a) – Freedom of speech
• Article 21 – In cases involving human rights activism

✅ 3. Legal (Statutory) Basis

Though not constitutional bodies, NGOs are governed by statutory laws:

• Societies Registration Act, 1860
• Indian Trusts Act, 1882
• Companies Act, 2013 (Section 8 companies)
• Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (regulates foreign funding)

NEWS 2: Security Agencies Issue Alert on Illegal Use of Satellite Phones in Indian Waters

Preliminary Facts (For Mains Answer Introduction)

• The Alert: Security agencies have issued an alert regarding the illegal use of satellite communication devices in Indian waters, terming it a violation of existing laws and a “potential threat to national security” .
• DGS Response: Acting on these inputs, the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) has proposed stricter penal provisions to prevent unauthorized usage of satellite communication channels .
• Nature of Violations: Security agencies report instances of vessels and crew members carrying undeclared portable satellite devices, including satellite phones and satellite-enabled messaging equipment. Specific mention is made of Zoleo satellite devices connected to smartphones compatible with Iridium satellite communication systems for messaging in areas without cellular coverage .
• Regulatory Framework: An earlier DGS order (July 12, 2023) permitted Iridium-based equipment exclusively for Distress and Safety Communications under the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), subject to conditions. Thuraya satellite equipment remains banned in Indian waters .
• The Monitoring Gap: The DGS noted that in the absence of Iridium gateways or ground stations within the Indian region, communications using Iridium-based portable devices cannot be “effectively monitored, examined or traced”—a limitation of “particular concern in suspicious or sensitive cases” .

PRELIMS 360

What is ZOLEO?

ZOLEO Inc. manufactures a satellite communicator device that connects to a smartphone via Bluetooth.

• It allows two-way messaging
• Works in remote areas without cellular network
• Used for trekking, disaster response, marine activity, border areas, etc.

It is not a satellite phone, but a satellite messaging device.

2️⃣ Which satellite system does it use?

It operates on the Iridium Communications network.

🔹 Iridium Satellite System

• Operates a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellation
• ~66 active satellites
• Provides global coverage, including:
  • Polar regions
  • Oceans
  • Remote deserts
• Enables:
  • Satellite voice
  • Data
  • Emergency SOS
  • Messaging

3️⃣ How It Works (Technical Concept for Prelims)

1. Smartphone connects to ZOLEO via Bluetooth.
2. ZOLEO connects to Iridium LEO satellites.
3. Message is routed via satellite to:
   1. Another ZOLEO user
   1. SMS user
   1. Email address

If cellular or Wi-Fi is available, it automatically switches to that network

NEWS 3 : Biotechnology is Set to Drive Evolution of Personalised Medicine, Say Experts

Preliminary Facts (For Mains Answer Introduction)

• Government Investment: The Union Budget 2026-27 has announced a massive investment of ₹10,000 crore for the biotechnology sector, positioning India to become a global biopharma manufacturing hub .
• New Initiative: The Biopharma Shakti initiative aims to boost production of biologics and biosimilars, creating significant career opportunities for students in biotechnology .
• Expert Consensus: Panellists at a webinar on “Biotech Education in Personalised Medicine” (jointly organised by VIT Chennai and The Hindu) affirmed that biotechnology is driving a paradigm shift in healthcare—from reactive to proactive treatment, and from standardised to individualised medicine based on genetic, metabolic, lifestyle, and ethnic profiles .
• Core Technologies: Generative AI, multi-modal AI, reinforcement learning, deep learning, and machine learning are powering drug discovery and enabling personalised treatment approaches .
• New Academic Programme: VIT Chennai announced the launch of a new biotechnology programme for the academic year 2027, designed to make students industry-ready with skills in bioinformatics, computational biology, programming, and large dataset analysis .

PRELIMS 360

What is Biotechnology?

Application of living organisms, cells, or biomolecules to develop useful products and processes.

Coined by Karl Ereky (1919).

 

 

2️⃣ Types of Biotechnology (Color Classification)

Type	Focus Area	Examples
🟢 Green	Agriculture	GM crops, biofertilizers
🔴 Red	Medical	Vaccines, gene therapy
⚪ White	Industrial	Enzymes, biofuels
🔵 Blue	Marine	Marine bio-resources
🟡 Yellow	Food biotech	Fermentation

Core Techniques

1️⃣ Recombinant DNA (rDNA) Technology

• Definition: Combining DNA from two different organisms.
• How? Desired gene is cut using restriction enzymes and inserted into a vector (usually plasmid).
• Purpose: Production of insulin, GM crops.
• Pioneered by Stanley Cohen and Herbert Boyer.

📌 Key idea: Gene transfer across species.

🔬 2️⃣ PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)

• Definition: Technique to amplify a specific DNA segment.
• Developed by Kary Mullis.
• Uses heat-stable enzyme (Taq polymerase).
• Steps: Denaturation → Annealing → Extension.

📌 Used in forensic science, disease detection, COVID testing.

✂️ 3️⃣ CRISPR–Cas9 (Gene Editing)

• Definition: Precise editing of DNA at a specific location.
• Acts like molecular scissors.
• Derived from bacterial immune system.

📌 Used for correcting genetic disorders, crop improvement.

🧪 4️⃣ Gene Therapy

• Definition: Replacing or repairing defective genes.
• Can be:
  • Somatic (non-heritable)
  • Germline (heritable, controversial)

📌 Used for rare genetic diseases.

🧫 5️⃣ Monoclonal Antibody Technology

• Production of identical antibodies targeting a specific antigen.
• Used in cancer therapy and diagnostics.

EITORIAL 360

Parliament’s Historic Law, an Extended Wait for Women

Preliminary Facts (For Mains Answer Introduction)

• The Historic Law: In September 2023, Parliament passed the Women’s Reservation Act (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam), reserving one-third of all seats in Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies for women. It was hailed as a landmark achievement for gender justice, ending decades of parliamentary deadlock .
• The Implementation Clause: The Act contains a critical proviso: reservation will begin only “after the first Census taken after the year 2026” and the subsequent delimitation of constituencies based on that Census data .
• The Consequence: Due to this linkage, implementation in the 2029 general election is “constitutionally impossible.” Even on the most optimistic timeline, women’s reservation cannot take effect before 2034—meaning women who celebrated the Act’s passage in 2023 will wait through another full election cycle before they can contest a single reserved seat .
• Author’s Credentials: The article is authored by S.Y. Quraishi, former Chief Election Commissioner of India, lending authoritative weight to the analysis of electoral processes and constitutional timelines .

The Central Paradox: While the Act was sold as ending the wait for women’s representation, its design has extended that wait by at least another decade—raising questions about whether the delay was “accidental or by design” .

PRELIMS 360

Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam

The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023 is the popular name of the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023, which provides 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.

📜 Constitutional Background

Enacted during the special session of Parliament in September 2023.

Amends:

• Article 330 – Reservation in Lok Sabha
• Article 332 – Reservation in State Assemblies
• Inserts Article 330A & 332A
• Inserts Article 334A – Duration clause

Passed by both Houses of Parliament and ratified by states.

🎯 Key Provisions

1️⃣ 33% Reservation

• For women in:
  • Lok Sabha
  • State Legislative Assemblies
• Includes SC/ST reserved seats (i.e., within SC/ST quota, 1/3 reserved for women)

2️⃣ Implementation Condition

Reservation will come into effect after:

• Next Census (post-2026)
• Delimitation exercise

So, it is not immediately operational.

3️⃣ Duration

• Reservation valid for 15 years from commencement
• Can be extended by Parliament

4️⃣ Rotation of Seats

Reserved constituencies will rotate after each delimitation.

❌ Not Applicable To

• Rajya Sabha
• State Legislative Councils

🏛️ Political & Historical Context

Earlier attempts:

• Women’s Reservation Bill, 1996 (lapsed multiple times)
• Passed in Rajya Sabha in 2010 but not in Lok Sabha

Finally enacted in 2023.

📌 Constitutional Significance

• Strengthens Article 14 (Equality)
• Promotes Article 15(3) – Special provisions for women
• Advances political empowerment