Content
- Punjab Floods (Aug–Sept 2025)
- India’s Manuscripts Reflect the Journey of Humanity
- Denying Upward Mobility to Candidates with Disabilities
- Centre Clears Translocation of Tigers to Sahyadri Reserve
- Nepal’s ‘Nepo Babies’ and the Nepotism Debate
After the disaster
Why in News
- Punjab floods (Aug–Sept 2025) killed 55 people, displaced ~4 lakh residents across 2,200 villages, and caused agricultural devastation across 1.91 lakh hectares in 18 of 23 districts.
- Major rivers — Sutlej, Beas, Ravi — overflowed, inundating villages, farmland, and homes.
- Relief operations ongoing, but concerns remain over crop loss, housing damage, cattle displacement, joblessness, and disease outbreaks.
- Political tussle: Centre announced ₹1,600 crore package, criticised by Punjab government and Opposition as insufficient against losses exceeding ₹20,000 crore.
Relevance:
• GS-I (Geography): Floodplains, monsoon variability, river hydrology (Sutlej–Beas basin).
• GS-II (Governance): Disaster relief, Centre–State coordination, inclusion in welfare schemes.
• GS-III (Agriculture, Disaster Management): Crop loss, food security, climate-linked flood recurrence.
• GS-III (Environment): Climate change impact on extreme rainfall, land-use change.
Basics
- Punjab Agriculture Profile:
- “India’s grain bowl,” dependent on paddy-wheat cycle.
- Paddy (Kharif) and wheat (Rabi) highly sensitive to flooding and waterlogging.
- Rainfall anomaly: Punjab received 253.7 mm rainfall in Aug 2025, 74% above normal (IMD).
- Recurring floods: Previous major floods in 1988, 2019, 2013, 2010, 2008, 2004 show structural vulnerability.
- Disaster Management Framework: Relief through NDRF, SDRF, State Disaster Management Authorities; compensation for crop loss and rehabilitation.
Overview
Humanitarian Impact
- Casualties & displacement: 55 deaths, ~4 lakh affected, thousands in relief camps.
- Housing loss: Entire villages submerged; ~270 houses destroyed in Jhangar Bhaini.
- Livelihood disruption:
- Farmers: Paddy submerged (3–4 ft), delayed wheat sowing, high re-sowing costs.
- Labourers: Landless workers unemployed as fields remain waterlogged.
- Others: Transport workers (school cab drivers) lost jobs due to damaged roads.
- Cattle relocation: Shortages of fodder and veterinary services.
Agricultural & Economic Consequences
- Paddy & Basmati crops ruined; delayed harvesting raised costs (combine with chains = ₹6,000/acre vs normal ₹2,000/acre).
- Loss of future wheat cycle due to waterlogged fields.
- Crop loss estimates ₹20,000 crore+, threatening farm incomes in a debt-ridden state.
- Spillover risk: food security (as Punjab supplies grain to FCI) and farmer protests.
Disaster Management Challenges
- Relief camps: 111 camps sheltering 4,600 people; ration kits, cattle feed distributed.
- Inadequate infrastructure: Shortage of boats, life jackets, gas cylinders.
- Health risks: Carcasses, stagnant water → fear of epidemics (diarrhoea, dengue, cholera).
- Land rights issue: Post-Partition settlers without formal land titles risk exclusion from compensation.
Political Dimensions
- Centre’s ₹1,600 crore package seen as insufficient; compared against ₹20,000 crore estimated losses.
- Accusations over misuse/non-utilisation of ₹12,000 crore SDRF funds.
Environmental & Structural Factors
- Climate anomaly: 74% excess rainfall due to erratic monsoon patterns, possibly linked to climate change.
- River basin mismanagement: Lack of adequate floodplain zoning, embankments, and drainage systems.
- Recurring floods: Shows failure to build resilience despite repeated disasters.
Long-term Implications
- Economic: Threat to Punjab’s agrarian economy, farm debt, migration risk.
- Social: Homelessness, psychological trauma, growing inequality (landless worst hit).
- Governance: Need for accountability in disaster funds; coordination between Centre and State.
- Environmental: Need for climate-resilient cropping, floodplain management, drainage modernisation.
Way Forward
- Short-term:
- Adequate compensation for farmers & landless workers.
- Speedy crop damage assessment & insurance payouts.
- Health camps, sanitation, fodder support.
- Medium-term:
- Scientific floodplain zoning & embankment strengthening.
- Crop diversification away from water-intensive paddy.
- Ensure land titling for settlers to access relief.
- Long-term:
- Climate-resilient agriculture policies.
- Strengthened State Disaster Management Authority.
- Integrate IMD early-warning with village-level preparedness.
India’s Manuscripts Reflect the Journey of Humanity, Says Modi
Why in News
- PM Narendra Modi addressed the International Conference on “Reclaiming India’s Knowledge Legacy through Manuscript Heritage”.
- Launched the Gyan Bharatam Mission & Portal to digitize, preserve, and share India’s manuscripts.
- Stressed manuscripts as a reflection of humanity’s developmental journey and a safeguard against intellectual piracy.
Relevance:
• GS-I (Culture & Heritage): Manuscripts as sources of India’s civilizational knowledge.
• GS-II (Governance): Role of Ministry of Culture, schemes for preservation & accessibility.
- GS-III (Science & Tech, IPR): Digitization, metadata, prevention of biopiracy.
Basics
- Manuscripts in India:
- Handwritten documents covering Vedas, Upanishads, Ayurveda, astronomy, mathematics, arts, philosophy, and law.
- Preserved on materials like palm leaves, birch bark, and handmade paper.
- Scale: India has ~1 crore manuscripts (largest globally).
- Digitization status: Over 10 lakh manuscripts already digitized.
- Institutional Framework:
- National Mission for Manuscripts (2003) → identifies, preserves, and catalogues.
- Now strengthened via Gyan Bharatam Mission.
Gyan Bharatam Mission & Portal
- What it is: Gyan Bharatam Mission is a Central Sector Scheme under the Ministry of Culture, reviving and expanding the previous National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM).
- Period & Allocation: Operative from 2024-31, with a budget of about ₹482.85 crore.
- Targets: Aims to survey, document, conserve, digitise, publish and disseminate over 1 crore manuscripts from across India (institutions, libraries, private collections, etc.)
- Portal Launch: “Gyan Bharatam Portal” launched Sept 2025 at an International Conference on Manuscript Heritage; serves as a digital platform for preservation, digitisation, and public access
Overview
Cultural and Civilizational Significance
- Manuscripts = repository of India’s civilizational knowledge in sciences, medicine, philosophy, and arts.
- Serve as primary sources for reconstructing ancient Indian history, culture, and scientific contributions.
- Strengthen India’s soft power diplomacy, connecting with countries (Thailand, Vietnam, Mongolia) that share manuscript traditions.
Intellectual Property & Piracy Concerns
- Traditional knowledge (e.g., turmeric’s medicinal value, neem, yoga practices) often patented abroad without acknowledgment.
- Digitization ensures documentation & prior art recognition, preventing misuse.
- Supports India’s claim in WTO/TRIPS disputes over biopiracy.
Technological & Institutional Initiatives
- Gyan Bharatam Portal: A digital repository for public access, research, and global collaboration.
- Collaboration between government and private organizations enhances reach.
- Contributes to Digital India and Atmanirbhar Bharat vision.
Educational & Research Impact
- Provides authentic resources for Indology, Sanskrit studies, Ayurveda, astronomy, mathematics, and law.
- Encourages interdisciplinary research bridging tradition and modern science.
- Aligns with NEP 2020’s emphasis on integrating traditional knowledge into mainstream education.
International & Strategic Dimension
- Reinforces India’s cultural diplomacy with Buddhist and Indic civilization countries.
- Enhances India’s image as a knowledge hub in global forums.
- Serves as a counter to Western intellectual dominance by showcasing indigenous contributions.
Challenges
- Conservation issues: Fragile palm-leaf manuscripts, ink fading, termite damage.
- Accessibility: Many manuscripts remain with private families and mutts, outside institutional reach.
- Standardization: Need for unified cataloguing, metadata, and translations for global access.
- Capacity gaps: Trained conservators, digitization infrastructure, and funding are limited.
Denying Upward Mobility to Candidates with Disabilities Defeats Purpose of Quota, Says Supreme Court
Why in News
- Supreme Court (Sept 2025) directed the Union Government to clarify whether meritorious candidates with disabilities (PwDs) who qualify in the unreserved/general category are allowed upward mobility (shift to UR seats) or forced to remain in reserved PwD quota seats.
- The Court called denial of such mobility “hostile discrimination”, defeating the intent of Section 34, Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
- Union Government asked to respond by October 14, 2025 on corrective measures.
Relevance:
• GS-II (Polity, Social Justice): Equality under Articles 14 & 16, RPwD Act, reservation jurisprudence.
• GS-II (Judiciary): Role of SC in correcting discrimination.
- GS-IV (Ethics): Dignity, fairness, inclusion of persons with disabilities.
Basics
- Reservation Framework in India:
- SC/ST/OBC/EWS candidates qualifying on merit in UR category seats are counted in UR, not in their reserved quota.
- This ensures upward mobility and frees up reserved seats for others from the disadvantaged group.
- PwD Reservation:
- Governed by Section 34, RPwD Act, 2016 – 4% reservation in government jobs.
- However, PwDs often forced to take up reserved category seats, even if qualifying on merit.
Overview
Judicial Standpoint
- SC held that reservation for PwDs is about inclusion, not charity.
- Denial of upward mobility = systemic discrimination against meritorious PwD candidates.
- Differentiation between PwDs and OBC/SC/ST candidates in mobility is constitutionally unjustifiable.
Legal Framework
- RPwD Act, 2016 – Section 34: Mandates 4% job reservation in groups A, B, C, D.
- Constitutional Backing:
- Article 14 (Equality before law)
- Article 16 (Equal opportunity in public employment)
- Article 41 (Directive Principle – Right to work, education, assistance)
Implications of Current Practice
- For PwDs:
- Blocks their fair chance in UR seats → leads to stagnation.
- Reduces dignity of reservation by treating it as fixed entitlement rather than enabler of equality.
- For other PwD candidates:
- Meritorious candidates “occupy” reserved seats → limits chances for weaker PwD aspirants who genuinely need quota.
Comparative Framework
- Backward Classes (SC/ST/OBC): Enjoy upward mobility if they meet general cut-off.
- PwDs: Currently denied similar treatment → creates a hierarchy of reservations, violating Article 14.
Larger Ethical & Social Perspective
- Disability should be seen as a social construct, not an individual deficit.
- Reservations are about level playing field, not charity or sympathy.
- True inclusion demands removal of systemic barriers in employment and education.
Way Forward
- Immediate: Clear government policy allowing upward mobility for PwD candidates qualifying in UR.
- Medium-term:
- Uniform guidelines across states, UPSC, SSC, and PSUs.
- Digital monitoring to ensure compliance.
- Long-term:
- Enhance accessibility, skill training, and workplace inclusion.
- Treat PwD reservation at par with other social group reservations in terms of benefits.
Centre clears translocation of tigers from Tadoba, Pench to Sahyadri reserve
Why in News
- Union Environment Ministry approved capture and translocation of 8 tigers from Tadoba-Andhari and Pench Tiger Reserves to the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR), Maharashtra.
- Aim: Revive tiger population in northern Western Ghats, where STR has rich forests but largely transient tigers.
- NTCA (National Tiger Conservation Authority) gave approval in Oct 2023, after WII (Wildlife Institute of India) studies confirmed STR can sustain >20 tigers.
Relevance:
• GS-III (Environment & Biodiversity): Tiger conservation, NTCA guidelines, ecosystem balance.
• GS-I (Geography): Western Ghats as biodiversity hotspot & UNESCO site.
• GS-III (Science & Tech in Ecology): Use of camera traps, radio-collaring, monitoring methods.
- GS-III (Conservation Challenges): Human–wildlife conflict, poaching, prey-base management.
Basics
- Tiger Translocation: Conservation practice of capturing and moving tigers to suitable but underpopulated reserves to restore balance, gene flow, and connectivity.
- Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR):
- Established: 2010
- Spread: 1,165 sq km (Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara, Ratnagiri districts)
- Formed by merging Chandoli National Park + Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary
- Part of Western Ghats (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- Challenges: Poaching, habitat fragmentation, prey depletion, absence of breeding population.
Overview
Ecological Significance
- STR hosts dense forests, rivers, watersheds (Koyna & Warna basins).
- Revival of tiger population → ensures apex predator balance → controls herbivore populations → safeguards forest regeneration.
- Strengthens corridor connectivity between northern Western Ghats and tiger habitats in Goa, Karnataka.
Scientific & Administrative Process
- Conditions set by Ministry:
- Veterinary care at all stages of capture & release.
- Minimize trauma to tigers during capture.
- Monitoring post-release through camera traps & radio collars.
- First phase: habitat improvement, prey base strengthening.
- Second phase: translocation of 8 tigers.
Past & Present Situation in STR
- Historically, STR had transient tigers, no resident breeding population.
- Recent camera traps recorded 3 males frequently.
- Translocation expected to introduce females → encourage stable breeding population.
Wider Conservation Goals
- Aligns with Project Tiger and India’s Tiger Recovery Plans.
- Part of NTCA’s management effectiveness evaluation of tiger reserves.
- Helps India maintain its global leadership in tiger conservation (India = home to ~75% of world’s wild tigers).
Challenges & Risks
- Stress, mortality during capture/translocation.
- Potential human-wildlife conflict in fringe villages.
- Need for long-term monitoring and local community participation to prevent poaching.
Value addition – Indian Tiger
- Scientific name: Panthera tigris tigris (Bengal Tiger).
- India hosts the largest tiger population in the world – ~3,167 tigers (All India Tiger Estimation 2022).
- Found across diverse habitats: Himalayan foothills, Terai, Gangetic plains, central India, Western Ghats, Sundarbans, and Northeast.
Conservation Milestones
- 1973: Launch of Project Tiger – landmark conservation programme.
- 1972: Wildlife Protection Act – legal backbone for tiger protection.
- National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA): Apex body for policy, monitoring, and tiger reserve governance.
- 50 Tiger Reserves across India today, covering ~75,000 sq km (~2.3% of India’s area).
Nepal’s ‘nepo babies’: Why nepotism is focus of so many public debates
Why in News
- Youth-led protests erupted in Nepal (Sept 2025) against entrenched political dynasties and inequality, with slogans like “No More Nepo Babies – We Demand Fair Opportunities.”
- The phrase “nepo babies” has gained global currency, denoting children of elites (politicians, actors, business families) who benefit disproportionately from inherited privilege.
Relevance:
• GS-II (Polity): Dynastic politics, youth mobilization, democratic legitimacy.
• GS-I (Society): Social mobility, inequality, inter-generational privilege.
Basics
- Nepotism (origin): Derived from Latin nepos meaning nephew; first used in mid-17th century in context of Popes promoting nephews to power.
- Concept: Granting unfair advantage to relatives/friends in jobs, politics, entertainment, and business.
- Cultural Spread: Popularised in India after Bollywood debates in 2017, peaked during Sushant Singh Rajput’s death (2020) when discussions on nepotism in film industry resurfaced.
Overview
Historical Roots
- Papal Europe: Popes promoted nephews to cardinalships → coined the term.
- Modern usage expanded to dynastic politics, business families, and entertainment industries worldwide.
Showbiz Connection
- Bollywood: Triggered debates after Kangana Ranaut’s comments on “flagbearer of nepotism.”
- Public anger intensified after Sushant Singh Rajput’s suicide in 2020, widely linked to industry bias against “outsiders.”
- Google Trends: Spike in “nepo baby” searches in India from 2017, peak in 2020, showing cultural traction.
Politics and Power
- India: Dynastic politics prominent across parties (INC, regional outfits, even BJP leaders promoting children).
- Nepal: Anger against entrenched political dynasties; seen as blocking opportunities for ordinary youth.
- Global Parallel: Bangladesh, Sri Lanka – corruption, dynastic elites, and contractors benefiting from state projects → public resentment.
Structural Inequalities
- Limited opportunities for newcomers due to entrenched elite dominance.
- Deepens inequalities in societies with fragile economies and high unemployment.
- Covid-19 pandemic worsened structural barriers – many outsiders left industries like film, politics, or business.
Social and Political Consequences
- Rising protests in Nepal reflect frustration of youth over elite privilege.
- Public trust in democratic institutions erodes when nepotism dominates.
- Creates sense of exclusion, discourages meritocracy, and fuels populist/anti-establishment movements.
Global Modern Context
- “Nepo baby” discourse now transcends entertainment, covering politics, business, and governance.
- Seen as a universal symbol of privilege vs merit, resonating with youth struggling against inequality.
- In fragile democracies, unchecked nepotism can destabilise regimes, trigger corruption scandals, and fuel violent protests.
