Current Affairs 15 January 2026

Content

1. Malayalam Language Bill, 2025
2. Futuristic Marine and Space Biotechnology
3. NGT’s Suo Motu Action on Sewage-Contaminated Drinking Water
4. Ganga Biodiversity Recovery
5. INS Kaudinya’s Voyage to Muscat

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Malayalam Language Bill, 2025 

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Why in News ?

• Kerala government tabled and passed the Malayalam Language Bill, 2025 in the Kerala Legislative Assembly on 6 October 2025.
• Bill has been passed after Subject Committee scrutiny and awaits Governor’s assent.
• Karnataka government has opposed the Bill, calling it unconstitutional and harmful to Kannada-speaking linguistic minorities, especially in Kasaragod district.

Relevance

• GS II – Polity & Governance
  • Official language policy; Centre–State relations.
  • Linguistic minorities’ rights (Articles 29–30, 345–347).
  • Role of Governor; federal accommodation in border regions.

What Does the Malayalam Language Bill, 2025 Entail?

Core Provisions

• Malayalam formally adopted as the official language of Kerala.
  • Currently: Malayalam + English recognised.
• Mandates use of Malayalam across:
  • Government administration
  • Education
  • Judiciary (phased translation of judgments)
  • Public communication
  • Commerce
  • Digital governance (IT domain)
• All Bills and Ordinances to be introduced in Malayalam.

Education-Related Provisions

• Malayalam to be the compulsory first language:
  • In government and aided schools
  • Up to Class 10
• Does not automatically apply to:
  • Unaided private schools
  • CBSE/ICSE unless notified separately.

Institutional & Administrative Measures

• Renaming of:
  • Personnel and Administrative Reforms (Official Language) Department → Malayalam Language Development Department.
• Creation of:
  • Malayalam Language Development Directorate.
• Role of IT Department:
  • Develop open-source software & digital tools to promote Malayalam in e-governance and IT.

Has a Similar Bill Been Introduced Earlier?

• Yes (Over a decade ago):
  • Kerala had earlier attempted legislation to strengthen Malayalam’s official use.
  • The earlier initiative did not reach full statutory implementation.
• 2025 Bill is more comprehensive, covering:
  • Education, judiciary, IT, and digital governance.

Why Has Karnataka Opposed the Bill?

Core Objections

• Impact on Kannada linguistic minority in Kerala, particularly:
  • Kasaragod district, a border region.
• Key concern:
  • Students currently studying Kannada as first language may be forced to shift to Malayalam.
• Data cited:
  • Kannada medium schools in Kasaragod declined from 197 to 192 in recent years.
• Karnataka’s fear:
  • Bill could accelerate erosion of Kannada language presence in Kerala.

Constitutional Objection

• Bill allegedly violates:
  • Rights of linguistic minorities.
  • Spirit of Articles 29 and 30 (cultural & educational rights).
• Karnataka CM has stated:
  • State will use all constitutional remedies, including approaching the President.

Does the Bill Make Malayalam Mandatory Across All Schools?

Clear Answer: No (with qualifications)

• Mandatory only for government and aided schools.
• Applies only up to Class 10.
• Special protections exist for linguistic minorities (see below).
• Private unaided institutions retain flexibility, subject to policy rules.

Kerala Government’s Defence

Linguistic Minority Safeguards

• Special provisions for linguistic minorities:
  • Tamil, Kannada, Tulu, Konkani speakers.
• Minority citizens allowed to:
  • Use mother tongue for correspondence with:
    • State Secretariat
    • Heads of Departments
    • Local government offices in minority-dominated areas.

Legal & Constitutional Alignment

• Kerala CM argues:
  • Bill aligned with:
    • Official Languages Act, 1963
    • Article 346 – Language for inter-State communication.
    • Article 347 – Recognition of minority languages in States.
• Non-obstante clause (Clause 7):
  • Overrides general provisions to protect linguistic minorities.

Federal & Constitutional Dimensions

Relevant Constitutional Articles

• Article 345 – State legislature may adopt official language(s).
• Article 346–347 – Inter-State communication & minority language recognition.
• Articles 29–30 – Protection of minority culture and education.

Core Federal Issue

• Balance between:
  • State’s right to promote its official language
  • Minority linguistic rights in border regions
• Raises questions of:
  • Cooperative federalism
  • Cultural accommodation vs linguistic homogenisation.

Governance & Policy Analysis

Merits

• Strengthens:
  • Cultural identity
  • Vernacular governance
  • Access to justice (translated judgments)
• Supports:
  • Digital inclusion through language tech.
• Aligns with:
  • NEP 2020 emphasis on mother tongue education.

Challenges

• Border districts with mixed populations.
• Declining minority-language institutions.
• Potential:
  • Inter-State linguistic friction.
  • Politicisation of language policy.

Way Forward

• Explicit statutory exemptions for border linguistic pockets.
• District-wise language flexibility in education.
• Inter-State dialogue mechanisms under Inter-State Council.
• Periodic review of minority-language school viability.
• Judicial clarity post-Governor assent, if challenged.

Prelims Pointers

• Bill year: 2025
• Applies to: Government & aided schools
• Mandatory language: Malayalam (first language, up to Class 10)
• Special clause for linguistic minorities: Yes (Clause 7)
• Opposition State: Karnataka
• Border district concerned: Kasaragod

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What is Futuristic Marine and Space Biotechnology?

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 Core Concept

• Futuristic biotechnology exploits extreme and underexplored environments:
  • Deep oceans
  • Outer space
• Objective:
  • Generate new biological knowledge
  • Develop novel materials, processes, and biomanufacturing pathways

Relevance

• GS III – Science & Technology / Economy
  • Biotechnology, biomanufacturing, frontier technologies.
  • Blue Economy, Deep Ocean Mission, BioE3.
  • Space applications: microgravity biology, long-duration missions.
• GS II – Governance
  • Mission-mode programmes; science policy coordination.

Marine Biotechnology

• Focus areas:
  • Marine microorganisms
  • Algae & seaweeds
  • Deep-sea organisms
• Products & applications:
  • Bioactive compounds (drugs, nutraceuticals)
  • Enzymes
  • Biomaterials
  • Food ingredients
  • Biostimulants
• Unique advantage:
  • Organisms adapted to high pressure, salinity, low light, nutrient-poor conditions
  • Leads to novel molecules not found on land

Space Biotechnology

• Studies biological systems under:
  • Microgravity
  • Cosmic radiation
• Focus:
  • Microbial behaviour
  • Plant growth
  • Human physiology
• Applications:
  • Closed-loop life-support systems
  • Space food production
  • Drug discovery & protein crystallisation
  • Regenerative medicine
  • Long-duration human space missions

Global Landscape

European Union

• Large-scale funding for:
  • Marine bioprospecting
  • Algae-based biomaterials
  • Bioactive compounds
• Institutional strength:
  • Shared research infrastructure such as European Marine Biological Resource Centre (EMBRC).
• Policy approach:
  • Integration of research, sustainability, and industrial strategy.

China

• Rapid expansion of:
  • Seaweed aquaculture
  • Marine bioprocessing
• Focus on:
  • Scale
  • Export-oriented marine bio-products.

United States

• Leadership in space biotechnology:
  • NASA + International Space Station.
• Research domains:
  • Microbial behaviour
  • Protein crystallisation
  • Stem cells
  • Closed-loop life-support
• Spillover benefits:
  • Drug discovery
  • Regenerative medicine
  • Space manufacturing.

Why Does India Need Marine & Space Biotechnology?

Natural Endowments

• Coastline: ~11,000 km
• Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ): ~2 million sq. km
• Rich marine biodiversity & biomass.

Strategic Rationale

• India’s share in global marine bio-output remains low → underutilised potential.
• Marine biomanufacturing can:
  • Unlock new sources of:
    • Food
    • Energy
    • Chemicals
    • Biomaterials
  • Reduce pressure on:
    • Land
    • Freshwater
    • Agriculture
• Space biotechnology is essential for:
  • Human spaceflight
  • Long-term space habitation
  • Advanced biomanufacturing under extreme conditions.

Where Does India Stand Today?

Marine Biotechnology 

• Seaweed cultivation:
  • ~70,000 tonnes annually (modest by global standards).
• Dependence:
  • Imports agar, carrageenan, alginates for:
    • Food
    • Pharma
    • Cosmetics
    • Medical applications.
• Policy push:
  • Blue Economy agenda
  • Deep Ocean Mission
  • BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment & Employment).
• Emerging ecosystem:
  • Private players:
    • Sea6 Energy
    • ClimaCrew
  • Public institutions:
    • ICAR–Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute
  • State initiatives:
    • Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference.

Space Biotechnology

• ISRO’s microgravity biology programme:
  • Experiments on:
    • Microbes
    • Algae
    • Biological systems.
• Research objectives:
  • Food production in space
  • Life-support regeneration
  • Human health management under microgravity.

Why Are These “Futuristic” Frontiers?

Strategic Characteristics

• High entry barriers.
• Long gestation periods.
• First-mover advantage leads to:
  • Technological leadership
  • Standard-setting power
  • Strategic autonomy.

Key Challenges for India

• Fragmented R&D efforts.
• Limited scale of marine biomass production.
• Weak linkage between:
  • Research
  • Manufacturing
  • Markets.
• Absence of:
  • Dedicated national roadmap
  • Clear timelines & outcome metrics.

Way Forward

Strategic Interventions

• Develop a dedicated national roadmap for:
  • Marine biotechnology
  • Space biotechnology.
• Define:
  • Clear milestones
  • Funding priorities
  • Translational pathways.
• Strengthen:
  • Shared research infrastructure.
  • Public–private partnerships.
• Integrate:
  • BioE3
  • Blue Economy
  • Space missions with biomanufacturing goals.
• Promote:
  • Downstream biomanufacturing
  • Export-oriented marine bio-products.

Prelims Pointers

• Marine biotechnology exploits extreme marine environments.
• Space biotechnology studies biology in microgravity & radiation.
• India seaweed output: ~70,000 tonnes/year.
• Key missions:
  • Deep Ocean Mission
  • BioE3
  • ISRO microgravity biology programme.

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NGT Suo Motu on Sewage-Contaminated Drinking Water 

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Why in News ?

• National Green Tribunal (NGT) took suo motu cognisance of media reports on sewage contamination of drinking water in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.
• Principal Bench (Chairperson Prakash Shrivastava, Expert Member A. Senthil Vel) issued notices to State governments and concerned agencies; sought affidavits.
• Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) directed to file a response.
• Cities cited: Udaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Banswara, Jaipur, Ajmer, Bora (Rajasthan); Greater Noida (UP); Bhopal, Indore (MP).

Relevance

• GS III – Environment
  • Water pollution, urban environmental governance.
  • Enforcement of Water Act, 1974 & EPA, 1986.
• GS II – Polity & Governance
  • Role of NGT; environmental adjudication.
  • ULB responsibilities (Art. 243W).

Facts & Evidence

• Reports indicate decades-old, corroded pipelines with drinking water lines passing through open sewage drains.
• Health impacts:
  • Greater Noida: residents (including children) reported vomiting and diarrhoea.
  • Bhopal: E. coli detected in drinking water due to sewage leakage into tube-wells.
  • Indore: at least six deaths linked to consumption of contaminated piped water.
• NGT’s prima facie finding: violations of:
  • Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
  • Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974

NGT’s Jurisdiction & Legal Basis

• Suo motu powers: NGT can act on its own based on credible information (including news reports) where environmental harm is alleged.
• Mandate:
  • Adjudication of disputes under environmental laws.
  • Polluter Pays, Precautionary Principle, Sustainable Development.
• Why Water Contamination fits NGT:
  • Drinking water contamination is both environmental pollution and public health risk.
  • Direct linkage to Water Act, 1974 and EPA, 1986.

Issues Identified by NGT

• Infrastructure failure:
  • Aging pipelines, corrosion, poor maintenance.
• Governance gaps:
  • Inadequate surveillance, delayed repairs, weak accountability of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).
• Public health emergency:
  • Water-borne diseases; risk amplification in dense urban settings.
• Regulatory non-compliance:
  • Failure to prevent sewage ingress; unsafe distribution systems.

Constitutional & Governance Dimensions

• Article 21: Right to life includes right to safe drinking water (SC jurisprudence).
• Article 243W & 12th Schedule: ULBs responsible for water supply and sanitation—capacity and funding gaps evident.
• Centre–State–ULB coordination:
  • CPCB/SPCB oversight vs municipal execution—fragmentation highlighted.

Environmental & Public Health Linkages

• Water-borne pathogens (e.g., E. coli) signal faecal contamination.
• Environmental neglect translates into acute health crises—NGT bridges this interface.
• Reinforces One Health perspective (environment–animal–human health continuum).

Accountability & Compliance

• Affidavits detailing:
  • Source of contamination; pipeline maps; age and material of networks.
  • Immediate containment steps; chlorination and flushing protocols.
  • Health surveillance data and compensation, if any.
• Action plans:
  • Time-bound replacement of pipelines; separation of sewer and water lines.
  • Continuous water quality monitoring; public disclosure.
• Liability:
  • Fixing responsibility on agencies; application of Polluter Pays where applicable.

Challenges 

• Chronic underinvestment in urban water infrastructure.
• Lack of real-time water quality monitoring at distribution endpoints.
• Poor asset management and GIS mapping.
• Reactive responses post-outbreak rather than preventive maintenance.

Way Forward

• Immediate:
  • Emergency disinfection, alternate safe water supply, health camps.
• Short-term:
  • Audit and replace corroded pipelines; ensure physical separation from sewers.
  • Ward-level water testing with public dashboards.
• Medium-term:
  • Asset management plans; leak detection; pressure management.
  • Strengthen SPCBs/ULBs with funds and technical capacity.
• Regulatory:
  • Enforce Water Act standards; penalties for non-compliance.
  • Institutionalise NGT directions into municipal SOPs.

Prelims Pointers

• NGT can take suo motu cognisance of environmental violations.
• Water contamination falls under Water Act, 1974 and EPA, 1986.
• CPCB is the apex technical body at the Centre.
• E. coli indicates faecal contamination.

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Ganga Biodiversity Recovery: Fish Species & Gharials

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Why in News ?

• 230 fish species recorded in the Ganga River, the highest in ~50 years.
• Over 3,000 gharials documented across the Ganges basin.
• Findings from nationwide scientific assessments led by ICAR institutes and wildlife agencies.

Relevance

• GS III – Environment & Ecology
  • River ecology, freshwater biodiversity, flagship species conservation.
  • Outcomes of Namami Gange; e-flow norms.
• GS II – Governance
  • Basin-level, inter-State coordination.

Fish Diversity (Freshwater Biodiversity)

• Survey agency: ICAR-CIFRI.
• Coverage:
  • 2,525 km of the Ganga mainstem.
  • 67 tributaries + 6 floodplain wetlands.
• Trend:
  • 1822: 271 species
  • 1974: 150 species
  • 2004: 104 species
  • 2023: 230 species (strong recovery signal).
• High-diversity sites:
  • Farakka (109 spp.)
  • Buxar (85)
  • Baharampore (76)
• Low-diversity sites:
  • Diamond Harbour (38)
  • Gadkhali (32)

Gharial Status (Flagship Indicator Species)

• Assessment led by Wildlife Institute of India with partners.
• Basin-wide count: >3,000 gharials.
• Strongholds:
  • Chambal River (≈2,097 individuals).
• Other rivers (Gandak, Ghaghara, Son, Ganga):
  • Much lower encounter rates (~0.02 per km surveyed).
• Context:
  • Gharial = Critically Endangered; recovery indicates improved riverine conditions in select stretches.

What Explains the Recovery?

Governance & Policy Drivers

• Namami Gange Mission:
  • Improved sewage treatment capacity.
  • Reduced industrial effluents.
• River habitat interventions:
  • Wetland restoration.
  • Environmental flow (e-flow) norms.
• Fisheries management:
  • Ranching & restocking by ICAR-CIFRI (e.g., ~47 lakh fish juveniles released since 2010; ~6,031 tagged).

Environmental Significance 

• Fish diversity = proxy for:
  • Water quality
  • Habitat connectivity
  • Flow regimes.
• Gharials = apex, flow-dependent species:
  • Require deep, sandy banks and clean water.
• Signals partial success of river rejuvenation, though spatially uneven.

Governance & Federal Dimensions 

• Multi-agency coordination:
  • ICAR, State fisheries departments, SPCBs, wildlife agencies.
• River basin approach:
  • Tributaries and wetlands critical—not just the main river.
• Need for inter-State coordination across the Ganga basin.

Economic & Livelihood Angle

• Inland fisheries:
  • Support nutrition and livelihoods.
  • Biodiversity recovery can raise sustainable yields.
• Eco-tourism potential:
  • Gharial and dolphin habitats (with safeguards).

Challenges

• Spatial disparity:
  • Recovery concentrated in few stretches; delta & lower reaches lag.
• Anthropogenic pressures persist:
  • Sand mining, barrages, fishing bycatch.
• Flow fragmentation:
  • Dams/barrages affect migratory species and gharials.
• Data continuity:
  • Need for long-term, standardised monitoring.

Way Forward 

• Scale basin-wide habitat restoration (tributaries + floodplains).
• Strengthen e-flow enforcement and fish passages at barrages.
• Expand community-based fisheries management.
• Protect gharial nesting sites; reduce bycatch with gear modifications.
• Integrate biodiversity metrics into Namami Gange performance dashboards.

Prelims Pointers

• Highest fish species count in Ganga in ~50 years: 230.
• Apex research body for inland fisheries: ICAR-CIFRI.
• Gharial status: Critically Endangered.
• Gharial stronghold: Chambal River.
• Fish diversity hotspots vary significantly along the river.

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INS Kaudinya Voyage to Muscat

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Why in News ?

• INS Kaudinya successfully completed a historic voyage to Muscat (Oman).
• The journey recreated ancient Indian Ocean trade routes using a hand-stitched wooden ship, based on traditional shipbuilding techniques.
• The expedition commemorates India’s maritime heritage and civilisational links with West Asia, especially Oman.

Relevance

• GS II – International Relations
  • Maritime diplomacy; India–Oman ties.
  • Soft power; Indian Ocean Region engagement.
• GS III – Security
  • Maritime awareness; SAGAR doctrine.

What is INS Kaudinya?

• A traditional hand-stitched wooden vessel, inspired by ancient Indian shipbuilding.
• Built without modern metal fastenings:
  • Wooden planks stitched together using traditional methods.
• Operated as a seagoing vessel, not merely a ceremonial replica.
• Named after Kaudinya, an ancient Indian mariner associated with early Indian Ocean trade and cultural diffusion.

Historical & Civilisational Significance

Ancient Indian Ocean Trade

• India maintained robust maritime trade with:
  • Oman
  • Arabia
  • East Africa
  • Southeast Asia
• Traded goods included:
  • Spices
  • Textiles
  • Beads
  • Metalware
• Indian merchants and sailors were key carriers of:
  • Commerce
  • Culture
  • Ideas

Muscat’s Importance

• Muscat was a critical node in:
  • Indian Ocean trade networks.
• Reflects centuries-old India–Oman maritime linkages.

Strategic & Geopolitical Relevance

Maritime Diplomacy

• Voyage reinforces India’s soft power through civilisational diplomacy.
• Strengthens ties with:
  • Oman
  • West Asia
• Complements India’s:
  • Indo-Pacific vision
  • SAGAR doctrine (Security and Growth for All in the Region).

Cultural Diplomacy

• Demonstrates India as a historical maritime civilisation, not only a continental power.
• Aligns with:
  • Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam
  • People-to-people connect initiatives.

Technological & Knowledge Dimension

Indigenous Knowledge Systems

• Validates:
  • Traditional shipbuilding
  • Indigenous maritime engineering
• Shows:
  • Ancient Indian ships were deep-sea capable, not limited to coastal navigation.
• Reinforces the importance of:
  • Documenting and reviving traditional technologies.

Security & Naval Dimension 

• Highlights:
  • Indian Navy’s role beyond combat—heritage, diplomacy, outreach.
• Enhances:
  • Maritime awareness
  • Oceanic domain familiarity.
• Symbolically supports:
  • India’s role as a net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

Cultural & Educational Value

• Encourages:
  • Public interest in maritime history.
  • Academic research on Indian Ocean studies.
• Counters narratives that:
  • Underplay India’s seafaring past.

Challenges & Critiques

• Symbolic initiatives must be:
  • Backed by academic research.
  • Integrated into school curricula & museums.
• Risk of:
  • Remaining a one-off event without sustained follow-up.

Way Forward

Coastal community engagement.

Institutionalise maritime heritage diplomacy through:

• Regular heritage voyages.

Joint research with IOR countries.

Integrate findings into:

• NCERT curricula.

Maritime museums & digital archives.

Link heritage initiatives with:

• Contemporary Indo-Pacific strategy.

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