Current Affairs 15 July 2025

Content :

1. Kaziranga’s First Grassland Bird Survey Reveals High Avian Diversity
2. Dowry Deaths in India: High Incidence, Slow Investigations, Rare Convictions
3. SC Flags Misuse of Free Speech on Social Media, Calls for Regulatory Balance
4. Denmark’s Copyright-Based Approach to Combat Deepfakes
5. Environment Ministry’s New SO₂ Emission Framework for Thermal Plants Defended
6. India Loses ₹7,000 Crore to Cyber Frauds in 5 Months: Cross-Border Scams Under Scanner

Famous for its rhinos, Kaziranga records high diversity of grassland birds in survey

Context & Significance

• A first-of-its-kind survey in Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) (Assam) has recorded 43 species of grassland-dependent birds.
• Conducted between March 18 and May 25, 2025, it marks a milestone in the documentation of avifaunal diversity in the Brahmaputra floodplains.
• This is important for grassland ecosystem conservation, which remains under-researched in India compared to forests and wetlands.

Relevance : GS 3(Environment and Ecology)

About Kaziranga National Park

Key Findings from the Survey

Innovative Methodology Used

• Passive Acoustic Monitoring
• Use of passive acoustic recorders for:
  • Non-invasive, continuous monitoring
  • Detecting shy, cryptic, or nocturnal birds
  • Coverage of inaccessible or high-risk areas
• Significantly improved the depth and accuracy of avifaunal detection.

Why Grasslands Matter

• Wet grasslands, like those in Kaziranga, are ecologically rich but poorly studied.
• These ecosystems support unique, endemic, and endangered species.
• Serve as breeding grounds, foraging zones, and indicator habitats of environmental health.

Comparative Significance

• Kaziranga’s grassland bird diversity is now comparable to dry grasslands of Gujarat and Rajasthan, known for species like:
  • Great Indian Bustard (critically endangered)
  • Lesser florican
• Highlights importance of wet grasslands in conservation discourse, which often emphasizes forests and dry grasslands.

Policy & Conservation Implications

1. Need for Ecosystem-Specific Surveys

• Wet grasslands are under-surveyed across India.
• Targeted studies like this can guide species-specific conservation plans.

2. Grassland Management

• Presence of Finn’s weaver breeding suggests healthy grassland ecology.
• Conservation of such indicator species is critical to ecosystem stability.

3. Integration with Tiger Reserves

• Emphasizes multi-species management in Protected Areas (PA)—not just megafauna like rhinos or tigers.
• Enhances landscape-level conservation under CAMPA, Project Tiger, and Biodiversity Action Plans.

Challenges & Way Forward

Dowry deaths in India: Long investigations, rare convictions

Context

Despite being legally banned, dowry practices and related violence persist across India. A spate of recent cases — involving torture, suicides, and murders — underlines the systemic failures in prevention, investigation, and prosecution.

Relevance : GS 2(Social Issues)

Key Data: Dowry Deaths in India (2017–2022)

Key Insights

1. Dowry Violence Is Rampant and Under-reported

• The 7,000 annual cases represent only the tip of the iceberg — social stigma, family pressure, and fear of reprisal prevent reporting.
• Cultural normalization of dowry demands continues, especially in patriarchal setups.

2. Investigations Are Slow and Incomplete

• Nearly half of the reported cases are not charge-sheeted.
• Delays in charge-sheeting (70% take >2 months) weaken the case and reduce chances of conviction.

3. Convictions Are Rare

• Less than 2% conviction rate despite FIRs and trial initiation.
• Acquittals, withdrawals, and plea bargains are common due to weak evidence, societal compromise, or prolonged legal processes.

4. Geographic Concentration

• 80% of dowry deaths are concentrated in 9 states, largely in the Hindi heartland and eastern India.
• Delhi alone accounts for 30% of dowry death cases among cities—reflecting both high reporting and severity.

Legal & Institutional Framework

Challenges

1. Delayed Justice

• Investigation lags and evidence tampering compromise trials.
• Lack of forensic support and insensitive police response further aggravate the problem.

2. Social Pressures & Normalisation

• Silencing of victims due to family honour, fear, or economic dependence.
• Many families withdraw or settle cases informally, undermining justice.

3. Misuse vs Genuine Cases Debate

• Concerns over misuse of Section 498A IPC have led to dilution in enforcement.
• Judicial caution often overrides the urgency in genuine dowry harassment cases.

4. No Survivor-Centric Framework

• Lack of psychological, legal, and financial support for survivors and families.
• No centralised tracking of dowry cases from FIR to conviction.

Policy Recommendations

Abuse of right to free speech increasing on social media, says SC

Context

The Supreme Court has flagged the increasing misuse of free speech on social media, especially when it incites division, hate, or undermines dignity. The Court called for a framework of regulation, not censorship, to balance constitutional rights with social responsibility.

Relevance : GS 2(Fundamental Rights, Fake Speech, Misinformation)

Constitutional & Legal Context

Supreme Court’s Observations (July 2025)

• Free speech is being weaponized—particularly online—to fuel communalism, defame individuals, or erode public trust.
• Social media magnifies harm due to its viral nature and low accountability.
• The Court clarified: “We are not calling for censorship, but for self-restraint and regulatory balance.”

Why the Concern Over Social Media Speech?

1. Unchecked Virality

• Harmful or hateful content spreads rapidly—amplifying misinformation and communal tensions.
• Algorithms favour sensational content, not responsible speech.

2. Weak Platform Accountability

• No uniform grievance redressal.
• Platforms often delay taking down harmful content unless legally compelled.

3. Fragmented Legal Response

• Multiple FIRs across states for the same post—leads to harassment, forum shopping, and misuse of law.

4. Polarising Content

• Politically or religiously divisive speech increases during elections, riots, or crises.
• Example: Communal trolling, deepfakes, disinformation campaigns.

Challenges in Regulation

Policy & Institutional Framework

Way Forward

How Denmark Plans to Use Copyright Law to Protect Against Deepfakes

Context

Denmark has proposed a new legal approach to combat the spread of deepfakes—synthetic media generated using AI—by extending copyright protections to individuals’ facial features, voice, and appearance, even if the manipulated media is not originally theirs.

Relevance : GS 2(International Relations , Social Issues)

Why This Matters

• Deepfakes are becoming more realistic and easier to create, posing serious risks to privacy, consent, democracy, and digital trust.
• India and many countries lack a specific legal framework to address deepfakes.

Key Features of Denmark’s Proposal

Caveats & Limitations

Global Relevance

• India’s Gap: India has no standalone law to regulate deepfakes. IT Rules 2021 address harmful content but don’t define deepfakes explicitly.
• Comparative Insight:
  • EU AI Act: Classifies deepfakes as high-risk AI.
  • US: Various state laws penalize deepfakes in elections or pornography.
  • China: Requires labelling of all AI-generated media.

Environment Ministry defends revised framework for thermal plants to meet SO₂ emission norms

Context

On July 11, 2025, the Union Environment Ministry issued a revised framework to regulate sulphur dioxide (SO₂) emissions from thermal power plants. It has exempted many older coal-based plants from retrofitting Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) devices and staggered deadlines for compliance based on location-based categorisation.

Relevance : GS 3(Environment and Ecology)

 Scientific & Technical Basis

• SO₂: Harmful gas emitted during coal combustion; causes acid rain and respiratory illnesses.
• Also contributes to secondary pollutants like particulate matter.
• Ministry claims:
  • Framework is evidence-based, informed by:
    • Ambient SO₂ studies from 7 cities.
    • Inputs from CPCB, NEERI, and IITs.
    • Scientific analysis across 537 thermal power plants (TPPs).

Key Elements of the New Framework

• Plants retiring before Dec 2030 are also exempted, subject to ₹0.40/unit compensation if they continue operating beyond that date.

Cost Implications

• Retrofitting FGD systems across 537 plants estimated to cost ₹2.54 lakh crore.

Issues & Criticism

Concept Check

Conclusion

The revised SO₂ compliance framework reflects a balancing act between health, environment, and economic costs. While phased deadlines reduce retrofitting burdens, critics warn of potential dilution of environmental safeguards.

Indians lost ₹7,000 crore to cyber frauds (Jan–May 2025)

Context

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Indians lost over ₹7,000 crore to cyber frauds in the first 5 months of 2025. More than 50% of this loss is linked to cross-border scams originating in Southeast Asia (especially Cambodia), with deep links to human trafficking and organised cybercrime.

Relevance : GS 3 ( Cyber Security, Internal Security, Governance)

Key Data

Source: Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System (CFRMS) under Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)

Key Issues Identified

1. Transnational Nature of Cybercrime

• Scams operated from high-security compounds in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand.
• Controlled by Chinese-linked operators.
• At least 53 scam centres identified (45 in Cambodia alone).

2. Human Trafficking Angle

• Thousands of Indians trafficked and forced to work in scam operations.
• Workers recruited via agents under the promise of overseas tech jobs.

3. Types of Scams

• Investment scams, digital arrest scams, and task-based scams (e.g., fake stock trading apps, online tasks-for-money cons).

4. Recruitment Hubs in India

• Trafficking route: India → Dubai → China → Cambodia/Vietnam/Thailand.
• Other direct routes: Delhi/Lucknow/Jaipur/Kolkata/Kerala to SEA nations.

Institutional Response

• Inter-Ministerial Panel formed by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
• CBI FIRs filed against SIM card sellers aiding ghost identities.
• Collaboration with Cambodian officials, who sought exact GPS coordinates of scam centres for enforcement action.

Governance Gaps

Conclusion

The ₹7,000 crore cyber fraud loss highlights India’s growing vulnerability to transnational digital crime networks. Urgent legal, diplomatic, and technological coordination is needed to plug recruitment, financial, and cyber loopholes.