Day: 22 February 2024

Categories
International Relations

India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) Summit

  • The INDUS-X Summit, which will take place in New Delhi on February 20-21, will represent a key milestone in India and the United States’ combined efforts in defence innovation.

INDUS-X

  • The ‘INDUS-X’ conference, a joint endeavour between India and the United States, marks a watershed moment in bilateral defence cooperation by establishing strategic technology alliances and industrial engagement.
  • Inception date: June 2023.
  • The goal is to strengthen bilateral defence innovation and technology collaboration.
  • Objectives:
    • Increasing strategic collaboration: By broadening strategic technology alliances and defence industrial cooperation.
    • Bridging Innovation Gaps: Create a defence innovation bridge that includes joint challenges, academic involvement, industry-startup collaboration, and investment in defence projects.
  • Focus Areas:
    • Promoting more horizontal cooperation across governments, academics, and laboratories, as well as vertical collaboration between established defence primes and startups or Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
    • Increase the number of points of interaction between startups and prime contractors for essential defence assets including jet engines, long-range artillery, and infantry vehicles.
    • Supporting India’s goal of reaching $5 billion in defence exports by 2025.
    • Contributing to the Indo-Pacific region’s stability and security.
  • Key Participants:
    • India’s Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), U.S. Department of Defense, U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC), U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM).

About Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX)

  • The Ministry of Defence, Government of India, introduced iDEX as a flagship initiative in 2018.
  • Aim: To promote innovation and technological growth in the defence and aerospace sectors.
  • The goal is to create an ecosystem that would enable the rapid development of new, indigenous, and innovative technologies for the Indian defence and aerospace sectors.
  • Significance:
    • Funding: The programme provides grants and cash to support research and development efforts as well as the fabrication of functioning prototypes of national security-related products/technologies.
    • Inclusive Growth: The programme fosters a culture of interaction with creative companies, promotes co-creation in the defence and aerospace sectors, and enables a culture of technology co-creation and co-innovation.
    • Engagement with the Industrial Sector: The programme focuses on bringing together industries, such as MSMEs, startups, and individual innovators, to develop technologically sophisticated solutions for modernising the defence and aerospace sectors.
    • Collaboration: iDEX operates through a variety of programmes, including the Defence India Startup Challenge (DISC), which solicits issue statements from the Armed Forces, DPSUs, and OFB.
  • Implementation of Program:
    • The Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO), a non-profit business established under the Companies Act 2013, implements the iDEX framework and serves as a liaison between the Armed Forces and solution providers.
    • As a result, the programme aims to make India self-reliant and self-sufficient in defence by encouraging innovation, entrepreneurship, and technological growth in the defence and aerospace sectors.
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/military-equipment-co-developed-by-india-us-can-be-used-to-dissuade-countries-from-going-to-mutual-adversaries/article67868477.ece
Categories
Science & Tech

Microscopic Realm: Nanoplastics in Bottled Water

  • A recent study undertaken by Columbia University experts sheds light on the prevalence of micro- and nano-plastics in bottled water, with nano-plastics accounting for an astonishing 90% of the discovered particles.

What are nanoplastics?

  • Nanoplastics are tiny particles that cannot be seen with the naked eye, making identification and measurement difficult.
  • Comparative analysis: Nanoplastics are 70 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair, making them both inconspicuous and widespread.

Key Findings

  • Bottled water includes around 2.4 lakh micro- and nano-plastic particles per litre, indicating that the plastic concentration has been significantly underestimated in comparison to prior evaluations.
  • Dominance of Nanoplastics: Nano-sized particles, which were previously undetected by traditional imaging techniques, now account for 90% of the overall plastic population.
  • Complex Particle Dynamics: Analysis reveals a wide range of plastic compositions, forms, and sizes, shedding light on the intricate interactions between various plastic kinds in the aquatic environment.

How were they evaluated?

  • Nanoplastics provide analytical issues due to their small size and the limits of current diagnostic procedures.
  • To address these issues, researchers use a proprietary hyperspectral Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS) imaging equipment, which allows for precise molecular study at the single-particle level.
  • Raman Scattering Principle: SRS microscopy uses the Raman Effect to identify plastic particles based on their unique spectral fingerprints.

Implications

  • Environmental Importance: The study emphasises the pervasiveness of plastic contamination, with microplastics penetrating ecosystems globally, even bottled water supplies.
  • Biological Impact: Because sub-micrometre plastic particles can cross biological barriers and collect within living beings, they pose a risk to human health.
  • Technological advancements: The use of modern imaging technology improves our understanding of nanoplastic dynamics, allowing for more accurate evaluations of plastic pollution levels.
Source: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/researchers-uncover-nanoplastics-water-bottles-2024a10001kx
Categories
Social Issues

Examining the Maintenance Rights of Divorced Muslim Women

  • The Supreme Court’s examination of support entitlements for divorced Muslim women under Section 125 of the CrPC reignites the debate over the primacy of secular laws over personal laws.
  • The ongoing lawsuit highlights the importance of judicial clarity in addressing the nexus of religious freedom and gender equality.

Maintenance entitlements: Evolution  

  • Section 125 of the CrPC was drafted to provide maintenance for poor family members.
  • It includes divorced spouses of all religions, at the discretion of the Magistrate.

Exception for Muslim women

  • The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986 Introduced to address perceived difficulties with religious law following the Shah Bano case, it provides sustenance during iddat and extends till remarriage.
  • Judicial pronouncements: Following Danial Latifi v. Union of India (2001), various interpretations evolved, with courts upholding both CrPC and 1986 Act remedies for divorced Muslim women.

Case Background: 

  • Dispute. Synopsis: Originating from a Muslim man’s challenge against a Telangana High Court order for interim maintenance to his divorced wife under CrPC Section 125.
  • Legal Argument: Husband claims the 1986 Act supersedes CrPC requirements, claiming jurisdictional overlap and earlier payment during iddat, whereas wife claims CrPC maintenance.

Court Proceedings and Observations

  • Interpretive Dilemma: The Supreme Court emphasises the non-obstante clause of the 1986 Act, which preserves alternative remedies under CrPC.
  • Constitutional imperatives: The justices emphasise constitutional rights of equality, rejecting the premise that the legislature intended to exclude Muslim women from CrPC redress.
  • Precedential insight: Recent High Court decisions uphold divorced Muslim women’s right to CrPC maintenance, regardless of iddat completion or khula pronouncement.

Judgements mentioned in the input

  • Danial Latifi v Union of India (2001): The 1986 Act, which extended support rights to divorced Muslim women until remarriage, was upheld as constitutionally lawful, albeit only during the iddat period.
  • Arshiya Rizvi v. State of Uttar Pradesh and Others (2022): The Allahabad High Court upheld divorced Muslim women’s right to CrPC maintenance after iddat, providing continuing financial support.
  • Razia v. State of Uttar Pradesh (2022): The Allahabad High Court reiterated the applicability of CrPC remedies beyond iddat completion.
  • Shakila Khatun v. State of Uttar Pradesh (2023): The High Court upheld the ability of divorced Muslim women to seek CrPC support, regardless of Islamic personal regulations.

Injustice Against Muslim Women

  • Limited maintenance: The 1986 statute provides limited maintenance solely during the iddat period and continues until remarriage.
  • Personal rules place a burden on Muslim women, but divorced women from other communities can seek maintenance without restriction under Section 125 of the CrPC.
  • Financial crisis: This leads to inconsistent and insufficient financial support for divorced Muslim women, jeopardising their economic security and maintaining gender disparities.
  • discriminatory treatment: The injustice stems from the law’s discriminatory treatment of Muslim women, depriving them of the same level of protection and support as women from other communities in divorce and maintenance proceedings.

Implications & Future 

  • The pending ruling on maintenance entitlements aims to balance religious autonomy and gender fairness.
  • Policy implications: Clarification is sought on legislative intent in relation to the CrPC and the 1986 Act, which is critical for uniform application and fair access to justice.
  • The outcome has a societal impact that extends beyond legal boundaries, indicating shifting society norms and rights consciousness among marginalised communities.

Way Forward

  • Communication and Engagement: Encourage open communication among religious leaders, legal experts, policymakers, and the Muslim community in order to better understand their issues and perspectives.
  • Legal Reforms: Consider revising current laws or adopting new legislation to strike a balance between religious liberty and gender justice, particularly in clauses relating to maintenance for divorced Muslim women.
  • Sensitivity Training: Train legal practitioners to handle matters involving Muslim women with cultural competence and a grasp of Islamic law while preserving equality principles.
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution: Encourage the fair and amicable resolution of family conflicts, including maintenance issues, through mediation and arbitration within Islamic law.
  • Consultation and Collaboration: Involve Muslim women in decision-making and policy formation through consultation to ensure their views are heard and opinions are considered.
  • Respect for difference: Recognise difference within the Muslim community, avoid generalisations, and apply pluralism and tolerance principles when tackling women’s rights concerns.
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sc-examines-divorced-muslim-womens-right-to-maintenance-section-125-of-the-crpc-explained/article67841765.ece
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