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August 3rd Current Affairs

Home / UPSC / Current affairs / UPSC Current Affairs – August 3rd

Table of Contents

Cauvery River Situation Slightly Better, Says Karnataka CM

Why is it in the news?

Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said that the Cauvery river water situation has improved slightly because of good rainfall in the Kabini catchment area, leading to increased inflows into reservoirs. However, he clarified that the State is continuously monitoring the situation and will take decisions based on water availability and legal obligations.

Why has the situation improved?

  • Heavy rainfall in Kerala’s Wayanad region increased inflows into the Kabini reservoir.
  • As reservoirs began filling up, Karnataka resumed releasing some water downstream.
  • The government stated that water management decisions will continue to depend on rainfall and storage levels.

Background

  • The Cauvery River flows through Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.
  • Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have a long-standing dispute over sharing Cauvery waters, especially during years of low rainfall.
  • Water sharing is regulated by the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and the Supreme Court’s 2018 judgment.

Key Issues

  • Balancing drinking water needs, irrigation, and inter-state legal commitments.
  • Managing water during distress (low rainfall) years.
  • Debate over Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir project, which Tamil Nadu opposes.

Way Forward

  • Strengthen cooperative federalism through dialogue.
  • Improve basin-level scientific water management.
  • Promote efficient irrigation and water conservation.
  • Ensure timely implementation of CWMA decisions while protecting the interests of all basin states.

The Houbara Bustard: A Vulnerable Migratory Bird in News

Why in News?

The Houbara Bustard has been in the news due to concerns over its conservation, illegal hunting, and protection of its migratory habitats. It is also frequently discussed in relation to hunting permissions granted in parts of West Asia and South Asia and international conservation efforts.

About the Houbara Bustard

  • Scientific name: Chlamydotis macqueenii (Asian Houbara or MacQueen’s Bustard).
  • A medium-sized migratory desert bird belonging to the bustard family.
  • Found in Central Asia, the Middle East, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
  • During winter, it migrates to India, especially Rajasthan and Gujarat, as well as parts of Pakistan.

Why is it important?

  • Plays an important role in maintaining desert and grassland ecosystems.
  • Considered an indicator of the health of arid habitats.
  • It is a prized bird for falconry, making it vulnerable to overhunting.

Threats

  • Illegal hunting and poaching.
  • Habitat degradation due to agriculture and infrastructure.
  • Disturbance along migratory routes.
  • Climate change affecting breeding and wintering habitats.

Conservation Status

  • IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
  • CITES: Appendix I (highest level of international trade protection).

Drug-Free Youth Crucial for a Developed India

Why is it in News?

The article highlights that India’s goal of becoming a developed nation (Viksit Bharat 2047) depends on having healthy, skilled, and drug-free youth. It emphasizes the need for stronger awareness, rehabilitation, and coordinated efforts to combat drug abuse among young people.

Key Highlights

  • Drug addiction affects the health, education, productivity, and future of young people.
  • Rising drug abuse is linked to organized crime, illegal trafficking, and social problems.
  • Governments, educational institutions, families, and communities must work together to prevent substance abuse.
  • Awareness campaigns, counselling, rehabilitation, and stricter enforcement are essential.

Government Initiatives

  1. Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (NMBA)
  • Launched by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
  • Focuses on:
    • Drug awareness campaigns.
    • Community participation.
    • Counselling and rehabilitation.
    • School and college outreach programmes.

2. Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985

  • Main law to control:
    • Production,
    • Possession,
    • Sale,
    • Transport,
    • Consumption, and
    • Trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

3. NCB (Narcotics Control Bureau)

  • The nodal agency responsible for coordinating efforts against drug trafficking and illegal narcotics.

Challenges

      • Increasing availability of synthetic drugs.
      • Drug trafficking through international and coastal routes.
      • Peer pressure and lack of awareness among youth.
      • Inadequate rehabilitation facilities in some regions.

Way Forward

  • Expand awareness programmes in schools and colleges.
  • Strengthen border surveillance and intelligence sharing.
  • Improve access to de-addiction and rehabilitation centres.
  • Encourage family and community participation in prevention.
  • Promote sports, skill development, and mental health support for youth.

Strong Health System for All Requires Higher Public Spending

Why in News?

The editorial argues that India needs to increase public spending on healthcare to build a strong, equitable, and resilient health system. While India has made progress through schemes like Ayushman Bharat, inadequate public investment continues to limit access and quality of healthcare.

Key Highlights

  • Public health expenditure in India is lower than many developing countries, resulting in:
    • High out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) by families.
    • Unequal access to quality healthcare.
    • Shortages of doctors, nurses, medicines, and hospital infrastructure.
  • Greater government investment is needed to ensure Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

Why Higher Public Spending is Important

  • Reduces the financial burden on poor and middle-class families.
  • Strengthens Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and district hospitals.
  • Improves maternal and child healthcare.
  • Enhances preparedness for future pandemics and disease outbreaks.
  • Promotes preventive healthcare and early diagnosis.

Government Initiatives

  1. Ayushman Bharat
  • Two major components:
    • Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs): Comprehensive primary healthcare.
    • Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY): Health insurance cover of up to ₹5 lakh per family per year for eligible beneficiaries.
  1. National Health Mission (NHM)
  • Aims to strengthen rural and urban public healthcare systems.
  • Focuses on reducing maternal and infant mortality and improving healthcare delivery.

Challenges

  • Low public health expenditure as a percentage of GDP.
  • Unequal healthcare access between urban and rural areas.
  • Shortage of healthcare professionals.
  • High out-of-pocket medical expenses.
  • Weak public health infrastructure in several States.

Way Forward

  • Increase public health expenditure to at least 2.5% of GDP as envisaged in the National Health Policy, 2017.
  • Strengthen primary healthcare and preventive medicine.
  • Improve medical infrastructure and human resources.
  • Expand digital health services and telemedicine.
  • Ensure affordable medicines and diagnostics for all.

Analysing the Supreme Court's Judgment on Sex Work

Why in News?

The editorial analyses the Supreme Court’s observations on the rights of sex workers, emphasizing that adult consensual sex work is not illegal in India, and that sex workers are entitled to dignity, equality, and constitutional protection. It also discusses the need to distinguish between voluntary sex work and human trafficking

Background

  • In 2022, the Supreme Court issued important directions to protect the fundamental rights of sex workers until a comprehensive law is enacted.
  • The Court stated that sex workers are entitled to equal protection under the Constitution and should not face discrimination merely because of their profession.

Key Observations of the Supreme Court

  • Voluntary adult sex work is not a criminal offence under Indian law.
  • Trafficking, forced prostitution, child prostitution, and exploitation remain illegal and must be dealt with strictly.
  • Police should treat sex workers with dignity and respect, avoiding harassment and abuse.
  • Sex workers should have access to healthcare, legal aid, education, identity documents, and rehabilitation schemes.

The children of sex workers should not be discriminated against.

Constitutional Provisions Involved

  • Article 14 – Right to Equality.
  • Article 19(1)(g) – Freedom to practise any profession (subject to reasonable restrictions).
  • Article 21 – Right to Life and Personal Liberty, including the right to live with dignity.

Relevant Law

Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (ITPA), 1956

  • The Act does not criminalise sex work itself.
  • It criminalises:
    • Human trafficking.
    • Running brothels.
    • Procuring or exploiting persons for prostitution.
    • Living on the earnings of another person’s prostitution under specified circumstances.
    • Child sexual exploitation.

Challenges

  • Social stigma and discrimination.
  • Lack of access to healthcare and social security.
  • Police harassment and violence.
  • Difficulty in distinguishing voluntary sex work from trafficking and exploitation.
  • Limited rehabilitation and livelihood opportunities.

Way Forward

  • Ensure strict action against human trafficking and child exploitation.
  • Protect the human rights and dignity of adult sex workers.
  • Provide access to healthcare, education, legal aid, and welfare schemes.
  • Frame a balanced legal framework that protects victims while preventing exploitation.
  • Increase public awareness to reduce stigma.

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