Raman Academy • Daily Current Affairs
Important News Articles & Editorial Analysis
The Hindu
Friday, 05 June 2026
Edition: International • World Environment Day
Int'l Relations Sci & Tech Page 04 • GS II & III
India, U.K. launch observatory to expand critical minerals partnership
India and the United Kingdom have formally launched the Critical Minerals Global Supply Chain Observatory (GSCO) to monitor and analyse global supply chains. First announced in October 2025 during the U.K. PM’s India visit, the initiative responds to the strategic need to secure critical minerals (lithium, cobalt, nickel, etc.) for the clean-energy transition, defence and advanced technologies.
1. Operation & Technical Framework
- Joint academic partnership: A digital, data-driven platform run by India’s TEXMiN (Technology Innovation in Exploration & Mining Foundation) at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad and the U.K.’s University of Cambridge.
- Methodology: Tracks the global critical-mineral supply chain, analyses data, and flags potential bottlenecks or risks.
2. Strategic & Economic Objectives
- Supply-chain resilience: Reduce dependence on any single country (e.g., China) and build a reliable global supply chain.
- Clean energy & tech: These minerals power Li-ion batteries, EVs, solar panels, semiconductors and wind turbines — supporting both nations’ Net-Zero goals.
- Bilateral investment: Opens trade and manufacturing avenues in the critical-minerals sector.
3. Broader India-U.K. Context
| Area | Progress |
|---|---|
| Trade | Strong movement toward a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) |
| Defence | Co-production and technology transfer via a defence industrial road map |
| Advanced tech | Cooperation in AI, education, climate and clean energy |
| Geopolitics | Views exchanged on Ukraine, West Asia and Indo-Pacific security |
What are critical minerals? Mineral elements vital to economic progress and national security, but with low domestic availability or high supply-disruption risk — e.g., cobalt, lithium, gallium, nickel and Rare Earth Elements (REEs).
India Implications
- Mineral diplomacy: GSCO marks a milestone in emerging mineral diplomacy — a data-driven lever for proactive policy decisions.
- Manufacturing ambitions: Secures inputs for Make in India and the EV Mission.
- Counterweight to monopoly: Helps balance China’s dominance over critical-mineral supply chains.
Conclusion: The GSCO is not merely a technical collaboration but a significant step in mineral diplomacy. With global supply chains highly sensitive to geopolitical conflict, the Cambridge-IIT Dhanbad data approach enables proactive policy — a practical, visionary move for India’s manufacturing security.
Prelims Practice
Q. Consider the following statements regarding the Critical Minerals Global Supply Chain Observatory (GSCO):
- It is a joint initiative of India and the United Kingdom.
- It aims to monitor and analyse global critical-mineral supply chains.
- It is jointly operated by IIT (ISM) Dhanbad and the University of Cambridge.
- Its primary objective is to promote fossil-fuel-based industries.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- (a) 1, 2 and 3 only
- (b) 1 and 4 only
- (c) 2 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Click to reveal answer
Answer: (a) 1, 2 and 3 only — GSCO supports the clean-energy transition, not fossil-fuel industries.
Mains Practice
India-UK cooperation in critical minerals reflects the emergence of “Mineral Diplomacy” in contemporary international relations. Examine. (15 Marks, 250 Words)
Polity Page 06 • GS II • Indian Polity
Draft SC rules prohibit use of AI for judicial outcomes, witness profiling
The Supreme Court’s AI Committee has released the initial draft of the Regulations for the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Courts, 2026. The core objective: restrict AI in judicial processes to a strictly ‘assistive’ role, subordinate to human judgment and judicial authority — a proactive response to courts over-relying on AI for adjudication.
1. Background & Trigger
- Judicial misconduct case: In March 2026, the SC pulled up a trial court for a judgment based on fictitious, AI-generated rulings — calling it not mere error but “judicial misconduct.”
- The committee: Chaired by Justice P.S. Narasimha; public/stakeholder feedback invited until 20 June 2026.
2. Core Prohibitions & 3. Permitted Uses
| Prohibited (judicial) | Permitted (administrative) |
|---|---|
| Determining verdicts, judgments, sentencing | Case management, scheduling, tracking |
| Profiling witnesses/litigants for credibility | Automated generation of daily Cause Lists |
| “Black-box” / unexplainable AI systems | Real-time transcription of proceedings |
| Risk scoring — bail, recidivism, flight risk | Translation of judgments into regional languages |
| Surveillance of judges, lawyers, litigants | — |
4. Guiding Principles & Safeguards
- Human-in-the-loop: Mandatory human intervention and independent oversight in high-stakes liberty/rights matters.
- Bias-free: AI must not perpetuate bias by caste, religion, race, gender, language, disability or socio-economic status.
- Data sovereignty: In-court personal-data processing governed by the DPDP Act, 2023.
- Bridging the digital divide: Tools must not disadvantage rural, poor or linguistically diverse communities.
5. Proposed ‘Apex Body’
- Chair: A sitting SC judge nominated by the CJI, serving ex-officio.
- Composition: SC & HC judges, joint-secretary-level MeitY officers, domain experts, financial experts and cybersecurity analysts.
India Implications
- Sanctity of justice: Keeps human empathy, conscience and context central to adjudication — which algorithms cannot replicate.
- Backlog relief: Administrative AI can help clear pending cases without compromising the Rule of Law.
- Regulatory model: An early, balanced template for AI governance in public institutions.
Conclusion: The draft is a progressive, balanced stride to safeguard judicial sanctity from unregulated technology. Every case is unique, demanding human conscience and contextual understanding; while administrative AI can be revolutionary for backlogs, keeping AI strictly subordinate in adjudication is essential for the Rule of Law and natural justice.
Prelims Practice
Q. Consider the following statements regarding the Draft Regulations on the Use of AI in Courts, 2026:
- AI can be used to determine judicial outcomes and sentencing.
- AI can be used for real-time transcription of court proceedings.
- AI-based profiling of witnesses and litigants is prohibited.
- AI can be used for preparation of cause lists.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- (a) 2, 3 and 4 only
- (b) 1 and 2 only
- (c) 1, 3 and 4 only
- (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Click to reveal answer
Answer: (a) 2, 3 and 4 only — Statement 1 is wrong: AI cannot determine judicial outcomes or sentencing.
Mains Practice
Artificial Intelligence can improve judicial efficiency, but excessive reliance on it may undermine the principles of natural justice and judicial accountability. Examine. (15 Marks, 250 Words)
Social Justice Page 07 • GS II • Social Justice
Evolving public health strategies to address under- and over-nutrition
A joint study by CMC Vellore and TIFR’s ARUMDA, with NFHS-6 data, points to a fresh crisis on India’s nutritional-security front: the Double Burden of Malnutrition. Even as undernutrition (stunting, wasting, underweight) persists, overnutrition (overweight, obesity) is escalating — and the divergence toward both thinness and obesity accelerates as early as ages 7–9.
1. Core Findings of the Vellore (MAL-ED) Study
The study tracked 251 children in a low-income urban Vellore slum from birth to age 9:
| Age | Key finding |
|---|---|
| 2 years | ~45% stunted; ~80% of these caught up on linear growth by age 9 |
| 7 years | 26.3% severely thin; 5.2% overweight/obese |
| 9 years | 21.6% underweight; overweight/obese spikes to 14.6% |
Inference: Vulnerability is not confined to toddlers; the crisis rapidly shifts toward overnutrition in early school years.
2. Trans-generational Burden
- Maternal BMI is a potent indicator of a child’s thinness.
- NFHS-6: 30.7% of women aged 15–49 are overweight/obese (up from 24% in NFHS-5) — transferring the metabolic crisis across generations.
3. Determinants & 4. Health Vulnerabilities
- Cheap ultra-processed foods are ubiquitous in low-income clusters; fresh fruit, vegetables and proteins remain costly.
- One-size-fits-all dietary interventions ignore individual nutritional needs.
- Lean Diabetes (Type 5): Undernutrition impairs insulin secretion, raising diabetes risk even in thin people.
- NCDs: Overnutrition raises adult risk of hypertension, type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
5. Institutional Shift Required
- Monitor beyond the first 1,000 days: Real metabolic divergence appears in school years, so growth monitoring must continue.
- Restructure schemes: Per FAO, ICDS (Anganwadi), PM POSHAN and PDS must shift from mere calorie-boosting to discouraging low-quality, high-fat, high-sugar foods.
India Implications
- Integrated Nutrition Policy: Promote dietary diversity plus healthy lifestyle (activity + balanced nutrition).
- Diversify welfare diets: Add millets, local fruits and diverse proteins to Mid-Day Meal and PDS.
- Fiscal nudge: Consider a ‘Fat Tax’ on packaged junk food.
Conclusion: Malnutrition in India is no longer just the “hungry, frail child” — it is a complex web of insulin resistance and childhood obesity. Unidimensional interventions risk fuelling an NCD crisis. An integrated approach fostering dietary diversity and healthy lifestyles is now essential to mitigate this double burden.
Prelims Practice
Q. The “Double Burden of Malnutrition” refers to:
- Simultaneous prevalence of undernutrition and overnutrition in a population.
- Coexistence of stunting and obesity within the same country.
- Presence of communicable and non-communicable diseases together.
Select the correct answer:
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Click to reveal answer
Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only — The double burden is about the coexistence of under- and over-nutrition, not communicable vs non-communicable disease.
Mains Practice
India is witnessing a transition from traditional undernutrition to a “double burden of malnutrition”. Examine the causes and suggest suitable policy interventions. (15 Marks, 250 Words)
Environment Page 08 • GS III • Environment
A national environmental survey whose time came
Invoking anthropologist Anna Tsing’s view of the Anthropocene — where human disturbance outpaces other geological forces — the article argues India urgently needs an independent, comprehensive Annual Environmental Survey of India (EnvSI) to balance rapid economic growth with environmental sustainability.
1. The Unfolding Environmental Crisis
Yale Survey 2024-25 & official data
- Extreme weather: ~71% of Indians faced intense heatwaves, 60% agricultural pests/diseases, 52% droughts/water scarcity, 52% severe air pollution.
- Resource depletion: Toxic heavy metals in ~half of India’s 870 river-monitoring stations; 29.7% of land degraded/desertifying.
- Life expectancy: Air pollution shortened average Indian lifespan by ~3 years (2022 data).
2. Institutional & Policy Gaps
| Gap | Detail |
|---|---|
| Fiscal neglect | MoEFCC gets just 0.07% of the annual budget — underfunded, understaffed |
| Working in silos | Environmental agencies operate in isolation with overlapping jurisdictions |
| Lack of transparency | NAP/REDD+ afforestation figures obscure state-wise deforestation and displacement |
3. Proposed Structure of EnvSI
- Statutory mandate: Expert-led body with legal authority, functional autonomy and security of tenure.
- Integrated methodology: Cross-verified data from government, independent researchers and the private sector, plus field-based livelihood assessments.
- The Economic Survey model: Like the Economic Survey under the CEA, EnvSI must present unfiltered environmental truths, free of political interference.
4. Four Core Benefits
- Disaster resilience: Coordinated action to prevent climate-induced disasters.
- Global credibility: A transparent database unlocks climate finance and green investment.
- Livelihoods & rights: Balances development with tribal rights and displaced communities.
- Global goals: India — one-sixth of humanity on 4% of land — is indispensable to the Paris Agreement.
India Implications
- Make nature visible: Mainstream environmental health into economic policy decision-making.
- Strategic alarm: EnvSI would warn policymakers of impending ecological vulnerabilities, not merely document damage.
- Cost logic: The cost of conservation is far below the future price of ecological collapse.
Conclusion: India’s core challenge is managing development-vs-conservation trade-offs. Marginalising the environment in the pursuit of growth can only be checked by an independent, statutorily robust EnvSI — a strategic alarm for policymakers. The time has come to make nature visible within mainstream economic policy.
Prelims Practice
Q. Consider the following statements regarding the proposed Annual Environmental Survey of India (EnvSI):
- It is proposed on the lines of the Economic Survey of India.
- It aims to integrate environmental data from multiple agencies and institutions.
- It is intended to function as an autonomous, expert-led body.
- Its primary purpose is to grant environmental clearances to projects.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- (a) 1, 2 and 3 only
- (b) 2 and 4 only
- (c) 1, 3 and 4 only
- (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Click to reveal answer
Answer: (a) 1, 2 and 3 only — EnvSI is a survey/assessment body, not a clearance-granting authority.
Mains Practice
Environmental degradation is increasingly emerging as a constraint on India’s developmental aspirations. In this context, examine the need for an Annual Environmental Survey of India (EnvSI). (15 Marks, 250 Words)
Environment Page 09 • GS III • Environment
When El Niño becomes an economic crisis
Climate risk is rapidly turning into economic risk. NOAA (2026) places a 96% probability of El Niño returning in 2026, while the IMD projects a below-normal monsoon (92%). This is not merely a meteorological disruption but a development crisis exposing the structural vulnerabilities of India’s informal economy.
1. The Economic Transmission Mechanism
| Channel | Impact |
|---|---|
| A. Heat economy & productivity | Informal workers — construction, delivery, vendors, farm labour — lose hours/income to heat stress |
| B. Agriculture & rural economy | SW monsoon = ~70% of annual rainfall; erratic rain raises sowing risk, irrigation cost and groundwater over-extraction |
| C. Food inflation | Food inflation rose to 4.2% (April 2026, MoSPI); a weak monsoon can spike vegetable, pulse and staple prices |
2. The Policy Dilemma & 3. Urban Inequality
- Stagflationary pressure: El Niño dampens growth while intensifying inflation — a dual blow for policymakers.
- Urban heat islands: Concretisation creates ‘heat traps’; affluent families adapt via AC/housing while low-income settlements bear overcrowding, water scarcity and heat — widening urban inequality.
Way Forward / Adaptation Measures
- Heat-resilient cities: Cool roofing, green corridors, rejuvenated water bodies.
- Worker protection: Flexible hours in peak heat, shade & water at worksites, ‘Heat Insurance’.
- Water management: Rainwater harvesting, micro-irrigation (drip/sprinkler), timely desilting of reservoirs.
- Climate-smart agriculture: Incentivise heat-tolerant, water-efficient crops, especially millets.
India Implications
- Mainstream macro risk: El Niño is now a macroeconomic challenge, not just a weather event.
- Protect the vulnerable: The worst impacts fall on the informal workforce — SDGs depend on safeguarding it.
- Budgetary integration: Embed climate risk into mainstream economic and budget planning beyond short-term relief.
Conclusion: El Niño has evolved from a geographical phenomenon into a mainstream macroeconomic challenge whose harshest effects strike the most marginalised. India must move beyond immediate relief (subsidies, foodgrain) toward long-term climate adaptation — integrating climate risk into economic and budgetary planning is the need of the hour.
Prelims Practice
Q. Consider the following statements regarding El Niño:
- It is associated with abnormal warming of surface waters in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean.
- It generally weakens the Indian Summer Monsoon.
- It always causes drought in India.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Click to reveal answer
Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only — El Niño is correlated with weaker monsoons but does not always cause drought in India.
Mains Practice
Climate risks are increasingly transforming into economic risks in India. Examine the impact of El Niño on agriculture, inflation and the informal economy. (15 Marks, 250 Words)
Environment Page 08 • GS III • Editorial Analysis
Funding India’s climate future: a trillion-dollar question
India’s most formidable climate challenge is mobilising finance. Per UNEP India head Balakrishna Pisupati, India needs ₹162.5 trillion (~$2.5 trillion) to meet its NDCs by 2030, and an estimated $10.1 trillion to reach Net-Zero by 2070 — nearly three times current GDP. With international aid unreliable, India must mobilise capital through its own mainstream financial ecosystem.
1. The Colossal Financing Gap
- Core decarbonisation: Greening steel, cement, electricity and road transport (>half of emissions) needs $467 billion of extra CapEx (2022–2030) — ~$54 billion/year, or 1.3% of GDP.
- International shortfall: Developed nations backtracked on the $100 billion/year Paris pledge; the Baku NCQG of $300 billion/year by 2035 was rejected by India as grossly inadequate.
- RBI estimate: India needs incremental green investment of at least 2.5% of GDP annually until 2030.
2. Current Progress & Instruments
| Instrument | Status |
|---|---|
| Green/social/sustainability-linked debt | $55.9 billion cumulative by end-2024 (+186% since 2021); green debt = 83% share |
| Sovereign Green Bonds | ₹477 billion issued, boosting investor confidence |
| InvITs & blended finance | Exist, but scale constrained by weak regulatory incentives |
3. RBI Policy Reforms
- Climate-risk integration: Mandatory for commercial & small finance banks in lending and risk management.
- Priority Sector Lending (PSL): Eligible green activities now included, legally compelling credit flow to green sectors.
- Climate stress-testing: A framework to assess how flood risk (Bihar) or drought stress translates into credit risk.
4. Climate Finance Taxonomy & 5. Blended Finance
- Taxonomy (Budget 2024-25): A legal “green” classification curbs greenwashing and authenticates green bonds; Green Steel Taxonomy + Finance Ministry standards.
- Blended finance: A $100 million public First-Loss Guarantee can unlock $500 million–$1 billion in private co-investment.
- State constraint: States execute adaptation (Odisha coast, Vidarbha) but lack borrowing capacity to access international finance directly.
India Implications (Way Forward)
- Enact the Taxonomy: Finalise and legally enforce for regulatory clarity to global investors.
- Mandatory RBI norms: Differentiated capital requirements — costlier ‘brown lending’, cheaper ‘green lending’.
- State Climate Finance Facility (SCFF): With the Centre, NABARD and multilaterals, to give states/municipalities green-market access.
- Expand Sovereign Green Bonds: Allow SLR integration to deepen the domestic market and attract foreign capital.
Conclusion: India’s climate-finance challenge is massive and urgent but not insurmountable. The instruments and regulatory backbone (led by the RBI) exist; the real bottleneck is institutional capacity to deploy capital at scale. Mending these gaps through targeted budget cycles will let India lead the climate-finance architecture for the entire developing world.
Mains Practice
Examine the role of domestic financial institutions and regulatory reforms in achieving India’s Net-Zero target by 2070. (15 Marks, 250 Words)
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