The UPSC Daily Chronicle

WORLD DAY FOR AUDIOVISUAL HERITAGE 2026: NATIONAL FILM HERITAGE MISSION & PRESERVATION OF CELLULOID HISTORY

Context & Analysis: On 27 October, UNESCO observes the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage, commemorating the 1980 adoption of the Recommendation for the Safeguarding and Preservation of Moving Images. In India, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting is executing the world’s largest film preservation initiative—the National Film Heritage Mission (NFHM), implemented by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and the National Film Archive of India (NFAI, Pune). Over 1.3 lakh film reels and vintage audio recordings are undergoing preventive conservation, chemical stabilization, and 4K digital restoration. Celluloid and magnetic tapes are highly vulnerable to chemical decay, notably 'vinegar syndrome' (decomposition of cellulose acetate releasing acetic acid), risking the permanent loss of 20th-century socio-cultural memory.

INFANTRY DAY (27 OCTOBER): 1947 SRINAGAR AIRLANDING, INSTRUMENT OF ACCESSION & TERRITORIAL INTEGRATION

Context & Analysis: On 27 October, the Indian Army commemorates Infantry Day, marking the historic 1947 airborne operation where troops of the 1st Battalion of the Sikh Regiment (led by Lt Col Dewan Ranjit Rai) landed at Srinagar Airfield to push back Pakistani tribal invaders (Operation Gulmarg). The military intervention followed the signing of the legal Instrument of Accession (IoA) by Maharaja Hari Singh of Jammu and Kashmir on 26 October 1947, accepted by Governor-General Lord Mountbatten on 27 October. Under Section 6 of the Government of India Act 1935 (as adapted by the Indian Independence Act, 1947), the princely state of Jammu & Kashmir acceded unconditionally to the Dominion of India on three vital subjects: External Affairs, Defence, and Communications.

THE 'LITHIUM TRIANGLE' OF SOUTH AMERICA: SALAR EVAPORATIVE HYDROLOGY, GEOPOLITICS & KABIL EXPLORATION

Context & Analysis: Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL)—a joint venture of NALCO, HCL, and MECL under the Ministry of Mines—has operationalized commercial exploration across five lithium brine blocks in the Catamarca province of Argentina. South America's Lithium Triangle, spanning the high-altitude endorheic basins of Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile across the Altiplano-Puna plateau, holds over 54% of global identified lithium reserves. Geomorphologically, lithium in this arid Andean plateau is concentrated not in hard rock pegmatites (spodumene), but in subterranean hypersaline continental brines beneath vast salt flats (Salars). Extraction relies on pumping subterranean brine into gigantic surface solar evaporation ponds over 12–18 months, raising significant ecological concerns over water drawdown in hyper-arid indigenous wetlands.

SUPREME COURT ON PMLA SECTION 45 VS ARTICLE 21: PROLONGED INCARCERATION, TWIN BAIL CONDITIONS & SPEEDY TRIAL

Context & Analysis: In a series of authoritative verdicts, the Supreme Court has ruled that statutory restrictions on bail under Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 cannot eclipse the fundamental right to a speedy trial and personal liberty guaranteed under Article 21. Section 45 imposes onerous 'twin conditions' for bail: the Public Prosecutor must be given an opportunity to oppose bail, and the Court must be satisfied that there are reasonable grounds to believe the accused is not guilty of the offense and is not likely to commit any offense while on bail. The Court ruled that where trial has not commenced or where there is no realistic prospect of concluding trial within a reasonable timeframe due to voluminous documents and hundreds of witnesses, prolonged incarceration violates constitutional due process, entitling the accused to bail notwithstanding Section 45.

'ONE NATION, ONE STUDENT ID': APAAR REGISTRY, ACADEMIC BANK OF CREDITS & DIGILOCKER INTEGRATION

Context & Analysis: The Ministry of Education is accelerating nationwide enrollment for the Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR), envisioned under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 as the 'Edu-Locker' and 'One Nation, One Student ID'. APAAR is a lifelong 12-digit unique digital identifier assigned to students from pre-primary to higher education. It seamlessly integrates with the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) established under UGC regulations. The ABC acts as a digital credit depository, enabling flexible multi-disciplinary mobility, credit accumulation, and credit transfer across recognized Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). This architectural framework facilitates multiple entry and exit points in undergraduate programs, allowing students who drop out after Year 1 to earn a Certificate, after Year 2 a Diploma, and after Year 3/4 a Degree.

CHOGM 2026 IN SAMOA: APIA COMMONWEALTH OCEAN DECLARATION, CLIMATE RESILIENCE & SIDS VULNERABILITY

Context & Analysis: The 27th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM 2026) convened in Apia, Samoa, marking the first time the summit was hosted by a Pacific Small Island Developing State (SIDS). The summit concluded with the landmark adoption of the Apia Commonwealth Ocean Declaration, which commits all 56 member states to recognize maritime boundaries regardless of sea-level rise induced coastline erosion, accelerate ratification of the High Seas Treaty (BBNJ Agreement), and scale climate adaptation finance. The Commonwealth represents 2.7 billion people—a third of the global population—across advanced economies and vulnerable island nations. Discussions also addressed demands from Caribbean and African states for reparatory justice for colonial-era transatlantic exploitation.

PM-DAKSH SCHEME EXPANSION: SKILL TRAINING, ENTERPRISE CREDIT & SOCIO-ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT

Context & Analysis: The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment reviewed the implementation of the PM-DAKSH (Pradhan Mantri Dakshta Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi) Yojana, a Central Sector Scheme launched in 2020–21 to upgrade the competency levels of marginalized youth. The scheme targets Scheduled Castes (SCs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Economically Backward Classes (EBCs), De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes (DNTs), and Safai Karamcharis (including waste pickers). Training programs are delivered through government training institutes, Sector Skill Councils, and premier institutions under four distinct modalities: Up-skilling/Re-skilling, Short Term Training, Entrepreneurship Development Programmes (EDP), and Long Term Training, accompanied by wage compensation stipends to incentivize attendance.

PROMPT CORRECTIVE ACTION (PCA) FOR NBFCS: CAPITAL TO ASSET THRESHOLDS, TIER-1 RATIOS & REGULATORY HARMONIZATION

Context & Analysis: The Reserve Bank of India’s supervisory assessment under the Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) Framework for NBFCs highlights growing regulatory convergence between commercial banks and shadow banking institutions. Under the four-layered Scale-Based Regulation (SBR) framework, NBFCs in the Middle, Upper, and Top Layers are subject to PCA triggers to enable timely supervisory intervention before insolvency strikes. The PCA framework tracks three key financial parameters: Capital Adequacy (CRAR / Tier-1 Capital), Asset Quality (Net NPA ratio), and Tier-1 Leverage Ratio. Breaching designated risk thresholds (Risk Threshold 1, 2, or 3) triggers graded mandatory curbs on dividend distribution, branch expansion, promoter capital infusion mandates, and caps on executive compensation.

DIRECT SEEDED RICE (DSR) & 'TAR-WATTAR' TECHNIQUE: WATER CONSERVATION, METHANE MITIGATION & WEED DYNAMICS

Context & Analysis: Agricultural evaluations by ICAR and state agricultural universities show that the wide adoption of the Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) technique using the innovative 'Tar-Wattar' (good soil moisture) method saves up to 15–20% of irrigation water and reduces cultivation costs by ₹4,000–5,000 per acre. Unlike conventional transplanted paddy, which requires continuous standing water (puddling) for 3–4 weeks to suppress weeds, DSR directly drills pre-germinated or dry seeds into unpuddled soil using tractor-drawn seed drills. This eliminates puddling, saves massive diesel power, and curtails anaerobic methanogenesis, slashing agricultural methane ($CH_4$) emissions by 30–40%. However, DSR requires precise herbicide management, as weed infestation poses a severe threat in non-flooded fields.

QUANTUM KEY DISTRIBUTION (QKD): ENTANGLED PHOTON ENCRYPTION, NO-CLONING THEOREM & NQM ROADMAP

Context & Analysis: Under the ₹6,003-crore National Quantum Mission (NQM), Indian research consortiums (including DRDO, C-DOT, and Raman Research Institute) have successfully demonstrated inter-city secure Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) over 150 km of commercial optical fiber. As quantum computers threaten to break classical asymmetric cryptography (such as RSA and ECC algorithms) via Shor's algorithm, QKD provides mathematically unbreakable, physics-based cybersecurity. QKD uses the quantum properties of individual photons to transmit cryptographic keys between two parties (Alice and Bob). Its security is fundamentally guaranteed by the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle and the No-Cloning Theorem: any eavesdropping attempt (Eve) unavoidably alters the quantum states of the photons, instantly alerting the communicating parties and rendering the intercepted key invalid.

GREAT INDIAN BUSTARD (GODAWAN) CONSERVATION: TRANSMISSION LINE RE-ROUTING, THAR HABITAT & BIRD DIVERTERS

Context & Analysis: The Supreme Court-appointed expert committee has submitted its refined zonation report demarcating 'priority' and 'potential' conservation areas for the Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) in Rajasthan and Gujarat. With fewer than 150 individuals remaining in the wild (primarily in Desert National Park, Jaisalmer), the GIB is on the brink of extinction. Due to poor frontal vision and heavy body weight, flying bustards cannot detect overhead high-voltage power transmission lines, suffering fatal collisions. The Supreme Court's landmark 2024 ruling in M.K. Ranjitsinh v. Union of India harmonized India's constitutional Right to Life (including freedom from climate change under Article 21) with species survival, requiring undergrounding of low-voltage lines and mandatory installation of dynamic bird flight diverters on high-voltage evacuation lines.

• Instrument of Accession (26–27 Oct 1947): Transferred external affairs, defense, and communications of J&K to India under Section 6 of the Government of India Act 1935.
• National Film Heritage Mission (NFHM): World's largest film preservation mission executing 4K digitization and chemical stabilization at NFAI Pune.
• Salar de Uyuni (Bolivia): World’s largest salt flat located at 3,650 meters elevation, anchoring the Lithium Triangle.
• Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle & No-Cloning Theorem: The foundational physics laws guaranteeing absolute security against interception in Quantum Key Distribution.
• Desert National Park (Jaisalmer/Barmer): Crucial stronghold of the Critically Endangered Great Indian Bustard (Godawan).

The Supreme Court’s reiteration that statutory bail fetters under Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act cannot extinguish personal liberty under Article 21 strikes a vital blow for constitutionalism. When special criminal statutes incorporate twin conditions for bail—effectively shifting the burden onto the accused to prove innocence at the pre-trial stage—they invert the golden thread of common-law criminal jurisprudence: the presumption of innocence. While combating sophisticated financial crimes and transnational money laundering is an imperative of sovereign economic stability, when systemic investigation delays drag on for years, pre-trial custody imperceptibly transmutes from preventive detention into punitive incarceration.

The higher judiciary’s intervention reinforces an indispensable constitutional threshold: statutory mandates cannot bypass the basic structure of the Constitution. Article 21 guarantees not merely the physical form of life, but substantive liberty protected by procedural fairness. Trial courts and appellate benches must actively monitor investigation timelines, dismiss speculative evidence, and refuse to let procedural delays become a substitute for guilt. The strength of a democracy is measured not by how severely it can incarcerate, but by the integrity with which it upholds due process even in the most complex prosecutions.

Q: “Stringent statutory bail conditions in special economic and security legislations like the PMLA, UAPA, and NDPS Act are designed to tackle organized subversion. However, prolonged pre-trial incarceration without trial commencement risks turning process into punishment. In light of recent Supreme Court rulings, critically examine the balance between national security and procedural due process under Article 21.”