Daily Current Affairs- 3rd April 2025

Daily Current Affairs 3rd April 2025

Pamban Rail Bridge: An Engineering Marvel

In the News:

The Pamban Rail Bridge, connecting Rameswaram on Pamban Island to the mainland of India, has undergone significant transformations over the years. The original bridge, opened in 1914, served the nation for over a century before its decommissioning in December 2022 due to structural concerns. A new bridge, featuring advanced engineering solutions, is set to be inaugurated on April 6, 2025, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Key Points:

1. Historical Significance:
   • The original Pamban Bridge, inaugurated on February 24, 1914, was India's first sea bridge, facilitating rail connectivity between the mainland and Rameswaram.
   • The bridge withstood numerous challenges, including the devastating 1964 cyclone, which caused significant damage but was subsequently repaired.
2. Structural Features of the Original Bridge:
   • Spanning 2,065 meters, the bridge consisted of 143 spans and featured a double-leaf bascule section that could be raised to allow ships to pass.
   • The bascule section was operated manually, with each lift taking approximately 45 minutes.
3. Transition to the New Bridge:
   • Due to corrosion and structural weakening, rail operations on the original bridge were suspended in December 2022.
   • The new bridge, constructed at a cost of ₹535 crore, features a vertical lift span capable of rising 17 meters to accommodate maritime traffic.

 WCD Report Highlights Climate Change's Disproportionate Impact on Women and Children

In the News:  The Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) has released a report titled “"How Does Climate Change Impact Women and Children Across Agroecological Zones" examining how climate change disproportionately affects women and children across India's diverse agro-ecological zones. The findings reveal that climate-induced challenges exacerbate existing vulnerabilities, particularly for marginalized groups, and call for targeted interventions to mitigate these impacts.

1. Heightened Vulnerability of Women and Children

• Women and children are significantly more vulnerable during climate-related disasters, with women being 14 times more likely to lose their lives in such events than men.
• Climate change intensifies risks such as malnutrition, health complications, child marriages, teenage pregnancies, and domestic violence.

2. Regional Disparities Across Agro-Ecological Zones

• India’s 20 agro-ecological zones face varying climate risks, including droughts, floods, and heatwaves.
• States like Bihar, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana are particularly prone to climate-induced challenges.
• Effective management requires collaboration between states sharing similar agro-climatic conditions.

3. Health Risks for Women and Children

• Children under five years of age are especially at risk due to their dependence on caregivers and lower immunity.
• Heatwaves contribute to dehydration, growth issues, and malnutrition in children. Pregnant women face heightened risks of complications such as hypertension and pre-eclampsia during extreme weather conditions.

4. Economic and Social Consequences

• Droughts increase the burden on women for tasks like water collection and agricultural work while also leading to higher rates of child marriages (up by 37%) and domestic violence (up by 50%).
• Crop failures caused by erratic weather patterns lead to food shortages and rising prices, worsening malnutrition among children. 

Lakhpati Baideo Programme: Empowering Women Entrepreneurs in Assam

In the News:  The "Lakhpati Baideo" programme is a pioneering initiative by the Assam government aimed at empowering women entrepreneurs across the state. Launched by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, this ambitious scheme targets 40 lakh women members of self-help groups (SHGs), providing them with financial assistance and training to enhance their economic independence.

Key Features

• Financial Assistance: The programme offers a total financial assistance of ₹35,000 over three years to each beneficiary. In the first year, women receive ₹10,000 as seed capital. In subsequent years, they can access additional funds based on their business performance, with a combination of state grants and bank loans.
• Target Audience: The scheme focuses on women from various socio-economic backgrounds, including general, OBC, SC, and ST categories. Eligibility criteria include residency in Assam and membership in SHGs.
• Training and Support: Beneficiaries receive training in business management, marketing, and financial literacy to equip them with essential skills for entrepreneurship. The programme fosters a network of women entrepreneurs, promoting collaboration and mentorship.
• Economic Impact: The initiative aims to help women achieve an annual income of ₹1 lakh, aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of creating two crore "Lakhpati didis". By promoting rural entrepreneurship, the scheme contributes to local economic growth and sustainable development.
• Implementation and Cost: The programme is part of the "Mukhya Mantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyan" and is implemented at an estimated cost of ₹4,000 crore. The scheme is designed to streamline access to financial institutions and microfinance organizations, facilitating loans and grants for women entrepreneurs. 

Supreme Court as Guardian of the Constitution: Addressing Anti-Defection Pleas

In the News: Justice B.R. Gavai of the Supreme Court recently emphasised that the judiciary is not powerless if a Speaker fails to act on anti-defection pleas. This statement underscores the Supreme Court's role as the guardian of the Constitution, ensuring that constitutional principles and legislative processes are upheld.

1. Supreme Court's Role as Guardian of the Constitution

• The Supreme Court is empowered by the Constitution to protect its provisions and ensure that no branch of government exceeds its authority.
• It exercises judicial review to invalidate laws or actions that violate constitutional principles, including the protection of fundamental rights and the enforcement of constitutional provisions.

2. Judicial Review and Anti-Defection Law

• The Supreme Court can review decisions or inactions by the Speaker regarding anti-defection pleas under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.
• Judicial review allows the Court to ensure that the Speaker's actions align with constitutional requirements and do not undermine the democratic process.

3. Anti-Defection Law and Its Implications

• The Tenth Schedule aims to prevent political defections by disqualifying members who defect from their party.
• The Speaker's role is crucial in deciding these cases, but inaction can lead to political instability and undermine democratic principles.

4. SC's Power to Intervene

• The Supreme Court can intervene if the Speaker fails to act on anti-defection pleas, ensuring that constitutional processes are followed.
• This intervention can include directing the Speaker to decide on pending pleas or reviewing the Speaker's decisions for constitutional validity.

5. Precedents and Legal Framework

• Precedents like Kihoto Hollohan v. Zachillhu(1992) have established the Supreme Court's authority in reviewing Speaker's decisions under the anti-defection law.
• The Court's role is to ensure that the Speaker's actions are in line with constitutional provisions and principles of natural justice. 

Supreme Court Judges to Make Assets Public Amid Cash Controversy

In the News: In a significant move towards enhancing judicial transparency, all 33 sitting judges of the Supreme Court have agreed to publicly disclose their assets by publishing them on the court's official website. This decision follows a recent controversy involving the alleged discovery of cash at the residence of Justice Yashwant Varma, a former Delhi High Court judge now transferred to the Allahabad High Court.

Key Points

1. Decision for Transparency: The decision was made at a full court meeting on April 1, 2025, and applies to both current and future judges. This marks a shift from previous practices where asset declarations were mandatory only to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) but optional for public disclosure.
2. Background and Motivation: The move comes in response to growing concerns over judicial transparency, particularly after the controversy surrounding Justice Yashwant Varma. Despite the Supreme Court clarifying that Varma's transfer was unrelated to the cash discovery, the incident highlighted the need for greater accountability.
3. Historical Context: In 1997, the Supreme Court adopted a resolution requiring judges to declare their assets to the CJI. In 2009, the court allowed for voluntary public disclosure of these declarations, but not all judges opted to do so.
4. Current Developments: The recent decision ensures that all judges will now make their asset declarations publicly available, reinforcing the judiciary's commitment to transparency. Specific modalities for publishing these declarations are to be finalized soon.

 

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to fly to International Space Station in May 2025

In the News: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, an esteemed officer in the Indian Air Force (IAF), has been selected as the Mission Pilot for Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), a private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission is scheduled to launch no earlier than May 2025.

Key Points:

• Professional Background: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla serves in the Indian Air Force and has accumulated approximately 2,000 hours of flight experience across various aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier 228, and An-32.
• Mission Details: Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) is planned to launch no earlier than May 2025 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, utilizing a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to propel the Crew Dragon spacecraft to the ISS. The mission is expected to involve a stay of up to 14 days aboard the ISS, during which the crew will engage in various scientific experiments and activities.
• Crew Composition: The crew for Ax-4 comprises:
  • Commander: Peggy Whitson (USA)
  • Mission Pilot: Shubhanshu Shukla (India)
  • Mission Specialist: Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski (Poland)
  • Mission Specialist: Tibor Kapu (Hungary)
• Significance for India: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's participation in Ax-4 marks a significant milestone, making him the second Indian national to fly to space, following Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma's mission in 1984.
  • This mission also aligns with India's broader space ambitions, as Shukla is one of the astronaut-designates for ISRO's Gaganyaan mission, aiming to send a crewed mission to space by 2026.

 Future Circular Collider: A Next-Generation Particle Accelerator

In the News: The Future Circular Collider (FCC) is a proposed particle accelerator project by CERN, designed to succeed the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in 2025 and push the boundaries of particle physics research. The FCC aims to address some of the most profound mysteries in physics, including dark matter and dark energy, by accelerating particles to unprecedented energies.

Key Features

1. Scale and Location: The FCC will be approximately 91 kilometers long, making it nearly three times larger than the LHC, which spans 27 kilometers. It will be constructed beneath the Swiss-French border, near Lake Geneva.
2. Technical Capabilities: The collider is planned to accelerate particles to collision energies of about 100 TeV, significantly higher than the LHC's capabilities. It will initially operate as an electron-positron collider before transitioning to a proton-proton collider in later stages.
3. Scientific Objectives: The primary goal is to explore fundamental forces and particles, including detailed studies of the Higgs boson and potential discoveries beyond the Standard Model of physics. It will also delve into mysteries such as dark matter and dark energy, which are crucial for understanding the universe's structure and evolution.
4. Phased Implementation The project is envisioned in two main phases:

• First Phase (FCC-ee):Focuses on high-precision studies using electron-positron collisions, expected to start in the mid-2040s.
• Second Phase:Involves high-energy proton-proton collisions, planned for around 2070, which could reveal new physics beyond current understanding.

5. Cost and Funding: The estimated cost for the FCC is approximately $17 billion (15.32 billion Swiss francs), though funding scenarios are yet to be finalized. CERN's member states will play a crucial role in approving and financing the project.