Content:

1. Is the World Trade Organization still relevant?
2. India to explore options it has ‘never considered’ under Indus Waters Treaty
3. SC gives approval for UGC rules to fight caste-based bias
4. Supreme Court to examine concerns on POCSO clause
5. DCGI urged to lay down stringent guidelines on use of new antibiotics
6. The mosquito effect: how malarial chaos influenced human history

Is the World Trade Organization still relevant?

Context : Decline in WTO’s Functions and Relevance

• WTO was created for negotiations, dispute settlement, and trade monitoring—none of which are functioning effectively now.
• Doha Round (2001) negotiations collapsed; only the fisheries agreement has been partially concluded.
• Dispute Settlement Mechanism (DSM) is defunct due to U.S. blocking judge appointments to the Appellate Body.
• Trade monitoring is weak due to lack of transparency and cooperation from major members.

Relevance : GS 2(International Relations)

United States and WTO: Systemic Undermining

• U.S. began unilateralism with Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs,” continuing under Biden (e.g., Sections 232 & 301).
• U.S. grievance: it liberalized tariffs more than others (like India), expecting reciprocity which didn’t follow.
• WTO accused of “legislating from the bench” via DSM, raising U.S. concerns about sovereignty.
• There’s a bipartisan consensus in the U.S. that MFN (Most-Favoured-Nation) hasn’t served its interests.

MFN Principle & Rise of Bilateralism

• MFN, the foundation of WTO (Article I of GATT 1947), is being eroded.
• Rise in Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) reflects global shift from multilateral to bilateral trade deals.
• WTO has failed to scrutinize FTAs rigorously, weakening multilateralism further.

India’s Position and Resistance

• India has opposed deals on agriculture, public stockholding, fisheries subsidies, etc., citing domestic sensitivities.
• WTO’s cap on agri subsidies (10%) seen as unfair given U.S./EU historical subsidies.
• India prefers discussing labour/environment standards bilaterally rather than at WTO, for flexibility and control.

China’s Entry and Global Trade Impact

• China’s WTO accession underestimated: WTO rules couldn’t prevent market flooding or ensure reciprocal access.
• WTO failed to foresee or regulate excess capacity, e.g., China’s steel and cement overproduction.
• China’s actions, though not violating WTO rules per se, undermine the spirit of fair trade.

Structural and Procedural Flaws

• Consensus-based decision-making is a bottleneck; reforms are blocked by even two opposing members (e.g., India & U.S.).
• WTO lacks enforcement power to compel members to disclose trade measures or adopt reforms.
• EU’s proposal for alternative arbitration system has not gained traction globally.

Conclusion: Is WTO Still Relevant?

• WTO is not dead but comatose — functioning in form, not substance.
• It can’t prevent trade wars or economic crises in its current state.
• Relevance depends on major reforms in rules, dispute resolution, and decision-making processes.

India to explore options it has ‘never considered’ under Indus Waters Treaty

Background of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT)

• Signed in 1960 between India and Pakistan with World Bank mediation.
• Allocated:
  • Eastern Rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) to India.
  • Western Rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) largely to Pakistan, with India having limited rights (non-consumptive use, run-of-the-river projects).

Relevance : GS 2(International Relations)

Current Trigger

• India’s response to the Pahalgam terror attack (2024).
• Decision to place the IWT “in abeyance”—an unprecedented step.
• Official letter sent to Pakistan citing “sustained cross-border terrorism” as justification.

Possible Measures India May Explore

• Withdraw from talks on evolving a new dispute resolution mechanism.
• Redesign hydroelectric projects to enable greater water storage, increasing India’s control over flow.
• Use of “draw down flushing” in reservoirs to manage sedimentation, but may also impact downstream flow.
• Consider options never used before, possibly referring to legal, technical, and geopolitical tools.

India’s Rationale

• India has so far acted as a “responsible upper riparian state”.
• Post-Uri (2016), similar options were not considered; this time could be different.
• The move is presented as a retaliatory, non-military countermeasure to terrorism.

Strategic Implications

• Ceasing hydrological data sharing and project notifications to Pakistan.
• No meetings of the Permanent Indus Commission since 2022.
• “Weaponizing water” is currently not possible under the treaty, unless India unilaterally exits or violates it.
• Technical and geographical constraints could make such changes economically intensive and long-term.

Challenges and Considerations

• Techno-economic feasibility: Mountainous terrain, cost of new infrastructure.
• International legal ramifications: Unilateral treaty abrogation could attract criticism and diplomatic pressure.
• Environmental and downstream impact: Changes in flow may affect both Pakistani agriculture and Indian ecology.

Conclusion

• India’s move signals a major policy shift in its traditional stance on IWT.
• If implemented, it marks a new dimension in India-Pakistan relations, using water as leverage in geopolitical strategy.
• Long-term planning, legal clarity, and international engagement will be key if India pursues this route.

SC gives approval for UGC rules to fight caste-based bias

Context and Background

• The case was filed by the mothers of Rohith Vemula and Payal Tadvi, two students from marginalised communities who died by suicide allegedly due to caste-based discrimination.
• The plea sought to stall the notification of the UGC’s 2025 Regulations until the National Task Force (headed by former SC judge Ravindra Bhat) submits its recommendations.

Relevance : GS 2(Social Justice)

Supreme Court’s Position

• Did not stall the notification of the 2025 UGC Regulations.
• Took a “middle path”:
  • Allowed the 2025 Regulations to be notified.
  • Directed that the Task Force’s work would continue independently.
  • Any gaps (“lacunae”) in the 2025 rules could later be amended based on the Task Force’s findings.
• Petitioners granted liberty to approach the court again once the Task Force report is ready.

Arguments Presented

• For petitioners (Indira Jaising):
  • Pointed out “grey areas” in the draft 2025 Regulations, especially around caste discrimination.
  • Requested that existing 2012 Regulations remain in force until the Task Force submits its report.

• For the government (Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta):
  • Objected to any delay; said the process of finalising the Regulations was already under way.
  • Stressed that the new Regulations would be more stringent and would empower UGC to penalise non-compliant institutions.

Role of the National Task Force

• Set up in March 2025 by the SC to address:
  • Mental health issues of students.
  • Caste/religion-based discrimination.
  • Suicides and systemic biases in higher educational institutions.
• Tasked with submitting comprehensive recommendations.
• Its findings will be used to revise or augment the 2025 Regulations if necessary.

Key Provisions of Draft UGC Regulations (2025)

• Aimed at promoting equity in higher education institutions.
• Empower UGC with disciplinary authority, including:
  • De-recognition of institutions failing to curb discrimination.
• Intended to strengthen anti-discrimination frameworks, particularly for SC/ST/OBC and minority students.

Significance

• The case represents an important intersection of legal, educational, and social justice issues.
• Marks judicial backing for regulatory reforms while keeping room for future policy improvements.
• Acknowledges the persistence of caste-based bias in academia and the need for structural change.

Supreme Court to examine concerns on POCSO clause

Context and Background

• Section 19 of POCSO Act (2012) mandates reporting of any sexual activity involving minors (below 18), even if consensual.
• The age of consent was raised from 16 to 18 years with the enactment of the POCSO Act.
• The provision criminalises all sexual activity involving adolescents, regardless of mutual consent.

Relevance : GS2 (Governance, Vulnerable Sections, Health).

Issue Raised

• Senior Advocate Indira Jaising (amicuscuriae) argued that:
  • Voluntary sexual activity between adolescents is being criminalised.
  • This undermines reproductive and mental health rights, especially of girls.
  • Parents, doctors, and guardians are punished for not reporting, even if acting in the best interests of the minor.

• Medical professionals are forced to report to police even when adolescents seek care voluntarily , leading to:
  • Reluctance to seek help from formal health systems.
  • A shift to unqualified quacks, endangering adolescent health.

Key Legal Tension

• Intention of Section 19:
  • Ensure timely state intervention and protection of children from sexual offences.

• Unintended Consequences:
  • Criminalisation of consensual adolescent relationships.
  • Violation of right to health and privacy.
  • Deterrent to seeking medical and psychological care.

Broader Implications

• Brings focus on the gap between law and adolescent realities.
• Raises questions about:
  • Need for reform in the age of consent laws.
  • Balancing child protection with bodily autonomy and health rights.
• May influence future legal reforms or judicial interpretation of POCSO provisions.

DCGI urged to lay down stringent guidelines on use of new antibiotics

Context

• India is set to introduce two new, powerful antibiotics:
  • Cefiderocol
  • Cefepime-zidebactam
• Concerns raised over misuse and irrational prescription of such last-line antibiotics without regulatory safeguards.

Relevance : GS 2(Health ) ,GS 3(Research)

Key Concern

• Ceftazidime-avibactam, already in the Indian market since 2018, is:
  • A last-line antibiotic meant for carbapenem–resistant gram-negative infections.
  • Now losing efficacy due to overuse and misuse, even in community settings.
• Aztreonam is often combined with it to overcome resistance — but now even this combination is facing resistance.

Gaps in Regulation

• The DCGI has:
  • Licensed the drug.
  • Provided indications for its use.
• However:
  • No strict regulatory pathway exists.
  • No enforcement against mis-prescription.
  • No antibiotic stewardship framework mandated.

Expert Appeal

• Dr. Abdul Ghafur, AMR Declaration Trust, has:
  • Written to the DCGI urging strict control mechanisms.
  • Warned that education alone is insufficient — regulatory action is essential.
  • Called for use only where no other alternatives exist.

AMR Threat

• Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR):
  • Already a critical health threat in India.
  • Past gains (e.g., ban on colistin in poultry) risk being nullified by uncontrolled antibiotic use.
  • India risks losing last-line treatments if AMR continues unchecked.

Proposed Action Points

• DCGI should:
  • Establish clear prescription protocols.
  • Monitor and restrict availability to specific hospital settings.
  • Integrate these drugs into a national antimicrobial stewardship program.
  • Mandate prescription audits and penalties for misuse.

The mosquito effect: how malarial chaos influenced human history

Historical Understanding of Malaria

• Miasma theory: Malaria was historically believed to be caused by “bad air” from marshes.
• Scientific breakthrough:
  • 1880: Alphonse Laveran identified the parasite in human blood.
  • 1885-86: Golgi & Celli showed cyclical nature of fever.
  • 1892: Marchiafava distinguished Plasmodium falciparum.
  • 1894: Manson hypothesized mosquito transmission.
  • 1897: Ronald Ross found the parasite in Anopheles mosquito (avian malaria).
  • 1898: Grassi linked human malaria to female Anopheles, completing the understanding.

Relevance : GS 2(Heath) ,GS 3(Science)

Malaria’s Impact on Colonial History

• High mortality barrier:
  • European colonisers suffered 500 deaths per 1,000 soldiers annually; >60% in inland Africa.
  • Until 1870, only 10% of Africa under colonial control; mostly coastal due to disease risk.
• Health deterring governance: First three choices for Governor of Gold Coast declined due to malaria; fourth died in a month.
• Shift post-1880s:
  • Malaria knowledge empowered European empires.
  • Post-Berlin Conference (1884), “Scramble for Africa” escalated.
  • By 1914, 90% of Africa was colonised — aided by mosquito control knowledge.
• Disease-prevention strategies:
  • Drainage of swamps, high-altitude hill stations, segregation of European settlements.
  • Institutionalised racial hierarchies — Africans perceived as disease carriers.

Socio-Economic and Racial Implications

• Quinine and colonisation:
  • Quinine enabled European survival and governance.
  • Harvested from Cinchona tree; guided use after 1880s discoveries.
• Slave trade and malaria resistance:
  • Africans with partial genetic resistance to malaria (e.g. sickle cell trait) were favoured labour in the Americas.
  • Priced higher than Europeans; reinforced racialised labour economy.
• Long-term effects:
  • Shaped racial hierarchies, contributed to scientific racism.
  • Influences modern-day racial inequalities in health and labour systems.

Modern Advances & Persistent Challenges

• Treatment evolution:
  • From quinine to chloroquine to artemisinin-based therapies.
  • RTS,S malaria vaccine offers hope but has limited coverage.
• Preventive tools:
  • Insecticide-treated nets (ITNs), indoor residual spraying.
• Environmental integration:
  • Malaria control now part of environmental assessments.
  • Deforestation, water stagnation, and climate change exacerbate mosquito breeding.

Current Global Malaria Burden

• WHO Report 2024 findings:
  • ~263 million people affected annually.
  • 600,000 deaths per year; Africa accounts for 95% of mortality.
     
• Ongoing public health threat:
  • Despite progress, malaria remains a major global health issue.
  • Urgent need for sustained investment and global coordination.

Dual Legacy of Scientific Discovery

• Positive: Enabled life-saving treatment and global disease control strategies.
• Negative: Facilitated colonial expansion and racial exploitation.
• Lesson: Science must be ethically guided to avoid misuse and unintended social harm.