The Union Health Ministry has launched risk-based inspections of 19 drug manufacturing units after the Tamil Nadu Drugs Control Department found diethylene glycol (DEG) above permissible limits in 'Coldrif' cough syrup. Produced by Sresan Pharmaceuticals in Kancheepuram, the syrup is linked to at least 10 child deaths in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. While the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) initially found some samples free of DEG, state authorities in MP and Kerala have prohibited its sale. DEG and ethylene glycol are toxic industrial solvents sometimes used as cheap, illegal substitutes for pharmaceutical-grade glycerine, leading to severe health risks including renal failure.
The Tamil Nadu Drugs Control Department identified a batch of Coldrif as 'not of standard quality' due to DEG adulteration.
Diethylene glycol (DEG) is a poisonous substance that can cause renal failure and death, especially in children.
The Union Health Ministry is conducting risk-based inspections across six states to identify quality failures in pharma units.
Exam Points
Manufacturer: Sresan Pharmaceuticals, Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu.
Toxicants: Diethylene glycol (DEG) and Ethylene glycol (EG).
Regulator: Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).
The Supreme Court is set to hear a petition challenging the Telangana government's order to enhance the Backward Class (OBC) quota in municipalities and panchayats to 42%. This increase brings the aggregate reservation in local bodies to 67%, exceeding the 50% ceiling established by the Supreme Court in the 1992 Mandal Commission case. The petitioner argues that this violates judicial precedents. Similar legal challenges are pending against reservation hikes in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The Telangana government justifies the move by stating that OBCs are grossly underrepresented despite forming over half the population, while the bill awaits formal assent.
The Telangana government increased the OBC quota in local bodies from 14% to 42% via a September 26 order.
The total reservation (SC 15%, ST 10%, OBC 42%) now stands at 67%, breaching the 50% legal limit.
The 50% ceiling rule was established by a nine-judge Bench in the landmark Indra Sawhney (Mandal Commission) case of 1992.
Exam Points
Mandal Commission case judgment year: 1992.
Proposed total reservation in Telangana local bodies: 67%.
Constitutional Provision: Article 15 and 16 (Reservation), and Part IX/IXA (Local Bodies).
In a significant policy shift, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) informed the Supreme Court that it will now release provisional answer keys shortly after the Civil Services Preliminary Examination. Previously, answer keys were only published after the entire year-long recruitment cycle was completed. This move follows a petition by aspirants seeking greater transparency and the right to raise objections to questions. A team of subject experts will review candidate representations before finalising the answer keys. This change aims to ensure fairness and reduce uncertainty for candidates who previously lacked a redressal mechanism for disputed questions during the evaluation process.
UPSC will provide a window for candidates to raise objections or representations against the provisional answer key.
The final answer key will still be released only after the publication of the final results.
The decision addresses long-standing criticisms regarding the 'opaque' nature of the UPSC's evaluation process.
Exam Points
Petitioner: Himanshu Kumar and 28 Civil Services aspirants.
Current Practice: Releasing keys only after the final result (year-long cycle).
India faces a significant but underestimated burden of influenza, with two distinct seasonal peaks: winter (January-March) and post-monsoon (July-September). Current influenza vaccines provide short-lived protection, with antibody levels declining significantly within three to six months. Because the virus undergoes constant antigenic drift, experts suggest that a single annual shot is insufficient for year-round protection in India's tropical climate. The article advocates for a biannual vaccination schedule (June and November) and the inclusion of influenza vaccines in the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) to reduce hospitalisations and deaths, particularly among children and the elderly who are most at risk.
India experiences two influenza peaks, unlike temperate countries which typically have one winter peak.
Vaccine effectiveness drops significantly within 90 days, leaving populations vulnerable during the second annual peak.
Less than 5% of Indians currently receive influenza vaccines due to a lack of government policy and public awareness.
Exam Points
Influenza peaks in India: January-March and July-September.
Vaccine protection duration: 3 to 6 months.
Common strains: H1N1 (swine flu), H3N2, and Influenza B.
Following a fatal crowd crush at a political rally in Karur, Tamil Nadu, the focus has shifted to India's crowd management strategies. While the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) have issued comprehensive guidelines, these remain largely advisory rather than statutory. States like Karnataka and Maharashtra are introducing bills to empower authorities to regulate large gatherings and fix responsibility on organizers. Effective crowd control relies on monitoring crowd density (danger levels at 5 persons per sq. m.) and ensuring 'flow' by avoiding bottlenecks and rigid barriers that can lead to compressive asphyxia.
The BPR&D published 'Comprehensive Guidelines on Crowd Control and Mass Gathering Management' in June 2025.
NDMA's guide recommends risk assessment, site layout plans, and real-time monitoring for mass gatherings.
Scientific crowd control emphasizes that compressive asphyxia, rather than trampling, is the primary cause of fatalities in crushes.
Exam Points
BPR&D Guidelines Release: June 2025.
Critical Crowd Density: 5 persons per square meter.
Key Agencies: NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority) and NIDM (National Institute of Disaster Management).
Tamil Nadu has sought a Supreme Court review of a judgment requiring all in-service teachers (Classes 1-8) to clear the Teachers' Eligibility Test (TET) within two years or face disqualification. The state argues that 'compulsorily retiring' nearly 4 lakh non-TET qualified teachers would lead to a collapse of the education system and violate Article 21A (Right to Education). The controversy centers on Section 23 of the RTE Act, 2009. While the court aims to ensure quality education, the state seeks a balance that protects the livelihoods of long-serving teachers appointed before the RTE Act's implementation.
Section 23 of the RTE Act mandates minimum qualifications for teachers as laid down by the NCTE.
A 2014 SC judgment (Pramati case) exempted minority institutions from the RTE Act, but recent rulings suggest bringing them back under its ambit.
Tamil Nadu argues that the TET requirement should not apply retrospectively to teachers appointed before the 2010 notification.
Exam Points
Relevant Law: Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 (Section 23).
Constitutional Article: Article 21A (Fundamental Right to Education).
Case Reference: Pramati Educational and Cultural Trust case (2014).
Sir Creek is a 96-km long estuary in the Rann of Kutch separating India's Gujarat from Pakistan's Sindh. The dispute, dating back to the British era, involves the interpretation of the boundary: Pakistan claims the entire creek based on a 1914 resolution (Green Line), while India advocates for the 'Thalweg Principle' (mid-channel boundary). Beyond the land, the dispute significantly impacts the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and maritime boundaries in the Arabian Sea, which are rich in oil, gas, and fishing resources. Recent security concerns involve Chinese-backed projects on the Pakistani side and the use of drones for infiltration.
The dispute affects the control over continental shelves and the definition of maritime boundaries in the Arabian Sea.
India follows the international Thalweg Principle, which states that boundaries in navigable waterways should follow the deepest channel.
The region is economically vital due to its proximity to major Indian ports like Mundra and Kandla and potential hydrocarbon reserves.
Exam Points
Length of Sir Creek: 96 km.
Principles involved: Green Line (Pakistan's claim) vs. Thalweg Principle (India's claim).
Renowned education reformer and activist Sonam Wangchuk has been detained under the National Security Act (NSA), 1980, following protests in Leh. Since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, Ladakh civil society groups, led by Wangchuk, have been demanding Statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to protect the region's fragile ecology and tribal identity. The detention occurred after a 'foot march' from Leh to Delhi. The government had previously formed a high-powered committee to discuss these demands, but activists claim the dialogue has been ineffective in addressing their core concerns regarding environmental protection.
The Sixth Schedule provides for the administration of tribal areas through Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) with legislative and judicial powers.
Activists fear that without constitutional safeguards, Ladakh's environment will be exploited by large-scale industrial and solar projects.
Wangchuk's detention under the NSA has sparked criticism regarding the suppression of peaceful democratic protests.