Dark-Web

Science & Technology

Context

The State Bank of India (SBI) has disclosed that it is investigating a cybersecurity incident involving the suspected exposure of customer data on the Dark Web.

Dark Web

Definition: A part of the internet that requires specialised software, such as The Onion Router (Tor), to access certain hidden services anonymously.
Origin: The foundational technology behind onion routing was developed by researchers at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL).
Purpose: Designed to support anonymous communication and protect sensitive communications from monitoring.
Concerns: Can facilitate cybercrime, illegal trade, data leaks and identity theft, although it also has legitimate privacy and security uses.

Constitutional Provisions

Article 21: Protects the right to life and personal liberty.
K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2017): Supreme Court recognised the right to privacy as a fundamental right.

Legal Framework for Data Protection

Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023:
- Section 8(6): Requires a Data Fiduciary to inform the Data Protection Board of India and affected individuals of a personal data breach, subject to the Act’s provisions.

Government Initiatives

Samanvaya Platform: Ministry of Home Affairs initiative supporting cybercrime data sharing, analytics and coordination among law-enforcement agencies.
Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C): Strengthens coordination among agencies to combat cybercrime.
Cyber Swachhta Kendra: Helps detect and remove malicious software and promotes cybersecurity awareness.

Namami Gange

Government Schemes

Context

The programme adopts a multi-technology approach to wastewater treatment, combining infrastructure development, decentralised solutions, rehabilitation and long-term operation.

About Namami Gange

Launch: 2014.
Nature: Integrated Conservation Mission.
Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Jal Shakti.
Implementing Agency: National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG).
Objectives: Pollution abatement, conservation and rejuvenation of the River Ganga.

Major Pillars

Sewerage Treatment Infrastructure: Construction and rehabilitation of sewage treatment plants (STPs).
Riverfront Development: Development of ghats and crematoria.
River-Surface Cleaning: Removal of floating waste.
Biodiversity Conservation: Protection of aquatic ecosystems and species.
Afforestation: Plantation along the Ganga basin.
Public Awareness: Community participation and behavioural change.
Industrial Effluent Monitoring: Monitoring and control of industrial pollution.
Ganga Gram: Promoting sanitation and cleanliness in villages along the Ganga.

Significance

Improves river-water quality and sanitation.
Reduces the discharge of untreated sewage and industrial effluents.
Supports aquatic biodiversity and ecological restoration.
Promotes sustainable river management through technology and community participation.

Additional Information – GANGA RIVER

Origin and Course

Origin: Gangotri Glacier (Gaumukh), Uttarakhand; the headstream is called the Bhagirathi.
Confluence: Bhagirathi meets the Alaknanda at Devprayag, forming the Ganga.
Length: Approximately 2,525 km.
Drainage Basin: India and Bangladesh.
Outfall: Enters the Bay of Bengal through the Ganga–Brahmaputra–Meghna delta.

Major Tributaries

Left-bank tributaries: Ramganga, Gomti, Ghaghara, Gandak, Kosi and Mahananda.
Right-bank tributaries: Yamuna, Son, Punpun and Damodar.

States Through Which It Flows

Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
In Bangladesh, its main distributary is known as the Padma.

Important Features

Largest river basin in India by drainage area.
The Yamuna is a major tributary, joining the Ganga at Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.
The Sundarbans Delta, formed by the Ganga–Brahmaputra river system, is among the world’s largest deltas.
Supports agriculture, drinking water, transport, fisheries and biodiversity.

Ecological Significance

Habitat of the Gangetic river dolphin — India’s National Aquatic Animal.
Other important species include the gharial and several freshwater turtle species.
The Ganga basin supports a large share of India’s population and agricultural activity.

Major Government Initiatives

Namami Gange Programme (2014): Pollution abatement, conservation and rejuvenation of the Ganga.
National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG): Implements the Namami Gange Programme.
Ganga Action Plan: Launched in 1985 to reduce river pollution.

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE TENTATIVE LIST – 3 NEW INDIAN SITES

History & Culture

Context

Three Indian sites were added to UNESCO’s Tentative List of World Heritage Sites, taking India’s tentative list to 81 sites, as stated in the source.

About the Tentative List

A Tentative List is an inventory of properties a country considers suitable for future nomination to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Inclusion on the Tentative List is a prerequisite for nomination to the World Heritage List.

Three Newly Added Sites

Baratang Karst–Mud Volcano Complex

Location: Baratang Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Features: Limestone caves and active mud volcanoes.
Mud Volcanoes: Release mud, water and gases rather than molten rock.

Andaman Subduction Volcanoes

Location: Barren Island and Narcondam Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Barren Island: Home to India’s only confirmed active volcano.
Narcondam Island: Forest-covered volcanic island known for biodiversity and the Narcondam hornbill, endemic to the island.
Significance: Illustrates volcanic processes and ecological succession.

Sirpur Cultural and Archaeological Landscape

Location: Mahasamund district, Chhattisgarh, on the eastern bank of the Mahanadi River, around 78 km from Raipur.
Historical Name: Shripur.
Historical Significance: Developed under the Sharabhapuriya and Panduvamshi dynasties and associated with the ancient Kosala region.
Importance: Archaeological remains reflect historic architecture, trade links and the coexistence of multiple religious traditions.

Badr Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)

International

Context

Pakistan, Turkey, Qatar, and Indonesia have signed the Badr Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

BADR MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MoU)

Context

Pakistan, Türkiye, Qatar and Indonesia reportedly signed the Badr MoU to strengthen military cooperation and defence capabilities.

Key Objectives

Promote defence manufacturing, joint production and domestic defence industries.
Enhance military training, research and technology development.

Badr MoU vs Mecca Pact

Badr MoU: Focuses on defence-industrial cooperation.
Mecca Pact: Focuses on collective defence, as described in the source.

Significance for India

May support Pakistan’s military modernisation and defence manufacturing.
Could affect regional security dynamics and technology-sharing arrangements.

WHALE STRANDINGS ON INDIA’S WESTERN COAST

Environment

Context

A global database of blue whale strandings identified India’s western coast, particularly Gujarat, as an important region for recorded strandings.

Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus)

Classification: Marine mammal; order Cetacea.
Features: Largest animal known to have lived on Earth; adults reach approximately 24–28 metres.
Distribution: All oceans except the Arctic Ocean.
Subspecies: Five recognised subspecies, including the Antarctic, Northern, Pygmy, Northern Indian Ocean and Chilean blue whales.
Conservation Status: Endangered (IUCN Red List); Appendix I of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS).

About Cetaceans

Include whales, dolphins and porpoises.
Characteristics: Warm-blooded, breathe through lungs, give birth to live young and must surface to breathe.
Around 30–35 cetacean species are reported from the waters of the Indian subcontinent.

Additional Information – International Whaling Commission (IWC)

Established: 1946 under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling.
Headquarters: Impington, United Kingdom.
Commercial Whaling Moratorium: Adopted in 1982; effective from 1986.
Functions: Regulates whaling and promotes whale conservation.
Types of Whaling: Commercial, Aboriginal subsistence and special-permit (scientific) whaling.
India’s Membership: Since 1981.