Daily Current Affairs 07 November 2026 – IAS Current Affairs

Current Affairs 07 November 2026 focuses on the Prelims-Mains perspective. Major events are :

Science-Based Strategies For Air Pollution Control In India

Source: Indian Express
GS III: Environmental Pollution and Degradation

Why in the News?

Delhi’s winter air pollution has highlighted the limitations of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), with experts calling for a shift towards science-based, airshed-level pollution management rather than relying primarily on temporary restrictions.

News in Brief

• Delhi’s air quality deteriorated to the ‘Very Poor’ category after a prolonged period of relatively better air quality, despite the implementation of GRAP restrictions.
• Delayed winter conditions, changing wind patterns and rainfall variability have influenced the onset of the pollution season.
• Satellite-based monitoring by NASA and South Korea has raised concerns about the underestimation of stubble-burning incidents in Punjab and Haryana.
• Experts have recommended an airshed-based approach supported by scientific modelling, accurate emission inventories and long-term pollution control measures.

Limitations of GRAP in Addressing Air Pollution

• The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) introduces emergency restrictions based on the severity of air pollution in Delhi-NCR.
• Measures include restrictions on non-compliant vehicles, construction activities and other pollution-generating activities.
• However, GRAP primarily responds to pollution episodes rather than addressing the underlying sources of emissions.
• Such restrictions provide temporary relief but cannot ensure sustained improvements in air quality.
• Emergency measures cannot substitute for long-term emission reduction and scientific air-quality management.

Role of Climate Variability in Delhi’s Pollution

• Weather conditions significantly influence the accumulation and dispersion of pollutants.
  • Delayed winter onset: Delhi’s peak pollution season was delayed by nearly two weeks.
  • Super El Niño: The prevailing El Niño conditions may have influenced seasonal weather patterns.
  • Rainfall variability: Cyclone-related unexpected rainfall further delayed the onset of winter pollution.
  • Wind speed: Weak winds prevent pollutants from dispersing, resulting in their accumulation near the surface.
  • Temperature conditions: A delayed and milder winter can influence pollution levels and atmospheric stability.
• These unusual weather patterns may be associated with the unprecedented Super El Nino.
• Air pollution is influenced not only by emission sources but also by meteorological conditions.

Stubble Burning

Concerns have emerged over the underestimation of stubble-burning incidents in Punjab and Haryana.

• NASA’s MODIS sensors aboard Terra and Aqua satellites may miss fires occurring between satellite observation periods.
• A NIAS study found significant differences between official estimates and satellite-based observations.
• More than 90% of stubble-burning incidents in Punjab during 2024 and 2025 reportedly occurred after 3 PM, compared to less than 3% in 2021.

Implications

• Conventional satellite monitoring may underestimate farm fires.
• Inaccurate fire counts can affect emission inventories and air-quality forecasts.
• Reliable monitoring is essential for identifying pollution sources and planning effective interventions.

Advanced Satellite Monitoring

• Combining satellite observations can improve the monitoring of agricultural fires and air pollution.
• South Korea’s KOMPSAT-2A satellite uses the Advanced Meteorological Imager (AMI), which provides continuous observations through geostationary monitoring.
• Unlike satellites that observe specific locations at periodic intervals, geostationary satellites can improve the detection of short-lived fire incidents.
• Incorporating accurate stubble-burning data into air-quality models helps improve pollution estimates.
• NIAS modelling estimates that stubble burning could contribute approximately 20% of Delhi’s PM2.5 levels.
• Improved satellite monitoring and accurate emission inventories support reliable air-quality forecasting and evidence-based pollution control.

Need for an Airshed-Based Approach

• An airshed refers to a geographical area within which air pollutants circulate and disperse through atmospheric processes.
  • Air pollution does not remain confined within administrative boundaries.
  • Emissions from neighbouring states, industries, transport and agricultural activities can affect Delhi’s air quality.
  • A city-centric approach cannot adequately address pollution originating outside its jurisdiction.
  • A recent NIAS study undertaken under a project of the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, proposes an indigenous framework called AIR-SHED for improving India’s air-quality management.
• Key features:
  • Airshed-based master planning.
  • Integration of emission inventories and satellite observations.
  • Identification of pollution sources across geographical regions.
  • Scientific modelling of pollutant movement.
  • Coordination among different administrative jurisdictions.
• The framework could potentially provide mitigation options covering 90–100% of emission sources.
• It also offers a practical approach that is not restricted to the Delhi National Capital Territory and can be extended across the National Capital Region.

Why Airshed Management is better than GRAP alone

• GRAP provides immediate relief during severe pollution episodes.
• However, repeated emergency restrictions cannot eliminate the underlying causes of pollution.
• They also impose economic and social costs through repeated public inconveience.
• Airshed-based planning focuses on identifying and reducing emissions at their source.
• GRAP is necessary during pollution peaks, but sustained emission reduction requires long-term science-based interventions.

Emerging Challenges for Delhi’s Air Quality

The factors that could worsen air pollution during the coming weeks;

• Stubble burning: Continued agricultural residue burning in neighbouring states.
• Unstable meteorology: Early-winter weather conditions may favour pollutant accumulation.
• Weak winds: Reduced atmospheric dispersion can increase pollution concentration.
• Fog: Pollution transported from the Indo-Gangetic Plain may combine with fog and worsen air quality.
• Western disturbances: ENSO-related changes in western disturbances could affect rainfall and atmospheric conditions.

Apart from seasonal factors, year-round sources also require attention;

• Traffic congestion at road junctions.
• Poorly maintained roads.
• Ineffective traffic management.
• Open waste burning.

These sources require continuous interventions rather than  seasonal restrictions.

Challenges in Tackling air Pollution

• Fragmented governance: Pollution sources extend across multiple states and administrative boundaries.
• Data limitations: Inaccurate emission inventories and missed fire incidents affect pollution estimates.
• Weather dependency: Wind speed, rainfall, temperature and atmospheric stability influence pollutant concentration.
• Seasonal approach: Excessive dependence on emergency restrictions weakens long-term pollution management.
• Implementation gaps: Traffic congestion, open waste burning and road dust remain persistent sources.
• Inter-state coordination: Effective control requires cooperation among Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Way Forward and Conclusion

Adopt airshed-based planning, improve pollution monitoring and promote crop-residue management. Strengthen inter-state coordination and address vehicular, industrial and construction emissions through sustained measures, while using GRAP for emergency response.

Delhi needs long-term, science-based pollution control rather than temporary restrictions to achieve cleaner air.

Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat

Source: PIB
GS I: Society; GS II: Government Policies and Interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Why in the News?

The Ministry of Women and Child Development‘s Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat (BVMB) campaign, launched on 27 November 2024, completes two years in November 2026.

News in Brief

• The prevalence of child marriage declined by 3.2 percentage points between NFHS-5 and NFHS-6.
• The Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat campaign has conducted 6.85 lakh awareness programmes, reaching 12.47 crore participants.
• A total of 42.01 lakh pledges have been registered to support a child-marriage-free India.
• The campaign prioritizes 257 high-burden districts and aims to achieve its national target by 2030, in line with SDG Target 5.3.

Child Marriage in India

• Child marriage refers to a marriage in which either of the contracting parties is below the legally prescribed age.

According to NFHS-6 (2023–24):

• 20.1% of women aged 20–24 years were married before completing 18 years.
• This represents a decline from 23.3% in NFHS-5 (2019–21).
• Despite the decline, child marriage remains a persistent social challenge in India.

Consequences of Child Marriage;

• Health risks: Early pregnancy increases the risk of maternal and child health complications.
• Educational disruption: Girls are often forced to discontinue their education.
• Gender inequality: Early marriage restricts women’s autonomy and opportunities.
• Economic vulnerability: It perpetuates poverty and increases vulnerability to domestic violence.

Legal Framework- Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006

• The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA), 2006, provides the statutory framework to prevent and penalize child marriage.
• It replaced the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929 (Sarda Act), shifting the approach from merely restraining child marriage to prohibiting it.

Key Provisions

• Definition of a Child
  • Male: A person who has not completed 21 years of age.
  • Female: A person who has not completed 18 years of age.
  • A marriage is considered a child marriage if either contracting party is a child.
• Status of Child Marriage
  • A child marriage is generally voidable at the option of the party who was a child at the time of marriage.
  • The affected party can approach the District Court, generally within two years of attaining majority.
  • Marriage is void in specified circumstances, including trafficking, force, deceit or use for immoral purposes.
• Offences and Penalties
  • Offences under the Act are cognizable and non-bailable.
  • An adult male marrying a child and persons who solemnise, promote, facilitate or attend such marriages can face rigorous imprisonment of up to two years and/or a fine of up to ₹1 lakh.
  • Women offenders are not liable to imprisonment under the Act.
• Relief for Victims
  • The Act provides for maintenance and residence arrangements.
  • It also provides for custody arrangements for children born out of such marriages.
  • Children born from child marriages are considered legitimate.
• Preventive Mechanisms
  • Judicial Magistrates can issue injunctions to prevent impending child marriages.
  • District Magistrates and local authorities play an important role in preventive intervention, particularly during mass marriage occasions and festivals such as Akshaya Tritiya.

Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPOs)

• Section 16 of the PCMA empowers State Governments to appoint Child Marriage Prohibition Officers.
• Their responsibilities include;
  • Preventing the solemnisation of child marriages.
  • Collecting evidence for prosecution.
  • Counselling individuals and communities.
  • Creating awareness and sensitising communities.
  • Maintaining records and submitting periodic reports.
• Supreme Court Directions (2024)
  • In Society for Enlightenment and Voluntary Action v. Union of India (18 October 2024), the Supreme Court issued a comprehensive framework for preventing child marriage.
  • Key recommendations included:
    • Appointment of dedicated, full-time CMPOs at district and sub-district levels.
    • Establishment of special units for coordination, monitoring and grievance redressal.
    • Conducting multi-sectoral awareness campaigns.
    • Training officials and other key functionaries.
    • Introducing technology-enabled reporting systems and databases to identify high-risk areas.
  • The framework emphasised prevention, protection and empowerment rather than relying only on punishment.

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP)

• Beti Bachao Beti Padhao launched on 22 January 2015, addresses the Child Sex Ratio and promotes the empowerment of girls and women.
  • Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Women and Child Development.
• It is a multi-sectoral initiative implemented in collaboration with the Ministries of Health and Family Welfare, Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and Minority Affairs.
• It is implemented as a component of Mission Shakti.

Major Focus Areas

• Promoting the survival, protection and education of the girl child.
• Addressing discriminatory social practices.
• Preventing school dropouts.
• Encouraging families to value and educate girls.
• Promoting behavioral change through awareness and community mobilization.

The Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat campaign builds on this foundation by combining legal enforcement with community-level action.

Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat Campaign

• The Ministry of Women and Child Development launched the campaign on 27 November 2024.
• Objectives
  • Eliminate child marriage through coordinated national efforts.
  • Strengthen community-level prevention.
  • Improve public access to Child Marriage Prohibition Officers.
  • Encourage reporting of child marriage incidents.
  • Provide support to girls vulnerable to early marriage.
• Implementation- The campaign brings together;
  • Central and State Governments.
  • Union Territory administrations.
  • Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies.
  • Educational institutions and frontline workers.
  • Civil society organizations and faith leaders.
  • Youth and local communities.
• The Ministry has prioritized 257 high-burden districts identified using NFHS-5 data, where child marriage prevalence is at or above the national average.
• BVMB Portal
  • The campaign’s digital platform provides a centralized mechanism for implementation and monitoring.
  • Major functional include;
    • Providing public access to CMPO details.
    • Enabling citizens to report child marriage incidents.
    • Recording awareness and community mobilization activities.
    • Facilitating online pledges through the portal and MyGov.
    • Monitoring campaign progress across States and Union Territories.

100-Day Special Awareness Campaign

• The Ministry launched a 100-Day Intensive Awareness Campaign on 4 December 2025 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
• It was implemented from 27 November 2025 to 8 March 2026 across all States and Union Territories.
• The campaign followed three phases;

Supreme Court Ruling On OBC Creamy Layer Criteria

Source: Indian Express
GS II: Indian Polity

Why in the News?

The Supreme Court reaffirmed that OBC creamy layer status cannot be determined solely by parental salary income.

News in Brief

• The Supreme Court held that parental salary alone cannot determine whether an OBC candidate belongs to the creamy layer.
• The category and status of the posts held by parents must also be considered while determining creamy layer status.
• The Court rejected the Centre’s request for two years to implement the March 2026 judgment and extended the deadline by eight weeks.
• The ruling will govern the pending allocation of services for CSE 2025 candidates, but completed appointments and seniority will remain unaffected.

The OBC Creamy Layer

• The creamy layer refers to the relatively socially and economically advanced sections within the Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
• These sections are excluded from reservation benefits to ensure that the benefits of affirmative action reach the genuinely disadvantaged sections.

Origin

• The concept was introduced by the Supreme Court in the landmark Indra Sawhney v. Union of India (1992) judgment.
• The Court held that socially advanced sections among OBCs should be excluded from reservation benefits.
• Following the judgment, the Government issued an Office Memorandum (OM) on September 8, 1993, establishing criteria for identifying the creamy layer.

Background of the Dispute

• The controversy arose from the interpretation of two government documents.
• Office Memorandum, 1993
  • The 1993 Office Memorandum established criteria for identifying the creamy layer among OBCs.
  • It provided different exclusion criteria based on the status and category of parents’ employment.
  • Under the income/wealth test, salary income and agricultural income were excluded from the calculation.
• Clarificatory Letter, 2004
  • The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) issued a clarification on October 14, 2004.
  • It directed that the salary income of parents employed in Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), banks and private-sector organizations should be considered in certain cases where equivalence with government posts had not been established.
  • This created different treatment between children of government employees and those of PSU and private-sector employees.
• Children of PSU and private-sector employees could be classified under the creamy layer based on parental salary income, even when their parents occupied posts comparable to those of government employees.
• This raised concerns about unequal treatment of similarly placed individuals.

What did the Supreme Court Rule in March 2026?

• In its judgment dated March 11, 2026, a bench comprising Justices P.S. Narasimha and R. Mahadevan upheld the claims of candidates who challenges their exclusion from OBC reservation benefits.
• The major observation were;
  • Parental Salary Cannot Be the Sole Criterion
    • Creamy layer status cannot be determined exclusively through parental salary income.
    • The status and category of the posts held by parents are essential considerations.
  • Hostile Discrimination
    • Treating children of PSU and private-sector employees differently from children of government employees in comparable positions amounts to hostile discrimination
    • Such differential treatment violates the principle of equality.
  • 2004 Clarification Cannot Override the 1993 OM
    • A clarificatory letter cannot introduce a substantive condition that is inconsistent with the original policy.
    • Therefore, the 2004 clarification cannot override the framework established under the 1993 Office Memorandum.
  • Employment Status Matters
    • The nature and category of parental employment must be considered alongside the applicable income and wealth criteria.
    • Merely crossing an income threshold cannot automatically determine creamy layer status in every category.
• The Court held that excluding candidates solely on the basis of parental salary income, without considering the category of their parents’ employment, was legally unsustainable.

What did the Supreme Court Clarify on November 6, 2026?

• The Centre approached the Supreme Court seeking clarification on the implementation of the March judgment.
• It raised concerns that implementing the ruling could affect previous recruitment processes, service allocations, seniority and appointments.
• The Supreme Court clarified the following;
  • Rejected the Centre’s Request
    • The Court rejected the Centre’s request for two years to implement the judgment and refused to defer its application.
  • CSE 2025 Service Allocation
    • The ruling will apply to the pending service allocation of candidates selected through CSE 2025.
    • The Court observed that the allocation process had not yet been finalized.
    • The creamy layer criteria laid down in the March judgment must therefore govern the allocation.
  • No Reopening of Completed Appointments
    • Previously concluded selections and appointments will not be reopened solely on the basis of this judgment.
    • The seniority and service positions of already appointed candidates will remain unaffected.
  • Pending Cases
    • Similarly placed candidates whose cases are pending before courts, tribunals or other competent authorities may seek consideration.
    • Their claims will be decided independently on their merits.
  • Government’s Policy-Making Authority
    • The Court clarified that the government remains free to formulate its own policy on reservation and creamy layer criteria, provided it complies with constitutional principles and the directions laid down by the Court.
  • Implementation Deadline
    • The Court extended the original six-month implementation period by another eight weeks.

Significance of the Judgment

• The judgment promotes equality and non-discrimination by ensuring consistent treatment of similarly placed employees across government, PSU and private-sector organizations.
• It strengthens social justice by ensuring that reservation benefits are assessed using relevant employment and social criteria rather than salary alone.
• It also provides clarity on the 1993 Office Memorandum, reduces arbitrary exclusion of eligible OBC candidates and reinforces that executive clarifications must remain consistent with constitutional principles.

Challenges and Concerns

• Implementation may face challenges due to the lack of uniform criteria for determining equivalent posts across government, PSU, university and private-sector organizations.
• Establishing a transparent mechanism for assessing employment categories is essential.
• Pending litigation may further delay relief for similarly placed candidates, while changes in eligibility criteria could create administrative uncertainty in recruitment and service allocation.
• The government must also balance the interests of eligible OBC candidates with the need to protect concluded appointments and established seniority.

Way Forward and Conclusion

The government should establish transparent criteria for determining equivalence between posts across government, PSU and private-sector organizations, ensure uniform implementation of creamy layer norms and periodically review income thresholds and exclusion criteria. Simplifying OBC Non-Creamy Layer certificate verification can further reduce disputes and administrative delays.

Going forward, reservation policies must balance equality, social justice and administrative certainty. The judgment reinforces the need for fair and constraint application of creamy layer criteria to ensure that reservation benefits reach genuinely disadvantaged sections without compromising constitutional principles.

Daily Current Affairs: Click Here

Rate this Article and Leave Feedback