Daily Current Affairs | April 7 2025

1) Crisis in Cotton

• India is the largest producer of cotton and an important player in the global textile industry.

• Cotton is not just an industrial crop—it is also a rural livelihood backbone for millions of Indian farmers, particularly in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu.

• However, recent trends reveal a stagnation in cotton production, increase in pest resistance, and decline in exports.

• India’s cotton exports are struggling, with only 27% growth between 2008-09 and 2022-23

Reasons

• Pest Resistance - Bt Cotton was introduced in 2002 which was resistant against American Bollworm. But Pink Bollworm has emerged as a new threat which is resistant to Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab(enzymes by Bt Cotton)

• No Clarity on GM - Bt cotton's current versions are outdated. Newer GM traits exist but are awaiting approval for field use.

• Regulatory Inertia - Several seed companies have developed next-generation Bt cotton hybrids to tackle Pink Bollworm. These have not been allowed for commercial cultivation.

Govt. Initiatives

• Budget 2023 announced a ‘Mission for Cotton Productivity’:

  • Aim: To make Indian cotton globally competitive in quality and yield.

  • Strategy: Focus on seed improvement, productivity boost, and farmer support.

• But this mission’s success is tied to how soon modern GM technologies are approved for use

2) What are Ice Stupas ?

• Farmers in Gilgit-Baltistan region have started using the concept of Ice Stupas, given by Sonam Wangchuk(activist in Ladakh), to solve their problem of water shortage.

• Ice stupas are artificial glaciers shaped like cones that store winter water in frozen form.

• Named after Buddhist stupas due to their iconic dome-like shape.

How they Work ?

• Water is diverted from nearby glacial streams using gravity-driven pipelines, eliminating the need for pumps or electricity.

• At sub-zero temperatures during winter nights, water is sprayed vertically into the air, where droplets freeze mid-air and settle over a support frame.

• The ice accumulates into a cone-shaped structure (stupa), which reduces sunlight exposure and insulates the core, minimising early melting.

Benefits

• Slow Irrigation - In spring, the stupa melts gradually from top to bottom, releasing water slowly to irrigate crops like apples, apricots, wheat, and barley.

• Use of Science - The process uses phase change, heat transfer and hydraulic gradient to create a natural, low-cost water storage solution.

• Adaptation to Climate Change - Addresses water scarcity in arid mountain areas affected by warming. Reduces dependency on rapidly melting glaciers, lowering flood risk.

• Low Cost - Sustainable, community-driven innovation requiring no heavy infrastructure.

3) CAPTCHA System

• CAPTCHA has changed the way websites keep user accounts safe and their data protected.

• From simple text-based challenges to the advanced reCAPTCHA systems we use today, CAPTCHA has made a big difference in online security.

• CAPTCHA - Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart.

About Captcha

• It is a human verification tool designed to distinguish between real users and automated bots. Users are prompted to solve puzzles, like identifying distorted text or selecting images (e.g., traffic lights or cars).

• reCAPTCHA, introduced in 2009, used scanned words from books to aid in digitisation.

• Invisible reCAPTCHA (2014) detects human presence using mouse movement and user behaviour.

Significance

• Protects websites from spam, fake registrations, and automated attacks.

• Adds a security layer to sensitive actions like logins, payments, and data recovery.

• Used in online forms, comment sections, polls, and e-commerce for human validation.

• Supported by major tech players, including Google, and deployed across thousands of platforms.

Limitations

• Accessibility issues for people with visual or auditory impairments.

• Can be frustrating for users, especially on mobile devices.

• Advanced bots using AI and machine learning can bypass certain CAPTCHA systems.

• Adds an extra verification step, which may deter users or lower UX quality.

4) 1997 Judicial Code of Ethics

• Following a significant decision taken during a full court meeting on April 1, all judges of the Supreme Court, including the Chief Justice of India, will publicly declare their assets.

• It comes on the heels of the discovery of wads of currency notes at the residence of Delhi High Court judge Yashwant Varma.

• The recent decision could mark an important shift and is essentially a reiteration of the 1997 Restatement of Values of Judicial Life, a code of ethics that the judiciary adopted in another full court meeting.

1997 Code

• A judicial code of ethics adopted by the Supreme Court of India in 1997 during a full court meeting.

• It provides a non-exhaustive, 16-point framework outlining the ethical conduct expected of judges.

• Acts as a moral compass and accountability guide for higher judiciary, especially in the absence of statutory laws governing judge conduct.

16 Point Judicial Code of Ethics

• Judges must avoid actions that “erode” people’s faith in the higher judiciary, as “Justice must not merely be done but it must also be seen to be done”.

• Must not contest elections/hold office in clubs, societies, and associations.

• Must avoid close association with “individual members of the Bar” and if any immediate or close family members are members of the Bar, they must not appear before the judge in court or be associated with any case or “cause” she is dealing with.

• Similarly, such family members cannot be permitted to use the judge’s residence for professional work.

• Must practice “a degree of aloofness consistent with the dignity of his office”, i.e. being impartial by maintaining distance from the case before her.

• Must not hear and decide cases where a family member or friend is involved.

• Must not publicly express views on political matters that may arise for judicial determination.

• Must “let his judgments speak for themselves” and must not give interviews to the media.

• Must not accept gifts or hospitality from anyone besides family and friends.

• Must not hear and decide matters involving a company in which the judge holds shares unless previously disclosed and no objection is raised.

• Must not “speculate in shares, stocks or the like”.

• Must not engage in any trade or business “directly or indirectly”. This does not include legal publishing or anything “in the nature of a hobby”.

• Should not seek any financial benefit connected to her office “unless it is clearly available”.

• Must be conscious that she is “under the public gaze” and avoid acts “unbecoming of the high office”.