All-India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968, Long-Range Hypersonic Missile Test, Infectious Diseases to Bees and Pollinators

(General Studies II – Polity section – Structure, Organization and Functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary—Ministries and Departments of the Government; Pressure Groups and Formal/Informal Associations and their Role in the Polity.)

• The suspension of two Kerala IAS officers, N. Prashant and K. Gopalakrishnan, for alleged violations of the All-India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968, has raised pertinent questions about the conduct of civil servants, the adequacy of existing service rules, and the use of social media by officers.
• These cases highlight the need for a review of the rules to ensure clarity and fairness.

The Charges Against Officers –

1. Against N. Prashant:
   • Accused of making derogatory statements on social media against a senior IAS officer, allegedly undermining the public image of the State’s administrative machinery.
   • Claimed that baseless news reports were orchestrated against him.
2. Against K. Gopalakrishnan:
   • Accused of creating a religion-based WhatsApp group, ‘Mallu Hindu Officers,’ which was alleged to promote communal disunity among IAS officers.
   • Claimed his phone was hacked but failed to provide credible evidence and had reset the phone before investigation.

Relevant Rules Under AIS Conduct Rules, 1968 –

1. Code of Conduct: Uphold constitutional values, maintain ethics, integrity, and political neutrality.
   • Officers must not adversely criticize government policies in public media.
2. Social Media Usage: Officers are allowed to participate in public media only for the bonafide discharge of duties. Criticism or actions that undermine the government’s policies are prohibited.
3. Ambiguity in Conduct: Officers must avoid conduct that is ‘unbecoming of a member of the service’, a term open to subjective interpretation.

Issues Highlighted –

1. Lack of Specific Social Media Guidelines: The rules do not explicitly define acceptable use of social media, creating ambiguity in what constitutes a violation.
   • Officers are unclear about their rights to defend themselves against defamatory allegations online.
2. Broad Interpretation of ‘Unbecoming of an Officer’: The omnibus clause is vague and prone to misuse or misinterpretation.
   • Enforcement often reflects hierarchical biases, leaving junior officers vulnerable to arbitrary action.
3. Blurred Lines Between Personal and Official Life: Increasing use of social media blurs boundaries, making it difficult for officers to separate personal opinions from official responsibilities.
4. Lack of Safeguards Against Misuse: Senior officials and governments have disproportionate power in enforcing these rules, necessitating protections for junior officers.

Recommendations for Review and Reform –

1. Explicit Social Media Guidelines:  Define acceptable and prohibited content for social media, covering both official and personal contexts.
   • Include provisions allowing officers to respond to defamatory campaigns concerning their official duties.
2. Clarification of ‘Unbecoming of an Officer’:  Develop an illustrative list of behaviors deemed unbecoming based on past cases.
   • Limit the scope for subjective interpretation to ensure consistency and fairness.
3. Training on Responsible Social Media Use: Conduct mandatory workshops for officers, particularly younger ones, on balancing anonymity and effective use of social media to disseminate government initiatives responsibly.
4. Mechanism for Redressal: Introduce an impartial mechanism for officers to contest disciplinary actions related to social media and conduct rules.
5. Promoting Anonymity: Reinforce the importance of anonymity in official communications to uphold the integrity and impartiality of civil services.
6. Strengthening Rule Enforcement: Ensure that disciplinary actions are transparent, non-discriminatory, and free from political or hierarchical bias.

• Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Nigeria during his third term marked the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Nigeria in 17 years, highlighting India’s strategic focus on strengthening ties with Africa.
• Nigeria, the largest economy and democracy in Africa, plays a significant role in regional and global geopolitics.
• India focuses on defence, energy, technology, trade, health, education, counterterrorism and security collaboration including combating Boko Haram.
• India is emerging as a defence supplier to Africa, with ongoing discussions on arms sales.

• India supports Nigeria with concessional loans ($100 million) and capacity-building programs.
• The Nigerian President conferred India’s Prime Minister with Nigeria’s second-highest national award.

• India-Nigeria trade declined from $14.95 billion (2021-22) to $7.89 billion (2023-24)due to India’s increased oil imports from Russia.
• Nigeria is the most populated country in Africa, with a population of approximately 230 million people. 

Dig Deeper: Locate important West Asian countries with a special focus dependence on one or limited items of Exports like Oil, Cocoa, Coffee etc.

• India successfully conducted the maiden flight test of a long-range hypersonic missile with a range of 1,500 km, marking a major milestone in advanced military technology development.
• The test makes India one of the few nuclear-armed countries to develop these missiles, including the United States, China, Russia, and North Korea.
• The test was conducted by DRDO from Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast.
• Designed for deployment across all branches of the armed forces.
• Hypersonic weapon capable of speeds of at least Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound).
• High manoeuvrability for advanced strike capabilities.
• Terminal manoeuvres and impact confirmed with high precision using data from downrange ship stations.
• It uses Air Breathing Propulsion Systems to utilise atmospheric oxygen to burn the fuel stored onboard thereby making the system much lighter, more efficient and cost-effective.

• Dual Mode Ramjet (DMRJ) is an engine design where a ramjet transforms into a scramjet over Mach 4-8 range, which means, it can operate in both the subsonic and supersonic combustor mode

Dig Deeper: Read the difference between Hypersonic Cruise and Ballistic Missile technology.

• The Centre aims to position the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as a key tuna export hub, leveraging its untapped fishery resources.
• There is rising global demand for tuna, which saw a 31.83% export growth from India in 2023-24.
• The Indian Ocean contributes 21% to the global tuna production.
• The Exclusive Economic Zone around the islands is home to diverse tuna species like Yellowfin tuna, Bigeye tuna and Neritic tuna.
• The islands primarily harvest neritic tuna, with small quantities of oceanic species like skipjack, bigeye, and yellowfin tuna.
• Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna is not only one of the world’s most profitable fisheries; it is also one of the most threatened. The stock could collapse as soon as 2026, according to an assessment the IOTC commissioned.

Dig Deeper: Read the rights allotted under the Exclusive Economic Zone by UNCLOS and the contest of South China Sea islands by different stakeholders.

• A study published in Scientific Reports estimated that 40% of bumblebee species in the Indian Himalayas could lose more than 90% of their habitat by 2050.
• India hosts more than 700 bee species, including four Indigenous honey bees:
• Asiatic honey bee (Apis cerana indica)
• Giant rock bee (Apis dorsata)
• Dwarf honey bee (Apis florea)
• Stingless bee (sp.Trigona).
• Western honey bees were introduced in India in 1983 to increase the country’s honey yield.
• Pollinators, particularly bees, play a critical role in agricultural productivity and biodiversity.
• New infectious diseases, combined with habitat loss, pesticides, pollution, and climate change, pose significant risks to pollinators and global economies.
• Over 75% of food crops and flowering plants depend on insect pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and beetles.
• The International Pollinator Initiative (IPI), launched under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 2000, aims to conserve pollinators with the FAO leading implementation efforts. Plan of Action (2018-2030) is extended for Conservation and Sustainable use of Pollinators.

Dig Deeper: Read about the four Indigenous honey bees.