Judicial Reforms, Privacy, and Water Crisis: Key Issues in Focus

Context:

Published on March 26, 2025, this article delves into three critical topics: the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act of 2014, the Signal app’s role in secure communication, and the United Nations World Water Development Report 2025. These issues intersect governance, technology, and environmental sustainability, offering valuable insights into judicial independence, digital privacy, and global water challenges as of March 26, 2025.

Key Information Points:

• NJAC Act 2014 Overview: Passed via the Constitution (99th Amendment) Act, it aimed to replace the Collegium System with a six-member commission for judicial appointments, including the Chief Justice of India (CJI), two senior Supreme Court judges, the Union Law Minister, and two eminent persons chosen by the PM, CJI, and Opposition leader.
• Judicial Pushback: The Supreme Court struck down NJAC in 2015, arguing it compromised judicial primacy in appointments, a cornerstone of judicial independence, amid recent debates sparked by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s remarks on its potential to alter judicial accountability.
• Collegium Critique: Vice President Dhankhar highlighted the Collegium’s opacity, reignited by a cash controversy involving Justice Yashwant Varma, suggesting NJAC could have enhanced transparency in judicial appointments.
• Signal App’s Relevance: Known for end-to-end encryption, Signal ensures message privacy, used widely by activists and officials; its security was underscored when Kerala Police adopted it for internal communication in March 2025.
• Privacy Context: With India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, Signal’s adoption reflects growing emphasis on secure communication amid rising cyber threats and data privacy concerns.
• UN Water Report 2025: Released on March 22, 2025, themed “Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Services,” it warns of a 40% global water deficit by 2030, spotlighting India’s acute water stress with per capita availability dropping to 1,434 cubic meters by 2025.
• India’s Water Crisis: Over 600 million Indians face high to extreme water stress; groundwater depletion in states like Punjab (down to 150-200 feet) and inter-state disputes (e.g., Cauvery) exacerbate the challenge.
• Policy Measures: Initiatives like Jal Shakti Abhiyan and Atal Bhujal Yojana aim to bolster water conservation, but the report urges integrated management to avert economic and food security risks.

Key Terms:

• NJAC Act: 2014 law proposing a commission for judicial appointments, struck down by the Supreme Court.
• Collegium System: Judicial self-appointment mechanism ensuring judiciary’s independence.
• End-to-End Encryption: Security feature ensuring only sender and receiver can access messages.
• Signal App: Messaging platform prioritizing privacy through advanced encryption.
• Water Stress: Condition where water demand exceeds available supply, below 1,700 cubic meters per capita.
• Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Government campaign promoting water conservation and harvesting.
• Atal Bhujal Yojana: Scheme focusing on sustainable groundwater management in water-stressed areas.

Link To The Original Article – https://indianexpress.com/article/upsc-current-affairs/upsc-key-njac-act-2014-signal-and-united-nations-world-water-development-report-2025-9907542/