MAINS Current Affairs includes Supreme Court Extends Protection Against Domestic Cruelty to Women in Live-in Relationships & Emerging Challenges Faced by the ISRO

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Supreme Court Extends Protection Against Domestic Cruelty to Women in Live-in Relationships

Context: The Supreme Court held that the offence of domestic cruelty under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)—now Sections 85 and 86 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023—extends to women in live-in relationships that are “in the nature of marriage.”

Background

• Section 498A of the IPC penalised a husband or his relatives for subjecting a woman to cruelty.
• Since the provision explicitly referred to a “husband,” its application was traditionally limited to legally valid marriages.
• Over time, the Supreme Court expanded its interpretation to include situations where a man induced a woman into a void or voidable marriage.

Examples

• Concealing an existing subsisting marriage.
• Misrepresenting marital status to induce marriage.

In such cases, the Court held that a man cannot escape liability by claiming that he was not legally a “husband.”

Supreme Court’s Present Ruling

• The Court has now extended the protection against domestic cruelty to women living in relationships that are “in the nature of marriage.”
• The judgment recognises that women in genuine marriage-like relationships should not be denied legal protection merely because the relationship is not formally solemnised under law.

Arguments Favouring Expansion

• Progressive Judicial Interpretation:It reflects the judiciary’s commitment to purposively interpret legislation to respond to developing social circumstances and to protect vulnerable individuals.
• Victim-Centric Approach:Changes the focus from the legal status of marriage to the presence of cruelty in a domestic relationship.
• Advancing Substantive Equality: Provides equal protection under the law for women in similar home relationships, irrespective of marital status.
• Constitutional Provisions: The judgment is consistent with Articles 14, 15(3), and 21of the Constitution, which guarantee equality before the law, permit special provisions for women and children, and protect the rights to life, dignity, privacy, and personal liberty.

Arguments Against Expansion

• Judicial Overreach: It is argued that expanding the scope of criminal law beyond the statutory wording falls within the legislative domain of Parliament rather than the judiciary.
• Absence of Statutory Definition: The law does not define a “relationship in the nature of marriage,” creating legal uncertainty.

Supreme Court Judgements

• Velusamy v. D. Patchaiammal (2010):The Supreme Court laid down criteria for determining whether a live-in relationship can be regarded as being “in the nature of marriage.”
• Indra Sarma v. V.K.V. Sarma (2013): The Court elaborated on various factors that distinguish a marriage-like relationship from casual cohabitation and recognised that deserving women should receive legal protection.
• Lalita Toppo v. State of Jharkhand (2018): The Supreme Court held that women in live-in relationships are entitled to seek relief under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005.
• Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India (2018):The Court recognised the constitutional values of dignity, autonomy, privacy, and individual choice, reinforcing that legal interpretation must evolve with changing social norms.

Way Forward

• Parliament should enact a clear statutory framework defining relationships “in the nature of marriage.”
• Develop uniform judicial guidelines to ensure consistency in identifying qualifying relationships.
• Increase legal awareness so that women in live-in relationships understand the remedies available under criminal and civil laws.
• Provide specialised training to law enforcement agencies for effective implementation while preventing misuse of legal provisions.

Conclusion

The Supreme Court’s ruling marks an important step towards extending legal protection to women in genuine marriage-like relationships by recognising that protection against domestic cruelty should depend on the substance of the relationship rather than its formal legal status. While the judgment advances constitutional values of equality, dignity and justice, a comprehensive statutory framework is necessary to provide clarity, consistency and effective implementation.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

2. Emerging Challenges Faced by the ISRO

Context: An analysis of ISRO’s annual reports over the last three decades shows that its current sanctioned workforce has fallen to only 72% of the approved strength, the lowest level in recent years.

Emerging Challenges Faced by ISRO

ISRO is currently facing several operational and institutional challenges, including:

• Shortage of scientific and technical manpower.
• Delays in major national missions.
• Recent launch failures.
• Rising attrition of experienced scientists.
• Growing competition from India’s private space sector.

Recent Challenges

1. Mission Failures and Project Delays

Recent setbacks include:

• Failure of PSLV-C61.
• Failure of PSLV-C62.
• Delay in the G1 unmanned test flight of the Gaganyaan Mission.

These delays have affected the pace of India’s ambitious space programme.

2. Scientists Leaving ISRO

Several Group-A scientific and technical personnel, including those associated with:

• Gaganyaan Mission
• Other strategic national projects

have sought:

• Voluntary Retirement (VRS)
• Resignation

This has adversely affected the implementation of projects of national importance.

Contributing Factors

• Rigid Hierarchy: Many of India’s laboratories continue to operate within rigid hierarchies that would appear strange in leading scientific institutions elsewhere in the world.
• Switch to Private Sectors: Researchers are moving to private research organisations, emerging deep-tech companies, universities abroad, and/or international collaborations where scientific autonomy has more room than administrative strictures.
• Low Spending on R&D: India’s Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD) as a percentage of GDP remained between 6% to 0.7% which is below the global averageand lower than countries like China, South Korea and the US. 
  • There is a relatively low investment by India’s private sector, accounting for only around 36%,whereas in the aforementioned countries, private sector contributions are more than 70%.
• Economic Factors: Lower salaries compared to developed countries and limited job opportunities for highly specialized skills.
• Educational and Professional Opportunities: Limited access to world-class research infrastructure.
  • Better training, exposure, and career growth opportunities abroad.
  • Preference for global higher education for advanced degrees.
• Lifestyle and Quality of Life: Better healthcare, infrastructure, and living standards abroad. It offers global recognition and networking opportunities.

Government Initiatives

• Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme: Approved with a ₹1 lakh crore corpus, this scheme aims to energise private-sector R&D and deep-tech startups.
  • It offers long-term, low- or zero-interest loans, equity investments, and funds a new Deep-Tech Fund of Funds via the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF).
• Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF): The ANRF established in 2023, provides high-level strategic direction for research, innovation, and entrepreneurship in science and technology.
  • The Foundation aims to mobilise funds amounting to ₹50,000 crore during 2023–28 through multiple streams, including the ANRF Fund, Innovation Fund, Science and Engineering Research Fund, and Special Purpose Funds.
• National Geospatial Policy, 2022: It seeks to position India as a global leader in the geospatial sector by 2035.
  • The policy liberalises access to geospatial data, encouraging its use in governance, business, and research.
• Indian Space Policy, 2023: It builds on the space reforms introduced in 2020, which opened the domain to non-governmental entities for end-to-end participation.
  • It aims to enhance space capabilities, promote a flourishing commercial space industry, and foster collaboration between public and private entities.
• National Quantum Mission: Allocated ₹6,003.65 crore for 2023–31, to advance quantum technologies through scientific and industrial R&D.
• BioE3 Policy, 2024:It encourages the creation of Biomanufacturing and Bio-AI hubs, along with a national Biofoundry network, to accelerate technology development and commercialisation.
• National Supercomputing Mission (NSM): Launched in 2015, the initiative empowers universities, research institutions, and government agencies with state-of-the-art supercomputing systems connected through the National Knowledge Network.
• India Semiconductor Mission (ISM): Established in 2021, the mission seeks to build a robust ecosystem for semiconductor and display manufacturing.
  • India has already approved 10 semiconductor projects across six states, including the first commercial Silicon Carbide fabrication facility in Odisha.
• India AI Mission: The IndiaAI Mission embodies the vision of “Making AI in India and Making AI Work for India.”
  • It is advancing rapidly, having already increased computing capacity from an initial target of 10,000 GPUs to 38,000 GPUs, ensuring accessible AI infrastructure for startups, researchers, and industries.
• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM): To foster innovation at the grassroots level by providing support to students, startups, and entrepreneurs.

Conclusion

ISRO remains the backbone of India’s space programme, but sustaining its global leadership requires addressing critical challenges such as manpower shortages, institutional rigidity, project delays and talent attrition. Along with increasing investments in research and development, India must strengthen administrative transparency, scientific autonomy, career opportunities and innovation ecosystems so that talented researchers not only return to India but also choose to build long-term careers within its scientific institutions.

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