{"id":114,"date":"2025-05-26T11:39:38","date_gmt":"2025-05-26T11:39:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vinayiasacademy.com\/notes\/?p=114"},"modified":"2025-05-26T11:39:38","modified_gmt":"2025-05-26T11:39:38","slug":"kakapo-veeraswami-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vinayiasacademy.com\/notes\/kakapo-veeraswami-case\/","title":{"rendered":"KAKAPO # VEERASWAMI CASE"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A team of conservationists, zoologists and veterinary medicine specialists has successfully used artificial insemination to<br>breed wild endangered parrots in New Zealand.<br>Kakapo<br>The Kakapo is a large, flightless, nocturnal parrot endemic to New Zealand.<br>Known for its distinct owl-like face, green plumage and musky odor the Kakapo is one of the rarest and most endangered<br>birds in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022Scientific Name:- Strigops habroptilus<br>\u2022Common Name :-Owl Parrot<br>\u2022Status Critically:- Endangered (IUCN Red List)<br>\u2022Lifespan Up to 90 years<br>\u2022Habitat Native forests of New Zealand (islands)<br>\u2022Flight capability Flightless, uses wings for balance<br>\u2022Diet Herbivorous \u2013 seeds, fruits, leaves, bark<br>\u2022Breeding Lek breeding system, low reproductive rate<br>\u2022Conservation Significance<br>Ecological Importance<br>Acts as a seed disperser in its native habitat.<br>A keystone species for the forest ecosystems of New Zealand.<br>Evolutionary Uniqueness<br>Only flightless and nocturnal parrot in the world.<br>Sole surviving species of the genus Strigops and tribe Strigopini (ancient parrot lineage).<br>Biodiversity Indicator<br>Reflects the ecological health of New Zealand&#8217;s forest systems.<br>\u2022Threats to Survival<br>Habitat Loss- Deforestation, land-use changes post-human colonization<br>Introduced Predators Cats, rats and stoats introduced by European settlers<br>Low Reproduction Mating only during mast years; infrequent and irregular<br>Genetic Bottleneck Only ~250 individuals alive, leading to inbreeding and health issues<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Conservation efforts<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Kakapo Recovery Programme (New Zealand)<br>Started in 1995 under the New Zealand Department of Conservation.<br>Focus areas: Translocation to predator-free islands, artificial insemination, genetic management, intensive monitoring.<br>Use of radio transmitters and data science to track movements and health.<br>Predator-Free Islands<br>Kakapos are now confined to islands like Codfish Island \/ Whenua Hou, Anchor Island and Little Barrier Island to keep them<br>safe from predators.<br>Technological Interventions<br>Use of AI and machine learning e.g., in egg fertility detection.<br>Genome sequencing to manage genetic diversity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>VEERASWAMI CASE<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Context:<br>Veeraswami judgment outlines when an FIR can be filed against a sitting judge.<br>Veeraswami Case (1991)<br>Background<br>Justice K. Veeraswami, a former Chief Justice of the Madras High Court (1969\u201376), faced corruption allegations for having<br>assets disproportionate to his income. An FIR was filed against him by the CBI in 1979, but he challenged its validity.<br>Key Legal Questions<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Are judges &#8220;public servants&#8221; under the Prevention of Corruption Act (1947)?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Who can sanction an FIR against a sitting judge?<br>Supreme Court\u2019s 1991 Ruling<br>Judges are public servants under anti-corruption laws. However, prior sanction from the Chief Justice of India (CJI) is<br>mandatory to register an FIR against a sitting judge. This shields judges from politically motivated cases and protects judicial independence.<br>Unlike other public servants, judges aren\u2019t appointed by the President in a typical employer-employee sense, so the CJI, not<br>the executive, decides on prosecution sanction. The CJI acts as the &#8220;competent authority&#8221; for sanction, not the President or<br>executive, to prevent executive interference.<br>Justice Yashwant Varma\u2019s Case (2025)<br>Incident<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Unaccounted cash was found at Justice Yashwant Varma\u2019s residence in March 2025. He was a Delhi High Court judge<br>then but later transferred to Allahabad HC.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Supreme Court initiated an in-house inquiry (a panel of judges investigating misconduct) in May 2025, but the SC<br>dismissed petitions seeking an FIR, stating the report was sent to the President and PM.<br>Vice President Dhankhar\u2019s Criticism<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Called the in-house inquiry &#8220;unconstitutional&#8221; and demanded an FIR against Justice Varma.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Argued that the Veeraswami judgment creates a &#8220;scaffolding of impunity&#8221; by making CJI approval mandatory, which<br>delays accountability.<br>Key Mechanisms for Judicial Accountability<br>Impeachment (Constitutional Process)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Article 124 (SC Judges) and Article 218 (HC Judges): Judges can only be removed via impeachment by Parliament for<br>&#8220;proven misbehavior or incapacity.&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reality: No judge has ever been impeached successfully in India. The process is politically difficult and requires a two-<br>thirds majority in both Houses.<br>In-House Inquiry<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Developed by the Supreme Court to address complaints without impeachment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Process:<br>o CJI forms a panel of judges to investigate.<br>o If misconduct is found, the panel recommends actions like withdrawing judicial work or voluntary resignation.<br>o The report is sent to the President\/PM, but it cannot directly lead to criminal prosecution.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Limitations: Critics call it opaque and ineffective. For example, Justice S.N. Shukla (Allahabad HC) faced an in-house<br>probe and impeachment recommendations in 2018, but the government took no action, letting him retire in 2020.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2713 WHY INDIA NEEDS STABLE URBAN FORESTS<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022Context<br>Urban forests often the last green sanctuaries in India&#8217;s rapidly expanding cities play a pivotal role in maintaining ecological<br>balance, public health and urban resilience.<br>With increasing threats from urbanisation and real estate development their stability and protection have become more<br>critical than ever.<br>\u2022Significance of Urban Forests in India<br>=Ecological Functions<br>One hectare of urban forest can remove nearly 1 ton of air pollutants annually.<br>Trees absorb CO\u2082 and reduce greenhouse gases.<br>Reduce urban heat island effects, moderate temperatures.<br>Control runoff, soil erosion and prevent urban flooding.<br>=Health and Social Wellbeing<br>Access to green spaces improves mental health, reduces stress and encourages physical activity.<br>Reduces incidences of respiratory illnesses by filtering PM2.5 and PM10 particles.<br>=Biodiversity Conservation<br>Urban forests serve as habitats for birds, insects and animals ensuring ecosystem continuity in urban zones.<br>Protect endangered species from extinction due to habitat loss.<br>Cultural and Recreational Importance<br>Facilitate nature-sensitive recreation e.g., walking trails, birdwatching.<br>Act as urban commons promoting community interaction and environmental awareness.<br>=Impact of Urbanisation<br>Kancha Gachibowli (Hyderabad)<br>400 acres allotted for industrial use, endangering biodiversity and tree cover.<br>100 acres of tree cover already lost prompting Supreme Court intervention.<br>Highlights conflict between development and environmental sustainability.<br>=Other Urban Forests Under Threat<br>Aarey Forest (Mumbai): Threatened by metro car shed; saved after citizen protests and judicial stay.<br>Turahalli (Bengaluru): Subjected to tree felling for infrastructure.<br>Delhi Ridge (Aravalli corridor): Protected through High Court orders.<br>Dol Ka Baadh (Jaipur) and parts of Bhopal and Allahabad faced indiscriminate tree cutting.<br>\u2022Judicial Interventions and Constitutional Backing<br>\u2022Landmark Court Cases<br>T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad v. Union of India (1996): Broadened the definition of \u2018forest\u2019 under law.<br>Aarey Forest Case (2020): Supreme Court stayed tree felling, upheld citizen rights.<br>Delhi Ridge Case (2015): Delhi HC directed the government to notify and protect.<br>Baran, Rajasthan (2024): Suo motu action by Rajasthan HC against illegal tree felling.<br>\u2022Constitutional Provisions<br>Article 21: Right to a healthy environment as part of the Right to Life.<br>Article 48A: Directive to protect and improve the environment.<br>Article 51A(g): Fundamental duty to safeguard natural surroundings.<br>\u2022Policy Framework and Government Initiatives<br>National Forest Policy, 1988: Emphasis on social and urban forestry.<br>National Mission for Green India, 2014: Focus on ecosystem restoration increasing forest cover.<br>Smart Cities Mission &amp; AMRUT, 2015: Emphasis on ecologically smart urban infrastructure.<br>Nagar Van Yojana (2020\u20132027)<br>Aim: Develop 1,000 urban forests across India.<br>Progress: As per India State of Forest Report 2023, led to 1,445.81 km\u00b2 increase in forest and tree cover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022Implementation Agency: MoEF&amp;CC.<br>\u2022Objectives:<br>Integrate forest areas into urban landscapes.<br>Encourage community participation in conservation.<br>Provide sustainable recreation and educational benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2713 GOLDEN DOME<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022Context<br>The announcement of the Golden Dome missile defence shield by U.S. President Donald Trump marks a potentially<br>revolutionary leap in the militarization of space and the evolution of missile defence systems.<br>Modeled loosely after Israel\u2019s Iron Dome this $175-billion project with an ambitious deadline of 2029 aims to create a space-<br>integrated, multi-domain defence architecture capable of intercepting hostile missiles including Intercontinental Ballistic<br>Missiles at various phases of their flight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022What is the Golden Dome?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Golden Dome is envisioned as a comprehensive missile defence shield that utilizes:<br>=Space-based sensors<br>Satellite-launched interceptors<br>Land and sea-based radar and tracking systems<br>It seeks to provide real-time global missile tracking and interception including neutralizing missiles moments after launch.<br>=Technological Breakthrough<br>Would be the first operational space-based weapon system transitioning from current satellite-based reconnaissance<br>to offensive-defensive interception capabilities.<br>Includes the deployment of thousands of small satellites capable of early detection and interception.<br>Israel\u2019s Iron Dome protects against short-range threats primarily from non-state actors. The Golden Dome targets strategic<br>threats from peer adversaries like Russia and China especially nuclear-capable ICBMs.<br>\u2022Strategic Rationale and Geopolitical Context<br>\u2022Need for Advanced Missile Defence:<br>ICBMs and hypersonic threats from adversaries like Russia and China pose strategic risks.<br>Existing ground-based systems e.g., THAAD, GMD are insufficient against high-speed, multi-phase threats.<br>\u2022Militarization of Outer Space<br>Golden Dome would represent the militarization and weaponization of space previously governed by strategic restraint e.g.,<br>Outer Space Treaty, 1967.<br>Raises concerns of an arms race in space with potential countermeasures from&nbsp;adversaries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A team of conservationists, zoologists and veterinary medicine specialists has successfully used artificial insemination tobreed wild endangered parrots in New Zealand.KakapoThe Kakapo is a large, flightless, nocturnal parrot endemic to New Zealand.Known for its distinct owl-like face, green plumage and musky odor the Kakapo is one of the rarest and most endangeredbirds in the world. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":71,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[5],"class_list":["post-114","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current-affairs","tag-current-affairs"],"rttpg_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/vinayiasacademy.com\/notes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-07-09-at-12.35.30-PM.jpeg",981,962,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/vinayiasacademy.com\/notes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-07-09-at-12.35.30-PM.jpeg",981,962,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/vinayiasacademy.com\/notes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-07-09-at-12.35.30-PM.jpeg",981,962,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/vinayiasacademy.com\/notes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-07-09-at-12.35.30-PM-150x150.jpeg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/vinayiasacademy.com\/notes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-07-09-at-12.35.30-PM-300x294.jpeg",300,294,true],"large":["https:\/\/vinayiasacademy.com\/notes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-07-09-at-12.35.30-PM.jpeg",800,785,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/vinayiasacademy.com\/notes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-07-09-at-12.35.30-PM.jpeg",981,962,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/vinayiasacademy.com\/notes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-07-09-at-12.35.30-PM.jpeg",981,962,false]},"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"vinayias-notes","author_link":"https:\/\/vinayiasacademy.com\/notes\/author\/vinayias-notes\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"<a href=\"https:\/\/vinayiasacademy.com\/notes\/category\/current-affairs\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Current affairs<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"A team of conservationists, zoologists and veterinary medicine specialists has successfully used artificial insemination tobreed wild endangered parrots in New Zealand.KakapoThe Kakapo is a large, flightless, nocturnal parrot endemic to New Zealand.Known for its distinct owl-like face, green plumage and musky odor the Kakapo is one of the rarest and most endangeredbirds in the world.&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vinayiasacademy.com\/notes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vinayiasacademy.com\/notes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vinayiasacademy.com\/notes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vinayiasacademy.com\/notes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vinayiasacademy.com\/notes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=114"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vinayiasacademy.com\/notes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":115,"href":"https:\/\/vinayiasacademy.com\/notes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114\/revisions\/115"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vinayiasacademy.com\/notes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/71"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vinayiasacademy.com\/notes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=114"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vinayiasacademy.com\/notes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=114"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vinayiasacademy.com\/notes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=114"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}