1. Aadhaar Biometric Data Access and Forensics
Introduction:
- Context: The use of Aadhaar biometric data in forensic investigations, especially in cases involving unidentified bodies, raises important questions of privacy, law, and efficiency in law enforcement.
- Aadhaar Act: Governs the use of biometric data (such as fingerprints and iris scans). Access to this data is tightly restricted, with core biometric data only being shared under court orders, to protect privacy.
- Aadhaar Biometric Data & Privacy:
- The Aadhaar Act emphasizes the protection of an individual’s privacy.
- Sections 29(1) and 33 of the Act allow biometric information to be disclosed only under specific circumstances (e.g., High Court orders).
- The protection of biometric data is meant to prevent unauthorized access and misuse.
- Challenges in Forensic Investigations:
- Law enforcement faces challenges in identifying unidentified bodies, particularly those of economically or socially disadvantaged individuals.
- Unidentified bodies are often those of homeless people, migrants, or those involved in accidents without identification documents. These cases are often complicated by the lack of previous criminal records to cross-reference.
- Current investigative methods: Examination of distinct physical features (tattoos, scars), DNA testing, and fingerprinting from available databases, but these are often insufficient.
- Balancing Privacy with Law Enforcement Needs:
- While Aadhaar’s biometric data restrictions safeguard privacy, they limit law enforcement’s ability to efficiently identify unidentified deceased persons.
- Supreme Court rulings emphasize balancing the right to dignity in death with the right to privacy.
- Access to Aadhaar data could potentially speed up identification processes, particularly in cases where the body is severely decomposed or unrecognizable.
- Global Practices and Aadhaar Restrictions:
- In countries like the United States, fingerprint databases and advanced biometric systems are used for identifying deceased persons.
- India’s restriction on using Aadhaar biometric data in criminal investigations poses a significant challenge for law enforcement, as cross-referencing fingerprints from unidentified bodies becomes difficult.
- Legal & Ethical Dimensions:
- Allowing limited access to Aadhaar biometric data after FIR registration and judicial orders may help in identifying bodies while ensuring privacy protection.
- The dilemma lies in ensuring human dignity, both for the deceased and their families, without compromising the right to privacy.
- Constitutional considerations: The right to life, including dignified death, and the right to privacy must both be upheld in any legal framework.
Conclusion:
- The debate around accessing Aadhaar biometric data in forensic investigations centers on balancing privacy rights with public interest.
- As law enforcement deals with increasing numbers of unidentified bodies, allowing conditional access to Aadhaar biometric data could improve investigative efficiency while respecting legal safeguards.
- A measured approach, with judicial oversight, can ensure that forensic investigations proceed without undermining individual rights.
UPSC Mains Practice Question: |
Q. Discuss the legal and ethical challenges in using Aadhaar biometric data for forensic investigations in India. How can law enforcement agencies balance the need for solving cases with ensuring privacy rights?
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2. Rising STEM Research and Revitalised Education
Introduction:
- STEM Education in India: Higher educational institutions in India, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), are facing challenges in research output and teaching quality.
- Concern: Though top-tier institutions like IITs have produced skilled graduates, the industry-research gap remains significant, particularly in terms of skills and employability.
- Challenges in STEM Education:
- Declining Research Participation: The number of students pursuing higher studies or engaging in research has dwindled over the years.
- Faculty Shortage: Increasing focus on emerging areas like quantum computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and cybersecurity has exacerbated the shortage of qualified faculty.
- Low Industry Collaboration: There is limited collaboration between research institutions and industry, leading to graduates who lack real-world application skills.
- Quality of Training and Research:
- Many faculty members prioritize their institution’s ranking and other administrative responsibilities over scholarship and pedagogy.
- Industry Expectations vs. Educational Output: There is a mismatch between the skills required by industry and those acquired by students, leading to poor-quality graduates.
- Existing systems, including online courses and professional certifications, are not scalable to meet the needs of the increasing number of students entering STEM fields.
- Key Proposals to Improve STEM Education:
- Teaching vs. Research Institutions: Propose a clearer distinction between institutions that focus on undergraduate teaching and those that focus on research, with appropriate resource allocation for each.
- Rank Institutions Separately: Stop ranking teaching institutions based on research output (such as papers and patents), and instead focus on teaching quality and student learning outcomes.
- Pedagogical Focus: Teachers at undergraduate-focused institutions should spend more time on pedagogy and improving student engagement rather than on low-quality research publications.
- Encouraging Collaboration and Joint Projects:
- Joint Agreements: Explore partnerships between research institutions and teaching-focused institutions. This will ensure cross-disciplinary knowledge exchange and provide more practical opportunities for students.
- Shared Resources: Provide funding to incentivize collaborative research, joint conferences, and outreach programs to bridge the research-teaching divide.
- Policy & Structural Changes:
- Curriculum Changes: Update STEM curriculum to include more interdisciplinary and industry-relevant training.
- Funding: Allocate more government resources for teacher training and improving research infrastructure.
- Initiative-Based Rankings: Institutions should be ranked on their success in implementing innovative teaching methods, student outcomes, and their role in fostering research collaborations.
Conclusion:
- The quality of STEM education in India needs an overhaul, with a focus on strengthening teaching practices and fostering meaningful research output.
- Improving collaboration between research and teaching institutions, focusing on pedagogy, and addressing industry needs will help produce graduates with both academic rigor and practical skills.
- India’s future in cutting-edge fields like AI, quantum computing, and cybersecurity depends on revitalized STEM education that aligns with both academic goals and industry demands.
UPSC Mains Practice Question: |
Q. Examine the key challenges in STEM education in India and suggest policy measures that can help bridge the gap between research output and industry demands. |
