Daily Current Affairs Quiz 28 October 2026

Introduction: The National Human Rights Commission has issued an advisory on women's safety at work and in public places to ten Union Ministries, the Railway Board and all States and Union Territories. It says strong laws exist, yet safety remains a concern, and it wants an Action Taken Report within two months.

Gaps: (1) Weak committees: many offices still lack the Internal Committee required under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013, for workplaces with 10 or more workers; Local Committees in districts are often inactive. (2) Informal work: most working women are in the unorganised sector, where the law is hard to apply. (3) Unsafe public spaces: poor lighting, few toilets and unsafe transport keep women away from jobs. (4) Online abuse: cyber harassment is rising and reporting is low. (5) Fear and stigma: victims fear losing jobs or social shame. This holds back women's labour force participation.

Measures: (1) Audit every workplace for a working Internal Committee and publish compliance. (2) Make Local Committees active, with trained members. (3) Design safer cities: lights, toilets, help desks and women's patrols at bus stands and markets. (4) Train police and fast-track complaints, including cybercrime. (5) Bystander and awareness programmes in offices and colleges. (6) Support survivors with counselling, legal aid and one-stop centres.

Conclusion: Laws alone cannot make women safe. Strict enforcement, safe infrastructure and a change in social attitudes can turn the Commission's advisory into real safety, and help more women join the workforce.

Battle IAS model answer

Introduction: Nobel laureate Richard J. Roberts recently backed genetically modified crops for India and said Indian labs can make and own such crops. Today India allows only Bt cotton (approved in 2002); no genetically modified food crop is approved. Bt brinjal is under a moratorium since 2010, and the Supreme Court gave a split verdict on genetically modified mustard in 2024 while asking for a national policy.

Benefits: (1) Higher yields and crops that resist pests, drought and floods, which helps in a changing climate. (2) Less use of chemical pesticides. (3) Better nutrition, for example crops with added vitamins. (4) New tools like CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing are precise, cheap and can be built in Indian labs, reducing dependence on foreign companies.

Concerns: (1) Possible harm to wild plants and biodiversity, and long-term health questions. (2) Seed control by a few companies and higher costs for farmers. (3) Pests may become resistant, as pink bollworm did with Bt cotton. (4) Weak trust in regulation and labelling.

Way forward: (1) Frame a national policy on genetically modified crops, as the Court asked. (2) Make the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee transparent, with public data from field trials. (3) Treat gene-edited crops without foreign genes under simpler, science-based rules. (4) Back public-sector research so seeds stay affordable. (5) Involve farmers and States, with clear labelling for consumers.

Conclusion: A careful, case-by-case and science-based approach can let India use biotechnology for food security while protecting health, nature and farmers.

Battle IAS model answer